Editorials

A major component of my anti-crime agenda involved summer jobs for teenagers, which not only would give young people an alternative to criminal activity, but also provide income to families in need.

When I hear the words, “land of the free, home of the brave," I think, "land of the thief, home of the slave."

Persistent poverty is a scourge on our nation. The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the struggle those living in poverty face every day, and their plight was exacerbated by the economic impacts of the virus.

The pace of recovery, not unsurprisingly, has been more rapid for Whites than for African-Americans. The unemployment rate for Whites dropped from 10.1 percent a year ago to 5.2 percent last month, a reduction by almost half. In contrast, the Black unemployment rate was 15.3 percent in June of 2020, and it dropped to 9.2 percent last month – a less steep drop than the white rate.

One of the most recent acts of insurance company greed happened with UnitedHealthcare, the nation’s largest insurance provider. Just recently, the insurance giant announced it would no longer cover patients’ nonurgent visits to the emergency room retroactively. Yes, you read that correctly. An American insurance company is no longer going to cover American patients who incorrectly self-diagnose and seek emergency treatment.

Black women, femmes, girls and gender-expansive individuals have been marginalized for far too long. We have been fighting for our survival while others stood by and watched — or worse, while they actively participated in our oppression for their own gain. No more!

Now more than ever, it is time for a new Good Neighbor Policy toward Latin America. Donald Trump had little interest in Latin America, other than labeling its refugees as terrorists, drug dealers and rapists. Latin America has been battered by the economic collapse accompanying the pandemic.

When mainstream media largely ignored the Black community, or positioned us in an unfavorable light, the Black press has been the lighthouse that has illuminated our paths. It is only reasonable then, that I honor not only Black journalists but the associations that have given them cover. The National Newspaper Publishers Association, the National Association of Black Journalists have supported the people – Black journalists and Black newspaper publishers – who have supported us.

We have been given a holiday to celebrate, but it must not distract us from the fact that little has changed in how brutally we can be treated and the work remaining to end that violence. The 2020 General Election has shown our evolving understanding that our present and future welfare depends upon the free exercise of our votes.

The past year has been particularly challenging -- with the names of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and others becoming indelibly etched into our collective memory and millions of people taking to the streets to protest these crimes against the Black community. As we prepare to celebrate Juneteenth, we must look back on all the events of the past year with clear eyes to examine both the tragedies and triumphs our community has witnessed.