Derek Jennings

A few weeks ago, Clinton rather clumsily countered that it took President Lyndon Johnson to realize King's "Dream," and the racial undertones of her comments pissed off a lot of folks.

Malicious liars are a known quantity. More intriguing are those who claim to love black people, yet can't seem to miss an opportunity to condemn them.

"They say the city make a dark impression The youth just lost and they want direction But they don't get the police, they get the protection And walk around with heat like Charlton Heston, man."

What happens when nonprofit charitable organizations--those harbors in the storm and refuges of last resort for so many desperate Americans--face the confounding quandary of having expenses and obligations that exceed their income?

As May melts into June, I glance up at the calendar and notice that we've come to the end of another school year. Or have we, in light of the year-round school talk?

This week, several churches and individuals around the country will host "Holy Hip Hop House Parties." These gatherings will be in celebration of the release Tuesday of a locally produced DVD documentary that chronicles the rapidly growing Holy Hip Hop movement.

I have a fairly high threshold of obliviousness regarding certain aspects of popular culture.

A couple of weeks ago, the NBA announced--or decreed, rather--that they were implementing a new and stringent dress code for its most highly paid and highly visible employees. Several NBA players promptly spoke out against the rule, deeming it, at best, a capricious infringement on their individuality and self-expression and, at worst, a veiled, racist jab at the haberdashery of the league's predominantly African-American stars.