YOU CAN LEARN PLENTY FROM THIS JULIAN BOND QUOTE

The earthly passing of civil rights pioneer, political leader, researcher and educator Julian Bond will certainly spark recitations of a half-century old era—marches, institutional agitation and societal change from a White supremacist-dominated landscape. But Bond’s lifetime dedication to equal rights, inclusive of his latter-day work, should illuminate two important realities we can learn from. First, […]

HIROSHIMA WMD ATTACK, 70 YEARS LATER

As we remember the 70th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, consider an idea which history books will never tell you: the US did not have have to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War II. This makes the decision to use A-bombs to kill 200,000 people and permanently damage thousands of […]

YOU IGNORE THAT SANDRA BLAND DIED OVER A CIGARETTE

A few years ago, I shared a Reuters story about a restaurant owner in Turkey who was shot dead after he tried to stop customers from smoking in his establishment. Some Americans laughed at the killing, as if to say “That’s Turkey for ya.” I suppose their dismissal was code for “This could never happen […]

THE SOUTH LOST THE WAR (BEFORE IT WON)

There are three ways to win wars. On the street… On the battlefield… At the policy table… Or through a combination of the three approaches. For example, the continent of Africa expelled European colonizers to gain independence, correct? Perhaps, but African colonialism was replaced with a growth-inhibiting partnership of the European and African elite classes, as well […]

THE ONE PERCENT LOVES ICON-CHASERS

This recycled simmer-boil-simmer debate about whether to destroy, honor or moth-ball the Confederate flag reminds me of Americans’ drug-like habit of chasing icons and fighting over labels—undoubtedly violence-supporting icons which are emotionally powerful, but have no real power. I’ll get back to that thought in a moment, but allow me to throw a large slice […]

REMINDER: WHO KILLED MLK

Instead of taking time out during Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday to recognize his contributions to creating a just and more civil society, I find myself spending more time thinking about his assassination. And thinking about his death almost invariably surfaces the question: why did it happen? Thanks to a 1999 lawsuit filed and won […]

AN ALBUM (OR TWO) IN MY HEAD THIS WEEK (0059)

A new release from Tony Allen, the drummer who arguably put the “Beat” in Afro Beat, and a 2-CD set from the unsung Bessie Jones are in my thoughts at the moment… TONY ALLEN FILM OF LIFE 2014 It’s hard for the general public to keep more than one name in their heads when it […]

ARE YOU STILL BLAMING RUSSIA FOR THIS?

Folks, you have to pull your heads out of the mainstream newspapers and at minimum consider that the US shares equal blame for the situation in Ukraine today. Using the term “equal” could be generous. While I list the instances of the America’s Ukraine meddling, I want you to reverse the roles and tell […]

CINCO DE MAYO IS ‘BLACK PEOPLE HUG YOUR MEXICAN BROTHERS AND SISTERS DAY’

(Laughing) I’m not exactly sure how Cinco de Mayo meant that Americans are supposed to get smashed drunk on May 5 – although I’m sure the Yankee axiom of “Human beings exist so that we can sell them something” had a hand here – but you should at least know that Americans of African […]