Aug 08 Watch 7:29 5 years after Michael Brown’s death, what has changed in Ferguson — and what hasn’t By PBS NewsHour It’s been five years since Michael Brown Jr. was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. The incident sparked protests, questions about race and police brutality and a Justice Department conclusion that the city’s law enforcement practices… Continue watching
Aug 06 Lessons we can learn from Toni Morrison By Joshua Barajas The American novelist wasn’t afraid to speak publicly about the themes in her novels and to challenge journalists on their questions. Here are several lessons to remember about Morrison’s career as a writer. Continue reading
Aug 01 Watch 10:28 Can reparations help right the wrongs of slavery? By Paul Solman The first African slaves arrived in North America 400 years ago this month, landing at Jamestown in what's now Virginia. Recently, the idea of paying reparations for the atrocity of slavery has been earning new attention, even making its way… Continue watching
Jul 29 Watch 3:47 Why Trump’s verbal assault on Cummings and Baltimore sounds familiar By Lisa Desjardins President Trump is verbally assaulting the city of Baltimore. On Monday, civil rights activist Al Sharpton and Maryland Republicans Gov. Larry Hogan and former Lt. Gov. Michael Steele all slammed Trump’s attacks on Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., and Baltimore, which… Continue watching
Jul 24 Black voters say they won’t forget Trump’s racist tweets By Errin Haines Whack, Scott Bauer, Associated Press Trump is gambling that his attacks on the Democratic congresswomen will help him secure another term in the White House by galvanizing his most fervent, overwhelmingly white supporters. But dozens of black leaders, activists and voters in pivotal swing states… Continue reading
Jul 16 Justice Department won’t charge New York officer in Eric Garner’s death By Courtney Norris and Michael Balsamo, Michael R. Sisak, Colleen Long, Tom Hays, Associated Press Federal prosecutors said Tuesday that they won't bring criminal charges against a white New York City police officer in the 2014 chokehold death of Eric Garner, a black man whose dying words — "I can't breathe" — became a rallying… Continue reading
Jul 12 Watch 8:01 Why the legal marijuana industry is now struggling with diversity and inclusion By Yamiche Alcindor, Jaywon Choe As marijuana legalization expands across the country, who is benefiting from the blossoming industry? In most cases, it is a very different population from that which has previously borne the brunt of marijuana criminalization. Millions are still dealing with scars… Continue watching
Jul 09 Watch 5:33 What has changed in states that have legalized marijuana — and what hasn’t Across the country, more state laws are aligning with voter attitudes about recreational use of marijuana. The wave of cannabis legalization has had a significant influence on individuals, communities and governments, and driven the development of a burgeoning commercial industry. Continue watching
Jul 02 Watch 8:48 Would eliminating this standardized test increase racial equity in elite NYC schools? By Hari Sreenivasan, Laura Fong New York City’s elite public high schools are being scrutinized for their admissions practices, which are yielding disproportionately low populations of black and Latino students. In response, the mayor and school chancellor want to eliminate a standardized test critics say… Continue watching
Jun 13 Watch 9:19 Can ‘baby bonds’ help the U.S. close its staggering racial wealth gap? By Paul Solman Whites in the U.S. have much greater household and individual wealth than blacks and other minorities. In fact, the typical black household has about 10 cents for every dollar of wealth in a typical white household. Some economists and politicians… Continue watching