The Cultural Pessimism of 1619
There is a lot of talk in the U.S. today about “cultural pessimism.” Such talk may or may not capture the overall mood of the country, but there are certainly lots of things about the state of...
View ArticleUnderstanding Lincoln’s Cardinal Principles
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States, the man who led the nation through the horrors of civil war, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, and advocated for the ratification of...
View Article12 Years A Slave After America’s “Racial Reckoning”
This year marks the ten-year anniversary of the release of 12 Years a Slave, the “triumphant” Steve McQueen film that swept the Oscars with both critical and public acclaim. Yet 2023 also marks...
View ArticleThe Truth About Sojourner Truth
In 1828, a former slave named Isabella van Wagenen took her owner to court on the charge that he had illegally sold her five-year-old son out of state. Isabella herself had only been legally free for...
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