Allegations of racism in the British royal family made big news. Meagan Markle told Oprah that royals expressed concerned about what color baby Archie would be. Royal racism is only a surprise if we forget the United Kingdom’s imperial past, a past that was shaped by different kinds of violence – including economic violence – in its Caribbean colonies and at home toward black migrants. Claudia Jones, born in Trinidad, spent much of her life in the U.S. before being deported for her socialist political views. She moved to Britain and become a vocal critic of Britain’s treatment of Caribbean nations and immigrants. What lessons can we learn from her, not only about the UK but about the situation of Asians in the U.S. and the migrant crisis on its southern border?

The second impeachment of Donald Trump puts political violence in the spotlight. What is political violence? What are examples? Many black voters are wondering whether the Biden administration will support a reparations bill. The debate will highlight historical and contemporary political violence: think slavery, lynching, and police shootings. What gets ignored but shouldn’t is economic violence. What is economic violence and why should we deal with it?