Every year, Americans celebrate July 4 as the birth of a nation founded on the extraordinary proposition that all people are created equal. We celebrate Juneteenth as a reminder that the promise of freedom contained in that founding document took generations to reach millions of enslaved Americans. And on Aug. 18, we should celebrate another milestone in that continuing American journey: the day women finally secured the constitutional right to vote. On Aug. 18, 1920, Tenness

BPALiveWire has partnered with Instaread to give readers a easier way to experience BPALiveWire content with high quality audio. Every article published on BPALiveWire can now be listened to using the Instaread Audio Player making it easier for busy professionals to stay informed whether they are commuting, exercising or multitasking.

By Dee Dee Bass Wilbon and Deana Bass Williams Socialism is once again wooing Americans for capitalism's money. Lately, it has come disguised as "democratic" socialism. Adding the word "democratic" to socialism does not change what it is. Socialism still means collective or government control over major industries and resources, with wealth redistributed in the name of economic equality. Capitalism, by contrast, is built on private ownership, competition, investment and, yes,

First Published on BPALiveWire - July 4, 2024 Autobiography of Douglass On Independence Day some Americans cherry pick one of Frederick Douglass’ most famous speeches, "What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?" Delivered on July 5, 1852, in Rochester, New York, Douglass' speech is often misrepresented as a condemnation of America itself. Some anti-American voices point to portions of Douglass’ speech to bolster their argument that Black Americans should no longer celebrate th