Black to Black

By Barney Blakeney I learned some time ago Rural Missions, Inc. on Johns Island was closing. Last week I learned it closed May 31. A lot of people likely don’t understand the role Rural Missions, Inc. played in our community. Unfortunately, too many people don’t even know it existed! That’s a sad commentary. I learned…

By Barney Blakeney The police reports of traffic fatalities involving bicyclists have been alarming. Local police public information officers send the reports regularly, but it took awhile for me to recognize a trend. I guess that’s why it’s so important for reporters to be as objective as humanly possible. As a regular peninsula driver, cyclers…

By Hakim Abdul-Ali It’s been said throughout the ages that time waits for no one which is an absolute, indisputable reality. And as sure as the sun does shine and night falls, we all will be tested in the living experience with one thing or the other. These are the definitive destinies of the twin…

By Barney Blakeney I hear it all the time, but I’m still trying to wrap my brain around the concept – integration has been detrimental to Black folks. Sometimes when I talk to Black folks about education and economics I get that comment. It baffles me. I think integration is a good thing. People should…

By Barney Blakeney It took me a little while to get to the story about the Palmetto State Law Enforcement Officers Association conference held July 8-12 in North Charleston – a lotta stuff’s going on. But I finally got the interview I needed. Retired Charleston Police lieutenant and current Charleston Housing Authority Director of Community…

By Barney Blakeney I was washing a leftover grits pot at my church Sunday morning (we do a monthly community breakfast each second Saturday –all are welcome to Charleston’s best home-cooked breakfast specially prepared by the loving hands of the women and men of Wesley UMC/Charleston) when my church brother walked into the kitchen asking…

By Hakim Abdul-Ali Today’s living experiences for many uptight folk could loosely and best be very described as frantic, hectic and very engagingly chaotic. To most of those inclusive “hue-mans,” who are probably caught up in this seemingly never ending hustle bustle type of existence, I probably haven’t said anything that is new, shocking or…

By Barney Blakeney I’m getting calls from a lot of people promoting their presidential candidate. It’s that time again and they all want publicity. Ain’t nobody talking about no money though! Black folks need to understand politics is all about money – who makes it and how. It seems like everybody’s trying to get their…

By Barney Blakeney With the fourth observance of the 2015 massacre at Emanuel AME Church still fresh in my mind I recently saw equal justice advocate Bryan Stevenson on one of the network morning news programs. Stevenson is a lawyer, social justice activist, a clinical professor at New York University School of Law and founder and…

By Barney Blakeney This week the Charleston community observed the fourth anniversary of the June 17 massacre at Emanuel AME Church in which nine people were slaughtered. I find it hard to write about the Emanuel slaughter – it’s a sensitive issue that evokes a lot of different emotions and people most often think with their…