Dec 26th, 2008 · Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison is back on the literary scene with a new book, A Mercy. Set in 17th century America, the story follows a teenage girl enslaved during a time when many people, not just blacks, were in bondage. Morrison talks about her book, its characters and whether we're living in a post-racial age.
Dec 14th, 2008 · Liane Hansen and NPR News Analyst Juan Williams continue their series of discussions on the civil rights milestones that led to the election of Barack Obama. They discuss the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education case, and the state of racial discrimination in the U.S. leading up to that time. That includes reluctance to pass anti-lynching legislation, A. Philip Randolph's threat to Franklin D Roosevelt to organize a march on Washington if military industries did not hire blacks, segregation in the military, and the paltry representation of blacks in U.S. politics.
Dec 10th, 2008 · Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winning author Toni Morrison is back on the literary scene with a new book, A Mercy. Set in 17th century America, the story follows a teenaged girl enslaved during a time when many people, not just blacks, were in bondage. Morrison talks about her book, its characters and whether we're living in a post-racial age.
Dec 1st, 2008 · Just as the 2008 presidential election exposed and ultimately crossed gender, racial and generational barriers, many of the year's notable recordings explored and wrestled with different kinds of boundaries — some musical, some cultural, and some almost unimaginable if not for the power of music.
Nov 28th, 2008 · A Pentagon affirmative action program that benefits contracting companies owned by racial minorities has been declared unconstitutional. The decision was issued Nov. 4 — Election Day — so it hasn't received much attention. But the decision could mean the end of similar programs at all levels of government.
Nov 25th, 2008 · Communities around the country have seen a spike in racial violence since the election of Barack Obama to the presidency. For more, NPR's Tony Cox talks with Mark Potok of the Southern Poverty Law Center and writer Erik Ose.
Nov 20th, 2008 · President-elect Barack Obama's historic win is the source of much discussion overseas. Many Europeans hope that the election of an African American president in the US will spur their own countries to re-examine their own racial dynamics. Steven Erlanger, New York Times' Paris Bureau Chief, and author Mely Kiyak explain the phenomenon of "The Obama Effect."
Nov 6th, 2008 · Obama's victory isn't just a symbol of racial progress in the United States. For many people around the world, the victory is a sign of change in American attitudes and offers hope about their own aspirations. Nigerian reporter Constance Ikokwu; Mexico-based freelance journalist Luis Clemens; and Abderrahim Foukara, Washington Bureau Chief for Al Jazeera, discuss the global meaning of Obama's victory.