One year later, the Trayvon Martin tragedy still stings — and some people are still throwing salt on the open wound. George Zimmerman’s brother, Robert Zimmerman, recently posted a tweet comparing Trayvon Martin to De’Marquis Elkins, 17-year-old Black teenager charged with fatally shooting a 1-year-old baby. ...

For years, the criminal neglect of various western oil companies has caused massive oil spills that have wreaked environmental havoc in the Niger Delta. Not long ago, Royal Dutch Shell’s Nigerian subsidiary had to face the music when a Dutch court ruled that it was responsible for massive pollution. ...

I think it would be productive for the citizens of Detroit to publicly have a conversation that is already taking place privately — the business class that left Detroit in the 1970s and ‘80s are back. No one is fooled by the talk of financial crisis and mismanagement; it is clear the way Public Act 436 was passed. It had the feel of an executive order. Even though other cities in the state have also been ta ...

I never considered the late Rodney King anything of a philosopher, but as one observes Washington shenanigans, especially around fiscal matters, it seems that Brother King had a point. Can we all just, maybe, get along? In the wee hours of the morning March 23, the Senate finally passed a budget by the narrowest of margins, 50-49. Four Democratic senators jumped ship to side with Republicans, probably becau ...

On several occasions, I have listened carefully as a couple of Black Republican colleagues cite the grievous shortcomings and sins of the Democratic Party. More often than not I found myself in agreement with much of their analysis. After their critique is finished, I ask the Black Republicans what should be the response of Black people to their analysis. Their answer is, “Switch to the Republican Party.” T ...

Morehouse College, one of the most distinguished historically black colleges — with graduates like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, film director Spike Lee and others — literally shut down for spring break this week. As its 2,000 students took their break, every member of the faculty and staff was furloughed without pay as the college struggles to balance its books. ...

As I write, Chaka Khan’s empowering “I’m Every Woman” loops in my head — like a soundtrack. (By the way, have you seen her lately? All slim, trim and more fabulous than ever). It’s Women’s History Month and the lyrics to that iconic anthem should be resonating with all women, and those who love us, as we celebrate ourselves and the countless contributions we make everyday — both large and small — that keep ...

When this month’s unemployment numbers were released, commentators reacted joyfully. Alan Krueger, who heads the White House Council of Economic Advisors, described the creation of 247,000 jobs as a victory because the predictions were that the economy would only generate 170,000 jobs. Unemployment rates went down to 7.7 percent, while predictions were that they would drop to 7.8 percent. Some might call th ...

As long as most of us can remember, Black communities have taught and believed that a college education is the key to social and economic advancement. But according to a new research and policy brief by Brandeis University scholars, that long-held belief is only one of several factors affecting Black America’s ability to build wealth. ...

In oral arguments before the Supreme Court on the Voting Rights Act, Justice Antonin Scalia slandered the act as a “racial entitlement,” arguing, “whenever a society adopts racial entitlements, it is very difficult to get out of them through the normal political processes.” So, the right-wing justice intimated, the conservative “Gang of Five” on the Supreme Court had every right to step in and overrule the ...