By Arise Rejoice News Service The nation lost one of its leading legislative minds and a formidable public servant with the passing of former Congresswoman Carrie P. Meeks who died recently in Miami, Florida. A former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, she served the people of South Florida, including the area known as […]
Category: Commentary
Posted inNEWS
TBE#48 – The Montgomery Bus Boycott, 66 years ago this week, roused people across the nation to demand equal rights
To Be Equal #48 Marc H. Morial President and CEO National Urban League “There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of oppression. There comes a time, my friends, when people get tired of being plunged across the abyss of humiliation, where they experience the bleakness of […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-Ed: Let’s not mask the epidemic of gun violence killing our people
By Congressman Kweisi Mfume As a proud son of Baltimore, it pains me to see how our city and its surrounding suburbs are affected by gun violence. We cannot hide from it. We must not mask it. We have to deal with it directly. When there are 12 murders in one week including the killing […]
Posted inNEWS
TBE#47 – Elevation of Minority Business Development Agency to permanent status represents an unprecedented commitment to addressing historic economic inequities
By Marc H. Morial President and CEO National Urban League “President Biden has made clear his commitment to not just rebuilding to how things were before COVID-19, but to building back better and more equitably. The Minority Business Development Agency is ready to step into this historic moment and build on its success – because […]
Posted inOPINION
COMMENTARY: Build Back Better balances Joe Biden’s 3-legged stool
By Congressman James E. Clyburn (D-SC), House Majority Whip Last year, Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats promised voters that if given the chance we would do the things necessary to combat COVID-19, rebuild America’s families and their communities, and restore faith in the promise of America. I often say that we can be no more […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Can we stop ‘Blackout Wednesday?’
By Joseph Kertis Blackout Wednesday, also known as “Drinksgiving,” is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and it doesn’t take much thought to discern why the date has been given such a dubious title. Thanksgiving is the biggest drinking holiday of the year, according to multiple sources. And the Wednesday prior is the most popular day of […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Giving Thanks
By Ben Jealous “In everything give thanks.” That Bible verse can be hard to put into practice. Just by being alive we can be sure of having moments of sadness as well as happiness. When you’re active in politics, you experience both wins and losses. Sometimes it can be hard to feel grateful. That might […]
Posted inOPINION
Commentary: The iPhone: ‘Most groundbreaking technology I witnessed in my adult life’
By Marnita Coleman Special to the AFRO In 2007, I was recuperating from major surgery when I experienced love at first sight. I remember it well. My husband, an avid sports fan, was watching his favorite channel, ESPN. I, his ride or die, was right there with him, watching “Pardon the Interruption” with hosts Tony […]
Posted inNEWS
The U.S. House of Representatives is hard at work
The Infrastructure Bill and Build Back Better Act are recent examples By Congressman Kweisi Mfume President Joe Biden has been to Baltimore twice in the last four weeks. This is unusual frequency for presidential visits. First, he hosted a town hall meeting in our Congressional District which was broadcast live to the nation on television. […]
Posted inHBCU
Op-ed: Swaggering, hip, cool, and a master teacher too
By Wayne Dawkins Baltimore native Kip Branch had swagger. He would talk about his friend “Jimmy.” That is James Baldwin to the rest of us. The iconic American novelist befriended Branch and mentored him. The result was “Gnawing in My Soul,” the pupil’s debut novel. Then there was Branch’s other friend, “Chief.” That is Miles […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Investing in American people and communities
By Ben Jealous President Joe Biden and the Democratic Congress have come through with a $1.2 trillion infrastructure package—something the previous president repeatedly promised but never delivered. The plan will bring much-needed investments to American communities to fix roads and bridges, update water and energy systems, and expand affordable access to broadband internet service. Now […]
Posted inOPINION
Commentary: The Consent Decree makes Baltimore ground zero for police reform
By Kenneth Thompson, Consent Decree Monitor Seth Rosenthal, Consent Decree Deputy Monitor In recent years, especially after the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police, demands for police reform have figured prominently in our national conversation and fueled a rising movement for racial justice. You don’t need to look any further than our own city, […]