If my mother were alive, she would be disappointed at what her Republican Party has become. But not surprised. She had witnessed the GOP inching its way toward scapegoating some Americans to score political points with others in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, and thought the tactic, while canny and often effective, betrayed longtime African […]
A holiday season of personal and political reflection Read More »
It turns out Nikki Haley stumbling over the cause of the Civil War was not a one-off. The topsy-turvy twisting of American history, as it applies to Black Americans — their resilience and contributions despite injustice — is a tactic, a well-planned cynical one. And recent perpetrators don’t even have the decency to make a
American history turned upside down — and that’s the point Read More »
Vice President Kamala Harris marked the anniversary of Bloody Sunday in Selma, Ala., this past Sunday, joining in a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, re-creating the steps of the late Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and other leaders and citizens demanding the vote. On March 7, 1965, that group was stopped by violence meted out
Justice for Black voters? Or rap songs and sneakers? Read More »
Union County commissioners vote to ban fluoride in the county water supply. According to the CDC, putting fluoride in water is vital to keep teeth healthy, especially in young children. The practice has been done across the country for decades. Detractors claim the issue is about consent, personal freedom, and whether the board has the
Despite record-low Black unemployment and a higher labor force participation rate than white people, major barriers impede homeownership among Black Americans, a fact that contributes to a yawning racial wealth gap. The gap is so expansive that the 400 wealthiest Americans control the same amount of wealth as the 48 million Black people living in
How increased Black homeownership can put a dent in the racial wealth gap Read More »
“The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation” might have been published in 2007, but its message is as relevant as ever, especially as the 2024 campaign ramps up. Author Drew Westen, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at Emory University, has for 20 years explored the role of
When it comes to political persuasion, why emotion matters Read More »
It was fitting that as the world honored the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who would have turned 95 years old on the holiday commemorating his life and work, his daughter Bernice King set the record straight: “Many folks who use ‘woke’ with contempt today probably would have hated Daddy when he was alive,”
To honor Dr. King, GOP should honor what he really believed in Read More »
Who would have thought so many of those competing to be president of the United States would have slept through American History 101? And I wonder why, if a working-class student at a modest Catholic school in Baltimore managed bus trips to museums in that city and neighboring Washington, D.C., folks who grew up with
For history-challenged candidates, Civil War source material is nearby 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 »
