Oliver Hill, Civil Rights Crusader, Dies

Plan was used during American civil rights movement

(NEWSER) - Dutch leaders believe an integration program honed during the American civil rights movement can curb the racial and class divisions rampant in Amsterdam’s classrooms. Waves of immigrants have swept into the Netherlands, but they haven’t always mixed successfully with native Dutch, reports the Christian Science Monitor. “Segregation is a big issue here, and it's getting worse," said one official. More»

Civil rights activist was also savior of the Apollo Theater

(AP) - Percy Sutton, the pioneering civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, has died at age 89. A spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson confirmed Sutton died yesterday, but didn't know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined comment. The son of a slave, Percy Sutton served with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, then opened a law office that became a fixture in Harlem. More»

(NEWSER) - He wasn't always the most articulate person in one-on-one conversations, but Ted Kennedy gave powerful speeches, writes Gail Russell Chaddock in the Christian Science Monitor. Three that resonate:

• His 1980 concession: “For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die." Sure, the words came from a speechwriter, but only Kennedy's delivery made it work, says one historian. “You had to listen to it to fully get the impact.”

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration is pushing for a Supreme Court decision that would curtail the right of criminal suspects to counsel, the AP reports. At issue is a 1986 ruling that prevents police from questioning suspects unless a lawyer is present. The Justice Department says the restriction “serves no real purpose,” because suspects can always choose to remain silent, and offers only “meager benefits.” More»

Mildred Loving launched case that led to Supreme Court changing law in 1967

(NEWSER) - Mildred Loving, whose challenge to Virginia law led to the Supreme Court decision overturning bans on racially mixed marriage, has died at the age of 68. Loving, who was black, and her white husband Richard pleaded guilty to “cohabiting as man and wife, against the peace and dignity of the Commonwealth” before their suit led to a landmark civil-rights ruling in 1967. More»