In this Coleman Memorial Lecture, Charisma Acey revisits Claude Ake’s foundational concepts of democracy and development, drawing from over two decades of scholarly research and fieldwork across the African continent. Reflecting on firsthand experiences, from Zimbabwe’s structural adjustment crises and humanitarian relief in Angola to urban struggles for water, sanitation, and environmental justice in Nigeria...

Among those fighting the L.A. fires earlier this year were incarcerated individuals participating in California’s controversial inmate firefighting program. This forum examines the program from the perspectives of formerly incarcerated firefighters, including issues around compensation and potential program reforms. Moderator Romarilyn Ralston, a black feminist abolitionist who served 23 years in prison and now leads...