-
Ilhan Omar and Muslim Members of Congress Host Historic Iftar on Capitol Hill
Over the last three years, American politics have been shaped by a White House that has made a habit and sport of attacking Muslims in the U.S. and abroad with hateful rhetoric and policies. But that same time period has begotten another important political development: there have never been more Muslim representatives serving in the…
-
Milwaukee County Declares Racism a Public Health Crisis. Will More Cities Follow Suit?
In what’s being touted as an important first step in addressing decades of race-based inequality, Milwaukee County Executive Chris Abele signed a resolution Monday declaring racism a public health crisis. “Everybody has been reading and hearing about the same set of statistics in Milwaukee for decades,” Abele said at yesterday’s signing, according to the Milwaukee…
-
Tarana Burke to Sit Down With Reporter Jim DeRogatis About New R. Kelly Book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly
For nearly 20 years, no one in media knew more about R. Kelly’s trail of alleged abuse then journalist Jim DeRogatis. Now, with his forthcoming book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly, DeRogatis tells the story behind his explosive reporting—and why, for nearly 20 years, few people seemed to listen to black women and girls…
-
NYPD Commander Texted 'Not a Big Deal' After Being Told of Eric Garner's Death
A Staten Island police commander involved in the arrest of Eric Garner, the black man who died after an NYPD officer put him in a chokehold for allegedly selling loose cigarettes in 2014, assured one of his officers that Garner’s death was “not a big deal” upon learning about his condition. The revelation came on…
-
Rihanna Wants You to Remember the Pasty, Lipless Idiots Responsible for Alabama's Terrible Abortion Law
Bad Gal RiRi knows the power of an image. The perennial cover girl, beauty mogul and newly-minted head of her own fashion label chose to focus her Instagram followers’ sights on one particularly compelling image: the blindingly beige visage of all the white men responsible for passing America’s most restrictive abortion bill to date. In…
-
Citing Fears of Worsening Racial Bias, San Francisco Votes to Ban Police Use of Facial Recognition Technology
No other city in the U.S. is as closely associated with technological advancements than San Francisco, which, for the most part, has embraced both tech companies and their services in civic life. But on Tuesday, San Francisco passed an ordinance that would ban the use of one very specific technology—facial recognition—by local police departments, making…
-
An Arizona Prisoner Was Sent a Book Critical of the Criminal Justice System. Now, the State Has Banned It
In one of the most memorable passages of his seminal autobiography, civil rights leader Malcolm X made explicit the impact his in-prison education had on him. Arrested on charges of larceny and sentenced to 10 years in prison, Malcolm read voraciously. “I knew right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of…
-
100 Black Moms Freed on Mother’s Day Thanks to Nationwide Bail Out Campaign
In their largest bail out effort to date, the National Bail Out collective announced Tuesday morning that their third annual Mother’s Day campaign freed 100 black mothers—and raised an additional $1 million to set even more incarcerated women free. The organization’s landmark achievement was part of the third annual Black Mama’s Bail Out campaign. In…
-
Philando Castile’s Mom Donated $8,000 to Clear School Lunch Debt. But We Can Do Better
It’s just one of the ways Valerie Castile is upholding her son’s legacy. Before Philando Castile, a beloved cafeteria supervisor in St. Paul, Minn., was shot and killed by a police officer during a routine traffic stop in July 2016, he was known for the care and generosity he demonstrated towards the kids he served.…
-
Top Civil Rights Groups Will Help Crystal Mason Appeal Her 5-Year Sentence for Trying to Vote
It was a case so unfair, it quickly became a go-to talking point to illuminate the criminal justice system’s deep racial inequities: Crystal Mason, a 44-year-old Texas woman was sentenced to five years in jail for unknowingly casting an illegal ballot. Last Friday, two major civil rights groups, the American Civil Liberties Union and the…
