Week of June 20th

papersBlack Americans now see race relations as nation’s most important problem

“After a year that saw national attention on long-simmering tensions between communities of color and police officers, 2014 closed with more Americans — both black and white — ranking race relations as the most pressing problem facing the nation.” – Washington Post

Obamacare 101: What if Supreme Court rules against federal subsidies? (+video)

“A ruling coming within the next two weeks from the US Supreme Court has the potential to unravel the law known as Obamacare – and to leave as many as 8 million or more Americans suddenly without insurance.” -Christian Science Monitor

papers7 Tupac Songs That Still Resonate With Black America Today

“Nearly 20 years since his death, Tupac Shakur’s legacy lives on in popular culture. After all, the rapper sold over 75 million records worldwide.” – Huffington Post

Rachel Dolezal Scandal Exposes Fractured Family

“The controversy swirling around Rachel Dolezal has made her the center of a raging racial debate, the butt of jokes on late-night talk shows, and an Internet meme — and it’s also put her fractured family under scrutiny.” – NBC News

papersBarbie Revamps Marketing Following Diverse Product Makeover

“Earlier this month, Mattel began rolling out the new Barbie Fashionistas line — a collection of 23 dolls that feature eight skin tones, 14 different facial sculpts, 18 eye colors, 22 hairstyles, and 23 hair colors and fashions.” – Advertising Age

AT&T just got hit with a $100 million fine after slowing down its ‘unlimited’ data

“The Federal Communications Commission slapped AT&T with a $100 million fine Wednesday, accusing the country’s second-largest cellular carrier of improperly slowing down Internet speeds for customers who had signed up for “unlimited” data plans.: – The Washington Post

papersHundreds march in Charleston, Columbia to take down Confederate flag

“Hundreds of protesters marched here and in South Carolina’s capital Columbia to protest the Confederate flag’s placement in front of the Capitol building.” – The Washington Post

Clinton backs stiffer gun laws after US church bloodbath 

“US Democratic presidential contender Hillary Clinton issued an impassioned call for gun control Saturday following a “senseless” church massacre that stunned the nation. ” – Asia One

papersRacist Manifesto Purportedly Written By Dylann Roof Surfaces Online

“A website surfaced on Saturday containing a possible trove of photos of Dylann Roof and a racist manifesto explaining why he allegedly targeted Charleston, South Carolina, in a shooting this week that killed nine African-Americans.” – Huffington Post

Utah baseball team cancels ‘Caucasian Heritage Night’

“A minor league baseball team in Utah has cancelled plans to host a “Caucasian Heritage Night” in August, according to the team’s website.” – BBC News

papersGreece Pledges New Proposal To Resolve Debt Crisis

“A Greek minister is hinting that Athens will bring a new plan to the table at an emergency European Union summit next week to keep the country from defaulting on its sovereign debt and exiting the Eurozone.” – NPR

Juneteenth: 150 Years Ago, Black America Got Its Own Independence Day

In 1865, enslaved Africans on Galveston Island, Texas, had been declared free two years earlier but didn’t know it. With the United States still divided over the institution of slavery and recovering after the Civil War, members of the Confederacy weren’t eager to spread the word.” – The Root

papers10 shot, 1 fatally at block party on Detroit’s west side

“Ten people were shot, one fatally at a block party on a basketball court at Webb and Dexter on Saturday night.” – Detroit Free Press

Ted Cruz Cracks Jokes On Gun Control Days After Charleston Shooting

“Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) dropped a few gun control jokes during his latest swing through Iowa, days after the shooting deaths of nine people in a Charleston, South Carolina, church.” – Huffington Post

Week of June 13th

banner 2Egypt Policeman Gets 15 Years Jail for Killing Female Protester

“An Egyptian court sentenced a police officer to 15 years in jail for fatally shooting a female political activist, whose death on the streets of Cairo was captured on video and provoked anger against police abuses.”

New York prison break: Dogs pick up escapees’ scent about mile from prison

“Investigators are looking at surveillance video from a gas station about a mile from the New York prison where two inmates escaped over the weekend, Clinton County District Attorney Andrew Wylie told CNN on Thursday night.”

Search Warrant Reveals Bloody Baseball Bat Found in Murder Mansion

“A bloody baseball bat was found at the mansion in Northwest D.C. where four people were brutally slain last month, a newly released search warrant reveals.”

banner 2McKinney, Tex., Police Officer Resigns Over Incident Caught on Video

“A police office in McKinney, Tex., who was seen on video pulling his gun on teenagers in swimsuits and shoving a young black girl’s face in the ground at a pool party has resigned, the police said Tuesday.”

Laverne Cox appears on Entertainment Weekly cover as Lady Liberty

“Laverne Cox is Lady Liberty.

The co-star of “Orange is the New Black” modeled the Statue of Liberty’s oxidized green crown and gown for Entertainment Weekly’s latest cover.”

Jobless Claims in U.S. Hold Below 300,000 for a 14th Week

“Applications for U.S. unemployment benefits remained below 300,000 for a 14th straight week, a sign of labor market strength that will help fuel U.S. growth.”

banner 2Kalief Browder, 1993–2015

Kalief Browder was a young man from New York who was imprisoned for 3 years with no trial or conviction.  After being release, he struggled to adjust back to normal.  This struggle was due to the inhumane conditions and treatments Browder suffered at the hands of Riker’s Island.

Rachel Dolezal Says She Will Address Furor Over Racial Identity On Monday

“Spokane NAACP leader Rachel Dolezal says she will speak about the furor over racial identity sparked after her parents said she has falsely portrayed herself as black for years, but she is actually white.”