Feed the Fire

In an era where kids in the safest suburbs on the planet are determined to emulate the lives of small-time drug dealers and petty thieves, Tony Lewis, Jr. is shelving the kingpin nature he was born with in an effort to save a city.  His father, Tony, Sr., and Rayful Edmond III were the guys in Washington D.C. that by many accounts are responsible for funneling tons of cocaine into the District during the 1980s.  This brought Junior into the world in the lap of luxury, but it gave his hometown the murderous and cold reputation that has stuck with D.C. ever since then.  Tony, Jr. would soon come to discover the truth behind the perception; as immediately after his father received a life without parole sentence in 1989 he and his mother were thrust into poverty and prey.  However, unlike so many that have experienced this transition, he didn't simply assimilate into his environment.  With assistance and determination, Lewis walked the path of humility and service and now is deeply engaged in community activism.  That's pretty impressive for someone who was submerged into smugglers' culture at birth; and it's another example of a person's beginnings are only as important as that person makes them out to be.

World Police Indeed

Years ago a friend of mine was seeking refuge.  He had gotten into a very heated argument with his live-in girlfriend and was taking what he believed (and we did too) the proper steps to avoid anything physical.  She had already gotten physical; and when he arrived to where we were he played the message of her saying she would do it again with her male family members...classic stuff.  Anyway he was ready to leave her and needed to get some of his things for work the next day.  He knew however, that stepping in that apartment without police presence would cause another exchange that he couldn't trust himself handling well.  So we went to the police operations station who did receive us.  But when he told the story, the officer shrugged it off and told us to beat it.  He further expressed the need have an escort, which the officer replied to saying "if something violent happens, call us."

Railroaded

What's totally unpopular to say about the Napa Valley Wine Train incident is "yeah, I can see at least one of those women being too loud."  But I think the truth is many of us have been on public transportation or a group trip or something....with the loud black woman a couple rows behind us.  Some of us might have even been the loud black woman.  And when I read the articles and I look at the interviews...say what you wanna say, but I think we have somewhat of an idea what probably went down before the women were asked to leave.  Now whether putting them off the train was the best solution is not for me to decide.  More than likely I wouldn't have done it.  I can't imagine my mother or grandmother being kicked off and forced to stand in the middle of nowhere.  But then again, I can't imagine my mother or grandmother being that disruptive either.

The View of an Overcomer

For years I struggled with the substance of my Christianity; similar to how many African-American kids growing up in the suburbs would struggle with the substance of their blackness.  Looking back, I can see this came from being around and in a culture that celebrated struggle while inadvertently shunning success.  The norm was to honor the grueling test more than the victorious testimony; the ol' "coming up the rough side of the mountain" syndrome.  It took a while to realize the notions aren't valid, and that a relationship with Jesus has more to do with what He did and is less about what we've done or been through...good or bad.  Still, in many circles when winning or overcoming is mentioned, the tendency is to look at things other than...winning or overcoming.  In my mind, this is so common that many people inaccurately are leading others to falsehoods about what success entails.  Then there are others, like I was, who are looking for that devastating event or series of events that they believe will validate them.  And still there are others more who believe they have overcome...when they are actually still in the same position of bondage.

Pimpin' Ain't Dead...It Just Moved to the Web

In 2007, the late Chad "Pimp C" Butler, a member of the legendary Port Arthur, Texas rap duo Underground Kings said...

"pimpin' ain't dead it just moved to the web, the [expletive] ain't gotta hit the track...ain't got to give no trick no head...ain't gotta give no trick no[expletive], just cameras and screens, easiest money you can make it's the American Dream."