Feature – A Radically Woke and Deeply Conservative Commencement Address. At Pomona College, Danielle Allen spoke about the Declaration of Independence and its electric cord. Watch and/or Read here. 

The Heritage: Black Athletes, A Divided America, And the Politics of Patriotism by Howard Bryant. Journalist Howard Bryant reveals, that black athletes, who from the start, were committing a political act simply by being on the field. In fact, among all black employees in twentieth-century America, perhaps no other group had more outsized influence and power than ballplayers. Read more  

How Northern Newspapers Covered Lynchings. In a landmark move, The Montgomery Advertiser recently apologized for its role in justifying and promoting lynching. But many Northern papers were just as complicit. Read more 

Joe Louis KO’d white supremacy and Max Schmeling 80 years ago. Black America’s gladiator rocked his opponent with brutal blows that caused him to shriek with pain. Then Clem McCarthy, the gravelly-voiced radio announcer, repeated the magic words that appeared final this time: “And Schmeling is down.” Spirits soared. Across the country, black people spilled out into the streets, beating pots and pans, tambourines to glory and joy. Read more 
Being Black in America Can Be Hazardous to Your Health. In Baltimore and other segregated cities, the life-expectancy gap between African Americans and whites is as much as 20 years. One young woman’s struggle shows why. Read more 

Ira Berlin, 1941–2018. Ira Berlin, who died on June 5 at the age of 77, was one of the outstanding historians of his generation, whose writings on slavery and African-American culture transformed how scholars think about these crucial aspects of the American past. Read more 

Georgia church expelled from Southern Baptist Convention over racial discrimination charges. The small white congregation in Albany, Ga., has been accused of discriminating against a growing black congregation that shared its church building. Read more 

Natural Hair Styles Are Gaining Popularity And Creating A Community For People In Pittsburgh.  A parent who is white wants her daughter to embrace her natural hair.  “I just want her to be able to feel confident and beautiful. There’s so many white and Eurocentric beauty standards that society tries to push on people, and I don’t want it having her feel like she’s not enough,” said Wulff. Read more 
Bearing the Cross. A book excerpt by Cornel West. The American democratic experiment goes under if its imperialist, materialist, racist, classist forces engulf black culture and community. To put it bluntly, for King the black freedom struggle requires a cross to bear, the dominant American way of life encourages a flag to wave. Read more 

The Supreme Court just cleared the way for the mass disenfranchisement of voters. Large numbers of voters could be blocked from casting ballots in November if they haven’t participated in recent elections. Read more 

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