Latest Articles

vertical horizontal
  • Politics Is Like Hiring A Hitman
    by Scott Woods inPolitical on2020-08-13

    For me, politics is like hiring a hitman. I have values and things I care about. I care enough about them to at least bother voting for 5 minutes every year for one issue or another. And because I care at least that much, I vote for people who align with the ability to realize the things I care about.

    Read More ...

  • Punching Above Our Weight
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-07-24

    I believe our vote is the punctuation of our voice. Without that resounding exclamation mark, I believe our voices are just incoherent noise.

    Read More ...

  • BLACK PROGRESS AMIDST SOCIAL CHAOS
    by Roger Madison Jr. inPolitical on2020-06-16

    Recent events have raised the profile of historical injustice and inequities here in the USA. The entire world has taken note of the fact that BLACK LIVES MATTER.   We invite all of our friends to engage in actions that result in the greatest movement for change in our history. It is imperative that we take advantage of this opportunity to affect a positive change by ACTING IN OUR SELF-INTERESTS.

    Read More ...

  • Living in a Black No-Man's Land
    by Roger Madison Jr. inOur Community on2019-10-28

    There are many narratives that define the Black experience in America in this 2nd decade of the 21st century. Our striving over the centuries of our sojourn in this nation is a tapestry of every human experience -- oppression, enslavement, forced assimilation, dehumanization, exclusion, segregation, isolation, struggle, perseverance, achievement, excellence, celebration, mourning, despair, progress, setbacks, lynching, assassination, genocide, terror, self-hatred, low esteem, pride,...

    Read More ...

  • Fighting Racism
    by Scott Woods inOur Community on2018-10-25

    I had a boss who was racist. Not an outright bigot, of course; her toolbox was more subtle than most. We bumped heads a lot over inconsequential things. She frequently couldn’t keep my name out her mouth. Lot of gaslighting. You know…2018 style. I tried a lot of ways to combat or navigate her issues. None of them worked, and that’s saying a lot because I’m really good at fighting racism. But at the end of the day – every day – she was my boss, I had to deal with her, and that was that. Finally I...

    Read More ...

I Met a Nice Young Black Man Yesterday

I'm not going to lie. It took me by surprise! Why? Because I have come in contact with more than my share of disrespectful, "you dis' me and I'll kill you" show me your drawers young black men everywhere I go.

But this young man was different. I was in the Duke Clinic to accompany my daughter for a doctor visit. I guess I looked lost because this young man asked me if he could help me. I told him where I was going and he proceeded to direct me. He did so with enthusiasm and was so articulate. Now, you know if "certain" people call us "articulate" some of us accuse them of being racist. After all, why should they think we can't express ourselves coherently and intelligently?

Well, after thanking him for directions, he said "You're welcome!" and I continued walking towards my destination. Someone reading this might think the credit goes to Duke University Hospital for its employee training program but I can tell you that is NOT the case. I've met more RUDE and UNCARING employees which seems to be the norm.

In case you're wondering why I chose to write about this. This is the deal: Some of us (including me) are so quick to point out the negatives we see in our young people---so why can't we give them praise for the good things they do? You might say being courteous is what you would expect but teaching good manners has been lost somewhere between our parents generation and us.

I met a nice young black man today. He couldn't have been more than 25-years-old. It was such an enjoyable experience---although brief. I only wish I had thought to get his name.