The Conversation

School suspensions don't just unfairly penalize Black students – they lead to lower grades and 'Black flight'

Written by Charles Bell, Assistant Professor, Illinois State University

Suspensions have continued throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, while children are attending remotely from their homes. Marie-Claude Lemay/iStock/Getty Images Plus

School suspensions are intended to deter violence and punish students who demonstrate problematic behavior.

Yet, when I interviewed 30 Black high school students in southeast Michigan who...

Republicans didn't lose big in 2020 – they held onto statehouses and the power to influence future elections

Written by Robin E. Best, Associate Professor of Political Science, Binghamton University, State University of New York

Who will be represented in Congress?iconeer/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

Election Day delivered a presidential victory for the Democratic Party and narrowed the partisan split in the U.S. House and Senate. But it was nevertheless a victory for Republicans in the battle every decade to draw state and congressional districts that favor...

These at-home exercises can help older people boost their immune system and overall health in the age of COVID-19

Written by Mark A. Gluck, Professor, Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Rutgers University - Newark

Working out strengthens more than just your muscles – it strengthens your immune system, too.SelectStock/E+ via Getty Images

Older adults, especially those over 65, have five times the risk of hospitalization and 90 times the risk of death from COVID-19 compared with younger adults.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and...

Coronavirus vaccines: health experts identify ways to build public trust

Written by Ann Christiano, Director, Center for Public Interest Communications, University of Florida

The drug maker company Pfizer says its COVID-19 vaccine is 95% effective with no serious side effects.Eduardo Munoz Alvarez/VIEW press/Corbis News via Getty Images

The pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and BioNtech announced Nov. 20, 2020, that they will seek emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for a vaccine to prevent...

Why do older people heal more slowly?

Written by Matthew Steinhauser, Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh

The older you get, the more slowly you heal, and there are a number of reasons why.Westend61 via Getty Images

I recently visited an 83-year-old patient in the hospital after EMTs rushed her to the ER with an infected leg wound. Her ordeal started inconspicuously when she bumped into the sharp edge of a table and developed a small cut. The...

A century ago, James Weldon Johnson became the first Black person to head the NAACP

Written by Anthony Siracusa, Director of Community Engagement, University of Mississippi

These NAACP leaders met at a 1916 conference.Library of Congress

In this moment of national racial reckoning, many Americans are taking time to learn about chapters in U.S. history left out of their school texbooks. The early years of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a civil rights group that initially coalesced...

Kids as young as 3 years old think YouTube is better for learning than other types of video

Written by Brenna Hassinger-Das, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Pace University

Many children stuck at home during the pandemic are watching more YouTube videos than ever, for both entertainment and education.Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.

The big idea

Young kids believe that YouTube videos are better for learning than TV shows or videos created on a...

Muslim schools are allies in France's fight against radicalization – not the cause

Written by Carol Ferrara, Assistant Professor, Emerson College

Muslim schools can provide a place for girls to study while wearing headscarves.Lionel Bonaventure/AFP via Getty Images

Following recent terror attacks in France, President Emmanuel Macron appears intent on pushing forward with his plans to combat what he sees as “Islamic separatism” – starting with the schools.

A new bill...

Muslims have visualized Prophet Muhammad in words and calligraphic art for centuries

Written by Suleyman Dost, Assistant Professor of Classical Islam, Brandeis University

Hilye, or calligraphic panel containing a physical description of the Prophet Muhammad made in 1718 in the Galata Palace, Istanbul.Dihya Salim al-Fahim, (1718), via Wikimedia Commons

The republication of caricatures depicting the Prophet Muhammad by French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in September 2020 led to protests in several Muslim-majority...

How George Washington used his first Thanksgiving as president to unite a new country

Written by Maurizio Valsania, Professor of American History, Università di Torino

President George Washington aimed to unify the country with his first Thanksgiving message.Getty Images

On Thursday, Nov. 26, 1789, George Washington woke early. Assisted by his enslaved valets – William “Billy” Lee and the young Christopher Sheels – he powdered his hair, put on his favorite black velvet suit, tied his white...