Even as many around the world are honoring the life of Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. today; it need be known that celebrating him outside of context amounts to a dangerous narrowing of the Black Freedom Movement tradition in the United States. Dr. King didn’t work alone, but in concert with and propelled by...
People in Baltimore are organizing to stop foreclosures and evictions! More than symbolic gestures (which certainly has its place); I am more excited to see the development of this kind of direct organizing and activism in Baltimore. There is real potential here to raise the profile of the predatory practices of banks in Baltimore...
Habari Gani? Ujamma – Cooperative Economics To build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses and to profit from them together. It was a little more than three years ago when I giving particular attention to the development of the early Christian church as described in the book of Acts. Scripture says...
Habari Gani? Ujima – Collective Work & Responsibility To build and maintain our community together and make our brother’s and sister’s problems our problems and to solve them together. While preparing to write today’s reflection on Ujima, my eyes zoned in on the word “problems” in the description of this sacred value. I began...
Habari Gani? Kujichagulia! which means Self Determination – To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves, and speak for ourselves. Self-Determination is such a beautiful principle which speaks to the freedom that all individuals and people-groups should be able to rightly exercise. Though not always using the term, I have been writing about “kujichagulia”...
So off the top let me say that yes – I am a follower of Christ and yes – I celebrate Kwanzaa. Some may see these affirmations as incompatible and polar opposites, however, there is no incongruity with me. I am thankful for Kwanzaa and truly appreciate the fact that the day after I...
“I think I have some sense of what neighborhoods in Baltimore are like and what they need.”-M.J. “Jay” Brodie, President, Baltimore Development Corporation “I think I have some sense of what neighborhoods in Baltimore are like and what they need.” That was, in part, M.J. Brodie’s response to my critique of his agency’s impact...
Mr. Marshall “Eddie” Conway is a true servant of his community. Imprisoned for more than four decades for the crime of murdering a Baltimore City Police Officer – a crime for which he maintains his innocence – Mr. Conway has not allowed the prison cell to suppress his spirit and will to organize his...
Kwanzaa Reflection 2011: Today’s Principle is Nia – Purpose
Habari Gani? Nia which means purpose. To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness. And in that spirit of Nia; I’d like to share this important article written by Dr. Adam Clark. CHRISTIANITY AND KWANZAA By Dr. Adam Clark (originally...
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