(NNPA) – Several weeks ago the Schott Foundation released “Yes We Can: The 2010 Schott 50 State Report on Black Males in Public Education.” The report revealed that the overall graduation rate (2007-2008) for Black males in the United States was only 47 percent. Taken alone this statistic is alarming. Coupled with the fact that two-thirds […]
Category: OPINION
Posted inCommentary
George Curry…The 1963 March on Washington Got Off to a Rocky Start
The dueling events on the anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom have ended, but astoundingly little is known about the behind-the-scenes maneuvering that at several times threatened to derail the march where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. Fortunately, a new […]
Posted inEditorial
AFRO’s Primary Endorsements for Prince George’s County and Maryland
Starting Sept. 3, Maryland voters will be able to cast their votes in the primary election for local and statewide candidates. This is the first time Maryland has allowed early voting and the submission of absentee ballots for convenience, providing more opportunities to vote and more access to voting for eligible voters. This is not, […]
Posted inCommentary
Going Deep: NFL Tinkering with 18 Games
I should be happy right? My favorite sport is only a handshake away from expanding its regular season, so why am I donning the sad face? Sorry, it’s just hard for me to sign off on bad ideas. After NFL owners huddled at an Atlanta hotel last week around the proposal of an 18-game schedule, […]
Posted inEditorial
AFRO’s Primary Endorsements for Baltimore City and County, and Maryland
Starting Sept. 3, Maryland voters will be able to cast their votes in the primary election for local and statewide candidates. This is the first time Maryland has allowed early voting and the submission of absentee ballots for convenience, providing more opportunities to vote and more access to voting for eligible voters. This is not, […]
Posted inCommentary
Elijah Cummings…Achieving a More Balanced and Effective National Drug Strategy
When President Obama released his five-year goals for reducing drug use and its consequences last May, he observed that “by boosting community-based prevention, expanding treatment, strengthening law enforcement, and working collaboratively with our global partners, we will reduce drug use and the great damage it causes in our communities.” I fully agree. Last week, I […]
Posted inEditorial
AFRO’s Primary Endorsements for Washington, D.C.
On Aug. 30, Washington voters began to cast their votes in the primary election. This is the first time the District has allowed early voting and along with that, initiated a variety of other enhancements and changes. This election cycle is definitely full of firsts for the Washington, D.C. This is not, however, the first […]
Posted inCommentary
Ezili Danto…Wyclef Jean’s Presidential Candidacy a Distraction
The on-again-off-again presidential candidacy of music star Wyclef Jean is a distraction for Haiti. On Friday, Aug. 20, the Haiti Electoral Council ruled that 15 out of the 34 candidates had not met the legal requirements to run for president of Haiti. Jean was one of the rejected candidates and he’s chosen to appeal the […]
Posted inCommentary
Adrienne T. Washington…District’s ‘Bush v. Gore’ Redux
Could the Democratic primary in two weeks turn out to be “Bush v. Gore in D.C.?” Maybe no hanging chads or midnight Supreme Court session, but with an unprecedented number of “disputed” provisional or “special ballots” predicted to be cast, D.C. Board of Elections officials will be hard pressed to declare a definitive winner in […]
Posted inCommentary
The 47th Anniversary of the March on Washington
Saturday will mark the 47th anniversary of the historic March on Washington where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his powerful “I Have a Dream” speech. Dr. King’s message of equality, unity, democracy and tolerance lured men and women from across the nation from different racial, ethnic and economic backgrounds. They came for a healing […]
Posted inCommentary
Rev. Al Sharpton…Let’s Reclaim the Dream on Aug. 28
(NNPA) – Forty-seven years ago, our nation was in the midst of uncertainty, trepidation, fear, frustration, anger and unrest. Forty-seven years ago, we were simultaneously hopeful, dedicated, ambitious, determined and resilient. Forty-seven years ago, people of all races gathered on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to urge their federal government to live up to […]
Posted inCommentary
H. Lewis Smith…The Enigmatic N-Word
Even though not all Black Americans refer to themselves as the pejorative n-word, an alarming proportion of the Black community uses and/or supports use of the term. For instance, ministers invoke the word from their pulpits, and the NAACP, with the wink of the eye, looks the other way when prominent Blacks publicly embrace the […]
