The daily shootings in America's inner cities are all too frequent reminders of the tragic impact of gun violence on our national well-being. Some studies suggest that repeated exposure to shootings in urban areas is akin to the trauma suffered by soldiers in war zones.
Militias are the ancestors of the modern National Guard, not of self-proclaimed "patriots" who show utter contempt for any form of authority beyond themselves. The extremists playing solider in the woods of Oregon are at best criminals and at worst domestic terrorists, and they need to be identified as such.
Natalie Cole appeared many times as a guest on my PBS television program. One particular appearance, however, was exceedingly delicate and heartrending. She had just received a life-saving kidney transplant, but felt guilty to still be alive. What she had to share that day was, well, unforgettable.
For 2016, I am urging my black family to take back our culture. We live in a time when our black men and women believe that they have to lower their standards to be successful. We exist in a virtual world where image comes with a cost that many are willing to pay, by any means necessary.
I was on Facebook when I saw this link about this black woman in Philly that has opened a comic book and coffee shop. I was elated myself. Can you say, "road trip?"
Once I got over the shock, I started to reflect on what I learned from this experience. Here are four big nuggets of wisdom that came out of getting fired from my freelance job.
One of the most critical questions will be whether the prosecutors can present evidence relating to the many other accusations made against Cosby by other women. The judge's ruling on this issue may end up being the turning point in the case.
The successful minority students I know chose these elite universities because of the challenging and demanding curriculum they knew they could handle. So, no Justice Scalia, we weren't meeting some quota. We belonged there.
I would like to pass on three leadership habits Kendrick Lamar clarified for me in hopes that we can all become better people, managers and leaders despite any opinions any of us might hold about him as a person or his music.
I have a tendency to dismiss the screw-ups of black people on the basis of bad behavior justified by the psychological impacts of the historical ill-treatment of blacks in America. For a good portion of my life I had a pretty solid argument until in walked Bill Cosby and his multitude of accusers. Dang it.
Something Wicked This Way Comes is not only a sinister 1962 fantasy novel by Ray Bradbury, it is also descriptive of the malevolent and growing power of white supremacy in the United States.
The start of this New Year finds America at an inflection point as wars and terrorism abroad are echoed in violence, suspicion, and fear at home. How will we meet the moment?
Black people, thank you for being my friends, bosses, coworkers, mentors, mentees, PTA colleagues, and neighbors. I want to particularly thank my many black millennial friends who are entrepreneurial, smart, resourceful and revolutionary. I have tremendous faith in you.
The reality of the situation is: unfairness and injustice to one affects all. A race of people who have suffered through injustices throughout history will soon get tired and fed up. When this happens there will not be any rest for anyone.
What's striking is not so much the strength of the argument but rather the public discussion that has started around it -- one illustrating the power of stigma to influence the conversation around HIV/AIDS.
Never did a person say that Nixon ruined every other white man's chance at presidency, because white people are defined by characteristics other than their race. When you look at President Obama, when you look at people like me, Mr. Trump, do you only see a black face?
Sandra Bland deigned to believe that she mattered when she stood up for herself. A savage anti-black justice system killed her in an effort to demonstrate otherwise. Because of this, our ongoing battle to seek justice for her death is essential for affirming her humanity and that of all black people.
One thing is clear, the force is definitely woke.
It's time that candidates, especially the Democratic party who has been accused of taking the black vote for granted, develops strategies to reach black millennials where we are; the internet. B