civil rights
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that Louisiana lawmakers violated the Constitution by taking race into account when drawing a new majority-Black congressional district, further narrowing the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the conservative majority, said the law’s aims had been satisfied, citing increased Black voter registration and turnout since […]
Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Ron Carter will headline a special Juneteenth and Black Music Month celebration at the Hochstein School in Rochester this summer. The concert will serve as a fundraiser to support the development of the Minister Franklin D. Florence Civil Rights Heritage Park. Carter, who has performed on more than 2,200 recordings, is […]
A Houston police officer is under investigation after video obtained by a local news outlet allegedly shows Officer Ashley Gonzalez repeatedly using a racial slur to describe Black people and stating that she used the same word toward someone she was taking into custody. The Houston Police Department confirmed it is investigating the footage. The […]
The City of Rochester is appealing a recent court ruling that stripped the Rochester Police Accountability Board of its investigative powers. The appeal, filed in state court, seeks to reverse the decision that left the PAB with only the ability to exist as an entity and to make policy recommendations to the Rochester Police Department. […]
Source: WXXI News Published: March 23, 2026 New York’s Fourth Division Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that strips the Rochester Police Accountability Board of its investigative and disciplinary powers. The court agreed with a lower court ruling brought by the Rochester Police Locust Club union, finding that the PAB does not have the authority […]
Source: NPR Published: March 6, 2026 Following the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. in February 2026, NPR’s It’s Been a Minute examines what his passing means for the future of civil rights organizing in America. Jackson’s charismatic, movement-style leadership defined an era, including two groundbreaking presidential campaigns in the 1980s. Host Brittany Luse speaks […]
Thousands gathered in Selma, Alabama, to mark the 61st anniversary of Bloody Sunday with speeches, tributes, and a commemorative crossing of the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The 1965 attack on marchers helped lead to passage of the Voting Rights Act, and this year’s events included calls for continued action on voting access. Concerns were raised by […]
Source: NPR (via Ideastream)Published: Feb 19, 2026Link: https://www.ideastream.org/npr-news/2026-02-19/refugees-in-the-u-s-could-be-arrested-under-a-new-immigration-memo This NPR report explains a new immigration memo that could expand arrests of refugees, part of a broader policy shift narrowing legal pathways and re-reviewing prior admissions. Immigration enforcement changes ripple into workplaces, schools, and faith communities. It also underscores a core point for civic audiences: “legal […]
Source: BET NewsPublished: Feb 18, 2026Link: https://www.bet.com/article/qmx5jc/feds-probe-portlands-black-excellence-school-hub BET reports that the U.S. Department of Education opened a civil rights investigation into Portland Public Schools’ Center for Black Student Excellence, focusing on whether resources were restricted in ways that violate federal rules. This sits at the center of a national tension: targeted supports that address historic […]
Source: BET NewsPublished: Feb 12, 2026Link: https://www.bet.com/article/0tu4rv/photo-id-proof-of-citizenship-less-mail-voting-inside-the-save-america-act BET breaks down the SAVE America Act and explains why civil rights advocates warn it could create new barriers to voting. The article focuses on practical impacts: documentation requirements, limits that could reduce mail voting access, and how these changes could fall hardest on communities that already face […]
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