Here at OtherWords we’ve been running a series of pieces on racism in America’s criminal justice system. But racial inequity in our country goes far deeper than the legal system — it’s encoded into the economics of virtually every American household.
This week, Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Chuck Collins run the numbers on America’s gaping — and growing — racial wealth divide. Unless fundamental policy changes are made to restore the fairness of our economic system, they argue in a groundbreaking new report, black and Latino households will never catch up with their white counterparts.
Meanwhile, Sandra Fulton of Free Press looks at another less reported racial divide: in government surveillance. The feds, she explains, are using new surveillance technology to pry on modern civil rights activists, just as they did to Martin Luther King, Jr.
Also this week, Green America’s Beth Porter reports on exciting new local programs to reduce household waste and save money on trash collection, while columnist Jill Richardson explains the difficult of “leaving no trace” on a summer hike.
Finally, a pair of Trump items: Jim Hightower blasts the GOP nominee’s bizarre fondness for authoritarian Russian leader Vladimir Putin, while Khalil Bendib perfectly mocks up the candidate’s sorry spat with Khizr Khan, the Muslim immigrant whose service member son was killed in Iraq.
A note on scheduling: We’ll be taking some time off next week, so our next editorial package will go out on Wednesday, August 24. Thanks for bearing with us!
Trump vs. Khan, an OtherWords cartoon by Khalil Bendib
- America’s Racial Wealth Divide Is Nothing Short of Shocking / Dedrick Asante-Muhammad and Chuck Collins
It would take the average black family 228 years to accrue the same amount of wealth that white families have today. - Surveillance Isn’t Colorblind / Sandra Fulton
Rapidly developing technology exposes communities of color to near-constant surveillance and over-policing. - Waste Not, Save More / Beth Porter
Here’s an idea for the climate, and your wallet: If you waste less, you should pay less. - The Challenges of ‘Leaving No Trace’ / Jill Richardson
At home or in the wild, even fastidious conservationists can forget about cleaning up after the things they can’t see. - Trump Buddies Up to Putin / Jim Hightower
Imagine what Republicans would say if a Democrat had invited the Russian president to interfere in a U.S. election. - Trump vs. Khan / Khalil Bendib
