By George Alexander
My home state of Alabama gets a bad rap.

On a recent visit home to see my parents in Mobile, I realized that people are always talking down about my home state. I swear, it seems like almost across the board, whenever I tell anyone—black, white, Asian, Latino, whatever—that I’m from Alabama, their reaction is visceral, dramatic, and visibly negative.

LDF News and Media Today:
A sampling of Race, Justice, Equality and Democracy in the news.
By Mel Gagarin

Rev. Lowery , Medal of Freedom recipient

Co. fails to protect inmate civil rights

SCLC tries to recapture MLK’s mission

The Obama administration’s double standard on hate crimes

Gay marriage oppponents seek referendum on Nov. ballot

The necessity for a comprehensive study on racism

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“We’re dumbing down the Naval Academy,” Bruce Fleming, an academy English professor, told the Washington Post in response to the recent swearing in of the U.S. Naval Academy’s most racially diverse class ever. From its most diverse applicant pool, the number of African-American students grew from 6 to 10 percent, and Latino students from 10 to 14 percent. Fleming also complained that “We’re dumbing down the officer corps.”

By Eisa Ulen
Family health history is vitally important. Doctor’s forms always ask for medical information about our biological families, but it seems that few of us pay close attention to what’s really going on in our own bloodlines.

L.P. Ray, inventor, patents the dust pan.
 

Legendary gay author James Baldwin is born.

By Lee A. Daniels
The long fight to right a nearly century-old wrong against Jack Johnson, America’s first black heavyweight champion, took a substantial step closer to success Wednesday when the U.S. Senate approved by a voice vote a resolution urging President Obama to posthumously pardon him.

Adam Clayton Powell is elected as the East’s first black congressman.

LDF News and Media Today:
A sampling of Race, Justice, Equality and Democracy in the news.
By Mel Gagarin

SCOTUS asked to review rights-era case

Whose ‘teachable moment’ is this?

Sotomayor backed by rights orgs

National Urban League begins conference in Chicago

Coates on driving while Black

Civil Rights Commission criticizes voter intimidation decision

By Oralandar Brand-Williams
The latest mantra on the lips of folks in Michigan and Motor City is, once again, “The last one out please turn out the lights.”