Civil rights

Anti-immigrant protest

The Racist Roots of the GOP’s Favorite New Immigration Plan The Racist Roots of the GOP’s Favorite New Immigration Plan

Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the 14th Amendment, but Donald Trump and other candidates are keeping alive the idea that some Americans should not have equal rights at birt...

Aug 19, 2015 / Zoë Carpenter

Julian Bond

What Julian Bond Taught Me What Julian Bond Taught Me

Freedom movements don’t just happen, they are made—and not by charismatic leaders, but by everyday people possessing great courage.

Aug 17, 2015 / Jeanne Theoharis

Julian Bond

Honor Julian Bond’s Legacy by Protecting Voting Rights Honor Julian Bond’s Legacy by Protecting Voting Rights

The civil rights leader helped pass the Voting Rights Act and fought for voting rights over five decades.

Aug 17, 2015 / Ari Berman

Black Lives Matter protest

We Need Activists to Make Politicians Better We Need Activists to Make Politicians Better

A. Philip Randolph taught us that pressuring candidates and presidents is necessary—for them and for movements.

Aug 12, 2015 / John Nichols

Charleston March for Black Lives

What the Media Gets Wrong About the South What the Media Gets Wrong About the South

We have stopped listening to those who can bring progress to the South, in favor of using it as a scapegoat for the nation’s larger racial and economic woes.

Aug 11, 2015 / Chisolm Allenlundy

How the 2000 Election in Florida Led to a New Wave of Voter Disenfranchisement

How the 2000 Election in Florida Led to a New Wave of Voter Disenfranchisement How the 2000 Election in Florida Led to a New Wave of Voter Disenfranchisement

A botched voter purge prevented thousands from voting—and empowered a new generation of voting-rights critics.

Jul 28, 2015 / Feature / Ari Berman

Barack Obama

How Prison Reform Became a Presidential Priority How Prison Reform Became a Presidential Priority

Obama’s prison visit would have been unimaginable just a few years ago. But organizing and advocacy created a new consensus.

Jul 16, 2015 / Benjamin Todd Jealous

Students of color

Why 100 Black Intellectuals Rallied Behind This Professor Why 100 Black Intellectuals Rallied Behind This Professor

Many black intellectuals want and need to engage with an audience outside the ivory tower—but these public conversations leave them vulnerable to attack.

Jul 14, 2015 / Dani McClain

The ACLU Has a New Plan to Win on Criminal Justice Reform and LGBT Equality

The ACLU Has a New Plan to Win on Criminal Justice Reform and LGBT Equality The ACLU Has a New Plan to Win on Criminal Justice Reform and LGBT Equality

Take the fight directly to voters.

Jul 2, 2015 / Zoë Carpenter

July 2, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson Signs the Civil Rights Act

July 2, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson Signs the Civil Rights Act July 2, 1964: President Lyndon Johnson Signs the Civil Rights Act

"The legislation will provide a framework of achievable goals within which agitation, demonstrations and picketing will tend to take place."

Jul 2, 2015 / Richard Kreitner

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