On issues of racial justice, the common narrative is that Republicans have become more racist, while Democrats have become more “woke,” says Dr. Theodore R. Johnson, director of the Brennan Center's Fellows Program. The reality of the situation is a lot less cut-and-dried. The scholarly literature on racial resentment provides crucial insight into the state of politics today. From manufactured political outrage to genuine tensions in race relations, the way forward is clear: Americans must understand how crucial race is to our political outlook if we want to answer serious questions about our country's future.

Earlier this month, Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Martin Heinrich (D-NM) revealed that the CIA has been secretly — and warrantlessly — collecting data in bulk and combing through it for information on Americans. The Fourth Amendment, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, and the 2015 USA Freedom Act forbid the government from conducting bulk surveillance programs without a court order and required oversight. But the CIA is operating under a Reagan-era executive order, which doesn’t provide for congressional or judicial oversight. This loophole has already demonstrably led to invasions of Americans’ privacy — Congress must act quickly to close it.

Jonathan Jasper Wright became America’s first Black state high court justice in 1870, only to resign during impeachment proceedings seven years later. There wouldn’t be another Black state supreme court justice appointed in any state until 1961, when Otis Smith joined the Michigan Supreme Court. The details of Wright’s controversial tenure speak to the tensions of Reconstruction in the South, and the fascinating story of his rise and fall is relevant to current conversations around judicial diversity.

Young Americans are generally stereotyped as being uninterested in participating in civic life. A new Brennan Center report analyzes recent research on youth civic engagement, exploring the issues that inspire young people to get involved in their communities as well as the untraditional ways they do so. The result is clear: young adults are participating in politics and their communities far more than they are being given credit for, but their hard work is too often going unrecognized.

Social Media’s Free Speech Problem
Thursday, March 24 // 6–7 p.m. ET
The problem of misinformation on social media has ballooned over the last few years, especially in relation to elections. The result has been further polarization of our already divided country. How do we control this false speech while protecting the First Amendment — and our democracy? Join us for a live discussion with one of the country’s leading experts on election law, Richard L. Hasen, author of the upcoming book Cheap Speech: How Disinformation Poisons Our Politics — and How to Cure It, for a look into how social media companies can solve this problem without shutting down the essential free flow of ideas and opinions. RSVP today.

As we celebrate #BlackHistoryMonth, let's honor those who have taken on redistricting in the fight for racial justice. Read more on Instagram >>