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Section: Opinion

Michelle Obama: One Classy, Resilient, Intelligent First Lady

From the moment her husband became a serious contender for the Democratic nomination, Michelle Obama has been a perennial figure in the media spotlight. With this level of exposure has also come a significant amount of controversy. Unlike previous first ladies such as Rosalyn Carter, the late former first lady, Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson, Pat […]

April 6, 2009

The Case Against Cultural Standardization in Tenure Decisions

There has been a cacophony of voices calling for the elimination of tenure in higher education. Many of those voices are ultra conservative ideologues who are using the tenure debate to excoriate what they see as a liberal-leaning academy. There is a more vexing question that is conveniently absent from the tenure reform debate. That […]

April 5, 2009

The Hip-Hop Archive and its Tensions

Last month the Hip-Hop Archive at Harvard University’s W.E.B. Du Bois Institute co-hosted Hiphop Worldwide: More Than a Nation. This three-day conference focused on both the ongoing local expressions of hip-hop and their expansions into Cuba, Morocco, Japan, Tanzania, and other countries around the world. The gathering featured documentaries, lectures, and demonstrations from independent filmmakers, […]

April 4, 2009

African American boys can learn something from President Obama

President Barack Obama’s victory is meaningful to a cross-section of Americans. His candidacy resulted in more new registered voters than at any other time in American history. As we reflect now on his journey, especially his Democratic primary battle with then-Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York, it is safe to say that this country was energized by […]

March 31, 2009

Remembering a Legend: John Hope Franklin

In 1997, while I was doing my dissertation research, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview historian John Hope Franklin. As a doctoral student, I was nervous about the interview and lacked confidence in my knowledge of American history. Here I was about to interview one of the nation’s great historians. Within minutes, my nervousness […]

March 31, 2009

A Time for Change? President Obama on Indian Country and Native Nations

U.S. President Barack Obama has been heralded for taking more actions in the first 30 days of his administration than some presidents have done in their entire service as president.In his first few days in office, Obama issued executive orders and presidential memoranda to direct the U.S. military to develop plans to withdraw troops from […]

March 26, 2009

‘His Genius Could Not Be Denied’

In Memoriam: Dr. John Hope Franklin (1915-2009) ‘His Genius Could Not Be Denied’ By Hilary Hurd Anyaso “Warm, generous, compassionate, a giant among American historians,” is how one University of Chicago colleague of Dr. John Hope Franklin remembers him. Dr. Neil Harris, the Preston and Sterling Morton Professor Emeritus at UChicago, where […]

March 25, 2009

Changing the Conversation About HBCUs: YES WE CAN!

Over the past month, I have been to three meetings in which the leaders of HBCUs have come together to talk about these venerable institutions during this time of economic crisis. I have come away from each of these meetings thinking, “There has got to be a way to change the discourse around these institutions […]

March 21, 2009

The Perils of being young, African American and Male

There is an unhealthy generational gap within the African American male community. It is acute and now more serious than ever. There are some stark differences to what was and what is. Black men my age grew up respecting social customs. For example, we loved our parents and honored our teachers. Our neighborhoods looked out […]

March 18, 2009

The Beleagured Michael Steele

Several weeks ago, the Republican National Committee elected Michael Steele as its first Black party chairman. What was seen at the time as an excellent move on the part of the GOP by some (even some Black columnists such as Earl Ofari Hutchinson and USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham) has devolved into feelings of disillusionment, […]

March 15, 2009

Hiding Behind Racism

A few weeks ago, I was part of a campus panel discussion that discussed the N-Word, racism and post-racism. I was invited to speak by Bakari Kitwana, author and CEO of Rap Sessions. Other panelists included Rosa Clemente, 2008 vice presidential nominee of the Green Party; MC Serch, host of VH-1 Shows, “The White Rapper […]

March 8, 2009

Of Watermelons, Chimps and Cowards

It was not that long ago that we were ushering in the “post-racial” era in American racial discourse. According to scholar John McWhorter, “So, in answer to the question, ‘Is America past racism against black people,’ I say the answer is yes.” In intellectual and ideological lockstep, Dinesh D’Souza proclaimed, “If Obama’s election means anything, […]

March 3, 2009

During an Economic Crisis, Don’t Make Cuts in Institutional Advancement

A few days ago, I was on the phone with a good friend, Nelson Bowman, who works as the Director of Development at Prairie View A & M University. We started talking about the economic downturn and its impact on HBCUs. Nelson is amazingly resourceful, and as such, was trying to get some “free” consulting […]

March 1, 2009

What the Media want to Know about HBCUs?

I often receive calls from reporters asking me to speak about HBCUs. Reporters like to include “facts” in their news stories and what better place to get them than from a professor/researcher. I enjoy talking to reporters because I think it is important to make sure that research has an impact on practice — getting […]

February 25, 2009

Arne Duncan on Tour and the Next Generation of Educators

One important area of concern that received little attention during this year’s monumental presidential election was education. Other than a brief nod during one debate — during which both candidates represented cursory and almost identical positions — education and the looming future of the No Child Left Behind Act was indeed left behind. Currently, understanding […]

February 16, 2009

Educators of Conscience Call for an Academic Boycott of Israel

On Monday, February 2, 2009, scholar Benny Morris gave a lecture, “The First Arab-Israeli War,” at Wesleyan University, which was sponsored by the Jewish and Israeli Studies Certificate Program. As a New Historian who supports Zionist ideology, Morris is one of Israel’s most distinguished historians. He became well known after accessing and analyzing Israeli military […]

February 12, 2009

Defining a Person’s Blackness?

Last October at an annual conference that highlights various aspects of the Black experience, I attended a panel where Dr. Ronald Walters, professor of government and African American studies at the University of Maryland, College Park and several other scholars were discussing the potential impact that the upcoming election could have on the Black Community. […]

February 11, 2009

“Full Measure of Happiness”

“The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.” — Barack Obama, 1/20/2009 […]

February 1, 2009