Racism Topics

Democracy Now! stories, posts and pages that relate to Racism

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  • Atticus

    VIDEO: Gregory Peck's Daughter Cecilia Recalls How He Tackled Racism, Anti-Semitism in His Films

    We speak with filmmaker Cecilia Peck about her father Gregory Peck’s legacy of work that raises important social issues, including his films "To Kill a Mockingbird" and "The Trial of the Catonsville Nine," which landed him on Nixon’s enemy list.
    Feb 20, 2013 | Web Exclusive
  • Walker_purple

    Alice Walker on 30th Anniv. of "The Color Purple": Racism, Violence Against Women Are Global Issues

    On the 30th anniversary of the publication of "The Color Purple," we speak with author, poet and activist Alice Walker about her groundbreaking novel and its enduring legacy. Set mainly in rural Georgia in the 1930s, the book tells the story of a young, poor African-American woman named Celie and her struggle for empowerment in a world marked by sexism, racism and patriarchy. The novel earned Walker a Pulitzer Prize in 1983, making her...
    Sep 28, 2012 | Story
  • Wade1

    Academic Who Knew Sikh Shooter Wade Michael Page Says Neo-Nazi Soldiers, Musicians Shaped His Hatred

    Years ago, University of Nebraska Professor Pete Simi met and interviewed a white power musician who had served in the military specializing in psychological operations. On Sunday, it was that same man — Wade Michael Page — who attacked a Sikh temple in Wisconsin killing six worshipers. Page, who died following the attack from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was an Army veteran with a long involvement in the neo-Nazi music scene. The...
    Aug 09, 2012 | Story
  • Wade2

    Author: Sikh Temple Massacre is the Outgrowth of Pervasive White Supremacism in U.S. Military Ranks

    Wisconsin Sikh temple shooter Wade Michael Page was open about his neo-Nazi views when he served in the U.S. military from 1992 to 1998. We speak to journalist Matt Kennard, who details the rise of the far-right radicals in the armed forces in his forthcoming book, "Irregular Army: How the U.S. Military Recruited Neo-Nazis, Gang Members, and Criminals to Fight the War on Terror," out next month. "Every base has its problem with...
    Aug 09, 2012 | Story
  • Dtjohnson

    Former DHS Analyst Daryl Johnson on How He Was Silenced for Warning of Far-Right Militants in U.S.

    While many were shocked by the massacre at the Sikh temple, our guest, Daryl Johnson, had warned years ago that such an attack was imminent. While working as a senior analyst in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2009, Johnson authored a report warning about the increasing dangers of violent right-wing extremism in the United States, sparking a political firestorm in the process. Under pressure from Republican lawmakers and popular talk...
    Aug 09, 2012 | Story
  • Chamberlain_vigil

    White Plains Police Officer Who Used Racial Slur Before Killing of Kenneth Chamberlain is Suspended

    We turn now to the latest in the police killing of Kenneth Chamberlain Sr., the 68-year-old African-American Marine veteran who was shot dead by police inside his own home in White Plains, New York. Steve Hart, the White Plains police officer accused of calling Chamberlain the "N-word" shortly before Chamberlain was shot dead, has been suspended without pay. Earlier this month, Chamberlain’s family filed a $21 million civil rights...
    Jul 24, 2012 | Story
  • Diaz_anaheim

    Police Brutality in Anaheim Sparks Outrage After 2 Latinos Shot Dead and Demonstrators Attacked

    Police in the California city of Anaheim are facing allegations of murder and brutality after fatally shooting two Latino men over the weekend and firing rubber bullets at crowds of protesters. On Saturday, Anaheim police shot and killed 24-year-old Manuel Diaz after he reportedly ran away from a group of officers who confronted him in the street. Diaz was unarmed. Hours after his death, a chaotic scene broke out when police fired rubber bullets...
    Jul 24, 2012 | Story
  • Picture 23

    As New Jersey OKs NYPD Surveillance, Muslim Groups Continue Challenge to "Unconstitutional" Program

    A three-month review by New Jersey’s attorney general has concluded the New York City Police Department did not violate state laws when they conducted extensive surveillance of Muslim communities with help from the CIA. The review’s finding means Muslims will have no recourse to state law to prevent the NYPD from monitoring and cataloging their daily life. The decision has angered Muslim groups who were seeking an end to the intrastate...
    May 25, 2012 | Story
  • Arpaio_2

    The U.S. v. Joe Arpaio: Justice Department Sues Arizona Sheriff for Racial Profiling of Latinos

    The Justice Department has sued Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and his deputies in Maricopa County for racially profiling Latino residents in the Phoenix area. The DOJ contends that Arpaio and his deputies aggressively targeted Latinos, regardless of their immigration status, and retaliated against anyone who got in their way. We go to Phoenix to speak with Randy Parraz, president of Citizens for a Better Arizona. "We believe, finally, we’re...
    May 11, 2012 | Story
  • Button-booker

    "Booker's Place": Documentary Tells Story of Black Mississippi Waiter Who Lost Life by Speaking Out

    In 1965, Booker Wright, an African-American waiter in Greenwood, Mississippi, dared to be interviewed by NBC about racism in America, a decision that forever changed his and his family’s lives. Wright said during the interview, "I always learned to smile. The meaner the man be, the more you smile. Do all your crying on the inside." He would later lose his job, be beaten by police, and ultimately be murdered. Wright’s story is...
    Apr 30, 2012 | Story