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The Roundup Top Ten for April 22, 2022

"More Cops" is Not the Answer for NYC

by Simon Balto

The entire, terrifying episode that unfolded across 29 hours in New York was a testament to the futility of spending more money on police, and to the lie that police “keep us safe”. 

Visible Activism Key to Protecting Trans People From Discriminatory Laws

by Shay Ryan Olmstead

The legal strategies that LGBT groups have used to defend their rights and dignity in society may be less effective with hard-right judges on the bench. Direct action and activism outside the courts will be needed to make sure that the right doesn't use the law to target trans people for political gain. 

T. Thomas Fortune: The Forgotten Founder of Abolition Democracy

by Robin D.G. Kelley

T. Thomas Fortune's critique of Reconstruction is a radical intellectual document that has valuable lessons for the activists and scholars associated with the prison abolition movement. 

To Save la République, Macron Can't Ignore the Left

by Moshik Temkin

Macron's centrist strategy in the face of a rising far right is dangerous, but reflects the long turn to the center by the Socialist Party. Can he expect left-leaning constituencies to once again vote to save France from fascism while getting nothing in return? 

Dan Patrick's Illiberal Attack on Higher Ed

by Jonathan Marks

There are good conservative arguments for abolishing faculty tenure; Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick isn't advancing one of them as he seeks to punish political opponents for their ideas.

Campus CRT Battles Recall 1920s Evolution Fight

by Adam Laats

Faculty and teachers who want to fight back against the Critical Race Theory panic can take the high ground by stressing the importance of quality research and teaching, if the 1920s are a guide. 

New TV Shows Reduce "Black Excellence" to Materialism

by Tanisha C. Ford

Equating excellence with opulence, and portraying the Black wealthy as champions of progress, ignores many of the ongoing concerns of Black Americans and highlights historically significant class divisions among African Americans. 

Is International Cooperation Possible?

by Tiziana Stella and Campbell Craig

The United Nations system, based on the sovereignty of nations, is increasingly inadequate to the global problems facing humanity. There are other international traditions that can guide a better world order. 

Moving Beyond Sanctions to End the War in Ukraine

by Alfred McCoy

"While the world waits for the other combat boot to drop hard, it’s already worth considering where the West went wrong in its efforts to end this war, while exploring whether anything potentially effective is still available to slow the carnage."

Previewing Tulsa's New Bob Dylan Center

by Douglas Brinkley

"The center—a high-tech vessel holding the man’s oeuvre and an overview of the man—will be the spiritual home of Dylan, a relentless performer who is forever on the road."