No matter where they might fall on the political spectrum, it seems like everyone's got something to say about the presidential candidates — and it's only August. And in the space of it — in no small part due to the tactics of some #BlackLivesMatter activists — people are talking about racial justice. Here's some of … Continue Reading ››
Tag Archives: blacklivesmatter
Crime, Punishment and the Black Community: the Untold Story of the Rockefeller Drug Laws
Next month marks the launch of Murphy Professor Michael Javen Fortner's eye-opening new book, Black Silent Majority: the Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Politics of Punishment. A controversial and important account of the role that some in the African-American community played in encouraging punitive policies during the 1970s, in particular the Rockefeller Drug … Continue Reading ››
News Roundup 7/31/15
July flies by, swirls of activity and here we are: the fight for fifteen changing the landscape for low-wage workers across the country, while the deaths of Sandra Bland and Samuel Dubose make it clear that #blacklivesmatter remains as pressing as ever.
- Greenpeace activists in Portland, Oregon suspended themselves from the St. John’s … Continue Reading ››
News Roundup 7/1/15
What a couple of weeks. Civil rights tragedies and victories, both. Marriage equality, a supreme court upholding of the Affordable Care Act, direct action against the confederate flag. In the wake of the South Carolina tragedy, we want to celebrate and mourn, both. And yet, we can’t help sense the march of progress moving inexorably … Continue Reading ››
White Allies, Challenging Racism
By Rebecca Lurie Sarah Jaffe's "Challenging Racism at Work" brought to mind for me all the ways white people can take the challenge. This short news item shares what happened when a white cop decided to stand up and #EndWhiteSilence. I applaud the stance and recognize that we all can do this every day. … Continue Reading ››
Challenging Racism at Work
This post was originally published in the Spring 2015 issue of New Labor Forum.
By Sarah Jaffe Cameron McLay became chief of police in Pittsburgh in September 2014, tasked by new mayor Bill Peduto with cleaning up the department, after its former chief wound up in federal prison for corruption. This put him in charge … Continue Reading ››
