There’s an old saying, be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. That’s because in olden times, everyone bathed in the same tub, with the infant being the last. By then the water was so dirty it was difficult to see the child before the tub was emptied.

Will Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) survive the COVID-19 pandemic? Unfortunately, it’s a legitimate topic of debate.

 Today there is a welcomed breath of fresh political air in Washington, DC even amidst the unprecedented spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic throughout the United States. According to the Biden-Harris Administration the issues of racial justice and equity are now top priorities in a “whole of government” commitment to all Americans, and in particular to African Americans and other people of color communities.

When the managers at Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial showed video footage of the Capitol riot some of our lawmakers must have relived the visceral panic they experienced that day. Millions of citizens watching at home will have been overwhelmed once more by fear and disgust. It must have been especially hard for Jewish people, reminded of the thug in his ‘Camp Auschwitz’ T-shirt, and for Native Americans, for whom marauding white men brandishing firearms conjure up ancestral horrors. Black Americans were shuddering – for us, noose-bearing mobs bring to mind brown bodies hanging from trees.

For African Americans, learning and knowledge has been—and continues to be—the drumline of survival and success.

Nobody needs to tell Black Americans that progress toward an inclusive democracy is often met with brutal resistance. We’ve learned the hard way that we can’t “let nobody turn us ‘round.” And right now, we need to send that message to the people we put in power in the White House and Congress. 

The 2020 elections taught us that our democracy is both strong and fragile. This is the time to shore it up with the For the People Act that is now waiting for action by Congress. 

“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” - Romans 8:28

As we approach the 55^th NFL Super Bowl Sunday in Tampa, Florida amidst the continued national spread of COVID-19, I believe that the time has come for the close-knit group of team owners in the National Football League (NFL) to take the necessary steps to open the door to African American business leaders who hope to join that exclusive club of owners.

“He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.” - Matthew 11:15  

Donald Trump’s defenders are shameless. And that makes them dangerous.

February is Black History Month – and Black people just made a whole lot of history.