MLK’s ‘Missing Years’

Posted on Jan 22, 2011

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “missing” final years, questioning the capacity of our undergraduate graduates, and a new California law that allows cops to snoop our smart phones. These discoveries and more after the jump.

On a regular basis, Truthdig brings you the news items and odds and ends that found their way to Larry Gross, director of the USC Annenberg School for Communication. A specialist in media and culture, art and communication, visual communication and media portrayals of minorities, Gross helped found the field of gay and lesbian studies.

The links below open in a new window. Newer ones are on top.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Final Years Are Mostly Missing From the Media’s Coverage of His Life
King’s “missing years” include those during which he voiced his opposition to the Vietnam War and organized the Poor People’s Campaign.

Are Undergraduates Actually Learning Anything?
Drawing on survey responses and transcript data, researchers have concluded that a significant percentage of undergraduates are failing to develop the broad-based skills and knowledge they should be expected to master.

Why You Might Reconsider Your Password-less Smartphone
A recent decision holding that “police officers may lawfully search mobile phones found on arrested individuals’ persons” may change how we protect ourselves.

Wikipedia Comes of Age
Wikipedia marks its 10-year anniversary this month. In the decade since its launch, we have struggled as a culture to keep up with the changes resulting from the enormous paradigm shift Wikipedia has created.

Patients Can Finally Choose Who Visits Them in the Hospital
New hospital regulations allow patients to designate approved visitors of their choosing, whether they’re related, married, or not.

For Many, College Isn’t Worth It
Diplomas are highly expensive and inefficient screening devices used by employers who are afraid to test potential employee skills, owing to a most unfortunate Supreme Court decision and related legislation.

You Have an Accent Even on Twitter: NPR
Think all regions tweet alike? They don’t, according to Jacob Eisenstein, a researcher at Carnegie Mellon University. When it comes to the language of Twitter — with its 140-character limit — there are regional dialects.

Verizon Sues FCC to Overturn Order on Blocking Websites
Less than a month after the Federal Communications Commission adopted an order aimed at keeping Internet service providers from blocking access to certain Web content or applications, Verizon asked a federal appeals court on Thursday to overturn the new rule.

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