Race

In 1973, Ray Litt and a group of Detroiters went to court in an attempt to force the state to desegregate the city's schools.

Education

How Court's Bus Ruling Sealed Differences In Detroit Schools

1:46pm November 19, 2013

by Sarah Alvarez

It's been 40 years since the Supreme Court accepted what became a landmark case about school desegregation. The case was controversial because it involved busing students between a largely African-American city — Detroit — and its white suburban areas.

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El Rey, which will be targeting a young Latino audience, is being spearheaded by filmmaker Robert Rodriguez, shown at the premiere of his recent film Machete Kills in October.

Arts

Comcast Deal Puts New Minority-Run Channels In Play

8:15am November 12, 2013

by Mandalit del Barco

The conglomerate is launching new networks — targeted at diverse audiences and run by Sean Combs, Magic Johnson and Robert Rodriguez — to satisfy an agreement made with the FCC when the company merged with NBCUniversal.

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Attorney Francis Chin (center) runs through his lines with Yang Chen at a rehearsal for 22 Lewd Chinese Women, the latest trial re-enactment by the Asian American Bar Association of New York.

National

Asian-American Lawyers Act Like '22 Lewd Chinese Women'

11:24am November 09, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

A cast of lawyers and a federal judge in New York City perform dramatic re-enactments of historic trials involving Asian-Americans. Their latest production, 22 Lewd Chinese Women, focuses on a 19th-century Supreme Court case with parallels to present-day immigration debates.

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National

School Named For Former KKK Leader Reconsiders Its Legacy

8:41pm November 07, 2013

by Karen Feagins

Nathan Bedford Forrest High School in Jacksonville, Fla., was named decades ago for a Confederate hero — who was also the first grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. More than 160,000 people have signed a petition urging a name change, but the current name has also drawn passionate support.

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Soprano Nigia Hunt is a junior at Durham School of the Arts. She and others are singing for Paul Kwami, auditioning for a solo in the Duke Performances concert.

Striking Harmonies With The Jubilee Singers' Past And Present

6:51pm November 07, 2013

by Leoneda Inge

The Fisk Jubilee Singers are known for their near-perfect voices and performances of African-American spiritual songs. Now the choir's musical director is on the road, mentoring to young groups across the South. He's also hoping to preserve the songs too.

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In 2010 and 2011, there were more than 1,000 school-related arrests in Broward County. Nearly three-quarters of them were for non-violent misdemeanors.

Fla. School District Trying To Curb School-To-Prison Pipeline

8:57pm November 05, 2013

by Greg Allen

A Florida school district reached an agreement with the NAACP and law enforcement to reassess tough "zero tolerance" guidelines. Non-violent misdemeanors — like alcohol and marijuana possession — will be dealt with by schools instead of police.

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Students walk by Founders Library on Howard University campus in Washington, D.C.

Amid A Rough Patch, Howard University Faces Flagging Morale

5:12pm November 05, 2013

by Hansi Lo Wang

Howard University has seen its share of troubles lately. Faculty recently expressed their frustration with the school's Board of Trustees with a "no-confidence" vote, weeks after the university's president announced a surprise early retirement and Moody's downgraded the school's credit rating. But school administrators remain confident in the school's future.

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Barneys Lawsuit Puts Spotlight On Race And Branding

6:46am November 01, 2013

Steve Inskeep talks to freelance writer Johnnie Roberts and NPR's Gene Demby about the branding of high-end products — and the implications when companies specifically court, or exclude, consumers based on race.

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Hundreds of protesters march toward the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office in response to the death of Andy Lopez in Santa Rosa.

National

Police, Community Relations Strained After Teen's Death

9:43am October 31, 2013

by Richard Gonzales

In the Northern California town of Santa Rosa, a sheriff's deputy shot and killed a 13-year-old Latino boy holding a toy gun shaped like an assault rifle. Hundreds of protesters have marched to demand a transparent investigation into the case.

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When Will We Stop Side-Eyeing Relatives Who Don't 'Match'?

8:00am October 30, 2013

by Gene Demby

More and more Americans belong to multiracial, adoptive or blended families, but relatives who look different from each other still spur questions from strangers — and sometimes suspicion.

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