(2018-11-04). Civil Rights Leaders Unite to Deliver Message to Voters Ahead of Midterm Elections. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-04). Over $16,000 in Fines Collected from Child Detainees in October. imemc.org The Prisoners and Ex-prisoner Affairs Committee, Sunday, reported that the total of fines imposed on the children held in the Ofer detention camp, during the month of October, reached approximately 62,000 shekels (over 16,000 USD). The number of children sentenced during October was 27, and prison terms ranged from 45 …
(2018-11-04). DeSantis's Corporate Backers Hope His Racist Dog-Whistles Will Boost Profits. truthout.org By virtue of being born, each of us has the absolute right to safety, shelter, food, education and health care. This is the agenda of the organization I co-direct, the Dream Defenders. It is also the agenda that Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis has attacked as being too "radical" for the Sunshine State and proof that Mayor Andrew Gillum is unfit for governorship. | Through conversations with thousands of everyday Floridians and backed by dozens of Florida organizations, we built " The Freedom Papers," a left, populist vision for the…
(2018-11-04). City Council Candidate Ashley Scontriano Calls Conspiracy Theorist Alex Jones "Enlightening" indybay.org 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…
(2018-11-04). UN report: housing as component of the right to adequate standard of living and non-discrimination. indybay.org 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.
(2018-11-04). Photos: March Against Racist Slumlord Darius Mohsenin. indybay.org Today the Santa Cruz community gathered at the Town Clock to march and protest the actions of slumlord Darius Mohsenin, a downtown apartment building owner who poorly maintains his property, and distributed racist flyers against Measure M and rent control in Santa Cruz at a recent local housing event.
(2018-11-03). Migrant caravan members sue Trump for violating their 'constitutional rights'. rt.com Twelve Honduran migrants are getting a head start on becoming US citizens by embracing that most American of pastimes: the lawsuit. They are suing the Trump administration for violating their Fifth Amendment due process rights. |
(2018-11-03). Michelle Obama Urges NAACP Supporters to Get Out and Vote on Election Day. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-03). National NAACP President in Orlando for Souls to Polls Get Out the Vote Events. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-03). Does Florida Believe in Second Chances? Election Day will Tell. naacp.org 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. […]
(2018-11-03). WATCH NOW: NAACP President and CEO Talks Voter Suppression with CNN's Don Lemon. naacp.org Days before the 2018 midterm elections, Derrick Johnson, NAACP President and CEO, debriefs the nation on voter suppression incidents across the country.
(2018-11-03). Watch Now: Michelle Obama Makes Special NAACP PSA. naacp.org 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.
(2018-11-03). American Terror Is Not New. globalresearch.ca The casual, endemic and racist violence that characterizes American behavior at home and abroad cannot be laid at the doorstep of the current buffoon in the White House. | "The most prevalent racially motivated murders are carried out by police across …
(2018-11-03). Assange Case Shows Support for Free Speech Depends on Who's Talking. fair.org by Joe Emersberger Julian Assange, whom the UN has declared to be "arbitrarily detained" by Britain and Sweden, is used by the Guardian ( 10/17/18) to illustrate a gag story on "nightmare flatmates." | The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded in February 2016 that the governments of the UK and Sweden had forced WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange into a condition of arbitrary detention in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he has been since 2012. The group's (2018-11-02). As Trump complains, Mexicans support Central American refugees. greenleft.org.au United States President Donald Trump has resorted to racist comments and extreme measures in response to a procession of refugees and migrants heading towards the US. | In mid-October, thousands of Hondurans left for a journey of many weeks through Guatemala and Mexico to the US. At its peak, the procession of refugees and migrants has included more than 7000 people fleeing unemployment, poverty and gang violence. | In Spanish and some English press, the procession has been referred to as a "caravan", but Irineo Mujica, director of Pueblo sin Fronteras (People without Borders)
(2018-11-02). Black solidarity with the struggle of Central American immigrants and refugees. fightbacknews.org 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…
(2018-11-02). NAACP Partners with Lawyers Committee on Georgia Win against 'Exact Match' Voter Software. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-02). NAACP Enlists Support from Wanda Sykes to Get Out the Vote on November 6. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-02). NAACP Wins in NC Racial Gerrymandering Case. naacp.org 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 […]
(2018-11-02). Catholic Social Services Wants a License to Discriminate Against LGBTQ Foster Families. aclu.org 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…
(2018-11-02). This Pennsylvania Legislator Is an Open White Supremacist—and He's Up for Reelection. thenation.com This Pennsylvania Legislator Is an Open White Supremacist—and He's Up for Reelection…
(2018-11-02). Get Ready for the Shake-Up: Grassroots Candidates Drive Midterm Surge. progressive.org 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.
(2018-11-02). United States: Trump lays basis for worsening racist violence. greenleft.org.au 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…
(2018-11-02). Broad City's Ilana Glazer: Why I Canceled My Event at a NY Synagogue After Anti-Semitic Vandalism. democracynow.org 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…
(2018-11-02). Neoliberalism in the age of pedagogical terrorism. mronline.org We need individuals and social movements willing to disturb the normalization of a fascist politics, oppose racist, sexist, and neoliberal orthodoxy. | Source
(2018-11-02). Jim Crow Kills a Kid. counterpunch.org The 1955 murder of the African-American teen Emmett Till by white supremacists in Mississippi remains one of the most evocative symbols of white racist violence in recent US history. The subsequent trials are part of this symbology. The response by the Black community and its allies to the murder and the verdict is often considered More
(2018-11-02). Only things left in Republican arsenal: Fear, racism, and hate. peoplesworld.org Murder. Mobs. Mayhem. Misery. Trump and the GOP are desperately peddling lies, fear, and dystopia as we head into the final weekend before the midterms. It's all they have left to stem expected losses November 6 in the face of energized Democratic voters and widespread erosion of support for their key policies. Take two new …
(2018-11-02). Children Cruelly Handcuffed Win Big Settlement Against the Police in Kentucky. aclu.org For years, a sheriff's office defended its use of handcuffs on elementary school students. Now it will pay up. | On Thursday, a sheriff's office in Kentucky has agreed to pay more than $337,000 for the painful and unconstitutional handcuffing of elementary school students with disabilities. The two plaintiffs, both of whom were children of color and both of whom have disabilities, were so small that the deputy sheriff locked the handcuffs around the children's biceps, forcing their hands behind their backs. | One of the cuffings was recorded in a
(2018-11-02). Signature Match Laws Disproportionately Impact Voters Already on the Margins. aclu.org 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…
(2018-11-01). Headlines for November 1, 2018. democracynow.org Pittsburgh Funerals Continue as Trump Focuses on Protests and "Fake News", Racist Kentucky Shooter Indicted for Murder, Trump Threatens to Send 15,000 Troops to U.S.-Mexico Border, Trump Attacks Paul Ryan for Birthright Citizenship Rebuke, Trump Tweets Racist Campaign Ad Ahead of Midterms, Multiple Caravans Head to U.S. Border as Humanitarian Concerns Grow, Trump Tells Reporter "When I Can, I Tell the Truth", Native American Tribe Sues over North Dakota Voter ID Law, Judges Order Ohio to Let Purged Voters Cast Midterm Ballots, Turkey Says Khashoggi Strangled in Consulate as International Fallout Continues, U.S. C…
(2018-11-01). Hatewatch Headlines 11/2/2018. splcenter.org Trump's immigration ad is flat-out racist; tech firms needs to take online hate seriously; funding for anti-extremism work is cut; and more.
(2018-11-01). Parkland Dad Fred Guttenberg: Voters Must Reject Racist, Anti-Semitic NRA on Election Day. democracynow.org 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.
(2018-11-01). Warehousing Immigrant Children in the Texas Desert. aclu.org 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…
(2018-10-31). FRSO leader condemns Trump's plan for executive order against birthright citizenship. fightbacknews.org San Jose, CA — "Coast to coast – the Freedom Road Socialist Organization condemns President Trump's plan to issue an executive order against birthright citizenship," said Masao Suzuki, chair of the FRSO Joint Nationalities Commission. Suzuki said that proposed executive order would be the most infamous presidential order since President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of over 120,000 Americans of Japanese descent in concentrations camps during World War II. | Suzuki pointed out that fight for citizenship rights date back to Dred Scott, whose fight for freedom ended in 1…
(2018-10-31). Birthright Citizenship Expert: This Is Not a Diversion, Trump Has Pushed Radical Plan for Years. democracynow.org 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…
(2018-10-31). Employees Who Have Babies Are Still Getting the Axe. aclu.org 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…
(2018-10-31). Let's stop playing semantic games: Islamophobia is a form of racism. greenleft.org.au 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…
(2018-10-31). Ohio's Congressional Map is Broken. Here Are 3 Ways to Fix It. aclu.org 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…
(2018-10-31). The Pittsburgh Shooting Was an Attack on a Minority, not a Sign of 'Anti-Religiosity'. aclu.org The Trump administration sought to reframe the anti-Semitic tragedy in Pittsburgh to bolster the administration's policy goals. | This past weekend's mass shooting at a synagogue in Pittsburgh was unspeakable, but unfortunately not unimaginable. Anti-Semitic incidents in the United States by some counts increased by 57 percent last year, the largest surge in nearly four decades of tracking. The FBI's most recent reports (2018-10-30). No, Mr. President. You Can't Change the Constitution by Executive Order. aclu.org 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…
(2018-10-30). Trump Administration Is Illegally Turning Away Asylum Seekers. aclu.org We filed a Freedom of Information Act request to find out why refugees are being turned away at Texas border. | When President Trump announced on Monday that he planned to send some 5,000 military troops to fortify the southern border, even his supporters were quick to dismiss this as a political stunt. A convoy of migrants, many of whom are families with young children fleeing violence, is not a threat to the United States. | There is a crisis unfolding at the border, but it is not the one the Trump administration would have its supporters believe. The real problem at the border is that U.S. Customs and Border…
(2018-10-29). Trump Plays Pocahontas Card Again. . . And Takes the Trick! progressive.org 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.
(2018-10-29). Glenn Greenwald on Bolsonaro: Brazil Has Elected "Most Extremist Leader in the Democratic World" democracynow.org 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…
(2018-10-29). Glenn Greenwald: Violence Like Pittsburgh Shooting Is "Inevitable Outcome" of Racist Scapegoating. democracynow.org 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.
(2018-10-29). Why We Need More School Leaders of Color, Especially in White Districts. progressive.org Racism in the classroom leaves white students racially illiterate.
(2018-10-29). Headlines for October 29, 2018. democracynow.org 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…
(2018-10-29). How the Census Citizenship Question Could Affect Future Elections. aclu.org The Trump administration is attempting to dilute the political influence of millions of people. | On Nov. 6, Americans will head to the polls to exercise their right to vote. The day before, the ACLU will head to trial to try to prevent the Trump administration from diluting the political influence of millions of people for years to come. | In March, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that for the first time in 70 years the decennial census questionnaire will ask respondents whether or not they are U.S. citizens. Secretary Ross…
(2018-10-18). Trump Administration's Warped View of Religious Freedom Abroad. zcomm.org Religious freedom arguments are increasingly being used to challenge anti-discrimination policies and access to services…
(2018-10-18). A Tribute to Ron Dellums, Radical. zcomm.org Ron Dellums appreciated the struggle against racism is permanently joined with those against sexism, militarism, and capitalism…
(2018-10-11). Dreaming political concepts in Iran and the US: Huey Newton and Ali Shariati, through the movie Black Panther. zcomm.org 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 more…