Politics
-
For the Record: 'Superpredators' Is Absolutely a Racist Term
When Black Lives Matter activist Ashley Williams was kicked out of a Hillary Clinton fundraiser in North Carolina in February, she made headlines. Why? Because Williams demanded an apology from the Democratic presidential nominee for her use of the term “superpredators” during a 1996 speech in New Hampshire. As anyone who has even been half…
-
Black Folks Who Advertise That They’re Voting for Trump Are Just Trolls Looking for a Come-Up
This week, Vice published an essay from Jay Stephens titled, “I’m a Young Black Woman and I Support Trump.” A month prior, Time published a piece penned by C.J. Pearson named, “I’m a Young Black Man and I Support Donald Trump.” This is the part where you’re supposed to pretend to be shocked that there…
-
Trump Called Ted Cruz and His Family Everything but a Child of God, and ‘Lyin Ted’ Still Endorsed Him
Depending on whom you ask, Ted Cruz is about as likable as jock itch. In July, fellow Republican Sen. Dan Coats of Indiana said of his colleague, “He’s the most self-centered, narcissistic, pathological liar I’ve ever seen—and you can quote me on that.” Coats went on to tell IndyStar, “No matter how conservative you are,…
-
Clinton Won, Trump Lost and 3 Other Takeaways From Monday Night’s Debate
Every media analyst and historian in America believes that Monday night’s debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump will turn out to be the most-watched debate in American history, with close to 100 million people tuning in over its 90 minutes. Given that President Barack Obama won a second term in 2012 with about 65…
-
In Missouri, Everywhere: Voting Matters
Ever since this country was founded, access to the ballot has been intentionally restricted in order to keep people of color from voting. From North Carolina to Texas and Georgia, politicians are trying every trick in the book to stay in power. Rarely, however, does the attack on voting rights become as starkly illustrative of…
-
8 Ways They'll Try to Stop You From Voting and How to Fight Back
It started in 2000, right after one of the narrowest presidential elections in history, and it surged again, right after President Barack Obama’s historic election in 2008: voter suppression. (Humph, wonder why.) From limited voting access, stringent ID requirements and gerrymandering to criminal disenfranchisement, voter suppression is on the rise. Why? Because one group of…
-
#DebateNight: Clinton's Chance to 'Speak Directly to White People'
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton faces off against Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump tonight in their first debate of the 2016 election season, a spectacle that is expected to draw up to 100 million viewers, according to the New York Times. This debate is sure to focus heavily on women’s issues to draw stark parallels between Clinton…
-
Open Letter to My Congressman, Robert Pittenger: No, We Don’t Hate White People
Dear Rep. Robert Pittenger: You may be the elected U.S. congressman from the district of North Carolina that runs through my neighborhood, but you don’t represent me. When you were asked for your reaction to the citizens who took to the streets of Charlotte to protest the killings of people of color by law enforcement and…
-
In Case You Didn’t Notice, Charlotte, NC, Is in the Middle of a Major Battleground State This Election
Keith Lamont Scott’s tragic shooting by police and the subsequent rage in Charlotte, N.C., could not have happened at a worse time—or in a worse place politically. Intersecting unrest is the larger backdrop of what is, arguably, the nation’s most extreme top-to-bottom-ballot battleground state this election cycle. Many on the ground protesting (and those watching…
-
Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, Defiant as Ever, Refuses to Exit the Stage
Robert Mugabe, Zimbabwe’s apparent president for life and serial human rights abuser, spoke at a place known for providing platforms for such people: the United Nations. In a 16-minute address to the 71st U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, the 92-year-old leader blamed the United States for its 16 years of “spiteful” economic sanctions, which he…