On Signs and Symbols: Revisiting the Thin Blue Line Flag
UPDATE — My conversation about the imagery of The Thin Blue Line has spread! I congratulate Chief Kristen Roman for taking action to eliminate the imagery from her department. https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/uw-madison-police-chief-bans-thin-blue-line-75562161 — BLG Two recent events involving signs and their meanings have presented me with the opportunity to discuss semiotics. First, I had a conversation with … Continue reading On Signs and Symbols: Revisiting the Thin Blue Line Flag
Black Masculinity Re-visited: The enduring legacy of Chadwick Boseman
I grew up in Gary, Indiana. Back in the 1970s, it was a bustling city and the foundation of Black middle-class life in northwest Indiana. When I think about Gary at that time, I think about the smells – the city was filled with a wide range of pungent, burning, chemical-like odors which blanketed my … Continue reading Black Masculinity Re-visited: The enduring legacy of Chadwick Boseman
The End of the Beginning of Denial
In “The End of Denial,” an article published recently in The Atlantic, Ibrahim X. Kendi asserts that a “racial reckoning,” the unintended consequence of what some call the Age of Trump, is upon our society now. Contemporary anti-racist fervor preceded the current momentum resulting from the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and represents … Continue reading The End of the Beginning of Denial
What’s Wrong with the Thin Blue Line Flag
I want to start by stating that every human being who serves in law enforcement deserves the community’s thanks and, more importantly, deserves to go home to their family and loved ones after the end of each watch. I have had the opportunity to serve as a member of a police review board and, in … Continue reading What’s Wrong with the Thin Blue Line Flag
On the Anniversary of Our Desegregated Military
I want to congratulate those who have arrived at the point of social consciousness within the last two months. Embracing anti-racist perspectives through your awareness of conscious and unconscious biases, you have begun to grapple with your new found role as an ally to the Black community, moving beyond the “I-had-a-Black-friend-in-college” defense. Your language has … Continue reading On the Anniversary of Our Desegregated Military
Denying the Truth: Terry Crews and Brandon Tatum in Context
“Some believe that black freedom – economic, political, and otherwise – threatens the freedom of white people.” Dr. Eddie Glaude Jr., Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul. To the chagrin of my wife, I relish scrolling through my Twitter news feed to get my fill of some of the conversations within that … Continue reading Denying the Truth: Terry Crews and Brandon Tatum in Context
Black Patriotism Can Mean Reconciling National Pride With Systemic Racism : NPR
Black Patriotism Can Mean Reconciling National Pride With Systemic Racism : NPR — Read on http://www.npr.org/2020/07/03/886535795/for-some-black-americans-love-of-country-means-holding-it-accountable
On Independence Day, Black Americans see hope of a larger patriotism – CSMonitor.com
Independence Day stirs a deep love of country. This year, it’s also stirring hope of a more inclusive embrace of the Black American experience. — Read on http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2020/0702/On-Independence-Day-Black-Americans-see-hope-of-a-larger-patriotism
The American Flag and the Paradox of Freedoms
“Please try to remember that what they believe, as well as what they do and cause you to endure does not testify to your inferiority but to their inhumanity” ― James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time I was asked a couple days ago, “What does the American Flag symbolize to you?” As a veteran and as a … Continue reading The American Flag and the Paradox of Freedoms
Aspirations and Unfulfillment: Remembering My Father Through His Service
All the chatter about Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods on Netflix this month reminded me of a book I read over 30 years ago, Wallace Terry’s Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans. I have an affinity for military history and had read a number of books about America’s 20th century … Continue reading Aspirations and Unfulfillment: Remembering My Father Through His Service
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