By Marc H. Morial “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn't leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I'd still be in prison.”   Nelson Mandela Earlier this month, we announced a diverse list of speakers taking the stage at this week’s National Urban […]

By Julia Hotz WASHINGTON  (IPS) — A new ranking has lauded Germany for its energy efficiency, while condemning the United States for lagging near the bottom.The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a non-profit here, called the U.S. economy’s inefficiency “a tremendous waste” of both resources and money, in a scorecard released Thursday. Looking […]

By Jazelle Hunt, Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) – The U.S. Black Chambers (USBC) and the National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators, and Developers (NABHOOD) are formally partnering to make sure that a significant portion of the $40 billion African Americans spend each year on travel and tourism remains in Black hands.The partnership was launched […]

By Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent  WASHINGTON (NNPA) — Although many are nostalgically reflecting on 50 years ago when the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was signed into law, there was no universal agreement on what tactics to deploy in the fight for equality, according to a report on the movement by the Economic Policy […]

By Julia Hotz WASHINGTON (IPS) —  Civil rights groups across the United States have withdrawn their support from a major legislative proposal that would outlaw workplace discrimination against sexual minorities, warning that recent legal developments could exempt companies on religious grounds.Five major legal advocacy groups are arguing that the legislation, known as the Employment Non-Discrimination […]

By Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) —During a recent ceremony on Capitol Hill, lawmakers from the United States Senate and House of Representatives celebrated the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and honored Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King with the Congressional Gold Medal.“The Civil Rights Act of […]

By Michelle Tullo WASHINGTON (IPS) — Rights advocates and lawmakers are expressing increased concern over the United States’ handling of the sudden influx of tens of thousands of undocumented child and female migrants from Central America.Last week, President Barack Obama announced that military bases would be converted to detention centres to house the nearly 50,000 […]

By Jazelle Hunt, Washington Correspondent  WASHINGTON (NNPA) — For most of the nearly 30 years since  Dr. Nicole Brodie’s asthma diagnosis, the athlete and Army veteran has been able to maintain an uninterrupted life, continuing to teach elementary school, coach a children’s team, and remain active. She was partly able to do this by moving […]

By Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGTON (NNPA) —One year after the United States Supreme Court gutted a key section of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, “the right to vote for all is under grave threat,” says Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of […]

By Freddie Allen, NNPA Washington Correspondent WASHINGNTON (NNPA) — From 2003 to 2014, student debt in America skyrocketed from $250 million to $1.2 trillion, surpassing credit card debt. As more students, especially Blacks students, rely on grants and loans to get through college, President Barack Obama has stepped up with a series of executive orders […]