On April 2, 2024, 109-year-olds Viola Fletcher and Lessie Benningfield Randle appeared together at a Tulsa courthouse in a hearing before Oklahoma’s Supreme Court. Mother Fletcher and Mother Randle, as they are known in their communities, are the last two known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. In 2020, they were part of a group of survivors and descendants who filed a … [Read more...] about An update in a long fight for justice
Editorials and Opinions
Your family first
You hear a lot of people complaining about certain aspects of US society. Many people point the finger at the usual suspect, African Americans. The issues that face US society are more than the lack of pride in 41million people who reside in the USA. The issues that plague the US are not limited to race. There is a simple solution that will help the US as a whole recover some … [Read more...] about Your family first
Reminders of renewal
As Christians this past weekend celebrated Easter, in the midst of this holy season for so many faith traditions, I return again to the Easter Sunday service of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached in April 1957 at Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, titled “Questions that Easter Answers.” Dr. King said one of these questions is “Is the universe on the side of … [Read more...] about Reminders of renewal
Play for your own
There is March Madness in the USA. The NCAA D1 Men's Tournament started in March and ends in early April. For college basketball fans this is the best time of the year. Big money changes hands during the tournament. The majority of the teams that compete in the NCAA Tournament are predominantly white schools that feature African American players. You have to wonder how the NCAA … [Read more...] about Play for your own
Ella Baker
As Women’s History Month continues, I wanted to highlight again another transforming woman whose name I hope young people will learn: Ella Josephine Baker. Ella Baker said this 60 years ago as she was speaking about the murders of Freedom Summer workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman, and Michael Schwerner, who disappeared together in Mississippi in June 1964. During the … [Read more...] about Ella Baker
You have to wonder
You can only shake your head when looking at the chaotic state of US society in 2024. There is confusion in politics. There is a lack of morals and hypocrisy displayed in every race that makes up the country. Ignorance is running rampant and wiping the minds of the next generation of US citizens. You have to wonder if this is some divine penance for the hatred US society has … [Read more...] about You have to wonder
Black history, women’s history: Septima Clark
As Black History Month ends and Women’s History Month begins, it’s always a special privilege to honor leaders who overlap in both—black women who did their part to change American history. As we approach the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement’s Freedom Summer, one of these leaders to know and honor is Septima Clark, the woman Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., called the … [Read more...] about Black history, women’s history: Septima Clark
Not equal but the same
For too many years to count there has been an attempt by African Americans to be treated as equal to white Americans. Over the years violence and other means have been used by both white and black Americans to avoid or achieve this equality. In 2024 equality is still a dream, but there is one reality that the USA has achieved between the two major races. African Americans and … [Read more...] about Not equal but the same
A Christmas lesson
On December 24, 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., delivered the message at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, on what would be his last Christmas Eve. The message was titled, “A Christmas Sermon on Peace”. More than 50 years later, I reiterate some of that powerful lesson. In a season when many people sing carols praying for peace on earth, Dr. King shared a … [Read more...] about A Christmas lesson
Time for action: White House needs to end delay, move forward with Ban on Menthol
The tobacco industry decades ago launched a devastating campaign to target the black community with its products, its primary tool being menthol cigarettes. This sustained attack on black health has resulted in profits in the billions and the deaths of millions. Understandably, health and social and racial justice advocates, among many others, saw great promise in the … [Read more...] about Time for action: White House needs to end delay, move forward with Ban on Menthol