Category: OPINION

George H. Lambert Jr. As president of a regional affiliate of the National Urban League, I sometimes have to step back from daily business to reflect on the legacy of the organization and the courage, intelligence and creativity that lay the foundation that my staff and I stand upon. Black History Month is the perfect […]

Roger Caldwell As the Senate Judiciary Committee begins its confirmation hearing for Loretta Lynch, it is no accident that President Obama has picked the first Black women attorney general for that post. There are many members of Congress, who are angry and disgusted with Eric Holder, the present Attorney General. Many felt that Holder was […]

Advocacy comes in many forms and the large group of women present at the confirmation hearing for attorney general nominee, Loretta Lynch, was a true demonstration of advocacy in action. At the Senate Judiciary hearing chaired by Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Ohio), U.S. Attorney Loretta E. Lynch was the epitome of great intellect, a solid […]

Marcia Griffin Buying a house or a piece of property to call your own is part of the American Dream. But, if you’re African American, that dream is becoming further and further out of reach. Whether you’re a renter trying to buy your first home or a homeowner looking for a modification to avoid foreclosure, […]

Eddie Bernice Johnson Mr. Ernie Banks, a former star player for the Chicago Cubs baseball team who was born in Dallas, was more than just an athlete. Mr. Banks, who recently died, was a man enriched by his faith and fueled by ambition. He won the hearts of many through his skills as a baseball […]

TriceEdney–Few who know me would ever think of questioning my respect for right-thinking, strong Black men. I’d never think of undermining their work in our community. As we review and write additional volumes to the story of the civil rights struggle, a better job must be done to include women and youth in the victories […]

February is Black History Month, when we focus on the many contributions African Americans have made to our nation.  African-American men have participated in every war and conflict the United States fought here and abroad since the earliest inception of our nation.  In 1643, Abraham Pearse was listed on the rolls of men capable of […]

In his State of the Union address on Jan. 20, President Barack Obama never used the word “poor” and only used the word “poverty” once, which was in the context of fighting “extreme poverty” globally, in emphasizing the recent Ebola outbreak in West Africa. The previous week, most Americans were shocked by a report from […]

The  new highly acclaimed  motion picture ”Selma” suggests that former President Lyndon Baines Johnson was not an ardent supporter of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and that he and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a less than fragile relationship.  Nothing is further from the truth. Both men worked very hard to create a […]

This year, we celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King amid a nationwide discussion about the work that remains to be done.  Five decades after Selma and passage of the federal Voting Rights Act, many current challenges mirror those Dr. King confronted – economic inequality, disparities throughout the criminal justice system and challenges to […]