“Jails and prisons are the complement of schools; so many less as you have of the latter, so many more must you have of the former.” — Horace Mann, “Report of the Superintendent of Public Instruction of the Commonwealth of …

Race remains the unspoken elephant in the room amid the growing controversy over who should replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Presidential campaigns often turn raw. Politicians reach for sound bites that bite. Often they gain by playing on fears, winning by division, not by addition. In 2016, insult has become the coin of the campaign, particularly in the Republican primaries. …

Now that the political pundits of the major media outlets have gulped down the teas that were the South Carolina Democratic primary and Super Tuesday, they are busy trying to read the leaves left in their respective cups. One of …

The 2016 election is historic, not only because we could elect the first woman president, but because for the first time in more than 50 years, this nation will vote without the protection of the Voting Rights Act, which kept …

In American society, we claim to support freedom of speech as a cornerstone of our democracy. Yet when it comes to certain kinds of information — particularly ideas that threaten the basis for white supremacy — censorship suddenly becomes justifiable. …

A few weeks ago, Rep. Sean Duffy took to the House floor to scold black lawmakers like me. Citing high abortion rates among African-American women, the Wisconsin congressman accused abortion providers of preying on minority communities. “I’ve heard many of …

For the residents of Flint, Mich., the water crisis continues. Their governor and President Obama have declared states of emergency. Congress is holding hearings. Presidential candidates are doing tours and debates. Free filters are being handed out. Residents can pick …

Bryan Stevenson’s inspiring and best-selling book “Just Mercy” shares some of the fruits of his lifelong fight to push our nation closer to true justice. In January, our nation took two more steps forward in the ongoing struggle to treat …

Despite Cam Newton leading the Carolina Panthers to a 15-1 record during the regular season and two playoff victories en route to his being selected the NFL’s Most Valuable Player and six black quarterbacks playing in the Super Bowl, black …

Three unarmed black men encountered a group of white men walking down a dirt road in Slocum, Texas, on July 29, 1910. Without warning, and with no reason, the white men opened fire on the black men. And, for two …

Ever since Donald Trump entered the Republican presidential race, I have been waiting to see him lose. I wanted to see how he would handle it. Humility, after all, is not an emotion with which The Donald appears to be …

The passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) promised to improve the delivery of health care services in America — especially for historically disadvantaged communities that suffer high rates of chronic illness. The ACA has begun to deliver on that …

Since former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin erupted on the national scene by telling everyone she could see Russia from her porch in Alaska, she has been lecturing everyone about accepting responsibility. For example, speaking to Tea Party supporters in …

Have you heard? Apparently large numbers of American adults are “angry” about their own circumstances and about where they think the country is headed. For months, numerous politicians, pollsters and pundits have touted this anger as an important factor in …