civil rights

"Ghosts of Jim Crow" by F. Michael Higginbotham

Joe Donahue — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:12:00 +0000

When America inaugurated its first African American president, in 2009, many wondered if the country had finally become a "post-racial" society.

In Ghosts of Jim Crow, F. Michael Higginbotham argues that America remains far away from that imagined utopia.

US Attorney For Massachusetts Talks At Conference About Civil Rights Enforcement

Paul Tuthill — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 19:45:00 +0000

The top federal law enforcement official in Massachusetts highlighted efforts to enforce civil rights laws during a speech in Springfield on Friday. The U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz, was the keynote speaker at a conference marking the 45^th anniversary of the passage of the Federal Fair Housing Act.

3/27/13 - Panel

Joe Donahue — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:00:00 +0000

Today's panelists are WAMC’s Alan Chartock, WAMC's News Director, Ian Pickus, and Stephen Gottlieb, the Jay and Ruth Caplan Distinguished Professor at Albany Law School. Joe Donahue moderates.

Topics include:
The Supreme Court on Gay Marriage
The shaping of the Supreme Court
Nate Silver on Americans’ views on Gay Marriage
North Dakota’s strict Abortion law
Supreme Court accepts second case on race-based college admissions

"Eslanda: The Large and Unconventional Life of Mrs. Paul Robeson" by Barbara Ransby

Joe Donahue — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 15:10:00 +0000

Eslanda "Essie" Cardozo Goode Robeson lived a colorful and amazing life. Her career and commitments took her many places: colonial Africa in 1936, the front lines of the Spanish Civil War, the founding meeting of the United Nations, Nazi-occupied Berlin, Stalin's Russia, and China two months after Mao's revolution. She was a woman of unusual accomplishment—an anthropologist, a prolific journalist, a tireless advocate of women's rights, an outspoken anti-colonial and antiracist activist, and an internationally sought-after speaker.

Phillip Hayes Dean’s "Paul Robeson" presented by Unison Arts and SUNY New Paltz

Joe Donahue — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 16:12:00 +0000

Actor, singer, athlete, scholar, and social activist, Paul Robeson, was born in 1898 and died at 77 years old in 1976 having been blacklisted during the Second Red Scare in the 1950s but – until the end of his life sticking to his political stances and his beliefs.

Question of the Day - Gay Scouts and Troop Leaders?

Joe Donahue and Alan Chartock — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 14:16:00 +0000

Last summer, The Boy Scouts of America officially banned the participation of homosexuals as scouts or troop leaders.

The BSA will revisit the policy in their national executive board meeting and are expected to reverse that decision.

What do you think?

Underground Railroad: Escape to Freedom

Joe Donahue — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Underground Railroad: Escape to Freedom is a book + audio + boardgame for children. The book and audio were researched and recorded on location following routes of the UGRR.

With action and adventure as key elements, the experiential boardgame uses UGRR lore, nature signs, survival skills, and African-American spirituals (now known to be secret codes) to engage children in history, foster understanding, and sharpen critical thinking skills.

Will We Ever Learn?: The Struggle for Equality One Group at a Time - Part 3

Joe Donahue — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 14:04:00 +0000

It can be said a confluence of challenges has led to a fraying of the social contract, as Americans seem to be losing faith in the ability of our systems of government to deal with even the most tractable problems.

However, history teaches that if the challenges we face today are to be resolved, we must find ways to reach consensus on the underlying causes of the problems and develop responses to them grounded in the best available information and in mutual trust and collaboration. This morning we welcome two distinguished guests who have been doing just that.

Will We Ever Learn?: The Struggle for Equality One Group at a Time - Part 2

Joe Donahue — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 14:06:00 +0000

This is part two of our project -“Will We Ever Learn: The Struggle for Equality One Group at a Time.”

Partial support for this project comes from Mass Humanities, State-Based Affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Mass Humanities grant is part of their initiative - Crisis, Community, and Civic Culture.

Will We Ever Learn?: The Struggle for Equality One Group at a Time - Part 1

Joe Donahue — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:04:00 +0000

This is part one of our grant project “Will We Ever Learn?: The Struggle for Equality One Group at a Time.”