Letters From the June 17-24, 2019, Issue

Lee Carter: ‘Your Elected Representative Is Part of the Problem’

This week on the Next Left podcast, the Virginia delegate who isn’t afraid to be called a socialist.

John Nichols

Trump’s Plan to Deny Benefits: Pretend People Aren’t Poor

By redefining poverty, millions fewer people would be able to take advantage of lifesaving programs.

Bryce Covert

In the Heart of Real-Estate Power, a Housing Movement Nears Victory

As tenants organize, New York could become one of the first states to pass “universal rent control.”

Jimmy Tobias

In Our Tumultuous Times, History Offers Hope

A new memoir calls us to action.

Katrina vanden Heuvel

For Afro-Colombians, the 2016 Peace Treaty Brought No Peace

Hundreds of human-rights defenders have been killed since the accords. And Afro-Colombians like Goldman Environmental Prize–winner Francia Márquez are a particular target.

Roosbelinda Cárdenas

The Politics of Going to the Bathroom

Access to adequate restrooms is a fundamental necessity for everyone, but it’s harder to come by the less structural power you have.

Natalie Shure

Black Capitalism Won’t Save Us

Celebrities like Killer Mike and Jay-Z equate black ownership with liberation—but you can’t end racial inequality with consumerism.

Aaron Ross Coleman

New Orleans Argues Whether an All-Charter City Can Be Truly Democratic

Can a locally elected school board bring accountability to the city’s charter schools, or will it give an upper hand to well-connected parents?

Emmanuel Felton

Bernie’s Plan to Save Public Schools

Sanders has the most progressive education platform in modern American history.

Nikhil Goyal