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Home Issue: 95

Issue: 95

June 17, 2004

Cover Story

Mass Incarceration and Rape

By The Black Commentator Guest Commentator

Mass incarceration is by far the greatest crisis facing Black America, ultimately eclipsing all others. It is an overarching reality that colors and distorts every aspect of African American political, economic and cultural life, smothering the human – and humane – aspirations of the community. Even the boundless creativity of youth cannot escape the chains…

Mass incarceration is by far the greatest crisis facing Black America, ultimately eclipsing all others. It is an overarching reality that colors and distorts every aspect…

Continue reading 11 min

Commentary

Freedom Rider: American Extremists

By Margaret Kimberley Guest Commentator

The South will rise again, and again and again. There is no end in sight to the effort to redeem the Confederacy and promote white racism and supremacy. Our late and now endlessly lamented 40th president, Ronald Reagan, began his campaign for president in Philadelphia, Mississippi by calling for “states rights.” He then gave a…

The South will rise again, and again and again. There is no end in sight to the effort to redeem the Confederacy and promote white racism…

Continue reading 5 min

Commentary

If I Get Shot

By The Police

Maybe the tempest of blue-on-black homicide hasn’t rained down on you. But the police slayings of unarmed black men that continue to grip America are a sinister eulogy; burying hope with one hand and exhuming a twisted justice with the other. As a black man, whatever that means, I’d better give you my take on…

Maybe the tempest of blue-on-black homicide hasn’t rained down on you. But the police slayings of unarmed black men that continue to grip America are a…

Continue reading 4 min

Commentary

Black Job Loss Déjà Vu

By Betsy Leondar-Wright

This article originally appeared in Dollars & Sense: The Magazine of Economic Justice. In July 2003, Mary Clark saw a notice posted by the time clock at the Pillowtex plant where she worked: the plant was closing down at the end of the month. The company would be laying off 4,000 workers. “They acted like…

This article originally appeared in Dollars & Sense: The Magazine of Economic Justice. In July 2003, Mary Clark saw a notice posted by the time clock…

Continue reading 11 min

Commentary

Hip Hop’s Gender Problem

By Mark Anthony Neal

This article originally appeared in Africana.com. The recent controversy over Nelly’s music video “Tip-Drill” has highlighted what we’ve all known for some time: hip hop has a gender problem. And for most of hip hop’s 30-something years, folk have been compelled to point out the sexism, misogyny and homophobia that finds a forum in the…

This article originally appeared in Africana.com. The recent controversy over Nelly's music video "Tip-Drill" has highlighted what we've all known for some time: hip hop has…

Continue reading 7 min

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