US judges Overturn a North Carolina Voting Law That Targeted African Americans with “almost surgical precision” — Quartz

The Reverend William Barber II is having a blessed day—less than twenty-four hours after he rocked the Democratic national convention with a prophetic call for social justice, a federal appeals court threw out a voting law he has campaigned against for the last three years. The law restricted early voting and ended same-day voting registration,…

via US judges overnturn a North Carolina voting law that targeted African Americans with “almost surgical precision” — Quartz

From 12 Years A Slave – How A Black Man Might Survive A Traffic Stop

“If you want to survive, do and say as little as possible.” 

– Clemens – 12 Years A Slave

Don’t Let Anybody Take Your Manhood

Dr. Martin Luther King. Give him two minutes he’ll give you a lifetime of self-improvement and the answers to a lot of racial issues.

What’s It Like To Be Black or Dark Skinned in Russia? | Public Radio International

Moscow reporter Charles Maynes says Russians are generally supportive of the victims of shootings — law enforcement and civilians — however in many cases the Russian government is fostering a different reaction.

“I think there is this sense of their own problems, and to distract from them [the Russian government] tends to celebrate some of America’s problems,” Maynes said.

Russia has a racism and violence problem of its own, though the schism in Russia is different.

People from the Caucasus are called “blacks” as a derogatory term, even though many of them don’t have dark skin.Boston Globe reporter David Filipov said he used to get profiled in Russia during the Chechen wars because of his dark features.

Source: What does it mean to be black in Russia? | Public Radio International

In New Jersey Death Doesn’t Let Parents Off The Hook For Their Child’s Student Loans

Amid a haze of grief after her son’s unsolved murder last year, Marcia DeOliveira-Longinetti faced an endless list of tasks — helping the police gain access to Kevin’s phone and email; canceling his subscriptions, credit cards and bank accounts; and arranging his burial in New Jersey.

And then there were the college loans.

When Ms. DeOliveira-Longinetti called about his federal loans, an administrator offered condolences and assured her the balance would be written off.

But she got a far different response from a New Jersey state agency that had also lent her son money.

Source: In New Jersey Student Loan Program, Even Death May Not Bring a Reprieve – The New York Times