Op-Ed – More black and white students denied college loans; now what?
April 1, 2013
Michelle Hollinger
Guest Writer
Op-Ed
The recent calamity regarding the Obama administration’s modification to the Parent PLUS loan qualifications that resulted in more than 14,000 HBCU students not being able to return to school last fall raises several important questions. (Parents may apply for the Parent PLUS loan to pay for college expenses that remain after their child has exhausted other sources of financial aid.)
Critics of the Parent Plus loan argue that prior to the stricter eligibility requirements that now examine [...]
How America Missed One Brief Moment in Time
June 1, 2012
By Wendy Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Commentary: Last Words
The way in which Americans today look back at slavery, segregation and Jim Crow with great shame and embarrassment is the way in which Americans will look back on the four years of the administration of President Barack Obama. Many Americans will later lament that their behavior was so savage and inhumane toward a good, upright, compassionate, Christian, family man, who deeply loved his wife, daughters and his country, where he [...]
War is hell; bring our troops home
Dear Editor:
The Afghan War has been going on entirely too long. For more than ten years now, the combination of the Iraq War and the Afghan War, is taking more and more of a greatly negative effect on the U.S. troops, the U.S. debt, and I truly believe the U.S. population as a whole.
The recent massacre of Afghan citizens reminded me of the My Lai Massacre that happened in Vietnam in 1968. I had to look-up the information about this [...]
Editorial: The domestic cost of war in Afghanistan
November 2, 2011
By Michael Keith
Guest Writer
Editorial
When we wage war in another country, or as in our case, numerous countries, the government and the people fail to realize that there are trade offs. Every dollar we spend on the military is a dollar we don’t spend domestically. In times of tragedy or urgency, this is extremely necessary, no matter the cost.
That is no longer the case. The urgency has long past, and yet we keep hearing we [...]
Last Words: My Goodbye to Oprah
May 25, 2011
Wendy Thompson, Editor-in-Chief
Commentary: Last Words
Today is a day I never imagined would come so soon, but with much fanfare and many tears, it has. Today, after 25 years of service to a world of viewers, Oprah Winfrey aired her final “Oprah Winfrey Show”. Writing these “Last Words” on a show that literally helped create my adult life and utterly inspired my childhood is difficult.
25 years ago, I was 16 years old and living the life of a [...]
Big Enough Dreams
March 1, 2011
Kimberly Collins
Staff Columnist
A Slice of Wisdom
Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board. For some they come in with the tide. For others they sail forever on the horizon, never out of sight, never landing until the Watcher turns his eyes away in resignation, his dreams mocked to death by Time. — Zora Neale Hurston
Recently, I was stopped in my tracks when a sister, I know, said: “I wonder if my daughter and [...]
Harriet Tubman in the National Statuary Hall
Letter to the Editor
HB455/SB351, a proposal to erect a statue of Harriet Tubman in the National Statuary Hall collection will be considered in hearings on Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011. The bill was sponsored by Del. Susan Lee and Sen. Catherine Pugh. Grassroots support has been growing throughout the state to honor this shining star in the constellation of Maryland greats. However, some state legislators seem to be stuck in the 1700s, where women and minorities had their place, [...]
Just drive
February 1, 2011
Kimberly Collins
Staff Columnist
A Slice of Wisdom
What I remember about the last time I went skiing was that I was too scared to jump off the lift once I got on, so I decided to treat the lift like an amusement park ride and stay on to let it take me back down the slope. To my surprise, a return trip was not possible. The only way down was for me to ski down. The one [...]
The Last Word: Sargent Shriver, the testament of a true man
January 23, 2011
Wendy Thompson
Editor-in-Chief
Commentary: Last Words
Photos: Rachel Lincoln/DC Spotlight
As I prepared to attend the funeral mass of Sargent Shriver on Saturday morning, I took a moment to reflect on the week before. On the day that Shriver died, I sent my condolences to Tim and Anthony Shriver, because I had personally worked with them on the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Challenge in October of last year. The EKS Challenge afforded me the opportunity to see both Sargent and [...]
Checkin’ the List: Celebrating My Wins
January 1, 2011
Kimberly Collins
Staff Columnist
A Slice of Wisdom
I did something recently that I have not done in a long time. I read some of my old diaries. It was a New Year tradition for me to look back over the previous years to chart my progress. I abandoned the tradition after I revisited some episodes I wanted to remain forgotten. However, on this day, I was in need of some clarification, some direction that could only come [...]
Get on Your Grind
December 3, 2011
Kimberly Collins
Staff Columnist
A Slice of Wisdom
I found myself sitting in a puddle of self pity one day ashamed that the more of what I wanted and what I envisioned for myself had not manifested. My daughter asked me what was wrong. I told her I was stuck and that I should be doing more. She suggested I start doing my SOAR retreats and other workshops. I had to admit that after taking time away to [...]
COMMENTARY: Peace is possible in the wake of the Newtown, Connecticut shootings.
December 15, 2012
Jeni Stepanek, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Mattie J.T. Stepanek Foundation
Commentary
Peace is possible.
I do not understand why handfuls of people – those handfuls representing diverse races and religions and economic and education statuses – reach a point in life that a choice is made to destroy or diminish other lives in calculated or cold or careless ways.
I am at a loss for words and explanations right now. There are no good reasons or justifications for senseless acts of violence, or discrimination, [...]
December 16, 2012No CommentRead More