At the July 9 White House Africa summit, Trump’s remarks — including “beautiful English” to Liberia’s president — were condemned as disrespectful. Critics urge African leaders to demand dignity and sovereignty.
Opinion
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Voting Rights at 60 still under attack
Sixty years after the Voting Rights Act, voter suppression persists. From felony disenfranchisement to restrictive laws, the fight for democracy continues.
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The Endangerment Finding stands between us and disaster
Mustafa Ali warns that dismantling the Endangerment Finding would strip protections against climate pollution, with devastating impacts for vulnerable communities.
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Prison must be a place of last resort
Zhi Kai H. Vanderford, incarcerated for nearly 40 years, says prison is no longer about rehabilitation — it’s a failed system that devastates families and communities.
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State-run prison labor monopoly lacks accountability
An MCF-Rush City inmate exposes how state-run MINNCOR Industries profits off inflated prices, canceled fundraisers, and unpaid labor—leaving incarcerated Minnesotans struggling to afford basic needs.
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Rush City is Minnesota’s newest failing prison
An MCF-Rush City inmate says Minnesota’s newest level 4 prison is overcrowded, understaffed, and unsafe. He calls for legislative oversight.
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The MLK files endgame: Erase the man, then erase the holiday
The release of over 230,000 FBI files on Dr. King isn’t about truth — it’s about erasure. These coordinated attacks are designed to unravel civil rights progress and silence Black history. We must resist.
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When a piece of paper becomes a barrier to freedom
For over a year, Minnesota inmates have been unable to buy typing paper — essential for legal filings, education, and religious coursework. Andrew Krosch exposes how a simple failure to bag paper reflects a much larger systemic problem.
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Give people what they need to fight for racial justice
Talking about race can spark progress—or backlash. That’s why understanding racial equity is like takeoff: it takes strategy, patience, and stages. This piece outlines how to meet people where they are and keep moving forward.
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Job Corps’ suspension is a devastating betrayal
The sudden closure of all 121 Job Corps centers in May 2025 displaced more than 25,000 youth, many of whom had already survived foster care, homelessness, or unstable homes. This piece explores how the shutdown sent a devastating message — that even systems designed to help can disappear without warning.
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What Ida B. Wells would say about Trump and Epstein
Ida B. Wells didn’t whisper. She published. If she were here today, she’d demand the Epstein files be unsealed and the full truth brought into the light. Because there is no justice without truth—and no healing without reckoning.
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Concentration camps like Trump’s are not new to the U.S.
Trump’s mass deportation plan has drawn comparisons to concentration camps—but the U.S. has long operated systems of confinement and control. This isn’t unprecedented. It’s rooted in American history.
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The main reason this year’s Essence Festival flopped
This year’s Essence Festival left many Black American attendees feeling unseen, as a shift toward Pan-African themes and poor planning drew criticism. Can the cultural mainstay bounce back?
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I loved Essence Fest, but it doesn’t love us back
Once a beloved sisterhood experience, Essence Fest now feels like a corporate hustle. Sheletta Brundidge says the festival’s soul is gone — and so are the women who made it magical.
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Black folks take note: It’s not just about immigrants
Black folks may think immigration raids don’t impact them — but they do. From surveillance creep to ICE detaining U.S. citizens, we’re already in the fight. And silence won’t save us.
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Why Black fathers must speak up about autism
After his daughter was diagnosed with autism, one Black father found himself on a journey of advocacy, community building, and leadership. Now he’s calling for a cultural shift that centers support, policy change, and the voices of Black parents.
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Black Americans face unequal burden as U.S. inches closer to war
Black Americans are often overrepresented in combat roles and underrepresented in leadership. As war looms, experts warn of unequal risks and lasting consequences.
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Congressional Black Caucus Challenges Target on Diversity
Target is grappling with worsening financial and reputational fallout as the national selective buying and public education program launched by the Black Press of America and other national and local leaders continue to erode the retailer’s sales and foot traffic.
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MN liberalism no less than conservatism, is a failed ideology
In this searing excerpt from Black Agenda Report, Jon Jeter examines the killing of Minnesota Rep. Melissa Hortman and the state’s failure to reckon with rising white male violence and its own political shift to the right.
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Reclaiming Juneteenth in a time of backlash
Cicley Gay of BLM reflects on Juneteenth as a celebration of Black joy and a call to resist erasure. “Freedom includes the right for everyone to play, to dream, and to live fully.”