Race and Labor in the 1863 New York City Draft Riots
An enormous historical event that shaped New York City is not much spoken of today. In July 1863, ...
The 1917 Immigration Act That Presaged Trump’s Muslim Ban
Prohibitive laws like the 1917 Immigration Act barred many Asians from entering America. Cultural fears still determine who "deserves" to migrate.
How to Talk About Diego Rivera and Mexican Art
Diego Rivera's artwork has always been intimately tied to the culture of his native Mexico, although this was not always seen as a sophisticated choice.
Humor and Race in Dear White People and White Chicks
Black producers and entertainers use the concept of physically appropriating another race to discuss racism in "Dear White People" and "White Chicks."
Unpacking the Racially-Charged Term “Superpredators”
In the ‘90s, racialized terms like “wilding” and “superpredators” conjured moral panic, which justified the Crime Bill and other similar propositions.
The Dangerous Lessons Kindergarteners Learn About Being “Smart”
Kids develop images of themselves as "smart" or "not smart" at very young ages.
On The Black Skyscraper: An Interview with Literary Critic Adrienne Brown
Early skyscrapers changed the ways we see race, how we see bodies, how we perceive and make judgments about people in the world.
Rosa Parks and the Power of Oneness
Rosa Parks shook the world of Jim Crow by refusing to give up her seat to a white man on her way home from work.
Why James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time Still Matters
For James Baldwin (1924-1987), the fundamental premises of American society needed revisiting. How we might view #BlackLivesMatter through his lens.
Why America Went Medieval
In the middle of the nineteenth century, upper-class America went gaga over a vision of the medieval. Carpenter’s Gothic ...