July 01, 2011
A Hispanic advocacy group has called on Latinos in Georgia to not "work, buy, sell or spend" today in protest of the new immigration law which is effective today. The protest is being hailed as a "Day of Non-Compliance" by the organizer, the Georgia Latino
July 01, 2011
Maj. Gen. Ronald Bailey has assumed command of the Camp Pendleton-based 1st Marine Division, the first African American to command the oldest, largest and most decorated division in the Marine Corps. In a tradition-laden ceremony, Bailey assumed command from Maj. Gen. Michael Regner, who will command Marine forces in South Korea.
July 01, 2011
Very religious white Americans are more than twice as likely to identify with or lean toward the Republican Party, while nonreligious whites are significantly more likely to identify with the Democratic Party. This relationship between religion and partisanship is also evident to a lesser degree among Asians and Hispanics, but does not occur among blacks, who are strongly likely to identify themselves as Democrats
July 01, 2011
Activists for immigration reform showed their persistence and strength in numbers, as hundreds of supporters flooded the first-ever Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act held this week by Sen. Dick Durbin, D. Ill.
July 01, 2011
Michigan's ban on using race and gender as a factor in admission to public colleges and universities was overturned today by a federal appeals court, which said the voter-approved measure harms minorities and is unconstitutional.
July 01, 2011
The 24-hour cable news obsession helps draw the battle lines—labor unions versus government and politicians versus working families. America's students and middle class families are called to make sacrifices while corporations and the wealthy prosper. The right to join and organize unions and bargain
July 01, 2011
In conjunction with its 82nd Annual National Convention, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), along with the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) launched two new public service announcements encouraging Latinos
July 01, 2011
According to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, black children were four times more likely than white children to be hospitalized for a severe asthma attack. This new information is based on information in the 2010 National Healthcare Disparities Report
July 01, 2011
A new study that appears in the July/August issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion shows that only half of obese Mexican-American adults receive diet and exercise advice from their physicians although obesity is on the rise for this group. “Among this obese population, not seeing
July 05, 2011
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) comes back to Miami to celebrate the contributions that the African-American community has made to the film industry. This year the ABFF schedule includes four days of film screenings, cocktail receptions, workshops, and "master classes" taught by the likes of Robert Townsend and Spike Lee.
July 05, 2011
Latinos and Asians are driving population growth in Silicon Valley and in the state of California, but a study shows that by 2040 Latinos will make up the largest population group in the San Mateo and Santa Clara regions. Former San Jose mayor Ron Gonzales discussed this and other information about the Latino population
July 05, 2011
According to a new report from the Lawyers Committee for Better Housing, banks routinely violate state and federal laws protecting tenants in rental buildings in foreclosure, particularly in a “foreclosure belt†stretching across the South and West Sides, according to a new report.
Community Media Workshop
July 05, 2011
A bone marrow transplant can be a cure for someone with sickle cell disease or other illnesses like leukemia and lymphoma. Most patients who need transplants do not have a match in their family and depend on the Be The Match Registry to find a match. But many African Americans and other minorities can’t find marrow donors
July 05, 2011
Senators Bob Rucho and Representative David Lewis are on the defensive issuing a statement saying, "From the beginning, our goal has remained the same: the development of fair and legal congressional and legislative districtsâ€.
July 05, 2011
Over the years, Neil deGrasse Tyson has become perhaps the most recognized scientist in the country. As the host of PBS’ NOVA scienceNOW, and a regular guest on such popular shows as The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Colbert Report and Jeopardy! the astrophysicist continues to bring his own brand
July 05, 2011
Parents Across America (PAA), a grassroots organization representing public school parents from across the United States today is speaking out in opposition of HR 2218, the “Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act.â€
July 05, 2011
The existence of obstacles to Asian Americans gaining admission to elite universities stems from the perception that, as a group, they have performed relatively well in higher education. From 1976 to 2007, the percentage of Asian American college students increased from 1.8 to 6.7 percent
July 06, 2011
Special interest groups are donating money to causes supported by California's Latino legislators without any public disclosure. Twenty-three Democrats make up The Latino Legislative Caucus. The caucus foundation was started seven years ago to promote Latino culture, boost civic participation and sponsor
July 06, 2011
American Indian infants in North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota are roughly twice as likely to die as white infants, and health officials say the best defense is prevention and education. American Indian infants tend to face greater risks, including being born prematurely, having teenage mothers
July 06, 2011
Lumumba was recognized for serving a different community. He is one of this year’s recipients of the Freedom from Fear Award, produced by the nonprofit group, Public Interest Projects. The honor recognized accomplishments made on behalf of immigrants and refugees. Among other accomplishments, Lumumba’s citation notes that last summer he introduced a Jackson City Council measure preventing the city’s police from making “unwarranted inquiries into a person’s immigration status.â€
July 06, 2011
The Justice Department announced that Dale Mardis, 57, was sentenced today to life in prison, with no possibility of parole, for the racially-motivated killing of Shelby County, Tenn., Code Enforcement Officer Mickey Wright. Mardis was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Bernice Donald.
July 06, 2011
Minority Rights Group International says in its 2011 annual report released today, women from minority and indigenous communities are targeted for rape and other forms of sexual violence, torture and killings specifically because of their ethnic
July 06, 2011
Cultural, ethnic and gender stereotypes can significantly distort clinical judgments about "facially masked" patients with Parkinson's disease, according to a newly published study from researchers at Tufts University, Brandeis University and the National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan.
July 06, 2011
Immigration rights groups allege documents obtained through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) litigation show that the controversial Secure Communities deportation program (S-Comm), designed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to target people for deportation, is also a key component of a little-known FBI project to accumulate a massive store of personal biometric information
July 06, 2011
Minorities will become the majority of the U.S. population by 2045. When they do, they will also become the majority of America's workforce, supply chains, and entrepreneurial economy. Their success in creating wealth will determine the fortunes of the nation and everyone within it, according to James H. Lowry, a senior advisor
July 06, 2011
North Carolina Republicans and Democrats are at odds over the redrawing of Congressional districts. On Thursday, the state legislature with hold another public hearing on the matter. Lawmakers have already released preliminary maps of Congressional districts, and state house and senate districts.
July 07, 2011
For the first time in US wine industry history, Mexican-American vintners and wine industry leaders have joined forces to officially launch the Napa Valley Mexican-American Vintners Association (NVMAVA). Formed as a 501(C)6 non-profit organization, NVMAVA’s mission is to promote Napa and Sonoma Valley
July 07, 2011
The city of Fort Lauderdale honored the legacy of civil rights activist Eula Gandy Johnson and the 50th year anniversary of the end of beach segregation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held at the Eula Johnson House, 1100 Sistrunk Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale. The program was a part of the city’s year-long centennial celebrations
July 07, 2011
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced that six community banks received a total of $123 million as part of the first wave of capital provided by the Small Business Lending Fund (SBLF). The SBLF, which was established as part of the Small Business Jobs Act that President Obama signed into law
July 07, 2011
This week the Center for American Progress, a progressive think tank, released a new issue brief that debunks a recent backgrounder by Jason Richwine of the Heritage Foundation. Richwine’s report, titled “The Myth of Racial Disparities in Public School Financing,†suggests that public education spending is broadly similar
July 07, 2011
The NAACP is expressing its disappointment today in CNN for their newly announced prime time news lineup, which continues a multi-network trend, excluding African Americans from prime time slots as anchors and hosts.
July 07, 2011
Nonpartisan government watchdog group, Common Cause, moved on two new fronts today to address ethics questions surrounding the U.S. Supreme Court:In a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the U.S. Marshals Service, the non partisan government watchdog group formally asked for copies of government records relating
July 07, 2011
Black homeowners and two civil rights organizations today announced a settlement in a post-Hurricane Katrina housing discrimination lawsuit brought against the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the State of Louisiana regarding the "Road Home" program.
July 07, 2011
Former President Bill Clinton compared efforts by Republicans to change voting laws across the country to Jim Crow laws and poll taxes that historically disenfranchised African American voters. Speaking before a group of liberal youth activists Wednesday, Clinton said laws in states like Florida and New Hampshire
July 07, 2011
As part of their national meeting and centennial celebration in Indianapolis, thousands of delegates of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. have begun a "pilgrimage" to Indiana University Bloomington, where the organization was founded 100 years ago. Kappa Alpha Psi was the second historically black fraternity
July 08, 2011
In response to the brewing controversy around homosexuality and the Black community, the Black Men's Xchange (BMX) National has joined forces with the National Action Network and the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement to present the community forum I AM A MAN: Black Manhood & Sexual Diversity in the Black Community next Saturday at the National Action Network in New York.
July 08, 2011
The deadline for Governor Jerry Brown to file his brief in the Ninth Circuit in the case challenging Proposition 209’s ban on affirmative action at the University of California is Friday. In 2009, as Attorney General, Governor Brown told the California Supreme Court that Proposition 209 violated
July 08, 2011
The Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway last Friday, was the inaugural race for one of the most unique teams and causes ever to come to the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Racing For Education, LLC in conjunction with Diversity Motorsports Racing, LLC, rolled out its new #19 Racing For Educationcar driven by Mike Bliss
July 08, 2011
National Black Chamber of Commerce (NBCC) President Harry Alford testified Friday at a joint committee hearing on "The Gainful Employment Regulation: Limiting Job Growth and Student Choice." Alford voiced his opposition to the controversial ‘Gainful Employment’ rule which was formally introduced on June 2.
July 08, 2011
A coalition of reform groups Friday, urged the House ethics committee to resume work on the long-pending investigation of black California Rep. Maxine Waters and to provide a public accounting of the status of the case.
July 08, 2011
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has obtained documents from the Obama Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing that DHS officials misled Congress and the public about the scope of an immigration enforcement
July 08, 2011
Congressman Jim Moran, Northern Virginia Democrat, today introduced legislation to create a Presidential Commission to study the establishment of a Museum of the American People devoted to the role immigration and migration played in development of American society.
The legislation enjoys the
July 08, 2011
A new study from the University of Michigan School of Public Health says black men place a higher priority on fulfilling social roles such as family provider, father, husband and community member than they do on physical activity---and their health suffers because they don't often find time for both. The study looks at why
July 08, 2011
According to a new report from Brown University, the number of minorities living in nursing homes is steadily growing. One explanation for this rise is greater access to nursing home care. Researchers say, the proportion of white elderly
July 11, 2011
The former manager of historic black cemetery, Burr Oak will spend 12 years in prison after she pled guilty to her lead role in a grave-desecration scheme that netted her more than $100,000 in cash, Cook County Sheriff Thomas J. Dart announced. Thousands of blacks have been buried at Burr Oak for decades
July 11, 2011
The California Redistricting Commission (CRC) has been considering a move that would cripple African American political power. "The CRC's process as they develop the next round of maps would divide South Los Angeles
July 11, 2011
Colin Powell said it, Sen. Harry Reid hinted at it about President Barack Obama, and black folks have known it for hundreds of years. There are advantages to being a light-skinned black person in the United States. Online news magazine The Root reports, research on those advantages isn't new
July 11, 2011
People on both sides of the immigration debate in Arizona are skeptical of new research that shows a national decrease in the flow of illegal immigration from Mexico into the United States. But there is one thing they are certain of:
July 11, 2011
In the latest twist to the saga involving the increasingly likely desecration of sites held sacred by some American Indians, a coalition of Indian citizens has filed a last-ditch legal appeal against the U.S. Forest Service, hoping to change a tide that has long seemed unchangeable.
July 11, 2011
Since 1989 Harlem Educational Activities Fund (HEAF), along with their school and community partnerships, has helped more than 10,000 New York City students develop the intellectual curiosity, academic ability, social values and personal resilience needed to ensure success in school, career and life.
July 11, 2011
In a June editorial, Boston based newspaper, the Globe criticized the NAACP for backing the merger of AT&T and T-Mobile. NAACP policy and advocacy senior vice president Hilary Shelton is defending the group's position by saying, "We based our decision on the greater workplace diversity and improved rights for workers that the merger augurs."
July 11, 2011
The White House began a 2-day Hispanic Policy Conference today. The confrence will bring community leaders from across the country together with a broad range of White House and Cabinet officials for an in-depth series of interactive workshops and substantive conversations on the Administration’s efforts as they relate to the Hispanic community.
July 11, 2011
The African American Civil War Museum is reopening in a new location in D.C. to give it more space for exhibits and programs. The ribbon cutting is scheduled for Monday, July 18, but museum organizers have put together an entire weekend of events to mark the opening of the new location.
July 12, 2011
As the 2010 census and redistricting battles taking place around the country have shown, the U.S. Hispanic population has surged in the past 10 years, making it a critical political constituency for anyone running for president. But GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain may be a nonstarter with this key
July 12, 2011
Using incense or lighting a candle may seem like good ways to let go of racial stress, but a recent study found that might not be the case in terms of racial tension among women. In fact, some coping strategies employed by African-American women
July 12, 2011
Martin Luther King III and Ambassador Andrew Young announced today that Bounce TV, the first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network for black audiences, will debut on Monday, September 26 at 12:00 Noon Eastern Time. "September 26 will be an important milestone as we launch the first-ever independently owned
July 12, 2011
Ahead of the August release its Climate Justice Department's national report which will rank the nation’s 431 coal-fired power plants on how they affect low-income communities and communities of color, the NAACP is applauding The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) finalized rules that will cap toxic
July 12, 2011
Decades after Ruby Bridges made history walking into a desegregated New Orleans elementary school, the nation's first black president has chosen to honor her courage and that moment in time by hanging the painting outside of the Oval Office. The Norman Rockwell Museum announced the loan of Norman Rockwell’s iconic painting
July 12, 2011
Controversial Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio has called off his plan to have jail chain gangs pick up trash outside Major League Baseball's All-Star Game Tuesday night. Arpaio said he decided not to go ahead with his plan and instead let the kids enjoy the event and the fans focus on America's favorite pastime. The sheriff had planned to have three chain gangs decked out in striped jail garb posted around Chase Field during the game.
July 12, 2011
An independent U.S. agency has denied claims that black Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings made sexual advances toward female staff member, Winsome Packer.
Packer’s lawsuit alleges that Hastings kept asking her if he could stay at her apartment or to visit his hotel room in Vienna, and made comments including asking her
July 12, 2011
The National Bankers Association {NBA}, a cosortium of minority-owned banks, is teaming with a popular, nationally-syndicated radio talk show host, Warren Ballentine, to spearhead a national campaign to get minorities and other consumers in the urban areas to bank with minority banks.
July 12, 2011
Measuring oxygen during eye surgery, investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered a reason that may explain why African-Americans have a higher risk of glaucoma than Caucasians. They found that oxygen levels are significantly higher in the eyes of African-Americans
July 13, 2011
Quick work by Atlanta firefighters saved a building that caught fire early Wednesday inside the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. The blaze was reported around 6 a.m. at a building in the 400 block of Edgewood Avenue
July 13, 2011
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has proposed a new rule that will expand opportunities for local community radio stations to broadcast on FM airwaves in urban areas. The proposed rule will set a minimum number of low power FM (LPFM) channels that must be made available in a market
July 13, 2011
An annual report released today by the Illinois Department of Transportation reveals that Illinois State Police troopers continued to ask motorists of color for permission to search their car without cause at a higher rate than white drivers during 2010. The report documents that the pattern identified
July 13, 2011
If the United States is going to regain its global leadership position in higher education, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) will need to play a major role, says a White House official on education. A local news report says, just how the nation's predominately Black institutions
July 13, 2011
The Vulcan Society, an organization of black firefighters, and The City of New York were back in court this week when the city wanted to charge $54 for the new Fire Department entrance exam, a whopping 80% increase over the last time the exam was given just four years ago. The judge said no, and also found a way to
July 13, 2011
Fifteen former presidents of the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and UND Foundation boards have signed a letter saying the school�s Fighting Sioux nickname should be retired before the dispute causes serious problems for the school, according to a News From Indian Country report. The Legislature
July 13, 2011
The debate over racial preferences in higher education admissions could be headed back to the U.S. Supreme Court. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a ban on the Michigan Civil Rights Initiative, which was approved by the state’s voters in 2006.
July 13, 2011
More Latinos took to the field as the National League defeated the American League 5-1 in last night's Major League All-Star Game in Phoenix. According to data from Major League Baseball, Latinos now account for about 28 percent of all
July 13, 2011
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has announced a Nov. 8 recall election for state Senate leader Russell Pearce. Pearce was the chief sponsor of SB1070, the state's controversial legislation against illegal immigration. Fed up with what it calls "divisive politics," the group Citizens for a Better Arizona filed its petition with the Arizona Secretary of State last month
July 14, 2011
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus is pushing back on a Republican lawmaker's rhetoric that he would do anything to stop illegal immigrants "short of shooting them." Texas congressman Charles Gonzalez said in a USA Today report, "words have consequences" as he denounced the comment made recently by Alabama
July 14, 2011
As President Obama is gearing up for his 2012 campaign and election, Dr. Cornel West has created a name calling and mudslinging crusade attacking the president. An editorial in The Westside Gazette, Broward County’s Oldest and Largest African American Owned and Operated Newspaper says, there is nothing wrong
July 14, 2011
The Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington is criticizing prosecutors for filing an assault charge against an black Seattle police officer involved in an off-duty brawl while not charging two white Seattle officers who stomped on a prone Latino suspect in another incident. The decision by the City Attorney's
July 14, 2011
The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund is speaking out against the "State and Local Funding Flexibility Act" (H.R. 2445), which was approved yesterday
July 14, 2011
According to a new analysis of Census Bureau data by the Pew Hispanic Center, a project of the Pew Research Center, births have surpassed immigration as the main driver of the dynamic growth in the U.S. Hispanic population. This new trend is especially evident among the largest of all Hispanic
July 14, 2011
The newly formed black led South Central L.A. Tea Party group is preparing to rally against the NAACP during its 102nd annual convention in Los Angeles later this month. The group states the purpose of the rally is to bring attention
July 14, 2011
According to new research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, lycopene, a red pigment that gives tomatoes and certain other fruits and vegetables their color, could help prevent prostate cancer, especially in black men. Lycopene is a potent antioxidant, and some studies have shown that diets rich in tomatoes
July 14, 2011
Significant disparities in stroke treatment and prevention exist for racial and ethnic minorities, writes Dr. Salvador Cruz-Flores for Stroke: Journal of the American Heart Association. Dr. Cruz-Flores adds, "Awareness, education and prevention are the keys to closing this health care gap." Cruz-Flores,
July 14, 2011
New York State experienced a slight increase in the number of reported hate crimes last year, according to a report released today by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS). The Hate Crime in New York State 2010 Annual Reportoffers a comprehensive, statewide look at reported hate crime
July 15, 2011
According to reports, the chained CPI, a Social Security COLA cut on the table in deficit talks between the President and Republicans, could dramatically worsen poverty among unmarried senior African American women. As such, it violates the request of major progressive organizations in a letter to the White House and Congressional leaders to "make sure that deficit reduction is achieved in a way that does not increase poverty."
July 15, 2011
Students packed Chicago Public Schools headquarters to deliver a report on school discipline policies that contends the district spends more than 14 times as much on school security as it does on student counseling. The report, produced by Voices of Youth in Chicago Education (VOYCE), a minority student-led “education justice†advocacy group, claims that CPS’ approach to discipline and disproportionate security and guidance budgets hurts graduation rates and deprives the cash-strapped district of revenue. VOYCE’s report, “Failed Policies, Broken Futures: The True Cost of Zero Tolerance,â€
July 15, 2011
In testimony before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Associate U.S. Attorney General Tom Perrelli has recommended legal reforms to improve the safety of women in tribal communities and allow Federal and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes.
July 15, 2011
It seems the new Ku Klux Klan members in Alabama are the state’s lawmakers and its target – no longer blacks – but undocumented migrants who have called the state home and kept the economic engines of small businesses running, reports CaribPR Wire founder Felicia Persaud.
A new immigration law in the state
July 15, 2011
Earlier this summer, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker signed off on a new law, Assembly Bill 7, that requires Wisconsin voters to show photo identification at the polls. Critics of the law contend that this requirement will disenfranchise
July 15, 2011
The Goizueta Foundation, a private grant-making foundation in Atlanta, has awarded YMCA of the USA a grant for $5.8 million to expand YMCA early learning and afterschool programs for Hispanic and Latino families, with a focus on those from underserved communities. The grant will also help the Y further develop
July 15, 2011
The Hospice Foundation of America, a non-profit end of life care organization, has developed "Addressing Cultural Diversity in Hospice Care," a free online webinar that looks at how, and why, different cultures may, or may not, utilize hospice. The online tutorial aims to prepare and equip hospice organizations
July 15, 2011
The United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (USHCC) has announced an unprecedented partnership with the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce (GMCC) for its 32nd Annual National Convention & Business Expo taking place at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami from September 18-21, 2011. "The USHCC is committed to forming a strategic partnership with a leading local chamber of commerce within our National Convention's host city. We hope this is the first of many partnerships of this kind
July 15, 2011
A federal court in Washington has dismissed a lawsuit brought by citizens of more than 20 countries who were mistakenly informed they won a special visa lottery program to enter the U.S. Reacting to the dismissal, attorneys for the plaintiffs said Friday that the State Department may have won in court
July 18, 2011
Millions of South Africans are celebrating the 93rd birthday of their former president Nelson Mandela today.
Mandela Day, was inaugurated in 2009, and declared an international day by the United Nations that November. Mandela Day was inspired by a call made by Mandela himself for the next generation to take on the burden of leadership in addressing the world's social injustices.
As a result people around the world have been asked to mark the occasion by devoting 67 minutes
July 18, 2011
Across California and beyond, rural unemployment is higher and incomes lower, than in nearby urban areas. Imperial County's unemployment rate in March was 30 percent, probably the state's highest. The county's economy is almost entirely dependent on agriculture and farm labor. Orange Cove and San Joaquin
July 18, 2011
In New Orleans’ federal courthouse, five police officers are currently facing charges of killing unarmed black civilians who were escaping floods from the failed levees that buckled during Hurricane Katrina. The police are also charged with conspiring to cover up their crimes.
Local sources say,
July 18, 2011
America's minority children have fallen further behind in the last year in a wide variety of areas, according to a report releaed today by the Children’s Defense Fund. The report also shows continuing and increasing inequality in our country. Particularly striking is the fact that children of color, who are now 44 percent of America’s children, will be the majority of children in 2019 – just eight years from now. In nine states and the District of Columbia, this is already the case. The report, The State of America’s Children 2011, says with unemployment, housing foreclosures, and hunger at historically high levels, children’s well-being is in jeopardy.
July 18, 2011
The University of Northern Colorado will host a national conference that addresses Native American issues Aug. 10-11 at its Greenly campus. The second annual "Pathways to Respecting American Indian Civil Rights Conference"
July 18, 2011
A new Brown University study suggests a racial disparity in elder care options in the United States. In the last decade, minorities have poured into nursing homes at a time when whites have left in even greater numbers. At first blush the analysis suggests that elderly blacks, Hispanics, and Asians are gaining
July 18, 2011
Discrimination comes in many forms, but recent years have seen substantial discussion over public service provisions for, and environmental discrimination against, historically low-income, minority communities. Residents of Orange County, NC, are familiar with continued debates over landfill, water,
July 18, 2011
When Ruby Bridges visited the Oval Office President Obama told her, "I think it's fair to say that if it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here today." November 14, 2010 marked the 50th anniversary of six-year-old Ruby's history-changing walk to the William Franz Public School in New Orleans as part of court-ordered
July 18, 2011
The National Black Nurses Association and the National CARES Mentoring Movement have signed a three year partnership to recruit and train NBNA members to serve as community based mentors in helping to close the education gap with our Nation’s Black children. “Partnering with the National CARES Mentoring Movement
July 19, 2011
Redesigning new political boundaries in California has given minority observers a bigger headache then they expected. The spotlight centers around Los Angeles. A big problem is that the upcoming August 15 deadline for approval of the
July 19, 2011
Tribal members and the candidates themselves were growing increasingly frustrated with the drawn-out Cherokee election process, as the tribe's Supreme Court prepared to continue hearing arguments Tuesday in Chad Smith's appeal.
Local sources report the appeal, filed July 5, requests that the court either order
July 19, 2011
Congressional Black Caucus member Sheila Jackson Lee of Texas suggested to members of Congress that President Obama is being treated unfairly in debt negotiations because of his race. As Jackson and many members of the Black community see it, Republican’s reluctance to raise the debt ceiling when it has been raised
July 19, 2011
The appointment of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray by President Obama to be the first director of the newly formed Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is being applauded by civil rights leaders and groups alike. Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of The Leadership Conference on Civil
July 19, 2011
The Department of Justice today announced Tony Branscum, 25, and James Bradley “Brad†Branscum, 23, both of Salado, Ark., pleaded guilty today to criminal violations of housing rights related to their role in the Aug. 28, 2010, cross burning in front of a black man’s apartment. The two men, who are first cousins
July 19, 2011
WASHINGTON - Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann is criticizing the multibillion dollar Pigford settlement paid to black farmers as "wasteful government spending." Bachmann made the comments during a news conference with Republican Steve King of Iowa after touring flooded area along the Missouri River. When asked about whether farmers affected by the flooding also should be worried by proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture cuts, the two responded by criticizing the
July 19, 2011
The Oneida Indian Nation is fully financing a $10 million theatrical film about the alliance between the Oneidas and the American colonists during the Revolutionary War. The independent production “First Allies†is expected to begin shooting in Central New York this fall. Ray Halbritter, Nation representative and CEO of Nation Enterprises, says that he is looking for an avenue more effective than traditional storytelling to close what he sees as the gap between the Nation’s fewer than 1,000 members
July 19, 2011
The National Black Prolife Coalition, a network of black pro-life and pro-family organizations, today announced its latest social media video campaign, called "NUMBERS DON'T LIE" to expose what it claims is the number one killer of African-Americans: Planned Parenthood and urban abortion clinics.
July 19, 2011
American businesses must make supplier diversity a strategic priority and stop viewing it as simply a corporate citizenship obligation, according to a new Boston Consulting Group (BCG) book. "U.S. companies need to do a better job of supporting and developing minority businesses. Minorities will
July 20, 2011
Latinos might have darker skin but they still need to do a better job to protect themselves against the sun, according to a study appearing in the July issue of Archives of Dermatology. The study says as Latinos begin to acculturate in the U.S. culture, they become more concerned with their skin and use more sunscreen – but they still have a long way to go in skin cancer prevention. While they begin wearing sun screen the longer they are in the country, they don’t, for example, wear sun-protective clothing like long-sleeve
July 20, 2011
According to the latest Gallup poll results on American eating habits, the skyrocketing unemployment rate in the black community (16.2 percent) is compelling Black Americans to sacrifice healthy eating, for cheap, caloric foods. Nearly 4.5 million Americans are eating less-healthy foods due to a diminished spending power,
July 20, 2011
Black Congressman John Lewis of Atlanta is joining several other Democrats arguing that the rise of voter--identification laws across many states is a coordinated attempt by Republicans to suppress minority and elderly votes. Lewis, a civil-rights activist in the 1960s said, "We must fight back. We must speak up and speak out. We must never, ever go back. We will not stand idly by while millions of Americans are denied their right to participate in the democratic process." Lewis spoke along with other Democrats and warned that these state laws must be rejected. "These new policies are a clear attempt to prevent certain pre-determined segments
July 20, 2011
Super Bowl television commercials, and the advertising agencies producing them, remain out of step with the diversity of the audience for the nation’s most popular sporting event, according to a study released today by the University of Central Florida. White men continue to dominate advertising agencies
July 20, 2011
A year ago U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack ordered Shirley Sherrod to resign from her job as a Georgia rural development official following the distribution of a video that showed her supposedly making racist remarks. When Sherrod’s speech to an NAACP group was heard in its entirety, it became clear she was not showing
July 20, 2011
After details surrounding the ethics investigation of black California Congresswoman Maxine Waters leaked earlier this week, her lawyer is calling for a swift end to the case. Politico’s coverage of now-disclosed House Ethics
July 20, 2011
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals today reversed a district court decision that terminated court jurisdiction over school desegregation policies in Tucson. In Fisher/Mendoza v. Tucson Unified School District, MALDEF, along with co-counsel from law firm Proskauer Rose LLP, served as attorneys for the Mendoza plaintiffs. In its ruling, the appellate court panel cited the district court’s finding that the school district did not
July 20, 2011
Researchers from the University of Washington have discovered in a new study of female engineering students’ perceived challenges finds significant differences between black, Hispanic, Native American, Asian-American and white women. The findings could help institutions better retain particular underrepresented
July 21, 2011
With the theme of "Affirming America's Promise," the NAACP-- the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization--- opens it 102nd annual convention in Los Angeles tomorrow. The four-day gathering is expected to generate an economic impact of $11.4 million citywide, with a total of nearly 13,000 hotel rooms expected to be booked for the occasion.
July 21, 2011
Black Radio Network will be carrying the webcast of the National Council of La Raza's annual convention live from Washington as President Barack Obama will join national leaders from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors. The conference will be held July 23–26 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel and will feature issues vital to the Latino community and all Americans: education, the economy, health care, immigration reform, and more.
July 21, 2011
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) is calling on President Obama to seize what it views as an opportunity to address issues critical to the Latino community.
NALEO says it wants President Obama
July 21, 2011
The black conservative group, Project 21, today is criticizing white Florida congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is head of the Democratic National Committee.
The group says Wasserman Schultz unaccountably targeted a black colleague, Republican congressman Allen West
July 21, 2011
The memorabilia collection of civil rights icon Rosa Parks - medals, papers, even the hat she wore on her historic bus ride - is in the hands of a New York auction house, its ownership in limbo, with a value once pegged at $US10 million.
Her estate, valued at $US372,000 at the time of her death, is mostly gone - eaten up by lawyers' fees.
July 21, 2011
As part of its Black Heritage Stamp series, the United States Postal Service is honoring legendary black publisher John H. Johnson.
“We are proud to immortalize John H. Johnson as our latest inductee in our Black Heritage stamp series,†said Stephen Kearney, manager, Stamp Services. “He was the trailblazing publisher of Ebony, Jet and other magazines as well as an entrepreneur. In 1982, he became the first black person to appear on Forbes magazine’s annual list of the 400 wealthiest people in America. His magazines portrayed black people positively at a time when such representation
July 21, 2011
Atlanta-based radio talk show host Warren Ballentine and the Washington, D.C.-based National Bankers Association believe reinvesting in Black-owned banks could inspire economic healing and strength in every aspect
July 21, 2011
A new University of Michigan study reveals that since the elimination of the kidney allocation priority for matching for HLA-B in May of 2003, access to kidney transplantation for minorities has been improved.
Improvement is a result of a policy that reduced the requirements for tissue matching.
Prior national kidney allocation
July 21, 2011
A study led by Temple University researchers revealed that despite warnings about borrowing medication prescribed to other people, past studies have demonstrated that many Americans say they have used someone else's medication at least once in a given year. In low income, urban populations, this rate was
July 22, 2011
OUR NEXT REPORT WILL BE MONDAY, AUGUST 1st, DUE TO INTERNAL MODIFICATIONS
July 22, 2011
Roslyn M. Brock, chairwoman of the NAACP, took on recent voting, the "tea party" and the nation’s troubled economic, health and education systems in her keynote address Sunday at the group’s 102nd annual convention in Los Angeles.
“After decades of progress to open up access and make it easier for all Americans
July 22, 2011
Black Radio Network will be carrying the webcast of the National Council of La Raza's annual convention live from Washington as President Barack Obama will join national leaders from the business, government, and nonprofit sectors. The conference will be held July 23–26 at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel
July 22, 2011
Community organizations in California have sued the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to force it to take action against toxic waste dumps they say have damaged the health of low-income Hispanics.
"There are many factors that are poisoning this area," Maria Saucedo, a 44-year-old resident of Kings County
July 22, 2011
Democrats are looking to put the breaks on conservative outreach efforts to Latino voters before they start, local sources report.
The DNC's first major ad buy of the season is a Spanish-language ad running in areas with high concentrations of Latino voters around the country.
The new spot comes on the heels
July 22, 2011
According to a study, black men are half as likely to die in prison than if they are free.
The authors of the study, set to be published in the Annals of Epidemiology, claim that easier access to healthcare, protection from drugs and alcohol, and the ability to avoid deadly Black-on-Black violence leads to a longer lifespan for those who are incarcerated. African-American males are the only group for which these facts hold true, according to the authors of the study.
The authors of the research also claim that the study reflects a pattern that those from disadvantaged groups live longer in prison primarily because they are protected from violent injuries and murder that can happen on the outside.
July 22, 2011
A consortium led by scientists at the University of Oxford and Harvard Medical School has constructed the world's most detailed genetic map.
A genetic map specifies the precise areas in the genetic material of a sperm or egg where the DNA from the mother and father has been reshuffled in order to produce this single reproductive cell. The biological process whereby this reshuffling occurs is known as "recombination." While almost every genetic map built so far has been developed from people of European ancestry
July 22, 2011
The Southern Poverty Law Center and a coalition of other civil rights groups filed a motion today asking a federal judge to block Alabama’s anti-immigrant law from taking effect Sept. 1. The motion for preliminary injunction, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, follows a federal lawsuit the groups filed earlier this month that charged the law is unconstitutional on multiple grounds.
July 22, 2011
The Department of Justice proposed legislation that would significantly improve the safety of women in American Indian tribal communities. The bill will allow federal and tribal law-enforcement agencies to hold more perpetrators of domestic violence accountable for their crimes.
US Associate Attorney General Tom
July 22, 2011
The Obama administration set a record in the last fiscal year for the number of criminal immigrants forced to leave the country. Immigration and Customs Enforcement data show significant increases in the deportation of people after they were arrested for breaking traffic or immigration laws or driving drunk.
Of the 393,000 deportations in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, half were considered criminals