Politics

On March 22 the world lost one of its most revered and effective legal warriors in the battle for civil rights: John A. Payton, president and director-counsel of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. President Barack Obama said in a statement, “The legal community has lost a legend, and while we mourn John’s passing,…

It is dusk. A shaky camera follows a young, African-American man threading his way through a heavily wooded area off a highway outside a major U.S. city. Dead leaves crunch underfoot as he answers questions from the cameraman. “Where are we?” the cameraman asks in a low voice. “We’re in the woods across the highway…

If you’ve ever worked as a lawyer at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, no matter how long ago or for how long, then you are a member of a large, extended family of some of the smartest, most inspiring individuals you’ll ever meet. Many of us manage to stay in touch by email, or we…

Secretary of the Treasury Timothy F. Geithner, Dartmouth College President Jim Yong Kim (second from right) and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton listen while President Obama speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House on March 23. President Obama announced his nomination of Kim to succeed Robert Zoellick as president of the World…

Health disparities among racial and ethnic minorities carry a steep cost, not only for the members of those communities but also for our country as a whole. Even as medical advances and technological development are helping Americans to live longer, healthier lives, many Americans continue to suffer disproportionately from sickness and disease. But under the…

By Vanessa Williams Kevin Williams, an earnest young white Republican living in Trenton, N.J., couldn’t believe the response he got a few years back from a county party chairman when he went to get door hangers for a presidential election. The chairman refused, saying that there were no votes to be had in majority-black Trenton…

Office of the Press SecretaryDAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FORFRIDAY, MARCH 23, 2012 In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors. These meetings in the Oval Office are closed press. At night, the President will depart the White House en route to Seoul, Republic of Korea. The…

In his Washington Post column, Eugene Robinson explains why he thinks the “subtleties of the delegate math” mean that Newt Gingrich’s remaining in the race for the GOP nomination will ultimately benefit Santorum.   The “throw Newt from the train” people think that the math is on their side, but it isn’t. It’s true that…

Lisa Delpit’s latest book, “Multiplication Is for White People”: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Children, is another installment in the author’s crusade to expose the systemic issues with America’s public education system, and their effects on a growing achievement gap between whites and minorities. More than a critique, Delpit’s book uses classroom stories and analysis…

It was an idea that the first lady had mentioned several times since moving to the White House. Despite having held a range of events in those first few months engaging young people — a rap session with teens at a local community health center’s after-school program; her White House dinner for high school girls…