“Tree had everyone’s backs; he saw the potential in everyone and sought to nurture it.” So said Tomiko Brown-Nagin, dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard and professor of constitutional law at Harvard Law School, and one of Harvard Law School Professor Charles Ogletree’s many colleagues, admirers, and friends. Charles Ogletree, who died August 4, … [Read more...] about Charles Ogletree
Child Watch
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
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
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
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
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
It’s always the guns
Gun violence takes a relentless toll in our nation. Every day more than 300 people are killed or injured by guns in the United States, and most of their stories never make the news at all. But this was yet another week when multiple gun tragedies made national headlines. One of those tragedies started out as a celebration: Alexis Dowdell’s sweet 16 birthday party at a dance … [Read more...] about It’s always the guns
Still fighting for families
"If you want to change the world, you change the world of a child." –Rep. Patricia Schroeder When former Congresswoman Patricia Schroeder passed away March 13, 2023, many people were quick to remember the Harvard-educated lawyer who became the first woman member of Congress from Colorado as a trailblazing feminist politician. As a founding member and co-chair of the … [Read more...] about Still fighting for families
Persevere
The last few months have been a very difficult time for so many of us. I repeat here this “Request for Transfer” by an unknown author that has gotten me through some dark times when I’ve wanted to give up. I wanted to share it to help keep spurring us forward today. “Request for Transfer” To: Commander-in-Chief From: Battlefield Soldier Subject: Request for … [Read more...] about Persevere