Dayvon Love (left), director of public policy for the Baltimore-based think tank Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, is calling for full accountability in the police killing of Bilal Abdullah (right), urging the public to utilize existing reform mechanisms while advocating for stronger community control and independent investigations.
Category: OPINION
Posted inCommentary
Celebrating Black music month: From Billie to Gabby, Go-Go to Gospel
Black Music Month is a celebration of the Baltimore-Washington corridor’s rich musical tapestry, from jazz legends Billie Holiday and Duke Ellington to hip-hop artists like Sisqó and Gabby Samone, and gospel choirs like the Howard Gospel Choir and Morgan State University Choir.
Posted inCommentary
How Maryland’s governor can reframe the politics of reparations
By Roger House Maryland’s Gov. Wes Moore (D) recently caused a stir in the movement for reparations in his state. As the nation’s only Black governor, he vetoed a bill to assess the wrongs of slavery and Jim Crow and propose various remedies. The act had been championed by the state legislature and the Black […]
Posted inEditorial
AFRO Editorial: Our lives are on the line—again: What political violence means for Black America
A surge in political violence—fueled by dangerous rhetoric from figures like the 47th president—is putting lives at risk, and for Black Americans, the deadly consequences of such dehumanization are all too familiar.
Posted inCommentary
Legalization was never about justice– and Illinois just proved it
Will Jones III is the director of community engagement and outreach for Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM). He is a third generation Washingtonian. This week, he shares his thoughts on the toll of “Big Marijauna” on the Black and Brown community.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Ousting Baltimore County’s inspector general undermines government accountability
Ryan Coleman is the former president of the Randallstown NAACP. This week, he writes that inspectors general like Kelly Madigan play a vital but often unpopular role in promoting government accountability and efficiency, and her removal—though legally permissible—represents a significant loss for Baltimore County and its residents.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: FAFO ain’t a forcefield: Why Black silence on immigration won’t save us
The piece urges Black Americans not to ignore the injustices faced by Latino immigrants, warning that silence in the face of dehumanization is not protection but complicity. It emphasizes that anti-Blackness and state violence don’t stop at borders or legal status—and history shows they always come back around.
Posted inOPINION
Opinion: Reparations aren’t a fad. They’re a bill that’s still due.
Michele Miller, who helped lead a municipal reparations initiative in Amherst, Massachusetts, that resulted in a $2 million fund for Black residents, argues that reparations are not a passing trend but a necessary and long-overdue response to centuries of systemic injustice against Black Americans, requiring real action and accountability from leaders at all levels.
Posted inCommentary
Opinion: To my brothers in the struggle toward doctoral excellence– keep going!
Otis L. Eldridge Jr., a recent graduate of Morgan State University’s Urban Educational Leadership doctoral program, shares advice and encouragement for fellow Black men pursuing doctoral degrees—urging them to embrace opportunity, persevere through challenges and recognize the power of their voice and research. (Photo: Meta (Instagram)/ education_everyday)
Posted inCommentary
Youth are ready to lead- let’s listen
By Kanika Cousine The time has come for young people to take their rightful seat at the table. As the founder of Journey of A Dreamer INC., I’ve seen firsthand the incredible leadership, passion and vision that youth bring to their communities. But far too often, their voices go unheard and their contributions are overlooked. […]
Posted inOPINION
Op-ed: Why charging for land records could make housing less stable
A new Maryland State Archives policy to charge for online access to land records threatens housing stability for vulnerable families—especially older Black homeowners with tangled titles—by creating costly barriers to proving property ownership, despite Governor Moore’s stated commitment to affordable and accessible housing.
Posted inOPINION
Wes Moore’s veto of the Maryland reparations commission bill is counter revolutionary
Dayvon Love is director of public policy for the Baltimore-based think tank, Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle. This week he speaks on Gov. Wes Moore’s veto of Maryland’s reparations study bill and what he thinks that says about the limits of mainstream Black political leadership when it is not rooted in militant, transformative struggle.