Voting in Georgia’s primary elections Tuesday was plagued with technical difficulties and hours-long lines that disproportionally affected urban areas and communities of color. Delays with voting in the state occurred because of poll workers’ inadequate training on the new voting machines, precincts being closed because of the pandemic, and social distancing and disinfecting practices. Areas with […]
House Unveils Justice in Policing Act Amid National Protests
Democratic leadership in the House and the Senate unveiled legislation today to overhaul policing standards in response to nationwide protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality. The Justice in Policing Act, led by Chairwoman Congresswoman Karen Bass (D-Calif.) and members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), seeks to increase accountability in police brutality cases and […]
Black Communities Battle for Their Lives Amongst COVID-19 and Police Brutality
The current civil unrest around systemic and institutional racism that has been present in America for over 400 years is deeply connected to the racial and health disparities exposed by the COVID-19 crisis. Thousands of people globally have marched in the streets to protest police brutality, and many are worried about the risk of COVID-19 […]
D.C. Mayor Renames Intersection Near White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza”
On Friday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser renamed an intersection in front of the White House “Black Lives Matter Plaza” to honor the demonstrators that have flooded D.C. streets in the last several days. 16th Street NW, between K and H streets, has been painted with the slogan “Black Lives Matter” in enormous yellow letters. The […]
Civil Rights Groups Sue Trump Administration for Violence Against Protesters
Civil right groups are representing Black Lives Matter D.C. and individual protesters in a lawsuit against the Trump administration for violently dispelling peaceful protesters for President Donald Trump’s photo op on Monday. The lawyers, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, say the violence against protesters […]
First Female African American Mayor Elected in Ferguson
On Tuesday night, Ella Jones, 65, was elected to serve as Ferguson, Missouri’s next mayor. A former city councilwoman, Jones will become the first African American and first female mayor in the city’s history. Jones received 54 percent of the vote, and her opponent, councilwoman Heather Robinett, lost by 138 votes. Jones will succeed James […]
White Woman Calls Police On Black Man After She Violated Leashing Laws
On Monday, May 25 Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police on a Black birdwatcher after he requested that she leash her dog, who was allegedly ripping up plants and disrupting his birdwatching. The area of Central Park, known as the Ramble, has mandatory leashing laws that the woman disregarded. Christian Cooper (no relation) […]
Family of Breonna Taylor Sues Police Department for Wrongful Death
On March 13 in Louisville, Kentucky, police entered the home of Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, after midnight and opened fire, killing her. Taylor’s family is now filing a lawsuit against the officers for wrongful death, excessive force, and gross negligence. The police had a warrant to search Taylor’s apartment but were searching for […]
South Dakota Sioux Tribes Refuse to Remove Checkpoints Despite Governor’s Threats
The Oglala Sioux and the Cheyenne River Sioux tribes have refused to remove their coronavirus checkpoints on roads passing through their reservations after South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem threatened to take them to federal court if the checkpoints remain in place. The two tribes argue that the checkpoints are the only way to prevent a […]
Georgia AG Asks DOJ to Lead Investigation into Handling of Ahmaud Arbery Murder
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr has formally requested that the Department of Justice helm the investigation into the handling of the Ahmaud Arbery case. Arbery is an African American man who was murdered by a white father and son while out jogging on February 23 near Brunswick, GA. “We are committed to a complete and […]
Police Brutality in the Time of Coronavirus
Covid-19 is shining yet another spotlight on American systemic racism as African Americans face higher rates of death from coronavirus, as well as policing in the form of social distancing patrols, which are often racially disparate, inequitable, and aggressive. A majority of businesses have reduced operations or closed, but the NYPD has not slowed operations […]
COVID-19 Pandemic Highlights Preexisting and Underlying American Racism and Sexism
As with most issues in the United States, Black Americans and female Americans are the hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. On April 6, Louisiana was the first state to release data on Covid-19 broken down by race. Its report showed that while African American’s make up 33% of the state’s population, they accounted for […]
Navajo Nation Has Third Highest Rate of Coronavirus Cases in U.S.
As of Tuesday, the Navajo Nation had the third-highest rate of COVID-19 infections in the country, with 1,873 confirmed cases and 60 confirmed deaths, third only to New York and New Jersey. Tribal officials cite “broken promises” for the disproportionately high rate of cases. “We are United States citizens but we’re not treated like that,” […]
Alabama Executes Yet Another African-American With Case Discrepancies
The state of Alabama executed death row inmate Nathaniel Woods last night for allegedly murdering three Birmingham police officers in 2004. Pronounced dead at 9:01pm local time, Woods gave no final statement, according to the state corrections department. He was 44 years old at the time of his execution by lethal injection. Alabama Governor Kay […]
Native Women’s Art Featured in Exhibit at Smithsonian Art Gallery
While having largely gone unrecognized for their contributions, Native American women have been and continue to be a major force within the Native American art tradition. A new exhibit entitled Hearts of Our People: Native Women Artists is attempting to close the gap. The exhibition will have its third opening in its national tour at […]
New Data on Maternal Mortality Rates Show Extent of Racial Disparities
As of 2018, all 50 states have adhered to a standardized method to report maternal mortality rates, and the recent release of this collection of data highlights the maternal health crisis in the US, particularly among women of color. In the U.S. nearly 700 women die each year due to complications related to pregnancy or […]
Chloe McKenzie Wants to Close the Wealth Gap for Black Women
In 2015, Chloe McKenzie, a former JP Morgan investor, launched Black Fem – an organization “dedicated to breaking the intergenerational cycle of poverty”. The racial wealth gap is still steadily widening, according to studies done by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies. When asked about why she wanted to start Black Fem, Ms. […]
Fort Worth Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Atatiana Jefferson in Her Own Home Charged with Murder
The Fort Worth police officer who shot and killed an unarmed black woman in her own home has been charged with murder. Early Saturday morning Atatiana Koquice Jefferson, 28, was shot and killed by a police officer inside her own home after a neighbor called a non-emergency police number for a wellness check on her. […]
“Crazy Rich Asians” Writer Adele Lim Leaves Warner Bros. Because of a Pay Disparity with White Male Co-Writer
Adele Lim, an experienced television writer who was celebrated for bringing authenticity to the screen adaptation of Singaporean author Kevin Kwan’s book last year, said in a Hollywood Reporter story Wednesday that she was offered significantly less than white male co-writer Peter Chiarelli to work on the sequel of “Crazy Rich Asians,” the blockbuster hit […]
D.C. Dress Codes Disproportionately Affect Black Girls, Report Finds
A new report released on Wednesday by the National Women’s Law Center found that the racial breakdown of the student body in D.C. schools directly correlates with the strictness in dress code policy and that D.C. charter schools have twice the number of restrictions as that of public schools and suspend girls for dress code […]
