By Kisha Brown, Esq. There’s a reason prisons are built long before they’re filled. The decision to reopen Alcatraz, floated recently by President Donald Trump and amplified on social media, isn’t just another campaign soundbite—it’s a dog whistle. It’s a chilling signal to Black communities across America that the same old playbook of fear, incarceration […]
Category: Opinion
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: The Constitution was court-martialed: How the firing of America’s military lawyers signals the collapse of justice
The mass firing of top military legal officers and the rollback of civil rights protections mark a coordinated assault on constitutional checks to advance authoritarian control, with the greatest impact falling on marginalized communities.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Is America still a ‘Shining City’ on a hill?
By R.L. Byrd On the night of Jan. 11, 1989, near the end of a 21-minute farewell address, President Ronald Reagan asked the television audience, “How stands ‘The City’ on this winter night?” The City—a reimagined America based off highly controversial pioneer John Winthrop’s 1600’s America—refers to the country being a beacon of light. “A […]
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: What is the state of our union after 47th president’s first 100 days?
James Jerome Hankins is an author, journalist, realtor, coach, veteran, former teacher, NAACP local president, caregiver and North Carolina A&T State University 1971 graduate. In this article he discusses the ways in which the 47th president is not making the grade.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Canary Mission and the new McCarthyism: How a digital blacklist is attempting to silence a generation
Canary Mission, a secretive online blacklist, targets predominantly marginalized students who advocate for Palestinian rights or otherwise criticize Israeli and U.S. government policies, leading to real-world consequences like job loss, immigration issues and online harassment. Critics argue it mirrors historical repression tactics, threatening free speech and democratic dissent on U.S. campuses under the guise of combating hate.
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Baltimore heroes of Belair-Edison and Johnston Square
By Cory V. McCray What began as a modest project to celebrate Baltimore and uplift our young scholars blossomed into something far more powerful earlier this month. Who would have imagined portraits of Regina Hammond and her husband, Keith hanging just steps away from internationally acclaimed artwork in the Baltimore Museum of Art? Mrs. Hammond […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Cuts to Minority Business Development Agency leaves 3 staff
A recent executive order aimed at reducing government functions has significantly cut staffing and funding for key federal programs like the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) and the Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, despite their proven success in fostering minority-owned businesses and revitalizing underserved communities. Critics, including bipartisan senators and Rep. Maxine Waters, argue these cuts undermine economic equity and squander public-private models that yield substantial returns and job creation.
Posted inOPINION
Every day must be Earth Day
Dear editor at the Baltimore AFRO American, Our Creator calls us to love others and care for them by caring for the Creation on which we all depend to live, move and have our being. We all have failed to do this in the past and the Creation now cries out in wildfires, tornadoes, hurricanes, […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-Ed: 10 opportunities for the next BDC leader
By Mark Anthony Thomas At a time where Maryland and all of the Baltimore Region’s jurisdictions are committing to greater investments in economic development, recently announced transitions offer a chance to celebrate impactful public leaders and use this moment of change to build stronger organizations that drive our future. Former Thurgood Marshall International Airport CEO […]
Posted inCommentary
Why does America keep punishing Haitians for wanting freedom?
Nana Gyamfi is a prominent civil and human rights attorney and the executive director of the Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI). This week, she discusses policy regarding Haitian asylum seekers.
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: ‘Leave Now.’ Deportation emails, the delayed military report, and the dangerous rise of executive power
In April 2025, the Department of Homeland Security sent mass emails to thousands of immigrants, warning them to leave the U.S. within seven days or face removal—part of a broader, escalating strategy under the Trump administration to instill fear, provoke self-deportation, and test constitutional limits. While the Supreme Court has temporarily paused the removals, the administration continues advancing a militarized, legally dubious agenda targeting vulnerable communities and reshaping immigration enforcement through executive force.
Posted inOPINION
Civics in context: What JFK’s legacy teaches us about voting and values
James Jerome Hankins is a journalist, realtor, Veteran, past local NAACP president, retired 34-year shop teacher and 1971 graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. This week, he discusses lessons that can be learned from the past.
