Black Lives have always mattered but Black people do not always act like it. Most Blacks know racism still exists but are conditioned to feel inferior to whites and often become complicit in their own oppression. I write about this periodically, because Blacks’ collective silence reinforces the barriers to their own wellbeing. While high-profile cases grab headlines and heartstrings, temporarily, other less heralded, but equally egregious, ongoing atrocities against Black people have become a crippling norm. (Public education’s failure to educate Black students and Black homeowners disproportionately suffering foreclosures as a result of the economic meltdowns, for example, are in some ways just as egregious as high profile cases of police killing unarmed Black men and boys. ... read more »

Before the word was made flesh and dwelt among us [Jesus the Christ] God spoke creation into existence. We’re celebrating the begetting and birth of Christ. The adversary has set up numerous assaults to prevent the coming of [the seed]. ... read more »

The teacher’s union is threatening to strike because it says current conditions are unbearable. They say teacher’s salaries have not kept up with cost of living increases; over crowded classes with 40 or more students makes quality instruction impossible.  And they say they need more ancillary help: nurses, social workers and librarians in every school. ... read more »

Bennett College has a unique history, and it is a history that must be preserved. It will only be maintained if folks who love women, women's history, and the elevation of Black women's voices come together to find five million dollars in just a few weeks. I am writing this column to appeal to those who will help. Here's how: ... read more »

As Kwanzaa draws to an end and the old year meets and merges with the new, we are, as always, obligated and urged by ancient custom and ongoing current concerns to sit down and seriously engage in righteous reflection on being African in the world. To speak of righteous reflection is, in an Ebonics sense of the word righteous, to talk of thought that is real, ethical and excellent. That is to say, thought that is free from the artificial, false and formulaic and comes from the heart as well as from the head. What is aimed at here is thought which is informed by an ethical sensitivity to the subject under consideration. And this holds true whether in our concern for each other or for the health and wholeness of the world; for the loss of human life or the mutilation of historical memory; and for the deprivation of material needs or the denial of dignity and rights due everyone. ... read more »

In January, the most ethnically and culturally diverse Congress in United States history will be seated. Among the historic “firsts,” the Congressional Black Caucus will exceed 50 members for the first time in its 47-year history and Rep. Karen Bass has been elected its chair. ... read more »

It’s easy to know which side to pick when villains dress in all black and sport five o’clock shadows. But rarely is life that simple. During my legal career, I’ve found there’s often a gray area—no archetypical bad guy—only two opposing sides with competing interests.  That’s where we find ourselves right now in the ongoing battle between LA Unified School District and United Teachers Los Angeles (UTLA). And although neither side has indicated a willingness to capitulate on their respective positions, my years of experience as a litigator and children’s rights advocate lead me to conclude that in this epic battle, putting our kids first means each side must compromise. ... read more »

In her first news conference as a Senate-confirmed Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), Kathleen Kraninger’s remarks sounded a lot like Mick Mulvaney, her former boss at the Office of Budget and Management (OMB). ... read more »

So you might say, “Who are you to give power?” And I say, “Yes! I can give power.” “How?” We are empowered by words! Speak words and decree success. What is power? Well, it comes in different forms. Some people vent negativism, bad energy could be friends, relatives speak words of power which may not be inspiring words, but at the same time they may be words of truth inspirational, spoken in well meaning, but may not be heard; may be heard and twisted into believing that the words are not truthful but meant to be demeaning. ... read more »

I have a dear lifelong friend by the name of JC, who I recently reconnected with and during one of our conversations we were talking about how different religions are bold in sharing their faith, while others may be a little more reserved.  Recently, on a day when he happened to be home, some Jehovah’s Witnesses stopped by and knocked on his door. ... read more »

Kwanzaa is a time for meditation, remembrance and recommitment, and the piece following below on Howard Thurman offers us food for thought, especially in times like these of great stress and strain, and the need for us to endure, struggle and prevail. In a word, it is to “ride the storm, remain intact” and dare to bloom and sense and see a blessing and way forward in it all.  ... read more »

In a previous column, Schools Fail Black Students, So Why Are We Silent? (Nov. 2008), I   described barriers in LAUSD that contributed to a failure of the district to properly educate Black students. Substantially ... read more »

My name is Chiagoziem “Sylvester” Agu. I’m 20, a sophomore of Albany State University, majoring in biology, a member of the Alpha Phi fraternity, with aspirations of pursuing a medical degree in cardiology. A few months ago, I had an extraordinary experience studying abroad in South Africa as a Frederick Douglas Global Fellow. I spent four weeks in Cape Town on a full scholarship, studying political Blackness, Black consciousness, and the complexities of colored identity. Every day, I was exposed to something different. Although the knowledge I was acquiring was both intimidating and scary, I also found it empowering. This is my story. ... read more »

Windsor Hills and View Park have always been a shining Black light in Los Angeles. It’s where Black doctors and lawyers aspired to live when they weren’t welcomed in Bel-Air or Brentwood, where Ray Charles, Meghan Markle, and Ike and Tina Turner lived. It was the gold standard for Black people, a gleaming refuge lost to most in the sprawl of Los Angeles. ... read more »

In this wonderful time of the year when family and friends gather in good cheer to celebrate the holidays, nearly everyone has a number of lists. From greeting cards to shopping for gifts, decorations and more, lists are made and reviewed to keep pace with the barrage of seasonal activities.  ... read more »