Free Republic

African-American participation in baseball is on the decline. This isn't a new development. Over the past couple years, a number of black athletes have addressed the issue.This isn't just an issue for other black players, it's becoming an issue for black fans, according to comedian Chris Rock. Rock gave his take on the alarmingly low rates of blacks in baseball for HBO's "Real Sports with Bryant Gumble." (WARNING: NSFW Language).Rock's rant is humorous, obviously, but it also points out some discouraging facts about why fewer black people are playing, and watching, the game. The fact that Howard, a prominent...

In a surprise move, Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., tried to get a House vote Thursday on a resolution condemning Texas Gov. Rick Perry for a racial slur once painted on a rock at his family's leased West Texas hunting ranch. Jackson, who earlier in the week had spoken to the House Democratic Caucus about a resolution critical of Perry, was unsuccessful. But he said on the House floor that the West Texas ranch's name, "N---rhead," was offensive. The African-American lawmaker, son of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, said, "N---r is offensive." "N---rhead is offensive. And for a governor of one...

The revelation yesterday that a West Texas hunting camp used by the family of Rick Perry was named "Niggerhead" drew widespread outrage. The name is terribly offensive, of course, but is it also rare? That was the question on Jon Stewart's mind tonight during a Daily Show segment featuring Wyatt Cenac "on location" near New York's recently renamed "Nigger Lake." Related: New York State Gets Around to Renaming "Nigger Lake"

Updated 2:22 p.m. Wallace Jefferson, the first black chief justice of the Texas Supreme Court, said the hunting ranch name controversy is "much ado about nothing" and argued the implication that Rick Perry is insensitive to matters of race is flatly wrong. Jefferson, who was appointed to the post by Perry, and whose great-great-great-grandfather was a slave owned by a Waco district judge, said the reality is quite the opposite: Perry "appreciates the role diversity plays in our state and nation." Jefferson said he can recall his first conversation with Perry, in 2001, like it was yesterday. They talked about...

Mark Levin referenced Andrew Breitbart's report at Big Government detailing how then-candidate Barack Obama shared a podium and marched with Malik Zulu Shabazz, leader of the New Black Panthers. AUDIO

The Washington Post's attempt to "macaca" Rick Perry generated a racialist response from a surprising source. Stephanie McCrummen's ham-handed effort to smear the Texas Governor relied on hearsay, anonymous cloudy recollections of events from nearly 30 years ago and interviews with black Texas residents recalling how they were treated in the Jim Crow 1950's. Ms. McCrummen is a reporter based in Nairobi: it would seem the Post could bring in someone based in Texas for this research, but perhaps the editors weren't looking for someone with local knowledge so much as someone willing to grind the ax against Governor Perry....