Politics

Bill O’Reilly apologized for accusing organizers of not inviting any Republicans to the March on Washington 50th-anniversary commemoration. He admitted he was wrong on the Thursday-night airing of his show, The O’Reilly Factor, according to the Huffington Post. O’Reilly had complained that no Republicans had been invited to the event. In fact, many, including both…

(The Root) — As an exercise in further deifying Martin Luther King Jr. and further solidifying an oversimplified version of his legacy, yesterday’s 50th-anniversary celebration of the historic March on Washington was a huge success. But as a means of kindling a new and badly needed social movement that could meaningfully address the unfinished business…

On Tuesday Michelle Obama honored the memory of Whitney Young, one of the speakers at the historic March on Washington in 1963, the Washington Post reports. It was an especially important moment for the first lady because she is a graduate of Chicago’s Whitney M. Young Magnet School. Obama spoke briefly to a group of…

The cameras may not have stayed long enough on Michelle Obama at Wednesday’s March on Washington 50th-anniverary commemoration for anyone to notice, but she has sort of, kind of, gone blond. On Tuesday the first lady hosted a screening at the White House theater for a documentary called The Powerbroker: Whitney Young’s Fight for Civil…

(The Root) — President Barack Obama’s speech commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington forcefully articulated an expansive vision of economic justice and racial equality but stopped short of concrete policy proposals needed to turn words into deeds. “Five decades ago today, Americans came to this honored place to lay claim to a…

Remarks by the President at the “Let Freedom Ring” Ceremony Commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington Lincoln Memorial Aug. 28, 20133:07 P.M. EDT THE PRESIDENT: To the King family, who have sacrificed and inspired so much; to President Clinton; President Carter; Vice President Biden and Jill; fellow Americans. Five decades ago today,…

In a sit-down with Tom Joyner and his co-host Sybil Wilkes of The Tom Joyner Morning Show, President Barack Obama discussed at length his feelings about Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington and the Affordable Care Act. Black America Web reports that Joyner and Wilkes also took…

(The Root) — While the nation’s attention was riveted on last Saturday’s massive March on Washington demonstration, the pursuit of racial justice quietly continued in two remarkable instances. The day before the NAACP-organized demonstration that featured 70 speakers and a keynote from MSNBC host and National Action Network leader the Rev. Al Sharpton, President Barack…

The Huffington Post reports that NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous announced that he plans to submit petitions with 1.7 million signatures to the Justice Department. The petitions call for the department to file charges against George Zimmerman for violating Trayvon Martin’s civil rights. The NAACP started its push to have civil charges filed against…

On the first day of school in Chicago this year, it wasn’t just parents escorting their kids. The city hired security workers to make sure kids got to school safely, part of a program called Safe Passage. According to the New York Times, the program is the centerpiece of an increased effort by city officials…