“History is written by the Victors” is a term often attributed to Winston Churchill. In its simplistic interpretation, those in power are in a position to provide their historical narrative. In recent weeks there has been a political outcry over…
The Lion’s Den
The Lion’s Den | Food Desert
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
The In 2018, the Kroger grocery store chain closed two of its Peoria stores in two predominately low-income, African American neighborhoods. Unfortunately, there have been no suitable options to take the place of these stores. The closing of these stores,…
The Lion’s Den | The Language of Our Lives
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
“We die. That may be the meaning of life. But we do language. That may be the measure of our lives.” This quote is from Nobel Prize-winning author Toni Morrison’s Nobel Prize acceptance speech given on Dec. 7, 1993. Morrison…
The Lion’s Den | A Founding Father of Black (American) History
by Daniel McCloud • • 1 Comment
By the time you read this, we will have turned the page on February 2021 and thus turned the page on Black History Month. Once thought of as essential and necessary, many, including African Americans, have begun to question its…
The Lion’s Den | Is this America?
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
Following the siege at the nation’s Capitol, many were left to ponder the question, is this America? For many, their race, ethnicity, culture and political beliefs determined the answer. America has always been a tale of two countries. There has…
The Lion’s Den | The Doctor’s Appointment
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
Now that we have entered into 2021, we know that there are vaccines available to prevent the spread of COVID-19. However, there is skepticism surrounding the vaccines’ rollout, particularly among groups of color. This skepticism stems from a long history…
The Lion’s Den | Autopsy of an election
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
Now that the 2020 presidential election is over, it’s time to do an autopsy. What did we learn? We learned that nearly 160 million Americans voted in this year’s presidential election as of this writing. Clearly, people felt that a…
The Lion’s Den | Every Vote Counts
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
Over the past months, one of the main points of discussion surrounding the upcoming presidential election has been voter suppression. Or in a broader sense, actions that may be viewed as a threat to the democratic process of voting. There…
The Lion’s Den | Nature’s Lessons
by Daniel McCloud • • 0 Comments
As summer slips into fall and the sound of the cicadas provide us with a nightly symphony, I am reminded of the simplicity of nature and how it has a way of gently reminding us that despite what we think,…
The Lion’s Den | Voting Rights
by Community Word Staff • • 0 Comments
All eyes are on the United States as we approach the next presidential election on Nov. 3. As we approach the election, now may be a good time to review the history of voting in this country. Initial voting rights…