By Michael Cottman Urban News Service “What I’m saying to Black America…,we must stop complaining about what white folks have done to us in the past. We must go into ourselves, as Dr. King said, and find indelible ink — our own emancipation proclamation.” Robert Woodson, Sr. Robert Woodson, Sr., advocate for the poor, recalled […]
Harriet Tubman’s Underground Railroad Offers Living History on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
by Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service “I never ran my train off the track, and I never lost a passenger.” – Harriet Tubman Joe Manokey stood along a stretch of the Underground Railroad and spoke proudly about his legendary distant cousin, Harriet Tubman. “Our family has always pushed to get Harriet Tubman more recognition,” […]
Henderson Tours Guides Travelers Back to Their African Roots
By Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service Gaynelle Henderson is the second-generation owner of Henderson Tours, a trailblazer among African-Americans in the travel industry. Her late parents, Jacob and Freddye Henderson, were visionaries who founded the agency in Atlanta in 1955. Rosa Parks was arrested that year for refusing to move to the back of […]
Black Dollars Pour into Black Banks
By Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service Baltimore-based attorney Jelani Murrain plans to transfer his hard earned money to an institution of financial empowerment: A black-owned bank. “The fact that black people have dealt with financial discrimination is a matter of record,” Murrain, a father of three young children, told Urban News Service. Murrain, 38, […]
Former Detroit Gang Member Now a Gang Peacemaker
by Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service Ray Winans, once affectionately known as “Killer Ray,” is helping reduce gun violence in Detroit — one gang member at a time. The 37-year-old former gang member is an unconventional activist who mediates among gangs, police and federal prosecutors while encouraging young black men to end their lives […]
Broderick Johnson is His Brother’s Keeper
by Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service Broderick Johnson sees young black men on America’s streets taking long drags off short smokes. “It’s the idleness,” said Johnson, a Baltimore native and advisor to President Barack Obama. “No jobs — or summer jobs — for black men. Kids are going to hang in the streets. We […]
Divers discover Tuskegee Airmen’s secrets in Lake Huron
By Michael Cottman Urban News Service For Erik Denson, a NASA engineer at the Kennedy Space Center, descending 30 feet into the depths of Lake Huron to help preserve the legacy of the Tuskegee Airmen was a cherished, unforgettable experience. “I embarked on a mission of a lifetime,” said Denson, a graduate of Howard University. […]
Black Republicans Back Trump As Democratic Mayors Unveil Urban Agenda
By Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service Days before the Iowa caucuses, the nation’s largest association of black Republicans is endorsing Donald Trump, a candidate with little history of working on civil rights, housing or other traditional African-American issues. “We, the grassroots activists of the National Black Republican Association, are pleased to announce our endorsement […]
Women Left Mark On Million Man March
By Michael H. Cottman and Courtney Bledsoe Urban News Service WASHINGTON—The most surprising element of Saturday’s Million Man March was its women. The 20th anniversary celebration of 1995’s landmark gathering included women of all racial origins, religions, creeds and cultures. They filled the National Mall from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial. Christian women […]
Black-on-Black Crime is Destroying Communities
by Michael H. Cottman Urban News Service MILWAUKEE – Tory Lowe walked 100 miles across steaming-hot pavement from Milwaukee to Chicago because he is tired. The 39-year-old human rights activist from Milwaukee said he’s tired of young African-American men killing each other; he’s tired of African-American children dying after being caught in the crossfire; he’s […]