Commemorations

Before I start this post of just updates/interesting links, I want to ask anyone reading this to please hold the Iranian people and protesters in your thoughts and prayers. And I obviously must mention the passing of the King of Pop.

Also today is the 40th anniversary of Stonewall!! Democracy Now did a fantastic piece on it, the link is here.

In other interesting news, racial disparities in the treatment of Michigan and Maryland youth in schools and law enforcement are drawing national attention.

Also, the Supreme Court may be loosening the legal framework for equal education in the United States in the new Horne v Flores case. Racewire reports in more detail here.

Racewire also reported that NY Domestic Workers are organizing:

As the New York State Senate invested their considerable stock of legislative resources and wit into accomplishing such noble tasks as stealing gavels, sneaking into Capitol chambers, and going to tremendous lengths to achieve absolutely nothing during an emergency legislative session this past Tuesday, domestic workers convened at Washington Square Park to demand that legislators pass a Domestic Workers Bill of Rights.

Championed as a robust national precedent to reversing the nation’s racially-charged history of excluding domestic workers from labor rights laws, the Domestic Workers Bill of Rights guarantees health care, severance pay, sick days, inclusion into the state’s collective bargaining and human rights laws, and other basic protections to New York’s domestic workers. The bill has been approved by the State Assembly but is stalled in the New York State Senate, where lawmakers are struggling to broker a power-sharing agreement in the wake of a Republican-staged coup.