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The invisible shield: how qualified immunity was created and nearly destroyed the ability to sue police officers in America Pt. I

Herb Boyd Damaso Reyes

April 01, 2021 |

New York Amsterdam News |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States

The Civil Rights Act of 1871, as a direct response to white resistance to Reconstruction-era reforms in the former Confederacy, gave people the right to sue government officials for depriving them of their civil rights. But a series of court decisions from the Civil Rights Era of the 1960s through the 1980s undercut the law's intent, so much so that police officers ended up with "qualified immunity" from liability for rights violations – effectively avoiding accountability, even when they act in bad faith.

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Algorithmic Redlining Is Real. Why Not Algorithmic Greenlining?

Vinhcent Le

March 31, 2021 |

Governing |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Urban planning algorithms have contributed to the racial wealth gap by prioritizing funding for communities that don’t need extra funding, but which would create a higher return on investment. The algorithm bias negatively impacts neighborhoods that are typically Black and poor. Detroit’s water and sewage utilities were disconnected as a result of an algorithm, highlighting the “fundamental pitfall of algorithms, as well as the risks that they can be misused or produce unintended consequences.”

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Inside the community patrols in San Francisco's Chinatown

Samantha Michaels

March 30, 2021 |

Mother Jones |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Rising alarm over hate crimes targeting Asian-Americans, particularly the elderly, drew many volunteers to the community patrols that have organized over the past year in the Bay Area. Chinatown Safety Patrol, started just weeks before the Atlanta spa murders, suddenly attracted dozens of people willing to watch over and help elderly neighbors, giving them the confidence to go about their lives on the streets. The patrols serve as a deterrent to predatory violence. They also can deescalate conflict. Their main function is to protect residents in ways that the police can't or won't.

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Teen invents playing cards that are gender-equal -- and diverse

Scottie Andrew Maria Morava

March 28, 2021 |

CNN |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States

16-year-old Maayan Segal and her father launched Queeng, a deck of cards that represents gender equality and includes a range of racial and cultural identities. The first iteration sold over 50,000 decks but was re-designed after critics cited the lack of racial diversity. The hand-drawn cards include a range of skin tones and facial features, and king cards are replaced by male and female “Monarch” cards, "Dutchess" or "Duke" cards replace queen cards, and "Prince" or "Princess" cards replace jack cards. There are also female jokers. Five days after its release, Queeng 2.0 already sold over 4,000 decks.

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After crime plummeted in 2020, Baltimore will stop drug, sex prosecutions

Tom Jackman

March 26, 2021 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

When Baltimore prosecutors stopped prosecuting most lower-level crimes to ease jail crowding during the pandemic, they discovered that making many fewer arrests did not fuel a crime wave. In fact, crime dropped substantially, counter to what most other cities experienced during the same time. The experiment showed that not prosecuting for drug possession, prostitution, trespassing, and other minor offenses has minimal, if not positive, effects on crime. The policy was made permanent and officials will now connect people with needed health and social services instead of jailing them.

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Taking cops out of traffic stops: Would it make a difference? North Carolina examples offer a clue

Ahmed Jallow

March 22, 2021 |

Burlington Times News |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fayetteville, North Carolina

For four years, Fayetteville, N.C., police virtually banned their officers from making traffic stops for petty violations having nothing to do with traffic safety, but increased their enforcement of speeding, red-light, and drunken driving violations. During that time, traffic fatalities decreased. So did the use of force by police, complaints about the police, and injuries to drivers and police. About half as many Black drivers' cars were searched. Unnecessary traffic stops can strain police-community relations and show bias against non-white drivers.

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The New Push for Corporate Diversity Comes with an Atlanta Address

Te-Ping Chen

March 20, 2021 |

Wall Street Journal |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

Companies are making the move to Atlanta in their efforts to diversify their workforces. Corporate diversity is hard to achieve in places like Silicon Valley. Instead, companies like Pandora have drastically increased the number of diverse employees since moving to the majority-Black city.

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Juvenile (in)justice

Tennessee Watson Eda Uzunlar

March 20, 2021 |

Reveal |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Mitchell, South Dakota

Five years after South Dakota replaced a failing, punitive juvenile justice system that emphasized incarceration and probation with approaches focused on rehabilitation and local services for youth, the state's investment has paid off in far lower recidivism, incarceration, and expense. Counties have financial, justice, and moral incentives to follow the evidence of what works and help teens improve their lives. The state also keeps the data needed to track what is working. Neighboring Wyoming does the opposite on all counts, and it has the wrecked lives and high costs to show for it.

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Fighting Gentrification

Chris Rudisill

March 19, 2021 |

QNotes Carolinas |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Houston, Texas

When gentrification made housing unaffordable for many people in Houston's historically Black Third Ward neighborhood, local activists sought remedies beyond standard federal tax incentives for affordable housing. A city-sponsored Community Land Trust developed a plan for more affordable housing. At the same time, a development catering to low-income, older LGBTQ residents, adjacent to the Third Ward, got developed on donated land. Charlotte has many similar challenges, making Houston a model for what is possible.

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A month into pilot program, Portland Street Response Team brings hope to the streets

Laural Porter

March 19, 2021 |

KGW-TV |

Broadcast TV Talk Show |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Portland, Oregon

In its first month of operation, Portland Street Response Team began intervening with people on the streets who are experiencing substance abuse or mental health problems. The program, modeled on Eugene, Oregon's CAHOOTS program, provides counseling and paramedic services on 911 calls that once were handled only by police or fire officials. The pilot program is limited to one neighborhood and daytime hours, but will expand if results continue to show positive impacts. The target neighborhood was chosen for its cultural diversity and large numbers of people experiencing homelessness.

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