The Politics of Getting Africa Out of Trouble
This is a hard column for me to write this week. Africa is in trouble. That’s not a comment that is hard to believe or one that is new to make.
Slamming the door, again
The Roberts Supreme Court recently decided that the state of Michigan had the right to vote against affirmative action policies in college admissions. Michigan State is one of many where mediocre White students challenge the fact that African American students, ...
A ‘Sterling’ Example of Our Confusion
Let me get my disclaimer out of the way first: The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) is a business organization. Our sole purpose is to improve the lives of Black people by actively working to change the market environment. We ...
Mental illness: A disease of denial
“I’m tired,” my sisterfriend says. “I don’t know how much longer I can hold on.” As I hear her, I have a couple of choices. One is to tell her to get with her pastor and pray; the other is ...
Many more rivers to cross
Today, the long travail and struggle of African people to gain freedom, justice, equality and empowerment remains both a historic challenge and an unprecedented opportunity. In particular, for more than 45 million Black Americans, the struggle continues in 2014 for ...
NNPA and the Hip Hop Union countdown to ‘The Greatest Mix’
The NNPA, a federation of approximately 200 Black newspapers, the Hip Hop Union, a governing body of businesses and entrepreneurs, and the largest DJ coalition in the world, join forces to eliminate the communication barriers that have plagued Black America ...
LBJ’s Legacy: Honored and Under Assault
Fifty years later, former President Lyndon Johnson got the tribute he more than earned. Four presidents praised his contribution. The Great Society, the War on Poverty, Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act opened doors that had been locked. “I ...
Is story of Black women struggling financially too ‘unremarkable’ for media?
When John and Ann started working on January 1, 2013, John had something of an advantage. Because women earn 77 cents for every dollar John earns, it will take Ann until April 11, 2014 to earn the same amount of ...
The Adventures of CI-7
There was a black and white Japanese cartoon show I used to watch as a kid called The Amazing Three. These were three talking animals that were actually space aliens sent to see if Earth was going to be a ...
African diplomats shun Black business owners
Last week I attended a very nice reception hosted by two of my friends, Rosa Whitaker and Bernadette Paolo. Rosa is CEO and President of the Whitaker Group, a Washington, D.C.-based consultancy specializing in trade and investment in Africa. She ...
Voter Suppression Continues
I love voting. Every time I go into the booth, I see little girl me, pigtails and all, plaid skirt, white blouse and green sweater... part of my Catholic school uniform. Most of my family were democrats, though my grandmother ...
The Power of the Black Press
Whenever there is a steady series of public questions being raised about the “power” of Black Americans, you should always first consider the motive and purpose of the questions. Such was the case recently when Richard Prince wrote a column, ...
The Politics of Public Integrity and Ethics in Office
This is not the first time this column has discussed public integrity and ethics in elective office in California, and it probably won’t be the last. But, gosh, another California State Senator indicted on federal charges of corruption, fraud, and ...
May I have your attention, please?
If you missed the news about the disappearance of Malaysian Flight 370 over the Indian Ocean, you must have been buried in sand. For two weeks we have been bombarded with theories–was it terrorism? Pilot error? Something else?
Crime and the City
I love crime. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m no ski-mask-wearing hoodlum crouching in the shadows of that alcove you’re passing, salivating to pounce and snatch your hard earned money. I like my crime on the page where it can ...
