TRAYVON!

“They say that time heals all wounds… It does not! — Sybrina Fulton

The Paramount Network and BET ran the first episode last night of Rest in Power: The Trayvon Martin Story. My youngest daughter asked me on Facebook if I was watching? I replied I had taped it to watch in the morning. My daughter said, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sit through this.” Comments from others on the thread included:

“Could not…”

“I ain’t even gonna be able to do it!”

“I didn’t even attempt to watch it!”

“Nope!”

These replies were all from young black women, most of them mothers, that understood just how much pain would be involved in reliving the family’s story of the senseless killing of their teenage son. The injustice of watching his killer walk free. Most of all the piercing screams for “HELP,” Trayvon’s last words.

The first segment was every bit as painful as these young women imagined it would be. It humanized Trayvon and the family, making them so much harder to characterize in a manner that makes it easier to dismiss his murder. We also see more of George Zimmerman than was shown during his trial. We heard numerous non-emergency calls to the police department about; black kids “under 12” playing in the streets, black kids walking around, a black teenager “up to no good!”

“These assholes, they always get away. Fucking punks!” George Zimmerman

We are reminded what it took to even get the Sanford, FL police department to press charges. The night George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin he slept in his own bed. The Department cited “Stand Your Ground Laws” as the reason they could not arrest Zimmerman who claimed self-defense. Only public outrage forced the Sanford Mayor to release the 911 tames where the haunting screams forced an arrest. In Clearwater, FL, Michael Drejka is not being charged for the murder of the unarmed Markeis McGlockton on July 19, 2018 based on Stand Your Ground. Little has changed!

The women who chose not to watch perhaps underestimated how painful it would be to hear the painful recollections of Trayvon’s parents; Sybrina Fulton and Tracy Martin. You heard from his aunt, grandmother and brother. I wish I could tell those women it “isn’t as bad as you might think,” but in reality it’s probably worse. Part 1 will tear at your soul and you won’t be able to help but imagine if you were in their place. Perhaps as the documentary develops there will be a call to action, some way to convert raw emotions into positive change? But for now, the pain is real, a wound not healed by time.

The Docuseries was produced by Jay-Z

Banned? Don’t Even Try Coming For April Ryan

As hard as it is to believe considering the source, President Trump considers some reporters “disrespectful,” and has been considering for some time how to punish them for “the way they ask questions.” According to sources, the top two on the President’s hit list are Jim Acosta from CNN and April Ryan also a CNN correspondent and Bureau Chief for American Urban Radio Networks.

Trump has long wanted to retaliate against Ryan and others by banning them from official events or revoking their press credentials. Last week he and his new White House Communications Director Bill Shine (formerly of Fox News where he was fired in a sexual harassment scandal he covered up) banned CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from covering an event after she “shouted out questions” after a Trump announcement, as happens 100% of the time because sometimes Trump answers these questions.

Ryan has been going all-in on Trump in recent coverage. She recently said Trump is “scared” and “cannot be the dictator he wants to be.” Part of her role in the free press is to hold politicians accountable, holding them up to the light which is just what April Ryan has been doing. She once asked White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders if Trump, “had ever considered resigning” after which she received death threats.

Trump already has an image problem in that he is considered racist and sexist by a large percentage of the population. Singling out April Ryan will do nothing to improve that image and holy hell will rain down on him should he actually ban her as he’s contemplated. Even Fox News supported Kaitlan Collins and would find it hard not to support Ryan as well. There’s a saying; “Don’t start none, won’t be none!” Trump would do well to heed that admonition!

April Ryan has covered four Administrations and will still be there long after Trump is gone. She’s written; The Presidency In Black And White: My Up-Close View Of Three Presidents And Race In America, and At Mama’s Knee: Mothers And Race In Black And White. I’m betting her next book will have much to say! Under Fire: Reporting From The Front Lines Of The Trump White House, coming September 1, 2018.

5 Questions For Trump’s Accountant: Allen Weisselberg

He was almost unknown a week ago. A longtime accountant for a family firm, Allen Weisselberg will be 71-years-old next month and had to have at least considered a quiet retirement in the near future. Suddenly, after being mentioned twice in the leaked Michael Cohen/Donald Trump audio tapes describing how they paid $150,000 to squelch a story about Trump’s alleged affair with Playboy Playmate Karen MacDougal. Within a few days, Weisselberg was subpoenaed to testify to a Federal Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in the investigation of Michael Cohen.

Given his long ties to the Trump Organization, dating back to the 1970’s. There are a few questions I hope Weisselberg is asked while under oath on the witness stand:

1. HOW MARRIED IS TRUMP TO THE MOB? Alan began working while Fred Trump was in charge and he once had a partner, Willie Tomasello, who was a Genovese mob family associate. S & A Concrete, owned by a joint venture of the Genovese and Gambino families, built Trump Tower and Trump Plaza. Trump worked with Nicky Scarfo and the Cleveland Wrecking Company and multiple other mob front operations. The mob settled Trump’s labor disputes. Following the money; how much money in the past and is currently going to mob operations including, of course, the Russian mob?
2. HOW MANY WOMEN? Just how many women has Trump paid off and more importantly, what is it he’s trying to keep silent? Besides the multiple affairs, how many women are being paid to hush-up allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and even rape?
3. HOW MUCH RUSSIAN MONEY? Eric Trump and Donald Jr have both bragged about the vast amount of Russian money they had access to in building golf courses worldwide. There are multiple real estate transactions providing hundreds of millions of profits for Donald Trump and where the Russians seemed to have little use for the properties. How much money has Russia provided to Trump and what did they get in return?
4. HOW MUCH DOES TRUMP GIVE TO CHARITABLE CAUSES? To be more specific, how much of Trump’s personal money has he given away that wasn’t actually a payoff of some kind? Inquiring minds want to know.
5. WHAT’S IN TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS? It’s obvious Trump never intended to release his tax returns. What’s in them he doesn’t want anyone to see? Money laundering? Tax evasion? We can assume Special Counsel Robert Mueller has Trump’s taxes and some of that information may come out in his report, but can you give us a few tidbits in the meantime?

Looking out for Allen Weisselberg, I’d get immunity if I were you before I started spilling information. Once you’ve received it, tell all you know and set yourself free. Then you can go ahead and enjoy that retirement without having to look over your shoulder.

5 Questions To Ask Trump’s Accountant: Allen Weisselberg

He was almost unknown a week ago. A longtime accountant for a family firm, Allen Weisselberg will be 71-years-old next month and had to have at least considered a quiet retirement in the near future. Suddenly, after being mentioned twice in the leaked Michael Cohen/Donald Trump audio tapes describing how they paid $150,000 to squelch a story about Trump’s alleged affair with Playboy Playmate Karen MacDougal. Within a few days, Weisselberg was subpoenaed to testify to a Federal Grand Jury in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in the investigation of Michael Cohen.

Given his long ties to the Trump Organization, dating back to the 1970’s. There are a few questions I hope Weisselberg is asked while under oath on the witness stand:

1. HOW MARRIED IS TRUMP TO THE MOB? Allen began working while Fred Trump was in charge and he once had a partner, Willie Tomasello, who was a Genovese mob family associate. S & A Concrete, owned by a joint venture of the Genovese and Gambino families, built Trump Tower and Trump Plaza. Trump worked with Nicky Scarfo and the Cleveland Wrecking Company and multiple other mob front operations. The mob settled Trump’s labor disputes. Following the money; how much money in the past and is currently going to mob operations including, of course, the Russian mob?
2. HOW MANY WOMEN? Just how many women has Trump paid off and more importantly, what is it he’s trying to keep silent? Besides the multiple affairs, how many women are being paid to hush-up allegations of sexual harassment, assault, and even rape? How many abortions has he paid for?
3. HOW MUCH RUSSIAN MONEY? Eric Trump and Donald Jr have both bragged about the vast amount of Russian money they had access to in building golf courses worldwide. There are multiple real estate transactions providing hundreds of millions of profits for Donald Trump and where the Russians seemed to have little use for the properties. How much money has Russia provided to Trump and what did they get in return?
4. HOW MUCH DOES TRUMP GIVE TO CHARITABLE CAUSES? To be more specific, how much of Trump’s personal money has he given away that wasn’t actually a payoff of some kind? Inquiring minds want to know.
5. WHAT’S IN TRUMP’S TAX RETURNS? It’s obvious Trump never intended to release his tax returns. What’s in them he doesn’t want anyone to see? Money laundering? Tax evasion? We can assume Special Counsel Robert Mueller has Trump’s taxes and some of that information may come out in his report, but can you give us a few tidbits in the meantime?

Looking out for Allen Weisselberg, I’d get immunity if I were you before I started spilling information. Once you’ve received it, tell all you know and set yourself free. Then you can go ahead and enjoy that retirement without having to look over your shoulder.

Update: 8/24/2018  Allen Weisselberg has been granted immunity by Federal prosecutors. Watch out now!

Omarosa Wrote A Book… “Unhinged: An Insider’s Story of the Trump White House.”

You knew it was coming if nothing else, Omarosa Manigault Newman is a hustler and writing a book about her White House experience was a natural progression. It remains to be seen how well-received her book will be. Sean Spicer has had to cancel early stops on his book tour and been heckled at others. Omarosa may well face opposition for her book from the right and left, each feeling she betrayed them.

There’s no doubt she has a story to tell, it may pale however to the daily breaking news about Russia scandals and leaked information from Trump’s personal fixer who is preparing to tell tales of Russian collusion or his accountant who has been subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury. Omarosa’s tale about being shut out and having her role minimized isn’t likely to capture the news cycle. Her stories about how she stood up for black people behind closed doors and how she was mistreated won’t gain much sympathy either.

There is no escaping that she was a mouthpiece for Trump, repeating his lies and making up some of her own on his behalf. She treated her opportunity to influence White House policy like a reality game. And when the time came, she was fired, allegedly dragged out of the White House, trying to reach Donald to correct what must have been a grievous mistake. After her firing, she tried to fit in at the National Association of Black Journalists on a panel, but she didn’t want to talk about Trump and it didn’t go well. Evidently she couldn’t go home again.

Perhaps Omorosa knows some things the world needs to know? Publishers feared to give her a big advance because they fear her book won’t sell. She is a hustler though and may prove everyone wrong. She’ll do the talk shows, offer some tidbits, and for another 15 minutes, recapture some fame. “Unhinged” is published by Gallery Books and is due in bookstores on August 14th.

Russia’s Pretense That Black Lives Matter To Them

Russia has long involved itself in America’s racial affairs, often appearing to take the side of African-Americans. In 1931, when the NAACP was hesitant to get involved for fear of political repercussions. It was the Communist Party of Russia through its International Labor Defense organization (ILD) that took up the cause of the Scottsboro Boys who were falsely accused of raping two white women. The Russians didn’t do this for love of American black people but to appeal for membership and attract black people to the Communist cause. They had an ulterior motive and it has always been thus.

The Russians worked hard to recruit influential black voices and many flirted with Communism including Richard Wright, Paul Robeson, Langston Hughes, Ralph Ellison and Chester Himes. The promise of equality offered by Communism stood out starkly against Jim Crow. Most of the aforementioned influencers became disillusioned with the reality of Communism. Ellison’s “Invisible Man” was about his disappointment with Communism. McCarthyism and the Cold War greatly affected Communism’s popularity and memberships declined. By the 1970’s, activist Angela Davis was a member but there never was a strong relationship with the Black Panther Party. In the years since, there has always been an attraction for some but it appeared that a mass influx of black Americans to Communism was never meant to be.

Fast forward to the 2016 Presidential Election and Russian interference. Much of their social media efforts centered on causing disruption in American society. They attempted to stir up black people, highlighting incidents of police injustice and racial inequality. They also stirred up white people, appealing to their nationalism and prejudices. They flooded the Internet with memes and news articles both real and fake. Much of the disruption they were able to cause was from repeating the truth. No need to lie when the truth is sufficient. One of the largest purported Black Lives Matter twitter accounts was in fact Russian trolls,. This being America, there was plenty of source material to work with, alongside the lies.

Coming into the 2018 Mid-term Elections and in preparation for the 2020 Presidential Election, Russia is still busy trying to interfere in our elections and attempting to find weakness in our form of government and society itself. They will take all sides of any issue, their goal being disruption, not problem solving.

When on social media, there is a tendency to retweet, share, and like much of what we see that we agree with. I encourage everyone to be a bit more discerning as to the sources of information and motives behind it. Russian generated news may sound good, in some cases even be true, but they don’t mean Americans any good. Especially the black ones.

Note: The last two images in this post and the featured photo came from Russian troll sites.

Trump Word For The Day: Collusion!

Definition – Secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others.

Donald Trump says it in almost every public conversation. “No Collusion!” “There was no collusion!” “No Collusion!” We now learn that Trump’s former personal attorney is willing to testify that Donald Trump knew about the infamous “Trump Tower” meeting in June 2016 where Russians came to Trump Tower to meet with Donald Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner to allegedly provide dirt on Hillary Clinton.

All of the attendees of the meeting originally denied the purpose of the meeting and that Donald Trump was aware it was taking place. When news of the meeting broke when the President and Donald Jr were returning from an overseas trip on Air Force One. Donald Trump dictated a letter downplaying the meeting and making a claim it was merely about Russian adoptions.

We now know Donald Trump knew in advance and approved of the Russian meeting, being approached about it by Donald Jr. Donald Trump approved the meeting and is more likely than ever to have been the source of a call Donald Jr took during the meeting from a number marked “Private” which calls from Trump’s cell phone are.

The legal and criminal implications of Trump’s knowledge, approval, and subsequent denials of the meeting are staggering. Donald Jr and Kushner have perjured themselves in testimony before Congressional committees. Manafort, Kushner and Don Jr will have given false testimony in interviews with the FBI. Trump himself will have done the one thing he constantly denied, conspired (colluded) with Russians to get information about Hillary Clinton, and of course, Russia knew.

Russia has always known about Trump’s culpability in at least this instance. They know about his financial ties to Russian oligarchs. His dependence on Russian funding over the years and even his relationship with the Russian mob in New York. This is why Trump bends over everytime Putin is near, and the information is coming out a piece at a time on a daily basis. One claim Trump won’t be able to credibly make any longer is “No collusion!” Because he’s corrupt as hell!

Rudy Guiliani, came out after the story broke calling Michael Cohen “unbelievable” and “a liar.” He never said the story wasn’t true!

Pastor Mark Burns… The Last One To Know

“I’ve been saying for almost 2 yrs some in the campaign tried to marginalize my role, in the closing days. This tape and the fact that I remained traveling with and speaking for the campaign after this conversation. is even more proof @realDonaldTrump remained in my corner. #maga”

This was Pastor Mark Burns twitter response to his mention in one of the secret recordings made by former Trump attorney Michael Cohen of Donald Trump. The primary focus for most was Trump negotiating the payment of $150,000 to former Playboy Playmate Karen MacDougal to keep the story of her affair with Trump out of the tabloids. I’d like to focus on the cautionary tale of Pastor Mark Burns.

Pastor Burns must have listened to a different tape than the one I did. The Donald Trump he says, “remained in my corner,” couldn’t remember the difference between Burns and his other black preacher, Pastor Darrell Scott. Coming up on two years since the election, Burns can still be counted on to give an interview and support any position taken by Trump. But Trump never calls and only tweets when Burns says nice things about him.

Burns attempted to catapult his relationship with Trump, such as it is, into winning the Congressional seat being vacated by Trey Gowdy, who’s retiring from Congress. In the June Primary, he got only 3.6 percent of the vote. He’d served his purpose and the good folk of South Carolina didn’t want him any more than Trump does. He had no real platform beyond his subservience to Trump. He’s trying to remain relevant but politics has passed him by.

No story about Burns would be complete without mention of his fabricated history. He lied about his education, his military service, he even lied about being a member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, something he did seeking additional credibility when young. It seems he’s still seeking credibility because acknowledging he’d been used would be admitting he was wrong.

Donald Trump said in the tape, “Mark Burns, can we use him anymore?”

The response from Michael Cohen… “No, no!”

Equalizer 2: A Review (No Spoilers)

While in another career, I once found myself working at a Michael Bolton concert. The music wasn’t for me but the 12,000 or so people in attendance obviously loved it. They sang along with the songs and you could hear them raving about him on the concourse. I saw the reviews the next day and his concert was thoroughly trashed by the reviewer. The same I think is true of Equalizer 2 which very much pleased the audience I attended with, yet the majority of reviews were generally critical.

I don’t know what the reviewers were expecting to see? Was there gratuitous violence? Yes! That was probably the point of the whole movie. Anyone that saw the first Equalizer movie, or even the original series starring Edward Woodward probably came to see Denzel Washington as Robert McCall kick ass and take names. No doubt happy to see the action start much earlier in the sequel than the original.

The story line was somewhat predictable and there was likely little shock as to who the main villain was. So what? If your goal was to get out of the house for a little escapism, you came to the right place.

Denzel looks quite fit for a man in his sixties (63) and is believable in the action scenes. There’s no Academy Award in his future for this film (he has two Oscars already) but this will make enough money that he might follow up his first ever sequel with a third in the series? If so, I’ll be right there. Leave the kids at home because the violence is a bit graphic, if that’s what you came to see, you’ll be quite satisfied. Denzel is reunited with director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) and Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo. Check it out!

The Uneasy Alliance Between Black America And The FBI

The FBI is not now and has never been the friend of black America. While the word “they” might be a little too inclusive. painting with a slightly too broad brush, there is not another word that fits better. “They” infiltrated the civil rights and students rights movements. Telling lies and fabricating evidence to inhibit their goals. “They” went undercover with the Black Panthers and according to many, conspired to assassinate 21-year-old Fred Hampton while in his bed. They don’t teach about Fred Hampton in the Chicago schools, yet as a result of his actions, many receive a free breakfast. An offshoot of the Black Panther programs. They penetrated the Nation of Islam and were possibly involved in the assassination of Malcolm X, perhaps they merely stood by and watched?

“They” spied on Martin Luther King Jr, even sending him a letter encouraging him to kill himself. “They” withheld evidence that would have convicted Sheriff Willis McCall of murdering one prisoner and shooting another outside Groveland, FL. He stayed in power another 21 years, killing other black men along the way. In 2017, “they” started cracking down on so-called, “Black Identity Extremists” until that plan came to light. There are undoubtedly good men and women in the FBI, seeking Justice For All and following the Rule of Law. This story is not about them, it is about “they” and the powers standing behind them.

Now we find ourselves in the position where we now know what the hell we had to lose with the election of Donald J Trump. Hyper Mass Incarceration is making a rapid comeback under Attorney General Jeff Sessions. All attempts to monitor local police forces have ceased. No new Consent Decree’s are being entered into, those that exist will not be enforced. The West (along with the South, East and North) is wild again. “Stop & Frisk” is being suggested as a need throughout the nation. America’s best and quickest hope of being rid of this menace… is the FBI.

Trump loyalists have taken up the tactic of demonizing the FBI in an attempt to derail the Mueller Investigation which may well lead to Impeachment of Indictment of the President. Those most loyal include white nationalists, skinheads, and the Klan. The enemy of our enemy under normal circumstances might be considered a friend. But “they” are not our friends, nor have they been ever.

Activist Shaun King has been catching hell of late for his support of the FBI. Much of King’s career has been spent focusing on police brutality and unequal justice under the law. He came under sharp attack for showing support of the FBI on Assata Shakur’s birthday. She is a Black Liberation Army member who was found guilty of murdering a New Jersey State Trooper, there is evidence she may have beet set-up by the FBI and after escaping from prison, was granted asylum in Cuba. I didn’t know July 16th was her birthday, perhaps Shaun King didn’t either? Maybe we could spend less time tearing down each other and instead on solving problems that affect us all?

I propose on this one thing, the investigation of Donald Trump, we can let the FBI continue unfettered. We can even stand in the way of those who would have the probe simply go away. In at least this one thing, “We” and “They” may share a common goal.

We still haven’t forgotten about COINTELPRO, Fred Hampton, Martin Luther King Jr, and all the rest. When this is done, you still may be who we think you are; overwhelmingly Republican, predominantly white-males, predisposed to view African-American’s as perpetrators first and not citizens. Maybe some relationships will be forged and things will improve? But that’s skipping way too far ahead. In the meantime, do this one job, and we’ll have your back.