Category: History

The Radical Supreme Court Majority’s Day of Infamy

The guile and hypocrisy of this radical Supreme Court majority are beyond contemptible. Any fair-minded American has seen the current administration and various Republican governors and legislators engage in turning back the progress we've made toward racial equity and attempt to erase the hard-fought battles that brave Black men and women and their allies have … Continue reading The Radical Supreme Court Majority’s Day of Infamy →

MLK, Minnesota, Voting, and Belonging: Some Unfinished Business Calls to Us…

I think it's reasonable to assume that if he were alive today--and physically able, at 97--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., would have found some way to appear in Minneapolis. He would seek to lend moral courage to the nonviolent protesters who are standing up to the ICE goons to protect the vulnerable members of their … Continue reading MLK, Minnesota, Voting, and Belonging: Some Unfinished Business Calls to Us… →

Watching “The Six Triple Eight” in Trump’s White Nationalist 2025

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Thq-SBtukg Amid the Trump regime's blatant attempts to erase Black people's achievements from our history and understanding, I found Tyler Perry's film about a group of Black American members of the Women's Army Corp (WAC) during World War II informative, infuriating, and inspiring. The film was written, directed, and co-produced by Perry, and distributed by … Continue reading Watching “The Six Triple Eight” in Trump’s White Nationalist 2025 →

Mark Your Calendars: On October 18, Democracy Gets Another Big Boost–Plus: Action Needed Now on Several Important Issues

Building on the success of the June 14 outpouring of an estimated five to six million pro-democracy people, the organizers have announced plans for what they anticipate will be an even larger day of protests on Saturday, October 18. If you can attend one of the non-violent demonstrations to be held that day, please do … Continue reading Mark Your Calendars: On October 18, Democracy Gets Another Big Boost–Plus: Action Needed Now on Several Important Issues →

It’s D-Day: As We Honor Heroes, the German Chancellor Has to Educate Trump About the Nazis

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noJgJb-prDU On this day when our nation commemorates the huge sacrifice American soldiers and sailors and their allies made when they stormed the beaches of Normandy--thereby shifting World War II away from the Nazis--we just had another painful reminder how abysmally ignorant the temporary occupant in the White House is. When German Chancellor Friedrich Merz … Continue reading It’s D-Day: As We Honor Heroes, the German Chancellor Has to Educate Trump About the Nazis →

I’ve Been Thinking About Frances Perkins (and Social Security) a Lot Lately…

Courtesy of Library of Congress Without Frances Perkins, we probably wouldn't have Social Security. She fought to secure it for Americans. Now we must fight to keep it. One of President Joe Biden's last formal acts (on December 16, 2024) was to designate the Frances Perkins National Monument in Newcastle, Maine. The official proclamation states … Continue reading I’ve Been Thinking About Frances Perkins (and Social Security) a Lot Lately… →

This Humorist Is Seriously Trying to Help US Place the November 5th Disaster in Historical Perspective

Andy Borowitz is a veryveryvery witty and wildly imaginative man. After The New Yorker ended the twenty-five year run of his satirical column last December for financial reasons, he found a new home for The Borowitz Report (TBR). It appears on Substack, which is attracting an abundance of terrific writers who offer tantalizing views of … Continue reading This Humorist Is Seriously Trying to Help US Place the November 5th Disaster in Historical Perspective →

The American Dream: Three Variations on a Theme

ONE Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com We had the pleasure of attending our grandson’s high school graduation this week. He lives in a blue community in a blue state. He and his friends are a terrific bunch of kids, smart and funny, accomplished and kind. His closest friends are mostly first-generation Americans, the first in … Continue reading The American Dream: Three Variations on a Theme →

A Memorial Day Montage for Those Needing Anti-Trump Fodder

On this day that reminds us of the sacrifices so many Americans have made to protect our country, I think it's important to consider how seriously every one of us will regard our decisions about self-governing in November. If you have family, friends, fellow workers, or other acquaintances who aren't beyond reach, I offer the … Continue reading A Memorial Day Montage for Those Needing Anti-Trump Fodder →

Last Night, President Biden “Outperformed Expectations”–in a Big Win for Democracy

https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1766115018506957095 The Biden campaign wasted no time to turn portions of the speech into this striking snippet. He was feisty, fearless, funny, and--perhaps most importantly--forward-looking. His disloyal opposition, however, couldn't even muster support for his opposition to Putin or his exhortation that political violence must end. If you didn't see his State Of The Union … Continue reading Last Night, President Biden “Outperformed Expectations”–in a Big Win for Democracy →

The Historian Our Democracy Needs Now: The Notorious HCR!

The late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg cast such an outsized shadow that she was affectionately named The Notorious RBG. I think the same phenomenon is occurring with historian Heather Cox Richardson, whom many of you follow via her “Letters From an American” newsletter on Substack. Her growing prominence is, to me, a good … Continue reading The Historian Our Democracy Needs Now: The Notorious HCR! →

The Remarkable First Year of Our Teaching Justice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8l-DgHV1fk Stories that leak from the supposedly august doors of today’s Supreme Court generally carry the fetid odor of personal corruption and/or disastrously questionable legal reasoning. Billionaires who’ve bought certain justices listen to them speak before the Federalist Society or other right wing groups and watch the justices pay back their bestowed largesse with decisions … Continue reading The Remarkable First Year of Our Teaching Justice →

“America’s Surprising Partisan Divide on Life Expectancy”

I’ve been thinking about the Covid statistics showing that many more Republicans who were anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers died than did Democrats who took precautions. The material that follows reveals a complex picture of life expectancy in general in these not-so-United-States. Colin Woodard is a historian and journalist who calls the United States the “American Nations.” … Continue reading “America’s Surprising Partisan Divide on Life Expectancy” →

An Urgent Message About Public Education

I'm including below the entire essay that Dan Rather and his colleague Elliot Kirschner wrote, which appeared on their Substack website. It's so central to our democracy that I hope you'll all read it and tell me your reactions. Annie The Battle To Save Public Education And the soul of America Dan Rather and Elliot … Continue reading An Urgent Message About Public Education →

“The Ship Is Turning Toward Democracy”–Historian Heather Cox Richardson

Man, oh man! I stumbled on to a Facebook live video with Heather Cox Richardson the other day—and became so engrossed that I watched for the full seventy-plus minutes. If you’d care to watch, you can do so here. In a conversational tone, with nary a note or computer to refer to, she moved us … Continue reading “The Ship Is Turning Toward Democracy”–Historian Heather Cox Richardson →

A Few Truly Special Jackie Robinson Stories–Reblogged, With a Timely Update

NOTE: Each year, April 15th is celebrated as Jackie Robinson Day, a tribute to a great athlete and great American. That day in 1947 marked Robinson's entrance into major league baseball as the first Black player--amid threats against his life. We are being challenged now by efforts to prevent schoolchildren from learning about Jackie Robinson, … Continue reading A Few Truly Special Jackie Robinson Stories–Reblogged, With a Timely Update →

Nancy Pelosi’s Final Press Conference–Imbued With History As She Makes Her Own

https://twitter.com/SpeakerPelosi/status/1606019529972322326?s=20&t=cSj4h5Nzb4D8PzU_n4k1Gw From Churchill to Zelensky…from JFK to Biden. Nancy Pelosi’s multiple attributes include both a strong sense of history and the ability to envelop the day’s events with an appropriate, memorable antecedent. I had the pleasure of watching her final weekly press conference as Speaker last Thursday morning. (The complete transcript is here.) The reporters … Continue reading Nancy Pelosi’s Final Press Conference–Imbued With History As She Makes Her Own →

“The High Cost of Underestimating Joe Biden”

By David Rothkopf November 13, 2022 In 2020, @JoeBiden was second guessed by many (me included). He wasn’t exciting. Too old school. Talked about healing. Talked about a clear agenda when the other side had little to offer but hate and good TV ratings. And he won decisively despite the skepticism of the “smart money.” For two … Continue reading “The High Cost of Underestimating Joe Biden” →

Where the Present and History Collide…

Image courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org What a sad, sad coincidence. Yesterday, The New York Times ran a front-page piece claiming that “Democrats Have Soured on Biden.” They cited a poll finding loss of confidence in the President across all age and ethnic groups. The primary reason for overall pessimism? Widespread concerns about the economy and inflation. … Continue reading Where the Present and History Collide… →

A Few Truly Special Jackie Robinson Stories

Whenever I see an essay bearing Doug Glanville's byline, I know I should set aside the time to read and savor it. I've written about Glanville several times and carried one of his pieces here and a video here. A friend of my older daughter's since childhood, he is an extraordinarily gifted person: former baseball … Continue reading A Few Truly Special Jackie Robinson Stories →

The Transfer of Power: Abe Lincoln and January 6th

Photo by Ramaz Bluashvili on Pexels.com I am listening to Rep. Jamie Raskin reading the audio version of his wrenching and beautiful memoir, Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and American Democracy. Raskin (D.-MD) is a former Constitutional law professor who headed the House team that sought to persuade the Senate to convict Donald Trump after his second … Continue reading The Transfer of Power: Abe Lincoln and January 6th →

Presenting the First Thanksgiving as Seen by Native Americans

With the belief that our nation becomes stronger as we examine the times that we've failed, sometimes grievously, to live up to our ideals, I'm providing this story assembled by The Washington Post. he Myth of Thanksgiving" explores the storied first Thanksgiving dinner between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag tribe in Massachusetts on the anniversary of its 400-year occurrence. The article places the events in context and brings us up to date on the fate of the tribe--and of Indigenous people in the US generally.

This President Goes Where None Has Gone Before…

Save draft Preview(opens in a new tab) Publish Add title This President Goes Where None Has Gone Before... Biden Delivers Remarks To Commemorate 100th Anniversary ... The above video is almost 43 minutes long, but it gives an extraordinary view of President Biden expanding his leadership by assuming the roles of teacher/historian—even as he accelerates his role as Healer-in-Chief. When President Biden traveled to Tulsa to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the decimation of Greenwood, a section of the city that was called “the Black Wall Street,” he described in often graphic detail the horrors that happened there... He also tied such events—and the pervasive institutional racism still existing—to the need for the programs he’s proposed to help affected communities achieve the economic stability of home ownership and entrepreneurship, which the people of Greenwood and elsewhere had created of their own volition before the 1921 massacre.

Beyond Music to Ritual: The Impact of Four Songs on America’s Psyche

When Colin Kaepernick, the former NFL football quarterback, took a knee (knelt) during The Star-Spangled Banner at the start of the games, he created quite the uproar. I have written that I felt his using his visibility to call attention to the injustices against African-Americans and other minorities was in the best tradition of nonviolent protest. He paid a heavy price for his actions: though he reached a settlement with the National Football League and is now a free agent, to date no team has been willing to sign him.

Anna Celenza, Professor of Music at Georgetown University, discusses Kaepernick’s protest in her introduction to a One Day University lecture titled: “Four Musical Masterpieces That Changed America.” I found her talk, which I watched on video, so enlightening that I’d like to provide you with some highlights. I’ve also added a bit of research from other sources.