In 2008 candidate Barack Obama campaigned with the slogan “Yes We Can!” When he became president in 2009, many thought he would be a transformational president. Soon however, it became apparent that Obama would face recalcitrant and racist opposition from both the GOP and the insurgent Tea Party in 2010. Looking back over the past… Continue reading Yes We Did: Assessing Black Progress During the Obama Era
Author: Lawrence Brown, Ph.D
Lawrence Brown is the grandson of sharecroppers who lived in the Mississippi Delta and is a native of West Memphis, Arkansas. He is an Assistant Professor at Morgan State University in the School of Community Health and Policy. He is engaged in Baltimore communities as an activist for equitable redevelopment along with housing stability and studies the impact of forced displacement, historical trauma, and masculinity on health.
The Rape of a Nation and the Reconstruction of Black Masculinity
With a month left before the 2016 presidential election, a sobering topic has emerged to dominate national discourse: rape and sexual assault. Angry at what they perceived as the lack of box office success for Nate Parker’s film Birth of a Nation, some Black men have blamed Black feminists for dampening enthusiasm and turnout of… Continue reading The Rape of a Nation and the Reconstruction of Black Masculinity
We Must Dismantle the Morehouse Mystique and Examine Our Masculinity
In her explosive, heart-wrenching article “Our Hands are Tied Because of This Damn Brother-Sisterhood Thing,” writer Anita Badejo outlines disturbing accounts of sexual assault that took place on Morehouse’s campus. The article—released on January 21, 2016—not only contains disturbing actions of Morehouse students but ultimately dismissive and disrespectful responses by Morehouse College administrators. On May… Continue reading We Must Dismantle the Morehouse Mystique and Examine Our Masculinity
Why We Need Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq
It’s not wise to underestimate how movies can shape a young person’s life. Twenty years ago, when I was a teenager, Tales From the Hood played a tremendous role in my growing up. The movie, through an infusion of horror and humor, showed several stories dealing with racism and Black men growing up in urban… Continue reading Why We Need Spike Lee’s Chi-Raq
Stokely and the Birth of Black Power
Cocky. Self-assured. Reckless. Radical. Activist. Organizer. Leader. By the summer of 1966, any of these words would be used to describe the man who coined the term Black Power, signaling the official shift from the Civil Rights Movement to the Black Power Movement. No man made a greater contribution to the Civil Rights Movement while… Continue reading Stokely and the Birth of Black Power