African American Politics

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jan 19 2012

Practical Politics

In a lot of ways, today’s political process is a crucible of American-style politics. This is better than Poly Sci 101 for those who pay even mild attention. The relationship between the tripartite branches of the federal government, and the continuing cries of the states for expanded usage of the 10th Amendment, demonstrate much better than any university video or college classroom slides how the government actually works, rather than how it is supposed to work.

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jan 12 2012

Practical Politics

There are those who still say the creation of America’s 10 national holiday in 1983—i.e., the kind that means post offices, banks, schools, and libraries close and federal workers get the day off—was a reparations gift of White guilt for the long years of making Black Americans suffer.

Perhaps.

Anthony Asadullah Samad, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jan 12 2012

Between the Lines

This week is our annual King dance.

I call it the King dance because it’s the time of year when American society dances around the significance of Martin Luther King Jr. and his contributions to the evolution of American society.

It is really difficult to grapple with the compromising of the King legacy.

King was more than a day off work. King marched for social justice and economic equality. He didn’t march in parades. I never got the parade concept. What are we celebrating? The life of Martin Luther King Jr., you say.

Julianne Malveaux  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jan 12 2012

The reality if different for Blacks

The unemployment rate is falling for the third month in a row, and in December about 200,000 private sector jobs were created. The monthly unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that unemployment has declined by six-tenths of a percentage point since August. Already, some economists are saying we can expect another decline next month.

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
Jan 5 2012

Practical Politics

OK, it is official now—the United States Supreme Court is going to hear oral arguments in March on the continuing controversy and mixed federal court rulings regarding the Affordable Care law, aka, ObamaCare.

At least 26 states with Republican state attorneys general have filed suits against the legality of the law passed by Congress in March 2010. There have been rulings that have said the law is unconstitutional in whole or in part, and the majority of rulings saying the law is constitutional as is.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.