Luskin Center for History and Policy

Luskin Center for History and Policy The UCLA Luskin Center for History and Policy generates historically informed discussions of public policy issues.

We foster teaching and research that use historical insight to shape policy.

In celebration of Pride Month, this week we are revisiting a previous episode about the landmark Supreme Court decision ...
06/03/2026

In celebration of Pride Month, this week we are revisiting a previous episode about the landmark Supreme Court decision in 2020 that protects gay and transgender individuals from workplace discrimination on the basis of their sexual orientation or gender identity. ACLU National Legal Director David Cole, who spearheaded the victorious lawsuit, discusses Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and how the ACLU and its allies framed the argument 6 years ago. Title VII made the news again at the end of 2025, when the chair of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission encouraged white men to also file reports about perceived discrimination. In this episode we consider Title VII’s legal implications are for today, and how the Supreme Court’s approach to discrimination has evolved over time.

Listen to the full episode here: https://www.buzzsprout.com/952522/episodes/4735799

On this day in history in 1921, white mobs destroyed Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, a thriving Black community kn...
06/02/2026

On this day in history in 1921, white mobs destroyed Tulsa, Oklahoma’s Greenwood District, a thriving Black community known as “Black Wall Street.” The Tulsa Race Massacre killed hundreds and displaced thousands, while much of the event was erased from public memory for decades. Today, the massacre remains central to conversations about racial justice, historical memory, and historical erasure.

On this day in history in 1963, leaders from across the continent founded the Organization of African Unity in Addis Aba...
05/26/2026

On this day in history in 1963, leaders from across the continent founded the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The organization aimed to strengthen cooperation among newly independent African nations during a period of decolonization and political change.

On this day in history in 1896, the Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding racial segregation under the doc...
05/18/2026

On this day in history in 1896, the Supreme Court decided Plessy v. Ferguson, upholding racial segregation under the doctrine of “separate but equal.” The ruling legalized segregation in the United States for decades before eventually being overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954.

On this day in history in 330 CE, Constantinople was formally dedicated as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Empero...
05/11/2026

On this day in history in 330 CE, Constantinople was formally dedicated as the new capital of the Roman Empire by Emperor Constantine I. The city would remain a major political, cultural, and economic center for more than a thousand years.

On this day in history in 1994, South Africa held its first fully democratic elections, officially ending apartheid and ...
04/27/2026

On this day in history in 1994, South Africa held its first fully democratic elections, officially ending apartheid and bringing Nelson Mandela to power. For the first time, millions of Black South Africans were allowed to vote after decades of racial segregation. Today, the election stands as a landmark moment in democratic transition, while ongoing inequality highlights the long-term challenges of dismantling systemic injustice.

On this day in history in 1914, striking coal miners and their families were attacked by the Colorado National Guard at ...
04/20/2026

On this day in history in 1914, striking coal miners and their families were attacked by the Colorado National Guard at a labor camp near Ludlow. The miners had been striking against powerful coal companies over low wages, unsafe conditions, and lack of union recognition. After months of tension, the National Guard and company guards opened fire and burned the camp, killing over a dozen people, including women and children. The event became a turning point in the U.S. labor movement, shaping future debates over workers’ rights and corporate power.

On this day in history in 1970, an oxygen tank exploded aboard Apollo 13, NASA’s third mission intended to land humans o...
04/13/2026

On this day in history in 1970, an oxygen tank exploded aboard Apollo 13, NASA’s third mission intended to land humans on the Moon, turning it into a life-threatening rescue operation. The crew survived through emergency problem-solving, making it one of NASA’s most famous “successful failures.” Today, it highlights the importance of public investment in science, crisis management, and international cooperation in space exploration. As missions like Artemis II move forward, their success reflects decades of scientific advancement and rigorous testing to ensure that accidents like Apollo 13 don’t happen again.

On this day in history in 1994, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda began, leading to the deaths of an estimated 80...
04/06/2026

On this day in history in 1994, the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda began, leading to the deaths of an estimated 800,000 people in just 100 days. Rooted in ethnic tensions between Hutu and Tutsi communities, the violence was triggered by the assassination of Rwanda’s president. The international community’s failure to intervene continues to shape debates around humanitarian responsibility and global action today.

On this day in history in 1976, Palestinians organized mass protests against land confiscation by the Israeli government...
03/30/2026

On this day in history in 1976, Palestinians organized mass protests against land confiscation by the Israeli government — an event now commemorated annually as Land Day. The demonstrations, which were met with violent repression, became a lasting symbol of resistance and the fight for land rights. Today, Land Day takes on renewed significance as debates over territory, displacement, and sovereignty continue amid the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, and questions of land ownership and right to governance remain at the center of global attention.

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