Category: Commentary

We hear so much about the plight of Black children and their low test scores. We have not heard that African-American children who are homeschooled are scoring at the 82 percent in reading and 77 percent in math. This is 30-40 percent above their counterparts who are being taught in school. There is a 30 […]

I must admit, being a single father of two Black boys isn’t easy, especially since my wife passed away 12 years ago. From breaking up fights, to discussing college and career choices, I’ve learned that being a good father means more than just “being there.” Decisions are made, things happen, but despite the inevitable bumps […]

One of our country’s most cherished values is the idea that if you work hard you can get ahead, be part of the middle class, raise a family comfortably, and ensure your children will do better than you did. But this is a hollow promise to countless families today. The sad truth is you can […]

Now, the world knows something of the story of Solomon Northrup, a “free” Black American from New York who was kidnapped by slave-hunters in the 1840s and for the next 12 years suffered the life of a captive in America’s man-made hell of Negro Slavery. And now, the world knows a truer version of what […]

Last month, President Barack Obama challenged America to do more to help young men and boys of color succeed in life. His charge was a personal one for me, as it should be for everyone who cares about the future of our country. The president showed vision and courage as he acknowledged that his own […]

Today, middle class households feel the same financial stress that low- and moderate-income families have borne for years, says new research by the Corporation for Enterprise Development (CFED), a national nonprofit organization working to alleviate poverty and create economic opportunity. In its report, Treading Water in the Deep End, CFED analyzes the financial security of […]

Alumni and friends of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore recently gathered on the Princess Anne campus for the annual homecoming festivities. During the week, many of us commuted from our hotels in Salisbury, passing by Salisbury University as many as several times a day. We could not help but notice the tremendous contrast between […]

Last week in New York, the Ford Foundation hosted a conference with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on “Changing the Conversation on Growth: Going Inclusive.” Both are mainstream organizations, grounded in the elite consensus. Their public engagement challenging the orthodoxy that inequality is the price we pay for economic growth is important. […]

Too often during the presidency of Barack Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, he has felt the need to chide Black Americans to take responsibility for their destiny. In announcing his new “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative targeting young men of color, the president again waded into the personal responsibility waters and told the nation our […]

I found myself thinking about the notorious Dred Scott decision (1857) by the US Supreme Court while traveling the streets of Occupied Palestine this past January. I was there leading a small delegation of African Americans who were trying to better understand the nature of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. There are many ways that the conditions of Palestinians […]

WASHINGTON, D.C., Today’s groundbreaking launch of My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and My Brother’s Keeper Task Force is critical to providing equal access and opportunity for success for boys and young men of color. “The Lawyers’ Committee commends President Obama for following through on his commitment to take bold and necessary actions in addressing decades-long issues […]