The RaceWire Beat – 12.06.06 School Desegregation Cases Inspire Student Activism Two Supreme Court cases jeopardizing the principles of the Brown v. Board of Education desegregation in elementary and secondary public schools are set to be heard next week, drawing students from around the country who have organized protests to stake out the court during the Dec. 4 hearings. Countrywide Agrees to Adopt Controls to Ensure Fair Lending New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said Tuesday that Countrywide Financial Corp. would adopt new measures to prevent discriminatory pricing for minority borrowers. Blair Expresses ‘Sorrow’ for Slavery, Will Bush Follow Suit? British Prime Minister Tony Blair expressed “deep sorrow” last week over Britain’s role in the African slave trade two centuries ago, a move that fell short of a full apology, but will still likely reignite debate in the United States about whether the U.S. government should issue its own a slavery apology. More Than 50 Tribes Convene on Global Warming Impacts Near the Lower Colorado River, home to the Cocopah people for many centuries, an unprecedented gathering is underway. The RaceWire Beat is a digest of the day’s top news stories on race and politics collected by the staff at ColorLines magazine.