Here's the story of a lovely lady...And they knew it was much more than a hunch, that this group would somehow form a family. That's the way we all became the NEW Brady Bunch. The NEW Brady Bunch,

Yes, we are tv junkies. We grew up loving certain shows (even those we fell in love with via reruns) and still have a connection to them till this day.

We thought it would be fun (mostly because we get bored at 3am when everyone else is sleeping) to reimagine the racial/ethnic/cultural makeup of some of our favorite shows to see what they would look like as a multiracial/multicultural group.

We're starting out with The Brady Bunch will continue to add as we go along. We're always interested in your feedback. Please post your comments and also share with us which tv shows you'd like us to remakee these characters in our image.

The NEW Brady Bunch Cast: (Please be sure to review pictures in the album "The Brady Bunch Multiracial/Multicultural Makeover")

Carol Brady: Vanessa Bell Calloway *The "bark like a dog" girl in Eddy Murphy's Coming to America. Last seen in the movie Lakeview Terrace as aunt Dorrie.

Mike Brady: George Lopez - needs no introduction

Greg Brady: Lance Gross - Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful dark chocolate man. Currently plays Calvin Payne on Tyler Perry's House of Payne. He is engaged to America's Next Top Model Winner Eva Marcille.

Marcia Brady: Freida Pinto - Starred as Latika in Slumdog Millionaire. With her beauty, there is no else to play Marcia Brady.

Peter Brady: Bryton McClure - Best known for his role as Richie Crawford on Family Matters. He currently plays Devon Winters on the Young and the Restless.

Jan Brady: Raven-Symoné - Best known for her role as Olivia on The Cosby Show and Raven on That's so Raven. With her sass, there is no one else to play Jan Brady.

Bobby Brady: Thomas Sangster - We fell in love with him as Sam in the movie Love Actually.

Cindy Brady: Shenell Edmonds - This young lady who currently plays "sweet yet straightforward" Destiny on One Life to Live is making the list as one of our favorite young actress. We send good vibes that she continues in the industry for years to come - of course without losing her soul.

Alice Nelson: Sheri Shepherd -
Seriously, how funny would she be playing Alice!?! She's a stiletto and weave wearing Florence Jefferson who would give Alice some pizzazzzz and send Sam the butcher's heart on overdrive.

ROCK YOUR VOTE TO HELP US!!!

EIRIC™ has partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to help achieve a complete and accurate count of our nation's growing population during the Census 2010.We have launched the "You are the US Census. Stand up and be counted!" nationwide campaign. With the help of photographer Mike Tauber, we are creating a multitude of marketing materials to capture cross-cultural individuals in their daily lives. 


Our first photo shoot took place this past week in Union Square with the beautiful ladies of Alpha Kappa Phi Agonian *aka AGO*. 


We need your help to choose the top three (3) pictures - in order of preference - that will be used for the campaign. When choosing please keep in mind that these pictures will be made into posters - 27X41. 


Thanks so much for your help.

Turkey turkey doo and Turkey turkeydap I eat that turkey Then I take a nap.

It's funny how following your passion can leave you so giddy. This Thanksgiving we're especially grateful for being able to share and celebrate with you EVERYTHING pertaining to the interracial and intercultural world. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to do so.

We're off to eat some pumpkin pie. For your entertainment, please see below for a few  Thanksgiving jokes courtesy of Huliq. We highlighted our favorite ones. :)

Silly Thanksgiving Jokes
Q: If April showers bring May flowers, what do May flowers bring?
A: Pilgrims!

Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?
A: It was the chicken's day off.

Q: Why can't you take a turkey to church?
A: Because they use such FOWL language

Q: What's the best dance to do on Thanksgiving?
A: The turkey trot

Q: What kind of music did the Pilgrims like?
A: Plymouth Rock

Q: Which side of the turkey has the most feathers?
A: The outside

Q: Why did they let the turkey join the band?
A: Because he had the drumsticks

Q: What did the turkey say before it was roasted?
A: Boy! I'm stuffed!

Source: http://cli.gs/nb1Qt9

MCF5WVQWB2WQ

A family is people and A family is love, That's a family. They come in all different sizes and different kinds, But mine is just right for me, Yeah, mine is right for me.

According to www.nationaladoptionday.org, National Adoption Day was started in November 2000 as a joint effort between law firms, state foster care agencies, child advocates and courts to complete hundreds of foster care adoptions in nine jurisdictions nationwide (New York City; Los Angeles; Chicago; Dallas; El Paso; Fort Worth; Washington, D.C.; Omaha, Nebraska and Columbus, Ohio).


As it celebrates its 10th anniversary on November 21 of this year, it is expected that 4,500 foster care adoptions will be finalized across the United States. A series of events - from Alabama to Wyoming - is scheduled to take place to celebrate and encourage these newly formed families. Click here to find an event near you: http://cli.gs/GB7Z7b .

EIRIC™'s foundation is rooted in making money to make a difference. One thing that we strive for is to significantly decrease the number of children (approximately 129,000, as noted by the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption) that will still be left in the U.S. foster care system in need of a safe, loving and permanent home. Our goal is to raise the necessary funds to: a) increase the public's awareness of the gravity of this need and b) demystify the fostering and adoption processes to encourage cross-cultural matches.

As we launch EIRIC™'s official site, we hope that we can depend on you to support our efforts to give these kids an opportunity to finally be embraced by loving arms. We will be attending the Adoptive Parents adoption conference on November 22 (for more details visit http://cli.gs/0trYLP) as an indicator of our commitment.

EIRIC™'s adoption day fundraising and awareness campaign, “Love, NOT color, makes a family”is scheduled for November 2010. An official call for volunteers will go out at the end of January 2010. Please keep your ears and eyes posted.


Communication goes both ways:

Have you ever considered adoption?

What are 2-3 things that you'd like to know?

"Then in unison, they boarded a sky-rocket to the stars and snatched a moment of supreme pleasure before drifting back to earth."

There's never a bad day to read a romance novel.

That's the stance that we take around here. Name a romance subgenre and we've probably read at least a handful of books from most of its prominent authors. We have, on countless occasions, invested our hearts in the stories of heroes and heroines created in the minds of authors such as: Sandra Brown, Brenda Jackson, Dyanne Davis, Lisa G. Riley, Gwynne Forster, Judith Arnold, Lynn Erickson, Beverly Clark, Danielle Steel, Nora Roberts and Lauren Wilde.

Call it what you will - guilty pleasure, mindless escape, waste of time - but we'll bet that more than a fair share of you also indulge in this pastime. How else can you explain the $1.37 billion in sales that romance fiction generated in 2008 ALONE? According to Romance Writers of America’s 2009 Reader Survey, 74.8 million Americans read at least one romance novel in 2008, with the core of the romance fiction market at 29 million regular readers. In 2005, Harlequin was selling more than 4 books per second, half of them internationally.  

Your secret is safe with us  ------ for a small price *wink wink*.


All we ask is that you join us for this three-part series on the world of romance fiction.

The three sections are broken down in the following manner:

a. a brief introduction to the world of romance fiction
b. a profile of the multicultural subgenre - with a focus on interracial
c. a profile of the inspirational/religious subgenre - with a focus on Amish culture

We can share fun facts and stories that remind us of why there's a common bond between romance readers. Somewhere in the world someone is curling up in a comfortable spot, grabbing a drink of choice and pulling out one of her favorite novels from its hidden place. Give yourself permission to get lost in the lives of the characters on the page. However, just be back in time to join us for parts two and three of this series in the next few weeks.

Source:
http://cli.gs/YPGyyr

http://cli.gs/vbU6hE

Larsen, Kristin (August 9, 2005). Romance Writers are Passionate About Their Work. Voice of America. Retrieved on 2007-04-30.

A special thanks to Uncle Walter's Bad Romance Novel Quotes (http://cli.gs/nv2tu3) for the awesome title of today's post. This is taken from Mistress Against Her Will by Lee Wilkinson.

Come and play everything's A-OK. Friendly neighbors there that's where we meet . Can you tell me how to get, how to get to Sesame Street ?

You would be hard pressed to find an American who cannot name at least one character on Sesame Street. We all have our faves - we're partial to Cookie Monster around here. How can you not fall for the charms of a bug eyed blue Muppet who is famous for uttering: "Me want cookie!," "Me eat cookie!," and "Om Nom nom nom"?

Alas, I would come to learn this morning that not everyone was as enamored with the cookie-eating-blue and Sesame Street as we are around here. According to Wikipedia, in May 1970, a state commission in Mississippi voted to ban Sesame Street. "Say WHAT Now???" Yep, we were just as shocked when we first heard it - still are. The members of this state commission apparently felt that "Mississippi was not yet ready" for the show's integrated cast. How dare Cookie Monster try to interact with Big Bird!?!?! The nerve!

Luckily for the children of Mississippi, the commission later reversed its decision, after the vote had made national news. Someone had to be around to teach the children the number of 'Ss' and 'Ps' in Mississippi. If success is the best revenge, Sesame Street is definitely having its cookie and eating it too.

Happy 40th Birthday SS! "Me want cookie!," "Me eat cookie!," and "Om Nom nom nom"!

 

Return to sender, address unknown. No such number, no such zone.

According to Chrys Ankeny of Historynet.com, personal ads for companionship have a rich tradition in America. Mail-order requests for brides were the natural result of the fact that out West, men could prospect for gold but rarely for respectable females.

In his article, The History of Mail Order Brides, Ken Marlborough goes on to explain the modern day version of this phenomenon. He explains the trend in the early 1980s of Western men who extended their search for a perfect soul mate. Initially, Asian women were the ones advertising themselves as MOB. Eastern European women, especially Russian, came into the fold with the fall of the Iron Curtain. The introduction of the internet increased the ease and reliability of creating future romantic partnerships.

A recent episode of We TV's Secret Lives of Women explores this subject in modern times. The episode follows a group of women on their journey to find international love. As with other non-traditional methods of dating and marriage, the mail order system is viewed with skepticism by many friends and families of those involved.

So, what are your feelings about this matter?

Would this be something that you would consider for yourself?

Would it be something that you would be okay with your family and friends doing it?

Share...

Upcoming Air Dates:

Tuesday, November 10 at 3pm | 2c
Wednesday, November 18 at 3am | 2c
Tuesday, December 1 at 9pm | 8c
Wednesday, December 2 at 12am | 11c
Wednesday, December 9 at 1am | 12c

 

Rock the Mixed Race Nation!

According to U.S. Census estimates, multiracial Americans have become one of the country's fastest growing demographic groups. Nicholas Jones, chief of the U.S. Census Bureau's Racial Statistics Branch, says the number of mixed-race individuals has increased about 25 percent since the 2000 census. "These are mainly driven by births of children from interracial parent couples," he says.

The book Blended Nation is a portrait of mixed-race Americans and how they exist in the multiracial realm. According to the husband-and-wife team they "wanted to highlight the personal experiences of life between categories."

Paint us a picture of your life in the box of more than one race.

What does that mean to you on a daily basis?

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120209980

A Jew by any other name would still eat matzah ball soup?

This is a fascinating case that highlights the complexities of religion and ethnicity. Is Judaism a religion or an ethnicity? Do Jews of different races share the same religion and the same ethnic umbrella?

Who is a Jew?

According to Judaism 101, "a Jew is any person whose mother was a Jew or any person who has gone through the formal process of conversion to Judaism." Judaism 101 goes on to say that "a Jew has nothing to do with what you believe or what you do... In this sense, Judaism is more like a nationality than like other religions, and being Jewish is like a citizenship."

This question was posed to a British Court when a 12-year-old boy, an observant Jew whose father is Jewish and whose mother is a Jewish convert, was denied entry to the Jews’ Free School (JFS) in North London. JFS, which subscribes to the Orthodox definition of Judaism - maternal lineage - denied the boy entry because his mother converted in a progressive, not an Orthodox, synagogue. According to the school "she was not a Jew — nor was her son."

The family has filed suit against JFS for discriminatory practices. They initially lost, but the ruling was overturned by the Court of Appeal this summer. According to the New York Times
article:

The case rested on whether the school’s test of Jewishness was based on religion, which would be legal, or on race or ethnicity, which would not. The court ruled that it was an ethnic test because it concerned the status of M’s mother rather than whether M considered himself Jewish and practiced Judaism.

JFS is currently in the process of appealing to Britain’s Supreme Court . However, this incident has left divided loyalties among those of different Jewish denominations. Who has the authority to determine the definition of Jewishness?

We ask you these question:

Who has the authority to determine the definition of Jewishness?

Religious leaders?

Secular courts?

Religious courts?

Those who consider themselves Jewish?

What factors should be used to determine said definition?

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the King's horses, And all the King's men should have consulted Germany to put Humpty together again!

Germany is celebrating 20 years of successful unification. Maybe it's time that you take a page from its book and close whatever division is in your personal life.

“I was going to have cosmetic surgery until I noticed that the doctor's office was full of portraits by Picasso.”

I must say that we're confused. Sammy Sosa claims that he "is just rejuvenating his skin". We're spa buffs here, but have never encountered this particular type of "rejuvenation". Let's hope that the quote that he provided to the Chicago Tribune is correct: "When you see me in person, it is not going to seem like the picture ..." Good luck with that one, Sammy!

Losing hope is easy when your only friend is gone and every time you look around well, it all, it all just seems to change

Documentary filmmaker Ken Burns initiated the Johnson pardon movement in 2004 to seek a full posthumous presidential pardon for boxer Jack Johnson. His efforts are supported by artists, musicians, politicians and many others.

In 1908, Johnson became the world's first African-American heavy weight champion by defeating Tommy Burns. This victory spurred racial riots and the search for "the great white hope" that would reinstate the championship to the white race. This "hope" came in the form of former champion Jim Jeffries. Much to the chagrin of bigots nationwide, Johnson defeated Jeffries in 1910. This victory, and his continued audacity to "flaunt" his romantic relationships with white women, further aggravated the racial tensions of the time. That same year Johnson was arrested under the Mann Act for transporting his future wife Lucille Cameron across state lines for "immoral purposes."

The Mann Act, passed in 1910, outlawed the transportation of women in interstate or foreign commerce “for the purpose of prostitution, debauchery, or for any other immoral purpose.” Johnson's trial, however, marked the first time that the Mann Act was invoked to invade the personal privacy of two consenting adults and criminalize their consensual sexual behavior.

His marriage to Lucille in 1913 sparked public outrage. The 1913 hysteria, as it was unofficially known, motivated politicians to take more severe action against interracial unions. A series of antimiscegenation bills were introduced in ten of the twenty states where interracial marriage was not prohibited - five alone in Illinois, where the Johnson-Cameron union took place.

Although the Bureau of Investigation initially failed to bring charges against Johnson under the Mann Act, they managed to find a former flame (a white woman) who was willing to testify against him. Johnson fled the country following his conviction and lived in Europe as a fugitive from justice for seven years. He returned to the U.S. in 1920, surrendered to authorities and served a year in prison. Although he continued to fight, Johnson's career was irrevocably tainted. He died in a car crash in 1946.

Recognizing the racial bigotry that was at the heart of his conviction, the Johnson pardon movement, now egged on by Senator John McCain is urging President Obama to remove this long standing stain on Jack Johnson's record. In a letter to Obama, the Senator has urged the President to "right this wrong and erase an act of racism that sent an American citizen to prison." 

We await the answer.

Source: Virginia Hasn't Always Been for Lovers by Phyl Newbeck
             http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1238336/posts 

"Be Counted in 2010!"

We are pleased to announce EVERYTHING Interracial and Intercultural™ (EIRIC™) is partnering with the U.S. Census Bureau to help achieve a complete and accurate count of our nation's growing population during the Census 2010. Our population is rapidly changing, and accurate Census data are needed to help make improvements in our community.

As a Census Bureau Partner, we will communicate information about the Census 2010 with the surrounding community through various efforts, events and more. Our first event will take place in the next few weeks. Keep an eye out! Every person in the United States must be counted in 2010 - people of all races and ethnic groups, both citizens and noncitizens - and we are committed to helping the Census Bureau achieve this goal. 

Additionally, we ask for your support and encourage you to let others know they can make a difference in their community by being counted. Encourage them to complete and return the 2010 Census form, which will be delivered or mailed in March 2010. The 10-question survey takes just 10 minutes to complete. 

If you would like additional information, I encourage you to visit http://2010census.gov. Also, please don't hesitate to contact EIRIC™ with any questions about this partnership or the 2010 Census. 

Achieving a complete and accurate count of our nation is an important and monumental undertaking and we are proud to be a partner in this initiative. An accurate count can affect the quality of life in our community for the better. 

Thanks,

EIRIC™

Never let the backwoods come into his house again

We're suffering from a broken heart! This is what happens when you pick up a book at midnight already knowing what's to come, yet hoping against hope that you're wrong. We were more than willing to suspend our disbelief. But alas, were not given the chance. There's no sense in ruining the story for the rest of you, so we'll shut up.

The only thing that we do want to say is that you must pick up J. Marie Darden's Enemy Fields. We are generally not in the habit of recommending products. We prefer to present them and have you share with us your opinions. However, we're going to take a page out of Madame Oprah Winfrey's page and shout this "Book Club" selection to the world.

1954: Elvis Presley gives his first concert in Memphis

Happy to share that Memphis, an original Broadway musical about the underground clubs of the segregated 50's, is set to open at the Shubert Theater (255 West 44th Street, NYC) today.

Memphis tells the story of Huey Calhoun, a young white DJ, and his love for and musical collaboration with Felicia Farrell, an "electrifying black singer."Calhoun is played by Chad Kimball, and Farrell is played by Montego Glover.

Memphis features an original story by JOE DiPIETRO (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change) and a brand-new score with music by Bon Jovi founding member David Bryan.

http://broadwayworld.com/article/MEMPHIS_To_Play_At_The_Shubert_
Theatre_Will_Open_On_Broadway_1019_20090622

For your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned

We debated about blogging about this site for fear of giving them the publicity that they crave. However, it is our job to present the information to you and have you decide (and discuss with us) how you feel about it.

Without further ado, we present to you The Racial Slur Database. They proudly boast the tag line "Helping make the world a better place."

2,649 racial slurs and counting...

http://www.rsdb.org/

A new kind of political family

The American public is no stranger to politicians portraying happy wholesome families as a way of endearing us to them.

However, the families very rarely resemble that of Democratic City Councilman Bill de Blasio.  De Blasio, who is currently running for Public Advocate, is accused of using his family to appeal to the black community. So says City Councilman Charles Barron (D-Brooklyn). 

We will let you be the judge.

Is he doing anything worse than what other politicians (those not involved in interracial relationships) have done in the past?

Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein

It wasn't our interview, but here is the story straight from the horse's mouth. This is from the Keith Bardwell, the Louisiana Justice of the Peace who refused to perform an interracial marriage.

An outright racist can be easily ignored and hated. The most troublesome aspect of this is that he truly believes he did this for a noble cause. We hope that your future great-granddaughter finds herself living happily ever after with your great-grandchild and her very dark skin black grandfather (karma's sense of humor is too rich for this not to happen).

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/keith-bardwell-explains-r_n_325758.html

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/19/keith-bardwell-explains-r_n_325758.html

Shame Shame Shame...You should've known better...

Special shame alert highlighting the Heene Family: the publicity hungry couple who 'punk'd' America into believing that their six-year-old son Falcon had disappeared in a balloon.

 They are currently faced with a maximum sentence of six years in prison and a $500,000 fine, but have yet to show any remorse for their shameful and selfish behavior.

Good job, losers (Parents, not children)!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8313457.stm

The first problem for all of us, men and women, is not to learn, but to unlearn.

Once upon a time, in forty-one of America's fifty states, LA justice Keith Bardwell would be lauded for his refusal to marry a black-white interracial couple: especially a black man - white woman combination. Miscegenation statutes, which first appeared in the 1600s, were a set of laws designed to bar interracial marriage - chiefly between whites and "non-whites" - in the United States. According to historians, these laws were enacted just as much to ensure the stability of the slave labor force, as they were to ensure Puritan morality.

Although varied by states, miscegenation laws carried with them a series of penalties from fines to prison terms. The punishment for this "crime" could be imposed upon the couple who violated the laws and anyone who would "encourage, counsel, aid, or abet" them in such an "unholy marriage."

In choosing to refuse to marry Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay, justice Bardwell is honoring Louisiana's past hatred of intermarriage that it (and the other forty states) saw as "corruption of the races."

Justice Bardwell seems to stand alone in keeping the state's disappointing tradition alive. Republican Governor Bobby Jindal and his LA peers are calling for disciplinary actions against Bardwell for his behavior. U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. notes that the judge's decision "is an example of the ugly bigotry that divided our country for too long."

Here is hoping that other individuals (legistlators and "regular" citizens) continue to take a stand against reverting back to America's shameful past.

We encourage you to do your part by starting an honest and open dialogue with someone of another race or in a younger age group around this topic. Be willing to listen without judging. Be willing to learn and not just teach.

Reading justice Bardwell's comment would make it seem as if he is sincere in his desire to "protect" the potential offspring of this couple. While our views on this matter differ significantly to that of judge Bardwell, we would like to extend a public invitation to him to dialog with us about his decision. We promise to put aside our prejudices and to listen with an honest and open ear.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Source: Virginia Hasn't Always Been for Lovers by Phyl Newbeck

Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.

This seems to be the week for people to lose common sense. This would explain the LA judge and the individuals who subjected a North Spokane woman of color to a symbol of hatred on her doorstep.

Luckily, the sensible folks of the world far outweigh the senseless. The Gonzaga Institute for Action Against Hate  is doing its part to stand up against hatred and to encourage common decency. The link below will inform you of ways to get involved in their fight.

What have you done in the past (or what are you doing now?) to make a difference in the fight against ignorance and hatred?

 How can  you teach one other person to do the same?

http://www.gonzaga.edu/News-and-Events/newsdetail.asp?EventID=4900&

Offspring: The product of the reproductive processes of an animal or plant.

"I don't do interracial marriages because I don't want to put children in a situation they didn't bring on themselves," Bardwell said. "In my heart, I feel the children will later suffer."

Highlighted above is Keith Bardwell's, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, reason for not performing interracial marriages. JOP Bardwell's "concern" for the offspring of interracial couples is "touching." We should be "thankful" that this is not as offensive as that of the judge in Scott v. Georgia* who made the claim that interracial children were "sickly and effeminate" and physically infererior to their full-blooded counterparts.

The use of "protecting" offsprings as a reason to enforce miscegenation statutes is not new. However, it is a bit surprising (even to those of us who are under the impression that we are now of the human race) to still read about this type of story.

For the mothers in the group, how have people reacted to your mixed-race children?

Any surprises?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html

Source: Virginia Hasn't Always Been for Lovers by Phyl Newbeck

*Scott v. Georgia is the 1869 case where the Georgia Surpreme Court indicted Charlotte Scott, "an unmarried woman of color," for "cohabitating and having sexual intercourse" with Leopold David, an unmarried white man. The judge convicted Ms. Scott of fornication even though both parties claimed to havde been legally married by a black preacher. - Woman of Color, Daughter of Privilege: Amanda America Dickson, 1849-1893 by Kent Anderson Leslie

We've got to take back the ideal of justice, we've got to take back this principle of human dignity. We've got to take it back from vengeance, from hatred, we've got to say: look, we're all in this together. We are human beings.

Louisiana first enacted miscegenation statutes in 1807. These statutes prohibited (what they termed as) "Negroes" from marrying whites or Indians.  Some of the penalties for doing so were:

Rendering the marriage "Null and Void"
Up to 5 years of hard labor for white-black marriage attempts

The statutes were repealed in 1972 (yes, I said 1972) but it seems that Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, never received that memo.

Your thoughts are always more appreciated than what we write.

Read more at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/10/15/interracial-couple-denied_n_322784.html

Statistical source: Virginia Hasn't Always Been for Lovers by Phyl Newbeck

He liked it enough to put a ring on it!

We have to admit that like most women who watched SATC, we too had a crush on a certain Mr. Big. To the victor go the spoils. Congratulations Ms. Wilson!

It's really a wonder that I haven't dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart.

We squealed like geeks on extra happy pills when we learned of the existence of this video. Never let it be said that you can't be impacted by someone's life experiences simply because you don't share the same race, culture, or religion. For years we have been influenced by Anne's remarkable ability to remain human in the face of cruelty. A special thank you to Ms. Romain for giving the best 5th grade graduation gift a girl can ever ask for.

"Never go to your high school reunion pregnant or they will think that is all you have done since you graduated. "

In our eyes, Mrs. Klum is an expert at being pregnant. Her appearance at last night's Emmys provided the official seal. Whether you like her dress or not, you can't deny the fact that she is stunning and absolutely glowing. Congratulations to her and singer Seal on the upcoming addition to their multicultural family.

Photo Source: Google

"Are you prepared to understand that your child's experience will not be the same as yours?"

Approximately 20,000 inter-country adoptions are taking place per year. In addition, there are more than 200,000 foreign-adopted children already living in the U.S. (US Citizenship and Immigration Services)

This past week saw an increase in this statistic when Katherine Heigl ("Grey's Anatomy") and her husband, Josh Kelly, introduced to the world their newly adopted daughter from South Korea. Mrs. Heigl joins the team of other celebrities who are now part of cross-racially blended families as a result of adoption - Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, Meg Ryan, Michelle Pfeiffer, Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, just to name a few.

 For those who are a part of blended adoptive families, please share your experience.

If you are a parent, did you understand that your child's experience would not be the same as yours?

If you did not understand this beforehand, when and how did you learn this lesson?

How did you prepare your adoptive child to deal with those differences?

If you have other children of your race/culture, how did you prepare them for those differences?

If you are a sibling, did your parents talk to you about what it meant to be related to someone of a different cultural/racial background? If so, how did they do it?

When (if ever) and how did you become aware of the differences between you and your sibling(s)?

Your thoughts are valued. Please share.

Source: Google and Youtube

"Psychological confusion is caused by the inability to reconcile different elements in my own personality..."

http://www.census.gov/population/cen2000/atlas/censr01-110.pdf

"About 42 percent of those who have checked more than one race on the US Census forms are under age 18."

Your mother is Bengali and your father is Czech. You are presented with a form that asks you to choose one out of the four racial categories listed: Asian; African American/ Black; Caucasian; and Latino/ Hispanic. Which do you choose? Which side of your family do you honor and which one do you brush to the side?

One of EIRIC™'s founding principles is the belief that a well-rounded multiracial child is one that is encouraged to explore, celebrate, and connect the colorful dots that make him a whole person. We have a kindred spirit in Project RACE. We support their mission "for a multiracial classification on all school, employment, state, federal, local, census and medical forms requiring racial data." We wouldn't ask a child to choose between his right and left hand so why are we forcing him to choose one ancestry line over the other?

Your thoughts are invaluable to us.

Where do you stand on this subject? Are you a multiracial individual who has had to choose? How do you self-identify? How does the world identify you? If you have children, how do they self-identify? How does the world identify them? What conversations (if any) have you had with them regarding this topic?

"Hey, wake up Martin Luther...Welcome to the future"

Racism:
n.
1. The belief that race accounts for differences in human character or ability and that a particular race is superior to others.

2. Discrimination or prejudice based on race.

We were up to our necks yesterday reading articles about the current battle of words (or word, in this case) taking place on the political circuit. Today we discovered Brad Paisley's Welcome to the Future video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JAH_V3gb5c.

Although discussed from two very different perspectives, they have the same underlying message of "race and racial harmony or disharmony is vastly different than in the past."

We of course are curious about your thoughts behind racism as it is today.

How do you see that racism has changed over the years?

Does racism still carry the same social stigma?

Are people still offended and hurt at the thought of being labeled a racist?

Please share some stories about your personal experience with this subject.

Source: Racial Harmony Forum

"Anger is a killing thing: it kills the man who angers, for each rage leaves him less than he had been before - it takes something from him."

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Racial_violence_brought_to_public_focus_20090908

We are grateful that they're both alive and able to talk about it. It takes a lot of frustration, anger, and self-hate to almost take a human life because you are uncomfortable with a person's choice for a partner.

Please share your experience.

Has someone's dislike or hatred of your interracial relationship ever gotten physical?

How did you handle the situation?

What was the aftermath for you as a couple?

PSA: If you know anything about this vicious attack, please speak up. Let us remind these attackers that we live in what is supposed to be a civilized society.

"Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?"

We initially intended to remain a passerby on the blogging express train. We were to sit silently while others shared their dysfunctions, knowledge of cheese, love of all things Telletubbies, and sincere dislike of everything Bush. While we wanted to refrain from overwhelming the online public with yet another blog, our desire to cultivate and nurture interactive online friendships quickly changed our minds. As such, we have folded into uneven pieces and tucked away our blogging reservations in a secure pouch. We welcome you to come along while we explore the world of interracial and intercultural as it plays out in the world and in our heads. We value your words just as much as we value what we write. Your feedback will keep us motivated. Keep chatting!

Yours,

EIRIC™

Photo Source: Informed Voters