Why Tea Party Lawmakers Are Trying to Conflate Poverty and Drug Addiction

by Seth Freed Wessler on May 7 2012, 10:07AM

Since 2010, a new meme has spread to dozens of states: Drug testing people who apply for safety net benefits. The goal is to change economic debates into a culture war over who does and does not deserve help.

Topics: ALEC, Drug Tests, Economy, Jobs Crisis, Politics

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The U.S. vs. Arizona: A Primer for the High Court’s Big Day on Immigration

by Hatty Lee, Julianne Hing on April 25 2012, 9:00AM

Who gets to regulate the lives of immigrants? The Supreme Court will attempt to settle the debate. Today, both sides make their case before the High Court.

Topics: Arizona's SB 1070, Immigration

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Two Years Later, BP’s Oil Still Wreaks Havoc Along the Gulf Coast

by Hatty Lee on April 20 2012, 9:28AM

Black residents along the gulf coast are still feeling the devastating effects of one of the nation’s worst man-made disasters.

Topics: Environment, Gulf Oil Spill

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Five Myths About Crime in Black America—and the Statistical Truths

by Hatty Lee, Shani O. Hilton on April 13 2012, 8:47AM

Trayvon Martin’s killing stirred many debates about crime surrounding black men. It also kicked up many familiar misconceptions, like the idea that black-on-black crime is uniquely bad. Hatty Lee’s infographic breaks down the realities.

Topics: Criminal Justice, Schools & Youth, Trayvon Martin

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Thousands of Young Black Men Die in Gun Crimes Every Year

by Hatty Lee on March 28 2012, 9:00AM

For all the talk of hoodies and school suspensions and who punched whom first, one thing stands above the rest in Trayvon Martin’s death: There was a gun involved, and that’s a terribly common feature in the deaths of young black men.

Topics: Criminal Justice, Schools & Youth, Trayvon Martin

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As Supreme Court Listens, Here’s a Look at What It Means to Lock Kids Away for Life

by Hatty Lee on March 21 2012, 9:43AM

The Supreme Court is weighing whether it’s fair to lock juvenile offenders convicted of murder away for life without a chance to reform. Here’s why race matters.

Topics: Criminal Justice

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The March Madness Statistic You Don’t Hear About: College Grad Rates

by Hatty Lee on March 19 2012, 9:32AM

The country’s best teams are competing in the NCAA tournament for a national championship. But are schools preparing its black players for life after basketball?

Topics: Arts & Culture, March Madness, Schools & Youth

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How Economists Tally Unemployment—and Its Affect on the Black Jobless Rate

by Shani O. Hilton, Hatty Lee on February 23 2012, 9:55AM

January saw a remarkable three-point drop in black joblessness. Economists are skeptical it’s real. But why? Put on your data nerd hat, because we’ve got the explanation.

Topics: Economy, Jobs Crisis

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Chris Brown’s First Line in New Rihanna Song: ‘Been a Long Time, I’ve Been Missing Your Body’

by Jorge Rivas on February 22 2012, 12:05PM

Perhaps it’s time Rihanna visit her 2009 interview with Diane Sawyer.

Topics: Arts & Culture, Chris Brown, /NOW Blog

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Why the ‘He Can Beat Me’ Tweets About Chris Brown Aren’t Funny

by Hatty Lee on February 17 2012, 9:00AM

Every year, almost 1.5 million high school students experience dating abuse, and it takes on many different forms

Topics: Chris Brown, Health

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Remember HIV/AIDS? It’s Still Raging in the U.S.

by Kai Wright, Hatty Lee on February 7 2012, 10:13AM

When times are tough, it’s easy to ignore things like health and wellness. We all know what happens when we do that in our personal lives—it comes back to haunt us. Same’s true as a society, and the U.S. AIDS epidemic is proof of that fact.

Topics: Health, Kai Wright

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The Prison Industrial (Retirement) Complex, by the Numbers

by Hatty Lee on February 1 2012, 9:14AM

After decades of indiscriminately locking people up and throwing away the key, states are discovering yet another consequence of over-incarceration: rapidly aging prison populations.

Topics: Criminal Justice

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Chinese New Year 101: Welcome to the Year of the Dragon [Infographic]

by Hatty Lee on January 24 2012, 9:00AM

Around the world, Asian communities celebrated Lunar New Year on Monday. Here’s what the holiday is all about.

Topics: Arts & Culture

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How to Be a Racial Justice Hero, on MLK Day and All Year Long

by Hatty Lee, Terry Keleher on January 16 2012, 10:26AM

Martin Luther King, Jr., isn’t the only racial justice hero—you can be one too. Simply drill down on your daily routine, ask some basic questions about equity in the institutions you engage and deploy your own hero powers to fight for it.

Topics: Politics

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10 Years Later, No Child Left Behind Ignores Plenty

by Julianne Hing, Hatty Lee on January 12 2012, 9:50AM

INFOGRAPHIC: A day in the life of the student who is still being left behind by the landmark law, on its tenth anniversary.

Topics: Education Reform, Schools & Youth

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Happy 5th Birthday iPhone — But Look At What You’ve Done

by Jorge Rivas on January 9 2012, 6:04PM

The iPhone was unveiled five years ago today but it’s one of the major players in an industry that’s created a new digital divide.

Topics: New Digital Divide, /NOW Blog

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They Are the (White) 94 Percent Who Shape Presidential Elections

by Hatty Lee on January 9 2012, 9:30AM

INFOGRAPHIC: New Hampshire voters proudly play a crucial role in shaping national politics. Hatty Lee draws a picture of just how far the state comes from representing the whole nation.

Topics: GOP Primary, Politics

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Infographic: What the New Digital Divide Looks Like

by Hatty Lee on December 6 2011, 10:21AM

The defining question of the information age is no longer whether you’re online, it’s how you got there. Here’s why your connection matters.

Topics: Media, New Digital Divide, Technology

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What You Need to Know About Childhood Sexual Abuse

by Akiba Solomon on November 17 2011, 10:00AM

It’s one of those unspeakable crimes, until a high-profile case like the one at Penn State makes it inescapable. Here, some basic-but-vital facts about its victims and impact.

Topics: Akiba Solomon, Schools & Youth

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A Brief Uncensored Guide to Herman Cain’s Memorable Campaign Talk

by Jamilah King, Hatty Lee on November 14 2011, 9:48AM

We’ve rounded up some of the presidential hopeful’s most quotable moments.

Topics: GOP Primary, Politics

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