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Basic Black: Politics and Prose
February 27, 2015
This year’s Oscar© ceremony has been described as one of the most political in recent memory, as winners acceptance speeches included history lessons and calls to action on women’s issues and immigration. We’ll take a closer look at comments on equal pay for women, feminism, and the civil rights movement coming out of the Oscars© winners circle. Later in the show, as Black History Month comes to a close, we pause to remember the artistry of writer James Baldwin, whose provocative essays on race and identity in America still resonate.
(Image source: CNN, Patricia Arquette, Common, and John Legend, @Academy Awards, February 22, 2015)
Basic Black Blog
Feb 23 2015
Black History, Police Body Cameras and the Urgency of Now
Guest editorial by Kevin C. Peterson Though it may sound counter-intuitive, this Black History Month is an occasion to reflect on the necessity of arming the police with body cameras. As recent history has painfully taught us, there is an urgent need to dispel all ambiguity surrounding the murder of black males by local law […]
Feb 22 2015
Why The ‘Selma’ Soundtrack Deserves An Oscar
Guest editorial by Emmett G. Price, III Selma is powerful, provocative, conversation starter on race relations in our nation. While pundits and critics focus on the portrayal of President Lyndon Johnson and others bemoan the lack of awards, don??t sleep on the music! Selma offers the perfect soundtrack to not only make the screenplay come […]
Feb 20 2015
A Road Map Beyond Black History Month
Guest editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe Black History Month (which kicked off on Feb. 1) became a national annual observance in 1926. The goal of the month is to honor and celebrate the achievements of African-Americans. If Dr. Carter Woodson, the Father of Black History, were alive today, he would be proud of the tenacity […]
Jan 18 2015
Martin Luther King, Jr. and the power of righteous anger
Guest opinion by Kevin C. Peterson As we celebrate the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.??s birthday this weekend its difficult to say exactly what he would be angry about. But he??d be angry. Yes, it’s accurate to describe King as an ??apostle of love?? because of the gospel of non-violence he preached. King obsessively sought […]
Jan 18 2015
Martin Luther King Jr.’s expansive dream
Guest opinion by Rev. Irene Monroe Martin Luther King’s actual birthday is January 15th, and I believe if MLK were alive today he would be well pleased with Ava DuVernay’s film “Selma.” Many people working for justice today stand on the shoulders of Martin Luther King Jr and what he achieved in Selma. But I […]
Dec 12 2014
Iâ??m Mad as Hellâ?¦ and Thankful
Guest editorial by Emmett G. Price, III I??m mad as hell! Regardless which side of the street you stand on there are no winners in Ferguson. Just a glimpse at ongoing news coverage, or a peek at the comment sections of online sources reveal rage- both black and white – concerning Michael Brown Jr.??s death. […]
Dec 11 2014
Is civil rights leadership on the sidelines?
Guest editorial by Kevin C. Peterson PHILADELPHIA, PA –Its not clear that this generation of civil rights leaders can win this one. Thousands of defiant marchers protested across the nation this weekend where hundreds lay prostrate in the streets whispering ??I can??t breathe.?? The chant has become almost ubiquitous since a Staten Island grand jury […]
Dec 10 2014
World AIDS Day and my communityâ??s ongoing struggle
Guest editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe Dec. 1 was World AIDS Day! President Obama conveyed hopeful remarks on World AIDS Day at George Washington University (GWU) in D.C. by vowing to continue efforts to combat the disease. ??We??re closer than we??ve ever been to achieving the extraordinary: an AIDS-free generation,?? Obama stated to the GWU […]
Nov 07 2014
Menino: an ally to Black LGBTQ communities
Guest editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe Thomas Menino was inarguably one of the best mayors the city of Boston ever had. As Boston said farewell to its longest-serving mayor, the city also celebrated the life, career, and integrity of a great public servant. As mayor to “all the people?? of Boston??African American LGBTQ communities […]
Oct 22 2014
Confronting echoes of the AIDS hysteria as we battle Ebola
Guest editorial by Rev. Irene Monroe Exactly a decade ago this month I received an email flagged as urgent from Monrovia, Liberia. It was from Lee Johnson, then coordinator of “Liberian Youths Against HIV/AIDS.?? “Presently, the HIV/AIDS scourge is deeply eating into the fabric of our society and there is little being done to bring […]
