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Section: Opinion

Barack Obama – On the Shoulders of the Nation’s Black Colleges?

As I sat proudly with my 9-year old daughter last night and watched Barack Obama become the first Black nominee of a major political party, I couldn’t help but think about the role of our nation’s Black colleges in shaping and building the Black middle class. Even though Obama did not attend a Black college, […]

June 3, 2008

An Open Letter to the High School Class of 2008–And Their Parents

It is that time of year when high school graduations are front and center. These festive events are filled with congratulations, high fives and tears of joy. It is my opinion that in many ways the high school graduation is a rite of passage. It signals that a young person has crossed into adulthood. The […]

June 2, 2008

The Intersection of Presidential Politics, Race, Culture, and Higher Learning

Much has been made of education levels and voting patterns in the Presidential nominating contests of the Democratic Party for the 2008 general election, particularly since Barack Obama emerged as the presumptive nominee. Well almost. Week after week, exit polls indicate that highly educated White Americans—Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans—are more likely to cast a vote […]

May 26, 2008

Black Scholarship or White Imperalism?

There has been considerable debate among my colleagues about Black scholars and the production of Black scholarship. On the one hand, some White academics complain that Black scholars spend too much time on “ghetto scholarship.” This usually refers to Critical Race Theory, Africana Studies, and the impact of racism on our lives, both historically and […]

May 22, 2008

Lessons Learned from a White Valedictorian at Morehouse College

On May 12, 2008, as I was walking down the street in Atlanta, Georgia, I happened to glance at the newspaper stand. I was shocked to see the headline “White Valedictorian Makes Morehouse History” on the front page of the Atlanta Journal Constitution. I have to admit that my initial reaction was “geesh, can’t African Americans […]

May 20, 2008

Voting is our privilege and our responsibility

Thank goodness we live in a country where we can freely vote. It is something that we should not take for granted as we only have to look at other countries to see the chaos that has occurred because of voting or the lack of it. Whether you are a Democrat, a Republican or an […]

May 18, 2008

Love and responsibility are keys to the Covenant

Tavis Smiley’s “The Covenant With Black America” has been out a couple of years and it, along with the the companion book entitled “The Covenant in Action,” is a must read if you are interested in grass roots change. As many of you will recall, Tavis Smiley had a talk show with Black Entertainment Television some years […]

May 13, 2008

Good health as a priority in the black community

If you don’t have your health then you don’t have anything is an expression that I have heard for many years. As I grow closer to eating free in some restaurants, I am paying closer attention. Reports suggest that black people get sick more often and die sooner. While some would groan, I think it […]

May 12, 2008

In Memory of One Black Male Educator

Hello. My name is Emmett L. Gill, Jr., and I am an assistant professor at the Rutgers University School of Social Work. I might be what you consider a non-traditional academic – I study the intersection between sports and society, I am relatively young (below 40 in dog years), and I am a black male. […]

May 11, 2008

African American teacher numbers need improvement

How do you become what you want to be? When you ask children what they want their life’s work to be, you will hear a variety of answers. They gain their perspectives obviously from a lot of sources. Parents, grandparents, other love providers, coaches and teachers are just a few of the resources that kids […]

May 5, 2008

Banning Affinity Groups Shows Lack of Understanding

An Arizona Legislative Committee has amended a state homeland security bill to state, in relevant part, “A public school in this state, a university under the JURISDICTION of the Arizona board of regents and a community college under the JURISDICTION of a community college DISTRICT in this state shall not allow organizations to operate on […]

April 28, 2008

From Today’s Edition

After years of lobbying for more federal aid and visibility, predominantly Black colleges and universities — many of them located in northern cities — are gaining a greater foothold in Washington. These colleges, which enroll large numbers of Black students but are not historically Black institutions, will divide $15 million over two years through […]

April 27, 2008

From Today’s Edition

Despite feverish efforts by presidential candidates to grab voters’ attention, they, along with public opinion polls and mainstream news coverage, have largely ignored Asian Americans so far, several political scientists say. “It’s kind of annoying,” says Dr. Andrew Aoki, associate professor of political science at Augsburg College. “It gives Asian Americans a feeling of […]

April 22, 2008