Category: OPINION

Conservatives continue to assert that anti-poverty programs have failed when, in fact, they have saved millions of people from plunging into poverty. Fox News, the house organ for right-wingers, has led this disinformation campaign. Let’s examine what two network contributors said on the same day (July 23, 2012): Mary Katherine in an appearance on “The […]

In an attempt to drum up more business, Chick-fil-A has ads and billboards featuring black and white spotted cows – acting in what the company calls their “enlightened self-interest” – urging people to “Eat Mor Chikin.” But that’s not what gay rights advocates want in the aftermath of the president of Chick-fil-A expressing his opposition […]

The national support for the victims of the recent Colorado shootings is great. However, if we believe in the equivalency of life, what about the lives of young men in Chicago, where there have been more deaths than in Afghanistan so far this year. While the hospitals in Aurora say they will cover hospital bills […]

During this summer of the Olympic Games, it is worthwhile to ask ourselves whether we, too, are willing to go the extra mile to achieve the goals that are important to us. Nowhere will our introspection have more lasting consequence than if it results in greater personal commitment to our public schools. We know this […]

For Jessica Nunez, a trip to the grocery store means at least 15 hours of work. Jessica makes minimum wage – just $7.25 an hour. With take home pay at $28 a day, Jessica feeds her partner and three daughters with three days’ work. Putting gas in the car takes six hours of work. Jessica […]

From athlete Metta World Peace to accused assailant Rudy Eugene, African-Americans confronting mental health challenges are often portrayed as isolated examples of crazy or deranged people rather than members of a marginalized community suffering an illness. July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, established in 2008 in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, an acclaimed […]

As I reflect on my upbringing, I’m grateful for the old stories told in my youth. Most often they were rooted in values that taught significant life lessons. Faced with real situations, the lessons prevented me from stepping into obvious trouble. Many of my friends have similar old stories. My friend, Steve Blakely, said he […]

It is becoming abundantly clear that the opponents of President Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act care little about minority health. David Bositis, senior research director for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, has observed in the {Washington Post} that about 36 percent of African Americans have no health insurance (compared to […]

The NAACP took a principled stand against voter suppression at their 103rd annual convention last week in Houston, Texas. The theme “Your Power, Your Decision – VOTE” was on full display as delegates heard from Vice President Biden and Gov. Mitt Romney and learned about attacks on the right to vote in states across the […]

“You know, I’m not sitting here – some little woman standing by my man like Tammy Wynette. I’m sitting here because I love him, and I respect him, and I honor what he’s been through and what we’ve been through together. And you know, if that’s not enough for people, then heck, don’t vote for […]

Dear Editor: Other than Thanksgiving and Christmas, the 4th of July is perhaps the most celebrated national holiday. Families go on picnics, visit beaches and parks, and watch fireworks. However, for many veterans, Independence Day takes on a different meaning. To those who served in the armed forces, often fighting to preserve our freedom in […]

Every day in Maryland, I fight against injustice and work towards the empowerment and advancement of all people of color. I speak to families in the African-American community here in Baltimore and across the state and know firsthand the barriers our children face when it comes to meaningful educational opportunity and access to good jobs […]