The Confederate monument outside the courthouse in Gaston County in North Carolina was not erected just after the Civil War ended. Like so many structures the United Daughters of the Confederacy promoted to prop up the lie of the “glorious” Lost Cause, the statue was raised in the early part of the 20th century. And […]
America’s two-tiered justice system isn’t new — just don’t talk about it Read More »
Known for his work in the courtroom and the classroom, Harvard Law School’s Charles J. Ogletree Jr. is being memorialized by the many he mentored, including former President Barack and first lady Michelle Obama. One of his students, civil rights attorney Areva Martin, was particularly inspired by his work to restore the justice historically denied
Equal Time: An icon’s example inspires conversations and action on reparations Read More »
It is a striking image, a fearless visage staring at the camera while holding a sign with booking number “7053” chest high. “Beautiful rebel” are the words used to describe Rosa Parks on the coaster that I’ve decided will never cushion a bottle or glass. Another mugshot has made the news this summer though I
A summer of reflection — and fears of history repeating itself Read More »
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” It’s a quote that in some form has been attributed to many and uttered by many more, perhaps because it is so wise and has proven itself again and again. Unfortunately, anyone who revived the slogan in 2023 would be labeled “woke” in a
America’s future depends on a truthful reckoning with its past Read More »
Executive Order 9981. President Harry Truman signed it on July 26, 1948, mandating the desegregation of the U.S. military. As the Truman Library Institute in Washington hosts a commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the landmark decision with a civil rights symposium, there are questions, as well. Some of today’s elected officials have even derided
Can the U.S. military still lead the way on civil rights? Read More »
An increasing number of Americans are identifying as “nones,” with no religious affiliation at all, or switching faiths, dissatisfied with the one they knew as children. That is not exactly a revelation. Trust in every sort of institution is sinking. But does that trend signal the end of the world? To my seatmate on a
Do you need to have faith to practice values? Read More »
Sometimes, the court gets it right. It did in the case of Bridget “Biddy” Mason, who eventually walked more than 2,000 miles before her journey ended in California, where her enslavers, Robert and Rebecca Smith, held Mason and her children captive in the supposedly “free state.” When she learned of the Smiths’ plan to haul
What has been deemed legal is not always right Read More »
It’s one of those moments that theater fans live for: A performer delivers a monologue or a move or a song that stops the show — literally. Strangers become friends, applauding as one in the dark, all thinking the same thought: “Start writing your Tony Award speech now.” One of those moments happens when the
In a moment of progress in America, everyone can win Read More »
It’s an exchange I remember, one that instantly stuck while watching the 2017 movie “All the Money in the World,” a version of the kidnapping and ransom saga of the grandson of J. Paul Getty, a man wealthy beyond measure. A hired middleman, watching Getty haggle as the young man’s life is at stake, proclaiming
Trump indictment: When always striving for ‘more’ turns toxic Read More »
While many on the right decry the lack of respect Americans now bestow on the U.S. Supreme Court and its 6-to-3 conservative majority — denouncing the shift in public opinion, a low 18 percent vote of confidence, as sour grapes from liberals who can’t get their way — it wasn’t always so. In 1954, after
Public education won’t ‘fail,’ unless America abandons the idea and the ideal Read More »
