Politics
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So You Think You Can Vote?
(Special to The Root) — A spate of photo-ID laws passed by right-wing legislatures in the past few years is threatening the ability of even registered voters to cast their ballots. Many people think, “What’s the big deal? Everybody has ID.” Well, it’s not that simple. New laws that have strict requirements for state-issued photo…
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Watch This: Michelle O on Garden Book
Promoting her first book, American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America, first lady Michelle Obama appeared on Good Morning America Tuesday morning to talk to Robin Roberts about how the project fits in with her passion for encouraging kids to eat healthy, as well as helping families make…
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Obama's Day, May 29: Medal of Freedom Award Ceremony
THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press SecretaryFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE DAILY GUIDANCE AND PRESS SCHEDULE FORTUESDAY, MAY 29, 2012 In the morning, the President will receive the Presidential Daily Briefing and meet with senior advisors in the Oval Office. These meetings are closed press. In the afternoon, the President will meet with Secretary of State Hillary…
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Black PACs: Greeks Take Action
(The Root) — The terms “PAC,” short for “political action committee,” and “super PAC,” a reference to its mightier cousin, often conjure unsettling images of a pay-to-play electoral system: pharmaceutical-industry-backed groups that contribute thousands of dollars to members of Congress to sway legislation in their corporate interests, for example, or a staggering $10 million campaign…
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Can Mayor Dave Bing Fix a Broken Detroit?
(The Root) — In the face of a crushing $265 million deficit and $13.2 billion in long-term structural debt, it was either sign a consent agreement, file for bankruptcy or accept the fate of a state-appointed emergency manager, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing told The Root about two weeks ago in an exclusive interview. The former…
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What If Trayvon's Case Had Been About Rape?
Consider this scenario: Aroused by an attractive teenager in a halter top walking through his neighborhood, a Sanford, Fla., man was instructed to stand down by police, but instead he provoked an encounter that ended tragically with the assault and rape of the 17-year-old girl. After showing authorities scratches on his face and arms that…
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MHP: Obama Surrogates Refuse to Stay in Line
As President Barack Obama campaigns for re-election, he’s wrangling his team of Democratic allies, but not everyone is getting in line. Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker spoke out last week on Meet the Press, declaring that the Democrats’ attack on Mitt Romney’s Bain Capital experience was “nauseating.” On Saturday’s Melissa Harris-Perry show on MSNBC, the…
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Why Romney's Education Talk Is Off-Base
Early in his campaign, Mitt Romney told supporters, “I don’t care about the very poor.” Now the politician is taking his crusade for “relatability” to the schools of Philadelphia, where he attempted to relate to poor working families who depend on the public school system. News One contributor Michael Arceneaux isn’t impressed, and argues why…
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Desegregation: Key to Making Schools Work?
Guests on MSNBC’s Up With Chris Hayes debated the advantages of desegregating schools in America. NYU professor Pedro Noguera brought up how schools in some communities are operating under de facto separate and unequal conditions when it comes to evaluating available resources and diverse student populations. The panel also discussed how students of all classes…
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Marriage Equality: Distinguish Rights From Rites
In a piece for The Root DC, ordained minister Barbara Reynolds argues that African-American Christians can reconcile support for the president with their faith. If there is a way to miraculously part the Red Sea without black Christians drowning over the same-sex marriage debate, I think civil rights icon and theologian Dr. Otis Moss, Jr.…