Keeping it Onpoint from A to Z
"Neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," is the U.S. Postman creed that they live by and from what the last 72 hours have dealt, I wasn't sure if this forum could live up to that standard. However, as circumstances would have it, you just can't keep a brother down when there's simply too much going on that demands his attention.
With that said, this post which is our 1186 since our inception will dive head first into the "mighty swirl" of e-mails, websites, Facebook postings and all three rings of the information circus loop. I never know what will make the cut, but I do know that you just can't make this stuff up! Are you ready, let's dive in...!
Strange Fruit 2014
Like everyone else, I waited with baited breathe as the latest verdict would be announced in the "Loud Music" murder trail came in. I learned that my friend Wyatt Evans was actually do a "play by play" live feed post on Facebook not to mention the "breaking news" across the TV spectrum.
It was the CNN coverage helmed by Don Lemmon that broke the news that "The jury in the case of Michael Dunn found him guilty on four charges, including three of attempted second-degree murder, but they couldn't reach a verdict on the most significant charge -- first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis. The decision came on the eve of what would have been Davis' 19th birthday. What? A hung jury!? No way, right!?
Although astonished at this news, its apparent this young man joined a long list of Black individuals who have become the "strange fruit" of our day as recollected by Mr. Kevin Dedner whom made mention of the Billie Holiday tune that spoke to the "strange fruit" of Black men hanging from trees in the south without justice.
According to a 2002 story by Peter Daniels on the World Socialist Web Site, "There were, by conservative estimates, at least 4,000 lynchings in the half century before 1940, the vast majority in the South, with most of the victims black. There was little outcry over these pogrom-like activities. Socialists and communists were in the forefront of the struggle against lynchings."
Even though most of that activity was soundly condemned at that time, we can't help but ponder the "strange fruit" in the guise of much more recent expressions of racist brutality, such as the attack on Abner Louima in Brooklyn, and the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Trayvon Martin and now Jordan Davis.
As violence continues in our society, what should we think about the "strange fruit," of the countless transgender women of color including local personality Alexis Fairchild who were murdered without resolve or arrest.
We can't forget Matthew Shepard, the victim of an anti-gay lynching in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998; of Jasper, Texas, the scene of the brutal killing of James Byrd by racists; and of a sign that were brazenly displayed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, declaring “Kill Muslims Now.”
Are we to believe that Black youth 13-24 dealing with dual infections of Syphilis and HIV are among this same "strange fruit," that will be apart of the harvest that will be left untreated, not valued and left to rot in the fields.
There's so much more to all of this and one post just can't cover it all. In the coming weeks we will continue to explore the who, why and what will it take to demand more comprehensive action instead of knee jerk reaction. Your observations, comments and solutions are encouraged to be apart of this spirited dialog.
"Neither rain nor snow, nor sleet nor dark of night shall stay these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds," is the U.S. Postman creed that they live by and from what the last 72 hours have dealt, I wasn't sure if this forum could live up to that standard. However, as circumstances would have it, you just can't keep a brother down when there's simply too much going on that demands his attention.
With that said, this post which is our 1186 since our inception will dive head first into the "mighty swirl" of e-mails, websites, Facebook postings and all three rings of the information circus loop. I never know what will make the cut, but I do know that you just can't make this stuff up! Are you ready, let's dive in...!
Strange Fruit 2014
Like everyone else, I waited with baited breathe as the latest verdict would be announced in the "Loud Music" murder trail came in. I learned that my friend Wyatt Evans was actually do a "play by play" live feed post on Facebook not to mention the "breaking news" across the TV spectrum.
It was the CNN coverage helmed by Don Lemmon that broke the news that "The jury in the case of Michael Dunn found him guilty on four charges, including three of attempted second-degree murder, but they couldn't reach a verdict on the most significant charge -- first-degree murder in the death of 17-year-old Jordan Davis. The decision came on the eve of what would have been Davis' 19th birthday. What? A hung jury!? No way, right!?
Although astonished at this news, its apparent this young man joined a long list of Black individuals who have become the "strange fruit" of our day as recollected by Mr. Kevin Dedner whom made mention of the Billie Holiday tune that spoke to the "strange fruit" of Black men hanging from trees in the south without justice.
According to a 2002 story by Peter Daniels on the World Socialist Web Site, "There were, by conservative estimates, at least 4,000 lynchings in the half century before 1940, the vast majority in the South, with most of the victims black. There was little outcry over these pogrom-like activities. Socialists and communists were in the forefront of the struggle against lynchings."
Even though most of that activity was soundly condemned at that time, we can't help but ponder the "strange fruit" in the guise of much more recent expressions of racist brutality, such as the attack on Abner Louima in Brooklyn, and the case of Mumia Abu-Jamal, Trayvon Martin and now Jordan Davis.
As violence continues in our society, what should we think about the "strange fruit," of the countless transgender women of color including local personality Alexis Fairchild who were murdered without resolve or arrest.
We can't forget Matthew Shepard, the victim of an anti-gay lynching in Laramie, Wyoming in 1998; of Jasper, Texas, the scene of the brutal killing of James Byrd by racists; and of a sign that were brazenly displayed in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, declaring “Kill Muslims Now.”
Are we to believe that Black youth 13-24 dealing with dual infections of Syphilis and HIV are among this same "strange fruit," that will be apart of the harvest that will be left untreated, not valued and left to rot in the fields.
There's so much more to all of this and one post just can't cover it all. In the coming weeks we will continue to explore the who, why and what will it take to demand more comprehensive action instead of knee jerk reaction. Your observations, comments and solutions are encouraged to be apart of this spirited dialog.
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