By: Shelly Feldman, Associate Editor, Vol. 27 In many areas of the law, facially neutral legal doctrines do not affect groups equally in practice.[i] This is well known and documented in America’s criminal justice system, which has historically oppressed racial minorities in disproportionate numbers.[ii] Though less known, this is also true in civil law and […]
discrimination
BLOG 2: Runaway Slave Advertisements & Counting Violent Extremism
By: Rihan Issa, Executive Articles Editor, Vol. 27 In part one of the blog series, I presented an overview of Simone Browne’s argument in Dark Matters. She argues that one cannot understand the history of surveillance without examining its racial past. She presents a few examples of the racial roots of current surveillance practice to […]
Social Maladjustment: Misidentification Prevents Black Students from Receiving Special Education Services
By: Alexis Franks, Associate Editor Vol. 27 The IDEA and the Emotional Disturbance Category The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), first enacted in 1975, provides federal funding for special education services for children with disabilities.[i] The goal of the legislation is that all handicapped children, who were historically excluded from the classroom, would be […]
Under the Threshold: Gaps in State Employment Discrimination Laws
By: Elisa Teeter, Associate Editor, Vol. 27 The purpose of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is to “improve the economic and social conditions of minorities and women by providing equality of opportunity in the work place.”[i] The law is meant to address a “larger pattern of restriction, exclusion, discrimination, segregation, and […]
Reverse Redlining and the Destruction of Minority Wealth
By Asma Husain Associate Editor, Vol. 22 In 2012, Wells Fargo entered into a $175 million settlement after being accused of pursuing discriminatory lending practices. Specifically, the bank and its subsidiaries were accused of charging African Americans and Latinos higher rates and fees on mortgages than their White counterparts. Despite the massive figure of the settlement, […]
Poll workers: gatekeepers of the democratic process
By Amy Luong Associate Editor, Vol. 21 Production Editor, Vol. 22 March marked an increased number of states that began imposing Voter ID requirements among other voting prerequisites.[1] In 2013, the Supreme Court declared the coverage formula, § 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), unconstitutional in Shelby Cty. v. Holder.[2] Originally, the formula covered jurisdictions that […]
Driving while black: Carolina city crafts racial awareness police policy
By Luis E. Gomez, Associate Editor Vol. 20 The protests in Ferguson have prompted a national debate about race and the militarization of local police forces. In Durham, North Carolina, racial profiling has played a major role in the city’s enforcement of drug laws. Civil rights advocates claim that black motorists are three times as […]
Michigan Journal of Race & Law 