Listening to Ice Cube sparked my interest in Black activists and issues, which my mentor then deepened and guided — Ice Cube’s “Lil Ass Gee’’ blasted from the factory stereo system inside Mr. Johnson’s black Honda Accord. I was a second grader at St. Vincent Children’s Center, a school that specializes in students with learning, behavioral, and psychological issues. Prior to St. Vincent Children’s Center, I was invisible to faculty…

In juvenile detention, I caught a glimpse of what funding programs aimed at helping at-risk kids instead could do My tidy bedroom at 1784 Devonshire Road, on the northside of Columbus, Ohio, is where I learned the craft of creating Magic through my imagination. My bedroom was my ark, a…

Portland’s mobilization against racism is rooted in history Things moved to a boil in Portland, Ore., this weekend after three months of nightly protests, even in the face of police tear gas, federal agents and arrests. On Friday, President Trump tweeted about the city three times, deriding Mayor Ted Wheeler…

For years, we’ve been taught that racism is rooted in ignorance and can be combated by education. That’s not exactly true. Racism was constructed by highly educated men, and used as a conduit to gain and sustain power, as well as financial gain. …

America is essentially a dream. On one hand we have proudly professed the great principles of democracy. On the other hand we have sadly practiced the very antithesis of principles — Martin Luther King, Jr. A cold summer is nigh. And Blacks are fed up with racial violence dished out…

An off duty police lieutenant shot and killed a 15-year-old negro boy in Yorkville yesterday when the youngster allegedly threatened him with a knife — New York Times, July 17, 1964 The 1964 Harlem Riot was one of a number of race-based protests that took place in several cities across…

I swear to my Lord, I can see why Democracy means everybody but me — Langston Hughes Langston Hughes. He was the inspiration behind Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, a leading voice of the Harlem Renaissance, a musical genius, a poet, and voice for social justice. But it…

An ounce of action is worth a ton of theory — Friedrich Engels Finding their wave during the late ‘60s, the Young Lords created some of the most forward-thinking analyses of the left’s weaknesses. They incorporated the then-budding feminist and gay rights movements into their political agenda. …

When in doubt, shoot. That’s how I look at — Stephon Marbury The NBA class of 1996 was loaded with talent: Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Jermaine Hall, Antoine Walker, and the point god, Stephon Marbury. …