First, I want to acknowledge what a grave and scary moment this is.  On Monday, a Supreme Court draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito, was leaked to the press, suggesting that a majority of justices are prepared to overrule Roe vs Wade, the Reproductive Rights Act.  If (and when) Roe vs Wade is overturned, […]

I am always a little cautious when writing on racism. As a white man who’s formative years were molded in the UK, a notable, one time colonial power, there should be a check on my “white ‘splaining.” But surely human beings are capable of empathizing with those whose ethnicity or country of origin differ from […]

Police pull over more than 50,000 drivers on a typical day, more than 20 million motorists every year. Yet the most common police interaction — the traffic stop — has not been tracked, at least not in any systematic way. The Open Policing Project has collected over 200 million records of traffic stop and search […]

We thought the battles over L.G.B.T. rights were to fading from the American political scene. The Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in 2015, and most Americans supported the decision. But in more than a dozen states, Republicans have recently passed laws restricting those rights. In the Senate, Republicans used Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation hearing to […]

In a 53-47 vote Ketanji was elevated the first Black woman to the pinnacle of the judicial branch as senators erupted in cheers. Three Republicans joined Democrats in supporting President Biden’s nominee. But no Black woman had the opportunity to vote for the barrier-breaking nominee: None is currently a member of the 100-person chamber, which […]

California’s Reparations Task Force prepares to answer the pivotal question of who should receive reparations for slavery. Questions underscore the complexity of California’s quest to become the first state in the nation to approve statewide reparations for slavery. State law directs the group to prioritize those who trace their lineage to African Americans enslaved in […]

Several racist slurs allegedly were directed at Black workers at Tesla’s California plant, according to a lawsuit filed against the company. A single mother was excited to land a job at Tesla. About three years in, she was fired, she said, after complaining that Black workers were frequently called the N-word on the assembly line. […]

If we think that here in the US LGBT rights are under attack note that queer refugees fleeing Ukraine fight to find allies for housing, medical care. For example, Edward Reese, a queer activist who works with Kyiv Pride, decided to flee Ukraine on March 8, he knew it was going to be a long […]

If we think that here in the US LGBT rights are under attack note that queer refugees fleeing Ukraine fight to find allies for housing, medical care. For example, Edward Reese, a queer activist who works with Kyiv Pride, decided to flee Ukraine on March 8, he knew it was going to be a long […]

Ketanji Brown Jackson is an eminent Judge is President Biden’s pick to replace Justice Stephen G. Breyer. And so, the backlash from the right has emerged, some subtle and not. If confirmed, Jackson would become the first Black woman to be a part of the land’s highest court. Some history is appropriate here. President Kennedy […]