#262: The Glorious RBG

I’m one of those people who believed that Ruth Bader Ginsburg would live forever. You too? When she died last Friday, I was in shock, even before I began to realize how her absence would shape our country’s politics over the next few months. Today’s issue is dedicated to her legacy. I welcome you to

If you’ve already read everything RBG-related, this week’s other articles — focusing on the voting trends of African Americans, the fight to remove a Confederate monument in Maryland, and the selfish inclinations of American universities — are also excellent. I hope you take a look, and please enjoy!

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The Glorious RBG

Long before people tattooed her face on their bodies or followed her exercise routine (push-ups and planks), and before her famous dissent — with corresponding collar — in Shelby County v. Holder (2013), Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for the liberation of women and men. Arguing that gender discrimination violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection clause, Ms. Ginsburg believed that “there’s something wrong with that view of the world, a man’s world with a small space in it for a woman, relegated to her own confined corner.”

This tribute to RBG by Irin Carmon, author of Notorious RBG, succinctly captures the Justice’s personal and professional life, offering glimpses into her childhood, her triumphs at the Court, her husband’s love, and her favorite beverage at the opera. (10 min)

+ More RBG: Linda Greenhouse’s obituary, Nina Totenberg’s account of their friendship, and Ms. Ginsburg’s dissent in Shelby County (2013).

The Black Monolith

Black people vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, but that doesn’t mean they’re all liberal (far from) or that trends can’t change (they have before). In this well-written article, Theodore R. Johnson explains how Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Voting Rights Act, and the Southern strategy contributed to what appears to be Black people’s monolithic voting patterns. “Why do a vast majority of Black Americans, despite our diverse politics, vote the same?” Mr. Johnson asks. ”Because our rights are always on the ballot.” (21 min)

+ This is a great article for Government teachers.

There’s still light and beauty in the world, thanks to loyal reader Kibos, who enjoys a gourmet meal and a refreshing beverage. (Thank you to VIP David for this photo.)

My Local Confederate Monument

At the county courthouse in Easton, Maryland, a small town not far from the birthplace of Frederick Douglass, a monument commemorating Confederate soldiers still stands, even though the state never seceded and the majority of residents want the memorial removed. Author Casey Cep, who grew up on the Eastern Shore, explains how white people in her community, especially those serving on the county council, do not consider themselves racist, find “diversity training” offensive, disagree with the Black Lives Matter movement, and believe that removing the monument would amount to erasing history. (20 min)

The End Of The University

This scathing critique of higher education argues that colleges care more about profit than access and suggests that public universities have prospered by embracing neoliberal privatization. “If we could create a world where Black students were free to learn at free universities,” author Justin Cook writes, “we would have created a world where everyone else was finally able to do so as well.” Mr. Cook makes a strong case that higher education is “a convoluted system of affirmative action for affluent white people,” but his solution to the problem does not seem viable to me. What do you think? (27 min)

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