The Truth About J. Edgar Hoover’s “Cross-Dressing”
The story of J. Edgar Hoover dressing in women's clothing is part of American myth. But does this story tell us more about Hoover or about the nature of gossip?
Why Paul Robeson Was Labelled a Psychopath
The singer, actor, and activist Paul Robeson had a spectacular rise and then a stunning fall brought on by the Cold War's pathologizing of dissent.
Why Does the U.S. Sentence Children to Life in Prison?
The U.S. is the only country in the world that sentences people to die in prison for offenses committed while under the age of 18.
The Unlikely Spy Alliance Behind the 1916 Black Tom Explosion
German imperialists teamed up with Irish republicans and Indian nationalists during World War I; the resulting conspiracy trial ended in a courtroom assassination.
The Health Threats of Welfare Stigma
Researchers found that people with high levels of need were scared away from applying for Medicaid and welfare benefits by stigma.
Frederick Douglass’s Feud Over Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Journalist, physician, and committed black nationalist Martin Delany took Frederick Douglass to task over, among other things, Harriet Beecher Stowe's "Uncle Tom's Cabin."
The People’s Grocery Lynching, Memphis, Tennessee
On March 2, 1892, in Memphis, Tennessee, a racially charged mob grew out of a fight between a black and a white youth near People’s Grocery.
How Oprah Became a Cultural Icon
The idea of a President Oprah has sparked excitement rather than ridicule. Americans value symbolism as much as political experience; while Oprah has little of the latter, she is practically made of the former.
How Ronald Reagan Was Affected by his Father’s Alcoholism
Robert E. Gilbert argues that the key to understanding Ronald Reagan is knowing that he was the child of an alcoholic.
Democracy, Aristocracy, and the American Hunter
In our own new Gilded Age, it’s worth asking what the big game hunters have in common with people who hunt to put some extra meat on the table.