Posts by amstrat

In cities across the United States, black activists are denouncing state-sanctioned violence and demanding radical changes to American policing. Black women leaders occupy a central role in these movements. Utilizing public spaces—such as city parks and streets—they are advocating for equality and justice and giving voice to historical truths many Americans find uncomfortable. From the…

On June 1 and 2, 1863, Harriet Tubman made history—again. After escaping slavery in 1849 and subsequently rescuing more than 70 other slaves during her service as an Underground Railroad conductor, she became the first woman in American history to lead a military assault. The successful Combahee Ferry Raid freed more than 700 slaves in…

The killing of George Floyd has ignited protests and inspired conversations — and changes — across the globe. But New York Times Magazine writer Nikole Hannah-Jones says more needs to be done to address America’s racial wealth gap. Read more at NPR.

If true justice and equality are ever to be achieved in the United States, the country must finally take seriously what it owes black Americans. Read more at The New York Times.

For every one dollar of accumulated wealth that white families have, black families have just one cent.  That’s the finding of a new study from Northwestern University which used data on consumer finances from the Federal Reserve to track changes in family wealth from 2004 to 2016. The study found that Latino families fare slightly…

Councilwoman Ella Jones was elected mayor of Ferguson on Tuesday, becoming the first African American to lead the St. Louis suburb that became nationally known after a police officer killed a black teen. Jones, who also will be the first woman to serve as the city’s mayor, secured her historic victory with 54% of the…

Emmett Till was lynched 65 years ago, but it has been only three since Carolyn Bryant Donham admitted that her lie got him killed. She copped to what, I’d wager, most black Americans had already figured when she gave a rare interview to Duke University professor Timothy B. Tyson, who was writing the latest volume about the…