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Naval Ship Named After Civil Rights Hero
Despite his influence throughout the civil rights movement — playing a central role in helping desegregate the University of Mississippi, launching boycott campaigns against discriminatory merchants, registering disenfranchised black voters and spearheading investigations into the murder of Emmett Till — the late Medgar Evers doesn’t have the same name recognition as other prominent civil rights…
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Abolish Death Penalty in 4 Simple Steps
When Troy Davis was executed at a Georgia state prison in September, several hours after the Supreme Court deliberated (and denied) an emergency appeal, people around the world looked on in shock. Activists, convinced that there was too much doubt surrounding his murder conviction, including the fact that seven of nine witnesses later recanted their…
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James Clyburn: Trigger Option Not So Bad
There’s just over a week to go before the Joint Committee on Deficit Reduction — better known as the super committee — hits the Nov. 23 deadline to reach a deal. But the bipartisan, 12-member panel, charged with finding at least $1.2 trillion in new deficit cuts, doesn’t appear to be even close. The Root…
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Election Recap: The Results Are In
Tuesday’s slate of off-year elections around the country may have been about local issues, but they also gave us a peek at the national mood as we draw closer to 2012. From controversial ballot measures to which way swing states are swerving, here are the (game-changing?) results from some of the key races and matters. …
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5 Reality Checks on the New Voting Laws
News outlets have been sounding the alarm for months about the potential for new voting laws, passed by Republican state legislatures, to disenfranchise voters. From rules to restrict early voting to bills requiring specific photo ID at the polls, debate has waged about whether they will suppress poor, elderly and young voters alike. On both…
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Is Rural Broadband Really So Urgent?
Last week, when the Federal Communications Commission voted to approve a $4.5 billion fund for extending high-speed Internet service to millions of Americans who lack broadband access, it seemed like a victory for disadvantaged communities. “We are taking a momentous step today … to ensure that all Americans have access to affordable and advanced communications…
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Mixed Reactions to Fort Monroe Monument
On Tuesday President Obama called on his authority under the rarely evoked Antiquities Act, which lets presidents restrict the use of federally owned land, by designating America’s newest national monument. Adding to the list of places that enjoy this protection, such as the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon, Obama selected Fort Monroe —…
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The High Cost of Being an EPA Whistleblower
Marsha Coleman-Adebayo vividly recalls a meeting during her early days at the Environmental Protection Agency. It was 1992, and the MIT-trained African-development expert was one of two black employees in the mostly white, mostly male senior ranks. “Come on in, Marsha,” her supervisor beckoned as she arrived at the conference room. “We’ll make you an…
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Ask Obama, and Ye Shall Receive?
Last month the White House launched “We the People,” an official online petitioning feature. Based at WhiteHouse.gov, the tool lets Americans directly petition the government (a right guaranteed in the Constitution) with the promise that, if an idea gains enough support, the Obama administration will issue an official response. As a result of one particularly…
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Debate Over First Lady's Food Desert Fight
One of the core goals of first lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign has been improving access to healthy, affordable food. Arguing that the poor diets of many low-income Americans are actually the result of “food deserts” — neighborhoods where fast-food joints and convenience stores serving junk food vastly outnumber grocery stores selling fresh produce…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
