Uncategorized
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Ex-Cons Coming To A Town Near You
For years the corrections system has been criticized for its unfairness – namely its lengthy sentencing laws. Yet, why am I not comforted by news that a growing number of states are beginning to relax mandatory state laws, accelerate parole, and increase time off for good behavior? Namely because these lax in laws aren’t a…
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Majora Carter Speaks
The Root: You have been a partner and ally with Van Jones for years. Is his resignation a huge loss for the green movement? Majora Carter: I have every confidence that the movement will be stronger because of this. We knew we were vulnerable to attack because we were out there pushing toward an ideal that…
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Reading, Writing, Arithmetic and Race
“I don’t want our schools turned over to some socialist movement,” Brett Curtis, a parent in Texas told the New York Times last week. He said he would keep his three children home from school rather than have them listen to President Barack Obama’s speech to the nation’s school children. Jim Greer, the Republican Party…
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Friendly Skies … Sorta
Remember when you dressed nicely to fly, when there was actually leg room so your suit (yes, suit) didn’t look like an accordion at the end of the flight? When the staff acted as if they were happy that you’d chosen their airline over another, and acted accordingly? When passengers were courteous to each other…
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Memo to Black Men: Grow Up!
I love Jimi Izrael, and I cannot wait to read his forthcoming book, The Denzel Principle, but I have to take issue with his piece last week titled, “Memo to Black Women: Get Real.” Did I sense a bit of anger or something going on? Let me say this about the line “lose the high ideals and get your…
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The Conversation: Do Black Men and Women Need to Have a Sit-Down?
is a writer, speaker, author of books for adults and youth, and the book columnist for The Root. Her most recent book is \”The Message: 100 Life Lessons from Hip-Hop’s Greatest Songs.\” Visit her at feliciapride.com.
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George Will is Wrong … This Week
There are two sure things every Sunday on This Week with George Stephanopoulos: George Will and the heartbreaking “In Memoriam” segment listing the week’s war victims. Apparently, the former has just started paying attention to the latter. In two columns this week, George Will announced that he’s against not only the war in Iraq, but…
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Can White Liberals Keep Their Eye on the Prize?
I’ve been disappointed by white liberals and progressives’ unwillingness and incompetence combating racism for 20 years. The inaction of large green groups surrounding Van Jones’ resignation from the Obama administration is yet another example. The NAACP, Equal Justice Society and Color of Change explicitly supported Van Jones before his resignation. On the white side, Treehugger,…
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The Van Jones Affair
Shortly after the news that President Barack Obama’s “green jobs adviser” Van Jones had resigned over the weekend, Republicans were rejoicing and claiming the “scalp” of the man that Fox News host Glenn Beck had branded a “socialist” and an “ex-con.” For weeks, Beck had launched an extensive on-air campaign against Jones. And on Sunday,…
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Van Jones Resigns
White House environmental adviser Van Jones resigned Saturday after weeks of controversy stemming from his past activism. “On the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me,” Jones, special adviser for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, said…