Dear Rachel, This is an open letter to you and all the young people in this country who, through no fault of your own, find yourself living in under-served communities and not yet figuring out your way in this world. There is hope. Never let anyone tell you what you cannot do and who you […]
When rapper Lil Wayne used offensive lyrics that included the name of Emmett Till, it sparked a conversation about whether or not much of this generation actually knew him or why or how he died. Now, this generation has an Emmett Till of its own, Trayvon Martin. The circumstances of their murders have some eerie […]
One of the funniest and most memorable scenes in Eddie Murphy’s hit movie “Beverly Hills Cop” was the banana in the tailpipe scene. In fact, it was so popular and has become such a part of pop culture that it’s an expression we use when we think someone is trying to pull something over on […]
I’m no Stevie Wonder, but I do know a little something about getting a new holiday started, and it’s not easy. But I’ll keep moving forward until Father’s Day Friday has a theme song and we get the day off. But for now, start by not questioning what daddy does or where he decided to […]
I love and appreciate my right to privacy as much as any American does. But I also love and appreciate efforts to secure our nation from terrorism. I’m talking, of course, about the news that the National Security Agency’s need to collect telephone records of millions of U.S. citizens. Republicans are upset, but they aren’t […]
I’m so proud of Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry. The two media power houses joined forces and it paid off big. The premiere episodes of “The Haves and the Have Nots ,” and “Love Thy Neighbor” broke records, making them the highest-rated shows to debut on the OWN network to date. We’re so used to […]
When I was growing up, there was sort of an unwritten law to keep your dirty laundry inside your own house. When I became a DJ, I started breaking some of the rules and talking about things I wouldn’t normally reveal, but even then I did have my boundaries. But these days it’s hard to […]
It’s commencement time for many HBCUs. Last week I spoke at Fisk University and Saturday I address the graduates at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. As with all commencement speeches, my goal is to motivate and inspire, something I struggled with this year more than others. I mean, there are always some proud moments that […]
While too many of us were concentrating on an NBA player’s sexuality despite the fact that most of the population had never heard of him, some much bigger news was transpiring. “Four Morehouse athletes were arrested in connection with sexual assaults,” was the headline of the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s website. Heartbreaking on so many levels, […]
This isn’t new to us anymore. Oklahoma City, New York, Boston and maybe West, Texas and Mobile, Alabama are all places where terrorists have struck right here on our own soil. And let’s not forget the poison-laced letter sent to the White House, and even though no one has officially confirmed it, the grounding of […]
Around here, we call it a “Pull Up Pal.” It’s your “boy,” your “girl,” your “bestie, BFF, roomie,” anybody who cares enough about you to turn you around when you’re about to say or do something really stupid. Man, could Tyrese have used one last week when he made some really mean comments about overweight […]
It was the saddest news of the week: three dozen public school educators were indicted in a huge cheating scandal. Included in the indictment are the former superintendent of schools and several high-level administrators and principals. If you haven’t heard about it, they are accused of giving or changing answers on tests after they were […]