Truthdigger of the Week: Mychal Denzel Smith

BLANK Dec 7, 2014 When a grand jury declined to indict an NYPD officer in the death of Eric Garner, The Nation Institute fellow drove past the reservations, equivocations and micro-concerns that typify polite journalism and seized the message of the day. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

‘Criminals in the Uniform’ and the ‘Disposability of Black Life’

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 6, 2014 After a second night of massive protests in New York City against a grand jury's failure to indict NYPD officers in the death of Staten Island resident Eric Garner, "Democracy Now!" hosts an explosive roundtable discussion on police racism against black Americans. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

American Race and Education Disparities Begin in Preschool

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Mar 21, 2014 Black students are more likely to be suspended from American public schools than their white classmates, even as preschoolers, a new report has found. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Mandela: Hero Thwarted

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 9, 2013 The South African underclass Mandela inspired continues to suffer in every possible way: lower incomes, marginal educational opportunities, poor housing conditions and shorter life expectancies. Dig deeper ( 8 Min. Read )

Weaker Social Networks a Cause of Black Unemployment, Study Finds

Alexander Reed Kelly / Truthdig Dec 15, 2012 Fresh research has convinced scholars that even with progress in education, the black jobless rate in the United States remains twice that of whites because whites are typically better connected to people who can make introductions and are more likely to hear about job opportunities. Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Million Hoodie March: It’s About a ‘Right-or-Wrong Thing’

Marcia Alesan Dawkins / Truthdig Mar 23, 2012 In all, the Million Hoodie March was an on-the-ground call for an end and an online call for a new beginning. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Shades of Mercy: Presidential Forgiveness Heavily Favors Whites

Staff / Truthdig Dec 4, 2011 To avoid repeating a scandal like his predecessor’s, George W. Bush gave career lawyers in the Justice Department far-reaching authority to choose who got presidential pardons. The result: Whites are nearly four times as likely as minorities to win a pardon, even when the type of crime and severity of sentence are taken into account.Whites are nearly four times as likely as minorities to win a presidential pardon. Dig deeper ( 16 Min. Read )

Cornel West Recalls the Attica Prison Rebellion

Staff / Truthdig Sep 13, 2011 Princeton University professor Dr. Cornel West spoke to a crowd of almost 3,000 people at the Riverside Church in New York City on Friday during an evening of remembrance for another sort of 9/11. (more) Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

The Age of ‘Crimmigration’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 25, 2009 A new study by the Pew Hispanic Center reports that Latinos now constitute the largest single ethnic group in the U.S. federal prison system. The rising arrest and detention levels are driven largely by changes in immigration law that criminalize undocumented immigration, with nearly half of all Latino offenders jailed on immigration-related "crimes." Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

AMA Apologizes for Once Excluding Blacks

Staff / Truthdig Jul 11, 2008 The American Medical Association has finally apologized for once excluding black doctors from membership. The discriminatory policies ended in the 1960s, but it has taken almost 50 years for the group to formally apologize for its institutional racism. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )