By Ralph E. Moore Jr., Special to the AFRO Building homes and building wealth for working folk The Nehemiah Project, started 40 years ago in East Brooklyn, N.Y., is named for the Old Testament prophet who rebuilt the ancient city of Jericho after the walls “came tumbling down.” A collection of churches, working with an […]
Category: OPINION
Posted inCommentary
Accountability: an insurrectionist removed from office
By Ben Jealous A New Mexico judge has done the country a big favor. Judge Francis Mathew upheld a little-known provision of the U.S. Constitution and removed a public official for participating in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. I hope other judges have the courage to follow his lead. The principle that no person is […]
Posted inCommentary
A fair shot for contracted airport workers
By Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Jaime Contreras Just this week, we announced some promising news: visitors are coming back to Washington, D.C. After tourism plummeted to only 13 million visitors in 2020, last year, we welcomed 19 million people from across the nation and around the world to our city. In 2021, we spread the […]
Posted inOPINION
We must address the teacher shortage crisis– here’s how
By Wes Moore We all had that teacher who changed our lives. Lieutenant Colonel Michael Murnane was my high school social studies teacher. His task? Getting a bunch of us military school kids interested in the Federalist Papers. Not so easy. But for the first time in my life, history came alive for me in […]
Posted inCommentary
Aw hell, the Queen: it’s chess not checkers
By Aswad Walker Blackfolk, we have to accept a hard truth: we have been conditioned to bend over backwards in extending compassion, love, forgiveness and expressions of humanity to everyone on the planet –mainly Whitefolk– yet don’t give that same compassion, love, forgiveness and expressions of humanity to each other. Knowing this, I’m still absolutely […]
Posted inOpinion
Project Community Connect addresses inequities in health, education and economic opportunity
By Rosie Allen-Herring On average in the D.C., Maryland and Virginia (DMV) region, less than half of our households earn above the Federal Poverty Level, yet are not eligible for assistance and cannot afford the basic household necessities such as housing, childcare, food, transportation, health care, and even a basic smartphone plan. These three characteristics […]
Posted inCommentary
Black men are still disproportionately affected by prostate cancer– it’s time to act
By Kai Li, MD September is Prostate Cancer Awareness month, a perfect occasion to focus on prostate cancer risk factors and prevention. This is particularly urgent for Black men, who are 1.7 times more likely to develop prostate cancer and more than twice as likely to die from it than all other racial or ethnic […]
Posted inCommentary
Your vote affects the quality of everyday living
By Stephanie Myers, Ph.Dand Georgia Dunston, Ph.D During recent informal discussions with Gen Z, the moniker given to Americans in the 18 to 24 age bracket, we have been distressed to learn that many of them and their friends, do not understand the purpose of voting and are not sure if they are going to […]
Posted inOpinion
Op-ed: Should a startup use a credit card instead of a loan?
By Donald Williams Black Americans across the country are considering how to start or sustain businesses in the unpredictable time of a global pandemic. But entrepreneurship comes with a multitude of major decisions. One question faced by every budding business owner is the issue of start-up costs. Should a loan be taken out or should […]
Posted inCommentary
D.C. delivers some good news – yes, really
By Ben Jealous We could all use some good news out of Washington. I’ve got some. The Senate’s passage of the Inflation Reduction Act this month is good news for families, the economy, the planet, and even our democracy. As I write this, the House is poised to pass the bill too, giving Congress and […]
Posted inOPINION
A letter to the church — are you living in vain?
By Froswa Booker-Drew, Ph. D As I witness you celebrating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I want to challenge you. I want you to really consider the way you are currently supporting women and children in your congregation. I hope that you will also embrace the young women who are single mothers without judgment […]
Posted inCommentary
Time’s up for Clarence Thomas being on the Supreme Court
By Donald M. Suggs Clarence Thomas has been a controversial figure since day one — and it’s time for him to step down from the United States Supreme Court. From the allegations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill and his ethically questionable behavior and connections with his politically active wife, to his commitment to upholding […]