Author Bio

Politics of Deception
By T. Duffy

Now that president Bush is on his way out of the door, some Americans will be happy, believing the worst is over. Of course, many blacks will be happy because he's a republican and most blacks are democrats........[more]

Nothing Learned, Nothing Gained
By T. Duffy

If I remember correctly, there is nothing in any of the messages of the late Martin Luther King junior, or prior activists before or during the civil rights movement, that said freedom is the opportunity for blacks to whine........[more]

Clever Ways of Hiding Bigotry

Unfortunately when blacks think of unfairness, the only thing they can relate it to is how they feel they have been treated by this country. But injustice can also come from those who also experience it. Such as blacks who make concessions for it, as a reason to be accepted by the status-quo. But that isn't the subject matter here........[more]

The Powers of Attorney

When we complain about what goes on in this country and how many things we should be privileged too, it seems to blow away in the wind. We sometimes believe it's because of some media interference, or someone who's highly opinionated about its necessity. But in reality, neither are really examples of who should be guilty.......[more]

Black Men Should Only Apply - Part II
[A pocket guide for young black men] - By T. Duffy

In the past article, I made suggestions I hoped would help these men grow to successful, viable people. Realizing there are reasons many have failed, or may still fall through the cracks.......[more]

Somewhat Necessary, However Injurious

Considering the level of responsibility to maintain a family today, which has shown to need both parents and sometimes older children at home working, many times when there's only one parent and they're having difficulty providing for themselves, any anxiety regarding it can override their responsibility to inspire other's under their care.......[more]

A Decision That May Still Haunt Us

Although the case of Dred Scott, a slave who sued for his freedom in 1847, seems to go unnoticed, most of what came out of that Supreme Court decision, still haunts us.....[more]

Do Blacks Stimulate Racism
By T. Duffy

Regardless how I word it, it's a way of describing how some blacks sometimes do things that's not only degrading to themselves, but to their own people. It may hurt sometimes to know the truth, but prior to and during the civil rights movement, some of the most controversial and educated blacks could have went on with their lives and waited to see how it was going to turn out.....[more]

Celebrity Mania
By T. Duffy

On one end of this craze are wealthy blacks that basically have no social interest in their people and on the other end are blacks that foolishly continue to follow them. Of course because of their stardom, there wouldn't be any real community relationship. And if it weren't for the foundations many have to channel money back into their pockets, there would be no relationship. So besides that, I must criticize those who are drawn into this just to have meaning in their lives. It shows they are followers who lack forethought and depend on what makes them feel good, and to attach themselves to......[more]

As The World Turns
By T. Duffy

Many blacks are too busy whining about their hurt relationships and things that's rarely news worthy to see what's really important. What's seldom given any thought are the politics, economics and social situation that often affect them more than complaining about someone cheating on them......[more]

Pride and Prudence - Part I
By T. Duffy

We should send a new message to America. Since it would also caution the new arrivals to keep them from joining in with the rhetoric and events we've been dealing with. But even if some of us would suggest a different way to get our point across, the springboard for this should be measured by looking at how most of us have set goals, yet spent our lives facing frequent obstacles and bigotry trying to obtain them......[more]

Infringement On Our Lives
By T. Duffy

Things just don't happen unless there's a reason. So many times, seeing or hearing about bad things that makes us cringe sometimes cause some to actually believe it's the will of God. But that thinking is probably a way to avoid accepting the reality. I don't think God has any reason to prove to himself by continuously throwing the worse at us. So my contention is this......[more]

Antagonism Destroys Lives and Families
By T. Duffy

I guess some of the things that are happening in this country towards men are nothing more than karma. It's believed what you put out you get back, but regardless of reason, some men have not held up their end and it's impossible to single out those who should be given consideration.......[more]

Functioning in a Fragile and Hostile Environment
By T. Duffy

The only non-white group who seems to understand why they should still watch their backs to avoid maximum analysis from social intrusion is Native Americans. In no way am I saying they're smarter, or have less socio-economic problems as any other so-called minority, but their determination to minimize some of the same things that happened to them many years ago is almost set in stone.......[more]

The Perplexity of Forced Change
By T. Duffy

From the creative mind of an individual for how society should deal with slavery, first came the theory of how to remake a person into a slave. But I wonder if they realized as they were preparing their human crop for their new life, they would also be helping to influence many of them to have no desire for their heritage.......[more]

Women in Presidential Power
By T. Duffy

I could be assuming too much, but after thinking about what has been going wrong since this president got in office, I wondered who would benefit or what would be different if a woman became president. It's not because I'm comparing them to men. It's because I also wondered if their politics would become a new and unique genre that could create some new political values.......[more]

A Circle of Irresponsibility

One thing I could never understand was the fabrication of lies, coming from someone who's known to be doing something wrong to others. I'd think they would fess up to it and also feel a little transparent, knowing there's someone out there smart enough to be keeping an eye on his or her undertakings.......[more]

The Urban and Prison Influence on Society

For 20 years I worked in the New York City courts and prison system and sometimes admired the characters who walked the halls, occupied the cell blocks, or stood in front of the judges smiling, believing they were getting over after talking a plea.......[more]

Is It Still Possible to Get What We Hoped For?

I believe sometime during our ancestors ride to this land or other places, they probably felt if they followed the rules, "time would change things for the better". So their first attempt to change their circumstances was to smile, bow down, and shuffle along, not knowing it would eventually become the demeanor of some.......[more]

The Spoils of the Black Male's Blackness

As I listened to negative conversation about black men, I get angry sometimes knowing it would take more then some memo being passed around to end it. Many times when I hear what people are saying from many directions, I unfortunately let myself be pulled in, sometimes, automatically feeling I must defend myself, although I don't believe I show most of the characteristics they often complain about.......[more]

Consequently

It took me years trying to understand why people do the strange things they do and how they often continue doing the same things and never stop a moment to ask why. But a thug has to wonder what he's getting from taking advantage of people sometimes.......[more]

Arousing our Temptations and Weaknesses

As moral and humanistic as people say they are, most are just a click away from killing as many people, as have bullets. Your future could be changed just from a short ride to the mall. The real reason this becomes so detrimental to us is because of the things we see and hear, that sometimes cause us to act out or become submissive.......[more]

Learning or Just Doing Time

Within the black community, truths about opportunities have to be weighed for them to understand their real options. Although basketball may begin with the letter B, there are many professions that cover the entire alphabet.......[more]

Is Racial Prejudice Blacks Crucial Problem

Is racial prejudice our only problem, or could it be a fragment of everything else. I would personally believe it would be the latter. But what do I mean by everything else? Blacks are the most known social copycats of styles; trends, habits and traditions of other people, and you can see some of the strangest conformity within the church.......[more]

The Perplexity of an Unknown Alliance

America, is filled with migrants from all over the world, whose ancestors have had some disagreement or have fought against this country. Yet the most patriotic, with no ancestry discord against America, are still feeling the hatred and prejudice of being black........[more]

Trivializing or History

One day last week I sat and watched a program about the Auschwitz's death camp in Germany. It wasn't the first time I became interested in learning more about that tragedy. But I found myself this time, developing a quiet anger for my people, listening to survivors and relatives of those who were murdered there........[more]

Our Own Worse Enemy

The success of any ruling class depends on the methods they use to keep people in their place. When you constantly hear you're not worthy over and over again, it may cause some to live up to those expectations. Does this sound familiar, it should. It's been the source of a campaign of whites for decades........[more]

Ponder This

My reasons for naming my column "The Open Mind", was to try to encourage the reader to think more objectively and imagine themselves in the story or circumstances as they read. Regardless if the purpose of my articles is to criticize, complain, reminisce, evaluate, defend, etc, somewhere in those articles, we all have been participants. So it here goes........[more]

Moving on for our Needs

It seems every black person I have spoken to since the election is upset about the results. But I had to ask why, realizing few blacks, other than those who may have had some political interest, knew why they were voting anyway........[more]

The Demonic Trilogy of Black Men

This article centers on the accomplishments and volatile lives of black men. The reason I say volatile is that regardless of his positive endeavors, the results are tragic sometimes. Looking at this condition and trying to examine why there may be questions that have no answers and believing most are hypothetical..........[more]

God, Faith, Spirituality and Us

Of course, looking at the title, I hope it does not cause any anger or dialogue of controversy about religion. Nevertheless, I find it necessary to talk about this because the reluctance of giving oneself to God just by faith to most is wasteful. Especially amongst people who are going through changes and cannot seem to get it together. .........[more]

Lack of Unity Questions our Tomorrow

From slaves, who learned to read by the light of the moon, after their masters went to sleep, to the most militant blacks entering the 20th century, the message for us was always freedom, equality, unity and education...........[more]

Anger amongst the Contemptuous

As black people, we can sit back and reflect on the times we believe we were Kings and Queens, or realistically be concerned about the period in this country, where most wasn't sure if they were going to live long enough to grow up to wipe their brows and remember anything...........[more]

By Any Means Necessary

Please do not mistake the title for the words of Malcolm X. It's to show how the system can adjust their attitude towards us whenever they chose, to control and deny what's most important to us..........[more]

It Was More than a Hood

Growing up in Harlem in New York didn't stop me from going to other boroughs to hang out with my friends. Although I don't live there anymore, I still travel to those areas sometimes to see that many are no longer predominately black. And it is not difficult to understand why...........[more]

Restrained Opportunity for American Blacks

It's almost impossible to identify the different cultures and races and people of color living in this country, when I was able to determine what they meant by social melting pot. Amongst the different groups, there is a subtle demeanor and less concern about the things American blacks are concern about..........[more]

Some Tragic Results of Cheating

Within us, we possess a protective mechanism known as wisdom that's supposed to guide us to do the right thing for ourselves and towards others. In the human world, when we fall short they say it was wrong what we did, but in the spiritual realm, it's known as sin. But sinning seems to be less realistic, first because many doubt there's such a thing and secondly, seeing everyone else doing things and getting away with it, sin may not be that serious.........[more]

My Story
By Thomas Duffy

This is for the ladies who may believe I have an attitude towards the opposite sex after reading some of my articles. But I thought that through my articles I could get black women and men to learn to respect each other, and to be united regardless of each other's frailties. If as a black man who found something so great about men I should hang onto, I would still include black women because many men are great individuals because of women........[more]

The Visual Assumption of the Black Community

From the black church to the black politician arena, most of what others see about blacks is usually assumed to be less influential and unproductive. Strange but the most unlearned individuals are sometimes allowed or able to obtain wealth, while those with more to offer are detained or kept under scrutiny........[more]

Irrational Behavior under the Law

In this in-depth, psychoanalytical article, brother T. Duffy addresses the unfairness of the law where it pertains to gender. He uncovers the social-judicial biases that plaque our society deepening not only gender, but also race relations.......[more]

My Personal Anxiety and an Honest Look At Ourselves
By Thomas Duffy

Although I am usually concerned about the present circumstances of blacks today, regardless if it is showing how the seriousness of educating black children bounces off the legislative priority lists as often as some of those kids bounce their basketballs in the park. I show my concern because of the failure of us to avoid institutions that purposely keep us separated, care nothing about restoring the black family, or protect our human rights........[more]

Mama, Where My Daddy Is ?

I use to get irritated seeing people on television waving to mama all the time, but never waving to papa. Maybe it was because I'm a father who never knew his own father and was never able to send him the same love. But it made me remember how I sometimes wondered what the purpose of men on this earth was.......[more]

Feminist Campaigns and Black Impediments

Does the white feminists' campaign add to blacks impediments? I may not be old enough to remember the white woman's first crusades for equality, but I am old enough to see what has resulted from then to now. In their pursuit to allegedly gain equal rights in all areas including job promotions, salaries, and now positions in clubs and organizations headed by men, they have also interfered with things that were set aside for black's socio-economic betterment.......[more]

Integration: the Black Person's Irrefutable Thorn

What do integration, ruling class, and privilege have in common? Without being a social intellectual, it's easy to see the connection is quite simple. The [ruling class], who's more [privileged], have applied [integration] slowly, so they can continue to rule......[more]

Brother Thomas Duffy will be keeping the Black community updated on the most current Black expereinces effecting our lives. Visit regularly for new information that could help you overcome and make the best of your everyday experiences.

To subscribe to Duffy's column join the Afromerica email list to receive new information as it is updated. Or E-mail T Duffy at: tduffy870@msn.com

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