The Halls Of Power

Black history has been a progressive climb from without the lowest echelons of society during slavery to the highest. When you think of black history, we often think of the civil rights movement, of John Brown’s violent protests, of the Underground Railroad. But black history doesn’t end with any one event. It is always in the process of being made every day. Even in the last ten years, huge steps forward have been made at the very top governmental positions by notable and highly qualified black Americans who are making all of us proud in the contributions they are making to America. Colin Powell was an accomplished general who demonstrated with quiet dignity and authority that he could lead many men into battle. He was rewarded for his valiant efforts finally reaching the very top levels of the government serving as President Bush’s Secretary of State in his first administration. Throughout the halls of government and anywhere Secretary Powell served, he was treated with respect and the honor that he deserved for serving his country so well. Following the honorable service of Colin Powell a just as distinguished public servant, a black woman by the name of Condoleezza Rice. It was a proud day when she stepped into that office showing how far America had come from the days when blacks could not eat in the same restaurants as whites or drink from the same drinking fountains. And her service has been just as distinguished, meeting with heads of state from Africa to Europe to the Middle East to South America and making great accomplishments throughout her career. These two black Americans are true examples of Doctor King’s vision of people who were recognized not for the color of their skin but the content of their character. Their excellence as leaders and their amazing resume’s they brought to their jobs provide tremendous inspiration to black boys and girls in school that they too can rise up in this society and go as far as they want to go if they let their natural gifts and skills come to the surface. They do not need a government program or special help to succeed. America has far to go but Dr. Rice and General Powell are examples that the system can reward black people of excellence and will not over look the contributions they can make to America’s future. And now we are on that part of black history that is yet to be. The future is a part of black history yet to be written. And we witness another black leader of excellence preparing to be considered for the very top position of power in the country, perhaps in the world, the presidency of the United States. And as with General Powell and Dr. Rice, Barrack Obama will not be judged as a black man or in the context of the racial struggle in this country. Already he is being admired and praised for his leadership, his eloquence and his ability to bring new vision to this country. It is a day of pride for all of black America to see Barrack Obama be considered for this position. He will have to work hard and be judged on his talents, skills, experience and ability to lead. But it’s a testimony to how far the country has come that he has just as much of a chance to win that election as any other candidate. And if he wins he will knock down one more barrier to black people and throughout African American society, children will be able to say, there is nothing I cannot do if I try hard. And that is the vision every civil right leader since the civil war has wanted for blacks in America.

The Replacements

By Wayne D. Shemwell, Sr.

I have been a fan of professional football since 1964. I've seen again change in many ways some good some not so good. I've enjoyed watching the game grow in popularity since the days of the old NFL and AFL. I watched the Super Bowl grow from an obscure novelty to one of the largest sporting events in the world.

I've also endured through the conflicts between owners and players and their contagious battles over and ever larger slice of the pie. I watch the game change, no holds bar gladiatorial slug-fest to where it is today evolving in its attempt to protect the players. That is why I am appalled and what is occurring on the field every time two teams play.

I know I'm not alone in my concern for the game of football today. What we are witnessing every Sunday, every Monday and Thursday nights would be laughable if not for the fact someone will eventually be hurt. These replacement referees have turned a noble sport into it unqualified joke. After witnessing what I can only classify as the most absurd and poorly refereed football game I've ever witnessed.

There were numerous missed call in the game between Green Bay and Seattle. There were calls made that were absolutely unjustified. Then there was the way the game ended that series of mistakes cost Green Bay the game. I am not a Green Bay Packers fan, but I am a football fan and I am a fan of Fair play. There was nothing fair about the way that game ended and for the league office to support such an obvious miscarriage of justice is beyond belief.

Commissioner Goodell and team owners need to resolve this referee lockout as expeditiously as possible before the integrity of the game suffers irreparable damage. There are always questionable calls when humans are involved but what we are seeing now is the dismantling of an institution. The integrity of the NFL brand is in danger if these replacements are allowed to continue the inept way they have been calling games.

The eyes of the world will be on the NFL Thursday night when the Baltimore Ravens and the Cleveland Browns take the field. I know I like many other football fans will be watching closely how this game is being played and the calls made by these replacements. Should there be another debacle like last night I think the fans should boycott the games. If the Commissioner and the owners don't care about the quality of their product then we as consumers must impress upon them the fact that we do care about the quality of the product.

The Era Of Vicious Politics

 By Wayne Shemwell

I've been involved in politics for nearly 40 years in one fashion or another. I worked with my mother when she was involved in local politics. I actually worked at the polls for a number of elections and helped local alderman with their daily activities. Additionally in both high school and college I was involved in campus politics. So I'm no stranger to the antics and tactics politicians use to make a point.

My first presidential election was 1976 and yes I voted for Jimmy Carter. I don't think I've missed a presidential election since 1976 now I can't say the same for the local and state elections. But I am involved in politics in one form or another even today. I've had the opportunity to address state Senate committees on several issues of concern. I also ran for city Council when the county and city merged here in Louisville. The attempt was unsuccessful and it did get a bit contentious. But I understand that a certain level of animosity and clear competition are to be expected in a political campaign.

But what I see today is the lack of a better word is disgusting; it is the vilest form of mudslinging I have ever witnessed. Now don't get me wrong I know that this is big boy politics and to be fair President Bush took his share of insults when he was in office. But it seems to me that the level of animosity has reached a new high. It seems that the Republican Party is entrenched in opposing whatever president Obama suggests. Now we learn that during his inauguration the Republicans were meeting to form a strategy to make Mr. Obama a one term president.

And now as the election gets closer the Republicans just seem angry. I watch all of the news channels CNN, Fox, and MSNBC so I can get a full picture of the political landscape. But watching Fox this morning all of the commentators seem so angry at President Obama. I remember some of the things said about President Bush, he was a C student and all of the jokes about his intelligence. But none of those attacks are as vicious and vile as the attacks president Obama has endured during his first term.

Right from the beginning there were those that questioned whether or not Mr. Obama was even an American citizen. And unfortunately there are those on the right who are still advocating that president Obama is not an American citizen. It doesn't matter that the Republican governor of Hawaii offered proof of Mr. Obama's citizenship, with an official Hawaiian birth certificate. Then you have the other faction that insists president Obama is a Muslim.

I don't want to raise the specter of race, but I do wonder if Obama was white with we have the same type of opposition. Washington has been mired for the past three years in partisan bickering. While the average American suffers in the worst economy as the Great Depression. Republicans refuse to work with President Obama on any issue. I recall the president Obama was giving the state of the union in someone from the gallery yelled liar. This is the level of contempt that exists between the parties in Congress today.

So what are we to do, we the people are suffering as our elected officials in Washington act like children? I do not have an answer just these observations, I hope the distinguished gentleman in Washington will wake up and realize they are there to help the people.

The House That Stood Alone

Life is fragile, life is fleeting and life will end. This is a fact that each of must face and it is inevitable that no matter how we try change will occur. In the bible the book of James 4:14 declares,” You do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”

My family and I moved into the west end of Louisville in 1966, we were among the first black families to buy property in this area of the city. My parents bought a home in the 500 block of south western parkway, The west end at the time was an area that was predominantly white. There were a few black families in the neighborhood, but foremost part it was still a white conclave. However, as a child in the second grade this didn’t matter much in my limited view of the world.

In short order I had made many friends in my new world and many of them didn’t have the same pigment. That was never a problem, we played and enjoyed the things that all the same games and things. But time moved on and things did change for us, it was not a racial change it was a change in the physical appearance of our neighborhood.
The Jefferson county school system needed to build new schools and the west end was slated to get some new schools. There was a plot selected for one of the new schools and it was located down the street from my home. It would entail the demolition of a number of homes that were located on south western parkway.

I as a child was not privy to the nature of the transactions that occurred but the results I am very clear of the results. The 500 block of the parkway was to be cleared for the new school and most of the home owners at the time agreed and sold their homes. I had a number of childhood friends who lived in that block and I watched as the packed up and moved away.

But there was one family that refused to give up their dream home and they fought and they stayed. That was the Elmore family and their home has stood as a testament to the fact that a man’s home is his castle and eminent domain has its limits.
So when I read in the paper today, that the school system had finally acquired the property after nearly fifty years of trying without success. I knew that there would not be any fanfair; there would probably not be any real notice that there will be a change in the landscape of the parkway.

The late reverend A.J. Elmore was a friend and his wife Mrs. Ann Elmore was my English teacher in high school. I played with and grew up with their children in a time when it was a village that raised the kids of our neighborhood. I know from personal experience that they were proud of the fact that they held on to their home and raised their children in the place that they had selected. The government and the powers that be could not move them, they fought and won the right to stay in the home that they had worked for and God was with them.

So when I read that the school system plans to demolish their home it felt as though another part of my childhood was being destroyed. But the bible I think says it best, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.”

They will eventually demolish the home but the principle will live on in the hearts of many of the house that stood alone on the Parkway.

Where have all the Statesmen Gone?

I think we all can agree that America is facing a serious economic crisis, one that is comparable to the great depression of the thirties. We see unemployment and foreclosures destroying the hopes and dreams of the middle-class.

We have a debit and deficit that are threatening the futures of our children and grandchildren. Underlying all this disparaging news is the fact that America is losing ground in every major category we use to measure the status of a nation on the world stage. We can no longer claim the title of number one in many extremely important areas. We have fallen behind in education, specifically in math and science.

The three-yearly OECD program for International Student Assessment (PISA) report, which compares the knowledge and skills of 15-year-olds in 70 countries around the world, ranked the United States 14th out of 34 OECD countries for reading skills, 17th for science and a below-average 25th for mathematics.

Although we still are ranked number one world –wide in GDP according to several sources the United States is still the number one producer on the world stage. However, the European Union and The People’s Republic of China are close on our heels.

With that said we can’t forget that China is the United States number one creditor holding over 900 billion dollars of U.S. bonds. This equates to approximately $3000.00 for every man woman and child in the United States. We arrived at this point because of numerous factors and the actions of both political parties.

So why now do we see our elected officials fighting as though they were children on the playground. We see petty political posturing and polarizing rhetoric. We have republicans politicians using terms like “let’s take our country back.” This is a blatant attempt to play the race card and cause even more division among the electorate. We have democrats wanting to raise taxes on the wealth as though it was the fault of the wealthy that we are in this predicament.

So how do we get beyond all the name calling and bitterness? What good does all of the political positioning do when it comes to addressing the serious problems we as a nation now face? What happened to working for the good of the people? What happened to compromise to move forward?

Why have we developed an all or nothing mantra toward each other? What happened to statesmanship? What happened to true leadership? Let’s face the truth we are all going to have to sacrifice if we are to solve our nation’s economic woes.

Look households across the country have to make hard decisions for their financial health. Basically the adults in the home make a plan that will bring the family finances back to a healthy status. In other words they live within their means.

Will the adults in Washington PLEASE STAND UP!!!

It July 2, 2011 and I am sitting here in my nice home, enjoying all the things those who have made the ultimate sacrifice have given me and all of us who live in this the greatest democracy the world has ever known.

I am listen to the young people set off their fireworks and I wonder if they really understand why? Why do you really celebrate this day? Why is the fourth of July such an important day for our nation? These teenagers who are outside my home setting off these fireworks are doing this because they can. But the truth is they are doing this because of those have made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

On July the fourth as we did with Memorial Day, there will be backyard barbecues and all sorts of fun. Will any one of us really consider what we are celebrating? There will be ribs and potato salad, and many other culinary delights. We will consume copious amounts of adult beverages. We will spend our time in a family oriented may lay that will not even find a moment to considered what the day is really about.

I am not trying to put a damper on any of the Fourth of July activities. I just think that there should be a moment when we all gather together. Before the meal, before the party when we say thank you. Thank you for allow us to be born in a country with options. Thank you for those who felt compelled to stand up and fight for our way of life.

No matter where you live or how you live, if look at the world, this is still the greatest nation on the planet. The world looks to us for just about everything. So as you do what you do on the fourth, remember it’s not about the department store sales. It’s really not about all the food you will consume.

It’s about the lives that were lost and continue to be lost so that you and I can have a day like the fourth of July.

The day Our Music Died

I don’t how many of you remember the movie “La bomba “ that highlighted the death of Richie Valance, the “Big Bopper and the legendary Buddy Holly. Don McCllean immortalized this incident in his iconic song “The Day The Music Died.”

That tragedy was the biggest tragedy of the original rock and roll era and for many of our parents and grandparents they can tell you where they were when the news broke. But we in our generation have had our day of tragedy as well on June 25, 2009 the world stood still and cried a collective cry.

Michael Jackson was dead, I personally can't believe that it has been two years but the facts are the facts. MJ is gone and despite what some may think of him and his personal life, he was the greatest entertainer that the world has ever seen.

This not just hyperbole on my part the numbers support the statement that he was the best this world has ever seen. In an earlier post I spoke of how was blessed to see him on two occasions. But what I have found the most remarkable is how the world embraced and loved this little boy from Gary, Indiana.

This morning while watching the news I saw where a grandmother in China who gets up every day and goes to the town square and with her boom box, dances for hours to Michael’s music. I forgot to mention that she is also dressed like Michael, leather jacket and glove.

Although I am sad that one talented is gone, I am glad there have not been any sighting of Michael as we have had with the late ‘Topuc shukur.” Michael the undisputed king of pop is gone but his musical legacy will remain forever.
He now forever enshrined in the pantheon of musical royalty. Yes he was just a man, but what legacy, rest in peace Michael, we will always LOVE YOU!!!