Lawrence Ware of The Root uses a scene from the Michael Jackson biopic to examine the cultural, historical and religious roots of corporal punishment in Black families and why it is time to choose something different.
slavery
Posted inOpinion
We must accept our horrendous American past
As the Trump administration pressures the National Park Service to remove references to slavery and other injustices, this commentary argues that erasing the record won’t heal the nation. The iconic image of Gordon (“Whipped Peter”)—his back scarred by bondage—stands as indelible proof of a history that must be told fully and truthfully.
Posted inOpinion
So-called ‘Foundational Black Americans’ suffer from limited vision
The concept of “Foundational Black Americans” otherizes immigrants and people of African descent whose ancestors were never enslaved in the U.S., while ignoring the contributions of Marcus Garvey, Harry Belafonte, and others to the struggle for liberation and justice.
Posted inOpinion
Who protects the people from the human rights ‘protectors’?
The concept of human rights is a Western hoax that has been used to justify colonization and oppression, and to define who is human and deserving of rights while excluding non-Europeans.
Posted inOpinion
Reclaiming full-spectrum Black femininity
The “strong Black woman” stereotype, which has been perpetuated for centuries, has a dark side as it erases the complexity and vulnerability of Black women, and can contribute to mental health issues and a lack of authenticity.
Posted inNews
Honoring Black Americans’ role in the inception of Memorial Day
Commemorating Memorial Day with Black heroes in mind serves ensures that their stories are included and preserved within the broader narrative of the holiday.
Posted inOpinion
An unwinnable situation led to a racist Electoral College
The U.S. Constitution was created in 1787 as a compromise between the North and South, resulting in the 3/5ths Compromise.
Posted inNational, News
DeSantis board eliminates Walt Disney World’s diversity initiatives and jobs
The district, now under the control of DeSantis appointees, also eliminated jobs associated with those duties.
Posted inNational, News
Largest Black fraternity moves 2025 conference from Florida in response to state’s ‘racist’ curriculum
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., the nation’s largest and oldest Black fraternity, announced on Wednesday that it was relocating its 2025 conference from Orlando, Florida.
Posted inNational, News
DeSantis’ ‘war on woke’ looks a lot like attempts by other countries to deny and rewrite history
In his attempts to rewrite history, calls for a reckoning with America’s history of anti-Blackness are ridiculed as indoctrination, and bigotry gets repackaged as patriotism.
Posted inNational, News
Vice President Kamala Harris condemns new Florida Black history curriculum, calling it ‘propaganda’
‘They insult us in an attempt to gaslight us and we will not have it!’
Posted inNational, News
Florida Board of Education approves anti-Black history curriculum that teaches the ‘benefits’ of slavery
Critics argue that the new standards attempt to rewrite Black history in a deeply concerning manner.
Posted inNational, News
Honoring Black Americans’ role in the inception of Memorial Day
Commemorating Memorial Day with Black heroes in mind serves ensures that their stories are included and preserved within the broader narrative of the holiday.
Posted inOpinion
Support HF 93 to end the legacy of slavery for those convicted of a crime
It’s very rewarding to know that some of my fellow Minnesotans are also tired of the outdated language in the state’s Constitution.
Posted inArts + Culture, Television
Hulu’s ‘1619 Project’ docuseries puts slavery at heart of American history
The six-episode series, like the source material, spins a truth both ugly and beautiful at the same time.
Posted inArts + Culture, Movies
Movie Review: ‘Emancipation’ is a good idea poorly realized
This film is built around a former slave seen in a horrific photo whose back bore the scars of whippings and evil vestiges of slavery.
Posted inOpinion
Are African Americans truly free?
The result is two nations in one, with Whites’ overall living standards rivaling Canada’s or Western Europe, while Blacks live a life that is closer in quality to Mexico or Palestine.
Posted inOpinion
Right-wing efforts to erase history do not change the facts
Blotting out history to protect reputations or to prevent perceived criticism of races may be a feel-good exercise for some but it blurs reality and leads to ignorance.
Posted inNational, News
Bans on critical race theory could have a chilling effect on how educators teach about racism
‘How can a teacher in Iowa or Tennessee explain that the U.S. was not ‘fundamentally racist,’ yet at the time of its founding, race-based slavery was legal and stayed that way until after the Civil War?’
Posted inOpinion
Critical Race Theory and the debate over U.S. history
What is needed at this time is recognizing what has occurred in the past and how it has shaped our present reality.