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May. 9, 2019

The Blackman Who Reads Aloud Pays Tribute To An Ultimate Warrior For Equality & Justice

John Brown was born May 9, 1800, he celebrates his 219th birthday today. When I was in school, John Brown was always depicted in my history books as a crazed, maniacal white man who had no true virtue. He only thirsted after blood and had a limited level of humanity. As I got older and did my own research on John Bown I came to realize how virtuous, honorable and dedicated John Brown was. He lived a pious life and thought that all mankind no matter the color of their skins deserved to be treated equally. In a time when the overwhelming majority of blacks were deemed inferior and was shackled and chained to the insane institution of slavery. John Brown wanted to break the bonds of those chains so that my black ancestors could walk as freedmen.

More than any other white person it was John Brown who sacrificed his life and that of some of his sons to bring freedom to the enslaved blacks being held in bondage in the southern United States. His failed attack on the Harpers Ferry Federal Armory was an instrumental event that strengthened the demand by abolitionists in this nation to finally settle the issue of slavery once and for all. It was that failed attack along with John Brown's public hanging that aroused the level of dissension and conflict between the North and the South, which forged the movement to that penultimate battle of North versus South in a great Civil War. As a result of his death, a tribute was written honoring John Brown. This historical poem was used to motivate northern troops as they headed into battle against the tyrannical Confederate forces.

Today The Black Blackman Who Reads Aloud pays tribute to The Most Honorable John Brown by reciting two versions of the epic poem "John Brown's Body". I hope you will listen to the recitations and understand the magnitude of the sacrifice and determination to the cause of black freedom that John Brown was dedicated too. Had it not been for John Brown, it may have been decades before our ancestors achieved freedom. I am sure that John Brown's Body still stirs with the increasing degree of injustice our black communities still suffer from even in 2019. As the poem says John Brown's Body is smothering in the ground, it burns forever eternal until true equality is reached in this nation.

#theblackmanwhoreadsaloud

May. 8, 2019

British Baby Naming Shenanigans, Please!

"I live in the United States, a nation that supposedly told the British monarchy to go straight to hell. So, I could give a rat's ass about the name of a baby who was born with a proverbial diamond spoon in his mouth. I mean most of the crown jewels that are the basis of the wealth of the Royal Family were stolen from civilizations whose residents were my skin tone or darker. I ask myself why are even a few black folks interested in these baby naming shenanigans? Did the British Empire ever pay any reparations for all the thievery and misadventures that they caused black people to suffer in points all around the world? Also, I don't care if the British Empire abolished slavery in 1833 the monarchy still continued to oppress darker skin peoples around the world for at least a century and a half until World War II demolished their reign of oppression."

#theblackmanwhoreadsaloud
May. 6, 2019

Quick Notes The Scales Of American Interest

"Americans are seemingly more interested Game of Thrones and Infinity Endgame than in the absolute ecological deterioration of Planet Earth. I guess if Arya and Thanos were actual living beings Americans would begin to give a damn about the 1,000,000 species of marine and land life threatened by our ecological blindness. What in the hell is so damn interesting about two fictional stories, one based on white supremacy domination during the British Empire's War of the Roses and the other story based on a lime green brownish character that turns humans into dust anyways? We had better start being extremely interested whether you are black, white, red, or yellow in the literally millions of living thing we actually have turned to dust. On a side note, the scavenger crabs of the Chesapeake Bay are back in abundance according to a new report from Maryland's Department of Natural Resources. So rockfish are dwindling again and crabs are on the upswing since scavengers love so many dead things. So get the Old Bay Seasoning and cold brewskies on tap and enjoy. Except if you are like me the high iodine levels in today's seafood makes that meal unbearable. Oh, what the hell, we can't live forever so why should Planet Earth."

#theblackblogger
May. 6, 2019

Kevin Broadus Morgan State University's New Basketball Coach

On the day that Morgan State University introduced its new basketball head coach, Kevin Broadus, in an audience that included all the Georgetown Thompson clan Big John, John III, and Ronnie along with a myriad of Coach Broadus's former players. The University of Maryland his former employer just signed a Sudan basketball player with a 7 feet 10-inch wingspan, Choi Marial, who wingspan is larger than any other NBA player in history besides Manute Bol who had an incredulous wingspan of 8 feet 6-inches.
 
This means that the recruiting class that Kevin Broadus assisted in bringing into UM this year will include the Mitchell Twins, Donta Scott, Choi Marial and Hakim Hart. These 5 players will be added to last year's recruiting class that included Serrel Smith, Aaron Wiggins, Eric Ayala, Ricky Lindo and of course Baltimore's own Jalen Smith. This means that the top ten players from the last two recruiting classes will be on Maryland's campus next season. Add the other returning upperclassmen Darryl Morsell, Joshua Tomaic and the possible addition of the teams leading scorer Anthony Cowan.
 
All 13 of these players the new Morgan State University Basketball Coach Kevin Broadus has a major hand in recruiting as well as developing. That has to bode well for the future of Morgan Bear basketball. The brother has the gift that allows young men to want to follow his vision. Coach Broadus spoke of vision today quite impressively. His vision as well as the visions of Drs. Wilson and Scott. He spoke of his binding relationships that were built from his basketball experiences. He spoke of his HBCU roots, of matriculating at Bowie State University, of loving as a young man coming to play at Hill Fieldhouse while a student at Bowie. It was clearly evident that every one of the friends of Coach Broadus who attended this public introduction loved his as a man of distinction and honor.
 
My only regret is in watching the news conference was the seemingly complete absence of the Baltimore media from the event. The only question that was asked came not from the media but from a Morgan supporter. Having Drs' Wilson and Scott attempting to gain support from the Baltimore media for our sports program is a difficult uphill battle. The biggest star at the news conference wasn't either Wilson, Scott, or Broadus but it was Gig John Thompson who was decked out in his Nike attire.
 
Yet, any Morgan alumni had to be extremely proud that our university was able to secure the services of an excellent recruiter, an outstanding developer of men, as well as an outstanding basketball coach in Kevin Broadus. I only hope that we understand the magnitude of this basketball hire. It could be extremely important to our university's ability to gain some national recognition and corporate sponsorship. The students in the athletic department may be in line for trips to Eugene, Oregon with our new coach's Nike ties. The entire city of Baltimore and the Morgan University community must wrap their arms around Kevin Broadus and make him and his family feel welcome. This is a game-changing hire for our university community.
 
I also appreciate that Coach Broadus gave some platitudes to his personal friend Todd Bozeman at this announcement. Coach Todd Bozeman worked hard to build the stature of the program during some extremely difficult times. Let's see you try to recruit today's players to play in an empty wore down, beat up and decrepit Hill Fieldhouse when all the competitive schools (Towson, Coppin, UMBC, Loyola(1984) in the area have new arenas. Or arenas packed with overflowing crowds. So it will not be an easy task for our coach Kevin Broadus to secure commitments for players to play for our Morgan Grizzlies. However, if we can change the atmosphere and build campus enthusiasm for our sports teams. I can see the beginning of concrete being pour and bricks being laid for the new Frazier Webster Fieldhouse in this decade. However, we must align ourselves to our programs with personal support and finding ways to bring Baltimore City into the equation of support.
 
These are our my Morgan State University Basketball Notes Today.
May. 5, 2019

We Got So Many Better Options For Our Black Baltimore Community Than A Beat Up Horse Racing Track

I watched a few moments of the Kentucky Derby yesterday. Besides Laila Ali for me personally, it was a sporting event that no longer drew my interest. Did I mention that Laila Ali was talking about being fierce, damn, she sure is fierce, the horse race not so much. So, decided to spend my Sunday morning writing, not about the horse race but why blacks in Baltimore City give a damn about keeping a dilapidated Pimlico Race Track open?
 
Did you know or even care that horse racing ranks only ahead of bowling and fishing as a spectator sport today? I assumed as much because besides 3 racing events in the Spring who really gives a damn about horse racing? Especially in black communities, horse racing is irrelevant. So I wonder why black residents are launching efforts in my hometown to keep a depleted, broken-down, relic of a horse racetrack named Pimlico? If this was the 1950's when horseracing was actually the numero uno spectator sport in this country. The fight to keep the track open would be a legitimate concern. However, besides the historic dirt track at Pimlico which has felt the hoof poundings of such horses like Seabiscuit, Bold Ruler, Secretariat, Seattle Slew, Justify, American Pharoah, Spectacular Bid, Man O' War, War Admiral, Affirmed, Whirlaway, Ruffian, Native Dancer, Foolish Pleasure, Swale, Count Barton, Funny Cide, Gallant Fox and the tens of thousands of thoroughbreds that have entered the opening posts at Old Hilltop.
 
Why should the residents fight to keep this dying track alive? Should the only consideration be for the few trinkets that are made from white folks parking on your property that 3rd Saturday in May? Or for the few dollars collected during the massive cleanup of the Pimlico infield on the 3rd Sunday in May? Maybe it should be the few black vendors who can make a few ducats for folks entering the Pimlico track? I heard so white sports reporter say that if Pimlico was not in that same spot in the coming years it would create a vast desert because no investors would come in and build in that location. Why? Well, this white man felt that because of the current residents basically black and poor surrounding Pimlico there would be no incentive to replace Pimilco with any viable alternative. That is what you call implied racism not explicit but implied because he is saying that black folks needed Pimlico even though Pimlico does absolutely nothing for the communities and neighborhoods that surround the track. Do the current owners of Pimlico really give two shits about the black community that surrounds the track? Ask yourself this question, ask it honestly why would you want to keep a dilapidated horseracing track that is part of a dying sport?
 
Don't you feel that the black community could create an alternative solution that would benefit not only the Park Heights-Pimlico Communities besides a racetrack that is only opened what 3-6 weeks a year? Besides that 3rd Friday and 3rd Saturday in May the track is essentially a spectator starved facility because horseracing is an afternoon event. Who goes to the racetrack to bet the ponies now? I would assume a few diehards but the millennials who have access cash surely don't. Not when they have full-fledged betting casinos within spitting distance of Pimlico Race Course. What is Baltimore City missing currently? Let's not talk about shopping venues because of the fact that concrete and merchandise stores are also a dying breed. Besides the rebuilding of the homes in the area surrounding Pimlico's Race Course, Baltimore needs premier sports and entertainment arena. If you can take a realistic look at the future of the city why not build a 15,000 seat arena that would provide a venue for the entire city. In addition, it will be used by the residents of the city more than one weekend a year it could also provide employment opportunities as well. Whose to say it would be limited just for events? It could also house training facilities to nurture students and residents to be trained to do the backstage and graphics work of the sporting and entertainment industry.
 
Black folks unless they come across multimillions of dollars aren't tomorrow thoroughbred horse owners. It simply isn't advantageous to keep a dying track simply because of some historic dirt that horses hoofs ran on. I believe that moving the Preakness is not the death nil for the communities and neighborhoods surrounding Pimlico Race Track. I believe that if we could create a world-class facility that could house college basketball tournaments (MEAC, CIAA, CAA) as well as bring world-class entertainers to Baltimore City. Stick some dynamite caps to that atrocious Royal Arena that is an eyesore to downtown Baltimore. Then take the same dynamite caps to the eyesore that is currently Pimlico Race Track. You can build a majestic hotel site where the Royal Arena sits and create a destination site where Pimlico Race Course currently stands in its current state which is decrepit and dilapidated. The key to this solution is a willingness to think outside the current box of thought some of our city leaders are stuck in.
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