Author: DAMON K JONES
For more than half a century, Black Americans have given Democrats one of the most reliable voting blocs in U.S. history. Election after election, over ninety percent of our community casts its lot with the Democratic Party. That loyalty has been rewarded with promises, speeches, and endless studies, but when it comes to real policy and real dollars, the returns are nowhere to be found. The contrast could not be clearer. In 2023 alone, the United States spent roughly one hundred and fifty billion dollars on illegal immigration. Cities like New York added billions more — seven and a half…
The revival of Bed Bath & Beyond has sparked an unexpected war of words between its executive chairman, Marcus Lemonis, and California Governor Gavin Newsom. At the heart of the dispute is not just the fate of a retail giant but the broader debate over whether California has become too hostile for business. The Spark When Beyond Inc., the company now steering Bed Bath & Beyond’s comeback, announced plans to roll out 300 new neighborhood stores nationwide, Lemonis made it clear that California would not be part of the expansion. The first new concept store opened in Nashville this summer, but…
The National Urban League’s 2025 State of Black America report is polished, passionate, and packed with urgency. It warns of voting rights rollbacks, the dismantling of DEI, cutbacks to civil rights enforcement, and worsening housing inequality. These are real issues that deserve attention. But the problem is not what the report identifies — it’s what it prescribes. The solutions it offers keep us dependent on the same political and corporate structures that have failed us for generations. This is the central argument of my book Emotional Politics, Logical Failure: too often, we mistake access for power, representation for ownership, and inclusion for independence.…
Black Americans are among the most influential consumer groups in the United States. With over $1.7 trillion in annual spending power, our impact on fashion, sports, music, and technology shapes global markets. However, this economic influence has not resulted in lasting wealth. According to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances (2022), the median white household had $284,310, while the median Black household had only $44,100—a gap of more than six times. The issue isn’t a lack of money; it’s how money is allowed to grow, circulate, and be passed down. Government-Sanctioned Barriers With Lasting Outcomes For over 400 years, laws and policies…
A New York state appeals court has overturned the nearly half-billion-dollar penalty imposed on former President Donald Trump in the civil fraud case brought by Attorney General Letitia James. While the panel upheld the lower court’s finding that Trump and his associates committed fraud by inflating property values, it ruled that the punishment was excessive and violated constitutional protections against disproportionate fines. The five-judge panel issued a split decision. Three judges agreed the fraud finding should stand, but the financial penalty—totaling close to $500 million with interest—was unconstitutional under the Eighth Amendment. One judge called for a retrial over procedural…
In the high-stakes world of professional football, talent isn’t the only factor that shapes opportunity. Perceptions, politics, and family legacies can often weigh just as heavily. Few players embody this reality more than Shedeur Sanders, the Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback whose every move is scrutinized not only because of his ability, but because of who his father is. Despite an impressive preseason debut—throwing for two touchdowns and flashing poise under pressure—Sanders finds himself buried on the Browns’ depth chart. Reports suggest his slide to the fifth round in the draft and his current positioning owe as much to the reputation of his…
Washington, D.C. has once again become the epicenter of America’s battle over crime, public safety, and political power. In a move that underscores both the urgency of the issue and the deep divisions in the nation, Republican governors from across the South and Midwest are deploying National Guard troops to the nation’s capital. A Multistate Deployment Over the past two weeks, governors from West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Mississippi, and Louisiana have authorized the deployment of more than 1,100 National Guard troops to assist with security and enforcement in Washington, D.C. They join nearly 800 troops already activated from the District’s own Guard units.…
The Marco Rubio who sat across from George Stephanopoulos on ABC and then appeared on NBC’s Meet the Presswasn’t the uncertain 2016 candidate mocked by Donald Trump as “Little Marco.” What America saw was a polished, disciplined Secretary of State who not only defended his president but elevated himself into the role of statesman. Rubio handled the toughest lines of questioning with calm precision. When pressed repeatedly about Trump’s broken promise of an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine, Rubio refused to be baited into defensive spin. Instead, he reframed the narrative: wars don’t end overnight, peace requires concessions from both sides, and…
MSNBC has announced it is shedding its familiar name and iconic NBC peacock logo to become MS NOW—“My Source for News, Opinion, and the World.” Corporate executives describe the change as a fresh start under the newly formed media company Versant, spun off from Comcast. They want the public to believe this is about independence, clarity, and modernization. But strip away the marketing gloss, and the rebrand looks less like reinvention and more like desperation. A Name Change Without a Mission Change For years, MSNBC has built its brand on one central theme: hating Donald Trump. Nearly every primetime show is…
President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, alongside European leaders in Washington, was cast as a step toward peace. The gathering focused on security guarantees, weapons packages, and the prospect of negotiations with Russia. Yet the loudest voices in mainstream media rushed to declare the meeting a failure. That is not a fact—it is an opinion dressed up as news. The reality is more straightforward. This is not America’s war. Ukraine borders Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Hungary—not the United States. The threat is immediate for Europe, not for America. But over the last several years, Washington has…