For many folks, the holidays mark a great time of year for relaxation, celebration, and spending time with family. For others, the holidays are a time of sadness and quiet reflection, thinking on life changes, some for the better and others for the worse. Also reflecting on loved ones who are absent or worse, those who’ve transitioned from this life. All of that makes the new year beginning even more meaningful. Whether coming off a year of triumph, challenges, or a mixed bag, the new year offers everyone an opportunity for renewal and even redemption. Thus, there are many ways to turn over a new leaf, whether by quitting a bad habit, reducing it, or creating new healthy habits.

Janet Jackson’s discography spans from 1982. But for most Janet Jackson fans, her run of albums begins in 1986. It’s not because her first two albums weren’t any good. But her third album, and every album since, was markedly different. The difference: she took control of her artistry and the music it produced...She aptly titled her 1986 album, Control. Last month, Camden parents made their public declaration for control. Camden City parents, frustrated with the current situation in the school district, have urged the state board of education to restore control of the district’s schools to residents.

What lessons has Election Night taught us? First, it should teach us that New Jersey is redder than we believed it to be. As I have said previously, New Jersey is actually a red state, no matter what establishment Democrats would have you believe. The color of the election map should make that clear. Nevertheless, Mikie Sherrill came out on top Tuesday night, relatively easily in fact. So, what did we learn? Quite a few things.

Are we not allowed to speak the truth? Not our truth as we see the world, but rather, the truth. Are we no longer allowed to speak honestly about public figures because it offends white people? Whether it is Charlie Kirk or Martin Luther King Jr., are we not allowed to speak honestly of their message to the masses of people, because the truth makes white people — particularly white nationalists — uncomfortable? Are we not allowed to speak the truth about genocide in Gaza, because people are uncomfortable with the irony of it all, or because politicians are paid too much by AIPAC to allow the truth to be spoken? Does never again only apply to the Jewish community? Are we not allowed to criticize the President in places where the world can hear it, or is it something we must do in the privacy of our own homes? How about white supremacy, white nationalism, or white privilege? Are those words we can no longer utter, explain their origins, and speak out against? Are we no longer allowed to speak the truth?

Another fire broke out on the premises of EMR in Camden late Monday night to early Tuesday morning, likely due to the combustion of lithium-ion batteries. This incident follows a massive fire in February on the company’s premises, also caused by the same issue. The Camden City Council met on Tuesday evening to approve the $6.7 million agreement, precipitated by the February fire, much to the dismay of protesting residents and community allies throughout the region, who cite a lack of community voice and government transparency regarding the deal. Of the $6.7 million in the deal only $3,250,000 is going to city residents. The decision on how the money is spent will be determined by a committee, per the MOU between EMR and Camden City made up of two (2) city government representatives, two (2) city residents selected by the mayor, and four (4) representatives of EMR.

A year before his assassination, Dr. King said that he “was increasingly compelled to see the war as an enemy of the poor and to attack it as such,” because he witnessed the evaporation of President Johnson’s priority on the war on poverty for the war in Vietnam. The 21st century has seen a repeat of history. A few years ago, the war on COVID resulted in a program aimed at meeting the needs of all Americans, particularly children from poor, underserved, and oppressed...

June 10 marked the Democratic primary in New Jersey. One key race on primary day was the race for Camden City mayor. In a city with a majority Democratic population, the primary serves as the de facto election, as whoever wins in June is likely to win in November. The winner was the current incumbent, Victor Carstarphen, over challenger Theo Spencer.

Beware of any politician, particularly a liberal politician, who articulates our social and economic problems as a product of class warfare, absent a proper analysis of race and how race is intertwined with class. In other words, beware of Sen. Bernie Sanders. He appeared on Andrew Schulz’s Flagrant podcast, where he discussed the necessity of prioritizing class-based issues over identity politics, code for race, which is to blame (in Sanders’ opinion) for the recent failures of the Democratic Party.

Is there a Black leader? Or such a thing as a Black leader? Target seems to think so, and they believe that it is Rev. Al Sharpton. They reached out to have a meeting to discuss their decision to end DEI initiatives. I suspect that, even more than that, they wanted to discuss the Black faith community’s current boycott of their stores. Since the start of that boycott, Target has been impacted. Foot traffic in Target stores has declined for 10 consecutive weeks, translating into declining sales. Target’s market value has plummeted by $12.4 billion. So, you call Al Sharpton? Al Sharpton didn’t even call for the boycott of Target initially. Rev. Jamal Bryant of New Birth Baptist Church called for the 40-day Target fast. But White folks don’t know who Jamal Bryant is. They know who Al Sharpton is.

Last week, Donald Trump signed a new executive order: Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History, which says: “Once widely respected as a symbol of American excellence and a global icon of cultural achievement, the Smithsonian Institution has, in recent years, come under the influence of a divisive, race-centered ideology. This shift has promoted narratives that portray American and Western values as inherently harmful and oppressive.” The order names the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s exhibit, “The Shape of Power: Stories of Race and American Sculpture.” It represents that race is a social construct and that the United States used race to establish and maintain systems of power, privilege, and disenfranchisement.

Dear Democrats, I read the other day an opinion piece where James Carville, a relic of a Democratic party of times past, suggested that you do the following: “With no clear leader to voice our opposition and no control in any branch of government, it’s time for Democrats to embark on the most daring political maneuver in the history of our party: roll over and play dead.” His thought is to let Republicans fall under the weight of their scorched-earth tactics so that the American people will run back to you, seeing they have no other alternative. If that were true, Kamala Harris would have become president because Trump, Musk, and their congressional enablers’ scorched-earth approach was easier to forecast than a snowstorm in the middle of a snowstorm, but I digress.

As a result of Donald Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders, corporate retailers are under increased pressure to dismantle their DEI policies. This was already happening before Trump’s election. Since his election, retailers including Target, Walmart, and Amazon have all abandoned DEI initiatives concerning their sales goals. DEI stands for Diversity (meaning, acknowledging the ways people differ i.e. race, gender, age, socioeconomic status, religion, etc.), Equity (meaning, correcting societal imbalances by creating more opportunities for those who’ve historically had less access), and Inclusion (meaning, actively welcoming, supporting, respecting and valuing all individuals and groups in organizations).

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was a champion for justice; justice for Black people, the poor, and all marginalized and oppressed people worldwide. His work centered on fighting against the power structure to bring justice to society. Therefore, the Day of Service in “honor” of this work is utter bull. King worked to eradicate injustice caused by racism, capitalism, and militarism. He didn’t die so that we could volunteer one day out of the year. He did not die so that we could feel good about a one-day “activism.” That was not his legacy.

Since the Florida Board of Education passed new standards for its African American History curriculum, it hasn’t been received well. In a statement, Derrick Johnson, president of the NAACP said, “Our children deserve nothing less than truth, justice and the equity our ancestors shed blood, sweat and tears for.” The Florida Education Association called the new standards a “disservice to Florida students” and a “big step backwards.” Vice President Kamala Harris said of the Florida BOE, “They insu

CAMDEN — Camden, New Jersey made me who I am. One could assume that the forces of poverty, violence and criminality did much for the forging and shaping. But those who immediately trek to that assumption are without an understanding of, and respect for, the governance spaces that not only informed who I would become, but that also give the city its life. My parents heeded the “recommendation” of my grandmother to enroll me at Respond Inc. when I was a kid, where she was the head nurse for all

This holiday season is the first without my father and it’s tough. However, memories of him help keep a smile on my face. I can remember the many car rides we took, whether to school or the barbershop. I am unsure of the experiences of other kids, but my dad didn’t believe in a democracy where controlling the radio was concerned. We listened to what he wanted to list to. I yearned to hear Power 99, meanwhile he played 105.3 WDAS. One of those car rides, while “DAS” was playing, I remember a so

As a current teacher of advanced placement U.S. history, I can honestly attest to the importance of AP courses for students. Not only am I able to offer my students rigorous instruction in the area of U.S. history (teaching them what students don’t traditionally in their history classes), but my students (and all AP students) benefit from the experience of an AP course in other ways. Students who complete the AP exam can receive college credits. Also, taking an AP course looks great on your

This month, the NAACP held its annual convention in Atlantic City. The convention was an opportunity for stakeholders in the Black community to discuss the issues impacting our community locally, regionally, and nationally. I personally had an opportunity to participate in a panel discussion involving education. I also got an opportunity to attend a number of different panel discussions, including a discussion on understanding the criminal justice system today.

I had the pleasure of taking part in one of the many Juneteenth celebrations that happened all over the state of New Jersey this month with my family. Although New Jersey is not Texas, Black Jerseyans celebrated as the first Texans did and like other Black folk around the country… we partied. We ate, drank, danced, supported numerous Black venders (selling everything from flavored skin scrubs to flavored sea moss), watched our children play in bouncy houses, playgrounds, on the basketball court

The Camden City School District (CCSD) has changed the name of Woodrow Wilson High School to Eastside High School. The name change will be in effect the 2022-2023 school year. I for one believe that it was good for CCSD to change the name of the school. Regarding the renaming of the school… that’s another thing altogether. Others haven’t held back their approval or disapproval of the name change. Many people have joked about the name, referring to the Eastside High of Newark and Lean on Me fam