supreme court Archives - Rolling Out

The Broadway stage has met the reality of race relations and artistic expression as a baffling claim of reverse discrimination that is making its way to the US Supreme Court. The musical “Hamilton,” which some critics have stated saved the Broadway musical, is under fire for casting choices that are essential to the very nature…

The name Lee Boyd Malvo is one that brings to mind the terror that struck Washington, D.C. and gripped the nation. In 2002, Malvo, at the time 17, was the accomplice of John Allen Muhammad, who is better known as “The DC Sniper.” Together, the pair was responsible for the death of 10 people in…

Bill Cosby will likely spend the next three to 10 years behind bars. And at 81-years-old, it could be a death sentence for the comedian and TV legend. The sentencing phase followed Cosby’s conviction of charges stemming from a 2004 incident in which Andrea Constand claimed that he sexually assaulted her while at his home. Constand…

In a historic ruling, the Supreme Court allowed for states to legalize sports betting this past Monday, May 21. In a 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court voted for New Jersey and other states to authorize sports betting. Many consider this a step in the right direction despite it possibly hurting the integrity of the respective…

Thurgood Marshall Statue, Annapolis Maryland (Photo credit: Glynnis Jones) Activist, lawyer and Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall was born on July 2, 1908, in Baltimore. As a young child, his father introduced him to the U.S. Constitution. Marshall attended Lincoln University for his undergraduate degree. After graduation, he applied to the University of Maryland Law…

A judge has stopped an “outrageous and grossly offensive” auction of “deeply personal” items owned by Madonna after the singer sought an emergency court order. The 58-year-old singer had sought an emergency court order over a proposed sale from Gotta Have It! Collectibles, who were planning to put items including previously-worn panties, a love letter…

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Supreme Court is going to allow portions of President Trump’s travel ban to go into effect against six majority-Muslim countries. The highest court in America said on Monday they will hear oral arguments on the case this fall. The court is allowing the ban to go into effect for foreign nationals who lack…

Noted journalist and TV host Tavis Smiley recently wrote about a fear he developed following a question a student posed at a recent event. The student asked Smiley, “Mr. Smiley, do you believe that given the crisis state of our democracy, we Black folk could ever find ourselves enslaved again?” Smiley wrote a response to the student and his…

Elijah Scott was forced to leave work by a manager at Kroger supermarket in Springfield, Ohio, after a customer complained about his Colin Kaepernick jersey. Last Sunday, Kroger sent out a memo to all employees that everyone could show their team spirit by wearing an NFL jersey each and every Sunday with no stipulations on…

Kelly Porter was furious after her son was recently denied his right to sit during the flag ritual. The mother of 15-year-old Shemar Cooper, a sophomore at Eisenhower High School in Chicago, has contacted the school’s superintendent several times to no avail. The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…

Minority students hoping to enroll at the predominately White University of Texas can breathe a sigh of relief. Today, in a 4-3 ruling, the Supreme Court upheld the school’s race-conscious admissions program, deeming it constitutional to take race into consideration as a factor of admission. The ruling is important as the University of Texas and…

There has been a lot of guessing about who President Barack Obama will nominate to replace Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. The latest name to come out is federal Appellate Court Judge Jane Kelly. She is a graduate of Harvard Law School and a fellow 1991 classmate of President Obama. Kelly sits on the U.S.…

The sudden and unexpected death of Supreme Court Associate Justice Anthony Scalia has caused turmoil among the Republican establishment. With President Obama having 11 months left in office, who he decides as a replacement will have a far-reaching impact on the court and America for decades. Republican obstructionists took no time in declaring that they…

Three top names in the world of rap music have taken a stand on an upcoming US Supreme Court case over the first amendment right of free speech. The artists have made contributions in a legal brief in defense of a high school student who was disciplined by his school district for posting a rap video…

Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia disappointed a lot of Americans with his bias and bigotry this past Wednesday, Dec. 9, 2015, when a brief pointed out that most of the Black scientists in this country don’t come from schools like the University of Texas saying, “They come from lesser schools where they do not feel…

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal has joined the growing list of governors who are opposed to accepting Syrian refugees in their state. Gov. Deal issued the following statement today: “In light of the terror attacks in Paris, I’ve issued an executive order directing state agency heads to prevent the resettlement of Syrian refugees in Georgia,” said…

Jussie Smollett has been one of TV’s biggest LGBT faces ever since he came out of the closet earlier this year. And last night at the BET Awards, Smollett represented his community proudly when he spoke up in support of the Supreme Court’s same-sex marriage ruling. As part of the “Empire” performance segment, Smollett hit…

Earlier this year, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg claimed that America is ready to see same-sex marriage become legalized across the nation. And now her words may become a reality as reports have revealed that the Supreme Court will rule on the issue of same-sex marriage. Obergefell v. Hodges, the groundbreaking marriage equality case in…

With the method of lethal injection being reviewed by the U.S. Supreme Court after several botched executions, Utah’s House of Representatives voted last week to resume using a firing squad as a means of execution. The measure was put in place in response to the growing controversy over the effectiveness of the widely used lethal injection…

Las Vegas Urban League statement regarding the United States Supreme Court ruling: Burwell v. Hobby Lobby In a 5-4 ruling on Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that requiring family-owned corporations to pay for insurance coverage for contraception under the Affordable Care Act violated a federal law protecting religious freedom. These rulings will no doubt…