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Brentin Mock

Brentin Mock is lead reporter for Voting Rights Watch, a partnership between Colorlines.com and The Nation magazine. Over the past year, he covered the voter-ID law controversy, felony disenfranchisement, voter intimidation and challenges to the Voting Rights Act.

Recent Articles

RUMORS OF VAN JONES' ARISING SOMEWHAT EXAGGERATED

Brentin MockMar 11, 2009

No sooner than the minute I filed my story on Van Jones' new appointment to the White House as advisor on green jobs did I get an e-mail from Van Jones about this very topic. It wasn't a personal e-mail from Jones but rather an e-mail from the Green for All listserv announcing his new position. Here, he disspells a number of rumors that had been circulating since word got out about his "Green Jobs Czar"-ship.

Will Van Jones Work in the White House?

Van Jones has been agitating for a green agenda as a lifeline for the dying ghettos of America. Will he be effective making policy on Capitol Hill?

Brentin MockMar 10, 2009
Image from Flickr used under a Creative Commons license.

It took less than five years for Van Jones to rise from Oakland community-based activist with a plan for bringing green jobs to the hood to national leader of a broad-based "green-growth alliance" movement. While Jones is often cited as originating the idea, green jobs -- even "for the ghetto" -- are not new.

A DIRTY DEAL

Brentin MockMar 06, 2009

New York governor David Paterson may flake on a regional cap-and-trade deal by granting the state's energy industry an increase in free emissions permits, which allow companies to release a capped amount of carbon into the air. The energy industry has already been granted free allowances for 1.5 million tons of emissions per year. Now, Paterson may up the number to 6.5 million tons.

The New Normal

Governments at all levels responded slowly to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The people of the Gulf Coast took up the slack but haven't absolved government of its responsibilities.

Brentin MockFeb 16, 2009
(AP Photo)

Walking along the Algiers levees facing downtown New Orleans, Malik Rahim stops at a huge dent in the pavement that he thinks came from a crashed barge during Hurricane Katrina.

TALKING CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER.

Brentin MockJan 29, 2009

A major discussion of climate change and gender raised some interesting ideas around labor organizing here at the “Advancing Climate Justice” conference. The talk was led by Aimee Thorne-Thompsen of Pro-Choice Education Project, Shana Griffin of New Orleans’ Women’s Health and Justice Initiative, Rachel Harris of Women’s Environment & Development Organization and Dana Paredes of Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice.

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