Here’s an interesting article that connects past and present realities. GRD
Fifty years ago, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. made his first public visit to South Carolina to deliver a speech on a school field in Kingstree about the importance of voting. About 5,000 came out on a rainy day to hear him.
Source: Post and Courier
In Maryland and Virginia, former felons have the ability to vote, with some restrictions. For example, in Virginia, they must complete probation or parole. Nonetheless. 40,000 persons in Maryland and more than 200.000 persons in Virginia now have access to the ballot box. These measures, however, may be met with litigation that could affect their ability to vote in the 2016 election. Read the New York Times article here.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter to North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory stating that House Bill 2, which among other things, requires persons to use the bathroom of their birth, violates two civil rights laws-Title VII (employment discrimination) and Title IX (sex discrimination). Read more here.
Interestingly, HB2 was hastily passed, much like NC’s restrictive voting law passed in 2013 after Shelby v. Holder that removed same day registration, limited early voting, and instituted a restrictive voter id requirement.
Civil rights case involving disabled riders and Uber drivers, read more here:
Here’s an interesting article found in the Washington Post that discusses new millennium housing discrimination on sites, like AirBnB. A recent study showed that racial sounding African American names could determine, in some circumstances, whether a room/house was available for rent. Read more here:
A descendant of Confederate President Jefferson Davis made a tearful plea for the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the state capitol. Rep. Jenny Horne asked South Carolina lawmakers to do something “meaningful.” After more than 13 hours of debate, the body voted to take the flag down and place it with other Civil War relics. Read and watch here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/07/09/south-carolina-rep-jenny-horne-on-her-historic-and-surprisingly-personal-speech-it-needed-to-be-done/ Let’s hope and watch for other meaningful legislative actions that make the lives of South Carolinans safer and better.
The challenge to North Carolina’s restrictive voting rights law is set to begin next week. Many believe that the decision could have vast implications for other states. However, what is most likely to happen after the trial is an appeal and we could be a year or more away from an impactful decision. Read more here: http://www.thecharlottepost.com/news/2015/07/09/local/naacp-nc-square-off-on-voting-rights-with-national-implications/ Continue reading
This week marks some significant events in the history of civil rights in the US. Many of the occurrences are sad, such as the funeral for civil rights worker, Viola Liuzzo, fifty years ago following the march from Selma to Montgomery, AL and the April 4, 1968 assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who said that the quest for justice was eternal. As the quest continues, universities, such as Michigan, are hosting discussions that link the struggles of the past to our current state of equal rights.
The 50th Anniversary of the March on Selma, Alabama is fast approaching. On March 7, 1965, approximately 600 people embarked on a journey that changed our nation. The New York Times has posted a wonderful array of photos from “inside” the movement.
Here’s a link to my TEDx Baltimore Talk: From We Shall Overcome to We Are Overcome.
On March 2, 2015, the United States Supreme Court (USSC) heard arguments in Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission. The USSC considered the power of the people versus the power of the legislature. You can find an analysis of today’s argument here. Arizona state legislators were not happy with the redistricting map that the Independent Commission drafted and implemented in 2012. The Court’s decision could have widespread implications on redistrictings across the country. In places like California, where an Independent Commission has successfully drawn and redrawn congressional and state legislative districts in a nonpartisan manner, the Court’s decision could cause a ripple effect that mandates re-redistricting. If the Arizona legislature gets its way, only elected officials, not nonpartisan citizens, will have the ability to draw the lines to get themselves reelected and continue the widespread polarization that currently exists.
Recently, Virginia and Kentucky took up the issue of restoring the right to vote to persons convicted of nonviolent felonies, with different results. In VA, the state house voted down a resolution that would allow for automatic restoration. In KY, state house members will need a super majority after public approval to provide restorative measures to nonviolent felons. The paradox of outcomes demonstrate that the road to restoration can be extremely difficult for the more than 5 million persons who have lost the right to vote because of former convictions.
DOJ’s settlement in a school desegregation case in Robertson County, TN seeks improvement in school construction and assignments. The settlement also includes cultural sensitivity and competency training for teachers and staff.
Civil rights organizations suggest criminal justice reform measures.
A discussion on the impact of Shelby County v. Holder.
Civil rights news and commentary for this century
Civil rights news and commentary for this century
Civil rights news and commentary for this century
Civil rights news and commentary for this century
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