Unusual Courses is an occasional series from The Conversation U.S. highlighting unconventional approaches to teaching. By Kris Marsh, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of Maryland Title of course: “Why Are We Still Talking About Race?” What prompted the idea for the course? I am a huge fan of the animated…
Happy Equal Pay Day? Here are 6 charts showing why it’s not much of a celebration.
This story was originally published by The 19th In 2023, women are earning 77 cents for every dollar earned by White men. The gender pay gap has barely budged in 20 years. By Chabeli Carrazana and Jasmine Mithani, The 19th Despite progress in other areas of American life, women are…
Yes, #OscarsSoWhite – but there are still plenty of reasons to celebrate contemporary Black film
By Timeka N. Tounsel, University of Washington When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced the nominees for its 95th Oscars and three of the most celebrated films of the season – “The Woman King,” “Till” and “Saint Omer” – received no nominations, a familiar refrain of frustration…
Jimmy Carter’s African legacy: peacemaker, negotiator and defender of rights
By Nancy Mitchell, North Carolina State University When historians and pundits praise Jimmy Carter’s achievements as the US president and extol his exemplary post-presidential years, they mention the recognition of China, the Panama Canal Treaties and the Camp David Accords. Almost no one mentions what Carter achieved in Africa during…
Leading American medical journal continues to omit Black research, reinforcing a legacy of racism in medical knowledge
By Cherice Escobar Jones, Northeastern University; Gwendolynne Reid, Emory University, and Mya Poe, Northeastern University The leading U.S. medical journal, read regularly by doctors of all specialties, systematically ignores an equally reputable and rigorous body of medical research that focuses on Black Americans’ health. The American Medical Association created a…
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot loses reelection bid
This story was originally published by The 19th Lightfoot, the first Black woman and out LGBTQ+ person to lead Chicago, has failed to make an April runoff, with challengers Paul Vallas and Brandon Johnson moving on. By Grace Panetta, The 19th Chicago voters rejected Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s bid for a…
Long burdened by environmental racism, activists in Memphis are turning the tide
Black women, particularly mothers, are leading efforts to treat people currently harmed by toxic neighborhoods and prevent future damage. This story was originally published by The 19th By Daja E. Henry, The 19th First, the butterflies disappeared. Then, the family dog died; and then the neighbors did, too. But Marquita…
Bola Ahmed Tinubu: The kingmaker is now Nigeria’s president-elect
By Olayinka Oyegbile, Trinity University, Lagos Bola Ahmed Tinubu, of the ruling All Progressives Congress in Nigeria, has been declared winner of the country’s keenly contested presidential election. The 70-year-old former governor of Lagos State and Nigeria’s political kingmaker will inherit a Nigeria that is faced with a fractured polity,…
Mainstream education often neglects Black history. TikTok, Freedom Schools and other resources are bridging the gap.
This story was originally published by The 19th Recent efforts through social media and community education to teach about Black people’s contributions are part of a long history of pushing back against Eurocentric instruction in schools. By Candice Norwood, The 19th Every day in February, 22-year-old Kamryn Davis posts a…
Globetrotting Black nutritionist Flemmie P. Kittrell revolutionized early childhood education and illuminated ‘hidden hunger’
By Brandy Thomas Wells, Oklahoma State University Nutrition is among the most critical issues of our time. Diet-related illnesses are shortening life spans and the lack of conveniently located and affordable nutritious food makes it hard for many Americans to enjoy good health. Physicians are also alarmed by nutritional trends…
Research on teen social media use has a racial bias – studies of white kids are widely taken to be universal
By Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College and J. Maya Hernandez, University of California, Irvine Most research on teen social media use has been conducted on white teens and college students. As a result, it is unclear to what extent overlooked populations such as racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities…
3 things the pandemic taught us about inequality in college — and why they matter today
By Elena G. van Stee, University of Pennsylvania Elise, a nursing student at an elite U.S. university in the Northeast, found herself back home and sleeping on the floor of her parents’ one-bedroom apartment after the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020. It was tough to get a good…
How Black cartographers put racism on the map of America
An early 20th-century NAACP map showing lynchings between 1909 and 1918. The maps were sent to politicians and newspapers in an effort to spur legislation protecting Black Americans. Library of Congress By Derek H. Alderman, University of Tennessee and Joshua F.J. Inwood, Penn State Originally Published: February 23, 2021 How…
The story of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, America’s first black pop star
Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield. Wikimedia Commons By Adam Gustafson, Penn State In 1851, a concert soprano named Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield embarked on a national tour that upended America’s music scene. In antebellum America, operatic and concert songs were very popular forms of entertainment. European concert sopranos, such as Jenny Lind and…
People face a ‘desperate’ reality after leaving prison. Two Atlanta women are pushing to change that.
This story was originally published by The 19th The organization, Barred Business, provides funding, housing and training while advocating for legal protections for people who have faced unemployment and homelessness after incarceration. By Candice Norwood, The 19th Bridgette Simpson had nowhere to go when she was released from prison in March…
Mothers of the movement: Black environmental justice activists reflect on the women who have paved the way
Originally published by The 19th Described as “the backbone of the environmental justice movement,” these women pioneered the work to protect communities. By Daja E. Henry and Jessica Kutz, The 19th When Leah Thomas was earning her degree in environmental studies, she found that what she was learning in college…
Economy and security on the ballot in Nigeria – 5 things to watch in presidential election
By Carl LeVan, American University School of International Service \ Voters in Africa’s largest democracy will go to the polls on Feb. 25, 2023, to pick a new president. While voter turnout has been on a steady decline in Nigeria for two decades, a…
A diverse Supreme Court grapples with affirmative action, with its justices of color split sharply on the meaning of ‘equal protection’
By Miguel Schor, Drake University and Erin Lain, Drake University The United States Supreme Court is deciding a pair of cases that could end affirmative action programs that consider race in college admissions. Though the court is the most diverse in American history – with three justices of color…
Michigan State murders: What we know about campus shootings and the gunmen who carry them out
By David Riedman, University of Central Florida and James Densley, Metropolitan State University A gunman opened fire at Michigan State University on Feb. 13, 2023, killing three people and injuring five others before taking his own life. A lot is still unknown about the campus attack. Police have yet to…
The reality of Black men’s love lives and marriages is very different than what’s usually shown on TV – I spent years actually talking to them
By Armon Perry, University of Louisville Finding and keeping a good Black man in a relationship has become a cottage industry. From celebrities and reality TV stars to social media influencers, for better or worse, there is no shortage of relationship advice to people seeking to figure out Black men.…