(TEWire) – While conducting a town hall meeting in Tucson, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) was shot in the head Jan. 8. She struggles for her life in an Arizona hospital. Giffords was among 13 people wounded in the melee that killed six, including Arizona’s chief federal judge, a 9-year-old girl and an aide for the […]
Category: OPINION
Posted inCommentary
Celebrating the Life and Legacy of an American Icon
On Jan. 17, our nation will pause to celebrate and honor the life of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., one of our most admired leaders whose vision, strength and courage helped bring about historic change to our country. Born 82 years ago, Dr. King showed a nation that nonviolence can bring about social […]
Posted inCommentary
Boehner’s Real Death Panel Replaces Palin’s Fake One
Until this week, the lies about death panels were some of the worst spread by Sarah Palin and the Republicans to scare seniors about health care reform and the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Now there’s a real death panel, and John Boehner is in charge – it’s the Republican legislative campaign to undermine the ACA. […]
Posted inEditorial
Editorial: We Owe Mississippi Gov. Barbour NOTHING!
In recent days some have heaped accolades on Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour for indefinitely suspending the double life sentences unjustly leveled against Gladys and Jamie Scott for their alleged role in a 1993 robbery. What seems to have been lost in the celebration is that Barbour’s action does not grant a full pardon, a clemency […]
Posted inCommentary
Ben Jealous…An Urgent Movement for Justice
During the past two weeks, in response to successful grassroots campaigns, two governors have released Black Americans who had been railroaded by our nation’s criminal justice system. Together, these cases speak to the urgent need for the work the NAACP and our allies are doing to encourage more governors to use their clemency authority as […]
Posted inCommentary
Elijah Cummings…Once more, into the breach . . . .
January is a month when Maryland families pause to reflect on the year just past – and make our plans for the months ahead. The Year 2010 was a year that evoked in me gratitude, a sense of accomplishment, and a renewed determination to carry on. I am both grateful and humbled by the faith […]
Posted inEditorial
‘AFRO’ Journalists Reflect on Favorite, Most Impactful Stories of 2010
Black Farmers Receive Long-Awaited Justice By Zenitha Prince “At last,” read the title of the AFRO story on Congress’ approval of legislation that would release the funds for a settlement owed to the nation’s Black farmers. The two words were a sigh of relief from an embattled people in whom lay a tightly coiled mixture […]
Posted inEditorial
On the Scandal Sheets
2010 saw its share of hot messes stemming from the perennial swamp of Congress to the pulpit. Many were surprised when longtime legislator , D-N.Y., was charged with ethics violations, including a failure to pay taxes on vacation property—given a 40-year stint on Capitol Hill without the taint of corruption. More were dismayed however by […]
Posted inEditorial
Thanks for the Memories
From entertainers to business moguls and models, the world lost a number of standout figures in 2010. News of their deaths sent shockwaves throughout the public, as fans mourned their losses. Here, the AFRO remembers some of the nation’s most recognized faces and the memories they inspired. Dorothy Height, 98 Thousands poured into the Washington […]
Posted inCommentary
Making a Difference for Marylanders
The 111th Congress, which just concluded, began two years ago with an aggressive agenda complicated by an ailing economy that would throw a great many challenges in our path. We tackled these challenges head-on and put our nation on a path to recovery from the worst recession in generations. At the same time, we succeeded […]
Posted inCommentary
To Be Equal #50
As we close out the year, this is a good time to take a look back at some of the big events of 2010 that will influence our lives for years to come. The National Urban League has spent much of our centennial year urging the Congress and the White House to focus relentlessly on […]
Posted inCommentary
Georgia Prisoners Starting a Nonviolent Movement
Twelve days ago a group of men located in different cities around Georgia began a massive, coordinated, peaceful protest in support of justice and human rights. They used the principles of non-violence that Mahatma Gandhi pioneered while leading the Indian independence movement and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. utilized in the struggle for civil rights. […]