Stopped, Frisked and Speaking Out

I was recently given the opportunity to lend my voice to a news piece about a New York Police Department policy that many in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Fort Greene are upset about.  The video was published this week on “The Local,” a New York Times/CUNY Graduate School of Journalism blog. The NYPD stopped and [...]

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Columbia University Paves the Way for West Harlem Expansion

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal by West Harlem business owners of Columbia University’s use of eminent domain on Monday. This paves the way for Columbia to expand their campus into the manufacturing zone of Manhattanville and means local business owners and residents must move. In June, the New York State Court [...]

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Editorial: Remembering Rosa Parks and Those Battling HIV/AIDS

Today marks two very important days. One is the 55th anniversary of the day black civil rights activist, Rosa Parks, refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. This act of courage propelled the black civil rights movement and many equal rights laws were passed because of it. The other is also very [...]

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Happy Halloween: A Superhero (Not an Ethnic Minority) is a Halloween Costume

I love Halloween…but I don’t love racist Halloween costumes. And, sadly, it seems like the “go to” Halloween costume is often an “Indian Chief” or a scantily clad “Indian Princess.” When in doubt, wear something brown, cut some fringe, put a headband around your head and attach a feather. Now, you’re an Indian!…??!! What kind [...]

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Artist Profile: Traditional Native American and R&B Singer, Mother and Activist – Kyra Climbingbear

This is just a short glimpse into the life of Kyra Climbingbear, an urban Indian living in New Jersey. She is Eastern Band Cherokee and Lumbee and Black, is a singer and an activist. Climbingbear is the mother of two small girls and is an R&B and traditional Cherokee music singer. To learn more about [...]

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Reconsider Columbus Day

“Christopher Columbus did not discover America, he discovered Native Americans living peacefully in their homeland. And, as history has taught us, Mr. Columbus was not even the first to visit America from Europe.

So, then why do we continue to disgrace Native Americans by throwing this “National Holiday” up in their faces? It’s about time we realize that as Americans we are continuing the hate cycle by allowing this to continue. We should be thanking Native Americans for taking us in and sharing with us their ancient wisdom.

We have never had a Native American holiday in the U.S. and that is truly a shame. We deem anything we want as a “Federal Holiday” if only for the benefit of government employees having yet another 3-day weekend.

Let us give credit where credit is due. We urge you to change “Columbus Day” to “Native American Day”.”

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Rangel Lends Support to NY Assembly Candidate Robert J. Rodriguez

“He’s young. He’s got energy. He comes with the least amount of personal and professional and political baggage, which means he doesn’t have to give into a lot of things that some of the other candidates have to. And, I think he can be more open and listen to the people and hear their concerns.”

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CNN’s Soledad O’Brien Wins NABJ Journalist of the Year Award

“Stories are not going to come from reading six articles – they never do. Stories come from saying, ‘Wow! There’s something really interesting going on in my neighborhood. What’s going on there?’ You’re not going to get it from reading. Anybody can tell a good story, but you have to be there to witness it with a recorder.”

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Michael Steele Cancels NABJ Appearance Last Minute

SAN DIEGO, CA – I was shocked not really that surprised to see that RNC Chairman, Michael Steele, was not going to be at this afternoons’s plenary. After spending the early part of my day attending one workshop after another and spending what seemed like forever in the career fair, I really wanted to skip [...]

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Documentary explores Native perspective on health care

Rich-Heape Films, the creators of the documentary “Our Spirits Don’t speak English: Indian Boarding School” (a Native American perspective on Indian Boarding Schools) are working on a new project about health care and Native Americans. It is tittled “AMERICAN INDIAN HEALTHCARE: A NATIVE PROSPECTIVE”. Check out the teaser… From the Rich-Heape Films website: “AMERICAN INDIAN [...]

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