American democracy seems to be falling into an ever-greater crisis, with public approval of our political institutions continuing to fall as Donald Trump’s presidency becomes more and more authoritarian. Behind it all, both the Democratic and Republican Parties continue to be dominated by the interests of large, wealthy donors. Some of the United States’ political […]
What are the lessons from the Montgomery bus boycott launched 70 years ago this month? The boycott, which sparked the civil rights movement, began after the arrest of Rosa Parks for refusing to give up her seat on a segregated city bus to a white man. Historian and biographer Jeanne Theoharis, author of The Rebellious Life of Mrs. Rosa Parks, argues, “Part of what her courage is, is the ability to step forward again and again, without any sense that this is going to change anything, and say, 'This is the line. And I refuse.'” Theoharis’s new piece for The Guardian is “What we get wrong about the Montgomery bus boycott — and what we can learn from it.”