#312: Twenty Years Later

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. Thank you very much for being here.

A little more than a week ago, the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, came and went with barely a notice. Like most news events these days, it was easily ignored with a quick swipe on our phones.

I suppose I can’t be frustrated that our divided and overwhelmed nation does not have the capacity right now to acknowledge the lives lost and reflect on the ramifications of our country’s response.

But what I can do is share some outstanding articles with you and ask that we, as a thoughtful reading community, take some time to pause. What have we learned, twenty years later? What do we teach our children?

This week’s issue includes a well-written contemporaneous account of the attacks, a touching profile of a restaurant manager who still regrets not being able to save his colleagues, a disturbing report of high rates of dementia among first responders, and a podcast episode tracing today’s current conspiracy theorists back to 9/11. I hope that you find at least one article that is worthy of your time and attention. Have a great week.

If You Want To Humble An Empire

Nancy Gibbs: “This was the bloodiest day on American soil since our Civil War, a modern Antietam played out in real time, on fast-forward, and not with soldiers but with secretaries, security guards, lawyers, bankers, janitors. It was strange that a day of war was a day we stood still. We couldn’t move — that must have been the whole idea — so we had no choice but to watch.

“Every city cataloged its targets; residents looked at their skylines, wondering if they would be different in the morning. The Sears Tower in Chicago was evacuated, as were colleges and museums. Disney World shut down, and Major League Baseball canceled its games, and nuclear power plants went to top security status; the Hoover Dam and the Mall of America shut down, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia, and Mount Rushmore.

“It was as though someone had taken a huge brush and painted a bull’s-eye around every place Americans gather, every icon we revere, every service we depend on, and vowed to take them out or shut them down, or force us to do it ourselves.” (43 min)

‘I Was Responsible For Those People’

Twenty years later, Glenn Vogt, who managed the restaurant Windows on the World, still can’t forgive himself that he couldn’t save his 79 colleagues who died on 9/11. This touching profile by Tim Alberta reveals how Mr. Vogt has processed his loss, supported victims’ families, founded the Windows of Hope relief fund, and raised his son Taylor, who suffers from bipolar disorder. Despite taking care of many people, he feels like he hasn’t done enough. “Moving forward is different from moving on,” he says. (23 min)

The Mystery Of 9/11 First Responders And Dementia

After the Twin Towers fell, Queens firefighter Ron Kirchner worked more than 600 hours at Ground Zero, looking for survivors and clearing the debris. He breathed in glass fibers, dioxins, asbestos lead, and PCBs, and seven years ago, at the age of 52, he was diagnosed with dementia. Hundreds of first responders now experience cognitive impairment, which scientists have called alarming and unnatural. While the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act provides compensation to 9/11 workers, the law does not cover people with cognitive ailments. (24 min)

‘Loose Change’ And The Rise Of Conspiratorial Thinking After 9/11

By now we know to question people who like to do their own research. Someone who says “I’m just asking questions” does not inspire my trust. Today’s conspiracy theorists who believe the vaccine kills or the election was stolen come from a line of thinking that emerged from 9/11. In this podcast, Kevin Roose takes us back to a time when some liberals and conservatives could agree – with the help of a grainy, slapdash movie distributed on Google Video – that one thing was true: 9/11 was an inside job. (36 min)

+ Yes, Alex Jones and his ilk got their start as 9/11 Truthers. So did others who later disputed Obama’s birth certificate and stormed the Capitol on Jan 6.

+ Reader Annotations: Last week’s issue on Roe v. Wade led many of you to share kind notes of appreciation. Loyal reader Cindy found the lead article riveting. She wrote:

I couldn’t stop reading it. It’s a voice like no other on this earth to be the baby at the center of this political divide and to speak honestly about the difficulty of being born unwanted. Though I am forever pro-choice, I agree with the writer when he says it’s not tidy on either side.

Loyal reader Monica agreed that the abortion issue is nuanced. “I find myself in the complicated position of being both pro-choice and pro-life,” she wrote. “Yes, we exist. It’s a hard place to be.”

Finally, several of you said that the issue was extremely personal and brought up important memories. Loyal reader Kathleen wrote, “I too was 19 in 1969 when I accidentally conceived my first daughter (of 3, eventually), and I know so very well the era and the complex sequelae (emotional and otherwise) … I might have missed it.”

Thank you Cindy, Monica, and Kathleen for sharing your experiences with our reading community. Loyal readers, if an article intrigued you, or resonated with you personally, please feel free to share your thoughts and feelings. They make our reading community kinder.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our four new subscribers – Samsie, Tomas, Dhruv, and Phoebe – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Isis! Isabel! Irene!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#311: Roe

When Ruth Bader Ginsburg died last year, loyal reader and good friend Marni reached out. I liked and respected RBG; Marni loved and admired her. As we talked, Marni shared her deep sadness as well as her concern for the future. What’s going to happen with the Court? she asked.

Roe v. Wade didn’t come up that day. But it didn’t need to, I guess. Marni and I both understood that RBG’s passing might mean the end of a woman’s right to choose. Two weeks ago, when the state of Texas passed Senate Bill 8, making it a crime to perform or aid an abortion after the sixth week of pregnancy, and deputizing citizens to enforce the ban, the Court did not intervene. Dissenting, Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote, “The court’s order is stunning. Presented with an application to enjoin a flagrantly unconstitutional law engineered to prohibit women from exercising their constitutional rights and evade judicial scrutiny, a majority of Justices have opted to bury their heads in the sand.”

This week’s issue of The Highlighter includes articles and essays that focus on the legacy of Roe, centering stories of pregnant women and the women who support them. You’ll meet a California physician who provides abortions across state lines. You’ll meet Anna, a midwife who helps poor women end their pregnancies in their homes. You’ll meet Alex, an abortion doula, who says that sometimes, “kindness is more important than truth.” And in today’s lead article, “Jane Roe’s Baby Tells Her Story,” you’ll meet Shelley, who speaks publicly for the first time.

I hope you find at least one article worth your time and attention. If a piece moves you, please feel free to hit reply and let me know.

+ Tickets to Highlighter Happy Hour #14 sold out quickly last Thursday! I can’t wait to see all of you. (It’s been a very long time.) If you can’t make HHH this time, never fear. There will be more events and meet-ups soon. Like maybe another Game Show?

Jane Roe’s Baby Tells Her Story

Landmark Supreme Cases like Brown v. Board and Roe v. Wade are so monumental that sometimes we forget that the litigants were real people living regular lives. Before reading this outstanding article, an excerpt from Joshua Prager’s new book, The Family Roe, I knew very little about Norma McCorvey, the plaintiff in Roe. And nobody knew anything about Shelley Lynn Thornton, who revealed last week that she is Jane Roe’s child.

In the piece, Ms. Thornton shares her complicated feelings about her mother, her place in history, and the constitutional right to an abortion. She said, “When someone’s pregnant with a baby, and they don’t want that baby, that person develops knowing they’re not wanted.” (28 min)

50 Abortions in 60 Hours: A California Doctor’s Commute To A Texas Clinic

Getting an abortion in Texas was burdensome even before the state made the practice illegal. With so many restrictions, few physicians were willing to provide abortions. In this thoughtful article, Soumya Karlamangla follows a California doctor who regularly commuted to Texas to perform abortions. “I can’t have people scare me away,” she said. About 100 of the country’s 1,700 abortion providers travel out of state. (15 min)

Safe, Cheap, Illegal Home Abortions

In the 1800s, midwives helped women end their pregnancies safely with plants like pennyroyal, savin, tansy, and ergot. Only after a 40-year campaign by the American Medical Association, once an organization made up exclusively by male doctors, did states begin to criminalize abortion in the 1880s, calling the practice “immoral.” In this intimate article, Lizzie Presser tells the story of Anna, who is part of a network of 200 midwives and doulas across the country who provide cheap, illegal home abortions. (30 min)

+ Ms. Presser’s writing has appeared five times in The Highlighter. See also #80, #96, #164, and #244.

My Year As an Abortion Doula

Alex Ronan: “In the hospital, I’m not anyone important — I don’t even know how to insert an IV — but I spend the most time with the patients, so I almost always have their trust. Honesty is a core principle of being a doula. But I quickly learn that you do whatever you need to and sometimes you are dishonest. In the beginning, I shadow a more experienced doula as she reassures a patient that the woman in the next room screaming wildly is not here for the same procedure, though, of course, she is. Sometimes kindness is more important than truth, but if a patient wants to know how big the fetus is, I won’t lie.” (18 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format (fewer theme issues, more eclectic issues)? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our two new subscribers Jennifer and Zaneta, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you to Mea, Summer, Elise, Sivan, David, Joanna, Scott, and Karen for your kind word of mouth. To our long-time subscribers (Hank! Henrietta! Hannah!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#310: Afropessimism

Happy Thursday, loyal readers. Thank you very much for being here.

This week’s issue of The Highlighter includes essays and articles on the theme of Afropessimism, a school of thought founded by Professor Frank Wilderson. The philosophy advances that slavery did not end in the 19th century but rather evolved to challenge Black resistance. As a result, while Black people are integral to society, they’re excluded and made invisible.

My favorite journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones has often been called pessimistic for her 1619 Project and views on segregation. “More like realistic,” she has said to white progressive audiences who would prefer that she sound more hopeful. She said, “One of the biggest acts of resistance is to say, ‘I will exist.’ Our existence is our resistance.”

Today’s issue includes articles on Afropessmism and reparations, the limitations of big business to counteract white supremacy, the effects of digital technologies on colorism, and the decline of Black ballplayers in our national pastime. I hope you find one or more pieces worthy of your time and attention. Enjoy!

+ Highlighter Happy Hour is back for the first time since March 2020! We’ll meet at Room 389 in Oakland on Thursday, September 23, beginning at 5:30 pm. Bring your vaccination card, connect with other loyal readers, and spread the joy of our reading community. We’re capping this outside event to ~15 people, to keep things safe and intimate, so get your free ticket soon!

Reparations, Afropessimism, And White Supremacy

Loren Laomina: “Know thyself, we are told. As a student, I sprinted through ‘Black history,’ afraid that if I slowed to look long at our stories, ghouls would emerge from between the pages. Centuries of slavery, decades of Jim Crow, of these I sped read with clenched fists from a great emotional distance. I stuck to dates and stats, wrote papers with words like ‘unfortunate’ and ‘trying’ instead of ‘tragic’ and ‘horrifying.’ My understanding of the Black existential condition has changed over time, but there is at least one throughline: to be a Black American is to be psychically imperiled by your history.” (14 min)

Big Business Pledged $50 Billion After George Floyd’s Murder. Where’d It Go?

After George Floyd’s murder last year, corporations announced they could no longer stay silent in the face of white supremacy and police brutality. This article tracks the $50 billion that big business promised and reveals that most of the money has not gone to reform criminal justice or to organizations directly related to Black Lives Matter. Law professor Mehrsa Baradaran said, “The answer to these massive problems is not going to come from promises. We don’t want just benevolent billionaires and nicer, softer, more-woke monopolies. We want an economic structure that allows for more mobility, and we don’t have that.” (25 min)

Beauty Filters Perpetuate Colorism Against People With Darker Skin

While the skin-lightening industry continues to boom (now $8 billion each year), the real problem contributing to colorism is the pervasiveness of beauty filters and other digital technologies (e.g., Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram) that uphold warped, narrow beauty standards. Millions of people, especially young women, consider photo editing as desirable. Beautywell’s Amira Adawe says, “They think it’s normal. They’re like, ‘Oh, this is not skin lightening, Amira. This is just a filter,’” she says. “A lot of these young girls use these filters and think, ‘Oh my God, I look beautiful.’ ” (11 min)

The Nine: Why Baseball Is Confronting A Decline In African American Players

For several years, when my beloved San Francisco Giants had no Black American players on their team, I didn’t hear a peep of surprise or protest. That’s because Black ballplayers have largely disappeared, now making up just 8 percent of major league rosters. This outstanding collection, which profiles nine outstanding players – including Willie Mays, Ken Griffey Jr., Ian Moller – reveals the barriers they faced and explores how baseball can make the game more inclusive. (27 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Katherine loved last week’s Food Issue. She wrote, “I’m very into this issue. Because: I LOVE corn. I have always wanted to know why chicken is SO CHEAP! And I discovered garlic noodles when I moved to the Bay, now I can’t imagine life without them.” Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Katherine! Loyal readers, if a piece moves you, or you have something to say, hit reply and let me know.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy the theme? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format (fewer theme issues, more eclectic issues)? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our 11 new subscribers – Elis, Axel, Nicole, Jacquie, Sara, Avani, Will, Jac, Becca, Alex, and Ruth – I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Greg! Gary! Georgia!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#309: The Food Issue 🌽 🥭 🍗 🍜

Hello and happy Thursday, loyal readers. Thank you very much for opening The Highlighter. Last week’s Animal Issue was a big hit. And many of you have told me you appreciate the recent move to focus on themes that intersect with race, education, and culture.

So let’s do more of that, shall we? (I say yes.)

To that end, this week, I’m highlighting four great articles about food. Food is culture, after all — and if I ever forget that, all I need to do is remember my grandmother’s pasta al pesto or my mom’s coniglio alla ligure. (They’re delicious.) In today’s issue, you’ll read about the cultural importance of corn, the exclusivity of Pakistani mangoes, the ramifications of cheap chicken, and the multiethnic popularity of garlic noodles. I hope you find at least one of the articles worth your time and attention. Please enjoy!

+ At Article Club this month, we’re reading and discussing “How to Name Your Black Son in a Racist Country,” by Tyrone Fleurizard. The essay is “a master class in content and technique,” says Article Clubber Lisa, and I agree. Right from the beginning, Mr. Fleurizard hooks you and doesn’t let go. I encourage you to sign up for our conversation. All you need to do is hit reply and tell me you’re interested.

+ I’m also happy to announce that at long last, after 18 months of sadness and despair, Highlighter Happy Hour is back! We will be at Room 389 in Oakland on Thursday, September 23, beginning at 5:30 pm. I’ll share more details next Thursday, but in the meantime, if you want to secure your free ticket early, let me know!

Corn Tastes Better On The Honor System

For some people, corn is a great summer side to complement barbecue ribs or grilled chicken. But for Robin Wall Kimmerer, a member of Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and the author of Braiding Sweetgrass, corn is the “center of culture,” the “bringer of life,” and an opportunity for us to learn about reciprocity, rematriation, and the abundance of the land.

This well-written, well-researched essay is overflowing with knowledge and thought-provoking ideas. You’ll learn in depth the 9,000-year history of mahiz, the ways Indigenous peoples honored the grass, the marvelous science of the plant, and how colonization and capitalism threaten the cooperative mutual relationship humans have with corn, and vice versa.

Prof. Kimmerer writes, “With all those kernels packed tightly together and completely enclosed by the husk, the seeds are trapped. They can’t disseminate themselves. They need human hands to liberate them from the husk, to twist them from the cob and to sow them in fertile soil. They need us to poke them into the earth every spring. People and corn are linked in a circle of reciprocity; we cannot live without them and they cannot live without us.” (28 min)

The Secretive, Semi-Illicit, High Stakes World Of WhatsApp Mango Importing

Ahmed Ali Akbar loves mangoes, but he saves his energy for the best in the world: Pakistan’s Anwar Ratol and Chaunsa varieties. The experience of eating the explosively sweet fruit is “like drinking a juice box from nature,” he writes. The only problem: Because of USDA regulations, and slow-going “mango diplomacy,” it’s almost impossible to find Pakistani mangoes in the United States. Unless, of course, you know how to navigate WhatsApp suppliers and the Southwest Airlines cargo bay at your local airport. (27 min)

+ Americans doubled their mango consumption between 2000 and 2018. (I prefer peaches.)

America’s Favorite Illogically Cheap, Ecologically Dubious Roasted Chicken

When I visit my mom, she asks, “What do you want for dinner?” as if she doesn’t know the answer. Her roasted chicken rivals fancy restaurants. But ever since Boston Market, and with the proliferation of $4.99 rotisserie chickens from Costco, now everyone can take home a tasty bird, no problem. Except we know that there’s no good reason chicken should be that cheap. In this informative article, Cathy Erway explains the harmful consequences of paying too little for the food we put into our bodies. (15 min)

How Garlic Noodles Became One of the Bay Area’s Most Iconic Foods

They’re Vietnamese. They’re Filipino. They’re Burmese and Black, Korean and Japanese, Peruvian and Mexican. They’re garlic noodles, and no matter who makes them, they’re as Bay Area as Mission burritos and Dutch Crunch sandwiches. In this tribute, Luke Tsai honors the origins of the butter- and garlic-soaked dish, praising Chef Helene An and Thanh Long restaurant in the Outer Sunset. Then Mr. Tsai turns his attention to how the Black community contributed to the dish’s rise in popularity beginning in the 1990s. Chef Tiffany Carter says, “This is soul food for us. Our generation is not going to have a cookout without garlic noodles. Ten out of ten, that’s what they want.” (13 min)

+ Reader Annotations: Loyal reader Matt appreciated last week’s Animal Issue. He wrote, “I found this to be a refreshing theme and timely. The week has been rough in the world of education. The animals are so therapeutic! Of course, I’m a bit biased as a dog owner and all.” Thank you for your kind words, Matt! If an issue or article resonates with you, please let me know by hitting reply or leaving a quick voice message.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy the theme? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format (less food, more race, education, and culture)? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our new subscribers Sue and Jenn, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Fernanda! Felix! Fred!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#308: The Animal Issue 🐶 🐱 🦔 🐋 🐙 🐤

Now for an entirely different experience, let’s talk about animals.

Newer subscribers might be asking, “Why does a newsletter that focuses on race, education, and culture also include pictures of pets?” The official answer is, I don’t know! But ever since Indie graced these pages more than five years ago in Issue #29, loyal readers have sent in photos every week, and they’ve brought us joy and brought our reading community closer together.

So this week, for the first time ever, I’m dedicating an entire issue on great articles about animals. Don’t like animals? That’s OK. The pieces are deep and thought provoking regardless. My favorite is the one about hedgehogs. How about you? Please feel free to let me know!

Eating The Whale

In this moving piece about the effects of climate change and the power of lineage, former restaurant critic Wyatt Williams travels to Utqiagvik, Alaska, because he wants to eat whale. He does, at a nalukataq, a festival of the hunting season. But instead of feeling affirmed by the community celebration, Mr. Williams turns melancholy. “I wanted to tell people that if only we could eat more like the whalers, sharing the food of our own communities, we’d probably be better off,” he writes. “But I knew it wouldn’t really matter. The world would go on continuing to end.” (26 min)

Millennials Are Obsessed With Dogs

Since last year’s pandemic pet surge, Millennials have now surpassed Baby Boomers as the generation most likely to own dogs. How come? According to Amanda Mull, herself a chihuahua lover, the reasons are systemic (wage stagnation, student loan debt, other ills of late-stage capitalism), Millennial (e.g., delayed marriage, delayed parenthood) and personal (e.g., the desire for touch and companionship). Most viscerally, Ms. Mull says, taking care of Midge (her “booboo”) is a way “to soothe the psychic wounds of modern life” and “a balm for purgatorial anxieties.” (11 min)

The Incredible Mind Of The Octopus

Years before the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher, Sy Montgomery got to know and appreciate Athena, a Pacific octopus. Athena is 5 feet long, weighs 40 pounds, has a brain the size of a walnut, and can slither inside small holes and change shape and texture. Most amazing, though, is Athena’s ability to connect through touch. (Each arm includes 200 suckers and millions of neurons.) “Meeting an octopus is like meeting an intelligent alien,” Ms. Montgomery writes. But if humans and octopuses diverged 500 million years ago from our common ancestors, how did both species become so smart? (22 min)

A Dog’s Inner Life: What A Robot Pet Taught Me About Consciousness

This week on my commute (a book a week!), I’m reading Klara and the Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro, about an “Artificial Friend” and her ability to love. While artificial intelligence has not yet brought us human companions, robot dogs – that bark and play and respond to touch – are already here, thanks to Sony. This article by Meghan O’Gieblyn begins playful but then delves deeply (and creepily, I must add) into issues of consciousness, free will, and whether machines can have inner lives. (16 min)

Looks That Quill: The Dark Side of Hedgehog Instagram

Mr. Pokee, an African pygmy hedgehog, has 1.9 million Instagram followers and enjoys taking pictures out in nature and inside ice cream cones. He’s cute, and so are Cinnamon and Maple and Lionel. But there’s a dark underbelly to the hedgehog craze, as Noelle Mateer reveals in this piece. Since 2017, thousands of people have made exotic hedgehogs their pets without knowing how to take care of them. The poop, the high rate of cancer, and wobbly hedgehog syndrome have left many hedgehogs abandoned, with states cracking down on their distribution and ownership. (14 min)

The Surprise Hit Board Game That’s Transforming An $11 Billion Industry

I’m not a birder, though I appreciate people who know about and appreciate birds. So when VIPs Phoebe and Peter introduced me to Wingspan, by Elizabeth Hargrave, I didn’t know what to expect from the game. But the experience turned out calming and delightful, as this article explains, a respite from the stress of the outside world – and a great way to connect with the people you love, uncompetitively, while you place your birds in their habitats, make sure they’re fed, and remind yourself of the glory of nature. (17 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy the theme? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format (fewer animals, more race / education / culture)? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our new subscribers Lauren, David, and Jenny, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Eunice! Emily! Eric!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#307: Actions > Words

Hi loyal readers. I’m very grateful that you opened today’s issue of The Highlighter. It’s a good one: focusing on race (as usual) and exploring the theme of words vs. actions. More than a year after George Floyd’s murder, and after a year of protest and (some) change, our country has (mostly) returned to the same script. Let’s talk about equity and antiracism, but let’s not do very much. Besides, we’re too busy yelling about masks, wishing the pandemic would go away, worrying about our children at school, and avoiding the news in Afghanistan and Haiti. Many of us are exhausted. We’re languishing in our cocoons. We’re practicing self-care.

Lately, I’ve found myself there, too – resting, reflecting, and reading in an effort to determine my next steps. This week’s articles helped me get unstuck, and I hope you’ll appreciate them, too. “We Talk About Racial Inequality But Do Little About It“ reminds us that this year’s pause on racial equality is not unique, that white Americans have long advocated for fairness as long as justice does not lead to personal inconvenience.

The other three pieces in this week’s newsletter build on those ideas. The second article explains the roots of anti-Asian hate on the West coast (recommended especially for history teachers), while the third and fourth selections explore various ways that Black Americans have acted – and the backlash they’ve endured – to promote a freer and fairer world.

Please enjoy. And let me know what you think! All you need to do is hit reply.

We Talk About Racial Inequality But Do Little About It

In 1944, the Nobel Prize-winning economist and sociologist Gunnar Myrdal published An American Dilemma, a two-volume study that explored the gap between nation’s ideals and its racial reality. He concluded, “The average white American does not want to sacrifice much himself in order to improve the living condition of Negroes.”

More than 75 years later, according to senior correspondent Janell Ross, not much has changed. We might be getting a little better at talking about race, but talk is cheap. Ms. Ross writes, “As the notion of white America’s inherent superiority is verbally rejected, very few are willing to use what power they have to shift the systems that have served them well. Some people who are used to winning are having trouble playing fair.” (10 min)

+ Is Time Magazine back? They’re publishing some solid articles lately.

The Anti-Asian Roots of Today’s Anti-Immigrant Politics

One reason it’s easier to talk change than enact change is that racism remains deeply embedded in our laws and institutions. This excellent history of the anti-Asian movement in California explains how white politicians and labor leaders pitted the white working class against Chinese and Japanese citizens, redefining Europeans as “native” and inventing the concept of “illegal immigrant” after the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. Writer Mari Uyehara points out that fear-mongering tactics worked then as they do now, as did political slogans like “The Chinese Must Go!” and “Keep California White.” So much for the California Dream. (20 min)

+ U.S. History teachers, this article is a good one.

Doing Equity Work While Black

One institution that prefers words over actions is our public school system. Even in affluent progressive districts like Bellevue, Washington, whose ample budget funds a “department of equity,” Black leaders like Shomari Jones find themselves “losing an arm” when facing white resistance. The district’s director of equity and strategic engagement, Mr. Jones described his job this way: “I put on the flak jacket and I knew I was going to take some hits. And you get hit and you get hit, and you’re cool because you got the jacket on. But when you get hit enough times, the jacket doesn’t work for you anymore. You’re hoping there are other people who are willing to put on their jackets and take a hit for you, or alongside you. But if that day never comes, you have to decide, to what point am I willing to sacrifice myself?” (16 min)

For Black Women, Working From Home Meant Freedom From Microaggressions

Project manager Mary Smith loved working from home during the pandemic – but not because of the quick commute and the flexible schedule. Rather, she appreciated not having to worry about making sure her hair, clothes, and demeanor were presentable for her white colleagues. So when her employer called everyone back to the office, Mary quit. She’s not alone. A Gallup survey last Fall concluded what Black women already know: They’re less respected and treated less fairly in the workplace than any other demographic. And many are leaving. (10 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy the theme? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our new subscribers Ipek and Kait, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Darlene! Dan! David!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#306: Journeys Of Grief

Welcome back to The Highlighter, and thank you for opening today’s issue! I’ve been hearing from many of you that you are enjoying how I’m experimenting with the format of the newsletter. One trend lately is that I’m paying closer attention to how articles talk to each other, trying to bring them together when it makes sense. Today’s issue, which focuses on the theme of grief, includes four outstanding pieces that explore the various ways we come to terms with losing someone we love.

It’s hard to pick which article I’d urge you to read first. They’re all excellent. But I chose “One Family’s Struggle To Make Sense of 9/11” to lead this week’s issue because it’s a beautiful piece of writing. No matter how many articles you’ve read about 9/11, this one is different, and very powerful.

The rest of today’s newsletter is solid, too, with articles on grief as it intersects with artificial intelligence, social movements, and sibling relationships. Please enjoy!

+ Are you a teacher? (I know many of you are!) If so, I’d appreciate it if you shared The Highlighter with your colleagues as we begin the new school year. Thank you very much!
One Family’s Struggle To Make Sense of 9/11

Bobby McIlvaine was 26 years old when he died on September 11, 2001. He had a mom and a dad, a brother, and a girlfriend he loved deeply. He kept a diary and wrote drafts of novels on yellow legal pads. He was a dreamer, a charmer – ambitious but moody, ruminative and philosophical.

In this tender story, brilliantly told, Jennifer Senior captures the different ways that Bobby’s loved ones have mourned and made sense of his death. As we know about grief, each person has made their own path. “We are always inventing and reinventing the dead,” Ms. Senior writes. But at some point, she adds, “The dead abandon you; then, with the passage of time, you abandon the dead.” (58 min)

Love And Loss In The Age Of A.I.

Eight years after his fiancée Jessica died from a rare liver disease, 33-year-old Joshua Barbeau, still could not escape his anxiety and depression. The loss was too much to bear. So when he discovered Project December, a website that uses GPT-3 to manipulate human language, Joshua had to decide: Did he want to communicate with an A.I. version of Jessica, one that could replicate her style of speech, one that approximated her personality? Why, of course he did. (50 min)

+ Journalist Jason Fagone also wrote “The Lottery Hackers,” one of my favorite articles of 2018. He joined Article Club last July.

Grief Belongs In Social Movements. Can We Embrace It?

Malkia Devich-Cyril: “Death is a natural part of every life cycle. Our bodies will die. Our organizations will die. Our movements will die. Likewise, the specific conditions that oppress our families and communities will also come to an end. Endings are not to blame. Loss is simply an element of change. Change is the heartbeat of social movement. But, on either side of change is loss. Reimagining the world requires that we release the parts of the system and ways of being that are ready to die, and mourn the destructive losses that we could not control, despite our best efforts. Something is dying, and we are desperate for something new to be born.” (14 min)

My Brother’s Dinner With The President Of Sears

“It’s hard for me to admit that I didn’t really know my brother,” Marc Inman writes in this poignant essay. What begins as a playful account of growing up with a prevaricating older sibling grows darker as we learn about Jon’s mounting struggles of faith and sexuality and his capacity to inflict pain on his younger brother. Even still, Marc maintains empathy for Jon, hoping that they can rebuild their relationship – until it is too late. (22 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

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#305: The Fight Over U.S. History

Happy August, loyal readers, and thank you for being here. This week I’m switching things up again, trying an experiment where I dedicate the whole newsletter to one great piece and encourage you all to take it in. My gut says that you’re going to like and appreciate it.

But first, a bit of context: Even though the title of this week’s newsletter is “The Fight Over U.S. History,” we won’t be talking about Critical Race Theory. As a former high school history teacher, I’m not going to pretend there’s an actual debate about whether CRT is being taught or if it has a place in our schools. All due respect, but that’s not worth our time here.

What I do find interesting, though, is how powerfully The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hannah-Jones and The New York Times, has shaped our construction of and discourse about American history. Two summers after its publication, we’re just starting to feel its effects.

That’s why I am grateful that Ms. Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates went on Ezra Klein’s show last week to discuss the following questions: What changes when a country’s sense of its own history changes? What changes when who gets to tell that story changes?

My hope is that you’ll find time this week to listen to this thoughtful conversation. If you do, and you want to talk about it, hit reply and let me know. If there is interest, I’d like to bring us together next Tuesday evening at 6 pm PT (details to come). Until then, please enjoy!

What’s Really Behind The 1619 Backlash?

In this 77-minute podcast episode, Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates speak with Ezra Klein about a number of topics, including their decision to join Howard University, their thoughts about the state of journalism, their beliefs about why The 1619 Project has caused such an uproar, and their perspectives on what young people should learn about their country’s history.

Instead of summarizing the conversation, I’m going to share four of my favorite excerpts from the conversation. Here’s the transcript if you’d like to read the whole thing (though listening is better, in my opinion).

On why there has been such a backlash about The 1619 Project:

Ms. Hannah-Jones: The entire reason the 1619 Project had to exist in the first place is that we have been willfully opposed to grappling with who we are as a country. What’s clear is that whether you are a progressive or a conservative, many, many white Americans have a vested interest in that mythology of American exceptionalism and greatness, and that we are a pure nation, right? And clearly, the 1619 Project intentionally was seeking to unsettle that narrative. What the 1619 Project does is it actually displaces white people from the center of American greatness and places Black people there.

And I think that is also part of what angers people so much. It is not just saying the men who founded us they did some pretty terrible things, like engaged in human bondage and human trafficking. But also, your whole idea about democracy actually comes from Black resistance. I think that’s just too much for people to accept.

On the centrality of slavery and how it changes the story of U.S. History:

Mr. Coates: What does it mean to know that without enslavement, without the destruction of Black families, without the exploitation of Black labor, without labor guaranteed through torture, [the founders] would not exist as we know them today? Thomas Jefferson wasn’t moonlighting as a slaveholder, George Washington wasn’t moonlighting as a slave holder. That was their career. That was how they garnered the resources to go off and do these other great things that we so admire and we praise. What does it mean to know your founder’s occupation was slave holding? What does it mean to have to accept the fact that the deadliest war in this country’s history for Americans was launched to preserve enslavement? It’s difficult. It changes the story. It decentralizes the individual; your individual goodness is irrelevant. There is a system at work here. There’s something larger than you, bigger than you.

On how we we should teach U.S. History to our young people:

Ms. Hannah-Jones: We can teach our children what George Washington did that was great, and we can also teach our children what George Washington did that was terrible. You can’t just put a person in a category as being good or bad, but that’s how we’ve wanted to teach the history of this country, and we have to be more honest. No one is responsible for what our ancestors did before us. We’re not responsible for the good things, so you don’t want to own up to slavery then also you can’t claim the Declaration because you also didn’t sign the Declaration of Independence. None of us are responsible for what our ancestors did. But we are responsible for what we do now.

And we do have the ability to build a country that is different, that is not held hostage to the past. But we won’t do that by denying that upon which we were built. Because that past is shaping us. It is shaping our country, our politics, our culture, our economics, whether we acknowledge it or not. And all I’m saying is let us acknowledge that upon which we were built so that we can try to actually become the country of these majestic ideals. And I do believe the ideals are majestic, we just have failed to live up to them.

On the future, hope, and how the imagination matters more than facts:

Mr. Coates: Obviously I believe in the importance of history, but some of this ain’t fact-based, man. Some of this is like back in the lizard brain or whatever brain we assign to deciding what the world should look like. This is rude to say, but there are people that I recognize I can never get to because their imagination is already formed. And when their imagination is formed, no amount of facts can dislodge them. The kids, however, the kids who are in the process of having their imagination formed, who in the process of deciding, or not even deciding but being influenced in such a way to figure out what are the boundaries of humanity, that’s an ongoing battle.

And so like I think about 2018 the movie “Black Panther,” and I think about seeing white kids dress up as the Black Panther. This sounds small. This sounds really, really small. And I want to be clear, there’s a way in which this kind of symbolism certainly can be co-opted and not tied to any sort of material events. But I keep going back to this, there’s a reason why in 1962 they raised the Confederate flag over the Capitol of South Carolina. The symbols actually matter because they communicate something about the imagination, and in the imagination is where all of the policies happen.

There’s a generation that is being formed right now that’s deciding what they will allow to be possible. What they will be capable of imagining. And I just I want to be a part of that fight.

That last sentiment – about the role of imagination – is one that I want to reflect on as I return to work today, as young people return to school in the coming weeks, as teachers choose which curriculum to put in front of their students, as parents decide what to listen for and what to talk about with their children at the dinner table. What will we allow to be possible? What are we capable of imagining? What fight do we want to be part of? (77 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Or do you think we should go back to the regular format? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

To our new subscribers Nabiha and C, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (Eileen! Emma! Eric!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#304: History And Legacy

Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you for opening today’s issue of The Highlighter. Five weeks ago, in Issue #299, Prof. Matthew Karp argued that history isn’t a linear story with clear origins and defined root causes. He wrote, “We must come to see history not as what we dwell in, are propelled by, or are determined by, but rather as what we fight over, fight for, and aspire to honor in our practices of justice.”

But who is doing the fighting over history, the fighting for history, and the aspiring to honor history? This week’s articles explore how history has shaped our actions (or inactions) today. “His Name Was Emmett Till,” which I urge you to read, examines the default tendency among many of us to deny, erase, or do nothing about the painful history that lives in our back yards. The other three pieces – “The Free State of George Floyd,” “Built To Keep Black From White,” and “The Problem We All Live With“ – extend this theme to the history of state-sanctioned violence, housing segregation, and school segregation. There’s a lot in today’s issue. I hope it provokes your mind and your heart.

+ Our 18th Article Club discussion is in the books! We read and annotated Caitlin Flanagan’s “Private Schools Are Indefensible” and participated in four rollicking conversations. Thank you to everyone who participated, including VIPs Elise, Telannia, and Summer for facilitating. I’ll reveal this month’s article this Sunday. (It’s going to be good, because VIP López and Sarai are involved.) I invite you to check out Article Club.

+ Want to share your thoughts or talk about what comes up for you? I’d love to hear your perspective. All you need to do is hit reply or click here.

His Name Was Emmett Till

A native of Mississippi, Jeff Andrews had lived in Drew for most of his life when he jumped at a chance to buy a home in town with a beautiful view of the bayou. Next to the house stands the barn where 14-year-old Emmett Till was tortured and killed the morning of August 28, 1955. “We don’t think about it,” Mr. Andrews said. “It’s in the past.”

But Emmett’s murder is not in the past for Wheeler Parker, his cousin and the last living witness to the kidnapping. It’s not in the past for Patrick Weems, who wants to include the barn in a memorial to honor Emmett’s memory. And it wasn’t in the past for Willie Reed, who was 18 years old and on his way to work when he heard Emmett’s cries and later risked his life by testifying in the trial.

In this intimate article, Wright Thompson, who also grew up in Mississippi, follows those efforts to commemorate Emmett. But he also uncovers how white people in Drew, over the past 65 years, have dissociated themselves from the lynching. First they distanced themselves from the killers. Next they didn’t teach the event in their schools. Then they destroyed the evidence of the crime. “One of the central conflicts for white Mississippians,” Mr. Thompson writes, “is whether to shine a bright light on the past or move on.” But how to shine a bright light? How to move on? (34 min)

+ John Lewis said, “Emmett Till was my George Floyd. He was my Rayshard Brooks, Sandra Bland, and Breonna Taylor. He was 14 when he was killed, and I was only 15 years old at the time. I will never ever forget the moment when it became so clear that he could easily have been me.”

The Free State Of George Floyd

Last month, the City of Minneapolis removed the barricades that framed George Floyd Square, opening traffic for the first time in more than a year. For some Americans, Derek Chauvin’s conviction provided closure to last year’s murder. But Jay Webb, along with many Black Minnesotans, worry that “when the flowers die, and the helium is gone from the balloons, people will forget the entire case.” Amnesia runs high in the progressive state, which ranks high among the best places to live in the country, if you are white. (26 min)

Built To Keep Black From White

Eighty years ago, developers in Detroit decided that redlining wasn’t enough to protect white people and their home values from the Black people living nearby. So they built a 6-foot-high, 4-inch-thick, half-mile-long concrete barrier to separate the neighborhoods. The Birwood Wall (also known as the Eight Mile Wall) still stands today. “I don’t remember feeling any way about it except it was the same old, same old,” said Margaret Watson, 93. “I mean, I lived in Detroit all my life. Detroit has been segregated all my life.” (26 min)

The Problem We All Live With

Even if you’ve already listened to this podcast documentary by Nikole Hannah-Jones on the pernicious intractability of school segregation, I encourage you to revisit it. It’s a classic. “We have a system where white people control the outcomes, and the outcome that most white Americans want is segregation,” Ms. Hannah-Jones says. “White communities want neighborhood schools if their neighborhood school is white. If their neighborhood school is Black, they want choice.” (44 min)

+ 84% of Americans say they want integrated schools.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, to our new subscribers Mariam, Soumya and Quynh, I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. To our long-time subscribers (like David! Darcy! Daneen!), you’re pretty great, too.

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#303: Black Male Valedictorians 🎓

For the first time in its 106-year history, Oakland Technical High School graduated its first Black male valedictorian. Ahmed Muhammad earned a 4.73 GPA, launched a STEM nonprofit, got accepted to 11 colleges, went on Ellen, and will enroll at Stanford in the Fall. Great story, right?

Not at all, says Mr. Muhammad in his valedictory address, this week’s lead article. Our media and society like feel-good stories of brilliance and resilience. We like prodigies who dazzle us with their intellect. Hard work and personal responsibility and grit: These are character traits we value.

But to be the exception is problematic. It means that structural inequities remain strong. This week’s issue features the experiences of three Black male scholars at Oakland Tech: Mr. Muhammad, and before him, Akintunde Ahmad and Samuel Getachew, who faced similar loneliness. You’ll read their perspectives and then listen to them reflect on Mr. Muhammad’s success, happy for their classmate while critical of the lack of systemic change.

+ After taking in today’s issue, if you’re moved, please share your thoughts. You can hit reply, email me, or leave a voice message. It would be great to hear your viewpoints and continue the conversation. Thank you!

I Won’t Be The Last

Ahmed Muhammad: “As some of you may have heard, I recently became the first Black male valedictorian in our school’s history. And I want to say something about that. Oakland Technical High School has been around for 106 years. And there is absolutely no way you can tell me I am the first Black person capable of being valedictorian. Not even close. So why me? Why do I get this honor? And why did I get the love, support and opportunity to do this? I don’t know.

“But for all of those who didn’t get to maximize their potential, for all those who had the ability but lacked the opportunity, I owe it to them to appreciate this history made by the people who put me in this position. We owe it to them to make sure that, while I may be the first young Black man to be our school’s valedictorian, I won’t be the last.” (7 min)

The Bleak Truth Behind My ‘Inspiring’ Path From Oakland To Yale

Akintunde Ahmad: “People look at my story and applaud me and wonder what I did to ‘beat the odds.’ I wish they were more curious about why my brother did not. I wish they would ask, ‘What trap lay before this talented, bright boy so that he was bound to fall into it?’ I wish they would see how difficult it is to grow up a Black man in America. My story is told as though it is a positive one, inspirational. But I see it as a grim one, the tale of a harsh reality that wrecks people. There is nothing positive about classifying me as an exception. When a person is exceptional for doing what I have done, the whole system is cruel to its core.” (9 min)

Black Valedictorians And The Toxic Trope Of Black Exceptionalism

Samuel Getachew: “We all owe it to those who follow in Mr. Muhammad and Mr. Ahmad’s footsteps to focus on removing the obstacles they will confront. And we owe it to them to be more dedicated to dismantling racism than to congratulating them for being among the few to thrive despite it. Highlighting stories of Black exceptionalism while neglecting to contextualize them simply perpetuates the inequities that make them unique to begin with. I don’t want to see yet another ‘inner city’ success story emerge from my community. I want these stories to be so common that they are unworthy of such coverage.” (6 min)

Inside The Toxic Mediasphere Of Black Exceptionalism In Oakland

In this thoughtful conversation, Mr. Ahmad and Mr. Getachew reflect on Mr. Muhammad’s achievement and the construction of Black exceptionalism. Mr. Getachew says, “After you graduated and went off to Yale, Ahmed and I still had to deal with being the only ones. We still had to deal with a school system that was not regularly sending students like us to schools like these. Part of that was like, Why are we underdogs in the first place? Why are we the only ones? We need to stop glorifying resilience without examining the circumstances that make people have to be resilient. I’m interested in getting to a world where we’re not remarkable.” (25 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. Did you enjoy it? Let me know by clicking on “Yes” or ”No” below. I like hearing from you.

Also, please don’t be shy: Feel free to nominate articles or podcast episodes to appear in the newsletter. And if you don’t have any articles but have a cute pet, what are you waiting for? Nominate away!

If you like The Highlighter, please help it grow. I appreciate your support. Here are a few ways you can help:

On the other hand, if you no longer want to receive this newsletter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!