May 20 — The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Society and Art is a New York City college that has long been associated with progressive politics and activism. The college was a center of the abolitionist movement, and Abraham Lincoln gave a historic anti-slavery address there in 1860. In more recent times, Latin American [...]
Part 1: Two schools of thought lock horns Supreme Court decisions are expected sometime in June on the constitutionality of California’s Prop 8, which prohibits same-sex marriage, and the federal so-called “Defense of Marriage Act,” which discriminates against same-sex married couples in the administration of more than 1,000 federal programs. However, it is a foregone [...]
The struggle by women to stop being treated as men’s property and sexual objects has finally surfaced in the U.S. military. What once was totally swept under the rug — that women, and some men, face a high risk of being sexually assaulted while on duty — has now surfaced to such an extent that [...]
Despite many gains won through decades of struggle, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer communities are often victims of hate crimes. When the crime becomes a murder, the victim is most likely a young transgender woman of color. Three African-American transwomen were found murdered, in April alone, in Baltimore; Oak Ridge, Fla.; [...]
BULLETIN: On May 20, Guatemala’s highest court threw out Rios Montt’s conviction. Appeals are being filed. On Dec. 4, 1982, President Ronald Reagan met Guatemalan President Efrain Rios Montt in Honduras. It was a useful meeting for both. Reagan declared Montt to be “a man of great personal integrity and commitment.” Reagan said, “I know [...]
On May 25, 1963, 33 independent African states met in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to form the Organization of African Unity. The purpose of the summit 50 years ago was to enhance cooperation between member states and to accelerate the liberation struggles of those countries that still remained under colonial and/or European-settler rule. In 1963, European-minority [...]
In Detroit, the Michigan Emergency Committee Against War & Injustice held a conference on May 18 entitled “Africa & U.S. Imperialism.” The event was a day-long gathering featuring lectures and reports on the 50-year history of the national liberation struggles and nation-building efforts in Africa. It coincided with the 50th anniversary summit of the African [...]
As this article goes to print, 57 more people were arrested during the “Moral Monday” action on May 20. More than 500 came out to rally and pack the legislature in support of the civil disobedience action. North Carolina — Addressing a packed church April 28, the night before more than a dozen community members [...]
Thousands of people marched through New York’s Greenwich Village the evening of May 20 to protest the murder of Mark Carson. Shortly after midnight May 18, Carson was shot to death by a man yelling anti-gay slurs. Carson, a 32-year-old African American described by family and friends as “a proud gay man,” had been strolling [...]
The corporate-owned media reviews of the movie “The Central Park Five,” just released on DVD, focus mainly on the pathos and injustice of wrongful incarceration. They’re downplaying the more political message of the film, which exposes the oppressive and racist nature of the state — and the media — under capitalism in the United States. [...]
