Maurice Carroll, founder of Alkemmust Sound Healing, is a music producer, teacher and author. This week, he shares his thoughts on using and understanding the word “no,” to protect boundaries and fully enjoy life.
Category: Opinion
Posted inOpinion
We can save Black mothers — if we better prepare Black fathers
Joshua Liston Zawadi, a Dad Doula and a public voices fellow of the OpEd Project in partnership with the National Black Child Development Institute, argues that improving Black maternal health requires intentionally preparing and empowering Black fathers to be active advocates before, during and after birth. Drawing from his experiences as a father and “dad doula,” he highlights how sidelining fathers in maternity care weakens family outcomes and supports policies like the Dads Matter Act of 2025 that center fathers as vital members of the care team.
Posted inOpinion
This is the America Black people have always known
The fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by federal agents in Minneapolis underscores what Black Americans have long known: state violence rooted in White supremacy is not an aberration but a defining feature of American power. As outrage grows, the piece argues that moral clarity, collective care, and refusal to accept cruelty as inevitable are essential responses to a system that only feels shocking when it harms those previously shielded by privilege.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: What the NICU in Colombia taught me about Black fatherhood, preeclampsia and survival
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.
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.