As the debate over a new immigration bill preoccupies Washington, a quieter debate over the use of the term “illegal immigrant” has stirred up the country’s newsrooms. This month, The Associated Press announced it would eliminate the use of “illegal…
By Bertha Lewis, President of the Black Institute and Daisy Chung, Executive Director of Restaurant Opportunities Center of New York Can we really say that the issue of paid sick leave has been resolved when hundreds of thousands of workers aren’t…
This week, New York City is defending itself against a lawsuit that claims its controversial "stop and frisk" policy is used to illegally detain and search people on the basis of race. The subject of an ongoing trial, the suit…
There is solid support among African-Americans for immigration reform, as a new poll shows that more than two-thirds of the black community favor providing a path to citizenship for immigrants. The poll, done by Lake Research Partners, revealed that 66…
Recently, thousands of people gathered in Washington D.C. in front of the Capitol to demand comprehensive immigration reform which includes a pathway to citizenship and a cessation of the indiscriminate criminalization of undocumented immigrants. ColorOfChange.org preceded this action by launching a…
The New York attorney general’s office is looking into reports of wage theft violations within the state’s fast food industry, department officials confirmed on Thursday. The news of their investigation broke on the same day that Fast Food Forward, a…
WASHINGTON – Whites had an average wealth of $632,000 in 2010 while Blacks had about $98,000 and Hispanics had $110,000, according to a recent study by the Urban Institute. “Such great wealth disparities help explain why many middle-income blacks and…
As the Mayor of the City of Newark, Cory Booker has a lot to say about the now popular term of leaning in and how it plays into his city’s efforts to improve the lives of African-Americans in New Jersey’s…
“I am outraged by the Supreme Court’s reckless decision today on the Voting Rights Act,” Bertha Lewis, President of The Black Institute said. “For decades, we have fought tooth and nail to end racial discrimination in this country and ensure…
“One day after the historic overturning of DOMA and Prop 8, another defining moment is upon us and in no less in the same week we received the troublesome decisions on Affirmative Action and Voting Rights. After weeks of deliberation,…