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America Needs a 'Black Wives Matter' Movement to Rebuild the Black Family

For millions of people across the country, February is a time to reflect on the contributions black Americans have made to our rich national history. But for a handful of educators, the first week of this month is dedicated to amplifying year-round efforts to introduce the values of the Black Lives Matter movement into K-12 classrooms.
One of those principles is to "disrupt the Western prescribed nuclear family structure." But rebuilding—not destroying—the black family should be the top priority for people who claim to care about race and equality.
What America needs today is a "Black Wives Matter" movement that reestablishes marriage as the foundation of black family life and increases the percentage of black children who are born to—and raised by—their married biological parents. At the core of this movement are three words: marriage before carriage.
Rebuilding the black family requires a comprehensive and concentrated approach. That includes education. Middle and high school students need to learn about the three-step anti-poverty plan often referred to as the "Success Sequence"—finish high school, get a job, and marry before having children.
A successful "marriage before carriage" campaign would also require a very different investment strategy for black cultural capital. Media, music, television, film, and social media would all need to be harnessed to promote a culture of marriage and family.
Put simply, rebuilding the black family demands a transformation of black America's political priorities and cultural norms.

Schedule an Interview: Delano Squires

Supreme Court Asks Plenty of Questions in Hearing Colorado Case Disqualifying Trump From Ballot

In what may be one of the most consequential election cases ever heard by the U.S. Supreme Court, the nine justices listened Thursday to 80 minutes of lawyers’ oral arguments over the attempt by political activists to knock Donald Trump off the primary ballot in Colorado (and other states).
Although all of the justices asked tough questions of both sides in the case, Trump v. Anderson, the lawyer for the activists seemed to have the hardest time satisfying their concerns.
The essence of the case is the decision by four justices of the Colorado Supreme Court, over the dissents of three colleagues, that because Trump engaged in an "insurrection" on Jan. 6, 2021, he is disqualified from being president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution and thus may be removed from the ballot.
If the U.S. Supreme Court upholds the Colorado high court's decision, it would disenfranchise millions of voters in Colorado and other states that follow Colorado's misbegotten action, a concern raised by more than one justice during Thursday's arguments.

Schedule an Interview: Hans von Spakovsky and John Malcolm

How to Solve Our Soaring Homelessness Problem

Homelessness has been rising for several years. Last year, it increased in all but nine states, with New York topping the list.
Some unique factors contributed to the jump in homelessness in 2023, but policies to address homelessness have been off track for a long time.
For two decades, the federal government has taken a “housing first” approach to homelessness, focusing on “permanent supportive housing” with low or no barriers to entry.
While it increases the likelihood that an individual remains housed—at least for the people who receive permanent housing—housing first fails to reduce overall rates of homelessness or to improve other outcomes of well-being.
Indeed, some places that have increased their supply of permanent supportive housing have seen homelessness grow.
The federal government should stop prioritizing the costly and inefficient housing-first approach.
Instead, funding for programs addressing homelessness should be tied to improved outcomes, such as reduced substance abuse, better mental health, moving people into self-supported housing, and reducing overall rates of homelessness. Approaches to helping the homeless will vary based on the individual.

Schedule an Interview: Rachel Sheffield

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