Black History

Feeling Sold Out by Your Own Country Isn’t New for Many Americans

In my university classes, I teach undergraduates about the ways in which people on the land that is today the United States have been accepted or rejected as American citizens, and how even those who have gained citizenship must continually fight for their status as full citizens. We discuss issues facing minority groups including indigenous, Black and LGBTQ Americans. And we discuss marginalized majority groups: women and working and middle-class Americans. Students learn how all these struggles persist over decades, if not centuries.

History and politics are cyclical. Logically, I know this is how the American story goes. (And so many stories across the globe.) But it still hurts anyway. There are big changes coming, but as the late civil rights icon, Rep. John Lewis, wrote in his masterful op-ed published posthumously: “The truth does not change.” It is on us to speak that truth to power. It is more important than ever to stay engaged, to resist the urge to flee or opt out of the political process when we get that taste of loss or rejection—a feeling that’s all too familiar for many Americans.

What Renee Bracey Sherman Wants You to Know About Liberating Abortion and the People Who Make It Possible

Renee Bracey Sherman and Regina Mahone recently released their co-authored book, Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve. In it, they offer a new perspective on the history of abortion and imagine a future where reproductive justice is realized.

Bracey Sherman and Mahone ask us to build a better future that begins with building community around abortion and reproductive freedom now.

Ms. sat down with Renee Bracey Sherman to discuss her new book, Liberating Abortion, the history of abortion and where we go from here.

Black Voters Prepare for Backlash Ahead of Election Day

Through her nonprofit Project Say Something, voting rights activist Camille Bennett urged city officials to remove a Confederate monument in front of the local courthouse in Florence. Throughout Trump’s presidency, as support grew across the country to topple and rename Confederate monuments, the former president continued to defend the racist remnants of the past. Organizers like Bennett say they can’t afford another Trump win. “The power belongs to the people,” said Bennett. “If we choose to mobilize and really lift our voices as a nation, we can get a lot done. And that’s the hope that I carry on—no matter what happens, we can’t be afraid.”

“Make no mistake about it, if [Trump] is reelected, this is going to further embolden his supporters to express their racial hostility, their racial grievances, and also continue to further inspire people to engage in hateful tactics,” said Emmitt Riley, president of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists. “Some folks are sick of Trump, but this election is going to really be another test as to whether or not a nation who has lived under four years of chaos is ready to return to that dysfunction and chaos.” 

The Size of Discrimination: Racism and Bias in the Fight Against the ‘Obesity Epidemic’

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The thread of social stigmatizing and racism has long woven through the fabrics of science and medicine. Sarah Baartman, an indigenous South African woman born in 1789, was subjected to profound cruelties, specifically associated with her body size and shape—placed at first in a cage alongside a rhinoceros, and later in circuses and so-called “freak-shows” throughout Europe under the name Hottentot Venus.

To this day, women experience weight discrimination at significantly higher rates than male peers.

Do You Remember the First Time You Voted?

The first year I could vote, the choices for president were Republican Sen. Barry Goldwater or the incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson. LBJ won—the largest landslide in U.S. history. Voting for him as a first-time voter felt consequential.

This year, I’ll be voting with two very special first-time voters: my twin granddaughters, in the swing state of Georgia. Our daughters’ and granddaughters’ future is in danger.

Ubuntu in Action: How Black Giving Circles Redefine Community Support

Black philanthropy has a rich history, exemplified by trailblazers like Madam C.J. Walker. As the first woman to become a self-made millionaire in America, Walker built her fortune by creating a successful line of hair care products for Black women. While she used her wealth to fund anti-lynching campaigns, give scholarships to women and more, her philanthropic journey began long before she amassed her wealth, as giving is deeply rooted in personal experiences and identity. 

Walker is just one of many Black philanthropists who have made significant contributions throughout history. While women like Rihanna and Janelle Monae are widely recognized for their charitable work, most Black philanthropists are working behind the scenes to make a big impact on countless causes in their community. This Black Philanthropy Month, it’s crucial to recognize both the historical and current landscape of Black giving, drawing important lessons from this legacy of generosity and community support.

This essay is part of a Women & Democracy package focused on who’s funding the women and LGBTQ people on the frontlines of democracy. We’re manifesting a new era for philanthropy—one that centers feminism. The need is real: Funding for women and girls amounts to less than 2 percent of all philanthropic giving; for women of color, it’s less than 1 percent. Explore the “Feminist Philanthropy Is Essential to Democracy” collection.

Vice President Kamala Harris Is Anything But a DEI Hire

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Vice President Kamala Harris—the presumed Democratic presidential candidate and a storied politician—is on track to break all kinds of records for women of color. And yet as soon as she ascended to the top of the ticket, without fail, the conservative right began hurling racist, misogynist insults and tropes at her.

Harris’ experience of being questioned and labeled a “DEI hire” is one shared by many marginalized groups in society, where their identity eclipses their qualifications and leads to systematic racist and sexist practices that negatively impact their life and career trajectories. Contrary to the conservative narrative, DEI has unquestionably improved the lives of Americans.

Biden’s Pitch to America: Reform the Supreme Court and ‘Strengthen the Guardrails of Democracy’

At the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas, on Monday, Biden made an emotional pitch for his new plan for Supreme Court reform, which would implement three changes to “strengthen the guardrails of democracy”: a constitutional amendment stripping the president of immunity for crimes committed while in office; an 18-year term limit for justices; and a binding code of conduct for the Court.

“The courts determine the scale and scope of our laws. … In recent years, extreme opinions the Supreme Court has handed down have undermined long established civil rights principles and protections,” said Biden. “In two years, we will commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Imagine that moment and ask yourself: What do we want to be?”