Julianne Malveaux
Stories this photo appears in:
Calling out global anti-Blackness, by Julianne Malveaux
In Los Angeles, City Council President Nury Martinez resigned both her council presidency and later her seat after someone leaked vile racist sentiments that she shared with members of a Latinx cabal that included other council members, Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo.
Brother Biden, please keep another promise or two, by Julianne Malveaux
I do this thing in my head with President Biden. When he gets on my nerves, I often call him President. When I want something from him or want to thank him for something, I call him Brother Biden.
Pay inequity: Past is prologue, by Julianne Malveaux
March 15 was National Pay Equity Day. It’s the day when women have to work into a new year to earn the same amount that men earned in the previous year.
The humanity of Black Ukrainians, by Julianne Malveaux
Most of us are riveted to the television, radio or internet to learn more about what is happening in Ukraine. On one hand, it is a world away; but on the other hand, it is right next door because it affects us.
Lessons from warrior lawyer Lani Guinier, by Julianne Malveaux
Lani Guinier, the amazing attorney, law professor, lawyer, author and activist made her transition on Jan. 7, 2022, even as Black folks and our allies were engaged in the legislative battle to solidify our voting rights.
Recovery or crisis?, by Julianne Malveaux
According to MasterCard’s spending reports, consumers spent more than 10 percent more than they did in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Inflation rose by 6 percent each month in October and November (don’t add it up – it’s monthly, not annual).
Our dollars as a form of resistance, by Julianne Malveaux
Our nation’s gross domestic product, or GDP, is a function of consumer spending. We are prodded, cajoled, enticed and engaged in the spending exercise, and all that happens because money makes the world go round.
Reparations movement rising, by Julianne Malveaux
The late Congressman John Conyers Jr., who represented Detroit in Congress from 1965 until 2017, introduced HR 40 — The Commission to Student and Develop Reparation Proposals for African-Americans Act—
As many pastors as we want, by Julianne Malveaux
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton were doing the right thing when attending the Ahmaud Arbery trial. They demonstrated the solidarity that the Black community has with each other when one of us appears to be lynched. Each of us, every Black person, is repulsed and dismayed when we learn that armed white men, using the pretense of “citizen’s arrest,” can kill any of us. What is a citizen’s arrest, anyway? Is it simply a license to kill?
No rights without voting rights, by Julianne Malveaux
Black women leaders have been working on the issue of voting rights, calling for the passage of the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, the Build Back Better Reconciliation Act and D.C. Statehood.
Déjà vu for 2022?, by Julianne Malveaux
It was great to see former President Obama in Richmond campaigning with former governor and Democratic gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe on Oct. 23. He reminded me of a college pep rally cheerleader in some ways, encouraging people to get out and vote for Mr. McAuliffe and do it now since Virginia has early voting.
Flexibility for whom?, by Julianne Malveaux
I had not planned to have a policy conversation when I boarded my connecting flight from Detroit to D.C.
Cori Bush is ‘my hero!’, by Julianne Malveaux
Missouri Congresswoman Cori Bush was once homeless. She wrote movingly about sleeping with her babies in her car, with no place to go, nowhere to wash except a McDonald’s restroom, nowhere to exhale.
Black women and the pay gap, by Julianne Malveaux
It takes Black women until Aug. 3, or 19 months after the start of the previous year, to earn what a white man earns in a year. Most years, Pay Equity Day happens in March—this year on March 24—when all women finally make as much as white men.
‘Please run for School Board’, by Julianne Malveaux
Critical race theory, or CRT, asserts that racism is woven into the very fabric of our nation’s institutions.
‘National anthem doesn’t speak for me’, by Julianne Malveaux
Frances Scott Key, author of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” our national anthem, was a dyed-in-the-wool racist. He opined that “Negroes” were a “distinct and inferior race.” He was a slaveholder from a family of slaveholders who influenced the odious seventh President Andrew Jackson to appoint Roger B. Taney, the author of the Dred Scott decision (“Blacks have no rights that whites are bound to respect”) to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Please ignore the former president, by Julianne Malveaux
The former president, also known as 45 or the Orange Man, or the Nutty Narcissist, kept our nation with his insanity for more than four years. President Biden is best advised to ignore his predecessor and should not even stoop to mention his name.
‘They don’t want our souls at the polls’, by Julianne Malveaux
The Souls to the Polls movement encourages African-American church attendees to get out and vote. The churches that promote this movement cannot, because of their 501(c)(3) status, endorse candidates. They can, however, emphasize the gospel of social and economic justice and preach the gospel of civic participation.
Black women’s organizations matter, by Julianne Malveaux
March is Women’s History Month. It is the perfect time to lift Black women’s organizations that make such an essential difference in our lives.
When will workers get a break?, by Julianne Malveaux
Now that the impeachment trial of the 45th president is over, perhaps our legislators can turn their attention to working people, or more accurately, those who used to work and are now not working.
Was insurrection an inside job? by Julianne Malveaux
If you watched the disgraceful invasion of the U.S. Capitol and the horrific destruction that took place on Jan. 6, you observed a legion of limited-intelligence, low-life louts.
We were medical guinea pigs, by Julianne Malveaux
People who don’t know Black history have probably heard more about the Tuskegee syphilis “experiment” in the last month than they have in their whole lives.
Biden, be bold, by Julianne Malveaux
I expected neither sparks nor extreme surprises as President-elect Joe Biden began to announce his Cabinet. I did expect diversity, and we’ve seen it. But I didn’t expect the number of Obama-era retreads to be included in this Cabinet.
Obstacles in working toward racial equity, by Julianne Malveaux
President-elect Joe Biden has included working toward racial equity in his administration’s agenda, outlining how he will expand opportunities for Black folk and other people of color. Specifically, his Build Back Better document includes a 20-page report titled, “The Biden Plan to Build Back Better by Advancing Racial Equity Across the American Economy.” It is a comprehensive blueprint, highlighting several potential programs.
Roll up sleeves and get to work, by Julianne Malveaux
It took five days for the 2020 election to be called for former Vice President Joe Biden.
Slipping through the COVID-19 cracks, by Julianne Malveaux
Economic recovery will be a long time coming. The Federal Reserve Bank says our coronavirus recession will last into 2021 and perhaps even into 2022. If a vaccine is developed, a distribu- tion plan still needs to be worked out.
Monsters are scary – so are brilliant Black women, by Julianne Malveaux
I was frightened of monsters when I was a child. Not so sure why, but my brother, who loved to plague me, used to tell me they were lurking under my bed. I shook and I shivered, and I cried for fear that one of those dreaded monsters would rise from under the bed to strangle me.
Between hope and despair, by Julianne Malveaux
Black people occupy a place between hope and despair.
Black lives, dollars matter, by Julianne Malveaux
I would always smile when I saw Black Lives Matter T-shirts, until I saw one gracing the grubby back of a white man who had on both a BLM T-shirt and a MAGA — Make America Great Again — hat. I started to either take a photo or start a conversation because I knew somebody would accuse me of making the combination up.
I stand with the ‘looters and lowlifes’ by Julianne Malveaux
According to the Washington Post, the 45th president told 19,126 lies between his inauguration in January 2017 and June 1, 2020. By now, the number has likely edged toward 20,000, as his Tulsa “rally” last Saturday yielded dozens more.
Women in STEM fields continue to make history by Julianne Malveaux
Few in these United States had heard of Katherine G. Johnson, the gifted mathematician who finished high school and college at 18.
Trump's budget reveals his priorities by Julianne Malveaux
If you tell me how you spend your money, I can tell you what your values are. You say you are a Christian, but neither tithe nor have a church home. You say you support civil rights, but have no connection to a civil rights organization. You say you love your alma mater, but never contribute to the place.
Can a woman win in 2020? by Julianne Malveaux
In a most unusual endorsement, the New York Times has endorsed both U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota for the Democratic nomination for president.
The next debate, by Julianne Malveaux
Democrats started this presidential campaign season with more than 20 candidates. Eventually, it dropped to about a dozen, with, so far, only five of those “qualified” to appear on the next debate stage this month.
Sen. Kamala Harris 'still a winner' by Julianne Malveaux
Columnists
U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris of California threw her hat in the ring early this year for the Democratic nomination for president before a crowd of more than 20,000 people in Oakland, Calif. She made the announcement on Jan. 21, the official Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday. She jumped into the race with enthusiasm, and many people had high hopes for her.
Fannie Lou Hamer, breast cancer and black women
Columnists
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the proliferation of pink ribbons is starting. Predatory capitalists will make breast cancer their cause, producing pink T- shirts, pocketbooks, everything.
Don't normalize poverty, inequity
Columnists
When the nation’s latest income and poverty data were released on Sept. 10, commentaries touted the progress that the data reflected.
Central Park Five: Harrowing, humanizing
Columnists
Many know them as the Central Park Five, but filmmaker Ava DuVernay forces us to see the five wrongfully convicted men as individuals. Their names are names we must remember, as individual, courageous, principled black and brown men. They are Korey Wise, Raymond Santana, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray and Kevin Richardson.
Slavery, history and warped games
According to some historians, Afrodescendants first entered these United States in 1619 off the coast of Virginia. If we believe that narrative, Afrodescendents have been in this country for 400 years. If the people who were kidnapped and brought here had to tell the story, would they tell the same one?
The shutdown and collateral damage
As I write this, our federal government has been shut down for more than a month. At first, it seemed like a gamesmanship joke, like who was going to blink first.
Shame, shade in Birmingham
If anyone deserves a civil rights award, Angela Davis certainly does. The activist and scholar has been on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement all of her life. She has been especially active in prison reform matters and other civil and human rights issues.
Saving Bennett College
Bennett College in Greensboro, N.C., is an oasis where we educate and celebrate women, and develop them into 21st century leaders and global thinkers.
Trump’s problem with black women
A cursory look at the win-loss column after last week’s midterm election suggests that nobody left the table empty-handed.
‘PC’ and ignorance
Megyn Kelly is off the air at NBC. After her horridly vapid statement saying she didn’t see anything wrong with blackface, she apologized the next day and even invited journalist Roland Martin on to take her to school. Mr. Martin did a brilliant job in explaining the history of blackface and the way it demeans African-American people, and it was great that he had the opportunity to educate, not only his odious host, but also the millions who watch Ms. Kelly daily.
Audacity and Ida B. Wells
Crusading journalist Ida B. Wells was born on July 16, 1862. Although she made her mark as a journalist, she also was a social worker, advocate, feminist and organization leader.
No more ‘wait your turn’ politics
I’ve never met Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year old New York activist, but I am surely looking forward to it. This giant-slayer of an organizer — she worked for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders during the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination campaign — was out-spent, but certainly not outworked, by her opponent, Congressman Joseph Crowley.
Graduation, with more hurdles to clear
Chadwick Boseman, the Black Panther, graduated from Howard University in 2000. His writing partner is also an HU graduate. Mr. Bozeman came back to his alma mater to address the Class of 2018 and to receive an honorary degree. The Howard University graduation on Saturday is one of more than 100 HBCU graduations, and more than 4,000 graduations around the country.
How do you mend a broken heart?
I used to love me some Bill Cosby, not only because he was America’s Dad, but also because he was fun and funny. Most of the times that I was around him, I felt lifted. He had that deep, “Heh, heh, heh,” laugh and that sweet smile. And then he loved some HBCUs, so what could you say?
How do you mend a broken heart?
I used to love me some Bill Cosby, not only because he was America’s Dad, but also because he was fun and funny. Most of the times that I was around him, I felt lifted. He had that deep, “Heh, heh, heh,” laugh and that sweet smile. And then he loved some HBCUs, so what could you say?
Problems with protecting consumers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is supposed to “protect” consumers from fraud and predatory lending. But since 45 has ruled the roost, he has empowered exploiters to extract too much money from consumers.
The other Ms. Walker
Nine years ago, when she was just 26, Natalie Cofield was looking for a mentor. A young woman with entrepreneurship hard-wired into her spirit, Ms. Cofield was discouraged that people did not take her seriously and was disheartened that she could not make the connections she needed to further her entrepreneurial mission. So she started reading biographies of businesswomen, hoping to find inspiration on the pages that she could not find in real life.
Honoring a new generation of leadership
All too often, our “history” month turns into a tribute to the past. And while the past is an important place to lift up, it is, indeed, a tributary, a stream that flows into the larger stream of an unbounded future. The future must always be greater than the present, or there has been no progress. And, in the words of Frederick Douglass, “progress concedes nothing without a demand.”
Trump and unemployment
When the unemployment rate dropped and economic conditions improved under the leadership of President Obama, 45 derided the gains as “fake news.”
Dr. King’s work not finished
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t plan to get involved in the Memphis, Tenn., garbage workers’ strike. He hadn’t planned to be there on the fateful day when he was shot on April 4, 1968. But he was pressured to go the first time and found the garbage workers’ strike compelling. He promised to return, and felt it important to keep his word, despite a packed schedule.
Kwanzaa, a balm in Gilead
The sickening sight of smug sycophantic Republicans celebrating the passage of their tax bill on the White House lawn was the Scrooge-like move to drop a lump of coal into the stockings of the 13 million Americans likely to lose health insurance coverage thanks to the move. Of course, corporations are so ecstatic that some — AT&T and Comcast among them — are offering employee bonuses because they will benefit so much from the tax plan.
Thanks are OK, but hook a sistah up
U.S. Sen.-elect Doug Jones, a Democrat from Alabama, did not have to win his battle against accused sexual molester and Republican candidate Roy Moore in the epic battle in Alabama on Dec. 12.
Zero tolerance needed for racism
Michigan Congressman John Conyers was the first politician to leave his job after the “Me Too” hash tag galvanized women to speak up about sexual misconduct, harassment and more.
Don’t sleep on judgeships
Two people reported to work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau on Nov. 27, both expecting to lead the bureau. Leandra English, who had been chief of staff to former Director Richard Cordray (he resigned before Thanksgiving to return to Ohio to run for governor), was appointed to the director position by her old boss.
Souls2enroll: Black church and the ACA
For all of this administration’s efforts to kill — as in “repeal and replace” — the Affordable Care Act, it is still the law of the land, and still available — and required.
Class and crass
I never thought I would miss our 43d President, George W. Bush. And I’ve never thought of him as a great, or even good, speaker. But the speech he gave Oct. 19, at a conference convened by the George W. Bush Institute was simply eloquent, excellent, thoughtful and compelling.
What is a Black Identity Extremist?
While White men are beating Black men on the streets of Charlottesville, Va., while a lone White wolf is shooting people from the Mandalay Bay Hotel, while the word “terrorist” is hardly used to describe these men, the FBI, under the leadership of the racist Attorney General Jeff Beauregard Sessions, is thinking up a new way to oppress Black people. Despite the fact that there is no evidence of a “movement,” the FBI has described a group of black people as “black identity extremists” who pose a domestic terrorist threat to police officers.
Flag drenched in blood
I am not sure why the national anthem and the so-called American flag are part of our nation’s sports pageantry. Before 2009, while the national anthem was played, sports gladiators were not required to suit up, stand up and put their hands to their hearts.
Obama raised all boats
The income, poverty and health insurance data released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 13 confirm what many already knew — President Obama’s last year in office was one of economic improvement for many individuals. The median income rose from $57,230 in 2015 to $59,039 in 2016, an increase of 3.2 percent. Black Americans’ income rose 5.4 percent, from $37,364 in 2015 to $39,400 in 2016, while white Americans’ income rose from $63,745 to $65,041, an increase of 2 percent.
Hurricanes and public policy
Hurricane Harvey did everything people said it would do and more. It either drowned or swallowed everything it touched in Corpus Christi, Houston and Beaumont, Texas, the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and a bunch of other places. Already, estimates say that Harvey may be our nation’s costliest disaster to date, costing at least $190 billion, or about 1 percent of our gross domestic product.
Affirmative injustice
In the same week that it was revealed that the Department of Injustice is spearheading attacks on affirmative action, our 45th president indicated his support for legislation that would drastically change our nation’s immigration policy. Instead of providing immigration opportunities to the families of people who are legal residents of our country, the pending legislation would create a “merit based” system for immigration.
A thorn in Trump’s side
I don’t agree with U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona about very much, but I was saddened by his recent diagnosis of brain cancer.
Prison profit pipeline
There is the adage that Nero fiddled while Rome burned. I fear it is the adage that may define the ways too many observers have filtered the 45 administration through a skewed lens.
On courtesy, race and 45’s defenders
Courtesy flew out of the window in Washington parlance a long time ago.
Kudos to Bethune-Cookman grads
I could not be more proud of the students at Bethune-Cookman University than if I had raised them myself. Responding to the university’s very late selection of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos (hereafter referred to as DeVoid, as she is devoid of good sense, history, literacy and even courtesy) for the commencement speaker, graduating seniors chose to turn their back on a woman who described HBCUs as “pioneers of school choice.”
GOP celebration premature
After months of “repeal and replace” rhetoric, Congress has passed a pitiful little bill designed to eliminate the Affordable Care Act.
Lessons from O’Reilly
Former Fox News anchor Bill O’Reilly, the man whose lofty ratings were responsible for the growth of the network, is no longer on the air. Revelations that $13 million had been paid, either by Mr. O’Reilly or the network, to women who said they had been sexually harassed repelled millions, some of whom protested outside Fox headquarters and took to the airwaves with their complaints.
Confirmation would be blow to workers
Alexander Acosta, the 45th president’s nominee for U.S. Secretary of Labor, is up for confirmation by the U.S. Senate. He got narrow approval on March 30 from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions by a 12-11 party line vote.
