Brandon Tensley

Literary scholar Sarah Churchwell discusses the shifting meanings of "America first" and "the American dream."

Journalist Joshua Keating's new book takes a hard look at what it means to be a country today.

In his new book, historian Joseph Crespino offers lessons drawn from Harper Lee's ambivalent treatment of this iconic character.

Journalist Howard Bryant's new book looks at how black athletes have historically ignored the mandate to "shut up and play."

A new book by the culture critic madison moore argues that an aesthetic of "fabulousness" allows queer people to reclaim visibility through flamboyance.

In his new book, historian Steven M. Gillon revisits the presidential commission created to investigate the riots of 1967.

The glossy coming-of-age dramedy is about gay people writing their own lives—and it's empowering some people to come out.

The historian debunks myths around civil rights history and makes the case for why a more honest history is key to moving forward.

A new documentary highlights how the playwright took full advantage of her talents to advance mid-century civil rights.

Luca Guadagnino's new film shows how, for many queer people, moralistic norms can create a sense of belatedness—even when they finally find love.

In recent years, American audiences have embraced Baldwin more fully than ever before.

A local chapter of Black Lives Matter tells white allies to put up or shut up.

Coates' new book shows how he developed a set of linguistic tools that have opened up new ways for black Americans to describe the world.

A new documentary explores the full range of the singer's artistry—the full-throated pop and the smooth R&B—and, in turn, how it shaped her balancing act of a life.

The severity and speed with which the current crisis is escalating threatens to make it the worst flare-up of mass migration the country has seen in decades.

Andrea J. Ritchie's new book offers fresh perspective on how American law enforcement reserves particular abuse for black women.

Fifteen years ago, the Russian duo topped charts worldwide by playing with lesbian tropes. Could they make it today?

The viral short film reanimates clichés about love with a queer twist.

John Butler's new film about gay friendship puts a powerful spin on generic, feel-good Hollywood stereotypes.

James Forman Jr.'s first book chronicles with compassion how the actions of black leaders sometimes hurt the very people they sought to save.

Recent studies suggest an uptick in violence against LGBTQ Americans.

Queer people mobilized in Washington, D.C., this weekend to celebrate gains and to push back against threats.

The singer's music taps into a shared queer history of escape, longing, and disappointment—while reveling in the pleasure of all those emotions.

The fatal stabbing of a black Bowie State University student must be viewed in America's longer historical tradition of racial violence.

On the eve of the group's final release, a look back at how the pioneering female R&B group represented for black women everywhere.

Twenty-five years ago, the Rodney King riots shook the country. It's unclear what we've learned.

The new Netflix series dramatizes the challenges that black students often face, while maintaining a vital focus on the fullness of the students' individual lives.

The new movie shows us the various, sometimes contradictory reasons why young men pledge — and whether it’s worth it.

Timothy B. Tyson’s The Blood of Emmett Till reminds us how little has changed.

In Jordan Peele’s directorial debut, the victims are black—and so are the heroes.

In I Am Not Your Negro, Raoul Peck offers a devastating portrait of Baldwin — and a possible blueprint for political action.

Celebrating one of Barack Obama's greatest feats: making the color of American citizenship less white.

Attempts to increase diversity must be coupled with an actual effort to realize how people of color crucially influence a society barreling toward change.

Racism doesn’t need to be open or overt to be, well, racist.