Featured
More than 60 years later, Langston Hughes’ ‘Black Nativity’ is still a pillar of African American theater. By Dominic Taylor / The Conversation
During the end of every calendar year, a particular holiday performance pops up in African American communities and cultural centers across the nation. “Black Nativity” is a cherished cultural tradition to some and completely unknown to others.
One wonderful yet confounding thing about this show is that depending on where you see it, you will see significantly different productions – from Intiman Theatre in Seattle to Penumbra Theatre in St. Paul or the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston. Hughes’ desire to write “Black Nativity” was his attempt to reclaim the story of Jesus’ birth for African Americans – to show the son of God, the ultimate salvation, emerging from the Black community. American notions of Jesus were almost always depicted as white, with just a few exceptions. Hughes’ play, on the other hand, called for an entirely Black cast, including the mother and father of Jesus. Read more
Political / Social
The Real Reason Why Americans Approve of Trump’s Disastrous Transition. By Michael Tomasky / The New Republic
How is it possible that Americans are good with this corrupt cavalcade of unqualified extremists Trump is nominating?
People don’t really know about these Cabinet picks because average Americans just aren’t as read-in to the news as they once were. They watch the news on their phones in 30-second snippets. If they read, it’s headlines and social media posts, maybe. So they know, probably, that Trump nominated Dr. Oz to something or other. But do they know that he has a roughly $30 million financial stake in companies that will be doing business with the very Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that he is probably going to lead? I very much doubt it. Read more
Related: Trump Invites a Killer to His Luxury Box. By David Zirin / The Nation
Trump Picks Herschel Walker to Be Ambassador to the Bahamas. Chris Cameron / NYT
The president-elect tapped the former football star for the job two years after a failed run for a Senate seat in Georgia.
Mr. Walker has no previous diplomatic experience, and no obvious ties to the Bahamas, an island nation of about 400,000 people just off the coast of Florida. The United States has not had a permanent ambassador to the Bahamas in over a decade, with several nominees stuck in limbo because the Senate never acted on their appointments. Both of Mr. Trump’s nominees for ambassador to the Bahamas in his first term stalled out. Read more
Fears for civil rights as Trump taps Maga darling for key justice department role. By George Chidi / The Guardian
The history of the justice department’s civil rights division is the product of lynchings, aged patients dying of neglect, and police officers murdering people in the street. It is the legacy of Matthew Shepard and Breonna Taylor and Emmett Till. Rights leaders worry that Harmeet Dhillon could harm work into police misconduct, discrimination and hate crimes.
Trump plans to tap a loyalist whose civil rights résumé largely consists of culture-war battles over campus free-speech issues and attacks on diversity initiatives to helm the justice department’s civil rights division. The move puts at risk hundreds of active investigations, from police misconduct to employment and housing discrimination to abuses in jails and prisons. Read more
Kamala Harris grapples with her future in a wounded Democratic Party. By Ashley Parker and Maeve Reston / Wash Post
As questions loom about a run for president or governor, many Democrats do not blame Harris for her loss, but that doesn’t mean they want her to run again.
In the wake of her own 2024 loss, Vice President Kamala Harris and her allies are grappling with what her political future holds and debating whether the unofficial rule still applies — specifically, whether her first shot at the White House as the Democratic nominee should also be her only one, given the extraordinary circumstances of Harris’s 107-day sprint to Election Day. Read more
Related: Biden signs the ‘Shirley Chisholm Congressional Gold Medal Act’ on his way out of office. By
What Luigi Mangione and Daniel Penny Are Telling Us About America. By Caleb Brennan / The Nation
When social structures corrode, as they are doing now, they trigger desperate deeds like Mangione’s, and rightist vigilantes like Penny. After all, though they come from seemingly different philosophical places—and though the societal reaction to their actions has differed dramatically—there are similarities between Penny and Mangione.
Both are 26-year-old vigilantes who engaged in shocking public acts of violence. Their actions are very much open to partisan interpretation. The view of their conduct seems dependent on where you fall within the socioeconomic map. And though Mangione’s violence may feel more sympathetic than Penny’s, both are deeply entwined within the long history of American vigilantism—a history that has been detrimental to building relevant working-class politics. When social structures transition or corrode, as they are doing in the 21st century, they trigger deeds like Mangione’s or Penny’s—neither of which will satisfy the multitude of unresolved catastrophes that are unfolding. Read more
Racism is a public health issue. Here’s why. By Cara Anthony, Hannah Chinn, Emily Kwong and Rebecca Ramirez / NPR
Racism is often covered as a political, cultural or news story. But how is it affecting our health?
That’s the question that Cara Anthony, KFF News reporter, wanted to answer. And she wanted to answer it not just on an individual scale, but on a community-wide one – to examine the medical impact of trauma that moves through families and across generations, and how to treat it. So for the past few years, she’s been reporting on a small town in the Midwest that illustrates that health issue: Sikeston, Mo. Read more
Critical Race Theory Will Continue To Be Attacked — So Read These 8 Empowering Books By Black Authors. By
Here are my favorite books by Black authors that dropped in 2024.
Black storytellers have historically been our balm and compass, given their ability to help us make sense of the world on a macro level while ensuring we remain conscious of critical elements within our community. As we approach 2025, critical race theory will continue to be attacked, and young peoples’ access to pivotal books about the evolution of Black identity will be threatened. Read more
Black Student Enrollment at Harvard Law Drops by More Than Half. Stephanie Saul and Anemona Hartocollis / NYT
After a Supreme Court decision ended race-based admissions, some law schools saw a decline in Black and Hispanic students entering this fall. Harvard appeared to have the steepest drop.
Harvard Law enrolled 19 first-year Black students, or 3.4 percent of the class, the lowest number since the 1960s, according to the data from the American Bar Association. Last year, the law school’s first-year class had 43 Black students, according to an analysis by The New York Times. Read more
How This Poor Kid Grew up to Be a Billionaire and America’s Richest Black Person in 2024. By Phenix S. Halley / The Root
Raised in the segregated South, David L. Steward transformed himself into one of the most powerful Black man in the country.
IT entrepreneur David Steward is the wealthiest African American man in the nation. According to Forbes, his net worth is at a record $11.4 billion dollars, making him part of the only one percent of Black entrepreneurs or executives on the impressive list. The multi-billionaire has a true “rags to riches” story, but his fight and dedication to technology, family, and all people sets him apart from others in the business. This is the evolution of David L. Steward. Read more
World News
Will Trump let Putin get Ukraine’s $26 trillion in gas and minerals? By Mark A. Thiessen / Wash post (Image CNN)
Kyiv controls vast gas and mineral deposits. Does Trump want those flowing west, or to Russia and China?
Donald Trump often says that liberating Iraq without getting its oil resources was one of America’s biggest foreign policy blunders. He has a chance to avoid a similar mistake in Ukraine. Ukraine is not only the breadbasket of Europe; it is also a mineral superpower with some of the largest reserves of 117 of the 120 the most widely used minerals in the world. Of the 50 strategic minerals identified by the United States as critical to its economy and national security, many of which are quite rare yet key to certain high-value applications, Ukraine supplies 22. Read more
Related: Can Trump end the Ukraine war? He’s waffling on his promise. By Chris Brennan / USA Today
Trump Can Pull Us Back From the Nuclear Brink. The Editorial Board / NYT
This is an intercontinental ballistic missile the U.S. Air Force is launching off the shores of California. The missile doesn’t carry a nuclear warhead — it’s just a test. In 30 minutes, it will hit a target in the ocean over 4,000 miles away. On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will regain control of these weapons. And he’s getting them at a very volatile time in history. Shown is an atomic test.
In the United States, only the president can decide whether to use nuclear weapons. It’s an extraordinary instance in which Mr. Trump’s decision-making power will be absolute. He will not need to consult Congress, the courts or senior advisers on when or how to use them. He will have a free hand to craft our nation’s nuclear posture, policy and diplomacy. Read more
Pentagon warns of China’s rapid military buildup despite corruption. By Cate Cadell / Wash Post
A Pentagon report noted China’s modernization of nuclear weapons, air power and space assets, even after Beijing’s targeting of senior military officials.
Despite the impact of the crackdown, the Pentagon assesses that China has continued to make rapid advancements. Its arsenal of nuclear missiles has grown to over 600 as of May — up from around 200 in 2020 — putting it on track to exceed 1,000 by the end of the decade. The report assessed that the PLA has also increased the number of silo fields, now totaling more than 320 across remote desert sites in western China and Inner Mongolia. Read more
Ethics / Morality / Religion
The Catholic Church must learn hospitality to stem ‘Black exodus.’ By Tamika Royes / NCR
The church should be a welcoming space for all worshippers. Healthy parishes indicate a healthy Catholic community. However, in the majority of parishes (from my personal experience) it is a sad reflection that Black Catholics will rarely see images of Jesus, Mary and Joseph as Black people. Likewise, they are not likely to see artwork of Black Catholics as part of other images or statues. This is an issue that can be rectified.
On the interpersonal level, the opportunity to connect with fellow Catholics before and after Mass can be very meaningful. Hospitality, after all, is a charism. Given this, I can empathize with fellow Black Catholics who experience discomfort upon entering the average parish. There are stories wherein they, as individuals or families, attend Mass and are somewhat or entirely ignored, especially during the sign of peace. This is not how the early church behaved. Read more
Reversing the “weaponization of Christianity”: How “religous freedom” can be used to fight Trumpism. By Chauncey Devega / Salon
Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush on how some churches “created a permission structure for cruelty on a massive scale”
The Rev. Paul Brandeis Raushenbush is the president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance. An ordained Baptist minister, he works with affiliates, networks and leaders in Washington, D.C. and across the country to forge powerful alliances among people of diverse faiths and beliefs to build a resilient, inclusive democracy and uphold religious freedoms. In this conversation, Rev. Raushenbush reflects on his fears and finding hope in this time of uncertainty with Trump’s imminent return to power and what they will mean for marginalized communities and others deemed to be “the enemy within.” Read more
Related: I’m Done with the Pro-Trump Church—Good Works Are a Must. By Julie Nichols / Patheos
Historical / Cultural
Professor’s Research on ‘Sundown Towns’ Teaches About Racism. by
Fifty years ago, a college professor started studying communities that excluded Black people. His work is still helping us understand racism.
When sociologist James Loewen took his first academic position at Tougaloo College, he couldn’t have known the profound impact his work on sundown towns would have on the understanding of systemic racism. Decades later, his research continues to shed light on these racially exclusive communities, and his legacy endures at Tougaloo College, which maintains the only active database of sundown towns in the United States. This term refers to communities that, through formal laws or informal practices, prohibited Black individuals — and sometimes other marginalized groups — from living there, especially after sunset. Read more
National Film Registry inducts ‘Up in Smoke,’ ‘Mi Familia,’ and ‘American Me’ as part of record number of latino-led films. By
The Library of Congress chose “Spy Kids,” “Up in Smoke,” “Mi Familia,” “American Me” and “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” for preservation; here’s a look at them.
It’s the most inductions of this kind in a given year, according to Rep. Joaquín Castro, D-Texas, who’s been working to increase the number of Latino films chosen for preservation. In a statement, Castro said the films “tell complex and sometimes difficult stories, featuring Latinos as heroes and villains, hard-working immigrants and goofballs, space travelers and so much more. Together, these films represent a unique cross-section of Latino contributions to American cinema and showcase the talent Latinos bring to the screen.” Read more
RaMell Ross’ ‘Nickel Boys’ brings to life the notorious cruelty of a Southern reform school. By
Related: ‘Nickel Boys’ Refuses to Let Us Look Away From America’s Racist Past. By Joe George / The Progressive
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson makes Broadway debut. By Rachel Treisman / NPR
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson made her Broadway debut this weekend. She also made history as the first member of the nation’s highest court to grace its storied stage, according to the production that invited her.
Jackson appeared in a one-night-only walk-on role on Saturday night in the Tony-nominated romantic comedy musical & Juliet, a modern take on Shakespeare’s tragedy that imagines what would have happened if the female protagonist survived and took control of her own life. Read more
What ‘Wicked’ Has to Say About Our Current Political Moment. Salamishah Tillet / NYT
By breaking the story into two movies, the emphasis in “Part One” shifts to a nation’s potential decline into authoritarianism. Sound familiar? Jeff Goldblum as the Wizard of Oz and Michelle Yeoh as Madam Morrible in “Wicked: Part One.” The characters’ autocratic leanings are emphasized in this version.
In the big-screen adaptation of “Wicked,” Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) uses magic to defend her sister and unwittingly destroys a courtyard mural of the Wizard at Shiz University. When her outburst shatters the wall, it also unearths an image that has been intentionally covered up: the school’s original founders, animal professors whose ability to speak, teach humans, and organize politically posed a threat to the Wizard’s autocratic reign. Read more
He found unreleased Michael Jackson tapes. The world may never hear them. By Amber Ferguson / Wash Post
The discovery could offer a rare glimpse into Jackson’s music from the late ’80s and early ’90s, but legal hurdles may keep the tapes under wraps.
Gregg Musgrove got goose bumps as he listened to the King of Pop’s voice blasting through boom-box speakers in his home office. He had recently discovered a dozen unreleased Michael Jackson recordings in an abandoned storage unit, and he’d finally gotten the right equipment to play them. Read more
Sports
From Ali to Kaepernick, Nikki Giovanni understood the power of sport. By Kevin B. Blackistone / Wash Post
Poet Nikki Giovanni was drawn to athletic competition, which made her a fitting mentor to athletes at Virginia Tech.
She counted Muhammad Ali as “my friend,” she reminded D.C.’s Rock Newman several years ago on Newman’s radio show. She toured the country with Ali in the late ’60s and early ’70s when he was exiled from the ring. Before former Virginia Tech basketball player Taylor Emery accepted a recruiting invitation to visit the Hokies’ campus, she answered inquiries from the coaching staff about her broader interests. Writing, Emery said. Poetry. When she arrived in Blacksburg, her greeting party included Giovanni. Read more
Michael Vick says he will be the new head football coach at Norfolk State. By Ayana Archie / NPR
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick says he has accepted a head coaching position at Norfolk State University in Virginia.
“It’s an honor to announce that I’ll be the new head coach of Norfolk State University…looking forward to coming back home,” he said Tuesday on Facebook. Vick is a native of Newport News, Virginia, about 30 miles north of Norfolk. University officials did not confirm the deal Tuesday night, but the Virginian-Pilot, a newspaper between Norfolk and Newport News, reported that multiple sources said an introductory news conference would be held within a week. Read more
Joel Klatt Says Travis Hunter Wouldn’t Have Won Heisman Trophy Without One Key Factor. By JC Shelton / Athlon Sports
According to Klatt, Hunter would have never been in the position to win if he didn’t follow Deion Sanders to Colorado.
In an episode of “The Joel Klatt Show,” the former Colorado quarterback was posed a question about Sanders’ role in Hunter’s Heisman season. Would any other coach besides coach Prime have let Travis Hunter play two ways? “My answer is no. Could he have done this for any other coach? My answer is no,” he said. “This is what makes the entire situation unique and this is something that I think you need to hear from me. I’m around coaches all the time. This is my job. This is my life in a lot of ways, and I’m here to tell you Travis Hunter would not have done this anywhere else. He is one of one, and he’s playing for a guy who’s one of one.” Read more
NFL Stands Firm Amid DEI Blowback. By A. J. Perez / Front Office Sports
As corporate America turns away from its focus on DEI, the NFL has no plans to roll back to pause its diversity initiatives.
As Walmart, Ford, Boeing, and other companies have scaled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion policies in recent months amid backlash from conservatives, the latest front office accelerator program—one aimed at increasing minority and women representation in front offices around the league—took place as scheduled at the NFL’s winter meeting this week. “We didn’t get into this because it was a trend, and we’re not getting out of it because it’s a trend,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said after the latest league meetings concluded Wednesday. “We’re in it because it makes the NFL better.” Read more (Editor’s note: Does this mean recruiting more White players?)
Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, the first out gay active professional male tennis player, was just posting a selfie. By Matthew Futterman and Charlie Eccleshare / The Athletic
Saturday, December 7, Joao Lucas Reis da Silva, a 24-year-old professional tennis player, did about the most normal thing anyone does these days. He posted a couple selfie on Instagram.
It was his partner’s birthday, so he posted a sweet carousel of them posing by the water in Rio de Janeiro. “I love you so much,” he wrote. The post made him a trailblazer — the first out gay active professional male tennis player — but he was just wishing his partner a happy birthday. The women’s tennis tour has had numerous out gay players, including all-time greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, who won 98 Grand Slam titles between them across singles and doubles. Read more
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