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Please, stop calling them Christians – they aren’t.

Not unlike many younger Black men specifically, some peers whom I hold in high regard, have rightfully taken (America’s portrayal of) Christianity to task as being the “white man’s religion”, with questions emerging pertaining to how could I, a Black man, worship the same religion white slave masters, who brutalized our ancestors for centuries, used to excuse their atrocities as well as justify their actions in doing so? Numerous such conversations occurred over the years, and so, this is my attempt to summarily address such queries that I know I am not alone in having to grapple with in rationalizing, as well as in answering.

I live and work in Camden, the New Jersey city that disbanded and rebuilt its police force. We’ve been upheld as a model for cities like Minneapolis, but there’s a lot more to the story.

The evening of June 7, I received a direct tweet from Michael Leo Owens, professor of political science at Emory University, that read, “So many [eyes] gonna be looking to Camden for predictions re Minneapolis.” I didn’t believe it. I was slightly amused that Camden would ever be suggested as an exemplar Continue Reading…

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When “leaders” don’t truly listen, difficult times only get worse; and my very New Jersey-centric suggestion for (not) “reopening” schools this Fall

DISCLAIMER: In no way am I suggesting that online, remote learning should ever subsitute in-person learning under normal societal conditions. Further, I am aware of what I am suggesting here for safety reasons, may leave parents who must return to work in a bind, and no small one at that. Continue Reading…

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In schools’ reopening plans, there will be no winners: District plans to reopen amdist COVID19 embodies the selecting of the best choice among all bad options

There will be no “winners” or community of individuals emerging happy at the unveiling of their district’s approach to manage education within a pandemic, and non-existent federal leadership. This is, indeed, a perfect storm that hopefully we can all survive whenever, if ever, it may end.