People in this country still believe in the American Dream, but after one of the worst recessions this country has seen, many are fearful that they may be standing on a trapdoor instead of a ladder to success. For as long I can remember, I have watched African-Americans create their own opportunities by working hard, […]
Historically Black colleges and universities are suffering in today’s environment as parents and students are electing to go elsewhere. The days of almost certainly attending a Black institution as our parents did are a thing of the past. College students today have more choices. Earlier in the month, President Barack Obama was critical of HBCUs […]
I read a series of columns lately about the various things that we do as men that bothers women. And it downright pissed me off. It seems male-bashing has become the rule, not the exception. Everything from a man’s emotional dishonesty to his supposed fear of feminist, progressive, and overachieving women, have been brought into […]
Absence does not make the heart grow fonder. It actually breeds resentment, contentment and leaves scars that may take years to heal. Fatherhood is for life. It’s not a matter of station or wealth. It is a matter of desire, diligence and determination. Yet the idea of being a lifetime educator, guidance counselor, instructor, fiscal advisor, […]
As Selma opens this weekend in theaters nationwide, a controversy has erupted about its historical accuracy, and whether then-President Lyndon B. Johnson’s actions were righteous or calculated. At the same time, Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), the House majority whip, has acknowledged that he spoke at a gathering hosted by white-supremacist leaders while serving as a […]
If you’re a parent, the idea of embarrassing your kid the minute he or she does something stupid often comes to mind – if nothing else to teach them a lesson. For me and my friends, public humiliation was just a part of growing up. It didn’t matter where you were – grocery store, department […]
Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson was accused of not being Black enough and essentially called an ‘Uncle Tom,’ within the confines of his own locker room. It’s unfortunate that every person in that locker room that looks like Wilson doesn’t see him a as a brother because Wilson embodies everything that is Black and […]
The landscape has changed. A vandalized shell of a building is now a new coffee shop, a nice jazz club or a high-end clothing boutique. Places that were once known for drugs, crime and projects, now have city gardens and Whole Foods stores – and they now have white folks. For the past decade, gentrification […]
Chris Webber was one of those rare college players who understood the possibility of greatness. As a member of the Fab Five, the legendary University of Michigan freshman class, he showed us that the ability to play such a sport at the highest level demands not only poise in the face of impossible obstacles but […]
I believed that Ferguson was all but forgotten. After all, Darren Wilson, the police offer who executed Michael Brown has still not been arrested. I figured he wouldn’t be. I thought that the rise in rage, drive, and hunger for justice in Ferguson, Missouri had reached its crescendo. This weekend renewed my hope for justice, […]
I am deeply suspicious of African-Americans who wish to separate from something they can never separate themselves from – being Black. I don’t care if you have light, dark or caramel skin, or even an interesting grade of hair, in the eyes of American society as a whole – you are African-American or Black. Obviously, […]
Manhood in the Black community is at a crossroads. Some would say it always has been. And as we become more and more removed from the days of “the man trying to keep me down,” Black men in America have to start asking the question – who are we? A Black man is not born. […]