The Conversation

Martha Washington’s enslaved maid Ona Judge made a daring escape to freedom – but the National Park Service has erased her story from Philadelphia exhibit

Written by Timothy Welbeck, Director of the Center for Anti-Racism, Temple University

The National Park Service removed an exhibit on slavery at the President's House site in Philadelphia on Jan. 22, 2026. The city of Philadelphia has sued the Trump administration in response. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

On the evening of May 21, 1796, Ona Judge made the daring decision to free herself.

Considering the prominence of her owner, the laws of...

‘Proportional representation’ could reduce polarization in Congress and help more people feel like their voices are being heard

Written by Jennifer Lynn McCoy, Professor of Political Science, Georgia State University

There is growing support for electoral reform in the U.S.PeterSnow/Getty Images

In the face of widespread pessimism about the political fate of the United States and growing political polarization, scholars and citizens across the country are reimagining how American democracy could better serve the needs of the whole population.

In an October 2025...

Distrust and disempowerment, not apathy, keep employees from supporting marginalized colleagues

Written by Meg A. Warren, Professor of Management, Western Washington University

What might hold you back from standing up for a colleague who's treated unfairly?AnVr/E+ via Getty Images

What really holds people back from stepping up as allies in support of their marginalized colleagues? For example, why don’t more men say something when they see a colleague or a customer make a sexist remark about a female co-worker?

Our...

What is and isn’t new about US bishops’ criticism of Trump’s foreign policy

Written by Gerard F. Powers, Director of Catholic Peacebuilding Studies, University of Notre Dame

Cardinals Robert McElroy, Joseph Tobin and Blase Cupich issued a statement on U.S. foreign policy on Jan. 19, 2026.Gregorio Borgia/Gregory Bull/AP Photo

In recent weeks, Catholic leaders have been increasingly outspoken in their criticism of the Trump administration’s foreign policy, especially its military intervention in Venezuela and saber-...

Why is US health care still the most expensive in the world after decades of cost-cutting initiatives?

Written by Patrick Aguilar, Managing Director of Health, Washington University in St. Louis

Two-thirds of Americans are very worried about being able to pay for their health care. Morsa Images/DigitalVision via Getty Images

In announcing its “Great Healthcare Plan” in January 2026, the Trump administration became the latest in a long history of efforts by the U.S. government to rein in the soaring cost of health care.

As a...

Reading to young kids improves their social skills − and a new study shows it doesn’t matter whether parents stop to ask questions

Written by Erin Clabough, Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Virginia

A father reads a bedtime story to his daughter in 1955. Lambert/Getty Images

In 2024, 51% of families read aloud to their very young children, while 37% read aloud to their kids between the ages of 6 and 8 years old.

Some parents have said they stop reading aloud to their school-age children because their kids can read on their own.

I’m a neuro...

Historically Black colleges and universities do more than offer Black youths a pathway to opportunity and success – I teach criminology, and my research suggests another benefit

Written by Andrea Hagan, Instructor of Criminology & Justice, Loyola University New Orleans, Loyola University New Orleans

Jackson State University students attend an event in Mississippi in October 2025. Aron Smith/Jackson State University via Getty Images

Historically Black colleges and universities, often known as HBCUs, are well known for their deep roots in U.S. higher education and proven effectiveness at graduating Black students who go on to become...

Local governments provide proof that polarization is not inevitable

Written by Lauren Hall, Associate professor of Political Science, Rochester Institute of Technology

Local officials get to participate in events such as ribbon cuttings, celebrating projects they may have helped make happen.NHLI/Eliot J. Schechter via Getty Images

When it comes to national politics, Americans are fiercely divided across a range of issues, including gun control, election security and vaccines. It’s not new for Republicans...

How a 22-year-old George Washington learned how to lead, from a series of mistakes in the Pennsylvania wilderness

Written by Christopher Magra, Professor of American History, University of Tennessee

A young George Washington was thrust into the dense, contested wilderness of the Ohio River Valley as a land surveyor for real estate development companies in Virginia.Henry Hintermeister/Public domain via Wikimedia Commons

This Presidents Day, I’ve been thinking about George Washington − not at his finest hour, but possibly at his...

RNA is key to the dark matter of the genome − scientists are sequencing it to illuminate human health and disease

Written by Thomas Begley, Professor of Biological Sciences, Associate Director of The RNA Institute, University at Albany, State University of New York

There is still a great deal unknown about RNA and its modifications.Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images

Although there are striking differences between the cells that make up your eyes, kidneys, brain and toes, the DNA blueprint for these cells is essentially the same. Where do those differences come from?

Scientists are...