Race

In 2015, Race And Tolerance Permeated The National Dialogue

5:10am December 24, 2015

by Gene Demby

When NPR's Steve Inskeep sat down with President Obama for his year end interview, the president said he is optimistic about where the country is heading. We explore the topic further.

The family had planned to visit Disneyland before they were barred from getting on the plane to Los Angeles.

British Muslim Family Barred From California-Bound Flight, With No Reason Given

4:33pm December 23, 2015

by Merrit Kennedy

The family of eleven had valid travel permits, and was set to visit Disneyland and see relatives in California. They don't know why they were not allowed to board.

Ranging in age from 12 to 95, (left to right) LaCurtia Brown, Serra Williams, Sherrie Snipes-Williams, Genita Snipes, Alfredia Snipes, Judge Richard Fields, Liz Alston, and Albert Alston pose for a family portrait outside Liz and Albert Alston's home in C

Politics & Government

Under One Roof, Divergent Views On 'Black Lives Matter'

5:00am December 23, 2015

by Asma Khalid

As Liz Alston's family, ranging in age from 12 to 95, talks politics, sharp differences emerge in how the country — and especially young people — are responding to racial issues.

Black Lives Matter demonstrators and supporters march through downtown Minneapolis to the Federal Building on Nov. 24.

National

Court Grants Restraining Order Against 3 From Black Lives Matter, But Not Group

6:41pm December 22, 2015

by Merrit Kennedy

Black Lives Matter Minneapolis is calling for a demonstration Wednesday at the Mall of America, part of a protest over the death of Jamar Clark, a 24-year-old black man killed by police last month.

Cousin Remembers Reverend Killed In Charleston, S.C., Shooting

6:35pm December 22, 2015

There have been a number of high-profile shootings this year, including several mass shootings. One of those happened in June at a historic black church in Charleston, S.C. Rev. Depayne Middleton Doctor was one of nine people killed. Her cousin, Rev. Waltrina Middleton talks with NPR's Ari Shapiro about her, and how her family has been doing since the shooting.

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June Retrial For Baltimore Police Officer In Freddie Gray Death

5:39pm December 21, 2015

by Alexandra Starr

Last week, a hung jury failed to come to an agreement on whether William Porter was guilty of involuntary manslaughter and other charges. Porter was the first of six police officers to be tried.

NPR's Steve Inskeep interviews President Obama at the White House.

'Sometimes Progress Is A Little Uncomfortable': President Obama On Identity Politics

1:37pm December 21, 2015

by Leah Donnella

In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, Obama spoke at length on the subject of identity. The question of who we are as Americans, Obama said, has been a focus since the country's founding.

NPR's Code Switch Team Explores Political Correctness On College Campuses

7:05pm December 18, 2015

by Gene Demby

NPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Gene Demby of NPR's Code Switch team about his recent article, "The Long, Necessary History of 'Whiny' Black Protesters At College."

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Attorney General Eric Holder (right) listens to Viola Murphy, mayor of Cool Valley, Mo., before his meeting with local community leaders in August 2014. Murphy is a vocal critic of new municipal regulations.

National

After Ferguson, Unintended Consequences Of Municipal Overhaul

1:45pm December 18, 2015

by Jason Rosenbaum

Lawmakers tried to rein in ticketing after the protests that followed Michael Brown's death. But small, predominantly African-American communities may take a bigger hit than cities like Ferguson.

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"We started the school day ... with the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag — looking out the window I could see the barbed wire fence and the sentry tower right there — as I recited the words 'with liberty and justice for all.'" — George Takei

Arts

Is Forgiveness The Ultimate Test?

10:17am December 18, 2015

by NPR/TED STAFF

In 1942, the U.S. government interned George Takei and his family in a Japanese-American internment camp. Decades later, the actor describes his journey to forgive the country that betrayed him.

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