Essay 181

A new day is dawning with MultiCultClassics Minutes…

• Early estimates show the Million More Movement attracted significantly less than a million participants. Nonetheless, the 12-hour gathering on the National Mall left people inspired. Speakers included Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Russell Simmons, Rep. Mel Watts and Eryka Badu. Recognizing the broader audience in attendance, Farrakhan proclaimed, “This tells us that a new day is dawning in America.”

• A Nazi gathering in Ohio turned ugly when a crowd protesting the White supremacists started rioting. Police were attacked, cars and stores were vandalized and a neighborhood bar was set on fire. The mayor declared a state of emergency and ordered a curfew through the weekend. This tells us that a new day may not be dawning in America after all.

• The Virginia governor’s race turned decidedly ugly when Republican Jerry W. Kilgore released an ad referencing Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. The ad attacked Democrat Timothy Kaine, who is against capital punishment, saying Kaine wouldn’t even support putting Hitler to death. This tells us that a new day is dawning in American politics.

• Protesters were expected to appear at the first regional gathering of the Chicago Minuteman Project. The group originally launched in Arizona, with the primary goal of finding and reporting illegal immigrants. Critics insist the Minuteman members are racist. This tells us that a new day is dawning in American bigotry.

• A new restaurant in Miami sparked controversy with its name. El Carajo is used in a saying that essentially means “go to hell” — and some Spanish dictionaries offer translations that include male genitalia. The restaurant owners reference a 15th Century definition: a sailing vessel’s “crow’s nest.” City officials have denied the eatery a temporary sign. This tells us that a new day is dining in America.