Best of the Web June 28 2015

This week saw two historic decisions from The Supreme Court of the United States as the justices dismissed challenges to President Obama's healthcare law and wrote marriage equality into US law. Those radicals!

But that news came late in a week overshadowed by grief for the victims of the mass shooting in Charleston. 

VIDEO: President Obama's Eulogy

President Obama gave the eulogy for Reverend Clement Pinckney and the eight other congregation members of Emanuel AME lost on June 17, 2015. The service was at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.

Bryan Stevenson: Our Real Problem with Race

The Marshall Project interviewed Bryan Stevenson, who runs the Equal Justice Initiative.  Stevenson told them:   

"I hear people talking about the civil rights movement and it sounds like a three-day carnival. Day One: Rosa Parks gave up her seat on the bus. Day Two: Dr. King led a march on Washington, and Day Three: we just changed all these laws. And we tell our history as if it's the true history when in fact that's not the true history.

The true history is that for decades, we humiliated black people in this country every day. For decades we did not let them vote, we did not let them get full education, we did not let them work for pay, we did not let them live as full human beings with dignity and hopefulness, we denied all of these basic opportunities to African Americans, and we've never really talked about the consequences of that era of apartheid and segregation."  

Find the full interview here: http://bit.ly/1RIwxT9

Flag Takedown

A woman climbed up the South Carolina State Capitol and took down the confederate flag. Bree Newsome and James Ian Tyson were arrested and charged with defacing monuments on state Capitol grounds.

That's a misdemeanor that carries a fine of up to $5,000 and prison term of up to three years or both. They have been released.  Read the full story.

Politico magazine's covered the flag discussion saying: The Confederate Flag was Always Racist.

Same Sex Marriage Victory

With cities around the country holding PRIDE events Sunday 28 June, celebrations were on display around the country. New York expected 22,000 people marching a 2-mile route and more than 2 million people to visit throughout the day. San Francisco's party welcomed close to 1 million people and Seattle hosted 500,000 parade watchers.

 PHOTO: The White House lit up in rainbow colors in commemoration of the Supreme Court's ruling to legalize same-sex marriage on Friday, June 26, 2015, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

 Buzzfeed reported the reactions of all the candidates seeking the Republican presidential nomination. http://bzfd.it/1KnOhEA

 Larry Wilmore made fun of Bobby Jindal's presidential ambitions. Wilmore will look at the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage in his comedy show on Monday.

Here's a Key and Peele take on same sex marriage from last year.

The Supreme Court Left Healthcare Law Standing 

Students cheered as they held up signs supporting the Affordable Care Act after the Supreme Court decided that the ACA may provide nationwide tax subsidies, Thursday June 25, 2015, outside of the Supreme Court in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

The New York Times said the decision delivers a big win for President Obama personally, and makes it more likely that access to healthcare is here to stay for many more Americans.  

At the same time Republican foes of the law have not conceded defeat. 

"House Speaker John A. Boehner, Republican of Ohio, promised to "do everything we can" to undermine the law. Jeb Bush, a Republican candidate for president, vowed "to repeal and replace this flawed law" if he succeeds Mr. Obama in the Oval Office."  

Read the New York Times story: http://nyti.ms/1fYeRr9

White Woman and a Black Man change Places ...and Voices

Amar'e and Alexis enjoy Paris 

Meanwhile in Paris, Amar'e Stoudemire and his wife Alexis Welch attended Balmain men's Spring/Summer 2016 fashion show. The basketball player spoke to The Associated Press about his love of design and style:

"All 6'10" (2.08 meters) of Stoudemire have stood out quite prominently in Paris fashion week this season — with the NBA player attending numerous shows including Balmain Saturday.
Stoudemire, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, is no stranger to the fashion scene and has attended Paris menswear weeks twice before — as well as having collaborated on his own fashion line.
He said it's great that more and more sportswear is being seen on the ready-to-wear catwalk, like in Givenchy's use of basketball top silhouettes or Balmain's use of baseball caps.
"I love fashion. And it's a sign of creativity that brands are mixing sports in their designs, like Givenchy," he said, at the Balmain show.
"I think in the last five or six years, collaborations with sports and fashion have really taken off — like my sporty collaboration with (designer) Rachel Roy in womenswear," he said."

PHOTO: Amar'e Stoudemire and wife Alexis Welch attended Balmain men's Spring/Summer 2016 fashion show., during Mode a Paris, in France, Saturday, June 27, 2015. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

Kanye West performed at the Glastonbury Festival in England.

Coming up this week:

Seattle City Council will talk about financial stability for the Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute at its meeting Monday 29 June (9:30 am at City Hall). Also on the agenda: a Racial Impact Assessment of the King County Children and Family Justice Center. The workgroup has come up with three recommendations designed to eventually eliminate youth detention.

Multnomah County Board will reappoint Serena Stoudamire Wesley to the Portland Children's Levy at its regular meeting 9:30 am July 2. Commissioner Smith will proclaim Thursday July 2, Bring your dad to the doctor day. 

Human Rights Watch reports that Kenya will host a regional conference on countering violent extremism. http://bit.ly/1SUK9xh