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An Academic Defense of Grad Student Unions - An Open Letter to Columbia Provost John Coatsworth

Hank Reichman Academe Blog
As a proud Columbia alum (College '69) and an officer of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) I was excited to learn of the NLRB's decision last week. However, I was shocked and, frankly, disgusted to read your condescending and arrogant message to the campus community. As one graduate student put it, your letter 'simply encourages graduate workers to eschew this newly right, like telling workers management will look to their interests.'

Slavery and the National Anthem: The Surprising History Behind Colin Kaepernick's Protest

AJ Willingham CNN
Jackie Robinson, writing in 1972: I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag. I know that I am a black man in a white world. Jim Brown, the Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running backin 2016 said he stands '100 percent' behind Colin Kaepernick. Further, Kaepernick 'made all the sense in the world' in explaining his position. This is part of a long tradition of athletes, especially African American athletes combining sport and protest. (* ESPN)

Both Trump and Clinton Curb Press Access - Plane Rides and Presidential Transparency

Jim Rutenberg, Media Mediator The New York Times
Breaking with historic tradition, both Clinton and Trump do no allow reporters to travel with them. This is about something much bigger than eyewitness accounts and plane rides. It's about how much we want to know about each candidate's plans for the White House, and how open and accessible we want them to be as president. And ultimately, it's about whether we truly believe in the premise that transparency is vital for democracy.

Trump, in a Major Immigration Speech, Is Back in Fearmongering Form

Julianne Hing; Deirdre Fulton The Nation
In Mexico, Trump is solemn and praising; in Arizona, he's back to hysterical horror shows. His return to his old self was swift. Trump's Wednesday night speech was fiery, leaning on his usual depictions of immigrants as murderous, villainous, sexually deviant leeches. And then, he not only pledged every harsh anti-immigration tactic he'd floated for the past year, he expanded on them all - aimed at revving up his conservative base.

Milwaukee Officials: Black Youth, Single Mothers Are Not Responsible for Systemic Failings—You Are

Charmaine Lang Rewire
Single mothers should not be blamed for young people's responses to a city that ignores or criminalizes them. Many of Milwaukee’s Black families have never experienced calm. They have not experienced a city that centers their needs and voices. Black youth fed up with their treatment are not creeps. Should they face unemployment, underemployment, police brutality, and racism—and face it without complaint?

Black Activists Owe No Apology for Solidarity with Palestinians

Darializa Avila Chevalier and Khury Petersen-Smith Electronic Intifada
While the Vision for Black Lives inspired activists in the US and around the world, the statement was immediately met with a slew of criticism from Zionist organizations and publications.

National Lawyers Guild Statement of Solidarity with Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against Dakota Access Pipeline

National Lawyers Guild International Committee National Lawyers Guild
The proposed pipeline route crosses ancestral lands of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and the Missouri River. The Missouri River is a major source of water for the Tribe. The ancestral lands and water are sacred to the Tribe and its people, and they possess a responsibility to Mother Earth and to future generations to protect these ancestral lands and water.