The Underground Railroad (Oprah’s Book Club): A Novel by Colson Whitehead
From prize-winning, bestselling author Colson Whitehead, a magnificent tour de force chronicling a young slave’s adventures as she makes a desperate bid for freedom in…
Book/Podcast and Video Favorites
Watch “Gil Scott Heron – Message to the Messengers” on YouTube
A powerful message from a powerful voice. Very profound and an excellent point that needed to be made. Surprised it was given such little attention….
Sometimes it takes an outsider to crystallize America’s enduring racism – Max Bearak / Wash Post
A U.N. official just spent 17 days traveling across the United States, and what a 17 days it was. As we’re accustomed to U.N. officials doing…
The Black History of the White House by Clarence Lusane
The Black History of the White House presents the untold history, racial politics, and shifting significance of the White House as experienced by African Americans, from…
Michelle Obama’s entire Democratic convention speech / CNN
Across the political spectrum, observers agree, “she nailed it.” During her speech she talked about raising her daughters under the spotlight of the White House…
Past Voices – Full text of A memorial discourse; by Henry Highland Garnet, delivered to the US Congress,1865
The 38th Congress took action on one of America’s most enduring and vexatious issue on January 21, 1864 by passing the 13th Amendment to the…
Nixon’s Mark on Republican Convention – Robin Lindsay and Dave Horn / NYT Video
As Donald J. Trump seeks to position himself as a “law and order” candidate, there are echoes of Richard Nixon, a candidate who sought to…
Leave it to an 8th-grader to explain his “white boy privilege” better than most adults – German Lopez / Vox
Leave it to an eighth-grader to explain a concept that many adults still struggle with. For a contest at his school in Atlanta back in…
Cornel West: Justice and Accountability are Necessary to End Tension over Killings by Police – Cornell West / Democracy Now
We discuss the killing of three police officers in Baton Rouge and the recent nationwide protests against police brutality with Cornel West. Cornel West is…
ESPYs: NBA Stars Say ‘Shoot-to-Kill Mentality Has to Stop’ – Elias Leight / Rolling Stone
Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade call for action to stop gun violence. Watch the video here.
Watch: a Republican senator’s personal speech on his experience with police as a black man – German Lopez / Vox
A common response to the outcry over police misconduct is to almost immediately blame the victim – he had a criminal record, he didn’t listen…
Khalil Gibran Muhammad on Our Crisis of Racial Justice – A Discussion with Bill Moyers
Bill speaks with scholar Khalil Gibran Muhammad about white supremacy in America and the power of what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the “unarmed truth.”…
Past Voices – The Destiny of the People of Color by James McCune Smith (1813-1865)
The Destiny of the People of Color, is part of a larger collection of the works of James McCune Smith, black intellectual and abolitionist, edited…
Our Recommended List of Books Bearing on Race. Race Inquiry Staff
As has been poignantly said by many social observers and scholars, race is an integral part of America’s DNA. Below are some of what we…
Past Voices – The Claims of the Negro Ethnologically Considered – Frederick Douglass
An address before the literary societies of Western Reserve College, at commencement, July 12, 1854. Touch the bottom of the document for additional pages.
These Americans Have Never Seen a White President – Here’s how they feel about it – Jennifer Velez / Mother Jones
In 2009, Barack Obama was sworn into office as the 44th president of the United States. While the upcoming presidential election could be the first…
White Rage : The Unspoken Truth of Our Racial Divide by Carol Anderson
As Ferguson, Missouri, erupted in August 2014, and media commentators across the ideological spectrum referred to the angry response of African Americans as “black rage,”…
Past Voices – ‘Lift ev’ry voice and sing:’ Honoring an anthem and its author – Denise Oliver Velez / Daily Kos
The month of June marks both the birth and death of a key black figure in American history: James Weldon Johnson. This is a beautifully written…
From #BlackLivesMatter to Black Liberation by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor
Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York City have challenged the impunity with which officers of the law carry out violence against Black people…
Words of Obama’s Father Still Waiting to Be Read by His Son – Rachel Swarns / NYT
The archivist stumbled across the file in a stack of boxes on the second floor of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in…
“Art is dangerous”: Ta-Nehisi Coates, Toni Morrison, and Sonia Sanchez in conversation – Constance Grady / Vox
On June 15, the Stella Adler Studio of Acting presented the Marlon Brando Award to Ta-Nehisi Coates, Toni Morrison, and Sonia Sanchez. But before the…
Germans and Jews Documentary Trailer / You Tube
Review: ‘Germans & Jews,’ a New Generation Continues a Difficult Conversation – Ken Jaworowski / NYT Don’t expect simple answers in “Germans & Jews.” Just…
Australian comedian perfectly sums up why other countries think US gun laws are crazy – Zack Beauchamp / Vox
The assault on the Pulse gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, is officially the deadliest mass shooting in American history — with 50 people dead (including…
Eulogies for Muhammed Ali – A President, A Comedian, A Black Preacher / You Tube
Former President Bill Clinton has never been better. View here. Billy Crystal has never been funnier. View here Dr. Kevin Cosby delivers incredible speech. View…
Past Voices – Shirley Chisholm (1924 – 2005) – Unbought and Unbossed / You Tube
The first woman to run for the Democratic presidential nomination. View the Video Shirley Anita St. Hill Chisholm (November 30, 1924 – January 1, 2005)…
Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome by Joy DeGruy Leary
While African Americans managed to emerge from chattel slavery and the oppressive decades that followed with great strength and resiliency, they did not emerge unscathed….
John Legend Reads Muhammad Ali’s 1966 Antiwar Speech: “The Real Enemy of My People is Right Here” – Democracy Now
Music legend John Legend reads Muhammad Ali’s speech against the Vietnam War in 1966. “Why should they ask me to put on a uniform and…
Past Voices – James McCune Smith (1813 – 1865) – Black Intellectual and Abolitionist / John Stauffer
Although many twenty-first century readers are aware of his work only through his introduction to Frederick Douglass’s My Bondage and My Freedom, Dr. James McCune…