Author Archives: mdbwell

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About mdbwell

Pres., Project for the Beloved Community, Inc.; B.A.--Wesleyan University; M.Div.--Yale University; Ph.D.--Boston University; Summer Study--Harvard University; Social ethicist; Ordained minister; Advocate for the poor

CALIFANO MISREPRESENTS JOHNSON’S ROLE

Any representation of Martin Luther King, Jr., will always be hopelessly inadequate in my estimation—so enamored of the real deal am I!  I think the enactment by David Oyelowo is less than satisfactory; I feel he does not really capture … Continue reading

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Freedom of Expression? Yes!

As an advocate of nonviolent direct action, I believe there are always alternatives to violence that can be effective and instructive. Continue reading

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REMEMBERING MARIO CUOMO

I did not know Mario Cuomo personally, but I came to admire him a lot—not for his role as a politician and three-term governor of New York, but for his citizenship, service, and truth-telling about the obscenities of xenophobia in … Continue reading

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WAR AGAIN?

Here are my thoughts a day or so prior to the air strikes. It appears we are on the brink of war, again! Massive air strikes against the capital of ISIS in Raqqa in northern Syria have begun. What does … Continue reading

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VINCENT HARDING: MY KIND OF HERO!

As a matter of fact, Harding, so frustrated with U.S. escalation of the war in Vietnam, finally convinced King, after two years, officially to speak out against the military endeavor. Continue reading

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EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK

I grew up with four sisters and two brothers.  Academically, my sisters performed very well and entered the job market with a competitive advantage.  They had attended topnotch schools, with one becoming a business executive and another becoming a postmaster … Continue reading

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INCOME INEQUALITY: OBAMA V. FRANCIS

I have always admired and respected Catholic social teaching, especially with regards to helping the so-called least of these.  Concern for the needy and the disinherited in the United States and in the world has been a continuous focus of … Continue reading

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TRIBUTE TO NELSON MANDELA

The death of Steve Biko in prison in South Africa captured many college students on campuses across the United States.  I was one of those students at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, as I was asked to perform a memorial … Continue reading

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POVERTY AT HOME & ABROAD

In 1958, John Kenneth Galbraith detailed income inequality and an imbalanced economic system in his book, The Affluent Society.  People who did not actually read the text considered it a homage to what makes America great.  Contrariwise, Galbraith demonstrates that … Continue reading

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U.S. SUPREME COURT AUTHORIZES VOTER SUPPRESSION

After extensive research that exposed discriminatory practices in voting still existed, the 109th Congress elected to extend the Voting Rights Act (VRA) of 1965 for twenty-five more years.  On Tuesday, June 25, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court struck that extension … Continue reading

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