The City of Monroe stands at a crucial decision point regarding its garbage and trash collection services. It’s considering privatizing, franchising or outsourcing the service to a private company. In a series of community meetings last week the city posted…
The 2020 census revealed a stark demographic shift in Monroe: over 1,000 African American families moved from South Monroe to North Monroe, with many settling in District 2, now a Black-majority area. Yet, the 2022 redistricting failed to reflect this…
The execution of Jessie Hoffman Jr. this week, by nitrogen gas in Louisiana forces us to confront a haunting question: does the death penalty serve as a meaningful deterrent to crime, or is it merely a relic of retribution masquerading…
Minorities across the country are sitting on pins and needles pondering the effects of plans to scale back the Department of Education and send many funds back to states for localized distribution. Sending DOE money back to states sounds good,…
For too long, our community’s response to youth violence has followed a predictable pattern: increased police presence, stricter enforcement, and harsher penalties. While law enforcement plays an important role in public safety, mounting evidence suggests that treating youth violence as…
As Black History Month continues, today’s Black leaders would do well to study the strategies, problems, and actions of past leaders to develop a meaningful strategy for the future. Many of those who led the “movement” for social justice in…
Roosevelt Wright, Jr., publisher of the Free Press, delivered an inspiring address as the keynote speaker for the Local Jack and Jill organization’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day event. The program, held on the King Holiday, featured a morning of…
