There is a line in The Lion King where Mufasa tells Simba he has forgotten him. Simba denies this and Mufasa reiterated this point by saying, “You have forgotten who you are and so forgotten me. You are more than what you’ve become.” I always thought these were the best lines in the movie. African Americans talk about and brag about Black History. In reality African Americans … [Read more...] about Remember who you are
Editorials and Opinions
We must be the examples
When our children see the news right now, what are they thinking? We are at a moment where adults everywhere are reminded once again that we must all continue to strive to be the examples we want our children to emulate. We must teach them to value the truth and to know right from wrong. We cannot depend on anyone else. I believe all great faiths, history, moral decency, … [Read more...] about We must be the examples
Bringing truth to light
On July 25, the day that would have been Emmett Till’s 82nd birthday, President Joe Biden hosted a White House signing ceremony for a proclamation establishing the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Mississippi and Illinois. Three sites are now part of this monument honoring Emmett Till, who had just turned 14 when he was abducted, tortured, and lynched in … [Read more...] about Bringing truth to light
Youth aren’t bulletproof
“Dear Lawmaker, My name is Ana Rodriguez. I lost my daughter, Maite Rodriguez on May 24, 2022 in a mass shooting at her school, Robb Elementary, in Uvalde, TX . . . It was the last week of school and she was excited about watching movies with her friends and attending the honor roll ceremony. Don’t imagine. Put yourself in my daughter’s shoes that day: Her name is called … [Read more...] about Youth aren’t bulletproof
Overturning opportunity
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
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