Years ago, Woody Guthrie wrote “Mean Talking Blues,” a stinging satire of malicious right-wing officials who take perverse pleasure in demonizing, holding down, and punishing poor people: “I’m a big disaster / Just goin’ some place to happen / I’m an organized famine / Studying ...

My place of prayer and meditation is the bathroom, precisely, sitting on the stool, and has been for the 36 years I have been clean and sober. It is a place that is private and can be found for the most part wherever I am, be it at home, a motel or someone else’s home. Even while traveling, a ...

Ionly wanted to serve my country. Now I’m worried about my family going hungry. I was selected for a highly competitive State Department Information Technology (IT) fellowship in 2024 — a program that included investing in my graduate degree. I was one of a few Black participants ...

Per new polling reported by Gallup, religion is no longer important to most Americans. In response to the question “Is religion an important part of your daily life,” 49 percent said yes. Ten years ago, in 2015, 66 percent responded affirmatively. Gallup notes that this 17-point drop ...

All my life, I’ve been fascinated by the power of storytelling. To me, stories are not just words on a page—they are the lifeblood that connects us to the past and passes wisdom to future generations. J.K. Rowling once said: “No story lives unless someone wants to listen. The stories ...

Young adults need lower housing prices, not longer mortgages. The median age of first-time home buyers is now 40, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors. Among all buyers, the median age was 59. Home buyers are more likely to be near or at retirement age than ...