There are moments in public life that seem small on the surface but carry deep moral weight. Sometimes, a policy change is more than a policy change; it is a window into the soul of a nation. The recent decision…
Charlie Kirk: Apostle of 1953 America
Charlie Kirk was what historians call a “controversialist.” Prior to his tragic death, Kirk flourished by picking a side in the culture war and telling his people exactly what they wanted to hear. Many in the MAGA movement credit Kirk…
The evidence-based path from protest to power
I know activists who have protested every American military action since the Korean War. They’ve spent decades hitting the streets to try and end needless death and destruction. Their moral determination is powerful, and they’ve kept resistance alive when others…
Stephen Miller, we know what you’re doing
Recently, I read that in 1988, a decision was made in Russia to stop giving their more than 50 million school children history examinations because they did not wish to continue to spread the “lies” the history was spreading. When…
The end of Civil Rights (1964–2025): An American obituary
Its killers were many: A GOP-led gravediggers campaign determined to “make America great again” by undoing decades of progress; a U.S. Supreme Court that dismantled affirmative action, voting protections and reproductive rights; and state lawmakers who slashed funding for HBCUs,…
We need to listen to Fred Shuttlesworth again
Fred Shuttlesworth and I grew up just a few miles from each other. He was Black and I am white. He lived in a city nicknamed “Bombingham,” while I lived in what white people called “the City of Churches.” How’s…
‘Somebody get me my walking shoes’
“Speak up for the voiceless. …. Defend the rights of the poor.” Those words from Proverbs 31:8-9 are among the many in Scripture that call the people of God to a life of empathy and advocacy— a wide stream of…
Kindishness: Give it a rest area, Alabamerica
Lost in thought, I missed my exit. That’s not unusual for me. I once drove almost half an hour past the exit to my own house. This time it was a fortunate mistake. I was driving from Tennessee, where our…
Civil Rights Icon Whom Trump Called A ‘Hero’ Erased From Arlington Cemetery Website
Medgar Evers — who served with the U.S. Army in World War II before coming home to fight segregation in the civil rights movement — is among notable Black veterans that have seen their histories wiped from sections on the Arlington National Cemetery’s website.
How Jesse Jackson embodied Southern politics − and changed American elections
Holding hands with other prominent Black leaders, the Rev. Jesse Jackson crossed the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma, Alabama, on March 9, 2025, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of “Bloody Sunday.” Like several survivors of that violent day in 1965,…
Nat King Cole’s often overlooked role in the Civil Rights Movement
Six decades after Nat King Cole’s death in 1965, his music is still some of the most played in the world, and his celebrity transcends generational and racial divides. His smooth voice, captivating piano skills and enduring charisma earned him…
60 years of progress in expanding rights is being rolled back by Trump − a pattern that’s all too familiar in US history
For many Americans, Donald Trump’s head-spinning array of executive orders in the early days of his second term look like an unprecedented effort to roll back democracy and the rights and liberties of American citizens.