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.
Civil Rights
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.
Taking Freedom: Yes, Black America Fears the Police. Here’s Why.
On the historic role of policing in reinforcing racial inequality and how it has led to black Americans' fear of police.
Jeanne Theoharis on the Perils of Misremembering Civil Rights History
The historian debunks myths around civil rights history and makes the case for why a more honest history is key to moving forward.
Inside the J20 Prosecution: How the Feds Are Criminalizing Dissent
In its case against inauguration protesters, the government is aligning itself with far-right propagandists and fringe vigilantes.
Taking Stock of Thurgood Marshall's Civil Rights Legacy
Pacific Standard recommends Marshall, a new movie about a pivotal character in the civil rights movement.
Locking up the Poor One Municipal Fine at a Time
A new report outlines how municipal court fines disproportionately target low-income communities.
The Afterlife of Big Ideas in Education Reform
How one high school—mine—explains why we keep making the same mistakes in our education policy.
The Return of the One-Named Man
After 50 years of a mononymous life, the eldest son of civil rights legend Dick Gregory is ready to make a change.
Betsy DeVos Faces Pushback After Scaling Back Investigations Into Civil Rights Complaints
More than 30 "disappointed and alarmed" senators penned a letter chastising civil rights enforcement at the Department of Education.
Government Watchdog Will Investigate Trump Administration on Civil Rights
The commission plans to review budgets, staffing, management practices, and recent resolution efforts at civil rights offices.
Protecting the Rights of the LGBTQ Community in Indonesia
While Indonesia has historically prided itself as a stronghold of moderation, recent events shine a light on just how tenuous this self-perception is.
Trump Administration Works to Weaken Federal Civil Rights Enforcement
Previously unannounced directives will limit the Department of Justice's use of a storied civil rights enforcement tool, and loosen the Department of Education's requirements on investigations.
How Jeff Sessions Will Transform the Department of Justice
The new attorney general will have a tremendous amount of power in judging how civil rights laws are interpreted and enforced—a fact that could wipe out the progress made under the Obama administration.
After the Transgender Tipping Point
The exclusion and denial of trans lives gets imagined as something we've moved on from, while the everyday struggles that face trans people remain ignored.
You Sure You're Not Racist?
Racism doesn’t need to be open or overt to be, well, racist.
David Simon on His New HBO Miniseries, 'Show Me a Hero'
The Wire creator and former Baltimore Sun reporter talks about a historic public housing fight, race, and what makes white people go “batshit, batshit crazy.”
The Past, Present, and Future of the Black Lives Matter Network
A scholar of race and digital media details how the online prowess of #BlackLivesMatter was over 20 years in the making.
The New York City Subway to a Person Using a Wheelchair
We have a long way to go before the Americans With Disabilities Act is actually realized.
Environmental Justice for Prisoners
Why doesn’t the Environmental Protection Agency count incarcerated populations in its impact statements?
'How the Americans With Disabilities Act Gave the Largest U.S. Minority Its Rights'
We see its effects everywhere, even if we don't acknowledge them.