8th grader Marquis Jay was sitting in his chair, leaning his head back with his mouth open, when his teacher walked over and poured pencil shavings into his mouth. The teacher was suspended, but has since resumed work. Should the teacher be fired?
The Chicago Police Department is almost certain that charges will be made later today against two suspects in the shooting death of Hadiya Pendleton.
As this blog’s resident skeptic, it’s difficult not to conjecture aloud about what decisions were made after the FLOTUS and company attended Hadiya Pendleton’s funeral. Who knows if any of them came back with a “Barack, it’s bad. You can’t keep ignoring them” so compelling that the POTUS actually stopped reading this month’s Ebony and paid attention. […]
Embattled former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. has reportedly signed a plea deal that will involve “significant jail time.” A source has told the Chicago Sun-Times that jail time would definitely be a part of any plea deal, and that his wife Sandi is the subject of a probe of her own.
About 2 months ago I relocated to San Francisco to start a new job in Silicon Valley. When I arrived to the Bay Area I was initially struck by the hilly and picturesque terrain of the city and the spirit of ingenuity amongst the residents. Yet, like any bustling cosmopolitan area, I noticed very quickly […]
Michelle Obama will reportedly attend the funeral of Hadiya Pendleton. She’ll be accompanied by Valerie Jarret, senior adviser to the President, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Services will be held at the Greater Harvest Baptist Church, at 5121 State Street at 9am.
A new article in the New York Daily News delves deeper into the Black Youth Project’s petition to President Obama, asking that President Obama make a speech addressing gun violence in the Windy City. Sign the petition at http://Change.org/BarackComeHome
We are compelled to wonder if Hadiya’s death might have been prevented if she and her fellow classmates had been allowed to stay inside the school after the final bell. How can we help school’s protect students?
Among the finest poets of the 20th century, Langston Hughes words continue to capture the hearts and minds of people across the world. Check out one of his most famous works, “I, Too.” Do you have a favorite Hughes poem?
Below is an original poem I wrote after my childhood friend, Naomi Clyburn, was murdered in my hometown.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ELJl7Dy8g&feature=player_embedded This isn’t the first time. This will not be the last. When people of color Speak out, stand up, fight back, Their uproar is often. Repressed. By police and the institution Who use their authority to silence Voices. Which are screaming for a justification. Screaming for Justice.
7 year-old Wilson Reyes was accused of stealing $5 from a classmate, and a scuffle ensued. Instead of being sent to the principal’s office, the NYPD took him to a police station, handcuffed Reyes to a wall, and interrogated him for hours.
