Despair is a Luxury That We Can’t Afford
What is there now? There is the power of hope, the power of community, of solidarity, of neighborly commitment.
Belt’s Top Stories of 2020
Eleven pieces our readers kept coming back to.
How to End Political Gerrymandering in Michigan (And Elsewhere)
In Michigan, the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is getting ready to fix the state’s gerrymandered political map.
The Keystone State is Ringing
Pennsylvania has always defied easy categorization. That's what makes it so great.
Why It’s Taking So Long to Count Votes in Pennsylvania
The delay was not inevitable, but instead the product of a contentious disagreement between state politicians.
Armed, Angry Men
Trump, militias, and the long history of voter intimidation and violence in the Midwest.
Democracy by Mail
Coronavirus has threatened the viability of in-person voting. With major elections just a few months away, states and organizers are looking to expand alternative options.
Rust Belt Independents
How one Indiana community rejected Trumpism.
The Future of Chicago is the Future of Us All
On history, the mayoral election, and the work of black women.
Why Detroit ’67 Matters Now
The lessons of the ’67 Detroit Rebellion are as important now as they were fifty years ago.
No Surprise: The Rust Belt Knows What the Pundits Don’t
After months and months of media coverage declaring “economic populism” the theme of the presidential campaign – and for both parties, no less – it would be easy to succumb to short-term amnesia...