Category: Commentary

As we close out the year, this is a good time to take a look back at some of the big events of 2010 that will influence our lives for years to come. The National Urban League has spent much of our centennial year urging the Congress and the White House to focus relentlessly on […]

Twelve days ago a group of men located in different cities around Georgia began a massive, coordinated, peaceful protest in support of justice and human rights. They used the principles of non-violence that Mahatma Gandhi pioneered while leading the Indian independence movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. utilized in the struggle for civil rights. […]

As the nation celebrates the long awaited approval of funds to settle Pigford II, we have to stop and ask, what happens next? Does this truly make an impact on the state of Black agriculture and Black farmers in the present and future? I find that in my day to day activities and talking to […]

(NNPA) – Although the Republican Party appears to have gotten as much use as they wanted out of Michael Steele, the embattled chairman of the Republican National Committee told supporters Monday night he will seek re-election next month. “Yes, I have stumbled along the way, but have always accounted to you for such shortcomings,” he […]

Tyler Perry’s movie For Colored Girls, based on Ntozake Shange’s Tony Award-winning Broadway play, was lambasted by movie reviewers across the country. Critics called the movie “a plain disaster,” and naysayers claim he “over-extended his bounds.” The story of strong, intelligent, versatile and beautiful African American women on the big screen triumphing over their tragedy […]

Americans are today encouraged to be color-blind. The gist is that all, regardless of race, should enjoy the same opportunities and privileges. I completely understand and agree with that premise. However, I prefer and choose not to be completely color-blind. Here is why. In college, I roomed with a Chinese student from Hong Kong. She […]

Much more interesting than Marion Barry and Yvette Alexander’s bill that would impose a five-year time limit on the receipt of public assistance for District residents is a statement that Barry made recently on Fox News. He said White advocates oppose this bill because they want to keep Blacks “enslaved” and “oppressed” by the welfare […]

In the midst of our holiday season, we must not lose sight of the harsh reality that far too many of our neighbors continue to lose their homes through foreclosure – a challenge that we all have a personal stake in overcoming. The foreclosure crisis still gripping our nation is a formidable obstacle to our […]

‘Tis the holiday season – a time to reflect on all that we have been blessed with here in America. And with those blessings, also come the great responsibilities bestowed upon us, each according to the role our creator has endowed. Last week, that paragon of virtues, the U.S. House of Representatives returned to complete its […]

“Sounds like voodoo economics.”  — George H.W. Bush in 1980 commenting on Reaganomic tax cuts for the rich. It comes as no surprise to most of us that 2+2 does not equal 22. But the current debate over Bush-era tax cuts is based on an illogical equation. The goal of any tax plan should be to […]

Dear Member of Congress: You’ve got a lot to consider in this month. You’re scheduled to debate international treaties and Internet censorship. There’s talk of military affairs and revamping federal agencies. But this should be at the top of your agenda: extending benefits for unemployed workers and making sure struggling parents can continue to make ends meet. You […]

All our lives we’ve heard stories about The Grinch Who Stole Christmas. Now we can add to that two grinches – Rush Limbaugh and Mike Huckabee – who stole the Obama family’s Thanksgiving. Or, at least tried. While the rest of us were preparing last week to express gratitude for our blessings, those two spent […]