Chrissy M. Thornton serves as president and CEO of Associated Black Charities. This week, she speaks on how her journey in public service started at The Arc Baltimore, which still today supports the community.
Category: Opinion
Posted inOPINION
The truth about violence in our community
By Dayvon Love There are two major dynamics that are central to the intra communal violence that exist amongst Black people in the United States. The first is the dehumanizing propaganda of this society that deems Black people as inherently violent and inferior. Our youth are socialized in a pop culture environment that encourages them […]
Posted inOPINION
The Unfinished Work: Black Intellectuals and the MAGA Backlash
Black intellectuals must return to Harold Cruse’s blueprint for self-determination and build autonomous institutions to respond to the MAGA backlash and ensure Black voices are not silenced.
Posted inCommentary
Breaking cycles of poverty: The legacy of PATHS at UDC
For more than 20 years, the UDC PATHS Program helped African-American families in Washington, D.C., particularly single mothers, pursue education and long-term stability while breaking cycles of poverty. With its closure on Oct. 1, 2025, PATHS leaves a legacy of empowerment, equity and community transformation.
Posted inOpinion
Investing in our young people: A chronicling of youth-focused initiatives in Howard County By Calvin BallÂ
This week, Howard County Executive Calvin Ball speaks on how investing in youth builds a stronger foundation for the future.
Posted inCommentary
Maryland must reckon with its juvenile justice past to protect today’s youth
By Marc Schindler I started my legal career in the mid-1990s as a Baltimore public defender representing children in juvenile court. In the late 1990s I joined a civil rights law firm addressing juvenile justice policies statewide and across the nation. These experiences taught me two things: The Maryland detention facility where many of my […]
Posted inOPINION
Foreign drug pricing models leave patients – and economic growth – behind
Kirsten Axelsen argues that adopting foreign-style drug pricing models in the United States would harm patients and stifle innovation. While other nations keep prices low by denying access through health technology assessments and rigid cost-effectiveness thresholds, the U.S. system fosters competition, broad access, and generics that lower costs. She contends the U.S. should push for fairer global cost-sharing rather than importing restrictive foreign policies.
Posted inOpinion
Back to School, Back to Work—But Not Back to Normal
Black America faces ongoing challenges as voter suppression and military presence threaten democratic rights. It’s time to resist the illusion of normalcy.
Posted inOpinion
Marking 20 years since Hurricane Katrina: Bearing witness to tragedy and triumph
Reflections on reporting the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, focusing on the devastation, resilience of survivors, and the power of their stories.
Posted inOpinion
Firing the best and the brightestÂ
The dismissals of trailblazing Black women leaders like Lisa Cook (left) and Carla Hayden (right), along with attacks on Black-led cities and officials, is revealing a deliberate effort to undermine excellence, representation and equity, sending a dangerous message that no achievement by Black Americans is safe.
Posted inOpinion
It’s time to make affordability a priority
Congressman Kweisi Mfume discusses the need for a living wage, affordable housing, healthcare, and education in order to build a prosperous America.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: I beat the odds and made it to law school – others won’t get the chance
Olabisi Omoniyi-Alake, a Henry A. Wallace Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and incoming Georgetown Law student, reflects on the financial and systemic challenges marginalized students face in pursuing legal education. She warns that the 47th president’s plan to eliminate Grad PLUS loans will shut the door for many low-income students and further reduce diversity in law schools.
