Portside

Dave Zirin’s extraordinary new book is devoted to telling how a star athlete “taking a knee” inspired young athletes across the country to join a historic social movement.

In 1968, Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists during an Olympic medal ceremony. Their demonstration still inspires athletes, artists and marginalized people everywhere.

Some 25 states have already enacted or are considering laws to ban teaching what they call “critical race theory” (“CRT”) in public schools, a concept that school officials around the country deny they even teach.

Tennessee, Montana and Oklahoma are the latest states to pass anti-protest laws. Other bills in Iowa, Texas, Missouri, North Carolina and Ohio have progressed in the last two months.

Progressive Black Democrats are reviving a radical tradition of Palestine solidarity in Congress, challenging Black leaders in their own party and Washington's support for Israeli state violence.

Critical race theory is not primarily about history. It is about the effects of history on institutions, policies, laws, and, most importantly, ideas. And that makes the rightwing deeply uneasy.

This year marks 100 years since the Tulsa Race Massacre, where roughly 300 people — predominantly Black people — were killed; Black churches, schools and businesses were burned to the ground, and the homes of Black people were looted.

Reader Comments: Palestine, Israel; George Floyd Changed the World; Society Without Landlords; Military Spending; Chile; Asian & Asian American Books for Children & Teenagers; Solidarity with Palestine Resources; Memorial Day; Music Therapy; more...

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