The ACLU Mourns the Passing of Ramona Ripston
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-11-05
For nearly four decades, Ripston led the ACLU of Southern California and turned it into a civil liberties and civil rights powerhouse. | Ramona Ripston, who led the ACLU of Southern California for nearly four decades, died on Saturday. She was 91. | Anthony D. Romero, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union, issued the following statement: | "On Saturday, we lost my friend Ramona Ripston, a civil liberties icon in Los Angeles and one of the country's most dynamic advocates for justice and equality., , "In her nearly four decades as leader of the ACLU's Southern California affiliate, Ramona's off…
aclu.org/blog/aclu-mourns-passing-ramona-ripston

Hate Speech at Homeland Security
Laura Flanders | counterpunch.org | 2018-11-05
Someone scrawled "KILL NIGGERS" on the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York this week, not thirty-five feet from the headquarters of the Department of Homeland Security, ICE and the FBI. The racist graffiti showed up shortly before noon, Thursday, on the burial ground of 15,000 free and enslaved Africans on a memorial sign.
counterpunch.org/2018/11/05/hate-speech-at-homeland-security/

In Trump's Hands, the Census Becomes a Weapon
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-11-05
We use the census as a tool to build power in communities. The administration wants to use it against those communities. | Almost a decade ago, I ran the Minkwon Center for Community Action, a grassroots organization serving the Korean-American community in Queens. Getting immigrants to participate in the 2010 census was one of our top priorities. Why? Because I knew we could use the census to build power for our communities, just by standing up and being counted. And we did, but it wasn't easy. | First, we had to educate people about the census's importance. After all, it's not just a head count. The…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/fighting-voter-suppression/trumps-hands-census-becomes-weapon

UN report: housing as component of the right to adequate standard of living and non-discrimination
UN Special Rapporteur | indybay.org | 2018-11-05
Denying access to water, sanitation and health services and other basic necessities, as has been witnessed by the Special Rapporteur in San Francisco and Oakland, California, United States of America, constitutes cruel and inhuman treatment and is a violation of multiple human rights.
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/11/03/18818742.php

City Council Candidate Ashley Scontriano Calls Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones "Enlightening"
Peter Green | indybay.org | 2018-11-05
After Santa Cruz City Council candidate Ashley Scontriano refused to denounce white supremacy at a candidates forum held at UC Santa Cruz on Monday night, students in the audience chanted "Black Lives Matter" in unison. A short while later Scontriano walked out of the forum, as did two other candidates. "A group of students started chanting Black Lives Matter after I spoke up about equality for all, not just for one race or gender," Scontriano later stated. Scontriano's views on the Black Lives Matter movement are informed by conspiracy theorist Alex Jones of Infowars (see photo). Following the announcement of he…
indybay.org/newsitems/2018/11/03/18818730.php

Nazis, racists, terrorists & thieves: Meet the scandals of the US congressional midterms
RT | rt.com | 2018-11-05
Both Democrats and Republicans are viewing the 2018 midterms as a rematch for 2016. All gloves are off as both parties hope to keep or gain power in an election not lacking in juicy scandals. Here are some of them. | …
rt.com/usa/443146-midterms-scandals-racism-suppression-nazi/

Tuesday's Election: Racism and Anti-Semitism Versus Social Security and Medicare
Shared by Samantha Borek | truthout.org | 2018-11-05
I have followed politics closely since 1968. I have seen many unpleasant political figures. I have also seen many clear dog whistles to racists, with the racism lurking just below the surface. | When Richard Nixon talked about being tough on crime, everyone knew the race of the criminals whose specter he was invoking. The same was true of Ronald Reagan with his racist stories about young Black men buying steaks with food stamps. And when George H.W. Bush ran an ad featuring Willie Horton, a convicted murderer, no one thought he was talking about prison reform. | But, these politicians felt a need to at least put…
truthout.org/articles/tuesdays-election-racism-and-anti-semitism-versus-social-security-and-medicare/

Civil Rights Leaders Unite to Deliver Message to Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-04
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE MEDIA CONTACT: Vanessa Mbonu/ vmbonu@naacpnet.org Message Underscores the Importance of Elections Taking Place on November 6 BALTIMORE ≠(November 4, 2018)–With the midterm elections on Tuesday, NAACP has partnered with other prominent civil rights groups to release a special public service announcement (PSA) aimed at mobilizing voters in the last days of […] | The post Civil Rights Leaders Unite to Deliver Message to Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections appeared firs…
naacp.org/latest/civil-rights-leaders-unite-deliver-message-voters-ahead-midterm-elections/

Michelle Obama Urges NAACP Supporters to Get Out and Vote on Election Day
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-03
BALTIMORE (November 3, 2018)–Former First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama, joins NAACP, the nation's largest civil rights organization, in its civic engagement campaign to increase African American voter turnout on Election Day, November 6. Mrs. Obama's collaboration comes in form of a Public Service Announcement (PSA) where she urges viewers to use their […] | The post Michelle Obama Urges NAACP Supporters to Get Out and Vote on Election Day appeared first on
naacp.org/latest/michelle-obama-urges-naacp-supporters-get-vote-election-day/

WATCH NOW: NAACP President and CEO Talks Voter Suppression with CNN's Don Lemon
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-03
Days before the 2018 midterm elections, Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO, debriefs the nation on voter suppression incidents across the country. | The post WATCH NOW: NAACP President and CEO Talks Voter Suppression with CNN's Don Lemon appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/watch-now-naacp-president-ceo-talks-voter-suppression-cnns-don-lemon/

National NAACP President in Orlando for Souls to Polls Get Out the Vote Events
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-03
Civil Rights Leader to Visit Several Churches in Orlando During First Sunday to Mobilize Black Voters ORLANDO (November 2, 2018)–In the race toward a groundbreaking midterm election which could determine the fate of Florida and the nation for years to come, the leader of the nation's foremost civil rights organization will travel to Orlando […] | The post National NAACP President in Orlando for Souls to Polls Get Out the Vote Events appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/national-naacp-president-orlando-souls-polls-get-vote-events/

Does Florida Believe in Second Chances? Election Day will Tell
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-03
On Tuesday, Floridians will decide if 1.6 million people deserve a second chance. As the law stands now in the sunshine state, when it comes to the right to vote, 1.6 million ex-felons are left in the dark. This is the greatest number of ex-offenders who have lost their right to vote in any state. […] | The post Does Florida Believe in Second Chances? Election Day will Tell. appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/florida-believe-second-chances-election-day-will-tell/

Watch Now: Michelle Obama Makes Special NAACP PSA
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-03
Former First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama, makes a galvanizing call to NAACP members and supporters ahead of the 2018 midterm elections. | The post Watch Now: Michelle Obama Makes Special NAACP PSA appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/watch-now-michelle-obama-makes-special-naacp-psa/

Broad City's Ilana Glazer: Why I Canceled My Event at a NY Synagogue After Anti-Semitic Vandalism
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-11-02
A political event hosted by Ilana Glazer of Comedy Central's "Broad City" at the Union Temple Synagogue in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, was canceled Thursday night after anti-Semitic and racist messages were found scrawled on walls throughout the building. Among the messages were "Jew Better Be Ready" "Insert Oven Here" "End is now," "Hitler," "Free Smoke for [N-word] Jews" and "FPEE PR." The graffiti comes amid a surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes nationwide, including Saturday's massacre of 11 Jewish worshipers at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. Amy Goodman was scheduled to speak at the event about cove…
www.democracynow.org/2018/11/2/broad_citys_ilana_glazer_why_i

Neoliberalism in the age of pedagogical terrorism
Henry A. Giroux | mronline.org | 2018-11-02
We need individuals and social movements willing to disturb the normalization of a fascist politics, oppose racist, sexist, and neoliberal orthodoxy. | Source…
mronline.org/2018/11/02/neoliberalism-in-the-age-of-pedagogical-terrorism/

NAACP Wins in NC Racial Gerrymandering Case
Regan Farley | naacp.org | 2018-11-02
RALEIGH-The North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP obtained yet another ruling that the North Carolina legislative map violates legal requirements. Today, a three-judge panel of the North Carolina General Court of Justice, Superior Court Division, ruled that four districts in the North Carolina House of Representatives (Districts 36, 37, 40 and 41) violate the […] | The post NAACP Wins in NC Racial Gerrymandering Case appeared first on NAACP.
naacp.org/latest/naacp-wins-nc-racial-gerrymandering-case/

NAACP Enlists Support from Wanda Sykes to Get Out the Vote on November 6
Vanessa Mbonu@naacpnet | naacp.org | 2018-11-02
BALTIMORE(October 30, 2018) ≠ ≠–NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, has collaborated with award-winning actress and comedian, Wanda Sykes, to release a critical public service announcement (PSA) activating the Black community to turn out the vote on November 6. In the PSA, Sykes makes note that elections are no joking matter. "We know that you'll show up when it's time […] | The post NAACP Enlists Support from Wanda Sykes to Get Out the Vote on November 6. appeared first on
naacp.org/latest/naacp-enlists-support-wanda-sykes-get-vote-november-6/

Get Ready for the Shake-Up: Grassroots Candidates Drive Midterm Surge
Ruth Conniff | progressive.org | 2018-11-02
While Donald Trump rallies the rightwing base with flagrant appeals to fear, anger, and racism, the most diverse slate of candidates in U.S. history is poised to change the direction of the nation's politics for a long time to come.
progressive.org/dispatches/get-ready-for-the-shake-up-grassroots-candidates-midterms-181102/

Signature Match Laws Disproportionately Impact Voters Already on the Margins
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-11-02
Absentee ballots should make voting more accessible. Signature match laws should not be used to disenfranchise marginalized voters. | We sign things all the time — to pay for groceries with a credit card or end a letter to a friend, for example. Rarely do our signatures come under scrutiny. Yet, a number of states are denying people the right to vote because the signature on their absentee ballot — and sometimes even on their application for a ballot itself– doesn't exactly match their signature on the voter registration rolls. And in many cases, the state does not even tell the affected voter t…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/signature-match-laws-disproportionately-impact-voters-already-margins

United States: Trump lays basis for worsening racist violence
Fred_F | greenleft.org.au | 2018-11-02
A white man in Jefferson, Kentucky, shot and killed two African Americans at a grocery store on October 24. Gregory Bush was seen trying unsuccessfully to break down the doors to a predominantly Black church before he turned his attention to the store and opened fire. | After the killings he was confronted by an armed bystander, also white, who held him at bay until police arrived. Bush told the man who captured him that they shouldn't shoot each other, because "whites don't kill whites". | Two days later, packages containing bombs were found, addressed to people President Donald Trump has being publicly attackin…
greenleft.org.au/content/united-states-trump-lays-basis-worsening-racist-violence

NAACP Partners with Lawyers Committee on Georgia Win against 'Exact Match' Voter Software
Regan Farley | naacp.org | 2018-11-02
ATLANTA-In a race marred by blatant examples of voter suppression and voting machine irregularities the NAACP Georgia State Conference partnering with Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law won an injunction against the use of the controversial voter regulating software –Exact Match. In the ruling which challenged Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp's decision to […] | The post NAACP Partners with Lawyers Committee on Georgia Win against 'Exact Match' Voter Software appeared first o…
naacp.org/latest/naacp-partners-lawyers-committee-georgia-win-exact-match-voter-software/

Catholic Social Services Wants a License to Discriminate Against LGBTQ Foster Families
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-11-02
The needs of those in the child welfare system should come first, not the religious preferences of agencies receiving taxpayer funds to care for them. | On Tuesday, a federal appeals court will hear oral argument in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia, a case of great concern to advocates for children in foster care, the LGBTQ community, faith leaders, and states that are committed to ensuring non-discrimination in government programs. The ACLU is arguing in court for the Support Center for Child Advocates and Philadelphia Family Pride, who have inter…
aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights/lgbt-parenting/catholic-social-services-wants-license-discriminate-against-lgbtq

Black solidarity with the struggle of Central American immigrants and refugees
Fight Back | fightbacknews.org | 2018-11-02
Jacksonville, FL – There are around 8000 Central American immigrants and refugees making their way from Honduras and other Central American nations to the United States-Mexico border. Currently the caravan is over 1000 miles from the nearest border city. These are Central American immigrants and refugees escaping poverty and instability in their home countries due to U.S.-backed governmental regimes and violence fueled by U.S. interference. These immigrants and refugees have pleaded for humanitarian assistance and a better life. However, they have been met by Donald Trump and his racist presidential administratio…
www.fightbacknews.org/2018/11/2/black-solidarity-struggle-central-american-immigrants-and-refugees

This Pennsylvania Legislator Is an Open White Supremacist–and He's Up for Reelection
Adam Eichen | thenation.com | 2018-11-02
This Pennsylvania Legislator Is an Open White Supremacist–and He's Up for Reelection…
thenation.com/article/butler-county-pennsylvania-racist-midterm-election/

Warehousing Immigrant Children in the Texas Desert
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-11-01
The Tornillo detention camp represents a major shift in the policy and practice of putting the best interests of the child first. | Since June, the federal government has been operating a massive tent city in the West Texas desert to detain immigrant children who have traveled to the United States seeking protection from persecution and abuse in their home countries. | Last week, I visited the Tornillo detention camp with colleagues from the ACLU of Texas. There are currently over 1,000 unaccompanied immigrant kids at Tornillo, most from Central America, who were transferred from long-term shelter placements. Th…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/immigrants-rights-and-detention/warehousing-immigrant-children-texas-desert

Parkland Dad Fred Guttenberg: Voters Must Reject Racist, Anti-Semitic NRA on Election Day
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-11-01
In the wake of a series of hate-fueled gun attacks in the United States, we speak with Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed by a gunman at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history this February. As the nation reels from the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre and the Kentucky grocery store killing of two African Americans, Guttenberg is calling on voters to elect politicians who stand for gun control in next week's midterm elections.
www.democracynow.org/2018/11/1/parkland_father_fred_guttenberg_after_synagogue

Hatewatch Headlines 11/2/2018
Hatewatch Staff | splcenter.org | 2018-11-01
Trump's immigration ad is flat-out racist; tech firms needs to take online hate seriously; funding for anti-extremism work is cut; and…
splcenter.org/hatewatch/2018/11/02/hatewatch-headlines-1122018

Ohio's Congressional Map is Broken. Here Are 3 Ways to Fix It
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-31
Ohio's map consistently gives Republicans 75 percent of the states' congressional seats, regardless of the votes they earn. | As Ohio voters head to the polls next week, many will struggle to overcome congressional districts that have allowed politicians to choose their voters instead of the other way around. | Thanks to an aggressive redistricting operation, Ohio's current congressional map, enacted in December 2011, is gerrymandered to lock in a 12-to-4 district advantage for Republican candidates. | In each subsequent election, it has w…
aclu.org/blog/voting-rights/gerrymandering/ohios-congressional-map-broken-here-are-3-ways-fix-it

Birthright Citizenship Expert: This Is Not a Diversion, Trump Has Pushed Radical Plan for Years
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-31
President Trump claimed that he can rewrite the Constitution and end birthright citizenship in the United States in an interview released Tuesday, sparking widespread outrage. Trump told the news outlet Axios that he planned to sign an executive order ending citizenship for children of noncitizens born on U.S. soil. Civil rights groups, legal experts and politicians on both sides of the aisle are blasting Trump for his comments, including the false claim that the U.S. is the only country with birthright laws. In fact, at least 30 other countries have similar laws, including Canada, Mexico and Cuba. We speak with…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/31/birthright_citizenship_expert_this_is_not

Employees Who Have Babies Are Still Getting the Axe
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-31
Forty years after Congress passed the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, discrimination against pregnant and breastfeeding workers remains rampant. | Forty years ago, working women in the United States won the legal protection to become working mothers. On Oct. 31, 1978, Congress enacted the Pregnancy Discrimination Act, making it illegal for employers to deny a woman a job — or promotion, or higher pay, or any other opportunity — because she is pregnant. | The statute had an immediate, dramatic impact on women's ability to fully participate in the workforce. Although on-the-job sex discrimination had bee…
aclu.org/blog/womens-rights/pregnancy-and-parenting-discrimination/employees-who-have-babies-are-still

Let's stop playing semantic games: Islamophobia is a form of racism
kathy_f | greenleft.org.au | 2018-10-31
We have all heard or seen the claim, especially when wading through the cesspit of the internet, "Islam is not a race, so how can I be racist?". This meme is usually deployed by those trying to answer, and deflect, accusations of racism. | It is worth examining this claim in further detail, because it provides us with a window into the state of cultural and political debate in our own society. | First, let us be clear: Islam is a religion, not a race. But Islamophobia is a form of racism mixed with cultural intolera…
greenleft.org.au/content/lets-stop-playing-semantic-games-islamophobia-form-racism

No, Mr. President. You Can't Change the Constitution by Executive Order
aclu | aclu.org | 2018-10-30
The 14th Amendment's citizenship guarantee is one of the bedrocks of America. | President Trump said this week that he is preparing an executive order to try to take away the citizenship guarantee in the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, which says that people born in the United States are United States citizens. On Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham announced that he would introduce legislation with the same aim. | But the president cannot repeal part of the Constitution by executive order. And…
aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/road-citizenship/no-mr-president-you-cant-change-constitution-executive-order

Glenn Greenwald on Bolsonaro: Brazil Has Elected "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World"
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-29
Far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro has been elected Brazil's next president, marking the most radical political shift in the country since military rule ended more than 30 years ago. Bolsonaro, a former Army officer, openly supports torture and dictatorships, has a history of making racist, misogynistic and homophobic comments, and has threatened to destroy, imprison or banish his political opponents. He defeated Fernando Haddad of the leftist Workers' Party with 55 percent of the vote. His ascendance to power is leading many to fear the future of democracy in Brazil is in danger. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Puli…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/29/glenn_greenwald_on_bolsonaro_brazil_has

Trump Plays Pocahontas Card Again. . . And Takes the Trick!
Mark Anthony Rolo | progressive.org | 2018-10-29
When I hear people like the Cherokee Nation's Hoskins Jr. bashing Warren for her claim, it occurs to me that Trump's racism has found a footing in tribal politics.
progressive.org/dispatches/trump-plays-the-pocahontas-card-181029/

Why We Need More School Leaders of Color, Especially in White Districts
Rann Miller | progressive.org | 2018-10-29
Racism in the classroom leaves white students racially illiterate.
progressive.org/public-school-shakedown/racist-educators-harm-white-students-too-181029/

Headlines for October 29, 2018
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-29
Anti-Semitic Shooter Kills 11 Jewish Worshipers in Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh Gunman Held Anti-Semitic, Racist and Xenophobic Views, Jewish Leaders to Trump: "Massacre Is Not the First Act of Terror You Incited", Trump, Conservatives Continue Attacks on George Soros, Kentucky: Shooter Kills Two Black People at Supermarket After Targeting Black Church, Trump-Supporting Suspect of Mail Bomb Campaign to Appear in Court, Brazil Elects Far-Right Candidate Jair Bolsonaro President, Indonesia: 189 Feared Dead After Lion Air Passenger Jet Crashes, Saudis Reject Turkish Demand to Extradite Khashoggi Murder Suspects, Israel Bo…
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/29/headlines

Glenn Greenwald: Violence Like Pittsburgh Shooting Is "Inevitable Outcome" of Racist Scapegoating
Democracy Now! | democracynow.org | 2018-10-29
The massacre of 11 worshipers at a Pittsburgh synagogue Saturday capped a hate-filled week in America, following the shooting of two African Americans at a Kentucky grocery store by a white man and the arrest of avid Trump supporter Cesar Sayoc for allegedly mailing 13 bombs to CNN and political opponents of President Trump. We speak with Glenn Greenwald, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and one of the founding editors of The Intercept.
www.democracynow.org/2018/10/29/glenn_greenwald_violence_like_pittsburgh_shooting

Trump Administration's Warped View of Religious Freedom Abroad
Claire Provost | zcomm.org | 2018-10-18
Religious freedom arguments are increasingly being used to challenge anti-discrimination policies and access to services…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/trump-administrations-warped-view-of-religious-freedom-abroad/

A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical
Peter Cole | zcomm.org | 2018-10-18
Ron Dellums appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…
zcomm.org/zmagazine/a-tribute-to-ron-dellums-radical/

Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther
Mina Khanlarzadeh | zcomm.org | 2018-10-11
Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther In the movie Black Panther, N'Jobu is residing in Oakland, California as a Wakandan spy when he's troubled by the racism faced by black Americans. T'Chaka, the king of Wakanda, considers N'Jobu's plot of Read…
zcomm.org/zblogs/dreaming-political-concepts-in-iran-and-the-us-huey-newton-and-ali-shariati-through-the-movie-black-panther/