The Houston Texas City Council voted on June 24 to appoint Anthony Graves (pdf) to the board of the Houston Forensic Science Center, NBC News reports.   Graves, 49, is capturing headlines because he spent 18 years in prison—most of that time on death row—before his murder conviction was overturned in 2010. He has the full…

Updated Friday, June 26, 11:40 a.m. EDT: The Supreme Court has ruled that same-sex marriage is legal in the United States. The ruling effectively ends the ban on same-sex marriage that was still in effect in some 13 states.   Earlier: As the U.S. Supreme Court readied to announce its decision on same-sex marriage, a group of black clergy vowed to push…

Two decades ago, scores of black men gathered in the nation’s capital to pledge support to family and community. Some of the leaders of that original rally are planning another march—one that will include black women this time. Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan announced on June 24 that he plans to hold a Millions…

A police investigation has concluded that a Colorado Springs, Colo., officer acted properly when he pulled a black man from his car. The police sent a letter (pdf) notifying Ryan Brown that the officer is cleared of wrongdoing, despite what’s shown in the video of the encounter. The American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado said the letter fails to…

Updated Thursday, June 25, 2015, 11:01 a.m. EDT: The entertainment division of Univision Communications Inc. has announced that it is severing ties with the Miss Universe Organization, which is part-owned by Donald J. Trump, after recent reports of Trump’s disparaging remarks toward Mexicans. “At Univision, we see first-hand the work ethic, love for family, strong…

Virginia took another step toward restoring voting rights to felons who have been released from prison. Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced on June 23 that the state will no longer require these ex-prisoners to pay outstanding court fees before they can vote again, the Daily Press reports. He explained that they are still required to…

The prayers for 4-year-old Leah Still have apparently been answered. In May, football player Devon Still had asked his social media following to pray for his daughter’s recovery after a setback in her cancer treatment. Leah’s condition has improved since then, and her doctors have released her from the hospital, CBS News reports. Devon Still shared…

Nation of Islam Western Regional Minister Tony Muhammad warns members of the California Legislative Black Caucus of a political backlash from their community if they support a bill that would mandate childhood vaccinations, according to the Los Angeles Times. Voting in favor of the bill, which may come up in the Assembly on Thursday, would…

Missouri state Rep. Chuck Basye (R-Rocheport) faces a storm of criticism for participating in a ceremony last weekend that honored Confederate soldiers, the Columbia Daily Tribune reports. The group dedicated a gravestone to five guerrilla fighters who are buried on his family’s land. What angered many is that some of ceremony participants saluted the Confederate…

Brownsville, Tenn., police officers snatched Elbert Williams from his home in the middle of the night on June 20, 1940. His body was found—beaten and with bullet wounds—three days later in the Hatchie River. The authorities, without investigating his murder, had him buried in an unmarked grave, according to the committee organized to establish his…