He provides the reader with captivating aerial perspectives and close-up encounters which frame the complex relationships that both fueled and obstructed the infamous slave trade.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is dying the death of a thousand cuts. In 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court stuck a dagger in the VRA’s guts with Shelby County v. Holder, striking down the formula that determined which jurisdictions had to get federal approval before making changes to their elections.

In my previous column, I pushed for the election of Francesca Hong as a path to resuscitating a democracy on life support. I criticized the Democratic Party elites for always defaulting to the status quo and being tone-deaf to the literal cries of their constituency for economic relief and political freedom. Working people in this country are suffering under the MAGA regime and are desperately looking for candidates who fight for the working class and defend our democracy.

The August primaries were revealing, bringing both disappointments and successes. Can we get past the slings and arrows that typically go airborne after tough races and contentious ballot initiatives? We must have a sober discussion about how to move forward if we want to save our struggling democracy and the rights and liberties that accompany it. We must protect our gains and expand our victories.

The execution of Corey Ruiz is symptomatic of rogue enforcement under the Trump regime. We can no longer use “law” and “enforcement” in the same breath with these people, and we should not. Doing so will help us to understand better that the MAGA monsters have a blatant disrespect for the law and therefore cannot be expected to uphold it. Emboldened by henchmen at the top, the minions on the street level are exerting their power.

Most voters take the valued tools of democracy for granted. We can access them readily without thinking about how society got them, or who’s responsible for protecting them. The foundational, electoral, and direct democracy tools are deeply integrated into the fabric of society. It has only been under the current regime that significant attention has been given to understanding what these tools are and the potential consequences of losing them.

Does citizenship only count when you die for this country? We can expect more deadly conflicts with ICE as the midterm elections get closer.

Five Democratic Socialist of America candidates will be on the Wisconsin ballot on August 11. The five join dozens of other DSA candidates on ballots across the country. Attempts by the status quo by both political parties to “boogify” their affiliation with socialism don’t seem to be working. Zohran Mamdani’s rise to be mayor of the largest city in the U.S. is verifiable proof that DSA-backed candidates can get the support of voters.

It’s been 174 years since the famous abolitionist, Frederick Douglass, issued his scathing address on July 4 celebrations. The nation couldn’t handle the truth then, and it cannot handle it now. The Trump regime is giving us a harsh reality check as the country prepares to celebrate its 250th birthday.