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Democratic Lawmakers Urge Joe Biden to End the Federal Death Penalty on His First Day in Office
The death penalty—a thing supposedly reserved for perpetrators of the most heinous crimes, typically involving intentional and cold-blooded murder—arguably makes sense in theory; but in practice, its flaws and potential for racial discrimination are undeniable. According to figures compiled by the NAACP, Black people represent 42 percent of inmates on death row and 35 percent…
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MLB Elevates the Negro Leagues to Major League Status After Decades of Racial Exclusion
America sure seems to spend a lot of time correcting its history of racism and segregation by updating official records to reflect the 21st century. It’s a practice that tends to honor accomplished Black people posthumously with the recognition they should have been able to enjoy while they were alive. Still, it’s a welcome gesture,…
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Police Reform Bill Seeks to Create Federal Database Tracking All Police Misconduct Allegations and Settlements
A new bill proposed by a Democratic congressman seeks to create a publicly available federal database that tracks police misconduct allegations and settlements involving police misconduct cases at both the state and federal levels. Dubbed the Cost of Police Misconduct Act, the idea behind the bill is that putting all of that dirty laundry on…
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Newly Released Body Camera Footage Shows Police Questioning the McMichaels After Ahmaud Arbery Shooting
Newly released body camera footage has provided details regarding the moments following the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery in Glynn County, Ga., on Feb. 23. The video shows officers questioning Greg and Travis McMichael and William “Roddie” Bryan directly after the shooting. Of course, all the body-cam footage really shows us is a thing Black people…
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No Charges Filed Against Minneapolis Pawn Shop Owner In Fatal Shooting of Black Man During George Floyd Unrest
In July, The Root reported that 43-year-old Calvin Horton Jr. was allegedly shot and killed by a Minneapolis pawnshop owner during civil unrest two days after the killing of George Floyd. As Horton’s family and their attorney, Ben Crump, took part in demonstrations demanding justice for Horton, police officials asked the public to come forward…
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Federal Eviction Ban Set to Expire at the End of the Year; Experts Say Black and Latinos Will be Disproportionately Affected
Dec. 31 doesn’t just mark the end of 2020; it marks the final day that renters will be protected by the federal ban on evictions put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention amid the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc on the U.S. economy and leaving millions of people unemployed and unable to…
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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Declined Cabinet Position in Biden Administration, Senior Adviser Confirms
It’s no secret that there has been a huge push for President-elect Joe Biden to appoint Black women to his cabinet. The incoming administration has already set the tone with Kamala Harris as vice president, not to mention having Symone Sanders and Karine Jean-Pierre on its all-women communications team. Most recently, Biden picked Ohio Rep.…
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First COVID-19 Vaccine Administered in the U.S. Goes to a Black Nurse; Officials Hope It’s ‘the Beginning of the End’ of the Pandemic
The coronavirus pandemic has made 2020 one long year. Seriously, it feels like ages since media outlets first started reporting on the spread of the virus, and people in the U.S. and much of the world had no idea what impact it would have on our daily lives. Now, as we’re nearing the end of 2020—and…
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Kelly Loeffler’s Campaign Claims She ‘Had No Idea’ the Man She Posed With in a Photo Is a Former KKK Leader
It must be terribly inconvenient for Republicans trying to convince America that their party isn’t racist, that racists keep gravitating towards the Republican Party. Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) posed for a photo with a former KKK leader during a campaign rally in Dawsonville, Ga., Friday, and now her campaign is claiming she had “no idea”…
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St. Louis County Council Approves Resolution Giving Police Department and Union an Ultimatum: Police Reform or No New Contracts
The St. Louis County Council is letting it be known that it is dead serious about police reform. So serious, in fact, that the Council voted Tuesday in favor of a resolution that gives the police department and police union an ultimatum: Either they provide greater public oversight or it’s a wrap on collective bargaining…
