Author: Dr. Julian Vasquez Heilig
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Happy Juneteenth! In the 1960s, brave Americans—many young, many Black, many poor—put their bodies on the line to claim a seat at the table of democracy. They fought for rights long denied: the right to vote without barriers, to protest without fear, to attend school without segregation, to worship without restriction, and to speak truth…
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There is perhaps no figure more adept at the art of deflection than Donald J. Trump. He has turned scapegoating into a political art form, lobbing blame like confetti at rallies, press conferences, and now on his social media platform. Economic woes? Blame immigrants. Public health failures? Blame governors. Electoral losses? Blame rigged machines. Legal…
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Let me begin with a clear disclaimer: I do not speak for the NAACP. I speak only for myself—as a scholar, citizen, and patriot committed to constitutional democracy and civil rights. But I unequivocally support the NAACP’s decision not to invite Donald Trump to its 116th National Convention. The organization’s stance is not partisan. It…
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The Republican Party used to tout itself as the party of ideas. But in Michigan—and across the country—it has devolved into the party of recycled failures. This week, Michigan Senate Republicans introduced a package of education bills so stale, so regressive, and so wildly out of step with research and reality that you could be…
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In every movement, there are enemies outside the gate—and then there’s Stephen. You may remember him. Samuel L. Jackson’s unforgettable character in Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained—not just the most dangerous villain in the film, but perhaps the most haunting. Because Stephen wasn’t the slave master. He wasn’t the bounty hunter. He wasn’t the man with the whip.…
Cloaking Inequity 