Justin Jones made it clear that “there comes a time when people get sick and tired of being sick and tired.” During an emotional seven-hour session on Thursday, Jones didn’t mince words. He was the first of two Black Tennessee lawmakers, both Democrats, to be expelled from the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. Hours later, his […]
Politics & Policy
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What This Historic Moment Reveals About Trump, the GOP, and Accountability
Some Republican lawmakers are calling a Manhattan grand jury’s decision to indict Donald Trump a politically motivated witch hunt. But, really, the move is a measure of accountability that could return legitimacy to a justice system that unfairly punishes Black people. “The question,” explained Marcia Chatelain, a professor of history and African American studies at […]
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Trump Called for His Execution. Now This Exoneree Has One Thing to Say: ‘Karma.’
Yusef Salaam spent nearly seven years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit — one of the five Black and brown teenagers Donald Trump targeted after the 1989 assault of a Central Park jogger. Decades later, after a Manhattan grand jury on Thursday indicted the former president on charges related to business fraud, Salaam […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
What Trump’s Legal Woes Mean to Black Americans
The wait is over: A Manhattan grand jury has voted to indict Donald Trump. It’s a historic move that caps off years of anxiety and uncertainty about whether Trump’s Teflon coating of white privilege would ever lose its power. Details of the felony indictment are expected to be announced in the coming days, The New […]
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Alvin Bragg Isn’t the Only Black Prosecutor Taking on Trump
A Manhattan grand jury voted to indict Donald Trump on Thursday, according to multiple news sources — the first time a current or former U.S. president has faced criminal charges. Last week, when Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office was poised to issue an indictment against the former president, Trump called for Bragg’s arrest and […]
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How an Anti-Drag Bill Is Creating Fear Among Some Black LGBTQ Tennesseans
Alexia Noelle Paris has been a drag artist for six years, performing nearly every weekend in Nashville, Tennessee, where she lives, or in California. For her, drag isn’t merely a form of entertainment — it’s an outlet. “I’ve always appreciated drag, even though initially I didn’t think that it was something for me,” Paris said. […]
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The History of White Lawmakers Trying to Take Over Mississippi’s Predominately Black Capital
Arekia Bennett-Scott didn’t expect her hometown to be thrust into the national spotlight just months after the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, resurfaced tensions over how state officials treat the majority-Black city. Yet, residents in the Democratic-led capital are now pushing back against efforts by white Republican state officials to gain more power over the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
The History of White Lawmakers Trying to Take Over Mississippi’s Predominantly Black Capital
Arekia Bennett-Scott didn’t expect her hometown to be thrust into the national spotlight just months after the water crisis in Jackson, Mississippi, resurfaced tensions over how state officials treat the majority-Black city. Yet, residents in the Democratic-led capital are now pushing back against efforts by white Republican state officials to gain more power over the […]
Posted inPolitics & Policy
How Black Women Fought for Brittney Griner’s Release
As news of WNBA star Brittney Griner’s detention in Russia broke in early March, Black lesbians, queer women and athletes took the lead in steering advocacy efforts for her release. There were rallies and virtual prayer vigils. There were hashtags and petitions. There were meetings in the nation’s capital and letters to President Joe Biden. […]
Posted inElections, Politics & Policy
The Important Election Wins You Might Have Overlooked
With eyes focused on federal races that will decide the balance of power in Congress, it’s easy to overlook the elections of state leaders whose powers will directly impact Black communities. From California to Massachusetts, Black candidates were elected to critical roles that influence how elections are carried out, how justice is rendered, and what […]