Category: Commentary

The forward elements of organized labor are going South in earnest. Let us hope that the main forces are not far behind. The struggle to unionize the South began late and remains problematical, yet it is unavoidable if unions are to reverse their long slide into the margins of political influence. In this battle, Black…

This is the text of a News Release sent to news organizations nationwide. The full text of the letter to the President and other goverment officials is included at the end of the release. For Immediate Release President is Warned Race Bias “Threatens National Security” Redstone Arsenal minorities cite “Tar Baby” incidents, urge caution in…

At the meeting on Friday morning, you made the comment, “I don’t want the tar baby pinned on me.” I was the only African American in the room at the time of your comment. I feel it was inappropriate, disrespectful, demeaning, offensive and a racial slur. The remark caused me emotional turmoil and was very…

From: Co-Publisher Glen Ford To: Readers Dear Reader, We noted that our letter concerning Condoleezza Rice and her fellow Image Icon, Geraldo Rivera, was the most-read page of the May 8 issue. Naturally, this called for deep thought and introspection. Had we treated The Image shabbily? If so, we might have real cause for concern.…

Black America dodged a bullet, May 14. The national ultra-conservative network, after committing resources that only billionaires can muster, failed in its first serious effort to intervene directly in intra-Black electoral politics. Their champion, 33-year old first term Newark Councilman Cory Booker, lost his bid to unseat 66-year old Mayor Sharpe James, 53% to 47%.…

Dr. Martin Kilson, Guest Commentator When Cory Booker emerged as a real contender for Mayor of majority Black Newark, New Jersey, some African American intellectuals sounded the alarm. Among them was Harvard’s Dr. Martin Kilson, a research professor of political science who was the first African American to be granted full tenure at the college,…

FROM: Co-Publisher Glen Ford TO: Our Readers Re: Condoleezza & Geraldo Dear Reader: It’s as good a time as any to gauge how Condoleezza Rice is measuring up to her Image Award. Ever since the televised presentation back in March, lots of us have wondered how NAACP executive director Kweisi Mfume had come to the…

“Out of the lands thus confiscated each liberated slave who is a male adult, or the head of a family, shall have assigned to him a homestead of forty acres of land, (with $100 to build a dwelling), which shall be held for them by trustees during their pupilage.” –Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, speaking to the…

In the streets of the megalopolis that stretches from the Chesapeake Bay to New York Harbor, janitors chant, “Puedo si” (Yes, I can!), demanding decent wages to clean the office towers of the New Economy. On the West Coast, home care workers celebrate their hard fought victories in a score of languages. In majority Black…

Rep. Cynthia McKinney’s Statement On The Events of September 11 On March 25, Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney appeared on a public radio program in Berkeley, California. She shared her thoughts on the September 11 bombings, including her belief that some U.S. agencies had prior knowledge that attacks were planned. McKinney pointed out that individuals and…