Editorials

Dr. Josh J. Mack Rochester families deserve clear answers about how the Rochester City School District’s proposed safety changes will protect students. Greater reliance on internal security could strengthen relationships and prevent conflicts. However, reducing routine police coverage requires evidence that replacement systems are ready, adequately staffed, and capable of responding when serious emergencies occur. My perspective comes from 25 years as a teacher and seven year

Howard Eagle Either WXXI reporter Noelle Evans is confused, or she has overlooked one of the main tactics that Rochester Teachers Association (RTA) President Adam Urbanski has used for decades to pressure Rochester City School District (RCSD) superintendents into meeting union demands, including salary increases. The RCSD continues to struggle academically, a decades-old reality that disproportionately harms Black and Brown students. In her Oct. 22 report, Evans claimed that

As Election Day approaches, we need to have an honest conversation about voting: why it matters, what has changed, and what we must do to make our voices heard. Lydia Alston-Murphy Let me be clear: this is a nonpartisan message. Regardless of political affiliation, every eligible voter deserves a fair opportunity to participate. Our democracy benefits when people are informed, engaged, and able to cast their ballots without unnecessary barriers. Voting connects our concerns t

In a city where many families struggle to afford groceries and put nutritious meals on the table, we should be asking an important question: What happens to the food left over in Rochester's public schools? Dr. Josh J. Mack Every school day, the Rochester City School District (RCSD) serves meals to students, many of whom depend on school nutrition programs for essential nourishment. But how much usable food goes unserved, and could some of it safely reach Rochester residents

You’ve probably heard about the human papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccine that was approved in 2006 to prevent an HPV infection. What you might not know is that HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. Katlyn Newberry, Cancer Services Program Most cases of HPV clear up on their own but in some cases, the virus can cause changes in the body that can lead to cancer. In fact, HPV can lead to 6 different types of cancer that affects both men

Lydia Alston-Murphy I am scared. I am angry. And I am heartbroken. I have been looking at reports of Black people being found hanging across this country, and I cannot simply look away. One report disturbed me. Then I saw another. And another. And another. At some point, I stopped seeing isolated headlines and started asking questions. In February, 21-year-old Kyle Bassinga was found hanging in Georgia. In May, 16-year-old Juliana Umba Nzita was found hanging in Charlotte, No

Labels can sometimes assist with classification. We use them every day. Food labels tell us what is in the food we eat. Nutrition labels tell us how much sugar, sodium, fat and other ingredients we are consuming. Lydia Alston-Murphy Prescription labels tell us how and when to take our medication and warn us that taking it incorrectly can cause serious harm, even death. In politics, we use labels too. Democrat. Republican. Conservative. Liberal. But increasingly, we are hearin

One of the biggest news stories of the day has to do with a new, local anti-crime task force, apparently focusing specifically on illegal drugs and guns.( https://www.minorityreporter.net/post/22-arrested-in-rochester-drug-and-gun-investigation-police-seize-fentanyl-cocaine-and-firearms ). Supposedly, this effort represents a reason for optimism and hope. Howard Eagle All I can say is - it's about damn time, but don't forget, we've heard and seen this before.Y'all do remember

Unless you have lived through it, it is easy to dismiss as racial paranoia the wariness and discomfort felt by many successful business leaders of color who have reached the elite ranks of the business world. Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. To outside observers, modern corporate America appears to be a meritocracy where performance dictates how far an individual can rise. Yet history reveals a far more sobering reality: No matter how much success an outsider of color accumulates,

Dear Elected Officials and Community Leaders: This is a no-brainer. Just days ago, during the Independence Day weekend, Rochester witnessed yet another shocking act of gun violence in the East End. In two connected shootings near 275 East Avenue and East Broad Street, seven people were shot. The victims ranged in age from 12, 15, 15, 17, 17, 18, and 40 years old. A 16-year-old was also stabbed. Police reported that more than 50 rounds were fired. It’s a miracle that no was ki

I have been listening to Ron Carter for decades. Long before I became a journalist, his bass lines were part of the soundtrack of my life. His playing has always struck me as a rare combination of precision, patience, and imagination. Few musicians have shaped modern jazz more profoundly, and when I learned he would be performing in Rochester, I felt genuinely honored to receive the opportunity to interview him. I got the interview. Ron Carter's appearance in 2,221 recording

Mr. Green: I am writing to raise a serious public-policy question facing Monroe County: Do plea bargains in violent-crime cases strike the proper balance between accountability, public safety, and prosecutorial discretion? L to R) Hector Ramos-Diaz was charged with the 2024 deaths of Wahid Nazario and Frank Rosario Vazquez I recognize that prosecutors face difficult decisions in homicide cases. A murder conviction requires proving every element of the crime beyond a reasona

For generations, Black and Brown entrepreneurs have built businesses with limited resources, stretched budgets, and an unmatched ability to make something out of nothing. That hustle, creativity, and resilience have carried our communities through countless challenges. But today, there’s a new challenge emerging. Dr Lomax R. Campbell The reality is that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is already changing how businesses attract customers, create marketing content, manage operatio

Civilization has a way of attracting ownership claims. One culture says it invented law. Another claims to have discovered reason. A third insists that morality itself would not exist without its sacred texts. Beneath these arguments lies a common impulse: the desire to locate a single source from which all human progress flows. George Cassidy Payne Recently, while discussing the origins of civilization, I encountered a variation of this idea. A commenter argued that if we lo

So, if (Rochester Mayor) Malik D. Evans and (Monroe County Executive) Adam Bello are truly “dedicated to this joint, intergovernmental, collaborative effort to make Rochester and Monroe County an integrated, thriving, and equitable community,” why have they remained largely silent about the years-long controversy unfolding in one of Monroe County’s wealthiest and overwhelmingly white suburbs — Penfield — located just minutes from a city that has repeatedly ranked among the wo

In 2001, forensic artist Richard Neave and his team reconstructed a face the world thought it knew. What emerged was not the pale, European Christ of Western art, but a Middle Eastern man with dark hair, brown skin, and features shaped by the climate and culture of his time. George Cassidy Payne Historian Joan Taylor reached a similar conclusion. Jesus likely had olive skin, dark eyes, and stood at an average height for a first-century Jewish man living under Roman occupation

Cannabis has long held a complex place in society—stigmatized in some circles, celebrated in others. But one truth is becoming increasingly clear: when used responsibly, it can positively influence the creative process. Across music, visual art, writing, and other mediums, artists cite cannabis as a tool that enhances focus, opens perspectives, and sparks new ideas. Moderate use can reduce stress, encourage divergent thinking, and support emotional well-being, helping creati

New research from the American Cancer Society shows that colorectal cancer is now the leading cause of cancer death in people under age 50 in the United States. Three out of four people under age 50 diagnosed with colorectal cancer are found to have cancer at a late stage, when it is harder to treat. Katlyn Newberry March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The Cancer Services Program (CSP) of the Finger Lakes Region wants people to know that this trend can be changed. Gett

As reported in a recent MR news story, New York State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa has dismissed a petition seeking the removal of Rochester Board of Education Commissioner Isaiah Santiago. The petition was filed last year by former Board of Education Commissioner James Patterson, who alleged that Santiago called him the N-word several times during an official Board meeting. Howard Eagle According to Commissioner Rosa’s decision, the assertion that Santiago was guilty wa

What Minneapolis reveals about dehumanization, protest, and the limits of force George Cassidy Payne The shoes were placed carefully on the frozen sidewalk outside a downtown Minneapolis hotel. Hospital clogs. The kind worn by nurses who work long, unglamorous shifts keeping strangers alive. A handwritten sign leaned against them: Alex was here. Alex mattered. Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse and Minneapolis resident, was shot and killed by federal immigration agents duri