(ThyBlackMan.com) “Why is Congress so dumb?” That was the title of a 2019 op-ed written by U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a New Jersey Democrat. In the answer hangs a tale of congressional anemia and languor. The veteran congressman lamented: “Our available resources and our policy staffs, the brains of Congress, have been so depleted that we cannot do our jobs properly. …Congress is increasingly unable to comprehend a world growing more socially, economically, and technologically multifaceted — and we did this to ourselves.” While the size of the federal government was mushrooming, s ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) The Biden-Harris administration is making bold moves to ensure America leads the global clean energy economy of the 21st century. We are at the crossroads of our country’s next major shift in trade policy and domestic manufacturing that will define our economy for decades. The last time we were here was more than 30 years ago. I was helping to organize the movement to stop the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The framework being put forward this time, by the current administration, is the anti-NAFTA moment American workers have been waiting for. I am organizing i ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) Roughly 170 million Americans while away untold hours on TikTok, the hyper-addictive social media platform. The fact that such a large number of our citizens avail themselves of this app explains why a recent law that would ban it has been met with ferocious opposition. The law would force China-based ByteDance, TikTok’s parent company, to sell off the ridiculously popular app. If the sale does not occur, the law would seek to ban the app in America. The controversial law is virtually guaranteed to face a court challenge on First Amendment grounds. Then again, TikTok has far ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) G. Michael Hopf wrote an end of society as we know it type novel called “Those Who Remain.” It was part of a new world series of seven books. In this work, there is a most often quoted line: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.” The way I read it, it suggests the necessity of being resilient and the value of perseverance in the face of adversity. It asserts that folk are capable of overcoming difficult situations, even if these might seem overwhelming ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) America is a nation of symbols. The bald eagle was designated the national emblem because of its strength and determination. The Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom. The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of independence. While people are quick to embrace these and other symbols of American patriotism, the true meaning behind these iconic symbols is often rejected and ignored. The Lady Justice Statue is the most recognized symbol of American justice, depicted as a blindfolded woman holding scales and a sword. The scales represent the balance of justice. They imply a syste ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) “If there’s no criminal accountability of police for criminal behavior, then the fox is guarding the henhouse, and we’re the hens, and we’re living in a country that’s becoming a police state.” – Maya Wiley Since 1994, Congress has appropriated more than $20 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services grant program, commonly known as COPS. Has this program made communities safer? We don’t know, because in its entire 30-year existence, it has operated without any oversight, transparency, or accountability measures. Last month’s Senate Judiciary Committee he ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) Orenthal James Simpson, known as O.J., died on Wednesday, April 10th at age 76 after battling cancer. Simpson was a football icon, an NFL hall of famer and a trailblazer. He starred in commercials, like the unforgettable Hertz campaign, which ran for years, one this writer remembers as a kid; this was one of the first times an American audience saw a Black spokesperson for a major national company. Simpson later went on to become a movie star of sorts. In his phenomenal 1973 NFL season, O.J. “The Juice” Simpson accomplished the unthinkable — his thunderous cleats battered rec ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) Continuing our conversation with Haji Malcolm in this his birth month of May, I want to also pay homage to a central source of his grounding and growth, the Hon. Marcus Garvey. Haji Malcolm’s introduction to nationalism and pan-Africanism began at an early age with an introduction to Garveyism, the paradigmatic and foundational urban nationalism from which all nationalists draw in various ways. In explaining his embrace of Black nationalism as a philosophy of liberation and struggle he states: “If you remember, in my childhood I had been exposed to the Black nationalist teach ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) There are many ways to read the Bible, unfortunately too many of us are led to believe we can only read it as a manual for moral living. That is definitely one of the primary functions of the text, but that is not the only way by which the book can teach. Not many of us want to sit down and continually read a textbook or manual. Consistent interaction with the Word is necessary for it to get rooted in one’s heart and become a part of how one lives. The lack of consistency in biblical interaction can make it easier to neglect the matter all together until it is needed. How we ..read more

(ThyBlackMan.com) The main battle in the “1 v 20” battle between Drake and the Anti-Drake Alliance is the Toronto artist’s battle with Kendrick Lamar. You could say that the outcome of Drizzy vs. KDot determines the fate of the rest who have a bone to pick with Drake. One of those is platinum-selling artist Rick Ross. Before the Beef To those not in the know, it will seem very odd that Rozay is beefing with Drizzy. However, when you factor in their start as collaborative artists. Now this wasn’t a fairly regular team-up like the Drake-Future combo—a true hit honing, banger bringing tag team i ..read more