Sunday Smack: Rex Tillerson and His Trump Comment

“The President speaks for himself, Chris.” This week’s Sunday Smack focuses on US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson’s remark today on Fox News about how President Donald Trump “speaks for himself” when sharing views of the recent racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia: Interviewer Chris Wallace appeared stunned to hear Tillerson’s comment. My questions to you: […]

Album in the Crosshairs: Annabel (lee) – The Cleansing (Youngbloods)

Learning that I received an opportunity to hear Annabel (lee)’s sophomore release — The Cleansing on the Youngbloods label — resulted in a feeling similar to what happens after visiting your parents and they present you with one of your favorite meals on your way out the door, wrapped and ready for you to enjoy […]

Strung Out: Trump, Afghanistan and More War

Since my typical writing style is stream of consciousness, you’re witnessing my real-time confusion over where to start my comments about President Donald Trump’s anticipated unveiling of his Afghanistan war plans tonight. Hell, you should also be confused — America’s been fighting this war for SIXTEEN YEARS. SIXTEEN YEARS. And for what useful purpose? I’m […]

Sunday Smack: What About This Race Conversation?

This Sunday Smack deals with a question I’ve indirectly brought up in previous posts: the conversation about race. Is a conversation necessary? Whose minds would you like to change as a result of a conversation? After what we’ve seen in America during the past two weeks, do you think a conversation would change anyone’s mind? […]

Rest in Love, Dick Gregory

I’m currently reflecting on the loss of Dick Gregory, who was 84. While much of the media will spend the day filling your ears with love-in stories about how much of a good comedian he was — a point I can definitely nod my head to — you likely won’t hear much about the context […]

Trump Makes a Valid Point About ‘Changing Culture’

My main point about yesterday’s memorable press conference with President Donald Trump has less to do with his full turn of opinion when he reestablished air cover for his Alt-Right peeps by reincarnating his “Many sides” theory as an explanation for the death and racial violence this past weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia. But I should […]

Sunday Smack: What is the American Dream?

“The American Dream is back,” says President Donald Trump. But what does that mean? Back in January, Trump associated his desire to eliminate up to 75 percent of government regulations concerning businesses with the American Dream. In a series of moves that took place during the time of the White House-sponsored American Dream Week, Trump: […]

Charlottesville, White Terrorism and History — a Black Man’s Viewpoint

President Donald Trump’s difficulty with specifically denouncing the “Unite the Right” rally and White terrorist violence committed in Charlottesville, Virginia this past weekend confirms what many people of color already felt about the Trump regime: it’s Al-Qaeda or Islamic State in khakis and polo shirts, hiding behind perverse and ancient renderings of a noble religion […]

Whose Streets? Film and the New Black Leadership

Although I plan to see the Ferguson, Missouri uprising documentary Whose Streets? in a theater this week, I’ve declined to write about the film up to this point because mentalunrest’s editorial policy typically forbids me from writing about media I’ve neither seen nor experienced, but I have to share some thoughts about the recent and […]

Aural Dive: Saoul Bumbu

Recommended preparation for digging multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Saoul Bumbu’s music is to read how he describes it: “Good Songwriting is the real Pinnacle, no matter what Style or Genre. Write a Tune that still shines when there’s a Power [outage] and all you have is a 6-String and some Candles.” I’ll supplement his quote with […]