Forgiving Ferguson

By Ulysses “Butch” Slaughter

I know Michael Brown lived in Ferguson. I know Michael Brown was shot in Ferguson. I know Michael Brown was killed in Ferguson. I recommend forgiving in Ferguson.

I see the frustration in Ferguson. I hear the cries in Ferguson. I sense the fear in Ferguson. And I still recommend forgiving in Ferguson.

But what does Forgiving Ferguson mean?

Maybe we should start by asking and answering the question: What is forgiving? Yes, let’s start there.

What is forgiving?
No. We shouldn’t start there. That is too broad. You and I need to be more specific.

I think it makes more sense to start this discussion with me: the writer, the author, the channel of this idea called Forgiving Ferguson.

Yes. Let’s start with me.

Why start with me? Because that’s how all of us start to understand anything: we start with our individual selves. We start with our individual understanding based on our individual experiences. We start from within. We don’t start with FOX, CNN, OWN or CNBC. I start with Channel ME. You start with Channel YOU.

So – yes – let’s start with me and then we will talk about the idea of forgiving and then we will go to Ferguson and revive Michael Brown. We will go to New York and resuscitate Eric Garner. We will go to Sanford and reawaken Trayvon Martin. We will even go to Money and resurrect Emmett Till.

But before we talk about anything else, I have to start with me and you have to start with you. As I share with you what I know about forgiving, I want you to think about what forgiving means in your life. More often than not, it is through your personal lens of forgiving that you see the possibilities of forgiving for others.

If you have already decided you don’t want to take this journey of forgiveness then it is best that you stop here and stay here. It’s your channel. It’s your choice. You can ignore this call to forgiving Ferguson.
But remember: time will reconcile all of your problems with or without your permission. You can stop but the world will keep spinning. Forgiving offers you an opportunity to enhance your channel and experience a miracle. Want to experience a miracle? Forgive.

So I’m starting with me. I know something about forgiving. I’ve had to consider this idea and its implementation. I’ve had to consider the theory and how I apply it. I know a little about forgiving. That’s all any of us can ever know: our little part. And we know it intimately. Our experience with forgiving is like the blood running through our veins and arteries. We feel it. It feeds us. We can talk about our relationship to forgiving. We can tell others what we know but they won’t ever really know what we’re talking about. They have to do the forgiving work to know the forgiving work.

I was a 12-year-old boy when I heard my father shoot my mother in her head and kill her. I was a 12-year-old boy when I found my mother’s body fallen outside my bedroom door bleeding from a hideous hole in her right temple. I was a 12-year-old boy when the State of Illinois called on me as a chief witness against my father.

I was 45 years-old boy when I went to my father’s house to kill him. For 33 years, I deteriorated inside memories of my father’s cruel domestic violence. For 33 years I was steeped in rage, anger and hatred. So I went to kill my father. I went to his doorstep and put my frustrated face in front of his fragile face. I thought murder was the answer. I thought revenge held the key. I was wrong.

I forgave my father. I took him to my mother’s gravesite. I took him to meet my children. He died two months later.

Before I reunited with my father, I often said “I hate him.” People would say “you should forgive him.”

When I reunited with my father, I often said “I love him.” People would say “how can you love him?”

I stopped tuning in to other people’s advice on the matter. I tuned into Channel Me.

I didn’t want the “weight” of hate and I despised the burden of revenge. I forgave my father, liberated myself and established a new family legacy.

I know something about forgiving. But the word forgiving means something different for everyone who says the word. We’ve all got different experiences. We all have different translations. We all have different truths.

Generally speaking to forgive is to surpass limitations. Forgiving is an expansion not a concession. Forgiving is forward. Forgiving is not failure. To forgive is to free your mind from the deceptive demons that whisper in your ears and say “you were defeated.” Forgiving brings on an instant and deep inner justice that no verdict can reverse. To forgive is to journey forward completely unshackled by chains of the past.

People will say: “I will forgive, but I will not forget.”

That popular, but questionable, saying is a discussion for another article. But to be sure here, I am not suggesting that you forget. I am suggesting you embrace liberating memories. Liberating memories are the channel through which you create a liberated future. Pain-filled memories can create a pain-filled future.

Change your channel and let the dead bury the dead.

Like a lot of people – like too many people – I watched the news on some television channel waiting for a verdict. FOX, CNN, CNBC. Doesn’t matter which channel, doesn’t matter the talking head. I was running their “objective” information through Channel Me. I looked at scenes from a place called Ferguson. I’d seen images like these before. I’d seen Black people respond like this before. Is this our best response? Is this our only response? Have we lost our imaginations?

How do we disrupt what we say is a vicious cycle perpetrated against Black Men? Is the answer to set fires? Loot for material shit? Turn cars over? Fight police? Throw bottles? Are these actions part of a spontaneous ritual in honor of people we claim to love?

We can and should do better. We can and should forgive Ferguson.

What would forgiving look like in Ferguson? It could start with a massive silence. It could continue with people quietly returning to their own homes, looking at their family members, expressing gratitude for life and recommitting to deep love. It could start with people forgiving and seeking forgiveness from those closest to them. It’s easy and maybe even convenient to go running out into the big crowds, getting lost in the group mentality and forgetting you have rifts right in your own home. Forgiving in Ferguson could start with each individual and in each individual household. I bet Michael would be cool with that.

There was a time when I would look at my children and wish my mother was alive and could see them. It took some time, but eventually it became very clear to me that my mother lives inside of my children. Her blood runs through their veins. Her blood supplies their heartbeats. She sees through their eyes. She is alive and very well.

My father did not and could kill my mother. Darren Wilson did not and could not kill Michael Brown. But is our inability to forgive killing Michael? Is our lack of imagination setting us up for more of the same shit on a different day?

When I was a little boy, I used to ask my mother when I would be old enough to fight my father. She always said the same thing: “I don’t want you to fight your father. I want you to be better.” She didn’t say I was better. She said “be better.”

Imagine a large, poised group of Black Men in Ferguson holding a press conference – a forgiveness press conference and asking Darren Wilson to join them. He agrees. They look him in the eyes and they forgive him. They embrace him. Together with Wilson, these Black Men establish an annual ritual for Michael. They get together to “be better” and remember together. This could actually happen. There are all kinds of possibilities when you journey into forgiving.

Can you imagine breaking bread with someone who killed your loved one? Can you imagine getting to know someone who killed your loved one? I can.

You can’t? Maybe it’s time for you to tune out the social static and change your channel. Maybe you should reflect on what you can do where you live to Forgive Ferguson and bring honor to this moment.

Michael is watching us. Eric is watching us. Trayvon is watching us. Emmett is watching us. Like my mother Clarice, they are alive and very well. What do they see? What would they want? Fighting or forgiving? Bitter or better?

Forgiving changes everything and everywhere.

Even in Ferguson.

Ulysses “Butch” Slaughter is author of the forthcoming book “Forgive: the new mantra for Black Men.” Mr. Slaughter has appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Network, The Dr. Phil Show and The CNN Headline News Network with Suzanne Roberts. Visit www.butchslaughter.biz for more information about his work.

The Yellow Brick Road

By Purnell

There is a considerable amount of angst among a growing number of Black Americans that is associated with the present administration’s use of power as well as its dispersal of political largess. Much of the concern is caused by guilt generated from a sense of a fundamental disconnect from the policies and behaviors of an administration that Black folks desperately wanted to succeed and that garnered nearly 95% of the African American vote…in two successive presidential elections. Each campaign was of historically epic implications and closely observed by the entire industrialized world. Nonetheless, at the conclusion of each hard-fought campaign, the business of the affairs of state remained to be conducted. Hard political decisions had to be made in a broad swath of the American body politic; the environment, defense, the economy, employment, etc.  With the apparent interests of the American people at heart, our leader waded into the national chaos and took positions that reflected his politics and his sentiments and succeeded in stemming the tide of imminent fiscal collapse.

Most Americans watched adoringly from the couch in their living room opposite their flat screen televisions. The public wanted to be a witness to the nation’s rescue from the brink of financial disaster, comforted by knowing our country was winning wars in distant lands and reassured that prosperity was much closer than the pundits would lead us to believe. A laundry list of critical decisions was dispatched by the administration in a relatively short amount of time.  POTUS was seemingly gaining ground on America’s ills and winning the admiration of friends and the grudging respect of foes. It was a beautiful thing to see in action.

But after several years and well into a second term, for some African Americans an unsettling feeling was creeping into the political discourse…something was missing. What was being ignored were the issues and concerns of a wounded black community…and these persistent problems were fading further and further from the radar screen of the White House and then they literally vanished…a modern day case of benign neglect.

In recent times, only an impromptu exculpatory speech brought on by the highly controversial trial related to the Trayvon Martin affair, has been aimed at the hearts and minds of black Americans. At this late date, it should be obvious that a very public, very political “mea culpa” will never, and could never, be converted into meaningful legislation for the Black communities of our nation…too little, too late. 

The “Yellow Brick Road” led to discovery and disappointment for Dorothy and friends in the Wiz. Sadly, in the real world the, Black community seems similarly destined for disappointment and disillusionment with its handling by the present administration. 

What’s Motivating Some of Obama’s Black Critics?

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com

CNN columnist L Z Granderson has written a “thought-piece” that may help some people understand why critics like Tavis Smiley and Dr. Cornel West are so “over the top” in their criticism of President Obama and his remarks regarding the Trayvon Martin and the outcome of the George Zimmerman trial.

Granderson comes to many of the same conclusions that I have written about over the years as to why the self-serving Smiley rants against the President.  Both of us believe this may have started during the presidential campaign back in 2008 when then candidate Obama sent his wife to speak on his behalf at Smiley’s corporately sponsored “State of the Black Union” forum in New Orleans.

The man was running for President.  Here’s an excerpt of Barack Obama’s letter to Smiley explaining his situation: 

In the final stretch, I will be on the campaign trail everyday in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable healthcare, housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy. I am committed to touching every voter, and working to earn their vote.

That is why with regret, I am not able to attend the forum. I understand that you have declined the campaign’s request to have Michelle Obama speak on my behalf. I ask that you reconsider. Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of real change America is hungry for. No one knows my record or my passion for leading America in a new direction more than Michelle Obama.

Tavis turned down the offer of having Michelle Obama attend.  Michelle Obama is not “chopped liver.”  She is as smart, if not smarter than her husband and she’s a damn good public speaker.  Many observers, myself included feel this was the start of the rift that got Tavis’ panties all bunched up in a wad.  From that point on, Tavis has been whining and complaining like a baby.

Smiley and West remind me of the two Muppet characters Statler and Waldorf who sit in the balcony and complain about everything.

Granderson does a great job of providing a timeline of events that led us to this point.  I doubt that anyone will ever be able to figure out the “logic” that is driving the behavior of Tavis Smiley and Cornel West, but Granderson does a damn good job.  His article is certainly worth the read.

Click here to read the entire article.

LZ Granderson writes a weekly column for CNN.com.  He’s also a senior writer and columnist for ESPN the Magazine and ESPN.com.

Cornel West Says, “Obama Is A Global George Zimmerman”

By Gary A. Johnson, Black Men In America.com

I’ve never seen two guys more desperate to remain relevant than Cornel West and Tavis Smiley.   In the court of public opinion, these guys are losing their credibility with nonsensical rants against the President of the United States, Barack Obama.  Smiley and West are criticizing the President so often and so outrageously that at times you think this is some prank and that these once relevant intellectuals cannot believe what they are saying.  These guys firmly believe what they are saying and they are very calculating and deliberate about how they criticize the President.

In an interview with Democracy Now, Dr. West was asked for his thoughts on the President’s reaction to the outcome in the George Zimmerman trial.  Dr. West replied as follows:

“Well, the first thing, I think we have to acknowledge that President Obama has very little moral authority at this point, because we know anybody who tries to rationalize the killing of innocent peoples, a criminal—George Zimmerman is a criminal—but President Obama is a global George Zimmerman, because he tries to rationalize the killing of innocent children, 221 so far, in the name of self-defense, so that there’s actually parallels here.”

Smiley and West are so over the top in their behavior that this web site is seriously considering not giving them any attention.  These one time media standouts and intellectuals are nothing more than self-serving con men and media whores.   Smiley and West don’t care how they are viewed in the public.  I guess on one hand, that speaks to their “commitment.”

Conservative media outlets are smitten with these guys.  I guess Smiley and West have taken the position that some publicity, even if it’s negative publicity, is better than no publicity.

While Smiley and West continue along their path, this blog will seriously consider whether or not we will give them any further attention on this site.  I love that the President does not respond to either one of these guys or what they say.  Like him or not, President Obama smoothly and seamlessly continues in his job as President of the United States.

Click here to watch a video and to read the full transcript of Dr. West’s interview.

In a related story, Dr. West referred to the MSNBC television network as a “Rent-A-Negro” network and said MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton was on the “Obama plantation.”  Click here to read the entire article.

Gary A. Johnson is the Founder & Publisher of Black Men In America.com a popular online magazine on the Internet and the Black Men In America.com Blog. Gary is also the author of the book “25 Things That Really Matter In Life.” 

To learn more about Gary click here.

Real Black Men Speak Up

(July 18, 2013)

By Dr. David Caruth

Just last week, I wrote an article on Real Black Men making a difference in the lives of our children.  This week, in the aftermath of the verdict in the Travon Martin case, in favor of Vigilante killer, George Zimmerman, I urge ALL Real Black Men to speak up and make our voices heard.  Our women and children have to a right to know that we will not be intimidated into remaining silent while ignorant elements of our society conspire to terrorize and kill our children.

Last week I said that Real Black Men, “can be found behind the scenes, laboring tirelessly to save our youth from each other, and all to often, from the sure grip of mean-spirited adults.”  However; in times like these, we have to stand boldly in front of the world, and proclaim that we intend stand on the Word of God, and claim the spiritual Amor of God as our protection, as we work to transform the hearts and minds of millions of people across the Unites States of America and around the world.

Like many of you, after hearing the verdict, I experienced the whole gamut of emotions: pain, dismay, anger, you name it and I felt it.  I felt pain for Travon’s family, and I want them to know that God’s Perfect Timing Ministries (GPTM) is here for them.  We at GPTM know that we have to stand on faith and use the transformative power of the Word of God to help heal our hearts and carry us through difficult times, especially when our flesh is too weak to carry us.

I call upon ALL Real Black Men to take no rest until our voices are heard.  We have to stand with segments of our society that understand that we can and must break the cycle of ignorance through education and faith, and that we have to work together to repair brokenness our society.

For lack of a better word, I was dismayed by the apparent ignorance in our judicial system.  I was dismayed because it appears that our generation will be the first generation of Americans to abandon our forefathers’ attempts to form a more perfect union.   If you recall, on March 18, 2008, Senator Barack Obama delivered a speech in Philadelphia where he addressed racial tensions, white privilege, and race inequality in the United States.  In that speech, he spoke about “Black Anger” and “White Privilege.”  Now we have to ask ourselves if he was merely being a politician and if his words were meant only as a soothing balm to smooth over controversial comments made by his former pastor and spiritual adviser, the Reverend Jeremiah Wright.  As Real Black Men, we have to hold President Obama accountable.

I was angry because the police failed to detain George Zimmerman while they investigated a killing.  I am an educator and a Man of God; so forgive me for not being a lawyer.  But don’t police arrest people, on the spot, for relatively minor infractions of the law so that they can collect and examine evidence at crime scenes and/or especially places where accidents occurred and resulted in loss of life?  Are we, as a society, expected to applaud their efforts for allowing George Zimmerman to walk free for several weeks without determining if he may have been under the influence of a controlled substance that may have contributed to his paranoid behavior and decision to accost and kill a teenager who broke no law?

I was angry that so many people in our society flocked to Zimmerman’s’ defense, and at the same time, treated Travon’s death as if it were justified and that his life had no meaning.  I was angry, because as Black Men, it appeared that we are powerless to protect our children from harm.  Are we?  I don’t think so.

While it may appear that George Zimmerman got away with murder, he didn’t.  He has to live with the fact that he voluntarily followed, confronted, and killed an unarmed teenager.  Trust me, God’s got this.  I am reaching out to all who read this article to join me in providing spiritual healing.  We at GPTM are available to speak to the Martin family, your church, community organization or you and your family.  We have committed our lives to bringing the kind of spiritual transformational change that is needed to help people increase their faith in God, change how they think, what they perceive, and how to develop and adopt a more positive worldview.

I invite you to visit our web site God’s Perfect Timing Ministries, and if you agree with me, join with us and we will work together to begin the healing process.  Forward this article to all of your friends and family.  As the President of GPTM, I bear witness that miracles happen every day and that we can transform our lives.  Look for my column next week on the Black Men In America.com website and blog and I will share real life miracles with you.

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Dr. David Caruth, founder and President of God’s Perfect Timing Ministries is man of God and author of the book, God’s Perfect Timing: Breaking the Cycle of Poverty with Education and Faith.  Dr. Caruth is a career educator, with more than twenty years of higher education experience.  Prior to moving to Washington DC to help provide education to the poor and under privileged residents of the District of Columbia, Dr. Caruth served as the Executive Director and Vice President for Academic Affairs of the National Center for Professional Development Solutions, in Denver Colorado, where he oversaw Center operations, hired and supervised faculty and staff, developed and gained approval for all academic courses.  He also taught graduate level courses in Instructional Technology, Diversity & Motivation, Grant Writing, Transformative Learning Theory, Portfolio Development and Personalized Learning Plans.

Dr. Caruth is an experienced inspirational speaker, motivator, coach, mentor and father. He is also has expertise as a college professor having taught Research Methods for Non-profit Organizations at Regis University and Action Research at Lesley University, both at the graduate level, as well as undergraduate courses at the University of Wyoming, and The Metropolitan State College of Denver where he served as a full-time faculty in the African American Studies department.

The Bridge: Racist Dogs On Notice: You Can Not Have Another Trayvon!

By Darryl James

I am Trayvon Martin.

My son is Trayvon Martin.

As such, I am placing venomous, racist dogs on notice that if any Trayvon I love is given the treatment that the piece of crap George Zimmerman gave to Trayvon Martin, there will be an all-out war and no family members of his will find safe quarters anywhere on this planet.

I wish this were the message that every Black Father was ready and willing to give to vicious racist dogs across the land. Such a message, fully loaded with the very real harbinger of violence and death as retribution, would deter the murder of more Trayvon Martins.

But we march.

And we pray.

And we wear hoodies.

Yet we are still.

And as if it weren’t bad enough that too many of us are either still or silent or both, some of us are so cowardly and ignorant that we have taken precious time and energy to point the fingers of blame at…guess who?  Black Men?!!

Yes, cowardly ignoramuses are musing from the comfort of their safe homes about how Black men may somehow be at fault for wearing or allowing the youth to wear clothing that makes them “look suspicious.”

There is nothing testicular about “men” like that.

The moment we began to consider that Black men were somehow at fault for the racist view of Black men in America, and accordingly, the violence meted out by rabid white garbage, was the moment when we began our slide down the slippery slope to chaos and the abandonment of both self-respect and self-preservation. Knee-grows tried this noose on the community’s neck before and it does not fit.

While I hold a great disdain for the behavior of ignorant Blacks who wear their pants around their knees with their behinds showing, I understand American racism too deeply to pretend that somehow, such poor social behavior is now the cause of racism. That would mean that somehow, the tail is now wagging the dog.

I would not argue whether poor public behavior contributes to the poor public image of Blacks, but no sane Black person with self-awareness, knowledge of American history and an understanding of American racism would dare blame the death of Trayvon Martin on his choice of clothing.

Frankly, this kind of empty rhetoric has no place in the efforts to bring about justice for Trayvon Martin’s family.

And, if a white kid was wearing similar gear, we all know that there would be no danger of anyone “mistaking” the white kid as a danger to society.

It was one thing for the irrelevant and moronic Geraldo Rivera to make the statement because he’s been vying for nomination to honorary white man status, but for so-called Black people to make the same statement is ignorant and dangerous.

The other, perhaps more destructive and equally false argument that these cowardly morons are pursuing is that Black men, by being violent with each other, are somehow causing or at least inviting violence from racist animals.

In addition to the fact that this is just sick and twisted thinking, the fact remains that white men in America are the most violent in the nation.

And the fact remains that George Zimmerman must be prosecuted and frankly, should be put to death.

But if it weren’t for the national outcry, there wouldn’t even be a prosecution.

So many pieces of this legal puzzle have been botched that one would imagine that Barney Fife from Mayberry was leading the police department in Florida.

The hot potato of lies has been spun around Zimmerman claiming that he was acting in self-defense, and attempting to invoke Florida’s “Stand your ground” law.

But even Jeb Bush who signed that law while Governor of Florida has made it clear that the law does not apply in this case.

And we have only to listen to one of the witnesses who heard much of the incident outside of her window to understand that Trayvon Martin was attempting to flee and George Zimmerman was the assailant. It appears that Martin was invoking the “Stand Your Ground Law” when he handed Zimmerman a beatdown after being cornered by the vile racist.  And it appears that Zimmerman then illegally raised the level of the incident to deadly force by shooting the unarmed teen to his death.

To be clear, the “Stand Your Ground Law” in Florida, much like similar laws in other states, provides for citizens to use deadly force in self-defense when there is reasonable belief in a threat, with no obligation to retreat.

The problem for Zimmerman is that it was clear that he was in pursuit of Martin, not in retreat. The 911 operator advised him to not leave his car, which he did. Martin’s girlfriend advised him to run from Zimmerman, which he did. And the witness who listened to the incident outside of her window clearly heard Martin begging for his life. Zimmerman was not threatened and was choosing not to retreat—he was threatening and refusing to retreat.

There was no self-defense.

There was only stalking and murder, steeped in racial profiling and racial hate.

And if not for the spreading of outrage and action across the nation, Zimmerman, much like other vile racists, would have gone free. Ostensibly, his family’s connection to the legal system was used to try to keep him out of the system, even though he has an extensive record of violence, including violence against the police.

My concern is that while Zimmerman may be brought to justice, other Trayvon Martins may be murdered without much fanfare.

It’s been happening for a long time.

And it’s happening still.

In Chicago, recently, 22 year old Rekia Boyd was killed by an off-duty cop who claimed he mistook her friend’s cellphone for a handgun. Her friend was shot in the hand and Boyd was shot in the head and killed.

And there has been no justice.

So, I’m saying “I am Trayvon Martin” out of respect and solidarity, but really, how many Trayvons are killed each year? And how many of them go unnoticed? Is there a national outcry and wearing of hoodies for every one?

Of course, the answer is no, which is why I’m suggesting that something different must occur.

That difference can be the consistent use of technology to show solidarity and send clear messages to lawmakers and offenders alike, such as the Change.org petition and the solidarity of Brothers Behind Trayvon, a national coalition of members of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc., which contains a national coalition of practicing attorneys offering pro bono assistance to the legal team representing Trayvon Martin’s family.

We must press for the laws to be enforced so that racist murderers are prosecuted swiftly, which would serve as a deterrent.

We must fill petitions with names and present them to lawmakers, pressing them to enforce the laws with equal justice.

Otherwise, there are different avenues that can be taken as measures of last resort.

For example, if I were Trayvon’s father, I would liquidate everything valuable and toss the rest away and go underground on a vigilante mission, first erasing Zimmerman and then reading the papers to go after every violent racist I read about until my life under the radar was over.

I would also erase the self-hating House Niggers who are pretending that somehow Trayvon or Black men are at fault, because of hip hop clothing or because of violence by Blacks against other Blacks or for any other reason of putrid thinking.

I don’t know how legitimate the New Black Panther Party is, but they have issued a reward for Zimmerman—allegedly dead or alive. That idea is floating around as an option to justice denied.

Outside of the law, these are measures that would decrease the incident of murder of African Americans at the hands of filthy racists.

Fear of retaliation is a great equalizer.

Am I advocating violence?

I am advocating the decrease in violence and murder of Black people, particularly hate crimes, by any means necessary, which may include invoking the old standard law from Biblical times—The “Eye For An Eye” Law.

There is no reason and no room for any more Trayvons to be victimized.

Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.”  James’ stage play, “Love In A Day,” opened in Los Angeles in 2011 and will be running throughout 2012. View previous installments of this column at http://www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.

How to Talk to Black Boys About Trayvon Martin: Eight Talking Points About The Potentially Fatal Condition of Being Black

By: Touré

In his Time Magazine column, writer Touré outlines eight talking points to handle what he calls “the potentially fatal condition of being black.”  Touré is the author of four books, including Who’s Afraid of Post-Blackness? What It Means to Be Black Now. 

1. It’s unlikely but possible that you could get killed today. Or any day. I’m sorry, but that’s the truth. Black maleness is a potentially fatal condition. I tell you that not to scare you but because knowing that could save your life. There are people who will look at you and see a villain or a criminal or something fearsome. It’s possible they may act on their prejudice and insecurity. Being black could turn an ordinary situation into a life-or-death moment even if you’re doing nothing wrong.

2. If you encounter such a situation, you need to play it cool. Keep your wits about you. Don’t worry about winning the situation. Your mission is to survive.

Click on this link to read more.

The Trayvon Martin Tragedy

On February 26, 2012, Trayvon Martin, an unarmed, teenager was killed by a neighborhood watch member as he was walking to his father’s home in a multiracial gated community. The case has gained national attention, as George Zimmerman, the man who admitted to shooting and killing him, was not arrested or charged.  Zimmerman claimed he felt threatened and cited self-defense as the reason for shooting Martin, despite the fact that he was advised by the 911 police dispatcher not to pursue Martin.  The police investigation was botched beyond belief.  The Sanford, Florida police department allowed Zimmerman to leave with the murder weapon and presented his version of events to the media as fact.

In a few short weeks, the outrage surrounding the Trayvon Martin tragedy is proving to be larger than the outrage surrounding the Emmett Till tragedy.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Emmett Till tragedy, Emmett Till was a young black boy who was murdered in Mississippi in 1955 for reportedly whistling or flirting with a young white woman.  Emmett Till was 14-years old.  Several nights later, the woman’s husband and his half-brother arrived at Till’s great-uncle’s house where they took Till, transported him to a barn, beat him and gouged out one of his eyes, before shooting him through the head and disposing of his body in the Tallahatchie River with a 70-pound weight around his neck with barbed wire.  His body was discovered and retrieved from the river three days later.

Due to social media and a 24/7 immediate news cycle, this case is evolving at a rapid pace and has garnered world wide attention.  Martin’s death has stirred national outrage and protests around the country.  The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the FBI have opened an investigation into the case.

Trayvon’s parents have been amazingly focused and calm as they seek justice for their son.  Trayvon’s mother told a crowd in New York City that the effort to seek justice for Trayvon’s “was not a black and white thing, but a right and wrong thing.”  This young man’s murder is connecting with people of all races and economic backgrounds.

In early April 2012, George Zimmerman was arrested and charged with second degree manslaughter.  We we will post occasional commentaries and opinion pieces about this case.  If you want to stay up-to-date on this case we suggest you visit The Huffington Post’s Trayvon Martin Tragedy Page located at www.huffingtonpost.com/news/trayvon-martin.