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A New Documentary On Opera Singer Marian Anderson Is Coming To PBS

A new PBS documentary will commemorate singer Marian Anderson's voice and her activism.

Jane Roe’s Deathbed Confession: Anti-Abortion Conversion ‘All an Act’ Paid for by the Christian Right

A new documentary includes Norma McCorvey's revelation that anti-abortion organizations paid her to pose insincerely as a born-again anti-abortion crusader in the 1990s.

World War II Museum to Reopen on Memorial Day with Masks Required, Attendance at 25%

The World War II museum will be open for Memorial Day with limited capacity and required protective gear. World War II veterans will be encouraged to stay home. 

The Pandemic Has Led to an Outbreak of Terrible Historical Analogies

The pandemic has given Americans lots to think about, not the least of which are the awful historical analogies and references used to make its worst actors seem valorous. Here are some of the most egregious examples, why they’re absurd, and why they should be taken seriously.

You Don't Have to Choose Between Jobs and Safety. Just Ask West Virginia

We can guarantee economic security and keep every working family safe, paid for by an end to grotesque wealth inequality. Here’s how.

The Tumultuous History of the U.S. Postal Service—and its Constant Fight for Survival

The agency has shape-shifted to overcome crises for more than two and a half centuries—and emerged as the nation’s most trusted institution.

American Dental Association Commemorates 75 Years of Water Fluoridation

A series of July webinars will celebrate a public health success and address how health officials can overcome public misinformation, skepticism and rumor.

Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture Announces $1 Million In Funding for Preservation Projects

The Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture (MCAAHC) announces $1 million in available funds for African American preservation projects throughout the state of Maryland.

"Rumors of War" Arrives in the South

Kehinde Wiley's new sculpture serves as a rejoinder to the statues of Confederate leaders along Richmond's Monument Avenue. 

May 18, 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson Decided

On May 18, 1896 the Supreme Court's decision validated the "separate but equal" principle that was used to justify racial apartheid in the United States.

Tributes As World War Two Code Breaker Ann Mitchell Dies Aged 97

One of the last of the famed Bletchley Girls, who worked to break the German Enigma codes, has died. 

Could 'Rogue Electors' Tilt the Balance of the US Election?

The Supreme Court has heard arguments in cases involving "faithless electors" who depart from their state's popular vote when the Electoral College votes to choose the President. The cases evoke troubling prospects for the 2020 election being decided by a small number of electors.

Is ‘Human Identity Politics’ the Solution to Polarization?

A new book by Ezra Klein argues that American polarization results from the collision of early humanity's tribal tendencies with a realignment of group identities over the last 50 years. Does he ignore the special role of the conservative movement in driving polarization?

66 years after Brown v. Board, Schools Across the South are Still Separate and Unequal

The SPLC contends that school funding programs, including vouchers and charter schools, help to preserve and extend racial segregation in the South. 

‘Everyone Has A Story’: How Will World Remember Pandemic?

Museums and historical societies are collecting materials, often with help from people accustomed to capturing and sharing even the most mundane moments around them.

The Conspiracy Museum: A Speculative Address

by Robin Sloan

Where might the spread of conspiratorial thinking and evidence-free discourse lead? Read the opening address for the Smithsonian Museum of American Conspiracy from the year 2041. 

Up From The Streets, a Vibrant Documentary on the History of New Orleans Music, Is Essential Viewing

Because of its profound, often tangled and diverse roots, there have been plenty of quality documentaries on the music of New Orleans. This is arguably the best. 

What History Tells Us About Building Climate Coalitions

Author Matto Mildenberger has examined how politics have shaped decades of climate policy in his new book, "Carbon Captured: How Business and Labor Control Climate Politics."

Richard Gilder’s American Legacy

Howard Husock argues that the late Richard Gilder's work with the Central Park Conservancy showed the benefits of using private philanthropy to preserve public parks instead of government programs, and praises Gilder's support for the study of American history. 

Faculty Cuts Begin, With Warnings of More to Come

Faculty grow wary of cuts to instructional staff as universities respond to fiscal crisis.