LOUIS 'HOP' KENDRICK

Long before Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., my father had instilled in our family that context of character was more important than color of skin. Over the course of my life I have been fortunate to name at least five White people—I will think of someone else later—who demonstrated to me that they were in that inclusive group of people I constantly refer to as compassionate, courageous, concerned and possessing a sense of commitment.

DR. JASON JOHNSON

On January 7th, 2008, at the start of the Democratic primary, Hillary Clinton sat down to an interview with then-Fox News correspondent Major Garrett. He read her a quote from a speech by then candidate Barack Obama about how Martin Luther King inspired Americans to not give up hope, no matter how grand the dream. Hillary’s response was telling:

Julianne Malveaux

(NNPA)—On May 21, I had the opportunity to testify before a Congressional Progressive Caucus meeting on how federal dollars drive inequality by paying contractors who pay too many of their workers too little. The hearing was driven by a study from Amy Traub and her colleagues at Demos, a New York based think tank, that issued a report exposing the many ways that federal contracting often adds to the burden of the low income, especially those who earn less than $12 an hour, or less than $25,000 a year.

GEORGE E. CURRY

(NNPA)—Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett has announced plans to close at least 50 schools as a cost-cutting measure. But before any other urban school system follows suit, it should take an extended recess and reflect on what has happened in the past that makes this such a foolish idea.