By Rev. Dr. Heber BrownWord in Black When one of my best friends (who is also a pastor) encouraged me to look into utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) tools for ministry purposes, I was exhilarated. It seemed like a game-changer at my fingertips. I used it to make presentations and outline Bible studies, saving time on […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inCommentary
Abusive cops won’t be punished– but #BLM isn’t over yet
By Joseph WilliamsWord in Black In 2020, when Louisville police gunned down Breonna Taylor during a botched raid, the incident helped galvanize the ascendant Black Lives Matter movement. Along with the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Taylor’s killing spurred outrage and pushed nationwide police reform tantalizingly close to reality. How times have changed. […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Baltimore County’s redistricting must reflect all of us
By Senator Charles E. Sydnor III (D-Baltimore County- District 44), Sharonda Dillard-Huffman and Peta N. Richkus On Aug. 17, the Greater Baltimore Urban League hosted an urgent discussion on Baltimore County’s redistricting. The message was clear: fair process, fair maps and fair representation. Bill 55-25—the County Council’s proposed plan—delivers none of these. Instead, Bill 55-25 […]
Posted inOpinion
The Democratic Party is not enough against White nationalism
Trump’s law enforcement policy in D.C. exposes underlying White nationalism, echoing Nixon’s war on drugs. Democrats’ resistance lacks focus on Black masses.
Posted inCommentary
Defending the African American Museum of History and Culture is defending America’s truth
By Dr. Frances Murphy DraperAFRO Publisher and CEO America cannot afford to whitewash its past. Yet that is exactly what is at stake in the current review of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To question whether slavery and racism belong in the story of this nation is not only dangerous—it is […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Weaponizing democracy and human rights in the age of doublespeak
Jared O. Bell is a former U.S. diplomat and scholar of human rights and transitional justice, dedicated to advancing global equity and systemic reform. In this article he warns of the growing use of doublespeak to twist the language of democracy and human rights into tools of repression, drawing on examples from the U.S. and abroad to show how rhetoric is being weaponized to erode freedoms.
Posted inINTERNATIONAL
Women and girls face growing peril in Africa’s Sahel
Wayne Campbell, an educator and social commentator, warns that women and girls in Africa’s Sahel face escalating violence, poverty, and oppression fueled by conflict, climate change and political instability, with abductions, child marriage and exclusion from education becoming widespread. He urges the international community to increase aid, hold governments accountable, and challenge harmful cultural practices to protect their rights and futures.
Posted inOpinion
Stolen democracy: Nicaragua’s cautionary tale, America’s warning
Jared O. Bell is a former U.S. diplomat and scholar of human rights and transitional justice, dedicated to advancing global equity and systemic reform. In this article he warns that the U.S. is showing troubling parallels to Nicaragua’s slide into autocracy under Daniel Ortega, urging Americans to actively defend democratic institutions before it’s too late.
Posted inOPINION
The republic is no more: Federal crackdown, civil rights collapse and the urgent need for community defense
The author argues that the 47th president’s federal takeover of D.C.’s police and deployment of National Guard troops—despite declining crime rates—marks a dangerous consolidation of executive power. Coupled with rollbacks of civil rights protections, judicial retreat from constitutional freedoms, and the end of federal police oversight, it signals an accelerating slide into authoritarianism that demands urgent community defense.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Breaking down barriers to give justice-involved Marylanders a fair shot
Cory V. McCray represents Maryland’s 45th Legislative District in the State Senate and is the author of The Apprenticeship That Saved My Life. He focuses on equitable policymaking, public safety and expanding economic opportunity.
Posted inCommentary
The 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act and you
By Dr. John E. Warren As some of us celebrate the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, there are those among us determined to destroy what’s left of its significance. The Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice has been gutted by Donald Trump with senior staff either being fired or quitting. […]
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Baltimore’s roads were built on Black suffering; now it’s time to build something different
Steven K. Ragsdale argues that Baltimore must reckon with its legacy of slavery and disinvestment—particularly in West Baltimore—by fully committing to projects like the Red Line, which can serve as a form of reparative justice for communities historically harmed by systemic neglect.
