A governor’s race to watch in the Deep South
A year in which there are only three races for governor’s seats, all in the Deep South, wouldn’t normally create a lot of political speculation.
Benjamin Jealous's Latest Articles
Good jobs will come from a cleaner economy
I traveled recently from Baltimore, the city where my mother grew up, to Portland, Maine, where my dad did. It’s easy for many to see differences between one of the Blackest cities in America and largest city in one of the whitest states in the country.
What We Shouldn’t Permit
Picture a mountain valley somewhere in the Alleghanies, Appalachians or Blue Ridge. It’s a safe bet what you just imagined didn’t include a metal pipeline more than three feet wide running down a steep ridge or crossing a pristine stream.
Addressing the Real Need in Real Time
As someone who’s been organizing since I was a teenager, I can tell you that it’s hard to get people to focus on two things at once. Pick a real need and work on it in real time – that’s the way to win people over.
It Shouldn’t Take a Fiery Crash and Toxic Spill to Push Action on Railroad Safety
We need to do more to protect people and places from hazardous materials that move in more than 2 million freight cars each year.
Readjusting Our Historical Perspective Can Guide Us Today
Governor Ron DeSantis continues to try to elevate his Presidential chances while doubling down on banning Black history.
Divisions Set in Concrete and Pavement
The racial divisions that have split our country for centuries don’t just live in people’s hearts and heads. Some of them exist in concrete and pavement running right through certain neighborhoods. They are structural racism in the most tangible sense.
Taking on the Symptom that is Gun Violence and the Disease Behind It
We’ve had more mass shootings this year than we’ve had days this year.
Disposing of Division, Not People and Places
As an organizer who’s spent much of my life fighting for civil rights and access to the ballot box, I reflect on the work and words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. often, not just around the federal holiday for his birthday.
One Nation, Indivisible
It strikes me that the days we’re living through represent a metaphor for our national dilemma. January 6th and the weight of history that date carries are in the rearview mirror, at least on the calendar.