Angelique Walker-Smith is senior associate for Pan African and Orthodox Church engagement at Bread for the World. This week, she speaks on finding inspiration and encouragement in troubled times.
Tag: National Guard
Posted inOpinion
I Posted the ICE Tip Line in Anger. I’ll Regret it Forever
Tony Armstrong is a social commentator, satirist and essayist, who currently lives in Dallas, Texas, but reps his twin hometowns — Baltimore and Chicago — hard. In this powerful reflection, Armstrong admits to posting an ICE tip line out of anger after the 47th president’s election, expressing deep remorse as he witnesses immigration crackdowns in Chicago that now harm entire communities, not just immigrants.
Posted inOpinion
From federal overreach to local betrayal: The double threat to Black freedom in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Kevin Beckford and Yasmin Salina, co-founders of The Hustlers Guild, argue that both federal and local policies in Washington, D.C. are undermining Black freedom by reinstating cash bail and expanding pretrial detention under the guise of public safety. They call for rejecting punitive measures and instead investing in restorative justice, community supports and policies that protect pretrial freedom.
Posted inOpinion
What Charlie Kirk’s death reveals about America
Dr. Frances Murphy Draper serves the AFRO as CEO and publisher and is a fourth-generation member of the publication’s founding family. This week, in her call to conscience, she speaks on the brutal death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, his record and the culture of contempt that has become the norm in America.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Attorney General Schwalb sues to end illegal National Guard deployment in D.C.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb has filed a lawsuit challenging the President’s deployment of nearly 2,300 National Guard troops to the District, arguing the move violates federal law and undermines local self-governance. The suit contends that deputizing out-of-state troops for policing duties endangers residents, erodes public trust, and exceeds presidential authority.
Posted inBaltimore News
Wes Moore, Brandon Scott reject 47th president’s National Guard plan for Baltimore
Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott denounced the Oval Office’s plan to send the National Guard to Baltimore, calling it unnecessary and “performative.” At a Sept. 5 press conference in Park Heights, they pointed instead to record crime reductions, with homicides at a 50-year low. City leaders and community advocates stressed that resources should go toward collaboration, jobs and housing — not militarization.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
Thousands protest for a ‘Free DC’ on the fourth week of federal control in Washington
Thousands marched in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 6 to protest the 47th president’s federal takeover of policing in the capital, now in its fourth week. Demonstrators decried the National Guard presence as an “occupation” and demanded local control, while a parallel protest in Chicago pushed back against No. 47’s threats to deploy troops and ICE agents there.
Posted inCommentary
Baltimore doesn’t need occupation — or threats
Baltimore City Mayor Bradon M. Scott and Maryland Governor Wes Moore have made it clear that they will not welcome federal intervention in response to threats from the 47th president of the United States– especially given that crime is down, according to 2025 data.
Posted inOpinion
Back to School, Back to Work—But Not Back to Normal
Black America faces ongoing challenges as voter suppression and military presence threaten democratic rights. It’s time to resist the illusion of normalcy.
Posted inWashington D.C. News
D.C. residents ‘make good trouble’ in push back against federal takeover of nation’s capital
D.C. residents are continuing to speak out against the 47th U.S. president’s decision to bring National Guard troops to the streets of D.C.
Posted inMaryland News
Moore and Scott push back against 47th president’s criticism, tout historic crime decreases
Gov. Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott pushed back against White House criticism by pointing to major crime reductions—Maryland homicides are down 20 percent since Moore’s inauguration, while Baltimore is seeing its lowest homicide rate in 50 years. Both leaders credit data-driven strategies, law enforcement and community partnerships for the historic progress.
Posted inNational News
NY prison guards beat an inmate to death then tried to cover it up, prosecutors say
Ten New York prison guards have been charged, including two with murder, in the fatal beating of 22-year-old inmate Messiah Nantwi at Mid-State Correctional Facility, with allegations of assault, evidence tampering, and a coordinated cover-up. This marks the second group indictment for a prison death in the state this year, as investigations reveal systemic misconduct and lack of accountability during a period of staffing unrest.