Race

Books

Darrin Bell's graphic memoir 'The Talk' references a shared experience among Black parents

7:49am June 04, 2023

by Ayesha Rascoe

NPR's Ayesha Rascoe speaks with Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial Darrin Bell about his graphic memoir, "The Talk." The title refers to talks about racism Black parents often give their kids.

Left: A Tennessee Historical Commission marker honors the site of Greenwood Park, which was the first city park to serve Nashville's Black residents and was established by Preston Taylor in 1905. Right: Learotha Williams is a public historian at Tennessee State University in Nashville.

National

Black immigrants are growing in numbers, but in the U.S. many often feel invisible

5:00am June 04, 2023

by Leah Donnella

One in five Black Americans are either immigrants or the children of immigrants. But feeling embraced or understood by the U.S. can seem daunting for some, and impossible for others.

National

The character and fitness evaluation to practice law is discriminatory, advocates say

5:11pm June 02, 2023

by Jasmine Garsd

To practice law, many states require a character and fitness evaluation, which digs into encounters with law enforcement and mental health. In New York, there's a push to ban the inquiry.

Marie C. Bolden made national headlines when she turned in a flawless performance at a spelling bee in Cleveland. Her competitors included white students from segregated school districts in the South.

When she won the first national spelling bee, Marie C. Bolden dealt a blow to racism

10:08am June 02, 2023

by Bill Chappell

Her victory made national news, upending stereotypes about race less than 50 years after the end of slavery. It also sparked racist fury.

Edith Kanakaʻole chants in the koa forest of Kīpukapuaulu in Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park in 1977. She titled the photo "The Growth of Love is the Essence Within the Soul."

National

Edith Kanaka'ole is the first Hawaiian woman to grace a U.S. quarter

5:10am June 02, 2023

by Heidi Chang

"Aunty Edith," as she was known, helped revive the Hawaiian language, hula and chant.

Health & Safety

In series 'From Birth To Death,' AP reporters examine health care and racism

5:10am June 02, 2023

At every stage of life, Black Americans grapple with health care challenges directly tied to racism. NPR's Michel Martin talks to Associated Press reporter Kat Stafford, about the year-long probe.

Foot soldier Paulette Roby stands in Birmingham's Kelly Ingram Park, one of the sites where students peacefully marched in the Spring of 1963 demanding equal rights.

60 years since 'The Children's Crusade' changed Birmingham and the nation

5:00am June 02, 2023

The Birmingham movement in 1963 was a turning point when children joined the struggle for equal rights. The brutal response from white segregationists galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act.

Queue Listen Now

Blues musician Otis Taylor graduates high school 57 years after getting expelled

5:22pm May 31, 2023

In 1966, a couple months before he was set to graduate, Otis Taylor was told he needed to cut his short afro or he'd be kicked out. Now, 57 years after he left, he has received a diploma.

Queue Listen Now

60 years ago, students joined the civil rights movement with 'The Children's Crusade'

4:53pm May 31, 2023

by Debbie Elliott

The Birmingham movement in 1963 was a turning point when children joined the struggle for equal rights. The brutal response from white segregationists galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act.

Queue Listen Now

Ivy Lee is the founder and editor of the independent Chinese-language magazine Sino Monthly. She likens it to milk: "Milk has nutrition. It's very inexpensive and very easy to get."

National

'Like milk': How one magazine became a mainstay of New Jersey's Chinese community

4:07pm May 31, 2023

by Mary Yang

Sino Monthly, run by a local couple, stands out among New Jersey's Chinese-language news outlets, most of which are tied to institutions from the Chinese government to the Falun Gong.