Category: OPINION

During my more than six decades of life, I have witnessed the struggle to afford a college education from every vantage point. The core lesson of that experience is clear. When we educate our young people, we grow and prosper as a community — while those that fail to do so fall behind. Most Americans […]

To be clear, I have no love for anyone connected with Al Qaeda. If they all dropped into a black hole tomorrow I would rest easy. But I must confess I have been left very unsettled by the White House’s approval of the assassination of a U.S. citizen, one Anwar Al-Awlaki. Various reports have indicated […]

African-Americans have long been targets of financial predators, but a new agency that will protect consumers has opened its doors. President Obama’s nominee to head the agency has been a true champion for minorities — but he will face an uphill battle to be confirmed after Oct. 6 when the Senate Banking Committee was expected […]

We all know the drill, lawn signs pop up out of nowhere a month before the actual election, mailboxes are stuffed with campaign literature, and robocalls asking for your vote interrupt your evening meal. I’m talking about campaign season 2011. The General is a whole other ballgame. This election season is unusual because it is […]

In the wake of President Obama’s address to the Congressional Black Caucus, there are those who are making much ado about nothing, including the accusation that, by dropping his “g’s” the President was talking down to African Americans.  Can this President kindly get a break!  He is accused of distancing himself from the African-American community, […]

Ray Charles sings about Georgia being on his mind. But as Troy Davis was laid to rest Saturday, Georgia was also on the minds of distraught death penalty opponents who saw him executed on the basis of questionable evidence and despite an array of witnesses who had recanted their original testimony. Georgia has been at […]

Is the subject “increase in poverty” discussed when lawmakers talk about furloughs, unemployment extensions, wage freezes, foreclosures, or jobs for inner city residents? I ask myself “What did they expect when there was a lack of viable solutions to tackle the unemployment or underemployment issue in the inner city? The U.S. Census Bureau released a […]

Since 1999, millions of Americans have received annual, detailed earnings statements from the Social Security Administration about their Social Security benefits.   These annual earnings statements are an invaluable tool that helps millions of Americans plan for their retirement. In March, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) announced that he would suspend the production […]

Earlier this month, the eyes of our nation turned briefly to those whom the Bible calls “the least of these.” The U.S. Bureau of the Census revealed that nearly one of every six Americans is now living in poverty. Based on data from 2010, the Bureau found that more than 46,000,000 Americans are now living […]

A little more than a week after the murder of Troy Davis I am admittedly still reeling and healing from this latest barrage of barbaric brutality on Black people from the United States “Justice” System. “Troy Davis” is the latest chapter of terrorism in the collective memory of American Africans. If Carl Jung’s theories on […]

It is a critical time in America. The recession has been tough, especially for young Black Americans who are faced with bleak job prospects, exorbitant student loans and overwhelming hopelessness. With an unemployment rate for young Black males over 18 percent, young Black men are still hemorrhaging and the people we put in office to […]

We are reminded almost daily that President Obama’s favorable poll numbers are at an all-time low. While that is unmistakably true, that’s only half of the picture. Let’s first take a look at the numbers. A Gallup poll pegged Obama’s August monthly approval rating at 41 percent, the lowest of his administration. However, Gallup found […]