Rev. Irene Monroe

Rev. Jesse Jackson was among the last remaining icons of the modern Civil Rights Movement. Known for his fiery oratory, he was often called “the Country Preacher,” a moniker that reflected both his humble roots and his lifelong commitment to advocating for the disenfranchised.

We have always found creative ways to honor Black History through our griots, songs, dances, writings, artists, and entrepreneurs, such as Bee Blunt's clothesline. Black museums will preserve the dignity and legacy of not only our huge icons but also our local and community heroes.  These museums are an investment in us.

As Rev. Irene Monroe grieved for her church community members after AIDS took their lives, she wanted to take action. Soon, she was helping to spread awareness of HIV/AIDS among her parishioners, using the memories of her lost friends to save others.

For years, the celebration of Black History Month, especially among white conservatives, has always brought up their ire around "identity politics" and "special rights. 

This Valentine’s Day my focus is on black love.  African American life in the U.S. is primarily depicted as a struggle devoid of romantic love rather than a radical act of living, liberation, and loving families. Under the tyranny of colonization, slavery, Jim Crow, and simple everyday life, how do we have time for love? 

I watched Giovanni's interview on iOne Digital wearing a T-shirt that said, "I write banned books." During the interview, she talked about getting old, finding joy, and, of course, banned books. I LOVED Nikki Giovanni long before I LOVED Toni Morrison. During the Black Arts and Black Panther eras, I grew up  listening and grooving to Giovanni's voice on scratchy vinyl albums as she read her poems.

For African Americans, the disparities within the healthcare system contribute disproportionately to the high number of HIV/AIDS, directly affecting the quality of life and its spread.

This issue driven nonpartisan VOTE PSA is produced by Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson & features Rev. Irene Monroe

A national Zoom call from the D.C.-based Black women's organization "#WinWithBlackWomen"  had over 40,000 sistahs in attendance. In three hours, these women raised over $1 million to support Harris, which T.V. personality Star Jones, the campaign chair, spearheaded.  "#WinWithBlackWomen" is a national intergenerational and intersectional sisterhood of black diasporic women who leverage talent, influence, and networks to support Black women.

This July Fourth, for the 248th time, America celebrates independence from British rule. But after President Joe Biden signed into law Juneteenth as a federal holiday, Americans are also forced to take a closer look at what this July Fourth represents.

Pope Francis sent global shock waves when the news broke that he used the highly offensive f -word "frociaggine," meaning "faggotness ” in Italian.

Looking back at advances since 2004, such as hate crime laws, the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and  DOMA, the legalization of marriage equality, same-sex adoption, and anti-homophobic bullying becoming a national concern, among a few, the LGBTQ+ community has come a long way since the first Pride marches. 

Fifty years ago, in 1974, the Combahee River Collective was founded in Boston by several lesbian and feminist women of African descent. As a sisterhood, they understood that their acts of protest were shouldered by and because of their ancestors—known and unknown—who came before them.

"We transgenders here feel a bit more human because the fact that Pope Francis brings us closer to the Church is a beautiful thing," Carla Segovia, 46, a sex worker, told Reuters. "Because we need some love."

When AARP Massachusetts was looking to honor the state's top volunteer, Paul's and Charles's names rose to the top. They have made a difference in the lives around them, sharing their knowledge, experience, talent, and skills to enrich the lives of our community.

The polarization we see in society is also reflected in the Church.

Tim Scott is running for president. It's an impressive feat as the only African American Republican in today's U.S. Senate and the first Southern Black senator since Reconstruction.

Today, the NAACP has an LGBTQIA Committee Chairperson, Demar Roberts from S. C., who works to protect and advance the rights of the LGBTQ+ community.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been in office since 2020. Harris struggles to carve out a lane for herself, and she feels the weight of being the first Black and Asian American to be the nation's V.P. However, with an approval rating no higher than 39 percent from multiple polls, can Harris convince the American public for a second term?

The LGBTQ+ community worldwide is constantly under attack. Pope Francis is a global influencer. He alone can create a movement to decriminalize homosexuality.

Sadly Benedicts' anti-modernity views on AIDS and women's role within the Catholic Church hierarchy were both retro, reckless, and spiritually abusive. For example, he stuck by his no condoms even in an age of AIDS.

According to the Human Rights Campaign, this year, at least 32 transgender Black and LatinX sisters have been fatally shot or killed.

On June 12 was Boston Pop-Up Pride, to the surprise and joy of the throngs of revelers who gathered on Boston Common. When Boston Pride was dismantled last July, a coalition of LGBTQ+ community activists and groups stepped up and got busy.

Do progressives believe in the resurrection? Sometimes, without hope in my sins being forgiven, I don't think I could have emotionally coped.