Uptown Notes

The arrest and charging of George Zimmerman can be the start of a movement for justice or it can be […]

I have a confession: I watch the Real Housewives of Atlanta. Religiously. Now, before you tune out, I watch and […]

Last week, I had the pleasure of being on NPR’s Tell Me More with host Michel Martin to discuss the […]

Recently, I had the pleasure of appearing on “Our World with Black Enterprise” hosted by Marc Lamont Hill. The show […]

For the past few years, I have been diligently working on issues of inequality in well-resourced school settings. My book […]

This morning, another piece of my writing on education reform and “Waiting for Superman” was posted on theRoot.com. This is […]

This is my reflection on Ujima: Collective Work and Responsibility For more than a year, I’ve entertained way too many […]

This week, my dear friend Yusef Ramelize, took on the issue of homelessness. No, he didn’t decide to volunteer at a soup kitchen. No he didn’t decide to give out change to someone he saw as he was exiting the platform. No he didn’t email his friends and tell them they should join a “homelessness sucks” cause on facebook. He decided to raise awareness about the issue of homelessness by getting a first person experience. Yusef is going homeless for one week.

What would our communities look like if we concentrated on contributing positively to each other lives, rather than concentrating on accruing financial capital? Basically, the desire to make money often takes precedent over our ability to contribute to each others well being. “Support Black Business” this was my approach to the principle of Ujamaa for years, but I realized that supporting a business by someone who looks like me will likely get our people no closer to liberation. Need an example, just turn on BET.

Over the past week, the media and everyone who could jump on the bandwagon of wagging fingers, frowned brows, and […]