Racism

May 20, 2008 -- As John McCain tries to court minority voters today, a new report on Politico.com highlights how the Republican Party's "highly publicized" outreach over the last few years has lacked infrastructure and has yielded little results. The article focuses on candidate recruitment, noting that while Democrats have several candidates in "winnable House races who are either black or Hispanic," the GOP has none.

John McCain rally: Photo by james (CC)    » read more »

May 13, 2008 -- Reverend John Hagee today apologized for his offensive comments about Catholics. Despite spending a year courting Hagee's endorsement and refusing to distance himself from the controversial pastor, John McCain reportedly played no role in the apology. McCain has repeatedly refused to publicly denounce Hagee's discriminatory comments about women, African-Americans, America Muslims or LGBT Americans or renounce Hagee's endorsement.

John McCain in front of his campaign bus, the "Straight Talk Express": Photo by Howie Luvzus (CC)    » read more »

May 13, 2008 -- MILWAUKEE – Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle today issued an executive order directing his administration to take significant steps to reduce racial disparities in Wisconsin’s justice system. Governor Doyle called for swift action to implement specific recommendations presented by his Commission on Reducing Racial Disparities in the Wisconsin Justice System.    » read more »

May 11, 2008 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell has signed into law Senate Bill 604, An Act Concerning Hate Crimes, which strengthens state law by making it a crime to display a noose as a way of harassing or threatening someone.

“Connecticut simply will not tolerate bigotry or racism,” Governor Rell said. “Let this bill send that message loud and clear. Using a noose – a symbol of the racially motivated lynchings during the late 19th and first half of the 20th century – to intimidate anyone because of their race or any other characteristic is a repugnant and cowardly act. No one should be subject to that kind of treatment.    » read more »

April 4, 2008 -- Even as he quoted Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's words that "someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate and evil," John McCain's own campaign ran advertising on a website run by a Northern Virginia blogger "to sign up members for his anti-illegal-immigrant organization" [Washington Post, 4/4/08; John McCain remarks, 4/4/08]

McCain's campaign is running banner ads on the website www.bvbl.net, which includes posts blaming "illegal aliens" for the "real estate meltdown" and sensationalizes "illegal alien crime." The blog is credited with helping shape public opinion in Prince William County, Virginia, which has embraced policies to crack down on illegal immigration. [Washington Post, 4/4/08]    » read more »

February 13, 2008 -- TRENTON -- New Jersey Division on Civil Rights Director J. Frank Vespa-Papaleo announced today that the State has issued a Finding of Probable Cause against a husband and wife accused of agreeing to sell their South Jersey home and farm, then reneging and walking out of a scheduled real estate closing upon learning the buyers were African-American.    » read more »

President-Elect of Bar Group Testifies in Favor of House Legislation

WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 18, 2007 – Racial disparities still plague America and its legal system, and the federal government should study the lingering affects of slavery and institutional racism, an American Bar Association leader told Congress today.

ABA President-elect H. Thomas Wells Jr. cited substantial gaps in earning potential, health care, unemployment and incarceration rates, saying they are reminders that America still has work to do to eradicate racism and racial bias.    » read more »

(As Prepared for Delivery)

December 14, 2007 -- Mr. President, I rise to express my deep disappointment that the Congress is taking up the Conference Report on the Defense bill without the hate crimes provision. I commend Chairman Levin for his strong leadership in our efforts to have it included as part of this measure. Despite his efforts, and the strong support of Majority Leader Harry Reid, it’s an extraordinary missed opportunity that we are not able to send the hate crimes bill to the President before the end of the year.    » read more »

December 6, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) today released the following statement after House and Senate Conferees failed to include the Matthew Shepard Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act as an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Obama is an original cosponsor of the legislation, which would strengthen the federal government's ability to assist local authorities in the investigation and prosecution of crimes motivated by hate and which would provide additional funds to states to develop hate crime prevention programs.    » read more »

December 4, 2007 -- Connecticut Governor M. Jodi Rell today announced that she has contacted the offices of the Chief State’s Attorney, the Department of Public Safety and the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut to condemn a rash of recent incidents involving nooses and offer her Administration’s assistance in investigating and prosecuting the cases.    » read more »

November 30, 2007 -- AUGUSTA – Maine Governor John E. Baldacci and Joseph Perry, President of the Bangor Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today issued a joint statement regarding the recent threat against NAACP members. The threat from a single individual in the Bangor area has resulted in the cancelation of the community’s Kwanzaa celebration.

The joint statement follows.

“There is no place in Maine for this kind of hatred. We will not stand aside and allow intolerance to infiltrate our communities.    » read more »

November 26, 2007 -- "For more than three decades, Trent Lott has been an outstanding advocate in the United States Congress for the people of Mississippi. With service in the Republican leadership in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, he has skillfully advanced legislation and effectively championed key principles of our party, including low taxes and a strong national defense.    » read more »

October 16, 2007 -- As the four leading Republican presidential candidates prepare to appear at the Republican Jewish Coalition Forum tonight, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean called on them to denounce Ann Coulter's hateful rhetoric, and agree to stop attending events where Coulter is featured.    » read more »

- Jena Mayor Says His Words Were Twisted
- Audio Available at NPR.org

September 25, 2007, Washington, D.C. -- News & Notes with Farai Chideya elicits a response from Jena, LA, Mayor Murphy McMillan regarding his conversation with Richard Barrett, the general counsel for the Nationalist Movement in Learned, Miss.    » read more »

20 September 2007, Washington (By Ray McDonald) -- David Bowie has donated $10,000 to a legal defense fund for six African-American teens in the southern state of Louisiana. Known in the media as the "Jena Six," they are charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate in the small town of Jena.

The NAACP announced the British rock artist's donation to the Jena Six Legal Defense Fund as thousands of protestors prepared for a September 20 march on Jena.    » read more »