Adam Serwer
Contact this reporter at adam.serwer@buzzfeed.com
How A 125-Year-Old Mass Lynching Tried To Make America Great Again
In the hysteria following the murder of a New Orleans police chief, 11 Italian-Americans were lynched by a vigilante mob angry about the city's influx of immigrants. Here's how the past and future of American nativism may not be that different.
The Django Problem And The Tangled History Of "Roots"
Alex Haley’s blockbuster book and miniseries came under fire for taking liberties with history, a legacy the new remake subtly confronts while taking a few liberties of its own.
The Secret History Of The Photo At The Center Of The Black Confederate Myth
A 160-year-old tintype depicting Andrew Chandler and his slave Silas, both in Confederate uniform, has long been used as evidence that slaves willingly fought against the army that aimed to free them. Following the national backlash against Confederate iconography, Silas's descendants seek to debunk this once and for all.
Paying The Price
Forcing out prosecutors who refuse to treat police shootings as serious crimes is a significant milestone in the movement against unjustified police shootings of black Americans.
Administrator At Iconic Comedy Theater Fired Over Sexual Harassment Allegations
The artistic director at the iconic iO West comedy theater was fired Friday following multiple allegations of sexual harassment.
15 Memorable Crime Stories We Published This Year
An exoneree trying to rebuild his life. A woman arrested for reporting her rape. Illegally imported execution drugs. The charismatic leader of a shady religious group. A cop accused of sexually assaulting a dozen women. A black man beaten in an Oakland Whole Foods. Bongs as the new banks. The mystery of an epidemic of murder in Detroit. Here are 15 of the most moving, unnerving, infuriating, revelatory, and memorable crime stories published by BuzzFeed News in 2015.
The Antidote To Trump
The Republican Party's lack of diversity is the reason the party leadership has struggled to neutralize Donald Trump.
How The First Freddie Gray Case Ended In A Mistrial
The first trial against a police officer associated with the death of Freddie Gray, a young black man from Baltimore who died in police custody last April, came down to the prosecution's word against Officer William Porter's.
Trump Cited A Poll From An Anti-Muslim Outfit In His Call To Ban Muslims
GOP Presidential candidate Donald Trump cited an unreliable poll from a famously anti-Muslim think tank in his call to ban Muslims entry into the United States.
Trump Adviser Doesn't Get How Judaism Works
Trump adviser Daniel Scavino Jr. suggests Obama give an important televised speech during Shabbat instead of Hanukkah.
Bill Cosby's Famous "Pound Cake" Speech, Annotated
A decade ago Cosby gave a speech excoriating poor blacks for not living up to the promise of the civil rights movement. Here's a look back based on what we know now.
Why We’re Finally Taking Down Confederate Flags
Our understanding of the Confederate flag has changed because our understanding of the Civil War and its aftermath has changed. The “Lost Cause” is finally losing.
Why Rachel Dolezal Needed To Construct Her Own Black Narrative
In order to pass as black, Dolezal took advantage of the black community's long tradition of inclusion regardless of skin tone.
Former Bank Exec: Bank Lobby Tried To Block Fair Housing Act Deal
Wayne Trotman, a former JP Morgan Chase executive, filed a lawsuit Monday saying he was fired for not preventing a settlement that stopped a major fair housing case from coming before the Supreme Court.
The Biggest Mystery Of Baltimore's Riots
How did a city where blacks are well-represented among the city government and police erupt in riots not seen since Martin Luther King Jr. was killed?
How Ferguson's Legal System Echoes An Ugly Past
Ferguson's exploitative municipal court system echoes the South's history of trumped-up legal charges designed to force blacks back into servitude.
This Is What It's Like To Go To Court In Ferguson, Missouri
Hint: It can be a convoluted and expensive process in a city where, according to the Department of Justice, officials have consistently set maximizing revenue as the priority for law enforcement.
Here's How Ferguson Police Use Dogs On Town Residents
Ferguson police "have exclusively set their dogs against black individuals, often in cases where doing so was not justified by the danger presented," according to a Department of Justice report investigation released Wednesday.
How Men's Rights Leader Paul Elam Turned Being A Deadbeat Dad Into A Moneymaking Movement
Paul Elam became the face of the modern men’s rights movement by rallying against false rape accusations and divorce courts that favor mothers. But exclusive BuzzFeed News interviews with his estranged daughter and ex-wife show that his pet causes are very, very personal.
16 Memorable Crime Stories We Published This Year
A high school teacher who abused his students. A Georgia prison allegedly covering up the rape of a trans inmate. The chaotic aftermath of the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson. The brief life and baffling death of an unarmed man shot dead by police in a Wal-Mart. A disappearing wage thief. The downfall of Mississippi's most progressive prison reformer. Here are a few of the most memorable crime stories published by BuzzFeed News in 2014.