(2019-02-25). Supreme Court Screw-Up Sullies U.S. Constitution. counterpunch.org Giving a speech at Georgetown University, late Justice William J. Brennan, Jr., said: "[T]he Constitution is a sublime oration on the dignity of man." However, after the Supreme Court's February 7 refusal to stay devout Muslim Domineque Ray's execution — despite Ray's unrebutted claim only Christian prisoners in Alabama are afforded a spiritual advisor during their final moments — this high-minded aspiration for one of our country's founding documents appears to be, as it has before (see, for example, Dred Scott, Plessy v. Ferguson, Korematsu), empty words. As Justice Kagan observed in dissent, it was…
(2019-02-25). Trump slams Oscar-winner Spike Lee for 'racist hit on your President'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump has denounced Oscar-winning American film director, producer, writer, and actor Spike Lee as a 'racist' on Twitter following the latter's acceptance speech at the Academy Awards Sunday.
(2019-02-24). "When we say Hands off Venezuela', we are saying Viva Socialism" peoplesdispatch.org People from across the world have come to Caracas to join together as left, anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-patriarchal and anti-racist forces to affirm their solidarity with the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and denounce the fierce attacks it currently faces by the US empire and its allies. The meeting is taking place at a key moment in Venezuela as it is currently a most brutal attacks on all fronts from the US empire and its allies. | The event was launched with a vibrant mística ceremony celebrating traditional Venezuelan dance and music, as well as a show of the diversity of the encounter itself.
(2019-02-24). The Bitter Fruit of Trump's China Bashing: Anti-Asian Racism. truthout.org Donald Trump's New Cold War with Beijing has caught Chinese foreign students at U.S. universities in its crosshairs. | The Trump administration has tightened restrictions on their visas, accused them of spying for the Chinese state and its high tech giants, and in the process whipped up a climate of anti-Asian racism. | Trump's policies yielded bitter fruit most recently at Duke University. The chair of the graduate program in biostatics, Megan Neely, in the wake of complaints from a faculty members about Chinese grad students "speaking Chinese (in their words VERY LOUDLY)" in the student lounge and study area…
(2019-02-24). Illinois Prison Phone Rates Are Lowest Following Grassroots Activism. truthout.org "There were a lot of times my sons tried calling me," recalled Annette Taylor, who regularly receives calls from her two sons in prison, "but there was no money on the account." Those were some of the "hardest calls," she said. "I would worry something was wrong." | Families of those incarcerated have long complained about the high cost of phone calls from prison. A national campaign pressured the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to intervene in 2015, but the agency's regulations have…
(2019-02-24). Trump Threatens a Second Embargo of Cuba. truthout.org The Trump administration is threatening to unleash a flood of lawsuits involving Cuba, which no U.S. president has ever done. It has set a deadline of March 2 to announce whether it will create, in the words of the National Lawyers Guild, "a second embargo" of Cuba — "one that would be very difficult to dismantle in the future." | Trump may give current U.S. citizens standing to sue in U.S. courts even if they were Cuban citizens when the Cuban govern…
(2019-02-23). Hakeem al-Araibi's release celebrated in Pascoe Vale. greenleft.org.au 
On February 22, I had the privilege of attending the Pascoe Vale Football Club's celebration of Hakeem Al-Araibi's homecoming after roughly 2.5 months in a Thai jail for no crime — other than being a refugee and a human rights advocate. | It was a moving event, and gave a glimpse of the incredible diversity of people who had worked for Hakeem's release, starting with the Bahraini community who alerted many to Hakkem's arrest when they organised a 7-day protest in front of the Thai consulate in…
(2019-02-23). 'We Refuse to Create Technology for Warfare and Oppression': Microsoft Workers Demand Company End Army Contract. commondreams.org Declaring to chief executives that they refuse "to become war profiteers," a group of Microsoft workers on Friday demanded the company cancel a contract with the U.S. Army that they say would "help people kill" and turn warfare into a "video game." | www.commondreams.org/sites/default/files/styles/cd_special_coverage/public/headline/thumbs/microsoft-workers-letter-refuse-warfare.jpg…
(2019-02-23). Microsoft staff protest over Pentagon contract for augmented reality tech 'designed to kill people'. rt.com 
Dozens of Microsoft employees have demanded the company pull out of a contract with the US military to provide augmented reality technology, stating that they refuse to be complicit in "warfare and oppression."
(2019-02-22). I Moved to Colorado for Freedom as a Transgender Man. Instead, I Found Discrimination. aclu.org Dashir Moore came to Colorado in part for the transgender friendly laws, but he found his employer refused to cover transition-related care. | This piece was originally published in The Denver Post. | When I was a kid, my mom gave me Barbies, but I preferred to play with G.I. Joes. By high school, I was dressing in my brothers' clothes. At Georgia State University, I first heard the word to name who I am: transgender. | I began living as male. I shaved my head and started getting fade haircuts. I started tak…
(2019-02-22). Buried Alive: The Story of Chicago Police State Racism. counterpunch.org 
"I want my husband home. I need him to be safe." — Tiffany Van Dyke, wife of Jason Van Dyke, the murderer of Laquan McDonald Among the many different forms taken by 21st century U.S.-American racism, one is the curious way in which white-owned corporate media and the criminal justice system racially differentiate worthy from More
(2019-02-22). "The Green Book: Guide to Freedom": How African Americans Safely Navigated Jim Crow America. democracynow.org 
The Academy Awards take place this weekend, and one of the top contenders is the movie "Green Book," which has renewed interest in the history of "The Negro Motorist Green Book." So today we look at a remarkable new documentary called "The Green Book: Guide to Freedom," that offers a real look at the history of a travel guide that helped African Americans safely navigate Jim Crow America. The film premieres Monday on the Smithsonian Channel and details the violence, insults and discrimination black travelers faced on the road, as well as the pride and sense of community they felt in the safe spaces they created a…
(2019-02-22). Donald Trump's National Emergency Is The Exact Same As Barack Obama's National Emergency. counterpunch.org 
Donald Trump's declaration of a national emergency is being framed as an unprecedented step towards authoritarianism, a unique proclamation against Latinas and Latinos, and even a sign that we should have elected racist hawk Hillary Clinton. Happy President's Day to Ms. Clinton, by the way. In the age of Trump, words tend to be used More
(2019-02-22). Student Activists Participate in NAACP Board Meeting. naacp.org 
Led by Tiffany Dena Loftin, former SGA president at University of California, Santa Cruz, over 20 students attended the NAACP Annual Board Meeting in New York City, February 14-16, 2019. Our NAACP Youth were heavily involved and took part in conversations including youth engagement in local issues and training for college and youth units. On Friday, …
(2019-02-22). The Obsession With Jussie Smollett's 'Hoax' Is Obscuring the Real Threat of Racist Violence. thenation.com The Obsession With Jussie Smollett's 'Hoax' Is Obscuring the Real Threat of Racist Violence…
(2019-02-22). Philadelphia sues seven big banks for getting 'money for nothing' from bond collusion. rt.com 
The city of Philadelphia is suing Bank of America and six other major banks for conspiring to manipulate the rates of municipal bonds, illegally making millions of dollars while depriving the city of funds for public services.
(2019-02-22). Imprisoned Palestinian Poet's Words Turned Into Song (Pt 2/2). therealnews.com 
Palestinian poet Dareen Tatour imprisoned for her poetry has her words set to music by Daniell Alma Ravitzki…
(2019-02-21). The Government Cannot Force E-mail Companies to Copy and Save Your Account 'Just in Case'. aclu.org Police are issuing warrantless preservation demands to force email providers to seize users' private communications. | Paper letters have a final resting stop — whomever they are addressed to. From a practical standpoint, and a legal one, that feature of regular mail made understanding and applying privacy protections relatively straightforward. But as our communication technologies have changed, courts have struggled to grant a similar degree of privacy protection to communications in the modern era. | Digital communications present new problems. For example, your email does not live in your letterbox but…
(2019-02-21). SPLC lawsuit: ICE raid at Tennessee slaughterhouse violated workers' constitutional rights. splcenter.org On a quiet, chilly morning in April 2018, Alma drove through the verdant Tennessee hillsides to the ramshackle slaughterhouse where she had been working on the kill floor for more than two years.
(2019-02-21). Profiteering from misery. greenleft.org.au 
The Australian Financial Review has revealed that the federal Coalition government awarded a $423 million security and cleaning contract for three Manus Island refugee detention centres to Paladin Group, a company that, at the time, was registered to a Kangaroo Island beach shack. | Incredibly, the minister for cruelty and home affairs Peter Dutton claims he knew nothing about it. However, we now know the home affairs department secretary authorised a "closed tender" fo…
(2019-02-20). Civil rights groups sue New Orleans for map of surveillance camera locations. splcenter.org Representing a Louisiana public defender, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana today filed suit against the City of New Orleans over its refusal to provide a map of the city's 400 real-time surveillance cameras. Though the cameras themselves are publicly visible, the City of New Orleans has refused to comply with a public records request for a map of their locations.
(2019-02-20). A Supreme Court Milestone for Students' Free Speech Rights. aclu.org In 1969, a group of public school students protesting the Vietnam War made First Amendment history that stands strong to this day. | This month marks 50 years since the landmark Supreme Court ruling that cemented students' rights to free speech in public schools, Tinker v. Des Moines. We're inspired to see that students still take advantage of their First Amendment rights and speak out on political issues today. | We grew up in Iowa, where our father was a Methodist minister. Believing that faith s…
(2019-02-20). William Barr confirmed as US Attorney General. naacp.org On February 14, 2019, the United States Senate voted, by a margin of 54 yeas to 45 nays, in support of the confirmation of NAACP-opposed William P. Barr to be the Attorney General of the United States. He was sworn in later that day. To see why the NAACP opposed this nomination and how each …
(2019-02-19). A Wisconsin School District Shrugged After High School Coaches Body-Shamed Cheerleaders. aclu.org Parents say staff are subjecting students to pervasive gender discrimination in the Kenosha Unified School District. | The cheerleaders at Tremper High School in Kenosha, Wisconsin, looked forward to the annual spring banquet as a time to celebrate their hard work in the company of over 100 friends and family members. What they never expected was for the banquet to become a humiliating exercise in body shaming. | In the banquet hall of a Kenosha restaurant in March 2018, the cheer coaches presented some squad members with…
(2019-02-19). NAACP Challenge to Prison Gerrymandering Moves Forward, First Statewide Challenge in the Nation. naacp.org February 19, 2019 CONTACT: Malik Russell / mrussell@naacpnet.org / 443-610-0361 Vanessa Mbonu /vmbonu@naacpnet.org Doni Bloomfield /‚ÄØDoni.Bloomfield@ylsclinics.org Federal judge refuses to dismiss suit over discriminatory counting of incarcerated persons New Haven, CT (Feb. 19, 2019) — The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), together with the NAACP Connecticut State Conference and individual NAACP members, won a key ruling today that allows their …
(2019-02-18). Birmingham Civil Rights Group Reoffers Award to Angela Davis—But She Says Community Should Decide. democracynow.org 
The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute sparked international outrage in January when it rescinded the Fred L. Shuttlesworth award for civil rights icon Angela Davis, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring her due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinstated the award, but Davis has yet to accept it. Democracy Now! spoke with the president and CEO of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, Andrea Taylor, on Saturday, before an alternate e…
(2019-02-18). Angela Davis Returns to Birmingham, Reflecting on Palestinian Rights & Fight for Freedom Everywhere. democracynow.org 
Civil rights icon and scholar Angela Davis returned to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, over the weekend. She originally planned the visit to receive the Fred L. Shuttlesworth Human Rights Award from the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, but the institute withdrew the award last month, soon after the Birmingham Holocaust Education Center sent a letter urging the board to reconsider honoring Davis due to her support of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement targeting the Israeli government and Israeli institutions. Facing swift and widespread outcry, the institute then reversed its decision and reinst…
(2019-02-18). Racial Equity Groups Mobilize In Support of Voting Rights Act Hearings. naacp.org Atlanta Event 2nd in Series of National Hearings to Restore Voting Rights ATLANTA (February 18, 2019) — On Tuesday, February 19, all eyes will be on Georgia when the Subcommittee on Elections of the Committee on House Administration holds its "Field Hearing on Voting Rights and Election Administration in Georgia." Scheduled for 9: 30 AM EST …
(2019-02-18). How the Federal Government Undermines Prison Education. theintercept.com Aaron Kinzel grew up poor in Toledo, Ohio, and from an early age, he was pulled into a life of crime. He didn't know his father, and his mother's partners encouraged him to break into houses, sell drugs, and engage in various forms of violence. "I just grew up around a lot of bullshit," he says. "I was really groomed to be a professional criminal." | He was a teenager on probation in 1997 when he left the Midwest on an ill-fated road trip to Maine with his girlfriend. He was carrying drugs and a loaded gun when he was pulled over by a state trooper. With the officer standing outside his car window, Kinzel panicke…
(2019-02-16). The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and NAACP to Sign Historic Memorandum of Understanding During Annual Board Meeting. naacp.org The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American Men, and the nation's oldest and largest grassroots civil rights organization, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) share common priorities and interests in ensuring the political, educational, social, and economic equality of rights of all persons …
(2019-02-16). NAACP Restructures to Advance Advocacy Strategy. naacp.org New York (February 16, 2019)—The nation's most prominent civil rights organization announced today during its annual national board meeting in New York, a strategic restructuring which better positions the organization to lead the critical policy advocacy and social justice work needed to ensure the rights of all people. The group also signed memoranda of understanding …
(2019-02-15). Black Civil Rights Advocate Takes Control of Neo-Nazi Hate Group the National Socialist Movement. splcenter.org The antisemitic and neo-Nazi group the National Socialist Movement (NSM) is now under the control of a black civil rights advocate from California who once dissolved a notorious Ku Klux Klan chapter in Mississippi.
(2019-02-15). Ibram X. Kendi on Surviving Cancer & His Anti-Racist Reading List for Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam. democracynow.org 
As we celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of Frederick Douglass on his 201st birthday, we are joined by Ibram X. Kendi, a professor of history and international relations and founding director of the Antiracist Research and Policy Center at American University. Kendi spoke Thursday night at the Library of Congress at an event honoring Frederick Douglass. He is the National Book Award-winning author of "Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America" and a contributing editor at The Atlantic.
(2019-02-15). Asylum Seekers Are Being Imprisoned in an Abandoned Factory in Mexico Under Trump Admin Policy. democracynow.org 
As Trump plans to declare a national emergency, we look at what some have called the real humanitarian crisis at the border. Riot police in northern Mexico blocked hundreds of desperate Central American migrants Wednesday as they tried to escape an abandoned factory complex where they've been imprisoned while waiting for the U.S. to process their asylum claims. More than 1,700 migrants have been held in the maquiladora in the Mexican border town of Piedras Negras since February 5, after they arrived in a caravan of people seeking asylum in the U.S. The vast majority have remained prisoners at the site, after the…
(2019-02-15). There Is No 'National Emergency' at the Border, and Trump's Declaration Is Illegal. aclu.org President Donald Trump admits he's making his move because he didn't get his way with Congress, and in the process, he hurts American communities. | After more than a month of threats, a government shutdown, and bipartisan action by Congress, President Trump has finally declared a national emergency to spend billions of taxpayer dollars on his border wall obsession. In response, the ACLU will file a lawsuit early next week challenging this blatantly illegal executive action. | Let's get something straight upfront: There is no em…
(2019-02-14). New Hampshire Is Trying to Stop College Students From Registering to Vote. aclu.org Voting is my right. I shouldn't have to jump through hoops to exercise it. | Growing up, my parents taught me that voting is not only a right, but a privilege. They voted in every local, midterm, and presidential election, and every time they did so they were sure to show me their "I voted" sticker. | As I grew older, they discussed propositions or candidates with me, asking me what I thought and even providing me with sample ballots. My dad and I would talk about why our opinions were the same or different, and what information we were basing those votes on. When 2016 rolled around, I still wasn't old enough to…
(2019-02-14). Border Patrol Detained Me for Speaking Spanish in Montana. Then My Town Turned Against Me. aclu.org 
Customs and Border Protection violated our rights as U.S. citizens just for speaking Spanish in a grocery store. | I moved to Havre, Montana — near the U.S.-Canada border — in 2014 with my husband and our two young children. Home to around 10,000 people, I've always found Havre to be a friendly town, one where I felt good about raising my kids. But that all changed last May when my friend and I were illegally targeted and detained by a Customs and Border Protection agent, just for speaking Spanish to each other in a convenience store. | I didn't think it was possible for one incident to change our liv…
(2019-02-14). NAACP Youth and College Division hosts State of the Union: For the Counter Culture. naacp.org 
On Tuesday, February 12, 2019, our Youth and College Division teamed up with Baller Alert to put on their own State of the Union: For the Counter Culture. Our Youth and College Director, Tiffany Dena Loftin served as moderator. The panelists were Kendrick Sampson, Philip Agnew, and Blair Imani, all young black people between the …
(2019-02-13). Background checks on gun sales. naacp.org Legislation to bar direct firearms sales between unlicensed people, including at gun shows or online, without a background check has been introduced in the US House and Senate and is moving in the House. Firearms could be sold only by licensed dealers, manufacturers, or importers, who are required to conduct comprehensive background checks. Currently, as many …
(2019-02-12). In Venezuela, White Supremacy Is a Key Driver of the Coup. venezuelanalysis.com Greg Palast examines the relationship between racism and right-wing politics in the Latin American nation.
(2019-02-12). SPLC responds to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey's prison construction plan. splcenter.org Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey announced today that her administration will seek bids for building three regional prisons for men, at an estimated cost of nearly $1 billion — part of a larger effort to address the state's dangerous and overcrowded prison system.
(2019-02-11). Why Trump Won't Get the Black Vote. progressive.org By failing to address issues such as housing, maternal mortality, and mass incarceration, Trump will continue to marginalize black constituents.
(2019-02-11). Meet Kris Stith: The Man Behind the Graphics. naacp.org As we continue to uplift the work of African American entrepreneurs during Black History Month we would like to highlight Kristopher Stith or as he prefers, Krisa multidisciplinary artist with a predilection for design. He began his journey as an artist in Anacostia, an underserved area in Southeast Washington, D.C. using the books and materials his grandmother gave he …
(2019-02-08). It's Not Just Ralph Northam—Anti-Blackness is 'Vintage Americana'. progressive.org It's Black Lives Matter at School Week, but black children in continue to suffer because America isn't ready to confront its anti-blackness.
(2019-02-07). Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott. bdsmovement.net 
Lawsuit Dismissed Against American Studies Association Over Israel Boycott: In the NewsUS federal judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to deter academic associations from adopting boycotts for Palestinian rights. | Academic Boycott Right To BoycottFebruary 5, 2019 | By: | | Palestine Legal