Religion

IN MEMORIAM: New Jersey Rep. Donald Payne Jr. Dies at 65

     “With his signature bowtie, big heart, and tenacious spirit, Donald embodied the very best of public service,” Murphy wrote in a statement on Wednesday. House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, expressed their condolences and offered prayers to Payne’s family and friends. Jeffries described him as a “highly effective public servant and compassionate leader.” […]

Religion

We must learn to deal with the transition of loved ones

     No one or nothing could have prepared me for October of 2018 when my father took his last breath on this Earth.  It felt like the entire world had crumbled in on me.  My leader, my mentor, my idol and my friend all-in-one had transitioned.  The empty feeling of being robbed of his presence brought about every imaginable emotion.  In the short term I was not good.  I was not good at all. […]

Religion

Football Legend O.J. Simpson Dies but the Obsession Remains Alive

So much of the analysis around the Simpson case ignores the general context of the criminal justice system’s treatment of Black men. Black men in America are disproportionately incarcerated and given longer sentences than white males. Because of Simpson’s wealth he was able to do something most defendants cannot do: Hire the best multi-expert legal team available. The reality of a Black man being acquitted in the murders of a white woman and man was clearly jarring to many commentators. […]