Race Inquiry Digest (October 8) – Important Current Stories On Race In America

Feature – Driven by South’s Past, Black Women Seek Votes and a New Future. Mobilized by the nation’s divisions on race and Donald Trump’s presidency, black women are using networks forged in segregation to turn out voters this fall. As both political parties prepare for what many see as the most consequential midterm elections in memory, black women’s votes will be critical. Exit polls consistently indicate they are the single most loyal Democratic voting bloc. Shown are Kayla and Kiana Blaine on the campus of Florida A&M University, who are volunteering for the Andrew Gillum campaign. Susan Chira / NYT Read more   

White Women, Come Get Your People. They will defend their privilege to the death. Shown is Senator Susan Collins of Maine walking to the Senate floor on Friday. Her  support of Brett Kavanaugh helped elevate him to the supreme court. Alexis Grenell / NYT Read more 

7 things the United Daughters of the Confederacy might not want you to know about them. The organization keeps Confederate statues standing and spreads lies about America’s history of slavery. Kali Holloway / Salon Read more 

Russia Is Exploiting American White Supremacy Over and Over Again. Russia’s troll army was not interested in stirring up generic ‘chaos’ in America. The Kremlin is strategically tapping into the inexhaustible fuel source of white grievance. Spencer Ackerman / Daily Beast Read more

Trevor Noah’s Powerful Message on Trump and Male Victimhood During #MeToo. In an emotional monologue, ‘The Daily Show’ host condemned Trump for trying to “convince men that they are the real victims of the #MeToo movement.” Matt Wilstein / Daily Beast Watch here

NC’s Rev. William Barber wins a MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ and its $625K prize. William J. Barber II, North Carolina pastor and longtime political activist, is now a MacArthur Fellow. And he marked the occasion Thursday by getting arrested at a protest. David Menconi And Camila Molina / The News&Observer Read more

15 Black Lives Ended in Confrontations With Police. 3 Officers Convicted. Cases in which black people were killed by the police or died in their custody have risen to national prominence in recent years, often prompting protests nationwide. To see how the cases were processed and moved through the judicial system, we tracked the outcomes of 15 high-profile deaths from 2014 to 2016. Jasmine C. Lee and Haeyoun Park / NYT Read more   

The Hate U Give Is a Black Lives Matter Movie Designed for Anyone Willing to Listen. The Hate U Give opens with the Talk—the one white parents never have to give their children. Maverick Carter (Russell Hornsby) gathers his three children at the family dinner table and tells them how to behave if—or, more likely, when—they’re questioned by the police. Sam Adams / Slate Read a review and Official trailer 

‘Coming of Age in Mississippi’ still speaks to nation’s racial discord, 50 years later. The book still commands a wide readership.  Written when Anne Moody was 28 years old, “Coming of Age” is a gripping story. In spare, direct prose, she takes readers into the world of African-American sharecroppers in the Jim Crow South. Leigh Ann Wheeler / The Conversation Read more

After years of white, male dominance, the Grammys invite 900 new, diverse voters. After back-to-back-to-back-to-back years of failing to bestow the industry’s highest honor on an artist of color, and a particularly bruising though not unprecedented year of mostly ignoring female talent, the Grammys took action to address the deep-rooted racism and misogyny within the organization. Jessica M. Goldstein / ThinkProgress Read more

Visit our home page for more articles, and at the top of this page register your email to receive notification of new editions of Race Inquiry Digest.  Click here for earlier Digests.