Editorials
Dreams, delusions and slander
By Richard B. Muhammad Film and media maker Dream Hampton touched many emotions in Black America with her series “Surviving R. Kelly,” which aired to incredible numbers for the Lifetime network. It told the stories of women and families who say they have suffered because of the alleged sexual and other misdeeds of the R&B singer. The series touches on pain,...
Resistance, solidarity and the ‘Harriet’ movie
By THE FINAL CALL Before its release, the movie “Harriet” faced controversy and challenge. Some complained they were tired of slave movies. Others condemned having a Black British woman play the lead character. Later critics blasted what they called using a fictitious Black brute of a slave catcher as the villain and a White slave master as Harriet's saviour. Some of...
Our strongest and truest cry: We charge genocide!
And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it. Isaiah 28:18 Can a murderous mind be retrained to deliver freedom, justice and equality to the object of its derision, scorn and hatred? Emphatically not. With the May 3 funeral...
A place of refuge in a time of trouble
One glimpse at the world, whether witnessing the suffering in the Ukraine, the horrific shooting of children in Uvalde, Texas, or the fratricidal killings in Black communities there appears to be no hiding place, no safe space from widespread death. There seems to be no secure place when it comes to jobs and employment and a country that sees a...
Dangerous, Black and under 11-years-old
By FinalCall.com News Boys will be boys and girls will be girls–except when it comes to Black children in America and research once again verifies that sad fact. New scientific evidence verifies the well-known reality that age doesn't matter when it comes to the treatment of Black children by law enforcement and authorities. “Black boys as young as 10 may not be...
Economics and progress in Black History Month
By FinalCall.com News Each February there are celebrations, assignments, contests and even deals and promotions as Black History Month comes in. And while we look back at historical figures, enjoy recitations of speeches and dressing up to act out historic events and personalities, perhaps in 2015, this month can be devoted to looking forward. It's time we not only examine...
Sowing seeds of rage
By Final Call News Just over a year ago, The Final Call newspaper published its first cover story about unrest in Baltimore. The headline read, “Black pain, Black rage!” and attempted to tell the story of what was underneath unrest that exploded in the city. The fights, protests and fires eventually drew the attention of the world and the intervention...
Jelani Cobb and his Twitter buck dance
By Richard B. Muhammad - Editor Buck dancing: A type of folksy tap or soft-shoe dance common in the southern U.S. states during the slave era. Performers incorporated buck dancing into “cooning” shows, where a black person (or white person in blackface) would dance and sing for a white audience's enjoyment. (Urban Dictionary) Intellectual discourse is part of the Black tradition and...
A Diamond Among Men
FINALCALL.COM A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” Isaiah 40:3 68:1 (By) the inkstand and the pen and that which they write!68:2 By the grace of thy Lord thou art not mad.68:3 And surely thine is a reward never to be cut off.68:4 And...
A nation on edge and running out of time
FINALCALL.COM “And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?” Matthew 12:26 King James Version “America is now being torn to pieces politically as Pharaoh's political party was in the days when Jehovah went after the freedom of The Children of Israel.” The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, “If Satan Cast Out Satan,...