New at Zócalo

  • Essay

    For Political Journalists, Neutrality Isn’t the Goal

    It’s Objectivity, and Being on the Side of the Truth in an Intellectually Dishonest Era

    by Marisa Lagos |

    Can we, and should we, ever really be neutral? In a new series, Zócalo explores the idea of neutrality—in politics, sports, gender, journalism, international …

  • Sketchbook

    Mashanda Lazarus is a Los Angeles-based artist. For their Sketchbook series, Lazarus turned their eye to organic material. “I chose flowers and mosses of significance to base these textile sculptures …

  • Democracy Local

    In Midnight Interview, Dracula Sees Bright Future for Democracy

    ‘Democracy and Vampires Have a Lot in Common,’ Says 600-Year-Old Romanian Count

    by Joe Mathews |

    I emailed Dracula’s people because I was heading to Romania, for a global democracy forum that I help lead.

    While I’m in Bucharest, I asked, could I take the train up …

  • Essay

    What If Cold War Consumerism Never Ended?

    In Fallout, the Bomb Scared Americans Underground. In Reality, Nukes Sold Everything But Shelters

    by Thomas Bishop |

    Amazon’s new series Fallout starts with the end of the world: News reports of an international crisis interrupt a children’s birthday party, mushroom clouds appear outside, and chaos …

  • The Takeaway

    For Crenshaw, By Crenshaw

    At “How Do You Grow a Rose From Concrete?,” Destination Crenshaw Leaders Shared Their Vision for Community Permanence in South L.A.

    by Talib Jabbar |

    “We are the hub of a community,” asserted Crenshaw High School principal Donald Moorer, who opened Thursday’s Zócalo event. It was the first in a series partnering with …

  • Poetry

    Fire Ants

    Fatma Omar Wins a 2024 Zócalo Poetry Prize Honorable Mention Award

    by Fatma Omar

    Every year, we award the annual Zócalo Poetry Prize to the poem that best evokes a connection to place. Zócalo is pleased to recognize four …

  • Essay

    What Can Sankofa Teach Us?

    The Popular African Symbol—Which Means ‘Return to Your Past’—Continues to Guide and Inspire the Black Diaspora

    by Christel N. Temple |

    This essay publishes alongside tonight’s Zócalo and Destination Crenshaw event, “How Do You Grow a Rose From Concrete?” Click here to watch the full conversation.

  • Essay

    Why Sweden Stopped Pretending to Be Switzerland

    My Two Home Countries Were Famously Neutral. But They Were Never the Same

    by Bruno Kaufmann |

    Can we, and should we, ever really be neutral? In a new series, Zócalo explores the idea of neutrality—in politics, sports, gender, journalism, and …

  • Essay

    Will California’s Quest for Clean Energy Get in the Way of Land Back?

    PG&E and a Chumash Tribe Had a Deal for Diablo Canyon. Until the State Stepped In

    by Lydia Heberling |

    In 2019, the California public utility Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) announced that once its Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant closed, they would sell the land it sits on—12,000 acres …