Category: Commentary

By Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. Amid the rush to comprehend the ramifications of a full-scale international trade war initiated by the errant and backward tariff policies of the Trump Administration, there are results of the tariffs that need to be challenged by Black America. The financial sustainability of the Black Press of America is now […]

By Brent Leggs, Special to the AFRO “As a youngster visiting my grandmother, spending time within the house and sitting with her on the porch, I witnessed Black life unfolding as a litany of rituals and social practices.” So wrote Rutgers University historian and longtime preservationist Clement Price in the spring of 2014, only a […]

By Brian Karem, Special to the AFRO During the American Revolution community newspapers, in the embryonic country, bound citizens together with provocative editorials and news of the day as citizens rose up to break free of the tyranny of a King. Many newspapers published the Declaration of Independence and helped to popularize the founding principles […]

By Congressman Elijah Cummings, Special to the AFRO Sharply contrasting visions of America clashed in Washington last month exemplifying an ongoing struggle for the hearts, minds and future of the American People. Official Inhumanity In the days and years to come, we will remember June 2018 as the month when we reacted with horror as President […]

By Ron Harris, Special to the AFRO Dear U.S. Media, Democrats, Republicans, Independents and to the concerned Americans who poured out into the streets to protest Donald Trump’s cruel and faulty immigration policies, What about us? We understand and applaud your response to this administration’s malevolent separation of immigrant families from their children, policies and practices […]

By William Barber II and Liz Theoharis The Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis spoke on a panel June 26 on poverty in the U.S. with UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty Philip Alston. Following the panel, Theoharis and the Rev. William Barber II delivered the following letter to the UN Human Rights Council requesting a hearing […]

By Robbi Jones and Eric Chatman Forty-six million Americans live in poverty. From distressed inner-cities, to poor rural towns, millions of people live in areas with substandard housing, crumbling infrastructure and where economic opportunity is scarce.  While these citizens are from different racial backgrounds, geographies, and political parties, they share a common experience and need for jobs and […]

By Ty’rique Sims, Special to the AFRO Recently, Howard Schultz announced he will be stepping down as the Executive Chairman of Starbucks. Schultz’s name has been linked to becoming a non-political candidate for the upcoming 2020 presidential election. For a man who has downplayed his interest in running for president, he has recently padded his […]

By Elijah Cummings Individuals who overcome barriers to “getting ahead” and business leaders who recognize their ability to contribute deserve our admiration.  Yet, even as we acknowledge these Americans for “doing good while also doing well,” our nation’s public policies must also address a more fundamental economic reality. Only significant legislative reforms that strengthen the […]

By Matthew Larson June 19 marks Juneteenth, a celebration of the de facto end of slavery in the United States. For hundreds of thousands of African-Americans stuck in pretrial detention – accused but not convicted of a crime, and unable to leave because of bail – that promise remains unfulfilled. And coming immediately after Father’s […]