Slavery in a Free State: The Case of California
California came into the Union as a free state in 1850, but proslavery politicians held considerable sway there.
The Legacy of Racial Hatred in the January 6 Insurrection
The U.S.’s politics of racial hatred are sustained by a culture of making political compromises when bold action is required.
The Punk Rock Linguistics of Cottagecore
So you want to borrow a concept from another culture but don’t know what to call it? Try a morpheme!
Madame Stephanie St. Clair: Numbers Queen of Harlem
The colorful career of a woman who ran a gambling ring, fought police corruption, and challenged white mobsters.
Toni Morrison, Texas Power, and Bathroom Scales
Well-researched stories from Zora, CNBC, and other publications that bridge the gap between news and scholarship.
How Muhammad Ali Prevailed as a Conscientious Objector
The heavyweight champion lost his title when he refused induction into the military during the Vietnam War.
How Sculptor Meta Warrick Challenged White Supremacy
A 1907 exhibition on the founding of Jamestown featured the work of an artist determined to counter demeaning stereotypes.
Black Women Have Written History for over a Century
Barriers of racism and sexism slowed them down, but academia wasn't their only venue.
Charles Darwin’s Descent of Man, 150 Years Later
A new book on Darwin’s classic asks what he got right and wrong about “the highest and most interesting problem for the naturalist:” human evolution.
Do Viruses Cheat to Win at Evolution?
How one pair of researchers used game theory to predict the sneaky, underhanded behavior of microbial competitors.