Breaking News! History in the Making
Zimmerman Verdict: 86 Percent of African Americans Disapprove
By: Jon Cohen, TheRoot.com,WashingtonPost.com African Americans have a mostly shared and sharply negative reaction to the shooting of Trayvon Martin and the not-guilty verdict in the resulting trial, while whites are far more divided, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll. (…) Among African Americans, 87 percent say the shooting was unjustified; among whites,…
‘The Snowy Day’: Children’s Book With Black Protagonist is Focus of Exhibit
By: Joann Loviglio, Associated Press, TheGrio.com PHILADELPHIA (AP) — During the height of the civil rights movement, a gentle book about a black boy in a red snowsuit crunch-crunch-crunching through the snow broke down racial barriers and now is the subject of an upcoming exhibit. Ezra Jack Keats’ beloved 1962 book, “The Snowy Day,” is credited…
2 Teens Rescue 5-yr-old Girl From Kidnapping
By: NBC News, TheGrio.com A 5-year-old girl is safe after police said she was the victim of an apparent abduction. The search is on for her alleged abductor. Joceyln Rojas had been playing outside her home when her mother was unable to find her. Police said two teenage boys on bicycles went searching for Rojas…
Obama: ‘Trayvon Martin could have been me 35 years ago’
By Aaron Blake and Juliet Eilperin, Washington Post President Obama made a surprise appearance in the White House briefing room Friday to share his thoughts on the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, saying it is important to look at the case through the lens of past discrimination. “Trayvon Martin could have been…
No Déja Vu to Everyone
By Jerrianne Hayslett, Anatomy of a Trial Editor’s Note: Jerrianne is a long-time friend of the museum. For years, she served as Los Angeles Superior Court’s media liaison and information officer and coordinated media logistics for numerous high-profile cases, including the O. J. Simpson criminal and civil trials, the Menendez brothers, Heidi Fleiss, Rodney King beating, and two cases…
Florida ‘stand your ground’ law yields some shocking outcomes depending on how law is applied
An investigation into stand-your-ground laws shows the shocking ways they are invoked and applied to different Florida cases.
Fla. mom gets 20 years in jail for firing warning shots against abusive husband
By Richard Webster, examiner.com Marissa Alexander of Jacksonville, Fla. was sentenced to 20 years in prison on July 12 for firing warning shots inside her home in an effort to protect herself from her allegedly abusive husband. Alexander had requested a new trial based upon her state’s “Stand Your Ground” law, but was denied that…
Why the Zimmerman Jury Failed Us
Harvard professor Lawrence Bobo explains how the Zimmerman verdict reflects the racism at America’s core – leading to the continual dehumanization of blacks. When cultural racism is this deeply embedded in America’s basic cultural toolkit, it need not be named or even consciously embraced to work its ill effects.
Joining Together in Justice
By Charles Blow, New York Times Proponents of equality have reason to both cheer and cry this week…. One movement for equality [Gay Rights] had its spirits lifted and another [Civil Rights] had them crushed. But the truth is that these movements are not wholly dissimilar. All combatants for justice are cousins. Jim Crow and…
Paula’s Worst Ingredients
By Frank Bruni, the New York Times Paula Deen is where sass meets crass, where the homespun and folksy curdle into something with a sour aftertaste. Her manner may be as sugary as her cooking, her smile as big as the hams she hawked for Smithfield. But she doesn’t pause when she should. Doesn’t question…
In rejecting Voting Rights Act, Supreme Court says the South is no different than rest of country on race
By theGrio.com …[Today’s voting rights] opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts takes great pains to reject the notion that the South of today has any lingering challenges that bar minorities from voting. Roberts argues that the nine states covered fully by Section 4b of the law don’t discriminate against minority voters any more or less…
Jim Crow Returns: The Voting Rights Act Gutted Today!
This morning the Supreme Court cut out the heart of the 1965 Voting Rights Act. It ended the practice of “coverage.” Covered states (mostly in the South), with a history of racial discrimination, must receive clearance from the federal government before changing their voting laws. The Court’s decision made unconstitutional the formula that determines which…
Paula Deen Scandal Continues As Employees Tell Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Of Alleged Discrimination
By Fran Jeffries and Wayne Washington, Atlanta Journal Constitution An attorney for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition said current and former Paula Deen employees told him the famous cook and her brother discriminated against black employees, one of whom was consistently referred to as “my little monkey.” After Deen acknowledged using a racial slur, the story went…
Racially Biased Arrests for Pot
By the Editorial Board, New York Times Researchers have long known that African-Americans are more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites, even though studies have repeatedly shown that the two groups use the drug at similar rates. New federal data, included in a study by the American Civil Liberties Union, now shows…
Juneteenth: A New Birth of Freedom
June 19th remains an important day of celebration for the Americans who descend from formerly enslaved people.
Frederick Douglass Statue to Be Unveiled in Capitol on Juneteenth Day
A statue of a notable abolitionist was scheduled for unveiling on a day celebrating the end of slavery in the USA.
Race vs. Class: The False Dichotomy
By Sherrilyn A. Ifill, New York Times The decision is in. All consideration of race in college admissions is over. No, the Supreme Court has not yet announced its decision in the landmark case of Fisher v. University of Texas; that ruling is expected any day now. But an alarming number of scholars, pundits and columnists…
Reception to be Held for ABHM’s International Advisory Committee in Milwaukee on June 14, 2013
Members of ABHM’s International Advisory Committee are coming to town to meet the people who helped renew the museum. The museum’s board and staff is holding a reception open to our supporters. We have several exciting developments at the museum to present, too, so… Please come meet and mingle with our International Advisors, Volunteers, Donors, and…
Trayvon Martin: The Latest
By Jenée Desmond-Harris, theRoot.com Thursday, June 6, 11 a.m. EDT: At a hearing today, Judge Debra Nelson of Seminole County Circuit Court in Florida rejected a request from a lawyer for George Zimmerman to shield the identities of as many as seven witnesses at Zimmerman’s upcoming trial, NBC reports. Attorney O’Mara said that the concerns of the potential…
African-American Genealogy Conference: Looking for a Home
Experience a two-day adventure into African-American genealogy, featuring internationally known genealogist, author and lecturer, Tony Burroughs. African-American Genealogy Conference: Looking for a Home will be held June 21-22 at the Pyle Center in Madison. View or download a flier describing the African-American genealogical resources available at the Wisconsin Historical Society (PDF 141 KB). The featured…
On This Date in History, May 31, 1921: The Tulsa Race Massacre
From Wikipedia On May 31 and June 1, 1921, the white citizens of Tulsa, Oklahoma, attacked the city’s black citizens, following the publication of a sensationalized story of a black man assaulting a white woman in an elevator. The Greenwood District, also known as the “Black Wall Street,” the wealthiest black community in the United States, was…