Two openings for police chiefs...

According to eyewitnesses, Calvon A. Reid (above) was tasered by as many as five Coconut
Creek police officers managed by Chief Michael Mann who resigned today.

Two places where young, unarmed Black men were killed are looking to hire new police chiefs.

The chief of the Coconut Creek Police Department, Michael J. Mann, has resigned after controversy surrounding the Taser death of Calvon A. Reid in Florida. Also, Ferguson, Mo. Police Chief Thomas Jackson stepped down today over how the Michael Brown incident was handled.

Both these men, as well as other government officials who resigned in the wake of these incidents, did so before they could be fired under a shadow of mismanagement.

Calvin and Mamie Reid, parents of Calvon "Andre" Reid who was reportedly tasered to death by Coconut Creek police officers in late February, were notified by the family attorney, Jarrett Blakeley of Fort Lauderdale, and Sun Sentinel Reporter Lisa Huriash that the chief of police "has stepped down."

"Maybe they are taking this thing seriously now," said Calvin Reid in a telephone interview. "All officers that were involved in that incident, we want them suspended. We want their names, and we want them suspended.

"The eyewitnesses said there were five officers down there on Andre," referring to his son Calvon. "Isn't that something! I believe after this thing opens up, there may be some more eyewitnesses to come forward. I got a gut feeling," Reid said.

Reid said he and his wife were just interviewed by Fox 21 News in Greenville, S.C., and their story will be aired at 4p.m. and 10p.m., and more information will be on the television website.

"We're looking for justice. Those officers that did this... they don't need to be on the police department. If they could do it to Andre, they can do it to another. That's what frightens me. They should not be allowed to practice law enforcement if they're found guilty. The more it's brought to their attention and put in the public eye, it will help this country as a whole."

"It's unreal, really, what is happening in our country," Reid said.

For information on this developing story, go to: http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/03/11/coconut-creek-police-chief-resigns-after-in-custody-death/
AND
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-taser-death-chief-resigns-20150311-story.html
AND
http://www.foxcarolina.com/story/28397482/parents-son-yelled-theyre-going-to-kill-me-before-dying-during-police-encounter

Holmes to become Cobb County, Ga. magistrate judge

Holmes, 38, 2012 campaign photo

The Cobb County Bar Association has announced the Swearing-In Ceremony for Joyette M. Holmes, Friday, March 13 at 2 p.m. at the Ceremonial Courtroom, Cobb Superior Court. The address is 70 Haynes Street in Marietta, Ga.

Holmes is presently Assistant District Attorney assigned to the courtroom of Judge Robert Flournoy, III.

According to the Marietta Daily Journal's 2012 Voter's Guide, Holmes ran for State Court Judge in 2012. She has dual degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice from The University of Georgia and a Juris Doctorate from The University of Baltimore School of Law.

Holmes lives in Kennesaw, Ga., is married, and the mother of two girls.


Attorney Joyette M. Holmes (r) with Attorney Yolanda Smith-Williams and Thomas R. Carter at Otis Brumby's funeral.

 

Some students racially biased

Students need to be taught racial tolerance. (Photo Die4kids)

The recent incident on an Oklahoma frat bus brings back memories of a song sung on my school bus in the late 1960's.  I was a 9th grade student at Riverton Middle School in Madison County, Ala. I was one of two Black kids left on the bus. The bus driver forgot to let me off at my stop, he said. That had never happened.

"I'll drop you off on the way back," he said.

Then the racist chant began. It was sung to the tune of the Oscar Meyer Weiner song:

"Oh, I wish I were an Alabama trooper.
That is what I'd really like to be.
For if I were an Alabama trooper,
I could kill N*****s legally.

I was appalled and scared. This was before we used bookbags, and all my belongings were on the seat. One boy grabbed one of my books and dangled it out a window, like he was going to launch it onto the roadway. I made some comment that I don't remember, like, "Give that back to me." I don't remember the bus driver saying anything.

All the students got off, and I was let out at my stop. The next day, my mom called the principal. He called all the people on my bus into assembly and said that type of behavior would not be tolerated. It never happened again, but my parents let me drive to school as soon as I got my driver's license.

Fast forward 40 years...

While a teacher at a Cobb County, Ga. school, Kell High, my assignment for my Honors History class was to write down opinions on the Civil Rights Movement.  There were 16 students in the class, and three of them were Black. I was appalled to read one White student's paper.

"Blacks are lazy," he said.

"Do you really feel that way?" I asked him. He replied in the affirmative.

That was seven years ago, and now we have a racist video shot on a bus filled with college fraternity revelers in Oklahoma who appear to be drinking.

Their recorded racist chant claimed that "Niggers" would never be members, and that lynching was more preferably than membership for Blacks.

"That's a learned behavior gotten from their parents," said Sherman Johnson. "I don't know what's going on in this country, but Satan is moving through the air."

Most fraternities and sororities are segregated as are 95% of churches in the United States. Places where morality should be lauded, it appears that socially and religiously, this country is still segregated and corrupt.

There is a reason for what's happening now; we must be aware and safe.

19 officers killed, 205 people killed by police in 2015

Tony Terrell Robinson, Jr., 19,  was killed by police in Madison, Wis. over the weekend.
(photo from http://www.killedbypolice.net/)

Do we have a public safety crisis in the United States? These are statistics so far this year...

19 police officers killed in line of duty
http://www.odmp.org/search/year

versus

205 people killed by police
http://www.killedbypolice.net/
These figures change daily.

KilledByPolice releases name,photo of Skid Row "Africa"

The KilledbyPolice website which reports on people killed by nonmilitary law enforcement officers in the U.S. has released the name of LAPD Skid Row victim as Charley Leundeu Keunang, 43, or "Africa". Previous reports named him as a 39 year-old male named Robinet.

The LAPD still has not officially released the victim's name or the name of the woman who was arrested for picking up an officer's nightstick.

Breaking News... another black male killed by police

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/03/07/us-usa-police-wisconsin-lawmaker-idUSKBN0M30MR20150307
AND
http://www.people.com/article/black-teen-shot-killed-by-police-wisconsin
AND
http://host.madison.com/news/local/crime_and_courts/year-old-dead-after-being-shot-by-madison-police-officer/article_2a474f2b-1d94-562b-8bf9-0c5ea86d8d49.html

Calvon Reid's parents still grieving over son's death; Redacted incident report leaves questions unanswered

Calvon A. Reid

Talking to Calvin and Mamie Reid is hard on three accounts. I've known them personally for over 40 years; I have two sons of my own; and we all want justice for Calvon.

"Today is better than yesterday," Ms. Reid told me over the telephone. "I just finished listening to Andre's last voicemails. That's all that I have left."

Reid says she's living off prayers. She still believes racism played a major role in her son's death. She said he was treated like an animal.  "He had done nothing wrong. He was in perfect health," she said despite information released by the Coconut Grove Police in their press conference. Reid is reported to have died in a Margate, Fla. hospital, approximately 212 miles from Sanford, Fla. where Trayvon Martin was killed.

In an open records request, Wingcom Watchdog received an incident report from the Coconut Creek Police Department. Half of the report was redacted, and there was no narrative attached. The Department said it would not be answering any more questions until an internal investigation was completed. Officers  D. Rush and F. Fuentes were listed on the report along with Supervisor D. Freeman. There were no signatures on the report, no mention of the officers involved in the incident, or whether they had been disciplined.

Reid said her attorney will be reviewing the details tomorrow. She lives in an area where Civil Rights Activist Jesse Jackson, Sr. grew up and may be calling him to address the community. Reid wants to get Eric Holder and the U.S. Department of Justice involved.

"They didn't have to kill my son like that," said Reid who is a retired counselor. It is reported that Calvon Reid died at the scene after being blasted by three Taser shots but was pronounced dead two days later at a nearby hospital.

It is unclear whether a person needing medical attention should be tasered.  The incident report identifies " Sick Person - Baker Act" which refers to the Florida Mental Health Act of 1971 which requires up to 72 hours of observation.

Here is more information on Andre:

Calvon A. Reid was a graduate of Woodmont High School. Andre enjoyed sports, fishing, music, and his mom's cooking.  He was a fantastic salesman with successes throughout the Southern and Eastern regions of the United States.

Andre had a special way with people. He never met a stranger and possessed a charismatic personality that drew others to him.

Andre had two sons, a mom, a dad, and a sister. Many other loving relatives are in his extended family.

Ferguson police are racially biased

Report. from U.S. Justice Department:

http://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/opa/press-releases/attachments/2015/03/04/ferguson_police_department_report.pdf

Los Angeles NAACP responds to shooting in Skid Row

Emailed from		LA NAACP

 

Los Angeles, California -- Three Los Angeles police Officers shot and killed a man on the city's Skid Row during an alleged struggle over one of the officers' guns, authorities say.  According to witnesses, no such struggle actually occurred.  The shooting, which took place Sunday, has garnered widespread attention resulting from the release of a video of the incident.

"I am tragically disappointed by the killing of a homeless man by the Los Angeles Police Department yesterday.  These homicides committed by police officers in the Los Angeles area seem to have become a weekly occurrence.  We remain horrified by the continued use of excessive force we have witnessed at the hand of local police. 

"The Los Angeles NAACP calls on LAPD Chief Beck to institute further training and stiffer penalties for those officers who use excessive force."

 

Minnie Hadley-Hempstead

President, Los Angeles NAACP

P.O.Box 56408

Los Angeles, CA 90056

Phone: (310) 397-1171

Email: naacpla@sbcglobal.net

Calvon Reid - official police press release

(Emailed from Coconut Creek Police Dept.)

March 5, 2015...Coconut Creek, Fla....Subject: Incident at 1702 Andros Isle on February 22, 2015
Contact: Sergeant Henry Cabrera, hcabrera@coconutcreek.net

Good afternoon. Thank you for coming. My name is Michael Mann, Chief of Police for the City of Coconut Creek. I will provide a statement regarding a recent incident that took place in the Wynmoor community.

On February 22nd at 1:08 am, the Margate-Coconut Creek Fire Department responded to a 911 call at 1702 Andros Isle in the Wynmoor Community for a medical incident in the parking lot. On arrival, the paramedics encountered a male who was later identified as Calvon Reid. Mr. Reid was observed to be in an agitated, combative state, and incoherent. He had numerous cuts on his arms, hands, and chest, and his clothing was torn and bloodstained. Mr. Reid became more aggressive on the scene which caused safety concerns for the paramedics who were attempting to help him. This resulted in a request from paramedics for the Coconut Creek Police Department to expedite their response to the scene.

Upon arrival of the officers, the on-scene paramedics relayed their concerns about Mr. Reid’s observed condition and aggressive behavior. As the officers approached Mr. Reid to offer him assistance, he became even more agitated. Given Mr. Reid’s appearance and behavior, the officers were unsure if they were dealing with a victim of a crime, the suspect of a crime, or a potential Baker Act subject. The officers attempted to detain Mr. Reid to determine what happened.

As officers approached Mr. Reid, he exhibited threatening behavior and appeared to be hallucinating. Mr. Reid was repeatedly advised to stop resisting by the uniformed officers, but he refused to comply. Mr. Reid continued to escalate his violent behavior to the extent that TASER use became necessary for the officers safety as well as for Mr. Reid’s own safety. Mr. Reid was subsequently transported to Northwest Medical Center.

His family was notified later that day by law enforcement officers about what had occurred. Unfortunately, Mr. Reid passed away two days later on February 24th. There is an ongoing internal affairs investigation as well as an ongoing criminal investigation. Once the criminal investigation is concluded, it will be turned over to the State Attorney’s Office. No further information will be released or questions answered until those investigations are concluded. We appreciate your cooperation and continued patience during this process.

Here are questions I posed in an email to the Coconut Creek Police Department concerning the death of Calvon Reid, but these questions remain unanswered.

1. Why were the paramedics called?

---medical incident

2. What ailment was afflicting Mr. Reid -  what was he suffering from?

???

3. Did he ingest any substance that caused him to resist aid?

???

4. If paramedics were on scene, why wasn't a sedative given in order to calm him down, or was a sedative administered?
???
5. How many times should a person be tasered, especially if they are under the influence of illicit or legal drug?
???

White fear of Blacks subhumanization at the psychological level

During slavery, Black mothers were unable to save their children from the auctioneer.
Now they are unable to protect them from police.

My son went to the oral surgeon yesterday in a follow-up visit after having his wisdom teeth removed.  He informed me that the doctor was heavy handed, probing his sockets and gums harshly with his fingers in total disregard for the pain he was inflicting. Then I read the following abstract which could possibly explain what happened to my son:

http://spp.sagepub.com/content/early/2014/10/03/1948550614553642

"...these studies demonstrate a novel and potentially detrimental process through which Whites perceive Blacks," the above report states.  Do Whites really believe Blacks don't feel pain the same way they do or are they using this as an excuse to dehumanize us?

"There is a thin line between superhumanization and subhumanization. Both deny people's humanity. Therein lies the problem," said Adam Waytz, assistant professor of Management and Organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, in his Washington Post article referring to the racial bias of Officer Darren Wilson who killed Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. Wilson perceived Brown as superhuman/subhuman and incapable of being stopped while being hit by six bullets!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2014/11/26/the-racial-bias-embedded-in-darren-wilsons-testimony/

"I certainly believe the tendency to superhumanize occurs when the perceiver is anxious and experiencing the perception (or illusion) of threat," said Waytz when I asked him about the Taser death of Calvon Reid in Florida.

If African Americans are perceived as non-human or subhuman or superhuman, this may lead to non-redemptive misery inflicted on Blacks.

I talked this week to a young Black man who was walking to his car in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. and was detained by police. "The officer asked for my identification and made me sit down on the curb with my hands under me. When they checked their records and found no outstanding warrants against me, they let me go."

"Got stopped more than once by cops while I was a college student in Georgia," he said. "Yes, I've been handcuffed for no reason, and it hurts."

If Whites do not think Black mothers feel pain or are less susceptible to despair when their Black sons are killed by police or bitten by police dogs, this is a calamity. During slavery, Blacks were treated as subhuman. Many of the feelings that existed then are still prevalent today. Unfortunately, we still face similar problems, many being psychological. When someone is treated "humanely" it means they are treated with kindness, mercy, and compassion.



Rogers 1917 book

Joel Augustus Rogers wrote about a similar concept in his 1917 novel From "Superman" to Man published in Chicago. According to Wikipedia, "The central plot revolves around a debate between a Pullman porter and a white racist Southern politician. Rogers used this debate to air many of his personal philosophies and to debunk stereotypes about black people and white racial superiority."

"Regrettable as this is, what are you going to do about it?" said the senator. "This is a free country."

"Free country! Free mischief," said the porter. In the end, Rogers lets the reader know that Blacks AND Whites are human and should be treated as such.

It's ironic that Jesus was tempted by the devil to jump from a mountain and taunted by soldiers to come down from the cross, bid to use "superhuman" powers to gain the world or save himself. Instead, he died and was risen in the minds of believers.

May God have mercy on our souls.

Calvon Reid killing update: press conference scheduled for March 5

Calvon A. Reid, 39, was a son and father of two boys.

After contacting the Coconut Creek police department concerning information on Calvon Reid, I received the following email:

"The City of Coconut Creek will be holding a press conference tomorrow, March 5^th at 3:00 PM in reference to Calvon Reid.  The press conference will take place in front of the Police Department in the Government Center, 4800 West Copans Road, Coconut Creek.

Thank you.

Yvonne Lopez

Community Relations Director

City of Coconut Creek

Butterfly Capital of the World®

LAPD shooting info. from police department

I spoke to Officer Preciado, LAPD Media Relations Department, who said that neither they nor the Coroner's Office have released any information concerning the name of the man killed in L.A.'s Skid Row or the female who was arrested who picked up the nightstick.

Here is their official press release:

Central Area Officer Involved Shooting NR15060bm
Los Angeles: Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Central Area officers and Safer City Initiative officers attempted to detain a robbery suspect in the 500 Block of San Pedro Street, and an Officer Involved Shooting occurred.

"Africa" Robinet, 39, has been identified as the man killed by LAPD on KilledByPolice.net

At approximately noon today, a private citizen placed a 9-1-1 emergency call to report a robbery near 545 South San Pedro Street in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD Communications Division subsequently dispatched Central Area officers to the location who located the suspect and attempted to contact him. After making contact, however, the suspect began fighting and physically resisting the officers attempts to take him into custody.

The officers attempted to use a TASER to subdue him but the suspect continued to fight and resist the officers and fell to the ground. While on the ground, the suspect and officers struggled over one of the officer's handguns and then an officer-involved shooting occurred. Los Angeles Fire Department paramedics responded and pronounced the suspect deceased at the scene. LAFD paramedics then transported the suspect's body to the Los Angeles County Coroner's Officer. Two of the responding officers involved in the incident suffered minor injuries and were treated and released.

As in all officer-involved shootings, LAPD's specialized Force Investigative Division (FID) personnel responded to preserve and collect evidence and interview witnesses to the incident. Portions of the incident captured on video from various sources will be reviewed and analyzed as part of the ongoing use of force investigation. FID's comprehensive investigation will be conducted in coordination with the LAPD's Office of Inspector General and presented to the Board of Police Commissioners to determine whether the use of deadly force was consistent with Department policies and procedures. Additionally, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Justice System Integrity Division will conduct a comprehensive review of the facts of the officer-involved shooting.

Anyone with information is asked to call Force Investigation Division at (213) 486-5230. During non-business hours or on weekends, calls should be directed to 1-877-LAPD-24-7 (877-527-3247).Anyone wishing to remain anonymous should call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (800-222-8477). Tipsters may also contact Crime Stoppers by texting to phone number 274637 (C-R-I-M-E-S on most keypads) with a cell phone. All text messages should begin with the letters "LAPD." Tipsters may also go to LAPDOnline.org, click on "webtips" and follow the prompts.

Today's quote

“We are today seeing a global rebellion of the oppressed against the oppressor, the exploited against the exploiter...No matter where the black man is, he will never be respected until Africa is a world power.”

From Malcolm X's speech “The Black Revolution and Its Effect Upon the Negro of the Western Hemisphere,” Barnard College, New York City, New York, February 18, 1965

Read more:
http://www.ozy.com/flashback/malcolm-xs-missing-speech/39722?utm_source=Outbrain&utm_medium=CPC&utm_campaign=INTL%20-%20All%20Clicks%20ALL%20Devices

Malcolm's last recorded speech on Valentine's Day, 1965 in Detroit, Michigan.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fnPXw-Tn6I

Today's scripture

Photo from Truths of Bible Prophecy website

2 Peter 3:10-14
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

11 Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives

12 as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.

13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

14 So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him.

Parole professional discusses justice and peace

Blacks who have criminal records often live in sidewalk
tents or abandoned buildings. (Photo in Atlanta by Tomi Johnson)

If you're wondering why "unidentified" police sources release negative information to the media about a suspect they have killed, it's because shining the light on the deceased takes the heat off them. This is what is happening in the case where a homeless man was shot dead on a Los Angeles street corner.

 

Charlie Barber is a parole agent at the Michigan Department of Corrections. Barber supervises prisoners operating in and outside the grind who have spent between 8-15 years in prison. When first contacted for an interview, I asked him, "What will it take to ensure justice and peace in the world other than Jesus coming back again? Is there anything man can do?"

 

"It's the end time," he said, quoting biblical prophecy.

 

"When you look at the general population in the United States, you see 87% white and 13% people of color. In prison, it's the other way around."

 

Barber says sociologists once claimed Blacks were genetically inferior to Whites. Then they said Blacks were in a downtrodden condition because of environment, socio-economic status, and low education levels. Then they said it was their criminality and addiction to drugs that placed them in desperate circumstances.

"Whites do drugs just as much as Blacks, but their parents are able to pay their way out of the system or lessen the punishment," Barber said.

Once you get in the system, it's hard to get out. Some states used to have lifetime parole regulations, however, most states have done away with them.

 

One in forty-five adults is on probation or parole
and 1 in 100 is in prison or jail.

---The Pew Charitable Trusts

 

"Texas, Ohio, Michigan, Florida, and California have more people in prison than anywhere else on Planet Earth," Barber said. 

 

Barber said transparency in the criminal justice system is blurred and in need of reform. We both agreed that fear is fueling racial tensions, and it is being played out in the streets.

"Living in fear - that's when problems happen," Barber concluded.

Are unarmed homeless people police targets?

You decide.
http://www.nlchp.org/documents/No_Safe_Place
and
http://abcnews.go.com/US/lapd-shooting-video-shows-man-enter-tent-death/story?id=29339849

Academy of WingChun Atlanta gives intro to self defense

In this time of high police brutality against men of color, it is important to learn self defense methods and what not to do in a confrontation.

The Academy of WingChun Atlanta invites individuals and organizations to participate in self defense training that can be used for self-esteem building, physical fitness, and youth mentoring. Lead instructors in Metro Atlanta are African American males who train youth (12+) and adults in kung fu, escrima, and hand-to-hand combat.

Please check out this video:

http://www.iaw-atlanta.com/

 

Call for introductory class today!

(678)-453-8119

Deepak Chopra meditations relieve stress

Dr. Deepak Chopra is a teleologist.

To release yourself from the pressures of daily life, listen to Deepak Chopra's meditations. This really works!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixscQ3t1oJY

Black people in the global future must protect their assets

 President Obama was only able to pay off his Columbia University and Harvard Law School
student loans after publishing two autobiographies.
(Pete Souza, official White House photographer photo)

"...the greatest contributor to family instability among blacks has been the death of the male spouse rather than divorce or desertion..."

---Charles Vert Willie

 

Black people need to face the future with pessimism AND optimism. Assets that must be protected are Black men, and cycle of social injustice must be broken.

Just because Barack and Michelle are living in the White House and Oprah is one of the richest women on the planet doesn't mean all African Americans are in a good place. The number one problem is being able to hold a job and remain alive. Next is inability to amass assets and ability to pay for food, shelter, transportation, and a competitive education without going into debt.

Thirty years a slave is tied to "owning your own home" which is usually mortgaged from banks at rising interest, insurance, and tax rates. If you truly own your own home, no matter how humble, it means not having major debt associated with a roof over our head.

According to some researchers and educators, there are several major issues impeding Black progress, and they all revolve around unemployment, incarceration, education, psychological health, housing, time spent on entertainment and sex, church affiliation, and respect.

Listening to a 1968 MLK, Blacks still need to fight for poor people's rights and declare a war on poverty. Census statistics state that 27 percent of African Americans are poor. In 2010, 12.4 percent of White children were poor compared to 38.2 percent of Black children. Poor people fall victim to payday loan and other personal financial scams that can charge as much as 300 percent interest rates.

Being financially ignorant and desperate can put you in a bad state for life.

According to Dorothy Brown, a professor of tax law at Emory University Law School, the racial wealth gap has hit an all-time high.  "The median net worth of white households is now 20 times that of black households," said Brown in 2012. That is a problem in a capitalist country.

How do we keep from getting further and further behind? How do we survive?

"Any fool can make a fortune; it takes a man of brains to hold onto it."

---Commodore Vanderbilt

Only buy what you really need. Stop trying to "live like the Vanderbilts" when you don't have a guaranteed income. If you can, help those who need it most, and stop giving to non-profits when you can't even save 10% of your own wealth for emergencies.

 

Know what you're up against and work to overcome all barriers that could lead to early morbidity in this world and an uncertain immortality in the next.

Read the following and make plans to combat statistics.
http://www.blackstarproject.org/home/images/facts/deepeningplightblackmeninamerica.pdf

Calvon Andreleus Reid dead at 39 near Margate, Fla.

Reid was an articulate man from a religious family. (Photo of Reid speaking at his grandmother's 85th birthday celebration, Shady Grove Baptist Church, Pelzer, S. C.)

Another young Black man is dead, and it has hit too close to home - my own extended family.

Calvon Andreleus Reid was allegedly being pursued by police who claim they couldn't subdue him because of his size. Police first told the family that Reid was running away when he ran into a car, hit his head, and went into a coma. Reid was transported to Northwest Medical Center in Margate, Fla. where he died. He lived near Miami.

Reid was in the hospital for two days before his parents were notified. Mamie Reid, the man's mother, told family members, "When I saw my son lying there, I said I was glad that God had taken him out of this world. After I accepted the fact that he was gone, then I got angry." Reid is survived by two young sons, one who is 11 years old.

Additional information just released said Reid was tased three times by four policemen before his death. -  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/local/broward/fl-creek-police-tasering-20150227-story.html
and
http://www.local10.com/news/coconut-creek-inmate-dies-in-police-custody/31526866
and
http://miami.cbslocal.com/2015/02/27/man-dies-while-in-custody-in-coconut-creek/

This may be another case of police brutality or excessive force being used in Florida, but questions surrounding the circumstances remain unanswered. The family is waiting for the police report to provide further details. A cursory search for arrest records for Reid were not found online.

After an autopsy, the body will be flown to Greenville, S.C. for services on Monday. This story is still developing.

Reid's obituary is now posted at http://www.obitsforlife.com/obituary/1059852/Reid-Calvon.php
Funeral Services will be held on Monday, March 2, 2015 at 12 p.m. at Shady Grove Baptist Church,
140 Shady Grove Road, Pelzer, S.C.

Watkins and Garrett Funeral Home is in charge of the service - 1011 Augusta Street, Greenville, S.C.  (864-242-1144)

If you are confronted with a similar situation, the family should not go to the police asking for answers because the situation could turn volatile. Always take representatives of the NAACP, the SCLC, the NAN, or a group of knowledgeable and calm church members to request a report as soon as possible.

According to KILLED BY POLICE -
At least 175 people have been killed by U.S. police since January 1, 2015.
At least 1,101 were killed in 2014.
At least 2,040 have been killed since May 1, 2013.
http://killedbypolice.net/
Another Black man was tasered to death in Atlanta in 2004. Read the story at: http://www.wingcomltd.com/Articles/taser.htm

Black theologians publish bible for Catholic youth

Many bibles, like the Original African Heritage Edition,
are written from a Black perspective.

The African American Catholic Youth Bible®, the first Catholic bible especially designed for African American youth ages 14 to 22, has been published by Saint Mary's Press in collaboration with The National Black Catholic Congress, Inc.

According to Amazon.com, the bible uses "inspirational black art and commentaries on biblical events and personalities from an African American perspective. It chronicles major events in African American Catholic history and includes moving stories of African American holy men and women."

The editors are James Chukwuma Okoye and Ansel J. Augustine. Okoye is a Catholic priest and director of the Center for Spiritan Studies at Duquesne University in Pittsburg, Pa. Okoye holds a Masters Degree and Doctor of Philosophy from Oxford University.

Augustine earned a Master’s Degree in Pastoral Studies from Loyola University of New Orleans and is certified in Black Catholic Studies.

It is estimated that there are three million Black Catholics living in the U.S. On July 24, 1990, the National Black Catholic Clergy Caucus of the United States designated November as Black Catholic History Month to celebrate the history and heritage of Black Catholics. 


Most Reverend Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory
leads Catholics in Atlanta.  (Photo by Tomi Johnson)

Who is the greatest Black person?

MLK is perhaps the world's most famous person of color.
He was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tenn.

"I believe... that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their tired bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits." --- The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When determining who is the greatest Black person, you probably make a choice based on what you were taught in school.  Many Americans deem Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as making the most valuable contribution to the world.

"He was scorned, spat upon, and slain. If America could not accept Dr. King, then many felt that no black person in America was safe."---Charles Vert Willie, fellow Morehouse classmate

Many other Blacks have been named for being first, best, fearless, innovative, and courageous.

U.S. President Barack Hussein Obama (1961 - ) is the first commander-in-chief who happens to be Black.

First Lady Michelle Robinson Obama (1964 -) is the first Black woman married to a U.S. president to live in the White House.

Aliko Dangote (April 1957 - ) is a Nigerian commodities dealer who Forbes Magazine declares is the richest Black man in the world, with net worth of $25 billion.


South Africa, the Good News photo

Nelson Mandela (1918 – 2013) was a South African lawyer who was jailed for decades and later became president of South Africa.


Rosa Parks (1913 – 2005) planned to sit in her seat on an Alabama bus as a means of protest and started a boycott that would change the segregated U.S. South.

George Washington Carver (1864 - 1943), a scientist noteworthy for taking the peanut and making several foods stuffs, was the only Black person I was taught about in middle school.  My ninth grade History teacher took me outside the classroom and said to me only, "Carver was a credit to his race."

Toussaint L'Ouverture (1743 – 1803), a Haitian military genius, was instrumental in leading a revolt that challenged slavery in the New World.

Alexander Puskin (1799 – 1837) , poet, is known for revolutionizing Russian literature and was the only Black Russian mentioned at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Catholic Online photo

Saint Moses the Black (330–405) was an Egyptian monk who was martyred after refusing to resist invaders.

Please add to this list.

Black Gold: did Blacks prosper in the Great Rush?

Yale Collection of Western Americana, circa 1850

Although Blacks were emancipated in 1863 and had little assets, a few did capitalize on seeking fortunes in the West in the Great Gold Rush. Those families who benefited and amassed land to pass down to their heirs may still be living off GOLD today.

Do you have any original information or photos that can document this? Please provide.

Here is some information:
http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us/Pioneer/pages/classrooms/FourthGrade/4thGradeGold/pages/AfricanAmericans.html

Also, read about this topic at: http://www.amazon.com/Search-Racial-Frontier-Americans-1528-1990/dp/0393318893/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1424804551&sr=1-1&keywords=in+search+of+the+racial+frontier#reader_0393318893

Recommended reading

While the weather is bad, snuggle up with a good book, a hardback or online.

Economist Glenn R. Loury's book "Race,  Incarceration, and American Values" is a must read.
http://www.amazon.com/Incarceration-American-Values-Boston-Review/dp/0262123118g

Devon E. Hinton and Alexander L. Hinton are editors of  "Genocide and Mass Violence: Memory, Symptom, and Recovery" which has been recommended by psychiatrist organizations. 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1107694698/ref=rdr_ext_tmb

Also, if it's good enough for Harvard, it's good enough for me!  Check out this reading list:
http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~sica/reading.htm