Why The 'Race Card' Is Played

Obama and Trump both bent demographic trends to win. Can Trump repeat in 2020? The past three presidential elections have been head-snapping for many Americans: a sharp turn into what many people believed was the future of electoral politics with the elections of Barack Obama and an even sharper reversal with the victory of Donald Trump. People are still making sense of it all. The coming midterm elections — consequential as they could be, almost no matter the outcome — will not be good indicators of what might happen in 2020. Three recent presidents have seen their parties suffer big losses in midterm elections — 1982, 1994 and 2010 — yet found ways to win reelection two years later. Such could be the case for Trump, even if Republicans lose control of the House in November. But of the past three presidential elections, which is the best guide to the 2020 election? Demographer William H. Frey offers the conclusion that neither the Obama victories nor the Trump shocker shoul...

DC subway workers union refusing to staff special cars designated for white nationalists attending Unite the Right anniversary rally : The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 689, the largest union for Washington, DC’s public transit system, is refusing to go along with a plan to have separate trains for participants of a controversial “Unite the Right” rally planned for August 12. Jason Kessler organized last summer’s deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville and is organizing …

WATCH: T-O explains why he chose not to attend Canton ceremony

Amazon Pulls Some Nazi-Themed, Offensive Items After Criticism, But Many Remain Amazon says it removed several items of racist propaganda from its store in response to questions from a Democratic lawmaker — though white supremacist literature and other propaganda items remain widely available on the site. After criticism from advocacy groups and Minnesota Democratic Rep. Keith Ellison about the availability of Nazi-themed toys and baby onesies with pictures of burning crosses on Amazon's website, the company said this week that it had removed several items and banned sellers who had violated its policies. Amazon's U.S.  seller policies  ban "items that Amazon deems offensive," which include products "that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial, sexual or religious intolerance or promote organizations with such views." But a  report last month  by the advocacy groups the Partnership for Working Families and the Action Center on Race & th...

The Trump jobs era really is different In terms of job creation, if nothing else, Donald Trump seems quite similar to his predecessor. In Barack Obama’s last 16 months in office, the number of jobs in the US increased by 2.4%. In the first 16 months of Trump’s administration, jobs rose by 2.1%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The strong labor market under Obama turned into a strong labor market under Trump as healthcare and education continued to boom. When you look closer, a lot has changed for certain industries. Under Trump, the situation for certain mining and manufacturing industries has greatly improved. Work in the category “Support activities for mining”—which includes jobs exploring mining sites—grew by almost 28% under Trump, compared to losses of about 23% in the last 16 months of Obama. It is not clear how much Trump’s policies have led to the increase in manufacturing and for  miners’ brighter prospects . Jobs in these industries ...

Minneapolis Police Were Justified in Killing Black Man, Prosecutor Says MINNEAPOLIS) — Two Minneapolis police officers who shot and killed a black man were justified in using deadly force, a prosecutor announced Monday, saying the man was fleeing police and had turned toward them with a loaded gun before he was shot.

WATCH: Entire construction crew walks off the job after racist boss fires Latino coworkers for confronting him : In a video that has gone viral, construction workers building out a UPS facility in Indianapolis walked off the job after a boss was accused of racism — prompting him to fire some Latino workers. According to Jacobin, the video was filmed by welder Antoine Dangerfield, who posted it online, explaining that a small number …

WATCH: Video shows Louisiana cops pulling man off tractor and choking him to death while serving expired warrant : New video obtained by The Advocate shows the botched arrest of a Louisiana man who was killed by police in what experts excessive force. Armando Frank, 44, was wrestled off a tractor at Walmart by police serving an arrest warrant on him in October 2017. Armando Frank, 44, was being arrested on a warrant for …

VIDEO: Metro passenger drags man suffering seizures off train in Long Beach

New Dad Fatally Shot ‘Point-Blank’ After Confronting Racist Man: Police A new dad was fatally shot “point-blank” in a Pennsylvania parking lot Saturday morning after confronting a man who’d spewed racial slurs at his friend inside a bar, police said. James Saylor has been charged with criminal homicide for allegedly killing Chad Merrill, 25, outside of the Red Rose Restaurant and Lounge in York County.

Smith College launches outside probe after employee calls police on black student at lunch NORTHAMPTON — Smith College is hiring an outside investigator to review an incident Tuesday in which a college employee called police because a black student sitting in a common area “seemed to be out of place,” college President Kathleen McCartney said Thursday. “This painful incident reminds us of the ongoing legacy of racism and bias in which people of color are targeted while simply going about the business of their daily lives,” McCartney wrote in letter to students, staff and faculty. “It is a powerful reminder that building an inclusive, diverse and sustainable community is urgent and ongoing work.” Oumou Kanoute, a teaching assistant and residential adviser for Smith, was on her lunch break in a Smith dining area Tuesday when an unarmed campus police officer arrived and asked what she was doing. “It’s outrageous that some people question my being at Smith College, and my exis...

Some Racism Is More Equal Than Others The  New York Times  named anti-white racist Sarah Jeong to its editorial board earlier this week. The new hire’s social media history reads like something David Duke might write, if only the reader substitutes “white” for all mentions of his disfavored groups. Her posts featured the hashtag “#CancelWhitePeople,” proclaimed Caucasians “only fit to live underground like groveling goblins,” and fantasized of the coming extinction of the race she seeks to erase. “Oh man,” she tweeted, “it’s kind of sick how much joy I get out of being cruel to old white men.” The peculiar hiring comes less than two years after public editor Liz Spayd’s scolding of her employer for its lack of diversity. Only two of the 20-plus reporters who covered the presidential campaign for The New York Times were black,” Spayd  wrote . “None were Latino or Asian. That’s less diversity than you’ll find in Donald Trump’s cabinet thus far. Of The Times’s...

Did the New York Times Hire a Racist? Lessons of the Sarah Jeong Saga The media world hailed a decision by the  New York Times  this week to add Sarah Jeong, a senior writer at the tech website The Verge, to its editorial board. Many saw it as a shrewd hire: Jeong, a Harvard Law graduate, is whip-smart. She also engages in a notably gutsy style of writing about the technology industry that’s all but absent from the pages of the Grey Lady. (One of her Verge stories from April: “ I Tried Leaving Facebook. I Couldn’t. ” Another from last month: “ How a Cabal of Romance Writers Cashed In on Amazon Kindle Unlimited .”) Then Thursday happened. A Twitter account that calls itself Human Garbage published a screenshot showing a collection of Jeong’s old tweets that contained racially inflammatory language. The screenshot doesn’t present the tweets in any sort of context, but some of Jeong’s phrases are jarring, including “dumbass f***ing white people” and “how much joy I get o...

EA Sports apologizes after editing Colin Kaepernick's name out of a song in 'Madden 19' Former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick had his name removed from the lyrics of a song on “Madden 19,” a glaring omission as the ex-49er continues his legal battle against the NFL. Twitter user “Mr. Changing Lives” caught the edit, and Kaepernick’s girlfriend, Nessa Diab, publicly pondered why it happened. Kaepernick’s name is omitted from Big Sean’s verse The song, “Big Bank” by YG featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Nicki Minaj, is one of several songs featured on “Madden 19.” In the song, Big Sean raps the following lyrics: Feed me to the wolves now I lead the pack and s*** You boys all cap, I’m more Colin Kaepernick In these words, Big Sean expresses his admiration for Kaepernick as someone who is focused on being true to himself instead of playing up his accomplishments,  as explained by genius.com.  Furthermore, Kaepernick connects back to the previous line. He led ...

Judge Orders Officers To Tape Man’s Mouth Shut During Sentencing An Ohio judge has faced backlash for enforcing an unsettling way to restrain a man in court. Fox 8  reports Franklyn Williams was silenced Tuesday (July 31) when deputies placed red tape around his mouth. Judge John Russo ordered the officers to put the tape around the defendant’s mouth after they went back and forth about inconsistencies in the trial. Williams was involved in the second trial regarding robbery charges. After he previously pleaded guilty to counts of aggravated robbery, kidnapping, theft, misuse of credit cards and having weapons under a disability, Williams claimed he misinformed about when he would be eligible for release. The case was retried but filled with delays after Williams reportedly snipped his ankle bracelet and fled to Nebraska. Judge Russo sentenced him to 24 years in prison. In the video below, the two go back and forth with Williams’ questioning factors in the case....

The truth behind why NFL players are protesting and how their message gets lost in the politics Hardly anyone noticed the first couple of times  Colin Kaepernick protested during the national anthem  in the 2016 preseason. That changed the third time he did — and its effects continue to be felt today. But the way we talk about the protests is still the same as it was in 2016. The NFL fan base remains divided on the topic, in part because it gets exploited for political purposes that have nothing to do with the reason the protests began. There is no magical cure that will make every team, owner, player, and fan happy. But the league has still tried to find a solution that everyone can agree on. It has tried to reach compromises that aren’t really compromises. It has tried to do the impossible and quiet Donald Trump. And the point of the protests can be easily lost. Players have a good reason for protesting. Colin Kaepernick’s decision to protest, beginning ...

Man swaps ‘Redskins’ logo for ‘Caucasians’—and watches white people get offended Sometimes, to see a situation from another person’s perspective, we need to put ourselves in their place and “walk” in their shoes. Unfortunately, this strategy to get people to show basic empathy doesn’t always work. Take this social experiment from Frederick Joseph, founder of inclusive marketing agency We Have Stories, in which he swapped the Redskins football team logo—a stereotypical Native American in headdress, which has long been deemed racist—for a “Caucasian” man. While he did manage to offend a few white people by showing them what it feels like for your race to be made into a mascot, he didn’t  exactly  get the end result you’d hope for. Not at all. On Twitter, Joseph, who is Black, shared that he had gone out last weekend wearing the shirt, figuring he would catch people by surprise. It featured the term “Caucasians” in the style of the football team font, along with...

Blacks and the Democratic Party Blacks mostly voted Republican from after the Civil War and through the early part of the 20th century. That’s not surprising when one considers that Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president, and the white, segregationist politicians who governed Southern states in those days were Democrats. The Democratic Party didn’t welcome blacks then, and it wasn’t until 1924 that blacks were even permitted to attend Democratic conventions in any official capacity. Most blacks lived in the South, where they were mostly prevented from voting at all.

Richard Sherman: Jerry Jones Has 'Plantation Mentality' with Anthem Policy Dallas Cowboys  owner  Jerry Jones  recently made headlines by  saying  his team has a policy that its players stand for the national anthem, and those comments certainly got the attention of one of the  NFL 's most outspoken players.  San Francisco 49ers  cornerback Richard Sherman didn't mince words when speaking about Jones to  USA Today' s  Jarrett Bell  on Monday: "The owner of the Dallas Cowboys, with the old plantation mentality. What did you expect?"

Black man receives $200k settlement after he was fired for reporting police officer for using n-word during youth presentation “He made fun of the Mexican guy not being able to pronounce it,” Price told The Oregonian/OregonLive at the time he filed his lawsuit. “… It was just really ugly. It was terrible.” Price is black and Latino and said he stopped the presentation. But when he went to complain to a manager it fell on deaf ears. Instead he was fired nine days later, the suit said. — Chrissy Teigen calls out Meghan Markle’s dad after he trashes his daughter saying ‘I made her the Duchess she is today’ — In 2016, Price filed a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor & Industries after he was fired but they closed the case in November 2016 citing a lack of “substantial evidence” to prove retaliation. However Price did reach a settlement agreement after all. Multnomah County and they agreed to settle the case for $200,000, which is 40% of the original amount he was ...

LeBron James opened a public school in Akron for at-risk kids In Akron, Ohio, it’s the first day of school for 240 at-risk students who will be attending the inaugural year of the I Promise School — and it’s all thanks to  LeBron James . The NBA superstar created the school as an extension of the  LeBron James  Family Foundation to give kids opportunities to thrive despite difficult life situations.

North Carolina police department shut down after its chief is arrested All police operations in Southport, North Carolina, have been suspended following the arrests of a police chief and a lieutenant accused of driving trucks during hours they claimed to be doing police work, according to the Associated Press. A joint investigation by the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI discovered that Chief Gary Smith and Lt. Mike Simmons were reporting for overnight shifts at a local trucking company during hours listed on their department activity reports, according to an SBI statement obtained by ABC News. Both men have been charged with public corruption.

newly released body camera footage shows minneapolis police Updated: Monday, July 30, 2018; 2:02 p.m. EDT:  Surprising absolutely no one, the Minneapolis police officers who gunned down a fleeing black man back in June will not be charged in his death. On Sunday, body camera footage of the fatal shooting of Thurman Blevins was released, showing officers repeatedly threatening to shoot Blevins if he didn’t stop running.

When “Black Jesus” greeted segregated WWII troops 93-year-old veteran Ivan J. Houston remembers the prejudice directed towards non-whites in the U.S. military during World War II. As an African-American, Houston was placed in a segregated infantry unit, and although at least 1 million African-Americans were enlisted in the military, his division was the only one allowed to join the combat in Europe. The white commanders put Houston’s unit in charge of reclaiming the small city of Lucca, located in Tuscany, Italy. The soldiers were successful in liberating the city from the Nazis, later learning that the Italians of the city honored a historic statue of Jesus—and he was black. “All I can say is that it’s amazing,” Houston told  Angelus News  about the discovery. On July 22, he was at St. Jerome Catholic Church in Westchester to give a lecture hosted by the  African American Catholic Center for Evangelization (AACCFE). In recent years he began to make annual pil...

In the past decade, nearly 26,000 murders have gone without an arrest in major American cities. She grabbed her youngest son’s hand, yanking him away from the man and back to their car. “We all know who shot my son,” Skinner said later. “They just haven’t arrested him.” In the past decade, police in 52 of the nation’s largest cities have failed to make an arrest in nearly 26,000 killings, according to  a Washington Post analysis of homicide arrest data . In more than 18,600 of those cases, the victim, like Jackman, was black. Black victims, who accounted for the majority of homicides, were the least likely of any racial group to have their killings result in an arrest, The Post found. While police arrested someone in 63 percent of the killings of white victims, they did so in just 47 percent of those with black victims.

Black Lives Still Don’t Matter to Cops: Arrests Not Likely For African-American Homicide Victims, Study Finds The police were least likely to make an arrest in cases involving African-American homicide victims, the  Washington Post  reported, based on a decade-long analysis of homicide arrest data from 55 of the nation’s largest cities. African-American victims accounted for more than 18,600 of the nearly 26,000 killings in 52 of those cities. Authorities put someone behind bars in 63 percent of cases involving a white victim, but just 47 percent of the times when the victim was Black.

'Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story' takes an emotional look back at the shooting that divided a nation The furor over the Martin shooting has been a fiery touchstone over the last half-decade in the wake of numerous shootings of unarmed black men by law enforcement, NFL players taking a knee during the playing of the national anthem, a deadly march in Charlottesville, Va., and racially charged comments by President Trump and other conservatives. It is also the launch pad for a new six-part documentary, “Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story,” an extensive examination of the shooting that also places it in the context of the prickly national discourse over race. The project debuts Monday on the Paramount Network and BET. The directors of the documentary, Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, said they wanted to expose what they called the systemic racism that contributed to the not-guilty verdict, as well as to provide an opportunity for Martin’s ...