August 01, 2011
Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver is making headlines today for remarks he made about the Debt Ceiling Deal reached to avert a US government default.
Cleaver said early reports of the new deal appeared to be “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich.â€
The Missouri Democrat said the CBC hadn’t yet made a formal declaration that the group would oppose it, “but this is a shady bill.â€
Cleaver took to the airwaves on Sunday
August 01, 2011
Hundreds of thousands of white Californians, most of them under age 45, gave up their homes in the past decade, an Orange County Register analysis of census data shows.
While homeownership declined among non-Hispanic whites, it rose sharply among Latinos and Asians, the Register found.
Rising population is a primary reason for the rising number of minority homeowners.
August 01, 2011
The Institute for Women's Policy Research just issued a study finding that access to paid sick days in Denver varies widely based on ethnicity and race.
The study reveals that only 33 percent of White women and 35 percent of White men have jobs that do not provide sick leave while Latinos and African Americans lag far behind
August 01, 2011
A new national collaboration of asthma genetics researchers has revealed a novel gene associated with the disease in African-Americans, according to a new scientific report.
By pooling data from nine independent research groups looking for genes associated with asthma, the newly-created EVE Consortium identified a novel gene association specific to populations of African descent. In addition, the new study confirmed the significance of four gene associations recently reported by a European asthma genetics study.
The findings, published in Nature Genetics,
August 01, 2011
The NAACP has passed an historic resolution calling to an end the war on drugs with a majority vote at its annual convention in Los Angeles.
The resolution outlines key details of the war on drugs, which the organization notes are crucial failings; the U.S. spends $40 billion annually on the war, and low-level drug offenders
August 01, 2011
Like thousands of other California parents, Khu Yang Lee is anticipating the day when her two children can start kindergarten. But, Lee, a member of the growing Hmong community in the state’s Central Valley, was surprised to learn that a new state law might place her children in different programs depending on when they were born.
August 01, 2011
Now that the California Citizens Redistricting Commission has approved new political boundaries for the state, civil rights groups are weighing what impact the maps will have on communities of color.
Local sources report
August 01, 2011
Illinois governor Pat Quinn signed legislation giving undocumented immigrant students access to educational benefits today. This makes Illinois the second state in less than a week to pass legislation aimed at bolstering education for undocumented immigrants.
The "Dream Act" will establish a private fund, administered
August 01, 2011
Social stigma is the largest barrier to routine HIV testing by African-American frontline care physicians, according to a new National Medical Association survey.
Despite the belief by most physicians surveyed (93 percent) that HIV is either very serious or a crisis in the African-American community, findings suggested that
August 02, 2011
New Nielsen data shows blacks watch considerably more TV than other demographic groups, while Asian-Americans watch notably less, although the group consumes the most online video on average.
African-Americans watch an average of nearly 213 hours a month, topping the approximately
August 02, 2011
An Alabama immigration law that is widely considered the toughest in the nation is being challenged in court by the Obama administration, which contends that the state is overstepping its authority on border enforcement.
The Department of Justice challenged the state of Alabama’s recently passed immigration law
August 02, 2011
The founders of the Latino Community Credit Union launched the first branch of the financial institution in Durham, North Carolina, 11 years ago amid concerns about growing crime against Latinos.
Erika Bell, the credit union's vice president of strategy and services, said the population was targeted as result of a perception
August 02, 2011
Run & Shoot Filmworks’ Annual Martha’s Vineyard African-American Film Festival (MVAAFF) returns for its ninth year with 60 films representing filmmakers from around the world.
Films will be showcased at Katharine Cornell Theatre in Vineyard Haven.
August 02, 2011
According to reports, syphilis hits minority gay and bisexual men in the US, as the US centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the rates are not in proportion.
Also, the raise of the disease in the US, which has been since 2000, has led to increased concerns regarding not just syphilis, but the infection making people
August 02, 2011
Marvel's new Spider-Man will have a new look. Peter Parker, who was killed off in June's Ultimate Spider-Man Issue 160, will be replaced with a half-African American, half-Hispanic teenager named Miles Morales
August 02, 2011
A year after SB 1070 took effect, states nationwide are turning away from similar bills, fearing the financial and political fallout seen in Arizona and the consequences that anti-immigrant legislation could have in their own backyards, according to a New America Media report.
“Arizona was a wake up call for other states,†said Elena Lacayo, field coordinator with the Immigration Policy Project at the National Council
August 02, 2011
The federal government has reached a settlement with the state of New Jersey in a lawsuit alleging the state discriminated against black and Hispanic police officers.
The Department of Justice argued a written test New Jersey used since
August 02, 2011
According to a new Brown University study released today, affluent blacks and Hispanics live in neighborhoods that are noticeably poorer than neighborhoods where low-income whites live.
The study suggests that income alone does not explain persistent segregation patterns in housing.
Washington and Atlanta were the only two major
August 03, 2011
A woman's ethnicity as well as her genetic makeup are two of the main risk factors for hereditary breast cancer.
Research into understanding and treating hereditary breast cancer was presented today at the Era of Hope conference, a scientific meeting hosted by the Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research
August 03, 2011
In quick succession, two brightly lit danger signs burst on President Obama’s reelection road. The first was the recent Washington Post/ABC poll showing that nearly as many African-Americans say they are displeased with Obama’s performance as those who approve. The prime reason for the discontent is jobs
August 03, 2011
Marine Corps Commandant General James Amos issued a call for the first black marines to be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
Speaking at the National Naval Officers Association meeting in California this week, Amos said he hopes their story will inspire more blacks to "rise through the ranks."
The top US Marine told hundreds of Corps officers that it is time for Congress to honor the group known as
August 03, 2011
The Center for Disease Control's first multi-year estimates released today from its national HIV incidence surveillance find that overall, the annual number of new HIV infections in the United States was relatively stable. Data show approximately 50,000 new infections each year between 2006 and 2009.
However, HIV infections
August 03, 2011
James Ford Seale, a reputed former member of the Ku Klux Klan convicted in the 1964 abduction and killings of two black teenagers in Mississippi, has died in federal prison. He was 75.
Seale died on Tuesday in the Federal Correctional
August 03, 2011
After nearly seven hours of closing arguments, the landmark case of several current or former New Orleans police officers accused of shooting unarmed civilians on the Danziger Bridge after Hurricane Katrina has been placed in a jury's hands.
A federal jury began their deliberations Wednesday after U.S. District Judge
August 03, 2011
Following the sudden death of Southern Christian Leadership Conference president, Rev. Howard Creecy Jr., other SCLC leaders expressed shock but vowed to continue the work he started.
Creecy died of an apparent heart attack on Thursday, he was 57. Creecy was elected president of the civil rights group in January
August 03, 2011
A business unit of aluminum maker Alcoa has settled a discrimination case with the U.S. Department of Labor for $540,000, the government said.
Alcoa Mill Products Inc. will pay $484,656.19 in back wages to 37 Hispanics and African-Americans as well as $35,516.88 to two women who all were rejected for job positions
August 03, 2011
A group of Latin jazz musicians are suing the US National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences for cutting the Grammy award category of best Latin jazz album.
In April, the Grammys announced a restructuring plan that cut 109 award categories down to 78.
Awards for Latin music were cut from eight to four. Some of the other awards to be cut were individual prizes for classical, zydeco and Native American
August 04, 2011
The Los Angeles Redistricting Committee’s new constituency lines was met with fierce opposition by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF).
At issue for the group is the fact that the Los Angeles County Board
August 04, 2011
Nearly 100 veterans of the Tuskegee Air Corps have reunited in Washington. for their national convention this week. America's first black military pilots are celebrating their 70th anniversary.
One of the planes used to train the pilots has been donated to the Smithnonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.
August 04, 2011
The American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of Michigan said today that they are challenging “pay or stay†sentences imposed on five persons across the state who were illegally jailed for being too poor to pay court fines.
August 04, 2011
Two well-known billionaires are helping to launch a new program designed to lift black and Latino men out of poverty. The Young Men’s Initiative is a bold new program that overhauls how government interacts with young black and Latino men by, among other things, establishing job recruitment centers and fatherhood classes in public housing.
“This can be a game-changer,†said Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “We can take ourselves to a new level
August 04, 2011
Some major companies are developing marketing strategies that target Hispanic consumers, a fast-growing and lucrative market in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Census, one in about every six U.S. residents is now Hispanic. Hispanics also accounted for more than half of the nation’s population increase over the last decade.
August 04, 2011
In anticipation of the meeting with President Obama’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, the Obama Administration announced policy changes earlier this week designed to facilitate foreign entrepreneurs’ entry and permanent residency
August 04, 2011
Hundreds gathered at Glen Cove, Calif., for a closing ceremony to celebrate what Native American activists and their allies are declaring an historic victory.
The Yocha Dehe
August 04, 2011
To help address serious racial and economic disparities in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment in the United States, the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) today released a policy statement that outlines specific provisions of 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that have the potential to reduce these disparities.
ASCO’s statement makes recommendations to ensure that such provisions
August 04, 2011
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that by the year 2050, more than half the U.S. population will have skin of color. Recognizing this trend, dermatologists are educating the public about the different ways that common skin conditions appear in various skin tones.
For people of color particularly, dermatologists are stressing the
August 05, 2011
An internal TSA report finding that Hispanic passengers were racially profiled at Newark Liberty International Airport has revived concerns that security screeners may have engaged in racial profiling at airports nationwide, according to local sources.
Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the ranking Democrat on the House Homeland Security
August 05, 2011
The Navajo Nation's allegations that a coal mining company conspired with others to cheat the tribe out of millions of dollars has been settled in federal court.
The Navajo Nation, Peabody Energy, Salt River Project and Southern California Edison today announced they have reached a settlement agreement on the 1999 Navajo royalty litigation.
August 05, 2011
Mexico and 15 Central American and South American countries have asked a federal court to consider their briefs in support of lawsuits seeking to overturn Alabama's new immigration law.
According to Mexico's brief the law, which is slated to go into effect Sept. 1, undermines U.S.-Mexico relations.
"Mexico seeks to ensure that its citizens present in the U.S. are accorded the human and civil rights granted under the U.S. Constitution," the brief states.
Mexico goes on to ask that the federal court declare Alabama's law unconstitutional and prevent it from going into effect.
August 05, 2011
Leaders in Florida have are trying to build awareness among African-American voters and local lawmakers in the state about the impact that proposed new voting regulations would have on minorities and low-income people.
August 05, 2011
Dorothy Brunson, the first black female radio station owner in America, died this past weekend after complications from ovarian cancer. She was 72.
Brunson got her start in 1962 as the assistant controller of New York City's WWRL-AM (1600). She rose through the ranks to become GM, and later joined WLIB-AM.
August 05, 2011
Older Americans of color are being financially squeezed as their earnings and savings drop and costs continue to rise, according to a report released today by The Greenlining Institute.
African American, Asian American and Latino senior citizens are economically vulnerable and getting more so because they have less access
August 05, 2011
The federal government has filed a housing discrimination lawsuit against the city of Joliet in Illinois.
The lawsuit filed in Chicago claims Joliet hasn't offered an affordable housing plan to accommodate the mostly black residents who'd be displaced by the planned condemnation of the Evergreen Terrace housing complex.
The Department of Justice lawsuit alleges that the city violated the Fair Housing Act and the Housing and Community Development Act by taking a series of actions, culminating in the taking through eminent domain
August 05, 2011
Child welfare advocates and experts gathered at Brown University for a forum focusing on racial disparities in the country's foster care and juvenile justice systems.
The focus of the conference was why minority children are more likely to removed from their homes by child welfare officials than white children.
August 05, 2011
The National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc. (NAREB) will announce a historic engagement between the National Association of Real Estate Brokers and Wall Street investors, to launch an $800 Million HomeownerÂfs Assurance Program (HAP) to address the devastating effects of the mortgage crisis on minority families and their communities.
The announcement will be made Sunday, following the first NAREB State of Housing
August 08, 2011
In a surprise move, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced that it would rescind all 39 memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with states to implement “Secure Communities†(S-Comm.)
The letter from the Obama administration voided agreements they had signed with states to authorize the state's participation in the program in the belief that state participation was not voluntary anyway.
August 08, 2011
A federal jury issued across-the-board guilty verdicts against five officers from the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) on 25 counts in connection with the federal prosecution of a police-involved shooting on the Danziger Bridge in the days after Hurricane Katrina and an extensive cover-up of those shootings
The incident resulted
August 08, 2011
Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Ken Salazar today announced a new federal framework to assist American Indian and Alaska Native communities in achieving their goals in the prevention, intervention and treatment of alcohol and substance abuse.
August 08, 2011
Wisconsin State Fair officials imposed heightened security measures after racial fighting between groups of youths on and around the midway and attacks on police officers resulted in 24 arrests.
The violence began with fights between groups of African-American youths at the fair, located between Milwaukee and the suburb of West Allis, fair officials said.
Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn said the fighting later
August 08, 2011
A new Public Policy Institute of California survey reveals a majority of Californians want to move forward with environmental regulation, despite a tough economy, with the strongest support coming from minorities and those with the highest joblessness rates.
“People of color are the strongest environmentalists in California,†said Roger Kim
August 08, 2011
A House ethics probe of black Queens congressman Gregory Meeks is focusing on possible criminal charges for his failure to report a $40,000 payment from a businessman that appears to have been an illegal gift. Meeks originally claimed that he received the money as a loan.
The bipartisan Ethics Committee announced it would investigate Meeks over the $40,000 he was given by businessman Ed Ahmad in 2007.
August 08, 2011
Throughout the economic downturn, Atlanta patients have continued to seek out plastic surgeons. Centers like the Swan Center have found only a slight downward trend reflecting the economic struggle. In the past, those who were pursuing treatment were of the same basic demographic, but this is starting to change.
August 08, 2011
North American Indian tribes, who have lived close to the land for generations, are disproportionately affected by climate change, according to a study released by the National Wildlife Federation. There have been eight weather and climate disasters in the first half of 2011.
August 08, 2011
The Seventh Annual World Diversity Leadership Summit (“WDLSâ€) will be held September 6th to 8th, 2011 in New York City. The conference will gather chief diversity officers, corporate executives, government leaders and policy makers from around the world to discuss diversity and inclusion challenges and opportunities
August 09, 2011
Resolving claims of unfair and discriminatory lending practices, a subsidiary of H&R Block will modify thousands of Massachusetts homeowners’ loans and make a significant payment to the Commonwealth as part of a settlement valued at $125 million, state Attorney General Martha Coakley announced today.
“Option One made loans that it knew were likely to fail and it discriminated against African-American and Latino borrowers,†Attorney General Coakley said.
August 09, 2011
The U.S. Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with the Pickens County, Ala., school board to eliminate racial disparities in its system.
Under terms of the agreement, the board, working with state officials, will develop policies and programs to eliminate racial disparities in student discipline, grade retention, graduation rates and post-graduate scholarships, the Justice Department said in a release.
The agreement further obligates the board to intensify its efforts to recruit minority
August 09, 2011
The passage of HB 87, state legislation clearly targeting immigrants, has given rise to an increasing awareness among Georgia’s ethnic minorities about what’s at stake for their political empowerment under the ongoing
August 09, 2011
Crack cocaine. In the 1980s, it was the newest thing. By 1986 it was raging through the inner cities of America, like wildfire, leaving pain, grief and death in its wake. Now, after 25 years, a new documentary explores how the drug also transformed pop culture, especially hip-hop. “Planet Rock:
August 09, 2011
August, which is National Black Business Month, is a good time for American businesses to confront the reality that supplier diversity should be a top strategic priority, not simply a corporate citizenship obligation, according to Boston Consulting Group (BCG) Senior Advisor James H. Lowry, coauthor of Minority Business Success: Refocusing on the American Dream (Stanford Business Books, 2011).
"Black Business Month is the right time to remember that minorities will become the majority
August 09, 2011
Vault.com has released its 2012 Law Firm Diversity Rankings, and the more things change, the more they stay the same. For the third straight year, Carlton Fields has claimed the No. 1 spot for its “Overall Diversity†initiatives.
August 09, 2011
Bipartisan reforms in historically “tough on crime†states have significantly reduced incarceration rates, saved taxpayers billions of dollars, lowered crime rates and should be emulated nationwide, according to a new report
August 09, 2011
The New York State Education Department today released the results of the math and English Language Arts (ELA) exams taken by all New York students in grades 3-8 in May of this year.
While there was good news for New York City, which saw both math and English scores rise from last year, the data for minority students was not so encouraging.
August 09, 2011
Eleanor Josaitis was a stay-at-home mom, raising five kids in Taylor, Michigan in the 1960s, when she decided she wanted to help build racial harmony in Detroit's segregated communities. So she packed up her family and moved them to Detroit's Sherwood Forest neighborhood after the 1967 riots.
August 09, 2011
The Department of State strongly urges U.S. citizens to consider carefully all travel to Haiti. Travel fully supported by organizations with solid infrastructure, evacuation options, and medical support systems in place is recommended and preferable to travel in country without such support. U.S. citizens traveling to Haiti
August 09, 2011
Amid the worst drought in East Africa in 60 years, the United Nations has declared that famine now affects five regions in Somalia and predicts that famine could soon expand throughout southern Somalia.
August 10, 2011
According to the 2011 Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) Racial and Gender Report Card released by The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES), the WNBA received an A+ for race and an A for gender.
The WNBA has consistently been the industry leader for all professional sport when it comes to diversity. The 94.7 points earned for race was the highest total for race in the history of the WNBA.
The WNBA received a combined A+ in the 2009 and 2010 Report Cards. In the 2001, 2004, 2005, 2006â€07, 2008, 2009, 2010 and now the 2011 Racial and Gender Report Cards.
August 10, 2011
Charles L. Gittens, the first black US Secret Service agent, died on July 27 an agency spokesman confirmed. He was 82.
Gittens became an agent in 1956 and was first assigned to the Charlotte, N.C., office. He also worked in the New York City office investigating counterfeiting and bank fraud.
After retiring in 1979, he worked for the Justice Department investigating war criminals.
Danny Spriggs, vice president of global security for The Associated Press and fellow Secret Service agent, called Gittens
August 10, 2011
Findings from two new, important studies on diversity in the legal profession will be presented by The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) at its Creating Pathways to Diversity Conference on September 26. The conference will take place 7:30 am to 8:00 pm at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City.
August 10, 2011
Black Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is fed up with flash mobs that have been taking place in the area over the past year.
Young black teens have been harassing, harming and looting local businesses and residents in the Center City area of the city.
Mayor Nutter had some choice words for the parents of the kids
August 10, 2011
The movie adaptation of "The Help," a novel based on relationships between white families and their black maids in the segregated South of the 1960s, opens nationwide today.
Next week, the auhor Kathryn Stockett, will be in court to answer allegations she based one of the movie's characters on a real-life family maid without permission.
The hearing will be held Aug. 16 in the case of Ablene Cooper
August 10, 2011
Tomorrow and Friday, the members of USDA's Minority Farmer Advisory Committee will meet for the first time to discuss efforts to increase minority participation in department programs and services.
August 10, 2011
Technology use among foreign-born Latinos continues to lag significantly behind that of their U.S.-born counterparts. The nativity differences are especially pronounced when it comes to internet use. That may be about to change, with the launch of the pilot program in California, Club Digital.
Club Digital is a bilingual, multimedia Internet training program that will reach nearly 3 million Latinos in California during its summer pilot program, which launched on August 1, 2011.
August 10, 2011
Even though overall black patients have a lower risk of death while receiving dialysis than white patients, this applies primarily to older adults, as black patients younger than 50 years of age have a significantly higher risk of death, according to a study in the August 10 issue of JAMA.
"Of more than 500,000 individuals with
August 11, 2011
Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that a federal court rejected a claim of the attorney work product doctrine by the Department of Justice (DOJ) for documents prepared after the government dismissed its case against the New Black Panther Party
August 11, 2011
Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company's "The Business Owner Financial Wellness" study emphasizes the lack of a long-term strategy by many Hispanic entrepreneurs, who in 89 percent of the cases founded their firms to economically support their families and seven of 10 of whom want to hand the company down to their children although the majority do not have any concrete succession plans.
August 11, 2011
The National Hispanic Leadership Agenda, a nonpartisan Hispanic association, today gave the Obama administration a just-passing overall grade for six areas it said are critical.
Two years after issuing its quadrennial Hispanic Public Policy Agenda in 2008, the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda assessed the progress made in addressing the major public policy issues facing the Hispanic
August 11, 2011
NAACP President Ben Jealous commented on the violent death of James Anderson of Jackson, Mississippi:
“I am saddened that a horrific act like this, which appears to be motivated by hate, can still occur in 2011,†stated Jealous. “We are glad that two of the alleged attackers have been charged, and hope all individuals
August 11, 2011
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the National Civil Rights Museum, the 2011 Freedom Awards will be given to select individuals for their contributions to civil and human rights, education, the arts, sports community, justice and for their dedication to creating opportunity for the disenfranchised.
Honorees this year include Danny Glover, Cicely Tyson, Bill Russell, Alonzo Mourning, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, among others. The Freedom Awards is a global civil rights event, part of the mission
August 11, 2011
African-Americans and Latinos earn less than their white counterparts, even if they are highly educated workers. Members of these groups who hold master’s degrees do not earn more during their lifetimes than whites with bachelor’s
August 11, 2011
The 40th annual AAIP (Association of American Indian Physicians) conference is being held in Portland, Oregon this week, as more than 200 Native American doctors focus on ways to reduce high death rates afflicting tribes across the country.
The death rate for Native Americans from tuberculosis and alcoholism
August 11, 2011
The 2010 results for a traffic stop study were just released by the Illinois Department of Transportation. The study is supposed to determine whether minority drivers were being stopped and ticketed more often than white drivers in Illinois. Since 2004, every officer who makes a traffic stop is required to fill out a separate form indicating the driver’s race, the reason for the stop, whether the driver was given a ticket or warning and whether the car was searched. Each department compiles the annual statistics and reports them to the state.
August 11, 2011
In an effort to refocus Republican lawmakers on the need for job creation, the 2.1 million nurses, janitors, security officers, child care providers and other members of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) today unveiled a 7-figure ad campaign, including broadcast and cable television, radio
August 12, 2011
As Memphis City Schools enacts groundbreaking reforms to turn around the low-income urban district's troubled history, Deputy Superintendent Irving Hamer is sharing the city's story of increasing the effectiveness of its teachers at the Congressional Black Caucus' mid-year conference in Tunica, Miss., on Friday.
With the recent announcement by the Obama administration that individual states
August 12, 2011
Comedian and late-night talk show host George Lopez says his show was canceled because he's Latino.
"In case you haven't heard the news, TBS has decided not to renew 'Lopez Tonight' and tomorrow will be our last night,†Lopez told his audience. “The unemployment rate is high, and for Latinos, it just got a little higher!â€
August 12, 2011
The white Mississippi teens who beat up and ran over a black man with a pickup truck may also be responsible for attacking homeless black men in the area.
The head of Mississippi’s NAACP, Derrick Johnson said the civil rights group is trying to determine if the teens assaulted poor blacks based on an
August 12, 2011
This summer, millions of working families got a front-row seat to the dysfunctional leadership of Republicans in Congress who proved once again that they just don’t get it.
The national unemployment rate is 9.1%. For blacks, the unemployment rate is hovering around 16 percent. Instead of creating solutions for the jobs crisis, Republicans are killing jobs and destroying the American Dream.
August 12, 2011
A federal judge has sentenced Jammie E. Harris to the maximum prison term for her role in fleecing Pittsburgh's only minority-owned bank of more than $3 million.
"I regret a lot of the things I have done," said Harris in a rambling statement to Senior U.S. District Judge Alan Bloch.
Judge Bloch interrupted Harris' plea for leniency citing her 36 prior convictions
August 12, 2011
A new study may change the way doctors treat their dialysis patients. Past research suggested that black patients on dialysis survive longer than whites, but a new study finds that this does not hold true for young black patients. In fact, young blacks are twice as likely to die while on dialysis.
August 12, 2011
About 500 people attended the University of Northern Colorado’s second annual Pathways to Respecting American Indian Civil Rights training conference Wednesday and Thursday. The focus of the conference was to educate on the issues affecting American Indians. Topics included violence against women, the Indian Health Care Improvement Act and environmental justice.
August 12, 2011
PBS talk show host Tavis Smiley and Princeton professor Cornel West are travelling the country on a 16 city 'poverty tour.'
Although both men have been vocal critics of the president, West insists, "It is not an anti-Obama tour."
Rather, the men seek to highlight what they say is lack of effort by both the president
August 12, 2011
The odds for effectively detecting HIV in African-American men vary by method, researchers have found. The study, which appears in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, suggests that HIV-prevention efforts must be multi-faceted, taking into account differences in within this demographic.
The study was done by
August 15, 2011
California Attorney General Kamala Harris' report on hate crimes showed that hate crimes against Latinos increased from 81 in 2009 to 119 in 2010, a 46.9-percent jump.
"A crime that is motivated by hate is a crime against all people," Attorney General Harris said. "We will monitor and prosecute these cases to the fullest extent of the law."
The Attorney General's report, "Hate Crime in California 2010"
August 15, 2011
A new study from the Cancer Institute of New Jersey and UMDNJ-School of Public Health concludes that menthol cigarettes are harder to quit than regular smokes.
One of the key points of the research findings was that menthol was found to be generally more common among younger smokers and females.
August 15, 2011
Applied Research Center, a think tank on racial justice, today released a 40-page study on the racial attitudes of young people, whom many pollsters and commentators have labeled as "post-racial."
“Contrary to widespread labeling of the millennial generation (born post-1980, ages 18-30) as 'post-racial,' young people
August 15, 2011
The Association of Black Women Historians released a statement today urging fans of both the best-selling novel and the new movie The Help to reconsider the popular tale of African American maids in 1960s Jackson, Miss., who risk sharing their experiences with a young white journalist.
The open statement to "fans of The Help" says the book and the movie "distorts, ignores, and trivializes
August 15, 2011
A coalition that advocates for those who were harmed by the April 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, Members of Operation People for Peace, are at the world headquarters of BP in the UK demanding compensation.
The campaigners say blacks, the most vulnerable and disenfranchised claimants, are being overlooked in favor of those with political connections who have been compensated handsomely.
The group submitted more than 10,000 claims and says
August 15, 2011
In a live in-studio interview for Comcast Hometown Network - 104’s “Upside’, in line with the recent commemoration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, New America Media News Anchor Odette Keeley spoke with representatives from a new Asian-American television and online network headquartered in Redwood City
August 15, 2011
The KPMG Foundation a private firm that operates on donations, today announced it has awarded a total of $400,000 in scholarships to 40 minority accounting doctoral students for the 2011-2012 academic year.
The students include 10 new recipients and 30 students whose scholarships have been renewed. Each scholarship is valued at $10,000 and renewable annually for up to five years.
August 15, 2011
The University of North Dakota faces a deadline today to comply with the NCAA's policy on mascots "deemed hostile or abusive toward Native Americans." Now the school is one step closer to retiring its nickname and mascot, but changing the school's 90-year-old Native American moniker -- the Fighting Sioux -- has not been without complications.
School officials were in the process of coming up with a new name and mascot this year until North Dakota legislators passed a law ordering them to stop, according to UND spokesman Peter Johnson.
The rock and the hard place the school finds itself between marks the last gasp of a decades-long fight not just in North Dakota, but in all of college sports
August 15, 2011
Income and education -- not race -- predicts HIV risk among inner-city heterosexuals, according to CDC data out today. They have determined that low-income heterosexuals in 24 urban cities were up to 20 times more likely to become infected with HIV than the rest of the U.S. population.
August 16, 2011
Black women are at higher risk for hormone receptor-negative breast cancer, one of the most difficult subtypes to treat, but this risk could be ameliorated somewhat by breast-feeding their children.
“African-American women are more likely to have had a greater number of full-term births and less likely to have breast-fed their babies,†said Julie Palmer, Sc.D., professor of epidemiology at the Slone Epidemiology Center at Boston University. “This study shows a clear link between that and hormone
August 16, 2011
With more than one-third of the nation's minority youth unemployed, a group of politicians and community activists today stood at Make the Road New York in Jackson Heights today, to continue their push for federal legislation aimed at increasing employment among at-risk youth. The Urban Jobs Act, they say, would provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to carry out programming
August 16, 2011
Activists are demonstrating outside the state Democratic Party's headquarters in Atlanta today calling on the Obama administration to scrap a federal fingerprint-sharing program aimed at deporting illegal immigrants.
The demonstrators complained the “Secure Communities†program is tearing families apart and distracting local police from other crime-fighting priorities. They timed their demonstration to coincide with protests in Chicago and other cities across the nation.
August 16, 2011
A group of African-American anti-abortion groups today gathered to unveil their latest ad, which is titled “Betrayed†and displays a link to a site that shows photos of African-American leaders (like Rev. Jesse Jackson) alongside the word “Betrayed!†in red.
Catherine Davis, founder of the Restoration Project and other prolife leaders launched a new, bold billboard today in downtown Atlanta.
August 16, 2011
Kraft Foods must face a race-discrimination trial, even though it pointed out that another worker of the same minority group as the plaintiffs did not face similar discrimination, the 7th Circuit ruled.
Discrimination against one member of a minority group violates federal discrimination law no matter how well another member of the same minority may have been treated, said the unanimous ruling.
August 16, 2011
A bill signed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn will create a commission to research the disparities facing African-Americans in the areas of healthcare, health services, employment, education, criminal justice, housing and other social and economic issues.
“We know that disparities exist within the African-American community, preventing some from achieving their full potential,†Governor Quinn said in a statement.
August 16, 2011
Nightly talk show host Tavis Smiley will examine what he calls one of the most disturbing aspects of the education crisis facing America today -- the increased dropout rate among teenagers specifically among black teenage males.
In "Too Imprtant to Fail," the fifth installment of his PBS series Tavis Smiley Reports, Smiley investigates the root causes of this calamity as well as what can be done
August 16, 2011
A black FDNY official said minority members of the nation’s largest fire department are subjected to harassment, detailing several incidents of racism as he testified at a federal discrimination trial in Brooklyn federal court today. The department is only 3 percent black, while blacks represent nearly 26 percent of New York City’s population.
August 16, 2011
The New Jersey State police department has come under criticism from the state chapter of the NAACP for not having enough black cadets in this year's recruit class. The first class of recruits in two years reports for training today
August 17, 2011
Brooklyn College is among the best schools in the country for diversity.
The rankings of U.S. colleges and universities released by the Princeton Review
August 17, 2011
College and career readiness among 2011 Hispanic U.S. high school graduates who took the ACT test shows slow but steady improvement, particularly in the key areas of math and science, according to ACT’s yearly report, The Condition of College and Career Readiness 2011, released today.
However, ACT results continue to show a high number of students who are graduating without all of the academic skills they need to succeed after high
August 17, 2011
Latino rights groups are speaking out regarding the California Citizens Redistricting Commission's approval of final redistricting maps.
A challenge was approved earlier this week and could result in lawsuits.
So far no lawsuits have been filed, but Latino civil-rights groups are analyzing the new maps to determine if there are any violations of the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965.
A National Association of Latino Elected
August 17, 2011
A new survey released by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a private charitable organization, says that child poverty in the United States increased in 38 states in the last decade.
The annual KIDS COUNT Data Book shows the official child poverty rate, which is a conservative measure of economic hardship, increased 18 percent between 2000 and 2009, essentially returning to the same level as the early 1990s.
August 17, 2011
After several incidents at the BBC related to their handling of race and the recent London riots , the National Association of Black Journalists has issued an open letter of concern scolding the news organization.
The letter begins by saying that the NABJ “is disappointed to learn that the BBC, an organization long known for accuracy and impartiality
August 17, 2011
The president of the National Council of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul (SVdP), a Catholic lay organization that works extensively with those in need and living in poverty says, "The immigration law recently passed by the state of Alabama will make it illegal to practice virtually every facet of Christian charity,"
"Giving
August 17, 2011
Past research shows that minorities suffer higher rates of advanced cancer and deaths from all types of cancer compared to whites.
Health Behavior News Service reports in an article in the August issue of Cancer, the role of “patient navigator†is emerging as a tool to address these disparities.
August 17, 2011
No in my backyard.
The city of Dallas wants to add trash to the McCommas landfill in southern Dallas. The NAACP says no. They are joining the fight to stop the city from putting even more North Texas trash into the landfill.
Currently, garbage from
August 17, 2011
The Athens-Clarke Commission's and the state legislature's new districts are drawn to disenfranchise African-Americans, said black voters and elected officials at a town hall meeting on redistricting. The state legislature convened in a special session Monday to approve new state House and Senate district maps released Friday, as well as forthcoming new congressional districts.
August 18, 2011
The City of Chicago has been ordered to hire 111 Black men and to compensate 6,000 others who were passed over for employment due to discriminatory testing practices.
The city must hire 111 bypassed black firefighters by March 2012 and pay at least $30 million in damages
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously agreed that black candidates did not wait too long before filing the lawsuit
A federal appeals court affirmed that ruling in May and remanded the case back to the trial court to implement
August 18, 2011
In the wake of protests and civil disobedience in Chicago yesterday and across the country criticizing the Obama administration’s Secure Communities program, immigrant advocates called on the government to turn over remaining documents about the program sought in a Freedom of Information lawsuit and to halt the controversial program.
A batch of unredacted documents released by court order this week,
August 18, 2011
The New York International Latino Film Festival (Nyilff) which this year pays tribute to actor Andy Garcia, began Monday with its traditional Cinema Under the Stars, a free outdoor screening.
Nyilff includes conferences, premieres, documentaries, short subjects and concerts.
Scheduled for today is a day dedicated to Andy Garcia with the presentation of ‘A Conversation with Andy Garcia’, which will delve into his career and achievements as an actor, director, musician, producer and family man.
August 18, 2011
A new study by University of Kansas researchers shows as suburban school districts have gained advantages over their urban counterparts, they have tenaciously clung to them, often at the expense of urban districts.
While urban schools’ not keeping pace with suburban schools is an acknowledged problem, few have studied the causes of the discrepancies.
August 18, 2011
A study commissioned by the government found medical researchers who are black are about one-third less likely than their white colleagues to win grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
The findings will be published in Friday’s issue of the journal Science.
“It is striking and very disconcerting,†said Donna K. Ginther
August 18, 2011
Melanin protects darker skin from premature aging and UV rays, but its protection increases the risk of other diseases, according to research presented this month. The body naturally produces vitamin D - a nutrient known for keeping bones strong - when skin is directly exposed to UV rays from the sun. However, since melanin blocks those UV rays, it also inhibits vitamin D production in the body, says Dr. Valerie D. Callender, Associate Professor of Dermatology, Howard University.
August 18, 2011
According to a new report by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Black gay and bisexual men of all ages account for 73 percent of new infections among black men, while the number of young black gay and bisexual men under the age of 30 increased by 50 percent in only four years.
August 18, 2011
The federal government is suing a Panda Express restaurant in West San Jose, California, for making its Latino workers clean toilets while Asian employees stood by and watched.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said in a federal court filing that the general manager of the Panda Express gave Latino workers fewer hours and more menial jobs.
The commission also said the manager more frequently and harshly disciplined Latino employees.
August 18, 2011
Two Black members of Congress, one Democrat and the other Republican, are voicing concern today about circumstances facing the nation.
Black California Congresswoman Maxine Waters has some advice for President Obama about blacks in America, "Pay more attention to us."
Speaking at a job fair in Atlanta today, Waters said unhappiness is growing in the Black community with the nation’s first Black president.
August 19, 2011
Skin care company Nivea has apologized for an advertisement they placed in Esquire that featured a clean cut Black male throwing a mask of a face with an Afro and beard with the title “Look Like You Give a Damn. Re-civilize Yourself.â€
The ad for Nivea for Men appeared in the September issue of Esquire magazine.
Reactions came
August 19, 2011
The Justice Department today announced it has opened a civil investigation into allegations of discriminatory policing by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) members based in the cities of Lancaster and Palmdale, Calif.
Deputies have been accused of discriminating against mostly minority residents of government-subsidized housing.
The Justice Department will seek to determine whether there are systemic violations
August 19, 2011
The District of Columbia Court of Appeals today reversed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by members of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the nation's oldest Black sorority, alleging financial impropriety by the group's leadership.
In early 2010, District of Columbia Superior Court trial judge, Natalia Combs Greene, tossed the case brought by 8 members of the sorority.
Greene found that the members failed to accuse
August 19, 2011
The Native American Fair Commerce Coalition (NAFCC) has retained Barry W. Brandon as Strategic Advisor.
Brandon, a respected attorney and advocate for the Native American community nationwide, will represent the NAFCC in Washington DC in support of the organization's campaigns to promote tribal economic development and sovereignty rights.
Brandon is the Founder and President of Hvmken
August 19, 2011
An examination of post-emancipation executions in the South is revealing how race played a significant and under-examined role in executions.
Annulla Linders, a University of Cincinnati associate professor of sociology, will present the research on Aug. 21, at the 106th annual meeting of the American Sociological Association in Las Vegas.
Linders combed through newspaper archives in the Library of Congress
August 19, 2011
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) responded Thursday to the April 13 letter by 22 Democratic Senators that asked the President to use his executive authority to grant relief from deportation and deferred action to DREAM Act eligible youth.
In the letter, DHS announced that it will provide field guidance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS)
August 19, 2011
Civil rights groups want to know more about the Boston Police Department's surveillance of political activists and protests and what it does with the collected information.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts and the National Lawyers Guild of Massachusetts have filed a lawsuit on behalf of eight Boston-area political groups and four individual activists.
The groups want the department to disclose information
August 19, 2011
- A new Gallup poll just released shows Black and White Americans have starkly different views on the appropriate role of government in dealing with civil rights in this country.
A majority of Blacks (59%) say that the government should play a major role in improving the social and economic position of Blacks, while 19% of Whites agree. A little over half of Blacks (52%) say that new civil rights laws are needed in this country, while 15% of Whites agree.
August 19, 2011
The National Science Foundation has renewed a five-year, $4.9 million grant to the University of Georgia and six partner institutions that aims to bolster the number of students from underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
From the Peach State Louis Stokes
August 22, 2011
Researchers at Children’s National Medical Center have found that many Black parents use soft bedding for their infants, despite evidence showing that it should be avoided to help prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
The study was led by Rachel Moon, MD, a pediatrician and SIDS researcher at Children’s National
August 22, 2011
Analysis of new US Census figures show the number of Hispanic homeowners in South Carolina and in Greenville County fell from 2000 through 2010 although the Hispanic population more that doubled.
Wilfredo Leon,
August 22, 2011
The top 10 children’s health concerns among people of all races include childhood obesity, drug abuse, and smoking and teen pregnancy, according to a recent poll by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll of Children’s Health.
The annual poll, released August 15, asked Hispanic, Black and White respondents to rank the importance of 23 health concerns for children in their own community. Different ethnicities indicated varying levels of concern for specific health issues.
Overall, Blacks and Hispanics were more likely than Wwhites to rank children’s health issues
August 22, 2011
According to data rankings compiled by bilingual television network mun2, Boston topped the recent top 15 cities for young Latinos despite having the lowest percentage of Latino residents of all the cities on the list.
Mun2, broadcasts reality shows and dramas aimed at a youth demographic. The network considered 4 main areas in gathering
August 22, 2011
The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) today announced its 2011 highest honors to be awarded at its 34th Annual Awards Gala on Wednesday, September 14, 2011 in Washington.
Four-time Grammy winner and legendary entertainer Vikki Carr and astronaut Jose Hernandez will each receive a 2011 Medallion of Excellence for Leadership and Community Service. U.S. Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar
August 22, 2011
Black Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has announced a Friday and Saturday night curfew for those under 18 will be extended until school begins in two weeks.
On Aug. 8, Nutter announced a 9 p.m. curfew in the downtown and university areas after flash mobs of mostly black youth engaged in random attacks on people as well as property damage.
Despite a weekend of protests from members of the community who claim the curfew targets Blacks, the mayor credited support from parents and business owners for the success of the curfew.
Protestors called
August 22, 2011
American voters sympathetic to the Tea Party movement reflect four primary cultural and political beliefs more than other voters do: authoritarianism, libertarianism, fear of change, and negative attitudes toward immigrants and immigration, according to new research to be presented today at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.
“Our findings show that the Tea Party movement
August 22, 2011
A new report in the American Journal of Public Health suggests that increasing cigarette prices combined with other social and economic factors appear to be behind the steep decline in smoking rates among Black youth that occurred between 1970s and the mid-1990s. The report argues that racial differences in parental attitudes,
August 22, 2011
Black Florida Congressman Alcee Hastings will be participating in the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) “For the People†Jobs Initiative event today, in Miami. Fellow South Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson 7is hosting the town hall meeting on August 22nd as well as a jobs fair on August 23rd.
The CBC has been bringing town halls and jobs fairs to cities during the month of August as part of the
August 23, 2011
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics official report the rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in US children continue to trend upward.
However, Mexican children had consistently lower ADHD prevalence than other racial or ethnic groups.
According to Lara J. Akinbami, MD, and colleagues, the percentage of American children diagnosed as having ADHD increased from 6.9% in 1998-2000 to 9.0% in 2007 to 2009.
From 1998 through 2009, ADHD prevalence was h
August 23, 2011
In California, a white male cop claims he was passed over for a promotion in 2007 because of racial bias.
"The city has a longstanding custom and practice in discriminating against white males," according to a lawsuit complaint filed by officers Heinz Hofmann and Thomas Buckley.
"The reason plaintiffs were passed over for lower
August 23, 2011
Joseph K. West has been selected as the new President and CEO of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA).
Mary E. Snapp, Board Chair of the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA), announced today that West, currently an Associate General Counsel at Walmart, will take the position effective September 12. He succeeds Veta T. Richardson, who is now serving in the position of President and CEO of the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC).
A long-time acquaintance
August 23, 2011
A tracking poll by impreMedia, a Hispanic news company, today indicated declining support for President Obama and the results suggest that the President and Democratic Party may face a continuing political problem in retaining Hispanic support.
The survey was conducted between late July and early August, and compared results with a poll
August 23, 2011
New research presented today at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association says victims of bullying often suffer academically, and this is particularly true for high achieving Black and Latino students.
“Although academic achievement is largely influenced by family background and school characteristics
August 23, 2011
The North Carolina and Georgia State Conferences of the NAACP, in conjunction with the national NAACP, will hold press conference and a rally tomorrow to address the Georgia State Supreme Court’s wrongful conviction of John McNeil, a Black business owner and former resident of Cobb County, Georgia.
In 2006, McNeil was sentenced to life in prison in the death of Brian Epp. Mr. McNeil was defending his family at his home from Mr. Epp, a trespasser on McNeil’s property.
August 23, 2011
-Most Americans believe the "most monumental" facet of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s, legacy is the advancement of civil rights in the U.S, according to the Northwestern Mutual Foundation's "Monumental Legacy" survey,
The survey was presented prior to the dedication of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., monument on the National Mall in Washington this weekend.
When asked "which aspect of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s legacy is most monumental," half of respondents (47%) chose "his advancements in civil rights
August 23, 2011
Creighton University’s Hereditary Cancer Center, has received a three-year, $731,278 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense to study the role heredity plays in prostate cancer among Blacks.
“Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among men in the United States,. African American men have two times the occurrence of prostate cancer as do Caucasian men and suffer a significantly higher
August 23, 2011
The Martin Luther King, Jr. Health Equity Summit, convened by the Institute for the Advancement of Multicultural and Minority Medicine (IAMMM), continues today as the long-awaited Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial is unveiled and opens to the public on the National Mall.
Both events sharpen public attention on human rights: the Summit focusing tightly on the health status of minorities and populations in low-resource countries and achieving health equity at the lowest cost.
August 24, 2011
A gala dinner that kicks off dedication events for the memorial honoring the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is being moved to a different building after an East Coast earthquake damaged the original banquet site in Washington.
Due to damage caused by Tuesday's 5.8-magnitude quake, officials say the dinner will now be held at the Washington Convention Center.
The invitation only formal dinner begins five days of Dedication events. The gala will commemorate the men and women who "continue to pursue
August 24, 2011
Nearly 95 percent of students from the Class of 2011 met the California High School Exit Examination (CAHSEE) requirement, and tests administered over the last school year also showed improvement among the state's Black and Hispanic students, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced today.
August 24, 2011
Alabama’s immigration law is in court today with attorneys from the Obama administration, civil rights groups and state churches arguing that the measure is an unconstitutional attack on civil liberties.
The new immigration law requiring that police officers check immigrants’ legal status might lead to lawsuits for unlawful detention, a judge said in a hearing on challenges to the statute.
August 24, 2011
Hattiesburg, Mississippi Mayor Johnny DuPree became the first black candidate to win a major-party nomination for governor shortly after 9 o'clock last night.
Mississippi has not had a black statewide official since Reconstruction.
DuPree, 57, a three-term mayor of Hattiesburg, advances to the Nov. 8 general election to face Republican Lt. Gov. Phil Bryant, 56, of Brandon.
In his victory address in downtown Hattiesburg
August 24, 2011
By 35% to 23%, more Americans believe U.S. race relations have gotten better rather than worse with Barack Obama's election as president. However, this positive tilt is not as strong as what Gallup found in October 2009, when 41% said relations had improved and 22% said they had gotten worse. Currently, the plurality
August 24, 2011
Reverend Al Sharpton, the civil rights activist and minister, has been named host of a nightly live MSNBC talk show.
Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC, said in his announcement that Sharpton's show “PoliticsNation†will debut on August 29.
The choice of Sharpton to host the hour has been marked by some controversy.
August 24, 2011
In a controversial decision, the Cherokee Nation Supreme Court has ruled to expel from membership thousands of descendants of black slaves who were brought to Oklahoma more than 170 years ago by Native American owners.
The nation's second-largest Indian tribe voted after the Civil War to admit the slave descendants to the tribe.
August 24, 2011
The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) filed a motion in Washington yesterday to intervene on behalf of the Texas Latino Redistricting Task Force in an effort to prevent the reduction of Latino voting strength in the ongoing Texas redistricting process.
In the case, State of Texas v. Holder
August 24, 2011
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, will be honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and Case Western Reserve University during the 16th annual American Music Masters series this November.
Franklin will be the subject of a week-long celebration that will tell the story of the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In conjunction with the Museum’s latest special exhibit, Women Who Rock
August 25, 2011
As the East Coast braces for the arrival of Hurricane Irene, Washington is preparing for the dedication of The Martin Luther King, Jr National Memorial on Sunday.
Mayor Vincent Gray unveiled street signs designating “Martin Luther King Jr. Drive†today and told The Washington Times he and council member Marion Barry were undeterred by the inclement forecast ahead of a Saturday morning march for D.C. autonomy and a Sunday dedication that could draw 250,000 visitors.
Mr. Barry noted the protesters of the 1960s
August 25, 2011
Anna Maria Chavez, a lawyer, has been named CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, making her the first Hispanic head of the organization.
Chávez, who grew up in a small town in southern Arizona and rose to become deputy chief of staff to that state’s then-Gov. Janet Napolitano, is set to officially assume her new role at the Girl Scouts National Council Session/52nd Convention in November.
August 25, 2011
A new study from the Guttmacher Institute reports that as the rate of unintended pregnancies continues to decrease among wealthy or educated women, the rate among women who fall below the federal poverty line has climbed.
A new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute shows that following a considerable decline between
August 25, 2011
A new study released today by Feeding America, a hunger relief organization, reveals millions of children are struggling with hunger in every U.S. county, regardless of whether they live in homes below or above the poverty level.
“Map the Meal Gap: Child Food Insecurity 2011,†found the percentage of hungry U.S. children range
August 25, 2011
According to University of North Carolina data Latinos are more likely to start HIV care later in the course of illness than Blacks or whites,
These findings, published in the September 1 issue of Clinical Infectious Diseases, indicate that strategies to improve earlier HIV testing among Latinos—particularly in new settlement areas like North Carolina—are needed.
Latinos have become the largest immigrant group
August 25, 2011
A new impreMedia/Latino Decisions poll reveals when it comes to their children’s education, Latino voters have clear and high aspirations.
The poll shows that 96% of Latino parents would like to see their kids earn a college degree, whether it is a bachelor’s, master’s or professional degree.
What is not so clear
August 25, 2011
Citing evidence that the State of Michigan is failing to provide low-income residents with a legally-mandated opportunity to register to vote, attorneys from Demos, Project Vote, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (LCCRUL), and the NAACP sent a pre-litigation notice letter to Secretary of State Ruth Johnson
August 25, 2011
A multidisciplinary team is coming together in the largest study to date on breast cancer in Black women. The team will investigate why Black women are more likely than those of European descent to be diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age, and with poor prognoses.
Supported by a five-year, $19.3 million award from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), scientists from the Slone Epidemiology Center
August 25, 2011
Next month, Black Women for Wellness will host its 12th Annual Conference entitled POWER SHIFT: Gathering our Forces, Kicking up Sand, Lifting our Fists, Protecting our Wombs.
The conference will begin on Wednesday, September 28, in Culver City, California.
The focus of the conference is to provide an open forum
August 26, 2011
A planned weekend dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall has been postponed until September or October due to approaching Hurricane Irene.
The Sunday event would have been the culmination of a five-day celebration of the newest monument in Washington.
Harry E. Johnson Sr., chief executive
August 26, 2011
The Gates Millennium Scholarship Program (GMS) will select 1,000 low-income minority students to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice.
Scholars will also be provided with personal and professional development through their leadership programs, along with academic
August 26, 2011
The government watchdog group, Judicial Watch, has filed a lawsuit against the US Air Force to obtain records of a trip made by First Lady Michelle Obama to Southern Africa in June.
The group is questioning whether the trip, which included a meeting with Nelson Mandela and an African Safari, was necessary.
According the U.S. Postal Service records, Judicial Watch’s FOIA request was received by the Air Force
August 26, 2011
The Enviromental Protection Agency (EPA) has settled a case against a California pesticide regulator that the agency found discriminated against Latino schoolchildren when they annually approved a powerful pesticide used near their schools.
The complaint alleged that the California Department of Pesticide Regulation's
August 26, 2011
The Obama reelection campaign has announced a major voter outreach project that will target Blacks, Latinos, Asian-Americans, women, young people, and gays.
According to the Pew Research Center ninety-five percent of Blacks voters, 67 percent of Latinos and 62 percent of Asian-Americans went for Obama over Sen. John McCain
August 26, 2011
Driven by a single-year surge of 24% in Hispanic enrollment, the number of 18- to 24-year-olds attending college in the United States hit an all-time high of 12.2 million in October 2010, according to a Pew Hispanic Center analysis of newly available Census Bureau data.
From 2009 to 2010, the number of Hispanic young adults
August 26, 2011
Americans are about equally divided on whether Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream of U.S. racial equality has been realized, with 51% saying it has and 49% saying it has not. Blacks (54%) are slightly more optimistic than whites (49%) that the dream has been realized.
Americans who believe the dream has not been realized are about as likely to say the U.S. has made major progress toward attaining it
August 26, 2011
Educators call ninth-grade algebra the most frequently failed high-school course and a "gateway class" -- a required class in which success predicts graduation. Failure in the subject leads many students to drop out, graduate late, or lose opportunities for higher education.
Algebra is a particular obstacle to classroom participation and math achievement among Black students, says a University of Illinois
August 26, 2011
An Emory University study released today found that Blacks are four times more likely to develop kidney failure than whites.
The study found that a condition that occurs when the kidneys are damaged and spill protein into the urine contributes to this increased risk.
Investigators analyzed information from 27,911
August 26, 2011
Results from the Black Women's Health Study show two or more full-term births are linked to a higher incidence of certain breast cancers in Black women, but only in those who did not breast-feed
The study is being reported online in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
"African-American women are more likely to have had a greater number of full-term births and less likely to have breastfed their babies," said lead author Julie R. Palmer, ScD, professor of epidemiology at the Slone Epidemiology
August 29, 2011
U.S. Senator John McCain is under fire today for his refusal to apologize for speculating earlier that a wildfire in Willow Arizona had been caused by illegal immigrants.
McCain’s office has told the press he won’t apologize and say his earlier remarks were not specific to this fire but merely that perhaps illegal immigrants cause fires.
The National Tequila Party, which claims to be a counter movement to the Tea Party said:
August 29, 2011
The California Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the State Bar must release racial data from the bar exam to a law professor who believes affirmative action may hurt minorities.
A SF Gate report states an appellate court had ruled in June that the professor, and the public, have a right of access to records of the lawyers' organization
August 29, 2011
Yusuf Bey IV, The former leader of an Oakland, California, community group received a life sentence for ordering the killing of three men.
Bey was the head of Your Black Muslim Bakery, the black empowerment group his father formed in the 1960s.
At its height, the group aspired to promote healthful dietary habits in the Black community
August 29, 2011
A new report issued by the Black pro-life group Life Dynamics claims that Planned Parenthood and the abortion industry in the United States target Black and Hispanic Americans by placing abortion facilities in communities with high minority populations.
The report, “Racial Targeting and Population Control,†the group claims validates the claims pro-life advocates have made for years showing that abortion advocates have purposefully placed abortion centers in urban areas with high percentages of black and Hispanic residents.
Mark Crutcher and Carole Novielli
August 29, 2011
Author and folklorist Stetson Kennedy, who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan six decades ago died yesterday at Baptist Medical Center South near St. Augustine, Fla. He was 94.
Kennedy exposed the KKK's secrets to authorities and the public but was also criticized for possibly exaggerating his exploits.
“Stetson Kennedy was a man of the utmost integrity who led a storied life fighting for equality and justice. His difficult
August 29, 2011
The U.S. Small Business Administration and the Minority Business Development Agency today announced the opening of registration for the 2011 Minority Enterprise Development Week (MED Week) Conference, which will be held Sept. 27-30
August 29, 2011
A Pew Research Center’s study released today reveals Spanish-language media remains important to the nation’s growing and changing Hispanic population.
The report, Project for Excellence in Journalism, shows in the last year, this media sector tended to fare better overall than the mainstream English-language media
Hispanic newspapers overall lost circulation in 2010, but not nearly to the extent of the English-language
August 29, 2011
Beginning tomorrow, 13 Members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will join Congresswoman Maxine Waters, in Los Angeles for the final stop on the CBC’s “For the People†Jobs Initiative, which includes a Job Fair and Town Hall at Crenshaw Christian Center in South Los Angeles.
Joining Congresswoman Waters will be the co-hosts of the event, Reps. Laura Richardson and Karen Bass
August 29, 2011
The National Park Service formally welcomed the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial as America’s 395th national park on Sunday – the 48th anniversary of Dr. King’s “I Have a Dream†speech, delivered in 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The National Park Service also emphasized its commitment to working closely with the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Foundation to reschedule the ceremonial dedication planned for Sunday that was unfortunately postponed due to Hurricane Irene.
August 30, 2011
Under fire from Black lawmakers for allegedly ignoring rising unemployment in their communities, President Obama took to the radiowaves saying he understands their concerns.
Obama appeared on the popular Black-oriented Tom Joyner show today as part of an effort by his administration to remind Black voters that the country’s first Black president is fighting for them.
The president reminded the show's primarily Black audience that Martin Luther King's efforts regarding unemployment took time
August 30, 2011
A U.S. federal judge has temporarily blocked a controversial immigration law that was set to go into effect Thursday in the southern U.S. state of Alabama.
The law would allow Alabama police to detain anyone suspected of being in the country illegally when that person is stopped for any other reason. It would also make it a crime to knowingly
August 30, 2011
In an interview with FearLess Revolution founder, Alex Bogusky, former U.S. vice President Al Gore compared the debate over climate change to the Civil Rights movement in the US in the 1960s.
This comparison has sparked negative reaction from members of the black leadership network, Project 21.
The group condemned Gore’s attempt to "injected race into the debate over emissions regulations by comparing those
August 30, 2011
A study published this month in Vascular Health and Risk Management examined a key difference in the way that cells from Blacks respond to inflammation. Tis discovery could provide an answer to why this group is disproportionately affected by hypertension, something that has eluded scientists for many years.
Lead author Michael Brown
August 30, 2011
The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law remains concerned about low-income and minority communities impacted by Hurricane Katrina six years ago and presently.
"We are still committed to fighting for racial justice and ongoing recovery efforts in the Gulf," said Lawyers' Committee Executive Director Barbara Arnwine. "There is still much work to be done and it is quite disheartening that these vulnerable
August 30, 2011
A U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Miami-Dade County jail system has found inmates are routinely abused, refused mental and physical medical care and are constantly at risk for disease.
The report details the deplorable conditions within the county’s Corrections and Rehabilitation Department and claims employees
August 30, 2011
A report released today by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) shows that the agency is resolving individual housing discrimination complaints faster, increasing its focus on complaints that affect multiple people, and launching more investigations using its authority to initiate cases on behalf of discrimination victims where no one has filed a complaint. HUD’s Annual State of Fair Housing Report also illustrates how the agency is helping municipalities and state and local agencies receiving HUD funding to comply with civil rights requirements
August 30, 2011
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is awarding up to $1.5 million, over three years, to Morehouse School of Medicine to enhance the effort to network the 105 Historically Black Colleges and Universities throughout the United States to promote behavioral health, expand campus service capacity and facilitate workforce development.
August 30, 2011
A new Yale School of Public Health study concludes barriers that hinder young Black, Hispanic and poor women from completing a series of three vaccinations to prevent human papillomavirus infection (HPV) also leave them at higher risk for cervical cancer and death.
According to the Health Behavior News Service
August 31, 2011
Manhattan Federal Judge Shira Scheindlin has given the go ahead to a lawsuit that challenged the city's stop-and-frisk policies as biased, especially toward Blacks and Hispanics.
Judge Scheindlin said the allegations in the lawsuit were supported well enough to justify a trial to decide if New York's stop-and-frisk policies are legal.
She said the trial can determine whether quotas prompted officers to stop suspects without just cause. She said the trial can also decide whether police leadership has failed to adequately train officers.
August 31, 2011
Labor Secretary Hilda Solis said today the Hispanic community still supports what President Obama is doing on jobs despite the high unemployment rate.
“I think there’s still a lot of confidence and support for the work the president is doing,†Solis said of what Hispanic leaders have told her at various town-hall meetings she has held across the country.
“It’s not happening fast enough — that’s one of the major concerns
August 31, 2011
A report released today by AARP found that that the risk of hunger for Blacks and Hispanics in their 50s was twice that of whites over the years studied.
The study also provided detailed analysis of hunger risk across states and major metropolitan areas, finding that hunger risk was notably higher among those residing in the South.
August 31, 2011
The California State Legislature is receiving praise for passing legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering.
Assembly Member Mike Davis sponsored the bill that will help bring California's redistricting process in line with basic principles
August 31, 2011
Several of the nation’s leading technology entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, along with members of the Black technology community will take part in the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s (CBCF) 41st Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center to discuss tangible efforts
August 31, 2011
According to a study published today in Child Development magazine, US Children belonging to ethnic minorities feel socially stigmatized as early as primary school, and may suffer greater anxiety about their academic performance.
Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, and New York University found that students
August 31, 2011
UNC scientist Robert Millikan will partner with Christine Ambrosone, of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Julie R. Palmer, of Boston University, in the most ambitious study to date of breast cancer among younger Black women.
Data from UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Carolina Breast Cancer Study demonstrated that Black women under the age of 45 are more likely to be diagnosed with aggressive types
August 31, 2011
New analysis released today by the Brookings Institution Metropolita Policy Program reveals rapid growth of Hispanic and Asian populations and new internal shifts of Blacks are transforming the demographics of America‟s largest metropolitan areas ahead of other parts of the country.
The report, The New Metropolitan Minority Map, is based on decennial census data from 1990, 2000, and 2010 for the 100
August 31, 2011
The harassment, discrimination and negative feelings about homosexuality that Black gay and bisexual men often experience can contribute significantly to mental health disorders such as depression and anxiety, a new study finds.
“Racism, homo-negativity and the experience of violence and discrimination contribute significantly to mental disorder burden and morbidity in this community,†said Louis F. Graham