Our Whiteness Goes Before Us
Some white people will tell you they don’t “see” color in another human being. Maybe what we don’t see is how our own color, our whiteness, makes a powerful statement we do not perceive and cannot control.
Some white people will tell you they don’t “see” color in another human being. Maybe what we don’t see is how our own color, our whiteness, makes a powerful statement we do not perceive and cannot control.
White people built America to benefit white people. That clashes with our founding principle that we are all created equal.
Some of my ancestors held other people’s ancestors as slaves. Their part in our nation’s original sin brings up feelings of guilt. It seems to demand atonement. Maybe reparations from me. What would that look like?
Racism isn’t nice. So it stands to reason that people who are racists are not nice people. Doesn’t it?
Being a white American means nothing. And it means everything. Warning: Once you start seeing the racism in our society, you’ll see it everywhere.
Common Purpose mobilizes voters. I joined them for a great week in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Iowa's demoralizing Democratic caucus fiasco is going to make it a lot harder to get Americans registered, and to get them to vote. People like me will find our job a lot harder.
Lisa Wingate’s novel Before We Were Yours is based on the true story of a woman who stole hundreds of children to sell to wealthy families for adoption. The true story of those children is horrific, thanks to the crimes of Georgia Tann.
The year 2000 rolled in with a wild 24 hours in world news. We anticipated a Y2K problem with computers malfunctioning because they couldn't handle years starting with 2. What we got was something else entirely, situations that are still unfolding. I saw it start from a vantage point at the Voice of America.
A new historical novel about the early Quaker movement. The Kendal Sparrow explores the daring and deep faith of courageous young women. Author Barbara Luetke talked to me about her work.