Search Results for: BID

Formerly incarcerated people are twice as likely to suffer food insecurity as the general population

By Margaret Lombe, Associate Professor of Social Work, Boston College; and Von Nebbitt, Associate Professor of Social Work, Washington University in St Louis Around 600,000 people are released annually from the United States‘s sprawling prisons network. Many face considerable barriers as a result of their convictions when it comes to essentials in life, like getting a job or a home. It can even be harder to feed themselves. Formerly incarcerated people are twice as likely to suffer food insecurity as the general population, with 1 in 5 ex-prisoners finding it difficult to obtain regular, nutritious meals. A 2013 survey...

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From chattel slavery to Jim Crow: Juneteenth is now an unavoidable reminder that reparations are due

Weeks after the last cannon sounded and the gun smoke cleared in April 1865, slavery in most of the United States had come to an end, unless you were an enslaved person in Texas. It was not until June 19, 1865, a full 71 days after the surrender at Appomattox and 37 days after the Battle of Palmito Ranch, that 2,000 Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay, Texas, to announce that the Civil War was indeed over; and that all enslaved people were now free. In Texas, this was known as “Juneteenth,” and it marks not only the day...

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New study finds that racial bias makes White Americans more likely to support a war with China

By Vladimir Enrique Medenica, Assistant Professor of Political Science, University of Delaware; and David Ebner, Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Relations, University of Delaware The effects of American racial bias and anti-Asian sentiment do not end at the nation’s borders. The racial attitudes of white people also influence their support for American military intervention abroad, according to our working paper on U.S. foreign policy and racism. White Americans who hold racist beliefs are significantly more likely to endorse aggressive military interventions over diplomacy or economic strategies in foreign countries at odds with the United States, if the...

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Angela Lang: The bittersweetness of Juneteenth’s recognition as a Federal holiday

Juneteenth has been the day we commemorate the end of slavery. As long as I can remember, my friends and family referred to it as “our 4th of July.” It’s always a day of fun, community, and celebration. But Juneteenth feels different lately. Last year started our traumatic journey through not only a global pandemic, but also the largest civil rights movement in history. This year we’re still dealing with racism and police violence. How far have we really come? We just saw the Wisconsin Legislature take up bills on criminal justice reform. BLOC and our partners have been...

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In Defense of White Culture: Why rightwing media poisons the truth to deceive the public

I am struggling to explain why a Fox News host would say to the American people, “they’re trying to take down the white culture!” But first, let me back up. Democracies don’t turn into fascist oligarchies by being invaded or losing wars. It always happens from within, and is always driven by an alliance between demagogic, populist politicians and some of the very wealthiest people in society. Step one for these right wing politicians and the morbidly rich who support them is to pit one group of people within the nation against others: Marginalize and demonize minorities, deny them...

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