“The masses are not being policed, targeted, and incarcerated,” Distinguished Professor and author @dylanrodriguez.bsky.social says; “it’s a targeted war with asymmetrical casualties.”

Today is the last day of #BlackHistoryMonth, and we want to honor some inspirational Black women abolitionists from the last 200+ years. Swipe through to read! #AbolitionNow 1/2

2/2

D.C. elites siphoned $57 million—worth $1.5 billion today—from the Freedman’s Savings Bank to enrich themselves and fund the development of the District at the expense of formerly enslaved depositors.

🚨 HERE'S ICE'S GIANT WAREHOUSE/CONCENTRATION CAMP IN WESTERN MARYLAND I went to the massive warehouse near Hagerstown, MD, that DHS purchased for over $100million to turn into an ICE concentration camp... @therealnews.com @projectsaltbox.bsky.social @austinkocher.com

The US/Israel have dragged us into an obscenely dangerous war w/ Iran. Trump said "Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime"—Do Americans feel "defended" by the fact that one of the sites bombed this morning was reportedly a girls school?

The 'War on Drugs' and 'War on Terror' are facets of an internal colonialism informing U.S. foreign policy. In this week's Rattling the Bars, @dylanrodriguez.bsky.social discusses the roots of state violence, white reconstruction, and the struggle for their abolition. Tune in: youtu.be/bopIHKHy7gY

As #BlackHistoryMonth comes to an end, we reflect on how deeply racism is entrenched within the criminal legal system here in Louisiana, specifically the state's death penalty system.

The modern death penalty is a racist relic of the lynching that terrorized Black people in the South throughout the 19th and 20th century with the rates of Black lynching victims (72%) being very similar to those executed "in the South between... 1910 and 1950" (75%).* ⁠

This system is overwhelmingly imposed on people of color with 74% of those under a death sentence in Louisiana being people of color. 67% are Black, including men sentenced to death by all-white juries who openly discussed race during their deliberations. ⁠

Nine people sentenced to death have been found innocent since 1999 – six of the innocent were Black.⁠ Despite LA.'s obsession w/the criminalization, incarceration, and physical control of Black bodies, it is long overdue for our state to join the 23 others who no longer have the death penalty. ⁠

PJI continues its commitment to ending the racist and violent practice of state sanctioned killing. Learn more about our fight to end Louisiana's use of the death penalty by clicking here: promiseofjustice.org/deathpenalty ⁠

Tune in today at 12pm EST for an insightful conversation on Rattling the Bars. Prof. Justene Hill Edwards joins me to discuss her book, Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank. Watch here: youtu.be/VhNc-3IZwRc?... #BlackHistoryMonth #BHM

Tune in to the latest episode of Rattling the Bars premiering tomorrow at 12 p.m. EST, where I'll be in conversation with Professor Justene Hill Edwards about her latest book, Savings and Trust: The Rise and Betrayal of the Freedman's Bank. #BlackHistoryMonth, #BHM youtu.be/VhNc-3IZwRc?...

Epstein Files Fallout: Survivors Question Redactions, Exclusive interview w/Annie Farmer as she speaks out on the lack of criminal charges against conspirators and and predators. If they had listened to her sister in 1996 when she reported his crimes to the FBI perhaps many lives could've been saved

Listen to my conversation with @jeremyscahill.com on @therealnews.com podcast feed anywhere you get your podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/1ZWF...

For Black History Month, Black contributors share the movies, music and books that have shaped their writing.

After months of relentless rapid response in Minneapolis, members of Defend the 612 had a moment to breathe and reflect on the lessons they’ve learned, the grief they carry, and the citywide fellowship they hope will endure. The crisis is not over, and I’m grateful they made time to speak with me.

Over 31,000 Kaiser health care workers in California & Hawaii are still on strike—fighting for safe staffing, manageable workloads, and patient care over burnout. Frontline union members speak from the picket line with @maximillianalvarez.bsky.social.

The US operates in a perpetual state of internal war, and the white supremacist legacy of domestic warfare has reached terrifying new heights in the Trump era, says scholar and author Dylan Rodriguez.

Listen to our conversation on @therealnews.com podcast feed anywhere you listen to podcasts: open.spotify.com/episode/2Cvu...

COP WATCHERS TAKE ON ICE & BORDER PATROL. YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS. Tune in tonight at 9pm ET👇🏽

Former political prisoner Mansa Musa takes you inside the growing coalition, including @legaldefensefund.bsky.social and @lbsbaltimore.bsky.social, that is uniting to stop Maryland’s proposed $1 billion “therapeutic” jail in this blockbuster documentary report.

curbprisonspending.org/tools/stop-a... Here’s a great starter toolkit for those new to this work. We could use an update on tactics specific to the Feds buying warehouses.

“This has always been about getting a fair contract. We never wanted to go on strike… We want to do our jobs, we love our jobs, but we can only return when our patients are being cared for safely… with more staffing and job security.” @nynurses.bsky.social

States must stop willingly handing over residents to the feds and instead double down on sanctuary policies. Take a look at Illinois, where the state AG has issued guidance thoroughly restricting ICE collaborations:

And, to be clear, even the people in jail accused of more serious offenses still shouldn’t be deported to countries they’ve never known. So, yes, federal agents don't belong on Minnesota's streets. They also don't belong in its jails or prisons. ICE out means ICE out completely.

And this sinister relationship between local police & ICE agents is happening across the U.S. It criminalizes entire communities and makes even minor violations–like driving without a license–a deportable offense.

The feds credited local MN police for their “unprecedented collaboration” in ending the crackdown, saying it's now "less of a sanctuary state." They're saying the quiet part out loud. Without local collaboration, the deportation agenda can't happen.

ICE agents say they are ending their assault on Minnesota – which is great. What they don't want you to know is that their agenda is far from over. In reality, the majority of ICE arrests in the U.S. are happening behind closed doors, out of local jails, and it harms everyone.

Incarcerated for 45 years, Lloyd Gray was convicted by a non-unanimous jury in 1980. These verdicts were ruled unconstitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court in Ramos v. Louisiana (2020), yet over 1000 people, mostly Black, languish in captivity due to this racist procedure. youtu.be/j-MvIGo_d8Q?...

"None of this is acceptable. Not in the time of slavery and not in 2026. Every person has inherent dignity both morally as a member of our human community and legally under our Constitution. That dignity does not disappear at the prison gate." - Samantha Pourciau, PJI Sr. Staff Attorney⁠

VOTE v. LeBlanc, our class action lawsuit against Angola Prison for the dangerous and degrading practice of the "Farm Line" began this week. After three days of hearing testimony from our incarcerated clients, expert witnesses, and prison officials...

we capped off the week w/a press conference on the fed courthouse steps featuring speakers from Rights Behinds Bars, Voice of the Experienced (VOTE) & National Black Food & Justice Alliance. The trial continues on Monday in #BatonRouge. Watch the full press conference here: youtu.be/eq5QVT6raHw?...

"We are an anomaly! This is the only prison in the state that has a farm line. One of the only prisons in the country that continues to have a farm line." www.louisianafirstnews.com/news/local-n...

If adopted by voters, this landmark ballot measure will eliminate the state’s lifetime felony voting ban, restoring the vote to over 230,000 citizens.

Virginia’s felony disenfranchisement law was enshrined in the state constitution 124 years ago with the explicit intent to disenfranchise Black voters. For decades, advocates and other stakeholders have worked to remove this Jim Crow era stain from Virginia’s constitution.

Virginia lawmakers voted last week to place a measure on the November ballot this year to automatically restore voting rights to people when they exit prison.

Keeping it moving...

In this episode of @thedigradio.bsky.social, Host Dan Denvir speaks with Minneapolis organizers about the impact of the Jan. 23, 2026, work stoppage amidst the continued ICE occupation of Minnesota. inthesetimes.com/article/the-...

This is why it’s vital to support movement media; for every cause you care about & every movement you’re part of, journalists accountable to your community are doing incredible reporting. We’re proud to be part of the Movement Media Alliance, & you can support our work here:

The people of Minneapolis have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. The first time a city's population has ever been nominated.

INSPIRING: Students walk out of a high school in DEEP RED Texas in protest of ICE. "They k*ll people and get no punishment at all… ICE IS A TERRIBLE THING" Share this widely to support the young generation!

Yesterday, thousands of LAUSD students held a walkout at City Hall to protest the federal government's immigration raids. Their message was clear—ICE out of our schools, ICE out of our city, ICE out of everywhere. (1/2)

BREAKING: Akins students walk out to protest ICE raids, ‘cruelty’ | By Jonathan Balderas  and Yanitzel Salazar

PJI Sr. Staff Attorney, Samantha Pourciau, returned to @rattlingthebars.bsky.social ahead of this week's federal court trial to end the "Farm Line" at Angola Prison. WATCH the interview here: therealnews.com/class-action...

The term Jim Crow has been used widely—sometimes so broadly that it loses meaning. But in the legal world, definitions matter. History matters. And when you’re trying to prove racial animus in court, it matters even more. Watch the full segment on "Jim Crow juries": therealnews.com/louisiana-st...

A US District Court has certified a class action for incarcerated men at Angola Prison who are forced to perform punitive farm labor under extreme, unconstitutional conditions. @promiseofjustice.bsky.social

A landmark federal class-action lawsuit VOTE v. Leblanc aims to formally abolish forced labor at Angola prison. The 5-day trial begins Tuesday Feb 3rd. The latest coverage in TRNN’s series on the “Farm Line” litigation: youtu.be/zDCdagS96pQ?...