There was very good news recently on the issue of Confederate-themed memorials, symbols, monuments, celebrations and military bases: according to NPR, all nine Army bases that were named for Confederate generals have now officially been renamed. Journalist Jay Price reports, “Fort Gordon in Georgia is now Fort Eisenhower.” As we noted earlier, decades after the […]
white supremacy
Suggested Readings for Black History Month: The Self-Education of White Americans
Some of us believe that much of the onus for solving the problem of racism in the United States should lie with those of us who are white. If slavery is our “original sin” as a nation (or, perhaps a better term, an “unforgivable crime against humanity“), we cannot sugarcoat the fact that it was […]
Inspiring Conversion Stories of Former White Supremacists and How Average Americans can Help Combat Violent Domestic Extremism
Sometimes miracles happen. There are people who, for whatever reason, join groups that promote racism, antisemitism, white supremacy, violence against our government, homophobia and other belief systems that most of us would condemn and disavow. Then, for whatever reason, some of those same people have an “aha moment” and realize that the group to which […]
The Legacy of Slavery, Part I: A Look at Reparations
The issue of reparations has lately become a fairly significant part of our national conversation. The fact that we are even discussing this in 2019 shows that the legacy of the enslavement of African Americans still persists – 156 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, 154 years after the end of the Civil War and the […]
Reclaiming Jesus: A Confession of Faith in a Time of Crisis
Ash Wednesday in 2018 turned out to be a highly significant day in our nation. It happened to fall on Valentine’s Day, February 14 (which is very rare), but it ended in tragedy with the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. In a poignant coincidence, a group of Christian religious […]
A Profile in Courage, Mitch Landrieu: Someone to Watch
On May 20, 2018, at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, Mass., the 2018 Profile in Courage Award was presented to former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu. He was honored “for his leadership in relocating four of the Confederate monuments in New Orleans while offering candid, clear and compassionate reflections on the moment […]
Neo-Nazi Group Unravelling, Spencer Backing Off: Positive Steps in the Battle against Racism and Bigotry
A group that few of us have heard of, which “advocates for racially pure nations and communities and blames Jews for many of the world’s problems,” is having some problems lately. The neo-Nazi Traditionalist Worker Party (TWP) lost both its primary spokesperson and its leader in mid-March. [SPLC “Weekend Read/ Issue 71,” March 17, 2018] […]
Solidarity with Jews in Light of Heightened Antisemitism
Last year brought yet another extremely disturbing statistic: 2017 marked the highest increase in antisemitic incidents in the US since the first Audit of Anti-Semitic Incidents was taken in 1979. In a statement, Jonathan A. Greenblatt, CEO and National Director of the Anti-Defamation League, stated, “A confluence of events in 2017 led to a surge […]
Reasons for Hope
In the midst of disheartening news in the trying times in which we live, it is important for our national conversation and personal well-being that we bring to mind the positive things that are happening all around us. Here’s a sampling. DACA stays the law of the land! “The Supreme Court on Monday [Feb. 26] […]