By Lee A. Daniels
NNPA Columnist
What was it that made watching the ceremonies of President Obama’s second inauguration more satisfying than even the thrilling spectacle of four years ago?
Certainly, part of it was its occurring the same day as the celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday and amid the month-long commemoration of the Emancipation Proclamation – underscoring the direct line of descent from Black Americans’ longtime freedom struggle to the present.
By Shedrick Byrd
Some Republicans have gone amok, especially those who identify with the Tea Party movement. They want to get rid of abortion rights, Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and other entitlement programs. They don’t want immigration reform or restrictions on gun laws, or to increase the taxes on rich Americans.
By Raynard Jackson
NNPA Columnist
I really had not planned on writing anything about the shooting in Newtown, Conn. because I didn’t have anything fresh or thought provoking to write. As I have indicated before, I can’t muster any extra sympathy for the tragic events in Connecticut when young kids are dying every day in Chicago and they barely get a mention in the news, and definitely not by this White House.
By Julianne Malveaux
NNPA Columnist
Who is surprised that Lance Armstrong was doping? Who thinks he was the only one? Who is surprised that he used the Oprah Winfrey show as his platform to “come clean”? We are a nation of cheaters and Armstrong is one in a long line of our nation’s cheaters.
By Lee A. Daniels
NNPA Columnist
I’ve always disliked the way Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday is often celebrated.
The reasons why became even clearer to me these past few days, as the importance of considering King’s life and work was juxtaposed against three other developments: the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation; the celebration of Barack Obama’s second inaugural as president of the United States; and the splenetic, knee-jerk resistance of the National Rifle Association and other conservatives to the president’s efforts to devise sensible gun-regulation proposals.