Feature Channels: Race and Ethnicity

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A lack of affordable housing for low income people in post-Katrina New Orleans has led to controversy over the decision to demolish several public housing complexes within the city. Stacy Seicshnaydre, William K. Christovich Associate Professor of Law at Tulane University School of Law and director of Tulane Law School's Civil Litigation Clinic, says New Orleans authorities have yet to produce a fair plan to address its dire housing needs.

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The criminal justice system in New Orleans was in complete disarray following Hurricane Katrina, precipitating a constitutional crisis.

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When marriage amendments are on the ballot, lesbian, gay and bisexual people experience acute psychological stress and downturns in general well-being; they also become more politically active.

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The new, diverse generation of ministers are forging new relationships, developing a new style of ministry and setting agendas that are parallel to and distinct from that of the Civil Rights-era generation of clergy, according to Bill Leonard, dean of the School of Divinity at Wake Forest University.

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In November, California citizens passed Proposition 8 upholding the idea that marriage is defined as and limited to the union of one man with one woman. The vote has given encouragement to many in other states who want to pass similar legislation. The United States is about to enter a period of legal upheaval on the question of marriage in the civil law, suggest Frank K. Flinn, Ph.D., adjunct professor of religious studies in Arts & Sciences. His proposal? Give marriage to the churches and let the state define civil unions.

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Grinnell College experts available on civil libertis and social justice topics.

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University of Washington scholars have shined new light on one of the darkest chapters of Washington history "“ the days when the Klu Klux Klan was a temporary force in the state. It was a brief era when the Klan had tens of thousands of members. KKK rallies drew crowds estimated at 50,000, the Klan entered floats in parades, there were Klan weddings and Christmases and the Klan even published its own newspaper.

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Through her analysis of Villagran Morales v. Guatemala, the first case involving street children to come before an international adjudicatory body, a University of Arkansas law professor argues that international human rights litigation can be a powerful political tool to protect abused and victimized children worldwide. The landmark 1999 decision by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights may also mobilize communities to work for social and economic welfare of all children, especially those who are poor and living on the street.

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Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech 45 years ago was "as near perfect a rhetorical event as you can have," Rowan University communication studies professor Dan Schowalter says.

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Tulane University law professor Ray Diamond, an expert on Constitutional Law and especially the Second Amendment, is available for comment on District of Columbia v. Heller. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hand down a decision on June 26, 2008.

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Marriage Equality in California "“ Sources for follow-up stories.

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An historical injustice was righted three years ago when the William Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation joined residents of Neshoba County, Miss., to create the Philadelphia Coalition that pushed for the prosecution and conviction of the man who murdered three civil rights workers in 1964. But the University of Mississippi institute, the first of its kind in the nation, did not stop there.

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In the words of Dr. Marin Luther King Jr., "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice." The 2008 Olympic Games, if approached prudently, are a potential catalyst for peace and the promotion of human rights. Over the past few months, protestors have attempted to leverage the upcoming Beijing Games to raise awareness around human rights atrocities in China, Tibet, and the Sudan.

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Men are more likely to tolerate discrimination than women, however both sexes tend to accept prejudice against poorly educated immigrants and Arab-American airplane travelers, according to a study by the USC-Caltech Center for the Study of Law and Politics.

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Sure, it's just a TV show, but a University of Iowa law professor says "24" can have real-world legal implications. "Ruminations on '24' would be just an entertaining diversion if it were not for the fact that the show has slowly seeped into the national debate on antiterrorism tactics," said Tung Yin, law professor and expert on national security law.

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An Elizabethtown College professor has collected and edited the letters of Jackie Robinson in a new book that reveals how the baseball legend sought to use his fame to further the civil rights cause.

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The origins and development of racism in North America are traced in a new book by St. Lawrence University Emeritus Professor of Anthropology Richard J. Perry.

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Noted civil rights scholar Harvard Sitkoff, a professor of history at the University of New Hampshire, has authored a new biography on Martin Luther King Jr., "King: Pilgrimage to the Mountaintop", that has been called the finest brief biography of the civil rights leader.

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Torture has been practiced in recent decades by more than 98 percent of nations that experience any political violence, including Western democracies, according to a study by a University of Maryland researcher and colleagues. A second Maryland researcher finds that torture is rarely isolated and ends up being used broadly and institutionalized.

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Quality of dental care is associated with one's race and economic status, according to researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Dentistry.

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This press release details the National Association of Social Worker's stance on Guantanamo detainees' rights to challenge their detention.

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In Beyond Terror, Goldberg argues that after human rights violations have occurred, the realm of representation is the ground upon which struggles for justice and peace are waged in legal, emotional, and cultural terms. Moving beyond fictional accounts from past wars, she focuses on emerging narratives about recent abuses.

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'Third Space' offers fresh insights on the struggle between indigenous resistance and American colonialism"”within its own borders.

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University of Oregon experts: civil disobedience; freedom of speech/Constitutional; immigration; Pakistan, South Asia and Muslim societies; women in Muslim world; poverty, genocide and Darfur; poverty and women; racial inequality; racial politics; social inequality; and violence against women.

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Professors from Appalachian State University available for civil liberties/social injustice comments. Matthew Robinson, the author of "Death Nation," reports the opinions of scholarly death penalty experts as to whether the death penalty achieves its goals, is plagued by serious problems, and is an appropriate punishment for convicted murderers. Barbara Zaitzow researches women in prison, alternatives to incarceration, female criminality and social control techniques used with women in prison.

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Should physicians accept free trips, free meals, payments for speeches, and other gratuities from the pharmaceutical industry? Has bioethics neglected issues including health disparities, social justice, global health, and the environment? Bioethicist Howard Brody says "no" and "yes," respectively.

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Grinnell College faculty with expertise in civil liberties and social justice, including Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S. foreign policy and "despotic" regimes, immigration issues, the Darfur, and inequalities based on gender, race, and sexuality.

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Why do racial equality and understanding elude our nation almost half a century after the civil rights movement was supposed to solve the problems? Leaders of the National Coalition Building Institute, Facing History and Ourselves and Rhodes College"” three national organizations dedicated to erasing prejudice"”believe that progress begins with bringing people together for meaningful conversations.

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock experts are available for interviews focused topics, including reparations for African American descendants, First Amendment issues, the rights of immigrants, criminal justice topics, and other inequalities present in the legal system and workplace.

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The current way of doing genetic research -- with completely anonymized data to protect patient privacy -- is paternalistic and detrimental to patients, who could otherwise be getting back vital health information, argue researchers at Children's Hospital Boston. They've devised a mechanism for allowing patients -- if they wish -- to be alerted to discoveries that may affect them, while still remaining anonymous.

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Issues related to social justice and civil liberties are at the forefront of many current-events discussions. Several Central Michigan University faculty experts are available to comment on these types of topics, including international social change, the current political climate for freedom of the press and freedom of speech, HIPAA and patient privacy, and U.S. international relations.

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The Spelman College administration and faculty consists of some of the country's most well-versed experts in the areas of race relations, gender issues, and insight on the late Martin Luther King Jr.

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Dr. William F. Ford says that the economic issues related to the immigration debate are largely ignored in favor of focusing on the legal, political, social and cultural aspects of the issue. However, it's vital that economic considerations related to immigration"”including the major roles that both legal and illegal immigrants contribute to the labor force and production and spending"”be factored into the discourse, he says.

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Although U.S. citizens can't vote on each individual issue or dilemma facing this nation, that's no excuse for Americans to refrain from participating in their own governance, declares Dr. Larry Burris, a First Amendment scholar and journalism professor, who adds that "the public's business should be conducted in public; not in smoke-filled rooms, restaurants or sports facilities."

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University of Toronto has created a new guide to by-pass internet censorship called "Everyone's guide to by-passing Internet censorship for citizens worldwide."

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Allan D. Sobel, director of the Arlin M. Adams Center for Law and Society at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, Pa., argues that inmate executions in the U.S. should be stopped while institutional problems with the justice system are addressed.

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Looking for an expert on civil liberties and social justice issues? Tulane University faculty are available to comment.

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Sarah Lawrence College Professor of American History, Public Policy & Africana Studies, Komozi Woodard, is an expert in African American History, and the Black Power movement, including Black freedom struggles, and is available for comment.

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Members of the House of Representatives recently passed legislation giving reporters the right to protect confidential sources in most federal cases, but the shield-law legislation's future is unsure and President Bush says he'll veto it. One First Amendment scholar says the legislation is more about the public's right to know than the reporter's right to protection.

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As one of the largest human rights datasets in the world, the Cingranelli and Richards (CIRI) Human Rights Project shines a global spotlight on government respect for a wide range of human rights. Headed up by David Cingranelli, professor of political science at Binghamton University, and David Richards, assistant professor of political science at the University of Memphis, CIRI tracks data from 195 countries over a 26-year period.

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UAB political scientist says gender violence should be relabeled as terrorism.

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The widely criticized structural adjustment policies of international financial institutions can help spread democracy around the world, according to a new book co-authored by a researcher at the Binghamton University, State University of New York.

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It's no wonder Berea College in Kentucky is a school Martin Luther King Jr. wanted to visit, but never got the chance. Founded by abolitionists in 1855, Berea was the first interracial and co-educational college in the South, is the alma mater of distinguished African Americans, including Carter G. Woodson, and continues a commitment to interracial education and equality by charging no tuition and admitting only students high in ability but low in financial resources.

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In Memphis, Rhodes College, a top private liberal arts college, has for years brought diverse peoople with different perspectives together for meaningful dialogues about race. Its latest effort, Crossroads to Freedom, is among the most ambitious efforts to help Memphis heal and move forward.

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How people respond to the U.S. government's attempts to censor some war-related images comes down to whether or not they are supporters of President Bush, a new study suggests.

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The University of Maryland will host a field hearing by the U.S. Helsinki Commission that asks: "Is it Torture Yet?" U.S. Senator Benjamin L. Cardin (D-MD), co-chair of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, is convening the hearing to gather expert testimony on torture and other forms of banned treatment.

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Indiana University School of Law professors comment on Wednesday's Supreme Court hearing regarding whether federal judges have jurisdiction to hear cases brought by detainees held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

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In January, Wake Forest University will present "Secrets vs. Security," an opportunity for people to examine the issues of government secrets, free speech and national security.

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The Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. "“ his name and personality instantly identify him as one of the world leaders of Civil Rights reform. His cultural legacy conjures many iconic American sights and sounds: images from the Montgomery bus boycott; 1963's March on Washington; the "I Have a Dream" and "Mountain Top" speeches; the tragic photos of his assassination in Memphis, and his funeral procession in Atlanta.

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Countries around the world are embracing the jury system in a wave of judicial reform that is democratizing jurisprudence in nations as diverse as South Korea, Mexico, and Japan, according to UC Santa Cruz jury expert Hiroshi Fukurai.