President Woodrow Wilson told Black leaders, ‘Segregation is not a humiliation but a benefit, and ought to be so regarded by you gentlemen.’ He was one in a long line of racist American presidents. By Stephen A. Jones and Eric Freedman — The fury over racial injustice that erupted in the wake of George Floyd’s killing has forced Americans to confront their history. That’s unfamiliar territory for most Americans, whose…
By comparing white supremacy in the U.S. to the caste system in India, her new book at once illuminates and collapses a complex history. By Sunil Khilnani, The New Yorker — As the summer of 1958 was coming to an end, Martin Luther King, Jr., was newly famous and exhausted. All of twenty-nine years old, he had been travelling across the country for weeks promoting his first book, “Stride Toward…
By David Sirota, Jacobin — Almost no one noticed it, but earlier this month, a top Joe Biden advisor indicated that the entire agenda Biden is campaigning on won’t be pursued once he’s in the White House. Instead, Biden’s inner circle appears wedded to the ideology of austerity. he Democratic convention has sucked up all the political oxygen in America — so much so, that most people missed Team Biden…
America’s past was shaped by slavery. To live up to American’s ideals, we must trust in a Black vision of the future, Pharrell Williams writes. Pharrell Williams with Michael Harriot,…
Will the daughter of outspoken postcolonial progressives adopt their egalitarian vision? By Thomas Meaney and Samuel Moyn, The Guardian— Joe Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as the Democrats’ vice-presidential nominee for 2020…
By Wesley Young, Winston-Salem Journal — Mayor pro tem and North Ward Council Member D.D. Adams says the time is right for Winston-Salem to move forward on reparations for its…
If the U.S. ever wants to move forward and right the wrongs of its past, there must not only be a public acknowledgement of the crimes committed against Black people,…
United Nations (IPS) — As it continues to vociferously preach the virtues of equality—advocating equal rights for all, irrespective of race, sex, language or religion– the United Nations has been quick to condemn racism and racial discrimination worldwide. But how hypocritical is it when racism raises its ugly head in its own backyard— particularly in Geneva which, ironically, is home to the UN Human…
While too many Black were disenfranchised even after the 19th Amendment’s ratification a century ago, they never waited for permission before promoting their vision of fundamental rights. By Martha Jones, The Inquirer — When it comes to 21st-century politics, Black women are our founders. The double scourge of racism and sexism no longer defines American politics. The nomination of Sen. Kamala Harris to the Democrat’s VP slot, the more than…
Failed leadership, a distrust of scientists, and cultural attitudes have all combined to result in an inadequate response to COVID-19. By Alex Fitzpatrick, TIME — It is a frightening time to live in the United States. COVID-19, a novel disease as ruthless as it is seemingly random, is picking us off by the thousands; even many of those who “recover” may never truly be the same again. The pandemic has…
The women’s suffrage movement had many heroines who bravely fought for the rights of women in the United States. Here are the stories of five African American suffragists who helped…
Vantage Point Radio August 24, 2020 — On this edition of Vantage Point, host Dr. Ron Daniels aka The Professor talks with guests Dr. E. Faye Williams and Gwendolyn Zoharah…