Archive for June 2020

In a timely change, publications start capitalizing Black

It’s unlikely that many readers noticed, or cared, when news outlets started using % instead of percent after a numeral — a change prescribed by the Associate Press Stylebook last year. Many newspaper readers have probably noticed, and applaud, a change made in the last month, however. AP, along with many news organizations, now recommends... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 29, 2020 at 4:10 pm
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Making masks more comfortable

Let’s stipulate that it’s important and respectful to continue wearing masks as long as the coronavirus is out there. I wear a mask because I should, not to align with a political position. Okay, that’s established. Now I can complain about masks. It’s harder to breathe wearing a mask. It’s harder to hear, and harder... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 22, 2020 at 9:32 am
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Self-examination of a white liberal

The message that this white liberal heard the loudest the last few weeks is that “Do no harm” is not enough. It’s not enough to try to treat everyone decently. Antiracism requires more than passivity. African Americans are understandably tired of whites asking them for suggestions of what to do. Yet it can be hard... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 15, 2020 at 10:31 am
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Chatting with a locked-down parent

Many of us likely make lists before important conversations. As a journalist, I would jot down points before interviewing someone to make sure everything important would be covered. But a list to talk to your mother? My mother has been in coronavirus lockdown in an assisted living residence for 11 weeks. No visitors, no leaving... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 8, 2020 at 10:37 am
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Rudeness or cultural difference?

As George Floyd’s murder has laid bare America’s persistent racism, I’ve been grappling with an incident closer to home. I’m second-guessing complaining to an African American postal clerk about what I considered rude customer service. Seeking to learn from the experience, I found a relevant article in The Guardian in which writer Kimberly Foster condemned “needlessly hassling... Read more »
By Marianne Goss,
June 1, 2020 at 10:54 am
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