In the spring of 1954, like so many black families, mine waited anxiously for the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision. My father and I talked about it and what it would mean for my future and the future of millions of other black children who were attending segregated but unequal black schools. He died the week before Brown was decided. But I and many other … [Read more...] about Overturning opportunity
Editorials and Opinions
Independence
The Fourth of July has passed in the USA. The celebration ceremonies are over and the fireworks have been disposed of. American citizens have celebrated the ratification of The Declaration of Independence. White people can celebrate independence because in the USA they have it. Do African Americans even understand the concept of independence? Independence means the state of … [Read more...] about Independence
An African American Father’s Fear
An African American father is in a position no other father on the planet resides in or could even understand. First, they have procreated and enhanced the African American population. Second, they have brought a new life into an extremely hostile environment. How would a “conscious” African American father deal with this situation? How would this parent who loves their … [Read more...] about An African American Father’s Fear
Nobody’s free until everybody’s free
Our nation has just celebrate its third commemoration of Juneteenth as a federal holiday, marking the jubilant day in June 1865 when many enslaved people in Texas finally learned they were free from federal troops arriving in Galveston after the end of the Civil War. The news came more than two and a half years after President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on … [Read more...] about Nobody’s free until everybody’s free
Juneteenth Day and Freedom
Juneteenth Day is the celebration of the ending of slavery in the USA. In 1865, US Army troops arrived in Texas and officially announced that slaves were free by executive decree. Texas was the last of the confederate states to grant slaves their freedom. Texas was also the first state to make Juneteenth Day an official holiday. African Americans it is time to take freedom to … [Read more...] about Juneteenth Day and Freedom
Wear orange for Hadiya
May 29, 2023, was Memorial Day in the United States, and the long weekend that is traditionally observed with shared remembrance, made headlines again for the shared all-American epidemic of gun violence. The nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which keeps track of American gun violence incidents, noted there were at least 175 people killed and another 496 injured during the … [Read more...] about Wear orange for Hadiya
Hope you enjoy your stay
There have been several cases of teens overdosing in the USA over the past few years. The various derivatives of opium-based drugs has permeated US society on all levels. Poor African American junkies are not the only people overdosing on drugs. There are white middle- and upper- class teens consuming various drugs and overdosing. The last few years the US began stating there … [Read more...] about Hope you enjoy your stay
A lesson from Ambassador James Joseph
I recently attended a memorial service for my dear friend and former Children’s Defense Fund Board Chair Ambassador James Joseph. Ambassador Joseph was a civil rights, corporate, and philanthropic leader, including his transformative service as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Council on Foundations and a co-founder and chair of the Association of Black Foundation … [Read more...] about A lesson from Ambassador James Joseph
Don’t question the celebration
Recently, a question was asked during a discussion in one of the English classes I teach. A young Mexican female questioned why the school holds an annual Black History celebration. This young lady’s question pertained to the fact that the school did not do this for other ethnic groups. There were African Americans in the class who looked puzzled or down at their books. I … [Read more...] about Don’t question the celebration
Why Mother’s Day celebrations are so revered in the black community
Mother’s Day is upon us, and families all over the world celebrate the day by honoring their moms through a variety of ways, as we all ease into what may be a “new normal.” Mother’s Day is celebrated across the country every year on the second Sunday in May, but this holiday has special importance to the African American family. It was declared a national holiday in 1914, and … [Read more...] about Why Mother’s Day celebrations are so revered in the black community