I’ve lived in New Jersey all my life, and yet I remain fascinated by the state’s cultural construction. North Jersey is influenced by New York City. South Jersey is influenced by Philadelphia. There’s no better explanation of how that works than in sports team fandom. North Jersey football fans, for example, root for the Giants and the Jets. South Jersey football fans root for the Eagles. Central Jersey isn’t influenced by anyone because…there is no Central Jersey. Only North and South,...

What was once a pipeline for funneling Black teachers and prospective Black teachers—particularly Black men—has become an attachment of leaky pipes, with many candidates falling through the cracks. Some pipes have even been removed to dismantle the pipeline itself. This is the work of the Trump Administration, whose executive orders have targeted Black education by taking aim at diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. Those attacks may receive the most attention, but it’s the actual leaks i...

Every time I’ve heard those lyrics, it’s usually from the collective mouths of enthusiastic partygoers to let you know that the party is lit, as the young people say. That chant usually means the music is right, the drinks are flowing, and the crowd’s energy is incredible. In other words, everybody is having a great time. No one actually wants anything to burn, but under the right circumstances, if something did catch fire, the crowd likely wouldn’t stop it. Unless the crowd is made up of Camden City residents, and the fire is at an EMR recycling facility. Although “burn” could mean a good time, for Camden residents, it is a literal, toxic threat. The EMR fires have exhausted a community that both wants and needs water.

This year, on the one-hundred-year anniversary of Negro History Week, which became Black History Month, the nation, but specifically the Philadelphia metropolitan area, got a chance to witness Black history in real time. Philadelphia and the nation witnessed Carter Woodson’s vision come to life through the advocacy of the Avenging the Ancestors Coalition (ATAC), led by attorney and activist Michael Coard. I met Mr. Coard over a decade ago at a conference a few friends and I put together at Drexel University.

Growing up, much of the Black history I was taught focused on the people and events surrounding so-called “Black Firsts”: Jackie Robinson was the first to play Major League Baseball; Sidney Poitier was the first to win an Oscar; and W.E.B. Du Bois was the first to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard University. Lately, though, I’ve shared with anyone who would listen that teaching Black history shouldn’t start with teaching about Black Firsts. In my opinion, being the first Black person to do something...

One thing policymakers and stakeholders tout in Camden is the Eds and Meds corridor in downtown Camden. Eds (universities) and Meds (hospitals and medical facilities) are part of the economic infrastructure of a city or metro area that, along with government and a few corporate institutions, serve as the primary employers and financial catalysts for many citywide initiatives. According to the Brookings Institution, these institutions bring new income to a metropolitan area, raise metropolita...

February 2026 doesn’t just mark this year’s celebration of Black History Month; it also marks the 100-year anniversary of Black History Month, originally Negro History Week. Beginning in 1926, Dr. Carter G. Woodson conceived of an institution to correct the lies told about Black people and Black history, while simultaneously reclaiming Black history to inspire Black people—particularly Black youth—to action, namely on behalf of African Americans within an anti-Black society. This is the understanding we all must have when “reverencing” Black History Month and celebrating this momentous anniversary.

Let’s set the record straight: “Say her name” shouldn’t be used for everyone who is unjustly killed at the hands of the state. To be more specific, it ain’t for white folks. And yes, I meant to say “ain’t.” The hashtag, #SayHerName, isn’t simply a one-off catchphrase. It is a social justice visibility movement that Dr. Kimberlé Crenshaw, a professor at UCLA Law School and Columbia University Law School, created to highlight law enforcement violence against Black women and girls within an anti-...

Memorials and remembrances are important. We remember the past not just to remind us of where we’ve been but also to help us move forward in the right direction. And every February, Black History Month gives us a chance to do just that. Commemorations of Black history dates to “Negro History Week,” which was created by historian Carter G. Woodson in 1926—100 years ago this year. Woodson chose February to coincide with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. Black communities were already celebrating both men, and Woodson thought the weeklong event could be a way for teachers to review all the Black history they had taught students within the previous year.

I am not a huge fan of comic books and superheroes, but I appreciate the storytelling. In comics, the origin story is just as important as the hero saving the day. The same is true for Black History Month, which originated as Negro History Week.Negro History Week was created by Carter G. Woodson, the child of two formerly enslaved parents. According to Harvard historian Jarvis R. Givens, Woodson was taught by his two uncles, John and James Riddle, his mother Anne Riddle’s brothers, who had also...

Camden operates the largest drone program in South Jersey with little regulation. But whose safety does it really serve?Years ago, I created and taught a high school course in Camden City, New Jersey. We discussed the city’s history and the factors that shaped its circumstances, including the events that led to the takeovers of its government, schools, and police. I gave equal time to discussing the takeover of each entity. What the students found most fascinating was the police department’s tak...

I saw the fallout from Michael B. Jordan’s snub for best actor at the Critics’ Choice Awards. One social media post in particular caught my attention. That stuck with me because I remember being told as a kid and young adult that I had to be twice as good as white kids to get the opportunities and accolades that white kids got. I know many Black folks were told this growing up, only to realize that the reality is you push yourself to be twice as good, only to get half as much.

It’s widely assumed there is a segment of Black America that is either ignorant or chooses to ignore foreign affairs. The common argument is that Black people have enough problems of their own in the U.S. without being preoccupied with global issues that have nothing to do with them. The ongoing crisis in Venezuela — in which President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to sweep in, seize President Nicholas Maduro and send him to stand trial in New York — would seem to qualify.

For many folks, the holidays mark a great time of year for relaxation, celebration, and spending time with family. For others, the holidays are a time of sadness and quiet reflection, thinking on life changes, some for the better and others for the worse. Also reflecting on loved ones who are absent or worse, those who’ve transitioned from this life. All of that makes the new year beginning even more meaningful. Whether coming off a year of triumph, challenges, or a mixed bag, the new year offers everyone an opportunity for renewal and even redemption. Thus, there are many ways to turn over a new leaf, whether by quitting a bad habit, reducing it, or creating new healthy habits.

My Grandmom, “Sissy” (God rest her soul) used to have a saying for people who said something stupid—your grandmother probably said something similar also. When a person said something stupid she would say that they “don’t know their a** from a hole in the ground.” I chuckled every time she said it. She would laugh when she saw me laughing, and then we’d laugh hysterically together. Those were good times. In the words of my late grandmother, Elon Musk does not know his a** from a hole in the ground. He recently tweeted a video saying schools should teach about the role of Great Britain and the U.S. in ending enslavement saying, “Children should be proud that Whites in the West ended slavery worldwide, which had existed for thousands of years. Again, this man doesn’t know his a** from a hole in the ground.

Maybe Donald Trump wants to make it harder for white men to get into college. Perhaps it is not an accident that affirmative action has come to an end in higher education institutions. Maybe none of this is the irony some people think it is. The Trump Administration’s rollback of DEI policies has an unintended consequence: white men, the Trump Administration’s core demographic, are being excluded from college admissions.

State-led “reforms” in Camden are threatening the survival of public education in the city—and stripping residents of democratic control over their schools.On October 28, New Jersey’s Commissioner of Education, Kevin Dehmer, announced the department’s undertaking to assess how resources should be allocated to city schools moving forward. The district, through the state (Camden’s school district is under state control), has retained the services of FLO Analytics, a national data analysis firm, to...

Janet Jackson’s discography spans from 1982. But for most Janet Jackson fans, her run of albums begins in 1986. It’s not because her first two albums weren’t any good. But her third album, and every album since, was markedly different. The difference: she took control of her artistry and the music it produced...She aptly titled her 1986 album, Control. Last month, Camden parents made their public declaration for control. Camden City parents, frustrated with the current situation in the school district, have urged the state board of education to restore control of the district’s schools to residents.

I’ve been called an old soul. It’s likely due to my musical tastes. I love R&B, Funk, Jazz, and Fusion. That music was in my spirit and began to flourish as a teenager. But make no mistake, I am a child of hip hop. I am an ’80s baby, but most certainly a ’90s kid. The 90s were when I came of age. At the turn of the millennium, my Hip Hop consumption was defined to a tee. I loved extravagant, complex, and soulful beats. I loved beats fueled by samples, with clever, insightful lyrical content. As a result, one of my favorites was the Diplomats, aka Dipset. Cam’ron, Jim Jones, and Juelz Santana.

Popular culture mainstays like television commercials or your favorite advertising jingles never made it around to rendering the label of “patriot” to African Americans. The same is true for grade-school textbooks, small-town Independence Day celebrations, and propaganda seeking America’s “best and brightest.” When I was growing up, the terms “patriot” and “patriotic” were hardly, if ever, used to name or describe Black people. My children and my students likely share this experience. As a student and teacher of history, I’m saddened by this because Black people are indeed patriots. Acclaimed artist Amy Sherald believes this, too. In an interview with Anderson Cooper on CBS News’ 60 Minutes, she explained why: “I don’t think there’s anybody more patriotic than a Black person,” she said. “We’ve been here since the inception of this idea of what ‘American’ is. We are deeply ingrained in the fabric of this country. This country would not be if it was not for us . . . . I’m the definition of an American.”