In the upcoming issue of Sports Illustrated, Jason Collins, who played with the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards this season, openly states that he his gay. As the first active male athlete in a major American team sport to announce that he is gay, Collins has done...

In the 1990s, National Action Network and I worked on a case with the late Johnnie Cochran where we introduced the term racial profiling into America's lexicon. Four young Black and Latino men from New York were traveling to North Carolina for a basketball tournament when two White police officers...

Almost every single day, someone walks into one of National Action Network's (NAN) offices around the country consumed with the most unbelievable pain you can ever imagine. They seek our assistance, our guidance and a sense of hope after their lives have been shattered by gun violence. Crying mothers, fathers,...

It's difficult for some to process the fact that my parents were Republicans. But they were, as was our Pastor; that is, until the mid-'60s. As it became abundantly clear that Republicans were going to stand on the wrong side of civil rights, on the wrong side of progress and...

Earlier this morning, the president delivered remarks at the unveiling of a statue at the Capitol dedicated to civil rights icon Rosa Parks. At about the same time, in a strange and troubling twist of irony, I led a rally and attended the opening of oral arguments at the Supreme...

Leadership is defined not only by our words and our will, but by the very actions we take to back up our vision. Last night, President Obama delivered his State of the Union address (SOTU) to a nation that gave him the majority of its vote in 2012, and to...

On Monday morning, we watched history unfold before our very eyes. Validating the notion of progress and our adherence to keep this nation moving forward, we witnessed President Obama take the oath of office for a second term as our commander-in-chief. As one of five civil rights and labor leaders...

On Monday, all roads will lead to the nation's capital for the inauguration of the President of the United States for a second term. Historic and symbolic for a multitude of reasons, this inauguration also lands on the same day we honor our greatest civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther...

Almost as quickly as former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel's name was revealed as President Obama's pick to head the Department of Defense, character assassination from every angle took hold. They called him anti-Israeli, despite the fact that he clearly supports the state of Israel and our unique relationship with that...

The end of the year is often a time of reflection; a time to process all the great lessons of the past 12 months. While 2012 brought many challenges, it was also a remarkable year for progress and for the people. Whether it was our united response to voter suppression...

On Friday morning, everything stopped. The country was virtually paralyzed watching the horrific tragedy unfold in Newtown, CT where 20 innocent children and six adults lost their lives. They were only attending school like any other day. As we continued to grapple with the unspeakable reality of guns and violence...

It's hard to imagine, but there was a period in our history when workers in the United States were exploited and taken advantage of much like the way in which workers in developing nations are often unfortunately treated today. It was only after marches, sit-ins and collective organizing that American...

When the great recession of 2008 struck, it hit some of us harder than others. Middle class families, the poor, people of color and the workers of America suffered the most, while those that caused the crisis were largely unscathed -- many even increased their wealth. Today, when we are...

There were many who were surprised by the 2012 Presidential election. In simple terms, they didn't expect us to show up but we did, and we helped propel this President to victory for four more years. As leaders meet with the President this week, and as we fast approach negotiations...

Four years ago, the nation paused as we watched historic numbers of Americans standing in line for hours to cast their vote in the presidential election. And yesterday, we witnessed another remarkable repeat of democracy in action as citizens overcame voter suppression tactics, and personal challenges to ensure that they...

Fifty years ago this week, James Meredith integrated the University of Mississippi when he became the first black student to enroll at the prestigious school. At a time when many, including Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, opposed integration as some sort of 'federal government intrusion,' Meredith pressed on, escorted by soldiers...

Earlier this week, the Census Bureau released its latest income and poverty data for the year 2011. The major headline in most newspapers and media outlets was the notion that the national poverty rate remained virtually unchanged from the previous year. While millions of Americans continue to struggle...

In the 1990s, four young Black and Latino men on their way to a basketball game in the state of New Jersey suddenly became the victims of a police shooting that nearly ended their lives. I was among those in the civil rights leadership that raised the country's awareness on...

Last week, Florida's former Republican Party Chairman Jim Greer appeared on my TV show, Politics Nation on MSNBC, and candidly discussed how the GOP in his state systematically pushed for harsh new voter ID laws in order to suppress the vote -- specifically that of African Americans and young people....

When a poor sport realizes they may be losing, what do they do? More often than not, they figure out a way to cheat. In politics, things are no different. Facing the reality of an ever-diversifying electorate, and their own party's failure to broaden its horizons, some Republican lawmakers have...