(2019-03-21). The FBI Won't Hand Over Its Surveillance Records on 'Black Identity Extremists,' so We're Suing. aclu.org The ACLU and the Center for Media Justice are suing the FBI for records about the surveillance of Black activists—a tactic with a long, sordid history | At a time when violence by white supremacists is on the rise, the FBI appears to be targeting Black people in a secret intelligence program concerning so-called "Black Identity Extremists"— an inflammatory term for a group that doesn't even exist. The bureau's practice echoes earlier, shameful government surveillance programs that sought to discredit civil rights and Black power activists who were critical to advancing racial equality — and it e…
(2019-03-21). Facebook settles CWA, ACLU lawsuit on bias vs. women, minorities. peoplesworld.org 
WASHINGTON—Under pressure from a huge lawsuit by the Communications Workers, the ACLU and the National Fair Housing Alliance, Facebook will change its advertising programming and system to prevent landlords, lenders and — most importantly — job advertisers from using its platform to discriminate on the basis gender, age and zip codes, which were a stand-in …
(2019-03-21). Catholic Bishops Stopped My Surgery Because I'm Transgender. aclu.org Gender-affirming care is lifesaving and supported by medical professionals. Yet Oliver Knight and many other transgender people are denied this care. | After years of working to affirm my identity in a world where transgender people are questioned constantly about their decisions, I felt hopeful as I arrived for the surgery I had waited so long for. I was 27, and I would finally be closer to calling my body home. | Since I was a kid, I've felt like my body didn't match my soul. I felt uncomfortable in clothes. I felt disgusting when I showered. Everything felt wrong, but it took me a while to figure out why. | On…
(2019-03-21). All Southern States are Not the Same: Mississippi's Challenge. counterpunch.org Virginia over the past several years has become more purple while Mississippi has remained deep red. Democrats won more legislative and congressional seats in Virginia. As I pointed out in my last piece, that trend was kicked off by a successful constitutional based lawsuit against the racially based gerrymandering that the Virginia legislature had created. Court cases More
(2019-03-21). LA: Boyle Heights honors International Women's Day. fightbacknews.org Los Angeles, CA – The neighborhood of Boyle Heights celebrated International Women's Day, March 8, by honoring women on the Eastside who shake things up. Organized by Centro CSO, the event took place in the historic Casa del Mexicano building. The celebration doubled as a fundraiser for legal fees in a major lawsuit against big-time corporation KIPP Promesa Charter school. A large group from all over East Los Angeles and Boyle Heights attended. | Headlining was Fe Montes, of Mujeres de Maíz, who performed multiple readings, poems, and chants. Met with applause, Montes spoke about the need to honor the "Chingonas…
(2019-03-21). Devin Nunes Has a Cow, and Free Speech Is Endangered. commondreams.org Nunes' lawsuit will almost certainly be thrown out. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty) | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/views-article/thumbs/screen_shot_2019-03-21_at_12.57.01_pm.png…
(2019-03-21). Headlines for March 21, 2019. democracynow.org New Zealand Outlaws Military-Style Weapons After Mosque Attacks, "Major Humanitarian Emergency" After Cyclone Pounds Southeast Africa, Three U.S. States Declare Emergencies as Missouri River Swells, Judge Halts Wyoming Oil and Gas Drilling, Citing Climate Change, Radovan Karadzic Sentenced to Life in Prison over Bosnian Genocide, Trump Administration Official Under Fire for Islamophobic Comments, Trump Travel Ban Prohibits Dozens from Attending U.N. Women's Forum, Trump Claims Mueller Report Should Be Made Public, Trump Assails Husband of White House Counselor Kellyanne Conway, Pentagon Watchdog to Probe Acting D…
(2019-03-21). Sudan Dissolves State Oil Company, Blasts Egypt's Intrusion. telesurenglish.net Sudan's Prime Minister Mohamed Tahir Ayala dissolved the state-owned Sudanese Petroleum Corporation and dismissed its secretary general, Azhari Ibrahim Bassbar, state news agency SUNA said Wednesday. | RELATED: | Sudan: Opposition Leader Jailed for a Week for Protests | Ayala ordered all the corporation's assets, documents and employees be transferred to the oil ministry, SUNA said, without giving a reason for the move. The Sudanese Petroleum Corporation was responsible for importing p…
(2019-03-21). How a Series of Jail Rebellions Rocked New York—and Woke a City. thenation.com How a Series of Jail Rebellions Rocked New York—and Woke a City…
(2019-03-21). Marking international day, UN experts call for urgent action to end racial discrimination, in wake of New Zealand anti-Muslim attack. un.org States must take urgent action, to "stem the tide of hate and discrimination" and ramping up of "ethno-nationalist populism", which helped fuel the deadly shootings in two New Zealand mosques last Friday by a self-declared white supremacist, several top UN officials and human rights experts have stressed, marking the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
(2019-03-21). Trump's Sly Encouragement of Lawless Violence. counterpunch.org Racism is not natural. Babies — black, brown, white — explore the world and each other with wonder, not hate. Racism has to be taught. It is learned behavior. To assume that a person is inherently superior or inferior to another based upon race is unnatural and ungodly. Racism is used for political manipulation and More
(2019-03-21). White Supremacy in Australia Set the Stage for the Christchurch Massacre. thenation.com White Supremacy in Australia Set the Stage for the Christchurch Massacre…
(2019-03-21). Bolsonaro at Langley: New US Lapdog Pays Homage to the Empire. mintpressnews.com FAIRFAX COUNTY, VIRGINIA — Brazil's new fascist president, Jair Bolsonaro, touched down in Washington to pay homage at the CIA headquarters and to visit President Donald Trump, with whom he met on Tuesday. All reports are that the meeting between the two heads of state went very well — not surprisingly, given how similar their politics and personalities are. Bolsonaro shares Trump's penchant for racist, xenophobic remarks, calling immigrants from poor countries "the sc…
(2019-03-21). Islamophobia and Hate at UCSC in Light of the NZ Terrorist Attack. indybay.org I am one of the students that was called a "terrorist" among other terrible things by a BSOE professor on countless occasions due to my appearance and Palestinian, Muslim heritage. Right at the top, I want to express my deepest gratitude to those who signed the petition demanding UCSC take action in this matter. Your support has given both the other complainant and I tremendous inner-strength. It has helped me claw back some of my humanity, and I genuinely cannot thank you enough.
(2019-03-21). Plantation workers demand freedom for Julian Assange and Chelsea Manning and for jailed Maruti Suzuki workers. wsws.org Last Sunday's conference in Sri Lanka's central hills district endorsed resolutions condemning the persecution of Assange, Manning and Maruti-Suzuki workers in India.
(2019-03-21). Ilhan Omar responds to attacks: Rashida and I are here to stay. greenleft.org.au 
Two young Muslim women were elected to the United States House of Representatives in the 2018 election. Ilhan Omar is Black, and a refugee from war-devastated Somalia. Rahida Tlaib is of Palestinian descent, and has family living under Israeli oppression. | Both are outspoken supporters of the boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which was initiated by the Palestinian grassroots to protest Israel's oppression. | As supporters of BDS, they have been under attack from the Israeli lobby in the US, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), which falsely claims BDS is anti-Semitic. Following I…
(2019-03-21). Harvard 'Shamelessly Capitalizing' Off Images of Slaves. telesurenglish.net A United States woman, Tamara Lanier, filed a lawsuit against Harvard University for "shamelessly capitalizing" from photographs of people who were enslaved, one of whom she claims is her great-great-great-grandfather. The lawsuit, which is challenging ownership rights and the university's right to profit from the institution of slavery, was filed Wednesday in Middlesex Superior Court. | RELATED: | Malaysia Wants Goldman Sachs to Pay $7.5 B in Reparations | The image of Lanier's rela…
(2019-03-20). The Torture Machine: Flint Taylor on Chicago Police Brutality from Fred Hampton to Today. democracynow.org 
We look at the Chicago Police Department's long history of violence against African Americans, from the murder of Black Panther Fred Hampton to the reign of torture overseen by commander Jon Burge. The brutality of the Chicago police force is laid bare in a new book by leading civil rights lawyer Flint Taylor. It's called "The Torture Machine: Racism and Police Violence in Chicago." The book exposes decades of corruption and cover-ups in the Chicago Police Department. We speak with Flint Taylor, who has represented survivors of police brutality in Chicago for nearly half a century.
(2019-03-20). Border Patrol and ICE Routinely Violate Immigrants' Religious Rights. aclu.org Seizing rosaries, forbidding turbans, and serving pork sandwiches to Muslims are just some of the reasons we're demanding an investigation. | One pork sandwich every eight hours for six straight days. That's the only food that Border Patrol provided to Adnan Asif Parveen, a Muslim immigrant who was detained in South Texas in January because his work permit had expired and was pending renewal. Mr. Parveen reportedly informed officials that his religion forbids him from eating pork, but the…
(2019-03-20). Lawmakers in Colorado Should Abolish the Death Penalty. aclu.org The death penalty is a broken tool riddled with bias that must be abandoned. A new bill in Colorado can do just that. | In July 2012, Coloradans were devastated by the now-infamous murder of 12 moviegoers in the town of Aurora. Despite the trauma and grief that crime caused, a local jury three years later refused the prosecutor's request to impose the death sentence against the convicted perpetrator. At the time, The Denver Post observed, "The death penalty in Colorado has effectively expired. And…
(2019-03-20). The Government Is Hiding Its Plans for Anti-Pipeline Protests. aclu.org 
Federal and state responses to public records requests raise concerns of a crackdown on First Amendment-protected speech. | President Trump likes to build things — apartment buildings, casinos, golf courses, walls —…
(2019-03-20). Jailed Birds of a Feather May Sing Together. counterpunch.org 
From childhood we learn that you can know somebody by his or her company. Our present president, Donald Trump, values loyalty. He favors people who like what he likes and who think like him. For his closest helpers, he has chosen people who have appeared devoted (or related) to him and who have endorsed goals More
(2019-03-20). Ella May: Anti-racist strike martyr. workers.org 
Ella May, a textile union leader killed during 1929 strike in North Carolina, was born in 1900 in Tennessee. Her family had been small farmers, but before she reached adulthood her father was a wage worker in the logging industry that had invaded rural Appalachia. Logging was dangerous work, killing . . . | Continue reading Ella May: Anti-racist strike martyr at Workers.org
(2019-03-20). 'Blues for Mr. Charlie,' further James Baldwin ruminations on race. peoplesworld.org 
SHERMAN OAKS, Calif.—Loft Ensemble's lofty, must-see, powerful production of Blues for Mr. Charlie is the latest in a growing list of a revival of works by author/playwright/polemicist James Baldwin, one of America's "poet laureates" opposing racism. I believe this renaissance was launched by Haitian filmmaker Raoul Peck's Best Documentary Academy Award-nominated 2016 I Am Not …
(2019-03-20). Russell Westbrook incident exposes ongoing racism. workers.org 
Russell Westbrook is a super-talented guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder and a former most valuable player. On March 11, during a National Basketball Association regular season game between the Oklahoma team and the Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City, Westbrook, who is African American, was verbally assaulted from the . . . | Continue reading Russell Westbrook incident exposes ongoing racism at Workers.org
(2019-03-20). The Roots of Police Violence in Chicago: How Cops Have Targeted Communities of Color for Decades. democracynow.org 
We look at the long history of police brutality against Latinos in Chicago. Latinos, especially immigrants, have faced police violence and killings for decades, and have a long history of fighting back against brutality through community organizing and activism. But their stories have received little news coverage. We speak with Lilia Fernández, a professor of history and Latino studies at Rutgers University and the author of "Brown in the Windy City: Mexicans and Puerto Ricans in Postwar Chicago." We also speak with Flint Taylor, an attorney with People's Law Office and author of "The Torture Machine: Racism and…
(2019-03-20). Colton Fears Sentenced to Five Years in Prison. splcenter.org A Houston man has been sentenced to five years in prison in Florida for his role in an armed confrontation with protesters following a speaking engagement by Richard Spencer on Oct. 19, 2017.
(2019-03-20). Guatemala Issues Arrest Warrant for Former Attorney General. telesurenglish.net A judge on Monday ordered the arrest of Thelma Aldana, former attorney general and presidential candidate, who helped topple and imprison a former president on corruption charges and investigated current President Jimmy Morales. | RELATED: | Guatemala Calls for General Elections on June 16 | The warrant was issued by Judge Victor Cruz on Tuesday, the same day she was officially registered as a presidential candidate. The alleged charges relate to a corruption inquiry involving illegal hiring…
(2019-03-20). UN court increases sentence of former Bosnian-Serb leader to life imprisonment. un.org A United Nations appeals court on Wednesday increased the 40-year sentence initially imposed on Radovan Karadžić, former leader of the Republika Srpksa region of Bosnia and head of the Bosnian-Serb Army, to life imprisonment.
(2019-03-20). 60 Years Ago, Racists in Congress Nearly Cost Hawaii Statehood. consortiumnews.com Racism in the U.S. Congress nearly derailed Hawaii becoming the 50th state, as Sarah Miller Davenport reports. By Sarah Miller Davenport University of Sheffield The Conversation Sixty years ago, Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation making Hawaii America's 50th state…. Read more →
(2019-03-20). In El Paso Jails, Immigrants Are Incarcerated Far Past Their Release Dates. theintercept.com In early June 2018, Noe Ortiz walked with two of his young children across a dry riverbed from Mexico into El Paso, Texas. The 33-year-old Guatemalan made the crossing during the height of President Trump's migrant "family separation" policy, but he left behind a perhaps more perilous fate: death at the hands of the Calle 18 gang, which had extorted him, killed two of his brothers-in-law, and targeted him for murder. | An agricultural worker who lost part of one foot in an on-the-job accident, Ortiz arrived in El Paso wearing a boot on his amputated limb to stabilize his gait. He and his children were quickly app…
(2019-03-19). Facebook Settles Civil Rights Cases by Making Sweeping Changes to Its Online Ad Platform. aclu.org The ACLU expects other social media and advertising platforms to follow suit in recognizing that civil rights laws apply online. | The ACLU, along with our client Communications Workers of America and other civil rights groups, announced a historic settlement agreement with Facebook that will result in major changes to Facebook's advertising platform. Advertisers will no longer be able to exclude users from learning about opportunities for housing, employment, or credit based on gender, age, or othe…
(2019-03-19). ACLU: The U.S. Is Acting Like an Authoritarian Regime by Barring ICC Officials Probing War Crimes. democracynow.org 
The Trump administration has barred International Criminal Court investigators from entering the United States. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Friday that the U.S. will start denying visas to members of the ICC who may be investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. military in Afghanistan. In September, national security adviser John Bolton threatened U.S. sanctions against ICC judges if they continued to investigate alleged war crimes committed by U.S. troops in Afghanistan. A 2016 ICC report accused the U.S. military of torturing at least 61 prisoners in Afghanistan during the ongoing war. The report…
(2019-03-19). Marty Gottesfeld: Another Whistleblower in Solitary Confinement. mintpressnews.com 
Last year I wrote about a whistleblower from New England who took direct action to save a child's life and who paid for it with his freedom. Marty Gottesfeld is now serving 10 years in prison for trying to save Justina Pelletier from abuse at the hands of her doctors at Children's Hospital in Boston. | At the age of 14, Justine developed searing stomach pain and inexplicable digestive problems. Her parents took her to a series of doctors until a metabolic geneticist at…
(2019-03-19). Brazilian Left's Free Lula Campaign Highlights Miscarriage of Justice. therealnews.com 
Left forces met in Sao Paulo to relaunch the Free Lula campaign. Members of grassroots movements and political parties were there, saying that Workers Party leader Lula da Silva was unjustly imprisoned…
(2019-03-19). 'White Helmet' Attacker in Deandre Harris Beating Identified as Alek Rhyne Hyer of Gainesville, Florida. splcenter.org The identity of a man wearing a white helmet seen in video of the beating of Deandre Harris after the racist "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been a mystery for nearly 18 months.
(2019-03-19). Minnesotans protest Senator Klobuchar's pro-war record. fightbacknews.org Minneapolis, MN – On March 15, 30 protesters gathered in front of Senator Amy Klobuchar's Minneapolis office to condemn her support for the Trump administration policy of regime change in Venezuela and support of U.S. aid to Israel. Since Klobuchar has kicked off her presidential campaign, the Twin Cities anti-war movement has responded by holding multiple protests, including a picket at her presidential announcement at Boom Island, to draw attention to the senator's long record of voting for military aid and U.S. intervention. | Responding to the savage and racist mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, Mis…
(2019-03-19). Republican Devin Nunes sues Twitter for censoring conservatives, alleges harassment campaign. rt.com 
Republican congressman Devin Nunes announced he will file a $250 million lawsuit against Twitter for its alleged "explicit censorship" of conservatives. Nunes' complaint is one of many against the social media giant. |
(2019-03-18). How Disability Rights Advocates Turned Back the Trump Administration's Attack on Students of Color. aclu.org Rules designed to help children of color and children with disabilities will go into immediate effect. | Earlier this month, in response to a lawsuit from the Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates, a national disability rights group, a federal district court ruled that the Trump administration violated federal law when it delayed a Department of Education rule designed to protect students of color and students with disabilities. | Children of color are significantly more likely to be identified as needin…
(2019-03-18). Can Prosecutors Dismiss Jurors for Agreeing With the O.J. Simpson Verdict? aclu.org California's highest court ruled that the O.J. verdict question was "race neutral." The Supreme Court now has a chance to weigh in. | Gov. Gavin Newsom's moratorium on executions in California has highlighted the pernicious role race has played in who gets the death penalty in that state. In a case now awaiting review, the U.S. Supreme Court will have an opportunity to examine whether discriminatory tactics in jury selection in a California capital case can stand. | It has long been settled that prosecutors may not dismiss cit…
(2019-03-18). Beware the Tech Industry's Latest Privacy Trojan Horse. aclu.org A tech startup is pushing a set of state bills disguised as medical data privacy measures — but they're really focused on profits not patients. | Did you hear the story about the do-gooder tech company that is pushing new state "privacy" bills across the nation?, , The pitch by that company, Hu-manity.co — which is so effective its Oregon bill was introduced with more than 40 co-sponsors — is that patients' health information is being sold for big money witho…
(2019-03-18). 38 Years Prison and 148 Lashes for Iranian Human Rights Defender. therealnews.com 
Nasrin Sotoudeh defended political prisoners and worked to abolish Iran's death penalty. Human rights groups are worried her sentence could signal increased repression of peace activism in Iran under a judiciary with a history of human rights violations…
(2019-03-18). A Federal Civil Rights Office Wants to Limit Access to Emotional-Support Animals That Can Help With Depression. theintercept.com Housing industry groups have been lobbying the Department of Housing and Urban Development to make it harder for tenants to have emotional-support animals.
(2019-03-17). We must override this veto! naacp.org On 2-26-2019, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of H. J. Res 46, a resolution to reject and nullify President Donald Trump's declaration of an emergency so he could shift as much as $6.7 billion of previously appropriated monies away from their intended recipients and used instead to build a wall along the …
(2019-03-17). Frank Chapman condemns political repression against Rasmea Odeh. fightbacknews.org Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from Frank Chapman, Field Organizer of the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression. | Rasmea Odeh, an historic figure in the Palestine national movement, is being threatened by German authorities with denial of her right to speak in Germany, as well as attempting to take away her visa. | The Chicago Alliance once again expresses our complete solidarity with our dear sister, Rasmea, and with her beloved Palestine. For a number of years, the Alliance and the U.S. Palestinian Community Network marched together to defend Rasmea from the p…
(2019-03-17). Guantánamo Bay "Forever" Prisoner Speaks Out — to Praise Congress, Lindsey Graham, and Thomas Friedman. theintercept.com 
Considered for years an unrepentant militant, Ghassan al-Sharbi is locked up at Guantánamo Bay. He has never spoken to the media — until now.
(2019-03-15). Keeping Civilian Drone Deaths Secret Keeps Them Going. aclu.org What's behind Trump's order reversing a transparency requirement to release information on civilian deaths? | This piece was originally published by The Washington Post. | In an executive order last week, President Trump ended a requirement for…
(2019-03-15). Dear Young Ardelia Walker… naacp.org 
As we continue to celebrate Women's History Month, we would like to share another "Letter To Our Younger Self". The NAACP will be sharing letters written by our regional Women In the NAACP (WIN) Coordinators to their younger self. Our second highlight comes from Ardelia Walker of Region 6. Dear Ardelia: I have several messages for …
(2019-03-15). Colleagues Defend Tucker Carlson's 'Ideas'—That Iraqis Are 'Monkeys,' Child Rape Is 'Commitment to Love'. fair.org 
David French's claim (National Review, 3/11/19) that no one was really offended by Tucker Carlson's defense of raping 12-year-olds, or his calling Iraqis "primitive monkeys," was <...
(2019-03-15). Tom Joyner to Receive Vanguard Award at 50th NAACP Image Awards. naacp.org PRESENTERS TO INCLUDE AMANDLA STENBERG, KERRY WASHINGTON, KIKI LAYNE, LENA WAITHE, LETITIA WRIGHT, THANDIE NEWTON, TREVOR NOAH AND MORE! LIVE TV Special to Air on TV One Saturday, March 30, 2019 Hosted by Anthony Anderson LOS ANGELES (March 14, 2019) — The NAACP today announced that mass media icon Tom Joyner will be honored with the Vanguard Award at the …