With support from the University of Richmond

History News Network

History News Network puts current events into historical perspective. Subscribe to our newsletter for new perspectives on the ways history continues to resonate in the present. Explore our archive of thousands of original op-eds and curated stories from around the web. Join us to learn more about the past, now.

The Roundup Top Ten for October 8, 2021

The Planet Isn't Doomed. That's Why We Can and Must Act

by Dagomar Degroot

Climate "doomism" is a dangerous fatalism about our planet that justifies our political failure to take the necessary actions to slow climate change. 

The Disturbing Precedent for McConnell’s Debt-Ceiling Brinksmanship

by Lindsay M. Chervinsky

Mitch McConnell's use of Senate rules and the body's disproportionate representation to ensure that Democrats who represent 41.5 million more people than Republicans are unable to govern. His tactics echo those of the antebellum Slavocracy. 

The Inescapable Dilemma of Infectious Disease

by Kyle Harper

Control of infectious diesase is arguably humanity's greatest triumph. Has that triumph changed our environment to make diseases tougher to control? Has our success stopped us from being able to think of how to thrive without control of infections? 

Why Hollywood Can't Change a Diaper

by Janet Golden

While Hollywood portrayals of motherhood have adapted to incorporate single and working mothers, popular culture images of fatherhood have remained stubbornly stuck in the past. Would supports for child care and parental leave in the budget reconciliation bill help bring movie dads up to date? 

MLB Passed on the Chance to Stop the Drain of African American Players from Baseball

by Lou Moore

Major League Baseball noticed that the trend of increased Black participation in the pro game was making a sharp U-turn as early as the mid-1970s. MLB ignored the advice of many Black players, managers and scouts to reach out to African American youth to protect the diversity and quality of the game. 

The "Eds and Meds" Sector Needs a New Deal

by Ian Gavigan and Jennifer Mittelstadt

COVID has given university administrators license to escalate their war on unionized labor in all facets of operations, from instruction to food services. All university workers need to recognize their common interest and organize to make universities pay living wages, offer fair benefits, and support equitable community development.

New "Wonder Years" Revives a 1970s Tactic for Diversifying TV. Will it Work?

by Kate L. Flach

The technique of "racial inversion" was intended in the 1970s to encourage white viewers to empathize with Black characters. Today, as then, the results show that TV alone can't bridge the nation's racial divisions. 

The "Critical Race Theory" Ban Makes Teaching Black History Illegal in Tennessee

by David Barber

"The real object here is to prevent educators from discussing nearly four centuries of white domination over Black people.­­"

Don't Feel Guilty for Loving Football (Just Be Honest About It)

by Stephen T. Casper

"Football is not going away, so don’t feel guilty above loving the game. But do stop quibbling about whether football is dangerous—and be radically honest about how dangerous it is."

Teaching the Good and Bad of History Empowers Students to Build Just Communities

by Mirelsie Velázquez

Oklahoma's new law restricting teaching about past racial atrocities will make it hard to teach about how Black and Native Oklahomans have responded to discrimination and fought for racial justice.