Questions of Justice Are Questions of the Humanities

BRENNA DAUGHERTY GERHARDT - EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

If everything had gone as planned, this would have been our In Good Humor issue — a collection of witty, satirical, or silly articles to offer a light-hearted distraction to our readers during the uncertainty of Covid-19. As the magazine was about to go to press, however, antiracism protests erupted all over the nation. In response, the HND staff realized that now is not the time to retreat into humor. Now is the time to use the tools of the humanities to help us understand and further racial justice in America. To do anything else would appear tone-deaf.

This issue of On Second Thought magazine isn’t a comprehensive guide to antiracism. Instead, the articles and poems in these pages are snapshots of the subject from people who currently live or have worked in North Dakota. We hope it helps bring the discussion a little closer to home.