Human Rights Topics In the News

February 2012

• Wisconsin photo-ID requirement at polls poses few problems
  Don Huntington walked into the National Guard armory Tuesday afternoon, fished a photo ID out of his pocket and handed it over to a poll worker. - Pioneer Press
• Comcast to start new minority-owned cable channels
  Comcast will launch four minority-owned networks on its cable-TV systems in the next two years, including channels spearheaded by music mogul Sean "P. Diddy" Combs and NBA great Magic Johnson. - Pioneer Press
• Duluth hockey fans warned after racist chants
  DULUTH, Minn. (AP) — Students who own season tickets to Minnesota-Duluth's men's hockey games are being warned to shape up after reports of racist chants during recent games against the North Dakota Fighting Sioux. - MPR
• Nebraska: Mixed Ruling on Immigration Crackdown
  A federal judge has rejected part of a controversial city ordinance in Fremont that sought to ban hiring illegal immigrants and renting property to them. Judge Laurie Smith Camp of Federal District Court said part of the ordinance that would have denied housing occupancy permits to illegal immigrants is discriminatory. - NY Times
• White supremacy group plans Duluth rally to protest anti-racism campaign
  The white unity rally will be held at the Duluth Civic Center and could last up to three hours, a local organizer said. - Duluth News Tribune
• High court accepts case over use of race in college admissions
  Washington (CNN) — The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to tackle another election-year blockbuster and will decide whether the University of Texas' race-conscious admission policies violate the rights of white applicants.
• Supreme Court will consider challenge to affirmative action at University of Texas
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court will once again confront the issue of race in university admissions in a case brought by a white student denied a spot at the flagship campus of the University of Texas. - Star Tribune
• Pro photo ID group changes web images
  A day after opponents accused a website of using racial caricatures to promote a photo ID requirement for voters, the images have been changed. - Star Tribune
• The many faces of marriage in America
  In the span of a generation, as intermarriage has become more common and the United States has grown more racially diverse, a dramatic change in attitudes has taken place. - Star Tribune
• Secretary of State Mark Ritchie offers Voter ID alternative: electronic poll books
  Minnesota Secretary of State Mark Ritchie has proposed an alternative to the Voter ID plan now being considered by Republicans in the Legislature. - MinnPost
• Minneapolis-area Lutherans weigh marriage amendment
  Members of the Minneapolis-based synod will be urged to reject the proposed amendment at today's assembly. - Star Tribune
• Court records often wrong in Minnesota system
  First-time or low-level offenders in Minnesota often can catch a break by having criminal charges dismissed or reduced if they meet certain conditions. But in thousands of cases, the state's public court data system failed to register that change, an omission that could torpedo a person's chances of landing a job or housing, and a problem officials have spent months trying to resolve. - Star Tribune
• Task force recommends greater oversight, guidance for school integration efforts
  ST. PAUL, Minn — How best to integrate Minnesota schools has confounded many, from the school officials themselves, on up to the state legislature and the governor. - MPR
• Will GOP's Voter ID plan delay election results for 10 days?
  Are Minnesotans willing to wait up to 10 days after the election to find out who won in races ranging from governor to local officials? - MinnPost
• Gay Marriage, Passed, Awaits Veto by Christie
  The New Jersey Assembly approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage on Thursday, setting up a confrontation with Gov. Chris Christie, who promised a swift veto and defied the Legislature to put the issue before voters instead. - NY Times
• Arrowhead Legislators Graded on Their Work, Votes for Racial Equity
  DULUTH, MN - While the "Un-fair campaign" with billboards and posters across Duluth has been controversial, the issues of racial equity behind the campaign are all too real. - Northland's NewsCenter
• Met Council committed to minority hiring on light-rail construction
  Sixteen years ago, when Gwen Miller told family and friends she was going to be a construction worker, the reaction was, "Are you kidding me?" - Spokesman-Recorder
• Who's for (and against) voter photo ID, and why? "Let's not beat around the bush: The ... voter photo ID law is a not-too-thinly-veiled attempt to discourage election-day turnout by certain folks believed to skew Democratic." - MinnPost
• Republicans, League of Women Voters go at it over Voter ID
  The author of a proposed constitutional amendment to require a photo ID when voting is offering an olive branch to the bill's most vocal opponent. - MinnPost
• Tennessee lawmakers advance 'don't say gay' bill
  NASHVILLE – A bill to restrict teaching about homosexuality before high school cleared its first hurdle in the state House of Representatives, setting the stage for a second year of debate on the appropriate way to handle discussion about gays and lesbians with schoolchildren. - USA Today
• U.S. rate of interracial marriage hits record high Interracial marriage in the USA reached an all-time high in 2010: 8.4% of all marriages, compared with 3.2% in 1980, finds a Pew Research Center study, released today, that analyzes unions between spouses of different races or ethnic groups. - USA Today
• Northland residents slam syndicated radio show's 'mentally challenged' segment as offensive
  A segment on a syndicated radio show aired in Duluth is being decried by some residents as insensitive and offensive to people with cognitive disabilities. - Duluth News Tribune
• Senate committee approves voter photo ID amendment
  The Senate's Local Government and Elections Committee, voting along party lines, approved a proposed photo ID constitutional amendment on Wednesday after a lengthy debate about how the new policy will affect the state's voting system. - Star Tribune
• Immigrants draw lines for change in Minneapolis
  Activists and redistricting officials are drafting revised political wards in Minneapolis to consolidate and increase influence. - Star Tribune
• Anoka-Hennepin schools still facing litigation over now-voided LGBT policy
  The Anoka-Hennepin school district's policy on sexual orientation is gone, but two lawsuits that sought to overturn it are still moving forward. - Pioneer Press
• Integration task force forwarding results to Cassellius
  Just when you thought hardly anyone in the state Legislature could spell compromise, much less produce one, a panel of deeply divided ideological and philosophical foes goes into a windowless subbasement chamber and forges a policy prescription pretty much all are pleased with. - MinnPost
• Duluth: "Pro-white" rally to protest anti-racism billboards
  Backlash against the Un-Fair Campaign's "It's hard to see racism when you're white" billboards continues.
• Anoka-Hennepin School Board votes to replace neutrality policy
  The 5-1 vote to change rules did not change any minds; deep divisions remain. - Star Tribune
• Minnesota's black middle class is shrinking
  Demographers say the recent economic recession hit African Americans harder than the broader population. - MPR
• And the war came. And slavery did not go away. When talking about his childhood in Arkansas during the 1920s and '30s, my father always mentions a sheriff who rented out prisoners to wealthy landowners. - Star Tribune
• Voter ID to deter fraud? Prove it, ACLU says
  The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota offered a $1,000 reward Monday to anyone who can prove a case in which someone in the state has been charged or convicted of impersonating a voter. - Pioneer Press
• Pew study: 1 in 8 voter records flawed
  WASHINGTON – More than 24 million voter-registration records in the United States— about one in eight — are inaccurate, out-of-date or duplicates. - USA Today
• Confederate flag dispute defused in West St. Paul Facing criticism, a West St. Paul City Council member says he has removed a Confederate flag from the back deck of his house. - Pioneer Press
• Editorial: A positive grade for integration aid plan Task force strikes good balance between support, accountability. - Star Tribune
• Dayton: Social equity still a priority
  Governor had pledged to diverse church group he would seek to even disparities. - Star Tribune
• Two fears drive fight on photo ID
  The debate in Minnesota and nationally pits worries about voter rights against concern over voter fraud. - Star Tribune
• Gov. Mark Dayton highlights social action rally sponsored by the Isaiah network at a St. Paul church
  Gov. Mark Dayton has faith that people of faith will continue to work against economic and social inequalities. - Pioneer Press
• Minn. city councilman defends his Confederate flag
  WEST ST. PAUL, Minn. - A member of the West St. Paul City Council has a Confederate flag hanging outside his home, and he says he's not worried what people think of it. - KARE11
• Duluth racism ads drive some into a rage
  Billboard campaign aims to foster a community dialogue. - Star Tribune
• Fired coal handler alleges Willmar Utilities discrimination
  WILLMAR — A terminated coal handler is alleging he was the victim of employment discrimination by the Willmar Municipal Utilities because of his national origin and religion. - West Central Tribune
• Same-sex Fargo couple denied marriage license, but hope others are spurred to action
  FARGO – "Guess why we're here?" Lenny Tweeden wryly asked Cass County Treasurer Charlotte Sandvik as he stepped up to the courthouse counter on Thursday afternoon. - Inforum
• State tells St. Cloud school district to improve racial balance at Talahi
  At Talahi Community School, where minority enrollment has hit 68 percent, the state has asked St. Cloud school district to seek strategies to find better racial balance. - St. Cloud Times
• Judge: Firing for lactation not sex discrimination
  HOUSTON – A federal judge's ruling against a Houston mother who says she was fired after asking for a place to pump breast milk has highlighted a question left unanswered by higher courts: Is firing a woman because she wants to pump at work sexual discrimination? - USA Today
• Integration revenue task force approves plan
  On Tuesday the integration revenue task force approved a plan they will submit to the Minnesota legislature for how $110 million of integration revenue should be repurposed. The task force's mandate called for a repurposing of revenue so that it will be used to pursue specific goals aimed at closing the achievement gap – with or without integration programs. - TC Daily Planet
• Minneapolis Park Board cited for racial rifts
  Consultants take commission to task after being told by workers of distrust, discrimination and a disregard for cultural differences. - Star Tribune
• For Anoka students, it gets better
  District's moves to face bullying and GLBT issues are helping many, amid challenges new and old. - Star Tribune
• In voter ID case, South Carolina fights back against Obama administration
  South Carolina's attorney general is asking a three-judge panel in Washington to reverse a Justice Department decision blocking the state's new voter ID law. Obama administration officials said the state law would discriminate against African-American voters. - MinnPost
• Report: Air marshals face discrimination on the job
  A quarter of federal air marshals reported being discriminated against and nearly half fear retaliation for reporting problems, according to a new inspector general's survey. - USA Today
• Vote Moves Washington State Closer to Gay Marriage
  SEATTLE — Washington was poised Wednesday to become the seventh state to allow same-sex couples to marry after the State House gave final passage to such a bill. Gov. Christine Gregoire promised to sign it. - NY Times
• States line up to challenge stringent Section 5 voting rights provision
  Conservative activists and Republican attorneys general have launched a series of lawsuits meant to challenge the most muscular provision of the Voting Rights Act 0f 1965 before a Supreme Court that has signaled it is suspicious of its constitutionality. - Washington Post
• Employees File Class Action Lawsuit Against Menards
  It's not clear how many of the plaintiffs worked at Menards Minnesota locations. But Minnesota's Commissioner of Human Rights, Kevin Lindsey, said the case shows a continuing battle in the general workplace. "Discrimination still does occur and it's still prevalent in the United States and in our state of Minnesota," said Lindsey. - CBS Local
• State integration task force adopts plan to close achievement gap
  It's now up to the Legislature to sort out how Minnesota schools will use funds provided by the state integration program. - Star Tribune
• Univ. of North Dakota president: School will use Fighting Sioux nickname despite NCAA threat
  BISMARCK, N.D. - The University of North Dakota's president says the school will resume using its Fighting Sioux nickname despite threats from the NCAA. - Star Tribune
• Calif. gay marriage ruling's effect in Minn. is mainly as a symbol
  The federal appeals court ruling that a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California is unconstitutional is likely to have more symbolic than practical effect in Minnesota, scholars and activists say. - Star Tribune
• Editorial: A Ruling for Equal Rights
  This nation still has a long way to go to overcome one of the great remaining barriers to full equality and fairness, but a federal appeals court panel brought it a big step closer with a well-grounded ruling on Tuesday striking down a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage in California. - NY Times
• Appeals court says California's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriages is unconstitutional
  SAN FRANCISCO - A federal appeals court on Tuesday declared California's same-sex marriage ban to be unconstitutional, putting the bitterly contested, voter-approved law on track for a likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. - Star Tribune
• Rabbis oppose Minnesota marriage amendment
  With its signed statement, the Minnesota Rabbinical Association adds to the spirited debate in advance of the November vote. - Star Tribune
• Ellison leads opposition to voter photo ID amendment
  DFL congressman asks caucus attendees to oppose GOP-led attempt to require government-issued IDs at the polls. - Star Tribune
• Anoka-Hennepin schools denounce Rolling Stone gay bullying story
  Rolling Stone magazine has the Anoka-Hennepin school district in a rage. The day after a story about the district's handling of anti-gay student bullying appeared Friday, Superintendent Dennis Carlson denounced it as a "brutal and distorted attack." - Pioneer Press
• One Town's War on Gay Teens
  In Michele Bachmann's home district, evangelicals have created an extreme anti-gay climate. After a rash of suicides, the kids are fighting back. - Rolling Stone
• Teachers union backs sexuality policy change
  Coon Rapids, Minn. — The teachers' union in the state's largest school district has offered its qualified support to changes in the district's approach to gay and lesbian students. - MPR
• Menards settles for $1 million in discrimination case
  Eau Claire-based Menard, Inc. has agreed to pay about $1 million to black store employees in its Midwest home improvement stores who claimed they were passed over for promotions because of their race. - Pioneer Press
• Commentary: What Obama Should Do About Workplace Discrimination
  By issuing an executive order, President Obama can — and should — make nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity a requirement for doing business with the American public. - NY Times
• Minneapolis helps Muslim businesses follow Sharia law
  Loans that collect interest are considered by some to be sinful under Sharia law. - Minn. Daily
• Eden Prairie High School Students bring on the bullying
  The winter play at Eden Prairie High School is not a script heisted from a playwright. It was taken from school hallways, classrooms and homes. Minn. Local
• Same-sex marriage features unlikely champion
  Leader of Wall Street investment giant could become a powerful voice for the movement backing gay marriages. - Star Tribune
• After centuries of changing names, some blacks insist: 'I'm not African-American'
  The labels used to describe Americans of African descent mark the movement of a people from the slave house to the White House. Today, many are resisting this progression by holding on to a name from the past: "black." - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Fact vs. fiction and illegal immigration
  The number of illegal immigrants in the United States has dropped notably during the Obama administration -- from a high of 11.9 million in 2007 to 11.2 million in 2010. - Star Tribune
• A line of would-be immigrants? There isn't one.
  IN THE VENOMOUS debate over illegal immigration, there is a point of agreement between President Obama and some of his would-be Republican rivals, including former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. - Washington Post
• You got your picture in the paper? Oh, that paper… A 2-year-old weekly newspaper, now branching out into Anoka County, publishes hundreds of photos of people arrested locally - but not necessarily convicted of crimes. - Pioneer Press
• Madison, Wis.: Foes hope real-life stories will help stop voter ID law
  When Florence Hessing tried to get a state-issued photo identification card to comply with Wisconsin's new voter ID law, the 95-year-old was told she needed her birth certificate. But she didn't have one. She wrote to county officials in Iowa where she was born, but they told her there was no record of her birth. Suddenly, the retired mail carrier who's voted for decades was ineligible. - Pioneer Press
• A Counselor's Convictions Put Her Profession on Trial
  In 2009, Julea Ward, a teacher and an evangelical Christian, was studying for a master's degree in counseling at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. As part of her training, she was required to treat clients, and she expressed her reluctance to work with any who were in same-sex relationships. A professor, heeding Ms. Ward's wishes, referred a gay client to another counselor. - NY Times
• Senate Committee Hears Voter Photo ID Debate
  Ilo Madden, a 73-year-old from St. Louis Park who is oxygen-dependent and on a respirator, testified against the proposal. - St. Louis Park Patch
• Proposed voter photo ID amendment receives first examination at Minnesota Legislature
  Just four of more than 30 witnesses at a five-hour Minnesota legislative committee meeting spoke in favor of the proposed constitutional amendment, which Republicans who control the Minnesota Legislature back in the name of preventing voter fraud. - Grand Forks Herald
• Editorial: Clear up rules on state voting rights
  There is one part of the state's voter-registration laws that needs work -- the overly complicated series of rules about when and whether felons can vote. - Star Tribune
• Let's nip that student achievement gap in the bud
  Right off the bat, in kindergarten, we lump together students who vary widely in age and readiness. So start equalizing there, not later. - Star Tribune
• Immigrants get help deciphering political process
  St. Paul, Minn. — When DFL State Director Nimco Ahmed trains groups of Somali Americans to participate in Minnesota's upcoming caucus, a political institution that mystifies even many Minnesota natives, she tells them they have a responsibility to participate for the greater good of their community. - MPR
• Racism endures here, and campaign reminds us to stop it
  Commentary: Most of us in northern Minnesota might think racism rarely occurs here. That's probably because we are white and we don't recognize it. But it's there. - Duluth News Tribune
• Proposed Voter ID constitutional amendment gets theatrical, lengthy airing
  About 30 opponents spoke against the legislation citing many of the arguments from last session's debate. The key one: The Voter ID move would disenfranchise voters, particularly the elderly, the disabled, students and the poor. - MinnPost
• House approves changes to laws on lawsuits
  The measures include limits on attorney fees in certain cases, such as wrongful termination or sexual harassment, where state law requires the fees be paid as part of the lawsuit. - Star Tribune
• Marriage amendment foes cry foul over contribution
  A gay and lesbian rights organization accused a group pushing an amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Minnesota of violating state campaign finance laws by not disclosing donors behind a $250,000 contribution to the effort. - Star Tribune
• Opponents of Voter ID amendment pack Senate hearing
  St. Paul, Minn. — A proposed constitutional amendment to require Minnesotans to show photo identification in order to vote is facing a rough road at the State Capitol. - MPR
• Mpls City Council honors winners of the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. essay contest
  The Minneapolis City Council honored nine Minneapolis students who were chosen as winners of the 2012 Martin Luther King, Jr. Essay Contest. - Spokesman-Recorder
• In Troy Davis's name, NAACP renews call to abolish the death penalty
  Motivated by the tragic execution of Troy Davis in Georgia last September, the NAACP has renewed its fight to make the death penalty a part of America's past. . - Insight News
• Washington passes gay marriage bill
  OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) – The Washington state Senate on Wednesday passed a bill that would legalize same-sex marriage, setting the stage for the state to become the seventh to allow gay and lesbian couples to wed. - USA Today
• Racial 'opportunity gap' is smallest in South, West African Americans and Latinos are more likely to have jobs, live in better-off neighborhoods and attend better-performing schools in small to medium-size metro areas in the South and West, according to an Urban Institute report out today. - St. Cloud Times
• Diversity in St. Paul school choice mix
  In St. Paul, 20 percent of seats would be saved for students in need. - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Strengthen state's anti-bullying law
  Measure would help provide more protection for students. - Star Tribune
• Desegregation -- an unsung success story
  Even as two-thirds of Americans now say that there are strong conflicts between rich and poor, another great American division is slowly healing. - Star Tribune
• Backlash slams 'Un-Fair' anti-racism campaign in Twin Ports
  A campaign designed to bring people together and inspire a community discussion about the effects of racism has produced some strong reactions in the Twin Ports and beyond — including what Mayor Don Ness called "threats" and "hateful messages" from around the world. - Duluth News Tribune
• Native Americans, given less time to vote for president, sue S.D.
  This month, members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe went to court. In the upcoming presidential balloting, tribal members will have only six days of early voting, when the rest of the state has 46 days to cast early ballots in the primary and general elections. - 100.org
• Medical interpreters in Minnesota: Little training or oversight
  Non-English speakers put their health in the hands of interpreters every day around the Twin Cities. The only training many interpreters get, especially freelancers, is through the private, often tight-budgeted agencies that contract them. - MinnPost

Top of page

January 2012

• Election Integrity Task Force delivers recommendation to Gov. Dayton
  St. Paul, MN – Today the Election Integrity Task Force delivered a First Interim Report and Initial Recommendation to Gov. Mark Dayton, highlighting recommendations to prevent felons from voting before their civil rights are restored.
• New Campaign Brings Backlash to Duluth Mayor
  Duluth, MN - Last Thursday a new campaign rolled out in Duluth, hoping to battle racism on all levels. That campaign has sparked a backlash, including messages sent to the Mayor of Duluth. - Northland's NewsCenter
• Pregnant, and Pushed Out of a Job
  Thanks to a gap between discrimination laws and disability laws, it's possible for a pregnant woman to be forced from her job. - NY Times
• Racial, ethnic disparities in cancer tests
  The number of U.S. adults getting cancer screening tests is not meeting targets, especially among Asian and Hispanic Americans, federal health officials found. - UPI Health News
• Voting and Racial History
  Instead of ensuring that voting rights are extended to all Americans, many state legislatures are engaged in efforts to shut out voters in this election year, taking aim at young people, immigrants and minorities. - NY Times
• Arizona Candidate Struck From Ballot over English skills
  Lawyers for Alejandrina Cabrera, a candidate for the City Council in the border community of San Luis, Ariz., said Thursday that they might appeal to the Arizona Supreme Court a lower-court ruling that Ms. Cabrera be removed from the ballot because she did not speak English proficiently. - NY Times
• St. Francis High School Suspends Student Due to Confederate Flag Tattoo
  Free speech or offensive behavior? That's the question at St. Francis high school, where a senior recently got a tattoo of a confederate flag. The school says he can't come to class unless he covers it up. - KSTP
• Editorial: Preserve citizen civil-rights panels
  Effective human-rights groups are beneficial to communities. - Star Tribune
• Minnesota GOP wants voter ID on the ballot in November
  Republican legislators plan to take their case for a photo ID requirement for voters directly to the voters themselves. - Star Tribune
• Atheist teen forces school to remove prayer from wall after 49 years
  A State Representative has called girl, who has been escorted by police to school, "an evil little thing" on a popular talk radio show. - NY Times
• Group gives Legislature a 'D' for racial equity
  St. Paul, Minn. — A group that advocates for racial justice has given the Minnesota Legislature a grade of "D" for its efforts to improve racial equity in 2011. - MPR
• Voter ID constitutional amendment introduced in Senate
  A host of Republican Senators, including Judiciary Chairman Warren Limmer, member of leadership Ted Lillie and Environment Chairman Bill Ingebrigtsen, have introduced a bill to implement a Voter ID requirement by way of constitutional amendment. - Politics in MN
• Police Gang Tyrannized Latinos, Indictment Says
  They were known as Miller's Boys, police officers who worked the 4-to-midnight shift, patrolling the largely working-class town of East Haven, Conn., including the small but growing Hispanic community that has spread out in recent years from New Haven. - NY Times
• Conservative Parents Demand School Teach About Ex-Gay Therapy
  A group of conservative Christian parents are demanding Minnesota's Anoka-Hennepin School District teach "ex-homosexual" therapy and "gay-related-immune deficiency" (or "GRID"), the Twin Cities Daily Planet reports. - Huff. Post
• Video stirs up debate on stereotypes
  For Maaso Kalema, the viral YouTube video of 27-year-old Franchesca Ramsey — an African-American woman in a blonde wig — poking fun at "Sh*t White Girls Say to Black Girls" was more than a good laugh — it was a reminder of her life growing up in predominately white suburban Blaine, Minn. - Minn. Daily
• Anti-immigrant law to be reevaluated, says MN GOP leader
  A law that tossed seriously ill undocumented immigrants off Emergency Medical Care will be reevaluated, promises Minnesota House Speaker Kurt Zellers. The provision in the Republican authored legislation, which never had a public hearing, was added to a large budget bill during a special session in July. - TC Daily Planet
• St. Cloud Police Officer Discrimination Lawsuit Stands
  Settlement talks are set next month in a federal lawsuit filed by a former St. Cloud police officer who alleges the police department discriminated against him because he's gay. - KSTP
• Minneapolis has second thoughts on integration
  The board's vote is the first step in a process that could lead city schools to drop out of the metro area's oldest voluntary integration effort. - Star Tribune
• The business argument in favor of gay marriage Microsoft and other high-profile companies come out in support of changing the law. - MSNBC
• State's integration programs face uncertain future
  In a few short weeks, the Integration Revenue Task Force will submit recommendations to the Minnesota State Legislature on how the state should redistribute $110 million of integration revenue. - Spokesman-Recorder
• Video contest aims to prevent bullying
  Students in St. Cloud school district can enter a video contest that aims to prevent bullying. St. Cloud school district, St. Cloud Police Department and the Stearns County attorney's office are sponsoring the contest. - St. Cloud Times
• Column: Bullying in USA: Are we defenseless?
  According to the Children's Defense Fund, one child or teen in America commits suicide every five hours. Additionally, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every suicide among young people, there are at least 100 attempts. - USA Today
• Anoka-Hennepin school board offers second revised policy
  The proposal calls on teachers to remain neutral but to also "affirm the dignity" of students. A vote is expected next month. - Star Tribune
• Anoka-Hennepin school board revises wording on sexuality issues
  The Anoka-Hennepin school district's latest attempt to craft a policy on handling classroom discussions about sexual orientation was called an improvement by some who attended a school board meeting Monday night. - Pioneer Press
• Anoka-Hennepin tries again on sexual orientation policy
  Coon Rapids, Minn. — A newly-revised policy on how teachers should handle contentious issues including sexual orientation when they come up in class appears to be gaining support in the state's largest school district. - MPR
• Police favor changes in data laws to shield intelligence information
  State law-enforcement officials plan to ask the Legislature tain information as "intelligence" and make it inaccessible to the public. - Star Tribune
• Appeals court: Minnesota gay marriage case will get trial
  As fight over amendment to ban same-sex marriage heats up, appeals court orders new hearing on suit brought by three couples. - Star Tribune
• Appeals court returns same-sex marriage case to lower court
  St. Paul, Minn. — Three same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses in Hennepin County hailed a ruling Monday by the Minnesota Court of Appeals that revives their challenge to a law barring same-sex couples from marrying. - MPR
• FBI arrests 4 Conn. cops for alleged racial profiling
  The FBI arrested three police officers and one sergeant in Connecticut for allegedly mistreating Hispanic suspects and residents while on patrol, law enforcement officials said. - US News
• Integration programs face uncertain future as task force deadline nears
  In a few short weeks, the Integration Revenue Task Force will submit recommendations to the legislature on how the state should redistribute $110 million of integration revenue. - TC Daily Planet
• Performance Gap Between Minority, White Students Continues To Expand
  WASHINGTON — Educators are expressing alarm that the performance gap between minority and white high school students continues to expand across the United States, with minority teenagers performing at academic levels equal to or lower than those of 30 years ago. - Huff. Post
• Anoka-Hennepin takes up new sexual orientation replacement policy tonight
  St. Paul, Minn. — The Anoka-Hennepin school board will hear a new proposal Monday night for replacing a policy on sexual orientation curriculum matters. - MPR
• Appeals Court decision on Defense of Marriage Act expected
  This morning, the Minnesota Court of Appeals is scheduled to hand down a decision in a little-known, controversial lawsuit [PDF] filed by three same-sex couples claiming the Minnesota Defense of Marriage Act is discriminatory. - MinnPost
• Editorial: Lots of plans, little progress, on achievement gap
  A smart push to coordinate achievement efforts offers hope. - Star Tribune
• Bullied gay teen finds purpose
  Film about his traumatic school years changed man's life. - Star Tribune
• Voter Suppression Update: The Good and The Bad
  The New Year is off to a busy start with many states continuing the assault on voters by pursuing legislation to make it harder for people to get registered and vote. We also saw a group try to prove voter fraud by actually committing voter fraud by impersonating a recently deceased voter in New Hampshire's primary. - Center for American Progress
• Anoka-Hennepin to rework 'controversial topics' policy
  Officials working on a "controversial topics" policy hope to have a new draft ready for public by Monday. - Star Tribune
• Wisconsin judge to hear arguments in voter ID lawsuit
  A Wisconsin judge is set to hear arguments in a lawsuit against the state's controversial new voter identification law. - Pioneer Press
• Target praised for using model with Down syndrome in ad
  Over the holidays, Target Corp. quietly did something small that is generating big praise. Without trying to draw attention to itself or the child, Target included a young boy with Down syndrome in one of its clothing advertisements. - City Pages
• Commission honors local leaders
  Several Austin residents had their moment in the spotlight Monday for becoming shining examples of local human rights work. The Austin Human Rights Commission honored five groups for human rights causes. - Austin Daily Herald
• Human rights commissions are losing power, influence
  Changing times are prompting some Minnesota cities to clamp down on their human rights commissions, pushing the groups into less controversial duties, giving them less power and sometimes eliminating them altogether. - Star Tribune
• Students in Blake's Justice League to be honored at Hamline anti-bullying conference
  Finally, there's good news to share on the topic of combating bullying in Minnesota schools. On Friday, Hamline University will be the site of a first-of its-kind conference entitled "Cultivating Respect: Creating Safe Schools for All Students." - MinnPost
• College diversity at risk
  There have been few moments in our history when the nation so badly needed institutions to unify the country, overcome divisiveness, and dispel the unfounded "jealousies and prejudices" that our first president warned against. - Star Tribune
• St. Paul schools' diversity plan would factor test scores, income, first language - and not race - into admissions
  St. Paul might put test scores to a new use: boosting diversity at some of its most popular schools. - Pioneer Press
• Play is training for Anoka-Hennepin teachers
  Anoka-Hennepin collaborates with theater group to tackle bullying. - Star Tribune
• King's dream not realized in Minnesota
  As the country marks the birthday of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Minnesotans need to be reminded that racial disparities are growing wider here. - Star Tribune
• Voter photo ID legislation introduced as constitutional amendment
  Voter ID supporters insist the measure is needed to prevent election fraud. That's why they've introduced legislation that would bypass Dayton and allow voters to make the change through a constitutional amendment. - MPR
• Response filed to Fargo TV anchorwoman's discrimination lawsuit
  FARGO, N.D. - The parent company for two Fargo TV stations is rejecting claims of gender and age discrimination by a former news anchorwoman. - Pioneer Press
• High court: Bias laws don't apply to churches
  WASHINGTON - In what may be its most significant religious liberty decision in two decades, the Supreme Court on Wednesday for the first time recognized an exception to employment discrimination laws, saying that churches and other religious groups must be free to choose and dismiss their leaders without government interference. - Star Tribune
• Landmark Supreme Court ruling a 'resounding win' for religious groups
  In an important decision affirming the separation of church and state and the freedom of religious groups to manage their own affairs, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled that religious organizations are shielded from discrimination lawsuits filed by members who are engaged in ministerial functions. - MinnPost
• Partisan feud escalates over voter ID laws in South Carolina, other states
  The Obama administration's recent decision to block a new voter ID law in South Carolina is fueling one of the biggest partisan debates of the day: Do stronger state voter ID laws really curtail the minority franchise? - MinnPost
• Ohio panel upholds decision that landlord's 'White Only' sign at pool was discriminatory COLUMBUS, Ohio — A state panel on Thursday upheld its decision that a Cincinnati landlord, who claimed a black girl's hair products clouded an apartment complex's swimming pool, discriminated against the child by posting a "White Only" sign poolside. - Washington Post
• Commentary: Photo ID campaigns have nothing to do with illegal immigrants.
  The Bush administration thought photo ID was a dandy idea. The Obama administration recognizes it for what it is: a cynical effort to insure that fewer young people and members of minority groups (read, likely Democratic voters) are able to cast a ballot. - NY Times
• Golden Valley mayor wants human rights task force
  Golden Valley likely will have an active human rights commission again, but only after its role has been clarified, new Mayor Shep Harris says. - Star Tribune
• Pepsi Bottling to pay $3.1 million, offer jobs to resolve discrimination charge
  Pepsi Bottling Group will pay $3.13 million and provide job offers and training to resolve a race discrimination charge filed in the Minneapolis office of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), government officials said Wednesday. - Star Tribune
• No fast answers in Anoka-Hennepin neutrality policy debate
  If the Anoka-Hennepin school board had hoped to lay to rest the district's embattled Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, Monday's fractious public hearing and its aftermath dispelled that notion. - Star Tribune
• Parent group demands ex-gay therapy training in Anoka-Hennepin schools
  Gay rights advocates may not have liked the language of the "controversial topics policy" that may replace the Anoka-Hennepin school district's "neutrality policy," but at least there appeared to be movement on the issue. Now, conservative Christian parents are hoping to move things in just the opposite direction. - City Pages
• Parents' league presents demands to Anoka-Hennepin schools A group of parents demanded Monday night that Anoka-Hennepin schools commit more resources to "students of faith, moral conviction, ex-homosexuals and ex-transgenders." - Star Tribune
• Advocates: Area families could benefit from Obama's proposal on illegal immigration Local families would benefit from an immigration rule change proposed by President Barack Obama, according to a local organization dedicated to helping Latinos in Central Minnesota. - St. Cloud Times
• Anoka-Hennepin's 'controversial topics' proposal draws more criticism Coon Rapids, Minn. — Leaders of Minnesota's largest school district are still wrestling with whether to replace a controversial sexual orientation policy with a new policy that has also drawn plenty of criticism. - MPR
• Minnesota to hold first-ever Indian education summit
  ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Education is holding a first-ever American Indian Education Summit aimed at reducing barriers facing the state's Indian students. The event features keynote speeches from Denise Juneau, superintendent of public instruction in Montana, and Kevin Lindsey, commissioner of Minnesota's Department of Human Rights. - Star Tribune
• Requiring photo ID to vote will be meeting topic
  The issue of requiring photo identification for voters will be discussed Thursday after a short documentary on the topic is shown at the St. Cloud Library. The documentary "Democracy for All? The Barriers of Photo ID" was produced by the League of Women Voters, Minnesota. - St. Cloud Times
• Anoka teachers slam policy rewrite
  The Anoka-Hennepin teachers union said Friday that it agrees that the district's embattled "neutrality policy" on sexual orientation should be scrapped. But the union doesn't want it replaced with the policy now being debated by the school board -- or even any policy at all. - Star Tribune
• Microsoft Patents 'Avoid Ghetto'
  GPS Feature for Unsafe Neighborhoods, Bad Weather Microsoft has won a patent for a GPS feature that helps the user avoid dangerous neighborhoods, weather systems, and dangerous terrain. Many are already calling this the "avoid ghetto" feature. - IB Times
• Iowa same-sex parents win birth certificate lawsuit
  DES MOINES - The Iowa Department of Public Health has been ordered to issue a new birth certificate listing both members of a same-sex marriage as the legal parents of a 2-year-old - St. Cloud Times
• Eagan establishes registry for domestic partnerships
  Eagan residents in domestic partnerships will soon be able to register their commitment with the city. - Star Tribune
• Breast-feeding at work now protected by law
  The Affordable Care Act, which was signed into law in March 2010, amended the Fair Labor Standards Act, and for the first time employers are now federally mandated to provide women with breaks and a place to breastfeed. - MSNBC
• Commentary: Minnesota must battle against anti-Somali bigotry
  Somalis weren't involved in 9/11 but are bearing the brunt of the reaction. - Star Tribune

Top of page

December 2011

• Same-sex spouses lose big on taxes
  NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — Same-sex spouses are paying as much as $6,000 a year in extra taxes because the federal government doesn't recognize gay marriage, according to an analysis conducted for CNNMoney by tax specialists. - CNN
• Sunset Commission could determine fates of state boards, agencies
  St. Paul, Minn. — The future of 25 state boards, councils and agencies is at the mercy of a group of 12 policy makers called the Minnesota Sunset Commission. - MPR
• Task force on school integration policy hears sharp debate
  Yesterday, national scholars on both sides of the debate over the constitutionality, educational value and cultural importance of the racial and ethnic integration of the schools gave testimony at the state Capitol. - MinnPost
• St. Paul leads on schools' GLBT issues
  After 17 years, Out for Equity has deep support in the district, where it is valued for its success in retaining at-risk students and its positive effects overall. - Star Tribune
• TSA unveils helpline for fliers with disabilities, medical conditions
  Travelers with disabilities or medical conditions who are nervous or uncertain about getting through airport security now have a helpline they can call for assistance.- MSNBC
• In Treating Disabled, Potent Drugs and Few Rules
  Psychologists who have worked inside the system describe a culture in which the drugs are used to control the disruptive behavior of the developmentally disabled — people with conditions like autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy — an approach increasingly discredited in the field. - NY Times
• Citing Koch, Dayton calls marriage amendment hypocrisy
  St. Paul, Minn. — DFL Gov. Mark Dayton said Thursday he hopes the Republican controlled-Legislature will remove a proposed constitutional ban on same-sex marriage from next year's ballot. - MPR
• Human Rights commissioners will be removed in Golden Valley
  Golden Valley's Human Rights Commission members were expected to be formally removed from their positions at the Dec. 20 City Council meeting. - Sun Newspapers
• Segregated Charter Schools Evoke Separate But Equal Era in U.S.
  Bloomberg — At Dugsi Academy, a public school in St. Paul, Minnesota, girls wearing traditional Muslim headscarves and flowing ankle-length skirts study Arabic and Somali. The charter school educates "East African children in the Twin Cities," its website says. Every student is black. - Business Week
• Viewpoint: Why Minnesotans should support marriage amendment
  If marriage is redefined, it would impact all of Minnesota's society and change the definition of marriage for everyone – whether they like it or not. If gay marriage activists get their way, marriage in Minnesota will become genderless. - SWC Bulletin
• Ex-dental center worker claims HIV discrimination
  DETROIT — A former dental center employee in Michigan claims that he faced discrimination at work and was fired because he has HIV, in a complaint to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. - MSNBC
• Wheelchair athlete sues MSHSL over track and field participation
  MINNEAPOLIS -- A Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School wheelchair athlete has sued the Minnesota State High School League saying she should have the right to compete alongside runners. - KARE 11
• Editorial: African American unemployment crisis requires federal intervention
  In a new Economic Policy Institute report, "A Jobs-Centered Approach to African American Community Development," Algernon Austin, director of the Race, Ethnicity and the Economy program, explains that jobs are essential to improving African American communities. - Spokesman-Recorder
• Bank of America to pay $335M in settlement with DOJ over discriminatory lending
  Bank of America agreed to pay $335 million to resolve allegations that its Countrywide unit engaged in a widespread pattern of discrimination against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers on home loans. - Star Tribune
• Deaf man settles suit against Ramsey County jail for $230K A deaf St. Paul man agreed Tuesday to a $230,000 settlement with Ramsey County over his jailing after a 2006 traffic stop. - Pioneer Press
• States make daily life harder for illegal immigrants
  State legislators looking to crack down on illegal immigration in 2012 are turning away from the law enforcement laws that dominated state houses this year, and instead are pushing other measures that can make life just as difficult for illegal immigrants. - USA Today
• Low-income quota eyed for St. Paul schools
  St. Paul schools should reserve 20 percent of seats at the most sought-after elementary and middle schools for students from high-poverty neighborhoods, an advisory committee said Monday. - Star Tribune
• 2 Muslim men kicked off flight sue 2 air carriers
  NASHVILLE, Tennessee — Two Muslim men who say they were kicked off an airplane in May after the pilot objected to their presence are suing Delta Air Lines Inc. and a regional carrier that operated the Delta Connection flight from Memphis to Charlotte, North Carolina. - MSNBC
• Duluth City Council weighs in against state amendment to make gay marriage illegal
  The Duluth City Council has weighed in against a proposed constitutional amendment that would make same-sex marriage illegal in Minnesota. - Duluth News Tribune
• Duluth city councilors push for vote on gay marriage issue
  The issue of gay marriage will come before the Duluth City Council tonight when Councilors Jeff Anderson and Sharla Gardner introduce a resolution opposing an amendment to the state Constitution that would allow Minnesota to legally recognize only opposite-sex unions. - Duluth News Tribune
• U.N. Gay Rights Protection Resolution Passes, Hailed As 'Historic Moment'
  GENEVA — The United Nations endorsed the rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people for the first time ever Friday, passing a resolution hailed as historic by the U.S. and other backers and decried by some African and Muslim countries. - Huffington Post
• Arizona Sheriff's Office Unfairly Targeted Latinos, Justice Department Says
  PHOENIX — In a harshly worded critique of the country's best-known sheriff, the Justice Department accused Joe Arpaio of the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office of engaging in "unconstitutional policing" by unfairly targeting Latinos for detentions and arrests and retaliating against those who complain. - NY Times
• Local law professor finds her calling in civil rights work
  On December 3, 2011, the Minnesota Jaycees organization held their Ten Outstanding Young Minnesotans (TOYM) awards celebration at the Earle Brown Center in Brooklyn Park. Associate Professor Nekima Levy-Pounds of the University of St. Thomas law school was recognized as one of those outstanding 10 people. - Spokesman-Recorder
• How big is 'small'? New minority business center focuses on million-dollar-plus companies
  An October 2010 City of Minneapolis report concluded that locally owned Black small businesses face "particularly acute" discrimination when seeking loans. They often are denied, and if they are approved they are subject to higher interest rates than other applicants by financial institutions, the report added. - Spokesman-Recorder
• State legislators will square off in on-campus voter ID debate
  The debate will feature four current state legislators: Rep. Phyllis Kahn, DFL-Minneapolis; Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake Sen. John Marty, DFL-Roseville and Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove. - MN Daily
• Landlord fights 'White Only' pool sign ruling
  CINCINNATI - A landlord found to have discriminated against a black girl by posting a "White Only" sign at a swimming pool wants a state civil rights commission to reconsider its decision. - MSNBC
• Will administration sue states over voter ID laws?
  Attorney General Eric Holder is suggesting the Obama administration may go to court to try and block states that it believes are trying to restrict voting, particularly minority voting. - USA Today
• Holder Signals Tough Review of New State Laws on Voting
  Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Tuesday entered the turbulent political waters of voting rights, signaling that the Justice Department would be aggressive in reviewing new voting laws that civil rights advocates say will dampen minority participation in next year's elections. - NY Times
• Both sides turn out to criticize Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy
  Those in the two deeply entrenched camps agreed on one thing: Replacing the current Sexual Orientation Curriculum Policy, which requires staff to stay neutral on matters involving sexual orientation, with a rule forbidding them from "advocating" their personal opinion on controversial topics, is a bad idea. - MinnPost
• Rifts still evident at hearing on embattled GLBT policy
  A proposal to change the policy drew critics from both sides to an Anoka-Hennepin school board hearing. - Star Tribune
• Human Rights Watch criticizes Alabama immigration law
  (CNN) -- Alabama's controversial immigration law is "grounded in discrimination," fosters a culture of fear and denies basic rights to undocumented residents and their families, a human rights organization said in a report released Wednesday. - CNN
• Perceptions of Discrimination a Black and White Story
  A study that examines three years of opinion survey data says that black and white Americans are still miles apart regarding their perceptions of equality or inequality among blacks and whites. - Wave News
• Home improvement giant Lowe's threatened with boycott for yanking ads from show about Muslims
  LOS ANGELES - Lowe's Home Improvement has found itself facing a backlash after the retail giant pulled ads from a reality show about American Muslims. - Star Tribune
• Supreme Court jumps into legal fight over state laws targeting illegal immigrants
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Monday to rule on Arizona's controversial law targeting illegal immigrants, setting the stage for an election-year decision on an issue that is already shaping presidential politics. - Star Tribune
• Some Wisconsin voters having trouble getting required ID
  Jennifer "Rita" Platt says she's determined to vote next year, but Wisconsin isn't making it easy for her. She and the rest of Wisconsin's voters will need to comply with a new voter ID law when they go to the polls in February's primaries. - Pioneer Press
• Anoka-Hennepin district ponders new rules for controversial topics in classroom
  The Anoka-Hennepin School Board is set to consider tonight a replacement for its policies on religion and sexual orientation in the district. - Pioneer Press
• Anoka-Hennepin's proposed 'controversial topics' policy not unique
  The Anoka-Hennepin School District tonight will consider adopting a new policy that instructs teachers to withhold their personal views during class discussions on controversial topics, including religion and sexual orientation. - MPR
• Williamsville North students suspended
  An upstate New York school district has suspended some high school student after police concluded their investigation in a bully-related suicide without filing charges, the Buffalo News reports. - Buffalo News
• Civic leaders to meet on racial disparity problems in Minn.
  St. Paul, Minn. ó Minnesota was once on the vanguard of managing social issues such as fair housing practices. But over the years, racial disparities have appeared in indicators such as housing, education and employment. A group of civic and elected leaders meets Friday to work out a strategy on how to deal with the growing problem. - MPR
• Alabama gets black eye over immigration crackdown
  America's toughest immigration crackdown was meant to drive illegal workers from Alabama. But after two employees with foreign automakers Mercedes-Benz and Honda were stopped by police in recent days, it is giving many pause for thought. The companies have poured billions of dollars of investment into the state. - Reuters
• Workers fired over Facebook, Twitter posts turn to 1935 labor law
  Workers fired or disciplined for bad-mouthing employers on social-networking sites are fighting back using a decades-old labor law -- a new front in the murky battle over what workers can do and say online. - Chicago Tribune
• S.C. businesses face E-Verify deadline
  Employers required to check residency status of new hires The requirement is part of a state immigration law approved in July, and businesses that don't follow the rules risk losing their licenses to operate. - Post and Courier

Top of page

November 2011

• Lori Sturdevant: Pregnancy and job discrimination
  Legions of American women who've spent two, three or four decades in the workforce likely identified with the sentiment that a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission spokeswoman shared recently with a Philadelphia Inquirer reporter. - Star Tribune
• Fired from TSA, Mpls. man gets prison term for off-duty hate crime against Somali
  A Minneapolis man who lost his job with the Transportation Security Administration for an off-duty assault of an elderly Somali man has been sentenced to six months in prison for the hate crime. - Star Tribune
• Cargill is accused of bias in hiring at Arkansas turkey plant
  Federal labor regulators have proposed to penalize the agribusiness giant by stripping it of more than $550 million in federal contracts. - Star Tribune
• Language, culture reinforce inequality on East Side of St. Paul
  Mai Lor Xiong understands the challenges and inequities that East Side residents face because she's experienced so many of them herself. - TC Daily Planet
• Told to Diversify, Dock Union Offers Nearly All-White List
  What part of diversity don't you understand? That essentially was the question that visibly irritated members of the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor asked at a hearing in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday morning. - NY Times
• Dayton joins fight on bullying
  The governor will name a 15-member task force to study what is working elsewhere. - Star Tribune
• Sex harassment neither gone nor forgotten
  But employers and workers increasingly find a way to address it short of a lawsuit - Star Tribune
• For grieving West St. Paul woman, therapy dog is more than companion
  Before Casey came along, Pam Hermann wasn't a fan of public places. - Pioneer Press
• Suspension gap riles St. Paul school board
  About 15 percent of black students in St. Paul were suspended at least once last year, compared with 3 percent of whites. - Star Tribune
• New anti-bullying trend: Teaching victims to fight back
  If you found out that bullies were hassling your kid, what would you do? Help him rehearse comeback lines? Or show him how to open a can of whoop-ass, and knock those jerks into next week? - MSNBC
• Gay softball group agrees to pay banned players
  A gay softball organization has agreed to pay an undisclosed sum to three players who were disqualified from its 2008 Gay Softball World Series in the Seattle area because of their perceived heterosexuality. - Duluth News Tribune
• AG pushes for tougher anti-bullying law
  St. Paul, Minn. - Attorney General Lori Swanson on Wednesday urged lawmakers to pass a tougher anti-bullying law modeled after the measure North Dakota adopted recently. - MPR
• Civil rights panel to look at immigration laws
  ATLANTA - The U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said it plans to examine the effects on people's civil rights of strict new laws targeting illegal immigration in several states. - Montgomery Advertiser
• Disenfranchise No More
  Mississippi voters just approved a new law requiring voters to show photo identification at the polls. But that law will not go into effect immediately, thanks to the Voting Rights Act. - NY Times
• Alabama immigration crackdown nabs Mercedes executive
  As Mercedes-Benz executive Detlev Hager negotiated the streets of Tuscaloosa last week, he drove right into the controversy over Alabama's tough new immigration law. - Reuters
• Gay-straight clubs break down barriers
  The Anoka-Hennepin school district's 11 Gay-Straight Alliance clubs are increasing acceptance regarding sexual orientation. - Star Tribune
• Light-rail impact still minimized, lawsuit says
  A federal judge heard further arguments Monday in a lawsuit by the St. Paul NAACP and businesses along University Avenue concerning the Central Corridor light-rail project. - Pioneer Press
• Preferred public works contractors get scrutiny
  "Disadvantaged business" status is a matter of control. - Star Tribune
• Text-message bullying becoming more common
  A growing number of U.S. kids say they have been picked on via text messaging, while there has been little change in online harassment, researchers reported Monday. - Reuters
• U.S. policy shift gives illegal immigrants hope of staying
  More than 1,700 illegal immigrants facing deportation proceedings in Minnesota have new hope of remaining in the United States, the result of a federal order issued on Thursday that directs immigration authorities to focus on the most dangerous individuals rather than those with minor offenses. - Star Tribune
• FBI wants Minnesota police records for national database
  St. Paul, Minn. - A state task force Friday will weigh whether to dump millions of local police records from Minnesota into a federal criminal and investigative database. - MPR
• Asian American Journalists Association demands apology from CBS Chief Diversity Officer
  The Asian American Journalists Association charges that a Oct.31 report on WCCO TV was false and helped perpetuate harmful stereotypes of Asian Americans. - City Pages
• Minneapolis: A Tale of Two Cities A new Minneapolis Foundation report claims that racial disparities and other factors have essentially changed Minneapolis into "two cities" — one for the haves and another for the have-nots. - MN Spokesman-Recorder
• Coon Rapids students suspended for Facebook comments
  The students were allegedly posting threatening and harassing statements on classmates' Facebook pages. - KARE 11
• Middle-class neighborhoods squeezed out, income gap rises
  The share of families living in middle-income neighborhoods has dropped to 44 percent in 2007 from 65 percent in 1970, the Stanford University study showed. - Reuters
• Prop. 8 decision due today from California Supreme Court
  The California Supreme Court will issue a written opinion Thursday on whether conservatives who sponsored Proposition 8 are entitled to defend in court the measure that made same-sex marriage illegal in the state. - LA Times
• In Alabama, Calls for Revamping Immigration Law
  BIRMINGHAM, AL - An increasing number of state lawmakers say they are willing to consider critical changes to Alabamaís sweeping anti-immigration law, part of which appears to make proof of citizenship or legal residency a requirement even for mundane activities like garbage pickup, dog licenses and flu shots at county health departments. - NY Times
• Transgender civil rights bill OK'd
  After six years of lobbying on Beacon Hill, the state's transgender community yesterday won civil rights protections that have long been extended to other minority groups. - The Boston Globe
• Indiana couple sues school district, says son was bullied, beaten over Middle Eastern heritage
  ST. JOHN, Ind. - A couple is suing their northwest Indiana school district, claiming school officials failed to protect their son from prolonged bullying over his Middle Eastern background that culminated in an attack this month that left him with a brain injury. - Star Tribune
• Minneapolis FBI awards bullying prevention center
  The FBI is recognizing a Bloomington organization that works to prevent bullying. - MPR
• Mpls schools celebrate Native American culture
  MINNEAPOLIS - There are Native American drummers, fry bread cooks and dancers in the Minneapolis schools for the district's annual celebration of American Indian culture. - KARE 11
• North Minneapolis giving high marks to Gov. Dayton for attention and follow-through
  Residents of North Minneapolis have long been promised many things by elected officials who, best of intentions or not, can't or don't deliver. - MINN Post
• Hate crime numbers steady, nearly half motivated by racial bias, FBI reports
  WASHINGTON (CNN) - As New York authorities investigate what appears to be the nation's latest hate crime, the FBI's annual hate crime report, released Monday, shows no significant change in the level of crimes motivated by bias. - CNN
• Human rights commissioner promises quicker investigation, resolution
  St. Paul, Minn. - The Minnesota Department of Human Rights dodged a proverbial bullet this year when the Republican-controlled Legislature, tried, but failed, to eliminate more than half of its funding. - MPR
• Iowa baker refuses to bake wedding cake for same-sex couple
  DES MOINES, Iowa - A Des Moines baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple says it's her right to refuse their business and that she isn't discriminating against the women. - Pioneer Press
• A Long, Winding Road to Marriage Equality
  The fight for gay rights won important victories in the past few months. But this remains a country where discrimination against gays is enshrined in most state constitutions. - NY Times
• Weak Black college graduation rates persist: U of M Black student-athletes lag behind their peers
  The NCAA recently released its annual Graduation Success Rate report that measures the academic success of student-athletes of the last graduating classes (2001-2004) at its member schools. Unfortunately, Black student-athletes both nationally and at the University of Minnesota aren't faring as well. - TC Daily Planet
• Supreme Court Takes Case Where Landlords Claim Discrimination
  The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether aggressive housing-code enforcement in the City of Saint Paul amounts to racial discrimination. - Forbes
• Senate panel OKs repeal of much of Defense of Marriage
  Washington - The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would repeal much of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act. - MPR
• NAACP says it will protest voter ID laws nationwide beginning Dec. 10
  NEW YORK - The NAACP is joining with minority and labor groups for a series of protests around the country meant to move discussion of voter identification laws out of policy circles and onto street corners, the organization's president said Tuesday. - Washington Post
• Department of Human Rights picks up pace
  Last year, the department — a high-profile agency in the budget battles at the State Capitol earlier this year — received about 800 complaints concerning perceived violations of civil rights law. - Capitol News
• Minnesota Poll: 48 percent back anti-gay marriage amendment
  Young people opposed the constitutional amendment, while people over 65 overwhelmingly supported it - MN Independent.
• Decatur Utilities Firm in Alabama Cuts off Services to Undocumented
  No legal immigration status? No electricity, no gas, and no water service. This is the criterion Decatur Utilities in Alabama has decided to use when determining who gets necessary home utilities from their company. - Fox News
• Background check law could get some Pennsylvania teachers fired
  (Reuters) - A new Pennsylvania law requiring all school workers to disclose their criminal history next month could see some employees who have been convicted of various crimes lose their jobs. - Reuters
• The Rising Age Gap in Economic Well-Being
  Households headed by older adults have made dramatic gains relative to those headed by younger adults in their economic well-being over the past quarter of a century, according to a new Pew Research Center analysis of a wide array of government data - Pew Social Trends
• Bipartisan group reframes case for legalizing gay marriage
  WASHINGTON – A group of high-profile Democrats and Republicans who back legalizing gay marriage are calling on advocates to shift the focus on the issue from an argument about equal rights to promoting the value of commitment. - USA Today
• Illegal Voting Charge was a 'mistake'
  MANKATO — The minute he heard the news, via a nervous phone call from his father, Raul Valdez says he knew a major mistake had been made. And that his life was about to take an unexpected turn. - Mankato Free Press
• Fallout continues from 'license to bully' legislation passage
  Thursday saw a flurry activity over the Republican-controlled Senate's passage of what critics are calling 'license to bully' legislation on Wednesday morning. The legislation provides an exception to bullying if the bullying is based on "moral convictions." - Michigan Messenger
• DFLers urge secretaries of state to oppose new voting laws across country - MN Independent
• Radical action is needed in jobs crisis
  The black community, especially, cannot wait for government. - Star Tribune
• Wisconsin Assembly approves bill prohibiting use of race in college grants
  The Wisconsin Assembly gave preliminary approval early today to a bill that would prohibit state officials from using race as a factor in determining college grant recipients. - Pioneer Press
• A year before marriage vote, both sides play defense
  A year from now, Minnesotans will vote on a proposed constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between one man and one woman. - MPR
• Rep. Ellison introduces voting bills in Congress
  The bills would require states to provide same-day registration in federal elections, and prohibit election officials from requiring photo ID at the polls - MN Daily.
• Congressional hearing sought over voter ID laws sweeping states
  WASHINGTON — Does requiring a photo ID to vote return America to the days when poll taxes and literacy tests made it hard for minorities to cast ballots? Are state lawmakers trying to make it harder for people to vote? - Miami Herald
• Sexual harassment claims common in pressure-cooker restaurant world
  Of more than 400 discrimination suits and settlements reported by the federal government so far this year, 75 involved sexual harassment, and 26, or 37 percent, involved the food service industry, according to an msnbc.com review of data from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. - MSNBC
• A New Way to Achieve Civil Rights?
  The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and others take strong issue with an Op-Ed article that argued for "comprehensive solutions" instead of lawsuits. - NY Times
• Gay acceptance forced in the name of diversity
  Commentary: Unfortunately, in the name of tolerance, what is tolerable is being defined ever more narrowly. - Star Tribune
• Black greek life reborn on campus By May, there will be seven historically black greek organizations on campus. - MN Daily
• Felon discrimination bill held up in Assembly
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A bill that would allow Wisconsin schools to discriminate against convicted felons when considering whether to hire or fire them is temporarily held up in the state Assembly. Current law allows for employers to discriminate against convicted criminals only if their offense directly relates to the job in question. - MSNBC
• Sexual harassment settlements: 'cost of doing business'
  CNN — When it comes to the bottom line, there are a few reasons that an employer might pay to sweep sexual harassment allegations under the rug instead of fighting them in the courtroom or the court of public opinion. - CNN
• Justice Department Sues South Carolina Over State's Strict Immigration Law
  COLUMBIA, S.C. – The federal government filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to stop implementation of South Carolina's tough new immigration law, arguing that the legislation that requires law officers to check suspects' immigration status is unconstitutional. - FOX
• Thousands of prisoners could be freed with change in sentencing for crack vs. powder cocaine
  The disparity in sentences for crack versus powder had long been criticized as racially discriminatory because it disproportionately affected black defendants. The Fair Sentencing Act passed by Congress in 2010 and signed by President Barack Obama reduced the disparity for future cases. - Star Tribune
• Student test scores consistently flat, minority performance lagging
  St. Paul, Minn. — Fourth and eighth graders in Minnesota are performing about the same as two years ago, results from nationwide testing show. - MPR

Top of page

OCTOBER 2011

• Students Born To Illegal Immigrants Sue Over Tuition
  A class-action lawsuit has been filed in Miami by Florida residents being charged out-of-state tuition rates to attend state colleges and universities. The students are American citizens — children who were born in the U.S. to illegal immigrants — and they say Florida's regulations violate their constitutional rights. - MPR
• Intensive intervention: strategy for closing the achievement gap
  Those promoting intensive intervention to close the achievement gap point out that children born into poor homes start with a disadvantage that requires early and decisive action to overcome. - TC Daily Planet
• Judge Signs Off on Settlement for Black Farmers
  A federal judge in Washington has granted final approval for a $1.25 billion settlement by the Agriculture Department for African-American farmers' longstanding claims of racial discrimination. - NY Times
• Moving Beyond Civil Rights
  Civil rights have transformed American society, and made it fairer and less divided, by outlawing overt racial discrimination and making bigotry socially unacceptable. - NY Times
• ACLU: Chat-downs escalate a flawed TSA program
  The chat-downs are based on searching for supposed "signs of terrorism" that are vague and commonplace. The result is that officers can basically pick anyone they want for extra screening, and that inevitably devolves into crude racial profiling. - USA Today
• St. Cloud schools agree on steps to prevent Somali harassment
  The St. Cloud School Board has approved an agreement which ends an investigation into complaints that Somali students were being harassed. - MPR
• Appeals court hears suit to overturn same-sex marriage ban
  A lawsuit that seeks to overturn Minnesota's law prohibiting same-sex marriage is back. - MPR
• St. Cloud district to vote on civil rights deal
  The St. Cloud school board is set to approve an agreement that would settle a federal civil rights investigation into the alleged harassment of Somali students at two high schools. - Pioneer Press
• New census data: Minn.'s Somali population grows
  MINNEAPOLIS - Minnesota's Somali population is still the largest in the United States, according to new census data released early Thursday that raised the number of people of Somali ancestry in the state to more than 32,000. - Star Tribune
• As NOW marks 45 years, is feminism over the hill?
  For a movement so vocal when it began, feminism is largely under the radar of most younger Americans today, except maybe from gender studies classes or history books. - USA Today
• Laws with unintended consequences
  Eight home care agencies have brought suit, arguing that a cut in human services programs is unconstitutional and violates the federal Civil Rights Act because it discriminates against women and minorities. - Star Tribune
• Protecting illegal immigrants to catch criminals
  One Minnesota county has done an about-face on deportation, bucking federal law to stop violence. In Mower County llegal immigrants who become victims of violent crime will not be charged with document offenses, giving them immunity to aid the prosecution of more serious, violent felonies. - Star Tribune
• School district deal pending on Somali harassment investigation
  A proposed agreement between St. Cloud school district and the federal government requires the district to continue a number of steps taken to maintain a safe and harassment-free environment. - St. Cloud Times
• Religious Discrimination Incidents Doubled in US Since 1997
  Though a country whose First Amendment mandates the freedom of religious practice, the United States of America appears to be suffering from rising religious discrimination in the workplace. - Christian Post
• St. Cloud school district settles civil rights probe involving Somali students
  The St. Cloud, Minn., school district must report to the federal government any future allegations of harassment against Somali students as part of a tentative agreement to end a civil rights investigation, the district's superintendent said Monday. - st. Cloud Times
• Do they or don't they? Dispute over Central Corridor hiring goals for minorities and women
  As the Central Corridor light-rail transit line construction continues, disputes continue over the Metropolitan Council's specific hiring goals that insure women and minority representation in the workforce. - TC Daily Planet
• Schools step up to battle bullying
  Districts can't afford to ignore last year's spate of suicides among gay teens. - Star Tribune
• Hispanic parents say kids bullied, told 'Go back to Mexico' in wake of Ala. immigration law
  BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - It was just another schoolyard basketball game until a group of Hispanic seventh-graders defeated a group of boys from Alabama. - Star Tribune
• Most big Minnesota companies sitting out same-sex marriage debate
  The Associated Press contacted representatives for the 13 Minnesota-based Fortune 500 companies that offer domestic partner benefits - nearly three-quarters of the state's complete Fortune 500 roster - and only one, a spokeswoman for Little Canada-based medical device maker St. Jude Medical, said the company would publicly oppose the amendment to ban same-sex marriage. - Pioneer Press
• Municipal ID Cards Given To Undocumented Immigrants In Cities Across The U.S. With Varied Success
  - Huffington Post
• Franken pushes anti-bullying amendment to education bill
  In the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee on Thursday, Sen. Al Franken spoke about his Student Non-Discrimination Act and lamented that the bill, which would beef up national anti-bullying policies, was not included in the proposed revamp of No Child Left Behind that's being considered in the Senate. - MN Independent
• Civil rights icon Fred Shuttlesworth remembered
  They grew up in a hate-filled era when schools, jobs, lunch counters — even restrooms — were closed to them. So there was no way they were not going to personally say good-bye to the Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, the man whose unyielding moral fortitude and fearless courage helped tear down the "Whites Only" and "Colored" signs and other barriers that once rigidly confined their lives. - USA Today
• Poligraph: Voter Fraud Claim Inconclusive
  As a special panel created by Gov. Mark Dayton convened this week to make recommendations on the state's election rules, a group that supports a voter identification law is touting a new report about voter fraud convictions associated with the 2008 election. - MPR
• Report: Hertz fires 25 Muslim drivers at Seattle airport in prayer break dispute
  SEATTLE - More than two dozen Somali Muslim drivers for Hertz at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport are being fired after refusing to clock out for daily breaks during which they normally pray, according to media reports Thursday. - Star Tribune
• New topics, including bullying, for teachers at Minnesota education conference
  Annual educators conference added sessions on GLBT issues, bullying and achievement gap. - Star Tribune
• Wisconsin League of Women Voters sues state over photo ID law
  MADISON - The League of Women Voters of Wisconsin sued the state Thursday in an attempt to block a new requirement that voters show photo identification at the polls. - Pioneer Press
• Study: Living in poor neighborhood can hurt health
  ATLANTA (AP) — Back in the 1990s, the federal government tried an unusual social experiment: It offered thousands of poor women in big-city public housing a chance to live in more affluent neighborhoods. - MPR
• Board opts to keep integration schools open around the metro
  But funding for the east metro schools, which have not accomplished academic goals, will be trimmed. - Star Tribune
• Women in the back, controversy up front in NY bus
  The B110 bus, which runs between Williamsburg and Borough Park, is different from other New York City buses. Most notably, women are asked to ride in the back. - MSNBC
• St. Cloud schools close to deal on Muslim harassment case
  St. Cloud school district is close to reaching an agreement with the U.S. Education Department that would end an investigation into alleged religious discrimination, Superintendent Bruce Watkins said. - St. Cloud Times
• Latinos Said to Bear Weight of a Deportation Program
  A deportation program that is central to the Obama administration's immigration enforcement strategy has led disproportionately to the removal of Latino immigrants and to arrests by immigration authorities of hundreds of United States citizens, according to a report by two law schools using new, in-depth official data on deportation cases. - NY Times
• Lawyers claim blatant discrimination rare in age, gender suits
  FARGO – Former TV anchor Robin Huebner's age and gender discrimination complaint against the station she'd been at since 1985 will be decided in a legal arena where blatant bias violations are increasingly rare, employment lawyers said Tuesday. - In Forum
• US deports record number of immigrants in fiscal '11
  MIAMI — The United States deported nearly 400,000 people — a record high — in fiscal year 2011, according to figures released Tuesday. - MSNBC
• Racism: despite gains, playing field still tilts
  Does racism against blacks still exist in the United States? Yes. Is it still an institutionalized evil that holds back African-Americans? Depends on where you look and what you see. - Star Tribune
• Supreme Court to hear two human rights cases
  WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court agreed Monday to hear a pair of cases on whether corporations and political groups may be sued in U.S. courts for complicity in human rights abuses abroad. - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Too few women judges
  Infinity Project targets U.S. Eighth Circuit's male bastion. - Star Tribune
• Report: Minority households less able to sustain financial crisis
  St. Paul, Minn. — New numbers out Tuesday show the state's racial minority households are less likely to have the means to survive financial crises than white households. - MPR
• Editorial: Another Test of Marriage Equality
  The Senate Judiciary Committee took a step toward equality by planning a vote on whether to repeal the federal law that bars recognition of same-sex marriages. - NY Times
• Anti-Latino Hate Crimes Rise As Immigration Debate Intensifies
  Recent studies conducted by the National Institute of Justice, the Southern Poverty Law Center, the FBI and the Pew Research Center seem to show that anti-Latino hate crimes have risen disproportionately. - Huffington Post
• Health care benefits cost more for GLBT employees
  They are taxed for same-sex domestic partner benefits because it is not a legally recognized marriage. - MN Daily
• Minority firm disqualified on Central Corridor - Star Tribune
• Gay marriage could hinge on Iowa special election - Pioneer Press
• College Diversity Nears Its Last Stand - NY Times
• Bullying Q & A: How to break the cycle - MN Post
• Census: Area Hispanic population burgeons - St. Cloud Times
• It takes a village: Community-based solutions to closing the achievement gap - TC Daily Planet
• Voter ID group say Minnesota had most convictions for 'voter fraud' from 2008 - MN Independent
• Alabama Immigrants To DOJ: 'The Situation Here Is Very Dire' - Huffington Post
• Grieving mother creates support group for gay kids - Brainerd Dispatch
• Harvard scientist who alleged civil rights violations during his 2006 arrest settles lawsuit - Star Tribune
• Illinois college's decision to ask LGBT question prompts another: Will other schools do same? - Star Tribune
• Report finds nation's widest minority hiring gap in Twin Cities, suggests solutions - Pioneer Press
• Denied Veterans Benefits Over Same-Sex Marriage, Ex-Sailor Challenges Law - NY Times
• Mpls. event highlights growing efforts by teens to stop bullying - MPR
• Students lead charge against bullying in schools - MPR
• House bills could undermine protections for undocumented domestic violence victims - MN Independent
• Crow Wing County Board: Human rights commission dropped - Brainerd Dispatch
• Austin schools recognizes anti-bullying group - Austin Daily Herald
• Editorial: Seeking answers for troubling disparities - Star Tribune
• Bullied Minn. students speak out on national TV - KARE 11
• Former women’s director battled stigma, inequality - MN Daily
• CA Gov. Brown Signs Two Pro-Trans Bills Into Law - Just Out
• Supreme Court will not review whether state must put both adoptive dads on birth certificate - Star Tribune
• Despite support, prospects are slim for federal bullying law - MPR
• Unemployed seek protection against job bias - MPR
• The Glass Ceiling - NT Times
• The Myth of Voter Fraud - NY Times
• Jobless seek help fighting hiring discrimination - MSNBC
• AP NewsBreak: Arts funding doesn't show diversity - KSTP
• Some Republicans take strong stand against gay marriage ban - Star Tribune
• Talks over litigation stemming from Anoka-Hennepin schools' GLBT policy are continuing - Pioneer Press
• Hertz suspends Muslim shuttle drivers in Seattle - Pioneer Press
• Voters conflicted over school district policy, property tax approval - MPR
• Religious Groups and Bias Get the Justices' Attention - NY Times
• Muslim woman suing airline over removal from plane - MSNBC
• Study: Worst hospitals treat larger share of black and poor patients - USA Today
• Report: Race, ethnic-based disparities pervasive in Mpls. - MPR
• New report shows dramatic differences in lives of Minneapolis residents of color, whites - MinnPost
• Do Civil Rights Laws Apply To Parochial Schools? - MPR
• Learning disabled U graduate wins accommodations on LSAT - Pioneer Press
• EEOC alleges age discrimination at Texas Roadhouse - St. Cloud Times
• After Ruling, Hispanics Flee an Alabama Town - NY Times
• Schools Lift Military Ban In Post-DADT Era - CBS
• Voter ID laws might affect millions, study finds - Star Tribune
• Anti-bully effort takes hold - Star Tribune
• Delta, disabled passengers settle Detroit airport discrimination suit - Atlanta Business News
• Jury selection disrupted for Minn. women accused of funding Somali terror group - Star Tribune
• Ala. immigration law marked by Hispanic school absences - USA Today
• Older jobless workers struggle as age bias claims rise - MSNBC
• Chaska police thwart "Slap an Asian Day" in middle school - City Pages

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September 2011

• Ruben Rosario: Minnesota group is taking on bullying - Pioneer Press
• Military chaplains now allowed to perform same-sex marriages - MSNBC
• Theater Company Tackles Bullying With New Play - CBS
• Anoka-Hennepin's anti-bullying task force is called flawed because it doesn't include teachers - Pioneer Press
• EEOC sues Alliant Techsystems for race discrimination - Pioneer Press
• How Did Anti-Muslim Bias Seep Into FBI Training? - MPR
• The Fundamental Right - NY Times
• Companies Use Immigration Crackdown to Turn a Profit - NY Times
• Even Those Cleared of Crimes Can Stay on FBI's Watch List - NY Times
• Same-sex marriages: first Census count shows 131,729 - USA Today
• Poll: Young people say online meanness pervasive - MSNBC
• Is Racism Actually Worse in the Age of Obama? - Huffington Post
• Three state agencies face EEOC suits on age bias - Star Tribune
• Obama Proposes Protecting Unemployed Against Hiring Bias - NY Times
• Teen's parents: After suicide, he's still being bullied - MSNBC
• Retailers Are Put on the Spot Over Anti-Gay Aid - NY Times
• Latinos discuss changing views, ways to mobolize, strengthen community - St. Cloud Times
• Obama: Reform of No Child Left Behind law aims to raise standards, not do away with them - Star Tribune
• In death, fired nurse aids rights of workers - Star Tribune
• Bullying as True Drama - NY Times
• Minn. bullying laws remain among nation's weakest - MPR
• Justice Department boosts activity to police the police - Washington Post
• Judge Rejects Challenge to Voting Rights Law by County in Alabama - NY Times
• Marines Hit the Ground Running in Seeking Recruits at Gay Center - NY Times
• White supremacist executed for Texas dragging - USA Today
• MN racial disparities in joblessness called shocking, alarming, bleak - Spokesman Recorder
• Will 'good faith efforts' get Blacks light rail jobs? - Spokesman Recorder
• Teens shrug off online racial, sexual slurs as harmless - MPR
• Worthington schools' growth defies rural trends, but its struggle to help minority students succeed does not - Pioneer Press
• EDITORIAL: Stay of Execution - NY Times
• Diocesan Ministry Day will address bullying - St. Cloud Times
• Study shows nation's largest racial disparity for unemployment in Minneapolis - MPR
• Racial Bias Seen in Study of Lead Dust and Children - NY Times
• Citing Anoka-Hennepin, Franken calls for explicit ban on discrimination - MN Independent
• Tribal Rights vs. Racial Justice - NY Times
• Bachmann is urged to condemn bullying - Star Tribune
• News coverage biased by all-White newsrooms - Spokesman Recorder
• Ellison's Muslim faith builds bridges in post-9/11 world - MPR
• Wal-Mart to Announce Women-Friendly Plans - NY Times

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August 2011

• Illinois college becomes first to ask undergrads if they're gay - CNN
• Ariz. sues feds over Voting Rights Act - MSNBC
• Tribalism as Pop Culture Phenomenon and the Perpetuation of Offensive American Indian Stereotypes - Indian Country Today
• Same-sex marriage supporters, foes stake out ground at state fair - Kare 11
• No settlement in Anoka-Hennepin School District lawsuits - Star Tribune
• A dream long in the making, MLK Memorial honors 'a king among presidents,' 'a giant of a man' - Star Tribune
• Independence Party to campaign against anti-gay marriage amendment - MN Independent
• 'Statewide Plan to End Violence' unveiled by advocacy groups, government agencies - MPR
• Federal Policy Resulting in Wave of Deportations Draws Protests - NY Times
• CSB student, volunteers create portrait of diversity in Cold Spring - St. Cloud Times
• Obama extends Liberian immigration status - TC Daily Planet
• From ethnic turmoil to vibrant diversity, trio helped Pelican Rapids transform its culture - MinnPost
• Fighting Sioux nickname to be gone by year's end - MPR
• NY court reinstates lawsuit by black Conn. fireman - MSNBC
• The unemployed under fire - MPR
• Anoka-Hennepin school district stands by gay 'neutrality' policy - Pioneer Press
• Employers turn to tests to weed out job seekers - MSNBC
• Holdout law schools to accept military recruiters - MSNBC
• Audits force illegal immigrants to find underground work - MN Independent
• North Carolina Eugenics Board Victims Fight For Justice - Huffington Post
• American Indian students sue over UND's 'Fighting Sioux' nickname - Pioneer Press
• Translation of deaf suspect is complicating St. Paul murder trial - Pioneer Press
• Superintendent: GLBT neutrality policy is best for Anoka-Hennepin schools - Star Tribune
• Anoka-Hennepin faces new lawsuit over treatment of gay students - MPR
• Sixth student sues Anoka-Hennepin school district over gay bullying - City Pages
• Census tracks 20 years of sweeping change - USA Today
• Civil rights organizations struggle to remain publicly relevant - Spokesman Recorder
• Seeking a Better Life, Section 8 Renters Encounter Resistance - NY Times
• Youth Pride participants show support to students affected by controversial school district policy - Pioneer Press
• Anti-LGBT group launches campaign to prevent gay people from donating blood - MN Independent
• AFL-CIO votes unanimously to oppose anti-gay marriage amendment - MN Independent
• Federal immigration-check requirement draws ire - USA Today
• GLBT group faults Anoka-Hennepin website - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Put a new focus on achievement gap - Star Tribune
• State budget cuts out help for immigrant doctors to regain profession - MPR
• New immigrants can find housing a challenge - St. Cloud Times

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July 2011

• Long Fights for Sports Equity, Even With a Law - NY Times
• Sox, Major League Baseball Sued For Sex Discrimination - MSNBC
• Falcon Heights is 12th city with domestic partner registry - MPR
• Firefighters get damages in bias case - MSNBC
• Racial wealth gap widens with foreclosures - MPR
• EEOC Sues Product Fabricators for Disability Discrimination, Retaliation - MSNBC
• Help-Wanted Ads Exclude the Long-Term Jobless - NY Times
• Minnesota Somali community is focus of congressional hearing on Al-Shabab - Star Tribune
• Valedictorian sues school: Was she snubbed because of race? - CNN
• Wells Fargo Target Of Justice Department Probe; Agency Alleges Discriminatory Lending - Huff. Post
• Wealth in America: Whites-minorities gap is now a chasm - MSNBC
• Disabled Workers Stage Protest - MSNBC
• Killings in Norway Spotlight Anti-Muslim Thought in U.S. - NY Times

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June 2011

• Hastings debates pitching out teen vandals. Not so fast, a rights group says - Star Tribune
• Editorial: Keep state agency for human rights. Plan to slash dept by 65% should be rejected - Star Tribune
• North Mpls. community forum protests cuts to MN Dept. of Human Rights - TC Daily Planet
• On College Forms, a Question of Race, or Races, Can Perplex - NY Times

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May 2011

• Sixth-grader honored in Statewide Human Rights Essay Contest - Albert Lea Tribune
• Census Bureau: Hispanics account for half of U.S. population growth - MinnPost
• Dozens rally for tolerance in St. Cloud after apparent hate crime - MPR
• Gaps overshadow state high schoolers' test scores - Star Tribune
• Local group leads charge against bullying - Star Tribune
• Three arrested in bias crime, police say - St. Cloud Times
• EEOC sues Starbucks for firing dwarf from barista job - Reuters
• Forum with MDHR Commissioner Lindsey and community leaders set for May 26 in Minneapolis
• Velma Korbel among human rights "Facing Race" award winners - Spokesman Recorder
• Breaking the law? One-third of districts don't include cyber-bullying in policies - MPR
• Minnesota lacks strong bullying law, state oversight - MPR
• Communities mobilize to preserve human rights funding as MDHR faces cuts of as much as 65% - TC Daily Planet
• Race a factor in whether young women are tested for STDs in emergency room visits - MSNBC
• Welfare program for disabled adults eliminated in proposed budget plan - MPR
• Customer Lawsuit Filed in Hennepin County Claiming Discrimination by Chipotle Mexican Grill - Huff. Post
• TakeAction Minnesota forum opposes ex-offender discrimination - Spokesman Recorder
• Two Muslims bounced from Memphis flight, despite extra screening - MinnPost
• More 'KKK' graffiti reported in Rochester - Rochester Post Bulletin
• KDWB meets with mystery leaders of Hmong community - TC Daily Planet
• Study gives insight into student bullies and their victims - MPR
• 1 in 10 MN students bullied weekly - KARE 11
• Justice Dept. to Continue Policy Against Same-Sex Marriage - NY Times