Greys Isaiah Washington Goes From Mad to Sad

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'Grey's' Isaiah Washington Goes From Mad to Sad

By Rebecca White

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'Grey's' Isaiah Washington Goes From Mad to Sad

'Grey's Anatomy' star Isaiah Washington isn't "mad as hell" anymore--he's sad. Washington was fired this week by ABC for anti-gay comments aimed at fellow cast member T.R. Knight. "I'm saddened by the outcome," Washington told Entertainment Weekly yesterday. "I did everything that the producers and the network asked me to do. I came back under great duress and stress, and thought I was doing the job I was asked to do." Washington's efforts to redeem himself included apologizing for his actions, attending rehab, and partnering with GLAAD to create a public-service announcement on the power of words. Apparently, ABC felt this wasn't enough to keep the star on the show. How does the cast feel, and has T.R. Knight forgiven? Read more.

Which Politician Is Winning With Wealthy Black Donors?

Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., leads the race for 2008 presidential campaign contributions from wealthy black donors, according to a recent USA Today analysis. Obama has collected more than 2,200 donations from areas with high concentrations of upper-income black households. Does Obama's race have anything to do with their support? Carol Swain, a professor at Vanderbilt University, said that blacks "can be excited about and loyal to politicians of other races ... people lean toward members of their own group." How does Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., compare with Obama on this front, and what does she plan to do about it? Read more.

Former Surgeon General Doubts Holsinger

James W. Holsinger, President Bush's nominee for surgeon general, is getting hits from all sides, including former President Clinton's first surgeon general, Jocelyn Elders. Elders expressed reservation when asked if she would support his nomination. Holsinger has many members of the LGBT community up in arms as well as 2008 Democratic presidential candidates Barack Obama and Chistopher Dodd. What else did Elders say, and does she think Holsinger's a homophobe? Read more.

Immigrants Push Reform Bill Despite Senate Stall

Since the immigration-reform bill stalled in the Senate last week, immigrants in America have made their opinions loud and clear: The fight for reform must go on. Across the nation, immigrants joined forces in rallies, marches and protests, and wrote letters to lawmakers about the need for change. "There was a lot of frustration that politics got in the way of sound, necessary public policy," said Jerry Gonzalez of the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, a statewide organization whose 4,000 members are calling their senators seeking immediate reform. "The time is now. They need to act. They have to." In response, members in the Senate are re-approaching the bill with a new mindset. What changes will the Senate make, and will immigrants approve? Read more.

Glass Ceiling Still Blocks Women

Women across the world will only rise so far up the corporate ladder, according to a report by Corporate Women Directors International (CWDI) in Germany. The 2007 report showed that women, who make up half of the world's population, only account for 11.2 percent of top positions at the largest 200 companies in the world. But there's some good news too. Compared with 2004, when the study was first done, women have increased their numbers in corporate boardrooms by 4 percent. Does this mean that the global work force is becoming more inclusive, or are women still being used as tokens? Read more.

(See also: Glass Ceiling Still an Issue)

Where Are All the Pro Golf Players of Color?

Despite the success of black pro golf player Tiger Woods, people of color still are underrepresented in the winner's circle. Only 15 percent of almost 40 million golf-playing Americans are people of color, according to statistics from the National Golf Foundation. Before Tiger, that number was less than 4 percent. Many think the 10 percent increase can be attributed to the "cool" factor. "With Tiger coming along, the result, I think, is more minority kids getting a swat at the game, giving golf a shot, than ever before," said Judy Bell, former president of the U.S. Golf Association. "Golf is cool now." If golf is so cool, then why is Tiger one a handful of non-white players to make it to the PGA Tour since he started? Is race still the issue? Read more.

No More 'Macaca' Moments, Says GOP

Last year, Sen. George Allen, R-Va., referred to a 20-year-old volunteer of Asian Indian descent as a "macaca"--and many say the racial slur, which was posted on YouTube, botched his chances at re-election. Members of the GOP have created an Internet guide to prevent any more GOP candidates from following in Allen's footsteps. The guidebook warns that one must always assume one is being filmed or recorded. "The paradigmatic example of failure to do so is the 'macaca' moment," it reads. The book is 39-pages long and was distributed to GOP senators last week. Read more.

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