Month: July 2023

Leave a comment Posted on current events, lifestyle, Politics

Life Chronicles – Supreme Court of Hypocrisy

I’m sure anything that I pose here isn’t going to be Earth shattering, or different from what has already been written and discussed about the final legal rulings of this term given by the Supreme Court of the United States. In a week unlike any other in American history, the Supreme Court decided it was going to throw its weight around and rewrite American history, this time not in the affirmative of rights of the people, but in stripping and restricting rights, access, and advancement in this country.

If I understand this correctly, mostly White business owners, and Congressmen, who didn’t need their PPP loans forgiven, were granted that, but students who went to college and completed their education, were denied relief from the anvil that is student loans because the Supreme Court said that the Secretary of Education went too far in providing relief. Then the Justices decided that they were going to take a hypothetical case, with a hypothetical scenario, with a fictious story and ram it through the court that now allows for businesses to deny service to LGBTQ+ people because it infringes on their religious beliefs.

And if that wasn’t enough, they threw the haymaker and said that Affirmative Action in higher education is unconstitutional. All of these cases were decided along ideological lines for the justices. The 6 Conservative Justices in the majority and the 3 Liberal Justices in the dissent. The thing that I continue to find remarkable is every time Justice Clarence Thomas, a Black man, has the opportunity to decide cases of Affirmative Action, he ALWAYS sides with the Conservative Justices, either in dissent or concurrence. It’s as if he forgot that he’s a Black man, whose seat on the bench is a DIRECT result of Affirmative Action. As if he forgets that part of his privileged education came because of Affirmative Action policies in higher education. He has drank from the well for so long, that instead of being a proponent for the advancement of the Black community, he finds a way to sink further away from the community.

So, as I sit here today, I’m asking myself what this means for me, and the generations behind me that are coming up, and the generations that haven’t been born yet. I am torn in so many different ways because each of these rulings impact my life in one way or another. I am an adult with substantial student loans to pay back. That $20,000 that was going to come off the books would’ve helped immensely for me. I am a Black man, who has more educational goals than just my bachelor’s degree. How does phasing out Affirmative Action in the decision-making process impact my chances of acceptance to reputable graduate institutions. I’m a proud part of the LGBTQ+ community, and I’m really nervous about how this ruling will open the door for further removal of rights for my community.

For as many people that feel all these rulings are appropriate, ask yourselves, would you be supportive if you were one of the class of people affected? I’m sure for most of you the answer would be no. When people ask the question how did this right or that right get taken away by an Earth-shattering ruling, we look back on these major rulings that laid the groundwork for that catastrophic ruling to be made. This activist court is laying all the requisite foundation for more consequential changes to come regarding Affirmative Action, financial equality, and LGBTQ+ rights. We must be mindful and proactive to ensure we can elect officials that will select judges who will rule with an eye towards equality and true justice.

These decisions that these nine men and women are making aren’t just in a silo. They don’t just affect the country along the ideological spectrum that agrees with their rulings. They affect everyone and everything that we do in life. There is a danger that this court is reverting American policy back to the “Good Ole Days” of White majority rule. Restricting the progress of American life and democracy. The constitution granted rights to ALL citizens, not a few or the ones that have the power to control. Why are these ruling so consequential? Black people have been disenfranchised since being brought to America, Affirmative Action was a Conservative policy enacted to help level the field. Take that away in higher education, is the business world next? If that happens, do we go back to seeing even more majority White C-suite offices in Corporate America?

Why is relief so difficult to come by for everyday Americans? We let corporations, company executives, and wealthy individuals get away with debt relief and financial restructuring all the time. But when a policy is written that aids everyday people with managing finances and lightening their debt loads, the court or government, want to say that’s a bridge too far. I guess that Reganomics is still prevalent today huh. Who the fuck knew that an outdated, ineffective policy from the 1980’s would still be guiding an entire ideologies belief set. Help the rich, fuck the rest right.

And the LGBTQ+ situation, I could spend 50 blogs writing about the ramifications of what the court just did. You have a ruling that was based on a hypothetical that doesn’t exist, you lied about the man in your brief. You said he was gay, and he asked for your site to make a wedding site for him. The truth is that the man is straight and has been married for 15 years, oh and he didn’t ask the lady for anything. Bruh are we really living in a world where the government, White folks, still making up shit just to get a policy they don’t believe is just overturned. I’m not shocked, I’m just tired of the shit happening every time we turn around.

The sad truth is that as long as we live in a society where there is one class of people who still believes that they are superior to others, we will always be in a place where we have to be concerned with the courts rewriting history in a negative aspect for those in the minority and who have little to no power. Speak up, speak out, do something and advocate for and effect change.

Leave a comment Posted on current events, real talk

Heart Chronicles – Commencement for Kings

It’s been a little over a month since crossed the stage and became a Morehouse Man. Cloaked in all my regalia. Stoles, cords, academic hood, dressed to the 10’s, in school colors no less, and a smile that could light even the darkest room. The energy and atmosphere on that Sunday morning, May 21, 2023, was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced in my life. I don’t know how other institutions, or HBCU’s conduct their commencement ceremonies and weekends, but what I do know is there is NOTHING like a Morehouse commencement.

For one, starting that Sunday morning was a big ass challenge, LOL! I was cross-faded, drunk, and high. That had its own share of obstacles, especially when I didn’t lay down and close my eyes until 2 something in the morning, and I had to be up at 4:45am. Yet, I plied my ass out that bed, nothing was going to stop me from living in this moment and giving my momma her moment to glow and receive all the praise she deserved from having her only child, a Black man no less, achieve something is rare in our community. Being a Black man graduating college, statistics say I have a better probability of being in jail than being a college graduate, which is an accomplishment that needed to happen. Enough pretending to be a Morehouse Man, time to step into those shoes and fly to the moon.

Second, having to be on campus by 6:30am was whew! Just so early, but again I was going to do what needed to be done. Yet once we were instructed to line up to begin our final march on campus as students, the energy and the atmosphere shot thru the roof. Everyone woke up and once we got outside, as the sun was rising over the buildings, the buzz began to grow. The alumni arrived, parents, family, and friends were showing up in numbers. The faculty and administration had gathered at the top of the hill at our student center, waiting for us to take the Tiger walk down to the Century Campus, to take our rightful place in Morehouse College history. My body was immediately infused with this energy that was dynamic. It was too positively powerful to let tears fall, I just couldn’t stop smiling. 17 years in the making, and the day had finally arrived. The moment was upon us, and it was being recorded for the world to see.

That walk I’ve taken thousands of times over the years of being on campus, but it never felt as symbolic, important, and monumental as right then at approximately 8:30am. With alumni lining the street on both sides of us as we started our walk to history. They were so lively and energetic. Clapping, smiling, recording, high fiving, congratulating and basking in the glow of another round of intelligent, dynamic, Morehouse Men ready to take this world and lead it from whatever perch we happen to land upon. Cheers, applause, hugs, shouts, handshakes, and endless banter filled the walk, space, and time as we took the slow, but continuous march to the big show. The commencement master of ceremonies talking about the attributes of our class. Priming the families and friends of the 407 graduates of the class of 2023. And once we reached the top of the hill, my God it was a sight I never saw in person. Thousands and thousands of Black folk losing their minds as we entered the arena. Mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, grandmothers, grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends all on their feet euphoric as their loved ones marched into their destiny.

As I couldn’t do that day, but I’m doing as I write this and my mind takes me back to that fateful morning, tears are streaming down my face right now as I just think and appreciate how special that day was. In fact, that whole weekend was. As is typical of Morehouse College, we never have typical anything. So, we filled that weekend with special events and moments that allowed students and parents to being the process of preparation for that special day. Ceremonies that welcomed us into the alumni ranks, ceremonies that let us pay homage to our parents/guardians that were instrumental in helping to get us to this time. In each event, my mom allowed herself to be present and her emotions overwhelmed her as she just shined and beamed with so much pride and joy in me, her son, and my accomplishments.

I will never, ever forget that day. The emotions and pride I felt within myself. The beauty, pageantry, majesty, power, and magic of seeing hundreds of supremely talented Black men in one place, being honored and praised for our excellence. I hope that everyone is able to experience something like this in their lifetimes. You deserve to have your emotions and feelings pushed to this magnitude. The question becomes what I do with this achievement and how do I build upon it to take me to a higher level. Those plans are being crafted as we speak.

Thank you, momma, for always believing in me and loving me through my challenges. Thank you, Grams, for believing in me and pushing me to come back and finish what I started. Even though you aren’t present physically with us anymore, the way everything went off perfectly that weekend, you were clearly here with me in spirit. I am eternally grateful to everyone who pushed for me, who encouraged me, who loved on me, who understood my lack of availability while I finished this part of my journey. I fuckin’ did it!!!! Morehouse College c/o 2023!!!