Articles by Steven Gilchrist

A fter an international search, the mystery surrounding the disappearance of Bella Bond was solved.   2-year-old Bella Bond who was initially identified as “Baby Doe,” was found dead in June, 2015, on the shoreline of Boston Harbor.   Her death highlights the reality of child abuse and neglect. In September 2013, the National Academy of Sciences reported the results of the first major study of child abuse and neglect in 20 years.   The Academy’s report suggests that the abuse suffered by children can reshape the child’s brain and the effects can last a lifetime.   “Child abuse and neglect is a serious public health problem which requires immediate, urgent attention.   The consequences can last into adulthood with significant costs to the individual, to families, and to society,” said Anne Peterson, a professor at the Center for Human Growth and Development at the University of Michigan.   On average in the United States, child protective service...

I n 2012, the city of Chicago had over 500 confirmed homicides. This tragic number of homicides is primarily the result of two factors: gang violence and the dissemination of illegal firearms. With over 500 confirmed homicides, Chicago endured more deaths via homicides than the number of American military personnel who were killed in combat in Afghanistan last year. In 2012, there were 295 American service members killed in combat in Afghanistan. The spike in gun-related homicides in Chicago and recent mass shootings and domestic terrorism incidents at places such as: Aurora, Boston, Newtown, Tucson, and Virginia Tech have intensified the ongoing gun control debate in the United States. In the aftermath of the December 14, 2012 Newtown, Connecticut tragedy, both Connecticut and New York state enacted stricter gun control legislation. However, in mid-April 2013, President Obama criticized members of the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate for not passing a comprehensive fede...

F or over fifty years, The African Studies Center at Boston University has provided scholarly research, study, publication and teaching about Africa. The Center, which was founded in 1953, hosted a program on November 4, 2009, at the Howard Thurman Center at Boston University. The program titled: Moving Forward: The Contributions of Africans and the Diaspora in Contemporary Africa, was sponsored by the university’s African Students Organization. The program brought three expert panelists together for a discussion on African economics, education, politics, public health, and the lingering effects of colonialism. T he panelists included Timothy Longman – Director of the BU African Studies Center, Professor Jennifer Yanco, a research fellow at BU, and former U.S. Ambassador to Tanzania Charles Stith – Director of the African Presidential Archives and Research Center at BU. The 90 minute panel discussion began with the panelists giving opening remarks about the current state of affairs on ...

M ay 25, 2009, marked the 25th anniversary of National Missing Children’s Day. On May 15, 1984, President Ronald Reagan signed Proclamation 5194, establishing May 25 of each year as National Missing Children’s Day. Since then, each presidential administration has reauthorized the Proclamation. The legislation for the Proclamation originated in the late 1970s. From 1979 to 1981 several missing children cases around the country garnered extensive media attention. The abductions and murders of Etan Patz, Adam Walsh, and 29 children in Atlanta brought much needed attention to missing children cases. May 25, 1979, is the day when 6-year-old Etan Patz went missing from a New York street corner on his way to school. Prior to Proclamation 5194, there was not an organized system in place to search for and locate missing children. In 1984, The U.S. Department of Justice established a $3.3 million dollar grant that created the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Tod...

L ast Monday, on Memorial Day, America collectively remembered people who have sacrificed their lives in service to the United States. This day was a reminder of the reality of conflicts and wars of the past and also of the present. 4,900 members of the U.S. military have died in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq as of May 26, 2009. It appears that American combat forces will be leaving Iraq by September 2010; however, the war in Afghanistan poses increasing challenges because of the resurgence of the Taliban. Often, it is easy to forget the sacrifices of the soldiers who fight in wars to defend the country’s interests. With the current economic problems, high unemployment, challenges with access to quality healthcare and higher education, there are several issues that captivate one’s attention on the domestic front. By reading newspaper articles about Memorial Day, I was reminded of the effect that the current wars have on soldiers and their families. Whether or not the decision for t...

        On February 10, 2009, I attended an event for Black History Month at Boston University.  The event was held at the Howard Thurman Center in the George Sherman Union and it was sponsored by the university’s African American Studies Department.  The department offers a series of lectures during each academic semester.  For this program, Dr. Benjamin Chavis, former President of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, spoke to a group of about 60 students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Chavis, who earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Howard University, discussed a variety of topics during his hour long speech.  Currently, Chavis is President and CEO of the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network (HSAN).  However, Chavis began his career in civil rights.  “I was a colleague of [civil rights activist] Stokely Carmichael.  “We have come a long way,” Chavis said. After introducing himself to the audience, Chavis highlighted the significance of the election of Barak Oba...