Category: OPINION

(June 14, 2012) I am not a friend of Julius Henson. Most often, Mr. Henson and I have been political enemies. I have not seen him or spoken with him for several years. But today, I wish to express my view that what is happening to him is unjust and a threat to democracy. I […]

When it comes to national elections, no state makes a bigger fool of itself than Florida. The Sunshine state was at the center of an 1876 controversy over the presidential election between Republican Rutherford B. Hayes and Democrat Samuel L. Tilden. By throwing out many votes cast by Blacks, Florida was able to give Hayes […]

Much has been said about Maryland State Delegate Pat McDonough’s inflammatory statements about Black youth in Baltimore. Last month, he characterized African American youth at the Inner Harbor as “Black Youth Mobs.” He cited an alleged incident where he and his wife were driving in downtown Baltimore and supposedly 50 to 100 Black youth began […]

Becoming a member of a fraternity or sorority can be one of the most meaningful aspects of college life. However, it can also be one of the most deadly when it comes to hazing. Since the death of Florida A&M University drum major Robert Champion in 2011, many educators and lawmakers have began to examine […]

My home state of South Carolina has imposed a tough new law to address “illegal” immigration. Like many recently enacted state immigration laws – which bear a curious similarity from state to state – South Carolina now requires law enforcement officers to check the backgrounds of those they suspect may be in the country illegally, […]

On Memorial Day, as Americans remembered those of our countrymen and women who have risked life and limb for the rest of us, I was considering the next step in my ongoing effort to help many of those same brave neighbors and their families win their fight on the home front. Our troops fighting in […]

The St. Lucie County (FL) School District has a bullying problem that appears to start with the teaching staff and filter down to the students. The parents of fifth-grader Jonathan Jean have filed suit against the school district, alleging the district allowed their son, a special needs student, to be verbally and physically abused by […]

It’s widely believed that JPMorgan Chase’s recent $2 billion–plus loss proves we need the comprehensive banking regulation called for by the 2010 Dodd-Frank law. That belief is wrong. In thinking about the loss, remember that the future is always uncertain. It’s easy to look back on a bad decision — especially someone else’s bad decision […]

Holiday memories, endless wisdom, home cooking—these thoughts may come to mind when you think about your grandparents. They are thoughts I hope my grandson has of my wife and me. But you may not realize how difficult it is for many older Americansto provide that home- cooked meal, even for themselves. According to the U.S. […]

Of the seven years I was editor of Emerge: Black America’s Newsmagazine in the 1990s, I am proudest of our national campaign to win the release of Kemba Smith, a 24-year-old former Hampton University student who was sentenced to a mandatory 24 ½ years in prison for her minor role in a drug ring. Our […]

Trayvon Martin became a household name for all the wrong reasons. Martin’s death created an international firestorm because George Zimmerman, the person at fault, was not immediately taken into custody by Sanford, Florida authorities. What made things worse is that Martin is black, Zimmerman is part-Hispanic/part-white and the Sanford police chief is white. It is […]