As no details concerning the settlement have been released, it’s hard to assess the implications of CNN’s decision not to fight in court. But the salient fact is the Kentucky federal judge’s decision last summer to dismiss Sandman’s suit against the Washington Post, citing First Amendment concerns (when that paper faced the toughest set of facts regarding their coverage of Sandman). The smirk seen around the world remains a poignant symbol of the well-documented bigotry of Trump and his followers. The United States is losing moral capital the world over right now at an alarming rate. That trend needs to be reversed immediately if we hope to remain a force for good in the world, and that begins with robust media coverage of public acts of racism, no matter how subtle.
- Lakota Peoples Law Project & Indigenous Peoples Movement