Ken Makin

Augusta, Nowhere

Writer at Freelance

Husband. Dad. MAD host. Cultural commentator at @csmonitor. Freelancer, so hella bylines. FAMU forever.

Articles

Set in bronze: Dawn Staley statue honors her basketball legacy, and her mission

1 week ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

The ascension of University of South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley beyond the realm of basketball might have begun three decades ago, when she won the gold medal as a player in Atlanta with the trailblazing U.S. Women’s Olympic Team in 1996. She would go on to win two more. Between then and now was a moment that nearly slices the 30-year period in half – her decision to coach the Gamecocks on May 7, 2008. She’s led them to three national championships, in 2017, 2022, and 2024.
When government promises are broken, how is trust restored?

2 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

One of the more grassroots responses to the current presidential administration has been the town hall meeting – a form of protest for some, and for others, the opportunity to hear from elected officials in the midst of sweeping change. I attended a town hall last month and have not since been able to shake the testimony of one gentleman.
When government promises are broken, how is trust restored?

2 weeks ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

One of the more grassroots responses to the current presidential administration has been the town hall meeting – a form of protest for some, and for others, the opportunity to hear from elected officials in the midst of sweeping change. I attended a town hall last month and have not since been able to shake the testimony of one gentleman.
Valerie June’s new music embraces joy and the healing power of soulful music

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

| Valerie June’s unique and soulful voice should come with a disclaimer: Comparison is the thief of joy. It is certainly understandable why folks attempt to characterize Ms. June’s sound, closing their eyes and murmuring the names of eclectic Black female artists like Macy Gray and Erykah Badu. Carrying a tune is one thing, but how an artist carries it is something else entirely. There’s a way that Ms. June’s music resonates, like a hummingbird’s wings. It’s why christenings from and...
How Jackie Robinson’s legacy survived attempts to erase it

1 month ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

When the U.S. Department of Defense removed Jackie Robinson’s history of military service from its website last week, there was one of Robinson’s professions I thought about even more than his careers as a baseball player and as a soldier. I thought about Jackie Robinson the columnist. Back in 1964, well after he played his last game and had been inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Robinson trained his eyes on a presidential primary in Wisconsin.
Dawn Staley, South Carolina don’t need a chip on their shoulders entering NCAA tournament

1 month ago | andscape.com | Ken Makin

It is ironic to hear the chorus of complaints about the success of South Carolina’s women’s basketball program over the past few years, whether it’s commentary about McDonald’s All Americans, physicality, or the site of the conference championship. For the criticisms about the Gamecocks’ style of play, it’s head coach Dawn Staley and her team who’ve had to endure the bulk of the cheap shots. Some say success is the best revenge, and South Carolina is quite the case study.
DC’s Black Lives Matter mural will be erased, but the idea can’t be

2 months ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

If a Washington, D.C., mural was any indication, Black lives mattered for less than five years. The same mayoral administration that commissioned a Black Lives Matter mural and plaza in June 2020, positioned just steps from the White House, called for their removal under pressure from the current presidential administration.
‘Eyes on the Prize III’: What does it mean to defend MLK’s dream at this moment?

2 months ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

Phillip Agnew is familiar with standing alongside civil rights icons. He co-founded the Dream Defenders in the aftermath of Trayvon Martin’s death in 2012 and conducted a monthlong sit-in after shooter George Zimmerman’s acquittal in 2013. He was visited and supported by the likes of singer, actor, and activist Harry Belafonte and lawmaker and activist Julian Bond.
65 years ago, sit-ins were born. Has their time come again?

2 months ago | csmonitor.com | Ken Makin

This February marks the 65th anniversary of the sit-in movement, which started in Greensboro, North Carolina. Four students from a historically Black university, North Carolina A&T, sat at a Woolworth’s counter and did not move until the store closed.
Power Through Religion in America Has Two Distinct Paths

2 months ago | mississippifreepress.org | Ken Makin

I have reflected on the role of religion in politics since Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries published a statement on X last month to offer a vacuous interpretation of the current upheaval that the Trump administration raised. “Presidents come and Presidents go. Through it all. God is still on the throne,” Jeffries tweeted on Jan. 26, 2025.