Category: OPINION

So here’s the ugly truth about the flap over the recent trip to Cuba by Beyoncé and Jay-Z. The whining of three Cuban-American lawmakers who object to the couple’s recent visit to Havana has little to do with keeping American dollars out of the coffers of Cuba’s communist government and a lot to do with […]

After my nephew Christopher was shot and murdered in a home invasion, I mourned the loss of his young and precious life and committed myself to doing everything in my power to make sure that these tragedies would be halted. Yet, I must acknowledge that two years after Christopher’s death, my passion was beginning to […]

Last week, Facebook was abuzz with comments on the Boston Marathon bombing. My newsfeed was filled with prayers and well wishes for the city of Boston and all affected by the blast that took three lives including that of an 8-year old child. Like 911, Americans were united again… or so I thought… until I […]

I am approaching another City College class reunion. It has been 50 years since I along with all the other young men of the Class of 1963 graduated from the 33rd and Alameda “Castle on the Hill.” It will be my second class reunion; the first one I attended was the 30th reunion in 1993. […]

The other day, I listened to a professor’s class discussion about the phenomenon of African Americans acting or talking “White.” “Moving topic,” I thought. To her credit, the professor deftly engaged the students, ensuring that each cultural perspective represented had its say. I listened intently as students relayed their experiences regarding this issue. A series […]

There has been much discussion about the big picture items in President Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal 2014. If the devil is in the details, as politicians like to say, some parts of Obama’s budget will mean hell for some needy citizens. Before getting into the details, let’s talk approach. As I have often said, […]

High-quality public education is critically important to America’s future, and we are falling behind globally. On the standardized tests administered every three years by the Program for International Student Assessment, American school students finished 25th in math, 17th in science and 12th in reading among all industrialized countries. This worrying discrepancy, as well as national […]

I Need Help! My dilemma lies in understanding the interpretation and reaction of our lawmakers and some citizens to the First and Second Amendments of the Bill of Rights. In the 18th century, freedom of speech was limited to word of mouth and the written word which took a long time to reach its destination. Now we […]

In our national conversations about equality and justice in America, we have too often avoided the conversation about the realities of women and mothers in the workforce. This is particularly odd given that women comprise half of the entire paid labor force, three-quarters of moms are now in the labor force, and most families now […]

In the Baltimore region, and across America, job growth remains the most important issue on people’s minds. That is why job creation continues to be my number one priority in the Congress. We have evidence that our economy is improving. It also remains painfully clear, however, that we have many more good jobs to create, […]

One year later, the Trayvon Martin tragedy still stings, and some people are still throwing salt on the open wound. Last week George Zimmerman’s brother, Robert Zimmerman, posted a tweet comparing Trayvon Martin to De’Marquis Elkins, 17-year-old black teenager charged with fatally shooting a one-year-old baby. The tweet showed a photo of Elkins side by […]