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I Almost Cried at My Desk

06 Sep

Obviously it’s been a while since I’ve posted… I have to say that this world had been getting the best of me and I just didn’t have the energy.

But this…

What’s sad is this shit happens several times everyday across this country. So why did this story make me so sad? I’m not sure. Maybe it was some of the comments that were posted by people saying that the police did what they were supposed to do. And why wouldn’t someone think that who has never had to endure the small and large indignities that we suffer everyday because our skin is black/brown/tan? People have no frame of reference and will never be able to wrap their minds around it. They have no idea of how afraid that young man was although he had committed no crime, even with his grandmother that close by.

That young man has to live with that experience and the reason it happened. They can wave it off because at least he’s alive, right? At least they didn’t shoot him.

That officer apologized to his grandmother; he didn’t even have the grace to apologize to this young man that his partner had cuffed in the back of a squad car.

Actually, I think it’s the look on his face that breaks my heart.

 
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Posted by on September 6, 2018 in Civil Rights, Race, Youth

 

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Heart of the Matter

06 Mar

The saga continues…
Antwan Wilson, the former Chancellor of DC Public Schools, maintains that Mayor Muriel Bowser knew that he circumvented the school lottery system for his daughter. Bowser denies it, of course.

Chancellor Wilson stepped down once it came to light that his daughter did not go through the school lottery, in order to go to a different school. Rather than review the details of this scandal, let’s get straight to the heart of it: our public school system has so few quality options that the head of said system is willing to risk his ‘good government job’ to secure the best education for his child. How about we focus on that sad but true fact?!??

 
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Posted by on March 6, 2018 in Education, Family, Politics, Real Talk, Uncategorized

 

For the Love of the Game (and kids)

29 Dec

chris long

Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive end, Chris Long, is playing for free. Good for him.

And he was part of an important meeting about racial injustice and NFL players’ right to express their frustration with that injustice. Good for him.

 
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Posted by on December 29, 2017 in Career, Civil Rights, Education, Race, Sports, women

 

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Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission

05 Dec

pink-rose-cascade-cakeSCOTUS will hear this case today. If you haven’t heard about this case, then Google it today and pay attention to the decision when it is handed down.

A cake shop refused to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple because it violated the religious beliefs of the owner. This violates the state’s civil rights law.

The fact that it made it to the Supreme Court is telling of our social climate. This is the epitome of a legal “slippery slope.” Stay woke!

 
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Posted by on December 5, 2017 in Civil Rights, Family, History, Politics, religion, women

 

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KAEP!

14 Nov

 
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Posted by on November 14, 2017 in Civil Rights, Politics, Race, Sports

 

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Chi-town’s Finest

28 Sep

Part of me wishes the officers would’ve taken this picture in plain clothes away from the precinct, yet identified themselves as Chicago police officers. Then we could witness the real basis for the reprimand that they still would’ve received. Perhaps it would lose some of its visual power but the truth would be plain.

#ColinKaepernick

 
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Posted by on September 28, 2017 in Career, Civil Rights, Family, Politics, Race, Real Talk, violence

 

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Nope.

27 Sep

A Nats fan and DC resident shared this pic on social media. It’s across from Nationals Park in DC. #Nope

 
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Posted by on September 27, 2017 in Civil Rights, Family, Politics, Race, Sports

 

A House is Not a Home

16 Mar

I just finished blasting the Mayor’s office as well as the Director of DC Housing and Community Development. I am not naive to believe that my comments will be addressed or even read, but I am sick to death of seeing this type of abuse.

This is the Nation’s Capitol. I believe that we pay the HIGHEST taxes, have no representation AND have extremely shitty and limited affordable housing. Over and over, we hear about property owners in our city (seldom do they even live here) exploiting residents by taking their rent and providing housing that is unfit and unsafe. They are finally hauled to court, ordered to pay fines and nothing changes. WHY?!?? Is it because the impacted residents are on the low socio-economic rung of society?

I do not understand why there is no cap to the neglect that a landlord can inflict. If you have over X number of code violations and/or X number of lawsuits, your property can be seized and sold. What are agencies waiting for? Someone to die? A child to get seriously hurt?

I am so disgusted…

The Rental Housing Accommodation Nuisance Abatement Amendment Act Of 2016 was introduced last May in the DC Council but no action has been taken on it to date beyond it being added to the Public Register.

More, if you’re interested…

North Philly Notes article

Urban Turf article

Washington City Paper article

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2017 in Civil Rights, Family, Health, home improvement, Politics, Race

 

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Have You Seen My Mojo? 

01 Mar

I lost it somewhere between August when my 8 year-old started asking me questions about Trump and December when I still had a real-life Michael Scott (fictional character of The Office) as a director. Good news is Scott is gone! I think you know the bad news.

I have not posted in a long time. I have not written (aside from work) in a long time. For me, that’s a bad spot… I managed to  eek out a poem to my love, David, for his birthday but it was a struggle. 

I am uninspired. Not surprising, but no less disturbing. Oh, there are plenty of constipated thoughts in my head but they want to stay. I almost posted after I finally made it to the National Museum of African American History and Culture this month, but even that never happened. 

I don’t like this mental space. It’s unhealthy and I don’t know the cure. Ideas are welcome. 

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2017 in Health, Real Talk, Reflection, writing

 

WWDKD?

15 Jan

wpid-20130808_220206.jpgWhat Would Dr. King Do?

A great question.

What would Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. do if he were alive to see the state of the union? I think that he would cry (in private) and then take action to ignite a fire in the next generation. It was many young people as well as college students of many colors who were mowed down by fire hoses, who sat at lunch counters and who were repeatedly arrested for the crime of demanding inalienable rights for everyone. Those freedom fighters registered people to vote, led the charge for justice and shamed a nation in front of the rolling cameras and on front pages that were seen across the globe.

I think that he would ask people to care…He would ask specifically command young people to put down the selfie stick and pay attention.

Perhaps, this year on the day of service (January 16, 2017) we can each take some time to actually read some of his sermons, pull up some of his interviews on YouTube and not just the excerpts that we’ve heard. Understand the depth and complexity of this man and become inspired. We need hope and we need a dream that can become tomorrow’s reality.

 
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Posted by on January 15, 2017 in Civil Rights, Education, Family, History, Politics, Race, Youth

 
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