The criminal justice advocate and civil rights leader on his work, the war on accurate American history, and grace for those consumed by hate.
American history
Posted inBooks
The UFC Cage Match Theory of Democracy
From plantation apologists to Silicon Valley’s philosopher-kings, a new book tracks how the case for a natural ruling class keeps coming back.
Posted inPolitics
Whitewashing History
The White House report attacking the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History seeks to enforce Napoleon’s maxim: History is written by the winners.
Posted inNewsletter
“I Could Do Anything”: Trump’s Dangerous Mantra
The president’s words on Cuba, the next nation he’s casing for foreign intervention, sound all too familiar.
Posted inPolitics
Let’s Get the American Women’s History Museum Back on Track
One thing it can do is chronicle how women, from ordinary citizens to Martha Washington, preserved their communities’ past.
Posted inMagazine
Inside the Fight to Revive American Civics
The right wants to erase unpleasant history, while the left talks of nothing else. Is there a middle ground?
Posted inMagazine
The Scandal About Scandals
A new book says polarization breeds impunity. But America’s worst injustices emerged when the parties got along too well.
Posted inPolitics
Why Trump’s White Refugee Gambit Could Backfire
The president is shutting the door to millions seeking refugee status—but reportedly seeking preferences for white South Africans, English speakers, and Europeans who oppose migration. He may be in for a surprise.
Posted inFeatured
America the Beautiful? Yes
The poem that inspired the song, America the Beautiful, is 130 years old today, and despite the threats to democracy, it resonates more than ever.
