Category: Commentary

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq. (Courtesy Photo) TriceEdney – Many have given their opinions.  Now it’s my turn to weigh in on the subject of race and the right of self-identification.  My central question is, “With events occurring in the world that require serious attention, why is there so much interest in a white woman, […]

Marian Lee Lewis “White privilege” is a term that makes most white people uncomfortable.  They want to believe that whatever success they have in society has been earned by discipline and hard work.  The idea that they may be favored to succeed is not something that they want to think about.  Understandable. Wikipedia defines white […]

Dr. Ken Morgan Welcome to Coppin State University and Baltimore Dr. Thompson. The community is so proud that the University System of Maryland (USM) Board of Regents (BOR) chose to select you to be the first woman, and the first woman of color to serve as Coppin’s president. Fanny Jackson Coppin is smiling from above […]

Ben Jealous How can we effectively combat police brutality if we cannot know the details of that brutality? Last month, amid the fallout from Freddie Gray’s killing, a news story appeared that may not have garnered much attention, but that had significant implications for how activists can challenge police violence in the city of Baltimore. The […]

Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq., President, National Congress of Black Women TriceEdney–I come from a family that includes a Texas State Trooper, a Louisiana Deputy Sherriff, several Houston police officer and lawyers. I believe in following just laws, but, I will picket, protest, write about and speak out against unjust laws and treatment.  I know racism […]

Josh Parker The summer after my first year of teaching was a relief. And a surprise. Upon receiving the results of my students’ language arts tests at the state, district and local levels, I found that my good intentions as a teacher did not equal student success. I Went Searching for Answers I looked for […]

Raynard Jackson Am I the only one who is thoroughly offended by ESPN giving Bruce Jenner “The Arthur Ashe Courage Award” during next month’s ESPYS award ceremony? + ESPN claims to be the global TV leader in sports coverage and is owned by The Walt Disney Company.  Disney is also the parent company of ABC Television (which […]

Glory Aganze Barongozi For the past two years, I have been counting down the days until I am free. Ever since my brother had a gun pointed at his face while sitting at a bus stop, I have tried to picture a place where I will feel safe. I have dreamed about what that place […]

Rika Tyler and T-Dubb-O It’s been 250 days since our fallen brethren Michael Brown Jr. was fatally shot in Canfield Apartments in Ferguson, Mo. by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson. Wilson got rich, famous, and a vacation after killing Mike Brown, a phenomenon that is occurring all too often across the U. S. In fact, […]

Dr. Natasha Pratt Harris It was Friday May 22, 2015. My niece headed to Mergenthaler Senior High School’s (MERVO) senior prom, her prom. We, our entire family and many friends, saw her off.  We took pictures before she and her date pulled off. Everyone wanted more. I wanted more. When my daughters and my niece’s […]

Marian Lee Lewis The definition of eugenics is, “The science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics. Developed largely by Francis Galton as a method of improving the human race, it fell into disfavor only after the perversion of its doctrines by the Nazis.”  Basically it’s […]

Congressman Elijah Cummings The graduation ceremonies taking place across America this month should heighten our awareness of the continuing struggle to make college more affordable for every American. A high-quality, affordable college education transformed my life, as it has for tens of millions of other Americans.  As President Obama has observed, finding the way to […]