Reporting on politics, civics, government, participation, and civic engagement across the URL Media network to empower readers to improve democracy and society.
Protesters rallied outside U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s Minneapolis office on Thursday, December 8. They demanded that the U.S. Senate act immediately to pass the American Dream and Promise Act, or DACA, before time runs out. (Kerem Yücel, MPR News)
Protesters rally at Minnesota Sen. Klobuchar's office in support of DACA: Last Thursday, protesters led by the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee gathered outside Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office in Minneapolis to call for the passage of the American Dream and Promise Act (DACA), which has remained stuck in the Senate since 2021. Protesters chanted, "What do we want?" The Dream Act! When do we want it? Now!" reports Sahan Journal in partnership with MPR News.
MLK’s dream might have failed without her on his team: PushBlack reminds readers of the legacy of Ella Baker, a human rights activist whose work was often uncredited and overlooked because of sexism during the Civil Rights Movement. As "The mother" of the movement, Baker created grassroots organizations such as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, recruited thousands of people, and inspired leaders like Rosa Parks. “Together Baker and MLK fueled the Civil Rights Movement, showing that multiple tactics and leadership styles are needed to beat white supremacy.”
Faulty information about immigrants can lead to family separation and denied asylum claims: The National Immigrant Justice Center published a new report on the impact of false criminal information on immigrants seeking asylum, which can lead to their families being separated and being denied asylum, writes Melissa del Bosque for Documented. The report features the testimonies of 34 immigration lawyers who said this issue has been further complicated by law enforcement who don’t often reveal why asylum seekers have been arrested.
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Here’s what you need to know about Hakeem Jeffries, House Dem’s new leader: Among the next Democratic leaders in Congress, Hakeem Jeffries, a Brooklyn-born Congressman, will serve as Minority Leader of the House. Epicenter-NYC's Felipe De La Hoz writes that Jeffries isn't a household name despite serving six years in the Senate before being elected to Congress in 2012. "You may notice that most descriptions of the man will note that he’s “calculating” or “cerebral” or something like that, which seems like an odd way to describe someone ascending to the height of political influence, yet that’s where his true influence comes from," writes De La Hoz.
Gun violence and policing in America: 🎧 Farai Chideya speaks to three women of color who have been affected personally and professionally by gun violence and policing across the country as part of Our Body Politic's Political Remix series. During separate interviews, Chideya spoke with two activists and mothers who lost children to gun violence — Nelba Marquéz-Greene and Samaria Rice. She also interviewed former Dallas Police Chief Reneé Hall about bridging the gap between Black communities and the police.
