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Columnists

Honoring MLK: The unfinished journey toward economic freedom, by Charlene Cromwell

On Jan. 15 our nation again will observe the only national holiday designated as a day of service. The Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday was first observed in 1986.

Once forbidden history offers hope, by Ben Jealous

Even Ron DeSantis had to admit, when pressed at a CNN town hall, Jan. 6 was a bad day for America. Invariably, following this past week’s anniversary of the insurrection, we’re forced to ask ourselves: Will we ever be able ...

Haley’s hypocritical embrace, by Marc H. Morial

“The Lost Cause mythology was more than bad history. It provided the intellectual justification for Jim Crow — not just in the former Confederacy, but everywhere systemic racism denied Black citizens equal citizenship and economic rights ... That’s why the ...

What Claudine Gay’s resignation tells us about conservative activists’ playbook, by Errin Haines

In her dissent in last summer’s Supreme Court case striking down affirmative action, Ketanji Brown Jackson, the first Black woman on the court, wrote: “History speaks. In some form, it can be heard forever.”

Making America laugh, look at itself, by Clarence Page

For many of us old enough to remember Archie Bunker’s living room chair before it became a Smithsonian Museum exhibit, Norman Lear helped television comedy get over its fear of real life.

Black women and pay inequality, by David W. Marshall

Taraji P. Henson is speaking out, and people are listening. It remains to be seen if the award-winning actor will become a catalyst for major changes within the entertainment industry, but her message is much needed.

America’s anti-immigrant past never died, by David W. Marshall

The Statue of Liberty stands proudly in Upper New York Bay as a symbol of freedom and a welcoming beacon to the “huddled masses” and “those yearning to be free.” Originally conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the ...

A whale of an ecosystem issue, by Ben Jealous

Thanks to 20th century aquariums and marine theme parks, orcas – also known as killer whales – are the most iconic whales in America. When the public learned their captivity involved torture, orca shows disappeared from those parks, as they ...

College presidents on antisemitism, by Annie Ma

Over five hours at a con- gressional hearing, lawmakers pressed the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT on the topic of anti- semitism. In some instances, they were unable to say whether calls for the genocide of ...

Problematic political rhetoric, by Clarence Page

As someone who has appreciated the power of protest and activism on achieving progress in the U.S. and the world, it’s hard for me to watch the current high emotions over the Middle East devolve into arguments about the meanings ...

Increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in STEM

On Dec. 15, House Science, Space and Technology (SST) Committee Member, Virginia Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan; SST Ranking Member, California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren; and Ranking Member of the SST Subcommittee and Technology, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens sent the following letter Comptroller ...

America no longer the ‘land of opportunity’, by David W. Marshall

When the governors of Texas, Arizona and Florida took advantage of the welcoming traditions provided by sanctuary cities, it was meant to get rid of an unwanted problem. More than 23,000 asylum seekers have been bused to Chicago from Texas ...

Election 2024 and LGBTQ+ rights, by Errin Haines

The last year in politics has seen an erosion of rights for LGBTQ+ Americans, who are facing an assault on their very existence, with bans on books that affirm their experience, to hundreds of bills in statehouses targeting the rights ...

Kissinger’s legacy — it’s complicated, by Clarence Page

Over his century on Earth, Henry Kissinger left a big mark, love him or hate him. And a lot of people sure did hate him.

How to normalize an insurrection, by Clarence Page

Well, it took long enough. House Speaker Mike Johnson has finally started releasing 44,000 hours of security footage from the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol assault that many, including me, hoped would shed more light on what really happened on ...