Current Events

Earlier this year, comedian and actor Bill Cosby was found guilty of raping Andrea Constand in 2004.  This week, a Pennsylvania judge sentenced 81-year-old Cosby to three to ten years in jail for his crime.  Cosby’s attorneys, citing his age and poor physical health, requested that Cosby be sentenced to house arrest.  However, the judge […]

  Earlier this month, singing legend Aretha Franklin passed away.   She left behind her partner, children, grandchildren, friends, and a legion of fans.  However, she did not leave a will.  Though the Queen of Soul had a voice like no one else, dying without a will (also known as dying intestate) places her in a […]

Small businesses drive the American economy.  Despite their importance, the number of Americans starting businesses has declined over the past thirty years.   Though fewer Americans are starting businesses overall, people of color are opening businesses at a record-breaking pace.  The United States Black Chambers of Commerce states, “In 2012, there were 1.9 million Black businesses. […]

Last month, Justice Anthony Kennedy’s retirement created an unexpected vacancy on the Supreme Court. This week, Trump announced his choice to replace him: Judge Brett Kavanaugh. Kavanaugh, 53, has served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit since 2006. Though Judge Kavanaugh hasn’t served for long, his […]

The Supreme Court of the United States hears approximately 80 cases each term.   While each of the cases is legally significant, some cases have a wider cultural impact.  This year, the Court decided several cases that will impact the civil rights of African Americans and other people of color.  Below is a summary of Supreme […]

  Yesterday, the Supreme Court of the United States issued a ruling in Husted v. A. Phillip Randolph Institute.  The case challenged an Ohio law that allows the state to remove (or “purge”) persons who fail to vote from its registered voter list.  In yesterday’s ruling, the Court ruled that the Ohio law did not […]