The Robbery at the Louvre is a Lesson on Hubris

The Louvre was robbed. It took less than eight minutes to remove what France held in infamy for centuries. The country has a history of stealing, and the theft left the country a bit scandalized. Some historians were heartbroken, but many casual observers thought the museum and the country got what they deserved.

In the days that followed, it was clear that the Louvre had already been aware of its poor security. The jewels, being invaluable, were not insured. Security in museums maintains the integrity of the visuals. They ensure that the oils from our hands aren’t aging the paintings, that the flash from ou

Ruth Jean-MarieNovember 20, 2025Comment

Bad Bunny to Perform at the Superbowl: the Truth About Who Can Be Deported

The Internet has been in an uproar about Puerto Rico’s status as a part of the U.S. Benito Antonio “Bad Bunny” Martínez Ocasio continues to tour around the world conspicuously leaving the “mainland” United States off of his tour. His original reasoning surrounded the continuous ICE raids that terrorize communities across the country. As a result, his acceptance of the Super Bowl LX performance felt contradictory to some. Others, reminding the world that Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory and also a part of his tour, thought it diligent to dismiss his efforts altogether.

Ruth Jean-MarieNovember 13, 2025Comment

Collective Amnesia: The Weaponization of Forgetting

America has never been forgetful by accident. Forgetting is one of its oldest strategies of survival—for the powerful, not the people. This country doesn’t suffer from memory loss; it suffers from selective recall. It remembers who built the skyscrapers, not who built the railroads. It remembers who signed the Declaration, not who was enslaved when it was written. Forgetting here is not a lapse—it’s law.

Felicia ThompsonNovember 6, 2025Comment

“Niceness is not morality; it is social control,” says Amira Barger, author of The Price of Nice

We asked Amira Barger a few questions about her book, which will be released tomorrow, October 28. Her answers are sharp, thoughtful, and full of insight. This isn’t just a Q&A that makes you want to read the book (though you definitely will); it actually leaves you with something real to think about.

Barger has worked with us several times before, and it’s an honor to talk with her just before this book reaches, hopefully, many people for whom being “nice” has been both an expectation and a burden.

AHUS EditorialOctober 30, 2025Comment

Fascism in 2025 America: A Warning and Call to Action

Fiction has never struggled to name tyranny. We root for Katniss against the Capitol, for the Rebellion against the Galactic Empire, for Dumbledore’s Army against Voldemort’s regime. Ultranationalism and mythic populism are no longer just plot devices. In 2025 America, our drift toward authoritarianism is a political reality, and the courage we cheer in our favorite stories feels conspicuously absent on our own streets.

Amira BargerOctober 9, 2025Comment

From GITMO to Gaza–Technology, Genocide, and U.S. Neocolonialism

In May and June of 1912, the newly formed Cuban government, under the direct support and advisement of the United States, committed genocide with indiscriminate brutality and violence targeting Black Cubans in the Eastern region of the island (Oriente). The murder and disappearance of 5,000 Black Cubans happened under the guise of defending Cuba against the rebelling Black “racists” of Cuba’s first Black political party, El Partido Independiente de Color (PIC). In the period of modern colonialism and neocolonialism, the 1912 massacre proved itself as a testing ground for technological advancements and new and advanced weaponry later used during WWI, as well as in the US occupation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic in 1915 and 1916, respectively. Nevertheless, this genocide also allows us to understand the context of Cuba and the greater Caribbean under colonial and neocolonial control before 1959.

Lisa V. BettyOctober 2, 2025Comment

When Faith Hurts: Religious Trauma, Racism, and the Fight for True Freedom

Religion is meant to heal, but for many Americans, it has also left scars.

Religious belief has long shaped the culture and politics of the United States. It can be a source of meaning and community, but it can also cause deep harm. Religious trauma refers to the psychological, emotional, and spiritual wounds caused by harmful teachings, communities, or doctrines (Winell, 2011). These wounds are not rare. In the United States, where Christianity has long dominated public life, religious trauma is increasingly recognized not only as an individual struggle but as a collective wound with profound racial, social, and political consequences.

Felicia ThompsonSeptember 25, 2025Comment

An Anniversary Worth Noting, Liberation and the Myth of Martyrdom

The United States’ use of Haiti as a means of income is most characterized by its occupation of the Caribbean country. From 1915 to 1934, Haiti, residing in the States’ backyard, was treated like a playground instead. With purported efforts to stave off German interests, the interaction between the two became one of conqueror and conquered. By the time the United States left Haiti, Haiti’s constitution had been changed so foreigners could own land, gold had been pillaged from Haiti’s national bank, the government was centralized in Port-Au-Prince, puppet politicians were put into place, and countless people were murdered, raped, or both.

Ruth Jean-MarieSeptember 18, 2025Comment