By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Newswire Contributor You must have seen this video. A father speaking with his pre-verbal son about the season finale of Empire. The video went viral at warp speed and DJ Pryor—the father—was overwhelmed by the outpouring of emotion that the interaction with his son evoked. I have watched the video […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Either Trump Cannot Make the ‘Deal’ or it Wants to Bring about a Crash
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Newswire Contributor For someone who sold himself to the public as the great deal-maker (i.e., The Art of the Deal), Donald Trump has made a mess of negotiations with Congress over the federal budget and his own demand for a Wall. In order to strike a deal, one must engage […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
This Is Why Migrant Parents Travel with Children
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. (NNPA Newswire Columnist) There has been a strange response by many White conservatives to the separation of migrant children from their parents. Whether we are discussing undocumented migrants or those requesting asylum, there has been rightwing pushback to the larger chorus of condemnation of the Trump administration for its zero tolerance. […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
NFL Season Marred by Controversy
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. (NNPA Newswire Columnist) This season, however, I took a complete break from watching the NFL and, as a result, missed the game entirely. While the coup de grace was the exiling of quarterback Colin Kaepernick by the NFL owners, I must confess that this break has been coming for a while. […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Blacks Voices Missing from Discussion on Western Sahara
by Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA News Wire Columnist I was thrilled to hear that there would be a hearing on Capitol Hill regarding the human rights situation in the Western Sahara. The “Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission,” co-chaired by Congressman Joseph Pitts and Congressman James McGovern, along with Commission member Congressman John Conyers, hosted the […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
You Have to Understand Why “Diamond” and “Silk” Support Trump
by Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA News Wire Columnist I saw it on Facebook. These two Black women at a Trump rally expressing their support for “The Donald.” I realized, once again, that there is a certain type of emotional naiveté that I possess when it comes to our people. I assume that in light of […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
A Hopefully Constructive Letter to the Bernie Sanders Campaign
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA News Wire Columnist To the Campaign: I am writing as a concerned Sanders supporter. I am thrilled that the campaign has caught on as it has. Senator Sanders has raised many of the issues that need to be raised, which are generally ignored by the political establishment. He is correct […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Open Expressions of Racism
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA News Wire Columnist The other day a friend of mine, after hearing the latest rants by Presidential candidate Donald Trump, asked whether we are better off with open expressions of racism than having such expressions silenced. I found the question quite interesting and provocative. It spoke to the nature of […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Dr. Ben Carson and the Lessons from Clarence Thomas
By Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist I will never forget the debate that engulfed Black America at the time of the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the US Supreme Court. On the one side was the fact of his conservative record and his not having any semblance of a history as a staunch advocate for […]
EXCEPT WHERE INDICATED, THE OPINIONS EXPRESSED ON THIS PAGE ARE NOT NECESSARILY THOSE OF THE MADISON TIMES
Revolutionary Lessons from Burkina Faso
by Bill Fletcher, Jr. NNPA Columnist The September 17 coup against the interim president of Burkina Faso, Michel Kafando, contains important lessons regarding the struggle for justice and democracy. Under pressure from demonstrators, striking labor unions and the West Africa regional bloc, the coup leader, Gen. Gilbert Diendere, stepped aside and Kafando and Prime Minister […]