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As the eyes of America watched the removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds of the South Carolina Capitol July 10, I feel thankful for the Black church and the principled role that it played in bringing a community together at a time that could have led to even greater strife and turmoil.
With all the family vacations, reunions, weddings, kids home from school and just plain family fun, next to the holidays, the summer is probably the best time of year for family gatherings.
This salute is extremely late. I don’t mean late for Memorial Day or even Black History Month. I mean this salute — to black soldiers who fought in the Civil War — is more than 150 years late. But so was America’s salute.
Can you imagine the looks on their faces in the audience when abolitionist Frederick Douglass, speaking at a commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, asked the question, “What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July?”
The more I witness the vast gap between how some folks live in this country, the more I am grateful that I grew up in North Philadelphia with a strong father, mother and family.
A few months ago, I encouraged everyone to enjoy black history year round. Well, here’s a great opportunity now that the movie Selma is available on DVD.
Maggie Lena Walker, born in 1864 in Richmond, Va., grew up helping her formerly enslaved mother wash clothes for others to make a living. Thirty-nine years later, on April 27, 1903, Maggie Walker became America’s first black woman to establish and head a bank.
Peace of mind: That’s one quality of life that none of us can buy. And there’s nothing that gives us more peace of mind than to know that our beloved children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews are safe and happy. But, lately, a string of news stories about police shootings of unarmed black men has…
Recently, I went to the ballpark for fun with my kids, Ayanna and Andrew. The Nationals and the Phillies were playing!
Growing up in Philadelphia, I remember my father always stopping at the corner store for a copy of the Philadelphia Tribune, our black newspaper. It was my go-to source for school papers and other projects. You could always find it on the coffee table of our home and at the homes of many of our…