Opinions & Editorials
There Are No Bad Days
By Barney Blakeney It’s been a tough couple of weeks. Good thing I’ve decided not to have any more bad days – some may be better than others, but I don’t have bad days anymore. Still, the past couple of weeks have challenged that outlook. I was just coming down with some kind of ‘bug’…
Read MoreNever Hate Yourself
By Hakim Abdul-Ali At this present time, our country and the rest of the world are going through some very difficult times. The dreaded COVID-19 virus, also known as coronavirus, is plaguing the earth and it, seemingly, has the world in its deadly, mystifying grip as of this column’s publication. It’s also at this time…
Read MoreCoronavirus: COVID-19 Life Changing And Challenging
By Beverly Gadson-Birch Good morning Charleston! Are y’all practicing safe health? When something terrible happened in black communities or the nation, older folk would say, “it’s praying time”. What time is it? Yep, “it’s praying time”. While I am very much concerned about the virus outbreak, I am not panicking. On a recent visit…
Read MoreThe Illusion of Delusion
By Barney Blakeney Often I’ll read stuff I already know which distresses me nonetheless. That happened last week while reading a report on a study written by NNPA reporter Stacy Brown. The study was about the economic and financial progress made by African Americans over the past five years. You hear it said some Black people…
Read MoreLove for All is a Feeling Worth Initiating
By Hakim Abdul-Ali The world we live in today is full of all sorts of political twists, racial dilemmas and numerous secret prejudicial agendas. I don’t think any reasonable, clear thinking American ethnic soul in “hue-manity” can, or would, deny that. I’m a concerned American brother of color, and that’s a pretty real scenario for…
Read MoreJudge Mikell R. Scarborough, Master-In-Equity: The Highest Form Of Fairness
By Beverly Gadson-Birch Life in the Holy City just ain’t that holy anymore. Once upon a time, a man’s word was his bond. His word was so trustworthy, you could take it to the bank and cash it in. Fast forward to now! What happened to truth in lending, truth in contracting, truth in sentencing,…
Read More“Be Prepared”
By Barney Blakeney I recently was thinking of something a friend says to me about being prepared – poor planning produces poor performance. The thought initially came to me regarding the recent three-day Southeastern Wildlife Exposition that came to town last month. Begun in 1983, each year some 40,000 visitors converge in Charleston for the…
Read MoreRespecting the Creator Alone of It All
By Hakim Abdul-Ali One thing an experienced “hue-man” understands about life after a while is that there are differences galore everywhere you turn and look in the living process. That fact alone should humble us all, including me and you, to try to exist with others, even with those who are vehemently opposed to us,…
Read MoreCORONAVIRUS: Serious Health Threat
By Beverly Gadson-Birch The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is the talk of the nation and becoming the most feared and complex virus since the HIV epidemic in the late 70’s and 80’s. Hypotheses center around the source of the virus. Where did it begin and how did it start? Since China seems to have been the birthplace, perhaps that…
Read MoreCameras Can Record Crime, Resources Can Prevent Them
By Barney Blakeney I write little notes to myself to remind me of stuff. As I get older I don’t depend on memory as much anymore, although I still have a pretty good memory. It’s a gift that’s allowed me to work this newspaper gig. When I started reporters didn’t have voice or video recorders.…
Read More