Category: Commentary

With the first presidential debate between President Obama and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney less than two weeks away, it seems clear after several weeks of bungling, rambling and news cycle-chasing on the national stage that Romney and his campaign are in over their heads. A phalanx of the most recent polls in the battleground […]

During the recent Democratic National Convention before a raucous crowd and a national audience, Maryland Governor and Democratic Governors Association President, Martin O’Malley stood to deliver his best argument as to why President Barack Obama deserved a second presidential term. As O’Malley touted the president’s activities and accomplishments, his speech took on a cadence that […]

As executive director of the Maryland Marriage Alliance, I am compelled to address Julian Bond’s recent opinion editorial featured in The Afro on Sept. 5. I have a great deal of respect for Mr. Bond. He holds an honored place in the Civil Rights movement. In his role as chairman emeritus of the NAACP, he […]

WASHINGTON (NNPA) – In a private discussion with millionaire donors, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney stereotyped those who voted for President Obama in 2008 as “victims” who want and expect a free ride from the federal government. The surreptitiously recorded video of Romney’s unusually candid remarks was obtained by Mother Jones magazine. Romney spoke and […]

Over the years, I often have reminded my children that, for our family, Labor Day can never be just another holiday. I tell them about A. Phillip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car porters and their role in bringing about the integration of the U.S. military and the movement for civil rights – and […]

My vocation denies me the privilege of participating wholesale in death-denying American culture. Only those in the medical professions, law enforcement, and the funeral industry are as intimately acquainted with death as the clergy. I cannot pretend that people don’t die; nor can I pretend that people aren’t supposed to die. Our culture idolizes the […]

As I read Reverend Lamar’s opinion piece (“Sex, Not Same-Sex Marriage, Should Be Topic of Debate”), my heart sank. For, while reading about the hypocrisy of the black church in America from the distance of my office in South Africa, I was reminded painfully of just how tragic are the ties that seem to bind […]

The primary goal of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. this week is to highlight the sharp contrast between the policies of President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney, his Republican opponent. In the past, political conventions were used to count delegates to determine each party’s respective presidential nominee. That has changed in recent years, […]

Let’s face it: Marriage for gay and lesbian couples is often perceived as a White issue. Yet, there are thousands of African Americans – our brothers and sisters, cousins, neighbors, and co-workers – who are gay, in committed relationships, and want to marry. My own cousin had to go to Canada to marry the man […]

I felt the spirit of Dr. Aaronnette White guiding my fingers for this column. A couple of weeks ago, Aaronnette died suddenly at the premature age of 51 years. A rape survivor and a respected psychology professor, she was a fierce warrior for the reproductive rights of women, particularly African-American women. During her brief stint […]

Every time I see a march or rally, I think of the rally of all rallies: the 1963 March on Washington. Forty-nine years later, there is nothing that equals that march in results. These days folks march to make a point, but back in the day, we marched to get legislative action. Shortly after the […]