Segregation by Eminent Domain
The Fifth Amendment allows the government to buy private property for the public good. That public good was long considered the expansion of white neighborhoods.
Is Racism a Disease?
Since the 1940s, mental health professionals have repeatedly debated the question of whether (some forms of) racism can be classified as a disease.
When Intellectuals Split: The Eyre Case
Public intellectuals in Great Britain disagreed on what to do with Governor Eyre after his heavy-handed response to the 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica.
What’s a Swastika Doing on the Cover of a 1916 Newspaper?
Changes in printing press technology and the history of the symbol may explain its presence in the Wyoming State Prison newspaper, J-A-B-S.
The Reverse Freedom Rides
The White Citizens’ Councils used the transportation of Black Americans to Northern states as a way to embarrass liberal critics and rally segregationists.
The Chinese Exclusion Act: Annotated
The passing of the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 marked the first time the United States prohibited immigration based on ethnicity and national origin.
Remembering Emmett Till in Song
The murder of Emmett Till has been memorialized in song by such artists as Langston Hughes and Bob Dylan.
Jim Crow’s Civil Defense Plans
The first head of the Federal Civil Defense Administration planned on maintaining segregation in bomb shelters, and in the post-nuclear future.
What Is Critical Race Theory?
Critical race theory has become a focus of conservative legislation, often with little understanding of its meaning and history.
How the Beaches of the South Got There
The government funded beach construction for private developers, which displaced Black farmers from their coastal lands.