Civil Rights
The American lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community is in a medical and political crisis. Prior to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, politics and widespread discrimination lead to significant disparities in LGBT medical rights and healthcare outcomes. These pre-existing LGBT healthcare disparities have since become exacerbated by the pandemic. Often overlooked in larger discussions about LGBT people and the pandemic
Trump's #PublicCharge rule is motivated by racism & intended to deny healthcare to vulnerable families. That's what Rep. Chu & leaders of the The Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, & CAPAC have told courts in a brief filed this week to stop the rule from going into effect. Below is the amicus brief that was submitted on behalf of the tri-caucus yesterday
I periodically get asked if I have a favorite verse in Scripture. A few do come to mind, including: Micah 6:8, II Corinthians 12:9, John 14:27, Hosea 6:6, Romans 12:21, and Romans 15:13. The reality, though, is that “favorite verses” are like favorite movie quotes. They’re great lines, but they don’t express why I love the work as a whole.
Last month, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin announced that the Treasury Department will not unveil a redesigned twenty-dollar bill replacing Andrew Jackson with Harriet Tubman on it while Trump still resides in the White House. Then, on June 14th, Alan Rappeport reported in The New York Times that “extensive work was well underway on a new $20 bill bearing the image
I imagine myself behind the eyes of a young boy, walking out of a store with my dad. Mom and my two siblings are out in the car waiting. There's a man by the car, yelling at Mom. Dad sees it, and stops it, shoving the bad man to the ground. I remember thinking he's just like the heroes I
WHY DO YOU NEED THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT? Share Your Story Today! #INeedERA “The #MeToo movement was such a powerful phenomenon because for far too long, women have not felt heard. It’s hard to empower women when they are not recognized as part of our Constitution. Now is the time for that to change and for the ERA to become part
For the few of us who have had the honor of being part of the U.S. military, we swear an oath to obey the orders of the officers above us and, ultimately, the President of the United States. We are citizen soldiers who serve those who elect the Leader of the Free World. During my time in the Army, from
WASHINGTON - On Wednesday, May 9th, an off-duty officer with the Metropolitan Police Department opened fire in northeast DC, killing 24-year-old D’Quan Young. Witnesses report that the officer “shot wildly, as children ran for their lives,” and that the officer reloaded his weapon and continued shooting after D’Quan Young was on the ground. This follows the May 4th killing of
I became an activist advocating for common sense gun legislation four years ago, at only 13 years of age, when Mike Brown was brutally murdered by a police officer in Ferguson, MO. He laid in the street for 4 hours until an ambulance picked up his body. That day opened my eyes to the true value of blacks in America
Immigrants are the backbone of our country. This country was literally built on the backs of African slaves. Slaves built railroads, presidential estates, Wall Street, the White House, and everything in between. I will make a distinction early on in this article, though: slaves were not immigrants. I am merely mentioning the work that the “Negro” did in America right
Black Lives Matter didn't happen in a vacuum, and it didn't happen solely because Michael Brown was shot and killed. Or Trayvon. Or Philando. Or Stephon. Or when they killed Sandra. Or broke Freddy’s neck. Or solely because of any of the unarmed, untried black Americans who have been killed by law enforcement since the genesis of Black Lives Matter
200,000 People Could Be Forced Out of the Country by Trump Action SAN FRANCISCO - Nine people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and five United States citizen children of TPS holders today filed a lawsuit against the federal government to stop the unlawful termination of TPS for more than 200,000 people living in the U.S. and to protect the tens
Today, PatriotNotPartisan welcomes Steven Salaita for a conversation with contributing Editor Dr. Keith Pochick. Steven Salaita was born in Bluefield, a town which straddles the Virginia-West Virginia border in the middle of Appalachia. A former professor of English and American Studies, he is now a full-time writer, contributing essays and opinion pieces to various publications. He is the author of
We, the undersigned, are writing to express that there can be no real accountability for the Metropolitan Police Department within the existing structures. While the March 1, 2018 departmental oversight hearing for MPD offers an opportunity to address some of our concerns it is not an adequate venue for their full consideration. We are demanding that the D.C. Council hold a
#LauraMonterrosa spoke out about sexual abuse and ICE put her in solitary confinement to cover up what happened. Take action right now by signing the petition and making a call! #EndDetention #MeToo #EllaHabla SIGN THE PETITION NOW On Wednesday, Feb. 14, a group of about 50 people gathered outside the T. Don Hutto Residential Center in Taylor, Texas, to protest
What do you want to be when you grow up? This question was asked several times when you were a child. So many kids wanted to be an astronaut, a firefighter, basketball player, singer. I myself wanted to be a doctor dancer, yes, I was an overachiever trying to tackle two professions in one. When we finally did grow up
"The New York Times recently released a list of all people, places, and things that President Donald Trump insulted in the last year over Twitter. The list consists of 425 people, places, and things. The lists includes names like Hillary Clinton, Ted Cruz, and Steven Bannon. Even most mainstream news networks, such as ABC, CNN, and the New York Times - all
“What's happening to Mrs. Fisher and her family is the latest in a line of women of color having their pregnancies and specifically pregnancy loss criminalized." The details of the allegations against Fisher have not been made public. However, the case hearkens back to similar instances when women have been criminally charged for pregnancy outcomes. A Mississippi woman is facing
In December, I had the opportunity to see one of my musical idols, Jay-Z, at the United Center in Chicago. I am astounded by what he has done for the community and for music in general. With the assistance of one of my best friends, I lucked out and landed 10th row seats. It was an amazing night that I
Below is a letter I sent this week to both of my Republican Senators. I have yet to receive a reply. I welcome everyone who wishes to use any or all of my words to fashion a letter of their own. The branches of government were designed to be separate and equal. They are currently neither. Our Founding Fathers would
On January 20, 2017 millions of people (mostly women) marched in protest. There were hundreds of peaceful, organized marches across the globe. By the numbers, it was the largest day of protest ever. EVER! Bigger than civil rights marches, bigger than anti-war marches, bigger than anything that came before. By January 22, the media had moved on. On January 20,
On January 18, 2018, the Trump administration announced the formation of a new division of the Department of Health and Human Services, entitled the Conscience and Religious Freedom Division. The new Division, which will be part of the Office of Civil Rights, is designed to protect healthcare professionals who refuse to offer birth control or abortion based on their religious
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Every time I see a police vehicle, my heart drops and I immediately fear for my life because I have been the victim of unwarranted physical assault by police officers (as detailed in my article “Ungrateful is the new Uppity”). Many men and women with darker skin can relate to this feeling. There have been many articles on both sides
DACA was shut down on September 5, 2017, and USCIS has not accepted any renewal applications since October 5, 2017. On January 9, 2018 a federal judge ordered USCIS to resume accepting DACA renewal applications. WHO CAN FILE Any person who meets all the DACA requirements, and has held DACA at some point in the past may now prepare a
It did not begin in Charlottesville, but did not end there, either. In August, 2017, self-described White nationalists marched in Charlottesville, Virginia, carrying Tiki torches and swastikas, chanting “Jews will not replace us”, and “blood and soil”. Any student of history knows from whence these phrases came. Our country fought a war to defeat this very ideology, and here it
Alyssa Milano talks about her political activism, including her recent participation in a rally to urge passage of the Dream Act.
You’ve heard the statistics: 40% of women are the primary breadwinners of their home, if women got paid equally as men the US economy would double, etc. These statistics are irrelevant. Women don’t deserve equal opportunity because “it’s good for our economy” or “good for their children” or “good for their family.” A woman’s value isn’t dependent on her relationship
Jonathan Swift famously said, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” I am Jewish, as are both my parents, and as were my four grandparents. They instilled in me the concepts of Tzedukah, (charity) and Mitzvot (good deeds). As with Christianity, I was taught the Golden Rules: do unto
Anita Hill named Commission Chair LOS ANGELES – December 15, 2017 – Following widespread revelations of pervasive sexual harassment and assault in the media and entertainment industries, executives, independent experts and advisors have come together in a unanimous effort to tackle the broad culture of abuse and power disparity by forming and funding the Commission on Sexual Harassment and
The abhorrent and beyond reprehensible slavery that is taking place in Libya speaks to the current times. While America has outlawed the deed almost 200 years ago, African American men in America inadvertently pose as a cultural threat and yet are the most perpetrated against. A black man anywhere is less than an inch away from discrimination, incarceration, and even
When Dave Roberts (the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers) and I played baseball at Ucla, one of the many amazing experiences we had was to have Coach Wooden come speak to us and share his incredible philosophy of life with the team. Coach Wooden, for those of you who don't know, was the winningest coach in college basketball history
My wife and I used to swap cars a lot. We had two, but only one was big enough to cart the kids around, so the other became the “work car” and whoever had a shift that day would use it. This meant putting up with a lot of adjustments before getting on the road – seats, three mirrors, the
What does this mean? On 24 Sept Trump announced the third version of his travel ban, EO-3, affecting nationals of 8 countries. Part of it went into effect that day, but was to be fully effective on 18 Oct. This ban was swiftly challenged in court, both in Hawai'i and Maryland, and both courts agreed that an injunction (an order
“Uppity” was used primarily in the south during the civil rights movement as a derogatory term towards black Americans who “did not know their place.” In America, many believe there is a certain manner of behavior that black people should follow. Where should black people live? Dilapidated communities, with houses run by single mothers, with a high per capita of
Women are sponges. Women are dynamic beings. Frankly, we're all dynamic beings. Most of us are, anyway. I believe complexity and the ability to love is what wedges us from the animals. Women, though, are exceptional. Equipped with caution and foreboding, they are usually in sync with any and everything around them. Vigilant of the late-night straggler coming out of
Contributing Editor: Jamie Domnick Twitter: @JNick9456 Instagram:JNick9456 Currently a student at the University of Wisconsin--Green Bay; double majoring in Democracy & Justice Studies, and History. At the beginning of my college career, I intended to major in Art and then perhaps teach the subject. However, as I continued to take various classes, I soon discovered my passion for equality and
Recently, I tweeted this: I was a Military Police K-9 handler. I reject police brutality & support peaceful protest.#TakeTheKnee #VeteransForKaepernick pic.twitter.com/ILB3YRkGi0 - Jon@ScratchPolitics (@ScratchPolitics) September 25, 2017 I have more to say about it than a tweet will allow. Here goes. I served in the Army from the ages of 18 to 22, but, despite being on active duty during
President Donald J. Trump stands interpreted by many individuals as the culprit responsible for the upsurge in recent racist and bigoted views and marches against minorities. His failure to properly demonize white supremacists, pardoning Joe Arpaio, and banning trans people certainly adds ammo to the machine gun. Whether through Trump's rowdy tweets or statements or controversial policies, the reality stands
Inspired by The Abolition of White Democracy, have we as a society carried negative attitudes regarding race to present day? Considering mass incarceration and inequality with opportunity for minorities in the United States, it has been suggested that racial stereotypes and a sense of privilege with 'whiteness' have been carried forward. Oppression, inequality, and injustice linger as equality and civil
While watching all the protests during the NFL games this weekend, I felt an emotion that I'm sure is shared by many; I felt frustrated. I watched the players kneel, watched the owners and commentators support them or choose not to, and as I did, I felt an almost overwhelming urge to bang my head into my desk until sweet
On August 15th, in a press conference at Trump Tower, president Trump successfully retconned the media into focusing on confederate statues, instead of the Nazis marching in the streets. As the country's attention turns to the signs of the confederacy in their cities, those of us in the peach state may be turning to stone mountain. As a native Georgian,
Growing up an Army brat, I was around all different types of people; I never saw color. All I heard was how great New York City was and how we want to live out "The American Dream." I didn't know if they were referring to Dusty Rhodes or talking about me being a big action movie star. I always wanted
Terms like "white supremacy," "neo-Nazism" and "white separatism" were once relegated to the history books. Now empowered by a President they claim as their own, the white nationalist movement has successfully pushed those terms into the mainstream. They are so common in the American lexicon that the AP Stylebook - the writing handbook and style guide for media professionals -
Although horrendous, the tragedy in Charlottesville served as the catalyst for simultaneously exposing and standing against racism in all forms; it furiously united most Americans together. The tragedy in that town enlightened the minds of most Americans and with that, came the rapid demand for all racially insensitive objects relating to the civil war to be treated as they are:
From the Margins to the Center Our modern world is organized through a complex matrix of oppressive mechanisms, which we know commonly as Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality, Ability, etc. To better understand a dynamic of oppression, you have to be able to track the power: Who has more, who has less, and how is it being wielded/fought for/protected/dismantled and so
It has been said many times that the person you are in the face of adversity is your true character. The current times are proving to be difficult for immigrants, Muslims, women, and the LGBT community. As many of us are finding ourselves under attack from the Trump administration, we have to lean on our legal system for answers. The
During my sophomore year of high school, I was raped by a classmate and spent the remainder of the school year walking past him in the halls and dodging him in the cafeteria. In hindsight, I don't know what was more traumatizing: the act itself or seeing his face every day for months afterwards. Either way, it's not something I
Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of #DACA on September 5. DACA was never more than a band-aid. It's time to start talking about a cure. I preface this by saying don't let up advocacy and working with allies on the ground, and in the halls of Congress. Ultimately we need our leaders to act. But as a lawyer,
I've always loved Spider-Man. I mean, what's not to love? He's strong, brave, selfless, and he's got one of the cooler superhero outfits ever created. But my favorite part about Spider-Man isn't the webs or the wall crawling, or the sweet super-villains. It's Ben Parker; good old Uncle Ben. He's been my hero from the start because he has the
Today, participants in the 118-mile-long March to Confront White Supremacy made a previously unscheduled stop at the Loudon County office of Representative Barbara Comstock to demand that Rep. Comstock publicly oppose the end of DACA, the deferred action program for immigrants who came to the United States, and to Section 287(g), which deputizes local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal
Diego watched his teenage brother murdered with a machete in Honduras when he was 12-years-old. Their father belonged to the wrong political faction in the Central American nation and his son died at the hands of a police sponsored 'death squad' that roamed Honduras in the early 2000s. Diego hid with his mother's family in a small village after the
Day after day, we are bombarded by reports of more and more ties between Russia and Donald Trump and his cabal. It seems that EVERYONE on Team Trump "coincidentally" has ties to Russia, whether it's Trump "consigliere" Michael Cohen's negotiations for Trump Tower Moscow during the campaign, Paul Manafort's spider web of connections with Kremlin-linked oligarchs and mobsters, Donald Trump,
800,000. Eight hundred thousand fellow humans and young adults, living the American dream just as you and I. Eight hundred thousand immigrants who came here illegally as children, but not through their own action. Who were brought over America's borders by their parents at a young age. They did not deliberately defy our laws. They did not try to pull
This weekend we suffered a tragedy in Charlottesville with KKK and American White Supremacists walking under a Nazi flag. The tragedy though was repeated when InfoWars went on the race baiting offensive claiming Jewish actors were part of the protest to make it look like Nazis were in Charlottesville. (InfoWars Video) The presence of David Duke confirms what we already
On August 12, five white supremacists were photographed and recorded on video beating 20-year old Deandre Harris in the midst of protests and counter protests regarding a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the racist ideology behind this icon. Harris wrote on his GoFundMe page, "No law enforcement stepped in to help me. Once I was dragged off
Men make up 80% of congress, which means they have the majority vote on issues that directly affect women. This EPIC high school teacher is on a mission to show his male students what it feels like for the women in congress who don't have an equal say on policies that specifically affect females. In a vote about school policies,
When I was growing up, our neighbor had an above-ground swimming pool, a rarity in the tiny backyards of the homes on the Southside of Chicago. We could see the pool from our kitchen window. I often played with the kids who lived in that house and considered them friends. But come summertime, they naturally spent their days in the
In the wake of Saturday's white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va., Donald Trump offered watered-down criticisms of his neo-Nazi supporters. Facing a violent hate-inspired crisis and a vile act of domestic terrorism, Americans expected at least a modicum of compassion and strength from Trump in response. Trump's reluctance to speak out against his racist brethren prompted a forceful national reaction
Well, that was embarrassing. For one night, Donald Trump succeeded in getting the Washington pundits to forget that he refused to stop equivocating on and coddling Nazis and white supremacists. All he had to do is essentially say nothing about Afghanistan. Let's be clear, that's what Trump's speech was. It was the Seinfeld of war speeches - a speech about
The conversation we are all having. Contributing Editor: mollyelwood
I saw an interesting new stat this morning. According to an NPR/PBS/Marist poll, 62 percent of Americans want confederate statues to remain due to their historical significance, while only 27 percent want them removed. To explain why I find this particular poll interesting, I first have to let you into my world a bit. I consider myself a rhetorician, a
The recent violence in Charlottesville, VA has many of us upset, hurt, confused and not sure where to turn to. We want to help, but it can be overwhelming. We may feel defeated and disheartened. We may feel like giving up, but we can't. We have to keep fighting for people like Heather Heyer and Deandre Harris and all the
She's nine. And brilliant. It's not so much my job to guide her as it is to get out of her way, though there are times when I'm of use. Sometimes she needs me to interpret the parts of the world that don't make sense to her. After watching inauguration day, she's confused. What do I tell her? She's special,
It seems that every year another educational prophet or academic messiah comes along with the solution to all of our education and public school woes that we are supposedly facing in America. With policy after policy, then the same policy again, it is obvious that, if there are any failures in the school systems, they are not from the teachers
What began as a march of irrelevant, underemployed white men with statue-issues escalated into a national tragedy on the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia last Saturday. It caused the death of American patriot Heather Heyer and, if justice exists, it will also bring about the death of the alt-right movement and the hate it spreads. But for all the fiery messages
I'm a left-leaning immigrant who has recently graduated from UC Berkeley. And, to the surprise of many, I now live harmoniously with a Trump supporter. I know; everyone makes that face when I tell them. But it's actually not as heart wrenching as you may imagine. For either of us. In fact, there's been some really eye opening and faith-in-humanity-restoring
On Saturday, the United States and the world witnessed the latest consequence of Donald Trump inspired hatred in America. Self-proclaimed "alt-right" white supremacists descended on the small college town of Charlottesville, Va. to protest the removal of a statue of Civil War general Robert E. Lee. Following a morning of clashes and violence at the Unite the Right event, a
I firmly believe my use of "fuck" in my everyday life and on the internet pretty much ends all chances of my ideas and opinions being spread across the country, but they are my opinions none the less and any chance I get I will speak up! I am disheartened by the results of the 2016 election. I sat in my
In just a couple of days, I will be marrying the woman I have waited for my entire life. There has never been a more important day in my life, and there will likely never be another. Not since the day I was born, and not until the minute that I draw my very last breath. Just 3 years ago,
What do you have to lose? That was the question Donald Trump posed to Black voters on the campaign trail. Well, the answer is clear: educational opportunity. Reports have circulated that the Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice is preparing to investigate and file suit against colleges and universities that use race-conscious admissions programs, on the
My name is Laila Ireland. I am transgender, a woman, a person of color, and a retired 12-year Army veteran. In December 2003, I joined the military right after 9/11 happened. I joined because I come from a long bloodline of people whom have served in the military. My father and grandfather, and even my great grandfather. Though the military
Last week’s tweets from President Trump stating that transgender people will not be allowed to join the military, and those currently serving will be administratively separated, shocked me. As a transgender veteran currently working in advocacy for transgender service members, I have spent the past five years of my life lobbying to ensure they can serve while bringing their full selves to
We seem to be running out of Donald Trump jokes and I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing. I’ve heard all the one-liners, read the essays and watched the impersonations. And tonight, I gave it a good shot. But, the truth is, I’ve been scratching my head trying to think of an opening line to an open wound. I
Racism in the United States, patriotism, and the United States Military
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