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The State of the Union: The “Back Story” for Black America

The Editors — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 20:12:08 +0000

By Lee A. Daniels
President Obama showed again in delivering his State of The Union message that, contrary to the tinny blasts emanating from the Right and despite an economy stacked against him, he’s ready to reprise the star-turn as formidable campaigner that won him the White House in 2008.

The GOP Race that Can’t Get Beyond Race

The Editors — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 21:07:31 +0000

By George E. Curry
The Republican race to become the party’s presidential standard bearer has been increasingly characterized by candidates invoking racist stereotypes.

The ‘Wisdom’ of the Conventional Political Wisdom

The Editors — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:24:22 +0000

By The Editors
Despite the continuing disarray in the GOP candidate field many on the political Right are still confidently predicting whoever the Republican candidate turns out to be, he will beat President Obama in November.

Cain’s Presidential Bid was Asinine-Nine-Nine

The Editors — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:23:15 +0000

By George E. Curry
Herman Cain’s asinine campaign to become president of the United States is now toast. Not just toast – burnt toast. He officially flamed out Saturday on the heels – or, shall we say, high heels – of yet another woman accusing him of sexual misconduct.

Gingrich, Ph.D as Candidate: More Schooling Needed

The Editors — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:45:00 +0000

By Kenneth J. Cooper
In academia, Gingrich topped out as an assistant professor of history and geography at a third-tier state school...Someone once wrote he has a “Reader’s Digest intellect.”

What President Obama Should Do Next

The Editors — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:24:46 +0000

By George E. Curry
Welcome to the 2012 slug fest. And with more than twice as many Democrats than Republican senators up for Senate re-election in two years, emboldened Republicans have their sights set on controlling the House, the Senate and the White House.

In order to stay in the White House, the president should adopt my 12-step recovery program.

Ascent to the White House: ‘Dark Days, Bright Nights’

The Editors — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 18:51:22 +0000

By Eisa Nefertari Ulen In Dark Days, Bright Nights: From Black Power to Barack Obama, historian Peniel E. Joseph examines President Barack Obama’s ascent to the White House, an almost unbelievable achievement that is still startling in its historic significance.

Reflections of a Black Pioneer: Two Cases of Integrative Leadership

The Editors — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:53:17 +0000

By Clifton R. Wharton, Jr. The unprecedented election of President Barack Obama has provided a dramatic spotlight on the issues of race in America. One aspect of significance is that it represents an important step in the process of racial integration in our nation. His election was the result of the collective decisions by a multi racial and multi ethnic electorate. Both as a U.S. Senator from Illinois and as President, Obama has been what might be called an "Integrative Black Pioneer."

The (Missed) Opportunity of a Lifetime

The Editors — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:38:35 +0000

By Leslie Proll When President Obama took office last January, hopes were high that the right wing’s long stronghold on the federal courts had come to an end. LDF and other civil rights advocates were eager for a new day when fair and impartial judges would once again be nominated and confirmed in large numbers.

Will They or Won’t They? They Did.

The Editors — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 23:00:05 +0000

By Lee A. Daniels Will they or won’t they? That question about the black vote—about whether black voters would show up at the polls on election day—hung over the bitter final months of last year’s presidential campaign like a looming thunder cloud. The answer was resounding, of course, and now, thanks to recent reports by the Census Bureau and the Pew Research Center and the Pew Hispanic Center, we have a wealth of data to quantify just how historic for black America and America November 4, 2008 was.

Election 2008: How ‘Historic’ was it?

The Editors — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 20:16:06 +0000

By Dr. David Levering-Lewis
Pulitzer Prize Winning biographer of W.E.B. Du Bois examines the “Zeitgeist phenomenon” of Barack Obama’s victory through the prisms of global events, the dilemmas of color and nationality, and catastrophic events impacting the election.

Race Still Mattered in the 2008 Election

The Editors — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 17:43:34 +0000

By Alexis Karteron: There has been widespread speculation about President-Elect Barack Obama’s campaign and election heralding a “post-racial” America. In conversations across the nation and such headlines as “Obama, Racial Barrier Falls in Heavy Turnout,” (The New York Times) and “Obama’s Post-Racial Promise,” (Los Angeles Times) following the election, some seemed eager to believe that [...]

Like a Song

The Editors — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:16:03 +0000

By William I. Dawson: Like everything else in life, the singular moment of the month just past comes back to music. It’s been equal parts melody and harmony, a sweet-sounding pitch, undeniable power and a ridiculous pace. It’s been the perfect verse over a tight beat. Indeed, the election of Barack Hussein Obama, the first-ever [...]

Descendants of Slave Mark Significance of Obama Victory

The Editors — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 20:12:57 +0000

By Joye Brown: Michael Higgins didn’t go the polls alone on Election Day. Like many others in this historic presidential election, Higgins traveled to a neighborhood elementary school last Tuesday with wife, Bernadette, son, Jabari, 3, and daughter, Ayanna, 8, to cast his vote. Higgins carried three photographs behind the curtain and into the voting [...]