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Bryan Stevenson takes on cases to exonerate people wrongfully convicted. "One of the things that pains me is we have so tragically underestimated the trauma, the hardship we create in this country when we treat people unfairly, when we incarcerate them unfairly, when we condemn them unfairly," he says.

Bryan Stevenson takes on cases to exonerate people wrongfully convicted. "One of the things that pains me is we have so tragically underestimated the trauma, the hardship we create in this country when we treat people unfairly, when we incarcerate them unfairly, when we condemn them unfairly," he says. Tracy King/iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption Tracy King/iStockphoto

Author Interviews

One Lawyer's Fight For Young Blacks And 'Just Mercy'

When police pulled a gun on Bryan Stevenson as he was sitting quietly in his car in Atlanta, he knew he had to effect change. His memoir describes his attempts, including freeing men on death row.

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Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., at a wedding in Ghana. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan was being treated for the disease, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014 said Duncan has died.

Thomas Eric Duncan, the first Ebola patient diagnosed in the U.S., at a wedding in Ghana. Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, where Duncan was being treated for the disease, on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2014 said Duncan has died. Wilmot Chayee/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Wilmot Chayee/AP

Goats and Soda

Liberians Wonder If Duncan's Death Was A Result Of Racism

Thomas Eric Duncan, a Liberian national, died of Ebola in an American hospital. But white American patients have survived. Some Liberians believe racism is the reason for Duncan's demise.

Navajo presidential candidate Chris Deschene greets supporters ahead of a hearing in Window Rock, Ariz., to determine whether Deschene is fluent enough in Navajo to qualify for the presidency.

Navajo presidential candidate Chris Deschene greets supporters ahead of a hearing in Window Rock, Ariz., to determine whether Deschene is fluent enough in Navajo to qualify for the presidency. Felicia Fonseca/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Felicia Fonseca/AP

Code Switch

Navajo Presidential Race Shaken By Language Gap

Chris Deschene's run for president of the Navajo Nation has been challenged because he's not fluent in the Navajo language. The dispute highlights a split among Native Americans over language issues.

Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna, left) meets Carmen Sanchez (voiced by Ana de la Reguera) in the Land of the Remembered.

Manolo (voiced by Diego Luna, left) meets Carmen Sanchez (voiced by Ana de la Reguera) in the Land of the Remembered. 20th Century Fox & Reel FX hide caption

itoggle caption 20th Century Fox & Reel FX

Code Switch

Animated 'Book Of Life' Celebrates Día De Los Muertos

The Day of the Dead holiday celebrated in Mexico and other Latin America countries is now the subject of a 3-D animated movie, produced by filmmaker Guillermo Del Toro and directed by Jorge Gutiérrez.

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And so continues Code Switch's battle with illustrating studies about the subtle biases that inflict our email outboxes.

And so continues Code Switch's battle with illustrating studies about the subtle biases that inflict our email outboxes. iStockphoto hide caption

itoggle caption iStockphoto

Code Switch

What's In A Name? It Could Matter If You're Writing To Your Lawmaker

To test subtle biases, researchers sent state legislators identical emails about voting requirements. Some emails came from a man with a "Latino" name, and others from an "Anglo" name.

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Native American protesters have been demonstrating against Columbus Day in Seattle for several years. Protest organizers say Columbus should not be credited with discovering the Western Hemisphere at a time when it was already inhabited.

Native American protesters have been demonstrating against Columbus Day in Seattle for several years. Protest organizers say Columbus should not be credited with discovering the Western Hemisphere at a time when it was already inhabited. Elaine Thompson/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Elaine Thompson/AP

Code Switch

Seattle Swaps Columbus Day For 'Indigenous Peoples' Day'

The city is the latest to honor Native Americans instead of Christopher Columbus. But not everyone is happy about the change.

Protesters sit silently for over four minutes at the Ferguson Police Department Saturday, during a rally in remembrance of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. While the demonstration was peaceful, police arrested protesters elsewhere.

Protesters sit silently for over four minutes at the Ferguson Police Department Saturday, during a rally in remembrance of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. While the demonstration was peaceful, police arrested protesters elsewhere. Charles Rex Arbogast/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

The Two-Way

In St. Louis, A Rally And Protests Over Police Shootings

More than 1,000 people hit the city's streets to protest the recent killing of young black men by police. While much of the event has been peaceful, some arrests took place last night.

The casket of Michael Brown sits inside Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, awaiting the start of his funeral in August.

The casket of Michael Brown sits inside Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church in St. Louis, awaiting the start of his funeral in August. Robert Cohen/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Robert Cohen/AP

Code Switch

Videos Of Deadly Police Encounters Grab The Media Spotlight, But Why?

Several recent incidents of black men being shot by police have sparked national news coverage and policy debates. We examine what forces in the media and society are fueling this level of attention.

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Dr. Albert Johnston passed in order to practice medicine. After living as leading citizens in Keene, N.H., the Johnstons revealed their true racial identity, and became national news.

Dr. Albert Johnston passed in order to practice medicine. After living as leading citizens in Keene, N.H., the Johnstons revealed their true racial identity, and became national news. Historical Society of Cheshire County hide caption

itoggle caption Historical Society of Cheshire County

Code Switch

'A Chosen Exile': Black People Passing In White America

From the time of slavery, some light-skinned African-Americans escaped racism by passing as white. The new book, A Chosen Exile: A History of Racial Passing in American Life, explores what they lost.

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Roger Goodell, the NFL's commissioner, met last week with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. But several black women's organizations said the groups the league is working with to craft its plan to combat domestic violence don't have footholds in black communities — an oversight for a league that is mostly black.

Roger Goodell, the NFL's commissioner, met last week with the National Domestic Violence Hotline. But several black women's organizations said the groups the league is working with to craft its plan to combat domestic violence don't have footholds in black communities — an oversight for a league that is mostly black. Eric Gay/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Eric Gay/AP

Code Switch

Black Women's Groups Meet With NFL On Domestic Violence

Several civic leaders criticized the NFL's response to news about players involved in domestic violence, saying that black women weren't represented among the groups consulted by the league.