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The Roundup Top Ten for August 14, 2020

Why Kamala Harris Matters to Me

by Manisha Sinha

Despite well-deserved criticism from the left of some of their policies, Mr. Obama and Ms. Harris represent the cosmopolitan, interracial democracy that a majority of Americans aspire to live in today. 

Understanding Today’s Uprisings Requires Understanding What Came Before Them

by Jeanne Theoharis

The history of social unrest like the 1965 Watts Rebellion must acknowledge that public authorities had ignored peaceful demands for inclusion and opportunity from communities of color for years before the unrest.

Stacey Abrams Could Have as Much Impact on 2020 as Kamala Harris

by Liette Gidlow

Stacy Abrams's work to protect voting rights and ballot access may be a decisive factor in the 2020 election. 

Armed Poll Watchers: New Jersey’s Cautionary Tale Ahead Of The 2020 Presidential Election

by Mark Krasovic

In the history of voter suppression in the United States – including attempts to stop Black and Latino people from voting – Republican tactics in the 1981 New Jersey gubernatorial race are worth highlighting.

How History Turns Riots Into Tea Parties

by Stacy Schiff

For years Boston hesitated to erect a monument to the rabble-rousers of 1770. We do not care for the revolutionary spirit to survive the revolution. The revolution, however, goes nowhere without it.

Trump Is Hobbling the Mail the Old-fashioned Way

by Winifred Gallaghe

If Republicans wanted to limit voter turnout and raise doubts about the election’s integrity, creating chaos within the Postal Service and undermining its independence would be an efficient way to pursue that goal.   

As College Football Grapples with the Coronavirus, it also Confronts its Racist History

by Bennett Parten

It's no coincidence that the south is the heartland of college football. The region first embraced the game as an expression of southern honor culture. While southern colleges were slow to adopt integrated rosters, today's Southeastern Conference teams rely heavily on the unpaid labor of Black players. 

The Problem with Asking Police to Enforce Public Health Measures

by Emily Brooks

World War II-era campaigns against prostitution in New York City show that enacting public health controls through the police department results in racially unequal enforcement and increased policing of communities of color. 

We Can Tear Down False Idols of History. Thomas Jefferson Did it to Jesus Christ

by Peter Manseau

"Considering 'The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth' anew today, we might begin by asking whether Jefferson’s willingness to challenge convention gives the lie to a justification of his many failings as unavoidable for a man of his time."

The Inevitability of Defending Henry Kissinger

by Jim Sleeper

A new book on the Cold War statesman offers a dangerous justification for the unaccountability of powerful figures.