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Departing Attorney General Eric Holder Was Controversial—and a Black Political Superhero
There’s quite a bit of truth to the old folks’ maxim that if they’re not talking about you, it means you didn’t bring much to the table in the first place. Just ask Eric Holder. You could never be, arguably, the most impactful attorney general since Robert F. Kennedy if your name weren’t mentioned as…
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You Can Learn a Lot About Racism in America Just by Looking at Your State Legislature
Look a little closer and you’ll find that state legislatures are some of the most unapologetic cesspools of racism in America. Which is one reason some of us cringe at that familiar concept called “states’ rights.” There’s a long history attached to that phrase, and lately, the worst interpretations of the concept have been on…
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SC After Walter Scott: More Politics Than Protest
In South Carolina, home of Palmetto trees and weird New South racial politics, the aftermath of the Walter Scott shooting has been notably different from responses elsewhere. Protesters in New York City shut down the Brooklyn Bridge in frustration over Scott’s tragic death, but 800 miles away, South Carolina has been comparatively serene since the…
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Will Black Folks Deliver for Hillary Clinton?
As Hillary Clinton kicks off her 2016 presidential bid (splashing with all the juggernautlike brand force of an album drop), few doubt that she’ll win the Democratic nomination. But even if she skates from now into Philly next year as the party standard-bearer, there’s still no White House guarantee. A road to victory remains a foggy…
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Will the New Nigerian President Be Any Better at Suppressing Boko Haram?
For Nigeria, this recent presidential election was a pretty big deal. All Progressives Congress challenger Muhammadu Buhari bested incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan by more than 2 million votes. Results were still streaming in Tuesday, and international observers were still sweating allegations of vote tampering, but the size of Buhari’s lead over Jonathan was just too…
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At 5 Years Old, the ACA Is Succeeding at What It’s Meant to Do: Lower the Uninsured Rate for All
Ready to have that other-than-March Madness, watercooler conversation on the fifth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act? Get your pen and pad ready, because the results are in: What you probably know better by the name “Obamacare” is actually working. It’s not perfect; nor is its implementation near complete. But as President Barack Obama’s grandest…
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One-on-One With the Most Influential Big-City Cop in America
When tensions between law enforcement and communities of color rise to a boiling point, President Barack Obama has often, of late, turned to Philadelphia Police Commissioner Charles H. Ramsey, formerly the top cop for Washington, D.C., a 46-year law-enforcement veteran and now CEO of the Police Executive Research Forum. After the spate of police killings of…
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CBC Budget Is Too Smart for the Rest of Congress to Care
In the Congressional Black Caucus’ Alternative Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 (pdf), which lays out where the CBC thinks the nation’s finances should be, it finds itself—yet again—in the unenviable position of voiceless “Malcolm in the Middle” screaming through white noise and clamor. The plan is captured in five high-level bullet points: a fairer tax…
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Why Not Make Voting Mandatory?
Convoluted and restrictive voter ID measures got you down? Still rubbing the migraine you got from voter-suppression laws? Banging your head against the wall when voter turnout is too low? Worry no more, fam, we’ve got a magic potion for you: mandatory voting. No more excuses. No more rich folks across town getting better everything…
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9 HBCU Students Just Made the Voter-ID War Hot Again
The voter-ID war just opened up a huge new front. This time in Tennessee. A group of nine students from HBCUs Fisk and Tennessee State have filed a federal lawsuit against the Volunteer State’s heavily contested and controversial voter-ID law. Johnston points to identification cards for state university faculty and staff, which are perfectly legal…
