International News
Brazilian Supreme Court Approves Racial Quotas in University
Brazil’s Supreme Federal Tribunal unanimously approved the continued use of racial quotas in the University of Brasilia in a 10-0 vote Thursday. The decision reaffirmed a policy adopted by a number of Brazilian universities to institute the practice of affirmative action in university admissions as a tool to combat racial inequality and improve access to [...]
In Liberia, a history and opportunity for Black Americans
Robert L. Johnson, the renowned businessman and investor, said it best. He was speaking of the importance of the West African country of Liberia to the United States, and African-Americans in particular. The United States, Johnson said, has a “special obligation” to support Liberia. “The country was established in 1847 by freed American slaves, and [...]
Who Was the First African-American President?
When asked who the first African-American president was, most people in the United States would certainly say Barack Obama. In fact, it was Joseph Jenkins Roberts, who was born in 1809 in Norfolk, Virginia, and became the first president of the Republic of Liberia in 1848. In fact, the first 10 presidents of this West [...]
Court: Taylor responsible for Sierra Leone crimes
In a historic ruling, an international court convicted former Liberian President Charles Taylor on Thursday of aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity for supporting notoriously brutal rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone in return for blood diamonds. Taylor is the first head of state convicted by an international court since the post-World War [...]
Despite ethnic tensions, counting voters by race remains taboo in French presidential campaign
Ahead of France’s presidential elections, you might find polls showing how factory workers or university students are likely to vote — but you’d be hard-pressed to find data on which candidates black or Muslim voters prefer. A 1978 law forbids anyone, from government census-takers to private researchers, from counting citizens based on their ethnic, racial [...]
