Dec 28 Column: Why Castro was so deeply loved by some, and hated by others By Nana Brantuo “In this country, our understandings of heroism have always been informed by an ugly past of racial prejudice and discrimination.” Fidel Castro’s death saw the Cuban revolutionary re-enter the U.S. imaginary as a villain, a communist dictator opposed to core… Continue reading
Dec 27 More teachers’ union leaders come out against new student-discipline policies By Emmanuel Felton, Education Week Teachers in Fresno, California, and Des Moines, Iowa, have come out against their districts' efforts--following similar announcements in New York and Indianapolis--to reform how students are disciplined. Teachers are arguing that efforts to change student-disciplinary practices—largely in an attempt to… Continue reading
Dec 25 Watch 5:58 Preserving the history of America’s first black filmmakers By PBS News Hour In the early part of the 20th century, black filmmakers were forced to work outside the white Hollywood mainstream -- and produced around 500 films, mainly for black audiences. To preserve this history, the company Kino Lorber released a five-disc… Continue watching
Dec 23 ‘Hidden Figures’ and the journey to celebrate NASA’s black female pioneers By Nsikan Akpan The story behind how Hidden Figures went from biography to Hollywood, as told by the author, cast and crew. Continue reading
Dec 21 Watch 7:32 Unveiling the long-hidden story of the Attica prison takeover By PBS News Hour In September 1971, Attica Correctional Facility in upstate New York became the site of a bloody uprising that would shock the nation. Over several days, some 1,300 inmates seized parts of the prison, demanding better living conditions. Heather Ann Thompson… Continue watching
Dec 21 Watch 10:38 How Obama’s unique background shaped his outlook on race By PBS News Hour The Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates has criticized President Obama’s policies toward black Americans. Perhaps for that reason, he was invited to discuss such issues with Mr. Obama several times throughout the president's second term. As part of a collaboration with The… Continue watching
Dec 21 Bridging the town and gown divide By Jon Marcus, The Hechinger Report In a time of falling trust, colleges are reaching out to bridge the class and cultural divides that often exist between them and the surrounding neighborhood. Continue reading
Dec 20 A trip around the globe to celebrate the holidays with dance By Rocky Mountain PBS For 25 years, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver has been blending dance, live music, spoken word and seasonal celebrations from around the world into a single holiday tradition. Continue reading
Dec 19 Watch 7:46 Lynching memorial aims to help U.S. acknowledge a history of terror By PBS News Hour Lynchings -- unlawful executions used to terrorise and subdue black communities into passivity -- are perhaps one of the least discussed legacies of slavery and the Jim Crow South. A new memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, will commemorate victims of these… Continue watching
Dec 17 Controversy over ‘sanctuary’ campuses is misleading, legal analysts say By Sophie Quinton, Stateline Although the sanctuary campus movement is based on small policy tweaks, the term “sanctuary” is politically controversial. Continue reading