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Monica Potts

Monica Potts is a senior writer for The American Prospect. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, the Connecticut Post and the Stamford Advocate. She also blogs at PostBourgie.

Recent Articles

Time to Pass Paid Sick Leave Bills.

Monica PottsMar 10, 2010

Connecticut might be closer to passing a bill that would require employers to provide paid sick leave, an effort that is similar to a bill proposed in the fall by Connecticut Sen. Christopher Dodd. But the Senate is tied up with bigger bills.

Providing a Benchmark.

Monica PottsMar 10, 2010

States may soon adopt national core standards for education that were designed by state governors and state school leaders, The Washington Post reports. It's part of President Obama's efforts to improve academics across the country.

Using Discretion to Profile.

Monica PottsMar 09, 2010

The Post and Courier in South Carolina recently ran an article on accusations of racial profiling in North Charleston. In that city, police pull black drivers over more often, and black men are twice as likely to be pulled over than white men, the article says, citing police statistics. While African Americans made up 45 percent of the population, they accounted for 65 percent of the traffic stops in which no one is arrested or given a ticket. That led to accusations of racial profiling, and the police chief, Jon Zumalt responded with the usual:

Helping HBCUs.

Monica PottsMar 08, 2010

Via RaceWire, Obama has signed an executive order to bolster federal support for historically black colleges and universities:

Obama says these schools have felt the pain of the recession (and his own cuts last year) the most because they enroll a higher proportion of low and middle-income students. His order includes $850 million which will ensure students can afford a college education and HBCUs can improve and expand facilities.

The Oscar Win for Women.

Monica PottsMar 08, 2010

Last night, Kathryn Bigelow became the first woman to win an Academy Award for best director, and her film, The Hurt Locker became the first female-directed movie to take home the best picture award. It was a big relief that the artfully constructed film -- albeit a possible propaganda machine -- and Bigelow both won over the blockbuster monstrosity Avatar. But her win, to some extent, was overshadowed by that of Sandra Bullock.

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