Politics
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The Politics of Fear and Loathing in 2016
Everywhere I turn, I find friends and acquaintances who are not merely concerned, but frightened. A kind of raw ugliness to our national politics, not really seen in the post-World War II era, seems to be in fashion. Nothing has brought this home more forcefully than the success of Donald Trump in recent Republican presidential…
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Hey, Hillary, Bernie, Even Trump: You Should Care About Black Students and College Loan Debt
Morgan State University senior Temprest Myers worries constantly about how she’ll pay back her student loans when she graduates. “I … think about whether I’ll be able to afford a home,” says the 23-year-old broadcast journalism major, “afford a decent car and simple things like groceries.” The St. Paul, Minn., native is working a security…
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After Scalia: A Single Supreme Court Justice Can Impede Progress, Influence Our Discourse
As the country and Congress grapple with the sudden passing of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a key lesson has emerged from his tenure and his legacy in civil rights cases in particular: A single Supreme Court justice can powerfully influence our national discourse on critical issues of inequality. Through the opinions they write, the…
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All Skinfolk Ain’t Kinfolk: A Few Words on Ben Carson, Magical Negro
Ben Carson wants us to know that he’s a black man, unlike President Barack Obama. He needs voters, white voters in particular, to know that he’s the kind of Magical Negro who waved his belt buckle, attacked his friend and his mother, then prayed to white Jesus to get him out of the “ghetto.” In a…
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Vote for Your America: The Root Joins Groundbreaking Voter-Engagement Campaign
No one is expecting the turnout of African-American voters in 2016 to reach the record-shattering numbers of 2008, when Barack Obama lit up the black electorate. But there are critical issues at stake for the black community—the Supreme Court, job growth, health care, criminal justice—with the choice of the next president and other officeholders hanging…
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Nev. Democratic Party at Fault for ‘English Only’ Controversy
After legendary human rights and political activist—and longtime Hillary Clinton supporter—Dolores Huerta was silenced while attempting to provide English-to-Spanish translation services Saturday at a Las Vegas Democratic caucus gathering at Harrah’s Casino, the hashtag #EnglishOnly swiftly began trending online, and supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) found themselves playing defense across social media. “The Bernie organizers…
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Democracy in Black: 3 Writers Wrestle With President Obama’s Blackness
The shade that one Black Lives Matter activist threw President Barack Obama Thursday while declining an invitation to a White House Black History Month event only seemed surprising to those not paying attention. During both of Obama’s terms, and even before, a visible minority of black activists—some prominent, some not, and from different age groups—have…
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‘I’m Not Being Exploited’: Sandra Bland’s Mother Talks Endorsing Hillary Clinton
The Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders campaigns are trying everything in their power to show that they’re friends of the African-American community. Beyond obvious cultural pandering like dabbing and Nae Nae-ing on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the Democratic candidates have spoken about and offered more policies specifically targeted at the black community than almost any…
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Leading From Behind: Obama Flinches on Supreme Court Pick
Barack Obama has been lying to us. Not about whether he’s a liberal or a conservative, or something trivial like his golf handicap. Obama has been lying to America about what kind of president he is. After the 2014 midterms, Obama finally acknowledged that the Republicans would rather see the entire country go to hell in…
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Why the 400 Years of African American History Act Is So Important
In recent years we’ve commemorated the English and Spanish heritage of our nation’s founding. In 2007 we marked the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown, Va., by English colonists. In 2015 we celebrated the 450th anniversary of the founding of St. Augustine, Fla. Both the English and Spanish commemorations included activities sponsored by federal…