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Race. In your face.

Sunday

HBO's 'Gideon's Army' Looks At Three Defenders Of The Poor

In Gideon's Army, Brandy Alexander defends a 17 year old on trial for armed robbery who she believes is innocent. He faces a 10 year mandatory minimum if convicted. Dawn Porter hide caption

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Dawn Porter

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HBO's 'Gideon's Army' Looks At Three Defenders Of The Poor

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HBO documentary Gideon's Army follows three public defenders working to give their clients the best representation while juggling hundreds of cases for little compensation.

HBO's 'Gideon's Army' Looks At Three Defenders Of The Poor

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Saturday

Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays?

Field director Charles White of the NAACP speaks at a podium outside the U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday. The court ruled that a key part of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

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Win McNamee/Getty Images

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Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays?

by  NPR Staff

The news this week has put race on America's brain. There were the Supreme Court decisions, the trial of George Zimmerman and the downfall of celebrity chef Paula Deen. But the country is still fumbling through persistent inequality, even in the absence of overt prejudice.

Legalese Aside, How Do We Talk About Race Nowadays?

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How To Prove You're Not A Racist

Paula Deen dissolved into tears during her appearance Wednesday on NBC's Today show with Matt Lauer. The celebrity chef told Lauer she was not a racist, but image experts say she'll have to work harder to convince the public. Peter Kramer/AP hide caption

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Peter Kramer/AP

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How To Prove You're Not A Racist

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Celebrity chef Paula Deen went into damage-control mode this week after admitting to using racial slurs. How do public figures make the bad news go away and set out on the road to redemption? Public image experts weigh in.

How To Prove You're Not A Racist

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Thursday

Can 'Devious Maids' Really Break Stereotypes About Latinas?

Judy Reyes (from left), Roselyn Sanchez, Ana Ortiz and Dania Ramirez all star in Lifetime's new series about Latina housemaids, Devious Maids. Lifetime hide caption

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Lifetime

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Can 'Devious Maids' Really Break Stereotypes About Latinas?

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On Sundays this summer, Lifetime has a new show from the creator of Desperate Housewives, Mark Cherry. Critic Eric Deggans says Devious Maids is trying to explode stereotypes about Latinos and domestic workers. But it might not be trying hard enough.

Can 'Devious Maids' Really Break Stereotypes About Latinas?

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Moscato Finds A Younger, Hipper — And Browner — Audience

Nicki Minaj is part owner of the coconut moscato brand MYX. MYX hide caption

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MYX

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Moscato Finds A Younger, Hipper — And Browner — Audience

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This sweet sparkling wine has been a hit with people of color ever since it started being name-checked in rap songs. The popularity has winemakers eager to reach this new group of customers

Moscato Finds A Younger, Hipper — And Browner — Audience

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Wednesday

What Would A 2013 Voting Rights Act (Section 4) Look Like?

Ryan P. Haygood, director of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, talks outside the Supreme Court on Tuesday about the court's opinion in Shelby County v. Holder. J. Scott Applewhite/AP hide caption

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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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What Would A 2013 Voting Rights Act (Section 4) Look Like?

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After the Supreme Court ruled a key provision of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional, champions of the law said Congress must revise and restore it. But if lawmakers were to act, how would they change the law?

Are HBCUs In Trouble? An Evergreen Question

President Obama spoke last month at commencement ceremonies at Morehouse College in Atlanta, which brought fresh attention — and scrutiny — to historically black colleges. Carolyn Kaster/ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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Carolyn Kaster/ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Are HBCUs In Trouble? An Evergreen Question

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Some tough news about several historically black colleges has prompted folks to wonder if they're viable and necessary — questions that sometimes simplify their strengths and challenges.

Happy Ruling For Adoptive Couple, Uncertainty For Baby Girl

Baby Veronica and her biological father, Dusten Brown, feed geese and ducks in April in Nowata, Okla. Jeremy Charles for The Washington Post/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeremy Charles for The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Happy Ruling For Adoptive Couple, Uncertainty For Baby Girl

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The Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed a ruling in a child's adoption, saying the child, whose biological father is a member of the Cherokee Nation, should not have been taken from her adoptive parents. The court ruled that the federal Indian Child Welfare Act did not apply in the case.

Happy Ruling For Adoptive Couple, Uncertainty For Baby Girl

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Tuesday

As Demographics Shift, Kids' Books Stay Stubbornly White

At a San Jose, Calif. library, a young reader browses a shelf of books featuring a variety of main characters: ducks, hens, white kids, black kids. Libraries help drive demand for children's books with nonwhite characters, but book publishers say there aren't enough libraries to make those books best-sellers. San Jose Library/Flickr hide caption

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San Jose Library/Flickr

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As Demographics Shift, Kids' Books Stay Stubbornly White

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Nearly a quarter of all public school kids are Latino, but only 3 percent of kids' books are by or about Latinos. There's a similar dearth of Native American, black and Asian characters. Why? One editor says librarians, with their high demand for multicultural books, don't drive best-seller lists.

As Demographics Shift, Kids' Books Stay Stubbornly White

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Monday

Ever-Changing L.A. Links Walter Mosley To His Mid-Century P.I.

Little Green opens in 1967 and follows Easy Rawlins' search for a young man who disappeared after visiting the Sunset Strip, seen here in 1966. HF/AP hide caption

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HF/AP

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Ever-Changing L.A. Links Walter Mosley To His Mid-Century P.I.

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Six years ago, the mystery writer sent Easy Rawlins off a cliff, seemingly killing him. Now, Easy's back on the streets his creator once called home. Mosley says other than Los Angeles, he and his detective hero don't have much in common, but NPR's Karen Grigsby Bates begs to differ.

Ever-Changing L.A. Links Walter Mosley To His Mid-Century P.I.

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Sunday

Deconstructing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream

Martin Luther King, Jr. speaks to a crowd in Detroit on June 23, 1963. ASSOCIATED PRESS hide caption

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ASSOCIATED PRESS

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Deconstructing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream

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How does a great orator develop his speeches? Before Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his iconic address at the Lincoln Memorial in August 1963, he gave speeches in Detroit and Newark, N.J., that tested the ideas and language of "I Have a Dream."

Deconstructing Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Dream

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More States Let Unauthorized Immigrants Take The Wheel

Immigrant advocates use an image of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez on a mock state driver's license during a 2012 rally in Santa Fe, N.M., to protest her proposal to repeal a state law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses. Russell Contreras/AP hide caption

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Russell Contreras/AP

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More States Let Unauthorized Immigrants Take The Wheel

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Advocates say these new state laws show the public safety argument is starting to carry weight. New laws in Vermont, Connecticut and Colorado reflect an about-face in policy after 9/11, when states enacted tighter licensing rules.

Friday