Rann Miller

I’m a freelance writer, published author and a former teacher. I have contributed to scholarly journals, text books, and many different platforms on the topics of race in higher education, urban schools, sports and the African American diaspora, and professional development for educational professionals. In addition to those things, I serve as an program director for a local school district, a professional development facilitator and also a public speaker.

Inquirer.com •

The NAACP is out of bounds | Opinion

The NAACP’s “Out of Bounds” campaign, calling for Black college athletes to boycott playing at universities within GOP-led states engaging in voting rights suppression, comes from a genuine place to fight against Black voter disenfranchisement. However, the campaign’s architects failed to consider the undeniable realities that require a more strategic approach to multifaceted circumstances.One circumstance concerns the landscape of college sports, particularly regarding labor compensation. Years...
NJ Urban News •

Camden School Closures: Follow the Money, Not the Rhetoric – NJ Urban News

When Camden tried to close three magnet schools amid a $91M deficit, students protested — and won. But the deeper fight over who controls Camden’s schools isn’t over.Editor’s Note: This article is part of an ongoing column called Camden Front and Center, analyzing the city’s politics, development, and power structures. It reflects the author’s examination and perspective on how decisions by political, business, and civic leaders impact the city’s Black and Latino residents.
NJ Urban News •

What it Means That Jalen Hurts Came to Camden – NJ Urban News

I’ve lived in New Jersey all my life, and yet I remain fascinated by the state’s cultural construction. North Jersey is influenced by New York City. South Jersey is influenced by Philadelphia. There’s no better explanation of how that works than in sports team fandom. North Jersey football fans, for example, root for the Giants and the Jets. South Jersey football fans root for the Eagles. Central Jersey isn’t influenced by anyone because…there is no Central Jersey. Only North and South,...
NJ Urban News •

Camden Is Burning: EMR And The NJ Political Machine

Every time I’ve heard those lyrics, it’s usually from the collective mouths of enthusiastic partygoers to let you know that the party is lit, as the young people say. That chant usually means the music is right, the drinks are flowing, and the crowd’s energy is incredible. In other words, everybody is having a great time. No one actually wants anything to burn, but under the right circumstances, if something did catch fire, the crowd likely wouldn’t stop it. Unless the crowd is made up of Camden City residents, and the fire is at an EMR recycling facility. Although “burn” could mean a good time, for Camden residents, it is a literal, toxic threat. The EMR fires have exhausted a community that both wants and needs water.
Word In Black •

Teaching Black History Shouldn't Start with Teaching 'Black Firsts'

Growing up, much of the Black history I was taught focused on the people and events surrounding so-called “Black Firsts”: Jackie Robinson was the first to play Major League Baseball; Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar; and W.E.B. Du Bois was the first to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Lately, though, I’ve shared with anyone who would listen that teaching Black history shouldn’t start with teaching about Black Firsts. In my opinion, being the first Black person to do something...
NJ Urban News •

Are Camden’s Eds And Meds A Form Of Colonialism?
 – NJ Urban News

One thing policymakers and stakeholders tout in Camden is the Eds and Meds corridor in downtown Camden. Eds (universities) and Meds (hospitals and medical facilities) are part of the economic infrastructure of a city or metro area that, along with government and a few corporate institutions, serve as the primary employers and financial catalysts for many citywide initiatives. According to the Brookings Institution, these institutions bring new income to a metropolitan area, raise metropolita...
Word In Black •

Stop Co-opting #SayHerName. It Was Made for Black Women

Let’s set the record straight: “Say her name” shouldn’t be used for everyone who is unjustly killed at the hands of the state.

To be more specific, it ain’t for white folks. And yes, I meant to say “ain’t.”

The hashtag, #SayHerName, isn’t simply a one-off catchphrase. It is a social justice visibility movement that Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, a professor at UCLA Law School and Columbia University Law School, created to highlight law enforcement violence against Black women and girls within an anti-...
ChristianityToday.com •

Seeing Black History Through Scripture

Memorials and remembrances are important. We remember the past not just to remind us of where we’ve been but also to help us move forward in the right direction. And every February, Black History Month gives us a chance to do just that. Commemorations of Black history dates to “Negro History Week,” which was created by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926—100 years ago this year. Woodson chose February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Black communities were already celebrating both men, and Woodson thought the weeklong event could be a way for teachers to review all the Black history they had taught students within the previous year.
Inquirer.com •

How Black History Month endures | Opinion

I am not a huge fan of comic books and superheroes, but I appreciate the storytelling. In comics, the origin story is just as important as the hero saving the day. The same is true for Black History Month, which originated as Negro History Week.Negro History Week was created by Carter G. Woodson, the child of two formerly enslaved parents. According to Harvard historian Jarvis R. Givens, Woodson was taught by his two uncles, John and James Riddle, his mother Anne Riddle’s brothers, who had also...
NJ Urban News •

Camden’s Drone Program: Safety For Whom?

Camden operates the largest drone program in South Jersey with little regulation. But whose safety does it really serve?Years ago, I created and taught a high school course in Camden City, New Jersey. We discussed the city’s history and the factors that shaped its circumstances, including the events that led to the takeovers of its government, schools, and police. I gave equal time to discussing the takeover of each entity. What the students found most fascinating was the police department’s tak...
Word In Black •

Why Venezuela’s Crisis Matters to Black America

It’s widely assumed there is a segment of Black America that is either ignorant or chooses to ignore foreign affairs. The common argument is that Black people have enough problems of their own in the U.S. without being preoccupied with global issues that have nothing to do with them. The ongoing crisis in Venezuela — in which President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to sweep in, seize President Nicholas Maduro and send him to stand trial in New York — would seem to qualify.
Word In Black •

D.E.Irony: Fewer White Men in College Keeps MAGA in Power

Maybe Donald Trump wants to make it harder for white men to get into college. Perhaps it is not an accident that affirmative action has come to an end in higher education institutions. Maybe none of this is the irony some people think it is. The Trump Administration’s rollback of DEI policies has an unintended consequence: white men, the Trump Administration’s core demographic, are being excluded from college admissions.
NJ Urban News •

Camden's School Takeover: How State Control Stripped Democratic Power From Residents

State-led “reforms” in Camden are threatening the survival of public education in the city—and stripping residents of democratic control over their schools.On October 28, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Education, Kevin Dehmer, announced the department’s undertaking to assess how resources should be allocated to city schools moving forward. The district, through the state (Camden’s school district is under state control), has retained the services of FLO Analytics, a national data analysis firm, to...
NJURBANNEWS •

Campbell Soup's 'Poor People' Problem Goes Way Deeper

As a teenager, I had a few jobs—under-the-table jobs, stipend jobs, and regular jobs. But when I turned 16, I got my first real summer job. I participated in a career exploration program with Respond Inc. in Camden. Respond was a social service agency known for early childhood development, but they also worked with school-aged students. Their program placed Camden students at various businesses around the city—accounting firms, law firms, architects, restaurants—we were placed all over. As for my three other colleagues and me, we were assigned to what was considered the top work site: the Campbell Soup Company.
Inquirer.com •

The ‘No Kings’ rallies were a start. Now what? | Opinion

In my younger days, I enjoyed sports talk radio.A favorite of mine was ESPN’s Mike and Mike. I remember during the height of the Colin Kaepernick protest, Mike Golic commended Kaepernick for his attention-grabbing display and the reasons behind it.But Golic turned the tables on Kaepernick and asked what the quarterback planned to do to achieve the goals he sought through his protest.I would love to ask white people who were part of the “No Kings” rally recently the same question, but I am unsure...
NJURBANNEWS •

NJ Isn’t Turning Red: It Already Is

New Jersey is widely considered a solidly blue state, but there’s real fear of it becoming red. Since 1992, New Jersey has elected the Democratic candidate for president and, since 2002, elected three Democratic governors to one Republican. Both houses of the state legislature have been under Democratic control since 2004. Democrats have a firm hold of political power in the state, and yet, many people are worried that the Republican, Jack Ciattarelli, will win the gubernatorial election in November and begin New Jersey’s turn to a red state. It’s easy to blame Mikie Sherrill’s campaign for its milquetoast approach to this election season, which follows the playbook of Democrats...
NJURBANNEWS •

If You Know Trump, You Know Jack

Earlier this year, Malcolm Jamal Warner became an ancestor. While we’ll miss his brilliance and brightness, his art remains, particularly that of Theo Huxtable on The Cosby Show. 

One of my favorite episodes was when he had the Huxtable brownstone to himself for a weekend; he and his friends had the bright idea to host a colloquy of six individuals for the evening. That colloquy turned into a full-blown party. Theo made allowances for people to stop by, and it snowballed into folks all over the...
NJ Urban News •

Neo-Colonialism In Camden City Politics

At the conclusion of ‘The Godfather Part II,’ a scene unfolds at the family table where Tom Hagen expresses his disappointment with Michael’s decision to join the army. Michael, the adopted son of the Corleone family, explains that he had previously discussed Michael’s future with Vito, his father. Sonny, the heir apparent to lead the family business, was equally upset. But it was the fact that Tom, who wasn’t a blood relative, was discussing his future—as if he was a relative—that upset Michael, causing Michael to ask Tom in disgusted disbelief that they were planning his future.
The Philadelphia Inquirer •

Some moments of the opening night at the Linc were cringeworthy | Opinion

Opening night at Lincoln Financial Field was a moment in time for celebration. It started with the unfurling of a championship banner commemorating the Eagles’ victory in Super Bowl LIX in February, and the Birds went on to beat the hated Dallas Cowboys. However, some of the more memorable moments of the evening were cringeworthy.Just about everyone at the game was talking about how Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter was ejected for spitting on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott — and how the Bi...
Inquirer.com •

Under Trump’s assault, Black educators must preserve history | Opinion

In March, the Trump administration issued an executive order that prohibited the “expenditure on exhibits or programs that degrade shared American values, divide Americans based on race.” The order targeted numerous museums of the Smithsonian Institution, as well as Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia.The result of this targeting is the planned or executed removal of artifacts. In other words, the erasure of history.
Prism •

Negro Election Day Remains as Prescient as Ever

Who is the Black leader?
This is not a question Black people ask among themselves. Rather, it’s a national question that the white power structure wrestles to answer when seeking votes in elections or seeking to quell periods of resistance to racial injustice. It’s also a local question that the white power structure asks when attempting to steal Black-owned property for a financial venture, or to connive their way into taking governance of schools, law enforcement, or any municipal functions...
The Philadelphia Inquirer •

What it means that LL Cool J chose to stand in solidarity with District Council 33 | Opinion

On the night before he died, April 3, 1968, the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who had traveled to Memphis to support striking sanitation workers, called the labor negotiations a matter of justice.“The issue is the refusal of Memphis to be fair and honest in its dealings with its public servants, who happen to be sanitation workers,” he said. “Now the other thing we’ll have to do is this: Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal … As Jesse Jackson has said...
The Philadelphia Inquirer •

Here’s why what’s happening in Los Angeles should be chilling both to immigrant communities and their allies | Opinion

As America prepares to celebrate Juneteenth this month, — this nation’s truest Independence Day — recent protests in Los Angeles against mass deportations have triggered the use of the National Guard to defend ICE agents as they pursue foreign-born residents. These aren’t members of MS-13 or drug cartel members. These law-abiding families simply wish to make a better life for themselves. The Trump administration’s actions are a reminder that law enforcement is an arm of the state, they have no d...
Salon •

Ryan Coogler’s "Sinners" is Black history written with lightning

The Trump Administration has declared war on Black history. By way of executive orders, the administration has taken aim at not only DEI initiatives, but Black history taught in classrooms across the country and at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. These executive orders, along with the threat of withholding federal funding, garner compliance from the education community, which is a disservice to Americans of all ethnic groups. Thankfully, our society has teachers of a different kind—those whose unique talent bring Black history to life on film, teachers like Ryan Coogler.
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