contributors - Kristen Clarke

about Kristen Clarke

Are new voter ID laws Jim Crow by another name?

By Kristen Clarke

10:17 AM on 07/11/2011

OPINION - As a civil rights lawyer who works in the trenches, I am well aware of the barriers that black voters face and particularly sensitive to the burdens that these new laws present...
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Happy birthday Malcolm X! Top 10 quotes from an icon

By Kristen Clarke

8:27 AM on 05/19/2011

theGRIO REPORT - There are few figures in the black freedom struggle as dynamic and complex as Malcolm X...
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'Show me your papers' politics could suppress black vote

By Kristen Clarke

9:18 AM on 04/29/2011

OPINION - The racially charged and xenophobic atmosphere in which many of these efforts are unfolding is undeniable...
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Can black America turn the South blue?

By Kristen Clarke

9:00 AM on 03/24/2011

OPINION - As candidates vie for the black vote, targeting efforts will need to reach beyond cities and cut deeper into suburbia...
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Slideshow: The top 10 civil rights conflicts of 2010

By Kristen Clarke

9:07 AM on 12/28/2010

SLIDESHOW - The work of civil rights lawyers and advocates has not slowed in the wake of the 2008 presidential election...
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The ghost of Bush v. Gore still haunts black community

By Kristen Clarke

8:50 AM on 12/14/2010

OPINION - For black voters, Bush v. Gore is a stark reminder of the outdated voting equipment that led to many rejected ballots in our communities...
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Haitians deserve a first-class democracy

By Kristen Clarke

10:30 AM on 11/29/2010

OPINION - Ensuring that this election is carried out in a way that provides every voter full and fair access to the political process is paramount...
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How Haiti can weather impending election storm

By Kristen Clarke

4:49 PM on 11/27/2010

OPINION - Certainly, the experience in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina provides a number of lessons that may be instructive as the country braces for Sunday's elections...
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From 'Dancing' to midterms: Black voter turnout makes a big difference

By Kristen Clarke

8:00 AM on 11/23/2010

OPINION - Popular shows like 'Dancing with the Stars' serve as continued reminders about the power of collectively and strategically using our votes to influence outcomes...
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Will redistricting put black voters in peril?

By Kristen Clarke

8:46 AM on 11/10/2010

theGRIO REPORT - Some commentators have suggested that these partisan victories will have a direct impact on redistricting maps that emerge from these states...
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10 ways to protect your vote on Election Day

By Kristen Clarke

8:49 AM on 11/01/2010

theGRIO REPORT - Here, theGrio identifies some of the most common problems that voters encounter at the polls and discuss solutions to help overcome the barriers...
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Minority vote suppression strikes again ahead of midterms

By Kristen Clarke

8:27 AM on 10/26/2010

OPINION - Unsurprisingly, efforts to restrict voter access have taken a turn for the worse this election cycle, creating a racially-charged atmosphere in a number of places...
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Why your chance to vote may be gone before November

By Kristen Clarke

1:07 PM on 10/04/2010

OPINION - Approximately 213 million voting-age citizens were eligible to vote in the 2008 presidential election but only 186 million of them were actually registered...
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Katrina leaves New Orleans political landscape looking whiter

By Kristen Clarke

9:14 AM on 08/25/2010

theGRIO REPORT - Any discussion or analysis of elections in post-Katrina New Orleans must take into account the challenges faced by displaced voters...
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Voting Rights Act at 45: Why we still need it

By Kristen Clarke

9:30 AM on 08/06/2010

OPINION - For 45 years, the Voting Rights Act has occupied a central place in our democracy and we can ill-afford to turn our back on it now...
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Why the census is a civil rights issue

By Kristen Clarke

12:27 PM on 03/31/2010

OPINION - In virtually every decade, African-Americans have been undercounted and by no small margin...
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How 'Bloody Sunday' changed America

By Kristen Clarke

11:43 AM on 03/07/2010

OPINION - Selma, Alabama has long occupied a central place in the story of our nation's long struggle to extend voting rights to African-Americans. In 1965, the town...
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Slideshow: 12 key civil rights moments of the decade

By Kristen Clarke

10:26 AM on 12/21/2009

OPINION - The first decade of the new century has been marked by incredible triumphs, ongoing challenges, and a number of historic moments...
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Hate crimes report shows race still an issue

By Kristen Clarke

8:54 AM on 12/02/2009

OPINION - More than half of the hate crimes recorded in 2008 were racially motivated and included acts of intimidation, aggravated and simple assaults and, in some instances, murder...
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Local elections count as much as presidential ones

By Kristen Clarke

8:00 AM on 09/28/2009

OPINION - Turnout statistics from recent state and local elections around the country paint a rather bleak picture that is squarely at odds with the political energy and momentum witnessed last November.
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