Politics, Moderate
/Politics
All Eyes Are on Female Rising Basketball Superstars
Like many sports fans this year, I have been in awe of the on-court accomplishments of Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark. Her highlight reels on YouTube show her draining "logo threes" on the Hawkeyes' home court combined with precision backdoor passes to set up her teammates for easy layups.
The timing for Clark topping LSU legend ...Read more
The Film 'Origin' Delves Deeply into the History of Man's Inhumanity to Man
Ava DuVernay's acclaimed film "Origin" has been digitally released, which should hopefully attract more viewers to examine its intricate themes connecting American racism to global caste systems. Based on Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson's 2020 book "Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents," "Origin" takes its audience on a riveting ...Read more
Addressing the Loneliness Epidemic With Heart
One of the concerning health headlines toward the end of 2023 was the loneliness epidemic that is affecting millions of Americans, causing premature death in many cases. And it's not just the U.S. that is grappling with so many adults and young people feeling alone and isolated. The World Health Organization declared loneliness a "pressing ...Read more
Rounding Out Black History Month With National Geographic's 'Genius: MLK/X' Anthology
For the past two years, students in my Black history Sports Icons course have watched Regina King's Academy-nominated film "One Night in Miami" to begin our section on Muhammad Ali, formerly Cassius Clay. Since "One Night in Miami" has a detailed focus on Malcolm X, I suggested to students who had some extra time between their class assignments ...Read more
The Gen Z Faith Pivot
A significant number of Gen Z Americans and college students appear to be doing a "pivot" back to religion, according to Jay Richards, the director of the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Life, Religion, and Family at the Heritage Foundation.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Richards explains that this is a trend that differs from ...Read more
Gospel Music Is a Powerful Educator on Social Justice Struggles
One of the Black history documentaries that I had marked on my to-see list is the recently released PBS "Gospel" series that is hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., who serves as the Alphonse Fletcher University professor and the director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University.
"Gospel," as Gates ...Read more
Disputes Continue on the Inclusion of 'Lift Every Voice and Sing' at the Super Bowl
Controversy has arisen again regarding the upcoming performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" that is scheduled for Super Bowl 58. During last year's game, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," also referred to as the "Black national anthem," was sung by Sheryl Lee Ralph, affectionately known to "Abbot Elementary" fans as "Miss Barbara." Grammy Award-...Read more
Americans' Lack of Faith Indicates Many Still Need Spiritual Assurance
Toward the end of January, the Pew Research Center published results of a 2023 summer survey it conducted through its American Trends Panel on religious "nones," people who identify as "atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular." Out of a targeted sample size of 12,932 U.S. adults, 11,201 participated, resulting in an impressive 87% response ...Read more
Finding a Voice for Those Who Feel Left Behind in Poverty
PBS NewsHour's senior correspondent Judy Woodruff traveled the country for six months last year to get more insight on the partisan divisions, economic struggles and continued skepticism many people have regarding our nation's institutions. I had some time recently to watch one of her November reports on Steubenville, Ohio, which hit close to ...Read more
Some Thoughts on the 7th National Day of Racial Healing Town Hall
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation recently presented its seventh National Day of Racial Healing town hall on NBC News NOW, which was broadcast from Los Angeles. The town hall is always held following Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and this year it was hosted by NBC anchors Kate Snow and Zinhle Essamuah. Key topics that were discussed included educating ...Read more
Yolanda Renee King Continues Her Family Legacy
I happened to catch the recent "CBS Mornings" news interview of Yolanda Renee King, the only grandchild of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. While promoting her new children's book honoring her grandparents titled "We Dream a World," Yolanda gave a profound answer when asked what she would say to them if they were alive today. "...Read more
Helping Young Men Reach Their Ambitions
Colleges and universities are preparing for the spring 2024 semester, and one current trend will be obvious at many campuses throughout the nation: there are fewer young men enrolled at four-year schools.
This downward curve of male students is viewed as a disturbing drop-off by many educators. Women now make up almost 60% of U.S. college ...Read more