The Latest
How Not to Do Activism
The calculus of power isn’t defined by hits or clicks or tweets. It is measured in relationships and meaningful reactions over time.
Ally: From Noun to Verb
Robin D. G. Kelley talks with musician Vijay Iyer about systems of oppression, the responsibility of artists, and how jazz sells proximity to blackness to white people.
The Pervasive Power of the Settler Mindset
More than simple racism or discrimination, it is built upon violent elimination.
A Jury of One’s Peers
Prosecutors have too long used a system of “strikes” to engineer nearly all-white juries.
College Behind Bars
One man’s struggle to earn a degree while incarcerated shows how far tough-on-crime policies go to prevent prisoners from having a second chance.
Against Black Homeownership
The real estate market is so structured by race that Black families will never come out ahead.
My cat paints her fur on with her tongue
It’s No Secret Why Republicans Win
The right’s success is not a shadowy conspiracy; it has been achieved out in the open, largely through ordinary politics. Much of it can be countered the same way.
The Long History of Debt Cancellation
Moral thinking about debt has fluctuated throughout U.S. history. Today’s calls for cancellation suggest it may be poised for transformation once again.
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The President and the Blob
The barrage of attacks that followed Trump’s decision to reduce the U.S. military presence in Syria obscures the decades-long bankruptcy of the U.S. foreign policy establishment.
Rap on Trial
Prosecutors use defendants’ rap lyrics to win cases despite the flimsiest evidence. Behind this rests a unique paranoia around hip hop and a long history of criminalizing black art.
What Makes Science Trustworthy
The “scientific method” of high school textbooks does not exist. But there are scientific methods.
Zero Hour: The First Days of New Berlin
Thirty years after the Wall fell, the story of Berlin’s anarchist utopia.
Fascism in Translation
Far-right leaders often call for one nation united under one language. They have also always been good at using translation to spread their politics.
Politics Is for Power, Not Consumption
Political hobbyism takes well-meaning citizens away from pursuing power.
Surely, Not
“What’s worse than any pain is being without him, and what’s worse even still is that it’s his idea to go.”
The Greensboro Massacre at 40
On November 3, 1979, members of the KKK and American Nazi Party murdered five labor organizers in broad daylight. Forty years later, massacre survivor Rosalyn Pelles talks about that day, and why organized workers are such a threat to the powerful.