We're headed in the wrong direction. Americans across lines of race and region, in red states and blue states, moderates, independents, liberals and increasing numbers of conservatives now have come to understand that. In Washington, the Bush administration and the DeLay Congress stagger from scandal to failure — adrift when we need direction.
We have lost a sense of common purpose — a sense of the better angels of our nature. I remember immediately after Sept. 11, when Americans asked what they could do for their country. "Go shopping," the president recommended, as he pushed for another tax cut for the wealthy.

Several years ago, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting produced a documentary series entitled "Violence: An American Tradition." The series described the ways in which this country has historically resolved conflict. One need only read the history books to see that nonviolent diplomacy is not a tradition we can claim as part of our custom.
When we look back on the more than 200-year history of our nation, we find that war has indeed been part of our convention. This heritage is not one that should make us proud to be Americans.

The never-ending debate over the "N" word heated up again on the street and oddly in a courtroom. A parade of Black scholars, writers, activists, hip-hop artists and plain folk sparred over the use of the "N" word during a panel discussion in New York. Some defended it. Some railed against it. The renewed public debate is sparked in part by the wind down of the trial of Nicholas Minucci.

I recently returned from the Children's Defense Fund's Haley Farm in Clinton, Tenn., and a visit to the annual National Training for Servant-Leader Interns for the fund's Freedom Schools program.

The Freedom Schools program is a partnership between the Children's Defense Fund and local community organizations, churches, universities and schools to provide literacy-rich summer and after-school programs.

In his radio address and press conferences last week, the president highlighted the Senate debate on a constitutional amendment — eventually defeated — to ban gay marriage. He didn't mention that the Congress is also geared up to repeal the estate tax — and hand a staggering trillion-dollar benefit to the richest of Americans.

Millions of Americans are deeply worried about their economic futures. The signs of the economic crisis ahead are literally everywhere, if one bothers to look at the statistical evidence.

The first, and most important indicator, is the unprecedented concentration of wealth within American society. According to USA Today columnist Yolanda Young, in 1970 the bottom one-third of all U.S. households (today, about 96 million people) "earned 10 times that of the top 1 percent" of all households. By 2004, the upper 1 percent "made as much as the bottom third of Americans."

The first step pyramid was designed by Imhotep. He was a brilliant architect and physician who enriched Egyptian culture and, as a Black innovative intellectual, shared great knowledge with Egypt during the time of Pharaoh Djoser (2687-2668 B.C.). His contributions and influence in Egypt have lasted into modern times and will be visible for future generations.
Imhotep is germane to this dialogue because he is a perfect example of how far back Black intellectualism goes. It is unfortunate indeed that there are people that believe that Black intellectualism started with the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. or Frederick Douglass. Nothing could be further from the truth — Black intellectualism is a gift that has been passed down through the ages.

"If I could sit down for justice, you can stand up for children." These words of support, sent by Rosa Parks, thrilled and inspired the more than 250,000 people who gathered at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on June 1, 1996, for the first Stand for Children Day.

The crowd included adults and children from across the country and all walks of life, but we all shared one thing in common: a vision of a nation that puts children's needs first.

My wife has corrupted our children! She took our boys to a local fried chicken restaurant where they were served a gooey, processed version of macaroni and cheese. They loved it and now they ask for this processed dish in place of my homemade version.

I can't help but feel that something more than my ego is at stake. I am concerned that by consuming this powdered, orange goop, my boys are not only missing out on one of life's truly wonderful gastronomic pleasures, but I also fear they will miss out on the stories that food contains.

The masters of the Enron universe — Ken Lay and Jeffrey Skilling — heard the voice of justice last week. After a four-year investigation and a four-month trial, a jury of eight women and four men found them guilty of conspiracy, fraud and insider trading in the collapse of Enron Corp. The CEOs who once ruled an empire now face time in a prison cell.