Race

Rowers paddle down the Charles River near Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on March 7, 2017.

Does Harvard Treat Asian-American Applicants Unfairly? The Case Goes To Trial

9:03am October 15, 2018

by Kirk Carapezza

A federal lawsuit alleging racial discrimination in Harvard University's admissions process goes to court this week. It could have big consequences for higher education.

Queue Listen Now

Firearms are exhibited at the annual NRA convention in Dallas this past May. RJ Young's book Let It Bang examines the NRA's relationship with race through his personal, unexpected interest in guns.

The 'Young Black Man' Who Reluctantly Became An NRA-Certified Instructor

6:09pm October 14, 2018

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

RJ Young developed an interest in guns in order to bond with his white father-in-law. The experience is chronicled is his new book, Let It Bang.

Queue Listen Now

Denise Carlos of Las Cafeteras plays the jarana, a guitar-like string instrument from Mexico.

Music & Culture

Through Slavery, Segregation And More, 'La Bamba' Has Been The Sound Of Survival

5:24pm October 14, 2018

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

Sixty years ago, a Mexican folk tune sung entirely in Spanish became a rock and roll phenomenon. Generations after Ritchie Valens, young Latinos are still harnessing its power.

Chris Rock's 1996 HBO special helped him become a major star.

Arts

How 'Bring The Pain' Brought Chris Rock Superstar Fame

6:00am October 14, 2018

by Eric Deggans

A new A&E documentary highlights the stand-up comedian's breakout HBO special.

Code Switch: Transracial Adoptees On Their Racial Identity And Sense Of Self

6:14pm October 13, 2018

NPR's Code Switch podcast looks at race and identity in America. In this episode, NPR's Shereen Marisol Meraji and Gene Demby talk about transracial adoption.

Sports

Remembrance: George Taliaferro, NFL's First Black Player

8:05am October 13, 2018

NPR's Scott Simon recalls the life of Taliaferro, who died this week at a nursing home in Mason, Ohio. He was 91.

Tam and Sonny Nguyen, Vietnamese-American cafe owners in the Orange County neighborhood of Little Saigon, say they see a "stark difference" between the generations not just in their politics, but in how they do business.

California Democrats Hope Asian-American Voters Can Help Flip Red Districts

7:36pm October 12, 2018

In conservative Orange County, a growing Asian-American population could have an impact on some key competitive House races in the midterms.

A screenshot from a Facebook Live video recorded Sunday and posted by Corey Lewis, who said a woman called police on him for babysitting two white children who "don't look like me."

National

Video: Georgia Woman Calls Police On Black Babysitter

5:10pm October 10, 2018

by Amy Held

Corey Lewis runs his own child care and mentoring business, but he still came under suspicion, he says, because the white children he was watching "don't look like me."

Officer Jason Van Dyke, seen outside a Chicago court last month, shot teenager Laquan McDonald 16 times in 2014.

Chicago Police Officer Found Guilty Of 2nd-Degree Murder Of Laquan McDonald

6:55pm October 05, 2018

by Michael Lansu

Officer Jason Van Dyke shot the teenager 16 times in 2014. The case gained national attention after the police dashcam video was released.

Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke watches the prosecution's closing statements during his first degree murder trial for the shooting death of Laquan McDonald.

National

Lawyers Make Closing Arguments In Chicago Police Officer's Trial

4:15pm October 04, 2018

by Michael Lansu

Final arguments were given on Thursday in the murder trial of a Chicago police officer who shot a 17-year-old youth in 2014. The shooting sparked weeks of unrest and resulted in political fallout.