Opinions & Editorials
Feeling The Pain Of Unaffordable Housing
By Barney Blakeney I got the phone message from a lady at William Enston Homes in downtown Charleston a couple of weeks ago. She was expressing frustration at the Charleston Housing authority’s announcement that some residents would be moved out of their apartments as they are renovated. She felt the Charleston Housing Authority, which owns…
Read MoreYoung, Gifted and on Crack
By Beverly Gadson-Birch It’s been raining cats and dogs for the past two months. I am not a rainy-day person. I feel like I have been held captive in my home for the better part of the summer. It has been difficult planning outdoor activities. Is there anyone other than me who feels cheated out…
Read MoreAn Anger Seminar at a Traffic Stop
By Hakim Abdul-Ali It was raining pretty heavily last week where I live. In fact, it was raining so hard on one particular day until the downpour seemingly brought everything to a standstill, especially when it came to being literally stuck in traffic while waiting for an seemingly unresponsive traffic stop light to mechanically work…
Read MoreBiking: New Concepts Of An Old Vision
By Barney Blakeney I first met with some folks about Holy Spokes Bike Share a year ago. Speedwell Foundation’s Mike Messner wanted some help in making more people aware of the initiative that allows riders to rent a bike to get around the peninsula. Messner wanted more low income residents to access the option. It’s…
Read More3D Printers: Gun Control, Out of Control
By Beverly Gadson-Birch I am fascinated by high-tech gadgets but even more fascinated by 3D printers. It’s just mind-boggling the things you can make using 3D-printers. I am clueless how a 3D printer can make a gun as small as a Liberator and as large as an AR-15 assault weapon. On one hand, legislators are working…
Read MoreThe Keen Wisdom of Marcus Garvey
By Hakim Abdul-Ali If you’ve read my views over the past two decades you undoubtedly know that I champion the continual study of learning about Black “Our-story,” no matter what time of the year that it is. It’s part of who I am as a thinking brother of color and as a believer in…
Read MorePrioritize Protests
By Barney Blakeney With all the hullabaloo about the Palmetto Rose Kids, ignored in the discussion is workforce training for grown folks. While the issues of Black kids selling Palmetto Roses is important and speaks to a lot of pivotal issues in our society, focusing on kids selling handcraft is like treating a festering sore…
Read MoreParents, Y’all Need To Get A Handle On Your Teens
By Beverly Gadson-Birch Hot temperatures are no stranger to the Lowcountry. It’s been an unusually hot and humid summer. It’s something about the heat that makes folks go haywire. While the heat is on the rise, so is teenage violence. Last week a 15-year-old shot and killed a 17-year-old and another 17-year-old, Zamere Raeguel Treawn…
Read MoreThinking of Dr. King in Fighting Ignoble Causes
By Hakim Abdul-Ali I’ve been thinking about the states of political turmoil and civil unrest that’s going on throughout the world, including the United States of America. There’s a lot of unhappiness that permeating the landscapes of democracy and beyond. I’m now asking myself who really is at fault for the terrible political mess that…
Read MoreKids Count, But Not Enough
By Barney Blakeney For years I’ve done an annual story about the Kids Count report. The report is compiled by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, a national organization that since 1948 monitors and reports on the well-being of children. My former editor, Jim French used to provide me a hard copy of the report each…
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