Who Gets to Control a Killer's Story?
On Botham Shem Jean and the American obsession with criminalizing dead black people.
Black Lives Matter
How Washington, D.C., Silenced the Second Unite the Right Rally
An on-the-ground account of how the residents and authorities in our nation's capital dealt with a gathering of white nationalists in their city.
Why Are More Americans Reading Poetry Right Now?
The NEA reports an increased interest in poetry—but when we focus too much on numbers, we diminish the experience that makes poetry so vital.
Taking Freedom: Yes, Black America Fears the Police. Here’s Why.
On the historic role of policing in reinforcing racial inequality and how it has led to black Americans' fear of police.
Racism Declined During the Black Lives Matter Campaign
New research suggests those impassioned rallies and demonstrations may have had a positive impact.
Independent Autopsy Finds That Police Shot Stephon Clark Mostly in the Back
Clark turned out to be unarmed, and his death sparked large protests organized by Black Lives Matter and other groups.
Time for White Allies to Move Past Perfunctory Activism
A local chapter of Black Lives Matter tells white allies to put up or shut up.
'Invisible No More' Is a Chilling History of Police Violence Against Women of Color
Andrea J. Ritchie's new book offers fresh perspective on how American law enforcement reserves particular abuse for black women.
Number of Americans Who Believe Racism Is a 'Big Problem' Has Doubled
Fifty-eight percent of Americans believe racism is a pervasive issue.
America Is Still Killing Emmett Till
Timothy B. Tyson’s The Blood of Emmett Till reminds us how little has changed.
America, the House That Slavery Built
By minimizing how we talk about slavery, we ignore its profound impact on the development of the American economy.
Jill P. Carter on the Baltimore Mayoral Election
Maryland State Delegate Jill P. Carter speaks to Pacific Standard about the promises and perils in Baltimore.
A Victory for Black Lives Matter?
The former Oklahoma City police officer was sentenced to 263 years in prison for sexually abusing scores of black women by an all-white jury.
White Supremacy and Taylor Swift's 'Wildest Dreams' Video
How the pop icon has embraced Hollywood's long, rich tradition of nostalgia for black subjugation.
No, Black Lives Matter Isn't Waging a War on Cops
The death of a Texas deputy embodies a common (and false) conservative rebuke of the new civil rights movement.
Meet One of the Women Who Created a Black Lives Matter Textbook for Middle Schoolers
"Historians will teach something that was extremely inflammatory at the time, but we're far away from it now. They don't get the kind of heat that I get."
The Past, Present, and Future of the Black Lives Matter Network
A scholar of race and digital media details how the online prowess of #BlackLivesMatter was over 20 years in the making.
The Research Behind the Black Lives Matter Policy Demands
Nearly all of the demands have been studied, to some extent.
The Oath Keepers and American Vigilantism's Twisted Legacy
The mysterious "patriot" group returned to Ferguson, Missouri, on the anniversary of Michael Brown's death.
It's Not Just Sandra Bland: Why So Many Americans Die in Limbo Behind Bars
The African-American woman's mysterious death following a controversial arrest is an indictment of our modern bail system.
The Democrats' Central Dilemma: How to Talk Micro, Not Macro
Professor Julia Azari weighs in on the rift in the Democratic Party.
One Year After the Death of Eric Garner, Reform Deferred
Despite protests in New York and beyond, police reform is in a dismal state.
Most White Americans Don't Support Black Protestors
A new survey measures Americans’ views on patriotism, protests, and American exceptionalism.