In this deeply personal commentary, Jarvis Houston reflects on becoming a father under crisis when his son was born prematurely due to preeclampsia while the family was in Colombia. Through the experience of navigating a foreign health system, witnessing the fragility of life in the NICU, and advocating for his partner’s survival, Houston examines the realities of Black fatherhood, the dangers of maternal health inequities facing Black women, and the collective nature of survival, care and love.
Category: Opinion
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Maternal care deserts are no accident—they are disinvestment zones harming Black mothers
Despite recent declines in overall U.S. maternal mortality, Black women continue to face rising and disproportionately high death rates due to systemic racism, chronic disease and inequitable access to care. The author argues that so-called “maternal care deserts” are intentionally under-resourced areas and should be reframed as “maternal care disinvestment zones” to highlight structural neglect and drive accountability.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: 47th president’s foreign policy is White supremacy
In this opinion column, Dayvon Love argues that the 47th president’s foreign policy reflects and reinforces White supremacy through U.S. military aggression and imperialism, particularly toward Black- and Global South–led nations such as Venezuela, Nigeria and South Africa. Love calls on Black communities to more actively engage in foreign policy discourse and to demand reduced military spending and greater investment in community-based violence prevention at home.
Posted inOpinion
COP30 and G20: Good tidings of a way forward
Angelique Walker-Smith reflects on the historic hosting of the G20 in Africa and COP30 in Brazil as moments of inclusive global engagement that elevate the voices of Indigenous, African and Afro-descendant communities most impacted by climate change and economic inequity. While acknowledging unfinished negotiations, she offers cautious hope that new frameworks like the Gender Action Plan and the Mutirão Decision signal a more just economic and environmental path forward—if backed by sustained investment and commitment.
Posted inOpinion
Group unity is worth a try—nothing else has worked
Alice T. Crowe, a lawyer, educator and entrepreneur that has practiced law for over 25 years in New York, argues that collective economic action—exemplified by the African Diaspora Federal Credit Union—offers a viable, overdue solution to systemic financial exclusion and predatory lending in Black communities.
Posted inOPINION
Protect our gains: Why the Black community must fight to save ACA subsidies
By Rev. Stacy Swimp The enhanced health insurance subsidies, set to expire at the end of 2025, represent a direct threat to the financial and health stability of Black Americans. While the crisis affects all races, the consequences for the Black community will be disproportionate and severe, effectively rolling back historic progress in health equity. […]
Posted inOpinion
Opening doors: Closing the homeownership gap for Black Marylanders
FHLBank Atlanta offers grants for down payment help to Black first-time homebuyers in Baltimore, fighting against historical discriminatory practices.
Posted inOpinion
Honoring Charles F. Robinson III: A mentor who believed in unapologetic Black leadership
Charles F. Robinson III, a legendary reporter and radio producer, was a mentor and supporter of the political organization Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, and his coverage of their work gave them political legitimacy.
Posted inOpinion
A Christian call for justice: We must end the ‘War on Drugs’
The War on Drugs is a grave moral warning, as it threatens to reject mercy and execute judgment without due process, and has historically been unfair to Black communities, violating the Christian worldview of the sanctity of life and the perfect justice of God.
Posted inOpinion
MacKenzie Scott’s gift is a chance to rewrite the future of Black higher education
MacKenzie Scott’s donation of $740 million to 16 HBCUs provides them with unrestricted capital and trust to address affordability, build durable institutional power, and expand research capacity, potentially creating a generational impact.
Posted inOpinion
Strengthening BCYF to better serve Baltimore’s youth
The Baltimore Children and Youth Fund (BCYF) is a non-profit organization that provides funding and technical support to youth-serving community-based organizations across Baltimore, and the City Council is looking to update the authorizing legislation to better align with the organization’s current operations.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: I came of age at college…I fear for my grandchildren there
By Dr. France “Toni” Murphy DraperWord in Black I remember college as a place of possibility. We protested — yes — but we did so with sit-ins, with leaflets, with raised voices and locked arms. We marched and we sang “We Shall Overcome Someday.” We believed, perhaps naively, that collective courage and moral clarity could […]