Category: OPINION

Just as the holiday season begins, when the thoughts and actions of some focus on compassion for others, we could be about to witness the government’s forcing the poor to go hungry – the product of political horse-trading in Washington that has erased a critical portion of the already-meager subsidy the federal food stamp program […]

Miami Dolphins players Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin have dominated sports news in recent weeks, but for all the wrong reasons. Supposedly, Martin was “bullied” by Incognito to the point that Martin left the team indefinitely. Each plays on the offensive line, stands more than 6 feet, and weighs more than 300 pounds. Incognito has […]

Christmas is without a doubt one of my favorite seasons of the year. I am always blessed with an abundance of family, friends, and yes, food. There is no reason to cut back on family and friends, but we can’t let the holidays be an excuse to lose our minds and over indulge in food. […]

As we watched the parades and listened to the speeches on Veterans’ Day, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel offered perhaps the most consequential insight about America’s continuing bond with those who have gone in harm’s way to serve our country. “The United States is now winding down the longest period of sustained combat in our […]

The U.S. Gross Domestic Product (the value of all goods and services in the economy) figures show GDP per person is $53,211. That’s per person, not per family. Those figures also show we annually spend $2,797 per person on food. That’s $233 per person a month. After netting out imports, we sell nearly $14 billion […]

Two decades ago, as a young organizer in Mississippi, I learned that there are only two types of temporal power: organized people and organized money. I also learned that in a democracy, the people can win every time—but only if we are organized. Today, when I reflect back on my half-decade at the helm of […]

The reason students are encouraged to avoid CliffsNotes is because in their haste to report the summary of assigned readings they may miss important themes, nuanced characters, and layers of meaning that are typically understood only with a full reading of the entire text. This caution is equally apropos about the rulings of federal courts. […]

(Updated 11/15/2013) Never before has there been a more important conversation about Maryland higher education than the conversation surrounding the recent ruling of Federal District Court Judge Catherine C. Blake against unnecessary academic program duplication. In her ruling, the judge identifies the harm Maryland has done to its Historically Black Institutions (HBIs) by its unlawful practice […]

It seems like yesterday I was boarding a bus with several classmates at New York City Technical College in Brooklyn. Our destination: The Million Man March in Washington, D.C. I had no idea what I would encounter. However, there was a feeling deep inside of me compelling me to go. I knew history was going […]

The Republican push to reduce the federal deficit solely through spending cuts is based on mythology rather than fact. That was clearly demonstrated by a series of reports issued recently by the non-partisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). In a report issued Oct. 28, CBPP stated, “As a new budget conference committee seeks agreement on […]

Before assuming the presidency in 1960, John F. Kennedy barely paid attention to any Black American beyond his valet, and he intended to follow that approach during the first four of what he expected would be his eight years in office. As the Civil Rights Movement exploded across the land, he tried mightily to keep […]