Can I Speak Freely

Person hiding face while holding remote control.

Just Keep Watching

If you’re a regular MSNBC or Fox News enjoyer, you’re no doubt privy to both networks’ recurring the-other-guys-are-literally-Satan routine. If you don’t watch either network, you may catch wind of something along these lines from acquaintances, friends, or family members. If not them, then from politicians, social media posts, Internet memes, picket signs, bumper stickers, […]

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Definition of "woke" and related terms.

The Two Wokes

In 1962, novelist William Melvin Kelley provided “a hip assist” to white New York Times readers by translating the black slang term “woke” as “well-informed, up-to-date.” Four decades later, singer-rapper-songwriter Erykah Badu revealed through her song “Master Teacher” that she “stay[s] woke,” and implored her audience to do the same. The early 2010s saw the

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Hand controlling puppet from smartphone screen.

Digital Hate and the Paradox of Tolerance

The paradox of tolerance, first outlined by Austrian-British philosopher Karl Popper, explains that the attractive glitter of universal tolerance may not actually be gold. The paradox suggests that if a society is truly tolerant of everything then it must also be tolerant of intolerance, introducing a slippery slope that could eventually see intolerance completely supplanting

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Illustration of a man pointing, American flag background.

Four More Years

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 6, 2024, Donald Trump was elected to a second presidential term. The feat came with several historical firsts. In claiming victory, Trump became the first president to serve nonconsecutive terms since Grover Cleveland in 1892. He also became the first president to be reinstated following impeachment—let alone

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Colorful row houses with parked cars.

Making D.C. Black Again: Addressing the Effects of Gentrification in the District

Gentrification is defined as the process by which neglected, low-income, underdeveloped urban communities start to see a rapid influx in their communities’ development, resulting in a new community. This community becomes unaffordable to its current residents, further resulting in the displacement of its community members who are replaced by wealthy newcomers who can afford such

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Harvard University banner with crest.

Affirmative Action: Reactions from DMV Students and Faculty

The school year ended on a horrible note in late June. The Supreme Court made a historic decision to strike down affirmative action in higher education in Students for Fair Admissions vs Harvard. They declared that race and cultural background should not be a factor during the admissions process. The decision caused students and faculty

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