Category: Guest Commentary

“The earth was created by the assistance of the sun, and it should be left as it was… The country was made without lines of demarcation, and it is no man’s business to divide it…” –Chief Joseph, Nez Perce Tribe There ought not be any problems between blacks and recently arrived migrant workers in Los…

Around my cubicle at work, I am surrounded by giants. I’m talking heavyweights of intellect, humanity, civil rights, labor rights, social and cultural enlightenment, and simply put, fighters for revolution. There is no question of commitment when names like Martin L. King Jr., Malcolm X, Ida Wells-Barnett, or Paul Robeson are mentioned. What of the…

This article originally appeared in Intelligence Squad Reports, of which Mr. Grayman is publisher. As we all know, Mexico held its presidential election early this month. The official results show the conservative candidate with an extremely small margin over the liberal one. A color-coded map of the state-by-state results shows a North/South regional divide. And…

Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe now has a new American acronym to scorn – CBTU. The Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) has launched a major campaign to clip Mr. Mugabe of his “liberator” image in the African American community by exposing the thuggish actions of his regime against the Zimbabwean people. CBTU President William Lucy…

In a nation built on the foundation of White supremacy, anyone the authorities perceive as threatening that foundation is considered subversive. This has always been true of African Americans who fought for racial equality, and is now equally true for an increasing number of people, including artists, Muslims and anyone who speaks out against this…

It’s come to my immediate attention that some, not all, black people need a lesson in how to avoid mass ignorance. While at the bank the other day, I found myself waiting in an unusually long line. Now, I bank with a black owned bank and this bank, no matter how many people are in…

The newly appointed White House spokesman, Tony Snow, was near tears during his maiden televised press briefing, when he was asked why he wears a yellow cancer-awareness bracelet. Snow paused for 10 seconds, bowed his head and regained his composure. The bracelet symbolized his survival of colon cancer and benefits the Lance Armstrong Foundation. His…

“IMMIGRATION HARMS BLACK AMERICA,” was the name of a document that recently found its way into my email box. The fundamental issue that this document raised was that immigration posed a threat to the economic well-being of African-Americans. It is a concern that reverberates in African-American communities. Yet, while the concern for African-American well-being is…

After a week spent volunteering in New Orleans, I left overcome with two feelings: one, of the converging influences of racism, classism and capitalism preventing a just rebuilding process; and two, of the way my college delicately skirts challenging these forms of oppression. I journeyed to New Orleans from Selma, AL with 165 other students,…

This article originally appeared on Dr. Fleming’s website, www.theblackpew.com. Here we go again. If insanity is defined as doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result, then the Civil Rights beggars have cornered the market on insanity. The Urban League released its 2006 State of Black America report, and yep, you guessed it!…