This week’s “Foot Soldier” is Aaron Jackson, who was inspired to send Westboro Baptist Church a visual message in support of LGBTQ equality by creating the “Equality House,” a home across the street from the Church that he purchased and painted in the colors of the rainbow pride flag. Read More

While many focus on the "ruined" lives of the young men convicted of rape in Steubenville, Ohio, host Melissa Harris-Perry has a heartfelt message for the 16-year-old survivor of the assault. Read More

New Jersey could soon outlaw gay conversion therapy for minors. But some argue that banning the practice will only drive it underground, to be practiced by unlicensed therapists. Read More

Three years after the Affordable Care Act became national law, it's still maligned and misunderstood. Fortunately, it's working. Read More

The North Dakota Senate passed a bill that would outlaw abortions after a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which could be before most women know they're pregnant. Will there be a new winner in the "most draconian abortion law" contest? Read More

Chicago Public Schools said Thursday it plans to close 54 schools and a total of 61 school buildings this year, disproportionately affecting the city's African-American families. Read More

How much voter ID can legally be required? Several states are testing the limits. Read More

An NYPD officer testified Tuesday that there were arrest, summons, and "stop-and-frisk" quotas. Read More

One decade later, the greatest lessons of the Iraq War are not about counterinsurgency strategy or military tactics. Rather, we must ask how a great nation like ours could be manipulated by civilian leadership that championed faulty intelligence, ignored its military experts, and had none of their family serving in the military. Read More

Father Alberto Cutié was a priest in the Roman Catholic Church for years before he confronted an internal struggle that made him leave. He fell in love. Read More

Trent Mays, 17, and Ma'lik Richmond, 16, will serve at a juvenile detention facility for a minimum of one year, but can be held up until they turn 21. Read More

In her guest Open Letter, theGrio managing editor Joy Reid offered some thoughts on RNC chairman Reince Priebus' "African American listening tour." Read More

Why does protecting African American communities always seem to require members of those communities to surrender their civil rights? Read More

His young daughter asked if she could play "Donkey Kong" as Pauline, not the traditional hero Mario. What programmer Mike Mika did afterward made him our Foot Soldier this week. Read More

It's not just a matter of having it all. We have to decide what we want to accomplish in the world. Read More

A trial to determine whether New York's stop-and-frisk program violates New Yorkers' rights. Read More

Of the 13 questions listed, six present scenarios--including overnight camping trips with gay Scouts--that members are asked to deem acceptable or unacceptable. Read More

A recent Philadelphia Magazine cover story criticized for its negative portrayal of African American residents "had some some flaws in it," per an interview the magazine's editor conducted with theGrio's Todd Johnson. Read More

As Detroit waits to see whether an emergency manager will take over the city's finances, former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was convicted Monday in federal court of multiple counts of racketeering and extortion. Read More

American teen-pregnancy rates are at historic lows. So why in the world, as the crisis is abating and fewer teens are facing the challenges of early child-rearing, would the city of New York spend $400,000 on a campaign to publicly shame teen parents, Mr. Mayor? Read More