The events of this past week put Baltimore center stage in the media spotlight. The question is whether that illumination can bring scrutiny and insight into similar vulnerabilities and potentially volatile conditions confronting urban cities across this nation. It should and it must if America is finally going to begin to address the "crisis" which it has chosen to ignore for decades. In a blog that we posted in late March, we stated that, "...not only has America not won the war on urban … [Read more...]

Only in America, land of opportunity Can a poor boy like me Can a kid who's washing cars Take a giant step and reach right up and touch the stars. Adapted from lyrics to "Only in America" That may have been true in 1963 when this hit song recorded by Jay and the Americans was released. It has grown less true over time. And now in 2015, we are at a critical pivot point in terms of the futures of poor kids in America. What happens over the next decade will determine many of their fates … [Read more...]

Are America's major cities dying? The answer is yes, no and maybe depending on the city or where one looks within it. Many of our large cities are places where the infrastructure is decaying, neighborhoods are deteriorating, and hopes are dimming for a large number of citizens. Many of them are also places where each one tells a tale of two cities -- for the wealthy few it is the best of times, for those of lesser means it is the worst of times. Derek Thompson illustrates this … [Read more...]

As we approach the end of the first quarter of 2015, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on what the future holds for India and the United States. The United States is the oldest and India is the largest democracy in the world. In our opinion, however, it is not the system of government they share or the size of their populations that matter. What matters are the common democratic values that bond them together and the potential economic and social synergy that can be realized by these … [Read more...]

Now that the Academy Awards are over and American Sniper was shot down in the best picture category by Birdman, it seems an appropriate time to reflect on the movie -- not in terms of its quality, but in terms of what its overwhelming box office popularity says about us as Americans. American Sniper grossed $90 million in the states in its January 16 opening weekend of wide distribution. This was accomplished in what is normally a very slow month for movie attendance. By the time the Awards … [Read more...]

With the stripping of the American little league World Series title from Jackie Robinson West, one of the happiest sports and human interest stories of the past year became one of the saddest. In one fell swoop, the seeds of joy that these black youth from Chicago's South Side sowed in winning were transformed into a field of sorrow. This was true not only for them. It was also true for countless fans of all colors and classes from across the country whose spirits soared with their … [Read more...]

The United States of America is suffering from a serious and potentially fatal case of Citizenship Deficit Disorder. This disorder is due to the failure of our educational system and the cumulative lack of experience and expertise of the American citizenry. Some might think that this is an overstatement. Unfortunately, there is an abundance of data to support that assessment. Here, as evidence, are just a few selected facts. A Failure of Education: The National Assessment of Education … [Read more...]

On January 19, people in the United States and around the world celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., the Nobel Peace Prize winner, who used nonviolence to advance civil and human rights. The question arises -- after the tragic shootings at Charlie Hebdo and other horrendous events in dictatorial nation-states over the past few months -- whether non-violence can still work in an extremely violent world. The answer is yes but peace must be forged first. In response to the … [Read more...]