Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.

Black Riders Matter

A court in California just issued a temporary “stay” on restricting rideshare operations in the state over the independent contractor issue. The court ruling should be made permanent while civil rights and business leaders work together to undo the unjust and unfair rideshare regulations that may negatively impact millions of people throughout America.

Discovering the Unexpected on the Journey to Empowerment: Young NNPA Black Scholars

The legendary scholar, writer and visionary James Baldwin once personally confided with me that he had come to know that the “power of the pen” for Black people in America and throughout world was “truly transformative and irreversibly impactful on the consciousness of all those who cry out for freedom, equality and justice.” Baldwin’s prophetic words from the 1970’s are still true today.

The Transformative Legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr., in 2016

There is no debate concerning the irrefutable fact that The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was one of the greatest leaders recognized, admired and affirmed by millions of people across America and throughout the world.   King’s activism and leadership changed America and the world, as did Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela in their respective global impacts. As we prepare to celebrate the 87th birthday of Dr. King as part the official federal holiday celebrations, I believe it is very important to focus on how Dr King’s legacy today is still relevant and transformative for all people who cry out

New Year Resolutions that Will Challenge Black America in 2016

Whenever we begin a new calendar year, it can be useful to make New Year’s Resolutions to prioritize and focus for the immediate future. Beyond the traditional litany of making very personal and oftentimes private resolutions at the beginning of a new year, Black America as a whole, I believe, should be vocal and public about our determination to keep pushing forward for freedom, justice, equality and economic empowerment.

RushCard Empowers People to Help Manage Their Money

The financial services industry is a vast matrix of banks, credit and debit cards products, venture capital and mortgage companies, investment firms, and other financial institutions that compete to provide services to 326,346,200 people in the United States and millions more around the world. There is a very old saying that posits: “How you manage your money will determine how well your heart will beat.” For 100.4 million African Americans and Latino Americans combined that spend in access of $2.4 trillion annually as consumers in the U.S. marketplace, the daily and hourly financial management of our money is an important

Strategic Power of the Black Press in 2016

For over 45 million African Americans there are multiple priorities that need to be addressed in order to ensure that the socioeconomic and political interests of our families and communities are accurately articulated and fulfilled. We live in a multimedia world. Too often, however, we are left with divergent, and sometimes inaccurate, information from so-called “mainstream” media sources when it comes to receiving the true facts about the issues and challenges that impact our overall quality of life. During the last 188 years, it has been and continues to be the Black-owned press that has been the reliable and trusted