The landscape of slavery and the number of people imprisoned expanded because structurally and politically the Constitution encouraged it.
Behind the News
Racist Principles: Slavery and the Constitution
Wilentz is wrong. The Constitution incorporated slavery into our national system of governance.
Black Politics and Global Struggles for Racial Justice
Why are some black activists and political leaders far less vocal about racial injustices outside U.S. borders? It wasn’t always the case.
Taking Women Seriously: Putting a Woman on U.S. Currency
Last night, some GOP presidential candidates struggled to name a single important American woman (besides their wives and mothers). Here are ten suggestions.
“A Troubled Past” and the Meanings of Breaking the Law
Black people have always lived in a nation of unequal laws, and the meanings of lawbreaking are different in particular contexts.
The Security State, COINTELPRO, and Black Lives Matter
A long history of government officials equating civil rights activism with subversion.
“When I Speak of This System”: Southern Heritage and the Grimké Sisters
The question remains: how should Confederate history be remembered?
Dylan Roof and the South African Flag
Looking at the history of twentieth-century South Africa could help Americans deal with a similarly troubling legacy.
Five Media Personalities Who Paved the Way for Jon Stewart
This week Jon Stewart says goodbye to The Daily Show after 16 years.
Tillman Is Still With Us
Ben Tillman reminds us that the defeat of the Confederacy was not the end of our reckoning with slavery.