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Racial Justice, Equality, and Representation

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How Many People Were Arrested At Standing Rock? Protesters Still Remain

Following the expiration of a 2 p.m. deadline to leave the Dakota Access Pipeline protest camp or face arrest, many people seemingly chose the former option. According to Lt. Tom Iverson of the North Dakota Highway Patrol, 10 people were arrested at Standing Rock by Wednesday evening. The camp is now officially closed, though another estimated 25 to 50 people remain in the encampment.

The Oceti Sakowin camp has served as a gathering place and home for Dakota Access pipeline protesters for month
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Who Are The Missing D.C. Girls? They Need Your Attention Right Now

The internet was abuzz last week with reports about Washington, D.C.'s "missing girls" after an Instagram post last Thursday erroneously claimed that 14 girls of African American or Latina descent had disappeared in the nation's capital in 24 hours. The post was ultimately found to be inaccurate after D.C. police commented on the matter; however, girls going missing in D.C. is nonetheless a terrifying issue that deserves more attention nationwide.

While the "14 girls in one day" statistic cited
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A Black Mississippi Church Was Set On Fire & The Words Left Behind Are An Awful, Historic Tactic

On Tuesday night in Greenville, Mississippi, a Baptist church was set on fire and "Vote Trump" was emblazoned on the side in white paint in a predominantly African American community. This incident is an important and unfortunate reminder of the divisiveness and vitriol perpetrated by this election, a divisiveness which has justifiably made many people feel disenfranchised and fearful for their rights and lives.

The fire severely damaged the 111-year-old Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church in Gr
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Congress Will Hold A Reparations Hearing & The Timing Is Significant

On a powerful day of commemoration, the United States House of Representatives will hold a hearing on a topic that hasn't been addressed in this type of congressional forum since 2007. Congress will discuss slavery reparations on Juneteenth, hearing testimony from several experts as it explores the best ways to achieve "restorative justice" for African-Americans, the Associated Press reported.

The AP noted that the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberti
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Air Pollution Disproportionately Impacts Minorities, According To A Daunting New Study

A study published on Monday revealed some disconcerting information about the effects of pollution in the United States, the AP reported. Namely, this study found that air pollution disproportionately impacts minorities, even though they generally create less pollution than white people.

The study was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences — the official journal for the academy, the AP noted. NPR added that Jason Hill, an engineering professor at the University of Minn
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Are The March For Black Women & March For Racial Justice The Same? Their Missions Are Intertwined

On Sept. 30, two separate, but intertwined, marches will take place in the nation's capital of Washington, D.C. — the March For Racial Justice and the March For Black Women. The March for Black Women describes itself as its own independent march at the center of the March for Racial Justice, with both marches sending independent yet connected messages.

The March for Racial Justice describes its movement and upcoming march in great detail on its website. The site emphasizes the march's vision of
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These Charleena Lyles Petitions Are Just One Way To Protest Her Death

On Sunday afternoon, Charleena Lyles, a 30-year-old African American woman, was shot and killed in her Seattle apartment after she called 911 for help following an alleged attempted robbery. Many people have been outraged after the incident and have begun signing petitions to oppose Lyles' shooting death and the behavior of the police officers involved.

Lyles reportedly called Seattle police to her apartment on June 18 to report a burglary. According to police, though the standard protocol is t
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How To Find A March To Confront White Supremacy Near You

Beginning on Monday, a coalition of activists will commence a 10-day, 112-mile "March to Confront White Supremacy," which will begin in Charlottesville, Virginia, and end in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, Sept. 6. If you are interested in joining the march and you live in Virginia or the D.C. metro area, then you can easily join a march near you. Or, if you do not reside in Virginia or D.C., you can still play an important role by actively supporting the march.

The March to Confront White Supre
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What To Know About The D.C. Girls

Last week, the story of Washington, D.C.'s "missing girls" attracted a great deal of attention after an Instagram post claimed 14 girls had disappeared in the District in 24 hours. It was later established that this statement was not accurate, likely leading many to wonder whether the D.C. missing girls were a "hoax." While the specific claim that 14 girls of Latina and African-American descent went missing in 24 hours was indeed false, as confirmed by the D.C. Police Department, the fact remain
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Kelly Wright Accuses Fox News Of Racial Discrimination In A New Lawsuit

In another controversy for the embattled news network, Fox News' Kelly Wright is joining the discrimination lawsuit against it. Wright, who is African-American, alleged that he endured racial discrimination from executives at the network, where he has worked as an anchor since 2003. The network firmly denies the accusations.

On Tuesday via a spokesperson, Fox News strongly denied the claims made the class-action lawsuit as well as another related lawsuit:

The racial discrimination lawsuit agai
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The DAPL Victory Shows You Need To Be An Activist In 2017 & Beyond

Today's announcement that the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) will be stopped in favor of exploring alternate routes for completing the pipeline marks a substantial victory for Native American protesters and their allies after months of protesting against its construction. Enduring the harshest of conditions, their commitment in the face of adversity demonstrates the power of activism in rectifying injustices, and should serve as an example for all on how to stand strong and ad
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“Fire Bannon” Tweets Demand Trump Drops The Supposed Architect Of The Alt-Right

In the wake of this weekend's tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia, during which counter-protesters were hit by a speeding car, many people are now taking to Twitter to demand that Trump fires Steve Bannon, who has been criticized as the supposed "architect" of the alt-right. Twitter users, as well as civil rights leaders, have accused Bannon of perpetuating divisiveness and intolerance. Particularly in the wake of the bigotry-driven tragedy in Charlottesville, they are now calling upon Trump to
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Trump Slashed Federal Funding For Anti-White Supremacy Programs Months Ago

In the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy last weekend, you might be wondering what could have been done to prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, some programs that work to counter the white nationalism and violent extremism that contributed to tragedies, like Charlottesville, had their budgets slashed earlier this year. Indeed, Trump's administration decided to cut federal funds for programs that combat white nationalism. Instead, those funds could be going toward programs working to end I
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What Is The Rohingya Crisis? Myanmar's Muslim Ethnic Group Has Faced Persecution For Decades

As ethnic tensions continue to unfold in Myanmar, those less familiar with its background may want to know more about it. The plight of the Rohingya people in Myanmar has been making news lately — as well as the silence of Myanmar's Nobel Peace Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on the issue — but what exactly is the Rohingya Crisis, and how did it happen?

The Rohingya are a majority Muslim ethnic group who reside in Myanmar, a country which is predominately Buddhist. There are around 1.1. million Rohin
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U.S. Troops Think White Nationalism Is A Larger National Security Threat Than Syria, Iraq, & Afghanistan

A new poll conducted by the Military Times revealed that U.S. military troops rate white nationalism a bigger national security threat than Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan — and that one in four troops say that they have witnessed examples of white nationalism among their fellow service members.

The Military Times poll was conducted a week after a white supremacist rally and attack on counter protesters in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Aug. 12. The voluntary survey included 1,131 responses from ac
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Who Is Tom Brunell? Trump’s Census Pick Could Take Away Voting Power From Minorities In 2020

President Trump has chosen University of Texas Political Science professor Tom Brunell to effectively run the U.S. Census Bureau. If appointed, Brunell would take over leadership of the agency and, depending on the approach he chooses to take to the 2020 census, could negatively impact minority voters in future elections. Much concern about Brunell's potential appointment stems from the fact that he's indicated he believes minorities are over-counted in the census, and because he's advocated aga
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How To Talk About Trump's Offensive Tweets With Someone Who Doesn't See The Problem

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted to condemn a series of Trump's tweets as racist after he suggested certain Democratic congresswomen should "go back" to the countries their families immigrated from. Over 180 Republican representatives voted against the resolution, according to CNN, and surely they aren't the only Americans who continue to defend Trump's judgment. If you're discussing current events with someone who doesn't think Trump's "go back" comments were racist, there are sev
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The Harriet Tubman $20 Bill Release Might Come A Little Later Than You Expected

A redesigned $20 bill featuring an iconic American woman won't be in circulation anytime soon, the Treasury Department revealed on Wednesday, per CNBC. The agency's secretary indicated that the Harriet Tubman $20 bill won't be released in 2020, citing security and counterfeiting concerns as the reason for the delay, The Hill reported.

As CNBC noted, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin provided an update on the bill's release timeline — and insight into the impetus behind the delay — during a hear
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This One Statistic On Supreme Court Justices & Diversity Is Absolutely Jarring

Following over a week of anticipation, on Monday evening President Donald Trump announced his nominee to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. There has been much buzz about Trump's pick and, indeed, this statistic on Supreme Court justices puts Brett Kavanaugh's nomination into sobering perspective. The startling stat reveals just how few women and minorities have served on the Supreme Court over time — an issue certainly not aided by Kavanaugh's nomination.

CNN r
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Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum Could Officially Become Florida's First Black Governor

The state of Florida had a primary on Tuesday and one of its victors could end up making history. Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum could become Florida's first black governor should he secure victory in the general election in November. He will face Republican nominee Ron DeSantis in the state's gubernatorial race.

Gillum has been mayor of Tallahassee, Florida's capital, since 2014. As Vox described, he is a progressive candidate, advocating for a single payer health care system, a $15 minimum w
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Savanna's Act Would Address Violence Against Native American Women — But One Lawmaker's Stalling It

Tragically, Native American women face alarming levels of violence. Indeed, indigenous women have an estimated murder rate that is 10 times the national average, the Indian Law Resource Center noted. A federal bill, Savanna's Act, would address violence against Native American women by improving the federal government's response to related crimes. However, one lawmaker, Republican Representative Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, is reportedly preventing this bill from moving forward, according to HuffP
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University Of Alabama Honors Autherine Lucy Foster For Her Role In Desegregating The School

At the University of Alabama commencement ceremony last week, all eyes were on a trailblazing woman who made history once again. On Friday, Autherine Lucy Foster received an honorary doctorate from the school 63 years after she was prohibited from continuing to attend classes due to her race. Lucy Foster was the first-ever black student to attend the University of Alabama — and was removed from campus after just three days due to rioters threatening her safety and life.

The university awarded L
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This GoFundMe For Cyntoia Brown Will Help Her Build A New Life After Prison

On Aug. 7, a Tennessee woman will be released from prison after being convicted of killing a man who solicited her for sex when she was 16. Advocates have pushed for her release for years, and now, a GoFundMe for Cyntoia Brown is collecting donations to help her transition to life outside of prison. Brown is now 31 years old and her story continues to spark conversations about both criminal justice reform and child sex trafficking.

Brown's GoFundMe page is titled "Cyntoia Brown - Second Chance
Bustle •

Trump Slashed Federal Funding For Anti-White Supremacy Programs Months Ago

In the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy last weekend, you might be wondering what could have been done to prevent it from happening. Unfortunately, some programs that work to counter the white nationalism and violent extremism that contributed to tragedies, like Charlottesville, had their budgets slashed earlier this year. Indeed, Trump's administration decided to cut federal funds for programs that combat white nationalism. Instead, those funds could be going toward programs working to end I

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