Recently in Civil Rights Category

"The justice system let me down." ---- Nicole Paultre Bell.

I can't say that I am shocked. I wonder if holy hell is going to break loose. Read More...

Reference:

New York Post

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

"Simmie Williams Jr., 17, was attacked on the 1000 block of Sistrunk Boulevard by two young men who wore dark clothing and might live in the neighborhood, police said. Williams, who was wearing a dress and was known in the area by his first name or as "Chris" or "Beyonce," ... READ MORE

Because Williams was wearing a dress, the case is being investigated as a possible hate crime.

Today, radio talk show host Warren Ballentine had guests ad executive Ken Smikle, president and founder of Target Market News (Ken Smikle Info) and attorney David Honig, executive director of the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, discussing a new FCC ruling on “Non Urban Dictate” or "No Urban Dictate” (NUD), and "No Spanish Dictate.". Every black and Hispanic person, and anyone else who disapproves of this practice should take note of this issue.

As I understand it, Non Urban Dictate in the advertising business, occurs when a company indicates to advertisers it does not want to advertise with broadcasters or media, whose target audience is primarily urban (black and/or Latino). This practice is now against the law. This is a civil rights matter. I urge folks to check out the documents and follow the links in this post before arguing "companies have a right to advertise where they want." Sure they do, but what many are practicing (NUD) has been classified as discrimination.

What you can do as a consumer? Follow the jump!

Don't believe the hype.
This is a memo from the Department of Justice clarifying the Voting Rights Act:

U.S. Department of Justice
Civil Rights Division
Voting Section
Voting Rights Act Clarification

The Department of Justice has received numerous inquiries concerning a rumor that has been intermittently circulating around the nation for many months. According to this rumor, the Voting Rights Act will expire in 2007, and as a result African Americans are in danger of losing the right to vote in that year.

Photo Credit: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Thousands of people marched around the Justice Department in Washington today to protest hate crime issues. Next we need to march in our crime ridden neighborhoods against black on black crimes and low educational test scores. Hope that is on the agenda along with other issues in the near future.

For those who can't make it to Lousiana, wear the color Black on Thursday to show your unity.

The following link is to the website to get flyers, t-shirts, etc., if you plan on attending the march on Thursday. http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/dayofaction/

If you get an error message, try again later, as the site is probably inundated with heavy web traffic from information seekers. If you don't know much about the case, we posted an entry before, with video interviews from family members of those involved with the case. Just search our site or Google "Jena 6." There is ample information on the web.
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I don't think these 6 kids will ever get into any kind of fight again- in life. What a lesson. We do make mistakes, and hopefully many lessons will be learned.

We still continue to move backwards...should we be concerned or should we ignore this attention seeking behavior? Wonder if there were cameras near the scene.

MSNBC reports:

"Rope was found near University of Maryland building housing black groups

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - University of Maryland police on Monday were investigating as a possible hate crime what appeared to be a noose hanging in a tree near a building that houses several black campus groups.

The rope was found between the student union and the Nyumburu Cultural Center, where organizations that include the Black Faculty and Staff Association and the Black Explosion newspaper are based.

“We are starting out with the assumption that it was a hate crime,” campus police spokesman Paul Dillon said Monday."
READ MORE...

USA Today reports: “LONDON (AP) — Nelson Mandela paid tribute to the anti-apartheid struggle Wednesday as Britain unveiled a towering statue in his honor outside the Houses of Parliament, saying it symbolized the sacrifices made by all who fight oppression.

Speaking to thousands of supporters as African hymns echoed from the walls of Westminster Abbey, the 89-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner recalled the many brave men and women who joined the campaign to end apartheid in South Africa.

"The history of the struggle in South Africa is rich with the stories of heroes and heroines, some of them leaders, some of them followers. All of them deserve to be remembered," Mandela declared after Prime Minister Gordon Brown pulled away a rainbow-striped cloth covering the statue.

"Though this statue is of one man, it should in actual fact symbolize all those who have resisted oppression, especially in my country." " READ MORE…

Photo Credit: By Daniel Berehulak, Pool