Topic: Jim Crow Laws

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10 books to read after the election

Election season is finally almost over. Now it's time to actually tackle America's problems. Here are 10 books that offer context.

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Difference Maker He brought Christianity into the streets to promote civil rights

Episcopal priest Malcolm Boyd has taken the message of Christianity outside the walls of church to champion minority rights and show that God is everywhere.
Rand Paul: GOP faces long odds in connecting with black voters

Rand Paul, a potential 2016 presidential candidate, said in a speech at Howard University that the Republican party was rooted in the presidency of Abraham Lincoln and efforts to rid the South of oppressive Jim Crow laws.
Is Massachusetts more racist than Mississippi, as Chief Justice Roberts hints?

In deciding whether to strike down a portion of the Voting Rights Act, the Supreme Court is focusing on whether the South has redeemed its racist history. Massachusetts, though, has a quibble with Chief Justice Roberts.
Opinion To protect democracy, Supreme Court must fully uphold Voting Rights Act

Today, the Supreme Court will consider the constitutionality of Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act in the case Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder. After a year of politicians manipulating voting laws, the Court must uphold this protection and safeguard every American’s fundamental right to vote.
"The Double V" and "The Slaves' Gamble"

Two recent releases chronicle the contentious history of blacks in the US military.
Unanimous juries for criminal convictions? Supreme Court declines case.

The Supreme Court declines to take up a case challenging the right of states to permit non-unanimous verdicts. Critics say verdicts reached by divided juries violate the Sixth Amendment.
Opinion This is my black history

Personal stories are at the core of Black History Month. American's should honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., but should not forego the average stories in every African-American family in favor of the once-a-century events and leaders in our history.
KKK robes in class: Teacher who approved them won't be punished

The teacher who let two Las Vegas Academy students wear KKK robes in class during a US history demonstration will not be punished, said district officials and community members who showed support for the teacher during the investigation. They said the KKK robes in class caused no harm.
Voting Rights Act: Why many Southern states are glad of Supreme Court case

After minorities played a big role in reelecting President Obama, the US Supreme Court says it will take up the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the issue of federal oversight over voting in mostly Southern jurisdictions.
Supreme Court to rule on scope of federal powers in Voting Rights Act case

A landmark civil-rights-era law will come before the US Supreme Court later this year, when the justices will consider if Congress was out of bounds in renewing a part of the Voting Rights Act.
10 books to read after the election

Election season is finally almost over. Now it's time to actually tackle America's problems. Here are 10 books that offer context.
In blow to Romney, court says Ohio can’t restrict 'souls to the polls' voting by blacks

A federal appeals court says an Ohio decision to allow only military personnel three days of early voting is unconstitutional. It could help Obama and hurt Romney in a critical swing state.
Can GOP find votes in wreckage of Pennsylvania voter ID law?

A Pennsylvania judge on Tuesday reversed his earlier decision to let the state proceed with a tough new voter ID law in time for the 2012 election. The about-face could give the GOP some ammunition to rouse its base.
Judge bars Pennsylvania voter ID law until 2013 (+video)

It's expected that supporters of the state's voter ID law will appeal this decision to the Pennsylvania state Supreme Court.
State ID laws: 10 million Hispanic voters could be affected, study says

Some 23 states have or are considering laws to mandate voter IDs, toughen voting restrictions, or cull noncitizens from voter rolls. According to a new study, the laws could deter many eligible Hispanic voters.
Strom Thurmond's America

Strom Thurmond, the Senate's champion of segregation, endured long after the Dixiecrats were history.
Bad week for voter ID laws. Will Supreme Court weigh in before election?

In case after case, federal judges are siding with the Department of Justice’s claims that tougher state voting rules discriminate against the poor and minorities. But states vow to appeal to the Supreme Court, which has viewed voter ID laws favorably.
GOP convention wrap-up: The balloons fell. So how did Mitt Romney do?

At the GOP convention, Mitt Romney needed to unify and fire up his supporters and attract undecided voters. The coming weeks will show if any needed 'bounce' in the polls endures.
GOP convention winners and losers, from Condoleezza Rice to Clint Eastwood (+video)

It was a chaotic week in Tampa, Fla., as Mitt Romney accepted his party's nomination and hurricane Isaac crashed the party. From the major speeches to some trivial moments, we rate some of the winners and losers to come out of the 2012 GOP convention.
Chapter & Verse Conservative books are leaping off the shelves, says Amazon. Liberal titles, not so much.

According to a new heat map by Amazon, readers in 44 states prefer conservative 'red' books to liberal 'blue.'
Pennsylvania voter ID law: Key swing states tinker with Election 2012 rules

A Pennsylvania judge refused to block a state voter ID law Wednesday, but Pennsylvania is only one of the key swing states squabbling over rules for Election 2012.
Sherman Hemsley played the 'black Archie Bunker' of sitcom

Sherman Hemsley managed to make TV's George Jefferson – a money-driven, prejudiced, temperamental boor – an endearing character. Sherman Hemlsey passed on Tuesday in Texas.
Opinion Voter ID laws are inherently reasonable, not racist or Republican

Analogies between voter ID laws and Jim Crow poll taxes are absurd. That pockets of citizens lack ID is a compelling argument for active voter registration drives, not damning attempts to curb fraud. Ensuring the integrity of our electoral process ought not to be a partisan issue.
Opinion Supreme Court: After health care ruling, court must rule against affirmative action

Another blockbuster case will follow the Supreme Court ruling on the health care law known as Obamacare. Next term the court will hear Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin. The court should tell universities they must stop judging applicants by the color of their skin and national origin.
US and Florida escalate feud over state's purge of voter rolls

Florida on Monday sued the US to get access to a federal immigration and citizenship database, which it says will help it remove noncitizens from the voter rolls. The US is set to sue Florida to halt its purge.