Sports and Social Progress Before Jackie Robinson was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, there was a commonly accepted belief that African American athletes did not have the necessary refl exes or intelligence required for most professional athletic endeavors. Then, when Jackie went on to the playing field, those individuals who had not wanted him to have the opportunity to play, wanted to murder him. For the first time in baseball history, they had to confiscate pistols and rifles from the … [Read more...]

It’s Time for Football! Local fans have a football buffet! We will get to watch USC, UCLA, the Rams and the Chargers. Since we are in Southern California, the weather will be good or it will be spectacular. At this point, the Rams and the Trojans seemed most likely to have successful seasons. However, do not count Chip Kelly and UCLA out of the running. Making predictions at this point is difficult, because the Rams are trying an absolutely new approach to the game. Most of their starters … [Read more...]

REMINISCING I was born in the state of Texas, when it was totally segregated. There were many places that we were not allowed to go, and we had to sit in the balcony in order to see movies. Our parents taught my brother and myself the rules for survival. At all costs, we were to avoid any confrontations or arguments with White people. There was hope that this kind of behavior would help us avoid being arrested or killed. As African-Americans, we were Negroes then, tried to keep the lowest … [Read more...]

It is Time for Football! I am a real sports fan. I was an amateur athlete. I played basketball in high school, and later on, when I was in the Army. I was pretty good, and I was disappointed that I did not get a college scholarship offer. I knew that some schools were interested, but I was only 5’11”. One of the scouts who had been encouraging me finally said, “You need to be bigger or better.” “I can’t justify giving a scholarship to anyone under 6 feet, unless he is a monster”. While I … [Read more...]

Another Thank You Note to LeBron James! My congratulations to LeBron James for the conception and an implementation of this wonderful school for young people. This is not only a great facility, it is the important beginning of a trend to better motivate and educate our youngest people. This public-private approach to improving education is the way to get around the lack of funding and neglect of the schools for inner city children. Every large city, and some smaller ones can use this … [Read more...]