Portside

The idea that some cultures are unchangeably “backward” and hence inassimilable is the basis for the new concept called “cultural racism.” And it is cultural racism, not the diversity of cultures, that threatens the aspirational democratic values that are often articulated yet too rarely achieved in the United States.

"David Bowie Is," an exhibition that started its international tour in London in 2013, garnered a lot of attention for its surprising diversity and depth. One of the exhibition's most interesting features was a selection from the musician and pop star's library. As a tribute to him, we present that book list as first published by Open Books Toronto when the exhibition reached that city.

On Dec. 31, the University of California (UC) finished selling all of its direct investments in private prison corporations concluding the university’s recent divestment from the GEO Group and the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA), two major for-profit businesses funding and maintaining American prisons. This decision to divest was in response to pressure from the African Black Coalition (ABC). Read ABC's press statement issued last month.

The United Farm and Commercial Workers endorse Hillary Clinton for President. They are the largest private sector union in the United States. The union has 1.3 million workers whose membership is primarily women and minorities.

Past Moore movies have proven that huge audiences can be found for political documentaries. Oscar-winning Bowling for Columbine was the highest-grossing documentary until Fahrenheit 9/11 snagged that record, and Sicko is in the top 10 for the genre. But all those films aimed their fire squarely at the United States, while Where to Invade Next aims a meandering Hi-Liter at a smattering of countries. And we all know that outrage is an easier sell than optimism.

Bolick; Comics; Bundys; Wheaton cheatin'; Central Park jive; Motown murals

A socialist win in Seattle demonstrates that ordinary people are receptive to unapologetic left politics. Can Seattle socialists expand their base and advance progressive reforms like rent control and a tax on the richest residents? And what can left activists elsewhere take from Seattle to launch their own progressive candidacies?

In December of 2015 - the earth's hottest year since recordkeeping began -- 195 nations met in Paris to forge an agreement to combat global warming. The governments of the world acknowledged their individual and collective duty to protect the earth's climate -- and then willfully refused to perform that duty. What did they agree to, and how should the people they govern respond?

On Wednesday January 6, the library released more than 180,000 of its public-domain items — including maps, posters, manuscripts, sheet music, drawings, photographs, letters, ancient texts — as high-resolution downloads, available to the public without restriction.

Released Tuesday by Monmouth University, the poll found that Sanders has 53 percent support in the state, compared to 39 percent backing Clinton. Notably, the survey concludes that Sanders now has an edge over Clinton with women voters, at 50 percent to 44 percent respectively. This lead reverses Sanders' 37 percent to 56 percent deficit among women in an identical Monmouth poll taken just two months ago.