Blacks must see education as their only way out
While comedian Bill Cosby was all over the media with his ghetto bashing, another important topic was barely getting attention. Recently, two Harvard University law professors broke the silence on a topic that many of us have long avoided. In many instances, Africans have done a better job landing slots at the top schools. Contrary to popular belief, not all of these students are exchange students.
Tuesday, July 6, 2004
Goodbye, locks, and hello to a new era
I didn't think I could do it. But when I woke up on Saturday morning, I was ready for change. For me, change doesn't come easy. It's not that I don't enjoy new experiences. In fact, I tend to jump into things with both feet. No wading. I either sink or I swim. Still, there is such a thing as a comfort zone, and they don't call it comfortable for nothing.
Sunday, July 4, 2004
Hey, hey, hey, Cosby needs to ease up on poor blacks
Can't Bill Cosby go back to being a comedian? Can't we hear more of those "Fat Albert" jokes or funny stories about his wife? I liked those jokes. He made me laugh.
Thursday, July 1, 2004
DaimlerChrysler and Jackson: What does sponsorship buy?
Shortly before pioneering black journalist Vernon Jarrett became ill, we had a conversation about the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Jarrett let me know that even though he may disagree with some of Jackson's positions, he no longer criticized him.
Tuesday, June 29, 2004
Chicago radio legend taught lessons on life, love
Funerals are always for the living. The funeral for Launa Thompson was no different. Certainly her husband Abe Thompson, son Phoenix and mother Daisy Gaines were still in shock. But we all were. Even people who only knew Thompson as one knows a person who draws admirers like a light draws moths.
Sunday, June 27, 2004
'Silent Choices': Black women speak out on abortion
Most of us won't talk about abortion. No matter what our political beliefs are, we are not comfortable advocating the termination of a pregnancy. Although Roe vs. Wade has been the law of the land since 1973, abortion is still a whispered secret in many circles.
Friday, June 25, 2004
DCFS must answer questions, fair or not
Seldom do we see an investigative story unfold in real time the way the Chicago Reporter's June cover story has unfolded.
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Advice for wise young man: Work hard, study hard
Curtis R. Hugghis, the young man who is soliciting advice from successful people, called to thank me for getting his story out. Then he sent a dozen roses with a thank you note.
Tuesday, June 22, 2004
Young man hungers for your wisdom
When young adults talk about handling their business, most of them don't know what they are talking about. After all, most of them don't have any business to handle.
Sunday, June 20, 2004
Where are the dads when DCFS fails their kids?
Every year dozens of children die months after the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services looks into their lives, the Chicago Reporter has found.
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Blame criminals, not bank, for metal detectors
Without a doubt, Bank One customers who do business at the branch at 81st and Cottage Grove deserve better. They deserve an open, hassle-free entry into the bank, like the Bank One customers who do business at a branch in Glen Ellyn. But is racism the reason why black customers on the South Side branch must pass through a metal detector before they can conduct their banking business? When the Rev. Michael Pfleger took two bus loads of protesters to the bank on Tuesday, I could understand their indignation. The metal detector should be an affront to every upstanding person.
Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Democratic label doesn't fit Madigan this budget season
If House Speaker Michael Madigan gets his way, the state will save a penny but lose a bundle. We all get sick. And when you're uninsured, the state has to help provide health care, anyway. But the state could pay less by expanding the federally funded FamilyCare program, compared with the costs associated with Medicaid. In fact, Illinois would be reimbursed two-thirds of the $66 million it would cost to expand the program to include more working families.
Chicago's $475 million project opens Friday.
