In a system that is often overlooked by the public and misused by law enforcement, Blacks account for more than one-third (36 percent) of the jail population, according to a new report from the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonpartisan research and policy group. The report titled, “Incarceration’s Front Door: The Misuse of Jails in America,” details the practices and policies … [Read more...]
Black unemployment dips to 10.3 percent
The Black unemployment rate fell slightly from 10.4 percent in December to 10.3 percent in January and is still on track to hit single digits by the middle of the year. Last month, Valerie Wilson, the director of the Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy for the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), a nonpartisan think tank focused on low- and middle-income workers, made the … [Read more...]
A call to the ‘occupied seats’ for help
A biweekly column in which various contributors from both sides of prison walls explore common ground for effecting change. Last year I wrote an article titled “Empty Seats” published in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. In this article I raised to attention the need for us men to be present and involved in community matters. I highlighted the parallel between the empty seats … [Read more...]
What’s your wish for the community?
Mpls marks 100 years of philanthropy with its oldest community foundation “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’” It seems right to quote Martin Luther King, Jr. during Black History Month, when many of us reflect on our progress as a community over the years. There’s much to be proud of — and many challenges that remain. This year, … [Read more...]
Police use of confidential informants creates distrust in the Black community
As we are seeing a record number of people engaged in discussions centered on criminal justice reform, it is imperative that the Black community establish guidelines for police cooperation. Police across the world have been able to corrupt poor and vulnerable citizens (i.e., mentally ill) to turn on their fellow brother or sister, causing a lack of trust throughout the … [Read more...]