Rights and Democracy
Don’t Judge Sessions By His Cover
King’s Dream Still Isn’t Reality
Not long ago, I saw a comment on an online article about the rise in protests for black civil rights. "We gave you a president," wrote the commenter. "We gave you your damn Oscar. What more do you want?" Never mind the White House. What many black people still long...
A Fox in Every Chicken Coop
I’m Not Cheering the End of 2016
If you thought 2016 was bad, I have bad news: Buckle up. Hopefully 2017 won't bring the deaths of more beloved celebrities, and I doubt we'll see the killing of any more famous gorillas. But one element that made 2016 terrible isn't going anywhere. It's actually...
Russian Influence? Nyet!
The Year of ‘Post-Truth’
"Post-Truth." The Oxford English Dictionary named this its word of the year for 2016. This was a year when campaign lies — most, though not all, coming out of the Donald's mouth — were so numerous that fact checking became nearly impossible. Yes, each individual...
This Man May Be Trump’s Most Dangerous Cabinet Pick
President-elect Donald Trump recently picked Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions as his nominee for U.S. attorney general, a position that leads the Department of Justice and serves as the top law enforcement officer for the country. But even a cursory look at Sessions’...
Draining the Swamp: A How-To Guide
When President-elect Donald Trump talked about "draining the swamp," it evoked the way Bernie Sanders talks about how the system is rigged. Many Americans believe — with good reason — that powerful corporate lobbyists, elites, and other moneyed interests control the...
Conflict of Interest? Of Course Not.
On the Ground in Standing Rock
Beyond the protests, police crackdowns, and pipeline drama, what's it really like at Standing Rock, North Dakota? This October, I went to see for myself. Like many other Native and non-Native visitors, I went to support the Standing Rock Sioux's effort to keep the...
