Race

Common plays James Bevel, Tessa Thompson plays Diane Nash, Lorraine Toussaint plays Amelia Boynton and Andre Holland plays Andrew Young in Ava DuVernay's Selma.

Arts

For Hollywood, 'Selma' Is A New Kind Of Civil Rights Story

6:54pm December 27, 2014

by Karen Grigsby Bates

The film, about a 1965 voting rights march, stands out for its focus on black characters, including some of the movement's lesser-known organizers, and the way it humanizes Martin Luther King Jr.

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Patricia Arquette (clockwise from left), Reese Witherspoon, Laura Dern, Amy Adams, Felicity Jones, Julianne Moore and Hilary Swank on the Nov. 28 cover of The Hollywood Reporter.

Sony Hack Reveals Hollywood's Acceptance Of White Privilege

1:00am December 27, 2014

by Eric Deggans

While some leaked Sony emails seemed racist, NPR TV critic Eric Deggans says they hint at a wider issue: an acceptance of practices, habits and perceptions that limit diversity in Hollywood.

Michel Martin with five Latino influencers from the Charlotte business community. Alina Bartlett, Jorge De La Jara, Carlos Salum, Deborah Aguiar-Vélez, and Milagritos Aguilar.

'Going There' In 2014

1:57pm December 23, 2014

by Michel Martin

Michel Martin has spent much of the last few months on the road, and she has been moved by the people she's met and the stories they've shared with her. She remembers her Top 5 moments of 2014.

Protesters in Boston during a December demonstration against the deaths of two unarmed black men at the hands of white police officers in New York City and Ferguson, Mo.

Videos Of Ray Rice, Eric Garner Among Biggest Media Moments Of 2014

1:08pm December 23, 2014

by Eric Deggans

Some of the most interesting things on TV in 2014 weren't actually made for TV. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans lists the moments in television, viral video and social media that changed us all this year.

"Christmas Eve on Sesame Street" first aired in 1978 and won an Emmy Award for outstanding children's program the following year.

National

A Very Code Switch Christmas TV Special

5:21pm December 22, 2014

by Charles Pulliam-Moore

It's that time around Christmas, when all we can see are a handful of stories on our TV screens. Frosty, and Charlie, and Ralphie, and Kevin, but there's not too much brown in this mostly white canon.

National

Two Cops Killed In Brooklyn; Fleeing Suspect Kills Himself

1:01pm December 21, 2014

Two police officers have been killed in their patrol car in Brooklyn. The suspect fled and killed himself on a subway platform. NPR's Rachel Martin talks to WNYC reporter Robert Lewis for the latest.

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This July 1943 photo provided by the Los Angeles Chapter, Tuskegee Airmen Inc., shows Lowell C. Steward after his graduation from flight training at Tuskegee Army Air Field, in Tuskegee, Ala. Steward, who won the Distinguished Flying Cross among other awa

National

Decorated Tuskegee Airman Lowell Steward Dies At 95

3:45pm December 20, 2014

by Scott Neuman

He flew nearly 150 missions and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, but after the war, Steward returned home and was denied a mortgage because of his skin color.

Thousands gathered on the National Mall last week to protest the deaths of Eric Garner and Michael Brown. Some law students say their involvement in the protests means their exams should be postponed.

Troubled By Grand Jury Verdicts, Students Request More Time For Exams

7:50pm December 19, 2014

by Eleanor Klibanoff

Students at several law schools say events in Ferguson and New York have left them too upset to study. Others are more concerned about how the extra study time will affect the grading curve.

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Sarah Koenig and producer Dana Chivvis in the studio.

The Many Rabbit Holes (Or Should We Say Labyrinths) Of Serial

5:01pm December 18, 2014

by Kat Chow

No matter how you view the podcast, there's an endless supply of avenues you can explore and different conversations you can have.

Melissa W. Green, right, and her daughter Reshae Green holds up their signs at Freedom Plaza during the

National

Protesters Rally In 'Justice For All' Marches In 3 Cities

2:17pm December 18, 2014

by Scott Neuman

Thousands marched in D.C. and New York and hundreds in Boston, spurred on by anger over the fatal police shootings of Michael Brown and Tamir Rice and the choking death of Eric Garner.