civil rights

COMMENTARY
Two black and white photos of Benjamin Turner and Jeremiah Haralson and a sepia etching of James T. Rapier, the three Black congressmen elected from Alabama during Reconstruction.

What if Alabama had never taken anyone’s vote away?

BY: - October 16, 2023

There’s a chance — not a guarantee, but a better-than-average possibility — that two Black Alabamians will represent the state in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2025.  A federal court created two new congressional districts for the state, one with a Black Voting Age Population (BVAP) of 51.9% and one with a BVAP of […]

COMMENTARY
A group of men sitting around a drum and playing it.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day: Celebrating 1,000 cultures within the United States

BY: - October 9, 2023

Monday, Oct. 9, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day, replacing Columbus Day in many places. In 2019, Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a proclamation celebrating the day in the state. But what is it and why should anyone care? Indigenous Peoples’ Day began as a movement in 1992 to honor the more than 1,000 Indigenous cultures within […]

Joe Biden speaking to a crowd in the White House.

‘Hate will not prevail in America’: Biden marks 60 years since March on Washington

BY: - August 28, 2023

The U.S. still hasn’t met the goals of the Civil Rights Movement, President Joe Biden said Monday, the 60th anniversary of one of the movement’s most iconic events. Six decades to the day after the 1963 March on Washington, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech, Biden urged Americans not […]

A man in a black baseball cap and a blue shirt holds black and white photos in front of a statue of Martin Luther King, Jr.

This American Idol novelty singer was present for major civil rights events

BY: and - August 8, 2023

Nearly thirteen years ago, Larry Platt, dubbed the “General,” shook up the TV world, becoming an “American Idol” sensation at 64 years old with his song “Pants on the Ground,” but many do not know there is more to his story. Decades before his viral performance, Georgia’s most famous pants puller-upper championed a much different […]

A woman speaking in front of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Colorado designer does not have to make websites for same-sex couples, Supreme Court rules

BY: - June 30, 2023

Colorado cannot compel a website designer to create custom sites for same-sex couples, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in an opinion released Friday. The 6-3 ruling, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, came in 303 Creative v. Elenis. Plaintiff Lorie Smith argued the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act, which prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, violates her constitutional right […]

Joe Biden speaking at a podium

President Joe Biden to attend Selma event marking Bloody Sunday

BY: - February 28, 2023

President Joe Biden will attend the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee on Sunday, an event commemorating 1965’s Bloody Sunday, a key event in the civil rights movement. The White House said Biden would attend the ceremonies in a brief statement on Tuesday. It did not provide details. Biden would be the first president to attend the […]