The dark side of road tripping

Edition: US - Today's top story: 'Traveling while black' guidebooks may be out of print, but still resonate today [Click here to view this message in your web-browser](. Edition: US 21 July 2018 [The Conversation]( Academic rigor, journalistic flair Editor's note In American culture, the road trip has long been a rite of passage. But as American Studies scholar Cotten Seiler explains, for much of the 20th century, America’s highways were anything but an open road for black motorists. For this reason, [two enterprising African Americans published guidebooks]( listing towns and businesses that would welcome black drivers. These books are now out of print, but Seiler wonders how safe the road remains for black drivers today. Little noticed amid this week’s tumultuous political news, the Trump administration announced plans to roll back protections in the Endangered Species Act. Members of Congress, at the behest of business and property rights advocates, have tried unsuccessfully for decades to limit the act’s power. But, as [three natural resource scholars write](, those efforts fly in the face of almost overwhelming public support for the act. And, for those pondering over what happens to us after we die, and whether virtuous actions do indeed result in divine rewards, Holy Cross’ Joanne Pierce explains the [Christian idea of heaven]( and how the promise of eternal life evolved. Nick Lehr Arts + Culture Editor Top stories The 1947 and 1956 editions of the ‘Green Book,’ which was published to advise black motorists where they should – and shouldn’t – frequent during their travels. Image on the left: Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library. Image on right: Courtesy of the South Caroliniana Library, University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. ['Traveling while black' guidebooks may be out of print, but still resonate today]( Cotten Seiler, Dickinson College From the 1930s to the 1960s, 'The Negro Motorist's Green Book' and 'Travelguide: Vacation and Recreation Without Humiliation' offered African-American roadtrippers lists of black-friendly businesses. The endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep. USFWS [Support for the Endangered Species Act remains high as Trump administration and Congress try to gut it]( Jeremy T. Bruskotter, The Ohio State University; John A Vucetich, Michigan Technological University; Ramiro Berardo, The Ohio State University As attempts to water down the Endangered Species Act have accelerated, public support for the act has stayed high. Then why do politicians keep trying to weaken the act? Illustration of Dante’s Paradiso. Giovanni di Paolo [What is heaven?]( Joanne M. 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But new research shows that ozone pollution levels in the parks are roughly as bad as in major cities. Education [When race triggers a call to campus police]( Brian N. Williams, University of Virginia; Andrea M. Headley, University of California, Berkeley; Megan LePere-Schloop, The Ohio State University A longstanding view of minorities as outsiders contributes to negative encounters with campus police. A researcher argues how greater empathy can lessen the urge to call the police in the first place. [How the PROSPER Act could negatively impact LGBTQ students]( Timothy R. Bussey, Kenyon College Congress is currently considering the PROSPER Act, which could dramatically impact LGBTQ students' access to higher education. 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[New treatment in the works for disfiguring skin disease, vitiligo]( John Harris, University of Massachusetts Medical School An autoimmune disease called vitiligo causes white spots to appear on the body, in some cases completely erasing an individual's pigmentation. But a new therapy is on the horizon. Politics + Society [Has Trump violated his oath of office? A primer on presidential duty and accountability]( Stefanie Lindquist, Arizona State University Donald Trump has lately been called "treasonous" by some; others say he's violated his oath of office. What are the president's Constitutional obligations -- and who holds the president accountable? [What criminal conspiracy charges against an alleged Russian spy might mean for the NRA: 3 questions answered]( Brian Galle, Georgetown University The NRA may fund political candidates but only with cash from U.S. donors. The group could face serious consequences if, as news reports allege, it broke laws and rules. 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