According to Jason Silverstein at The Altantic, racism isn’t just bad for society and bad for our civil rights; it is quite literally bad for your health. aJust the fear of falling victim to such policies has serious physical and emotional ramifications. A fascinating read.
Now all the teachers couldn’t reach me And my momma couldn’t beat me Hard enough to match the pain of my pop not seeing me (Jay-Z) I was speaking to a middle school student that I am mentoring through a non-profit in Chicago, and the student explained to me an event in his life growing […]
According to a new report, youth incarceration rates have dropped by 41% since its peak in 1995. And because cash-strapped are receptive to alternatives to expensive long-term incarceration, this moment presents an opportunity to solidify lasting change.
Brother. I wish I had known. When we were little black boys. Putting posters of blue dodge vipers and red Michael Jordan Jerseys on white walls of apartment rooms that we shared throughout our childhood. Back when PokĂ©mon cards were stolen in after school programs. Back when Mom’s smile was still bright enough to make […]
A recent installment of This American Life takes a closer look at the crisis of gun violence in Chicago’s South and West Sides. following the lives of faculty and students immersed in the systemic obstacles that create and perpetuate the violence that is robbing us of our youth.
Chuck D: “The bottom line is this: Back when I was growing up, you couldn’t find a gun on anybody. Since 1980, the beginning of R&B, Reagan and Bush, there’s been nothing but guns and drugs in the Black community for the last 30-some-odd years.”
What I’m saying is that there is a fine line between policing self-expression/controlling a child and protecting a child. You don’t have to be controlling to set boundaries and protect your child. Contrary to popular belief, self-expression is a right.
The President’s visit was one moment in a longer struggle to radically improve the lives of black and Latino youth. Now that the President has come and gone we all have work to do!
NYPD Detective Hassan Hamdy, who shot and killed unarmed National Guardsman Noel Palonco (Photo by Victor Alcom) Remember last week when the world was riveted by the exploits of ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner? Many felt that the support of Dorner’s quest to expose the corruption and racism in the LAPD was unwarranted because he killed innocent people. One author […]
Today I would like to talk about a subject near and dear to my heart: community organizing. My entire life I’ve fought for justice  by helping groups galvanize support for their respective agendas. I’ve done both online and offline organizing, and even spent 9 months organizing for President Obama in Florida this past election cycle. […]
Many try to understand the political landscape of an ever changing and perpetually evolving globalized world. In this process of understanding how and why people of color are systemically entrenched in poverty, it becomes crucial to comprehend the context in which policy formulation takes place. A class-based approach to the political process is needed to […]
Featured on NPR program Tell Me More, Aisha and Chris discuss their experiences as young people growing up in Chicago, the systemic challenges young people face, and what they’d like to hear from President Obama tomorrow. Check it out!
