Skip to main content

The context you need, when you need it

When news breaks, you need to understand what actually matters — and what to do about it. At Vox, our mission to help you make sense of the world has never been more vital. But we can’t do it on our own.

We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism. Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today?

Join now

More from Protests in Minneapolis and nationwide following George Floyd’s death

archives
1960s coverage of Stonewall shows that mainstream press has always struggled to cover protests1960s coverage of Stonewall shows that mainstream press has always struggled to cover protests
archives

New Yorkers reading the local, mainstream papers wouldn’t have known that a new civil rights movement was unfolding.

By Chad Painter
Race
How a 50-year-old report predicted America’s current racial reckoningHow a 50-year-old report predicted America’s current racial reckoning
Race

The 1968 government-sponsored report reveals that demands from activists around policing are nothing new.

By Gwen Prowse and Vesla Mae Weaver
How police unions became so powerful — and how they can be tamed
Politics

Over about half a century, police unions have become one of the most powerful lobbies in local government.

By Dylan Matthews
Politics
In praise of polarizationIn praise of polarization
Politics

How identity politics changed the Democratic Party — for the better.

By Ezra Klein
Politics
Senate Democrats say the Republican police reform bill is “not salvageable”Senate Democrats say the Republican police reform bill is “not salvageable”
Politics

They’re now poised to sink the legislation during a vote on Wednesday.

By Li Zhou
Global protests reveal that white supremacy is a problem everywhere
archives

Why Black Lives Matter protests spread across the world this year.

By Tiffanie Drayton
Why police often single out trans people for violence
Politics

The deaths of Layleen Polanco and Tony McDade highlight how Black trans Americans are treated and criminalized.

By Katelyn Burns
Technology
How K-pop fans are weaponizing the internet for Black Lives MatterHow K-pop fans are weaponizing the internet for Black Lives Matter
Technology

And four other ways people are using social media to support nationwide protests.

By Aja Romano
How young people are combating anti-black racism in their immigrant communities
Explainers

Second-generation Americans are organizing online to translate educational resources, combat disinformation, and express solidarity with the black community.

By Terry Nguyen
Politics
Report: Nonwhite jail officers were not allowed to guard George Floyd’s killerReport: Nonwhite jail officers were not allowed to guard George Floyd’s killer
Politics

The officers say they were forbidden from interacting with Derek Chauvin because they were deemed a “liability” based on their race.

By Zeeshan Aleem
archives
“A Juneteenth like no other”: Juneteenth celebrations take on a special meaning this year“A Juneteenth like no other”: Juneteenth celebrations take on a special meaning this year
archives

The holiday was more widely recognized and celebrated in light of today’s racial justice protest movement.

By Zeeshan Aleem
Inside the fight to “defund” the NYPD
Politics

Activists and city leaders want to cut $1 billion from the police force’s budget.

By Jen Kirby
Police killings can be captured in data. The terror police create cannot.
Criminal Justice

The problem with policing is about more than violence. It’s about living a black life in fear.

By Sean Collins
Politics
Juneteenth should remind America what it owes black citizensJuneteenth should remind America what it owes black citizens
Politics

As Americans protest, the holiday marks the end of slavery and beckons the country to close the racial wealth gap.

By Aaron Ross Coleman
Podcasts
These 11 Vox podcast episodes give more context to the protests happening across AmericaThese 11 Vox podcast episodes give more context to the protests happening across America
Podcast
Podcasts

Listen to everything from what “defund the police” really means to how the world views these protests.

By Lauren Katz
archives
Why organizers are fighting to center Black trans lives right nowWhy organizers are fighting to center Black trans lives right now
archives

Black trans lives must be part of the larger Black Lives Matter movement.

By Joshua Allen
Criminal Justice
The police killing of Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy’s drive-through, explainedThe police killing of Rayshard Brooks at a Wendy’s drive-through, explained
Criminal Justice

Brooks was killed after falling asleep at an Atlanta Wendy’s drive-through. The officer who shot him has been charged with felony murder.

By Sean Collins and Zeeshan Aleem
The systemic racism black Americans face, explained in 9 charts
Politics

Longstanding inequalities have led to the current wave of protests.

By Sean Collins
How black people really feel about the police
Explainers

Research suggests black people want a systemic overhaul on crime reduction and inequality.

By Aaron Ross Coleman
Sports
College football players are taking a stand against racism — and taking a big riskCollege football players are taking a stand against racism — and taking a big risk
Sports

“The football players are looking at this and going, ‘Wait a second, they need us at this point even more than we need them.’”

By Jane Coaston
Seattle’s newly police-free neighborhood, explained
Explainers

Best known as the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, the neighborhood has flourished since police left the area to protesters last week.

By Katelyn Burns
One of America’s worst acts of racial violence was in Tulsa. Now, it’s the site of Trump’s first rally in months.
Explainers

Why President Trump’s choice of Tulsa for his latest rally is controversial.

By Emily Stewart
Politics
Donald Trump is defunding the policeDonald Trump is defunding the police
Politics

He’s proposed cuts in budget after budget, and is holding up needed fiscal aid.

By Matthew Yglesias
What 4 organizers want to see from America’s protests
archives

“This is a demand for real change,” said one Black Lives Matter leader from Houston.

By Jen Kirby
Politics
Democrats are grappling with calls to “defund the police”Democrats are grappling with calls to “defund the police”
Politics

Reps. Jim Clyburn and Ilhan Omar have very different views on what the polarizing slogan means.

By Zeeshan Aleem