Have an opinion, commentary or
something to say?
Send it to us.
Do not use this web site or GuestBook to post
or transmit any unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous,
defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane or indecent
information of any kind, including without limitation any
transmissions constituting or encouraging conduct that would
constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability or
otherwise violate any local, state, national or international law.
You alone are responsible for the material you post or send.
Effective
immediately, all submissions must be in MS
Word. Submissions that are not proofed
for grammatical, sentence structure and spelling
errors will be rejected.
As much as we would
like to, BMIA.com does not have the time, or
resources, to edit submissions prior to posting.
Therefore, please ensure that your submission has
been thoroughly edited, proofed and reviewed before
submitting to BMIA.com.
We appreciate your
efforts and the creative perspectives that you bring
to Black Men In America.com.
Thank you for your
cooperation.
The views and
opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the opinions of
Black Men In America.com. Where appropriate, we strongly recommend that
competent professional advice be sought before acting upon the information
contained herein. Scroll down to the bottom of this page and follow the submission guidelines. Please
read our
Legal Statement and Rules of
Engagement.
Coach McAdams with mentor and friend the late legendary
softball pitcher Joe Lewis Abney
Butch McAdams
is a native Washingtonian. He lived and grew up at the
corner of 14th and T Streets NW right in the
middle of the historical U and 14th Street
corridors. He was raised in the Catholic faith and educated
at St. Augustine and Mackin High Schools in NW Washington,
DC.
Priest and Co-Pastors of St. Augustine were Fathers Raymond
Kemp and Andre Bouchard. In 1967 I was working as a Roving
Leader for the DC Department of Recreation and one of my
assigned work sites was Harrison Playground. The Rectory
was located at 14th and V Streets, NW and the
playground was one block away. My travels often brought me
to the front doorsteps of the Rectory of St. Paul and
Augustine Church. Fathers Kemp and Bouchard were icons in
the community and I usually stopped by and kissed their
rings when I was in the neighborhood (smile).
The historical landmarks in Butch’s community were all in
walking distance of his home. The landmarks were the
Bohemian Caverns, 12TH Street YMCA and
the Dunbar Hotel. The Lincoln and Republictheatres were the community’s main movie outlets. The
live entertainment seen at the Howard Theatre and
Turners Arena was off the charts. Black Washington
dined and hung out at the Florida Ave Grill, Keys,
Hollywood, Facesand Cecilia’s
Restaurants and last but not least, Ben’s Chilli Bowl.
There are some landmarks still standing and others are long
gone. The neighborhood has changed and so have the people,
for better or worst is all in the eye of the beholder.
There were other landmarks like Cardozo High School,
Harrison Playground, Harrison Elementary and the Hillcrest
Children’s Center Saturday Program. They helped shape
Butch McAdam’s life and connected the two of us.
Harrison playground was where most of the neighborhood
playground basketball legends gathered in the evenings after
work and on the weekends. Harrison was the home playground
of the Scott family. Rip and Bo Scott were basketball
legends. Butch was one of the many young spectators who
watched and learned from the legends of Harrison Playground.
I have spent the last decade writing and talking about the
benefactors of Kids In Trouble, Inc., and Inside
Sports who have forgotten. I had completely overlooked
the ONE who had not. This is one of the best
examples; “Not being able to see the forest for the trees.”
On Friday June 5, 2009, Maret High School will host a
retirement party for Butch. He is retiring after thirty-one
years as a teacher of Physical Education and the school’s
Head Basketball Coach.
Growing up in the U and 14th Street corridors
helped prepare him as a coach and teacher. He has touched
thousands of young people in his thirty-one years at Maret.
His most important lesson had nothing to do with sports. He
taught his students the most important game being played in
the world today: “The Game Called Life.”
My experiences as a Roving Leader and the founder of
Hillcrest Children’s Center Saturday Program caused me many
“Excedrin” headaches. Butch was never a headache or Kid In
Trouble. Thanks to his parents and St. Paul & Augustine he
was always a little gentleman. He understood early it was
okay to be seen and not heard.
In 1992, he became a one of a kind radio sports talk show
personality at WOL Radio. Unlike others in the media
who became experts on the black community after getting
their own talk shows or newspaper columns, Butch brought
community credentials with him (U Street, Harrison
Playground, Hillcrest Children Center Saturday Program, Kids
In Trouble, Inc. etc). He used his radio talk show to
broaden his community base to help make children First.
The lessons learned at St. Paul & Augustine, Harrison and
Hillcrest were helpful when he became an all in one teacher,
coach and radio talk show host. Butch understood the
importance of role models. First they came from the home.
He never forgot hearing NBA Legend Spencer Haywood say “If
you have got to look beyond your dinner table for your
heroes and role models you are in trouble.”
Butch never gave it a second thought when sporting
personalities visited the Saturday Program like Spencer,
Larry Brown, Roy Jefferson, Harold McLinton, Ted Vactor,
Dave Bing, Jim Brown, Red Auerbach, Earl Monroe, Fatty
Taylor, John Thompson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Chuck Hinton, Fred
Valentine, Willie Wood, Petey Greene, Bill Raspberry and
a host of others.
I remember Butch asking me after he became a well known
radio personality, “Harold where and how did you come up
with the saying ‘Every black face you see is not your
brother and every white face you see is not your enemy?’
This was a popular phrase I used to close my sports talk
show ‘Inside Sports.’ I had to take him back to the
Hillcrest Children’s Center Saturday program. I reminded
him of the 1968 riots and when I first opened the doors to
the Saturday Program. I tried to recruit black students at
Howard University to volunteer and take a 10 minute walk
from the campus to Hillcrest to tutor elementary school
students. There were none to be found.
The Director of Hillcrest Children’s Center Dr. Nicholas
Long introduced me to the Principal of the Seven Day
Adventist School in Takoma Park, Maryland. The rest is
community history. On Saturdays a group of white teenagers
were bussed into the inner-city to tutor black children
(joining Redskins Larry Brown, Roy Jefferson, Harold
McLinton and Ted Vactor). Today all over America
college students are given credits for volunteering. I also
reminded him of my unique relationship with NBA Legendary
coach Red Auerbach and the benefactors of Kids In
Trouble and Inside Sports all who were black.
They all forgot who they were and where they came from.
They inspired the phrase, “Every black face I see is not my
brother and every white face I see is not my enemy.”
Butch would often close his show with my phrase and remind
everyone that I coined it. This is unheard of in this
business where everyone takes someone else’s idea and uses
it as if it were theirs (Inside Sports). It reminds me of
the story of Christopher Columbus discovering America with
Native Indians already occupying the land.
Butch is very unique. There were times when I would
question his response and observations as it related to his
sports talk show. He never took it personal. A very unique
quality not often found in Black Men in America. We take
everything personal and when we do take a stand it is
usually for all the wrong reasons.
Butch McAdams, you are a unique COACH in “The Game Called
Life.”
TOP LEFT / NFL HALL OF FAMER
WILLIE WOOD & FRIENDS
MEMORIAL DAY: WHEN DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY!
By Harold Bell
On Memorial Day America took time out to
honor its dead. There were parades,
tributes and salutes to our fallen heroes of
war. Family, friends and loved ones
traveled from all over the country to
Washington, DC. In his first Memorial Day
address at Arlington National Cemetery as
Commander-in-Chief, President Barack
Obama vowed to support soldiers at War
and at home.
The Greenbelt Regional Park is located in Prince Georges
County, Maryland just off of the Baltimore/Washington
Parkway. The parkway is a main thoroughfare that brought
thousands into DC for the weekend Memorial Day tributes.
They arrived by car, bus, truck and more motorcycles then
you could ever count.
On Saturday the Greenbelt Regional Park hosted a picnic for
native Washingtonians, friends and loved ones who were still
among the living. Memorial Day was a special day for many
of us.
The picnic was the brainchild of Roy ‘Monk’ Wilkins,
Everett ‘Doc’ Payne and Byron Kirkley. The
former athletes from Spingarn High School in DC said,
“Enough is enough.” They decided having re-unions at the
areas’ funeral homes was not a good place to meet and greet
and re-connect. The recent funerals of Spingarn basketball
coach William ‘Doc’ Robinson, Spingarn Principal James
Campbell and Cardozo basketball coach and legendary
educator Frank Bolden convinced the three there were
better places to have re-unions. There were some of us who
had become ‘Professional Funeral Goers’ and some were
spending more time reading the obituary pages then the
sports pages.
They promoted and marketed the picnic by word of mouth
invitations with e-mails arriving as late as the day of the
picnic. The invitations made sure everyone was aware that
it was a BYOL outing. I packed a Brown Bag lunch (chicken
sandwich, potato chips, candy bar and frozen bottles of
water and tea) and headed out to Greenbelt Region Park. I
left home on Saturday not knowing what to expect but it was
a bright sun shiny day. It was a perfect day for a picnic.
When I drove into the park the first one I saw was my long
time friend Skippy Pace with his friend Joe Gordon.
Skip is a Spingarn alumnus (class of 57). I was barely out
the car good and the tales started to flow about “The Good
Old Days.”
I was surprised by the turnout (50-75) shown up for this
last minute gathering.
Even though we were asked to bring our own food and beverage
of choice there was plenty of food and drink. Brother
Bay Freeman took charge of the grill and made sure
everyone got something to eat. Lester Lewis brought
enough chicken and potato salad to feed several people. An
outing like this would be incomplete without our
music (50s & 60s). DC legend of “Oldies but Goodies” and
Spingarn alumnus Larry Bridgeforth took us up and
down memory lane. It was a great ride.
The topics of conversation ranged from sports to politics:
*President Barack Obama
(BLACK & PROUD)
*Mayor Dave Bing
(HOMEBOY MAKES GOOD)
*NBA Play-Offs (WOW)
*John Thompson (HAROLD
YOU WERE RIGHT)
*Where are they now
(FRIENDS, FAMILY & ATHLETES)
Those topics would be our theme songs until darkness
suggested it was time to head home and back to the real
World.
There were those in attendance who were legends in their own
time and those who were legends in their own mind. We sit
down in different groups and eventually made the rounds to
visit others. There were alumni participants from Armstong,
McKinley Tech, Cardozo and Spingarn high schools. NFL Hall
of Famer and Armstrong’s legendary athlete Willie Wood
made a surprise visit. Willie is in a nursing home and
confined to a wheelchair. He suffers from dementia (memory
comes and goes). He stayed for a couple of hours and took
pictures. Everyone enjoyed his visit and by his frequent
smiles it really looked like he enjoyed himself. Herman
Thomas another Armstong alumnus and legendary athlete
was also in attendance. He and I spent most of our time
talking about Willie and the great running back Red Mike
Hagler. Herman was on the receiving end of many of
Willie’s passes on the 53 and 54 championship football
teams. Red Mike went to Iowa and played in the Rose Bowl.
Herman remembers his first encounter with the great Elgin
Baylor and how he took him to school on the basketball
court.
There were other legitimate playground legends with their
own stories, Sandy Freeman (Phelps), Ollie Johnson
(Spingarn), Ronald Horton (Spingarn), Roy “Monk” Wilkins
(Spingarn), George Deal (Armstrong), Dehart Morgan
(Armstrong), Lester Lewis (Cardozo) Walter Blouse (Dunbar),
Johnny Jones (Dunbar), Bob Headen (Cardozo) Frank Harrison
(Cardozo) and Donnie Christian (McKinley Tech).
The Mayo brothers, Charlie, Melvin and Vernon all
outstanding athletes at Spingarn were in attendance.
Memorial Day is special to them as they remember their
parents and brothers Bill and Al.
My classmate and Spingarn alumni secretary Margret Pope
was there to record the event in pictures. She also gave me
the blues for acting like I didn’t know her in an early
telephone conversation. The husband and wife team of
Keith (McKinley Tech) and Dotie Wade were also in the
house.
Community icon and the unofficial Mayor of DC Bobby
Harper (Cardozo) was there making the rounds. This was
also a very special Memorial Day for him as he remembers his
daughter and her two children.
Thurmond Higgingbotham
and his main man James “Wine” Burroughs (Spingarn)
was also there. Thurmond was a pitcher for the varsity and
had a sweet left handed jump shot on the playgrounds.
Memorial Day is a working day for him. His story is an
American success story. He went from being a security guard
to his present position, Deputy Director of Arlington
National Cemetery. He has met every U. S. President from
Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama. On December 6,
2008, he was the recipient of the Kids In Trouble,
Inc. Life Time Achievement Award. He has come a
long way from Spingarn and the playgrounds of NE Washington,
DC.
There is not enough space or time to mention all the guys
who were legends in their own mind (smile), Medell Ford
(Spingarn), Kenny Weaver (Spingarn), Michael
“Crip” Sullivan (Spingarn), our dear friend Eric Hughes
and all the ladies who were there and supported this
Memorial Day outing.
My Memorial Day thoughts went to my only brother Earl
(Spingarn) a U. S. Army veteran who is confined to a
wheelchair in the VA Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. My two
brothers that I lost last year Bobby and William and my
heroes Mattie Bell (mom) and Amy Tyler Bell (Grandma).
We ended the evening wishing everyone the very best and
saying “See you soon,” God Bless America and our hometown of
Washington, DC. What a great way to spend an evening and a
Memorial Day weekend.
Money Matters:
It’s Time To Fight Back
By Gary A. Johnson
I don’t know about you, but I’ve had
enough of the banks and credit card companies taking
advantage of hardworking consumers and people who
consistently pay their bills on time. Not all of the people
struggling to pay their bills and meet their financial
obligations used to have good credit, but have fallen prey
to the revolving credit card industry and/or hard times.
The current downturn in the economy
has made life “tough” for millions of Americans. “Tough” is
a relative term, in that “tough” for some people is cutting
back on their Latté’s and the housekeeper. “Tough” for
others means they have no savings and are about to lose
their home.
I own and operate a small business.
I’ve tried to grow my business and like millions of others
businesses, the economic downturn has negatively impacted my
company. In fact, the terrorist attack on our country that
occurred on September 11, 2001 was the beginning of the loss
of revenue for the company.
As a result of trying to hold on to
the business I used my sterling credit rating in the form of
credit lines to fund and eventually restructure the
business. I’ve had a 30-year relationship with the American
Express company. As a result I was able to secure a
business line of credit via both gold and platinum corporate
cards. I selected American Express because they offered
services that were supportive of small businesses.
Imagine my surprise when I received
a letter from American Express informing me that after a
thorough review of your credit profile they have placed a
spending limit on my account. My first reaction was OK,
times are difficult and many banks and companies have
stooped to these predatory lending practices. As I
continued to read the letter, I was informed that my credit
had been drastically reduced. I went from a six-figure
credit line to a low four-figure limit. In fact the
limit is so low that I cannot run my business with the new
limit.
Let me put my situation in
perspective. My company has no history of late payments
or outstanding balances. In fact, my last month’s
statement had a surplus balance. American Express
showed their appreciation by crippling my ability to run my
business. Their actions clearly indicate that they no
longer wanted to be a business partner with my company. Thank you American Express. When it's all said
and done, I think I will reflect on this situation and
realize that this was a turning point in my company's
financial independence.
I would not dare compare what’s
happening to American consumers to “mafia-like” tactics.
That would be an insult to the mob. However, I can’t help
but wonder if consumers would be better off if their
accounts were managed by organized crime. Many of these
banks, were forced to take tax pay dollars. Some of the
banks needed the money to survive and others did not.
American consumers were misled. Through a series of press
releases and announcements, consumers were led to believe
that some of the financial institutions who took the money
were going to help consumers with their debt. Many of these
banks took our tax dollars and wiped the books clean of
their debt and mismanagement and proceeded to make more
money by screwing consumers with tricky fees and raising
interest rates without warning or on a seemingly ad-hoc
basis putting their customers deeper in debt.
The Obama administration says they
recognize that what’s happening to consumers is not fair.
They tout the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and
Disclosure Act that outlaws several of these credit card
policies that have sparked consumer outrage including
retroactive rate increases on existing balances for
cardholders who are in good standing. Other deceitful
tricks, albeit legal, include hiking rates for new charges
without at least 45 days' notice; "double-cycle billing,"
which allows fees to be charged for balances that were
already paid off; and "universal default," which applies
rate hikes if a customer is late with payments on unrelated
bills.
Sounds good doesn’t it? I wouldn’t
pop any champagne just yet.
The new law amends the Truth in
Lending Act, which only governs consumer loans. It does not
apply to corporate cards. Say what?
What this means is limited liability
corporations and other companies that use traditional
corporate cards, the same old rules will continue to apply.
Let me translate this in a more vernacular kind of way:
Some of the credit card companies will continue to have the
legal authority to insert a golf umbrella in your rectum.
Other companies will try and open the umbrella.
It is time to fight back. I’ve
decided to use all of my business adversity to motivate me
to do better. To work harder, be smarter and do what I can
to help others who have it worse than me.
I can’t quit. I have faith that I
will not be down for long and I will emerge from this
downturn stronger than ever.
American Express’ decision to reduce
my spending limit has crippled by ability to conduct
business. I was upset. I only allowed myself to stay upset
for about 30 minutes. My net move was to fight back. I
decided to fight back strategically by terminating my
relationship with the company. Consumer advocates tell you
NOT to close your accounts immediately because this action
can impact your credit score in a negative way. I have
enough credit lines and alternatives. I’m willing to take
that risk.
I called American Express and when
the Customer Service Representative (CSR) came on the line
she announced her name and asked some identifying
information to confirm that I was the cardholder. Her next
question was: “How can I help you today?” Before I could
answer, the CSR replied, “Oh, I think I know why you’re
calling. You received a letter about your spending limit.”
I wanted to make sure that my call
was being recorded for accuracy. Once confirmed I calmly
asked the rep if my account was in good standing. She
acknowledged that it was. I then asked if I had a history
of late payments or outstanding balances. Again, she
acknowledged that this was not the case. I asked why my
spending limit was reduced she explained that my credit
report reflected high balances. She suggested that I get a
copy of my credit report and work to reduce my card balances
with the other lending institutions and that American
Express would re-evaluate my situation.
I explained to her that I was aware
of the contents of my credit report and that I have no
history of late or delinquent payments. I am in good
standing with all of my creditors. I advised the
representative that American Express has their method for
dealing with customers and I have mine. My method involved
dealing with companies based on how they dealt with me. As
a result, I don’t like how I’ve been treated and advised her
that I wanted to close my account. The credit card
companies don’t want to lose your business, but every action
has a consequence. I’ve decided that it was time for me to
part ways with American Express Corporate Gold Business
card. During my company’s heyday, I would generate $5000 to
$10,000 dollars a month in charges. The company would get
their money within 30-days. Those days are over. By their
actions American Express has told me that they no longer
want to be a partner as they have been in past years. I’m
sure they want more of my money, however, when business gets
better, I will give my business to a company that
demonstrates that they want to work with me during both good
and bad times.
I am in the process of getting a pay
off balance, cancelling my account and moving forward to
reduce my debt to credit ratio to become less dependent upon
the banks and credit card companies.
I really feel good about this
action. This was my way of staying empowered. If more
people took small steps like this, we would send a message
to the predatory bank and lending institutions.
I am not an economist, but I believe
this country would have been far better off if every
citizen’s debt was reduced by 50%. We would not need a
Stimulus package, recovery money and all of the other
programs, many of which will result in waste and fraud,
again costing the taxpayer more money.
The president of the American
Bankers Association says the legislation "changes the
entire business model of credit cards. "Edward Yingling
says it restricts the ability to price credit for risk -- in
other words, to charge more for those more likely not to
repay their debts.
Lots of people pay off their credit
cards in full each month to avoid finance charges. This is
not good enough for some credit card companies. Some
industry experts say credit card providers might start
charging new fees for their cardholders and could raise
their interest rates.
Don’t get mad people, get
strategic. Consumers need to find a way to fight back
against the credit card companies and lending institutions
in a manner that will allow them to stay empowered and be
whole. This philosophy has worked for me. This is how I
maintain my sanity. Folks, I’m one of the most blessed
people on earth. I have a loving family which serves as my
support structure. How do the folks who don’t have a
support structure surviving?
I would suggest that everyone in
need assess your skills and abilities and look for
opportunities to prosper, even during these terrible
economic times. Times aren’t bad for everyone. Many people
and business have not been affected by the economy and
others are thriving. Come on people! Let’s get started!
The Isley Brothers had a song
out years ago called “Fight The Power.” Fight it! Fight
the power!
So
what do you think? If you would like to respond to this
article
click here and sign our
Guestbook
to leave a public or private statement, comment or
reaction.
DC’S Dave Bing: Mayor of Detroit
By Harold Bell
Last year Dave Bing
came back to his original hometown of Washington, DC
and officially announced to friends and family he
was running for Mayor of Detroit. The announcement
came during a Spingarn high school class re-union in
Prince Georges County, Maryland. My question to him
was, why?
It looked like he was
a man that had everything. He was a NBA Hall of Fame
basketball player and voted as one of the 50
Greatest Players of all time. He had money earned as
a successful businessman and three daughters to take
over and run the family business.
Why
the headaches that come with trying revive a city on
life support? The city of Detroit was
“Dead” the only thing left was for someone
to start shoveling the dirt to bury it. I admit I
was at a disadvantaged. I was on the outside looking
in, but still the question of why stayed on my mind. It finally hit me that
Dave had made Detroit his home for the past 43
years, what did I know and when did I know it?
I have known Dave
since he was a little skinny kid playing basketball
on the playgrounds of Watts and Kelly Miller. He was
from a hard working family in the NE section of DC.
I watched him develop and grow as an athlete and a
man. His development as an athlete was ahead of his
development as a man.
I made it as difficult
as I could for him on the basketball court. I made
sure he earned every shot he took. The playground
rules were, "No harm, no foul." The
rules are similar to the 2009 NBA Playoffs. We
would meet in pick up games on the playgrounds and
alumni basketball games at our alma mater Spingarn
High School. We shared the same high school
basketball coach, Dr. William Roundtree. We both
learned several lessons from Coach Roundtree and the
lessons had nothing to do with basketball. I was
one of the team’s best players in my senior year in
1958 but I was asked to turn in my uniform and enjoy
the rest of the season from the stands. My style of
selfish play earned me an early shower and exit. The
lesson learned, “No one is indispensible.”
Dave ran into several rough bumps in the
road during his high school career also. Coach
Roundtree became his savior and traffic cop in the
‘Game Called Life.’
I was there to watch
and cheer Dave on as he took our alma mater to its
first City Championship and was named to the
All-American High School basketball team. I watched
as he took his game to the next level and I clearly
remember the lesson he taught me during a summer
basketball encounter at Kelly Miller. It was his
freshman year at Syracuse. I lined up in my usual
position and chose to play him man to man. He jumped
and shot over me and ran circles around me. When I
left the court that day I felt like I had just come
out of a Maytag washing machine on spin dry. His
message was loud and clear “New Sheriff in
Town.” There was a slight smile of
satisfaction on his face as we left the court. I
never challenged Dave Bing One on One again. He made
me a believer.
In 1966 he was the
number one pick in the NBA draft of the Detroit
Pistons. I watched the draft like a proud Big
Brother. I said to no one in particular “I
taught him everything he knows.” I was
just joking, but I was proud that I had played a
small role in his development.
In the summer of 1966
I was having lunch at Frank’s a popular restaurant
hangout in NW Washington. I looked up and Dave
walks into the restaurant with Spingarn alumnus and
my childhood friend, Arnold “Tank” George. They came
over to my table and I stood up to shake hands with
both. I then congratulated Dave on an outstanding
NBA season (he was named the Rookie of the Year).
He then said “Harold you helped prepare me
for the NBA.” I was stunned and I thought
to myself, ‘What a classy thing for him to
say’. I had become cynical of homeboys
like Maury Wills and Elgin Baylor
forgetting who they were and where they came from.
They never came back to their hometown unless there
was an emergency. There were no camps or visits to
schools to talk with young people. You can add
homeboys to that list, John Thompson, Sugar Ray
Leonard, James Brown, Adrian Branch and
Adrian Dantley. They all came through Inside
Sports and Kids In Trouble. Dave and I exchanged
telephone numbers and for the next decade we would
become partners in the community working together
with and for at-risk children.
In 1967 I traveled to
Baltimore for the NBA All-Star Game to ask Dave if
he could come to our alma mater and speak to the
students. I was then working as a Roving Leader for
the DC Recreation Department. I had been assigned
to Spingarn to help quell a shooting of a Spingarn
student after a basketball game. There were talks
of revenge. I thought “These kids need to
hear a voice of reason” and
the voice was playing in the NBA All-Star Game in
Baltimore, Dave Bing.
I was waiting at the
player's entrance to the Baltimore Civil Center when
Dave walked up with teammate Bob Lanier. He
introduced me to Bob and then asked “What’s
up?”
I
explained the Spingarn situation and asked him if he
could come to Spingarn the first thing Monday
morning and speak to a full assembly. He said,
‘No problem.’ His appearance was
like the calm before the storm, the students gave
him a standing ovation as he walked to the stage. It
helped they had just seen him the day before on
National television playing in the NBA All-Star
Game. He was representing Spingarn High School and
now he stood before them. The timing was perfect.
Dave Bing's words of wisdom were what the Doctor
ordered (Dr. Purvis Williams) the talks of revenge
subsided----the storm had passed.
During the campaign I
was surprised to read Detroit newspaper reports that
Dave did not relate to the community and he was not
a people person. Evidently, they didn't have a
clue, community involvement of professional athletes
started with native Washingtonians Dave Bing
and Willie Wood (NFL) in 1967 and 1968
respectively.
The Dave Bing and
Harold Bell community encounters that involved
at-risk children, teachers and friends go on and on;
Dave Bing Basketball camps
in the Poconos, Hillcrest Children’s
Center Saturday Program,
Inside Sports Spingarn Teacher Appreciation Day,
Dean Wood Neighborhood Appreciation Day,
guest appearances on Inside Sports,
etc.
Despite the miles Dave
stayed in touch with his hometown of Washington, DC.
In 1969 I was
attending a workshop on the campus of Michigan State
University for the DC Recreation Department. He
picked me up on campus and took me back to Detroit
to help celebrate my birthday. I stayed in his home
and he drove me back to the campus the next
morning. I know he thinks I have forgotten, I have
not. He joined the Washington Bullets on the
downside of his NBA career. We sit down on his
arrival to discuss the negatives and positives. He
has always been there and was never more then a
telephone call away.
Like most 50 year
friendships, partnerships and marriages there are
disagreements and conflicts. Dave and I had our
share. One of the problems, Dave has been surrounded
by an entourage of Player Haters,
cheerleaders, wannabees
and Yes Men. The biggest enemy in
our community is still envy and
jealousy. There were those in that
group who were envious and jealous of our strong
bond and relationship. There was a communications
breakdown and out of sight became out of mind.
There were several
incidents that I had to address of “He said,
She said.” The one that hurt the most
involved our late former coach, Rev. William
Roundtree. I went directly to Dave by way of written
letter for clarification. I never got a response.
There were encounters at different DC functions and
he would act like nothing had ever transpired. The
truth can hurt sometimes, but I did let go and I let
God.
Despite the
disagreements and harsh words said by me, in
December 2008, Dave flew to DC during his campaign
and was one of our honored guest during the
Kids In Trouble, Inc 40th Annual Toy Party
for needy children. Hattie and I also celebrated our
40th Wedding Anniversary. He received The
Kids In Trouble, Inc Life Time Achievement Award in the name of our beloved late coach,
Rev. William Roundtree. His growth
as a MAN had finally caught up with
his growth as an athlete. My success as a community
and media icon would not have been possible without
contributors like Dave Bing, Muhammad Ali and
RedAuerbach. When you love someone you never have to
say “I am sorry.”
I think Detroit got
the best MAN for the job--------He
CARED long before the NBA.
If you
would like to respond to this review
click here
and sign our
Guestbook to leave a public or private statement, comment or reaction.
JUSTICE & JUST-US: A BLACK MAN’S
STORY OF A DAY IN AN AMERICAN COURTROOM!
By Harold Bell
Justice
in most American courts still seems to lean in the direction of
Just-Us when it comes to minorities. All the good
lawyers I know are dead, Thurgood Marshall, Johnnie Cochran,
Luke C. Moore, Kenneth Munday, Warren Copeland and Charlie
Schultz who drowned in a swimming accident in Florida
recently. He died trying to save a child.
Despite Barack Obama’s new residence at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
racism is alive and well in America. The American Court system
is still one of racism’s main thoroughfares.
Thanks to Judges of the DC Superior Court like
Luke C. Moore,
Harry T. Alexander, Theodore Newman, Eugene Hamilton, Henry
Kennedy Jr. and Chief Judge Harold Greene, I was
given an opportunity to watch the criminal justice system up
close and personal. They all partnered with me and Kids In
Trouble, Inc., in the 70s and 80s. In 1970, I found the
first half-way house ever established on a military facility for
juvenile delinquents. The program was located on Bolling Air
Force Base in Washington, DC. Judges Greene and Moore were
there to cut the ribbon.
U. S. Federal Court
Judge Alex Williams is another
benefactor of Inside Sports and Kids In Trouble, Inc. I
attended school and grew up in NE DC with Judge William
Missouri the Chief Administrate Judge of the Upper Marlboro
Courthouse. “Here comes the Judge” was a familiar cry in my
programs. My work with at-risk children kept me in and out of
courtrooms here in DC.
In the black community we have a lot of work to do. For
example, on Tuesday May 5, 2009, I was in court in Upper
Marlboro, Maryland as a defendant. In March, I was served with
a summons from the Sheriff’s Office of Prince Georges County.
The Plaintiff was Dottie’s Trophies in Laurel, Maryland.
It felt like I was being recycled. Had I been here on trial
before, in some other lifetime? I guess all courtrooms look
alike.
In December 2008 my non-profit organization Kids In Trouble,
Inc. celebrated 40 years of community service. I had promised
my wife Hattie that 2008 would be my last toy party for needy
children. Forty years were definitely enough. A salute and
tribute was held at Ebenezer AM&E Church in Fort Washington,
Maryland honoring our work. I used the occasion to honor those
who had come through, or had made contributions to the success
of the program, with KIT LifeTime Achievement Awards.
Dottie’s Trophies, while working on the 38 awards for the
honorees that included Dave Bing (Detroit’s new Mayor), Doug
Williams, and Maureen Bunyan, finalized the engraving
without contacting me. Our agreement was, I had one week before
the event (the Monday before the Saturday program) to delete or
add names. In every award program known to man, an honoree
drops out for whatever reason and that usually gives the
coordinators an opportunity to honor someone else or delete that
award from the program (saving non-profits many needed
dollars).
In the meantime, I placed a call to Dottie the Friday before the
Monday Deadline to add and delete. I was told by her
daughter “I am sorry but the engraving has already been done!”
I could not believe my ears. To justify her actions she said,
‘I told you that you could add but not delete.’ I knew this was
not true and I would never agree to something like that. It is
a professional courtesy to alert the client before you finalize
the job. Engraving errors are the norm in this profession. My
problem was the awards had already been boxed and wrapped.
There was no way I was going to let this program proceed without
seeing the finished production.
I will make this long story short. Dottie had wrapped each of
the 38 plus 3 extra awards in old newspaper without any
identification. Therefore, they had to unwrap each award to
check for mistakes and there were mistakes. They charged me to
re-do the engraving (their mistakes) and for 5 added awards and
the engraving. The bill before the mistakes was $431. 00, my
bill after the corrections was $654.00. I thought this was a
little high, but I was running out of time. There were now 4
days left before the program. There was no way I was going to
be able to find someone to complete this same job with so little
time. They had me between a rock and a hard place and on Friday
one day before the program I reluctantly wrote a check for the
$654.00 balance. I left Dottie’s Trophies with the feeling I
had just been hijacked and stuck-up, but the show had to go on.
It was during the day of the program’s preparations that we
discovered the award for honoree Rev. James Russell was
missing. He had driven in from North Carolina to participate.
Honoree Ms. Zalee Harris’ name had been misspelled and
there were three extra awards that were not ordered.
I asked Rev. Russell to accept one of the extra awards and I
would have it re-engraved properly and he said, “No problem.”
Ms. Harris accepted her award as it was and refused to let me
re-engrave the misspelling of her name. The show went on,
despite the Devil working hard inside and outside of the
church—God was on our side.
On the Monday following the program I met with several KIT Board
Members to count the donated monies and to decide a course of
action against Dottie’s Trophies. We decided to stop payment on
the check until we could get an itemized account of the $654.00
bill. First, I wrote a letter to Dottie explaining our position
and all we needed was an itemized account and she would be paid,
but she refused to respond in writing. Board Members Lester
Lewis and Chuck Akins made several calls to Dottie asking for an
itemized account and all she gave them was “Lip service.” In
the interim, the sheriff showed up at my home with a summons for
me to appear in court. Remember, we never refused to pay the
bill.
Too many times Black Men in America are bullied by those who
don’t look like us and we take it, therefore, condoning this
type of behavior. The message the bully receives is “This sure
feels good, let me do it again and again.” The court system in
America has never been a friend of Black Men in America. You
ask the question why? On too many occasions in the past, the
judges, juries and prosecutors didn’t look like us and usually
that made the trial anything but fair. Lessons learned and
progress have made little difference, we are still in trouble.
The courtrooms that are now looking like us are sounding more
like Clarence Thomas and Alex Williams. The
Federal guild lines use to sentence crack cocaine dealers and
powered cocaine dealers are a good example. There is Justice
and Just-Us.
On May 5, 2009 I appeared at the Upper Marlboro Courthouse door
with nothing but the TRUTH and GOD on my side at exactly 8:30 a.
m. Upper Marlboro and Charles County are still considered by
many to be the strongholds of the Klu Klux Klan. They have
traded in their hoods and robes for three piece suits and a
briefcase. They have become judges of the court and uniformed
police officers (Ronnie White).
The court opened its proceedings with “All stand” as the
presiding judge entered the courtroom. He showed a sense of
humor when he announced “This is not Judge Judy’s Court.” His
revelation was of little comfort to me, I am a big fan of Judge
Judy---she is tough but she is always fair.
While I was waiting for my case to be called, I observed the
Judge as he interacted with the defendants and plaintiffs. If
the defendants were represented by lawyers they were in good
standing but if they were representing themselves, the judge
made it perfectly clear “That they had a fool for a lawyer.”
All lawyers are not as smart as this judge makes them out to
be. I have known several hundred in my life time and most of
them have left the courtroom to become politicians or
preachers.
The idea of him putting
all lawyers on a pedestal was my
first sign of discomfort but “I sucked it up.” I have been the
underdog for most of my life. My athletic instincts kicked in
and I treated my position in the courtroom like I was number ONE
until the judge proved otherwise.
When I heard the announcement “Dottie’s Trophies vs. Kids In
Trouble, Inc” I laced up my shoes and put on my Game Face (no
fear). I identified myself as ‘Harold Bell the defendant.’
Dottie Trophies was represented by her daughter, and when she
announced ‘Dottie’s Trophies Plaintiff’’ the judge exclaimed,
‘Is Dottie really here in my courtroom?’ He sounded like he
wanted her autograph. I remember radio pioneer Petey Greene
telling me when he first went before the judge in a U. S.
Federal Court and the court announced ‘Petey Greene vs. The
United States of America,’ he said ‘I knew I was in trouble.’ I
said ‘This is Petey Greene all over again.’ What really gave me
hope was that Dotties was there without representation and only
armed with ‘He says, she says.’
According to the judge’s early assessment we both had fools for
lawyers. The difference was I had documented proof of their
foul up and the extra awards with me. There was no proof I had
refused to ever pay the bill. I had written correspondence that
showed I had asked Dottie for an itemized account so that we
could pay her. All the judge could say was “Would the two
parties step outside the courtroom and see if they could come to
some agreement.” We both agreed.
Once in the hallway corridor I started to negotiate with Dottie
but during the conversation her husband and daughter stepped
into the negotiations. Since I was there by myself I guess I
looked like a “Sitting Duck.” Mr. Dottie started to point his
finger in my face to make his point. He looked to be in his 70s
and he stood around 6’3 with silver white hair and horn-rimmed
glasses. I could easily see he would be comfortable in a hood
and white robe so I said softly “You better back off and get out
of my face. You’ve got the wrong brother.” Like I mentioned
earlier, men like Mr. Dottie and his kind have been bullying
black folks for over 400 years, but I refused to be bullied by
them or this system. I remembered Rev. M. L. King, three
little girls blown up in church, etc. I looked all three in
their eyes and said ‘We are going to trial’ and we walked back
into the courtroom to face the judge.
We had to sit in the courtroom for at least another hour as the
judge disposed of each case one by one. He had dispersed other
cases to mediation and to the hallway to settle. We were the
only case to come back to the judge without settling. When he
heard that we had not settled he could not believe it. He asked
us had if we witnessed the other cases before him and what were
we thinking and did we really want to go to trial for a $200.00
difference? He was right and I saw this as an opportunity to
step in and be “The reasonable party.” The judge jumped on my
suggestion and said we would split the $200.00 difference. My
final billing would be $554.00 instead of the $759.63 plus court
fees, payment for stopped check, plus interest. The judge’s
next question was “When can you pay Dottie the money?” I looked
straight at him and said ‘I can give them $50.00 a month.” His
response, ‘You are going to make them wait 11 months for their
money?” I explained that we were a non-profit organization and
there was no money in our account. We don’t receive grants or
loans we use our own monies to support our community programs.
Our only income was social security. I was prepared to show
the judge documentation where KIT donated $500.00 to Survivors of Homicide, $100.00 to
Serptima Clark Charter
School in SE DC and a $50.00 donation to Honor Society
Student Jonne Woodard of Salisbury University. The
monies donated were raised during the benefit program in
December. The look on Mr. Dottie’s face was PRICELESS. There
are times when you can out smart yourself.
The lessons learned; a man who does not stand for something will
fall for anything. Always travel with the TRUTH and GOD will be
on your side. A lie will change a thousand times---the truth
never changes. Be prepared and have confidence in yourself,
especially, when others turn away and whisper “Troublemaker and
Agitator.” A loser can never be a winner when he turns and runs
away.
Remember, a coward and a bully will eventually meet their match
if the bullied stands his ground.
Eugene Robinson of The Washington Post and
MSNBC won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary Monday, but the
newspaper's lone award represented a much smaller haul than the
six it earned a year ago.
Robinson received journalism's top prize for
his columns about the presidential campaign of Barack Obama, the
first African-American to win the nation's top job. Robinson, a
former foreign correspondent and assistant managing editor for
the paper, also is black.
OPEN LETTER TO
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY RESIDENTS: THERE IS A NEW SHERIFF
IN TOWN --“PEOPLE FOR CHANGE”
By Harold Bell
Several
years ago I read a survey that spotlighted the best one
hundred cities for young people to have an opportunity to
grow up to be healthy, wealthy and wise. I was sad to see
that Washington, DC and Prince George’s County didn’t make
the list.
Even
though I was disappointed I was not surprised to see the
results as it regarded the Nations’ Capitol and wealthy
black Prince George’s County. The truth is that these two
jurisdictions the thresholds of “Black Economic Power”
have been lagging behind for decades as it pertains to
children’s health and welfare. In 1968 when Dr. Martin
Luther King was assassinated one in three black children
were living in poverty. The black middle-class has since
tripled. In 2005 one in three black children were still
living in poverty. That is a sad commentary for DC and
Prince George’s County. All this simply means is that black
folks are not being their brother’s or sister’s keepers.
That alone is why children are starving, homeless and can’t
read. Too many of us have forgotten who we are and where we
came from.
As
voters and residents we need to start pointing fingers in
the direction of our so-called black leaders like our County
Executive, DC Mayor, Law Enforcement, City Councils, School
Boards and their “Yes men and women” who are nothing
more then a bunch of groupies. They see no evil, speak no
evil and hear no evil----they are evil. They go along just
to get along at the expense of others.
Barack
Obama’s historical journey to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is a
clear signal that the time is right for us to clean out our
political rat infested houses. Enough is enough! The
business as usual attitudes of Jack Johnson and Adrian Fenty
and their kind must come to an end. Law enforcement
officials like Glenn Ivey and Cathy Lanier are no longer a
part of the solution they are now a part of the problem.
Former
DC Mayor and now City Councilman Marion Barry is a good
example of the recycling of a bad politician. His recent
tax problems are just a snapshot of a politician who has
always thought he was above the law. The present Mayor took
office under a cloud of suspicion. Adrian Fenty was
once a practicing attorney with Power of Attorney over
several of his clients. He was representing one senior
citizen when he was accused of stealing the client’s money
and misrepresenting his property. Evidently, this thieving
characteristic qualified him for Mayor of the Nation’s
Capitol. He has since taken the attitude he does not have
to be held accountable. He is now running neck and neck
with former Mayor Sharon Pratt Dixon as one of the worst
Mayors in the history of Washington, DC. He will also be a
one term Mayor.
We live
in an environment where we now honor thieves and liars so it
is really no surprise that our public officials are mostly
thieves and liars. There are more programs for ex-cons then
there are for our children who we are constantly asking to
do the “Right Thing” but they keep keeping coming up
on the short end of the benefits and rewards. It is okay to
give ex-cons a second chance but give our children a First
chance first.
Prince
George’s County Executive Jack Johnson should change his
name to “Jack the Ripper.” He has been ripping the
county off for his past two terms with ‘Sweetheart
Contracts’ for his cronies and under cover real estate
deals that will benefit him after his term expires in 2010.
The
would-be successors to Jack Johnson sound and read like the
title of Reuben Armstrong’s new book “HOMOS &
CROOKS IN THE PULPIT.” The politicians and candidates
in the county look like and sound like a police line-up.
For example; there is a rumor more thieves and sex perverts
will be vying for the County Executive Office and Mayor’s
offices in surrounding jurisdictions. Remember, the Mayor
in District Heights, Maryland who was caught in downtown DC
last year soliciting sex from an undercover cop?? His
former roommate is also a county Mayor and is operating
under a cloud of suspicion. Birds of a feather flock
together. They are both gearing up for another run for
office!
The
churches and pastors in the metropolitan area are also a BIG part of the problem. Their greed and egos are out
of control. Their signature trademarks---Mega Churches and
their “Old Churches” on the side. The services are
all day from sun up to sun down. Churches are more
concerned about saving and banking a dollar then they are
about saving souls. If you want to see a black politician
face to face go to a black church on any given Sunday during
an election year. His next church appearance will be the
next election.
These
same leaders and ministers look the other way as young black
men and women are murdered in our streets and jails. The
problem is not our children, the problem is adults. There
are politicians who are running around Washington, DC and
Prince George’s County campaigning “Children First and No
Child left behind.” The media lets them get away with
these lies, from one campaign to another campaign. Those of
us who are suppose to be in the business of making children
first are spending too much time downstream fishing the
bodies out when we should be upstream preventing the bodies
from being thrown in.
How many
times have you heard the saying, “The inmates are running
the prison?” Well it has come to pass (April 17, 2009
Washington Post). An inmate and gang leader by the name of
Eric Brown at a Maryland State prison was having his cake
and eating it to thanks to some corrupt prison guards and
employees. In a phone call this month to his wife, as
investigators secretly listen in, the gang leader complained
that his smuggling operation had come up short---“I had
to settle for salmon with shrimp and crab imperial instead
of my usual lobster dinner.” Brown is among two dozen
defendants, four of them current or former state prison
employees, charged with drug conspiracy and other offenses
in indictments recently unsealed.
In an
on-going investigation into the 2008 murder of Ronnie White
in the Upper Marlboro jail, State’s Attorney Glen Ivey has
come up short and negligent. His chances of making a run
for the County Executive’s Office went out the window when
Mr. White was murdered in his Upper Marlboro jail cell and a
Grand Jury convened without an indictment. Mr. White was
being held as a suspect in the hit and run death of a Prince
George’s County police officer. He was executed in his jail
cell before he could have his day in court. Mr. Ivey’s
posture and demeanor during the search for the guilty party
has cost him the respect of county residents. He is now a
part of the problem instead a part of the solution.
Mr.
Ivey, in 2006 made a deal with the devil. He was asked to
cancel his plans to run for County Executive and Jack
Johnson would support him in 20010. The double-cross is
already in place. Mr. Johnson has already switched teams he
is supporting Sheriff Michael Jackson for the office. Birds
of a feather flock together. Things had gotten so bad in
the Prince George’s County Police Department Chief Melvin
High took an early out. The Chief’s Press and Media
Relations person that he brought with him from Norfolk,
Virginia saw the handwriting on the wall early. She told
friends there was too much interference coming from Jack
Johnson’s office. Much like Chief High she took an early
out and returned home to Norfork. Chief High left the
department with the Ronnie White case still on his watch and
conscience.
The
system is broke and needs fixing. There is a NEW
Sheriff in Prince George’s County ----People for Change
(April 19, 2009 Washington Post) led by Sandy Pruitt and
her Chief of Staff Jerry McLaurin. This sheriff does not
carry a gun but she carries BIG sticks and BIG
signs.
Their
actions are speaking louder then their words. When several
Prince George’s County Politicians led by Jack Johnson
wanted to support a bill to build a NEW soccer
stadium in the county, they marched with posters that read
“Hell No and Hit the Road Jack.” The support for the
stadium was immediately tabled and put on the back burner.
Marilyn Bland Sam Dean
“The
Sheriff” was in
attendance for the next council meeting. She wanted an
explanation on why members of the council were supporting
such a bill during these tough economic times (homeless,
education cuts, unemployment, health care, children
starving, etc). This question prompted Council Chairman
Marilyn Bland (D-Clinton) to get up and walk out
declaring the meeting over. She was followed closely by her
“Yes Man”Sam Dean (D-Mitchellville).
Other
noted supporters of the soccer stadium bill were Delegate
Michael Vaugh (D-Prince George’s County) and Delegate
Chairman Melody Griffith (Prince George’s County).‘The Sheriff’ has served notice “We will see you at
the polls.” Sam Cooke’s classic recording ‘A Change
is Going to Come” should be the New Sheriff’s theme
song. It sounds good with ‘People for Change.’ Yes
We Can!
Michelle Obama: The True Image of An African American Woman
By
H. Lewis Smith
For
many years, African Americans were perceived as being ignorant
creatures incapable of thinking and successfully holding leadership
positions and roles. However, African Americans are constantly
defying this perception and reaching heights beyond any individual’s
greatest expectation. For instance, blacks were supposedly incapable
of playing the position of quarterback in football—at any
level—because they were perceived as lacking the brainpower to lead
a team. Doug Williams, former NFL player, dispelled that myth when
he led his team to victory in the 1988 Super Bowl XXII and was
selected as the MVP. As well, blacks were supposedly incapable of
coaching an NFL football team, yet both 2007 Super Bowl head coaches
were African Americans. And today, the first African-American family
chairs the highest office in the United States and resides in the
White House. Repeatedly, blacks have proven, when provided the
opportunity that they will rise to the call of duty and excel.
Michelle Obama, in her first 100 days as First Lady, is making many
racist-thinking people very uncomfortable as she shatters their
world of stereotypical assumptions through spreading goodwill,
knowledge, and a solid persona of the African-American woman all
over the world. Radio host and political commentator Tammy Bruce’s
recent tirade labeling Mrs. Obama as ‘trashy and fake’ because of a
personal speech she delivered to a classroom of students in
Washington, DC, confirms the fear and anxiety that consumes the
hearts of such racist desperadoes. Clearly, Michelle Obama is a lady
of elegance, pride, intellect, appeal, charisma, and carries the
image of First Lady admirably, and as long as Mrs. Obama is the
First Lady, she will be a threat to the racist mentality everywhere.
The
First Lady’s embodiment of the role invalidates any and all
stereotypical suppositions that have been spoon fed to a nation of
people via its institutionalized system for almost four centuries.
Tammy Bruce’s attempt at character assassination of First Lady
Michelle Obama is an example of the ideologies that have been
imposed upon unknowing intellects; and because this is what people
like Tammy Bruce have been taught, they are fearful of the
unknown—anything different from “the norm.” In response to this type
of change, they panic, blindly continue to protect their sad
mentality, and will go extreme distances to preserve the image and
pigeon-holed perspective they possess of the black race in general.
Michelle Obama has stated that her school peers would mock her,
saying that she talked “like she was white.” Quite often, blacks who
speak with the proper diction and English—non-slang, non-street
vernacular—are pronounced as “trying to be white” by other black
kids. This situation raises the question that if speaking properly
means that one is “trying to be white,” then does it mean that
speaking ignorantly means that one is “trying to be black”? It makes
one wonder what percentage of our black youth are being raised in an
environment that mocks education, which leads to youth devaluing
education and playing-up the street-cool personas just to “fit in.”
America is not accustomed to a black woman in Michelle Obama’s
position receiving such favorable recognition and feedback. The norm
has always been to support rappers and
entertainers that humiliate and degrade black women and make a
mockery of their own race. America is accustomed to hearing rhetoric
that contributes to the emotional, psychological, spiritual, and
cultural extermination of black race by African Americans. The music
industry has made billions stomping on the dignity of black women.
First Lady Michelle Obama as well as President Obama brings to light
that side of the African-American people that represents dignity,
intelligence, and true dedication to hard work and self-respect—the
key attributes our fore ancestors fought hard to maintain and pass
down through generations in this new, unequal land. The Obama’s
bring a genuine dignity and regality to the White House that will be
a continual upset to the bigots of America, yet a stepping stone to
the progress of the African American, and the American society.
Because Mrs. Obama is not living up to the pre-conceived stereotype
many expected her to embody, they feel compelled to manufacture
preferred images of her and try to sell this ideology to the
American public. However, America has not fallen victim to the hype
because again and again Mrs. Obama continues to consistently convey
a solid and distinguished aura steadied on a foundation of
integrity, sagacity, aplomb and fortitude.
H.
Lewis Smith
is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common
Cause, Inc., a writer for the New England Informer Online, and
author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love Affair
with the N-Word.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2U0jmZjec
CLOSE TO HOME: DEATH NEVER TAKES A HOLIDAY!
By Harold Bell
On Saturday March 21, 2008 in Oakland, California four police
officers were shot and killed by a black man with a gun and on
the run.
My decades of workin the streets of the inner-city didn’t
prepare me for the events that took place in NE Washington DC on
that same Saturday. A deranged boyfriend took the lives of 36 year
old Erika Peters and her two sons, Eric 11, and Dakota Peters 10.
Ms. Peters was the daughter of a dear friend. Her father Bobby
Harper is a native Washingtonian and community icon. He grew up
on the streets of the city. Bobby’s good name and good deeds are
legendary. After I received a call from a friend confirming the
deaths of his daughter and grandchildren I watched the evening news
in horror as Bobby tried to make sense out of these senseless acts.
In our circle of friends Bobby has always taken the lead in making
sure that we were aware of the passing of a friend or loved one.
Now family, friends and loved ones are brought the news of a death
in the Harper family via television, radio and newspapers.
In Prince George’s County, Maryland several weeks ago at a night
club owned by former Washington Redskin player LaVarr Arrington
a young black man with a gun shot five people and killed one. In
that same community only minutes away, two sets of mothers and
daughters were recently found executed. The mothers shared the same
profession (nurses) and the daughters were approximately the same
age. A coincident? I don’t think so, when all is said and done you
can bet your house and your car that there will be a black man or
black men with a gun responsible for these senseless acts of
murder.
Recently it was discovered that HIV/AIDS is of epidemic proportions
among blacks in the Nation’s Capitol. Black on Black murder cannot
be far behind. It is a sad commentary that the inspiring story of a
black man now living in the White House did not bring a sense pride
and love to our community for one another. It now looks like until
white folks start to die in our streets at the rate of blacks, only
then will black on black murder receive the attention that it truly
deserves.” For now a black life does not rate as high as a white
life thanks to black and white folks who look the other way.
Attorney General Eric Holder was recently quoted saying, “Whites
folks are cowards when it comes to racism in America.” Mr. Holder,
white folks don’t have a patent on racism in America, some of the
biggest racists can be found in your own community.
Last year there was an e-mail floating around on the Internet
stating that the Klu Kux Klan was going out of business
because black folks had taken over the business of lynching black
folks. Whether this was something that might have be done in jest
has turned out to be closer to the truth then most of us want to
admit. Black men in America are definitely hustling backwards when
it comes to making decisions on who lives and who dies in our
community.
I lost two brothers last year, my older brother Bobby died of cancer
in July and my younger brother Billy died of a heart attack one week
before Christmas. I can’t pretend or imagine the hurt and horror of
losing a loved one to violence coming from one of our very own.
In Oakland where the four police officers were killed there has been
an uneasy truce between police and the black community since the
days of the Black Panthers. It has always been “Us against
them” from both sides. The 26 year old shooter Lovelle Mixon was
eventually shot and killed. He was wanted for a parole violation.
Friends and relatives said he was frustrated about not finding a job
and feared going back to jail. Mr. Mixon is just one of thousands
of young black men being released back into our community with no
hope of finding work or someone who understands their plight. This
sense of violence is just the tip of the iceberg.
The same type of police mentally that still exist in Oakland has
existed in Prince George’s County for decades. The county police
department was under the watchful eyes and jurisdiction of the
Justice Department because of brutality against black residents.
Police Chief Melvin High became so frustrated with the levels of
violence he quit the department for his own peace of mind. He left
behind the unresolved murder of a young man found dead on his watch
in an Upper Marlboro, Maryland jail cell. This matter was still
pending when the Justice Department for reasons unknown to black
residents gave the department a clean bill of health and released it
from their scrutiny. Prince George’s County Police immediately went
back to being themselves. In February 2009, a tape was released
showing two white officers brutally attacking a Hispanic man after a
traffic stop. The man was seen on camera being attacked without
provocation and peppered sprayed and punched during his arrest. In
both incidents so-called black leaders have disappeared and suddenly
become deaf, dumb and blind to justice for all.
How many times have you heard the saying “It’s a rat race and the
rats are in the lead?”
There was a recent front page story in the Washington Post featuring
well known slum landlord and former DC City Councilman H. R.
Crawford. The story highlighted his decades of shady real
estate deals here in the Nation’s Capitol. This is the same H. R.
Crawford who as a White House appointee to HUD in the 60s was fired
because he took kickbacks while in office. This is the same H.R.
Crawford who kicked his tenants out of their apartments in Southeast
DC with gun in hand when they got behind in their rent. Guess who
was sitting front and center when the Department of Transportation
and Virginia Governor Tim Kane were signing the bill for the
Dulles Connector? H. R. Crawford!
The Metrorail Connector brings the subway to Tyson’s Corner,
Virginia. Mr. Crawford is the Chairman of the Airport Authority and
you want to tell our children crime does not pay?
I recently picked up a community newspaper in DC and on the front
page was a picture of a protester with a sign saying “Fenty, the
worst Mayor money can buy.” The same can said of Prince George’s
County Executive Jack Johnson and politicians from Annapolis to
Capitol Hill. When and where do black folks draw the line and ‘say
enough is enough?’ Until we do black on black murder will continue
to be a way of life in our community and a love one of yours could
be the next victim at the hands of “Officer Friendly” or a family
friend.
DC Police Chief Cathy Lanier
said shortly after the homicides on Maryland Avenue “These are the
kind of homicides that we can’t do anything about.” It is that kind
of defeatist attitude that makes her a liability in the black
community.
We need to change the attitudes of not only law enforcement people
like Chief Lanier, but we need to also change the mind sets and
attitudes of young men like Lovelle Mixon. We need to
develop a “Stimulus Bill” for the downtrodden instead of one for the
rich and the greedy. Until progress is made on that front, America
the home of the brave and the land of the free will continue to be
two Americas, one black and one white. In 1968 the Kerner Report
said the exact same thing, four decades later with a Black President
in the White House; America is still divided among racial lines.
We Must Excel, Not Just Exist
We, as descendants of slaves, as people of color, MUST strive for
excellence in all that we do. We must live according to principles
of excellence in our daily lives, spiritually, emotionally,
physically, and mentally. Living in alignment with excellence means
making a conscious choice to do what’s right over what’s easy,
what’s comfortable, or what’s familiar. In lieu of spending hours
gossiping on the phone or endless hours on the computer in the
pursuit of meaningless sex, we must examine our selves, our lives,
and look to grow, mature, and evolve.
I challenge you to stop thinking of yourself as better just because
you go to church every Sunday, dressed in your overpriced fineries
to show off to the congregation, when you step over the homeless on
Monday without so much as an ounce of compassion or love in your
heart for those who need a helping hand. We must stop trying to get
over on the system, trying to figure out the easy way to get
something for nothing, and rather make the choice to have integrity,
to do what’s right for the community, not just yourself. It’s time
now to consider the ramifications and consequences of our actions
and stop living for the moment or the almighty dollar. If we
consider the feelings of others, if everyone considers the feelings
of others, we can transform ourselves from a selfish, insensitive,
immature community to a compassionate, giving, enlightened family.
Find a reason to see the good in someone, to reach out to another
because you connect on a deeper level, not just because you think
they have something to offer you, or because you want to feel
insecure and petty jealousy.
Speak truth to power. Hold your tongue when you feel the urge, the
driving and compulsive need to lie, and utter only those words that
are true. Embrace honesty with your entire being and reprogram your
brain from your conditioning that tells you to create stories and
deceptions that make you feel better about yourself and learn to be
honest and truthful with yourself so that you might be able to be
honest and truthful with others.
We must accept our greatness, our royalty, and our divinity with
humility, grace, and modesty. Would a Queen exchange her body for a
car payment or money to get a new pair of shoes? Would a King
create a prince or princess only to leave them unprotected and
un-nurtured? Would a true manifestation of the Divine be more
concerned with a car, clothes, or plasma TV than in helping those
less fortunate?
Ask yourself, are you living a life of excellence or do you merely
exist? Are you striving to become a better person every day? Are
you actually trying to become a better person: not richer, not more
attractive, not get more stuff, not sleep with more women, not use
more men, not cheat the system, not beat the man. Are you striving
to dispel the myths and combat the stereotypes? Are you daily
striving to learn more, to push yourself further, to excel in all
you do?
Pick up a book, go back to college, take a night class, use the
Internet to learn out our history instead of just wasting your life
away.
Copyright 2008 AfroerotiK All Rights Reserved
False Positive:
"The HIV Testing Conundrum"
By M. Quinn
Regrettably, a
vigorous discourse within the W.H.O.
(World Health
Organization) and the medical community has been kept virtually
concealed from the public domain, and continues to stun those who
ascertain access to this knowledge. The discussion centers on an
issue in which the medical community and its governing body have not
arrived on clear and concise answers too.
So therefore, in the
interest of public access to supplementary knowledge on the matters
relating to HIV/AIDS, I present this article not as a definitive
statement regarding the accuracies, or inaccuracies on the
methodologies of HIV testing. The following information is merely
designed to convey certain facts widely known by the WHO (World
Health Organization) and the medical industry; then the reader can
conduct their own research and decide for themselves between what is
entirely factual, and what is fiction.
Within the confines of
western medicine, the duplicity and enormous contradictions
presented in today's medical practices and the credo that every
doctor purportedly adheres too called the Hippocratic Oath, has
always astounded me. Furthermore, since the medical industry in the
west has morphed into solely capitalist enterprise, its sincerity to
the health and welfare of the people must come under meticulous
scrutiny.
Its been categorically
proven that HIV and AIDS are not automatically connected to one
another; because former Superstar NBA Basketball player Magic
Johnson was formerly diagnosed as HIV positive, and now has been in
complete remission from this illness, and currently shows no visible
traces of the disease.
Also, a South African
Bishop has lived with the alleged HIV virus for over twenty (20)
years, and continues to do his work on the continent.
So therefore, I was
not remotely surprised to learn that there are sixty two (62)
commonly known (by the WHO and various medical communities) normal
human anti-bodies, and or medical conditions that could render an
HIV test positive, when in fact it is actually negative. Hence the
term, false positive.
First, lets address
the methodology for testing the blood serum of a supposed infected
person. Across the globe, there are wide ranging disparities in
determining a HIV positive person using the current testing
criteria. The disparities differ widely depending on what country,
and sometimes even what city within that country where one resides.
For instance, if you
live on the continent of Africa, the methodology for testing the
blood serum for the HIV virus states that, if your blood serum
reacts to two (2) parts out of nine (9) of the alleged causations,
then you are considered HIV positive.
If you live in the
United States, the methodology for testing the blood serum for the
HIV virus states that, if your blood serum reacts to three (3) parts
out of nine (9) of the alleged causations, then you are considered
HIV positive.
If you live in
Australia, the methodology for testing the blood serum for the HIV
virus states that, if your blood serum reacts to four (4) parts out
of nine (9) of the alleged causations, then you are considered HIV
positive.
Likewise, if you live
in Russia, the methodology for testing the blood serum for the HIV
virus states that, if your blood serum reacts to four (4) parts out
of nine (9) of the alleged causations, then you are considered HIV
positive.
The question that begs
to be asked is this; if an HIV test can be determine positive, or
negative depending on where you live in the world, and no conclusive
international standardized (test) methodologies are in place because
the testing criteria in various countries are wide ranging; how
accurate are these readings for this thing called HIV/AIDS?
As previously stated
there are at least sixty two (62) commonly known anti-bodies, and or
medical conditions that could render a false positive on an HIV
test.
Below are merely a few
of these anti-bodies and medical conditions.
Factors Known to
Cause False-Positive HIV Antibody Test Results:
Anti-carbohydrate
antibodies
Naturally-occurring antibodies
Passive
immunization: receipt of gamma globulin or immune globulin (as
prophylaxis against infection, which contains antibodies)
Leprosy
Tuberculosis
Renal (kidney)
failure
Flu
Flu vaccination
Herpes simplex I
Herpes simplex II
Upper respiratory
tract infection (cold or flu)
Pregnancy in
multi-parous women
Malaria
Rheumatoid
arthritis
Hepatitis B
vaccination
Tetanus
vaccination
Organ
transplantation
Anti-collagen
antibodies (found in gay men, hemophiliacs, Africans of both
sexes and people with leprosy)
Now, when it is widely
known in the medical community that a standardized test for
absolutely determining the validity and accuracy of HIV testing does
not exist, one must sincerely question the motives behind the push
to promote, market and sell pharmaceuticals like AZT and these new
AIDS related medicinal cocktails.
In fact, the drug AZT
was previously widely used in the medical industry as a cancer
fighting agent; hence a chemotherapy drug, and was deem so extremely
toxic, that it was taken off the market. AZT is an indiscriminate
killer, it attacks human cells, contaminated or not. It does not
differentiate between cells that are affect by cancer, or the
alleged HIV virus - it kills every cell it comes in contact with.
One must further ask
the question; that if this information is widely known in the
medical community and the WHO (World Health Organization); why isn't
this information readily available and disseminated broadly to the
general public?
More so to date,
Africa has the lowest gross clinical criteria for arriving at a
conclusion whether someone has the HIV virus. With the lowest gross
clinical criteria, it is no wonder that the inhabitants of Africa
surpass the rest of the world in recorded HIV and AIDS related cases
with over 22 million reported infections.
The determining
(criteria) factors in concluding whether a person on the continent
of Africa is infected with the HIV virus, is in blatant
contradiction to the rest of the European world.
According to the
current variations in HIV testing criteria, if an alleged HIV
positive person from Africa were to travel to Australia, Russia or
even the United States with a blood serum reactive to three (3)
parts out of nine (9), on a HIV test, they would not be deemed HIV
positive.
Of course, the obvious
questions surface - aren't millions of people on the continent of
Africa dying from AIDS? Or on the other hand, are they dying from
the treatment associated with AIDS (AZT); and other pharmaceutical
cocktails?
Remember, the drug AZT
does not discriminate between healthy and HIV infected blood cells -
it kills every cell it comes in contact with.
So therefore, I
reiterate; why does the general public not commonly know this
information? Is there some kind of Machiavellian plan being executed
on the continent of Africa, and a campaign to keep the world
ignorant?
I do not know.
However, I do implore
all conscience people to do their own research on this matter by
typing the words false positive HIV testing in any search engine,
such as
www.google.com,
and arrive at you're their
own false or positive conclusions.
M. QUINN is a
freelance journalist born in the San Francisco Bay Area and the
Author of the books; Removing the Veil, and RECOMPENSE A Matter of
Human Rights.
He is also the Founder
of the Campaign to Remove the Veil"; which advocates incorporating a
comprehensive study of racism into the academic system of American
society, and making it a prerequisite for graduation. He specializes
in social, political, and historical analysis and commentary.
WILL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BE COVERED UP ONCE THE RIHANNA AND CHRIS
BROWN STORY LEAVES THE HEADLINES?
Domestic violence is
no stranger to Essence best-selling author Brenda L.
Thomas who, after having success with several novels decided to
pen her memoir, Laying Down My Burdens. After ending a
violent marriage of 15 years, during which her husband threatened
her with death if she were to ever pen her story, Ms. Thomas is
speaking out on the recent violence that erupted between Rihanna and
Chris Brown. “It is important that individuals in the public eye
stand up and make it their priority to see domestic violence
awareness become as much a part of public efforts as breast cancer
and other ills,” says Ms. Thomas.
There is a long list
of celebrities whose lives have been affected by domestic violence,
either as a victim, an abuser or simply as a witness. Celebrity or
not, most victims have chosen to remain silent because of its mere
shame and embarrassment. Currently the U.S. Justice Department
reports that 1 to 3 million women are physically abused by their
husbands or boyfriends each year. However, those statistics are even
clearer when you read the papers and see that over the course of a
recent weekend (PA-MD) in March three women were violently murdered
by their abusers, leaving one victims 11-year old daughter
hospitalized with stab wounds. What more statistics do we need?
To give those who
might be hesitant to speak out for themselves a voice, Ms. Thomas
has been committed to touring the country and sharing her message of
L.O.U.D. (Living Out Your Dreams) which is about the importance
of never giving up, no matter what the obstacle.
For speaking
engagements please contact Kelisha L. Rawlinson at
215-331-4554 or phillywriter@comcast.net.
February 24, 2009,
Rupert Murdoch, chairman of the New
York Post, personally apologized for a recent cartoon by Sean Delonas, nicknamed by some “the Picasso of prejudice”. The
cartoon, which depicted a chimpanzee being shot by the police after
mauling a woman, captioned “They'll have to find someone else to
write the next stimulus bill”.
Mr.
Murdoch commented: "Today, I want to personally apologize to any
reader who felt offended, and even insulted," Murdoch said in a
statement. “…I can assure you, without a doubt, that the only intent
of that cartoon was to mock a badly written piece of legislation. It
was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by
many as such. We all hold the readers of the New York Post in
high regard, and I promise you that we will seek to be more attuned
to the sensitivities of our community."
“It
was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted…as
such.” Is it possible for a news media to be any more
irresponsible and callous? Some may argue that African Americans are
inflating the seriousness of this situation, but clearly, that
chimpanzee cartoon is offensive to the black community and the
office of the President of the United States. Given the social
history of America and the typical negative connotations regarding
African Americans, greatly-experienced, mainstream media giants such
as the New York Post possess the consciousness to realize
such connotations, predict their effects, and avoid publishing any
satire that could be perceived as offensive—unless that is the
message they actually meant to convey. As well, in lieu of the fact
that an African American now chairs the high office—which may not be
too thrilling to some members of other races, the need for “racial
correctness” is at an all-time high, and, frankly, those African
Americans who feel that this situation is an attack on their race
are not wrong for believing such.
One
can only wonder that if the oval office was not occupied by a black
man, would that cartoon have ever been conceived and
published and taken in a negative manner. The answer to the
combination of these factors: maybe, but quite possibly not. Since
the oval office is chaired by an African American, the
cartoon does carry significant call for concern. This is the logic
that should have guided the cartoon editor’s and publisher’s
thoughts when considering this piece for publication. And again,
because of their experience in the publishing industry, one cannot
digest the notion that the news giant was unable to foresee the
possibility of the infuriating effects the cartoon would have on
African Americans. It is difficult to believe that the New York
Post or any other news media would publish a cartoon satire
involving any oven jokes, regardless of the non-racial
intent, without first considering the consequences of angering the
Jewish community.
Respectis
to consider someone's feelings, needs, thoughts, ideas, wishes and
preferences. When there is a feeling of respect or the lack thereof,
the behavior will naturally follow. Needless to say, the NY Post
did not think of respect for the black community when publishing the
piece. They said what they intended and conveyed their ideals to the
public. All of the apologies in the world cannot burrow up the seeds
of blatant disrespect that have been sewn by the NY Post’s
incomprehensible and utterly, unforgivably insensitive decision to
publish.
Regardless to the manner in which African Americans conduct
themselves, the New York Post’s actions are not in the least
bit acceptable or justifiable. However, if their true intention was
disrespect, which it unequivocally seems to be, one must beg the
question of why they feel so confident in publicly expressing their
insolence for African Americans. Could it be that they feel African
Americans show no respect for self, so why respect people who fail
to respect themselves? Respect from others is gained by first
respecting self at all times. If one shows no respect for self, how
can one rationally demand respect from others? The most
disrespectful word in the English language is the n-word and yet
African Americans refer to one another as such; when one considers
the idiom’s sinister history, and still continues to refer to self
and others as such, the ability to demand respect from others
becomes a near-impossible feat.
Obviously, there is absolutely nothing respectable about the n-word,
but yet Black youths, comedians, rappers, ministers, community
leaders, politicians all publicly use the n-word and think nothing
of it. We can deceive ourselves all we want, but the rest of the
world recognizes that word for its true meaning and take African
Americans at their declaration that this is how they want to be
looked upon. No one is going to think any more of an individual than
that person thinks of him/herself. Only individual self respect
compels respect from others.
H.
Lewis Smith
is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a
Common Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A
Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word.
Suppose we decided
that one of the best things "we" could do for Black America was to
make sure that henceforth no Black boy or young man would ever again
hear "Black men ain't $#!†."
Here's what a
group of men from the Baltimore and Washington, DC metropolitan
areas are doing. Check out Men To Boys.com.
By Roland Laird Author of "Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans"
During a recent
segment on an ESPN sports show, Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia
76ers was being interviewed by one of the show's reporters. As the
hour wound down, the in-studio host asked Mr. Iguodala, "Why did you
do the interview outside? It's so cold, and you're not even wearing
a hat." Iguodala replied, "Hey that's how President Obama did it --
in the cold with no hat. I have to step it up."
Iguodala then went
on to mention how excited he was about President Obama, and that in
his hometown (ironically, Springfield, Illinois), the test scores
for Black males have gone up since President Obama was appointed to
office.
The ad hoc interview
responses of a Black athlete are far from a testament of Barack
Obama's impact on the Black Community. They do, however, point
to a state of mind -- at least in some sections. For instance, I've
gotten a significant number of emails from people recapping their
Inauguration Day experiences. All were upbeat and ranged from how
proud they were to be Americans, to this occasion being the first
time they'd ever seen their father cry. In the same vain,
barbershops are reporting a resurgence of the "Caesar" cut that
Obama wears, although now it's being called an 'Obama'. There is
even a humorous comic strip making the rounds that speculates 5
years from now, the first day of school in the Black Community will
have scores of children with names like 'Obamalita Jackson' and
'Obama Taylor', to name a few.
I'm clearly stating
the obvious by saying the emergence on President Obama has had a
positive impact on the mood in the Black Community. A cynic could
legitimately say that good feelings can only get you so far, but I
think the cynic would be missing the point.
One of the major
issues in the Black Community is the negative and stereotypical
reporting of the news. I'm not a big news watcher, but whenever I
sample it there is a preponderance of my people being reported as
criminals or crime victims. Every now and then there are "feel good"
stories, but those stories are far outweighed by the ruinous and
painful stories I mentioned. Without fear of contradiction, I can
say that Barack Obama's Presidency has changed the texture of
the nightly news for the next four (hopefully eight) years. Night
after night, the news will report on a Black man who also happens to
be the most influential and powerful person in the world. In
tracking the impact this will have, the closest thing I can think of
is the impact Muhammad Ali had on young Black boys like myself in
the 1970's. Ali stood tall, and spoke without any equivocation. He
was Black, he was proud; but more importantly he was a man of his
time.
Now Barack Obama is
not the outspoken, pull no punches man that Ali was, but he doesn't
need to be; he is THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
When he speaks, no matter the amplitude or intensity, people have no
choice but to listen. Just as Ali impacted people like me to be
proud of who I am and to pull no punches, President Obama casts an
image of dignity and grace under pressure. He too is a man of his
time, for in these boisterous days, seeing a Black man exude a quiet
strength, day after day, and night after night will over time bring
civility and decorum into sharper focus in our communities. Seeing a
Black man express his anger with dignity and without "cursing people
out" in the most pressurized of situations is a positive that I look
forward to seeing.
Again, the cynics
will see little to no value in any of this. But the parent raising a
child in the inner-city or the burbs knows this value implicitly.
The school official that sees young Black children being heckled at
assemblies after being given awards for excellent academic
achievement knows the intrinsic value of President and First Lady
Obama.
Now this is not to
say that the cynics don't have a point to make. There is a good deal
of blind hero-worship of President Obama; and the fact that he is
the President of all America by definition means that some of his
decisions may not be pleasing to us. When the going gets
particularly tough and he needs to raise approval points, he may
even decide to take the "Bill Cosby" stance of blaming low-income
Black people for some of the problems that confront them. When Obama
is wrong or we disagree with him, we have to voice it. There's no
denying that fact.
Being President of
the United States is the toughest job in the world. But like most
jobs, the proof is in the pudding. If President Barack Obama
is able to turn the American Economy around and loosen the grip of
partisan politics, he will be viewed as an excellent president. A
Black man demonstrating excellence on a daily basis, in the highest
office in the land, will bolster our ambitions; and equally
important, it will soften the stereotypes of black people that still
infect much of American society. If a cynic can't see that bolstered
ambitions and the erosion of stereotypes are a major impact on the
Black Community, then I only have one question: What impact would a
McCain Presidency have had on our community?
Author Bio Noted African-American entrepreneur Roland Laird, co-author of Still
I Rise: A Graphic History of African Americans, is co-founder of
Posro Media, a Trenton, New Jersey-based company that
produced the comic book series MC Squared: A Man With a Serious
Game Plan and the syndicated comic strip The Griots. The
company has worked and continues to develop a number of animated and
documentary projects for film and television.
Black History and the Progression of the Black Community
By H. Lewis Smith
Candidly speaking, the need for a
black history month would
not exist if the American halls of academe did not use systematic
exploitation (past and present) to minimize exposure to
African-American history. The city school systems, colleges,
universities and the media are by-products of Eurocentric
educational philosophies. These systems were designed to teach
African Americans to learn, believe, and accept European values,
traditions, and habits, while at the same time promoting minimal
integration of Black culture.
Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1933 noted in “The Mis-Education of the
Negro”:
It was well understood that if by the teaching of history the white
man could be further assured of his superiority and the Negro could
be made to feel that he had always been a failure and that the
subjection of his will to some other race is necessary to freedman,
then, would still be a slave.
Dr. Woodson, the father of Black History Week, which later became
Black History Month, understood the ramifications and need for
blacks to retake control of their own destiny.
Many people appreciate the value of sharing black history—the good
and unfavorable aspects—and strongly support the ongoing study and
celebration of black history every day of the year. They understand
celebrating black history stretches well beyond just learning the
history of a peoples: history plays a significant role in
establishing a healthy mentality, molding one’s self-image and,
ultimately, the society.
Yet, others, and surprisingly some African Americans, are perfectly
content with celebrating black history only one time per year and
limiting the extent of knowledge shared: They see no further need
beyond the month of February to examine the black culture or
emphasize African and African-American contributions that
unequivocally helped shape and redesign America’s landscape.
Dismally, these proponents’ voices are seemingly growing louder.
Perhaps, African Americans who dismiss learning black history beyond
the minute amount of African-American history taught in school do
not realize or associate with a history beyond that. However, one
must beg the question of how can a black person—of any ethnic,
social, or cultural up-bringing—disassociate themselves with the
total scheme of black history—ranging from African history to
African-American accounts?
A “root” is defined as
the usually underground organ that lacks
buds or leaves ornodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant
to the ground; the place where something begins, where it springs
into being.
“Roots” are the condition of belonging to a particular place or
group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage. Whether
speaking in terms of a plant or cultural lineage, if a thing is removed from its anchor, its life source, it will
surely wither and die.
The very first generation of African Americans born on American soil
were born to captive Africans—the roots. An African-American
attempting to disassociate him/herself with African history will not
wither and die in a physical sense—at least not right away, but will
surely possess a warped and unsubstantial perspective of self.
White America’s linkage is Euro-centric, which they so proudly
relate and continue to build upon; Black America’s linkage is
Afro-centric. African history exudes a rich heritage of
innovation/inventiveness in the arts, agriculture, and medicine.
Europeans took the rich African traditions and practices; interwove
them into their own culture—treating them as their own; and
sumptuously benefited. The greatest irony in this entire situation
is that the very thing African Americans attempt to push as far from
them as possible—because the subject matter is not what they were
taught by American school systems, is the very thing that the Anglo
Saxon race smartly embraced. They realized the value of African
contributions; yet, some African descendants, in all of their
educated glory, do not care to learn or associate themselves with
these great people.
In large part, the African-American community is in a dire state of
repair and remains unable to break the vicious cycle of destruction
simply because many community members are subconsciously suffering
from an age-old case of identity crisis (identity isolation,
identity disarray—confusion, deficient self-awareness, or any
combination of the afore-mentioned). Many present-day African
Americans do not know, understand, or accept their true origin, the foundation, thus, have only an incomplete, misperceived,
or non-existent foundation to attempt to develop a healthy,
dignified self image. As a result, the African-American society
suffers from high imprisonment rates; blatant disrespect for one
another—calling one another by the n-word, degrading black women;
rampant drug addictions; poor or lacking education; and impoverished
neighborhoods.
With all said, one cannot
completely blame African
Americans for their current ideals and feelings of separation from
the African heritage. Although African Americans were not taught,
per se, to disassociate with the African heritage, they also were
not completely encouraged to research and learn about their
roots—this was not a subject of interest or lengthy discussion in
classrooms. However, one can explicitly attest that the decision to
remain “lost” or separated is completely the black person’s choice.
Some wise African Americans realize the mental manipulation
perpetuated against African Americans and are prepared to break the
generational curse of self-destruction brought about by poor or
inferior self images. An aged, yet highly relevant, proverb says
that one must know where they “came from” to know where they are
headed. In order for Black America to re-build and rectify our
broken community, we must share the common foundation of pride,
self-dignity, service, and the relentless spirit of our
forefathers. By its very definition, the word “black” extends far
beyond the boundaries of American history. We must cross the waters
though books, in spirit, and even physically, to the great mother
land to learn our lineage and reconnect to our foundation.
Only until we own a firm understanding, or awareness, of all of
those elements that comprise self can we mold an unmistaken
self-perspective as well as understanding of the world around us and
its intricacies. Black History Month serves as a vehicle towards
this end, but should not, and must not, be limited to just American
history. As well, the study of black history should be performed
year round. African Americans can no longer wait to be spoon-fed
black history—it has not happened over the past few hundred years,
and it likely will not happen any time soon.
In the spirit of change, confidence, and self-sufficiency that has
breathed breath back into our community, African Americans must
independently pursue all avenues necessary to shed light on its
obscure past and impart this knowledge on a daily basis. Allowing
others to deceptively define who we are in their own time—once per
year—and on their own accounts—sharing partial information with
blacks—is totally unacceptable.
I
challenge each African American to begin researching their
roots—reading all types of literature about different types of black
people. I guarantee in your quest for knowledge, you will become a
more sound, aware, and grounded individual. You will unearth
unshakable compassion for your lost brothern, conviction for a
worthy cause, and strength to endure when you are weakest—the onset
of self awareness and moral character built on a true,
comprehensive, unwavering foundation of black history. In the end,
we will behold a more united and progressive African-American
community and society.
H. Lewis Smith is the founder and president of UVCC, the United
Voices for a Common Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A
Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word and a writer for New
England Informer Online. Visit UVCC online at
www.theunitedvoices.com.
Dear Mr. President by Harold Bell
January 26, 2009
Dear Mr. President,
I thought it was a great gesture for the Inaugurate Committee to
invite the Tuskegee Airmen, the Little Rock Nine,
etc. There is also a mother and daughter living in the shadows of
the White House who were the early pioneers on the front lines of
the Civil Rights Movement. Due to an honest oversight by the
committee they were not invited. There are few who are aware of
The Thomas Circle.
Mr. President, your remarkable journey to the White House got its
start in Clarendon County a small town in South Carolina in 1949.
2009 marks the 50 year anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement
that has its roots in Clarendon and moved to Orangeburg, County
(1954). This movement was before Brown vs. Board of Education,
Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King’s March on
Washington and the sit-ins.
The Godfather of the movement was the Rev. Joseph DeLaine.
In 1949 he and friend Harry Briggs recruited a group of black
parents to march and protest segregated and unequal schools in the
county. Their actions brought about the Briggs vs Elliott
petition bearing the name of Harry Briggs. This petition was the
forerunner of the Brown vs. Board of Education. It was the
first petition to move to the Supreme Court. Several years later
four other cases would evolve into Brown vs. Board of Education
with Thurgood Marshall representing all plaintiffs.
Mr. President, as you well know in 1954 the U. S. Supreme Court
ruled segregation in public schools unconstitutional. Shortly after
this ruling the Klu Klux Klan in Clarendon County burned Rev.
DeLaine’s church to the ground. He and his family would flee for
their lives to New York City. Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt attended a rally in
Madison Square Garden with actress Tulalah Bankhead in honor
of Rev. DeLaine to show support.
With Rev. DeLaine exiled to New York City, the Klan thought they had
ended the fight for freedom in South Carolina but his neighbors
minutes away in Orangeburg County had his back.
Attorney Thurgood Marshall would later become an advisor to the
Orangeburg Freedom Fighters led by a “Dream Team” of
Civil Rights Leaders that included my father-in-law the late Dr.
Charles H. Thomas Jr. Dr. Thomas was a professor of Psychology
at South Carolina State University. He helped write the
blueprint for the boycotts, and coordinated the marches. His wife
Elease and five children were all involved. His brother Milbren and
sister-in-law Nancy were often seen on the picket lines. The Thomas
children, Hattie (my wife), Charlease, Loretta, Ann and Reggie were
regularly hauled off to jail. On several occasions Dr. Thomas had
to put up his house for collateral to get his children and other
students out of jail. The Thomas Circle as it is known today
was definitely a family affair.
In the aftermath (1968) three South Carolina State students were
shot and killed by highway patrolmen on their campus. The real
heroes of the movement were Samuel Hammond, Henry Smith and
Delano Middleton they gave their lives. They are gone but
not forgotten.
Dr. Thomas was the President of the local chapter of the NAACP
and started and founded the voter registration drive for the state
of South Carolina. He was voted into the Black South Carolina
Hall of Fame in 2005.
No Man Is Too Tall To Stoop To Help A Child
Mr. President, I just wanted you to know that Dr. Thomas’ wife
Elease (90), daughter Hattie and son Charles III are your neighbors
living on the Pennsylvania Avenue corridor (Suitand, Md.). Black
History Month is just around the corner and we must not wait for
others to keep our history. Kids In Trouble, Inc. will hold its 5th
annual Black History forum in February. I will use this opportunity
to honor The Thomas Circle and other unsung heroes who put
their lives on the line during that movement. We would greatly
appreciate it if you would write a short note to Mrs. Thomas
thanking her and her late husband and their children for the
sacrifices made on our behalf.
Mr. President, I am a 6th generation Washingtonian. My
great-grandfather Alfred Johnson Tyler laid the first brick to build
historical Mount Airy Baptist Church in 1893. The church is
located at North Capitol and L Streets NW, a stone’s throw from the
U.S. Capitol. The Tyler House built for low-income residents is
named after my great-uncle the Rev. Earl Tyler. The
apartment complex is located one block north of the church at North
Capitol and New York Avenue NW. Community service has been a way of
life for me because of the community commitment made by my ancestors
over one hundred years ago.
A man without a history is a man without a future. History has been
on my side. My success in the community and as a radio sports talk
show pioneer is a result of my ancestors’ “Footprints in the
Sand.”
Mr. President, it was 40 years ago this year that I stood in the
Oval Office with President Richard M. Nixon, Attorney General
William Rogers and my wife Hattie. I entered the Oval Office
through the proverbial “backdoor.” I caddied for the
President and Attorney General while a student/athlete at Spingarn
High School here in DC. It was there I made a pledge to the
President that I would continue my work with at-risk children, forty
years later I am still in the war zones of this city trying to save
one child at a time.
Kids In Trouble, Inc.,
and the ORIGINALInside Sports combined for the
past 40 years have touched thousands of at-risk children without the
benefit of loans, grants, government assistance or deep pockets
(smile).
The KIT toy party has provided toys and clothes for an average of
100 children each year since 1968. In December 2008 Hattie and I
celebrated 40 years of marriage and 40 years of Christmas toy
parties for needy elementary school children. We renewed our
wedding vows and brought the curtain down (final) on the toy party.
We are living proof that community service can change children’s
lives. The benefactors of the programs read like a Who’s Who.
Last year an old friend and I were talking and he said, “Harold
if you were white youwould be a millionaire.” Gene
Kilroy is white and a former confidant of Muhammad Ali. He is now
the Public Relations Director for the new Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas.
My response was "Gene the cost of being a millionaire was much
too high. My peace of mind was and is not for sale."
Mr. President, the financial rewards have been far and few but the
spiritual rewards have been unlimited.
In closing, I would like towelcome you to the neighborhood.
We need you more than you need us. Hope is what you bring and hope
is what our children need. Your call to Community Service
could not have been timelier. We will see change only when we
change the minds and attitudes on the many who have been left
behind. We wish you and Michelle 40+ and a great run through this
Game called Life! God bless you and your family.
By Roland Laird Author of Still I Rise: A
Graphic History of African Americans
After Barack Obama won the presidential election I found myself in
conversations with White people who were beside themselves. In their
minds the election of a Black president meant that we had truly
entered Dr. King's dream and America had become a nation where
people are not "judged by the color of their skin but by the content
of their character." Somehow on November 4th we had become a
so-called "post-racial society." But my Black friends and I are
having none of it. We view the Obama Presidency as promising, but
believe racism is alive and well and still a major factor in
American life.
Now there's no denying that a great deal of people, Black and White,
are optimistic about the Obama Presidency. But I believe that the
source of the respective optimism comes from different places. For
instance, here are two of the many text messages from Black friends
that I received soon after Obama was projected as the winner of the
election:
"Rosa sat so Martin could walk. Martin walked so Obama could run.
Obama ran so we can fly."
"They didn't want to give us our 40 acres and a mule, so we took 50
states and a White House."
I doubt White people were sending those types of text messages to
one another on November 4th, and all joking aside both messages
speak volumes about the way Black people perceive the "post-racial
society."
Meanwhile, I believe the reaction of
fair-minded White people to the Obama election falls into one of two
categories. Either they think, "Obama represents a new day, and it
shows that racism is not a major factor in the everyday lives of
Black people." Or they believe that, "Obama's election doesn't mean
the end of racism, but it does mean that Blacks and Whites can work
more closely together to completely end racial injustice in American
Society."
Though the first thought is a noble one, it's wildly naive. On the
other hand, I believe the second reaction to be an accurate
assessment of things -- as long as you take a 500 foot view. Things
get messier, however, as you get to ground level.
Historically, from the Abolitionist movement of the 1800's through
the Civil Rights movement of the 1960's, there have been significant
examples of Blacks and Whites working together to make America a
fairer place, but those efforts dealt primarily within the
legislative realm. The notion being that once Black people were
given the same opportunities as White people, all would be peaches
and cream. The Obama Presidency is actually the zenith of this line
of thinking. Yet if you go to numerous low-income Black communities
today there remain a myriad of problems.
The post-racial mindset that the Obama team
seems to be projecting is that the problems befalling low-income
Black communities needn't be addressed as "race" problems. In his
now famous "A More Perfect Union" speech, Obama said, "It requires
all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the
expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and
education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help
all of America prosper."
I believe Obama's speech was designed to be uplifting for the
post-racial era and for the purposes of the campaign it was. The
problem is it didn't address the fact that Black people and White
people have different narratives in America. If as Obama says, we
want to invest in the education of black and brown and white
children we have to acknowledge that culturally these children may
have different needs.
Our book, Still I Rise: A Graphic History of African-Americans is
a good primer on the struggles and victories of Black people in
America and does so, I believe, without being divisive. In our book
we make mention of a gentleman named Carter G. Woodson author of The
Mis-Education of The Negro. In this classic book published in
1933, Woodson maintains that Black children in America aren't taught
African American (then Negro) history and as such are educated
solely in White culture and to be dependent on White people. Now
this is arguably an overgeneralization but Woodson's book does
resonate with many Black people and his book raises interesting
questions. However, in the post-racial era, as posited by some,
books like Woodson's or "Breaking the Chains of Psychological
Slavery" by Na'im Akbar may be pushed further to the margins because
they could be deemed divisive or outdated. After all, "Obama is now
President, you can do anything you want" is the post-racial mindset.
For me such a mindset is harmful.
A story: my wife Taneshia is the Executive Director of the Trenton
Downtown Association and each year TDA celebrates Trenton, New
Jersey's storied history as the turning point of the Revolution War
with an event called "Patriot's Week". This year, in acknowledgement
of the pending Obama presidency, Taneshia commissioned four Black
men, all dressed in colonial garb, to read the Declaration of
Independence. It was a powerful image especially since at the time
of the Revolution just like the rebel colonialists people of African
descent also sought independence from their oppressors. It was well
received by those in attendance but Taneshia was asked by a covering
media reporter, "Why did you choose to emphasize that all the
readers were Black?" The reporter followed up by saying that we're
in a post-racial society and the Obama election was about our
commonalities not our racial differences.
To me that demonstrates the paradox of the "post-racial era"
thinking. Despite the sincere optimism many White people think it
means that when we work together to solve some of societies daunting
problems we no longer need to speak explicitly about race. Whereas
to many Black people it means we can speak more openly about race
and how we can use our experiences and narratives to turnaround many
of the problems in our communities.
The next four years should tell us which perspective prevails.
Author Bio Noted African-American entrepreneur Roland
Laird, co-author of Still I Rise: A
Graphic History of African Americans, is
co-founder of Posro Media, a Trenton, New Jersey-based company that
produced the comic book series MC Squared: A Man With a Serious
Game Plan and the syndicated comic strip The Griots. The
company has worked and continues to develop a number of animated and
documentary projects for film and television.
Smokey Robinson’s (Simon and Garfunkel) rendition of
“Has Anybody
Here Seen My Old Friend Abraham” the song seems appropriate as
we head into 2009. The words, “Has anybody here seen my old
friends Abraham, Martin and John can you tell me where they have
gone? They freed a whole lot of people but the good die young. I
look around and they are gone, gone, gone!”
Smokey, they have been replaced by crooks on The Hill and Pimps in
the Pulpit.
We are observing Rev. Martin Luther King’s birthday, the swearing in
of America’s first Black President and Black History Month in
February. I want to use the word celebration very discreetly because
there is not a whole lot to celebrate in the black community. There
is not much need for White America to jump for joy thanks to “White Collar Crime.”
White Collar Crime is a law written into the law books to protect
White Men in America from jail time. Seldom does one go to jail when
these crimes are committed by them. They are usually put under House
Arrest and ordered to wear an ankle bracelet instead of handcuffs.
Bernie Madoff ripped investors off for over 50 billion dollars and
still he is allowed to live in his New York City Penthouse apartment
until his day in court. He cost investors their life savings and a
lost of their homes. One committed suicide by jumping out of his
office window.
Madoff was the benefactor of the White Collar Crime law. Don King
would say “Only in America.”
“Black Collar Crimes”
run the gamut and includes DWB (driving while black). Those crimes
now include, Hispanics, Muslims, Iranians, Indians and anyone else
who is a darker shade of pale. Racism in America is alive and well
despite what you see or hear on February 20, 2009. We must remember
that 57 million voted against Barack Obama. Despite those alarming
statistics I see the glass as half-full instead of half-empty.
The White Collar Criminals are given billion dollar bailouts (Banks
and the auto industry). These actions give a lot of credence to
“When White America catches a cold, Black America catches
pneumonia.”
Black folks who have forgotten who they are and where they came from
try to separate themselves from other blacks who are down trodden
and poor. We come up with our own little segregated clubs and
housing communities (Jack and Jill, Deltas, Gold Coast, Wood Moore
estates, Mitchellville, Largo, Oak Creek, etc.). The crooks,
swindlers, and murders will not be denied despite the gated
communities and security guards. The crimes that are being
committed in those communities are being committed by folks who look
like us. We can run but we can’t hide.
Some of the richest white folks in America live in Sacramento,
California foreclosure signs now dominate their landscape (many were
clients of Madoff). Foreclosure signs have the so-call elite
residents in the richest black county in America, Prince Georges
County running for cover.
Smokey Robinson sings,
“You loved the things Abraham, Martin and
John stood for and didn’t they try to find some good for you and me.
Someday we will be free---someday soon.” In Black America we
are still singing forty years after Martin ‘We Shall Over Come.’
Please don’t count on that day being January 20, 2009.
If you think a change has come do I have some bad news for you,
Barack Obama is a part of the solution but he is not the answer.
While we celebrate the Man and the office of the President of the
United States we must remember he has a lot in common with black
coaches and managers who are only hired when pro teams hit rock
bottom. America has hit rock bottom and it is no coincidence that we
have our first Black President. We wish him well and remember Bush
did not leave him a rose garden, for example:
The Education of black men and boys in America, in a recent report out
of Chicago (Black Star Project) it says, only three of 100 black
boys earn a college degree by age 26. Only 22% of black males who
begin a four year college graduate in 6 years. Only 69% of black
children in America read above the 4th grade level compared to 29%
of white children. A 17 year old black student has the reading skill
and math scores of a 14 year old white student. Only 7% of black
eight graders perform math at their grade level. If education is
the barometer that creates an even playing field black men in
America will be two touchdowns behind before the kick-off. At
comparable education levels black men earn 67% of what white men
earn. A white man with a high school diploma will more likely earn
as much or more than a black man with a college degree. There goes
the even playing field.
In 2003 in New York City only 51% of non-institutionalized black men
between the ages of 16 to 64 were employed vs. 75% of white men and
65% of Latino men, in Chicago only 47% of non-institutionalized
black men were employed.
Crime and Punishment of black men and boys in America,
murders of black males between the ages of 14-17 from 2000-2007 rose
40%. During the same period murders by black males between the ages
of 14-17 rose 38%. In 2001 the chances of going to prison were
highest among black males (32%), Hispanic (17%) and lowest among
white males (5.9%). Not only are black males down by 14 points
before the game starts but the field is tilted up when they have the
ball on offense. Very little has changed since the slave ships
brought us to America over 400 years ago. Racism has a new dress
and new suit but it has not changed its’ under garments. There is
little wonder why Black Men In America who make up only 12%
of the American population are 45% of the prison population.
The new President’s hero is guess who? How about
Abraham Lincoln!
Black College Coaches on White College Campuses
President Barack Obama can have an immediate impact in the
unemployment line of Division One college football. The
unemployment line for black coaches has read “No vacancies”
for the past several decades. In the meantime black athletes
dominate the money making venues of football and basketball. The
President Obama has made it known that he would like to see a
college football Division One play-off. How about hiring some black
football coaches first!
The most segregated institutions in America are a church on Sunday,
a pro sports franchise, a media press room at deadline and a
Division One College football stadium on Saturday afternoons. Black
college football coaches are as scarce as a brother lighting the
cross for a Klu Klux Klan rally in Mississippi. There are only eight
black head coaches in the 109 Division One institutions. I think it
is time for President Obama to ask “Where have all the black
coaches gone?”Black Men In America and Abraham Lincoln
are watching.
In
Pursuit of Equality: Sentiments Past and Present
By H.
Lewis Smith
As we
stand boldly and enthusiastically on the horizon of the year 2009, it
seems like only yesterday that the 1960s civil rights revolution took
full stride. The tumultuous and tremendous Civil Rights Movement
monumentally reconstructed America’s social and political scene to a
more inclusive and equal playing field, ushering in a new day of
opportunity and self-confidence for Black America.
The
increased levels of confidence among African Americans combined with the
shield of liberty, equality, and justice gave rise to a multitude of
remarkable achievements too numerous to mention in this brief article.
Any achievement ascertained by an African American today is a direct
result of the relentless efforts, significant struggles, and admirable
sacrifices of the civil rights freedom fighters.
At this
time of year, most people reflect back on the events that took place
within that year. However, in light of President-elect Barack Obama’s tour de force, I would like to take this opportunity to
appropriately reflect back over a course in time to history-altering
events that forged the trail for this historical moment in
African-American history.
Back in
1973 the greatly accomplished and progressive Thomas J. “Tom” Bradley
was elected as the first, and to date the only, African-American mayor
of Los Angeles. Throughout his five-term tenure (20 years) as mayor,
Bradley led and navigated Los Angeles through a series of detrimental
issues—including the first energy crisis of 1973-1974. The crisis
prompted the mayor to develop a program that not only positioned Los
Angeles as the leader in energy conservation, but also dubbed LA the
"solar city of America.”
Although sensitive to environmental concerns, Bradley was also an
aggressive executive who encouraged economic development and private
investment in his city. He contributed tremendously to the financial
success of the city by undertaking initiatives to support technology
development, improve public transportation, control freeway
construction, and vitalize the city's core. Bradley made national
headlines when he won for Los Angeles the privilege of hosting the 1984
summer Olympic Games and played the role of official host; this effort
increased the city’s publicity, visitorship, and helped revitalize the
city’s flailing economy.
Mr.
Bradley’s political ideology was well-accepted across a myriad of racial
groups. He managed to maintain the support of a coalition of Blacks,
Jews, Latinos, and liberals. His progressive endeavors opened up more
city jobs for minorities than any previous mayor. As well, Mayor Bradley
incorporated business fundamentals into city operations, realizing that
the city could function as a well-oiled machine if it was treated as
such. For a period, Los Angeles was viewed as a model of racial
co-operation and partnership between the business community and the
public sector.
Although other great leaders occupied the Mayor of Los Angeles role
prior to and succeeding Mayor Bradley’s reign, he left a legacy—lasting
impression—yet to be surpassed by any other person in that office. Mr.
Bradley was widely recognized for his business savvy, leadership,
progressive nature, and calming, reassuring temperament.
During
Bradley’s tenure, Angelenos were uncertain of what to expect from him;
as with today, the American people do not know what to anticipate from
President-elect Barack Obama. However, to assuredly calm one’s
anxieties, one only has to look back and consider the success of the
inaugural African-American mayor of Los Angeles.
Need
more re-assurance? Edward Brooke became the first African-American
Senator since Reconstruction, 1966–1979. Carol Mosely Braun was the
first black woman Senator serving from 1992–1998 for the state of
Illinois. The first black female U.S. Representative was Shirley
Chisholm, Congresswoman for New York from 1969–1983. L. Douglas Wilder,
Governor of Virginia, 1990–1994. U.S. Secretary of State Gen. Colin
Powell, 2001–2004. The first black female Secretary of State was
Condoleezza Rice, 2005–current. All of these people accomplished firsts
and performed exceptional jobs in each of their roles.
Unfortunately, intertwined among these extraordinary high fliers and
attainments is another stark reality: Black America’s dark side—the
unrelenting desire to self-destruct. The negative sides of hip-hop and
entertainment has played prominent roles in promoting crime, drugs,
violence, misogyny, cultural disrespect, and, of course, the use of the
demonic n-word.
The
collective African-American community can no longer allow executive
America (black and white) to blatantly disrespect and dishonor the
African-American race through the likes of some African-American rappers
and comedians, or “black puppets.” For instance, Black comedian D.L
Hughley is on record supporting and agreeing with Don Imus’ opinion that
black women are “nappy head ho’s”; instead of being held accountablefor this outright act of stupidity and degradation, he was selected
by the NAACP to host one of their awards shows.
For
more than 25 years, ministers, political and civil rights leaders, and
celebrities—influential figures—sat bound, muted, and blind by their own
rights as the negative elements of the hip-hop culture and entertainment
world conditioned an entire generation of black youth for
self-destruction. If the black community is to re-build and present a
unified, serious stand, influential African-American organizations and
people must stop half-stepping and truly lead by example. Simply holding
burials for the n-word or placing sensor labels on CD covers is not
enough. All of Black America must move from an apathetic, indifferent,
or victimized mindset to an active, self-help role in American matters.
We must voice our concerns when we feel our community is being
wronged—within or without—and hold ALL accountable for their actions.
Many
strides and achievements have been made to resurrecting the
African-American community into the prideful, heritage-filled, and
intelligent community our ancestors dreamt of and fought religiously to
one day attain. The soon-to-come January 20, 2009, inauguration of the
first African-American president of the United States is another great
step ahead forged in the trail of liberty, equality, and justice for
African Americans.
However, the ills that currently plague the African-American community
will not self-correct, as many African Americans may believe, due to
having a black man in the chief office. To the contrary, President-elect
Barack Obama will only be able to avail so much opportunity within the
power of his authority. To correct the state of Black America, each
African American must step up to the plate and take advantage of the
opportunities presented.
From
the day of inauguration, all races will look on to see whether Black
America runs freely with the opportunity afforded it or remain a
complacent people on the whole. African Americans fought and prayed
without ceasing, other African Americans undoubtedly sacrificed their
lives, and still others fiercely treaded unsafe and turbulent political
grounds to arrive at this monumental moment in black history. At best,
we have finally received the very thing we asked for—the chance at equal
opportunity. If we, today, do not become active guardians of and
servants within our black community, the election of President-elect
Obama will be just another significant milestone in the saga of the
African-American’s pursuit of equality.
The
African-American community must accept this magnificent moment in
history as our calling to rise up and make Black America the dignified,
solid, and self-sufficient society we were always destined to become.
H. Lewis Smith is the founder and president of UVCC, the
United Voices for a Common Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A
Scandalous Love Affair with the N-Word. Visit UVCC online at
http://www.theunitedvoices.com.
THE THOMAS CIRCLE: CIVIL RIGHTS A FAMILY AFFAIR!
By Harold Bell
Pioneers: Dr. Charles H. Thomas Jr. wife Elease and daughter Hattie
There is a little known black history fact as it relates to the bravery
of black South Carolinians. They created America’s first civil rights
movement. The pictorial history can be found of the movement in the
book “Out of the Box in Dixie” photographed and chronicled by
civil rights famed photographer Cecil J. Williams
(www.freedomjusticesimages.com).
The book clearly shows the modern day movement started in Clarendon,
South Carolina long before Brown vs. Board of Education, Montgomery
Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King’s March on Washington,
and the lunch counter sit-ins.
Author
Cecil Williams is a first cousin of Dr. Charles H
Thomas, Jr. Dr. Thomas was one of the leaders of the movement when
it moved from Clarendon to Orangeburg, South Carolina in the 50’s.
Cecil was still in high school but was armed with a camera and he would
travel.
The Godfather of the civil rights movement was a brother by the name of
Rev. Joseph DeLaine. In 1949, Rev. DeLaine and friend Harry
Briggs organized a group of parents in Clarendon and formed a picket
line and challenged school desegregation in the county.
Rev.
Joseph DeLaine (Clarendon County, S. C.) and Dr. Charles H. Thomas Jr.
(Orangeburg, S. C.), Godfathers of the Civil Rights Movement. Rev.
DeLaine led the first fight to desegregate schools and Dr. Thomas
founded and started the first voter registration drive in the state
(Photos by Cecil J. Williams)
The Briggs vs. Elliott
petition bearing Harry Briggs’ name was the forerunner of Brown vs.
Board of Education. Their challenge was the first to move to the
Supreme Court. Several years later four other cases would evolve into
Brown vs. Board of Education. Famed civil rights attorney
Thurgood Marshall would represent the plaintiffs.
In 1954 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled segregation in public schools
unconstitutional. My Spingarn high school basketball teammate the late
Spotswood Bolling would be the lead plaintiff in integrating the DC
Public School system (Bolling vs. Board of Education).
We thank Harry Briggs and Rev. DeLaine for their sacrifices and courage
against all odds.
The white folks of Clarendon County also thanked Rev. DeLaine by burning
his church to the ground. He would later have to flee for his life to
New York City. The Clarendon County police took out a warrant for his
arrest after he returned gun fire defending his family and home from
members of the Klu Klux Klan.
In New York City in 1956 the First Lady of the United States
Eleanor
Roosevelt the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt
attended a rally on behalf of Rev. DeLaine at Madison Square Garden with
actress Tulalah Bankhead.
With Rev. DeLaine exiled to New York City the Clarendon County Klan
thought they ended the fight for freedom in South Carolina but his
neighbors in Orangeburg County had his back.
Attorney
Thurgood Marshall would become an advisor to the
Orangeburg freedom fighters led by a “Dream Team” of civil rights
leaders that included members of the NAACP, clergy, and the late Dr.
Charles H. Thomas, Jr., a Professor of Psychology at South
Carolina State University.Thurgood Marshall would go on to
become the first black judge to be seated on the Supreme Court.
During one student uprising the Orangeburg County police swooped down on
protesters and locked up over 350 students. They were held in an
outdoor jail like stockade, it reminded many of Nazi Germany. The New
York Times published a front page picture of students in the stockade.
Dr. Thomas and the entire Thomas clan were on the front lines of the
civil rights movement. The Thomas Family without a doubt was the “First
Family of Civil Rights” in Orangeburg County.
On several occasions Dr. Thomas had to put up his house for collateral
to get his children and other students out of jail. It was the norm for
Atty. Mathew Perry to be summoned to get Hattie, Charlese,
Loretta and Reggie all out of the Orangeburg County jail. Cops and
judges knew the Thomas’ by their family name.
It was definitely a family affair. The family participation included Dr.
Thomas’ sister-in-law Nancy and brother Milbren. They could be seen protecting
his back on the picket line during marches in downtown Orangeburg.
Future sons-in-law student Weldon Hammond and Professor Robert Louis Stevenson were also pains in the ass.
Ann Thomas Riley the youngest daughter would be one of the first blacks
to integrate the Orangeburg all white high school and Harold Riley her
husband was one the students shot during the “Orangeburg Massacre.”
School teacher
Gloria Rackley was another important member of the
Thomas clan she was known to the family as Aunt Gloria. She was a true
warrior where ever you saw the Thomas clan she was just a step behind.
Her ties were so strong to the family and the NAACP the Orangeburg
County school system threatened her with dismissal if she did not cut
her ties. She walked away and continued to fight. When Charlese was
arrested the cops tried to separate her from the rest of the protesters
because she was Dr. Thomas’ daughter. It was Gloria Rackley who got
between her and the cops and said “no way.” Gloria’s daughter Lurma
would later become the Press Secretary for DC Mayor Marion Barry.
The fight for civil rights got so intense in Orangeburg the Rev. Martin
Luther King (insert) made his presence known at a rally as a spectator
in January 1963. This was just months before his now famous March on
Washington.
Dr. Thomas would later take over the reins as President of the local
chapter of the NAACP. His advisor and right hand was Attorney Mathew
Perry. Attorney Perry would show up in a courtroom and the white judges
would immediately take a bathroom break and sometimes would not come
back. Attorney Perry would go on to become the first black judge to be
seated on the South Carolina Court of Appears.
Dr. Thomas started and founded voter registration for the entire state
of South Carolina. He was definitely a pain in the ass for white folks
and the Uncle Toms in Orangeburg. The white folks had their “House
Negroes” who would sit in on the strategy meetings and report the
upcoming plans to their white bosses. It got so bad Dr. Thomas and the
other coordinators of the marches and boycotts had to have two
meetings. The first meeting they would give out misleading information
and plans for the House Negroes to carry back to their bosses. The
second meeting would be held to discuss the true plan.
The Orangeburg Massacre was the worst murder of students on an
educational institution in the history of this country (including Kent
State). White law-enforcement would lead Claflin and South Carolina
State students on peaceful daylight marches to downtown Orangeburg but
under the cover of darkness they became deadly assassins. In 1968
highway patrolmen and local cops shot and killed three students and
wounded several more. These hideous acts were carried out without
provocation on the campus of South Carolina State University.
On that fateful night students were first participating in a peaceful
march and demonstration at a local segregated bowling alley just off
campus. There might have been some naming calling among the student
directed toward law-enforcement. The cops evidently took it personal
and without warning started shooting in the direction of the students
who retreated to their campus. When the smoke had cleared three
students were dead. The cops claimed they were fired on first and forty
years later they have yet to come up with a smoking gun. In 2009
despite a black man headed for the White House there is still Justice
and Just-Us in America!
I read a story titled
“The Morning After” in the Washington Post
written by black columnist Eugene Robinson. The story related to
the election of America’s first Black President, I almost brought up my
breakfast of grits, eggs and sausage. Robinson was interviewing Georgia
Democrat and civil rights icon John Lewis and said something like “I
think John Lewis is one of the most courageous men of the civil rights
crusade. I thought of the beating he took on the Pettis Edmond Bridge
and the scars his body still bears.” What makes Robinson’s observation
so ridiculous is the fact that this brother has roots in Orangeburg,
South Carolina. His father taught at Claflin University
during the height of the civil rights crusade and he does not have a
clue. The struggles of the pioneers in Clarendon and Orangeburg
counties were never mentioned in his column.
The real heroes of the civil rights crusade were young black men like
the three brothers who made the ultimate sacrifice, they gave their
lives. John Lewis’ contributions are commendable but they are pale in
comparison.
Highway Patrolmen stand over the fallen bodies of two students
Delano Middleton, Samuel Hammond
and Henry Smith died like animals with white cops standing over
them with guns pointed and yelling “Die nigger die” and they did. No
man or woman in America should ever have to die like that and for Eugene Robinson not to be aware of the sacrifices of those young men
is another crime in the black community. But there he is in the
Washington Post and on National television every week claiming to an
expert on the Black America.
In the State Capitol of Columbia South Carolina there stands a tall
imposing stature of a man who stood and still stands for white
supremacy---the late Senator Strom Thurmond.
During daylight hours he was seen preaching hate niggers and at night he
was sleeping with one. He fathered a black child out of wedlock and
unlike some deadbeat dads he made sure she was properly cared for and
received a good education. She was enrolled at South Carolina State
where he would often visit her to make sure the hired hands were doing
their job properly.
Dr. Thomas and Senator Thurmond had several eyeball to eyeball
confrontations during the movement. They would later become great
friends out of respect for each other.
When Dr. Thomas decided that he had enough of the “Player Haters” and
envy and jealous Negroes in Orangeburg he moved to DC. It was Strom
Thurmond who recommended him for a Presidential appointment to the
Richard Nixon White House. Dr. Thomas would accept an appointment to
become the Director of Equal Opportunity for the United States Post
Office.
Thanks to Dr. Thomas,
Senator Thurmond and I became fast friends
and he became a big supporter of Kids In Trouble, Inc. One Christmas he
assigned his office staff to help me coordinate my toys for tots
Christmas party and wrote several letters of reference for me.
Soon
Barack Obama will take his rightful place as the 44th
President of the United of America. There will be a lot of people who
will claim they helped lay the ground work for this historical moment in
American history. In my research for this story I discovered there was
one person who claimed he was involved in the Orangeburg civil rights
movement but the evidence said otherwise. Congressman James Clyburn and
his family (father a minister) did not participate. There are no photos
of him marching and demonstrating in student coordinated outings. There
are no records of him ever being arrested and organizers cannot verify
his claims of being involved. The only thing that I could verify is
that he and his brother were students at South Carolina State during the
movement. Unless he can come up with something other than his word---he
is a fraud and wannabe.
Dr. Charles H. Thomas Jr.,
was inducted into the Black South Carolina Hall of Fame in 2005.
Congratulations to the trailblazing
Tuskegee Airmen and the Little Rock 9 who all received invitations to the swearing in of
President Barrack Obama. Someone dropped the ball when they failed to
invite The Thomas Circle.
Singing legend Sam Cooke had a concert in Columbia South Carolina during
the height of the movement. He performed in front of a segregated
audience. It is rumored that experience inspired him to write his
classic “A Change is going to come.”
Sam Cooke was a prophet:
A CHANGE DID COME
A CHANGE IN SENATOR STROM THURMOND
A CHANGE IN AMERICA
THE CHANGE-------BARRACK OBAMA
Family Reminder by Harold Bell
Former DC Cop
Sergeant Earl K. Bell. He was a U. S. Army
table tennis and heavyweight boxing champion, Munich, Germany.
In November 1993, I was in Hilton Head, South Carolina celebrating
Thanksgiving. On the morning of I received a telephone call from my
cousin Tommy Harrison (not a very bright guy) and he simply says
“Your mother is dead.”
My mother
Mattie E. Bell raised three boys virtually by
herself with a big assist from the matriarch of the Bell family, my
grandmother, Amy Tyler Bell. There were actually four of us
my older brother Alfred Robert Bell, Jr. was raised by
Grandma Bell. My grandmother took the responsibility of caring for
all four of us during our early years. Her son and my father Robert
Alfred Tyler Sr. was an original “Rolling Stone and Deadbeat Dad.”
My mother hailed from Sumter, South Carolina and moved to DC during
her early years to live with her cousins. She lost her parents at an
early age.
My father was a native Washingtonian and his grandfather
Alfred
Johnson Tyler laid the first brick to build historic Mount Airy
Baptist Church in 1893. The church is located at North Capitol & L
Streets in Northwest Washington, DC. My father’s uncle the Rev.
Earl Tyler followed his father into the pulpit. The Tyler
House named after him is located at North Capitol and New York
Avenue NW. It is an apartment complex for low-income DC residents.
Our family and the church were well known for its service to the
community.
As small children we often spent four to five evenings and nights in
church and all day Sunday. All of my aunts and uncles, Sara, June,
Helen, Ralph and Dwight were in the choir and sang like angels. My
father Alfred was a no-show. He sang and marched to his own
drummer.
My great uncle Rev. Tyler was a great preacher and orator,
Martin
Luther King had nothing on him. Grandma Bell sang in the choir,
played the organ, and kept the books and helped cook on Sundays for
after church dinner. Her hot rolls, biscuits and fried chicken would
put the Colonel and Popeye’s to shame! Sunday dinner was always
special at church and at Grandma’s House.
The sudden death of my mother left me numb for several hours. I
spent the day walking the Hilton Head beach remembering my “Warrior
Mother” a name NFL Legend Jim Brown gave her after he visited
her at Howard University Hospital. The name was fitting and it best
described my mom.
My grandmother and mother were my heroes and neither could run a
hundred yards in ten seconds or throw a football 75 yards in the
air. They led by example; they taught us to love and respect one
another and to say thank you and yes mother and no mother and the
most important thing, God is always in charge.
My brothers Earl, William (aka Billy, Puddin, Tyrik, etc.) and I
grew up in a housing project in NE DC. We knew nothing about being
poor and experienced very little racism in our community. Parkside
was not your typical housing project (Potomac Gardens, East Capitol
Street, Simple City, etc.) We lived in homes with front and
backyards, upstairs and downstairs. The best way to describe
Parkside, it was truly a “Village.”
“The Village”
consisted of four components, home, neighbors, playground and
school. Your development and first lessons of life were
learned in your home. Our neighbors were the ‘Good Cops and Bad
Cops’ depending on your behavior, the playgrounds were our home
away from home. The Playground Directors were our extended family
(babysitters, disciplinarians, teachers, coaches, etc.) and our
schools were truly ‘Safe Houses’ and the pillars of strength in our
community. We thought nothing of leaving our doors and windows open
from sunrise to sundown.
I remember one cop covering Spingarn and Phelps High Schools, Brown
Middle School and Charles Young Elementary on “The Hill” located at
24th and Benning Road NE. His name was Officer Ray Dixon.
I never heard him use a cuss word or pull his gun and we feared him!
He never had to radio “Policeman in trouble” he was always in
control. He could smell a crap and card game in the school while
walking the beat on Benning Road. We use have to take turns acting
as lookouts while playing our games of chance.
My mother caught hell trying to raise three high energy boys like
me, Earl and Billy all while trying to work a full time job at the
Government Accounting Office. She was a graduate of Cardozo High
School and used her typing experience to land her a good government
job. It was not long before she became a victim of “The last hired,
first fired” and lost her government job. With no work available
(sound familiar?) for someone who wanted to work she reluctantly
turned to ‘Welfare’ to feed her family. The little money she
received in her welfare check each month was barely getting us by.
Earl and I would carry groceries at the nearby Safeway and I would
also carry golf bags on the weekend. My brother Puddin was still
just a baby (I changed his diapers and Earl fixed his bottle). Eldridge "Sackie" Lee was my childhood friend and neighbor in
Parkside. When he learned of Puddin's death, he called to remind me
of how we were sitting on the curve in front of my house the day he
arrived by taxicab from the hospital with my mother.
My mother had an entrepreneurial spirit and was not one to sit
around and wait for the “handouts” to feed her family. She detested
the welfare snoops knocking on our door checking to see if there was
a man in the house. Mother was Donald Trump long before “The Donald” became famous on the Atlantic City Boardwalk. 715
Kenilworth Terrace became the number ONE after hours joint in the
Parkside community. She started out selling chicken, pig’s feet and
chili dinners on the weekends. The next phase would be selling
bootleg liquor and having card games like “piddy pat” and poker. She
would cut the winning hand twenty-five cents on every dollar won.
Mommy B as she would become affectionately known would add a Number
Book (now known as the lottery) to her money making machine. Mr. Billy Jackson who lived on Sheriff Road NE was her backer and
sponsor.
Mommy B’s financial success brought about envy and jealousy (family)
as we know it in the black community today. In the black community
any type of success makes you the enemy of the people. My mother’s
heart was as big as the neighborhood we lived in and anyone with a
down and out story could stop by 715 Kenilworth Terrace and get a
loan. She was so blessed she could dream a number one night and hit
it the next day or shortly there after.
I remember the early morning raids on our home and white cops taking
my mother out in handcuffs while Earl and I sit on the steps crying
our eyes out. Mother would look over at us and say “I am okay I will
be back to get you boys ready for church in the morning” and she
would. She would later explain to me after I got older that she was
paying the cops off but they still had to make a raid on our home
every now and then to cover up the payoff. Mommy B came by her
“Warrior” mentality the old fashion way, she earned it.
During her struggles Earl and I had become juvenile delinquents just
for the hell of it. It got so bad that my Brown Middle School Principal,William B. Stinson boldly predicted to my
mother on a school visit “Mrs. Bell, your son won’t live to get out
of high school.” He was close I was headed to hell in a hurry. I
thank my Spingarn High School Family led by Coach Dave Brown
who would become my mentor and father figure until his death. Mr.
Stinson is probably up on high smiling down on me. He has truly been
an inspiration.
My playground teachers,
Nick Turner, Bootsy Harris, Walter Brooks
and Jaky Mathews taught me the great fundamentals that
prepared me for my high school athletic success. I never played
organized Police Boys Club ball (only playground, backyard and
street ball).
When I entered the 10th grade at Spingarn High School I was playing
sports at a high level. I went there thinking I was the straw that
stirred the drink, but I had to wait my turn. There were some great
athletes ahead of me. The “55” Spingarn team had Noochie Green,
the greatest high school running back I have ever played with and
the greatest all-around athlete, Elmer Flye. We beat the
legendary QB Willie Wood and Armstrong High School that year.
The score was 13-7 for the East Division Inter-High title. Our next
opponent would be Cardozo for the DC Public High School
Championship, the final score was a 0-0 tie, but they won the right
to meet the Catholic High School Champions, St. John's. The
determining factor, they crossed our fifty-yard line more times then
we crossed theirs. Willie was easily the best high school QB in the
city. I was an unhappy camper I watched both games from the bench.
I would later go on to become an outstanding all-round athlete in my
own right. I started and starred in football, basketball and
baseball, but somewhere along the way I forgot they were all team
sports. My baseball coach, Mr. Leo Hill was the first to kick
me to the curve, football coach, Dave Brown, locked me on the
school bus during half-time of a game against rival Phelps and
basketball coach, Rev. William Roundtree did a Ray Charles
number on me and told me to “hit the road jack and don’t come back.”
Their message, “It was not all about me.”
My coaches taught me lessons that would later prepare me for the
Game Called Life. The lessons, no one was indispensable and there is
no “I” in team. It was lessons at that time I did not care to
learn. It was my way or the highway and too often it was the
highway.
When folks describe me as a “Great Athlete,” I beg to differ. I was
not a great athlete but I was an "Impact Athlete.” There were guys
who came out of my Parkside neighborhood I could not carry their
jock straps. My brothers Earl and Bobby were both better athletes
than me. I might have been a little more dedicated.
Unlike Parkside alumni
Maury Wills and Cecil Turner
(Los Angles Dodgers and Chicago Bears) the guys I grew up with never
got a chance to carry their skills on to the next level. Most played
the games just for fun never seriously thinking about higher
education or the pros.
My biggest asset as an athlete was that I could win or lose a game
for my team. I wanted the ball in my hands when the game was on the
line and that got me in a lot of trouble with my teammates and
coaches. My biggest problem was I never saw a pass I could not
catch, a base I could not steal or a basket I could not make. I
enjoyed being responsible for thrill of the win and the agony of
defeat. My mentality was if I lost a game I would just wait for the
next game and win it.
In 1957, while I was running down fly balls, shooting hoops and
catching touchdown passes my mother was having a mental breakdown
right before my eyes that I could not see. I finally noticed my
mother had been in bed for several days without eating. I became
concerned and asked our neighbor Mrs. Winnifred Powell a
registered nurse to come over and check her out. She immediately
called an ambulance. That was another great advantage about growing
up in the “Village.” Our neighbors were doctors, lawyers,
teachers, businessmen, etc. We were all in it together. I often
wonder where we lost our sense of community.
The next time I would see my mother she would be in a
straight-jacket at DC General Hospital. Mommy B would spend the next
30 years in and out of St. Elizabeth’s Hospital for the mentally
ill, group homes and nursing homes. She would never be alone I was
there every step of the way. I was in every emergency room hospital
making sure she was properly cared for. I was definitely “mommy’s
baby and daddy’s maybe.”
After my mother took ill (1957), the three brothers went off in
different directions. The registered nurse Mrs. Powell and her two
sons Sonny and Gaylord took Puddin into their home. Earl’s bad
behavior caught up with him and he was sent off to a juvenile
facility (reform school). I became homeless for the first time but I
found a “safe house” at Spingarn High School. The teachers and
coaches became my mentors and protectors. I would use my Aunt
Doretha’s car (she was an angel) to sleep at nights and hurry off to
school in the mornings.
I have also been the “go to guy” for my three brothers, Bobby, Earl
and Puddin. My success in the media and my contacts were often used
as vehicles for them to gain employment, or to bring about fair play
in their everyday lives. Bobby was a retired U. S. Marshall, Earl is
a retired DC cop (Sgt) and Billy was a kid in trouble before I got
him work as a photographer for legendary and notorious boxing
promoter Don King.
In August 1969, JET Magazine covered my visit to the White House. I
was there to be honored by President Richard Nixon for my
work with at-risk children and fighting juvenile crime. The story
also pointed out that my brother Earl was in Munich, Germany serving
in the U. S. Army. He was leading and fighting off-base racism
against black soldiers in downtown night clubs. The story hinted
that I was at the White House playing a "Uncle Tom" while my brother
Earl was putting his career and life on the line fighting racism
overseas. “Player Hating” in black media is and has always been off
the charts.
I was instrumental in getting my brothers their jobs and making sure
they held on to them after they got them. My friend, mentor and big
brother Luke C. Moore was the first black to head the U. S.
Marshall Service (President Nixon appointee). He was instrumental in
helping Bobby get his job. Earl after serving time in the Army as a
Military Policeman (MP), table tennis and heavyweight boxing
champion retuned home from Germany and decided he wanted to be a DC
cop. The system denied his application and held his juvenile record
against him. The act was unlawful. I turned to my friend Washington
Post columnist Bill Raspberry and asked him to investigate
and write about the slight. Immediately after the column appeared in
the paper Earl’s application was approved. I have never said “No” to
my brothers.
To understand my success in the “Game Called Life” you have to look
no further than the Bell/Tyler family history and the “Village” that
raised me. I had a sense about me that my ancestors were Kings and
Queens and not hoodlums and thugs as some young people think today.
They have no sense of their history and neither do some black
adults.
When my mother died suddenly in November 1993 I cried not because
she died I cried because I was not there. In November 1994, I was in
Hilton Head Island again celebrating Thanksgiving. I called home to
my friend Levi Coates to see what was new in DC. He paused
and said, “Your man Judge Luke Moore died of a heart attack in
Atlanta yesterday.” Luke was not only my mentor, big brother and
partner in the community, he had my back. I made 1994 the last time
going to Hilton Head for Thanksgiving.
In 2008, I lost two of my three brothers, my oldest, Bobby in July
(cancer) and my younger brother, Puddin in December (heart attack).
The sad part of this story is that before their deaths we were like
ships passing in the night living in the same town. It is rather
ironic I discovered that my brother Bobby was dying on December 22,
2007, while leaving Bob Evans Restaurant in Bowie, Md. after a Kids In Trouble, Inc., toy party. On December 22, 2008 one year
later we bury my brother Puddin. December 2008 would mark my last
toy party (cancelled because of death in the family).
I had not seen my brother Bobby since my mother’s death in 1993 and
my brother Puddin I had not spoken to him in over two years. Why,
envy and jealousy? I don’t have a clue and I am not going to sit
around my last few minutes left on this earth worrying about it.
Peace of mind is not for sale.
I am the last Bell Brother standing. My brother Earl is confined to
wheelchair at a VA Hospital in Richmond, Virginia. He suffered a
career ending automobile accident while on duty in 1978. His
accident was the result of an unscrupulous Assistant Police
Chief, Isacc Fullwood. Fullwood re-assigned him for discipline
reasons (trumped up charges) to the Police and Fire Clinic in SW DC.
Earl was reporting to his new assignment when he had a head on
accident on an icy Southern Ave and Suitland Parkway bridge. Two
weeks before the accident I had a meeting with Chief Fullwood at his
7th District HQ about the charges and he assured me that he had my
brother’s back and everything was okay, so much for integrity and
honesty among “Homeboys.” He is just another Player Hating brother
without any sense of history or fair play. Fullwood plays the “game
of life” like he played high school football---he was a second
stringer.
The “player hating” extents to family members who also have no sense
of history and have no history of their own, for example; when my
mother died and I was making funeral arrangements and decided to
give the eulogy. My cousin Charlita jumped up and down and claimed
it was not ethical. She claimed it was the Pastor’s responsibility!
I tried to explain to her the Pastor of the church (Mount Airy) did
not know my mother. There was no way I was going to allow someone to
give my mother’s eulogy who had not visited her in jail, or a
hospital or emergency room. Not one family member had contributed a
dollar toward her funeral costs nor did I ask for any assistance. I
was paying the cost to be the boss. My cousin’s side of the family
talked about me like I had a tail---always behind my back. Before my
older brother Bobby died his wife Azaline was calling me asking my
advice on his care in hospice and how she thought the insurance
company was ripping them off, etc. The funeral was held at Ebenezer
AME Church in Ft. Washington, MD. The program never listed that he
was survived by three brothers. This incident elevated “player
hating” to another level. Guess who showed up at my Brother’s
Puddin’s funeral in December? My sister-in-law Azaline and her
family were in attendance. They refused to recognize my brother in
life. Why the recognition in death?
The biggest family hypocrite is my cousin Charlita, she is the one
always waving a bible and talking Godly but seldom acting Godly. On
Monday December 15th I was visiting my brother Earl at the DC VA
Hospital checking on whether he was going to be home for Christmas.
I was surprised to discover he had been shipped out to the VA
Hospital in Richmond, Virginia four days earlier. I was not a happy
camper. Earl’s birthday falls on Christmas day. He had been in the
hospital for six months and he was looking forward to going home for
the holidays. I was hardly out of the hospital parking lot when I
received a frantic call on my cell phone from Charlita. She was very
incoherent so I pulled over to the curve and asked her to slow down
and tell me what was going on? It was then she said, “Puddin is
dead. He collapsed and had a heart attack while working out on a
treadmill. Could you go up to Walter ReedHospital and
identify him? Do you want me to meet you there?” My response was
“Yes.” I was on Georgia Avenue and only ten minutes away from the
hospital.
When I arrived at Walter Reed and made my way to the Emergency Room
I found my brother’s girlfriend Cynthia Harris and her family in
with him. She asked, “Do you want to spend a few minutes with him
alone?” I said, ‘No, everything is fine.’ Charlita would arrive
shortly thereafter. I agreed to sign papers letting Cynthia have
responsibility for my brother’s funeral arrangements. I was then
told by the Walter Reed medical staff to report to the DC Medical
Examiner’s Office the next morning for final instructions.
The meeting the next morning would take on another family crisis. I
now found that claiming my brother’s body--his two children from
hell. I had not seen or heard from them in at least five years. They
were on the run after stealing money and a credit card out of my
Aunt Doretha’s pocketbook. The credit card company would contact her
later that the two were caught trying to charge a $10,000 diamond
ring to her account. Now the two are standing in the Medical
Examiner’s office claiming their father’s body without a bucket to
pee in and a window to throw it out of! My brother had kicked them
both to the curve, and refuse to deal with them after the theft of
the credit card. I smelled hustle all over them (looking for money
in all the wrong places). When my brother’s girlfriend Cynthia
arrived I gave her the bad news and called Charlita. We decided that
if the children wanted to take the financial responsibility we would
turn everything over to them. I asked the question and they said “We
got it.” I headed out of the door and left Cynthia standing there
with them.
Cynthia would call me later that night crying and not making any
sense saying that the children didn’t have the finances to bury my
brother and were trying to hustle her. She had made them an offer to
pay for everything if they released his body. They were standing
firm and were holding out. She kept saying, “I don’t want his body
lying there in the morgue.” I advised her not to let them see that
she was upset and to wait them out (call their bluff). Since my
brother was of the Muslim faith there was the ritual of having him
washed down within 72 hours and buried. My advice to the girlfriend
worked and the two children from hell released the body three days
later (Friday). In the meantime my cousin Charlita decided not to
keep our agreement and keep me in the loop. She teamed up with
Cynthia and decided not to include me in the plans for the funeral
(obituary, family history, time, place, etc.). I discovered through
an e-mail from another one of the family devil advocate’s my cousin
Pat Waugh that plans for the funeral and burial had been set! I was
the last to know and left trying to figure out who had died and put
them in charge of my family?
The real kick in the teeth came when I read the Washington Post
obituary page on Sunday morning before the services. There was no
mention that William Sterling Bell aka Puddin, Billy, Tyrik, etc.
was survived by two brothers Harold Bell and Earl Bell. The names of
the two children from hell and girlfriend Cynthia Harris were
listed. This was all orchestrated by cousin Charlita who has had
enough personal problems to last her two life times. I could write
her life story and it would make a great horror movie. She and her
Sergeant at Arms, Pat Waugh would like to control the lives of
others when they can’t control their own. When her mother, son,
brother and two aunts died I minded my own family business and left
hers alone. I have discovered the hard way when black folks don’t
have a history of their own they don’t want others to have one. They
think they can diminish another’s history by leaving them out of
obituaries and the like. I have some news for them--Negroes get a
life and a history of your own. Please leave my history alone. My
family history will matter until my last breath and beyond!
1 John 4: 13, 14 and 15
Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. We know that we
have passed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who
does not love his brother abides in death. Whoever hates his brother
is a murder, and you know that no murder has eternal life abiding in
him.
A
CHRISTMAS STORY AND HISTORY LESSON: FROM MY CHURCH TO YOUR CHURCH!
By
Harold Bell
I would
like to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who took time
out of their busy schedules to be in attendance and participate in my
wife Hattie and my 40th wedding and 40th Kids
In Trouble, Inc. Toys for Tots anniversaries on Saturday December 6,
2008.
Everything was great despite the man-made obstacles we often face when
we try to do positive things in our community. The Devil was working,
but we let go and let God.
All
honorees were present and accounted for with the exception of WJLA TV 7
anchorwoman Maureen Bunyan. She had a cameraman assigned but for
some reason she was a no-show? That is not like Maureen to make a
commitment and not call or show up. We hope and pray she is okay. Stay
tuned!
We hope
there were lessons learned. The DVD video version of “Out
of the Box In Dixie” proved that the Civil Rights
movement started years before the Montgomery Bus Boycott, Rosa Parks,
March on Washington, Rev. Martin Luther King, Brown vs. Board of
Education, and the sit-ins. It was the bravery of Black South
Carolinians who created America’s first Civil Rights Movement (1949).
The Godfather of the movement was Rev. Joseph DeLaine from
Clarendon County, S. C. Hattie’s father Dr. Charles H. Thomas, Jr.
founded and started voter registration in the state of South Carolina.
He was inducted into the South Carolina Black Hall of Fame in 2005.
The
second lesson I learned a long time ago, major media is not interested
in positive images and programs coming out of the black community
(Maureen's heart and head were in the right place). Richard Nixon
once said, “The Press is the enemy.” He might have been on to
something.
In many
cases neither are some black folks interested in supporting positive
images and programs in our community, especially, those who think they
have made it and know it all. For example; check out the attendance at
the Tribute & Salute in a BLACK MEGAchurchlike Ebenezer that has a congregation of over 10,000. One
church official was heard telling a member of the congregation when
asked why the church was not promoting and supporting the program inside
the church, the so-called Christian’s response was, "This is not a
church event." I have always been under the impression that Church was
God's holy temple and not owned by the minister or some member of the
congregation.
There
is one thing you can say about Rev. Granger Browning and his
congregation--they are consistent. Ebenezer AME did the exact
same thing several years ago after opening up the church for a Kids
In Trouble, Inc. toys for tots benefit concert. He and his
congregation disappeared and he left us with an empty sanctuary, but I
believe in second chances. In 2009 the church will be celebrating its
25th Anniversary. I would love to be a fly on the wall and
see what it is they will be celebrating. I bet it has nothing to do
with God and everything to do with money. The horror stories coming out
of Ebenezer AME would make one think that they are in need of an
exorcism (someone call the nearest Priest)!
The
Player Haters
have taken over God's Churches. It is often said “'where there is God
there is also the devil.” If you are going to church today looking for
God you better take him with you.
Ebenezer is not alone; pimps are in the pulpit in every black community.
It has become increasingly difficult to tell the difference between a
whore house and a church. These are definitely not our Grandfather's
churches. My great-grandfather Alfred Johnson Tyler laid the
first brick to help build historic Mount Airy Baptist Church in
Washington, DC in 1893.
The
Tyler House
located at North Capitol and New York Ave is named after my great-uncle
the Rev. Earl Tyler. I know real church and real community
service when I see it. There are angels in the congregation at Ebenezer
but they are outnumbered by the devil’s disciples.
In
April 2008 I remember looking for a church home and encountered the
pastor of another Mega church, First Baptist Church of Glen Arden.
I bumped into Pastor John Jenkins at the Giant Food Store in
Bowie. I had become a big fan by watching him via television on Sunday
mornings. I stopped him and introduced myself and told him how much I
enjoyed his sermons on Sunday mornings. After several minutes into the
conversation he put his grocery bags down and asked to shake my hand
again. He explained he had been a big fan of my sports talk show
“Inside Sports” and indeed it was his pleasure to finally meet me.
We parted company with him saying, “You got to come to church one Sunday
morning.”
Before
meeting Pastor Jenkins I had been homeless for the second time since
high school. I lost my home in foreclosure after my sponsors of my
radio show the Maryland State Lottery and Coca-Cola
reneged on written contracts worth over $90,000. I would sleep in my
Aunt Doretha’s cold basement for several months (my senior year in high
school I slept in the same aunt’s cold car). I would later find an
apartment in Bowie thanks to my childhood friend Robert ‘Rabbit’
Bradshaw. Hard times did not disappear when I moved to Bowie. It
was difficult finding work in the profession that I loved, radio. I was
being “blackballed” by the same people who I help put in positions of
power (a story for my upcoming book “Inside Sports/Burning & Blowing
Up Bridges”).
I
eventually fell behind in my rent again and turned to Pastor Jenkins, he
loaned me $1,500 to catch up on my rent and other expenses. I
remember Pastor Jenkins asking me, “Harold what about later?” He knew
the $1,500 was just a “Band-Aid” on an open cut. I joined the church
several months later. I would accidently bump into Tom Pope one
day while visiting First Baptist of Glen Arden. Tom was the “HNIC”
of the Audio/Visual Department for the church.
Tom
Pope
was once an on air radio personality for many years at WHUR Radio
in DC. He worked in their news department. I knew Tom and his wife
Gwen and often visited them in their home in SE Washington. WHUR Radio
would later fire Tom and he would disappear without a trace. I would
run into him years later in downtown DC and he told me he had moved
south and started his own radio network. He asked me to standby for a
job opportunity. He disappeared again without a trace or word. The
next time I would see him would be years later in the hallway of First
Baptist of Glen Arden. He took me to a quiet place in the church to
talk and he would spill his guts on how his radio network had gone under
and how he had lost his home and all of his money. He decided to move
back to the DC area and it was here his wife Gwen would introduce him to
Pastor Jenkins. Tom warned me to be very careful that the congregation
at First Baptist was very “territorial.” I was suspicious of him
because of his recent actions as they related to me. His word never
really meant anything. He was really the “kettle calling the pot
black!” I would later discover he was a ‘Closet Player Hater.’
I quietly moved out and on after he gave me the run around on a DVD he
was making for me.
Pastor
Jenkins’ instincts were right in October of 2008. I would find myself 5
months behind in my rent. I would turn to the church again, this time
to Rev. Granger Browning. I met Rev. Browning during my radio
days at WUST. His uncle, Skink Browning was a legendary coach
and athlete out of North Carolina. Skink was an avid Inside Sports
listener. When Skink died I was asked to speak at his funeral, it was
here I met Rev. Browning. He was conducting church services at that
time out of Friendly High School. Now he has two functioning
churches on the same street.
In
1994, I knew when my sponsors, The Maryland State Lottery and Coca-Cola reneged on my contracts it was a political move to get me
off the air. The Maryland State Lottery had been one of my show’s
sponsors for over a decade. During that time I was the one and only
independent contractor.
In
1995, Rev. Browning had become one of the most prominent ministers in
Prince Georges’ County. Governor Parris Glendening was running
for re-election and he had to come through Ebenezer AME to return to the
State Capitol in Annapolis. The Governor’s Chief of staff Major
Riddick was a member of the Ebenezer congregation. I met with Rev.
Browning and his now former Chief Financial Officer my friend Walt
Ridley. I suggested that Rev. Browning draft a letter to the
Governor asking him to look into improprieties of my contract with the
Maryland Lottery. Rev. Browning agreed and it was a done deal.
It has
now been over a decade (July 13, 1998) since Rev. Browning wrote that
letter to Gov. Glendening. There was never any follow-up and he has yet
to give me an explanation of what transpired.
In
September 2008, I called Rev. Browning to arrange a meeting with him but
according to him he was going to be in and out of town for the next
month. He referred me to Bro. Melvin Clay a complete stranger
who knew me by name only. Bro. Clay as I first thought was a waste of
time. After reviewing my application for financial assistance he
decided I was eligible for $250.00. In the meantime he wanted to gossip
about his pastor and church business which did not interest me.
It was
back to the drawing board and I had to chase Rev. Browning down to let
him know how insulting Brother Clay’s offer was. We reached a
compromise when I suggested using the church for a fundraising benefit
using Kids In Trouble, Inc 40thToys for Tots
anniversary as the vehicle. He then suggested Walt Ridley as my
advocate for the church. I breathed a sigh of relief thinking at least
I will have someone working with me from the inside this time around.
Walt
and I surrounded ourselves with several trusted volunteers to assist
us. The Rev. John Edwards of the Christian Ministries Mission
Church in Clinton, Maryland came on board. Rev. Edwards and I have been
friends since high school. He was also a pioneering on air personality
at W-O-O-K Radio in DC. His on air name was “The Turk.”
John gave me my first opportunity to host and produce my own sports talk
show ‘Inside Sports’ in 1973.
Rev. Edwards
is not one to waste time and after two weeks of helping to
coordinate the fundraiser he met with his congregation of less than
25 and they decided to donate $4,000 to pay my back rent. Christian Ministries Mission Church became the little church
that could while Ebenezer with a congregation of over 10,000 could
not. Christian Ministries Mission proved it’s the heart and the
Godly spirit and not the size of the church that counts.
Pastor Carlos Williams
recently sold his house in rich Arundel County, Maryland and moved
his family into crime infested residence in the Trinidad section of
the city in northeast DC to help save lives and fight crime. If he
is expecting Pastor Jenkins and Rev. Browning to follow his lead he
will find himself lonelier then the Maytag repairman. There is no
way they are leaving their “safe houses and comfortable pulpits” to
save anybody.
Player-Hating
has become so perverse in the black community our neighborhoods have
become “The Wild, Wild West.” The Washington, DC and Prince George’s
County homicide rate for 2008 has been off the charts. Compare how many
white men were killed in DC and Prince George’s County compared to black
men killed. Police officers have even taken the law into their own
hands and have become the executioners in some jurisdictions (Prince
George’s County). A Prince George’s County Grand Jury recently
disbanded without an indictment in the jailhouse murder in the case of
accused cop-killer 19 year old Ronnie White. The crime was committed in
a confined area of the jail with a surveillance camera on site. Last
year Prince George’s County police officer Mario Chavez was traveling
twice the speed limit and driving drunk when he killed a 20 year old
University of Maryland student Brian Gray. After a year of
investigating the case State’s Atty. Glenn Ivey and his buddies gave
Officer Gray a speeding ticket and a warning. There was also the case
of a county officer following a Howard University student into Virginia
and shooting him to death for no apparent reason.
Remember Officer Keith Washington, Prince Georges County Executive’s
Jack Johnson former Deputy Director of Homeland Security, frat brother,
party go-fer, and chauffeur? Washington shot two furniture delivery men
in his home killing one without a motive or provocation. He claimed
they attacked him----his mistake one lived to call him a liar in court!
Washington is now serving 45 years in prison. Despite that one
conviction there is still justice and just-us in Prince Georges County
Police Department. The job had taken its toll on the mental and
physical health of Chief Melvin High he said “No Mas,” and quit.
The
greed and dishonesty of politicians like Congressmen William
Jefferson (D-La), Charlie Rangle (D-NY), and Prince George’s
County Executive Jack Johnson stuffing his pockets and making
“sweetheart” real estate deals for his after life. Then there is
Mayor James Walls, Jr. and Vice-Mayor Eddie Martin of
District Heights, Maryland, two nickel and dime politicians. The
30-year old Mayor was arrested in downtown DC this past summer for
soliciting sex from an undercover DC cop and his sidekick Martin is a
pathetic liar. These are the role models for our children, when do
voters say “Enough is enough?"
The
ministers and politicians see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil and
the media writes or report no evil in the morning newspapers and on the
evening 6 pm television news. The newspapers are asking you to pay more
for “Bad News.” Readers are switching to the Internet.
Player/Haters come in all shapes, forms and sizes in the black
community, for an example; like my friend boxing promoter Don King, my
last encounter with Atlantic City Boxing Chairman Larry Hazzard,
he said “Harold, Don King has nothing bad to say about you!” My
response, ‘How can you say something bad about someone who has done
nothing but support you during your entire controversial boxing career?’
AKA; Sugar Ray Leonard, John Thompson, Jim Brown, Cathy Hughes,
Michael Wilbon, Billy Hunter, James Brown, etc. they all sound like
distressed squealing pigs when the MAN has his foot up their ass and
treating them like niggers.
I know
because I have been a witness Up Close & Personal. Gene Kilroy
(Ali confidant) recently said to me ‘Harold if you were white you
would be a millionaire.’ Gene is absolutely right on the money, but
I have not seen a black ass or white ass worthy of me kissing up to
become a millionaire. Gene does not know, ‘the promises made and
never kept,’ as my friend Don King would say, Only
inBlack America Baby! The reasons Don King and company
don’t like other black folks is because they don’t like themselves (low
self-esteem). I make no excuses for being poor and black. I was born
black and I am financially poor because I have chosen not to sell myself
or my people out for a dollar bill. Freedom fighter Sojourner Truth
said it best, “If I could have convinced them that they were still
slaves I could have freed thousands more”----I know the feeling!
I am a
proud sixth generation Washingtonian and for the past 40+ years I have
been working in the war zones of my community. The lost of integrity
and honesty among politicians and ministers is the worst I have ever
seen. We are now honoring thieves and crooks with grants, loans, jobs
and they are wearing their jail time like a badge of honor. In the
meantime young people who have gone to college and received their
degrees are on the outside looking in.
But
like the song by McFadden & Whitehead says "Ain't No Stopping Us
Now!"
Barack
Obama will make history as the first elected black President of these
United States next month. His election reminds me of the NFL, NBA and
Major League Baseball hiring practices, they wait until they hit "Rock Bottom"
before they will give us an opportunity to play or manage in their
GAME!
America is on the verge of hitting rock bottom, welcome to the White
House Barack.
We
thank NFL Commissioners Roger Goodell (DC native) and David
Stern for sending a statement and a letter to be read to NFL Hall of
Fame player Willie Wood and NBA Hall of Fame player Dave Bing
during the Tribute. The letters honored both athletes for their
contributions to their sports and to their community. The letters were
read by Dave Aldridge (TBS) and Doug Williams, respectively.
Pro
Football Hall of Fame and Washington Redskin mascot Chief Zee
received the Willie Wood Citizenship Award named in his honor.
Willie Wood could not be in attendance, his oldest sister DeLoise died
several days before the program. Dave and Willie were the early
pioneers in pro sports with their early reach back efforts on behalf of
Kids In Trouble, Inc.
Kids
In Trouble, Inc. greatly appreciated the effort made by Dave and
Doug to be in attendance. They made the trip in by way of Detroit and
Tampa, Florida respectively. They didn’t have to be there. Their
presence made the stands and sacrifices taken by me worth it all.
Irreverence: The US Penal System vs. The African American
By H.
Lewis Smith
In
1991, Troy Anthony Davis was convicted of the 1989 murder of Mark A.
MacPhail, a Savannah police officer. On Tuesday, October 14, 2008, the
Supreme Court rejected appeals for the condemned Georgia Department of
Corrections 40-year-old inmate. The execution date was hastily reset for
October 27, 2008.
Mr.
Davis’ ruling has cast outpouring support for him and raised eyebrows at
the legal system’s ultimate indifference and unwillingness to move on
the facts: Seven of nine witnesses who initially testified against Mr.
Davis have recanted their testimonies—with two disclosing that the
police coerced them into testifying against the defendant and another
three revealing that another man admitted to the crime. Even more so,
during the trial, prosecutors presented no physical evidence or murder
weapon.
For the
record, I am not an advocate of capital punishment and this case is a
prime example for my position against the decree: Even in lieu of
detrimental facts that would greatly alter the outcome of this
particular situation—and save a human life, an innocent man will still
possibly be put to death. No stone should be left unturned in pursuit of
one’s innocence—regardless of the time expended on this quest or when
the truth is finally discovered. The revelation has fallen upon
unconcerned ears and numb spirits contented with the current judgment—no
matter how wrong it may be.
America’s motto: “In God We Trust”. Obviously, the American societal
remains morally conflicted; it suffers from a bipolar or selective
institution of its morals based on the particular situation—or person.
How can the American society, on one hand, teach that killing is wrong,
but yet think nothing of sentencing an innocent man to death? When
knowingly innocent people are sentenced to die by the laws of the land,
is that not murder?
The
same nation that has missionaries dispersed throughout the world
spreading the gospel of Christianity makes a mockery of the Ten
Commandments—especially The Sixth Commandment: “Thou Shall Not Kill”,
“Thou Shall Not Murder”. When society reduces itself to defining “law,
order, and fair and justifiable punishment” by nonchalantly taking an
innocent human life, it debases itself and demeans its value system.
Since the days of emancipation, the U.S. penal system has been
arguably viewed as a veiled intermediary—or an invisible net—for the
captivity, oppression, and control of the poor and black disadvantaged.
White America was outraged when it appeared to them that a black man—O.J.
Simpson—slipped through one of the loops in their net. Yet, no protest
is expressed for the tens of thousands of innocent blacks placed behind
bars for crimes they did not commit; no outrage is dispelled
for the legal system’s
disproportionate incarceration and unjust sentencing of African
Americans; no gripe is made for legal authorities’ arbitrary, brute
force and mistreatment of African Americans relative to other racial
groups.
As with
Mr. Davis, a vast list of African Americans’ innocence has been or can
be proven. For instance, after 20 years of incarceration, Rubin
Hurricane Carter was finally found innocent; however, his case is far
from being an aberration. Assata Shakur, currently one of the FBI’s
most wanted, has fled the country even though evidence overwhelmingly
supports her innocence. Other political prisoners such as Geronimo
Pratt, George Jackson, Leonard Peltier, and Mumia Abu-Jamal unjustly
remain victims of crimes they did not commit.
Some
argue that the system has improved significantly since its inception,
which may be true; however, it has not improved so greatly as to
recognize the African American as an equal, a dignified
“5/5”—whole—human, and treat him as such. In 2001, figures showed that
blacks who killed whites were three times more likely to be sentenced to
death than were whites who killed whites. In a study of almost 20,000
executions in the U.S., only 31, less than one percent, of these
executions was for a white killing a black. As well, of 455 men
executed for rape, 405, or 89 percent, were black; disparately, no white
man has ever been executed for raping a black woman.
These
startling statistics reveal one of two things: African Americans are
the worst race of people on this planet; or support the fact that the
age-old slave mentalities of keeping the “Negro” restricted, restrained,
and reliant still prevail and flourish fruitfully within the legal
system. African Americans continue to suffer unjustifiable punishment
within the confines of this system only meant to endlessly bound and
control a race of people. And because African Americans are large
representatives of the prison population—beyond justifiable reason, they
are often given a negative persona.
Not
many decades ago, the American society blatantly and unabashedly
categorized a people as sub-human and 3/5 a person, or a “n**ger”. As a
result it was acceptable and faddish to look upon blacks as fair hunting
game and condemn them to death on a whim. Taking the life of blacks was
not considered the same as taking the life of a human being, for the
blacks was likened to an ox, an animal. In this 21st
century, under the thinly veiled disguise of law and order, is this
provincial custom still alive and well? Actions always speak louder
than words.
Incredulously, in spite of the stigma and the historical background of
the term n**ger, some African Americans embrace the word
affectionately and endearingly—which makes them either geniuses or
prodigious imbeciles. The geniuses, I believe, have mastered the art of
acceptance and are using the very weapon formed against them to remove
any power the idiom owns. The nincompoops just blindly use the word
because everyone they know uses it. But any self-respecting, dignified
African American realizes the stupidity in referring to oneself via a
term meant to dehumanize their race; a term that spit fire from the lips
of the speaker to burn the spirit of the receiver to disfigurement. A
word drenched so heavily in the shrieking screams, sorrowful moans, and
innocent blood of a people; whether genius or nitwit, no one respects a
FOOL.
The
danger in Blacks internalizing the n-word is that the rest of the world
may, and perhaps does, take them at their word. And ironically enough,
the entire world recognizes that word for what it is—blatant and
ultimate disrespect, except those who have been victimized by it: the
African American.
The US
penal system has never, and from the likes of it, will not evolve into a
fair and just system as far as the African American is concerned. As a
result, African Americans must consciously remain healthy distances
outside the boundaries of confinement—mentally and physically—because
once caught in the net, escaping captivity is near impossible.
African
Americans must stop recycling the subconscious plight of oppression and
degradation throughout the African-American community, and unknowingly
pushing one another into the net, by allowing old stigmas and any
associations to those stereotypes to live on. Referring to themselves
and others as “n**ger” is the main lifeblood of the recurring cycle of
separation and subjugation throughout the African-American community:
Every negative element the idiom represents is rooted deeply in the
subconscious; the more the term is ignited, it penetrates and reveals
its ugliness in one’s every action—if one refers to them self as a
certain thing, they will embody the persona. High time has come to
irreversibly bury the n-word so that the African-American community can
collectively rise above and live beyond the modern-day system of
enslavement.
H.
Lewis Smith
is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common
Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous Love
Affair with the N-Word.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dP2U0jmZjec
A MESSAGE TO BLACK AND WHITE MEN IN AMERICA!
McCAIN AND OBAMA MOVE OVER: LEE IACOCCA FOR PRESIDENT!
By Harold Bell
Remember, Lee Iacocca, the man who rescued Chrysler Corporation
from its death throes? He has a new book titled, “Where Have All
the Leaders Gone?”
How about jail? He sounds like my echo. Its like he is preaching
to the choir, here are some excerpts.
'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's
happening?
“Lee, I often wonder the same thing, “Am I the only guy in
the black community who’s fed up with what’s happening?”
Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody
murder. We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of
state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us
blind, and we can’t even clean up after a hurricane much less build
a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and
nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'
Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not
the damned 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the
bums out!'
You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker,
and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up. I hardly recognize
this country anymore.
The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys
in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq, the Middle East is
burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is
waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the
promise of the 'America' my parents and yours traveled across the
ocean for (we had different modes of transportation. I've had
enough. How about you?
I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're
not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The
Biggest 'C' is Crisis!
Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of
crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and
talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've
never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when
your world comes tumbling down.
On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other
time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the
ashes. A Hell of a Mess. So here's where we stand. We're immersed
in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.
We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.
We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great
companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs. Gas prices
are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy.
Our schools are in trouble. Our borders are like sieves. The
middle class is being squeezed every which way.
These are times that cry out for leadership. Butwhen
you look around, you've got to ask: Where have all the leaders
gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are
the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and
common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you
get the point.
Lee, lets keep it real, they are being called “Troublemakers and
Agitators.”
Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than
making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?
We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy,
and all we know how to do is react to things that have already
happened.
Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane
Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the
response to the hurricane, or demanding accountability for the
decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.
Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't
happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen. Deal with
it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.
Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we
can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have
believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three'
referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more
important, what are we going to do about it?
Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying
down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health
care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises
that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class
dry.
I have news for the gang in Congress. We didn't elect you to sit
on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy
is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with
mediocrity.
What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on
Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break!
No Lee, black folks are scared they will be kicked off the Corporate
Boards, lose their cushy jobs at the networks or be exiled from the
“In Crowd.”
Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?
Had Enough?
Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm
trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope I
believe in America. In my lifetime I've had the privilege of living
through some of America's greatest moments. I've also experienced
some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression', 'World War II',
the 'Korean War', the 'Kennedy Assassination', Lee, don’t
forget ‘Dr. King’s Assassination’, the 'Vietnam War', the
1970s oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with
9/11. If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get
anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to
take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a
better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's
the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a call to 'Action' for
people who, like me, believe in America. It's not too late, but
it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to
work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'
Lee, with Pimps in the Pulpit and crooks and sex deviants holding
public office, it sounds like good advice to me! This book should
be required reading in our community. We have a tendency to listen
to white folks! Some of us really think your ice is colder.
Common Sense vs. Intelligence
By
H. Lewis Smith
In
a three-way conversation between Tavis Smiley, Dr. Michael Dyson
and Dr. Cornel West on the justification of blacks using
the n-word, the following ideas were exchanged during the discourse:
Tavis Smiley:
“With all due respect to the power of your
persuasive argument, your big mama and my big mama would stand here
in front of you with all of your education and say you still ain’t
got no business, under no circumstances whatsoever, ever uttering
that word white folks put on us to demean us—period.”
Dr. Dyson:“There’s no question about that…but my pastor and
others who would say [it]—referring to their congregation and their
flocks who are highly learned, deeply erudite, profoundly scholarly,
and who are able to understand both the folk and the vernacular
tradition on one hand and the high learning foremost tradition on
the other, [said] the word in an endearing fashion.”
It
appears as though an attempt is being made to soften the use and
encourage acceptance of the n-word because more affluent, educated,
and outwardly intelligent African American audiences claim to
understand and accept the word. Thus, since these intelligentsias
have placed their blessing on using the word, referring to one
another as the n-word should be an acceptable practice by all
African Americans—regardless of socioeconomic status.
However, the basis of this argument stands on a couple of fallacies:
Many other equally affluent, educated and intelligent African
Americans despise the term, disallow themselves to be referred to as
such, and have eradicated the idiom from their vocabulary. As
well, during the conversation of these highly esteemed gentlemen,
those arguing for the n-word failed to consider an extremely
significant factor that greatly affects the soundness of their
argument: common sense.
Given the past history of African Americans and the n-word, plain
old common sense, which is defined as sound or practical judgment,
suggests that it is not intuitively sensible for an African American
to accept this word, drenched in ignorance, evil, immorality and
corruption. Even with a high level of intelligence—the
capacity for thought especially to a high degree, common sense
must factor into the equation because it is the essential,
instinctual element in developing one’s first thought about a
subject.
Intelligence soon follows this initial thought, serves only as
support to the common knowledge and should help individuals
reason with why the n-word is unacceptable: The n-word was bestowed
upon African Americas by slave masters, and represents every devious
plot meant to destroy the black race; thus, is unacceptable. It is
bewildering how individuals of such high levels of thought are blind
to the insult that lies in the term. And even more perplexing is
the fact that they argue in favor of using the term—and in an
affectionate manner!
African Americans are so quick to shun other races for using the
term, and demand total equality and respect. But how can one
demand respect when they have no respect for themselves?
One
of the most prevalent drawbacks regarding the supposed desensitizing
of the n-word among African Americans is that it is not a global or
cross-cultural movement; the rest of human civilization recognizes
the true purpose in and foundation of the word. The rest of the
world indeed respects Black America for its musical, entertainment,
and athletic abilities, but have absolutely no respect for our
cerebral mindset.
This is due in part to the fact that African Americans continue to
refer to themselves as a thing that was and is meant to dehumanize
the race. Although many proponents of the n-word feel that their
use and definition of the term differs from other races’ application
and understanding, outside races only see the stigma attached to the
term and, thus, perpetuate any thoughts of African Americans with
that particular perception. Their thinking is such that if a
person refers to themselves as a certain thing, they will embody
that image and act as such. And because a “n**ger” was viewed as a
sub-human, bestial and savage, other races neglect to respect and
treat African American as equals, immediately become defensive
toward African Americans, and continually ridicule the race—the true
persona of the n-word.
Consider most recently
Beijing, China, where attempts were made
to ban blacks from Beijing bars in a pre-Olympic crackdown. In
addition, Milo Bryant of the “Colorado Springs Gazette,” a black
reporter, was all but ignored during press conferences by Chinese
officials who refused to acknowledge his presence and would only
solicit questions from white reporters.
Another put down of Blacks occurred in 2005 when Mexico had the
audacity to print caricatures of Blacks on their postage stamps.
Countless incidences of condescending Blacks occur around the
world—even in America. However, the most catastrophic and mind
boggling of these incidences occurs right here in America by Black
America. The Black community has proven to be very tolerable of
anything destructive, degrading and demeaning from within. The
poisonous lyrics of misogyny, crime, drugs; the glorification of
‘gangsta’ life and violence perpetuated by black rappers; and the
use of the n-word are all self-destructive acts that contribute
greatly to the demise and unfavorable image of the black community.
The rest of the civilized world looks on in amazement, taking
note, and heeding the messages sent about Black America from Black
America—“straight out of the horse’s mouth.” No one takes the
African American seriously. No wonder!
Dr. Dyson emphasized the linguistic creativeness of the younger
generations’ use of the word, changing the suffix from “-er” to
“-a”; however, changing the suffix does not transform the meaning of
the term. (Pronouncing the word with an “-a” at the end is quite
frankly nothing more than plain, old-fashion ghetto vernacular.)
Where else in the world does a race of people take a word—that
embodied mental genocide and perpetuated physical brutality upon
their ancestors—and embrace it affectionately and endearingly?
What other race of people devises justification after
justification to continue to remain shackled, confined to a certain
realm, and proudly flaunts the mark of oppression, degradation?
It is definitely the black community’s prerogative to demand
respect, but good luck getting it collectively! In the end,
African Americans are still referring to themselves as “n**ger”—or
in more modern terms, “n**ga,” deafening others’ ears to Black
America’s cry for respect.
In
WEB Du Bois’ all-time, modernly-relevant classic The Souls of
Black Folks, Du Bois notes that “[t]he opposition to Negro
education in the South was at first bitter, and showed itself in
ashes, insult, and blood; for the South believed an educated Negro
to be dangerous.” Then Dr. Carter G. Woodson came along in 1933
and said in The Mis-Education of the Negro: Control a man’s
mind and you don’t have to worry about his actions.
Although one may be highly educated in the educational system, or
mis-educated according to Dr. Woodson, one can still be a
dependent or controlled thinker. Obtaining an education was once
thought of as the key to release African Americans from mental
enslavement. Education unquestionably serves as the essential
building block in unlocking one’s mind, and teaching an individual
the basic fundamentals of reading and writing, but independent
thought allows one to break the chains of ignorance and enter a
state of heightened mind power where common sense always resides at
the right side of intelligence.
At the end of the conversation, it was duly noted that the n-word
was used in jest, as was also the case between Tavis and the rapper
Nas in a separate conversation on the same subject. But who’s being
mocked? White slave masters for embedding in African Americans a
self-destructive mentality rooted so deeply that it goes unnoticed
even by African Americans who continue to carryout the plight? Or
are African Americans mocking the memories, struggles and sacrifices
of ascendants who knew the intent of the term and literally felt its
purpose through heinous acts during the “domestication” process?
Certainly, no amusement was experienced in the atrocities
perpetrated upon them, all in the name of the n-word.
In 1904, black sharecroppers Luther Holbert and his wife were
chained to a tree. An audience of 600 white spectators enjoyed fine
treats such as deviled eggs, lemonade and whiskey in a festive
atmosphere while Mr. and Mrs. Holbert underwent atrocious and purely
evil acts: first their fingers were chopped off one by one, then
their ears, followed by a severe beating that left Mr. Holbert with
one eye dangling from its fractured socket; next, "spirals...of raw,
quivering flesh" were extracted from both Holberts with a corkscrew
before the couple was finally burned alive. As they drew on their
last breaths, the last words they heard were the jeers of “n**ger,
n**ger, n**ger.”
All of these activities perpetuated upon the Holberts were done in
the name of the n-word. The most ironic part of the matter,
though, is that at least one person who condones, tolerates, and
embraces the n-word is a descendant of Mr. and Mrs.Holbert; thus,
this proponent of the n-word agrees with the malevolent acts
perpetuated upon his great, great grandma and grandpa. Is that
person you? Is that person your friend, family member, or
acquaintance?
Perhaps one can intelligently justify acceptance of the 300-year-old
African-American Holocaust, the n-word, and the supposed progress of
Black America beyond allowing the n-word to negatively affect them.
But, just because one is highly educated and can precisely
articulate his argument does not make him right or smart by any
standard—he just knows how to talk well and conduct research.
Common sense, which does not discriminate based on educational
attainments, tells African Americans that embracing the n-word
affectionately and endearingly “just ain’t right and don’t make no
kind of sense.” The n-word should continue to be looked upon as a
disfigurement to the African-American’s psyche and buried as far
below the surface as those who lived to experience the true meaning
of “n*gger.”
H. Lewis Smith
is the founder and president of UVCC, the United Voices for a Common
Cause, Inc., and author of Bury that Sucka: A Scandalous
Love Affair with the N-Word. Visit UVCC online at
http://www.theunitedvoices.com.
REV. M. L. KING: “I HAVE A DREAM”
BARACK OBAMA: “DREAMS DO COME TRUE”
By Harold Bell
On Thursday August 28, 2008 in Denver, Colorado
Barack Obama
before 85,000 and millions more watching by television throughout
America accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination to run for the
President of the United States of America. The nomination makes him
the first black man ever nominated to lead a major party in its bid
for the White House.
There are times in our life where certain events take place and you
remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. Forty-five
years ago on August 28, 1963 I was headed to downtown Washington, DC
with several of my college friends from Winston-Salem State
University. Barney Hood my roommate and teammate from
Decatur, III wanted to be here for the March on Washington so bad he
convinced a friend to put an airline ticket on her credit card. New
York City and Winston-Salem basketball legends, Jack Defares
and Carl Green drove in from the “Big Apple.”
We all met at
Ben’s Chilli Bowl on U Street NW (recently
celebrated 50 years in business). We then walked to the famous
Florida Ave. Grill another DC eatery landmark for breakfast. It
seem like everyone had the same idea every seat was taken when we
arrived. I had an inside connection a waitress by the name of Mae.
If you wanted to be seated in a booth you had to wait your turn in
line but if you sat at the counter you could be seated right away if
you could beat the next customer to the counter seat. Mae would
signal me with her eyes when it looked like a counter customer was
preparing to leave. I would go and stand as close as I could get to
the customer and pounce on the stool as he got up. But today I
needed a booth because I had out of town guest. Despite the long
wait the home fried apples and potatoes, grits, bacon, eggs and
hotcakes made everyone forget the inconvenience. I did not hear one
complaint. It was a beautiful August day without the famous hot and
humid weather known to the Washington community during this time of
the year.
We decided to start our participation in the March by walking from
the Florida Ave Grill to the mall (approximately 5 miles). We had a
great time lying and signifying all the way to the Reflecting Pool
on the mall. I don’t think any of us realized the significance of
the March until years later, I know I didn’t. I didn’t have a clue
I was just happy being with my boys.
I now look back and picture the thousands of people gathered here in
DC in August 1963, back then you would have had a hard time trying
to convince me there were not a Million marchers in town that day.
The official count was 250 thousand (a quarter of a million) had
gathered on the mall to march and heard Dr. King’s now famous speech
“I Have a Dream.”
Forty-five years later the benefactors of “I Have a Dream” are now
on Fortune 500 Corporate Boards, Bank Presidents, Mayors, Governors,
Coaches, Managers and General Mangers of sports franchises
throughout the sporting world. There are too many who think they
got there by themselves.
My DC family roots go back to 1893. I grew up in a housing project
in NE Washington, DC. My mother was on welfare raising three boys
alone a fourth brother was being raised by my grandmother. In 1963
I was still trying to avoid going to hell in a hurry as my Brown
Middle School principal William B. Stinson had said. He
predicted to my mother I would not live to get out of high school.
I am a benefactor of the March on Washington and
Rev. King’s “I
Have a Dream” speech. Today Thursday August 28, 2008 I have not
only gotten out of high school but through my non-profit
organization Kids In Trouble, Inc., my wife Hattie and I have
helped hundreds of others get out of high school and beyond. My
innovated programs with at-risk children here in the DC metropolitan
area and sports talk pioneering efforts in radio and television are
now common place. They have been adopted in communities all over
America. Annual community organized Christmas toy parties for needy
children and the phrase “Inside Sports” were started and
coined here in Washington, DC.
I never dreamed the March on Washington and
Martin Luther King’s
“I Have a Dream” speech would one day find me interviewing some of
the greatest athletes and sports personalities in the World.
Personalities such as, Muhammad Ali, Red Auerbach, Hank Aaron,
Jim Brown, Wilt Chamberlain, Dr. J, Angelo Dundee, Gale Sayers,
George Foreman, etc. have all been guest on Inside Sports.
The March and Rev. King’s Dream has also allowed me to break bread
and have the ear of some of the most powerful politicians in
America, men like President Richard M. Nixon, Strom Thurmond
(R-S. C.), Bob Dole (R-Kan), Louis Stokes (D-Ohio), etc. My
Middle School principal would never have dreamed it. In November of
this year Hattie and I will celebrate 40 years of marriage and in
December we will celebrate 40 years of hosting and coordinating
Christmas toy parties for needy children. Dreams do come true.
The three former Winston-Salem State University students who joined
me for the march made their own impact. The late Barney Hood
would go on and become a teacher and businessman in his hometown of
Decatur, III, Jack Defares would become a teacher in the New
Jersey school system and Carl Green would become a star
player on the world famous Harlem Globetrotters. Rev. King’s
“I Have a Dream” speech looked like it touched and influenced each
of us.
My Spingarn High School teammate
Andrew Johnson remembers
that day, the March and the speech well. He had a front row seat on
the Reflecting Pool. He was a working DC Metropolitan Policeman
assigned to the march (that is Officer Johnson looking up and
standing directly under the left hand of Dr. King). My friends and
I were located in the crowd somewhere near the middle of the
Reflecting Pool. Andrew says “It was one of the most amazing
demonstrations I have ever seen. People were all over the place
some literally on top of each other. The march was so peaceful the
DC Police Department could have taken the day off. The march ended
that evening and 250,000 people left town as quietly as they had
come in.”
Office Andrew Johnson on duty on the mall August 1963
We would later join forces in the troubled NW Shaw/Cardozo area of
Washington, DC. My job as a Roving Leader (Gang Buster) for the
DC Recreation Department and his as a foot patrolman made this
reunion possible. Officer Johnson would later be promoted to the
rank of detective and become the number one Homicide Detective on
the department. His law-enforcement career would end as a “Top Cop”
with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). He made it to the
rank of Supervisor before retiring in 1995. Today he can be found
tutoring inner-city children and serving as an active member on the
Board of Directors of Kids In Trouble, Inc. Forty-five years
after the March on Washington and Rev. King’s “I Have a Dream
Speech,” Andrew Johnson is still trying to make a
difference. I never thought in my life time I would see a serious
run for the White House by a black man. The White House bids made
by Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton were never taken
serious by black folks or white folks. They each had hidden
agendas. In 2008 the two men were quietly reduced to spectators and
cheerleaders like the rest us.
We are hoping that on August 28, 2008 that
Barack Obama’s
nomination will inspire another whole generation of minorities to be
all that they can be like Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a
Dream” speech inspired many of us on August 28, 1963. Barack Obama
is living proof that dreams do come true.
I Said
No: One Woman's Tale Of Rap And Rape
By Shellie R. Warren
Several years ago, I was raped by an
ex-boyfriend. Believe me, I wasn't always this comfortable in saying
it, mostly because what seemed like such a black-and-white issue,
for so long, was gray. I mean, I know what I was taught. If I say
"no" to someone, under any circumstances, and they continue to force
themselves on me, it's rape. But this guy was someone that I used to
have really passionate feelings for, and while we were together, the
sex was always consensual. So, it was hard for me to understand how
(1) a man who claimed to care for me could force himself upon me and
(2) I could be confused about what that force was. This story is a
parallel between a physical date rape that I experienced and the
audible abuse that I hear in rap music.
Shellie R. Warren is the author of the book "Inside of
Me." She's also a regular contributor to Black Men In
America.com. A gifted woman wise beyond her years, BMIA.com
Founder Gary Johnson describes her in the following way:
"Shellie Warren is to writing what Mary J. Blige is to song."
What
Happened to Civility in the Workplace? by Dianne Floyd Sutton
For the last
twenty years, I have provided employee development and
training services to organizations nationwide. When I
first started in 1987, I primarily designed and delivered
EEO training. I quickly found out that you cannot
control "attitude." However, you can make people
aware of their behaviors and the impact of their behaviors
on others. Knowing this, I modified my development and
training curriculum to emphasize communication skills,
conflict management and resolution, leadership skills and
diversity awareness.
During my
career, I have had many opportunities to observe people
behaving quite rudely and abrasively to others in the
workplace. Given the frequency of brazen impertinence,
I am amazed that there are not more murders and assaults
occurring in the workplace. Seeing this behavior, I
ask myself the question, AWhat ever happened to civility in
the workplace? I realize this question labels me "old
school" but the question bothers me, especially when
an organization claims its management and employees value
workplace diversity.
For all the
generations not familiar with the term civility, please let
me explain. Civility as defined by the Random House:
ci-vil-i-ty (si vil i t ) noun, 1.courtesy;
politeness. 2. A polite action or expression.
So let me go
back to the question. What happened to courtesy and
politeness in the workplace? People spend so much time
at work, not counting getting to and from work. Why not make
the workplace an environment where people are courteous
toward one another? Why not create a place where one
can do the job and not be totally stressed by co-workers,
supervisors, clients or customers?
Inclusion and
respect remain the primary features of diversity, but I find
that a lot of employees and employers have no clue
what an inclusive, respectful workplace means.
Ask yourself,
How do I properly handle myself at work when so many
people are so unlike me?
You start with
being civil - by knowing rules of general etiquette (the
conventional requirements regarding social behavior).
The ole cliché of getting more with smiles, “thank yous,”
and “pleases” still works in just about all cultures that I
am familiar with.
You also need
to learn not only the organization’s written rules about
employee conduct; you also need to become aware of its
unwritten rules about expected behavior.
It may be
unfair, but in the world of work, we are judged by how we
look and conduct ourselves around others. While the
workplace diversity movement emphasizes respect, there are
some constant, subtle behavioral expectations that are
frequently over looked or unknown by employees.
We also have
four generations in the workplace - the radio babies, the TV
babies, the computer babies and the internet babies.
While each generation looks at life and work a little
differently, each generation wants respect. I’ve
noticed that the more conservative radio babies, i.e., the
older generation, particularly value workplace etiquette
acting the generation.
As we become
this highly technical society, the need for civility,
sensitivity, a personal touch in organizations increases.
No matter how intelligent or accurate your computer is, you
must still interact with people. When you use accepted
etiquette, you=re using the behaviors that encourages a
positive human response. You are more likely to earn
cooperation and support, get commitments, gain clients
and/or customers and most of all be less stressed.
Dianne Floyd Sutton is the author of
Workplace
Etiquette, A Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Workplaceand President
of Sutton Enterprises. She can bereached at
seimpact@aol.com
Due to the large number of responses we cannot reply to
every e-mail and letter. Please provide us with your contact information so that we can contact you
if we have any questions. Please read our
Legal
Notice and User Agreement before sending any correspondence to Black Men In
America.com.
The
views and opinions expressed in this column do not necessarily reflect the
opinions of Black Men In America.com. Send us your submission in a MS Word format. Please use your
grammar and spelling check.
