(2019-03-25). Pennsylvania Is Jailing Mentally Ill People Who Belong in Treatment. aclu.org The people in jail have disabilities so severe they cannot be prosecuted under the Constitution. | For the third time in less than four years, the ACLU of Pennsylvania and co-counsel from Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer asked a federal judge last week to order Pennsylvania's Department of Human Services to reduce the time that people with severe psychiatric disabilities spend waiting in jail for treatment beds. These people's mental disabilities are so significant that under the Constitution they can be neither prosecuted nor punished, which means they cannot be kept in a prison or jail. | How disabled are our clie…
(2019-03-25). TUNE IN: 50th NAACP Image Awards Airs Live this Saturday, March 30 on TV One. naacp.org On Saturday, March 30, 2019, the best and brightest in Black Hollywood will gather at the Dolby Theatre to celebrate the 50th NAACP Image Awards. Shaping up to be a night to remember, NAACP, the nation's foremost civil rights organization, will award activists and entertainers alike for their contributions to the culture over the past …
(2019-03-25). New Report: Black Residents Face More Barriers to Better Health than Whites. naacp.org 
Key findings from the County Health Rankings and Roadmaps, released on March 19, 2019, reveal that "Black residents face greater barriers to opportunity and health than white residents." The finding comes from the 10th annual County Health Rankings — an assessment of how well counties across America fare in terms of various health factors — published …
(2019-03-25). 'Uphold human dignity', dismantle 'specious notion of racial superiority' urges UN chief. un.org Raise awareness of the dangers of racism and "stand up against old and new forms of slavery" was the resounding message of United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday during a special event marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
(2019-03-25). 'Loyal Slave' Monuments Tell a Racist Lie About American History. thenation.com 'Loyal Slave' Monuments Tell a Racist Lie About American History…
(2019-03-25). Exception to Double Jeopardy Would Affect More Than Just Manafort. truthout.org There has been a lot of talk about double jeopardy after Paul Manafort was sentenced for federal crimes and New York followed up by bringing more than a dozen state felony charges against President Trump's former campaign manager. The new state charges prevent Trump from simply pardoning Manafort for his federal crimes to get him out of serving jail time. Although the Fifth Amendment protects a person from multiple prosecutions, the separate sovereignty exception allows successive state and federal prosecutions. | The conversati…
(2019-03-25). Thank You Gavin Newsom, From a Death Row Inmate. truthdig.com Many people believe that taking a human life is a primal exercise of real power, whether on a massive scale through war or the murder of one person by another in a single act of violence. Then there is a system of death that flows in this country's bloodstream, from the cop who murders an unarmed innocent person to the prison executioner who murders a fellow citizen when his or her time is up. | But real power is not in taking a life, as many people mistakenly think; it is in saving a life. Anyone can take a life, the ease of doing so proved every day by the number of homicides that take place. But saving or spar…
(2019-03-25). Speaker Pelosi Shame On You, Say Skip A.I.P.A.C. Protesters. indybay.org The protest of the annual lovefest between the Democrat-Republican Parties and the Zionist lobbying organization, American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), is bigger and better than ever with a huge projection on the wall of the Wash. D.C. conference site stating "Speaker Pelosi, Shame On You" when she spoke today, 3/24/19, along with the rest of the Democrat & Republican Party leadership, all proud supporters of the racist, anti-women, fascist, theocratic US military base known as Israel, better known as Historic Palestine. See twitter.com/Mindmenow…
(2019-03-25). Brazilian Federal Police Limit Defense Attorneys' Access to Lula. plenglish.com Brasilia, Mar 25 (Prensa Latina) The Federal Police decided last week to limit the defense attorneys" access to former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio da Silva, who have been in prison for nearly a year due to alleged corruption charges, the digital newspaper Brasil 247 reported on Monday.
(2019-03-25). Use of the Word "Dindunuffin" by Police Officer Triggers Internal Affairs Investigation. indybay.org The Santa Cruz Police Department has opened an internal affairs investigation into the conduct of Officer Chris Galli, who in January referred to a man who he had previously arrested as a dindunuffin on social media. Galli, posting as "Chris Meriekuh", made the comment about the individual, who is African American and homeless, on Joe Netro's Santa Cruz, CA: Keepin' It Real hate blog. A screen capture of the comment was posted in an Indybay article, helping to raise awareness concerning the racist nature of the term, which originated among law enforcement officers to mock activists participating in the Black Live…
(2019-03-25). 'Protecting money at expense of children': Jailed whistleblower's wife details his confinement to RT. rt.com 
Hacktivist Martin Gottesfeld was sentenced to 10 years in prison for exposing Boston Children's Hospital for a medical kidnapping. His wife joined RT to talk about how the US is protecting abusers while punishing whistleblowers.
(2019-03-25). Labor's failure to offer alternatives loses NSW election. greenleft.org.au 
The ALP lost the NSW election with its small-target strategy, its refusal to challenge the privatisation agenda and its sly accommodation to racism. | Despite a state-wide swing of 3.4% against the Liberal-National Coalition, the Berejeklian government has won a slim majority for another four-year term to "finish their agenda": more privatisations, service cuts and handouts to corporate mates. | While the swing against Labor was small (1.1%), it did not offer a clear political alternative to the Coalition. | The small rightwing parties — the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (SFF) and Pauline Hanson's One…
(2019-03-25). Who watches the watchdog? Hate monitor group SPLC embroiled in harassment scandal (VIDEO). rt.com 
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization which crusades against racism, has been hit by a string of resignations amid workplace harassment claims. Analysts say the scandal reflects the watchdog's duplicitous nature.
(2019-03-24). Selected Articles: "Profit over People" globalresearch.ca Online independent analysis of US-led wars, rampant corruption, corporate greed, civil rights and fraudulent monetary transactions is invariably relegated to the bottom rung of search engine results. | As a result we presently do not cover our monthly running costs which …
(2019-03-24). Ongoing Torture and Abuse of Chelsea Manning. globalresearch.ca For heroically revealing US high crimes of war and against humanity in Afghanistan and Iraq, Manning was subjected to appalling affronts to her dignity and fundamental rights. | For nearly seven years as a political prisoner, US authorities ruthlessly violated her …
(2019-03-24). NAACP Calls for Full Release of Mueller Report, Barr Summary Not Enough. naacp.org Derrick Johnson, President and CEO of the NAACP, made the following statement: Attorney General William Barr's principal conclusions submitted to Congress today raise more questions than answers. The American people deserve to see the full report and findings from the investigation, not just a summary from Trump's hand-picked Attorney General. Robert Mueller stated, "While this report does not conclude …
(2019-03-24). 'Pick my cotton, n****r': University of Georgia frat suspended over racist VIDEO. rt.com 
A University of Georgia (UGA) fraternity has been suspended after a video emerged showing a student mock-whipping another saying, "Pick my cotton n****r," as others watched and laughed.
(2019-03-23). NAACP Calls for Full Mueller Report to be Released. naacp.org NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson, released the following statement regarding a recent development in Mueller investigation: "The full Mueller report and all underlying findings must be released. The people of this nation deserve transparency. The integrity of our democracy is at stake. Our country cannot afford anything less than the unvarnished and unedited truth. …
(2019-03-22). In Boston, People Are Charged With Crimes That Waste Taxpayers' Money and Prosecutors' Time. aclu.org When people in Boston are charged with certain low-level crimes and misdemeanors, prosecutors dismiss the charges nearly 60 percent of the time. | America's growing awareness of mass incarceration and the over-incarceration of people of color has sparked something nationwide: From Birmingham to Boston, voters are electing progressive, reform-minded prosecutors., , Suffolk County District Attorney candidate Rachael Rollins last year announced that, if elected, her office would decline to prosecute 15 misdemeanors and…
(2019-03-22). Why School Psychologists Are Worried About the Mental Health of America's Students. aclu.org A new ACLU report shows that millions of kids are in schools that have no mental health staff. One of the report's authors discusses the implications. | Earlier this month, thousands of school psychologists met in Atlanta at the annual convention of the National Association of School Psychologists. One of the hottest topics among attendees was exhaustion — a consequence of having to serve more students who are experiencing more trauma and other mental health problems without more help in carrying the load. | It's not just school psychologists who are concerned about being short-staffed. I know of far too ma…
(2019-03-22). The Silencing of Manuel Duran Ortega. progressive.org A journalist fights detention and deportation by ICE.
(2019-03-22). Roaming Charges: Darn That (American) Dream. counterpunch.org 
+ If the Democratic race boils down to Biden and Sanders, you'll have two candidates in their late 70s who voted three times to overthrow Saddam, approved the murderous sanctions on Iraq, supported the illegal war on Serbia, backed the racist and punitive Clinton Crime Bill and fronted a scheme to dump radioactive waste from More
(2019-03-22). ‚ÄãEddie Conway: 5-Year Anniversary of His Release From Prison ‚Äã- RAI (11/12). therealnews.com 
We continue our Reality Asserts Itself series with TRNN Executive Producer Eddie Conway, who spent 44 years as a political prisoner and is now in the leadership of TRNN…
(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). 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). New Mexico prisons: less than 1% of inmates with hepatitis C treated. liberationnews.org 
Universal healthcare demands should extend to the millions of working class people trapped in the prison-camps-for-the-unemployed known as the U.S. prison system.
(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). 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). 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). 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). 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…
(2019-03-20). 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). 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 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). 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.
(2019-03-19). 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). 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). 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). '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.
(2019-03-18). 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). 10 NAACP Women You Should Know About. naacp.org 
Since its founding in 1909, women have been at the forefront of leadership at NAACP. Rosa Parks, Myrlie Evers, and even Eleanor Roosevelt are just a few of the iconic women who have shaped the NAACP into the civil rights force that it is now. From our founders, Executive Directors, staff and members, Black women have always …
(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). 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 …
(2019-03-15). 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). After New Zealand Shooting, Far-right, Racists Claim Victimhood, Hail Killer as Hero. splcenter.org Andrew Anglin found humor in the livestreamed video of a man in New Zealand storming into the Al Noor mosque in Christchurch, then shooting and killing 49 people.
(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 …
(2019-03-14). Billionaire-Backed Lawsuit Against Teacher Tenure Fails in Minnesota. progressive.org Trump has proposed to slash funding for public education in his 2020 budget. In courts across the country, however, public schools are holding up in lawsuits brought by pro-charter interests.
(2019-03-13). Boulder police detain Black man for doing yard work, community fights back. liberationnews.org 
Boulder police are cut from the same cloth and perform the same functions as racist police departments all over the country.