Friday's News & Ideas - 10/16/2020

Black skeptics find meaning in uplifting their community through social justice
Religion News Service: Black nonbelievers have for years been working to redefine what it means to be atheist, a word too often linked to white spaces mostly concerned with creationism and the separation of church and state.

What we’ve learned so far from school reopenings in the US
Vox: K-12 school reopenings are going mostly fine. College and university reopenings aren’t.

In bad faith
Portland Mercury: Portland NAACP President E.D. Mondainé has been accused of sexual abuse by former members of his church.

From mute to menacing: Why TV’s portrayal of Muslims still falls short
The Guardian: Though representation has increased, Islam on TV is still largely centered around terrorists and oppressed women. What we need is more complexity -- and fewer dangerous clichés.

Americans insulate themselves in political ‘bubbles,’ even at church
Baptist News Global: New research reveals just how far Americans have retreated from those with differing political views, a phenomenon one expert describes as a huge challenge for pastors.

The Spark

The United States of Dolly Parton
A voice for working-class women and an icon for all kinds of women, Parton has maintained her star power* throughout life phases and political cycles, The New Yorker says.

*access is limited for nonsubscribers

Want to get News & Ideas in your inbox every weekday?
Subscribe to our News & Ideas newsletter or receive our RSS feed in your RSS reader.