Politics
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Why the President Is Simply Wrong on Civil Rights
When you look at it, it is hard to tell if the White House, the Department of Justice and the NAACP are merely a collective sign of the times or the reasons why the times are sadly changing. Over the course of the past week, all three iconic institutions have corrupted the legacy of civil…
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Is a Black Political Party Obsolete?
Trying to be a better son, I’m attempting to call my mother more regularly. And I couldn’t believe the doozy she laid on me during a recent conversation: Her Brooklyn church hosted the launch of a new political party. The New York Freedom Democratic Party. An all-black political party? Excuse me? Did I fall asleep…
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The Root Interview: Russell Simmons on His RushCard
Russell Simmons is seeing red. Caught up in the debate over the financial services reform bill now awaiting a Senate vote, the hip-hop-mogul-turned-banking-executive is on the defensive over media reports that he lobbied lawmakers for a sweet deal that would exempt his prepaid debit Visa RushCard from a cap on certain fees. His frustrations began…
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But What If I Don't Want to Be a Dad?
Consider this scenario: A 19-year-old man in Harlem is dating an 18-year-old woman, a friend of a friend whom he met in high school. Both have no plans to go to college, and both come from low-income backgrounds. Neither wants to get married anytime soon, and they make it clear to each other that, despite…
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A Kinder, Gentler Tea Party on Independence Day
The Tea Party is changing tactics. Over the Fourth of July weekend, the Tea Party organized special events that emphasized the U.S. Constitution. Events included festivals, book club meetings and classes to teach party members how to use the one “inviolable” document to defend their beliefs and country, the U.S. Constitution. The Tea Party wants…
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Right-Wingers Aren't the Only Patriots
I love fireworks, cookouts and trips to the park as much as anyone, and will gladly partake in those events on the Fourth of July holiday. But surely there are others like me, who find it strange (ironic? hypocritical? comical?) to celebrate July 4, 1776, as U.S. “Independence Day,” when African Americans’ forefathers and foremothers…
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Foreign Policy: The Racial Repercussions of France's World Cup Failure
Americans cannot easily imagine the consequences of losing in the World Cup. Most of us were happy that the U.S. team managed to get past the group stage into the second round, even though we lost to Ghana. But it’s different for big soccer powers that are accustomed to winning. One of the ugliest aftermaths…
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When It Comes to Experience, Obama and Kagan Are Alike
It seems as if the nation has become captivated by Elena Kagan’s charm and wit as she moves through the nomination process in a style very different from what we saw last year with Justice Sonia Sotomayor. Even the Senators conducting the hearings seem enamored with her. In many ways, she is pulling an Obama…
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The Chronic Goes Mainstream: California NAACP Backs Legalization of Marijuana
The California branch of the NAACP is backing California’s Proposition 19, a ballot initiative that would lead to the legalization of marijuana. Branch president Alice Huffman calls it “A civil rights issue that has consistently stifled the upward mobility of young folks of color.” She added, “This is not a war on the drug lords.…