CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) _ A Houston congresswoman has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the torture of a black woman by seven white people to determine whether federal hate crimes should be pursued.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a senior member of the House Judiciary Committee, also said two defendants who were sentenced Thursday on state charges should not have the option of parole.
``I have asked the Justice Department to review the circumstances and determine whether there is a viable case under federal law,'' ....

A veteran civil rights leader says this year's Democratic presidential field represents what she and others who have worked for equal rights have long anticipated.
Myrlie Evers-Williams, whose home is in Bend, Oregon, was in Cincinnati on Friday to preview a new Smithsonian traveling exhibit called "Freedom's Sisters" that showcases the pivotal roles that she and 19 other black women have played in the struggle for civil rights.
The exhibit will be hosted at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tenn. between January and April of next year.
Referring to the strong candidacies of a woman and a black man, Evers-Williams said: "I knew this day would come; it was a matter of when."
She said people need to look at the candidacies of Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in one sense as the result of years of work by many people _ including those represented in the exhibit _ who have struggled for equal rights, regardless of race or gender.
"It's more than time for this to happen," Evers-Williams said.

NEW YORK -- Across the state, the political demise of Gov. Eliot Spitzer has fueled a surge of black pride in the unexpected rise of Lt. Gov. David Paterson, a longtime lawmaker and heir to a Harlem political dynasty.
The 53-year-old Paterson will be sworn in Monday as New York's first black and legally blind governor, succeeding Spitzer, who announced his resignation this week after getting caught in a federal prostitution investigation.
To Leonardo Reynolds, a 19-year-old community college student from Syracuse, the ascension of Paterson has been inspiring, especially when paired with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama's tight race with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination.
"I think there's still a lot of racism around, but having black leaders in these positions will help change things," Reynolds said.

What is Jobtini?
You have the resume, the business suit, and the moti-vation to land your ideal job. The problem, it seems, is finding a point of connection with the area's leading hiring managers to showcase your employment potential. If you are a jobseeker of color who is ready to make that first impression, ColorsNWCareers has designed JOB-TINI with you in mind.

JOBTINI brings together professional, qualified candi-dates of color with Northwest employers committed to workforce diversity for an evening of casual networking and exchange of opportunities. More intimate than a career fair, more effective than a mass resume email – JOBTINI gives you the opportunity to define that first impression with hiring managers in your field of employ-ment.
NEXT JOBTINI
Date: May 21, 2008
Time: 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.
Location: Olea RestaurantAddress: 1338 NW Hoyt         Portland, OR 97209

Below is the complete prepared text of Sen. Barack Obama's speech delivered at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, March 18, 2008.
"We the people, in order to form a more perfect union."
Two hundred and twenty one years ago, in a hall that still stands across the street, a group of men gathered and, with these simple words, launched America's improbable experiment in democracy.
Farmers and scholars; statesmen and patriots who had traveled across an ocean to escape tyranny and persecution finally made real their declaration of independence at a Philadelphia convention that lasted through the spring of 1787.
The document they produced was eventually signed but ultimately unfinished. It was stained by this nation's original sin of slavery....

WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton sat with members of the Black Press of America March 12 for an hour-long forum, "A Conversation with Hillary."
About 40 guests and a horde of media gathered at the Washington Hilton Hotel to hear Sen. Clinton field questions about concerns of the African-American community from correspondents associated with the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
Sitting center-stage in a hot-pink wool coat and Black slacks in a living-room like setting, Clinton opened by praising the Black Press saying, among other things, "Many of your publications have been at the forefront of civil rights and women's rights, and so many historical movements."
NNPA Foundation Chair Dorothy Leavell and NNPA Chairman John B. Smith Sr. co-hosted the event in which Clinton often said she was either sorry for or regretted the racial overtones of the campaigns. That included remarks made by 1984 vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro, who....

Dozens of music fans gathered in Tacoma, Thursday, to protest the cancellation of a concert by hip-hop group E40 after pressure from police, and the new gang enforcement bill passed by the Washington State legislature and awaiting the governor's signature. Read the full text of the Senate version of the bill (HB2712, SB6608) online. Tell Gov. Gregoire what you think by calling 360-902-4111 or by email at www.governor.wa.gov.  The Coalition of Citizens for Justice will hold a news conference in opposition to the bill 4 p.m. Friday, March 21 at Garfield Community Center in Seattle.

Musician Barry Hampton of Triple Grip played at the Portland Peace Rally on Saturday afternoon. Portlanders gathered in the south park blocks to protest the War in Iraq, now entering its sixth year. Almost 4,000 U.S. members of the military have died since the invasion in March of 2003. It is estimated that about 90,000 Iraqi civilians have died. See Iraq War article on this page.

Demonstrators staged marches and sit-ins across the United States on Wednesday March 19, to protest the Iraq War and mark the five-year anniversary of the beginning of the conflict. In Portland, several events were organized, including a Day of Action that involved events at the Terry Schrunk Plaza, the World Trade Center and the Federal Courthouse, downtown.
A candlelight vigil was set for  7 p.m. in Jamison Square Park on N.W. 9th and Johnson. Organizers said the vigil would remember those killed in the war.
A day of action Saturday attracted hundreds of protesters to Portland's park blocks. The event was peaceful with no arrests.
It was a different story in Washington D.C., Wednesday ...

Angela Freeman had never acted before in her life. But starting this month she's taking a starring role in PassinArt Theater company's production of "Diva's Daughters Dupree" by Kim Euall.
That's nothing new for PassinArt, which for the last 26 years has worked hard to include new voices in their productions. Company members talent spotted Freeman, a vice principal in the Evergreen school district and an amateur singer, at "Say Hey," the social networking party that welcomes professionals of color who are new to the area.
For nearly a month now, Freeman has been rehearsing the role of Sarah, the middle child of three grown sisters.
"Sarah's an educated black woman who's passionate about what she does," Freeman says about her character.
In the play, the three Dupree sisters come together unexpectedly when they all return home on the ...