Dr. Walter L. Smith, Florida A&M University’s seventh president and president emeritus, died on Thursday, Nov. 25, in Tampa. He was 86.
Browsing: Opinions
Armed with the knowledge that his power source is unlimited and unwilling to cut him off has resulted in a Reign of Terror. The threat of losing his freedom makes this criminal commit even more crimes disguised as Making America Great Again.
There is no finite checklist for transformative presidential leadership. History, however, reveals two starkly different paths under the banner of “transformation.” One strengthens democracy by elevating civic trust, accountability, and inclusion. The other reshapes the system by hollowing it out—transforming democracy into a managed illusion of power. Both are transformative. Only one is democratic.
Like many Americans right now, I want to believe that the 2026 and 2028 elections will offer a reprieve from the chaos that increasingly defines our political life. There is a widespread hope that one or both cycles will somehow reset the country and restore a sense of normalcy. But that hope, however emotionally understandable, is dangerously misplaced.
Remembering the Revolution: Lessons for Today
Donald Trump’s affordability crisis has brought a troubling reality to Black working class voters. Despite Trump touting a “strong” labor market, prices are increasing and unemployment is rising faster for Black men and women.
He cared about people. While he was one of the chief architects of the Civil Rights Movement, he never lost his ability to be with those who didn’t have a title or position. I met Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when I was a student in college.
A 43-year-old disabled widow, burdened by medical debt from her husband’s and her own cancer, walks two hours in the early morning darkness to get free treatment at a health fair in Columbus, Ohio, a treatment for conditions not covered by her Medicaid. At the same time, Medicaid, and the SNAP food benefits that have also sustained this widow, are being severely cut by this administration.
The Drill Baby Don has unveiled a new yacht club for mobsters. Perhaps his humorless advisors didn’t realize how closely its moniker, Board of Peace, resembles the title Golding’s novel of savagery Lord of the Flies. The Don’s membership fee for his, let’s call it the ‘Hoard of Fleas,’ is a cool $1 billion in cash that will be collected in brown paper bags.
“The fall blues,” is how Tamika Jeanty describes the seasonal mood swings she experienced in her late 20s. Every October, she felt withdrawn, anxious, and lethargic, coping in silence until she spoke with her sister, Dr. Naomi Jeanty-Higgins.