General Information Home Submit Your Article Submission Guidelines Advertise Article Categories Disclaimer Informative Opinion Articles at BlackRefer.com Opinion - Commentary Articles I Am Not An African - American  By: Tamika Johnson I am not an African-American. Don’t call me an African –American. I’m an American plain and simple. I was born here as were my parents and grandparents and you would have to search many a generation back before you found anyone in my family who originated from the continent... The So-Called War on Drugs Is Racially Oppressive and Should It Be Ended Now!   By Robert N. Taylor At the risk of dating myself, in 1972 I was a student at Columbia University in New York City earning a masters degree in Mass Communications. During one of my classes a professor invited a former drug addict from Harlem to address... What Currently Defines African American Culture?   By: Sarah H African American culture can be regarded as both part of, and distinct from American culture. From the days of the slave trade, Africans and African Americans have contributed by means of literature, art, agricultural skills, foods, music, and language to American culture. Even before... Our Problem as a Black People – Emotional Schizophrenia   By: Robert N. Taylor I have finally figured out what is wrong with Black people! As a people (and of course this is a generalization) we suffer from emotional schizophrenia. If the psychological experts are right that most behaviors are driven by deep-seated emotional beliefs, then we as a collective tend to be... Please Tell Barack Obama He Cannot Become President with Right-Wing Military Rhetoric   By: Robert N. Taylor A debate has raged over the past week between the two Democratic Party front runners for president which is both ridiculous and scary. In an apparent bid to appeal to neo-conservative, afraid-of... A Tribute To My Brothers: “What Black Men Are”  By: William Jackson, M. Ed. Black men are ageless, ageless like the land that has been in existence longer than any other land. The Motherland, the land that nurtured him and aided him to provide for his family. Enabling him to... 5 Ways To Produce A Menace To Society  Author: George Cook Helpful satirical article filled with tips for black mothers who claim " I don't need a man" to raise their sons to be the best thug they can be. 5 easy steps to producing a menace to society. Hi everyone I'm sure many single mothers just can't... Are African Americans Losing the Race? Part I  Author: Matthew Lynch The infamous childhood tale about the tortoise and the hare has infused valuable lessons concerning strategy, wisdom and patience into the lives of many around the world. It proved that one who is swiftest does not always win a race to one who is equipped with self-sufficiency, endurance, protection and perseverance. Unfortunately, the... Are African Americans Losing the Race? Part II  Author: Matthew Lynch Though the state black entrepreneurship has progressed significantly in the past decade, the inner cities in which most of these businesses (supermarket chains, check cashing stores, retailers, banks, fast-food restaurants, service firms, churches, etc.) subsist are still perceived as poor environments that fall short in breeding proactive, high-powered... The Top Ten Reasons Why It’s Hard to Date a Black Woman  Author: Matthew Lynch There is no denying that the state of Black America today is grim and just about hopeless. Some of us spend money on superfluous items just to hold an image of ourselves that prove to be phony and unaffordable to begin with. Some have yet to rise above victimized mentalities embedded into our minds since the days of slavery. Some remain angry at... A Message To My People  Author:Kenneth Brown Bill Cosby seems to be the only prominent black person that’s talking to us about what we need to do for ourselves, instead of at us about what others are doing to us. And we have criticized him for it. There’s no doubt that racism is alive and well in America however our problems are also within. When a black person is shot or stabbed, nine times... President Obama  Author: B. Kenneth McGee Forty years ago in 1967 Carl B. Stokes was elected the first black Mayor of a major American City. I was the operations manager of that campaign along with my partner Geraldine Willliams. In 1965, Stokes had run and almost won in a city that was 70% white and 30% black. In 1965 he had come so close to winning that there was a recount. His victory in 67 was hailed as... Barak Obama  Author: Travis Refuge I believe Mr. Obama to be a caring person that wants to do something for his people and the world, and that would be great, but he, like all other Blacks, is fighting a losing battle under this political system and government. You cannot bring significant change to a system that has already been established. The constitution/foundation has already been laid. A person... OUR POLITICS, OUR PROGRESS  Author: Zekita Our children- we feed them, we clothe them, we provide shelter for them, and make sure that they are healthy and get to school each day. So shouldn’t our collective progress and current struggles for liberated economics, justice, and unity heavily involve them? Just as many times in the past have demanded our immediate attention and dedication, we have not... Hold Fast To Dreams   Author: B. Kenneth McGee We knew it was coming if he was nominated. The slurs, the innuendoes, the wink-wink nod-nod of subtle racism, the outright attacks of not so subtle racism. There would be whispers about religion and questions about his background. There would be slime and dirt, Swift Boaters and stupid jerks. What the smear-experts didn't know, they ... Talking About Race   Author: Kenneth Brown As a result of statements made by the Reverend Wright, of Chicago, not only is America talking about race; but it has also brought Presidential Candidate Obamas campaign to a halt so that he could give his position on race in America today. This speech was warmly received, but... IRAQ   Author: Kenneth Brown During a visit to Congress by General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker, America was told what Iraq needs, wants and should have. As I listened to them make their statements to Congress, I could relate to the Iraqi people, because the same thing happens to... American Independence   Author: Kenneth Brown On July 4th 1776, so I'm told, the thirteen (13) colonies declared their independence from England. But what were they declaring their dependence too? Did the Native Americans have any input into this declaration? Or was the decision to... Let’s Stop our Black Boys from Killing Each Other   Author: George Cook Back in the mid to late 80’s during an unprecedented wave of black on black crime brought on by crack epidemic there was a rap song released by New York rappers asking the youth to top the violence titled “Self Destruction” ... The Second Emancipation of The Black Race   Author: Paul Ernest The election of barrack Obama as president is, in my own view, the second emancipation of the black race in America. The first was done by Abraham Lincoln. The one thing so unique about President Obama's election is that it is slowly changing the perception of the black race by other races in America, as well as... Tigers Den & The War Within   Author: Nadra Enzi Quisa Williams, known as "Q", was murdered Sunday morningt, April 27th, 2009 at the Tiger's Den lounge here in Savannah, GA., where he was manager.I knew Q. My associates and I provided security there last year. People ask me sometimes why I do this "Capt. Black anti-crime stuff." It's because of inner city victims like... Pull Up Those Pants, Do the Respect Dance   Author: Anelsa I was in Montgomery, Alabama recently and saw a billboard that said, Change is here, Pull Em Up. The sign featured an African American male pulling up his sagging pants. Billboards such as the one in Montgomery are cropping up all over across America as communities and ... Who's the Real Enemy? Black-on-Black Crime   Author: Peggy Butler Picture this fictional scenario, if you dare: Rev. Al Sharpton is addressing a huge crowd, on the state of Blacks in America. Among the people in attendance are celebrities, politicians and folks of every socio-economic status. Cheerfully acknowledging the masses, the New York native walks briskly to the podium and... What is Black Leadership   Author: Omarr Lee In the United States of America, there are a large number of leaders that are African-American, but what does the term leadership really mean? Motivation is a genuine form of leadership, and there are a lot of African-American men and women, that frequently show how genuine it is on a recurring basis. One of the... Is Tiger the Master of his Fate? Will he be the Captain of his Soul?   Author: Anelsa On Friday morning, golf pro Tiger Woods hit a fire hydrant and then hit his neighbors tree. His wife former nanny, Elin Nordegren, flew out of their two million dollar mansion in Windermere, Florida and busted a move and a rear window to extract her husband. Something about Tiger’s accident is curious... What Is Wrong With Being A Positive Black Man?   Author: Emmanuel Brown Before I give my own answer to the question above, I should explain why one statement and two questions gave me reasons to write an entire essay. It would be very simple to ask different people the same question, but there are times that the scope of a situation should be broadened to get responses that are given from deep thoughts or...