Black Skin As a Perpetual Threat

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By Michael April 13, 2021 1

Brooklyn Center another case of trigger happy policing

I’ve lived through three encounters with the police that could easily have ended in my death. Each time I see another Black man lose his life to a trigger-happy cop; it brings back that same dread I had on those three occasions.

In the mid-1970s, I was a young reporter covering the city hall beat for a Black-owned weekly tabloid. One day I went home for lunch with a couple of girls who worked in the newsroom. They were curious to know how I prepared a vegetarian hamburger. This was decades before the meat alternatives we have on the market today and a lot less appetizing. read more

Did The Civil Rights Lawyers In The Floyd Case Leave Money On The Table

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By Michael April 3, 2021 2

Is $27 Million Enough to Set An Example for Other Police Departments?

Two months after a stunned, pandemic world watched the killing of George Floyd at the corner of 8th Street East and Chicago Avenue, a battery of civil rights attorneys filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the three cops who participated in Floyd’s death. The lawyers’ chief spokesperson is Benjamin Crump, who has built a cottage industry in police misconduct cases following the Trayvon Martin family’s representation nine years ago. read more

Four Early Take-Aways From The Derek Chauvin Trial

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By Michael April 1, 2021 0

New Time Period Suggests Civil Case Settled Too Soon and For Too Little Money

Four early take-aways are evident after the first three days of testimony in the Derek Chauvin trial for the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

First, there is no doubt that Chauvin used excessive force from the get-go on Memorial Day 2020. After banging on the driver-side door of an SUV driven by Floyd, Chauvin immediately drew his firearm and pointed it at Floyd. The officer’s approach caused Floyd to cringe and beg for his life. He asked Chauvin to not shot him. Floyd never physically attacked Chauvin or any other police officer on the scene. He initially gripped onto the steering wheel of his SUV as he asked the officers why they were bothering him. read more

My Tribute to a Great Hitter and Even Better Teammate

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By Michael March 17, 2021 2

Lorenzo “Lo” Ogden Now Playing First Base With the Heavenly Host

When Lorenzo Ogden stepped on the Tuskegee Institute campus in1968, he was a tall, skinny kid off the sandlots of Birmingham, Alabama. He spent his summer days playing baseball during the week, but on Sundays, you could find him at old Rickwood Field watching the Birmingham Black Barons play the best competition in the Negro Leagues. read more

Braves’ Garr-Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic Is A Hit

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By Michael March 15, 2021 0

HBCU Alumni Proud of National Spotlight

HBCU Alumni Proud of National Spotlight

Marie Duval did not attend an HBCU; she received her educational experience at a predominately white institution, Mercer University, a private Baptist-supported school in Macon, Georgia, her hometown. The other half of the Duval family, Steve Duval, attended two HBCUs, Hampton University and Tuskegee University. The Duvals traveled 150 miles to witness a rare national spotlight shine on Black college baseball. read more

A Wonderful Historic Moment for Black College Baseball

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By Michael March 13, 2021 0

Why the Ralph Garr-Bill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic Matters?

A faint breeze slightly chilled the night air, the sky tinted ocean blue, and patches of small fluffy clouds lingered in the afterglow of dusk, hinted at the artistry of the Divine.

Down below on a baseball diamond where Triple-A professionals dream of getting a call up to the big league are two historic Black universities, Florida A & M University and Grambling State University. Each is seeking their first win since the pandemic derailed their season a year ago, prepared to do battle in the first Ralph Garr-Bill Lucas HBCU Baseball Classic. read more

A Historic Face Lift For Black College Baseball

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By Michael February 28, 2021 0

Tuskegee University Returns Home Games to Campus

Many of the happiest days of my life are moments spent on a baseball diamond. Mostly sandlots: sometimes cow pastures turned into a ball field for Sunday baseball outings, some with meticulously kept lawns, and some in the oldest minor league ballpark in America, Luther Williams Field, in Macon, Georgia. read more

A Brother set Up Malcolm X

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By Michael February 23, 2021 2

And The FBI Ran The Scheme To Kill A Black Leader

By all accounts, Malcolm X was a peace-loving brother; at least, he did not advocate violence as an act of aggression. Malcolm believed that all humans had a right to defend themselves if attacked, but no one had a right to inflict violence on a person who came in peace. read more

There Is No Justification for Ratifying Injustice

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By Michael February 14, 2021 0

Zip it Mitch – Spare Us Another Lie

The novelist and social critic Norman Mailer once wrote, “You can be the best in the world and still lose.” Mailer uttered these profound words to lament his defeat in a race for the office of Mayor of New York City. His prodigious ego led him to believe he was the best candidate in the race. Perhaps history will give him the benefit of the doubt and adjudge Mailer the best novelist turned politician in that contest. read more

Republicanism Is Bad for American Democracy

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By Michael February 11, 2021 1

Let’s face it. There are no two ways about it. Republicanism is terrible for American Democracy. Suppose the response of Republicans since January 6, 2021, indicates how current Republicans in the main feel about democracy in America. There is nothing in the historical record that suggests otherwise. In that case, it is safe to bet the farm on the demise of the much-heralded American democracy, for, without a doubt, democracy in America is on its last leg. read more