• Who Cares About Black People?

    It’s been two and a half years since Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans. And now, walking through the French Quarter or downtown, one sees absolutely no physical sign that the catastrophe ever happened. Walk through a neighborhood in the Lower Ninth Ward and the same is definitely not true. Acknowledging the contrast, my mind…

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  • The Pride of Harlem

    America is being introduced to David Paterson, who will be sworn in as governor of New York on Monday in the wake of Eliot Spitzer’s resignation, as the first African American to hold that office in New York and the first blind governor in the nation’s history. I know him as my childhood friend from…

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  • Out of Spitzer's Ashes, a New Day

    Like all New Yorkers, I am deeply saddened by this week’s events. But out of the ashes of this firestorm comes renewed hope. When David Paterson is sworn in next Monday, he will become the first African-American governor in New York State’s history. His ascension to the office marks the latest in a growing and…

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  • Where's the Title IX for Black Men?

    Nationwide we are seeing a growing disparity between male and female students enrolling in college. This gender disparity is most severe in the African American community. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) have enrollment ratios approaching 65 percent female to 35 percent male. One would think that these schools would want to find creative ways…

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  • O-Dog Speaks. And So Nicely

    Every so often, we all have an experience that completely changes our life. The Wire was mine. I still have trouble believing that I was blessed for two seasons to appear in one of TV’s most admired programs, a show that many college students like myself—and even Sen. Barack Obama—feel is the coolest on TV.…

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  • A House Divided

    I am tired of trying to explain this to my husband, so I’ll explain it to you instead. I have been an advocate for the civil rights of African Americans since back when we were called Negroes. Growing up during the 50s and 60s in Chicago, I was well aware of the fault lines of…

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