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COMMENTARY: America Has yet to Become Great — For All of Its People!

THE DALLAS WEEKLY — As America approaches its 250th anniversary, a critical question emerges regarding its foundational promise of equality. While fireworks light up celebratory skies, a deeper examination asks when the nation was truly “great” for all its inhabitants.
The post COMMENTARY: America Has yet to Become Great — For All of Its People! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

July 7, 2026

Oakland Post

Two hundred and fifty years.

That is how long America has been chasing its own promise.

As fireworks illuminated on “The 4th – 250,” the night sky and politicians wrap themselves in the language of patriotism, millions of Americans celebrated the birth of a nation founded on the breathtaking declaration that “all men are created equal.”

It is one of the most beautiful ideas ever written.

It is also one of the least consistently practiced – in America and across the World.

So, as America celebrates its 250th birthday, I offer a question that deserves more than a slogan.

When, exactly, was America “great” — for everyone?

Not for those who owned land while others were owned.

Not for those whose rights were guaranteed while others had to fight, bleed, march, and die just to be recognized as fully human.

Not for those whose freedom was protected while others were told to wait.

If the answer is that we must “Make America Great Again,” then history deserves a simple response.

Great Again…when?

Was America great for the Indigenous nations driven from ancestral lands through warfare, violence, forced removal, and treaties our government repeatedly broke?

Was America great for the millions of Africans stolen from their homeland, sold as property, mutilated and beaten into submission, denied literacy, denied family, denied freedom — and then expected to build the wealth of the very nation that denied their humanity?

Was America great for [Kidnapped Africans] Black Americans who endured another century of lynching, segregation, voter suppression, redlining, unequal schools, mass incarceration, being murdered by law enforcement, and the persistent reality that equality under law has too often depended upon assimilation, ZIP code, skin color, or political convenience?

Was America great for women who were taxed without representation, denied the ballot, denied equal opportunity, and expected to remain silent in a democracy built upon the right to speak?

Was America great for Chinese laborers who built the railroads but were rewarded with exclusion? For Japanese Americans imprisoned without trial because of their ancestry? For Irish, Italians, Jews, Mexicans, Muslims, Sikhs, and countless immigrants who were repeatedly told they were not “real Americans,” and pitted against those in the Black American communities?

Was America great for LGBTQ Americans who spent generations hiding who they were — not because they lacked dignity, but because society refused to recognize it and did not acknowledge the violence being brought against them?

Was it great for veterans who returned from foreign battlefields only to discover that surviving war was easier than surviving peace on American streets?

Or is it great today for the countless number of homeless American veterans sleeping beneath an overpass while politicians – who have NEVER served – deliver baseless speeches about patriotism?

For the family working two full-time jobs and still choosing between rent, groceries, or childcare?

For children whose educational opportunities depend more on their neighborhood than their potential?

For communities where healthcare, clean water, economic investment, and equal justice remain aspirations instead of guarantees – even now in 2026?

Ask them.

Then ask yourself.

Because history is not merely what happened.

History is what we choose to remember, what we choose to honestly document.

And what we choose to ignore.

America has accomplished extraordinary things.

We have expanded human knowledge – greatly.

Defeated tyranny abroad – and here at home in America.

Walked on the moon.

Invented technologies that transformed civilization.

Inspired democratic movements around the world.

These achievements deserve admiration.

But achievement is not the same as justice.

Innovation is not equality.

Military strength is not moral greatness.

GDP is not human dignity.

The mythology of American exceptionalism often asks us to celebrate the destination while ignoring the millions of people who were denied a seat on the journey.

Real patriotism refuses that bargain.

Real patriotism tells the truth — even when the truth is uncomfortable.

Especially when it is uncomfortable.

Every chapter of progress in American history has come because ordinary people challenged extraordinary injustice.

The abolitionists challenged slavery.

The suffragists challenged patriarchy.

Labor organizers challenged exploitation.

Civil Rights activists challenged segregation and human indifference.

Disability-rights advocates challenged exclusion.

LGBTQ Americans challenged criminalization and invisibility.

None of those movements were popular when they began.

Each was condemned.

Each was told to “wait.”

Each was accused of dividing America.

History eventually has revealed something else.

They were not dividing America.

They were asking America to become America.

That is the unfinished story of this nation.

Not perfection. Progress.

Not mythology. Truth.

Not comfort. Conscience.

As an American, a veteran, and a citizen who has experienced discrimination firsthand, I have learned that honest conversation is not something to fear.

It is democracy’s lifeblood.

It exposes what slogans and staged distractions conceal.

It challenges what privilege often refuses to acknowledge.

It reminds us that loving one’s country does not require believing it has never failed.

In fact, love without honesty is not love at all.

It is public relations.

This “Freedom of Speech” is not an indictment of America.

It is an invitation.

An invitation to see.

To listen.

To question.

To imagine an America where opportunity is not inherited but shared.

Where liberty belongs not to the fortunate, but to everyone.

Where justice is not selective but universal – For All.

Because patriotism without accountability becomes mythology.

History without truth becomes propaganda.

And democracy without honest dialogue eventually becomes performance.

As America marks its 250th birthday, perhaps the question is no longer whether America was ever great.

Perhaps the better question is this:

Will America finally become what it has always promised to be?

Not for some.

Not for the powerful.

Not for those history has always favored.

But for everyone.

That will be the day America becomes truly exceptional.

When it does not just talk about Godly principles, but exemplify the true Spirit of God.

Not because we said it.

Because we finally lived it.

Until then, America’s greatest achievement is not behind us.

It is still waiting to be built.

The bricks are already in our hands.

The only question left is this:

Where will you place your brick, Patriot?

The post America Has Yet to Become Great—For All of Its People! appeared first on Dallas Weekly.

Based on reporting by The Dallas Weekly.

The post COMMENTARY: America Has yet to Become Great — For All of Its People! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park

ATLANTA VOICE — A mural depicting late journalist Jovita Moore, painted on the exterior wall of a building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee in Grant Park, was painted over in April. Moore passed away in 2021 after decades of working in Atlanta television news. Bellwood Coffee owners stated in May they were unaware of Moore’s identity or significance to the community before painting over the mural.
The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

At the corner of Boulevard, SE. and Rosalia St., SE., directly across the street from an abandoned home and a Methodist Church, is Bellwood Coffee. One of hundreds of coffee shops in Atlanta, this place of business would not be worth a solitary discussion if not for the way its exterior walls are currently painted. There was once a mural depicting the late Jovita Moore, a beloved journalist who worked in Atlanta for decades. Moore, who passed away in 2021, mentored many of the people you see on television newscasts today. Though her legacy will never be forgotten, it was the mural of her image that was erased.

In April, members of the Grant Park community voiced their disgust at the mural, which graced a side wall of the building now occupied by Bellwood Coffee’s Grant Park location, before it was painted over. In its place are the words “Bellwood Coffee; Cocktails, Biscuits, Dry Goods, Air Conditioning. *Heat Too”. In May, the business owners responded to the community pushback on social media by acknowledging they did not know who Moore was before painting over her image. And later admitted that they did not attempt to find out what she meant to the community.

On May 21, the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account had a post about being “in close contact with Jovita’s family and are actively working on next steps in this process.” Two months later, the mural has not been replaced, repainted, or repositioned on the property. Nothing has been done. Black history is often erased, most recently by the current Presidential administration, but oftentimes on a smaller, quieter scale. The mural was originally painted by muralist Tommy Bronx, who had been in contact with the business owners about repainting it. As of July 6, Tommy Bronx had responded to a direct message via his Instagram account from The Atlanta Voice about any updates on his plans to repaint the mural.

“We’re currently working on it. You should see some movement in the weeks to come,” he wrote in a response.

On Monday, July 6, the business had several patrons inside and was running smoothly with three employees manning the counter. The Atlanta Voice dropped by Bellwood Coffee to get a look at the exterior wall where the mural once stood as a memorial to a journalist and mother who lost her life to brain cancer at the young age of 54. Moore’s image added some color to the block. The grey wall in its place does not.

A direct message was sent to the Bellwood Coffee Instagram account, and there hasn’t been a response as of 7 p.m. on Monday.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on The Atlanta Voice.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Voice.

The post Jovita Moore Mural Still Has Not Been Repainted in Grant Park appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator

ATLANTA DAILY WORLD — A New York man faces felony hate crime charges for allegedly posting a threat against New York State Senator Lea Webb. James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a social media news post about a Juneteenth celebration.
The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

A New York man is facing felony hate crime charges after allegedly posting that he’d be “proud to hang” New York State Senator Lea Webb from a tree in response to a news story about a Juneteenth celebration.

James A. Crosby, 49, of Binghamton, was arrested June 23 by New York State Police after investigators determined he posted a threatening comment on a WBNG 12 News Facebook post. “I’d be proud to hang her from a tree,” Crosby wrote, according to WBNG.

Crosby was charged with making a terroristic threat as a hate crime, a class C felony, per the New York State Police. He is currently being held at Broome County Jail.

During the subsequent investigation, state police found Crosby was in illegal possession of firearms despite being prohibited from owning them due to a prior felony conviction. Investigators recovered a rifle, a large-capacity ammunition feeding device, and a firearm suppressor — all prohibited under New York state law, per the NYSP.

Crosby was charged with four additional counts of criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, all class D felonies.

Webb, who represents New York’s 52nd Senate District, had been a featured speaker at a Juneteenth flag-raising ceremony at Binghamton City Hall, where the celebration included prayers and the singing of the Black national anthem.

Police said Crosby’s comment was posted in response to a WBNG news story covering the event.

The day before his arrest, Crosby posted a Facebook apology claiming the comment “was not intended to be racial in any way” and was made in reference to what he described as a “criminal,” citing criticism of Webb over her use of nonprofit legal aid in a foreclosure case — a matter state watchdogs said created an appearance of a conflict of interest, per the Ithaca Voice. He was arrested the following day.

Webb issued a public statement June 25 condemning the threat.

“It was extremely disappointing and hurtful to see the now-deleted threat and attacks on my life in response to a story about Juneteenth, a national holiday that recognizes the ending of slavery in America,” she said. “Feedback and thoughts on policy are one thing, but to make a public call for lethal violence is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. We must recognize our shared humanity and reject violence in all forms.”

She thanked Gov. Kathy Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and law enforcement for their “swift response.”

Following Crosby’s comments, social media users called for a boycott of his contracting business, Crosby Home Improvements.

The Binghamton City Democratic Committee also called for an investigation into the incident before his arrest.

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The post ‘Proud to hang her from a tree’: Man arrested for threatening Black Senator appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

Based on reporting by Atlanta Daily World.

The post ‘Proud to Hang Her from a Tree’: Man Arrested for Threatening Black Senator appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations

NEW YORK CARIB NEWS — Outgoing CARICOM Chairman Terrance Drew called on regional leaders to build a stronger and more effective Caribbean Community that benefits future generations. Speaking at the 51st Regular Meeting, Drew urged modernization of governance structures and improved implementation of Community decisions to make CARICOM safer and more prosperous.
The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

July 8, 2026

Oakland Post

Speaking Sunday at the opening of the 51st Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in Saint Lucia, Dr. Terrance Drew said the region must modernize its governance structures, improve the implementation of Community decisions, and ensure CARICOM becomes safer, more prosperous, and more relevant to the lives of its citizens.

The meeting, being held under the theme “CARICOM: From Resilience to Renewal in a Changing World,” coincides with the Community’s 53rd anniversary. During the ceremony, Dr. Drew formally handed over the rotating CARICOM chairmanship to Saint Lucia’s Prime Minister, Philip J. Pierre.

Reflecting on his six-month tenure as chairman, Drew praised fellow regional leaders for maintaining their commitment to democracy, good governance, unity, and the rule of law despite mounting global economic and geopolitical challenges.

“Throughout these challenges, CARICOM chose engagement over isolation. Together, we reaffirmed our commitment to a fair and rules-based international trading system and ensured that the interests of small developing states continued to be heard.”
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He highlighted progress made in strengthening the CARICOM Single Market and Economy, including deeper trade cooperation, expanded labour mobility, and efforts to lay the foundation for long-term economic growth. Drew also noted the Community’s growing partnerships beyond the Caribbean, particularly with the African Union, while stressing that every international partnership should advance the interests of all parties involved.

The outgoing chairman also expressed appreciation to Dr. Carla Barnett and the CARICOM Secretariat for their professionalism and unwavering support during his tenure.

“Whenever I called, you answered. Whenever support was required, you and your team responded with diligence, competence, and excellence.”

Dr. Drew urged the Secretariat to continue preserving its impartiality while faithfully implementing decisions made by Heads of Government, saying that balance has helped strengthen the regional integration movement.

The conference continues in Saint Lucia with regional leaders expected to deliberate on key issues including regional security, climate resilience, trade, economic integration, food security, Haiti, reparations, and strengthening the CSME.

Based on reporting by New York Carib News.

The post CARICOM: Strengthen Integration for Future Generations appeared first on BlackPressUSA.