By Raynard Jackson – Essence Magazine used to be the preeminent magazine for Black women in the U.S. They, like many Black publications, have lost their relevance; and in the process become an embarrassment to the very group they claim to target. Essence was founded in 1968 by Ed Lewis, Clarence Smith, Cecil Hollingworth, Jonathan […]
Commentary
US Supreme Court Orders Release of California Inmates
By Chuck Hobbs, Esq. – Eighteen years ago, Monticello, Florida, a small hamlet near the capital city of Tallahassee, made international headlines when British tourist Gary Collie was murdered at a rest stop along the Interstate by four young black males. The public outrage soon morphed into a number of measures to reduce crime, including […]
Debt ceiling, what’s that? And why does it need to be raised?
By Julianne Malveaux – A recent Gallup poll found that 47 percent of all Americans oppose raising the debt ceiling. Only 19 percent support raising the ceiling past its current $12.1 trillion dollar limit. The remainder of us say we don’t know enough about the debt ceiling to have an opinion. That’s part of our […]
New England “99ers” Need Unemployment Help and Jobs
Marc H. Morial (To Be Equal#21) – “It’s been tough. Very tough. I’m figuring I’m not getting any job. I have no experience, and I can’t get any experience without getting any jobs.” 23-year-old Darrell Davis of Springfield, MA Darrell Davis is just one of hundreds of discouraged, long-term unemployed people we met during last […]
Founder of Black Men’s Xchange Issues Statement Regarding CNN’s Don Lemon
Cleo Manago, founder of the Black Men’s Xchange (http://www.bmxnational.com) the nation’s oldest and largest community-based movement devoted to promoting healthy self-concept and behavior, cultural affirmation and critical consciousness among same gender loving (SGL), gay-identifying and bisexual African-descended males and allies, issued the following statement regarding CNN’s Don Lemon’s “coming out.” Washington, DC – “I’m being […]
Un-“Common” Thoughts – Rapper Common at the White House
By Raynard Jackson – Last night Michelle Obama hosted an “Evening of Poetry” at the White House. She invited an eclectic group of poets to recite their poetry. But, Fox News and right wing radio has singled out one performer—the Grammy award winning rapper Common—to be on the receiving end of their ire. I don’t […]
Hobbs’ Hump Day Hot Topics on America’s Debt Ceiling/The Obama Doctrine/Peace Corps Rape Hearings
By Chuck Hobbs, Esq. LOWERING THE DEBT CEILING One has to respect New Jersey Republican Governor Chris Christie, who is one of the more consistent critics of the escalating federal debt ceiling. Christie recently informed Republicans that if they fail to do as promised by reducing federal debt, that he would campaign against them in […]
Show Me Your Passbook
By Dr. Julianne Malveaux – I am glad that President Barack Obama has a sense of humor about the birthers. I don’t, and I am disgusted that Donald Trump, lacking in both sense and scruples, was able to push the President to releasing his “long form” birth certificate. Now that the birth certificate has been […]
Urban Jobs Act – A Powerful Weapon in the War on Unemployment
By Marc H. Morial (To Be Equal #19) – Last week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York enlisted in the war on urban unemployment with the introduction of the Urban Jobs Act. Gillibrand’s Urban Jobs Act is the Senate version of House bill, H.R. 683, which was introduced earlier this year by New York […]