Antiracism, Cultural Competency & Civil Rights

With more than 450 protests occurring in towns and cities of the United States and across three continents, some are calling this the biggest civil rights movement yet. Join us as we explore past civil rights movements in U.S. history, and what changes have occurred as a result.

Guest post from Nicholas Mignanelli, University of Miami   The “culture wars,” such as they are, have come to The Bluebook. Of course, The Bluebook is a cultural produ…

February is Black History Month, and the Muse Law Library is proud to present our celebration of Black achievement in the law. Here you will find the full collection of the 47 slides exhibited throughout the Library this month, each one documenting a different Black trailblazer or icon. The people featured here all displayed resounding courage and perseverance as they struggled against injustices and abuses at the hands of an oppressive, bigoted system. You will find lawyers and judges, writers and artists, and civil rights activists all connected by the common thread of a dedication to racial justice.

In a recently published piece in the Nation magazine, author and scholar Barbara Smith proposes a a comprehensive racial justice program even more sweeping than the Marshall Plan to combat white supremacy and resulting systemic racism. Smith talks to HMM correspondent Corinne Carey about her proposa

Michelle Singletary has an honest conversation about affirmative action. And, we take your questions about voting this year, starting with a listener in California.

A new five-part series about building a better school system, and what gets in the way. New episodes of “Nice White Parents” are available here, brought to you by Serial Productions and The New York Times.

Guardian columnist Nesrine Malik, The Intercept’s Murtaza Hussain, and historian Kathleen Belew are this week’s guests.

What can we learn from the writings of James Baldwin, a Civil Rights era thinker who, in exploring injustice, treated the whole person, body and soul, as subject?

A moment at last week's Senate Judiciary Hearing on policing reform underscored a persistent and common misunderstanding about the difference between personal and systemic racism. 

NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro speaks with Jay Caspian Kang and William Garcia-Medina on the complex issues surrounding race relations within Asian and Latino communities and movements for Black Lives.

Where do our minds live? A simple, scientific response would be to say our minds live in our brains. But Harvard psychologist Mahzarin Banaji says we should not think of our minds as being solitary.

Professor Dorothy Brown of Emory University became a "detective," searching for data on how the tax code impacts Black Americans.

America must unite together and speak out loudly against systemic racial injustice or "not have a country to unite in," Fox News political analyst Gianno Caldwell urged Friday.

In agro-industrial Watsonville, CA, English-language learners struggle with remote learning. It’s much easier for students in a nearby Bay Area suburb.

As mass protests against racism and police brutality continue, at least five men — four Black and one Latinx — have been found hanging in public across the U.S. in recent weeks. We speak with Jacqueline Olive, director of “Always in Season,” a documentary that examines the history of lynchings through the story of Lennon Lacy, an African American teenager who was found hanged from a swingset in 2014. “They deserve a full investigation,” Olive says of the recent hangings, “and given the context of this history … that we look at them more than three days, and then that they are looked at as a whole.”

In our extended interview with Stanford Psychology Professor Jennifer Eberhardt, she goes into detail about her investigation into how implicit bias impacts everything from hate crimes to microaggressions in the workplace, school and community, and what we can do about it. This is the topic of her new book, Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do. Eberhardt is a recipient of a 2014 MacArthur “genius” grant. Watch Part 1: https://youtu.be/-SLZwHhN9Z8

As avowed neo-Nazi James Alex Fields pleaded guilty Wednesday to 29 counts of hate crimes in a federal court for plowing his car into a crowd of anti-racist protesters in Charlottesville in August of 2017, we look at a new book that addresses the tragic event, as well as the rising number of race-based mass shootings, hate crimes and police shootings of unarmed men in the past several years. It also examines cases of discrimination against African Americans for simply sitting in coffee shops or trying to vacation in Airbnb-hosted homes. Professor Jennifer Eberhardt is the author of “Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do,” about how implicit bias impacts everything from hate crimes to microaggressions in the workplace, school and community, and what we can do about it. Eberhardt is a professor of psychology at Stanford and a recipient of a 2014 MacArthur “genius” grant.

University of Washington professor Dr. Robin DiAngelo reads from her book "White Fragility: Why It's So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism," explains the phenomenon, and discusses how white people can develop their capacity to engage more constructively across race. Speakers include: Misha Stone, Seattle Public Library Robin DiAngelo, PhD, Critical Racial & Social Justice Education

Featuring Hector Amaya, Ginna Green and Shannon Speed, this virtual roundtable was moderated by Repair director Beth Ribet, on 5-20-21. Co-sponsored by the UCLA American Indian Studies Center, the UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center, the Critical Race Studies Program at the UCLA School of Law, Ikar, Temple Beth Am, and Bend the Arc Jewish Action.

In a time of mourning and anger over the ongoing violence inflicted on Black communities by police in the US and the lack of accountability from national leadership, what is the path forward? Sharing urgent insights into this historic moment, Dr. Phillip Atiba Goff, Rashad Robinson, Dr. Bernice King and Anthony D. Romero discuss dismantling the systems of oppression and racism responsible for tragedies like the murders of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and far too many others -- and explore how the US can start to live up to its ideals. (This discussion, hosted by head of TED Chris Anderson and current affairs curator Whitney Pennington Rodgers, was recorded on June 3, 2020.)

Unconscious bias operates in subtle ways, but its effects are profound. Behind the racial disparities evident everywhere from the classroom to the courtroom to the boardroom lie implicit assumptions of which we often aren’t even aware. Prejudice forms a distorting lens that is both a cause and an effect of our unequal world, and working to overcome it means confronting our own patterns of thinking – what sorts of stereotypes have we internalised, and what harms do they cause? Drawing on scientific studies, investigative insights and personal experience, renowned psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt explores the far-reaching and devastating consequences of racial bias. Such bias is not an innate and inevitable evil, she argues, but a universal human problem to be addressed. By acknowledging sometimes uncomfortable truths about how we perceive the world and each other, we can make real progress towards racial justice. SUBSCRIBE to our channel! Follow the RSA on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSAEvents Like RSA Events on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rsaeventsofficial Listen to RSA podcasts: https://soundcloud.com/the_rsa See RSA Events behind the scenes: https://instagram.com/rsa_events/

For 11-year-old Marley Dias, the call to activism began with books. Frustrated by not seeing other Black girls as the main characters in the books in her school library, she decided to take action and make a change. The wildly successful social media project, #1000blackgirlbooks, Dias launched nearly a year ago with the help of her mother, hit a nerve—and has exceeded its goal of collecting and distributing 1,000 books. The sixth grader already knows that racism and other built-in barriers are “keeping kids like me from reaching our full potential.” Tackling racism, she says, begins with a conversation. In a new national video on institutional racism, Dias looks to educators across the country and asks: “Do you care enough to look closer, to talk to each other. To your students, to your communities?” And “To change the dialogue?”

PSA: EDUCATE YOURSELF ON SYSTEMATIC RACISM! With the Black Lives Matter movement growing across the country, many Americans still don't understand what systematic racism is. Systematic racism is when thousands of resumes are mailed to employers with identical information and black-sounding names are 50% less likely to get a call back. Systematic racism is when when black people are charged prices roughly $700 higher than white people when buying cars. Systematic racism is when black drivers are twice as likely to get pulled over by the police and black male teens are 21 times more likely to be killed by cops than their white counterparts. Systematic racism is when black people are incarcerated at nearly six times the rate of white people. The Black Lives Matter movement isn't just about lives. It's about education and opportunity for black lives. You can't say Black Lives Matter unless you sincerely want to dismantle all forms of systematic racism. And something is wrong when we continue to NOT do anything about it! This film "Racism Is Real - Systematic Racism Explained" should be required viewing for everyone. This film is systematic racism explained, but we need to TAKE ACTION. SIGN THE PLEDGE TO FIGHT RACISM http://www.bravenewfilms.org/racism Educators: use this film in your classroom! http://www.bravenewfilms.org/educators #BlackLivesMatter ABOUT BRAVE NEW FILMS Robert Greenwald and Brave New Films (BNF) are at the forefront of the fight to create a just America. Greenwald and BNF create free documentary films that inform the public, challenge corporate media, and motivate people to take action on social issues nationwide. Brave New Films’ investigative films have shined a light on the Trump administration, voter suppression, U.S. drone strikes, the prosecution of whistleblowers, and Wal Mart’s corporate practices. BNF's mission is to champion social justice issues by using a model of media, education, and grassroots volunteer involvement that inspires, empowers, motivates and teaches civic participation and makes a difference. #BraveNewFilms Wanna see more of BNF's free documentaries? SUBSCRIBE: http://bit.ly/BNF-YouTube SIGN UP for email updates: http://bravenewfilms.org/signup Set up a free screening or house party for any of our films free: http://www.bravenewfilms.org/screenings Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/BraveNewFilms Instagram: http://www.Instagram.com/BraveNewFilms Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BraveNewFilms DONATE: http://bit.ly/BNF-donate “Pandemic of Hate: Anti-Asian Racism During COVID-19” This documentary exposes how Trump’s bigotry is inciting violence against Asian-Americans and putting lives at risk. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtcBBqlRDW8&t=104s “Voting By Mail Is Patriotic: Trump Exposed” This documentary shines a light on Trump’s lies about voting by mail. Our military has been voting by mail safely and securely for 200 years! Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_g7Rn30e7s&t=35s “Suppressed: The Fight To Vote” This documentary takes a deep dive into how Brian Kemp STOLE the 2018 Georgia governor’s election through voter suppression. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03DGjnIkTdI&t=1458s “Trump Inc: Lining Their Pockets - White House For Sale” The documentary exposes Trump and his administration for profiting off the presidency. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgHrUAVraXg&t=112s “Sentencing Reform: Part 1 - The Power of Fear” This documentary investigates our racist criminal justice system and makes the case for why mass incarceration must come to an end. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29Fotznf9lc&t=11s

From PBS American Masters James Baldwin, "The Price of the Ticket" Unfortunately comments became derisive and certain viewers resorted to name calling. Very disappointing. Please enjoy the video anyhow.

As the Sikh community in Indianapolis and across the United States is in mourning after a gunman killed eight people at a FedEx facility last week, where four of the victims are Sikh, we speak with Simran Jeet Singh, scholar, activist and senior fellow for the Sikh Coalition, which is calling for a full investigation into the possibility of racial or ethnic hatred as a factor in the killings in Indianapolis. A majority of the workers at the warehouse are Sikh, and while authorities have not shared evidence Brandon Hole was targeting Sikh workers when he attacked the FedEx facility, police revealed Monday they previously found evidence that Hole had browsed white supremacist websites. The mass shooting took place as more than 15 states across the U.S., including Indiana, mark April as Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. “This community, in Indianapolis, all around the world, is really devastated,” says Singh. “Given the pattern of violence against Sikhs, we are demanding a full investigation into the possibility of bias and racism in this attack.”

A chilling look at post 9/11 America: a woman visited by the Secret Service because of her anti-war sign; a woman fired from her job for her car bumper sticker; a school classroom entered after midnight by police, who photographed the students' anti-war artwork. Rothschild, editor of The Progressive magazine, tells the civil liberty stories of ordinary Americans whose rights have been trampled on and reveals an America that is becoming less and less free.

"First published in 1961, and reissued in this sixtieth anniversary edition with a powerful new introduction by Cornel West, Frantz Fanon's The Wretched of the Earth is a masterful and timeless interrogation of race, colonialism, psychological trauma, and revolutionary struggle, and a continuing influence on movements from Black Lives Matter to decolonization. A landmark text for revolutionaries and activists, The Wretched of the Earth is an eternal touchstone for civil rights, anti-colonialism, psychiatric studies, and Black consciousness movements around the world. Alongside Cornel West's introduction, the book features critical essays by Jean-Paul Sartre and Homi K. Bhabha. This sixtieth anniversary edition of Fanon's most famous text stands proudly alongside such pillars of anti-colonialism and anti-racism as Edward Said's Orientalism and The Autobiography of Malcolm X"--

In 2014, award-winning journalist Reni Eddo-Lodge wrote on her blog about her frustration with the way that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren't affected by it. Her words hit a nerve. The post went viral and comments flooded in from others desperate to speak up about their own experiences. Galvanised, she decided to dig into the source of these feelings. Exploring issues from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race, Reni Eddo-Lodge has written a searing, illuminating, absolutely necessary examination of what it is to be a person of colour in Britain today --

"The classic, bestselling book on the psychology of racism-now fully revised and updated. Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see Black, White, and Latino youth clustered in their own groups. Is this self-segregation a problem to address or a coping strategy? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, argues that straight talk about our racial identities is essential if we are serious about enabling communication across racial and ethnic divides. These topics have only become more urgent as the national conversation about race is increasingly acrimonious. This fully revised edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of race in America. "An unusually sensitive work about the racial barriers that still divide us in so many areas of life."--Jonathan Kozol"--;"Walk into any racially mixed high school and you will see black youth seated together in the cafeteria. Of course, it's not just the black kids sitting together--the white, Latino, Asian Pacific, and, in some regions, American Indian youth are clustered in their own groups, too. The same phenomenon can be observed in college dining halls, faculty lounges, and corporate cafeterias. What is going on here? Is this self-segregation a problem we should try to fix, or a coping strategy we should support? How can we get past our reluctance to talk about racial issues to even discuss it? Beverly Daniel Tatum, a renowned authority on the psychology of racism, asserts that we do not know how to talk about our racial differences: Whites are afraid of using the wrong words and being perceived as "racist" while parents of color are afraid of exposing their children to painful racial realities too soon. Using real-life examples and the latest research, Tatum presents strong evidence that straight talk about our racial identities-whatever they may be-is essential if we are serious about facilitating communication across racial and ethnic divides. This remarkable book, infused with great wisdom and humanity, has already helped hundreds of thousands of readers figure out where to start. These topics have only become more urgent in recent years, as the national conversation about race has become increasingly acrimonious-and sometimes violent. This fully revised and updated edition is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand-and perhaps someday fix-the problem of segregation in America"--