Category: OPINION

In a year when volunteers from Maryland played a major role in re-electing America’s first Black President, it is worthwhile recalling the lasting civil rights legacy of our State. This has been University of Maryland Law School Professor Larry Gibson’s mission for nearly four decades.  I know this because he has been my mentor since […]

I was in a cab just the other day when the driver chided me for not knowing football. He was a big Redskins (I call them the Deadskins because they need to change their name) fan, and was obsessed with RG III. I must confess that I did not know who RG3 III was until […]

“Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, what they did was hard. It takes time. It takes more than a single term. It takes more than a single president … and more than a single individual.” – Barack Obama Barack Obama became America’s first Black president in 2009. Nelson Rohihlahia Mandela preceded Obama to the top of his government, […]

This is the time of year when many families in Maryland go “home for the holidays.” We plan our flights, pack our bags, and look for ways to avoid sitting in traffic, all so we can enjoy some precious time with loved ones. In the process, we often take for granted that we have a […]

A neighborhood watch captain went on an illegal patrol and profiled an innocent child as a rogue, thug criminal, who he decided, without reason, deserved to be followed in the darkness and when he caught him he questioned and killed him. His only reason given for his erroneous beliefs was that the child was Black […]

Over the span of one week, two different sides of President Obama emerged in different yet unforgettable terms. This first was political, involving Susan Rice’s decision to withdraw her name as a candidate for Secretary of State. The second was deeply personal in the wake of mass murders in a Newtown, Conn. elementary school. In […]

For nearly 18 years, I have been a member of the Morgan State University Board of Regents serving as its secretary (and member of the executive committee) for the past four years. I am also a proud alumna of Morgan, the mother of two Morgan graduates, a resident of Morgan Park (the community contiguous to […]

On Nov. 28 the AFRO published a thought provoking article by clergy person and political leader Kevin Slayton, “The Resurrection of The Black Church in Local Politics.” It should be read as part of a disturbing trend to deconstruct and betray the liberating roots of local Black Churches in the name of “progressivism.” This so […]

I am constantly amazed by the lack of any meaningful, insightful post-election analysis on the various media outlets (radio, TV, newspapers). You would think that everyone is hanging out at the same places because all the analysis seems to be the same: “Republicans have to find a way to garner more of the Hispanic vote.” […]

I am writing this holiday message as many of our neighbors remain homeless and suffering, while others are filled with anxiety about what the future will bring. If you are among them, please know that you are in my prayers as I offer this small story of hope. Those who know me well are aware […]

President Obama’s decisive victory in this year’s presidential election signaled a shift in both demographics and attitude in America. While 93 percent of African-American voters supported Obama, his victory reflected a cross-section of America, including substantial numbers of Whites and a growing number of Hispanics and Asian Americans. African Americans again made the difference in […]