Category: OPINION

As we approach the 2012 election, the fear that many Americans will be denied their right to vote is increasingly becoming a reality. A growing number of states have enacted voter suppression laws requiring identification to vote, imposing stricter voter registration requirements or preventing early voting or same-day voting — tactics that will push out […]

Adorned in a freshly-ironed dress and satchel for her books, six-year-old Ruby Bridges walked past an angry mob and into the doors of William Frantz Elementary School. The girl’s father was initially reluctant to let his daughter become the school’s first African American student, but her mother felt strongly that the move was needed not […]

Recent righteous political rhetoric has made it easy to forget the time when religion — specifically, America’s anti-Catholic bias — was used to cast John F. Kennedy as a scary “other” so beholden to the pope as to threaten America’s democracy. Recognizing the importance of making his allegiance to our Constitution’s separation and balance of […]

As Americans consider our choices in this presidential election year, President Obama and his progressive vision have been under constant attack by those who want (as they are quick to proclaim) to “take America back.” However, when the anti-Obama factions are asked, “Back to when?” their answers are less than clear. Recently, an analyst whom […]

Baltimore officials and citizens were shocked at the low turnout of voters in the primary and general elections of Baltimore City officials in 2011. Inasmuch as these were purely city elections, the city bore the cost of over $3 million. Efforts to eliminate separate city elections to achieve greater voter turnout and save the city […]

Just look at the numbers. The U.S. economy was shedding millions of jobs at the peak of the recession in late 2008 and early 2009. Then Congress passed an economic stimulus package – heavy on green energy investments – in February 2009. Within months, the number of lost jobs began to decline and by 2010, […]

What if you left the United States for a short trip abroad, but when you tried to come home to your job, family and life in America, your government would not let you on the plane? What if, when you asked when you could fly home, you were told “never”? For some American Muslims, this […]

President Barack Obama’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2013 sets a responsible course for rebuilding the economy so that it works for everyone, not just the privileged few. Our middle class is the engine of economic growth, but is threatened by dwindling public investments, a tax system increasingly rigged to benefit the wealthy, a fraying […]

By Adrion Howell As a student of history, I am struck by a statement that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. made in which he said, “that the most revolutionary thing that any citizen can do is to be an active and engaged citizen.” It is amazing to me that we have just commemorated the 44th […]

I am always fascinated by the impact of human emotions on our consumer behavior – whether those emotions are inspired by tragedy or triumph. Two television broadcasts made ratings history recently, one because of a tragedy and one because of a triumph: the 54th Annual Grammy Awards on CBS and the contest between the Los […]

The first two months of this year have brought millions of Americans – and our nation – good economic news. Due, in no small part, to President Obama’s economic policies, job growth and the broader economic forecasts are continuing an upward trend that has been gaining steam for the last two years. On the jobs […]

I’ve received an overwhelming response to my recent piece about The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation’s (GLAAD) demand for CNN to fire Roland Martin due to what they perceived as homophobic tweets. Most people agreed with my position, but, for those who questioned my view that GLAAD is not in a position to complain […]