The Science of Baby-Name Trends
What makes a name suddenly pop—and then die? Social scientists and historians have been puzzling over this for decades.
The Rhythms of Shaker Dance Marked the Shakers as “Other”
The name Shaker originally comes from the insult “Shaking Quakers,” which mocked the sect’s use of their bodies in worship.
W.E.B. DuBois Fought “Scientific” Racism
Early 20th century intellectual W.E.B. DuBois countered the then-popular idea that African-Americans could be scientifically proven to be inferior.
African American Studies: Foundations and Key Concepts
This non-exhaustive list of readings in African American Studies highlights the vibrant history of the discipline and introduces the field.
Colleges’ Reluctant Embrace of MLK Day
The push for a national Martin Luther King holiday prompted a fierce political tug-of-war, on campus and off.
What the Prisoners’ Rights Movement Owes to the Black Muslims of the 1960s
Black Muslims have been an influential force in the prisoners' rights movement and criminal justice reform as early as the World War II era.
Why a Coup in Ethiopia Created a Faith Crisis in Jamaica
Rastafarians emerged from anti-colonial, anti-racism movements of the 60s, they also looked back toward their African ancestry.
Barack Obama and the Nommo Tradition of Afrocentric Orality
Through both dialect and nommo, President Barack Obama was able to inspire black and white audiences, altering his word choice and patterns accordingly.
The Devastation of Black Wall Street
Tulsa, Oklahoma. 1921. A wave of racial violence destroys an affluent African-American community, seen as a threat to white-dominated American capitalism.
What Does Bill Cosby’s Problematic Legacy Mean for Black Colleges?
The Cosbys gave Spelman College, one of America's 107 HBCUs, over $20 million dollars. What does his legacy mean for the future of black colleges?