Tag: civil rights

A few reflections on OccupyWallStreet, OccupyTogether & #OccupyNC

October 7, 2011 at 9:55 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

In the days leading up to September 17th, a couple of friends in New York City mentioned something vague about a plan for social justice activists taking action in the city. I didn’t think much of it at the time, or even on the 17th and 18th—I just kept working hard on the issues most pressing here in North Carolina. Then, time passed, the action continued, the weekend came, the numbers in New York City’s financial district swelled, and I saw those videos of peaceful protesters being kettled and pepper-sprayed on a sidewalk September 24th.

At that moment, something changed for me.

I had just witnessed first-hand the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s September 6th arrests of undocumented students and their supporters at an “Undocumented and Unafraid” Rally. At that point, I realized OccupyWallStreet might be related to my life in North Carolina, and I needed to understand more. Read More…

North Carolina gets an “F” in teaching civil rights

September 28, 2011 at 4:04 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

The folks at the Southern Poverty Law Center are out with a new report (the NYT has a story here) about how well America is doing in teaching its children about one of the seminal events in American history, the Civil Rights Movement.  

Sadly, most states do not fare well. This is from a release accompanying the report:

“The study compared the requirements in state standards to a body of knowledge that reflects what civil rights historians and educators consider core information about the civil rights movement. It found that: Read More…

The religious right’s bigoted message on marriage

August 9, 2011 at 1:34 pmCategory:Uncategorized

by

You have to love the zealots over that the religious right — sometimes the obliviousness they display is truly stunning.

A case in point: The most recent edition of the North Carolina Family Policy Council’s “Family North Carolina” magazine which includes the following consecutive stories: Read More…

New poll shows absurdity of anti-gay marriage laws

August 9, 2011 at 11:17 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

Public Policy Polling has an interesting poll out on Vermont that brings home once again how absurd the anti-gay marriage crusaders are (and will be viewed in a few decades when all of the states finally get around to making gay marriage a right). 

This is from the post:

“Gay marriage has been legal in Vermont for almost 2 years now and most voters in the state say it’s had no impact on their lives. 60% say it’s been a non factor for them personally to 22% who say it’d had a positive effect on them and 18% who say it’s had a negative one. Read More…

Progress in “ban the box” effort

August 8, 2011 at 11:48 amCategory:Uncategorized

by

Cumberland County is taking steps to join Durham County and a growing list of governmental bodies around the country that have “banned the box.” 

The “ban the box” campaign is, of course, a movement to convince employers of all kinds to alter their hiring practices so that questions about an applicant’s criminal record are not asked right up front on the initial job application. The concept is simple and sound: Read More…