-
The Costs of Jailing the Mentally Ill
More people are being jailed for crimes they committed because of mental illness. And many of them are destined to cycle in and out of the criminal-justice system without getting the help they need because of a reduction in treatment facilities. According to The Economist, it costs much more to jail a mentally ill person…
-
Civil Rights Attorney Julius Chambers Dies
Julius Chambers, a Charlotte, N.C., civil rights attorney who successfully brought eight cases before the Supreme Court, died Friday at age 76, the Associated Press reports. Chambers, a former director-counsel and president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, was chancellor of North Carolina Central University from 1993 to 2001. He is survived by…
-
Black Farmers to Receive Discrimination Settlement
After years of waiting, about 18,000 U.S. farmers are set to receive payments from the Department of Agriculture as part of a $1.2 billion discrimination settlement with the department, the Clarion Ledger reports. Attorneys for the farmers were expected to submit papers to the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., regarding final payment on Friday.…
-
White Guilt Needs to End, Says Limbaugh
Since George Zimmerman was found not guilty of second-degree murder for killing Trayvon Martin, people of all races have expressed a range of opinions about race relations — past and present — in this country. MSNBC reports that on his radio show Monday, conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh took the opportunity to say that white…
-
Black STEM Networking Events Near You
(The Root) — Are you black and interested in science, technology, engineering and mathematics? Then Blerds Night Out is for you. The seven-city tour, hosted by Blerdology, is making stops in major U.S. cities, hosting networking events that will focus on what black-owned STEM companies are doing in those communities. Blerdology’s founder, Kat Calvin, describes…
-
Obama Is a 'Global George Zimmerman'
In the wake of President Obama’s speech about the verdict in the George Zimmerman trial, Democracy Now talked with outspoken Obama critic Cornel West on Monday to get his thoughts on the president’s comments, the Huffington Post reports. The professor cited the killing of innocent people during U.S. drone strikes and called the president a…
-
Michelle Obama Tackles Gun Violence
First lady Michelle Obama is a known advocate for healthy living. Now she’s tackling another issue: gun violence. The Associated Press reports that she met with high school students from a gang-infested neighborhood in Chicago to talk about Congress’ gun control debate. As a mother raising children herself, Obama says that part of the debate…
-
Why Do We Call It 'Marijuana'?
Cannabis is known by many names: weed, reefer, pot … the list goes on. But one of its most common monikers, “marijuana,” has its roots in Mexico. But why? An article at the NPR blog Code Switch discusses the racially charged history of the word “marijuana” and how the drug stirred anti-immigrant sentiment in the…
-
Should Profiling Be a Part of Public Safety?
Although the New York City Police Department policy of “stop and frisk” disproportionately affects black men, in an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Richard Cohen argues in favor of such practices because they protect the general public. Cohen says that since most shooting suspects in New York City are black men — 78 percent…
-
First Black Italian Minister Compared to an Orangutan
As Italy’s first black minister, Cecile Kyenge has had to put up with an avalanche of racist remarks from her fellow ministers since assuming the position in April. The latest came from Sen. Roberto Calderoli, a member of the anti-immigration Northern League Party. During a speech to supporters, he compared Kyenge to an orangutan, reports…
Black News and Black Views with a Whole Lotta Attitude
