OP-ED

Rep. James Clyburn has warned that America risks sliding backward toward the post-Reconstruction era, a period of brutal racial tyranny and voter suppression, as evidenced by the recent Supreme Court decision to gut Black voting rights and President Trump's dismantling of civil rights protections.

The recent Supreme Court decision to gut a key provision of the Voting Rights Act threatens educational equity by reducing Black political representation and limiting Black communities' ability to shape the education of their children.

Donald Trump is accused of prioritizing his own interests, family, and friends over the American people, while spending tax dollars on lavish projects and pardoning criminals, and is urged to be held accountable through voting.

Despite facing shortages, uncertainty, and hardship, the Cuban people continue to offer hospitality and kindness to those around them.

Sports have the unique ability to unite people of various backgrounds, providing an emotional and mental break from the chaos of the political climate, but Colin Kaepernick and Jaxson Dart have both faced backlash for using their platforms to address political issues.

On Juneteenth, Ben Jealous will stand at the Hermitage, Andrew Jackson's plantation, to celebrate Black music and remember the enslaved people who were buried there, while also acknowledging the duality of the nation's history.

Pope Leo XIV apologized for the Vatican's role in legitimizing slavery, while the Trump administration refused to acknowledge the harm done and rejected a UN resolution designating the transatlantic slave trade as the gravest crime against humanity.

Black activists, journalists, and celebrities are urging Black athletes to boycott schools in states where Black voting strength is being diluted, in order to show their political and economic power.

The presidency has become a monetization platform, with political power and private wealth becoming increasingly difficult to separate, leading to a dangerous erosion of public trust and ethical expectations.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's recent commencement address at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was a validation of the Confederate belief in racial superiority and a call to reverse diversity, equity and inclusion programs, which has sparked a moral pushback from the NAACP and other organizations.