Dispatches
Dispatches
News from the front lines of progressive grassroots politics.
Alisha Oyler, George Floyd, and ‘The Other America’
As the trial of Derek Chauvin draws to a close, in a welter of expert testimony and talk of the crumbling blue wall of police silence, the most important witness from more than three weeks of testimony might also be the least memorable. Read more
Apr 16, 2021
The Prior Previous Police Shooting(s)
The names of people whose lives were cut short and the excuses from police are piling up as a horrible testament to our country’s racist reality. Read more
Apr 16, 2021
Why ‘Karens’ Are a Threat to Racial Progress
From Ida B. Wells to Emmett Till to the ‘Karens’ of today, the trope of white women in danger has been used to harm Black people. Read more
Apr 16, 2021
Creative Commons
U.S. Joins Past Empires In Afghan Graveyard
President Biden announced a removal of all U.S. troops by September 11, but he failed to include some important details. Read more
Apr 15, 2021
Unequal Justice: What We Can Learn from the Derek Chauvin Trial
After a long and shameful history of police violence against Black people, the George Floyd murder case might finally bring about some justice. Read more
Apr 14, 2021
Caring About Black Lives Can Get You Busted
The Florida city sees new anti-protest bill as a threat to anti-racist protests. Read more
Apr 13, 2021
What a BLM Protest Actually Looks Like
Following the police killing of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota on April 11, community members have been gathering outside of the city’s police department to protest. Read more
Apr 13, 2021
Reclaiming Asylum, Rethinking the Border
A much different mindset is needed about border issues—one that doesn’t treat asylum seekers as criminals and instead keeps them out of detention and in communities. Read more
Apr 13, 2021
Smart Ass Cripple: I’ll Vote How I Damn Well Please
There’s a thrill that comes with voting in person, but we’re at a point where many of us will benefit from voting by mail—assuming we’re allowed to. Read more
Apr 12, 2021
(Photo by Cineberg, courtesy of Shutterstock).
The Union Campaign at Amazon Was Just the Beginning
Though the organizing effort at the Alabama facility lost, the company’s workers have shown that workplace representation is essential and attainable. Read more
Apr 9, 2021
In Memory and Celebration of Reese Erlich
Great progressive writer dies after a long and illustrious career. Read more
Apr 9, 2021
Midwest Dispatch: The Blue Wall Gives Way to the ‘Bad Apple’ Theory in Chauvin Trial
Minneapolis police officers are testifying against the former cop who killed George Floyd. But it’s possible they’re just sacrificing him to control the conversation around policing. Read more
Apr 8, 2021
Inequality in U.S. Education Goes Beyond the College Admissions Scandal
The new Netflix documentary, “Operation Varsity Blues,” looks into what happened in 2019, but what’s needed are real solutions to the ongoing achievement gap. Read more
Apr 8, 2021
Why Trump Was Kicked Out of the Screen Actors Guild
The actors’ union’s former President Ed Asner sounds off on Trump’s misdeeds. Read more
Apr 8, 2021
(Photo by alexkich, courtesy of Shutterstock).
How America’s ‘Bootstraps’ Myth Hurts Farmers — And All of Us
When Black farmers received aid from the last stimulus package, it drew the ire of conservatives like Lindsey Graham, who cast them as less deserving than whites. Read more
Apr 7, 2021
Making a List—of Cops Who Can’t Be Trusted
A new Colorado bill would force disclosure of information on police accused of bias. Read more
Apr 6, 2021
In Prison, COVID-19 Precautions are a Form of Punishment
I’m incarcerated at a prison in Washington State, and the guards here use safety protocols as an excuse to crack down on us. Read more
Apr 5, 2021
(Photo by vovan, courtesy of Shutterstock).
How the Rhetoric of ‘Learning Loss’ Is Harming Schools
The most important losses of the pandemic have little to do with academic standards. Read more
Apr 4, 2021
An End to Broadband Inequality—or Just More of the Same?
Congress weighs competing approaches to closing the digital divide. Read more
Apr 3, 2021
James Crow, III
When your ideas don’t win people over, just keep the other side from getting votes. Read more
Apr 2, 2021
