The Defenders Online | A Civil Rights Blog

Willie “Pete” Williams

The Editors — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:01:13 +0000

Feb 9 - Two years ago this week, Willie "Pete" Williams was exonerated in Georgia after more than 21 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He was freed with the help of the Georgia Innocence Project. Williams is one of eight DNA exonerees in Georgia, all eight were convicted based in part on eyewitness misidentification and all eight are African-American.

Poll# 18

The Editors — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 21:06:47 +0000

The Wrong Kind of Color-Blindness in Hollywood

How “new” can an all-white Hollywood be? Controversy is swirling around the latest cover of Vanity Fair magazine, which features nine young Hollywood actresses and muses—all very young, very thin and exclusively white. There are no Asian, Black, Middle Eastern or Latina actresses featured in “A New Hollywood 2010.”

Who Dat? Walking to New Orleans

The Editors — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:38:42 +0000

By Mark Lassiter New Orleans radio announcer, Bernard "Buddy D" Dilberto, fueled a grass roots, populist movement in 1980. He implored frustrated football fans to attend games with brown paper grocery bags on their heads to protest the performance of the 0-14 hometown Saints. Buddy also said, "When you go to Heaven after you die, tell St. Peter you're a Saints fan. He'll say c'mon in, I don't care what else you done, you suffered enough."

The Missionary’s Position

The Editors — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 20:38:11 +0000

By Esther Armah Ten white faces, bewildered and confused, emerge on the small screen. They are Americans from a Baptist missionary church in Idaho, arrested and accused of illegally taking 33 children out of Haiti, across the border to the Dominican Republic. Twenty of those children, it has been revealed, are not orphans. The SOS Children’s Villages, the group now caring for them, say they have parents.

Beyond Partisan Wars: Breaking Down Health Care Reform

The Editors — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 19:55:31 +0000

By Maggie Astor Beyond the meaningless, catch-all accusation of “socialized medicine” and the blatantly ridiculous specter of “death panels,” how would these bills, if reconciled and signed into law, affect you?

Howard Zinn: The People’s Historian

The Editors — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:52:28 +0000

By Jelani Cobb Among Professor Howard Zinn's numerous accomplishments, none rank higher than his work to breathe life into history. Often when I mention to people that I'm a historian I hear mumbled comments about how the subject put students to sleep or seems like a dry collection of dates, wars and speeches. Not so with Howard Zinn.

Cartoon: February 4, 2010

The Editors — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 21:20:18 +0000

By Kevin Eason Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from NJ. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Kevin’s work features include: TVOne, NABJ, WBLS_107.5FM, EURweb and various newspapers & magazines throughout the country.

New York City Sued Over Discriminatory Policing Policy in Public Housing

The Editors — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:18:00 +0000

By The Editors The lawsuit claims that the city’s policing practices in its public housing developments – most notably, its “vertical sweeps” of buildings -- “routinely” subject residents and those who visit them to illegal stops and false arrests that serve no lawful purpose.

Sting Like a Bee: Obama vs. the GOP

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:30:26 +0000

By Mark Lassiter The President’s luncheon meeting with the House Republican Conference in Baltimore last Friday offered proof that the art Ali demonstrated in the boxing ring at the pinnacle of his career can also shine brightly in a different kind of arena.

David Ruggles: Frederick Douglass’ First Professor of Abolitionism

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:30:06 +0000

By Graham Hodges In early September, 1838, the man who would become Frederick Douglass, the foremost black abolitionist of the nineteenth century, arrived in New York City, well aware that he still faced danger from the “slave catchers” who roamed the streets seeking to kidnap unwary blacks. Through fortuitous circumstance, Frederick Bailey, as he was then called, soon met David Ruggles, the city’s leading black abolitionist—and Frederick Douglass’ first and perhaps most influential professor of radical abolitionism.

A Black Immigrant’s Experience with Coming to Terms with Race Relations in America

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:29:46 +0000

By Nicole Y. Dennis I’ve come to believe that many black immigrants coming to the United States don’t really factor the existence of racism into their plan of achieving the American Dream. I think many immigrants overlook it, often seeking success with a tunnel vision. I speak from experience. That’s what I did.

Dying Quietly: The Employee Free Choice Act

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:29:14 +0000

By Doug Miller Legislation in Congress that would make it easier for workers to form unions is doomed because the Obama administration , with so many other hard contentious issues on its agenda, won’t risk political capital in its defense, according to some experts on trade unionism.

Race to the Top? Banking on Charter Schools to Save the Failing Public School System

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:28:49 +0000

By C. Nicole Mason Amid protest from parents and teachers, New York City’s Department of Education voted on January 27 to close 19 failing public schools. The closings come on the heels of a heated battle among state legislators to lift a ban limiting the number of charter schools in the state. The measure failed, but not without revealing a troubling trend around the country with regard to public education in states and cities—chasing dollars instead of what’s in the best interest of students.

Stephan Cowans

The Editors — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 05:01:36 +0000

Feb 2 - Six years ago this week, Stephan Cowans was exonerated in Massachusetts after serving more than five years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. He was convicted based in part on a faulty fingerprint identification. Sadly, he died in 2007 after just three years free.

Looking for an Out: Barack Obama and American Voter’s Remorse

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:34:41 +0000

By C. Nicole Mason Public confidence in Obama is wavering. The honeymoon is definitely over. Even progressives are starting to look at him a little sideways. In order to recapture support and the spirit of the campaign, Obama will have to do less politicking and more change-making. He needs less charisma and more grit.

The Business of You: Bank of Overdraft Policies Protect No One

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:26:03 +0000

By Jackie Jones Bad lending practices by banks are increasingly eating up disposable income, not only hurting individual consumers, but also affecting the nation’s overall economic health by diverting funds that could be spent on consumer products to servicing debt.

What Chris Matthews Forgot

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:15:10 +0000

By Lee A. Daniels There can be no denying that cable TV talk-show host Chris Matthews’ intent Wednesday night was to compliment President Obama on the forcefulness of his demeanor and the effectiveness of his speech during The State of the Union address. But neither can one deny that Matthews’ choice of words not only undermined his intent, they underscored just how wrong is the notion that America has reached—or is anywhere near—a “post-racial” status.

My Top 10 African-American TV Shows of All Time

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:08:40 +0000

By Ralph Richardson Hey ya’ll, I’m back, this time with the Top Ten African-American TV Shows of All Time.

Marooned Millions: Exploring Haiti’s Options

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:08:19 +0000

By C. Nicole Mason, PhD The earthquakes that rocked Haiti have brought many things into focus. Chief among them are Haiti’s extremely fragile infrastructure and the complex relationship between Haiti, the U.S. and other industrialized nations.

Obama, Race and Representation

The Editors — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:06:43 +0000

By Manning Marable Early on in their deliberation process, the Obama pre-campaign group recognized that most white Americans would never vote for a black Presidential candidate. However, they were convinced that most whites would embrace, and vote for, a remarkable, qualified Presidential candidate who happened to be black.

The Book of Eli: Journey from Action to Faith

The Editors — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:20:46 +0000

By Paula L. Woods While the collaboration of Academy award winner Denzel Washington with Allen and Albert Hughes may seem like a case of strange bedfellows, it’s not as unusual as one might think.

RingShout Literary Salon: On Push, Precious and Erasure

The Editors — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:19:59 +0000

By Eisa Nefertari Ulen The controversial film Precious, released to great acclaim in November, is still making news. With Mo’Nique’s Golden Globe Awards win for Best Supporting Actress (with Oscar nods expected to follow), and eight NAACP Image Award nominations, the story of a teen abused every which way by both her mother and father provides fertile ground for introspection and discussion.

Red-lining in Reverse: New Federal Unit to Fight Bias in Lending

The Editors — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:18:53 +0000

By Doug Miller Federal officials say the Obama administration is moving to aggressively combat discriminatory lending practices that have long undermined the ability of black and Latino Americans to become homeowners.

Harlem Going, Going Gone? Or Just Invisible?

The Editors — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:11:22 +0000

By Jill Nelson “No Longer Majority Black, Harlem Is in Transition,” the January 5, 2010 headline in the New York Times screamed, but not as loudly as I did at the sight of yet another article seeming to celebrate the demise of the Harlem community I know, love, and live in.

The Business of You: Good Health at What Price?

The Editors — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 01:10:56 +0000

By Jackie Jones A few extra pounds soon could cost you way more than just good health.