Category: Editorial
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When the Playground Becomes a Crime Scene
The first thing I saw this morning was FOI Captain Andrew Muhammad from Muhammad Mosque Number Six in Baltimore City. It was a social media post of he and several other Black male leaders pleading with our city. In response…
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Black & Ugly As Ever. However…
One More Chance (Remix): A Perfectly Crafted Hip Hop Record Editor’s Note:With The New York Times Magazine recently naming Jay-Z among the 30 greatest living songwriters—and Jay himself acknowledging the brilliance of The Notorious B.I.G.—I felt it was only right…
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Staying True to Yourself in a Reactive World
Don’t Let Other People Block Your Blessings The discipline of staying the course in a reactive world As I was driving yesterday, I found myself doing what I often do—having a conversation with myself. For reasons only God understands, my…
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Baltimore Is Built for This
Baltimore Is Built for This My hometown is a battle-tested city. It’s a “man’s man town.” A place where men respect men. So it’s an inevitable place where the most primal of sports would be showcased. A sport that pits…
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The Potential Dangers of Money, Power & Attention
by Cornell Dews In light of the recent news surrounding Pooh Shiesty, I found myself asking a familiar question—one we often ask when success meets self-destruction: How could someone with everything to lose risk it all? Instead of rushing to…
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So…Are You a Fan or Naw?
She Said “Yes”! It all started ten days ago with an inconspicuous text message. The message read:“Hi! What are y’all favorite Jay-Z songs lol? I wanna be a fan.” The sender was my youngest daughter.The recipients were me and her…
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To You, I Say “Good”
Recently a church mom hugged me and softly asked,“how are you doing”? I replied,“not good. I’m going through right now.” To which she smiled, nodded her head and said,“good.” I thought to myself, she mustn’t heard me. I said,“I’m not…
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My Daughter Wants to Be a Jay-Z Fan…Now?
It started with a random text message that read: “Hi! What are y’all favorite Jay Z songs lol? I wanna be a fan.” Followed by two laughing emojis. The sender was my 27-year-old daughter. The receivers were me and my…
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They’re Not Just Vaping—They’re Escaping
I asked a group of teenagers why they vape.I expected excuses.What I got instead was honesty I wasn’t ready for. Of course I’ve heard about vaping. However, I’ve never indulged myself. Nor have I done any research on the matter…
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Lake Clifton, My Beloved
My Beloved Lake Clifton I always wanted to attend Lake Clifton. I never contemplated going to any other high school. There’s something about the mystique of Lake. There was a certain toughness associated to Lake, that I wanted to embody. …
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Because I’m from Baltimore
What is one question you hate to be asked? Explain. Let me hear you say “two.”
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Sneaker Premier Baltimore
Things that I love.Dreamers.Sneakers.Harford Road. Especially the part that intersects with Darley Avenue in East Baltimore. And my maternal grandmother from Tappahannock, Virginia. So it should come as no one’s surprise that I would eventually find myself inside a sneaker…
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The Impact of School Closures on Baltimore Communities
“You got that fire in your eyes.” Those were words used to recruit prospective boys into a Baltimore gang. Would you like to know how I became privy to that information? It was told to me by one of my…
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The Reckoning
My first question after watching the new Netflix documentary about Puff was “what white man supported this foolishness”? Now wait, I love Diddy music just as much as everyone else. But it’s some deeper layers to Mr. Combs. And my…
