News & Politics

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Three students in lab coats conduct science experiment.

Achieving Academic Equity and Excellence for Black and Brown Boys

The crisis with our Black and Brown boys continues to exist. Their life trajectories are crippled by intergenerational trauma caused by implicit bias and systemic racism. Black and Brown boys are disproportionately affected by implicit bias, systemic racism, and a lack of trauma-informed community support systems. They experience trauma at a much higher rate than

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Colorful row houses with parked cars.

Making D.C. Black Again: Addressing the Effects of Gentrification in the District

Gentrification is defined as the process by which neglected, low-income, underdeveloped urban communities start to see a rapid influx in their communities’ development, resulting in a new community. This community becomes unaffordable to its current residents, further resulting in the displacement of its community members who are replaced by wealthy newcomers who can afford such

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S-N-S Hobbies store sign.

S-N-S Hobbies: Inspiration, Foundation, and Nostalgia 

Kojo Cross, owner of S-N-S Hobbies, does not just run a Black-owned toy store in Washington, D.C. He brings meaning to the words “inspiration, foundation and nostalgia.” Cross has utilized his childhood inspiration–watching his father’s entrepreneurship come to fruition–learning early on that what he liked mattered, and that he could pair that with something that

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Smiling boy with backpack outside school.

Organizations Blossoming the Youth of D.C. and Baltimore

SMYAL: Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders For nearly 40 years, LGBTQ+ individuals living in Washington, D.C. and needing an environment reminiscent of having familial support depend on SMYAL–Supporting and Mentoring Youth Leaders and Advocates–an organization supplying children and young adults leadership development opportunities, after-school programs, and counseling services.  Hancie Stokes, the organization’s communications

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Harvard University banner with crest.

Affirmative Action: Reactions from DMV Students and Faculty

The school year ended on a horrible note in late June. The Supreme Court made a historic decision to strike down affirmative action in higher education in Students for Fair Admissions vs Harvard. They declared that race and cultural background should not be a factor during the admissions process. The decision caused students and faculty

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Chess pieces on a board.

Contrasting Perspectives: Abu Nasr Farabi and Ibn Taymiyyah

Politics, Virtue, and the Role of the State in Islamic Thought The first political philosopher to propose a philosophical method for examining political and religious occurrences was Abu Nasr Farabi, a well-known philosopher of the 10th century. Tahsil al-Sa’adah, al-Siyasat al-Madaniyyah, al-Fusul al-Madani, and Mabadi Ara’i Ahl-i Madinah al-Fadilah are some of his published works.

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