In the 70s, 80s and 90s I was blessed to be able to cross the isle and break bread with politicians who really cared about the welfare of our children and senior citizens. They never asked if I was a Republican or Democrat. Today only Steny Hoyer is the only thing close to a brother from another mother.

THIS WAS CONGRESSMAN GLENN IVEY 20 YEARS AGO–YOUTH VIOLENCE IN HIS SPACE IN 2024 AT SUITLAND HIGH SCHOOL. HE WAS MARYLAND STATES ATTORNEY. HE WAS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND-YOU THINK HE HAS LEARNED?

He is is still trying to figure out the difference between a “Jigaboo and a Bigaboo!”

Summarizing: What Menendez really wanted to say to a CNN reporter when asked, why was it appropriate for him to be admitted to a classified briefing when he has been accused of sharing U. S. classified files with China and he is being indicted for bribery and corruption. His response, “Man, do you know who the F— I am, I am a United States Senator and I can do whatever the F— I want to do.”

“It is best to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” Meet New York City Governor, Kathy Hochu.

“Mississippi University being Mississippi-taking care of business”, according Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Ga). This is a photo of a Black protester on the campus being taunted by White on-lookers and students. The young man on the far right is jumping up and down making ape sounds toward the protester. He was suspended by the university and Congressman Rogers apologized.

The White protester pretending to be an ape did not come out of his mother’s womb using the N word, with a AK47 rifle or wearing a KKK robe. The young man’s behavior was taught. “They say what they mean and they mean what they say.”

Black folks have to stop blaming racism and Donald Trump for all the ills of Black America. We are surrounded by racism in the DMV. We have to look no further than Prince Georges County, Maryland. They have been living a lie for decades,“It is not us!” White folks don’t have the copyrights on racism in America. Divide and Conquer is done with a dollar bill. It may be the key to the ballot box in Prince Georges County and that is a sad commentary.

When was the last time Prince Georges County had a white County Executive? Let me count the years: The last was Parris Glendening (1994)-for the past two decades the County Executives have all been Black like me. Are we better off today than we were in 1994? Where is the beef with White folks?

The problem, as soon as we get two dollars and a title in front of our names, we forget, who we are and where we came from.

Trump, Lindsey Graham, Mitch McConnell, Larry Hogan, David Trone, Mike Rogers, and Kathy Hochu, all they did was remind us who they thought we were, giving the bigots permission to come out of the closet.

Here we are in America in 2024, asking why are black babies dying from gun shots in our streets and why are we still trying to teach our kids to read– you cannot read a bullet. We should be teaching them how to stay alive.

This pretty and precious three-year old Ty’ah Settles was shot and killed in Washington, DC while sitting in a park car in SE. Another three year-old toddler was shot and killed in lakeland, Florida while sitting in a car in March.

Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Teddy Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim National Teachers’ Day in 1953.

This is TEACHERS APPRECIATION WEEK IN AMERICA–it runs from May 6, to Friday May 10, 2024.

As we celebrate Teachers Appreciation Week, we must remember these are not the same teachers of the 50s and 60s and these are definitely not the same children.

“The Teachers are scare of the Principal. The Principal is scare of the Superintendent. The Superintendent is scare of the School Board. The School Board is scare of the Parents. The Parents are scare of the Children, and the Children ain’t scare of nobody.” We have to change this mentality.

In the meantime, our children are still trying to learn to read, write and count, while teachers across the country are still struggling for a fair wage in schools that have become war zones.

In 1978 my high school teammate and childhood friend, Andrew Johnson and I came up with the bright idea we should honor our Spingarn High School Principal, Dr. Purvis Williams, his team of teachers and staff with a “Thank You Luncheon.”

Andrew and I were working in the streets in Shaw/Cardozo. He was a cop and I was Roving Leader for the DC Department of Recreation and Parks (Youth Gang Task Force).

In 1975 Andrew moved from the DC Police Department as an honored and decorated homicide detective to the DEA Task Force. I moved on from the White House to become a sports talk show host, Youth Advocate, Nike shoes Rep, and Budweiser Beer Promotions & Marketing Rep.

The luncheon was a homerun-we knocked it out of the park. Our host was Spingarn track and field star, Bill Lindsey. He was one of the founders of the in-crowd, Foxtrappe night club. He was now the owner of Mingles Restaurant, located at 14th Eye Streets, NW. Everything was first class-thanks to Nike and Budweiser.

Our Heroes: Spingarn Head Basketball Coach, Dr. Rev. William Roundtree-The Chief Operating Police Officer on “The Hill”, Ray Dixon-HBell-Dave Bing and the King of the Hill, Principal Dr. Purvis Williams.

DC’s first Black Mayor, Walter Washington and I pay tribute and say thanks to the legendary Spingarn High School coach, Dave Brown on his retirement.

I often wonder where did we lose our humanity–don’t forget to vote.