The Confederate Flag Battle Slips Into Silly Territory

The Confederate Flag needs to be removed from official places of honor, but do we really need to worry about reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard?

Supreme Court Agrees To Wade Back Into The Affirmative Action Debate

The Supreme Court agreed yesterday to wade back into the thorny issue of race and higher education.

The Confederate Flag Has Always Been About Hate, Not “Heritage”

The people who continue to claim that the Confederate Flag is about anything other than hatred, racism, and a nation that celebrated slavery are lying to you and to themselves.

Jim Webb Defends The Confederate Flag

If Jim Webb runs for President, he will be the only candidate in either party who is on record defending the Confederate Battle Flag. And he’s thinking of running as a Democrat.

The Stories we Tell Ourselves (Battle Flag Edition)

An important tenet of the internet is “don’t read the comments.” Well, I have violated that rule of late–which means more musings on the symbols of the CSA.

Walmart, Kmart, and Sears Remove Confederate Flag From Stores; Amazon, eBay Undecided

The Confederate battle flag is suddenly toxic.

The Battle Against The Confederate Flag Moves Beyond South Carolina

As Governor Haley pushes the South Carolina legislature to take the Confederate Flag down, the movement moves beyond the Palmetto State.

Obama Talks About Race Relations In The Wake Of Charleston, Media Concentrates On One Word

President Obama gave an interesting and somewhat unusual interview to a podcaster late last week, but the media is obsessed over a single word.

Republican Candidates Are Dodging The Issue On The Confederate Flag

With notable exceptions, most of the Republican candidates for President are refusing to take a stand on the propriety of South Carolina flying the Confederate Flag. That’s called cowardice.

Some Republicans Can’t Seem To Admit That Racism Was Behind The Charleston Murders

It’s been obvious from the moment the news broke that the murders in Charleston were rooted in racism, but some Republicans have had trouble acknowledging that.

It’s Long Past Time To Abandon The Confederate Flag

The murders in Charleston have revived a debate that should have been over a long time ago.

Yes, Dylann Roof Is A Terrorist

A word that has come in recent years to be used to refer chiefly to Muslim fanatics obviously applies to a man who murdered nine people because they’re black.

Supreme Court Says Texas Can Ban Confederate License Plates, Endangering Freedom Of Speech

The Supreme Court ruled that states don’t have to grant license plates that display the Confederate flag. Their decision has the potential to seriously harm the First Amendment.

Nine Dead In Shooting At African-American Church In Charleston, South Carolina

Nine people died overnight in a shooting at an historic African-American Church in Charleston, South Carolina.

Site Proves Racism Isn’t Really the Problem; Commenters Prove Otherwise

A black leader is running a billboard campaign to improve his community. Racism ensues.

The Strange Case Of Rachel Dolezal

The head of the Spokane NAACP has apparently been lying about her racial background, and that’s led to a whole other argument.

Ohio Judge Finds Probable Cause For Murder Charges In Tamir Rice Case

A Judge in Cleveland has found that there is probable cause to charge a Cleveland Police Officer with murder in the death of Tamir Rice, but that is hardly the end of the matter.

Cleveland Police Department Reaches Settlement With Justice Department On Abuse Report

The Cleveland Police Department has agreed to submit to significant monitoring in the wake of a damning Justice Department investigation.

Cleveland Cop Found Not Guilty In Death Of Two Unarmed Individuals

A Cleveland police officer has been acquitted of manslaughter and other charges in a case that resulted in the death of two African-American individuals.

Baltimore Grand Jury Issues Indictments Against Police Officers In Freddie Gray Case

The six Baltimore cops charged in the April death of Freddie Gray have been indicted by a Grand Jury.

Harriet Tubman On The Twenty Dollar Bill?

If a new campaign succeeds, Harriet Tubman could replace Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.

Justice Department Opens Investigation of Baltimore Police Department

The Baltimore Police Department will finally be under the Federal microscope. But it took the death of Freddie Gray for it happen.

Six Baltimore Police Officers Charged In Death Of Freddie Gray

Big news out of Baltimore and, perhaps, the beginning of justice for Freddie Gray.

Justice Requires Holding Both Baltimore’s Rioters And Its Police Responsible For Their Actions

There is no excuse for last night’s rioting in Baltimore, but that should not deflect attention from the problems with that city’s police.

Baltimore: Nonviolence as Nonviolence

Ta-Nehisi Coates is insightful and eloquent. He’s wrong in this instance.

‘Volunteer’ Sheriff’s Deputy Charged With Manslaughter In Death Of African-American Suspect

A volunteer for an Oklahoma Sheriff’s Department killed a suspect thanks to what can only be described as extreme criminal negligence.

South Carolina Police Officer Charged With Murder In Death of African-American Man

Thanks to one civilian with a camera, a police officer is facing charges in what appears to clearly be an improper shooting.

Expelling Students From A Public University Over Racist Videos Probably Isn’t Constitutional

Freedom of speech means freedom for all speech, even when it is racially offensive.

Republican Congressional Leaders Skipping Selma Anniversary

Another tone deaf action from leading Republicans.

Justice Department Finds Widespread Racial Bias In Ferguson Police Department

A new Justice Department report has found widespread racial bias in the Ferguson Police Department, but it’s a problem that goes far beyond one Missouri suburb.

Justice Department Will Not Charge Darren Wilson In Connection With Michael Brown Shooting

Unsurprisingly, Darren Wilson will not face federal charges in connection with the shooting of Michael Brown.

Justice Department Announces There Will Be No Federal Charges Against George Zimmerman

Nearly three years to the day after it started, the George Zimmerman case is essentially over.

Federal Civil Rights Charges Unlikely Against Darren Wilson In Michael Brown Shooting

Not surprisingly, the Federal investigation of the Michael Brown shooting is ending much like the state investigation did.

Edward Brooke, First African-American Elected To Senate, Dies At 95

The first popularly elected African-American Senator, and the first African-American Senator to serve since the end of Reconstruction ended, has passed away.

F.C.C. Rejects Petition To Declare ‘Redskins’ An Obscene Word

Not surprisingly, the F.C.C. has rejected a petition to ban the word “Redskins” from the airwaves.

Bill Cosby vs. Ben Roethlisberger

Chris Rock wants us to remember that Bill Cosby isn’t the only celebrity accused of rape.

Violence, Law, and the State

Thinking about that the state, law, violence, and the Garner incident (and contributing to the tl;dr phenomenon).

On “Black-on-Black” Crime

Yet another example of the need for context when discussing stats.

Poll Find Wide Racial Divisions Over Confidence In Law Enforcement And The Justice System

Not surprisingly a new poll finds that African-Americans perceive the American justice system far differently than whites.

Mississippi 1964? No, Missouri 2014

But, hey, don’t worry, there’s nothing racial going on here. Nothing at all.

The Eric Garner Case Is About Excessive Force And Unequal Justice, Not Cigarette Taxes

While conservatives have been generally as appalled as others with the news out of Staten Island, some of them are looking in the wrong place for blame.

Staten Island Grand Jury Refuses To Indict NYPD Officer In Chokehold Death

A New York City Grand Jury refuses to indict a cop who appears from all available evidence to choked a guy to death for no good reason.

No, Michael Brown’s Stepfather Should Not Be Charged With Incitement To Riot

Michael Brown’s stepfather made incendiary comments in the wake of the Grand Jury announcement, but they do not amount to a crime.