Jamelle Bouie

What I Cover

I write about politics and the law through the lens of American political history. I believe that history can help us ask good questions about our present circumstances, and I am deeply interested in our nation’s moments of structural political reform, from its founding to Reconstruction and into the New Deal. I am also a close reader of American political theory and bring to my writing the influence of a broad range of thinkers, observers and practitioners. More than anything, I hope readers come away from my work having learned something new and useful about the nation’s history.

My Background

My first job in journalism was at The American Prospect magazine, which I joined in 2010, not long after graduating from the University of Virginia. I covered politics at The Prospect for several years before joining The Daily Beast and then moving on to Slate magazine, where I spent five years as a politics writer and, later, chief political correspondent. I joined The Times in 2019. I live in Charlottesville, Va., with my wife, kids and a dog.

Journalistic Ethics

I come from a left-leaning, social democratic perspective, but I strive for honesty, fairness and good faith in my writing. I am scrupulous about the facts and try as much as I can to avoid idle speculation. I believe in both personal and professional transparency and do as much as I can to show my sources so that readers can decide if I have it right.

As a columnist, I abide by the same rigorous ethical standards as all Times journalists to ensure our independence and credibility. You can read more about The Times’s ethics guidelines.

Contact Me

Email: jamelle.bouie@nytimes.com
Bluesky: @jamellebouie.net
Instagram: @jbouie
Threads: @jbouie
TikTok: @jamellebouie