Todd A. Smith 
Member since: April 17, 2008
Total live articles: 62
Todd Smith is the web master for Regal Mag The preeminent Online Magazine for African American Men
Since the first African slaves arrived on the shores of America, Black empowerment has always depended on the strength of Black Americans to succeed despite the obstacles they were forced to overcome. When many Black politicians gained political power during Reconstruction, organizations such as the Ku Klux Klan emerged to thwart...
The numbers are staggering. According to Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., two-thirds of all African American men who begin pursuing an undergraduate degree, fail to complete that degree. For those who do complete their undergraduate degree, even fewer go on to complete a post-baccalaureate degree. In 2000, African American men comprised...
Any diehard college football fan knows that the season does not get started until late October or early November, when the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) controversy takes center stage, and fans throughout the country debate who the best teams are in the NCAA. Fans of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) will argue...
They put their lives in harm's way everyday to protect our freedom. They show bravery in the midst of battle overseas, that we cannot even possibly imagine. And recently, they were forced to display that same bravery while facing an onslaught from one of their own, as Army Maj. Nidal...
Imagine if you witnessed someone you knew murder your entire family. The tragedy of witnessing something this horrific was beginning to subside, until the murderer is released early and sent back to the same community in which you lived. Would you be able to forgive someone who completely destroyed your...
What's important in life? Is it the material things, like the fancy house and swimming pools that makes one happy? Or is it finding fulfillment and purpose in one's life? For independent film actor Lodric D. Collins, it was finding happiness and fulfillment in something he is passionate about and the...
What does it mean to be Black? This question has been asked throughout the African American community for generations. Does it mean that we should all share commonalities such as the music we love or the food we love to eat? Or are all of these simply African American stereotypes that...
The numbers are sometimes dismal. The African American achievement gap that almost disappeared in the 1970s and 1980s has widened again between White students and people of color. Many theories have been attributed to the declining levels of African American achievement from apathetic parents, to violent communities, to negative images seen...
It was inevitable. The honeymoon that President Barack Obama, and all other presidents, experienced has officially given way to criticism of his policies on the economy and health care to false rumors that he may not be a natural-born U.S. citizen and therefore ineligible to hold the office of president....
On March 9, 1892 in Memphis, Tenn. three successful African American businessmen were brutally lynched and accused of raping White women, when their actual "crime" was the competition they represented to their White counterparts. Outraged by the brutal lynching of her friends, columnist and co-owner of the newspaper Memphis Free Speech,...
For decades, Hollywood has portrayed African American men in a negative light. From pimps, and drug dealers to thugs and womanizers, the portrayal of Black men in the media have led to numerous stereotypes that have ultimately determined how many view an entire group of people. Moreover, the stereotypical portrayals of...
When Bill Cosby spoke out against the parenting of inner-city youth a few years ago, a firestorm erupted in the Black community. Cosby argued that inner-city parents did not spend adequate time enforcing the importance of education in the Black community. Some called him elitist and out of touch, but in...
When you think of your dream girl, what comes to mind? Is it intelligence? Is it physical beauty? Is it a deep spiritual foundation? What if you met a girl who met all of your standards, but had previously posed topless or nude? Would that change your impression of her or...
With the success of Barack Obama's presidential bid, many critics of preferential programs for minorities and women have argued that it is time to dismantle all affirmative action policies in the workplace and institutions of higher learning. Recently, John McCain brought attention to the issue by stating that he supports...
The recent deaths of former NFL co-MVP Steve McNair and pop icon Michael Jackson has been overshadowed in mainstream media by the apparent flaws and mistakes the two made throughout their lives. Instead of celebrating the lives of these two great men and the contributions they made to society, media outlets...
Where did it all wrong? An art form created in the Bronx in the 1970s initially united an entire generation. Gangs who had been bitter rivals in the early 1970s united because of hip-hip culture and music. The hip-hop phenomenon began on the mean streets of New York, and quickly spread...
Michael Vick was once one of the most electrifying athletes ever to play the game of football. His speed and agility made him almost impossible for pass rushers to sack and he remained a constant figure on sports highlight shows every Monday morning during the National Football League season. Then suddenly...
Richard Johnson and Dee Spiller had everything. They were star defensive backs for Eisenhower High School in Houston and on their way to play collegiate football at Baylor University. They led their high school team to the Texas State 5A semifinals in 1993, and seemed headed for greatness. Unfortunately, they made...
What defines a successful man? Is it financial status and prestige? On the other hand, is it using your God-given talents to make a difference in the lives of others? For former professional football player and actor Dexter Clay, it is leaving the world a better place than he found...
It is no secret that high incarceration rates are an epidemic in the Black community. Many of today's biggest celebrities, from sports to music, are survivors of this epidemic. Some of today's biggest hip-hop stars often rap about their struggles growing up in the Black community, but few return to...
For decades, Hollywood has portrayed African American men in a negative light. From pimps, and drug dealers to thugs and womanizers, the portrayal of Black men in the media have led to numerous stereotypes that have ultimately determined how many view an entire group of people. Moreover, the stereotypical portrayals of...
When Bill Cosby spoke out against the parenting of inner-city youth a few years ago, a firestorm erupted in the Black community. Cosby argued that inner-city parents did not spend adequate time enforcing the importance of education in the Black community. Some called him elitist and out of touch, but in...
Many in the Black community have joked for years that when a news reporter interviews a person of color they usually opt for the most inarticulate and uneducated minority they could find. The stereotypical images of African Americans that many see is usually atypical of the Black professionals that I come...
It is amazing how quickly America can build up its latest celebrity. We shower them with praise and adulation as if they are the second coming of the messiah. High profile athletes have the ability to bring all colors and creeds together in unity at any professional sporting event across the...
Where did it all wrong? An art form created in the Bronx in the 1970s initially united an entire generation. Gangs who had been bitter rivals in the early 1970s united because of hip-hip culture and music. The hip-hop phenomenon began on the mean streets of New York, and quickly spread...
The recent acquittals of the police officers charged with the murder of Sean Bell on the day of his wedding and the uproar that has erupted over the incendiary remarks by Rev. Jeremiah Wright are clear indications that race still matters in America. The acquittal of three New York City police...
Richard Johnson and Dee Spiller had everything. They were star defensive backs for Eisenhower High School in Houston and on their way to play collegiate football at Baylor University. They led their high school team to the Texas State 5A semifinals in 1993, and seemed headed for greatness. Unfortunately, they made...
Education was once the foundation of American society. To advance in life, one saw receiving a quality education as the ticket to the middle-class and a comfortable life. However, over time Americans began placing less emphasis on education. The public school system began to suffer and the achievement gap between...
The mere mention of 9/11 brings back vivid memories for most Americans. Many can tell you exactly where they were and what they were doing when terrorists slammed airplanes into three American landmarks, killing thousands of innocent and unsuspecting people. With that act of terrorism, America's innocence was lost forever...
Whether you voted for him or not, few Americans can honestly say that on January 20th, they were not anxious to see how the first Black President of the United States would perform as leader of the free the world. After recently completing his first 100 days in the Oval...
