Civil Rights

85 Stories

Race & Identity

New Seattle museum exhibit highlights the Civil Rights 'ripple effect' of Emmett Till’s 1955 murder

“Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley: Let the World See” explores Till’s life and death, and how his mother’s decision to hold an open-casket funeral displaying her son’s mutilated body generated worldwide attention and outrage over racial violence faced by Black Americans in the Jim Crow South.
Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Arts & Life

Seattle Opera brings the 'uncomfortable truth' of Malcolm X to the stage

"X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X," premiers on the West Coast at the Seattle Opera this month. Originally staged in 1985, the production was revitalized by a new production by the Metropolitan Opera in New York in 2023. Opening night is Saturday, Feb. 24.
Mike Davis

Noel Gasca
Politics

As she leaves DOJ, associate AG recalls the cases that will 'stick with me forever'

Vanita Gupta has been the first woman of color to serve as associate attorney general. It's a job with a huge portfolio that ranges from civil rights to immigration to abortion.
Carrie Johnson
National

Jury acquits a white Louisiana trooper caught on camera beating a Black motorist

The federal jury acquitted a state trooper charged with violating the civil rights of Aaron Bowman despite body-camera footage that showed the officer pummeling him 18 times with a flashlight.
The Associated Press
Education

From Civil Rights to campus change: Black student activism in Washington state

Seattle isn't widely recognized as an epicenter of the Civil Rights Movement. But through the mid 20th-century, individuals and organizations were making national waves in a fight for recognition and equality. Those actions percolated to university life in Seattle and Pullman. The foundation of Black Studies came from the efforts of Black Students and Black Student Unions to create a space for talking about history, organizing, and black power.
Libby Denkmann

Alec Cowan
Arts & Life

From Bewitched to Modern Family: Queer representation in TV sitcoms

Soundside host Libby Denkmann sits down with author & YouTube host Matt Baume to talk about his new book, "Hi Honey, I'm Homo: Sitcoms, Specials, and the Queering of American Culture"
Libby Denkmann

Jason Burrows
Politics

60 years since 'The Children's Crusade' changed Birmingham and the nation

The Birmingham movement in 1963 was a turning point when children joined the struggle for equal rights. The brutal response from white segregationists galvanized support for the Civil Rights Act.
Marisa Peñaloza

Debbie Elliott
Law & Courts

Seattle City Council bans caste discrimination

A new ordinance from the Seattle City Council wants to ban caste discrimination. The legislation is off to Mayor Bruce Harrell to sign. If he does, Seattle would be the first city to add caste to a list of protected classes. Councilmember Kshama Sawant, a bill sponsor, says it's a simple question. Should discrimination based on caste be allowed to continue in Seattle? But, critics of the ordinance say the current discrimination law should be enough. Sital Kalantry, a Seattle University law professor, is here to help us untangle the ordinance.
Patricia Murphy

Brandi Fullwood
Government

Seattle's civil rights laws don't protect against caste discrimination — but they soon could

In the Seattle area’s South Asian Community there is a growing concern of discrimination based on a person’s caste. City councilmember Kshama Sawant aims to expand the city’s civil rights measures to address this.
Gustavo Sagrero Álvarez
Arts & Life

Lawsuit challenges Seattle's graffiti ordinance

Four people have filed a complaint against the city of Seattle after being arrested and jailed in 2021 for writing easy-to-clean political messages on temporary barricades outside of the Seattle Police East Precinct. They allege the city's anti-graffiti ordinance is an unconstitutional violation of free speech.
Mike Davis

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