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The Roundup Top Ten for September 10, 2021

Americans Sought Safer Abortions in Mexico Before Roe, Too

by Lina-Maria Murillo

"No matter what antiabortion crusaders try, pregnant people will always find ways to have abortions — and networks that go beyond borders have long helped them navigate treatment options."

50 Years Since Attica, Will America Observe the Human Rights of Prisoners?

by Heather Ann Thompson

"The Attica prison uprising was historic because these men spoke directly to the public, and by doing so, they powerfully underscored to the nation that serving time did not make someone less of a human being." 

Stop Using Islam to Critique the Texas Abortion Ban

by Sajida Jalalzai

Using comparisons to the Taliban or other Islamic radicals to attack anti-choice laws obscures the deep roots of misogyny in white Christian America. 

What Is Owed: The Limits of Darity and Mullen's Case For Reparations

by William P. Jones

A historian argues that a recent and influential book calling for reparations could strengthen its case by considering the arguments made by historians about the connections of American slavery to other manifestations of racism. What's needed is to link reparations to a global overturning of racial inequality.

America Is Giving the World a Disturbing New Kind of War

by Samuel Moyn

The adoption of rhetoric of "humane war" after Vietnam has allowed discussions of how to wage war to sideline discussions of whether to wage war at all, and encourages secrecy, surveillance, and long-term engagement. 

SCOTUS Ended the Eviction Ban, but not the Fight Against Eviction

by Maia Silber

Philadelphia's housing crisis during the first world war shows that worker and citizen activism is essential to compel governments to act to secure adequate affordable housing. 

The Discursive Power of the Pittsburgh Courier and the Black Press

by Adam Lee Cilli

The influential Black newspaper's publisher Robert L. Vann has been criticized as a self-promoting tribune of the Black bourgeoisie. A historian argues he should be reconsidered as a pragmatist building alliances in a time of upheaval for Black America. 

Too Often, Politicians Pick Their Voters

by Warren E. Milteer Jr.

Political factions and then organized parties have fought over the size, composition and geographical ordering of the electorate since the founding. This legacy today undermines the legitimacy of government and the political will to protect the right to vote. 

Giving the Women of the Divine Comedy their Due

by Laura Ingallinella

One scholar's project is using Wikipedia and her students to recover the historical personhood of Dante's women and elevate them above literary symbols or caricatures. 

There's More War in the Classroom Than You Think

by William Hitchcock and Meghan Herwig

Whatever the causes of the decline in history enrollments, it's not because history departments have rejected the study of war and military history.