Featured
Former President Jimmy Carter Dies At 100. By and
Atlanta business man, Jessie Hill, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Sr. (center), and Democratic presidential candidate Jimmy Carter (right) embrace during a campaign rally where King declared, “I love and believe in him,” in Atlanta, on April 13, 1976. The Associated Press
“My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love,” the ex-president’s son Chip Carter said in a statement. “My brothers, sister and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs.” Read more
Related: Jimmy Carter’s Life Was One Big Trust Exercise. By Carlos Lozada / NYT
Related: How Jimmy Carter Lost Evangelical Christians to the Right. By Chris Lehmann / The Nation
Political / Social
Donald Trump Is The New Republic’s 2024 Scoundrel of the Year. By Alex Shephard / The New Republic
If we’re being honest, he deserves this ignominy every year. But after Trump dodged justice this year and nonetheless won the presidency, we cannot responsibly give this “award” to anyone else.
Trump is not just as bad as he’s ever been; he’s somehow worse. That’s why, after five years of denying him this ignominy, we have decided to finally award Trump our Scoundrel of the Year. (Well, Time magazine also gave us no choice.) Read more
Elon Musk’s X Endgame. By Ali Breland / The Atlantic
The world’s richest man has become a new kind of oligarch.
The $44 billion that Musk spent on X has done wonders for Musk’s ambitions. As far and away the wealthiest man in the world, and the owner of one of the most influential platforms for shaping political discourse, Musk has achieved an advantage that outstrips the standards of normal oligarchs. Thanks to X, he has the ability—perhaps second only to Trump’s—to design America’s political reality. Read more
Related: The GOP Is Treating Musk Like He’s in Charge. By Charles Sykes / The Atlantic
Related: Elon Musk Is Already Scamming Washington. By Timothy Noah / TNR
‘The first to sue’: Opposing Trump’s desire to end birthright citizenship is personal for this attorney general. By Lawrence Hurley / NBC News
The son of immigrants is among 23 Democratic attorneys general likely to be regularly suing the incoming Trump administration over contentious policies.
Tong, 51, a Democrat who has served as the state’s top legal official since 2019, is the son of immigrants who came to the United States from China and Taiwan. He is the first member of his family to have been born on U.S. soil and is the first Asian American to be elected to statewide office in Connecticut. The fight over birthright citizenship might be one that challengers have a good chance of winning, even with a conservative Supreme Court that includes three justices appointed by Trump. Read more
Related: As you consider Kash Patel, remember J. Edgar Hoover’s Cointelpro. By Colbert I. King / Wash Post
Where Did DEI Come From? Here’s What You Need to Know. By J. Brian Charles / The Chronicle of Higher Ed
Roland Smith, of Rice U., and William B. Harvey (right), a founder of the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education, at the group’s 2010 annual meeting.
The current political storms hovering over DEI hark back to the inception of diversity, equity, and inclusion work on college campuses. DEI was formed and reshaped by political crises. What we know as DEI today emerged from the smoke, fire, and ash of hundreds of urban uprisings following the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1968. The killing of the country’s most visible civil-rights leader forced higher education to reckon with both the demands of minorities, in that case Black Americans, and its own legacy of racism. Read more
Related: Costco is pushing back — hard — against the anti-DEI movement. It’s getting noticed. By
Related: DEI programs saw a myriad of attacks this year, with more to come in 2025. By
Indians Are Getting a Crash Course On America’s Racism. By Adebayo Adeniran / MSN
There’s been an extraordinary discourse dominating X over the last few days, regarding the need to look further afield for talent. As expected the likes of Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy were quite forthright on their views of letting in foreign nationals, who are much better educated and cheaper than their white American counterparts.
What these men did not envisage, however, was the degree to which MAGA Republicans would hit back and this was evidenced by the tsunami of racial abuse directed at Vivek and the racial group to which he belongs — Indians. Read more
After Trump’s Win, More Black Americans Are Leaving for Mexico. by
Life in their new country requires Black Americans to wear less “armor,” but there is no escape to anti-Blackness. Tolu Familoni quit her job and moved to Mexico City last year. She is one of thousands of Black Americans who’ve made the move in recent years. (Adam Mahoney/Capital B)
Over the last two months, more Americans have searched “how to move to Mexico” than ever before. Earlier this year, we examined what the country has offered Black Americans who’ve moved there in recent years. Read more
The Story of One Mississippi County Shows How Private Schools Are Exacerbating Segregation. By Jenifer Berry Hawes / ProPublica
Less than 1,000 yards separate the football fields at the private Amite School Center (foreground) and the public Amite County High School (background) in rural southern Mississippi. Students in the private school are almost all white, while the public school’s students are mostly Black.
Amite School Center, like many private schools across the Deep South, opened during desegregation to serve families fleeing the arrival of Black children at the once all-white public schools. ProPublica has been examining how these schools, called “segregation academies,” often continue to act as divisive forces in their communities even now, five decades later. Read more
Homelessness Crisis Worsens: Black Americans Disproportionately Affected Amid Housing Affordability Decline. By Daniel Johnson / Black Enterprise
The rate of unhoused individuals continued its upward trend from 2023, according to the latest data released by the federal government on Dec. 27. Per the data, the number of unhoused people recorded on a single night in January 2024 was 18% higher than the figure recorded at roughly the same point in time in January 2023.
Homelessness has a more pronounced effect on racial minorities like Black Americans, Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders, Latinx Americans, and those listed as “Some Other Race,” according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Among Black Americans, per the group’s analysis, last updated in 2023, despite Black Americans comprising approximately 13% of the population, they are considerably overrepresented among the unhoused. Read more
Late-stage breast cancer is rising, especially among Black women: Study. B Liz Neporent and Dr. Esther Zusstone / ABC News
The rates of late-stage breast cancer at diagnosis have risen among women in all racial and ethnic groups, but Black women have been hit the hardest, according to a new study published in the journal Radiology.
The study, which looked at data from 2004 to 2021, found that advanced breast cancer rates have risen among women of all ages, with the sharpest increases in young women aged 20 to 39, and women over 75. Black women experience advanced diagnoses 55% more often than white women and are more likely to die from the disease, the study found. Read more
A Look At The First ForbesBLK 50 List. Jabari Young / Forbes
The inaugural list of the most powerful, impactful and wealthiest Black Americans.
Don Peebles, Todd McDonald, Asahi Pompey, Shonda Rhimes, Tyler Perry, Serena Williams and Junior Bridgeman Among Leading Changemakers Recognized. Read more
World News
Trump-Putin relations enter a new chapter and the world is at stake. By Robyn Dixon, Catherine Belton and Francesca Ebel / Wash Post
Two self-proclaimed geopolitical alpha male leaders will be squaring off next year.
In one corner will be President Donald Trump, hungry for a Ukraine peace deal that would make him look like a global peacemaker. In the other, Russian President Vladimir Putin, an astute, manipulative and vehemently anti-American autocrat who hopes to entice Trump into creating a transactional new world order without rules or human rights. Read more
“Total Moral, Ethical Failure”: Holocaust Scholar Omer Bartov on Israel’s Genocide in Gaza. By Nermeen Shaikh / Democracy Now
Since October 7, 2023, Israel’s onslaught in Gaza has killed more than 45,500 Palestinians and injured more than 108,000.
Omer Bartov, an Israeli American professor of Holocaust and genocide studies at Brown University, describes why he believes Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza right now. “There was actually a systematic attempt to make Gaza uninhabitable, as well as to destroy all institutions that make it possible for a group to sustain itself, not only physically but also culturally,” says Bartov, who warns impunity for Israel would endanger the entire edifice of international law. “This is a total moral, ethical failure by the very countries that claim to be the main protectors of civil rights, democracy, human rights around the world.” Read more
Donald Trump and Elon Musk Have Energized the German Far-Right. By Josh Axelrod / Mother Jones
Germany’s AfD, with its own plan for mass deportations, is hoping to replicate the MAGA movement’s success in upcoming elections.
“So where’s my German friends?” Donald Trump asked a fawning Mar-a-Lago crowd on Election Day, before flashing a grin and a thumbs up for a photo with a group of young men. The German friends in question: Fabrice Ambrosini, a former politician forced to resign after a video surfaced of him doing a Hitler salute; Leonard Jäger, a far-right influencer who has promoted the Reichsbürger movement, an extremist group behind a failed coup attempt in 2022; and Phillipp-Anders Rau, a candidate for Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), Germany’s far-right party. Read more
How a small Brazilian town became an unlikely battleground over Confederate memory. By Jordan Brasher / The Conversation
A Confederate Festival attendee visits the American cemetery in Santa Barbara d’Oeste, Brazil, on April 24, 2016.
Since 1980, the Confederate Festival – a series of cultural performances and culinary experiences combining Brazilian traditions with those of the American South – has occurred each April in rural São Paulo State. The festival celebrates a mass exodus of white American Southerners to Brazil following the Civil War. Between 1865 and 1890 – dates that roughly reflect when the U.S. and Brazil, respectively, abolished slavery – 8,000 to 10,000 white American Southerners migrated to the country. Read more
White British people aren’t under threat from multicultural Britain – they are part of it. By Kieran Connell / The Guardian
As the dust settled on last summer’s English riots, I found myself taking part in a radio discussion on the question: has multiculturalism failed?
It was a depressing response to events that were themselves deeply depressing: an all-too-vivid reminder of how acute Britain’s problems with racism and Islamophobia continue to be. Yet the radio discussion also showed how multiculturalism acts as a scapegoat when it comes to concerns about issues such as immigration and community cohesion. For decades now, multiculturalism has functioned as Britain’s bogeyman. Read more
Ethics / Morality / Religion
The Religion of Whiteness: How Racism Distorts Christian Faith: Emerson, Michael O., Emerson and Bracey II, Glenn / Amazon Books
Recent years have seen a growing recognition of the role that White Christian Nationalism plays in American society.
In this book, Michael O. Emerson and Glenn E. Bracey II respond definitively: the answer is “white.” The majority of white Christians in America, they argue, are believers in a “Religion of Whiteness” that shapes their faith, their politics, and more. The Religion of Whiteness, they argue, raises the perpetuation of racial inequality to a level of spiritual commitment that rivals followers’ commitment to Christianity itself. Read more
For some Latinos, ‘prosperity gospel’ led them to Trump. By Michelle Boorstein / Wash Post
The set of beliefs has overtaken traditional theologies centered on the poor. Some experts say that helps explain a shift among Latino Christians to Trump.
The mix of hope, drive for success and belief in a God who rewards faith, sometimes with financial accomplishments, has become dominant across the United States and Latin America, experts on Latino religion say. The belief system is sometimes called “seed faith,” “health and wealth gospel,” or “prosperity gospel.” Read more
The Catholic Church should canonize these worthy Black Americans. By Daryl Grigsby / NCR
Portraits of six African Americans who are sainthood candidates are displayed in the lobby of the Catholic Center in Baltimore in November 2023 for Black Catholic History Month. The six are: (from left top row) Pierre Toussaint; Mother Mary Lange; and Fr. Augustus Tolton; from left bottom row are Mother Henriette Delille; Sr. Thea Bowman; and Julia Greeley. (OSV News/Catholic Review/Kevin J. Parks)
There is not a single African American Catholic canonized as a saint in the Roman Catholic Church. This omission persists even as Black Catholics have remained faithful despite the church’s complicity in slavery, segregation, discrimination and racial injustice. Read more
Politically diverse congregations are getting rarer. One aims to endure. By Michelle Boorstein / Wash Post
This California church is trying to figure out what’s “too political” for a place of worship — or whether “being political” is the whole point of the Gospel.
Sunday morning services have long been the “most segregated hour” in America, as Martin Luther King Jr. declared, calling churches’ racial segregation “one of the shameful tragedies” of the nation. While many congregations look different now, experts say the most powerful divider may be that Americans organize their religious lives around their politics. Read more
Historical / Cultural
The Best Black History Books of 2024. By AAIHS Editors
We are pleased to release this year’s AAIHS list of the best books published in 2024!
Check out this extraordinary list of great books from 2024 that offer varied historical perspectives on the Black experience in the United States and across the globe. From books on Black working class women and resistance to works on the Black archive and the Reconstruction era, the diverse selections included in this list will enhance your reading list for the new year and deepen your understanding of Black people’s ideas and experiences in every part of the globe. Read more
His Father Bankrupted the Klan. Now He’s Going to Congress to Continue the Fight. By
Though Democrats will be in the minority in the House, Shomari Figures says that his mission hasn’t changed.
This triumph is, in crucial ways, a coda to the work of Figures’ father, the late Alabama state Sen. Michael Figures. He was revered in Alabama and beyond for having bankrupted the United Klans of America in 1987 through a civil suit after two of its members kidnapped and murdered Michael Donald, a Black 19-year-old. The younger Figures told Capital B earlier this year that his father’s commitment to racial justice was instrumental in helping him to choose a path, because when your father has a reputation like that, then you must find a way to improve people’s lives, too. Read more
The US Has Deported Immigrants En Masse Before. Here’s What Happened. By Ali Bianco / Politico
Donald Trump has promised to deport millions on “Day One.” He wouldn’t be the first president to round up undocumented immigrants en masse. Mexicans travel back to Mexico after being deported from Los Angeles in 1931.
As history demonstrates, sometimes fear is all that’s needed, says Kelly Lytle-Hernández, a professor of history and African American studies at UCLA. This time around will be no different. “Strongly encouraging and frightening people into leaving will be a main strategy,” Lytle-Hernández says. Here’s a look back in time at previous mass deportation efforts. Read more
Refinding James Baldwin. Doreen St. Félix / The New Yorker
Baldwin on Istanbul’s Galata Bridge. Photographs by Sedat Pakay / © Sedat Pakay / Courtesy Brooklyn Public Library
Fame after death can kill again. The historian knows this; the biographer knows this. No longer here to shape their own image, familiar figures become unknown to us. So many privacies now unguarded. The late James Baldwin, who died on the first of December in 1987, provides endlessly. You think, poring over his letters, that you are getting to know him better—the uncovered lover, et cetera—when the person you are getting to know better is yourself. Read more
Richard Parsons, Serial Fixer of Media and Finance Giants, Dies at 76. Benjamin Mullin / NYT
His résumé is a catalog of corporate emergencies at Time Warner, Citigroup and the Los Angeles Clippers.
Richard D. Parsons, whose humane approach to business made him a serial troubleshooter at distressed companies including Time Warner, CBS and Citigroup and a sought-after adviser at the highest echelons of American industry, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 76. Read more
In ‘The Fire Inside’ Claressa Shields’ inspiring story comes to life, but it’s not done yet. By Kelly L. Carter / Andscape
Ryan Destiny (left) and Brian Tyree Henry (right) in The Fire Inside. Amazon MGM
The truth is, the Claressa Shields story is ever-evolving. Yes, she’s already collected an impressive array of accolades, including being one of only four boxers in history — regardless of gender — to have four major world titles in two weight classes. Plus, she has a pair of Olympic Gold medals, and — quite frankly — she’s the undisputed pound-for-pound greatest female boxer in the world, and perhaps of all time. Read more
Denzel Washington Makes A Spiritual Career Move Right Before His 70th Birthday. By Jazmin Tollliver / HuffPost
The actor’s achievement comes after he admitted it’s “not fashionable” to be religious in Hollywood.
Denzel Washington was baptized and earned a minister’s license ahead of his 70th birthday. Both occurred during a ceremony at the Kelly Temple Church of God in Christ in New York City on Saturday. Washington’s newly obtained minister’s license allows him to be ordained in the future. “We celebrate the addition of Minister Denzel Washington into the clergy, having received his minister’s license in the Church of God in Christ today, in a truly uplifting moment,” Archbishop Christopher Bryant wrote on Facebook alongside photos of Washington’s baptism. Read more
Family genealogy: For Black Americans, search offers trials, rewards. By Marc Ramirez / USA Today
Earlier this year, as she and her spouse piled into their Hyundai Tucson and prepared to travel the American South seeking answers about the ancestors she knew had been enslaved, Michelle Johnson found other questions suddenly on her mind.
Johnson’s long journey through family keepsakes, official documents and ultimately the land where her ancestors once toiled illustrates both the complex challenges and rewards for Black Americans, logistically and emotionally, in pursuing their genealogical histories. Read more
Sports
Casual racism? Lamar Jackson winning a Super Bowl will be continued evolution of black quarterbacks, feels Ryan Clark. By Sumedh Joshi / First Sports
Ryan Clark believes Lamar Jackson winning the Super Bowl will pave the way for Black dual-threat quarterbacks in the NFL.
The NFL has evolved by leaps and bounds over the past decade. While the league values the talent and skills of an athlete, historically, their skin color has had some effect on their prospect of playing in the quarterback position, however, not anymore. Despite the league having a record-high 15 Black quarterbacks starting this season, their success rates in the past have been shocking. Read more
Rickey Henderson, Baseball’s Flamboyant ‘Man of Steal,’ Dies at 65. Michael S. Rosenwald / NYT
Widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, he was not just one of the game’s most exciting players but also one of its most eccentric.
Rickey Henderson, the thrilling and charismatic Hall of Fame outfielder who, with his signature crouched stance, blazing speed and unlikely home run power, was widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball history, died on Friday. He was 65. Read more
Greg Gumbel, CBS Sports broadcasting legend, dies at 78. CBS News
“The CBS Sports family is devastated by the passing of Greg Gumbel. There has never been a finer gentleman in all of television.
Gumbel served as a play-by-play announcer and studio host for CBS Sports, and previously spent several years on air for NBC Sports. He won legions of fans with his work hosting coverage ranging from “The NFL Today” to multiple Super Bowls and Olympic Games. In 2022, he celebrated his 50th year of broadcasting. Read more
LeBron James turns 40: Recapping his 40 best NBA moments and accomplishments. By Zach Harper and James Jackson / The Athletic
You get only one opportunity to turn 40 years old. LeBron James does it Monday in supernatural fashion, remaining an athletic marvel as he steps into the big 4-0 during his 22nd NBA season.
While his game may not reach its familiar peaks as often as its used to, doing what LeBron is doing this season — averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and nine assists — would constitute career years for most. As we celebrate James continuing to marvel us into his 40s, let’s run through the top 40 moments and accomplishments of his seemingly never-ending career. We’ll run through 35 of them before crossing the finish line with a timely top five. If you disagree with the order — or any potential omissions — feel free to have fun in the comments and keep the list going … just as LeBron’s career seemingly does. Read more
‘No Class’: NBA World Reacts To Kings’ ‘Shocking’ Firing Of Coach Mike Brown. By
Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told the media that Brown is “one of the standard bearers for integrity for our profession.” “And I’m just, just absolutely shocked,” he said. Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, in remarks to reporters, said the firing was “so shocking” due to Brown’s unanimous NBA Coach of the Year award win less than two years ago. Read more
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