Editorial/Op-Ed

(BALTIMORE – May 8, 2025) – America has a problem with young people, and I’m increasingly frustrated with it. From mall curfews to over-policed parks and hyper-punitive school environments, the message we’re sending is painfully clear: “We don’t trust your presence.” This sentiment is indisputably dangerous—any culture that pushes its youth to the margins is destined for decline. I’m genuinely baffled by the unchecked belief that young people are inherently problematic or danger-prone. Even worse is the assumption that the adults in their lives will automatically serve as reliable “menace mediators.” The facts don’t support this narrative. Adults over the…

Editorial: The Removal of DEI from the Federal Government is a Shameful Step Backward

(BALTIMORE – January 27, 2025) – The federal government, as the largest employer in the United States and in every single state, has long carried the responsibility of setting an example for equity and fairness in hiring practices. However, this duty has been upended by the actions of the Trump administration, which, through a series of executive orders and directives, has dismantled diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) initiatives under the guise of combating “discrimination.” These actions truly achieve not a restoration of fairness but an institutionalization of bias that undermines the progress toward equality in federal employment. The first…

Guest Editorial: Incredible Weekend! Black Wall Street Empowerment Summit

(BALTIMORE – January 6, 2025) – I’d like to share some highlights from the Black Wall Street Empowerment Summit on Saturday, where I had the honor of participating in an award ceremony and listening to an incredible guest speaker panel. Key Takeaways: ++ Advocacy and Community Impact: We must stay committed to ensuring our local neighborhoods receive the resources and funding needed for healthy, thriving communities. + The Power of Networks: As Charlyn Nater shared, supporting one another in our journeys creates a full-circle process—what we give to our network comes back to us. She is passionate about advocating for…

Are we willing to change to save our children?

Enoch Muhammad works with young people. To serve them parents must first change themselves, he says. (CHICAGO – December 30, 2024) – Nothing can be more important in the New Year than saving our children in the face of threats from within and outside our community. Mental health challenges, failing education, violence, unemployment, police abuses, poverty, housing insecurity and other pressures erode family and community, often leaving our babies vulnerable, feeling neglected and forgotten. Enoch Muhammad, of Chicago-based Hip Hop Detoxx, has been working with young people for more than two decades. He shared some important lessons on what we must…

Op-Ed: Gas is Dirty. LNG Proponents Don’t Just Ignore the Facts,  They Ignore the Human Toll

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – December 27, 2024) – Not long after her adopted twins came to live with her in Freeport, Texas, Melanie Oldham saw their health start to decline. Both children were diagnosed with severe asthma. As Oldham sent the twins to school – every day with their inhalers – she realized a lot of the kids in her part of Brazoria County had bad asthma. She also began to see that other serious chronic illnesses were rampant in her community. “It’s shocking the number of people in their 50s that already have severe COPD, all the skin problems we know…

Op-Ed: ABC CEO Takes a Stand Against Biased Media Coverage, Proposes Coalition for Change

(BALTIMORE – December 18, 2024) – Chrissy Thornton, President and CEO of Associated Black Charities (ABC), has responded robustly to the media following a recent local media article that inaccurately reported on duplication of a grant approved by the Baltimore City Council for ABC. In her opinion piece, titled “Let’s Leave Healthy Holly in 2024, Shall We?”, Thornton calls attention to the harmful impact of outdated narratives and biased portrayals of Black leadership while highlighting the need for accountability and balance in media coverage. The article, initially framed as a critical exposé, later unceremoniously published a follow-up piece that revealed that its concerns…

First Class Citizenship: A Sister Comes Home

Chicagoan Dina McReynolds Everage’s home is the West African nation of Ghana. Not only is Ghana her home, it is also her country. (CHICAGO – December 17, 2024) – Can you go home even if you have never been? Even if you’re not sure where home is? For Chicagoan Dina McReynolds Everage home is the West African nation of Ghana. Not only is Ghana her home, it is also her country. Naba’a Richard Muhammad’s Straight Words is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Upgrade to paid In November,…

Op-Ed: America’s dilemma and a gentle word for pharaoh

US faces crises and questions about her very survival. We see racial, political, social, economic, and other divisions. How about some solutions? By Naba’a Richard Muhammad, StraightWords.com (CHICAGO – December 12, 2024) – Go thou and thy brother with My messages, and do not be remiss in remembering Me. Go both of you to Pharaoh; surely he is inordinate; Then speak to him a gentle word, haply he may mind or fear. —Holy Qur’an, Chapter 20, Verses 42-44, Maulana Muhammad Ali translation Watching what is happening inside America, as the nation unravels before our eyes. Clearly, the country faces crises and…