

By David J. Harris, Houston Institute Executive Director — Several weeks ago the Boston Globe published an opinion piece by editorial and staff writer David Scharfenberg in which he called for an “honest” commitment to racial integration. He dismissed the “gauzy 1963 version” of integration, insisted that “harping too much” on its virtues “can feel paternalistic,” and lamented the “disastrous busing experiment of the 1970s” which proved that “forced integration…simply doesn’t work.” Even so,…
Oh, do you hear me? I cannot rest in peace… Through eons and centuries, I have cried out, “Oh, why do you not honor my suffering?” Oh, why do you not raise your voices in unison to decry the pain and struggles of your ancestors; those who came before? In your reticent reaction to my cries and pain…
The flap of a butterfly’s wings really can cause a hurricane. By James Watkins, OZY — The very first immigrant from Thailand to Iceland arrived in 1979. Not a huge amount is…
There is a reason why the Baltimore Police Department was investigated by the Justice Department after the 2015 death of Freddie Gray. By Kelly Macias, Daily Kos — In 2014, when the state of Maryland voted to decriminalize the possession of 10 grams or less of marijuana, advocates said that it would help to reduce racial bias and systemic racism against black people. Even though data shows that blacks and whites use…
The government of newly inaugurated President Jair Bolsonaro set to work quickly on Wednesday, issuing decrees that lift protections for minorities and reward his allies in agribusiness, while forging closer political ties with the US. By France24, Rueuters — Bolsonaro, a former army captain and seven-term congressman, won elections in October and was sworn in on Tuesday as Brazil’s first far-right president since a military dictatorship gave way to civilian…
By Sanusi Lamido Sanusi — Africa’s relations with China have been the subject of interest for decades. At a deeply personal level, my own first contact with China was almost…
Alyssa Ochs, Inside Philanthropy — According to a report out last month, giving circles are becoming more diverse in terms of race, gender and income levels, and more popular among…
By Bruce Hartford, Civil Right Movement Veterans — Note: This brief time-line describes an American history of oppression, persecution, and discrimination in regards to voting rights. But in all of the events described here, those affected were not submissive or passive victims, – rather they fought for their rights with whatever means they had. Similarly, much of this short summary consists of legislative and legal milestones. But those laws and…
By Earl Ofari Hutchinson, The Hutchinson Report — Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren did what legions have been urging her to do since 2016. That’s run for the presidency. She took the…
Shortlisted contenders for the Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize reveal their designs, from gloves that translate sign language into speech to smart lockers that dispense medicines. By Kate Hodal, The Guardian — The Royal Academy of Engineering Africa prize, now in its fifth year, has shortlisted 16 African inventors from six countries to receive funding, training and mentoring for projects intended to revolutionise sectors from agriculture and science to women’s health.…
By Dr. Maulana Karenga — It is in reaffirmation of the enduring issues ever before us, that I in the practice of sanofa, remember and reach back to visit the…