Cultural Criticism and Analysis

Paul Beatty (credit: Hannah Assouline)

Paul Beatty’s Savage Satire Paul Beatty’s Savage Satire

The Sellout takes aim at black middle-class foibles and fantasies.

Jul 30, 2015 / Books & the Arts / Jesse McCarthy

1886 Map of the British Empire

From Opium Wars to Darwin’s Finches: A Brief History of Great Britain From Opium Wars to Darwin’s Finches: A Brief History of Great Britain

History has shown us time and time again that we are only human.

Jul 27, 2015 / Eduardo Galeano

ISIS Member with Flag

Did ISIL Arise Partly Because of Climate Change? Did ISIL Arise Partly Because of Climate Change?

Martin O’Malley was ridiculed by the right for correctly noting the role of climate-induced drought in causing Syria’s instability. The bad news is that this is only the beginning.

Jul 24, 2015 / Juan Cole

Irma Selz drawing

My Mother, the American War Hero My Mother, the American War Hero

My mother’s caricatures were more than just drawings—they were a symbol of the civilian mobilization that’s since disappeared from American wars.

Jul 21, 2015 / Tom Engelhardt

Netroots #BlackLivesMatter protest

Why the Black Lives Matter Protest at Netroots Nation Was Long Overdue Why the Black Lives Matter Protest at Netroots Nation Was Long Overdue

It's time Democratic candidates offer voters a meaningful plan for tackling systemic racism.

Jul 21, 2015 / Dani McClain

Charleston March for Black Lives

Guns and the New Civil-Rights Movement: Charleston Is Not Sandy Hook Guns and the New Civil-Rights Movement: Charleston Is Not Sandy Hook

The Charleston shooting had more to do with racism and white supremacy than gun control regulation.

Jul 16, 2015 / Dante Barry

An Israeli strike over Gaza City

How Long Before Israel Begins Another Operation in the Gaza Strip? How Long Before Israel Begins Another Operation in the Gaza Strip?

“For Israel, war is no longer an option. It is a way of life.”

Jul 16, 2015 / Max Blumenthal

July 15, 1919: Iris Murdoch Is Born

July 15, 1919: Iris Murdoch Is Born July 15, 1919: Iris Murdoch Is Born

“She is a sophisticated philosopher, and it is her evident aim to put us back in intimate touch with our own being.”

Jul 15, 2015 / 150th Anniversary / Richard Kreitner

Students of color

Why 100 Black Intellectuals Rallied Behind This Professor Why 100 Black Intellectuals Rallied Behind This Professor

Many black intellectuals want and need to engage with an audience outside the ivory tower—but these public conversations leave them vulnerable to attack.

Jul 14, 2015 / Dani McClain

Racist flyer found at Boston University

Boston University Is Proof That University Campuses Are Anything But ‘Post-Racial’ Boston University Is Proof That University Campuses Are Anything But ‘Post-Racial’

A look at anti-black racism on a liberal university campus in the Northeast.

Jul 14, 2015 / StudentNation / Jailyn Gladney and StudentNation

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