By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. If it were not for the Black Church in America, our long struggle for freedom, justice, equality, equity, and empowerment would not have made the progress that has been accomplished over the past 500 to 400 years. I speak in the tradition of my Presbyterian great-great grandfather, The Reverend […]
Author Archives: Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
NNPA Columnist
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Race and Data Discrimination in America
National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) President and CEO, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. (Image courtesy NNPA) “What verifiable safeguards are in place at Equifax Inc. that prevent racial and data discrimination with respect to African Americans and other people of color?” Race and Data Discrimination in America By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr Today there […]
Posted inCommentary, OPINION
Faith in the Midst of COVID-19
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. The deadly destruction wrought by the coronavirus pandemic has laid bare the harsh inequities in American society, ravaging Black America and other communities of color, as well as individuals who were on the social margins long before the crisis. The inequities have surfaced in obvious ways, including early data […]
Posted inCommentary, OPINION
Op-ed by NNPA’s Ben Chavis: Big Insurance Must Help End Surprise Medical Billing
Stop Unjust Financial Burdens on African-Americans and Others By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., NNPA President/CEO NNPA NEWSWIRE – It is a serious financial problem that far too many African-Americans – from impoverished individuals to working-class families – face these days in the bewilderingly complicated health-care market: Getting hit with an unexpected bill after a […]
Posted inCommentary, OPINION
Criminal Justice Reform Long Overdue for Black America
Submitted to the AFRO by Dr. Benjamin Chavis As a member of the infamous Wilmington Ten case in North Carolina from 1972 to 2012, I witnessed firsthand why the criminal justice system in the United States needed to be thoroughly reformed. We had been unjustly sentenced in 1972 to a combined total of 282 years in prison for standing up […]
Posted inCommentary, OPINION
Jim Clyburn for Speaker of the House
Submitted to the AFRO by Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. No one questions the fact that for the past six decades, African Americans have overwhelmingly supported and voted for Democratic Party candidates for the United States Congress. In the upcoming 2018 midterm elections, African Americans by the millions will once again cast the clear majority of […]
Posted inCommentary, OPINION
Another Assault on the Black Press
By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. Amid the rush to comprehend the ramifications of a full-scale international trade war initiated by the errant and backward tariff policies of the Trump Administration, there are results of the tariffs that need to be challenged by Black America. The financial sustainability of the Black Press of America is now […]
Posted inCommentary
The Black Press – The Voice of Black America (Part I)
Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. During this year’s annual convention of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) Annual Convention in Portland, Ore., I was reminded that Black Americans have a long, storied tradition of newspaper publishing. Since the first publication of Freedom’s Journal in 1827, Black American publishers have worked heroically to earn the title “Voice of […]
Posted inCommentary
New Generation of Wealthy Hip Hop Artist
Whenever someone is the first to reach a historic milestone in the world of finance and wealth, notable homage is usually paid to that achievement. Such is the case with Dr. Dre, hip-hop icon and entertainment industry mogul. Dr. Dre has emerged as the first hip-hop billionaire. Apple recently announced it is in the process […]
Posted inCommentary
Carrying the Torch for Freedom, Justice and Equality
The best way to recognize and celebrate African-American History Month is make more history. We need to look at our new generation of young, committed, and talented freedom fighters and usher them to their rightful place in African-American history. There are valid and urgent reasons why we need the Civil Rights Movement revitalized by a […]