Civil Rights
The NYPD Officer Accused of Choking Eric Garner Will Not Be Charged With Civil Rights Violations
The decision came one day before the fifth anniversary of Garner's death and the deadline for the federal government to file charges against the officer.
Facebook's Promise to Moderate Comes Up Short in Private Groups
Dozens of hateful posts in a secret Facebook group for current and former Border Patrol agents raise questions about how well if at all the company is policing disturbing postings and comments made outside of public view.
Strict Voter ID Laws Threaten the Franchise of Trans Americans
After North Carolina passed strict voter ID laws, trans activists in the state successfully advocated to reduce the DMV requirements for changing gender on an ID.
Immigrant Domestic Violence Survivors Are Afraid to Go to Law Enforcement Under Trump
Trump-era developments in policy and enforcement have discouraged immigrant survivors of abuse from seeking justice, a new survey finds.
Instagram Images Exposed Ongoing Problems at One Georgia Jail
Inmates held in the DeKalb County Jail have been railing against conditions there. A social media post has brought attention to their pleas.
Punitive State Laws Are Outing Trans People With Felony Convictions
In Illinois and Wisconsin, laws restricting post-incarceration name changes are leaving trans people with government IDs that don't align with their gender identities.
ICE Faces Legal Challenges to Arresting Immigrants at Courthouses and Immigration Proceedings
Civil rights advocates argue such arrests dissuade immigrants from seeking the protection of the law.
Subsidies Meant for Low-Income Communities Are Paying for Luxury Developments
Tax increment financing, originally meant to spur development of "blighted" neighborhoods, is now being redistributed upwards.
Viewfinder: Visiting the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C.
People visit the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, D.C., for Martin Luther King Day on January 21st, 2019.
Baldwin, Nicholas, Ransby: We Put Together a List of Authors to Read This MLK Day
Pacific Standard asked civil rights experts to share their picks of the most essential literature on the movement.
Immigration Advocates Raise Concerns Over San Diego's Compliance With California Truth Act
The law allows people in local jails to refuse interview requests from ICE, but, in San Diego County, a surprising number of people agreed to an interview.
A Federal Judge Rules in Favor of Activists Who Covertly Record Police Interactions
The ruling is an important step forward for the First Amendment's "right to record," which has become increasingly valuable at a time when images of police brutality often go viral.
Jeff Sessions' Last Act: Preventing the DOJ From Investigating Discriminatory Police Departments
Before leaving office, Sessions signed an order to ensure that the Department of Justice disengaged from its role in investigating and reforming police departments that repeatedly violate citizens' civil rights.
Civil Rights Protests in the 1960s Changed Attitudes and Voting Patterns
New research presents evidence of the long-term impact of direct action.
The Impressive Potency of Political Protests
New research finds high-profile demonstrations can have a major impact on congressional races.
Aretha Franklin Wasn't Just the Queen Of Soul—She Was Also the Godmother of the Protest Song
Franklin didn't set out to make a mark on the anti-war movement, but she did so anyway.
A Federal Court Rules That U.S. Constitutional Protections Apply to a Mexican Teen Shot by Border Patrol
In a potentially landmark decision, a circuit court judge ruled that the Fourth Amendment should protect Elena Rodriguez, who was a Mexican national killed on Mexican soil.
Jury Appears Deadlocked on Fate of Trump Inauguration Protesters
A Washington, D.C., jury appears deadlocked in the cases of three people facing felony charges for destruction of property during protests on President Donald Trump's inauguration day.
New York City's History of Revolt
In his new book Don Mitchell, an emeritus professor of geography at Syracuse University, uses a unique lens to chronicle New York City through the centuries: its protests.
Felony Charges Against Seven Anti-Trump Protesters Are Dismissed
On Thursday, chastened prosecutors dropped felony charges that seven anti-Trump protesters were facing for their involvement in the #DisruptJ20 march on Inauguration Day 2017.
A County Sheriff Election in North Carolina Sheds Light on a Controversial ICE Policy
The winner has vowed to discontinue a program that allows local sheriffs' offices to function as satellite immigration detention centers.
The Department of Education Puts the Brakes on a Texas Schools Civil Rights Investigation
Betsy Devos is leading a movement to roll back the initiatives used by the Obama administration to reduce racial discrimination in school punishments.
Taking Freedom: School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson
On racial segregation in American schools, using the example of St. Louis, Missouri, and its Normandy district.
'Segregation's Constant Gardeners': How White Women Kept Jim Crow Alive
Meet the good white mothers, PTA members, and newspaper columnists who were also committed white supremacists.