Everyday bold racist statements emerge in the media. A recent appalling racist statement was made by Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. She praised support for someone by saying: “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.” As an African American who is a descendant of slaves, I can never get used to the bigoted statements and bigotry in the U.S. In response, Hyde-Smith says “any attempt to turn this into a negative connotation is ridiculous.” She’s running in a run-off election against Mike Epsy, an African American and former Congressman. I don’t know what Hyde-Smith thinks about a public lynching. But I can tell her that it’s no joking matter—now or never. It is a negative part of U.S. history. Billy Holliday sang Strange Fruit in which the lyrics describe lynching of Blacks in the south. Those words in part were: “Southern trees bear strange fruit Blood on the leaves and blood at the root Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze Strange fruit hanging … [Read more...] about Lynching Statement by GOP Senator is no Laughing Matter
Archives for November 2018
Gun Shootings Require Action From Lawmakers–Not Just Prayers
Two days after the midterm elections, I woke up to the news that another mass shooting occurred--this time in a supposedly safe suburban community outside of Los Angeles. A white man opened fire in a college bar and grill restaurant killing 12 persons, including a 29 year police veteran. On Saturday, November 3, I woke up to the news that a gun shooter killed two persons in a yoga class and wounded several others. My initial thought was we can’t even peacefully pray, meditate or practice yoga or dance in this country without the fear of being gunned down. It was just the previous week that I felt the pain of gun violence at a Pittsburgh synagogue killing seven Jewish persons. And yet, many of our powerful lawmakers act powerless in the face of tragedy. We need more than just thoughts and prayers in these tragedies from our lawmakers. Tragedy is what propelled Lucy McBath, a gun control advocate, to run for office. McBath appears headed to Congress from Georgia’s 6th district, once … [Read more...] about Gun Shootings Require Action From Lawmakers–Not Just Prayers