Civil Rights Archives

News in Brief

Minority Rule: How Labor Unions and Civil Rights Activists Beat the Big Guys

The whole idea of a democracy is that the majority is generally supposed to get its way. But time and again, it’s not the majority but a potent minority that drives—or prevents—progress.

Seth Masket

Social Justice

Editor’s Letter: Real Enough

Introducing the January/February 2014 Issue of Pacific Standard.

Maria Streshinsky

Social Justice

Why Women Aren’t Welcome on the Internet

"Ignore the barrage of violent threats and harassing messages that confront you online every day." That's what women are told. But these relentless messages are an assault on women's careers, their psychological bandwidth, and their freedom to live online. We have been thinking about Internet harassment all wrong.

Amanda Hess

News in Brief

Is the Federal Government Finally Going to Do Something About Housing Discrimination?

After decades of inaction, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has begun to move against two localities for allegedly violating the Fair Housing Act.

Nikole Hannah-Jones

Social Justice

Should We Be Allowed to Choose the Sexual Orientation of Our Children?

Imagine a prenatal test that, like the one for trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome), could show a predisposition to gayness.

Alice Dreger

News in Brief

Are White People Unenthusiastic About Civil Rights?

They don't believe we have as much work left to do as their black counterparts.

Lisa Wade

News in Brief

Massive California Prison Strike Ends After 60 Days

Leaders say the strike is “suspended” after the promise of public hearings.

Lauren Kirchner

News in Brief

A Labor Day Interview With the Good Lobbyist, David Cohen

The former president of Common Cause and the preeminent voice of public advocacy explains why he still has hope for the labor movement, surveys the state of modern partisanship, defends lobbying as a (potentially) noble calling, and declares there’s really nothing wrong with Kansas.

John Greenya

Economics

Seeking a Better Measure of Inequality, 50 Years After ‘I Have a Dream’

Severe inequities remain between whites and non-whites in American economic life. But it isn’t clear that employers are as much to blame as one might expect.

Michael Fitzgerald

News in Brief

Historic Hunger Strike in California Prisons Continues

On Day 43, a judge approved a request to force-feed striking inmates.

Lauren Kirchner