Universal HipHop Museum construction site.

On 50th Anniversary, Hip Hop Rises Again in the Bronx

The Universal Hip Hop Museum is poised to bring an economic and cultural infusion to the borough where the genre was born and bred.
A view of Greenwood Avenue before it was destroyed in the 1921 race massacre.

What Really Caused the Destruction of Tulsa’s ‘Black Wall Street’

What happened after the destruction of Greenwood, once home to some of the wealthiest African Americans in the US.
Black and white photograph of Harold Washington, 1980s.

A 1980s Blueprint on How to Be a Leader

A new film shows how Harold Washington, Chicago’s first Black mayor, stood up to a majority-white city council to push through infrastructure improvements for all.
Ariel view of Hlll District over the years

A Black Vision for Development, in the Birthplace of Urban Renewal

Pittsburgh’s Lower Hill District was razed by the federal government 65 years ago. Now developers are testing the question of how to correct for a racist past.

Why You Should Stop Joking That Black People Are Immune to Coronavirus

There’s a fatal history behind the claim that African Americans are more resistant to diseases like Covid-19 or yellow fever.

White Americans' Hold on Wealth Is Old, Deep, and Nearly Unshakeable

White families quickly recuperated financial losses after the Civil War, then created a Jim Crow credit system.

Stop Calling it ‘The Great Migration’

For people of color watching over their shoulder, the fear of police interference harkens back to a historical moment with a much-too-benign label.
A worker prepares to remove a statue of Jefferson Davis.

How Robert E. Lee Got Knocked Off His Pedestal

Before New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu made his celebrated speech, a grassroots movement forced the city to take down its monuments to white supremacy.