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Jeff Bezos Says Black Lives Matter, but Will He Make a Meaningful Stand for Black Amazon Employees?
If you look at allyship as some sort of contest, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has been eager to put some points on the board. He’s done this mostly through highly publicized, “spicy” responses to racist customers, and by canceling his meetings on Juneteenth and encouraging other employees “to do the same if you can.” But…
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Colorado Governor Pledges to Look Into Elijah McClain’s 2019 In-Custody Death After Nationwide Outcry
When 23-year-old Elijah McClain died after police put him in a chokehold last year, the news of his killing—and the subsequent decision to not press criminal charges against the Aurora, Colo., officers who apprehended him—didn’t reach far beyond the state. But, in the wake of the extrajudicial killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month,…
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![New Report on Layleen Xtravaganza Polanco's Death Highlights the Cruelty of NYC Jails' Policies Toward Trans People [Corrected]](https://www.theroot.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/cfwv1qgm0ku5ag3yxyyw-1024x682.jpg)
New Report on Layleen Xtravaganza Polanco's Death Highlights the Cruelty of NYC Jails' Policies Toward Trans People [Corrected]
Layleen Xtravaganza Cubilette-Polanco should not have been in solitary confinement at Rikers Island. But the 27-year-old transgender woman was pushed into this part of the infamous New York City jail last year, despite a doctor’s objections and a documented seizure disorder. She would end up dying after nine days in solitary, suffering a seizure alone…
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Study Finds Black Lives Matter Protests Didn't Lead to Growth in Coronavirus Cases
When the massive Black Lives Matter demonstrations began in May, it was unclear how they might impact the country’s ongoing coronavirus pandemic. According to a new study published earlier this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the nationwide demonstrations don’t appear to be linked to spikes in coronavirus cases. In fact, there’s some…
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One of the Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor Has Been Fired, but Louisville Plans to Fully Fund the Police Department That Made Him Possible
More than 100 days after Brett Hankison barged into 26-year-old Breonna Taylor’s home in Louisville, Ky., shooting and killing her, the former Louisville Police narcotics officer has been fired from the department. Hankison, who is also the subject of two sexual assault investigations, was officially fired Tuesday (his impending termination was announced last week). Hankison…
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Climate Change and Air Pollution Linked to Pregnancy Risks—With Black Mothers and Their Infants Suffering the Most
A wave of research and media coverage over the last several years has ensured that the public knows more about America’s Black maternal health crisis than ever before. But as a new study reveals, the systemic factors that propel such disparities in maternal and infant health may be getting worse. The new study, published last…
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Chrystul Kizer, Held in Jail for 2 Years After Killing Her Alleged Abuser, Finally Set Free Thanks to Community Bond Fund
Chrystul Kizer, a 19-year-old accused of killing her alleged sex trafficker in 2018, was able to step outside Kenosha County Detention Facility in Wisconsin for the first time in two years on Monday. Saddled with an oppressively high bond—originally set at $1 million, then bumped down to $400,000—Kizer had been in jail since June 2018…
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Long Lines for Black Voters Anticipated as Kentucky Cuts More than 95 Percent of Polling Places Ahead of Its Democratic Primary
Since the coronavirus pandemic hit earlier this spring, voting rights advocates have voiced concern over the country’s ability to operate free and fair elections. Tomorrow, all eyes will be on Kentucky, which will be running its most anticipated Democratic primary in years with only a sliver of in-person polling locations available. Instead of the typical…
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Black Lives Matter Co-Founder Alicia Garza on How to Organize and Stay Inspired During a Crisis
Doing “the work” is an oft-used phrase in social justice circles, arguably overused to the point that it can include everything from reading a poem to starting a movement. Alicia Garza knows what “the work” is. A co-founder of Black Lives Matter, the writer and activist now works as the Special Projects Director for the…
