Connect with us

Featured

These Pics of Baltimore Protestors Should Make You Angry

Published

on

These Pictures of Baltimore Protestors Should Make You AngryStories of minorities being either killed murdered or injured brutally beaten while under police custody seem to be all too common these days. Most recently is the case of 25 year old Baltimore, Maryland native, Freddie Gray, who was arrested on the morning of April 12th 2015, allegedly for the possession of a switchblade. Freddie’s arrest, and subsequent death while under police custody, was the spark of a peaceful protest organized and carried out nearly two weeks later by residents of Baltimore wanting to bring attention to and action against police brutality. It didn’t take long for this positive event to quickly take a turn south, when a few bad apples decided that this would be a perfect time to destroy their already impoverished city.

FB_IMG_1430425357313Rioting, looting, fighting, random fires and destruction of property are all that seems to be shown by the press. But in the past two days, the images shown in this article have been making the rounds on the Internet; particularly on SOCIAL media… you know, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., while being largely ignored by the real media… you know, Fox, CNN, MSNBC, etc.

These Pictures of Baltimore Protestors Should Make You AngryWhen I first saw the pictures I was angry… maybe even outraged. The sight of minority male civilians serving and protecting the same people who were likely to arrest and/or kill them for no reason other than the color of their skin, did not sit well with me. I thought to myself ‘Why are Blacks so docile?’ ‘Why are Blacks so quick to forgive the wrongs done to them?’ ‘Why are Blacks so quick to extend an olive branch or to reach out a helping hand to those most likely to bite them?’ But then I looked beyond the picture and it hit me. I saw men.

Men acting like men. Men who cared about protecting their community. Men who cared about protecting their families. Men who had invested their whole lives by working hard trying not to live up to the stereotypes that mainstream society had labeled them with. Proud men. Honorable men. They were men who looked and thought, just like me. My anger and outrage was not towards these men of color trying to protect their community, but towards the media for not reporting that this was going on.

A boycott of the media is long overdue in this country. Truth and integrity in journalism has long been replaced by sensationalism and manipulation of the facts.  Half truths and lies by way of omission are the norm far more times than not. It’s no wonder racism is still so prevalent in this country. When all you’re exposed to is the worst of a society, you can almost make the excuse that “they” must all be that way. Almost. The media’s blatant disregard for how they portray minorities to the world, at times, seems orchestrated. I’m no conspiracy theorist but could it be they have an agenda?

These Pictures of Baltimore Protestors Should Make You Angry

Article

Rest Easy Eric Curran a.k.a M.C Krispy E

Published

on

Almost every year for the past 6 years and on the same day, I’ve posted the same pic of me in the hospital  during my temporary and untimely demise  in 2015. A few weeks after I was back to “normal”, I asked Eric “Why’d you take the pics?” And he said, “I knew you would want to write about it if you lived.” Eric was right. Eric was often right and Eric always had my best interest at heart. I am going to miss my friend.

You ever meet someone and become friends immediately?! Well this was not the case with Eric. Before he was my manager at Morgan Stanley, I would often see this 6’4″, giant white guy walk up to the only black woman at work, say something then walk away without any hint of human emotion. Naturally I thought he was a jerk until I asked her “Yo, is that dude bothering you?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me he was a great person, which I ultimately got to experience first hand. Little did I know this Italian from Staten Island was more Brooklyn than most Brooklynites.

Eric was not with the shits!! If there were ever someone who lived their life in direct, honest and no uncertain terms, that would be Eric. He would ask me questions at work like “Why are the other consultants making more money than you?” I knew the answer to that question and so did he. Eric then proceeded to increase my salary by 15K. After arguing with all our managers that “You need to hire Alfred!”, they eventually did 1 year prior to the 2015 incident. In the hospital, one of my friends asked me, “What if you didn’t have health insurance when this happened?” I would be in debt for the rest of my life is the obvious answer. I still am in debt for the rest of my life but at least, it is to those who made sure I had a more enjoyable life and for that, I will gladly repay.

My mom loved to tell me the story of how she met Eric. After they told her I was going to be in the ICU for some time, she told the doctor “Well I’m not going anywhere.” She then hears a voice from that back of the room that says “Well I’m not going anywhere either!” That was Eric and in true form, he was at that hospital every single day until I was discharged.

Eric passed away in December 2021 of stage 4 cancer. After feeling faint on his way to my bbq, he went to get checked out and was diagnosed. During the past 5 years, Eric lost his mom, twin brother and dad. I can’t even begin to imagine what that must have felt like but I’m glad that pain he was feeling is no more.

It’s been a bit difficult to deal with it to be quite honest and I’ve been writing this in my head for years but never had the bravery or grace to accept that my friend wouldn’t be here soon. I also can’t imagine what it must be like to lose your entire family nucleus unexpectedly. In true Eric fashion however, I would like this to not be about me but whomever has lost someone and has been coping. I’ve always intimated that my life would not be as enriched as it was were it not for the people in it. The problem with that is there is also no way to deny that it feels empty without those who helped craft your path. Rather than focus on the negative, I would rather focus on the examples of duty, family and emotional intelligence. All concepts reinforced by Eric that have led me to have successful relationships since I’ve put them into practice.

From being my manager to my business partner, writer, book editor, artistic director, and most importantly, my friend, I am going to miss you MC Krispy E a.k.a “Enrique Pollazo!” And although you told me Enrique means Henry in Spanish and not Eric, it was too late!

Sidebar. The day I was discharged, while everyone was deciding what was best for me, no one had remembered that I would need clothes in order to leave the hospital. Eric shows up (unasked) with all the clothes I had on the day I coded, laundered and ready to go. I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve friends like this but i need to keep doing it! Sidebar complete.

Rest in Peace Eric. “Be Good.”

Continue Reading

Article

Writing Your First Book / Should I Self Publish?

Published

on

 

I had the distinct pleasure of  participating in a panel discussion on writing your first book, presented by the Harlem chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.  Alongside Jim St. Germain, Author – A Stone of Hope: A Memoir and Dr. Keneshia Nicole Grant, Author – The Great Migration and the Democratic Party: Black Voters and the Realignment of American Politics in the 20th Century.  We opined on pain points, benefits and strategies regarding our inaugural voyages into authorship. Feel free to watch for your self and I hope this provides some insight to all those looking to make the same voyage. Enjoy!

Continue Reading

Featured

What the NFT is a BEEPLE?

Published

on

On March 11 this year, the digital artist Beeple sold a collage of digital images from his “Everydays” series for nearly 70 million dollars as an NFT, or non-fungible token. And if that sentence confuses you, you’re not alone.

A non-fungible token is a unit of data on a digital ledger called a blockchain, where each NFT can represent a unique digital item, and thus they are not interchangeable. NFTs can represent digital files such as art, audio, video, and other forms of creative work. While the digital files themselves are infinitely reproducible, the NFTs representing them are tracked on their underlying blockchains and provide buyers with proof of ownership.” – Wikipedia

Still confused? Let the artist himself explain it, and learn how he went from NFT newbie to making the third most expensive artwork by a living artist in three months. Not to suggest Beeple is an overnight success. The “Everydays” series alone involved creating a piece of art every day since May 1, 2007 – and he hasn’t missed a day.

Check out some of Beeple’s amazing and controversial work below.

Continue Reading

Trending