1. Americans Have Given Up on Public School. That’s a Mistake.
“Unfortunately, the current debate’s focus on individual rights and choices has distracted many politicians and policy makers from a key stakeholder: our nation as a whole. As a result, a cynicism has taken root that suggests there is no hope for public education. This is demonstrably false. It’s also dangerous.”
2. The Faithful Witness of Edie Windsor
Edith Windsor, the plaintiff in a landmark case for LGBTQ rights, died at the age of 88 this week. Here’s what her legacy means to people of faith.
3. Jemele Hill and the Fight for the Future of ESPN
“There’s a certain crop of people who’s not trying to see ESPN get more ethnic, more gender-balanced. ... As a discredit to all of us, they use words like too ‘liberal’ or too ‘politically correct.’ As if there’s ever been this widespread movement in television to just give black people and women shows. No, it’s been the exact opposite.” —Jemele Hill
4. Bodega Isn’t Just Bad Branding. It’s Bad Business.
In this week’s (righteous) Twitter outrage: Ill-conceived startup that would drive business away from independent convenience stores and, while appropriating the name, into unmanned glorified vending machines in your apartment lobby. ::facepalm emoji::
5. What Should You Do When Your Church Does Not Condemn Hatred?
A Q&A with #EmptythePews creator and important conversation on whether to leave (along with your support) or stay and encourage change.
6. Reckoning with Trauma 16 Years Later
“We know very little about how racial justice activists, including those who work on post 9/11 issues, absorb and address trauma. … What is the impact of witnessing and managing racial violence and bigotry on our psyches and bodies?”
7. Can the Incarceration of Japanese Americans Shed Light on Today’s Immigration Questions?
“… this story informs the conversations that are going on today about how we treat people whom we think of as looking like the enemy — people we think might not be able to assimilate into American culture. That really plays upon exactly the same kind of racism and fear that eventually resulted in incarcerating [those with] Japanese ancestry during World War II.”
8. Here’s Why Getting Rid of Unenforceable Racial Housing Covenants Matters
Throughout the country, land deeds have covenants banning non-whites from living there — vestiges from the Jim Crow era. Enforcing these covenants has since been ruled illegal, but the language remains. Here, the Baltimore Sun editorial board takes aim at them.
9. Betsy DeVos Signals Rollback of Obama Policies on Campus Sexual Assault
While calling for a public comment period, DeVos said the Obama-era guidance — which ensures every school has a Title IX coordinator and office to investigate discrimination and assault claims — has “run amok” on campuses.
10. How Long Has America Been Burning?
A poem —
“Since the beginning of the year
I've had a fear of flying.
So much white anger in the air. …”
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