APRIL
April 1
The Los Angeles Times reported that some of America's most racially integrated neighborhoods and cities were on a path to becoming segregated all over again. Covina, 22 miles east of downtown L.A., provided an example of one city at risk of re-segregating. Whites made up about 26 percent of Covina as of 2014 and Latinos about 57 percent. By 2025, Covina is likely to be overwhelmingly Latino. Something similar happened already in nearby Norwalk. In 1990, just under half of its residents were Latinos and about a third were whites (not unlike Covina now). By 2014, Latinos made up 70 percent of residents and whites 11 percent. The data showed that vast portions of south and east Los Angeles were slipping from mixed populations toward single race populations. And the change had not just occurred in formerly white areas.
April 5
The Washington Post reported that unarmed Kevin Hicks, a 44-year-old African American, was shot dead by police in Indianapolis of Indiana.
April 6
The website of Miami Herald reported on April 6 that a disabled prisoner who used a wheelchair was suing the Florida Department of Corrections, alleging that he was denied use of a restroom by officers, who laughed at him as he urinated on himself. A disability rights group received complaints from 32 inmates and filed a federal lawsuit against the state, alleging that the prison system has routinely discriminated against prisoners who were deaf, blind or in wheelchairs, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the lawsuit, handicap showers and toilets were frequently not available for people in wheelchairs and wheelchairs were often taken away from inmates in confinement. The suit also claimed that guards and other prison staff frequently refused to allow handicapped inmates to participate in programs available to other inmates. The violations caused inmates to suffer "humiliation, indignity and difficulties." The group also said that prisoners were repeatedly denied assistance and threatened with punishment if they complained.
April 10
As reported by The San Diego Union-Tribune website, Jennifer Reisch, legal director at Equal Rights Advocates, said that there was plenty of evidence to show women of color were facing lower pay for many reasons and one of those reasons was the combination of race and gender. According to a review of federal labor statistics by the National Women's Law Center (NWLC), women comprised about 60 percent of California workers earning minimum wage or less, and the majority of those women were not white. According to NWLC's study of U.S. Census Bureau surveys, compared to their non-Hispanic and white male counterparts in California, Latinas made 43 cents to every dollar, Native American women made 50 cents, black women made 63 cents and Asian American women made 72 cents in 2014.
April 11
As reported by The New York Daily News website which cited a new report by Public Advocate Letitia James, women working for the municipal government agencies of New York had a gender pay gap three times larger than those in private sector. James' analysis found women with city government jobs made 18 percent less than men, compared to 6 percent for jobs at private for-profit companies, and 7 percent at private nonprofits.
April 13
The Washington Post website reported that 35-year-old African-American Rodney Watts was fatally shot by police in Stockton, California.
April 15
The Washington Post website reported that 38-year-old Hispanic American Clemente Najeda armed with baseball bats was fatally shot by police in Lake Elsinore, California.
April 18
The USA Today website reported that a group called "Democracy Spring" on April 11 began a 140-mile walk to the U.S. Capitol to "demand Congress take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in politics and ensure free and fair elections in which every American has an equal voice." A related group "Democracy Awakening" joined the efforts on April 16 to protest discriminatory laws, such as Voter ID laws. U.S. Capitol Police arrested more than 900 protesters.
April 22
The CNN reported that eight family members found dead in rural southern Ohio community were shot in the head "execution style" at four crime scenes. Killers were at large.
April 23
The Washington Post website reported that the 21-year-old African-American Demarcus Semer was shot by police in Fort Pierson, Florida.
April 29
The Daily Caller website reported that New York Times and its top executives were socked with a race, gender and age discrimination class action lawsuit by two older African-American female employees who claimed they were denied promotion in favor of younger whites on April 28.
