Hopefulness is a mindset that helps us see the bright side of things and plan for a better future. Despite the continued systemic racism in our country, in the 18 months that I have been writing about racism, its impacts for our country, and ways to combat it, I have seen some rays of hope.…

Throughout the 19th century, the Black press—those daily and weekly newspapers and magazines published by and for Black Americans—provided a forum and gave a voice to a people who were voiceless. With a pen as their weapon, Black journalists and publishers were soldiers without swords. Black newspapers played an equally significant role in the lives of…

The Black press is a critical—but often ignored—aspect of Black history and culture. Along with churches, political and service organizations, cultural institutions, and schools and universities, the Black press has been central to community formation, protest and advocacy, education and literacy, and economic self-sufficiency. Black journalists played a dual role, serving as of purveyors of news and information and as agents…

[The following recommendations are abridged from “Illegal Racial Discrimination in Jury Selection: A Continuing Legacy” by the Equal Justice Initiative.] For the past two weeks, I have focused on illegal racial discrimination in jury selection and its consequences. Eliminating this racial discrimination will take considerable effort on the part of court officials, legislators, judges, prosecutors,…