Brian Gilmore is a Washington DC based poet, writer, and public interest law professor.
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Brian Gilmore
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The Public Education of Linda Brown
Her father’s name is on the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education, a milestone in ending racial segregation in public education. more
Black Lives Matter Organizer DeRay Mckesson on Trump, Safety and Running for Mayor
Meet DeRay McKesson: a key player in the Black Lives Matter movement who's running for mayor of Baltimore. more
Malcolm X as Relevant Today as 50 Years Ago
Fifty years ago, on Feb. 21, 1965, Malcolm X was brutally murdered in New York City. With his assassination, the United States missed a chance to fully address some of the racial issues that persist to this day. Image credit: Public Domain more
Maya Angelou Spoke for Everyone
Maya Angelou represented the quintessential African-American voice in American art, though she spoke for all: women, men, children, the world. more
A Landmark Concert 75 Years Ago
By Brian Gilmore It was 75 years ago that Marian Anderson gave her famous outdoor performance at the Lincoln Memorial. The concert, known today as the “Freedom Concert,” occurred on Easter Sunday, April 9, 1939. It was a moment of great sym... more
The Winter Olympics Needs More Diversity
Here's hoping the Sochi Olympic Games mark the continuation of a positive trend for African-American athletes. more
A New War on Poverty in America is Needed
It is time to declare war on poverty again. more
Let's Recall the Americans Who Supported Mandela
By Brian Gilmore This week we celebrate the life and courage of Nelson Mandela. But let's also pause to remember and salute all of the many men and women, right here in the United States, who fought against apartheid in South Africa. Let... more
Let's Focus on the Significance of the Affordable Care Act
The reasons for the Affordable Care Act were unassailable. By last count, 48 million people or more were without basic health insurance coverage. Many could not get insurance because they had pre-existing conditions. For them, this was a ma... more
Every American Should See '12 Years A Slave'
When Steve McQueen's captivating new film, "12 Years A Slave" opens, the protagonist, Solomon Northup, a kidnapped free black man from New York, is cutting sugar cane in the heat and mosquito infested bayou of Louisiana. more
Is Congress Having Budget Talks or a Childhood Tantrum?
The current federal government shutdown is nothing but a reckless, self-serving act by right-wing Republicans. more
“Post-Racial”? No Way!
We were never post-racial.This is the message of the Trayvon Martin tragedy. The delusion is over.Many Americans never believed that anyway. Some did, and now they are shocked at the fierce and sustained reaction to the not guilty verdict for a k... more
After landmark ruling, we need to ensure counsel for all
Fifty years ago this month, the U.S. Supreme Court established the absolute right to counsel in criminal cases. It's a right we must continue to defend. The case was Gideon v. Wainwright, and it began in Panama City, Fla., on Aug. 4, 1961. Cla... more
Happy 100th Birthday, Rosa Parks!
Today marks the 100th birthday of civil rights legend Rosa Parks. To mark the date, the U.S. Postal Service has issued a Rosa Parks stamp complete with a ceremony in Detroit where Parks lived at the end of her life. It is a worthy honor for Mrs. ... more
On the 300th anniversary of a slave revolt, we need to learn its lessons
On April 6, 1712, African slaves in New York City rose up with anger and fury. These African men and women — enslaved and oppressed into an inhuman system — had reached the breaking point. more
We need to boldly tackle housing crisis
The housing crisis has been raging since 2007, but the efforts to address the problem have simply dragged the crisis out longer and longer. more
We need to attack poverty now
By Brian Gilmore Candidates this season must stop ignoring a huge moral issue: poverty. All we seem to hear about these days is the middle class and the upper class. Democrats claim to be champions of the middle class, while Republicans are... more
Drug sentencing reform doesn’t go far enough
It should do away with mandatory minimums and allow judges to treat every person as an individual. It should invest in the lives of young people so they don’t get involved in drugs. And it should focus on substance abuse treatment for those... more
Kagan’s clerkship with Thurgood Marshall a huge asset
Even the late William Rehnquist, a solidly conservative Supreme Court chief justice, acknowledged Marshall’s impact on the nation’s laws when he noted years ago that Marshall rewrote the “American constitutional landscape.” more
