Politics

(The Root) — Who is the most privileged among the least privileged? That’s the question many are asking as Americans discuss how the Supreme Court treated race-centered cases over the Voting Rights Act and affirmative action versus cases over same-sex marriage. Are African Americans and other people of color, who are the most likely to face…

It’s a resource that can easily be taken for granted because of its ubiquity, but the minute the lights go out, the necessity of electricity becomes instantly apparent to all. It’s a realization that Africans know all too well, according to a report in the New York Times, which sheds light on a few local…

The Obama administration is treading carefully since Egypt’s military has overthrown the country’s president, avoiding taking sides in a conflict that pits a democratically elected leader against people fighting for an inclusive government, the Associated Press reports. Denounce the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi outright, and the U.S. could be accused of propping up a…

(The Root) — America has become a nation in which gay black men and women can serve openly in the U.S. military, marry each other and have their bond recognized by the federal government. But ironically, those same gay black people may not be able to vote. Last week the U.S. Supreme Court made two…

In the last leg of his trip to Africa, President Barack Obama visited with Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete and business leaders in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the New York Times reports. Crowds of Tanzanians, including the military band, greeted the president on his arrival. Obama seemed optimistic about what’s ahead for the growing continent. “We…

(The Root) — When Congress left town on Thursday — marking the start of its Fourth of July holiday — the nation’s elected officials left one piece of unfinished business especially critical to black America’s financial health and well-being: Congress failed to reach a compromise on the best way to structure the interest rates that…

Last week the U.S Department of Agriculture announced groundbreaking nutritional requirements for the food served in school, The Week reports. The “Smart Snacks in School” standards are the latest addition to the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which mandates specific standards for all foods sold in schools. The standards also target snack-vending machines in…

As President Obama tours South Africa while Nelson Mandela’s health is failing, Bill Keller at the New York Times compares the leadership styles of the two icons. Mandela, in his time on the political stage, was a man of almost ascetic self-discipline. But he also understood how to deploy his moral authority in grand theatrical…

During a speech at the University of Cape Town on Sunday, President Obama spoke about his personal introduction to politics, working against apartheid in college. He challenged students in the audience to fight for what they believe, reports CNN. Speaking at the University of Cape Town, Obama recounted how American college campaigns against investment in…