By Marc Schindler I started my legal career in the mid-1990s as a Baltimore public defender representing children in juvenile court. In the late 1990s I joined a civil rights law firm addressing juvenile justice policies statewide and across the nation. These experiences taught me two things: The Maryland detention facility where many of my […]
Category: Commentary
Posted inOPINION
Foreign drug pricing models leave patients – and economic growth – behind
Kirsten Axelsen argues that adopting foreign-style drug pricing models in the United States would harm patients and stifle innovation. While other nations keep prices low by denying access through health technology assessments and rigid cost-effectiveness thresholds, the U.S. system fosters competition, broad access, and generics that lower costs. She contends the U.S. should push for fairer global cost-sharing rather than importing restrictive foreign policies.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: I beat the odds and made it to law school – others won’t get the chance
Olabisi Omoniyi-Alake, a Henry A. Wallace Fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and incoming Georgetown Law student, reflects on the financial and systemic challenges marginalized students face in pursuing legal education. She warns that the 47th president’s plan to eliminate Grad PLUS loans will shut the door for many low-income students and further reduce diversity in law schools.
Posted inCommentary
How artificial intelligence furthers environmental racism in Black America
By Rev. Dr. Heber BrownWord in Black When one of my best friends (who is also a pastor) encouraged me to look into utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) tools for ministry purposes, I was exhilarated. It seemed like a game-changer at my fingertips. I used it to make presentations and outline Bible studies, saving time on […]
Posted inCommentary
Abusive cops won’t be punished– but #BLM isn’t over yet
By Joseph WilliamsWord in Black In 2020, when Louisville police gunned down Breonna Taylor during a botched raid, the incident helped galvanize the ascendant Black Lives Matter movement. Along with the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, Taylor’s killing spurred outrage and pushed nationwide police reform tantalizingly close to reality. How times have changed. […]
Posted inCommentary
Commentary: Baltimore County’s redistricting must reflect all of us
By Senator Charles E. Sydnor III (D-Baltimore County- District 44), Sharonda Dillard-Huffman and Peta N. Richkus On Aug. 17, the Greater Baltimore Urban League hosted an urgent discussion on Baltimore County’s redistricting. The message was clear: fair process, fair maps and fair representation. Bill 55-25—the County Council’s proposed plan—delivers none of these. Instead, Bill 55-25 […]
Posted inCommentary
The Black Press, public media, and press freedom: We must restore these cornerstones of a functioning democracy
By Shavon Arline-Bradley and Ja’Lia Taylor There is no democracy without a free press. That truth is especially urgent for Black women and our families, who have long relied on trusted media not only for information, but also for protection, representation and empowerment. In an era of disinformation, misinformation, political polarization and eroding trust in […]
Posted inCommentary
ASALH leads resistance to attacks on Smithsonian and U.S. history
ASALH is standing in opposition to the President’s directive to review archival materials and remove any exhibit or artifact that does not align with his definition of American exceptionalism, and is calling for daily acts of resistance to preserve and protect Black history.
Posted inCommentary
Defending the African American Museum of History and Culture is defending America’s truth
By Dr. Frances Murphy DraperAFRO Publisher and CEO America cannot afford to whitewash its past. Yet that is exactly what is at stake in the current review of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. To question whether slavery and racism belong in the story of this nation is not only dangerous—it is […]
Posted inOpinion
Opinion: Weaponizing democracy and human rights in the age of doublespeak
Jared O. Bell is a former U.S. diplomat and scholar of human rights and transitional justice, dedicated to advancing global equity and systemic reform. In this article he warns of the growing use of doublespeak to twist the language of democracy and human rights into tools of repression, drawing on examples from the U.S. and abroad to show how rhetoric is being weaponized to erode freedoms.
Posted inCommentary
August is ‘Make a Will Month’: Here’s why it should matter to every Marylander
Making a will is an important legal document that allows you to protect your family, your wishes and your legacy, and should be done by everyone regardless of age, marital status, or whether they have children.
Posted inCommentary
Where’s the class for grief? Why schools must make healing mandatory
By Kanika Cousine In March 2025, 16-year-old Sincere Jazmin was fatally shot while seated at a bus stop in Jamaica, Queens, after stepping off his school bus. According to the New York Post, he ran into a nearby deli before collapsing and dying on-site. Just days later, a 16-year-old student at Lansdowne High School in […]