She knows what it means to be down and find a way back up By Charles Hallman Staff Writer In between two historic Olympic gold-medal performances, Gail Devers’ body was physically falling apart, and she and the doctors couldn’t figure out why. “I started to lose weight — I lost so much weight, I weighed […]
September 2012
Posted inOpinion
Status quo fixes won’t stop the frightening violence
It is the elephant in the room that people don’t want to talk about: the ongoing street violence affecting so many African Americans in this country due to the dysfunctional institutions, leadership and policies that allow caste-like barriers — bad schools, few jobs, drugs, crime — to remain in place and foster violence. It is […]
Posted inOpinion
Harvest Prep’s finances are solid, its leadership strong
By Shana Ford Guest Commentator I am a parent of Best Academy students. I have more than 20 years of experience in the financial services industry, and I am the board chair of Harvest Preparatory School. You may be aware that on Saturday, August 25 reporter Steve Brandt of the Star Tribune wrote his fifth […]
Posted inArts + Culture, Opinion
Historic symbols reflect legacy of White supremacy
Had American media, that stalwart bastion of cowardice, been honest about two historic images — just two — the country, hell, the world would be a vastly different place. Specifically, realistic images of Jesus Christ and of the Statue of Liberty.
Posted inOpinion
Democracy is under attack by voter suppression
By Benjamin Todd Jealous Guest Commentator Far too often in modern elections, sound bites trump substance and voters are left wondering what the candidates really stand for. This is even more acute for issues important to the African American and civil rights communities. That is why, as we have done every presidential cycle for decades, […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Local company teaches financial lessons not taught in school
By Jamal Denman Contributing Writer Most people, including those who did well in school and are college educated, go through life giving little thought to their personal credit score. Even less time is spent on monitoring, managing, or figuring out how to improve one’s credit rating. The only time many of us do so much […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Prostitutes are people
Prostitution is an ugly fact of life. And it’s not going to go away by either ignoring it or looking down one’s nose at women who are out walking the streets all hours of the day and night. They are people. Females who did not embark on this as a career pursuit, got sucked up […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Breast cancer advocate tells of personal struggles
By Debra J. Stone Contributing Writer Reona Berry is a petite, quiet-spoken woman. She is a 22-year breast cancer survivor and one of the founding members, past president, as well as the executive director of the African American Breast Cancer Alliance, Inc. (AABCA). AABCA is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to educate and provide […]
Posted inHealth + Wellness
Top health risks for the African American community
There are several common health issues that place the population at risk of increased injury and early death. We as a population always wonder how to protect ourselves from these common health issues. Good health references good quality of life. It has been shown in multiple studies that risk-factor reduction is a certain method we […]