One Year, One Death, Two Dreams

2008 was a difficult year for me.  On April 1, 2008, one of my best friends and business partner died of a heart attack.  He was 38 years old.  It was not due to smoking or living a sedentary lifestyle or anything like that.  It probably should have been detected by his physician, but it was not.  Perhaps it could have been avoided.  The autopsy report says it was an inherited condition.  My friend had many questions about his roots…so, the fact that he inherited an unknown condition from an unknown forbear only adds to the cruel irony of last April first.

I have not had much of an appetite for writing since his death.  It has only been since the beginning of March that I’ve returned to my beloved keyboard with any regularity.  Sometimes, I’m just sick of reading and writing and deciphering and interpreting and counter-pointing.  Sometimes, I just want my running buddy back.  I’m still in a state of disbelief and may not ever actually “let go.”  Maybe I will.  Deep down inside, I know I have to.  He didn’t belong to me.  He was a gift to me.  And, there can be no doubt that the challenge of this life is to manifest our divine purpose – to serve our fellow human beings and the rest of this creation with our many diverse talents.

I will try to keep that top of mind when I want to retreat from this work-service.  I will remember his contribution to me and thousands of other people during his too short life.

Encyclopedia Britannica’s Original Asiatic Blackman

Many, many moons ago the Nation of Islam tried to tell Black folk in America that someone was running an enormous con game with respect to the history of Asia and Africa; that Black people were actually spread out over a much larger swath of the Earth than “modern scholarship” was willing to admit.  NOI scholars (like many others) had seen through the Hamite-Semite-Negro-Negroid-Hottentot charade.  They said the homeland of Black peoples was on the continent of Asia.  Now, who’s to say?  What we do know is that the Encyclopedia Britannica has historically been one of the most trusted sources of information in the West.  What do they have to say, not about the birthplace of Black folk, but rather about who the original, authentic “Arabs” are?

This is now:

According to tradition, Arabs are descended from a southern Arabian ancestor, Qaḥṭān, forebear of the “pure” or “genuine” Arabs (known as al-ʿArab al-ʿĀribah), and a northern Arabian ancestor, ʿAdnān, forebear of the “Arabicized” Arabs (al-ʿArab al-Mustaʿribah). A tradition, seemingly derived from the Bible, makes ʿAdnān, and perhaps Qaḥṭān also, descend from Ismāʿīl (Ishmael), son of Abraham. The rivalry between the two groups spread, with the Muslim conquests, beyond Arabia; it even recurred in northern Yemen in the 1950s when the Zaydī imams, descendants of the Prophet Muḥammad, a “northern” Arab, were called “ʿAdnānī.”

A darker-skinned strain occurs in southern Arabia, where also are found the low-status groups called Akhdām and Ṣibyān. In the north are the Ṣulubah, known to the ancient Arabians as qayn, a low-status group regarded as being of non-Arab descent. In Oman the Zuṭṭ, a nomadic Roma (Gypsy) folk, seem to be descendants of Indian emigrants to the gulf in the early 9th century, but the Baloch, whose ancestors immigrated more recently, have formed a sort of warrior tribe there. In the border regions of Oman and Yemen are the Mahra, Ḥarāsīs, Qarā, and others, speaking languages of the South Arabic group, and on the Musandam Peninsula are the Shiḥūḥ.

From ancient times African slaves were imported to Arabia; Saudi Arabia and the Yemens abolished slavery only in 1962. Some districts such as the oasis of Khaybar in the Hejaz and parts of the Tihāmah are largely populated by black cultivators. The ports always had a large element of Africans, Asians, and others. The oil era brought many Lebanese, Egyptians, Jordanians, and Iraqis with the education and skills the Arabians lacked, and great numbers of Yemenis moved into the oil-producing states as unskilled labourers. Palestinians make up between one-fifth and one-fourth of Kuwait’s population, refugees from Yemen occupy entire streets in Abu Dhabi, and so many Pakistanis, Indians, Sri Lankans, Koreans, and Filipinos have flocked to the Persian Gulf states that often they considerably outnumber the native inhabitants. By contrast, almost no Jews, long settled in western Arabia, now remain.

This paragraph requires some reading between the lines.  The authors have selected interesting words like “Arabicized” and “darker-skinned strain” and “African slaves” and “black cultivators” without much context.  There is no mention of the Cushite invasion of Arabia in this section, but the mention of an “ancient” importation of “African slaves” suggests something long, long ago.  Was it before the reign of Abraha?  Was it centuries later?  Is it relevant to the question?  Notice the presence and absence of dates and tenures in both pieces.

But, back in the day (1926), when Drusilla Dunjee Houston wrote, “Wonderful Ethiopians of the Ancient Cushite Empire,” Encyclopedia Britannica had this to say:

“The first dawning gleams that deserve to be called history find Arabia under the rule of a southern race.  They claimed descent from Khatan.  They were divided anciently into several aristocratic monarchies.  These Yemenite kings descendants of Khatan and Himyar ‘the dusky,’ a name denoting African origin, whose rulers were called ‘Tobba,’ of Hamitic etymology, reigned with few dynastic interruptions for about 2500 years.  They demanded the obedience of entire southern half of the peninsula and the northern by tribute collectors.  The general characteristics of the institutions of Yemen bore considerable resemblance to the neighboring one of the Nile Valley.”

Times have changed.

Or have they?

According to Robert Davis between 1 million and 1.25 million Europeans were captured by Barbary pirates, who were vassals of the Ottoman Empire, and sold as slaves between the 16th and 19th centuries.^[10][11] These slaves were captured mainly from seaside villages from Italy, Spain, Portugal and also from more distant places like France or England, the Netherlands, Ireland and even Iceland and North America. The impact of these attacks was devastating – France, England, and Spain each lost thousands of ships, and long stretches of the Spanish and Italian coasts were almost completely abandoned by their inhabitants. Pirate raids discouraged settlement along the coast until the 19th century.

The capacity of Christian whites to defend themselves from Muslim whites (and others) is a relatively recent phenomenon.  While the United States was never compelled to discourage coastal residency, they were forced to pay tribute.  Today’s Encyclopedia Britannica dares to go where its predecessor would not — to a mythical land of perpetual Black servitude…to a place in the mind of a people who, perhaps, would like to forget their own bondage and retreat from the icy waters of the Atlantic.

Do Black Quarterbacks Have the Tools to Succeed?

Or, shall I say, “Do black quarterbacks have who it takes to succeed?”

This is not an Al Campanis-type deliberation of personal capacity.  It is a conversation, instead, about whether or not Black quarterbacks in the National Football League are supported by ownership and personnel managers charged with finding solid pass catching talent.  Simply, are black QBs playing with subpar receivers and if so, why?  The truth is, this isn’t a simple question.

Big East — Big Weekend

I didn’t get a chance to write up my picks for the Final Four following the outcomes of Friday’s games.  The twins just weren’t having it.  So, I can’t claim any props for picking Connecticut and Villanova beforehand.  Still, I did.  It wasn’t a stroke of genius or anything like that.  I’ve been picking Big East teams all year, every year since 1982.  There is no rocket science to that.  Besides, Pitt doesn’t shoot free throws well.  I am a New Yorker and I believe the teams in the Big East are usually superior.  That’s often the case, though not always.

I picked Louisville and they look a step slow – and like a team that is going to go down in flames very soon.  Terrence Williams looks like he’s waiting for an invitation to dominate.  The Spartans don’t hand those out.  MSU is up 9 with about 10 minutes to go.  The press isn’t working.  Big men are rushing shots.  Guards are jacking threes early and Michigan State is still getting offensive rebounds.  The Cardinals can pull it out, but they’re going to need Pitino to do more than the usual.  His imitation of Jim Boeheim’s 2-3 zone hasn’t worked all that well, but there is plenty of time left.

Okay, some guy just banked in a three-pointer.  I’d have to say that the “gods” are rolling with the Spartans.

I like Oklahoma in an upset over North Carolina.  I’ve been picking against Oklahoma all year long.  I’m sure they’ll lose now that I’ve picked them to win.

Williams has to take over this game for Louisville to win.  The “team” isn’t going to win this one.  The game has to come down to a phenomenal exertion of will.  It’s him or no one.

ADDENDUM (with 2:19 remaining):  I can’t say I’m surprised that Louisville is going to lose this game.  Here’s what I had to say about the Cardinals a little while ago on TSF.

“On Louisville, I agree that Williams is the guy. My concern with them is that after Williams and Earl Clark, I don’t see much. I think they’re susceptible to losing the 2nd weekend game if either of them have to exert too much energy in the first game.”

Of course in the same post, I extolled the virtues of the Kansas Jayhawks and predicted they would knock off Michigan State.  Shows what I know!!!

Duke Basketball: The Thrill of Defeat

Over at TSF, AXG kicked off a great discussion thread.  I found that I was going a bit long, so I decided to post here instead of over at The Starting Five.

What’s with all the contempt for Duke basketball?  Why don’t you love the Devils?
First things first.  They win.  They haven’t been caught cheating.  Players graduate.  They’re not on the blotter.  And, Duke is the whitest school in the nation (or at least it seems that way).  Only the first four things on that list matter because say what you will, the Cameron Crazies keep it really, real.  Given the demographics of the nation, it makes PERFECT SENSE that this team would get the type of media love that they get.  It’s all understandable and most of it is deserved, but…

(Confession: I’m a Duke hater – but haven’t always been.  Back in 1986, they were cool.  They weren’t cooler than Louisville, but they were cool.  If you saw Johnny Dawkins flush a reverse in the face of that shocked and awed defender from Navy, you couldn’t help but be impressed.  For me, the hate that hate produced wasn’t born for another few years. )

The Beef:

1. Over-hyped Program.  

Permanent Scars

My soul can bear many things.  I don’t know, though, how much I can bear a permanent scar.  I don’t mean a slash to the face or a broken bone or something of that nature.  A permanent scar endures not merely through your lifetime, but it can exist for generations.  Permanent scars, it seems, can cut so deep as to redefine who are you and who you must be in the future.

I believe that Ryan Moats and his family have suffered a permanent scar.  I wrote about the incident earlier today.   The comments have captured the raw, agonizing and soul crushing pain of a permanent scar.  Sometimes injuries this deep can only be healed through the shedding of blood.  In order for blood to be shed, skin must be cut, torn, punctured, shredded or bruised.  The act of drawing blood is violent, but it is a part of the circle of life, and there can be no question that violence has its place.

The very process of our birth is bloody and violent – in a manner of speaking.  There is pain and suffering — and at the end of the birth, there is something new, something unprecedented and unpredictable.  Thoughts of the blood and violence which came before are supplanted by a shared joy and expectation.

Ryan Moats is not the only person to suffer so.  Surely many, many of our families suffered the cruel indignity of being ripped from one another’s arms on plantations and auction blocks all across this nation.  And there have been more unspeakable things that this human family has endured.  Some spirits fight and endure more and better than others…and some require a little blood letting.

The Kemites of antiquity knew this when they fashioned the story of Ausar, Auset and Heru.  Centuries later, the story of ritual blood-letting, of redemptive violence and rebirth would be appropriated by Christians and memorialized on their Sun (helios) Book (biblia).

May Ra be pleased when blood is shed and spirits are cleansed of permanent scars.  Let the choir say, “Amen-Ra.”

Make Me Laugh – Everyday

From Peat.org:

Alvin is working in his store when he hears a booming voice from above that says, “Alvin, sell your business!” He ignores it. The voice goes on for days saying, “Alvin, sell your business for three million dollars!” After weeks of this, he relents and sells his store.

The voice says, “Alvin, go to Las Vegas!”

Alvin asks why.

“Alvin, just take the three million dollars and go to Las Vegas.”

Alvin obeys, goes to Las Vegas, and visits a casino.

Sweet 16 – Elite 8 – Final Four

I never did get an opportunity to do a bracket this year.  It’s the first time I can remember not completing a bracket since 1977.  I still remember a few of those games from way back when: Goose Givens vs. Duke in ‘78 (Mike Gminksi had the shortest shorts ever…nasty); Dr. Dunkenstein and the Cardinals beating UCLA; Isiah running roughshod over Jimmy Black and company in 1981; and many others.   It’s time to look forward — and backward…

Cah-mee-oh!!

30 MAR 1981: Indiana guard Isiah Thomas (11) and North Carolina guard Jimmy Black (21) during the NCAA Men's National Basketball Final Four championship game held in Philadelphia, PA, at the Spectrum. Indiana defeated North Carolina 63-50 for the title. Isiah Thomas was named MVP for the tournament. Photo by Rich Clarkson/NCAA Photos.REVISED 2/17/00.SI CD 0022-40

Robert Powell’s Funeral – Any Day Now

From WFAA.com (Dallas):

DALLAS – Rushing to see his dying mother-in-law at a Plano hospital, a NFL player found himself delayed by a Dallas officer after he was stopped in the hospital’s ER parking lot.

With his wife and another woman in the car, Ryan Moats – a running back for the Houston Texans – sped his car towards the hospital on March 17. However, when he made it to the ER parking lot, they were stopped by Officer Robert Powell.

Dashcam video from the Dallas officer’s patrol car captured the incident.

“Get in there,” Officer Powell yelled out to Tamishia Moats, Ryan’s wife, as she exited the car. “Let me see your hands. Get in there. Put your hands on the car.”

“Excuse me, my mom is dying,” Moats said.

The Loss of a Legend: John Hope Franklin, 94

From Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. historian and civil rights advocate John Hope Franklin, credited with helping create the field of African-American history, died on Wednesday at age 94, Duke University said.

Franklin’s book “From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African-Americans,” published in 1947, is still considered the definitive account of the black experience in America. The longtime Duke professor died of congestive heart failure at Duke Hospital in Durham, North Carolina.

He worked with Thurgood Marshall, later the first black U.S. Supreme Court justice, on the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case in the 1950s in which the Supreme Court declared segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

Franklin joined civil rights protesters in a 1965 march for voting rights led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Montgomery, Alabama. In 1997, he was appointed chairman of President Bill Clinton’s One America Initiative, charged with directing a national conversation on race relations.

“Because of the life John Hope Franklin lived, the public service he rendered, and the scholarship that was the mark of his distinguished career, we all have a richer understanding of who we are as Americans and our journey as a people,” President Barack Obama said in a statement. Obama is America’s first black president.

The grandson of a slave, Franklin’s scholarly work was informed by his first-hand experience with racism.