by Jallicia Jolly

The string of legislative and legal "victories" last month have created much discussion about civil rights and state power. The Supreme Court's approval of health care subsidies of the Affordable Care Act and the guarantee of the right to same sex-marriages, coupled with the passing of a legislation granting President Obama trade promotion authority, represent paramount reforms of the Obama administration that serve to further highlight the 'progress' of our troubled nation. Yet, the bottle-popping celebrations of these legislative "achievements" direct attention away from their connection to the politics of suffering of historically marginalized groups such as Black Americans and poor women of color.

by Anna Gibson


With last week's official announcement that she'll be running in the 2016 Presidential Election, Hillary Clinton left very few shocked, but still ruffled quite a few feathers across the political landscape. People have long compared her possible entrance to the White House with her husbands’ presidency, cast doubt upon her campaign based on age, and even compared past legislative decisions to possible future actions.

Yesterday morning, President Obama officially nominated Loretta Lynch as his pick for U.S. Attorney General. If confirmed, she will be the first Black woman in U.S. history to hold the position.

The United States has never had a Black female as the governor of a state-level jurisdiction but that could change in the November general election. U.S. Virgin Islands Del. Donna Christensen (D) is well on her way to becoming the governor of her territory. She and Basil Ottley Jr. won the crowded Aug. 2 Democratic Party primary for governor and lieutenant governor, respectively, and because of the strength of the party, will face minor opposition from the island’s other political parties in the Nov. 4 general election.
Christensen was delighted to win her latest political battle. “I am pleased to have the nomination of the Democratic Party and I invite all of my fellow Democrats to work together with me to ensure victory in November,” Christensen, 68, said. “We have a lot of work to do; our people expect that we will have a common vision and a plan to move our territory forward.”