On AlterNet: civil rights

Stories, blog posts, and videos tagged as "civil rights"

How Many Clemency Requests Are Botched? U.S. Pardon Attorney Excluded Info That Could Have Set One Man Free

Dafna Linzer, ProPublica. May 23, 2012.

An investigation into one man's clemency request exposes the Pardon Attorney for failing to report crucial information that may have set an unjustly sentenced Black man free.

New Line of Defense Emerging To Protect Voting Rights: State Constitutions

Joshua Douglas, Jurist.org. April 4, 2012.

As many GOP-controlled state legislatures seek to 'police' voting, state Constitutions are emerging as the best new defense.

Ending Discriminatory Voter ID: Let’s Affirm The Right To Vote

Elise Helgesen, AlterNet. March 25, 2012.

As states toughen voter ID laws, progressives see a new response.

10 Most Obscene Lifestyles Choices of America's 1% Elite

David Sirota, Salon. March 21, 2012.

Complaining about having to do their own dishes, or bragging about $800,000 car garages, the 1 percenters are all but screaming “let them eat cake” from the ramparts.

1 in 3 Black Men Go To Prison? The 10 Most Disturbing Facts About Racial Inequality in the U.S. Criminal Justice System

Sophia Kerby, The American Prospect. March 17, 2012.

In light of these disparities, it is imperative that criminal-justice reform evolves as the civil rights issue of the 21st century.

Black Power Mixtape: The Civil Rights Battle Ignored by the U.S. Media

Roger Catlin, Salon. February 9, 2012.

The documentary "Black Power Mixtape" tells a counter-history of the 1960s, through the eyes of foreign journalists.

Civil Rights Groups Call on Alabama Automakers to Oppose Harsh Anti-Immigration Legislation

Elena Shore, New America Media. February 8, 2012.

Civil rights groups are turning to a new potential ally in the fight against Alabama’s harsh immigration law: the state’s top automakers.

7 Occupations That Changed US History

Arun Gupta, AlterNet. November 14, 2011.

With the spread of political occupations to all 50 states today, lessons can be gleaned from past occupations for a movement that shows no signs of going away.

Racist Arizona Immigration Law Earns It First Lawsuit -- And It's From a Pastor

Valeria Fernandez, New America Media. October 17, 2011.

Detectives questioned the validity of Manuel Hernández's papers and accused him of lying about being a pastor. He wasn't.

Six Hours With the Poverty Tour

Habiba Alcindor, AlterNet. September 4, 2011.

Tavis Smiley and Cornel West launched their "Poverty Tour" in early August. Was it a much-needed reminder of the pervasiveness of poverty in America or just grandstanding?

On Nina Simone, Powerful Singer and Civil Rights Leader

Mole333, Culture Kitchen. May 23, 2011.

Reflecting back on how the iconic singer inspired progress and instigated change throughout her amazing career.

From Montgomery to Los Angeles and Beyond: Formerly Incarcerated People Building a Movement

Kenneth Glasgow, Dorsey Nunn, AlterNet. February 18, 2011.

It's time to build a Civil and Human Rights Movement for the 21st Century. We hope you'll join us - in Alabama, Los Angeles, and beyond.

Dr. Martin Luther King's Birthday: Is the Drug War the Next Big Civil Rights Issue?

Anthony Papa, Yolande Cadore, AlterNet. January 8, 2011.

How do we begin to address the connections between astronomical rates of incarceration, disintegration of black families, and the war on drugs?

The 7 Creepiest Things About the TSA's "Porno Scanners"

Lauren Kelley, AlterNet. November 17, 2010.

The invasive scanners can see your tampons, give you cancer and make your grandmother cry -- and they're not cheap. Why do we keep using them?

Patriot ACT Nightmare Sees the Light of Day as FBI Raids Activists

Ron Jacobs, CounterPunch. September 27, 2010.

The government is attempting to criminalize the organizing of antiwar protests.

45 Years Later, Troubling Questions Remain About a Racially Motivated Murder

John Fleming, The Anniston Star. September 8, 2010.

The shotgun killing quickly faded from the front pages even though the circumstances, according to news reports, were disturbing.

Our Society Is Turning Into One Giant Prison

Tolu Olorunda, TruthOut.org. June 17, 2010.

We've gotten to a point where society is so unmanageable we must partition ourselves off from every feature of it.

5 Arizona Immigrant Women Tell of Terror, Civil Rights Violations

Valeria Fernandez, New America Media. June 13, 2010.

The Arizona women painted a picture of abuse during a special hearing before Congress.

In Arizona, Is Brown the New Gay?

Hans Johnson, AlterNet. May 13, 2010.

Arizona's new anti-immigrant law finds echos in the anti-gay laws of the past. It's time for immigration and LGBT activists to step up for each others' causes.

Health Reform Foes Scream N-Word at Civil Rights Icon

John Nichols, The Nation. March 21, 2010.

The man who led civil rights activists across the Edmund Pettis Bridge 45 years ago is greeted on Capitol Hill by Tea Party protesters with shouts of the N-word.

Will Obama's USDA Atone for Decades of Racism?

Kari Lydersen, AlterNet. March 18, 2010.

For decades, rampant racism blocked access to critical government farm loans for thousands of farmers. President Obama appears ready to change that.

Beyond Magical Thinking: How to Really Make Change Happen

Mark Rudd, CounterPunch. December 28, 2009.

Successful political movements do not spring fully formed. They require long-term, nuts-and-bolts organizing.