Civil Rights Leader Gloria Richardson Dies at 99
When you think of the leaders of the civil rights movement, you may first think of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, or John Lewis. But there were many other leaders of the movement whose work is less well known. One of these individuals is Gloria Richardson, who passed away last week in New […]
Haaland Announces Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative
Last month, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland–the first Indigenous person ever to be appointed to this position–announced a federal initiative to formally investigate the history of American Indian boarding schools. Beginning with the Indian Civilization Act of 1819 and continuing through the late 1970s, the Bureau of Indian Affairs and various Christian church denominations […]
Remembering the Tulsa Race Massacre
One hundred years ago, one of the U.S.’s worst incidents of race-based violence occurred: the Tulsa Race Massacre. There were no memorials to those lost. Evidence of the riot was removed from newspapers and police logs. Now, however, a new lawsuit in Oklahoma is seeking reparations for the massacre. Here, btw takes a closer look. […]
AAPI Heritage Month: Senator Mazie Hirono
May is Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month: a time to recognize and celebrate the achievements and contributions of the AAPI community. While Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are the fastest-growing demographic group in the United States, they remain drastically underrepresented in all levels of government, including Congress. This week btw gets to know a […]
“Going for Broke”: Remembering the 442nd Regimental Combat Team
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month–a time to honor and celebrate this community’s many accomplishments, achievements, and contributions. The 442nd Regimental Combat Unit that served during World War II was a segregated Japanese American unit. It became one of the most decorated military units in U.S. history. Here, btw takes a […]
Biden Appoints New AAPI Liaison
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month–a time to honor and celebrate the achievements, accomplishments, and contributions of the fastest-growing ethnic group in the United States. As of the 2017 Census, 22.2 million Asian American and Pacific Islanders were living in the U.S. On April 14, the White House announced the new role […]
The 50th Anniversary of Ping Pong Diplomacy
Fifty years ago this month, the American table tennis team started a dialogue between American athletes and Chinese athletes that began a resumption of diplomacy between the two nations. The foundations for what became known as “Ping Pong Diplomacy” had been set years before. American and Chinese table tennis players first met at a tournament […]
Profiles in Women’s History: Elizabeth Peratrovich
In honor of Women’s History Month, btw is celebrating the accomplishments and contribution of women. This week btw takes a closer look at the life and achievements of Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Native American activist responsible for the first anti-discrimination law in the United States. Who Was Elizabeth Peratrovich? Elizabeth Peratrovich, a Tlingit Native American, was […]
Profiles in Black History: Georgia Gilmore
Have you heard the phrase, “Black history is American history”? It’s true that designating all of Black history to just one month does not recognize the fact that Black history cannot be separated from the story of our nation as a whole. But it can be helpful to consider Black History Month as a special […]
Inauguration Day 2021
Perhaps no single event illustrates democracy as much as the peaceful transfer of power from one president to another. On January 20, 2021, just before noon, Joseph R. Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States. For many reasons, this was an unusual ceremony, unlike any other inauguration in history. Here, […]