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It’s hard to believe that with the scholarship we have today, there is still a package of laws that constitute “The War on Drugs” in effect around the country. The debate rages on about how to handle illicit drug use. Meanwhile, the racial and ethnic disparities that cloud the fair administration of justice surrounding enforcement of drug laws continue. Recently, I wrote two articles for TheGrio exploring aspects of these disparities and some of the ways policymakers are seeking to ameliorate them:
Why Efforts to Soften Pot Laws are at an All-Time High (originally posted 6/9/11)
Retroactive Drug Sentencing is Change We Can Believe In (originally posted 6/2/11)
These pieces were written to discuss the criminalization of drug use and the disparate impact on communities of color. I am not now, nor have I ever been, an advocate for drug use. I do, however, strongly believe that incarceration is not the cure for addiction.
Copyright 2011 Monique W. Morris
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Prince’s Welcome 2 America tour has been an amazing experience! While he has consistently covered the favorites (e.g. Kiss, Take Me With You, Little Red Corvette, Controversy, etc.), there have been some new tracks (i.e., U Will Be With Me) and other great tracks (e.g. Hot Thing, Forever In My Life, When I Lay My Hands on U, etc.) that have excited those of us who have been “Prince enthusiasts” for decades. A special treat is when Shelby J. gets some time to showcase her strong and engaging voice on such gems as “Nothing Compares to You” or–if we’re lucky–”Misty Blue.” I could go on and on…especially since I’ve seen…um…just a few shows on this tour.
There are more shows this weekend at The Forum, and I must say, this really is a concert people don’t want to miss…you never know who you’ll get to see…Chaka Khan…Stevie Wonder…Janelle Monae…Alicia Keys…Amel Larrieux…what a collection of gifts!
But another thing that people shouldn’t miss are the contributions that Prince has made beyond music. Last week, I wrote an article for TheGrio.com, “Why Prince Deserves Props for his Political Activism,” which talks a bit about Prince’s other contributions. For those who want to reduce Prince to “just an artist,” I would venture to say that there appears to be much more.
Copyright 2011 Monique W. Morris
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 Misplaced Priorities Report Cover, NAACP 2011 Today, the NAACP released its new report, “Misplaced Priorities: Over Incarcerate, Under Educate“–a report that maps the differential investment in our children’s–and our communities’–futures. I provided editorial support for this document and hope that this important research will spark not only an interesting debate in our local communities, but necessary policy discussions among state and federal policymakers about our priorities.
Copyright 2011 Monique W. Morris
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