Racial health disparities in the U.S. cry out for attention, but, according to Catherine Bliss, the root causes of such disparities are not being adequately investigated. Bliss contends that genetic science, although it has commandeered governmental efforts to address the racial health divide, is not committed to probing the social and structural factors that generate … Continued


It was an epoch-making event, buoyed by hopes of human emancipation, that still shapes our notion of revolutionary change today.  The Russian Revolution, which took place a hundred years ago, was born out of war and poverty, and profoundly altered the course of the 20th century.  The writer China Miéville recreates those days of revolution, … Continued


Against the Grain

Frederick Douglass on Race and Democracy

Born a slave, Frederick Douglass became a leading figure in the abolitionist movement. Juliet Hooker recognizes Douglass as a democratic thinker, one who looked to Latin America for instruction and inspiration. Hooker discusses Douglass’s views toward African-American emigration, the contemplated U.S. annexation of Santo Domingo, and the Haitian Revolution. Juliet Hooker, Theorizing Race in the … Continued


Did Lincoln free the slaves?  Or did they just as much free themselves?  And what were the ramifications of their seemingly impossible achievement — immediate and uncompensated emancipation — for other oppressed groups?  Historian David Roediger discusses that revolutionary period in U.S. history — and the consequences of its failure today.   Resources: David R. … Continued