Nebraska is among 12 states whose population is at least 20% people of color yet whose highest state court is devoid of any racial or ethnic representation. That’s according to the latest analysis of state Supreme Court diversity by the Brennan Center for Justice, which reports that, overall, high State Court benches across the country fail to reflect the racial, ethnic and gender diversity of the communities they serve. Amanda Powers, a researcher at the independent, nonpartisan law and policy organization, said the findings should be concerning. “Diversity on state Supreme Courts leads to higher public confidence in the court system,” Powers said. ”Having people feel represented on these benches and among judges making decisions about their rights and the interpretation of their state’s laws is very important.”
Sealaska Heritage Institute is honoring and celebrating Alaska Native women through a new exhibit, “Native Women’s Art: Drawn From the Spirits of Ancestors Within.” Guest curator, Alison Bremner, is an artist by profession and had the pleasure of bringing the exhibit to life choosing 56 Alaska Native women artists to showcase their work using all types of mediums. “We have a great diverse [variety of] mediums that the artists are working in,” Bremner said. “We have some artists who you’d consider very traditional — traditional Chilkat weaving, traditional Ravenstail weaving — and then we have some artists that are working on what you might call the more contemporary side.” “There’s so much joy, so much love, you know, there’s humor. It really runs the whole human experience and I hope that people just really enjoy witnessing that,” she said.
Those are your headlines. I’m Colette Keith at the KIPI News center.
