August 27th, 2024
J. Pharoah Doss: Cherry-picking James Baldwin on his centennial
The prolific black writer James Baldwin was born on August 2, 1924, and would have turned 100 at the beginning of this month. Numerous publications commemorated Baldwin’s centennial and literary achievements. Baldwin died in 1987. By the turn of the century, literary enthusiasts held Baldwin in high regard, but the general public knew little about him. That changed in 2015, when Ta-Nehisi Coates published Between the World and Me. Coates’ work was inspired by James Baldwin’s letter to his nephew from his well-known 1963 essay collection, The Fire Next Time. After Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison dubbed Coates the “next … Continued
August 26th, 2024
Where Harris and Trump stand on cryptocurrencies — and how it could sway some American voters
Donald Trump speaks at the Bitcoin 2024 Conference in July 2024 in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) by Denis Schweizer, Concordia University and Juliane Proelss, Concordia University Donald Trump’s recent embrace of cryptocurrency at the Bitcoin 2024 conference in Nashville marks a significant shift from the former U.S. president’s earlier skepticism. Once a vocal critic, Trump now positions himself as a champion of digital assets, reflecting the broader convergence of politics and crypto in what is increasingly referred to as “PolitiFi.” But even though Trump’s pivot garnered significant attention, it’s essential to explore how stances on cryptocurrency regulation could influence some … Continued
August 25th, 2024
Jimmy Carter hopes to make it to 100th birthday to vote for Kamala Harris
Photo: Getty Images Former President Jimmy Carter said he wants to live to see his 100th birthday so he can vote for Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. Carter, who will turn 100 on October 1, has been in hospice care for roughly the past year and a half. In June, Carter’s grandson, Jason, told Southern Living that his 99-year-old grandfather was “no longer awake every day.” However, Jason recently told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that the former president has been “more alert and interested in politics and the war in Gaza” this month. Jason said Carter’s son, … Continued
August 24th, 2024
How Russian gender-based disinformation could influence the 2024 U.S. presidential election
Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign event in Raleigh, N.C., on Aug. 16, 2024. Harris is already a target of disinformation campaigns. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) by Owen Wong, Queen’s University, Ontario Most people have a general understanding of disinformation — false information that is intentionally created to cause harm. Disinformation becomes “gendered” when deliberately false information draws on common understandings of issues like masculinity, femininity and sexual violence. Although gender-based disinformation does not receive as much attention as race-based disinformation, it’s particularly dangerous because it taps into deep-seated beliefs about our own identities. Narratives about gender identity are … Continued
August 23rd, 2024
Democratic Party’s embrace of organized labor in 2024 elections has long roots that had started to wither
Delegates cheer during the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, 2024, in Chicago. AP Photo/Paul Sancya by Robert Forrant, UMass Lowell I wonder what my dad, a butcher and a die-hard union man, would think about the state of our country’s political affairs. Is it “Morning in America” as Ronald Reagan exclaimed? “American Carnage” as Donald Trump proclaimed? Or, do “we have nothing to fear but fear itself,” as Franklin D. Roosevelt put it? Unions in the automotive, steel, rubber and other industries played a powerful role in FDR’s 1936 reelection. According to a poster made during his administration, Roosevelt … Continued
Bishop William J. Barber II Shares His Thoughts About What He'd Like to See at The 2024 DNC
