racial equality

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In Quest for Racial Equality, This State Is No. 1

Hawaii tops WalletHub's rankings, with the District of Columbia coming in last

(Newser) - Martin Luther King Jr. Day is set for Monday, and in advance, WalletHub has taken a peek at which states have made the most advances in the quest for racial equality. The site looked at the racial integration and racial progress made in all 50 states and DC, using nearly...

This State Has Made the Most Racial Progress

Arizona takes the top spot in WalletHub ranking

(Newser) - Monday is the day we honor the late civil-rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., in a country still contending with racial discrimination and a deep divide regarding our nation's history on racism. WalletHub examines all 50 states and the District of Columbia to see which states are the most...

Jesuits Promise $100M for Slavery Reparations

Trust will benefit descendants of enslaved people, including those sold by Jesuits in 1838

(Newser) - The Catholic order of Jesuit priests has pledged to raise $100 million for descendants of the enslaved people it owned in what the New York Times reports is "one of the largest efforts by an institution to atone for slavery." The order relied on slave labor and sales...

NCAA to Mississippi: Change State Flag or Else

SEC may nix championship games in state over Confederate symbol

(Newser) - Mississippi is the only state in the nation to still feature the Confederate symbol, which consists of 13 stars and a blue cross, on its flag —and that hasn't escaped the NCAA's eye. Now, the college athletic organization's Southeastern Conference is warning the state that if...

America's 'Painful' Times Inspire One CEO to Take Action

Reed Hastings and wife Patty Quillin donate $120M

(Newser) - The top guy at Netflix and his wife just made a major donation to black colleges and say they hope others will do the same, NBC News reports. Company CEO Reed Hastings and Patty Quillin said Wednesday they're giving $120 million to two historically black colleges and the United...

After 130 Years, Aunt Jemima Is Getting an Overhaul

Aunt Jemima brand is changing logo, name to 'make progress toward racial equality'

(Newser) - For decades, supermarket shoppers have seen bottles of maple syrup represented by log cabins, matrons with aprons, and one especially controversial brand that's now getting an overhaul. Per NBC News , Quaker Oats, a subsidiary of PepsiCo, announced Wednesday it will completely change both the logo and name of its...

Workers Slam Starbucks' 'Hypocritical' Ban

Company won't let employees wear 'Black Lives Matter' clothing, accessories

(Newser) - Last week, Starbucks made its pinned tweet one with a timely message: "Black lives matter. We are committed to being a part of change." This week, per the Hill , some are calling the company's stance a disingenuous one in light of its recent enforcement of a dress...

Mayor Says He's 'Pro-Black,' but With a Caveat

NJ's Sal Bonaccorso takes heat for 'all the good black people that I know in my life' remark

(Newser) - A New Jersey mayor perhaps thought his words would smooth things over at an anti-discrimination rally over the weekend, but his speech just ended up earning him backlash. Mayor Sal Bonaccorso showed up at a gathering of between 50 to 100 people in Clark Township on Saturday, where he wasn'...

These States Have Made Most Racial Progress

Wyoming, Texas, and Georgia are the top 3

(Newser) - Black History Month is fast approaching, and while much progress has been made since Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, discrimination, segregation, and systemic racism still remain. WalletHub wanted to acknowledge the US states that have made strides in both current integration and racial...

Finally, White People Are Starting to Get It
Finally, White People
Are Starting to Get It
OPINION
Jul 17, 2013 1:55 PM CDT

Finally, White People Are Starting to Get It

In wake of Trayvon, there's a greater awareness of 'white privilege': Eric Liu

(Newser) - Remember the hoodies? After Trayvon Martin was killed, people of all races donned them to declare "I am Trayvon Martin." It was well-meaning but off base, writes Eric Liu at Time . The hoodie was irrelevant; it was only Trayvon's race that mattered. Now, in the aftermath of...

Record 40% of SAT Takers Now Minorities

(Newser) - Minority participation in the SAT is up to 40% in 2009, the highest level ever, the Washington Post reports. That's up 2 points since last year and a whopping 10 points since 1999. “More than ever, the SAT reflects the diversity of students in our nation's classrooms," says...

Firefighter Ruling Leaves Guidelines as Muddy as Ever

Employers likely to ditch written tests altogether to avoid discrimination suits

(Newser) - Yesterday's Supreme Court ruling in favor of a group of white firefighters looks likely to be a boon for employment lawyers instead of cities seeking clear guidance, experts tell the New York Times. The court's ruling makes it harder for employers to chuck out tests that overwhelmingly favor whites, and...

White Firefighters' Bias Claims Head to High Court

Conn. team complained after promotion test dumped

(Newser) - Hoping to become lieutenants, 77 New Haven firefighters took a promotion test—but when none of the 19 black firefighters qualified, the city jettisoned the results. Their hopes dashed, 17 white firefighters sued the city for racial discrimination, and the case is now set for the Supreme Court. It marks...

MLK's Dream Now a Reality: 69% of Blacks

Majority of blacks say King's vision fulfilled; whites more skeptical

(Newser) - More than two-thirds of African Americans believe that the goals set out in Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech have been met, a CNN poll finds. That number has doubled since last March, to 69% from 34%. Although whites seem to still think race relations have...

Rice 'Especially Proud' of Obama

Secretary of State 'especially proud' of Obama

(Newser) - Condoleezza Rice delivered emotional congratulations to Barack Obama today, saying that as an African American she is “especially proud” of his victory. The secretary of State called the Democrat an inspiration, the AP reports. “Americans are not going to be satisfied until they really do form that perfect...

The Civil War Ended Last Night; Time for Reconstruction

Already a historic prez, Obama can be great

(Newser) - The American Civil War finally ended last night, writes Thomas Friedman in the New York Times. The struggle that began at Bull Run was brought to a close when white America elected a black American president—the ‘Bradley effect” trumped by the “Buffett effect” of rich whites secretly...

An Obama Win Would Belong to LBJ
An Obama
Win Would Belong to LBJ
OPINION
Nov 4, 2008 12:02 PM CST

An Obama Win Would Belong to LBJ

Run is confirmation of slow change since Civil Rights Act

(Newser) - Unless the polls are wrong, the winner of today’s election is clear: Lyndon Baines Johnson. “We have lost the South for a generation,” Johnson said when he signed the Civil Rights Act. Well, “for that generation, time’s up,” Richard Cohen writes in the Washington ...

Glory Road Coach Haskins Dead at 78

Beloved icon broke race barriers in college ball

(Newser) - Don Haskins, the beloved coach famous for smashing racial barriers in college basketball during the 1960s, died yesterday at age 78, reports the El Paso Times. Haskins, one of the winningest coaches in the history of collegiate basketball, is best known for his groundbreaking decision to start five black players...

King's Church Rings With Praise
King's Church Rings With Praise
Jan 21, 2008 3:04 PM CST

King's Church Rings With Praise

Bill Clinton, Huckabee pay respects to civil rights leader

(Newser) - The Atlanta church where Martin Luther King Jr. preached his message of racial equality rang with praise today for the slain civil rights leader, reports the AP. Hundreds of notables, including Bill Clinton, Mike Huckabee, and Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, crammed into Ebenezer Baptist Church. "King's legacy gives light...

19 Stories