Salim Muwakkil
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The ‘Post-Racial’ President
Barack Obama navigates a world where color still matters. more
vol. 33, iss. 09 obama, race
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Government-Assisted Terrorists
On May 20, federal and New York City authorities arrested four men on charges of plotting domestic terrorist attacks.… more
vol. 33, iss. 07
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The Irony of Obama’s Boycott
America's first black president refused to attend a U.N. conference on racism. more
web only international, obama
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African-Americans Back Burris
The African-American community's unified efforts to retain Roland Burris as the lone black U.S. senator has chastened national Democrats,… more
vol. 33, iss. 04 congress, politics, race
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Will Holder Hold Cops Accountable?
Eric Holder, the first African-American attorney general, takes over a Department of Justice (DOJ) that has been AWOL in… more
vol. 33, iss. 03 civil rights, criminal justice, race
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Justice for Jon Burge’s Victims?
U.S. Attorney Patrick J. Fitzgerald dominates the news these days for his arrest and probe of Illinois Gov. Rod… more
vol. 33, iss. 02 criminal justice, race
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Al Qaeda Plays the Malcolm Card
When media reports emerged that al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, disparaged President-elect Barack Hussein Obama as a… more
vol. 33, iss. 01
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Proud of Obama … For Now
Barack Hussein Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States on Nov. 4. What was once a… more
vol. 32, iss. 12 elections, obama, race
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An Exemplar of Reconciliation
Almost unnoticed, Imam W.D. Mohammed died of heart disease and diabetes on Sept. 9 in his modest home in… more
vol. 32, iss. 11 race, religion
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The War We Won’t Talk About
The war on drugs has gotten little traction during this presidential campaign. The last time it was even mentioned… more
vol. 32, iss. 10 drugs, elections, race
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Getting Messy With Jesse Helps Obama
I find it hard to believe that the Rev. Jesse Jackson was unaware the Fox News mic was hot… more
vol. 32, iss. 09
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Chicago’s Olympic Dreams Undeserved
Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley has set his sights on winning the gold for his city. The International Olympic… more
vol. 32, iss. 08
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Israel’s Openly Secret Nukes
Foes of nuclear proliferation got two disturbing bits of news last month. One was the May 26 report by… more
vol. 32, iss. 07
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The Vendetta Against Black Men
Despite the rise of Sen. Barack Obama, black men remain in the bull's-eye of governmental repression and police brutality.… more
vol. 32, iss. 06
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A Speech Even Condi Could Love
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice recently called race-based slavery a "birth defect" that still troubles our nation. Her words… more
vol. 32, iss. 05
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The Man or the Movement
In writing a book about Harold Washington, Chicago's first black mayor, I wondered whether it was the people or… more
vol. 32, iss. 04
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How Black is Obama?
How can racism still be a problem if so many white Americans are willing to support a black man… more
vol. 32, iss. 03
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Nas: Whose Word Is This?
The rapper Nas has thrust the word "nigger" back into the limelight by making it the title of his… more
vol. 32, iss. 02
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Come on Cosby, Stop Hatin’
Cosby makes blanket indictments of an entire class of black people and offers only exhortations from the sidelines more
vol. 32, iss. 01 race
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Harold Washington Remembered
Washington's candidacy forged political unity among Chicago's notoriously fractious black community and helped bring the city's feuding Latino groups (including Mexicans and Puerto Ricans) together more
vol. 31, iss. 12 race
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Jena and the Post-Civil Rights Fallacy
Around the country, black males face a criminal justice system that incarcerates them more than eight times the rate of whites more
vol. 31, iss. 11 civil rights, race, social justice
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Smearing Israel’s Critics
Former DePaul professor Finkelstein joins a growing list of academics censored for criticizing the Holy Land's foreign policy more
vol. 31, iss. 10 censorship, middle east
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The Counterproductive War on Gangs
The conclusion of the report, "Gang Wars: The Failure of Enforcement Tactics and the Need for Effective Public Safety Strategies," persuasively argues that punitive policies of policing that specifically target gangs increase rather than decrease gang violence more
vol. 31, iss. 09 prison, race
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The Squandering of Obama
Political masterminds have transformed the candidate from a political visionary into an electoral product like every other presidential aspirant more
vol. 31, iss. 08 elections, race
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Entrapping Inflated Threats
Terrorist "plots" exposed by the administration have been notable for their lack of credible threat and the whiff of political opportunism more
vol. 31, iss. 07 intelligence, national security, terrorism
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Entrapping Inflated Threats
Was the terrorist plot to blow up JFK Airport a threat or a joke? more
vol. 31, iss. 07 conspiracies, government, national security
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Blaming Hip-Hop for Imus
Instead of blaming rappers for vulgarity, social resources should be channeled to combat the conditions that create those lyrics more
vol. 31, iss. 01 art, media, race
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Globalism with Combat Boots
The United States launched a deadly air attack against Somalia last February, using the war on terror as a… more
vol. 31, iss. 05 africa, military, military
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Slavery and the State of Denial
On Feb. 24, Virginia's state assembly voted unanimously to express "profound regret" for the state's role in slavery. Legislators… more
vol. 31, iss. 04 race
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For Israel’s Sake
The more we examine the disaster that is the Bush administration's Middle East policy, the more apparent becomes the… more
vol. 31, iss. 03 middle east, war on terror, weapons
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Baracks Black Dilemma
The day after the national celebration of King Day, Sen. Barack Hussein Obama (D-Ill.) announced he was forming a… more
vol. 31, iss. 02 elections, race
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The Caracas Consensus
Hugo Chávez's landslide reelection on December 3 reinforced Latin America's status as the primary outpost of opposition to the… more
vol. 31, iss. 01 elections, south america
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The CBC and Speaker Pelosi
Progressive members of the Congresssional Black Caucus poised to chair committees, meanwhile "Blue Dog" and "New" Democrats pulling the party to the center. more
vol. 30, iss. 12 elections, politics, race
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Farrakhan Steps Back
Farrakhan's failing health causes the Nation of Islam to look to the future. more
vol. 30, iss. 11 activism, race, social justice
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The Neocons Lexicon
Republican term "Islamofacism" conflates the war on terro as a battle between the Enlightenment and Theocracy. more
vol. 30, iss. 10 politics, religion, war, war on terror
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Corporal Punishments Hidden Costs
Corporal punishment of children linked to later interpersonal violence. more
web only civil rights, medical & health, race
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The Reparations Bandwagon
Hurricane Katrina opens eyes to the need for reparations to repair the race/class divide. more
vol. 30, iss. 09 politics, race
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Police Torture and the Need for Repair
Special prosecutors Edward Egan and Robert Boyle report that Chicago Police led by Commander Jon Burge likely tortured dozens. more
web only corruption, criminal justice, government, race
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A Terrifying Distraction
Government entrapment leads to the unlawful arrest of seven Hatian men falsely accused of terrorist actvity. more
vol. 30, iss. 08 civil liberties, government, race, terrorism
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The Persecution of the American Taliban?
John Walker Lindh was misunderstood and mislabeled as an "American Taliban." more
web only civil liberties, race, religion, war on terror
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Black Politics Paradigm Paradox
The recent elections of Cory Booker and Ron Dellums display two divergent philosophies of progressive government more
web only elections, politics, race
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Diplomatic Hypocrisy in the Middle East
In May, President George W. Bush and an adoring Congress offered lavish support for a unilateral plan by Israel… more
vol. 30, iss. 07 elections, international, middle east, politics
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Science: The Drug Wars Latest Victim
The war on drugs is an attack on rationality. Reason lost yet another skirmish recently when the Food and… more
vol. 30, iss. 06 criminal justice
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Black Men: The Crisis Continues
Why Salim Muwakkil just can’t stop writing about black men’s plight
morevol. 30, iss. 05 race
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The Israel Lobby and its Discontents
A working paper by John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago and Stephen Walt of Harvard University, titled "The… more
web only international
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The Battle for Fred Hampton Way
In early February, Chicago Ald. Madeline Haithcock proposed to name one city block in honor of Fred Hampton, the… more
vol. 30, iss. 04 race
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The Kanye West Effect
Unlike many in my demographic cohort, I don't hate rap. In fact, I consider hip-hop the most important musical… more
web only
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Islam vs. the West: Clashing Sensibilities
Were it plausible, I would suggest that al Qaeda and American neo-conservatives planted the cartoons published last fall in… more
vol. 30, iss. 03 religion
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Black History Month Matters
While reading an interesting story in the New York Observer about the overwhelming whiteness of the magazine industry, I… more
vol. 30, iss. 02 race
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Reflections on Tookie’s Execution
Last month's execution of Stanley Tookie Williams is part of a grotesque revenge ritual that likely will deepen the… more
web only criminal justice
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What’s the 411 on 9/11?
In early December, the 9/11 Public Discourse Project--a private group formed by 9/11 Commission members after their official term… more
vol. 30, iss. 01
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Torture in the Homeland
Torture is much in the news these days. "We do not torture," President George Bush declared last month, after… more
web only civil liberties
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Jump-Starting a Movement
Many participants returned from the Millions More Movement event in Washington D.C. convinced that the October 15 rally was… more
vol. 29, iss. 26 race
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Give Me Cognitive Liberty
Psychoactive drugs offer access to varied states of consciousness; restriction of this access is a fundamental form of repression.… more
vol. 29, iss. 04 criminal justice
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Katrina, Cosby and Class Divisions
Hurricane Katrina made clear that poverty and blackness remain too intertwined to be coincidental. But while too many black… more
web only economy, race
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Accepting the Slurs
How do black players on the NFL's Washington Redskins reconcile their team spirit with the racial slur that is… more
vol. 29, iss. 22 race
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Katrinas Racial Wake
Hurricane Katrina and its disastrous aftermath have stripped away the Mardi Gras veneer and casino gloss of the Gulf… more
web only administration, environment, race
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Keep the Voting Rights Act Alive
Extraordinary remedies are still required to protect minority enfranchisement more
web only congress, race
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So Very Sorry
Occasionally I speak publicly about the racial disparities that afflict the prison-industrial complex. I often end my talks with… more
vol. 29, iss. 18 criminal justice, race
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Black Men: Missing
The overwhelming absence of Black men has always been one of the most distressing facts about life in America's… more
vol. 29, iss. 16 race
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Millions More Amassing
The Republican Party's "full spectrum dominance" of the national government and most of the corporate media has produced an… more
vol. 29, iss. 14 activism, race
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Black Clergy Rebuff Bush
During the run-up to the U.S. invasion of Iraq, the Rev. Al Sampson helped to organize Chicago’s Black Mobilization… more
vol. 29, iss. 13 administration, race
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The GOPs Quest for Color
Insistent complaints from right-wing pundits about the media’s liberal bias have been effective. Now even the most extreme right-wing… more
vol. 29, iss. 12 politics, race
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The Clash of the Cults
The war on terrorism declared by the United States on radical Islamists is little more than a proxy battle… more
vol. 29, iss. 09
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The Persistent Taint
This is the time of year when the subject of race is almost mandatory for a black commentator. The… more
vol. 29, iss. 07
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Gary Webb, Word Warrior
In September 1998, Esquire ran an article chronicling the sad saga of investigative journalist Gary Webb, who had uncovered… more
vol. 29, iss. 04
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A Unified Front
Three days after the reelection of President George W. Bush further marginalized the African-American community, two of black America’s… more
vol. 29, iss. 01 politics, race, social justice
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Cornel West: Public Intellectual
Cornel West may be America’s best-known public intellectual. He’s a professor of religion at Princeton University, where he has… more
vol. 28, iss. 25 education, politics
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The Right Choice for Terror
President George Bush is “the best recruiting sergeant ever for al Qaeda,” said Sir Ivor Roberts, the British ambassador… more
vol. 28, iss. 24
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Black Muslims and the Sudan
It has taken a genocide in Darfur, where hundreds of thousands have been killed in a brutal campaign of… more
vol. 28, iss. 23
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Keyes’ Ideological Quest
Alan Keyes, the conservatives’ black attack dog, has been dispatched to Illinois to sully the image of Barack Obama,… more
vol. 28, iss. 21
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The Best and Worst of Times
Barack Obama wowed them with his speech during the Democratic National Convention. Not only is he likely to make… more
vol. 28, iss. 20
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Prioritize Civil Rights
Democrats need to redress the social and economic inequalities expressed in the United States’ foreign and domestic policies more
vol. 28, iss. 18
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Hip-Hop Cops
“Police Secretly Watching Hip-Hop Artists” read the headline of the Miami Herald article that put the spotlight on a… more
vol. 28, iss. 17 race, social justice
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Black Journalisms Bright Light
Vernon Jarrett, who died on May 23, was a black journalist who covered the African-American story so doggedly he… more
vol. 28, iss. 16 media, race, social justice
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Dungeons and Demons
Among the questions raised by the spiraling scandal of U.S. abuse at Iraq’s Abu Ghraib prison is this one:… more
vol. 28, iss. 15 civil liberties, war in iraq
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McKinney Rises Again
Cynthia McKinney’s March 29 announcement that she would run for her old congressional seat gave a shot of electoral… more
vol. 28, iss. 14 elections, politics, race, social justice
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The Blame Game
Heightened public interest in the workings of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks Upon the United States, better known… more
vol. 28, iss. 12 administration, international, middle east
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Shades of 1983
As I surveyed the throng gathered March 16 in Chicago’s Hyatt Hotel to celebrate the primary victory of Illinois… more
vol. 28, iss. 11 elections, politics
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The International Wrong
The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) seems to be the only governmental body concerned about the Bush administration’s controversial role… more
vol. 28, iss. 10 administration, elections, international, politics, race, social justice, south america
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The End of Third World Solidarity?
The Bush administration has been a disaster for America’s global image. Its cavalier dismissal of international treaties and diplomacy… more
vol. 28, iss. 09 activism, international, politics, race, social justice
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Homegrown Terrorists
When the deadly toxin ricin was found February 3 in the mailroom of Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.),… more
vol. 28, iss. 08 technology
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Reparations Suit Leaves Opening
Chicago has become the de facto center of the slavery reparations movement. Alderman Dorothy Tillman organized the first national… more
vol. 28, iss. 07
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Racist Slurs Taint U.S. Sports
The sports media spoke in a unified voice of praise in January when Joe Gibbs was named new coach… more
vol. 28, iss. 06
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Assessing Sharpton
The Rev. Al Sharpton already has won his race. The New York-based activist ostensibly is one of the nine… more
vol. 28, iss. 04
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Farrakhan and the Beefs of Rap
Television viewers could be forgiven for rubbing their eyes in dismay when they happened upon a conversation between Minister… more
vol. 28, iss. 03
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Worthy of the Land of Lincoln
Barack Obama has emerged out of Chicago’s boisterous mix of black and progressive politics as a candidate who just… more
vol. 28, iss. 01
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Racial Bias Still Haunts Media
The fight to contain the monopolistic impulses of the corporate media has galvanized media activists. Their efforts have borne… more
vol. 27, iss. 26
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The Bushite Strategy ...
A September report by the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that more than 1.3 million additional Americans fell into poverty… more
vol. 27, iss. 24
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The GOP’s Texas Power Grab
One of the major goals of the “southern strategy” pioneered by the Republican Party during the 1968 presidential campaign… more
vol. 27, iss. 23
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The Devil and Daniel Pipes
The Bush administration’s war on terrorism has done little so far but increase the ranks of potential terrorists. And… more
vol. 27, iss. 22
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The Summer of Civil Rights
The four major civil rights organizations—the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the National Urban League… more
vol. 27, iss. 21 civil liberties, race, social justice
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Intelligence Report
One of the most under-reported findings of the joint congressional inquiry into the suicide hijackings of 9/11, published July… more
vol. 27, iss. 20 administration, congress, war in iraq
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Affirmative Denial
One of the primary reasons I support the congressional bill to study the feasibility of reparations for the descendants… more
vol. 27, iss. 18 civil liberties, congress, judiciary, race, social justice
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The End of Race?
I’m not sure if many Americans have noticed, but the concept of race has taken some devastating hits in… more
vol. 27, iss. 17 media, race, social justice
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Neocon Convergences
A funny thing happened while following the money trail of the neoconservatives who have hijacked U.S. foreign policy. The… more
vol. 27, iss. 16 politics, race, social justice
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Biowar and the Apartheid Legacy
Just as the threat of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction now seems a neocon-concocted mirage, word has begun leaking… more
vol. 27, iss. 15 africa, technology
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The Progressive War
Among the many effects of the terrorism attacks of September 11, 2001, was the ideological shift they provoked among… more
vol. 27, iss. 14 international, politics
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Throwing Away the Key
The Department of Homeland Security, the new cabinet post with the Teutonic inflection, was created last January to assuage… more
vol. 27, iss. 13 civil liberties, judiciary, race, social justice
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