Articles Index

Thanksgiving: A Day of Celebration or Mourning for Native Americans?

For many Americans, Thanksgiving means family, food and football. For others, particularly Native Americans, the day is one of mourning. So, should Thanksgiving be celebrated? Is it possible to have a Thanksgiving celebration that does not romanticize interactions between Pilgrims and American Indians?

Holiday Celebrations for Multicultural Families

Compromise is all it takes for multicultural families to celebrate the holidays in a way that reflects the diversity each member brings to the table.

Interracial Relationships: A Rundown of Issues

Fraught with potential tensions, the history of interracial relationship issues in the U.S. is long. Learn how to confront the issues that arise from loving across color lines.

Raising Biracial Children to Be Well Adjusted

Mixed-race children face unique challenges, but raising biracial children who are happy and healthy is possible if parents teach them to embrace all facets of their racial makeup, settle in diverse communities and choose schools that celebrate multiculturalism, among other measures.

Halloween Don’ts: Avoid Racially Offensive Costumes

Still deciding what to be for Halloween? If you’re thinking about dressing up as an Indian, a Gypsy or a Geisha, you might want to reconsider. Avoid racially offensive Halloween costumes.

What Is Race?

Race is arguably the most divisive aspect of Western society. One’s access to quality housing, health care and education varies depending on race. Although we live in a racially stratified society, the concept of race didn’t always exist. So, what is race, what are its origins in America, and why do scientists say they have little use for this concept?

Whitney Young Biography

Whitney Young Jr. was arguably the National Urban League’s most influential executive director. During the decade he served as head of the civil rights organization, Young increased its budget 18-fold, pushed corporate America to provide more jobs for African Americans and swayed dignitaries to use federal funding to benefit inner cities. Learn more about Whitney Young with this biography.

The National Urban League: An Overview

The National Urban League is one of the oldest civil rights groups in the nation. The NUL’s history includes activism in the Civil Rights Movement, providing college scholarships to African American youth and the creation of its groundbreaking [i]State of Black America[/i] report. Learn more about the league with this overview.

Public Enemy: A Biography

How did Public Enemy rise to fame by tackling racism in songs such as “Burn Hollywood Burn” and “911 Is a Joke”? This Public Enemy biography shows how the group topped album charts with a militant message.

MTV and Black Music: A Rocky History

How did MTV shift from arguably shutting African American musicians out in the 1980s to routinely spotlighting their contributions decades later? This brief history of the channel shows how MTV and black music overcame their rocky history.

The Chicano Movement: Brown and Proud

Latinos have more political power than ever before. A major voting bloc, both Republicans and Democrats court the Hispanic population. In the Civil Rights era, however, Latinos had to fight to be heard. They voiced their concerns in what is known as the Chicano Movement.

Multicultural Literature: Six Modern Works of Note

Great books about race didn't die out in the middle of the 20th century. Take a look at some of the groundbreaking works of multicultural literature writers have crafted from the 1990s to the present.

Interracial Musical Collaborations: 10 Notable Tracks

Black music. White music. These terms seem outdated, but for years the segregation in music was a real problem. This made it all the more remarkable when black musicians and white musicians collaborated on projects together. Discover 10 of the most notable interracial musical collaborations to take place from the 1980s to the present.

What Is Racism?

What is racism, really? Explore the definition of racism. Learn what internalized racism is as well as other forms of racism, such as horizontal racism and reverse racism. Examine examples of racism from the past and the present.

How to Be an Anti-Racism Activist

America has a long line of anti-racist activists. Follow the lead of the country’s trailblazers in race relations by learning how to take part in protests, letter-writing campaigns and media interviews. Learn the importance of anti-racist activism.

Racist Bullying in School

Bullies pick on classmates from everything to the grades they get to the way they dress, but what happens when race enters the picture? Discover which steps to take to end racist bullying in school.

Talking to Kids About Race

Talking to kids about race doesn’t come easy for most parents, but it’s a subject not to be avoided. That’s because children will form ideas about race whether parents raise the issue or not. Learn to inform children about this complex issue by exposing them to cultural celebrations, museums and more. Doing so will not only make kids more knowledgeable about race but also builds their character.

Diversity Workshops: Do's and Don'ts

By consulting diversity experts, encouraging team building and setting ground rules, you can hold diversity workshops that pay off.

Discrimination During a Job Interview

You think you’ve been a victim of racial discrimination during a job interview, but you’re not sure. Learn about the questions interviewers may ask that violate your civil rights and how to take action against a discriminatory employer.

How to Encourage Diversity in the Workplace

Making sure employees from different racial backgrounds feel comfortable at work has several benefits. Not only can encouraging diversity in the workplace enhance team spirit, it can also boost creativity and promote a sense of investment in the company. By following a few simple guidelines, it's fairly easy to create a work setting in which employees of all backgrounds feel valued.

Avoid Hiring Discrimination

Job discrimination based on race is alive and well, but is it possible to avoid it while searching for work? Fortunately, yes. Learn which strategies to use to avoid hiring discrimination. Don’t be a victim.

Key Events in Affirmative Action's History

Today affirmative action is talked about so much, it seems like the practice has always been around. Actually, race-based preferences arose after hard-fought battles waged by civil rights leaders and acted on by U.S. presidents. Learn which events were the most noteworthy in affirmative action’s history.

Affirmative Action Bans in Universities: Who Gains?

How have affirmative action bans in California, Texas and Florida affected college admissions in those states? Learn how affirmative action has affected diversity in public universities.

Ricci v. DeStefano: A Case of Reverse Discrimination?

A group of white firefighters alleged that the city of New Haven, Conn., discriminated against them when it threw out a test that white firefighters passed at a 50% greater rate than blacks. Performance on the test was the basis for promotion. By discarding the test, the city prevented the white firefighters eligible for promotion from advancing to captain and lieutenant rank. Does this case, known as Ricci v. DeStefano, constitute reverse discrimination?

Contemporary Affirmative Action: An Overview of Laws and Supreme Court Decisions

Debates have raged for years about the pros and cons of race-based preferences. But what’s the state of contemporary affirmative action, and is it helping to end discrimination? A review of recent laws and Supreme Court decisions involving affirmative action paints a picture.