News By State
Groups call on Ga. governor to diversify bench
A coalition of civil rights and attorney groups says African-American judges are being replaced by white appointees in one of Georgia’s most heavily populated black counties and called Thursday for Georgia’s governor to fill vacancies with judges who reflect their communities’ diversity. The coalition, led by the Rev. Joseph Lowery, said black representation on the [...]
Black lawmakers oppose Christie NJ court pick
A group of black state legislators announced its opposition to Gov. Chris Christie’s choice of a gay, black Republican for the Supreme Court on Thursday, mounting evidence that Democrats were ready to reject the second of the governor’s high court picks. The New Jersey Legislative Black Caucus told The Associated Press that attorney Bruce Harris’s [...]
Racism evident in plans for Urban Beach Week
There can be little doubt that racism is the driving factor behind the attitude of Miami Beach officials towards the thousands of young African Americans who make the annual trip to the city to celebrate Memorial Day. The central force behind the city’s approach to this “problem” has always been alarm over the presence of [...]
Union Bank’s minority lending record challenged by African American chamber
The San Francisco African American Chamber of Commerce told regulators that it opposes Union Bank’s acquisition of the parent of Santa Barbara Bank & Trust, criticizing the San Francisco bank’s track record lending to African Americans and doing business with African American suppliers. Union Bank, part of Japan’s Mitsubishi UFJ Group that has national banking [...]
Band mates say FAMU victim volunteered to be hazed
Robert Champion was known for his opposition to the hazing rampant in the Florida A&M University marching band, but he was vying to be lead drum major and wanted the respect he could earn by enduring a brutal ritual known as “crossing over.” With chances for initiation ending with the football season, fellow band members [...]
