Commentary

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 […]

In 2014, a lot of folks expressed their opinions. But not enough folks expressed informed opinions, as professional punditry has made a lot of people rich who are better at foaming at the mouth than they are actually sharing relevant information. Fortunately, you could always come to Blackamericaweb.com to hear from some folks who had […]

After getting pummeled by the mainstreamed media over the scandalous sexual assault allegations against him, Bill Cosby is hoping the black media will offer impartial support. Why now? And is it too late? Black people have a long history of forgiveness, but I’m not sure how many Black Americans are prepared to forgive Cosby’s alleged […]

Will the family of 12-year-old Tamir Rice get justice? Sadly, I’m not confident that a grand jury will indict Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann, although I do believe there is probable cause to send Loehmann to trial. Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was shot and killed by Loehmann on Nov. 22 died from a “gunshot wound of […]

President Barack Obama wants the nation’s police officers to wear body cameras to document violent confrontations that all too often lead to the deaths of unarmed black men like Michael Brown and Eric Garner. The President plans to sign an executive order proposing that $75 million be allocated to buy body cameras for 50,000 police […]

It was an absurd notion all along that President Barack Obama, as the nation’s first black president, could somehow miraculously suppress racism in America simply by using his White House bully pulpit. In an interview with BET Monday night, it was important to hear Obama put racism into its proper historical context as racial tension […]

Yesterday, I received a noteworthy text message from a friend, Gloria McCollum, a formidable attorney from St. Louis who represents The Ethical Society of Police, the largest organization of African-American law enforcement officers in the state of Missouri. McCollum was exasperated – and for good reason. The Ethical Society – and McCollum — were outraged […]

Justice – “A concern for peace and genuine respect for people. The quality of being just, impartial, or fair.” In a solemn courtroom in the predominantly-white enclave of Clayton, Missouri, justice was denied for the parents of Michael Brown. “They determined that no probable cause exists to indict Darren Wilson,” St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney […]

“Women of color struggle every day with biases that perpetuate oppressive standards for how they’re supposed to look and how they’re supposed to act. Too often, they’re either left under the hard light of scrutiny, or cloaked in a kind of invisibility.” – President Barack Obama The White House is highlighting the litany of social and economic […]

Apparently it is now black people’s responsibility to “kill the N-word,” according to Piers Morgan in his latest op-ed entitled, “If black Americans want the N-word to die, they will have to kill it themselves.” And what a joke that is. Piers Morgan didn’t tell us anything we don’t already know. A lot of black people use […]

In nominating Loretta Lynch as the next U.S. Attorney General, President Barack Obama has turned to the daughter of a Baptist preacher and a staunch defender of civil rights to become the nation’s top law enforcer. Lynch is an outstanding choice. Obama, the nation’s first Black president, is also sending a clear signal to this […]

What President Barack Obama needs now is a very thick olive branch. For the next two years, Obama will likely resort to a little-used strategy to manage the Republican take-over of Congress: the art of compromise. Now that Republicans control the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate, Obama is already planning to meet […]