civil rights
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Read the Scathing 1986 Letter Coretta Scott King Wrote Opposing Sessions’ Federal Nomination
Updated Wednesday, Feb. 8, 2017, 1:02 a.m. EST: Elizabeth Warren attempted to read Coretta Scott King’s letter about Jeff Sessions on the Senate floor; but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) silenced her. Earlier: Coretta Scott King’s scathing letter in which she urged Congress to block the 1986 nomination of Jeff Sessions for a federal judgeship…
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Protests Erupt During Attorney General Confirmation Hearing for Jeff Sessions
Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.) could barely get through the opening lines of his speech during his confirmation hearing Tuesday before protests erupted. Two men dressed as Ku Klux Klan members greeted Sessions before the confirmation began, the Daily News reports. The two fake Klansmen were quickly escorted out as one of the men exclaimed, “You…
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Former Va. African-American Schoolhouse Honored With Historic Marker
An old school for African-American children in Albemarle County, Va., is finally getting the recognition it deserves some 93 years after it was built, WHSV reports. According to the news station, on Saturday a historic marker was dedicated in honor of the St. John School, which was built in 1923 through money from the Julius…
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Those "I'm Not My Grandparents; You Can Catch These Hands" Shirts Are Disrespectful As Fuck (And Wrong)
I was invited to New York City Friday evening for an advance screening of the screen adaptation of Fences — August Wilson’s iconic play. Afterwards, the cast — including Denzel Washington (who also produced and directed the film) and Viola Davis — took part in a panel discussion about the story the film told, August Wilson’s genius, Pittsburgh…
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What Does the Justice Department Look Like Under a President Trump?
Throughout his campaign, President-elect Donald Trump stressed the need for more law enforcement in America, and under his direction, the Justice Department could see a drastic shift in priorities that would reinforce those ideals. Under President Barack Obama, the Justice Department built an aggressive Civil Rights Division, but according to legal analysts and Trump’s public…
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Justice Department Will Monitor Polls in 28 States on Election Day
The U.S. Justice Department announced Monday that its Civil Rights Division will deploy more than 500 personnel to 67 jurisdictions in 28 states to monitor the polls on Election Day, Nov. 8. Although states and local governments have the primary responsibility of administering elections, the Civil Rights Division enforces the federal voting rights laws that…
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White America Must Heal Itself: 2016 Is 1965 and 1984
Last weekend, during a writing retreat, I ended up in Mount Vernon, Iowa. Iowa entered the Union as a free state and was a hub for the Underground Railroad, but I wasn’t surprised to see a handful of Confederate flags flying from homes as I drove through towns called Solon and North Liberty. Ours has…
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Terence Crutcher's Slaying by Cop Is Why Kaepernick's Protest Must Continue
Author’s note: In the time I responded to weekend criticism of high school players taking a knee, a disabled black man was shot dead by police in Charlotte, N.C., while sitting in his car. This is the latest extrajudicial killing that shows that existing while black will get you shot by police. Many who have been…
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La. ACLU Sues Baton Rouge City and Police Over Protests
The city of Baton Rouge, La., the Baton Rouge Police Department and other law-enforcement officials are facing a lawsuit brought by the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana and other civil rights groups, accusing authorities of violating protesters’ rights to free speech and assembly during large protests over the past week, the Times-Picayune reports. “This…
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Democrats Stage Sit-in on House Floor, Demanding Vote on ‘No Fly, No Buy’ Gun Control Bill
About 30 Democrats from the United States House of Representatives are staging a sit-in as they demand the chance to vote on a gun control bill, NPR reports. According to the report, the House has not yet been gaveled into session, so it is not sure when such a vote would happen. “Lawmakers are grouped in…