#276: Denial Is The Heartbeat Of America

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Hi loyal readers, and thank you very much for being here. All four articles this week are outstanding and worthy of your time and attention. In this week’s lead article, Ibram X. Kendi urges us to sit with the truth of our country and its history, rather than clinging to mythical narratives of exceptionalism and inevitable progress. The second piece — about the last two northern white rhinos on Earth — makes time stop and will likely make you cry. Then, after a cat break, you’ll find two more great articles, one that further reveals the inequities of capitalism and the other that further reveals the limitations of government regulation. Please enjoy!

+ If you have a moment: Hit reply, say hi, and let me know which article you appreciated most this week. Thank you!

Denial Is The Heartbeat Of America

Ibram X. Kendi: “We must stop the heartbeat of denial and revive America to the thumping beat of truth. The carnage has no chance of stopping until the denial stops. This is not who we are must become, in the aftermath of the attack on the U.S. Capitol: This is precisely who we are. And we are ashamed. And we are aggrieved at what we’ve done, at how we let this happen. But we will change. We will hold the perpetrators accountable. We will change policy and practices. We will radically root out this problem. It will be painful. But without pain there is no healing.

“And in the end, what will make America true is the willingness of the American people to stare at their national face for the first time, to open the book of their history for the first time, and see themselves for themselves — all the political viciousness, all the political beauty — and finally right the wrongs, or spend the rest of the life of America trying. This can be who we are.” (12 min)

+ This is Dr. Kendi’s fourth essay in the newsletter. Check out “You Can’t Be Neutral,” “The American Nightmare,” and “The Power of American Denial.”

A Mother And Daughter At The End

Najin enjoys a good morning scratchdown. Fatu gets mad when egrets land on her back. Mother and daughter, they’re the last two northern white rhinos on Earth. What will be lost when they die? In this sad, tender article, Sam Anderson spends a week with Najin and Fatu. He watches them graze and sharpen their horns on a little metal gate. “It was no time at all, in the scheme of things — not even a blink of evolution’s eye, and just the tiniest fraction of the girls’ big, wrinkled lives. But out there in the field, time hung thick like fog. Every day felt like a sliver of eternity.” (35 min)

Using The Homeless To Guard Empty Houses

Augustus Evans is a 67-year-old homeless man who guards vacant houses in Los Angeles while real estate developers renovate and flip them for a huge profit. For the temporary shelter and $800 a month, Mr. Evans must promise not to leave the premises except for quick trips to the market. Doing so would endanger his relationship with Wedgewood, which certainly does not want to repeat last year’s public relations disaster, when Moms 4 Housing occupied its empty property in Oakland, drawing attention to the company’s gentrifying practices. (24 min)

The Very Real, Totally Bizarre Bucatini Shortage Of 2020

My latest 23andMe profile says I’m 98.8 percent Italian (more than before — the data changes!), which means pasta must be in my blood. That’s why I liked this investigation by Rachel Handler, who painstakingly pursues one of the great mysteries of 2020: why bucatini (“the best long pasta there ever was or ever will be”) disappeared from the shelves. No spoilers here, except to say the intrigue includes the De Cecco family, an unrelated man named De Cecco, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (18 min)

+ Please hit reply to confirm, deny, and discuss: Is bucatini far and away the best pasta out there?

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s two new subscribers, Carolyn and Adam. I hope you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox.

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 your New Year’s resolution is to declutter your inbox, and this newsletter is causing clutter, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#275: Some Thoughts On Mercy

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This isn’t the first time that a disturbing, devastating event has immediately preceded an issue of The Highlighter. Yesterday’s storming of the Capitol was one just example of several in this newsletter’s six-year history. I remember the massacre at Pulse night club in Orlando, the 2016 Election, the mass shooting in Las Vegas, and of course, the murder of George Floyd. Every time, I search late into the night for an article that might offer perspective. They never seem to exist — that is to say, not until many weeks later, when we’ve had time to process what’s happened. In time, I’ll be sure to find them and share them with you. But this morning, as I think about what to write here, I’m reminded that we may feel a range of emotions about yesterday’s events. But one that no longer fits right, that doesn’t make sense, is “shocked.” What happened yesterday wasn’t unpredictable; it didn’t come out of nowhere. After all, as historian Heather Cox Richardson wrote, “Today the Confederate flag flew in the United States Capitol.”

Before launching into today’s issue, which features outstanding articles on the possibilities of mercy and reconciliation, the benefits of gift economies, the contributions of Indigenous scholars, and the ravages of COVID-19, I’d like to welcome all of you — and in particular, the bunch of new subscribers — to another year of The Highlighter. I look forward to connecting with you more deeply and building our reading community. More details to come soon!

+ I’m happy to announce that Article Club is back, and this month, we’ll be discussing “Motherland,” by Jiayang Fan. Voted best article of 2020 by Longform, the piece explores the author’s complicated relationship with her mother as she battles ALS. Already, many of you have signed up, and Ms. Fan has generously agreed to an interview (authors always participate!), so if you’re intrigued and want to join, please do! Here’s more information.

+ In case you missed it: Here are your five favorite articles of 2020, the ones you read the most. Go ahead: Organize a reading party with your friends and enjoy them all. (Then tell me about it.)

Some Thoughts On Mercy

Ross Gay: “When the police suspect a Black man or boy of having a gun, he becomes murderable: Murderable despite having earned advanced degrees or bought a cute house or written a couple of books of poetry. Murderable whether he’s an unarmed adult or a child riding a bike in the opposite direction. Murderable in the doorways of our houses. Murderable as we come home from the store. Murderable as we lie face down on the ground in a subway station. Murderable the day before our weddings. Murderable, probably, in our gardens.

“We all exist, mostly unwittingly, in a world of illusions with all-too-real consequences. What if we acknowledged those fears, regardless of how awful or shameful they are? What if we acknowledged this country’s terrible and ongoing history of imagining its own citizens — Indigenous, Black, Japanese American, Arab American, Latino — as monsters? What if we honestly assessed what we have come to believe about ourselves and each other, and how those beliefs shape our lives? And what if we did it with generosity and forgiveness? What if we did it with mercy?” (22 min)

+ Mr. Gay wrote this article in July 2013, the month Black Lives Matter was founded. Some parts still feel spot-on relevant. Other parts, though — the more hopeful parts — may feel out of step, falsely nostalgic and optimistic.

Gifts And Gratitude Create Abundance

The problem with capitalism, according to Robin Wall Kimmerer, is that its central premise is scarcity, when the land offers abundance. One evening in the wooded hills, Prof. Kimmerer, a member of Citizen Potawatomi Nation, reflects on what Saskatoon serviceberries can teach us about the power of gratitude and reciprocity. If we replace zero-sum economies with gift economies, where resources are shared rather than hoarded, we’ll realize that there’s enough bounty for all of us. (26 min)

+ Depending on your level of jaded skepticism, you might find the beginning of this piece a bit woo-woo. But give it a chance: It’ll grow on you.

Yoshi, who belongs to VIP Summer, adorns the cover of this year’s prized Pets of The Highlighter calendar. Get yours today, before it’s too late! highlighter.cc/store

The Empire Of All Maladies

According to the “virgin-soil epidemic” thesis first presented by Alfred Crosby, European diseases accelerated the genocide of Native Americans. Indigenous scholars now dispute this argument, arguing that we should place blame not on microbes but rather on oppressive people and policies. In this well-written piece, Nick Estes, a citizen of the Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, cites our government’s current response to the coronavirus as this century’s version of Columbus’s smallpox. Prof. Estes writes, “The United States only knows violence. It convinces through force. It is numb to suffering and indifferent to the welfare of people.” (14 min)

The Plague Year

Last year, I steered clear of featuring too many COVID-related articles, mostly because we got inundated with them every day for months on end. But there’s no way I can’t recommend this epic, riveting piece by Lawrence Wright, whose comprehensive account of the pandemic puts into perspective how tragic and surreal the past 10 months have been for all of us. (123 min)

+ No, this isn’t a short article by any means. But I guarantee you, it’s outstanding. If you make your way through, let me know: I’d love to talk about it.

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s 12 new subscribers, including Matt, Jackie, Katarina, Nina, Cassandra, Angela, Leah, Stephanie, Kayla, Joe, and Gretchen. I hope that you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox.

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’re Marie Kondo-ing your inbox and this newsletter no longer brings you joy, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#274: The Best Articles of 2020 ⭐️ 🎉

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We did it, loyal readers. Somehow, despite this intense, grueling, unsparing year, our reading community has gotten stronger, thanks to your unwavering support. Thank you for coming back Thursday after Thursday, for reading the 200 articles I put in front of you, and for making this newsletter bigger and better.

Here are a few highlights from the year:

  • We grew by hundreds of new subscribers

  • Our esteemed VIPs doubled and our coffee supporters tripled

  • Article Club launched (and it’s pretty great) with Jia Tolentino, Paul Tough, Hafizah Geter, and other great authors

  • Now there’s a website, a store, and a game show!

Now it’s time to reveal the best four articles of the year: my favorite three, followed by your favorite. Are you ready? Can you predict them? Do we need a fancy award ceremony? (Wait, this gives me an idea, actually.) I’m really pleased with this year’s winners. The selection process was rigorous. After scanning all 200 articles, I chose 18 semifinalists, reread them all, and then by equal parts sheer will and brute force, got the list down to the best of the best. They’re outstanding, and I hope you enjoy (re)reading them.

This is the last issue of 2020. Over the next few weeks, amid all the hubbub of the holidays, I plan on reading, resting, and reflecting, and I hope you are able to do the same. Thank you again, and see you in a few weeks!

What Is Owed

Nikole Hannah-Jones: “If Black lives are to truly matter in America, this nation must move beyond slogans and symbolism. Citizens don’t inherit just the glory of their nation, but its wrongs too. A truly great country does not ignore or excuse its sins. It confronts them and then works to make them right. If we are to be redeemed, if we are to live up to the magnificent ideals upon which we were founded, we must do what is just. It is time for this country to pay its debt. It is time for reparations.” (39 min)

+ Back in July, VIP Telannia reached out and asked if we could co-host a meet-up about this article. Absolutely! After the event, the group wanted to meet again — and continues to meet regularly, focusing now on helping to pass HR 40, a bill to study and develop proposals for reparations.

+ This is the second time Ms. Hannah-Jones has written one of the best articles of the year. Last year, her essay on The 1619 Project won top prize.

Lost In Summerland

After recovering from a traumatic brain injury when he was 22 years old, Andy Swanson started hearing things at home: creaky footsteps in the hallway, stray voices in the closet. When his dad showed up, concerned, Andy’s first words were, “There’s someone in the room with us.” The chandelier in the room flickered on its own.

This article, told from the point of view of his little brother, Barrett, explores Andy’s developing identity as a psychic and a medium. Most of all, though, this is a story of two brothers, their relationship, and their trip one summer to Lily Dale, New York, where every year, 20,000 Spiritualists gather to perform readings, conduct seances, and build community.

At the retreat, Barrett notices his brother’s rising confidence and sense of calm. But he’s also aware of his own uneasiness, acknowledges his history of depression, and recounts an incident from his past, when his big brother’s powers may have saved his life. (44 min)

+ Mr. Swanson joined Article Club in May to discuss his outstanding piece. He was delightful, thoughtful, and appreciative. Part of the Article Club experience is that authors sometimes join our discussions. It’s pretty great.

Baking Bread In Lyon

I have this joke that I’m going to quit my job to open up a scone store, but otherwise, I’m no baker, nor do I have dreams of moving to France to apprentice at a boulangerie. Good thing Bill Buford did, because in this beautiful story, we get to meet Bob the baker from Lyon, learn his secrets to making delicious baguettes (answer: the flour), and realize that the meaning of life may come down to food, family, le goût et les valeurs. (33 min)

+ Few people read this extraordinary piece, published early in the pandemic, before everyone began baking bread, but its poignant sentimentality kept me thinking about it for the whole year.

On Witness And Respair

Jesmyn Ward: “My Beloved died in January. He was a foot taller than me and had large, beautiful dark eyes and dexterous, kind hands. He fixed me breakfast and pots of loose-leaf tea every morning. He cried at both of our children’s births, silently, tears glazing his face. Before I drove our children to school in the pale dawn light, he would put both hands on the top of his head and dance in the driveway to make the kids laugh. He was funny, quick-witted, and could inspire the kind of laughter that cramped my whole torso. He traveled with me often on business trips, carried our children in the back of lecture halls, watchful and quietly proud as I spoke to audiences, as I met readers and shook hands and signed books. He indulged my penchant for Christmas movies, for meandering trips through museums, even though he would have much preferred to be in a stadium somewhere, watching football. One of my favorite places in the world was beside him, under his warm arm, the color of deep, dark river water.” (10 min)

+ Please don’t miss this: Here are the five most popular articles of the year.

Were my favorite articles your favorite ones, too? Or would you like to stage a protest? Please vote using the thumbs below. Or hit reply and tell me your thoughts. Also, thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter — and for reading The Highlighter all the year through. I hope you enjoyed it.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s two new subscribers, Rabani and Terri. I hope that you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you, loyal reader Minnie, for spreading the cheer.

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 this newsletter does not delight you, please unsubscribe. See you in the new year — Thursday, Jan. 7, at 9:10 am, to be exact!

#273: Seeing At The Speed Of Sound

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Hi there, loyal readers, and thank you for opening today’s issue of The Highlighter. Are you enjoying an extremely early sunset? (I’m not.) This week’s intriguing lead article, “Seeing At The Speed of Sound,” explores the mysteries of lipreading and the choices Deaf people make to communicate in a hearing world. I think you’re going to like it. The other three pieces are worth your time, too — whether it’s the podcast about homelessness in Oakland, the first-person account of a woman struggling with an eating disorder, or the profile of a 7-year-old student learning to read at a distance. Feel free to reply and share which piece resonates with you. Enjoy!

+ The First Annual Highlighter Game Show is tonight and is officially sold out! Thank you to VIP co-host Joel and loyal readers Shyanna and Omar for our dress rehearsal last night. Next week I’ll update you on who won all the prizes!

+ Be on the lookout next Thursday for the last issue of 2020, which will highlight the best and most popular articles of the year. What’s your vote? Let me know! (Should I give you a prize if you guess correctly?)

Seeing At The Speed Of Sound

Even the best lipreaders, writes Rachel Kolb, who is Deaf, understand only 30 percent of what is being said. It’s tough to tell the difference between a “d” and “g,” for instance. “P”s and “b”s are impossible. People who mumble or laugh a lot, or who have thin lips or beards, make lipreading harder. The worst of all? Darkness.

In this well-written article, Ms. Kolb describes how she developed her lipreading skills, recounts the challenges she has faced, and questions whether she should even communicate on the hearing world’s terms. She writes, “Sometimes I feel guilty that I lipread at all. I fear that I am betraying myself by accepting the conventions of the hearing world. I fear that I lack balance — that I am abandoning the communication tactics that work for me, in order to throw myself headlong at a system that does not care about my needs. When I attempt to function like a hearing person, am I not sacrificing my integrity to a game that I lack the tools to tackle, a game that in the end makes me look slow or stupid?” (16 min)

+ What did you think of this article? Let’s continue to build ways to share and connect. Do you see the bubble below? Click on it, scroll down to the bottom, and share your reactions. (Thank you, Tali!)

According To Need

Michael lives in a 15-foot speed boat. Tulicia lives in her car along with her 11-year-old son. Reporter Katie Mingle lives nearby in a two-bedroom apartment in North Oakland that rents for $3,000. We know that the number of people experiencing homelessness has skyrocketed in gentrified areas, but we may understand less about the systems meant to address these challenges. In this five-part series by the makers of 99% Invisible, Ms. Mingle seeks to answer the question, “What are we doing to get people into housing?” It’s worth your listen. (17 min)

+ But should I like this series after reading last week’s lead article critiquing ethnography?

Loyal reader Erin has a great photojournalist brother, Neil, who recently earned an Oscar nomination for Unforgivable, a short film exploring the taboo of homosexuality among gang members in El Salvador. Check out the trailer!

My Year At An Eating Disorders Ward

Jenny Stevens: “I’m not quite sure where it all began, my eating disorder. Nor the marching orders in my head that told me again and again that I wasn’t good enough. I do remember going to the toilet at infant school and seeing myself in the mirror, my stomach curved like a road hump underneath my green school dress. I wasn’t much older than four. I turned sideways and watched the effect of sucking it in, and was disgusted at the difference. I hated my flesh; I wanted to be all bone.” (17 min)

+ Check out this spotlight for more articles on body image, fat shaming, dieting, and body positivity.

How Do Children Learn To Read During Virtual School?

I don’t remember how I learned to read, but it certainly wasn’t over Zoom. This article features second grader Zalaunshae’s fervent quest to improve her reading skills and highlights the contributions of her mother, Kathy Lloyd, who irons her a clean shirt every evening, and teacher Fatima Jallow, who combines small group instruction with praise and frequent dance breaks. Across the country, the literacy gap is widening under distance learning. But some schools, like Achievement Prep in Washington D.C., are iterating to find out what works. (9 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

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 this newsletter is mostly ho-hum, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT for the best and most popular articles of the year!

#272: Sociology’s Race Problem

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We’ve reached December, loyal readers, in this very wild year. I’m feeling the crunch as we close out the semester, but amid all the stress, in less-than-ideal circumstances, I’m reminded how grateful I am to have this reading community. Every week, you help me pause, find some good articles, read closely, and reflect. Thank you.

I’m a big fan of all four pieces this week, and I like that they come from a variety of publications. This week’s lead article, “Sociology’s Race Problem,” challenged my praise for Matthew Desmond’s Evicted and other works of ethnography. The rest of today’s issue offers a powerful example of resistance, an inspirational interview directed at educators, and another critique of reading-a-lot-but-not-doing-very-much. Please enjoy!

+ There are only two free tickets left to next Thursday’s First Annual Highlighter Game Show. Get ready for friendly competition, keen strategy, and general merriment (plus tons of prizes!). It’s going to be a great way to connect and build our reading community.

Sociology’s Race Problem

Robyn Autry: “Sociology should matter now more than ever. Yet it disappoints, because it doesn’t know its others very well. I should know, because I am Black, and I’m a sociologist who has had (mostly white) professors and colleagues attempt to teach me about being Black since I was first an undergraduate. It’s an odd position to be in: to find myself the object that my peers make a living off examining.”

In this outstanding essay, Prof. Autry takes the common criticism of the stereotypical white savior academic and extends her critique to include the entire discipline of sociology. She writes, “The white savior supports brutal policies in the morning, founds charities in the afternoon, and receives awards in the evening.” Affirming historian Saidiya Hartman’s analysis of social scientists as “near-vampires” who “feed on the lifeblood of the ghetto, long for it and loathe it,” Prof. Autry argues that ethnography in particular, in its attempt to legitimize its existence, ends up perpetuating the status quo, rather than unpacking or dismantling it. (18 min)

+ What did you think of this article? Let’s continue to build ways to share and connect. Do you see the bubble below? Click on it, scroll down to the bottom, and share your reactions.

The Memory Weavers

In Mexico, where femicide continues at alarming rates, women resist the government’s apathy by embroidering white handkerchiefs with the names and stories of the slain. “The needle goes in and out of the cloth, like inhaling and exhaling,” says Minerva Valenzuela, an activist with Bordamos Feminicidios. “I think about the physical space that the words occupy on the cloth. The breath that was ripped from a woman in a matter of seconds becomes material, something we can feel with our fingers.” By embroidering with purple thread, the color of the jacaranda, women connect their craft to the centuries-long legacy of women-led protest in Mexico. (20 min)

Called To Lead: Linda Cliatt-Wayman

If you’re an educator, I can predict: You’re tired. This distance learning situation is not great. You’re close to done. And you might need some inspiration, a pep talk, a pick-me-up to propel you into Winter Break. The other night, I was feeling something similar, and listening to Linda Cliatt-Wayman gave me energy and snapped me back to my purpose. Interviewed by instructional coach Elena Aguilar on the Bright Morning Podcast, Ms. Wayman makes clear the importance of centering students, especially when the work gets challenging. (71 min)

+ If you prefer video, check out Ms. Wayman’s 2015 TED Talk, ”Lead Fearlessly, Love Hard.” (17 min)

White Feminism, Anti-Racist Reading Lists, And White Women’s Voting Habits

Katherine D. Morgan: “In a 2016 article, Tamara Winfrey-Harris wrote that ‘mainstream white feminists consistently make the fatal mistake of presuming that their motivations are stimulating to every woman,’ and she’s not wrong. At the end of the day, buttons sporting ‘Nasty Women’ or ‘Wild Feminist’ come off. So do shirts. Even the kind of white women who don feminist merch may not be feminists at all; they might find comfort in the access that their whiteness grants them, and they might be the type of white feminist who fails women of color time and time again to maintain that power.” (7 min)

Thank you for reading this week’s issue of The Highlighter. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s three new subscribers, including Bonnie and Maria. I hope that you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you, loyal reader Gena, for spreading the cheer.

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

  • Talk your friends’ ears off about the newsletter, and threaten never to stop talking, until they subscribe (and give you credit)

  • Treat me to a cup of coffee (or 3 — thanks, Holly!)

  • Go all in and become a VIP of the newsletter

On the other hand, if this newsletter is mostly ho-hum, please unsubscribe. See you Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#271: The Promise

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Yes, The Highlighter comes out on Thanksgiving! Hope yours is going well so far. If you’re spending time with family, whether safely in person or from afar, feel free to prattle on about the newsletter and sing its praises. Then when you’re ready, whisk yourself away to an undisclosed location for a relaxing reading session, complete with a tasty beverage and one (or four) of this week’s outstanding articles. Sound like a plan?

You’ll want to check out today’s lead article, “The Promise That Tested My Parents Until The End,” a son’s tribute to his parents — and a story of love and heartbreak. Then take some time for your emotions, or to reconnect with your loved ones, before sinking into articles that explore the latest college predatory lending scheme, the power of racist language, and the difference between transracial and transgender identity. Please enjoy!

+ Last Sunday at Article Club, poet Hafizah Geter joined us for our discussion of her stunning “Theater of Forgiveness.” She even stayed afterward to answer questions. If you want more reading and connection in your life, check it out!

+ Please reach out and say hi. You can hit reply, record a short voice message, or compose a kind testimonial. Thank you!

The Promise That Tested My Parents

In this tender essay, author Christopher Solomon explores the love his parents had for each other, a devotion that included their promise never to put the other in a nursing home, which they considered horribly sad places. When Christopher’s dad was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, however, and his dementia progressed, Christopher’s mom endured years of suffering as his caretaker, feeling stuck in a promise she no longer could keep.

This is a sad story. But it’s a beautiful one, too, because of Mr. Solomon’s sentimental, vulnerable writing about love. He writes, “The way I feel about love is the way I feel standing before the ocean. Its vastness frightens me — to give yourself over to something so large, so borderless, so beautiful, so brutal. If you are lucky, you will have someone for whom you will want to do whatever it takes, and without question, until the very end.” (18 min)

+ Did this piece resonate with you? If so, let’s try something new. Do you see the bubble below? Click on it, scroll down to the bottom, and type a quick thought about how this article made you feel. My hope here is to give us a space to share and connect.

The New Indentured Servitude: College Income Share Agreements

With student debt at $1.6 trillion and growing, it’s no wonder that students are skipping loans and looking for better solutions to pay for college. Unfortunately, income share agreements, where you pay no tuition now in exchange for a percentage of your post-grad salary later, have emerged as the newest predatory lending scheme. Didn’t graduate? Too bad: You have to pay up anyway. What’s worse is that, to fund your education, colleges seek out investors that gamble on you and your future earning potential. Critics call this the New Indentured Servitude, and you know what? They’re right. (29 min)

+ Check out my annotations on a print version of the article. They don’t call me The Highlighter for nothing! 😀

Superpredator: The Media Myth That Demonized A Generation of Black Youth

Language matters. In an interview 25 years ago, white professor John Dilulio coined the term “superpredator” to describe a new threat: “a young, juvenile criminal, who is so impulsive, so remorseless, that he can kill, rape, maim without giving it a second thought.” The new threat didn’t exist; crime plummeted in the 1990s. Still, both conservative and liberal media spread the term, connecting crime with Blackness, deepening already prevalent racist beliefs and furthering racist policies. In 2001, Prof. Dilulio apologized for “any unintended consequences” his false theory had caused. (10 min)

+ Do you remember when Hillary Clinton used the term?

Why We Shouldn’t Compare Transracial to Transgender Identity

Five years ago, Caitlyn Jenner came out as her authentic self and demanded recognition as a woman. That same month, Rachel Dolezal announced that she self-identified as Black despite having no Black ancestry. In this piece, Robin Dembroff and Dee Payton argue that even though both gender and race classifications are malleable, being Black carries “intergenerationally inherited inequalities” and is “a matter of how your community and ancestors have been treated by other people, institutions, and governments.” Transracial identification (most recently, Jessica Krug) therefore undermines our ability to reckon with historical injustice. (21 min)

+ In case you want more: Ijeoma Oluo excoriates Ms. Dolezal in this classic Highlighter article from 2017.

And with that, this week’s issue of The Highlighter comes unfortunately to an end. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. Or leave a voice message, like loyal reader Blevins! I’m grateful for your feedback.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s three new subscribers: Angie, Toronzo, and Laurie. I hope that you find the newsletter a solid addition to your email inbox. Also, thank you, loyal readers Telannia and Elise, for spreading the cheer.

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

  • Talk your friends’ ears off about the newsletter, and threaten never to stop talking, until they subscribe (and give you credit)

  • Say thank you by treating me to a cup of coffee

  • If The Highlighter brings you more joy than something else you pay $3 a month for, and you can swing it financially, consider becoming a VIP member

On the other hand, if this newsletter is mostly ho-hum, please unsubscribe. See you Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#270: Language Keepers

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Happy Thursday, loyal readers, and thank you very much for opening up today’s issue of The Highlighter. I’ve officially declared myself exhausted after eight-plus months of mostly-quarantine. Are you? Whenever I slide into a very mild bout of despair, though, I remind myself to express gratitude: to my family, friends, and this reading community. As we head into Thanksgiving week, my hope is that you are safe and taking good care of yourselves.

Now let’s get to this week’s articles, shall we? This week’s issue starts strong with “Language Keepers,” a comprehensive six-part multimedia series that explores the commitment of Indigenous peoples in California to promote their languages and culture, despite hundreds of years of colonization. Then comes “Dirty Kitchen,” which extends the theme, focusing on the family recipes of a Filipina woman as she tries to maintain her Indigenous roots. After the photo break, I’ve included two pieces that challenge or add nuance to narratives about police defunding and Christian evangelicalism. Please enjoy, and thank you for reading!

+ Please reach out and say hi. You can hit reply, email me, record a short voice message, or compose a kind testimonial. Thank you!

To commemorate Indigenous Peoples’ Heritage Month, Emergence Magazine dedicated this six-part multimedia experience to share the stories of four Indigenous communities in California that are working to revitalize their languages before it’s too late. It is outstanding. My favorite chapter, “Wukchumni,” tells the story of Marie Wilcox, 85, the last speaker of the language, who has devoted the past 20 years to compile a dictionary to preserve Wukchumni for future generations. (45 min)

+ Social studies teachers in California, you could plan a mini-unit on this inquiry-based resource. Let me know if you want to brainstorm together.

Dirty Kitchen

With delicious tinola and sisig recipes serving as her foundation, Filipina writer and filmmaker Jill Damatac explores her Indigenous roots, the centrality of family, and the effects of colonization in this beautiful essay. Though she writes lovingly about her Lola Rosing, the malunggay tree, and the dirty kitchen where the real cooking happened, Ms. Damatac also acknowledges the loneliness and loss of culture she’s experienced through war and immigration. She writes, “We transform to survive, but we still bear the boiled, charred, gristled remnants of our past. I will continue to exist in a hungry space between longing and belonging, for my body, exported from its country of birth, deported from its country of growth, now has only sense and memory to call home.” (18 min)

Oakland Pledged To Cut Its Police Budget In Half. Then Homicides Surged.

Like Minneapolis, Oakland wants to defund its police department but faces challenges figuring out how to implement its vision. One major problem is that the majority of Black and Latinx people in East Oakland want more police officers, especially given the city’s recent spate of murders and its distrust of white leadership. John Jones III, who lives in the Fruitvale neighborhood, says he feels queasy seeing the “100 new white folks” arguing that police are “harmful to Black and Brown people.” (14 min)

+ But I also got a vibe this reporter is biased. You?

The Real Origins Of The Religious Right

Like many people, I used to think that evangelical Christians, when they coalesced as the Moral Majority, emerged as a conservative political group shortly after Roe v. Wade, in order to protest abortion. Not so, argues historian Randall Balmer, who follows the evidence that shows Jerry Falwell and other leaders cared much more about maintaining segregated schools and white supremacy. (12 min)

+ Thank you to VIP Peter for sharing this article. If you’ve read something great, recommend it!

Thank you very much for reading The Highlighter this week! I appreciate it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. I’m grateful for your feedback.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s five new subscribers: Emily, Kiini, Leah, Nathalie, and Karen. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. Also, VIP Dave says hello to everyone and wishes you a great weekend.

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

On the other hand, if this newsletter is cluttering your inbox, please unsubscribe. See you for Thanksgiving next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#269: Things Ain’t Always Gone Be This Way

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Do you remember who taught you about the importance of voting? If you’re able to vote, do you remember the first time you did? Those questions guided me this week as I searched for articles and podcast episodes worthy of your time and attention. Today’s lead article, “Things Ain’t Always Gone Be This Way,” reminds us of the power of voting not only to bring change but also to build familial relationships and to honor one’s ancestors over generations. The ending in particular is moving.

The other three pieces also center on voting and the strengthening of Black power, especially in the South. First up is Stacey Abrams, a powerhouse, whom I’d gladly listen to for hours on end. (I gave you 33 minutes.) Then comes the long and triumphant story of Mississippi voters and their decision to replace their state flag, followed by a digest of outstanding organizations in the South, led predominately by Black women, that are challenging white supremacy at the local level. Please enjoy!

+ There’s still time to join our Article Club discussion this month of “Theater of Forgiveness,” by Hafizah Geter. Loyal reader Sarai Bordeaux will co-facilitate our conversation next Sunday, Nov. 22, 2-3 pm PT. I’m looking forward to it! Find out more information, or if you already know you’re in, sign up here.

+ New to The Highlighter? Hit reply and say hi! (If you’ve been reading since 2015, that’s great, too. 😀 )

Things Ain’t Always Gone Be This Way

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers: “Voting wasn’t just about rights, Mama told me. It was about the fact that we needed to honor the Black folks who had come before us, the ones who weren’t here anymore. On voting Tuesday that year, Mama picked me up after school and drove us to the polls. She told me she had a very important job for me to do. She explained that I would take the hand of each old, Black person she would send my way. These would be people who couldn’t read. They knew the candidates they wanted to vote for, but because they couldn’t recognize the names on the ballot, they needed me to call out all the names for them, and then, they’d tell me which of those names they wanted to vote for.

I don’t know how many old Black folks I helped at the polls, only that when I stood in the booth with them, I did what my mother had asked. I called out the names, and they’d tell me who they wanted to vote for. Then, very carefully, I put my finger by each name they’d chosen. I watched as they filled out the ballot. And I’d beam as each old person heaped praise on me, telling me how smart I was, how sweet. What a good little girl my mother had raised me to be.” (15 min)

Stacey Abrams On Voting Rights

Want a masterclass on voting rights? Look no further than Stacey Abrams, who in this podcast episode with Ezra Klein delivers extemporaneous genius on the 15th, 19th, and 26th amendments; the Voting Rights Act and Shelby County; Amendment 4 and HR 4, voter suppression and voter registration; and Fair Fight and Fair Count. In this transcribed interview, recorded the day before the election, Ms. Abrams extols the virtues of hard work and makes clear the significant hurdles that remain before all Americans gain access to the franchise. (33 min)

+ Want more Stacey? She appeared in Issue #256. Maybe she’ll do Article Club someday?

The Flag And The Fury

Last Tuesday, Mississippi voters replaced their existing Confederate-themed state flag with a new design, featuring a magnolia bloom. This episode of Radiolab tells the story of how Mississippi finally chose to take down its racist banner after 126 years, beginning in 1982, when John Hawkins, the first Black cheerleader at Ole Miss, refused to carry the flag at a football game. Over the next 38 years, the debate raged in familiar ways, until finally shifting with the killing of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter demonstrations this summer. (76 min)

+ Note: Some audio is particularly disturbing.

How To Support Black Power

By now we all know about Stacey Abrams and her commitment to expanding civil rights in Georgia. But this helpful resource, compiled by Scalawag Magazine, will introduce you to 17 local organizations in the South — led by Black women, queer and trans people, and young people — dedicated to fight white supremacy and to build independent Black power from the ground up. Learning about these groups offered me hope and the motivation to get involved. (12 min)

+ Want to talk more about these organizations? Let me know.

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Thank you very much for reading (and listening to) The Highlighter this week! I appreciate it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. I’m grateful for your feedback.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s new subscriber Jen. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Big thanks to VIP Jessica for the good word!)

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

On the other hand, if this newsletter is cluttering your inbox, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#268: 4 Things For Right Now

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Loyal readers, I hope you are taking good care of yourself as our divided country awaits the result of our presidential election. It is a stressful, anxious time. Please reach out if you want to talk.

Some of you might be hankering for articles with perspectives on the election, and others might prefer the exact opposite. Though I’m sure thoughtful articles will emerge soon enough (as they did four years ago), this week, I’ve decided to try something different. Rather than sharing the usual fare of outstanding articles on race, education, and culture, I’m offering resources and organizations for you to check out instead. They’re good, solid projects involving good people. (You’re already part of one of them!) These resources are meant to inspire you to do something with the emotions that you’re possibly feeling, rather than spending your days and nights doomscrolling. I hope you find at least one of them valuable — and if you do, please let me know! I’d love to hear more.

Before you jump in: I’d like to appreciate loyal readers Trevor, Allison, Erin, Sage, and Lynn for reaching 200 issues. I’m grateful for your readership and your efforts to encourage other thoughtful people to try on this newsletter. Thank you!

Listen For A Change

If we listen more deeply to the stories of our most marginalized, we have the ability to transform ourselves and our communities. That’s the premise of Listen for a Change, which aims to break the cycle of discrimination by empowering voices through personal storytelling. Founded by loyal reader Thai Chu, the organization puts on storytelling events, conducts workshops on Instagram, and coaches high school students to celebrate their lived experiences and discover how best to tell their story.

Black Futures Lab

Built from the foundation that Black people are brilliant and diverse, the Black Futures Lab believes that imagination, innovation, and investment can resolve the challenges facing Black communities. Its Black Census Project, the largest survey of Black people conducted since Reconstruction, offers rich data to challenge policymakers. The Shirley Chisholm “Unbought and Unbossed” Black Politics Project organizes and mobilizes Black voters and promotes the newest generation of Black progressive political candidates. If you want to learn more, start with “Black to the Ballot,” which calls for an expansion of vote-by-mail.

+ Thank you to longtime loyal reader Ben for sharing this with me.

Barnraisers Project: White People Organizing Against White Supremacy

Many white people join groups for social justice that focus on reading (and little doing) or hanging out with like-minded white people in a competition of who’s wokest. The Barnraisers Project, founded by Milwaukee native Garrett Bucks, trains white people to build relationships and coalitions in order to move their white family, friends, and community from denial to defensiveness to action. Why? “To be blunt,” Mr. Bucks writes, “because it is white people’s unwillingness to change our mindsets, beliefs and actions that keep our country from living up to its aspirations.” Otherwise, “we’re going to stay stuck in a pattern of symbolic victories and reactionary backlash.”

The Highlighter Article Club

Even though I sometimes joke about reading clubs (see above), I believe strongly that reading can be transformative, especially with the right text, the right people, and the right emphasis on building connections. That’s what Article Club is about. Join us this month to read, annotate, and discuss Hafizah Geter’s “Theater of Forgiveness,” one of the most powerful articles ever to appear in this newsletter. The piece explores the personal and cultural legacy of violence against Black bodies. I’m honored to collaborate with loyal reader Sarai Bordeaux to interview Ms. Geter and to facilitate our conversation.

+ Here’s the fastest way to sign up for the discussion.

There’s a lot going on, so thank you for reading The Highlighter this week! I appreciate it. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. I’m grateful for your feedback.

Also, let’s welcome our reading community’s new subscriber MG. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox.

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

On the other hand, if this newsletter is cluttering your inbox, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!

#267: America In Line

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This time next week, loyal readers, we will have had the election, and who knows, maybe we’ll even know our next president. This week’s lead article, “America In Line,” captures the enthusiasm and anxiety of the moment, with interviews of Americans in six states ready to cast their votes. If you’re practicing a no-election-news pledge in order to save your sanity, like many of my friends, fast scroll down to “Mama’s Babies,” a heartwarming short film. Then take in this week’s pet photo before enjoying two pieces featuring the powers of our mind and the delights of this fall season.

+ I’m very proud of the reading community we’re building over at Article Club, where we read, annotate, and discuss one great article every month. We just concluded our 10th article, focusing on “Miranda’s Rebellion,” by Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Stephanie McCrummen, who generously answered our questions in a podcast episode. If you’re interested in deepening your reading experience with other kind, thoughtful people, please let me know, and I’ll share with you the details and a sneak peek of November’s selection.

America In Line

More than 75 million Americans have already voted, a huge increase from the last presidential election. While many of us have chosen to mail or drop off our ballots, the voters featured in this article — from Houston, Albuquerque, Chattanooga, Sarasota, Atlanta and Columbus — opted for the old-fashioned route of waiting in line.

To pass the time, they listened to podcasts, texted their friends, scrolled through Twitter, read the newspaper, and if they were advanced, brought multiple phones, for battery’s sake. In Houston, Goya Escalante said she “wanted the satisfaction” of voting in person. “I want to feel America.” In Albuquerque, 18-year-old Alfred Achusim voted for the first time and said, “It’s a duty. It’s a privilege.” (20 min)

+ U.S. Government teachers, this article might be perfect weekend reading for your students. It does a good job exploring the diverse beliefs and experiences of Americans from key swing states.

Mama’s Babies

In this touching tribute, filmmaker Adrian Burrell tells the story of his 94-year-old grandmother, the “Queen of San Pablo,” who has lived in West Oakland since 1945, ever since migrating from Jim Crow Louisiana. Despite the losses of gentrification and the gravity of white supremacy, Grandma does not dwell on the negative. Rather, she focuses on family and on the joys of her 16 children, 58 grandchildren, 112 great-grandchildren, and 158 great-great-grandchildren. Mr. Burrell says, “Long after I’m gone, and even longer after my grandma, our people are going to have something to look back on.” (11 min)

+ This weekend, call your mom, dad, aunt, uncle, or grandparent, and ask them to tell you a story.

Shut Up, I’m Manifesting!

A long time ago, I was going through a rough patch, and a good friend reminded me that the only reality we experience is the one we create with our thoughts. Hogwash, I thought. But apparently, the process of manifesting has taken hold, especially among young people, who maintain that if you practice positive thinking and script your dreams, your crush will text you back, or you’ll land a great job, or Lorde will drop a new album. (Bonus points if you manifest on TikTok.) Don’t mind the research that says that reaching your goals takes effort. (14 min)

How America Invented The White Woman Who Just Loves Fall

Nobody knows whether kids will trick or treat this weekend or if families will convene for Thanksgiving, but once thing’s for sure: Fall is upon us, and that means white women will enjoy their pumpkin spice. In this playful-yet-serious article, Hazel Cillis connects the dots of this phenomenon all the way back to New England, to the myth of Thanksgiving, the role of 19th-century influencer Sara Josepha Hale, the rise of domesticity and agritourism, and later contributions by Martha Stewart and the romanticism of Gilmore Girls. You don’t like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves just because. (14 min)

You’ve reached the end of this week’s issue. Thank you for reading The Highlighter. Please congratulate yourself for getting some good reading done. Let me know what you thought about today’s issue by hitting reply or by clicking on the thumbs below. I’m grateful for your feedback.

Also, let’s welcome our community’s 7 new members, including Yudy, Gage, Shining, Emma, Fish, and Helene. I hope that you find this newsletter a solid addition to your Thursday email inbox. (Sivan, Martha, and Camille: Thank you for getting the word out!)

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

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On the other hand, if this newsletter is cluttering your inbox, please unsubscribe. See you next Thursday at 9:10 am PT!