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IBW21

IBW21 (The Institute of the Black World 21st Century) is committed to enhancing the capacity of Black communities in the U.S. and globally to achieve cultural, social, economic and political equality and an enhanced quality of life for all marginalized people.

Democrats Didn’t Do Enough to Stop Kavanaugh — They Melted Before His White Rage

By Commentaries/Opinions

Yes, Democrats are preferable to this. But they’re still spineless. By Jim Sleeper, Salon — Although I’ll vote for any Democrat in November to keep Donald Trump’s Republican vassals from finishing off the American republic at his bidding, what I saw in the performance of most Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee last week reminded me that any victory by that terminally pusillanimous, corrupt, suppurating party, which is only a…

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The Supreme Court Is Headed Back to the 19th Century

By Editors' Choice

The justices again appear poised to pursue a purely theoretical liberty at the expense of the lives of people of color. By Adam Serwer, The Atlantic — When the Louisiana State Militia finally arrived at the Colfax courthouse on April 15, 1873, all it could do was bury the bodies. Two days earlier, a large force of white supremacists had taken control of the courthouse from the mostly black faction…

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Bolsonaro's supporters at a rally in Såo Paulo.

Bolsonaro Hopes to Win Brazil’s Election By Channeling Trump

By Commentaries/Opinions

At a moment when few Brazilians trust their government, the controversial, ultra-conservative Jair Bolsonaro looks poised to win. By Chayenne Polimédio, The Atlantic — Tomorrow, Brazilians head to the polls for the first round of presidential elections. Running on the Social Liberal Party slate is Jair Messias Bolsonaro, an ultra-conservative military officer-turned-politician and likely top finisher. If he’s one of the top two vote-getters, he’ll be the favorite in the…

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Chicago police officer Jason Van Dyke was found guilty of 2nd-degree murder and 16 counts of aggravated battery.

‘This Is Historic’: Why the Van Dyke Guilty Verdict Is a Victory For the Movement For Black Lives

By Commentaries/Opinions

By Miles Kampf-Lassin, In These Times — “We are far from done. This is the beginning and we should use this momentum to keep going forward.” Chicago has long been a city on the brink. Decades of racial stratification, disinvestment, segregation and endemic poverty have left large swaths of the population struggling to survive, while new development has disproportionately favored wealthier residents. The communities left behind by this process are…

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America must atone with reparations for our legacy of slavery

By Editors' Choice, Reparations

We must make reparations to the African-American community. By Ruth A. Zlotnick, Seattle Times — The Jewish community has just emerged from our holiest days, when we celebrate the New Year and make teshuvah, or atonement, for the wrongdoings of our past. I believe as a nation, the United States also must make teshuvah, atoning for our legacy of slavery by making reparations to African Americans. I came to this…

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Adolf Hitler at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

A leading Holocaust historian just seriously compared the US to Nazi Germany

By Commentaries/Opinions

“If the US has someone whom historians will look back on as the gravedigger of American democracy, it is Mitch McConnell.” By Zack Beauchamp, Vox — Usually, comparisons between Donald Trump’s America and Nazi Germany come from cranks and internet trolls. But a new essay in the New York Review of Books pointing out “troubling similarities” between the 1930s and today is different: It’s written by Christopher Browning, one of America’s most…

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Presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro poses for picture at the National Congress in Brasília, Brazil, in September.

A Brazilian Far-Right Populist and the Women Who Like Him

By Commentaries/Opinions

New polling data show that Jair Bolsonaro’s social conservatism, law-and-order positions, and anti-corruption stance appear to be trumping his history of sexism. By Shannon Sims, The Atlantic — In Brazil, there’s a video that just won’t go away.It shows a young male congressman, dressed in a suit and tie, sparring with a female congresswoman as photographers and journalists encircle them.The subject of the argument has been lost over the 15 years since…

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President Donald Trump with a serious look as he delivers a speech at a campaign rally held at the Mohegan Sun Arena.

Here is how Donald Trump becomes a dictator

By Editors' Choice

By Richard E. Frankel, Raw Story — Over the next few days, millions of Americans will be anxiously watching and waiting to see whether a few undecided Republican Senators will vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as our next Supreme Court Justice. Their vote will help shape the Court for a generation. More importantly, their vote holds the potential to help Donald Trump further transform this country into an authoritarian, exclusionary…

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Russia Is Exploiting American White Supremacy Over and Over Again

By Editors' Choice

Russia’s troll army was not interested in stirring up generic ‘chaos’ in America. The Kremlin is strategically tapping into the inexhaustible fuel source of white grievance. By Spencer Ackerman, Daily Beast — Not many Russians are likely to understand a shotgun formation or the strategy behind not punting on fourth down. But between September and December 2017, social-media accounts now associated with the Kremlin-backed troll farm known as the Internet…

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Black women in Brazil protest presidential frontrunner Jair Bolsonaro, who is known for his disparaging remarks about women, on Sept. 29, 2018.

Sexism, racism drive more black women to run for office in both Brazil and US

By Commentaries/Opinions

By Kia Lilly Caldwell, The Conversation — Motivated in part by President Donald Trump’s disparaging remarks about women and the numerous claims that he committed sexual assault, American women are running for state and national office in historic numbers. At least 255 women are on the ballot as major party congressional candidates in the November general election. The surge includes a record number of women of color, many of whom say their candidacies reflect a personal…

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People protest against leading presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro, at Cinelandia Square in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Saturday, Sept. 29, 2018. Bolsonaro has long been known for offensive comments about gays, women and black people, and he hasn't tempered his rhetoric during the campaign. He has also kept up his praise of Brazil's two-decade military dictatorship and promised to give police permission to shoot first and ask questions later.

Tens of Thousands Say ‘Not Him’ to Leading Brazil Candidate

By News & Current Affairs

Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far-right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America’s largest country. By Sarah Dilopenzo, Associated Press — SAO PAULO (AP) — Tens of thousands of Brazilians took to the streets Saturday in protest against the presidential front-runner, a far-right congressman whose campaign has exposed and deepened divisions in Latin America’s…

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