Commentary

By Earl Ofari Hutchinson The monstrous downing of a Malaysian jet liner apparently by Russian backed separatists in the Ukraine did something that few thought could happen. It has gotten GOP leaders momentarily to agree with President Barack Obama when he pointed the finger squarely at Russia for the horrific attack. But don’t expect the…

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You can either deny women contraception and fund education or give women contraception and not fund education. But you can’t do both.  By Denise Clay For five minutes in 1983, I was an Economics major. I say that because it took about five minutes for me to realize that my total inability to do anything…

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By Ron Daniels Each year during the Fourth of July holiday season, I inevitably turn my attention to Frederick Douglass’ extraordinary July 5, 1852 oration in Rochester, New York in which he denounced the hypocrisy of a nation that celebrated its “independence” while millions of sons and daughters of Africa were held in bondage as…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  In July 2, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson reaches to shake hands with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. after presenting the civil rights leader with one of the 72 pens used to sign the Civil Rights Act in Washington. Surrounding the president, from left, are, Rep. Roland Libonati, D-Ill., Rep. Peter Rodino, D-N.J.,…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Three of the Central Park Five youths–Raymond Santana, right, Kevin Richardson, and Yusef Salaam, left, react to supporters Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013, in New York. The three men who were exonerated in the 1989 Central Park Jogger case, were in court for a hearing in a $250 million federal lawsuit they filed against…

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By Wendell P. Simpson  Despite the fact that there is precedent—and a reasonable and cogent argument for it–the issue of reparations for Black people has arisen anew.   African American journalist Ta-Nehisi Coates’ recent article in the Atlantic Monthly, ‘The Case For Reparations’ has everyone, from historians to journalists once again broaching the subject—on one…

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By Rahim Islam It’s no longer what they are doing to us; it’s what we are not doing!!! The Black community has been through it all and continues to struggle with the number of disparities that we face (i.e. heath, incarcerations, education, employment, etc.), but there is no bigger disparity and more damaging to our…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  Dr. Ben Carson, professor emeritus at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, speaks at the Conservative Political Action Conference annual meeting in National Harbor, Md., Saturday, March 8, 2014.  (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) By Earl Ofari Hutchinson Dr. Ben Carson is worse than a bad nightmare. A nightmare keeps recurring, and recurring and recurring. But…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  People gather at a park for a candlelight vigil to honor the victims of Friday night’s mass shooting on Saturday, May 24, 2014, in Isla Vista, Calif. Sheriff’s officials said Elliot Rodger, 22, went on a rampage near the University of California, Santa Barbara, stabbing three people to death at his apartment before…

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ABOVE PHOTO:  National Education Association staff members from Washington joining students, parents and educators at a rally at the Supreme Court in Washington last week, May 13, 2014 on the 60th anniversary Brown v. Board of Education decision that struck down “separate but equal” laws that kept schools segregated. Saturday marks the 60th anniversary of…

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