Race

National

'Kansas City Star' Publishes Apology For Its Coverage Of Black Community

12:39am December 23, 2020

The Kansas City Star apologized for failing generations of Black people over its 140-year history. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks with Star reporter Mara Rose Williams and editor Mike Fannin.

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Little Richard in the studio, circa 1959.

Music & Culture

He Was An Architect

9:18pm December 22, 2020

by Ashon Crawley

Little Richard saw a depth and possibility for American culture, for black genius, that he could not fully see for himself. It's up to us to continue the work.

A mural on the wall of The Kansas City Star's circulation building in 2006, in Kansas City, Mo.

National

The KC Star Apologizes For Past Racist Coverage, Wants Others To 'Get The Poison Out'

8:48pm December 22, 2020

by Brakkton Booker

The Kansas City Star noted it "disenfranchised, ignored and scored generations of Black Kansas Citians" for much of its 140 years of existence.

LEAP fellows Astrid Saenz, Fatima Salcido, and Victor Briseno participating in a law school application workshop.

Politics & Government

'Already Behind': Diversifying The Legal Profession Starts Before The LSAT

8:07am December 22, 2020

With the percentage of Black lawyers stagnant over the last 10 years and clients demanding more diverse lawyers, a lot needs to be done to diversify a profession that is 86% white.

National

What It's Like To Grow Up As A Member Of 'Model Minority'

5:51pm December 21, 2020

NPR's Ailsa Chang talks with reporter Arun Venugopal about how the government's "model minority" perception promoted Asian American success while limiting opportunities for other nonwhite Americans.

A statue of Robert E. Lee was removed from the U.S. Capitol early Monday.

Virginia Removes Its Robert E. Lee Statue From U.S. Capitol

9:54am December 21, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

The Confederate general's statue is expected to be replaced by one of civil rights activist Barbara Johns, who at 16 led a student walkout protesting inferior conditions at an all-Black high school.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot accepted the resignation of the city's top attorney, Mark Flessner, Sunday. Flessner resigned due to an ongoing scandal surrounding a botched police raid in 2019.

National

Chicago's Top Attorney Resigns Following Scandal Over Botched Police Raid

5:10am December 21, 2020

by Jaclyn Diaz

Chicago officials continue to deal with the fallout over the release of police body cam video showing a 2019 raid by city officers of a Black woman's house, which later proved to be the wrong address.

Health & Safety

Race And The Roots Of Vaccine Skepticism

5:13pm December 20, 2020

NPR's Michel Martin speaks with science writer and medical ethicist Harriet Washington about the factors that contribute to vaccine skepticism among communities of color and ways to address them.

Konstance Patton's mural in New York City.

The Art Of An Uprising: Paint And Plywood Memorialize George Floyd

1:56pm December 20, 2020

by Babette Thomas

Artists inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement have created images that have lasted even as protests have faded. Who are they? And how will this iconic art be preserved?

Music & Culture

In Podcast Finale, 'Louder Than A Riot' Looks At Prison Reform

5:06pm December 19, 2020

NPR Music's Louder than a Riot has been doing a deep dive into the stories of rappers that highlight inequalities in the way this country addresses crime and punishment.