Adam Lanza, Dylann Roof, James Eagan Holmes, Jared Lee Loughner, and Seung-Hui Cho, via Wikimedia Commons. Chris Harper Mercer via MySpace.

Mass Murderers Don’t Have a Race When They’re White

Why the race of perpetrators in mass shootings is only a factor when the shooters are not white.
Barack Obama in the foreground with a blurred audience in the background

Why Racism Is Terrible for Everyone’s Health

Heather Gilligan explores the impact of racism on the fight towards universal health care.
Christopher Columbus

Challenging Columbus Day

More and more states are choosing not to honor Columbus Day celebrations. We look back at the history of the holiday.
Death Penalty Jail Cells

How and Why Public Opinion on the Death Penalty Changed

A look at the American public's ambivalent opinion of the death penalty.
Toronto, Canada - May 25, 2012: A protest sign reading "I was wearing pants + a sweater, was it my fault too?" Taken during "Slut Walk 2012", a protest event about sexual assault and victims' rights, among other related issues.

“Victim Culture” and Victim Blaming

The critique of contemporary "victim culture" has parallels to the critique of "victim feminism" of the 1990s.
Statue of Lady Justice holding a sword in one hand and scales in the other

How Reforms to Rape Law Changed Our Understanding of the Crime

Reforms to rape law in the 1970s and 1980s transformed the definition of rape and brought the crime out of the shadows.
Man with wind up knob

Did You Hear the Joke about the Lawyer?

Why lawyer jokes typically involve the killing or maiming of lawyers.
Close-up of a woman with natural hair

Cashing In on the Afro

The Afro became a big money maker as it became more popular. Did that transformation rob the style of its political meaning?
A father kisses his toddler on the cheek

Gender Roles in Early Parenthood

Parenting roles have changed enormously over a generation, but gender roles are still being propped up in some ways.
Homeless person with blank cardboard

Panhandling and Other Jobs

A ban on panhandling simply ignores the issues behind the practice.