Politics

Black History Month reminds us of the way in which black activism has historically transcended purely race matters to rise into the stratosphere of universal movements for social justice. Fifty-four years ago this month, four black North Carolina A&T students launched a lunch counter sit-in at Woolworth’s in Greensboro, N.C., that sparked a social and…

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder plans to step down some time this year, according to the New Yorker’s Jeffrey Toobin, whose feature story is slated to run in the magazine’s Feb. 17 issue, the Washington Times reports. The first African-American attorney general told the writer that he planned to remain “well into” 2014, but he…

Oklahoma. With its wide ranges, tornado alleys and young, upstart NBA franchise, it’s the last place you’d think of when considering black political hotbeds. But as Sen. Tom Coburn prepares to retire after a yearslong battle with cancer, black Republicans in the Sooner State are seeking to flip that script on its head. A crowded…

In 2012, history was made—again. For the first time, African-American voters turned out at a higher rate than the national average, and helped lift President Barack Obama to a second term while helping Democrats add eight seats in the House of Representatives. As we honor the 88th Black History Month, we celebrate the strides so many…

Some health care advocates are crying foul after a dispute over federal subsidies, and the interpretation of guidelines that prevent fraud has resulted in scores of patients in Louisiana being booted from their Obamacare plans, Reuters reports. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana argues that it is not trying to keep people with HIV/AIDS…

“Forward together, not one step back,” chanted a crowd estimated at 80,000 in Raleigh, N.C., this weekend. But along with the chants was the realization that history is repeating itself with renewed legislative battles over efforts to diminish voting rights and fights for economic justice. And these setbacks have reignited civil rights activism across the…

In a major policy shift for the federal government, Attorney General Eric Holder announced Saturday that same-sex spouses would receive equal protection under the law. They cannot be compelled to testify against each other, they should be eligible to file for bankruptcy jointly and federal prison inmates in same-sex marriages are entitled to the same…