Institute Index
June 26, 2015 -
The shooting deaths of nine African-American churchgoers by a white supremacist in Charleston, South Carolina is the latest mass killing to focus attention on lax U.S. gun laws. South Carolina, like many states in the South, has a high rate of gun violence.
June 17, 2015 -
Last week a federal judge ordered the release of Albert Woodfox, who's been held in solitary confinement in Louisiana for 43 years, though a higher court blocked the move while the state appeals. Meanwhile, prisoners are suing over Virginia's policy of placing death row inmates in solitary, arguing that the practice amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.
June 11, 2015 -
The high-profile coming out of Olympic champion Caitlyn Jenner, formerly Bruce Jenner, as a trans woman has put transgender issues in the spotlight. Transgender people -- especially trans women of color -- face shockingly high levels of violence, and a disproportionate number of recent killings of transgender people took place in the South. But a new initiative is working for change.
May 29, 2015 -
This week the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals denied President Obama's request to lift an injunction on his executive action programs to provide temporary deportation relief to millions of undocumented immigrants. The decision could have short- and long-term political impacts in the South.
May 20, 2015 -
Last week Florida became the latest among 28 states that now or will soon offer statewide online voter registration. Evidence shows such systems are less prone to fraud, more cost-effective and popular among voters and elections officials alike.
May 15, 2015 -
Revelations that voter registration applications initiated at public assistance agencies in North Carolina have dropped off dramatically under Gov. Pat McCrory (R) have alarmed voting rights advocates. They're now seeking more information to determine whether the state is flouting federal law.
May 8, 2015 -
A new study found that the U.S. foreclosure crisis not only displaced 9 million people from their homes but also led to a dramatic increase in neighborhood segregation along racial lines.
