Making America laugh, look at itself, by Clarence Page
For many of us old enough to remember Archie Bunker’s living room chair before it became a Smithsonian Museum exhibit, Norman Lear helped television comedy get over its fear of real life.
Black women and pay inequality, by David W. Marshall
Taraji P. Henson is speaking out, and people are listening. It remains to be seen if the award-winning actor will become a catalyst for major changes within the entertainment industry, but her message is much needed.
Building on a dream
Despite the nearly 1,000 signatures and letters of support Shiree Monterio obtained for a proposed Essex Point at Mt. Clement, the Essex County Board of Supervisors denied her efforts to have her family’s land rezoned for a housing development property.
America’s anti-immigrant past never died, by David W. Marshall
The Statue of Liberty stands proudly in Upper New York Bay as a symbol of freedom and a welcoming beacon to the “huddled masses” and “those yearning to be free.” Originally conceived as an emblem of the friendship between the …
A whale of an ecosystem issue, by Ben Jealous
Thanks to 20th century aquariums and marine theme parks, orcas – also known as killer whales – are the most iconic whales in America. When the public learned their captivity involved torture, orca shows disappeared from those parks, as they …
Watch out
’Tis the Christmas season and Gov. Glenn A. Youngkin played Santa Claus on Wednesday when passing out his new Virginia spending plan for the next two years.
College presidents on antisemitism, by Annie Ma
Over five hours at a con- gressional hearing, lawmakers pressed the presidents of Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania and MIT on the topic of anti- semitism. In some instances, they were unable to say whether calls for the genocide of …
Problematic political rhetoric, by Clarence Page
As someone who has appreciated the power of protest and activism on achieving progress in the U.S. and the world, it’s hard for me to watch the current high emotions over the Middle East devolve into arguments about the meanings …
Increasing opportunities for underrepresented minorities in STEM
On Dec. 15, House Science, Space and Technology (SST) Committee Member, Virginia Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan; SST Ranking Member, California Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren; and Ranking Member of the SST Subcommittee and Technology, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens sent the following letter Comptroller …
Stand’n up for books!
There’s lots of folks who want to secede, From cultural books afraid they might read,
Let’s move to correct shelter issues
A recent Richmond Free Press article noted there are not enough shelters for adults with children in the Richmond area.
The breakthrough
A long-awaited treatment for sickle cell anemia is highlighted in this week’s Free Press.
Give a child a book for Christmas, by Julianne Malveaux
They don’t call it “Black Friday” because they love Black people; they call it Black Friday because many businesses are pushed into the black (from the red ink of losses to the black ink of profits) on that day or …
America no longer the ‘land of opportunity’, by David W. Marshall
When the governors of Texas, Arizona and Florida took advantage of the welcoming traditions provided by sanctuary cities, it was meant to get rid of an unwanted problem. More than 23,000 asylum seekers have been bused to Chicago from Texas …
Luminaries admired and debunked
Three towering figures have died in recent days: former first lady Rosalyn Carter, retired U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger.
