Hope

May 9 2013

Homelessness, God and Me

One of the most dangerous things about being part of the working homeless community is that you learn how to adapt to an unhealthy situation. It’s not comfortable, or safe, but you find ways to carry on with your life. Like most people, I grew up hearing the old saying, “misery loves company.” I always thought it was meant to be negative, that miserable people liked to make other people’s lives miserable like theirs. But being a part of the homeless community was a lifesaver for me.

Apr 25 2013

An angel watching over me

How many times have you heard, “Ask and it shall be given …?”

For far too many of us they are just words from the Bible we recite mindlessly or that we don’t take seriously. But for the very wise, the phrase is freedom. I’ve read the Bible off and on all of my life, but I never really thought about putting the words into action, putting real, directed faith in the Word of God. I just wasn’t consistent in my beliefs; anything could derail me.

Apr 18 2013

Terrorized while I slept

By September 2012, I had been living on the street consistently for a number of days. I called it my “vampire syndrome”—up all night, sleeping during the day and only staying in someone’s home if they invited me in.

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Nov 4 2010

Anger brews over new grocery’s non-compliance

The Hyde Park Organizational Partnership for Empowerment (HOPE) along with several groups within the Crenshaw community recently filed a petition with the Los Angeles City Council, to appeal an approval by the South Central Area Planning Council, granting Fresh & Easy Markets several exceptions to the Crenshaw Specific Plan for a proposed store on the southwest corner of 52nd Street and Crenshaw Boulevard.

Brittney M. Walker  |   OW Staff Writer
Sep 30 2010

Global society’s motif

Religion and politics are like the bread and butter of social thought. The two share some very similar characteristics and have even been the foundation of wars. But since this is the religion and spirituality section, let us focus only on religion.

So what is this entity, this organism, this institution that has evoked so much division, yet unwavering devotion among people across the world?

Religion, simply put, is a set of values and beliefs a group of people agrees upon and practice.

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.