A little more than 10 years ago, a young woman named Denisha was part of a vicious cycle. Her mother dropped out of school, her uncle had dropped out of school and her brother would goon to drop out of school. At an early age, Denisha was already showing signs of trouble – getting into fights, being sent home from school. These were all signs that she would become part of a cycle many of us know too well.
Category: Opinion-OW
Posted inOpinion-OW
School superintendent race is referendum on teachers’ unions
While the battle for Superintendent of Public Instruction between two Democrats is drawing attention because it is the most hotly contested statewide political race, in the end the contest may not so much depend on voters’ feelings about the candidates as how they feel about the power wielded by teachers’ unions.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Eric Holder’s legacy
After being confirmed as the nation’s first African American Unites States attorney general, Eric H. Holder Jr. wasted little time putting everyone on notice that he would not tip toe around the volatile subject of race.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Making sure our returning citizens succeed at home
There are about a million African Americans in the criminal justice system, which makes the United States number one in terms of the number of Black people behind bars. Fortunately, President Barack Obama, Attorney General Eric Holder, State Sen. Holly Mitchell, and State Assemblymember Reggie Jones-Sawyer are working to right this wrong by pushing forward important criminal justice reforms.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Is hatred for trade schools class warfare?
Trade schools have higher graduation and placement rates than other colleges, yet they are being singled out for cuts in college funding because of their student population. Hairstylists, plumbers, mechanics, chefs, medical assistants, ministers, and other working class students who attend trade schools are being discriminated against by the Administration.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Symbolism without Substance:
Remember the Jena Six? Some 15,000 to 20,000 protesters went to Jena, La., in 2006 to demonstrate against injustice. After all the speeches, threats, marches, and church rallies, the people went home and nothing really changed. The prosecutors did their thing and the system rolled right over Mychal Bell and the other five defendants. It was business as usual. Did we learn anything from Jena that we can apply in Ferguson?
Posted inFeature, Feature, Opinion-OW
Why marijuana’s moment has arrived
A few decades ago, marijuana was a topic that relatively few people, mostly counterculture musicians and comedians, spoke about in public. The comedy team of Cheech and Chong made films such as “Up in Smoke” that extolled the pleasures of smoking pot at a time the subject was still taboo.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Alex Johnson: Respect for tradition, commitment to progress NOW
When I was elected to the Los Angeles City Council 23 years ago, African Americans comprised close to 14 percent of Los Angeles’ population. Today, it’s approximately 8 percent. As demographic trends are projected, African Americans will continue to decline in number relative to the total population in coming decades.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Legendary drummer Idris Muhammad dead at 74
Although he did not boast the marquee status of contemporaries such as Art Blakey and Elvin Jones, none of them eclipsed the influence of Idris Muhammad’s “bottom-up style” of drumming, and his ability to adapt across a variety of musical styles that spanned some five decades. The legendary bandleader, composer, and percussionist died July 29 at the age of 74 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The cause of death was not immediately revealed, but family members acknowledged he had previously been undergoing dialysis. He was buried immediately according to the dictates of his Islamic faith.
Posted inOpinion-OW
Supreme Court seeks to gut labor unions
The Supreme Court’s decision in the case of Harris vs. Quinn essentially means that personal care attendants who are represented by a union do not need to pay a service fee that would cover the cost of representing and advocating on their behalf. The Supreme Court’s conservative majority justified this decision purportedly on the basis of freedom of speech.
