Category: Opinion
OP-ED: Black People Suffer Disproportionately from Dementia Crisis
By Dr. Lucille Ridgill Alzheimer’s disease (the most common type of dementia) is the 6th leading cause of death among White people, but the 4th leading cause of death for Black people like me. The Black population age 65+ is projected to more than double in size in the next 10 years, which means dementia…
OP-ED: The stuff of Dreams — MLK goes right on marching
More than 50 years later and still so much to be done By Ray Curry, Secretary-Treasurer, UAW “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” — Martin Luther King Jr. The citizens of this country are…
COMMENTARY: NFL Comments on George Floyd and Gets Roasted on Kaepernick
By Lauren Victoria Burke, NNPA Newswire Contributor NFL Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, 32, hasn’t played in the NFL since the 2016 season. He was blackballed by the NFL after silently protesting police brutality by silently taking a knee on the sidelines during the national anthem at the start of NFL games. Kaepernick became a free agent…
Opinion: Coronavirus and Your Mental Health
Dr. Lenore Tate | Special to California Black Media What happened to living for the weekend? Where did hump day go? When will sports return? When will these kids return to school? Where can I buy toilet paper? When will life return to normal? When will I be able to return to work? These and…
Witness For Justice Commentary: How do we Live in an Easter World When it Still Feels Like Lent?
Written by Katie Adams I’m writing this at the start of Holy Week, but it will be published online on Maundy Thursday and then circulated next week after Easter Sunday. And what a different Easter it will be: our alleluias tempered by news of deaths and disaster, the liturgical calendar stubbornly refusing to mirror the…
COMMENTARY: Panic buying adds additional stress in COVID-19 pandemic
You don’t need a year’s supply of toilet paper By Merdies Hayes, Managing Editor, Our Weekly News Panic buying has been rife around the globe in wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Customers have been stockpiling goods like hand sanitizer, bottled water, canned goods, paper towels and toilet paper. The trend has seen stores in some…
Letter to the Editor SB Mayor removal of R.V. Johnson from Water Board
The City of San Bernardino is facing a multitude of important decisions to be made in order to move the City forward. Some of which are a new City Manager who must be selected by the end of this year. A Police Chief needs to be chosen outside of the current Police Department. Decisions need…
COMMENTARY: Young voters are going to be key to winning 2020
By Dan Glickman and Alan Solomont Politics is in realignment. And perhaps the most underappreciated change is this: Based on recent research at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life, young voters, ages 18-29, played a significant role in the 2018 midterms and are poised to shape elections in 2020 and beyond. For decades, this…
OP-ED: Hidden Tax Increases on Airlines Tickets Won’t Fly
By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association Why is it that poor people are always asked to pay more in America? Last year, I warned about the possibility that Congress might try to impose a new tax on air travelers. Well, it’s 2020 — and here we go again….
OPINION: Danger of Historical Amnesia in the Era of Trump
POST NEWS GROUP — “To view Trump’s win as the “most volatile” political moment in American history is inaccurate. We are living in volatile and terrifying times, but they are not exceptional political times. We are living in a time of a resurgence and consolidation of power to white supremacist groups. We must vigilantly confront…
OP-ED: How heavy a burden does a person of color alleging discrimination have to carry to have his day in court?
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The United States Supreme Court’s decision will determine whether a plaintiff who alleges race discrimination pursuant to 42 USC 1981 may have his or her day in court if he or she can show that racial discrimination was a factor, even among others, in a defendant’s refusal to do business. By Falen…
COMMENTARY: What Do the 2019 Elections Mean for 2020?
NNPA NEWSWIRE — While Democrats scored some gains, the Mississippi governor’s mansion is still in Republican hands. Mississippi has the largest concentration of Black people – 39 percent – of any state, but African Americans remain underrepresented among elected officials in Mississippi. By Dr. Julianne Malveaux, NNPA Newswire Contributor If the 2019 elections are any…
OPINION: Importance of Educators of Color for Black & Brown Students
I have been a Black student, education policymaker, and now an advocate for providing the best educational opportunities for all our children. One reality that I’ve had to face and embrace through each of these stages in my life and career is that the prevalence of leaders of color like me is a major contributor…
COMMENTARY: Is U.S. marching steadily to war with Iran?
By Askia Muhammad, Senior Editor, The Final Call @askiaphotojourn WASHINGTON—President Donald J. Trump seems to want war with Iran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is beating the drum for war with Iran. National Security Adviser John Bolton is itching for war with Iran. Together they are orchestrating an all-too-familiar scenario to justify the use of…
COMMENTARY: We must approach ending Alzheimer’s with the urgency it deserves
By Congresswoman Maxine Waters This week, thousands of researchers, scientists, clinicians, advocates, and concerned Angelenos convened at the Los Angeles Convention Center to discuss one of the most urgent health crises of our time: eradicating Alzheimer’s disease and all forms of dementia. Each year, the Annual Alzheimer’s International Conference (AAIC), serves as the world’s largest…
COMMENTARY: Embracing the Courageous Four; Radically Reconceiving and Reconstructing America
By Dr. Maulana Karenga In spite of the forked-tongue talk, doublespeak and patently racist ranting of the pretending President Trump and the White supremacist mob-like cheerleaders chanting hatred at his rallies, we must not miss the fresh, air-clearing and uplifting wind that is steadily rising and blowing our way. It is the transforming force of…
COMMENTARY: JAXJAZZ, JAXJAZZ, JAXJAZZ
By Miles Jaye, Staff Writer, Texas Metro News Count Basie performing at the Aquarium Night Club, NYC. (Photo: Library of Congress’ Music Division / Wikimedia Commons) By Miles Jaye, Staff Writer, Texas Metro News I’ve listened to jazz music all my life. I was raised on the greats: Satchmo, Duke, Count, Bird, Diz, Monk and…
OP-ED: Legislative proposal will lower the cost of health care
By Sen. Lamar Alexander If there’s one issue I hear about most from Tennesseans, it is ‘What are you going to do about the health care costs I pay for out of my own pocket?’ Well, I’ve got an answer. Republicans and Democrats in the United States Senate have announced a proposal of nearly three-dozen…
COMMENTARY: “Black” or “African American?”
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent @StacyBrownMedia In a recent televised commentary, Dr. Greg Carr, chair of Howard University’s Department of Afro-American Studies kick-started a stirring conversation that has mostly taken place inside the confines of Black communities around the country. Carr tackled the sometimes-uncomfortable topic of identifying as Black versus African-American. “Despite the…
COMMENTARY: What a Time to Bey
By Chelle Wilson, Texas Metro News Columnist I notice that it is only when my mother is working in her flowers that she is radiant, almost to the point of being invisible—except as Creator: hand and eye. She is involved in work her soul must have. Ordering the universe in the image of her personal…
OPINION: The interlopers better recognize that Howard University isn’t going anywhere
Gentrification is now at the center of debate for students and neighbors on and off HU’s campus. By Kyra Azore This is more than just about race; it’s also about respect. (Photo courtesy of Howard University, Washington, DC by Nikolaus Fogle, 2010) For more than 150 years, Howard University has been located on sacred land….
COMMENTARY: The Mueller Report and the Question of US foreign policy
By Bill Fletcher, Jr., NNPA Newswire Contributor If there had been any question about Russian interference in the 2016 election, that is now a settled matter in light of the Mueller Report. Whether that interference had a demonstrable impact on the election results will be debated for years to come, but Robert Mueller’s committee established,…
COMMENTARY: Is There More to Teaching and Learning Than Testing?
By Barbara D. Parks-Lee, Ph.D., CF, NBCT (ret.), NNPA ESSA Awareness Campaign Teaching is a multi-faceted calling for many and an occupation for some, but how can teaching and learning effectiveness be measured without testing? There must be some way—or ways—to measure what and whether students are learning, and teachers are teaching. Rigor, high standards,…
OP-ED: Lives Remain In the Balance: 2019
By Congressman Elijah Cummings If President Trump and his Republican allies would seriously consider both their sense of humanity and the lessons of history, they would halt their continuing attacks on the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA” or “ObamaCare”) and work with Democrats to solve the health care challenges that our nation faces. As Congressional…
COMMENTARY: After 51 Years, Fair Housing Still an Unfinished Journey
By Charlene Crowell, NNPA Newswire Contributor Fifty-one years ago, this month, the Fair Housing Act (the Act) was enacted to ensure that housing discrimination was illegal. Yet, just days before the annual observance of Fair Housing Month began, headline news articles reminded the nation that housing discrimination still exists. For example, on March 19, the…
