Last July, Sen. Chuck Schumer wrote an editorial for The New York Times advocating for sweeping reform of the primary system. "For those of us who are in despair over partisanship and polarization in Congress, reform of the primary system is a start."

Two weeks ago, I went to the burial of my first cousin Sandy’s 29-year-old son. He was murdered by another young Black male in Florida. I had never met her son, Gibran, but knew of him, and I knew what it meant to grow up Black and poor in Florida.

Grief can be a terrible blinder. Tears fill our eyes and make it hard to see, even though we feel more clear-eyed in the face of tragedy. I fear that the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo..

As we get ready for primary elections, instead of just accepting the long-held tradition of partisan primaries, let's ask ourselves if nonpartisan primaries might be a better way to conduct primary elections. George Washington warned us about the "mischiefs of the spirit of party," yet we ...