Lehigh University
James Braxton Peterson professor of English and director of Africana Studies at Lehigh University. He also hosts The Remix podcast on Philadelphia's NPR affiliate, WHYY.
PROFILE
James Braxton Peterson
Guest
FROM James Braxton Peterson
To the Point
The 'bully pulpit' in a divided nation After condemning Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan on Monday, President Trump spoke again yesterday of this weekend’s violence at the University of Virginia. The White House scheduled a press conference to change the subject from Saturday’s violence at the University of Virginia to infrastructure repair, but President Trump turned it into another defense of armed white racists and the demonstration they called Unite-the-Right. He seemed to find moral equivalence between armed white racists supporting a Confederate symbol and those who protested. David Duke and other white nationalists say they’re grateful for those words; Republicans are almost unanimous in their outrage. What are the consequences when a President provokes ideas and emotions that go back to the Civil War?
Recommended
Zócalo's Connecting California
Keeping it fresh The intersection of Salinas, California and Yuma, Arizona is in your salad bowl.
KCRW Features
Dianne Feinstein Leverages ‘Seniority’ Sen. Dianne Feinstein is doing something she hasn't done in 18 years: Appear on the same stage as her political opponent.
Red State, Blue State
Is a ‘Red State Democrat’ Even a Democrat? Democrats and progressives were scratching their heads last week when West Virginia’s senator broke with the Democratic Party. We get their reaction.
KCRW Features
What you need to know about the Gas Tax Last year, California legislators increased California’s gas tax by 12 cents a gallon. The revenue raised from the increases, over $5 billion a year, is supposed to be spent on improving transportation in the state. But there’s been a backlash to the gas tax increase, resulting in Proposition 6 on the November ballot. If passed, it would roll back the tax and require all future fuel tax increases to get voter approval.