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A Black woman wearing a black t-shirt holds out a microphone for another older Black woman who is seated and wearing a red t-shirt to speak into. They are at the African American Civil War Memorial in Washington, D.C. A sign that reads "Defend Black Studies" lays in the corner.

VOICES: Teaching truth in the face of book bans

By Judy Richardson
June 28, 2023 - Over the past few years, the number of attempted book bans has skyrocketed, going hand-in-hand with proposed laws to limit what can be taught in classrooms. The book titles most often targeted are those written by people of color and LGBTQ+ authors, and those featuring discussions of race, gender, and sexual orientation. In this Voices piece, we share a recent speech given by civil rights veteran Judy Richardson on the necessity of truth telling and teaching in the face of book censorship.
Cover of the book next to the head shot of the author

'Stayed on Freedom' is a compelling account of a radical Black family

By Ajamu Dillahunt
March 31, 2023 - Dan Berger, a scholar of the Black Power movement, has written a remarkable intergenerational story about the Simmons family's long involvement in the Black freedom struggle, from Zoharah's and Michael's SNCC organizing and human rights work to Aishah's anti-rape activism. The title comes from lyrics to a civil rights anthem that for them has been more than a slogan — it's been a guide to a life of service to the people.

From the Archives: War resister Walter Collins on racism in the U.S. military

By Southern Exposure
May 26, 2022 - For Memorial Day, we are republishing an interview from a 1973 issue of Southern Exposure with Walter Collins, a longtime Black Freedom Movement activist who was incarcerated in 1970 for refusing the draft. Collins was involved with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee as well as the Black nationalist group the Republic of New Afrika. His interview touches on questions of colonialism and anti-Black repression in the United States, and is an indictment of the racist aspects of the military.

THE STAKES 2020: Catherine Coleman Flowers on the environmental justice movement and elections

By Rebekah Barber
October 23, 2020 - Across the rural South's Black Belt, the lack of adequate sewage and water infrastructure has created serious public health problems. We spoke with Catherine Coleman Flowers, a longtime environmental justice activist in rural Alabama and the recent recipient of a MacArthur Foundation "genius" grant, about her work to draw attention to the region's intersecting crises and how grassroots activism can impact federal policy.