Issue: 217

In a span of less than one week, US Presidential hopeful Barack Obama, has managed to simultaneously both deeply insult and negate Black America, while courting what appears to be an increasing amount of white Americans.Many of these white Americans are in flagrant denial of their own color privilege and racism, and clearly grasp that…

I am watching Senator Barack Obama’s announcement of his Presidential candidacy on C-Span. He is so smart, so sensible, so easy to listen to … and so impressive! My kids are bored — they’ve had a bit too much politics in their lives lately — but I want them to see history unfolding. Yes, today…

A favorite mantra of politicos is “all politics is local”. It’s a catch-all phrase that dismisses problems because of lack of an immediate local impact. The problem with “all politics is local” is that civil rights issues are never simply local. Best said by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “injustice anywhere is a threat to…

As we enter this month dedicated to celebrating the struggle, accomplishments, and significant contributions of Americans of African descent, there is much to note and commemorate. Vitally important, however, is that we do not fail to mention the historical—and continuing—ability of the black community in America to produce some of our nation’s most powerful voices…

Baltimore, MD – McGuire Hall, at Loyola College, a Jesuit institution, was standing room only, on the evening of Feb. 6, 2007, as David Simon, the creator of the popular HBO program, The Wire, began his talk. His lecture was part of the school’s Humanities Symposium. While a police reporter for the Baltimore Sun newspaper,…