It’s time to Break It Down!

In the great emotional ruse that is anti DEI, anti CRT, anti-affirmative action, anti-Civil Rights Act, anti-Voting Rights Act, anti LGBTQ, anti-disabled, etc., we are told the motivation for opposing initiatives and programs to right past wrongs, some which endured for centuries, is the pursuit of merit-based selection. The inherent implied premise for this obsessive compulsion is, that merit is a special sauce possessed, only by white men.

The return to power of the 47^th President has resulted in celebratory exultation among many of his adherents, who believe all their various and sundry shortcomings have been visited upon them because some unfair practice or methodology intervened and redirected benefits that should have inured to them, to some Black, Brown, non-cisgender, or disabled person. 

It’s as if, in their incontrovertible view, the world, especially America, is divided into two sides; one side comprised of white men, and the other side, everybody else. Interestingly, with the certainty of this same uncontestable truth, they believe Team Everybody Else has severely damaged them, taking more than they could possibly have ever deserved, and leaving them, the only deserving ones, with a mere pittance. Inexplicably, they harbor this notion, despite the fact, they control the vast majority of everything of value in a free enterprise and capitalistic society. They have by far, most of the wealth, most of the property, most of the CEO offices, most of the college and university presidencies, most of the tech businesses, most of the highest corporate titles…you name it, white men dominate it (OK, maybe not Basketball, American Football, and track and field sprint events…most of which were segregated until the mid-20^th century).

And yet, the whining and complaining dominates the landscape. The argument is turbocharged by a rightwing echo chamber that is so inescapable, it persuaded many individuals and groups not naturally on that side of the line to vote against their own interests. While it’s conceivable, time will enable many, if not most, to see the light, the damage will have long been done. But that’s a convo for another day.

Darren Beattie, a “Make America Great Again” ideologue has reportedly been hired to run the State Department’s worldwide public diplomacy efforts. Beattie shared with readers of Revolver, a conservative website he worked for, that he would be the acting undersecretary of state for public diplomacy. It was unclear whether he would assume the position on a permanent basis; that would require Senate confirmation. All things considered, in the current environment, there is no reason to believe he wouldn’t gain confirmation.

He first achieved notoriety when he was fired during his tenure as a White House speechwriter for the first Trump Administration. He lost his position after it was revealed that he spoke at a conference attended by white nationalists. More recently, on October 24, 2024, he wrote on the Revolver website: “Competent white men must be in charge if you want things to work. Unfortunately, our entire national ideology is predicated on coddling the feelings of women and minorities, and demoralizing competent white men.”

This is emblematic of what one writer called a blatant, dangerous, insulting, gaslighting lie. I wish he could have made his sentiment a little more explicit. 

Over the course of couple of the months since the election, Trump has been moving expeditiously to install members of his new Cabinet…and to “unemploy” tens of thousands of federal workers from the previous administration. As the head of the Executive Branch, or as some argue, as the Executive Branch, he has wide ranging leeway to appoint whomever he wants. Wide leeway is not the same as unlimited control. His first pick for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, was such an unpopular selection that he withdrew his nomination. White guy notwithstanding, I guess, even Team Trump conceded he was not a worthy candidate for that position. Perhaps, miracles do happen.

There are other controversial nominees. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, is a noted anti-vaccine activist, and conspiracy theorist. Still, he’ll probably gain confirmation. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence has allegedly parroted Russian talking points and has met with then Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Although opposed by most democrats, she cleared a Senate Intel Committee vote, 9-8, and she will likely be confirmed by the Senate later today.

By traditional standards, neither Kennedy, nor Gabbard, not to mention Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense, who’s highest attained rank was Major, qualify for the positions to which they have been elevated. Anyone arguing that they are is being transparently dishonest, or quite simply, lying. If anyone with their respective resumes were presented by Democrats, for those same positions, Republicans heads would explode; they’d be summarily dismissed as being unqualified, and presented by unserious, if not clueless, Democrats. But such is the nature of the game, when the President, House, and Senate are of the same Party. It is what it is. “Merit: Not Really, Not at All!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.wjbf.com/news/u-s-world-news/competent-white-men-must-be-in-charge-if-you-want-things-to-work-trump-admin-hires-darren-beattie-to-run-public-diplomacy-at-state-department/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Today is my father, the late Reverend Albert Miller’s 105th Birthday. Happy Birthday dad; I love you and I miss you!

Last year, Beyoncé teased her then upcoming new Country Album, “Cowboy Carter,” during halftime of Super Bowl LVIII, held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ten days later, I blogged about Queen Bey’s foray into Country Music. Presciently, at the time, I mused what it might be like for Beyoncé to be nominated for Grammy’s or Country Music Awards this year. She was nominated by both, and while she received 12 nominations for People’s Choice Country Music Awards, she was snubbed, going 0-for-12. Conversely, after garnering 11 Grammy nominations, she captured 3 Awards, winning for best Country Duo/Group performance, (along with Miley Cyrus), for the Top Country Music Album Award, and for the pièce de resistance, Album of the Year. Her 11 nominations elevated her record for total Grammy nominations to 99, and her 3 wins pushed her record total Grammys to 35. With that, kick back, and check out what I wrote about Queen Bey, QB1 of the music world, and Country Music a year ago.

I am well on the way to my 17^th year as a Blogger, Content Creator, or whatever other term you choose as your preferred euphemism. In sixteen and a half years, I have made over 850 blog posts. The range of topics I have tackled run the gamut, and include, among other things, politics, history, sports, holidays, healthcare, education, race, America, labor, wars, personalities, and travel, just to cite a dozen categories. One thing I have never written about, and in full disclosure, have never contemplated writing about, is Country Music. Decades ago, I heard a Country Music singer say, “The Country in Country Music, is America.” While admittedly, not a fan of the genre, then or now, I must admit, the moment I heard the guy say that I thought it was profound. I still believe that to be true. 

Yesterday, Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter’s new song, “Texas Hold ‘Em” debuted as the Number 1 song on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Even if it’s only a paragraph, I must write about that. Imagine Bey being featured/nominated for one or more awards in the Country category at the 2025 Grammy’s, or at the Country Music Association Awards Show next year. We all know Bey & Jay are music royalty. When they make music, they make news. That’s been the case, since long before the two became the power couple they are today. For them, grabbing headlines in the music world is virtually de rigueur. But even by that standard, this is different.

Let’s not get it twisted though. Black folks are not new to this country music thing. The first “string bands” in this country were comprised of enslaved people. Moreover, the root of country music is blues, of which Santi Elijah Holley said, “It’s Black as hell.” When I was growing up, Charley Pride, was the Country sensation of the era. In 1962, Ray Charles released his 17^th album, entitled, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. He went on to earn a Grammy for Album of the Year. Oh yeah, lest I forget to mention it, Beyoncé’s other new country song “16 Carriages” ranks No. 9 on the Billboard Country Music chart. Yes, in addition to debuting at Number 1, she also has a second Billboard Country Music chart Top 10 hit.

Today, there are several successful Black artists, popular for their singing country music, including Mickey Guyton, Kane Brown, Jimmy Allen, Brittney Spencer, and Willie Jones. They are all fine artists. However, none of them is Beyoncé, who has collected 88 Nominations, and 32 Grammy Awards: both, the most in history. Incidentally, Jay-Z has also garnered 88 Nominations, tying “his Bey” for most ever, to accompany his 24 Grammy Awards. Yes, that’s right, between the two of them, they have earned 176 Grammy Nominations, and 56 Grammy Awards.

In landing her first-ever No. 1 single on the country charts, Beyoncé enters rare air. She became only the second solo woman with no accompanying artists to achieve the feat. Taylor Swift, whose songs “Love Story (Taylor’s Version)” and “All Too Well (Taylor’s Version)” hit No. 1 in 2021.

Bey is also the first woman to have topped both the Hot Country and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts since the lists began in 1958. Morgan Wallen, Justin Bieber, Billy Ray Cyrus, and Ray Charles are the only other artists to have reached No. 1 on both charts.

Her current hits, “16 Carriages” and “Texas Hold ‘Em,” were released Feb. 11, after Beyoncé teased the release of new music in a surprise Super Bowl ad for Verizon. She also announced her eighth solo studio album “Renaissance Act II” is scheduled for release March 29, 2024. “Bey Watch: This Is My “Country Redux ‘25!””

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/11/entertainment/beyonce-new-music-super-bowl-ad/index.html

https://www.cnn.com/2024/02/11/entertainment/beyonce-new-music-super-bowl-ad/index.html

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/beyonce-country-album-grammy-cowboy-carter-1235256088/

https://www.vulture.com/article/beyonce-cowboy-carter-album-of-the-year.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

We are eleven weeks removed from the 2024 Election, and ten days post inauguration. As I reflect on the passage of time, especially the last week and a half, I am mindful that eight years ago, every utterance out of the mouth of the then newly elected President seemed mind numbingly outrageous, and the catalyst for all manner of protestation. Fast forward to today. Something is different.

The President is the same now, as then. He is equally loquacious, just as prone to make off the wall utterances, and certainly no less controversy friendly. So, what has changed? To be perfectly honest, America has. The President, who has been the GOP Nominee for three consecutive elections, increased his share of virtually all demographics, including Black men, Hispanics, and young Americans. Those increases enabled him to capture a plurality (let’s be clear, not a majority) of the popular vote, the first time Republicans led in that category in twenty years, and just the second time since the 1988 Presidential Election. The differential between him and his Democratic opponent was 1.61%, according to the Associated Press.

While all those things are significant, none of them accounts for the principal variance between 2017 and 2025, at least not in my world. I opted not to watch the Inauguration. In fact, I chose to forego the news altogether for the first three days of the week. I even limited my social media activity. I have a complete understanding of the outrage machine, including the recognition that the behaviors and actions that prompt that response are intended to elicit that exact reaction. Well, I’ve opted not to cooperate. With ten days gone, there are 1,451 days left of the madness, Nope, not this time. I’m keeping it ”Short, Sweet…and Different!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.npr.org/2024/12/03/nx-s1-5213810/2024-presidential-election-popular-vote-trump-kamala-harris

It’s time to Break It Down!

My original posting about the King Holiday dates-back-to January 19, 2011. In 2022, I amended the topic to add a perspective shared by Nikole Hannah-Jones. 

Solomon Peña, who lost his 2022 bid for New Mexico state House District 14, was arrested by an Albuquerque SWAT team for allegedly paying and conspiring with four men to shoot at the homes of two state legislators and two county commissioners, authorities said. No one was injured but investigators said Peña intended to cause serious injury or death. Peña, who attributed his defeat to a “rigged” election, is accused of masterminding a series of shootings targeting the homes of elected Democrats.

But I digress. Consider this “batschitt” craziness an FYI! It’s not the topic of today’s post.

Monday was Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Over the years, I’ve written a post about Dr. King, the holiday, and how it came to pass. Today, I am again revisiting a post I initially wrote and posted Wednesday, January 19, 2011, and that I reprised January 18, 2017, January 17, 2018, and again, January 23, 2019, examining the advent of the King Holiday. It’s been 39 years since the initial observance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday (MLK DAY), and just over 41 years since President Reagan signed the MLK, Jr. Holiday bill into law. Contemporary events continue to remind us that now is an apt time to look into the rearview mirror of time.

After over three decades of inculcation into the very fabric of our society, it may be largely forgotten that the conceptualization, submission and continual resubmission of the idea, the enactment, and the gradual national observance, was not the product of universal acceptance of a grand and enlightened concept, but rather, was emblematic of the civil rights struggle itself; steeped in controversy, and the eventual victory of a relentless movement to achieve richly deserved, and long overdue social justice.

Several members of Congress, a few states, and even a President, using a host of creative means, sought to undermine, outmaneuver, sabotage, subvert, and otherwise derail the efforts of the measure’s proponents. Ultimately, the movement was consolidated, snowballed, and would simply not be thwarted.

The effort to create a King Holiday was started by U.S. Representative John Conyers, Michigan, shortly after Dr. King’s death, in the spring of 1968. It was first introduced in the House of Representatives in 1979 but fell 5 votes short of the number needed for passage in the Lower Chamber.

High profile opponents to the measure included Senator Jesse Helms, NC, Senator John McCain, AZ, and President Ronald Reagan. Both Senators voted against the bill, and Senator McCain publicly supported Arizona Governor Evan Mecham for his rescission of MLK Day as a State Holiday in Arizona. The campaign however, reached a critical mass in the early 1980’s. Spurred on by Stevie Wonder penning a song in King’s honor called, “Happy Birthday,” a petition drive to support the campaign would attract over 6 million signatures. It has been called the largest petition in favor of an issue in U.S. History.

Buttressed by what had become a wildly successful public campaign, Congress soon followed suit. The proposal passed in the House by a vote of 338-90, and in the Upper Chamber by a vote of 78-22. Given the dimensions of this overwhelming support, in the form of bicameral veto-proof votes, President Reagan signed the provision November 2, 1983, and it became Federal Law. The first observance under the new law took place January 20, 1986, rather than on January 15th, Dr. King’s birthday. A compromise in the legislation specified that the observance take place on the Third Monday in January, consistent with prior legislation (Uniform Monday Holiday Act).

Of course, that was not the end of the story. It would take more than 30 years after Dr. King’s death before the Holiday was fully adopted and observed in all 50 states. Illinois holds the distinction of being the first State to adopt MLK Day as a State Holiday, having done so in 1973. Twenty years later, in 1993, for the first time, some form of MLK Day was held in each of the 50 States.

It was not until 2000 that South Carolina Governor Jim Hodges signed a bill to make MLK Day a paid holiday for State employees; giving the Palmetto State the dubious distinction of being the last of the 50 States to do so. However, Mississippi also sets itself apart by designating the Third Monday in January as a shared Holiday that honors the memory of Robert E. Lee and Dr. King…two fine southern gentlemen.

Three summers ago, after entertaining a whirlwind, on again off again, job offer from UNC, journalist, McArthur Fellow, Pulitzer Prize winner, and UNC alum Nikole Hannah-Jones opted to choose Howard University as her next employer, over UNC. Ms. Hannah-Jones, who gained notoriety for her work on the 1619 Project, has become a lightning rod for discourse around issues of civil rights, and the much-ballyhooed topic known as Critical Race Theory, #CRT.

Two years ago, NH-J was invited to give an MLK speech on the Monday Holiday. She discovered that a few members of the group hosting her wrote and subsequently leaked emails opposing her giving the speech. Those who opposed her felt it dishonored Dr. King to do so and characterized her as a “discredited activist” “unworthy of such association with King.”

This insight motivated her to call an audible. She scrapped her original speech and spent the first half of her speech reading excerpts from several of Dr. King’s speeches…without revealing that they were his words. She subbed BLACK for Negro, to avoid dating the material and giving away the fact that it was from over half a century ago. Literally, that’s all it took to transport to 2022.

Here is some of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ 2022 MLK, Jr. Day speech:

“It was in the year 1619 that the first BLACK slave was brought to the shores of this nation. They were brought here from the soils of Africa and unlike the Pilgrim fathers who landed here at Plymouth a year later, they were brought here against their will…”

“White Americans must recognize that justice for black people cannot be achieved without radical changes in the structure of our society…The evils of capitalism are as real as the evils of militarism and racism…”

“The problems of racial injustice and economic injustice cannot be solved without a radical redistribution of political and economic power. A nation that continues year after year to spend more $ on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death.”

“The crowning achievement in hypocrisy must go to those staunch Republicans and Democrats of the Midwest and West who were given land by our government when they came here as immigrants from Europe. They were given education through the land grant colleges…”

“These are the same people that now say to black people, whose ancestors were brought to this country in chains and who were emancipated in 1863 without being given land to cultivate or bread to eat; that they must pull themselves up by their own bootstraps…”

“What they truly advocate is Socialism for the rich and Capitalism for the poor. We know full well that racism is still that hound of hell which dogs the tracks of our civilization.”

“Ever since the birth of our nation, White America has had a Schizophrenic personality on the question of race, she has been torn between selves. A self in which she proudly professes the great principle of democracy and a self in which she madly practices the antithesis of democracy.”

“The fact is, there has never been a single, solid, determined commitment on the part of the vast majority of white Americans to genuine equality for Black people.”

“The step backwards has a new name today, it is called the white backlash, but the white backlash is nothing new. It is the surfacing of old prejudices, hostilities and ambivalences that have always been there…”

“The white backlash of today is rooted in the same problem that has characterized America ever since the black man landed in chains on the shores of this nation.”

“Whites, it must frankly be said, are not putting in a similar mass effort to reeducate themselves out of their racial ignorance…with each modest advance the white population promptly raises the argument that BLACK AMERICANS HAVE come far enough.”

“…for the good of America, it is necessary to refute the idea that the dominant ideology in our country, even today, is freedom and equality and that racism is just an occasional departure from the norm on the part of a few bigoted extremists.”

“If America does not respond creatively to the challenge to banish racism, some future historian will have to say, that a great civilization died because it lacked the soul and commitment to make justice a reality for all men.”

“Why do white people seem to find it so difficult to understand that the Black people are sick and tired of having reluctantly parceled out to THEM those rights and privileges which all others receive upon birth or entry in America?”

“I never cease to wonder at the amazing presumption of much of white society, assuming that they have the right to bargain with BLACKS for their freedom…”

Oh, the uncomfortable silence as I read Dr. King’s words at a commemoration of his life when people had no idea that these were his words. When I revealed that everything, I said to that point was taken from his speeches between ’56 and 67… Can you say SHOOK!

Then I read all the names that white Americans called King: charlatan, demagogue, communist, traitor — and brought out the polling showing more than three-quarters of Americans opposed King at his death while 94 percent approve of him now.

I left them with this: People who oppose today what he stood for back then do not get to be the arbiters of his legacy. The real Dr. King cannot be commodified, homogenized, and white-washed and whatever side you stand on TODAY is the side you would have been back then.

In fact, most white Americans in 1963 opposed the March on Washington where Dr. King gave the “I Have A Dream” Speech with that one line that people oppose to anti-racism like to trot out against those working for racial justice.

When the speech was over, Father Pfleger, who had been cheering me on from the crowd, whispered in my ear: That’s what you call the “You Gone Learn Today” speech.

“This is why the 1619 Project exists. This is why the decades of scholarship that undergirds the 1619 Project exists. Because if we do nothing, they will co-opt our history and use it against us.”

Dr. King was a radical critic of racism, capitalism, and militarism. He didn’t die. He was assassinated. And many, including Reagan, fought the national holiday we’re now commemorating. “If you haven’t read, in entirety, his speeches, you’ve been miseducated & I hope that you will.”

As it was in 1625, 1725, 1825, 1925, and yeah, it remains in 2025…”MLK, Jr.: Quotes You Don’t Remember…Or Perhaps Never Heard (Relayed by Nikole Hannah-Jones) Redux ’25!”

I’m done; holla back!

https://threadreaderapp.com/thread/1483187472276328449.html?fbclid=IwAR3Gq0hLX0vDKCRlP693LO4TBL9-jWsBZnPiUg5Nqmf–T2c63h3l3BCwu8

It’s time to Break It Down!

Occasionally, I run across a printed story so compelling, that rather than write about it, I instead, shard in whole cloth an already written story. This Department of Justice (DOJ) press release on Tulsa’s Black Wall Street was one of those stories. At its core, this piece is emblematic of why so many conservatives line up in opposition to DEI, CRT, and inclusion policies and practices. 

This week, the Justice Department issued a report on the Tulsa Race Massacre. The report documents the department’s findings, made during its review and evaluation of the Tulsa Race Massacre, undertaken pursuant to the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Act. The Civil Rights Division previously announced it was undertaking this review during a Cold Case Convening held on Sept. 30, 2024.

Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division said, “The Tulsa Race Massacre stands out as a civil rights crime unique in its magnitude, barbarity, racist hostility and its utter annihilation of a thriving Black community.” White Tulsans murdered hundreds of Greenwood residents in 1921, burned their homes and churches, looted their belongings, and locked the survivors in internment camps. 

The Justice Department has not previously spoken publicly about this race massacre, nor officially accounted for the horrific events that transpired in Tulsa. This report breaks that silence by rigorously examining and providing a full accounting of one of the darkest episodes of our nation’s past. 

This report reveals new information and shows that the massacre was the result, not of uncontrolled mob violence, but of a coordinated, military-style attack on Greenwood. Now, more than a century later, there is no living perpetrator for the Justice Department to prosecute. But the historical reckoning and the need for it, of the massacre continues. This report reflects our commitment to the pursuit of justice and truth, even in the face of insurmountable obstacles. We issue this report with recognition of the courageous survivors who continue to share their testimonies, acknowledgement of those who tragically lost their lives and appreciation for other impacted individuals and advocates who collectively push for us to never forget this tragic chapter of America’s history.”   

The report discloses the department’s findings on the Tulsa Race Massacre and examines events that occurred between May 31 and June 1, 1921, when white Tulsans mounted a concerted effort to destroy a vibrant Black community, remembered today as Black Wall Street. During the massacre, hundreds of Black residents were murdered, their businesses and homes burned to the ground and their money and personal property stolen. Survivors were left without resources or recourse. Subsequently, the City of Tulsa resisted offers of meaningful help to the victims and utterly failed to provide necessary aid or assistance. At the same time efforts to seek justice through the courts foundered.

Despite the gravity of the department’s findings, no avenue of prosecution now exists for crimes that occurred during the massacre — the youngest potential defendants would today be more than 115 years old, and the relevant statutes of limitations expired decades ago. Nevertheless, as the federal government’s first thorough reckoning with this devastating event, our review officially acknowledges, illuminates and preserves for history the horrible ordeals of the massacre’s victims. As antilynching advocate Ida B. Wells said, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.” This report aims to do that very thing.

The Nature of the Review

A team of career lawyers and investigators from the Emmett Till Cold Case Unit of the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division conducted the review. Members of the unit spoke with survivors and with descendants of survivors, examined firsthand accounts of the massacre given by individuals who are now deceased, studied primary source materials, spoke to scholars of the massacre and reviewed legal pleadings, books, and scholarly articles relating to the massacre. The team produced a thorough, 123-page, sourced report.

Factual Findings

The review revealed that, on the night of May 31, 1921, a violent attack by as many as 10,000 white Tulsans destroyed Greenwood, a uniquely prosperous Black community. The attack was so systematic and coordinated that it transcended mere mob violence. The review found that the trigger for the violence of the Tulsa Race Massacre was the kind of unfounded condemnation that, at the time, was commonly employed to justify unspeakable treatment of Black men; a white man alleged that a Black man, 19-year-old Dick Rowland, assaulted a white woman who operated an elevator he used. After Rowland’s arrest, a local newspaper then sensationalized the story, and soon, a mob of white Tulsans gathered outside the courthouse, demanding a lynching.

The local sheriff called on Black men from Greenwood, many recently returned from service during World War I, to come to the courthouse to prevent a lynching. The white mob saw this effort to protect Rowland as an unacceptable challenge to the social order. The mob grew. A confrontation broke out, and when someone fired a shot, horrific violence erupted. The Tulsa police deputized hundreds of white residents, many of whom — immediately before being awarded a badge — had been drinking and agitating for Rowland’s murder. Law enforcement officers helped organize these special deputies — as well as other white Tulsans — into the forces that would eventually ravage the Greenwood community.

Violence was initially unorganized and opportunistic. But at daybreak on June 1, a whistle blew, and the violence and arsons that had been chaotic became systematic. White Tulsans, many of whom had recently drilled together as the “Home Guard,” formed to replace members of the National Guard who had gone overseas during the Great War, became organized and efficient in their destruction. They looted, burned and destroyed 35 city blocks while Greenwood’s residents tried desperately to defend their homes. As the fires consumed Greenwood, many Black families fled for their lives, leaving behind their homes and valuable items. White residents chased them across and beyond the city, taking into custody men, women, children, the elderly and the infirmed, and looting the homes they left behind. The destruction of the district was total. The survivors were left with little to nothing.

Law enforcement officers (both from the Tulsa Police and the National Guard) disarmed Black residents, confiscated their weapons and detained many in makeshift camps under armed guard. In addition, there are credible reports that at least some law enforcement officers did more than arrest and detain Black men; some participated in murder, arson and looting. After the devastation, city officials promised to help Greenwood rebuild, but the government of Tulsa not only failed to do so, it also put up obstacles to residential reconstruction. White local leaders rejected outside aid, claiming they could handle the recovery, but then provided little to no financial support. Instead, claiming the area was best suited for industrial use, they imposed harsh new fire codes that priced residents out of the area.

Legal Findings

The department’s report concludes that, had today’s more robust civil rights laws been in effect in 1921, federal prosecutors could have pursued hate crime charges against the massacre’s perpetrators, including both public officials and private citizens. In addition, if modern interpretations of civil rights laws were in effect in 1921, police officers, public officials and any who acted in concert with such persons could have been prosecuted for willfully violating the civil rights of massacre victims. Many of these legal avenues, however, were not available in 1921. The few avenues for federal prosecution that were available in 1921 were not pursued.

Now, the statute of limitations has expired for all federal civil rights offenses. Moreover, the team could find no living perpetrators, and prosecution under any law (federal or state) would almost certainly be foreclosed by the Constitution’s Confrontation Clause, which requires the government to provide live witnesses who can be cross examined by the accused. Such witnesses would need to have sufficient knowledge to prove a particular defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

The report recognizes that some may find the department’s inability to prosecute a painful or dissatisfying outcome. However, the review recognizes and documents the horrible events that occurred as well as the trauma and loss suffered by the residents of Greenwood. While legal and practical limitations prevent the perpetrators of the crimes committed in 1921 from being held criminally accountable in a court of law, the historical reckoning continues. Legal limitations may have stymied the pursuit of justice, but work continues to ensure that future generations understand the scale and significance of this atrocity.

Following issuance of the report, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will convene with members of the Greenwood District, survivors and descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre, the Tulsa civil rights community and other stakeholders.

For further information please contact the Office of Public Affairs. If you have information about a civil rights cold case, meaning a hate crime or other civil rights offense that resulted in death and that occurred on or before Dec. 31, 1980, please contact the Civil Rights Division’s Cold Case Unit at Coldcase.Civilrights@usdoj.gov.

In a way, the non-action following this report is reminiscent of that following Trump’s 34 felony convictions, and Jack Smith’s chronicles on January 6 and Trump’s election subversion case.  ”Justice Department Reviews and Provides Assessment of the Tulsa Race Massacre!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the links below:

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-results-review-and-evaluation-tulsa-race-massacre

It’s time to Break It Down!

As I reflected upon contemporary events, sifting through the corridors of my mind for a suitable topic du jour, a couple of mega (not MAGA) matters landed on my radar. 

Monday was January 6th. As American History continues to unfold, chances are that date will be as resonant and memorable for our fellow citizens as December 7^th. In 1941, the attack on Pearl Harbor represented the fiercest attack ever on America, the institution, from external forces. Arguably, on January 6, 2021, the attack on the Capitol represented the fiercest attack ever on America, the institution, from internal forces…at least aside from the Civil War. In fact, even during the hostilities of the Civil War, no factions breached the walls of the Capitol. 

While Vice President Harris returned the Certification of Electoral Votes  to it’s normal perfunctory status, on Monday, with little or no fanfare, the collective media sphere did make note of it, because of course, last time, the Certification was interrupted by gallows on the grounds of the Capitol threatening the life of the then Vice President, a horde breaking windows, and crashing doors, running through the building with Confederate Flags, giving chase to government officials, while trashing the building, attacking law enforcement officers with bear spray, defacing Congressional offices, and smearing fecal matter on the walls. There are those who argue that Trump contributed to, if not caused that version of American carnage. Tempting as it is, that is not the topic I chose for today.

Familiarly known as Jimmy, James Earl Carter, Jr. was our nation’s 39^th President. He served one term, having been elected November 2, 1976, defeating President Gerald Ford, and losing four years later, on November 4, 1980, to Ronald Reagan. Carter had a term filled with a vast array of challenges, including the Iran hostage crisis, rampant inflation, unrest in the Middle East, Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a gasoline shortage due to production declines, massive gasoline price hikes, and resulting rampant inflation, along with rising unemployment. It may not have been the worst Presidential tenure; Hoover bore the brunt of the Great Depression. It was, however, bad enough to seal Carter’s fate as a one-term President.

While there are those, especially Republicans, who label Carter the worst-ever U.S. President, just as many view the arch of Carter legacy as being so much more than his presidency. President Carter who passed away Sunday before last at 100 years old was the oldest former President, and the first to reach the century mark.

Carter, the classic anti-establishmentarian as president, came to Washington in the wake of the Nixon-Watergate scandal with the stated mission of disassembling the Washington establishment. In contemporary parlance, one might say, he aimed to drain the swamp. In assembling his Cabinet, he sought and relied upon several smart people with one glaring deficiency: experience in navigating the Washington’s massive and complex bureaucracy. The peanut farmer from Plains, Georgia packed up his bags after one term, and took what to some, was a surprising route. He returned to his roots in Plains. After having been crushed by Reagan in the 1980 Election, Carter exclaimed that he would pattern his post-presidency after Harry Truman and not endeavor to personally enrich himself.

To that end, Carter turned to statecraft and made diplomacy one of his calling cards. Quickly, he made his mark in the Middle East by meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in 1981, and touring Egypt in 1983, as well as meeting with the Palestine Liberation Organization. These initiatives expanded the upon the work that he’d begun while President, with the Camp David Summit and Accords.

In 1994, President Clinton enlisted Carter’s assistance in a North Korea peace mission. Carter negotiated an understanding with Kim II Sung. Carter would later announce the outline of a treaty with Kim on CNN, without having the Clinton Administration’s consent to spur action.

In March 1999Carter met with Taiwanese President Lee Teng-hui. He praised the progress Taiwan made in democracy, human rights, economy, culture, science and technology. Carter, however, remained controversial in Taiwan due to having ended U.S. with the country.

In addition, Carter championed a plan to hold elections in Venezuela in 2003 (though the country didn’t get it done), in 2006 he stated his disagreements with Israeli domestic and foreign policy while saying he supported the country. Meanwhile, he extended his criticism to Israel’s policies in Lebanon, the West Bank, and Gaza, in 2007, Carter joined Nelson Mandela in Johannesburg, South Africa, to announce his participation in The Elders, a group of independent global leaders working together on peace and human rights issues, he visited Darfur, Sudan, Cypress, the Korean Peninsula, and the Middle East. He attempted to travel to Zimbabwe, but he was prevented from doing so by President Robert Mugabe’s government. In 2008, he met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, in 2010, Carter traveled to North Korea and negotiated the release of Aijalon Gomes, in 2012, he stressed that Egyptian military generals could take full executive and legislative power to form a new constitution, in 2017, he to the Trump Administration to be a diplomatic envoy to North Korea, and in 2018, official files revealed that in 1993, Carter had suggested a Northern Ireland peace process role by President-Elect Bill Clinton.

Lest one be deluded into thinking Carter was a one-trick pony, his peanut farm had amassed $1 million in debt when he left office in 1981. He began writing books to retire the debt, and by 2019, he’d written over 30 books, including best sellers, covering a variety of topics, including a novel, a children’s book, reflections on his presidency.

In 1982, Carter founded the Carter Center, a non-governmental and nonprofit organization designed to advance human rights and alleviate suffering. He worked with the World Health Organization to eradicate dracunculiasis, also called Guinea worm disease. The incidence decreased from 3.5 million cases in the mid-1980’s to 25 cases in 2016, and four in the first seven months of 2024.

Jimmy Carter, and his wife and life partner Rosalynn, were involved in many endeavors after his presidency, but none were more notably connected to the Georgia native than Habitat for Humanity. The Carters initiated the Carter Work Project in 1984, Over the past 40 years, the former President and his work has touched lives around the world. The Carter’s examples have rallied volunteers, supporters, and celebrities to take part in the mission of helping Habitat for Humanity become internationally recognized for building decent and affordable housing. The Carters touched the lives of thousands of Habitat homeowners and volunteers, and inspired millions across the globe. The Carter Work Project has had more than 108,000 volunteers in 14 countries and built 4,447 homes.

Of course, there is more that can be said about a man who lived a century. He was the first American President born in a hospital, grew up in a town populated almost exclusively by Black people, played high school basketball, attended Georgia Southwestern College and Georgia Institute of Technology before matriculating and graduating from the Naval Academy, married Rosalynn (a high school valedictorian) after college, and played sprint football, and ran cross country at the Naval Academy, and worked in the Navy’s nuclear engineering program. In summary, Jimmy Carter was a Renaissance Man. Peaceful transition…”James Earl Carter, Jr.: Centenarian!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Carter

It’s time to Break It Down!

Another holiday week, another reprised edition of “Break It Down!”

This Issue has been revised from the Break It Down post I originally conceived, created, and published December 29, 2010, and subsequently re-posted in amended formats December 28, 2011, December 31, 2014, December 30, 2015, December 28, 2016, January 3, 2018, January 2, 2019, December 30, 2020, December 29, 2021, December 28, 2022, January 3, 2024, and today January 1, 2025. This is my first post of the month, and of the year 2025 This is the 913th Edition of Break It Down, which debuted August 20, 2007, on the BlogSpot platform. I migrated the principal site to WordPress August 3, 2012, approximately three weeks before the Fifth Anniversary of the blog. You may find this and most other posts at either site.

With this post I hope you had a blessed and bountifully Happy New Year. Now, enjoy today’s blog post.

The one-half fortnight between Christmas and New Year’s Day is a unique occurrence in the unfolding of the American version of the Gregorian Calendar. It is the only instance in which the space of a mere seven days separates two major holidays. Unquestionably, the timing is propitious. Millions of holiday travelers returned home from their Christmas commemoration and revelry, just in time to get a day off to “celebrate” the New Year…and recuperate from their extracurricular activities, including the exploits of New Year’s Eve. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I hope to the extent feasible, most people whose traditions include Christmas, celebrated, and observed the arrival of the New Year, responsibly. If not, by now, you should have had a few hours to work through the fall out.

In last week’s post, I presented a re-formatted airing of my personally crafted Christmas post, (https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2024/12/25/twelve-days-of-christmas-the-e-concert-2024-edition/) from past Noels. This week, I doubled down and revisited my trusty time capsule. Once again, this tack permits new readers to catch-up by seeing the piece, it allows long-time readers to reflect upon both the passing year as well as the theme lifted in the post, and finally, it ensures that those busy readers, with no time to invest in checking out a new blog during the holidays, will not have to miss anything. It’s a win, win…win!

With that loosely framed preamble behind us, here’s this week’s déjà vu all over again post.

Since we are still in the Sweet Spot of the holidays, I shall practice minimalism. For your purposes, that means the blog should be available, but not intrusive. To that end, I am taking a page from the Christmas e-concert but going a step further. Instead of a concert, I give you a song…of reflection.

Robert Burns, a Scot, wrote a poem (Auld Lang Syne) in 1788 that has come to symbolize the spirit of mass contemplation that people around the world invoke as the clock strikes midnight, signaling not just the dawn of a new day, but of a new year. Undoubtedly, you have been somewhere, at some time, when you joined those assembled to sing Auld Lang Syne, which loosely translated means, Times gone by.

Once again, that time is upon us, as today is the first day of the 26^th year of the 21^st century. After thoughtful reflection, I have had no choice but to conclude, my travails have been few and small, especially when compared to my blessings, which have been both abundant and vast! All praises to the one true, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God; a mighty fortress is He.

No need to thank me for my inherent thoughtfulness. But, by all means, “Drink a cup of kindness,” or eggnog, or Champagne, or “name your favorite adult beverage,” for me. And, if you are a teetotaler, water will do nicely, thank-you!

As I complete my first post of 2025, and prayerfully and faithfully reflect upon the year gone by, I leave with you this familiar Irish Toast:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

And rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

It was my unique honor and privilege to visit with you briefly for each of the 52 weeks of last year. I hope you have derived a fraction of the pleasure reading (and occasionally listening to) the blog posts, that I have experienced from preparing and sharing them with you. May 2025 bring you the fulfillment of all your fondest desires. “Happy New Year: Here’s to Auld Lang Syne Redux – 2025 Edition!”

I invite you to click on the links directly below, which lead to an A cappella and a Jazz interpretation of Auld Lang Syne, arranged and performed by the late Lou Rawls (and listen to the remainder of this week’s edition of Break It Down):

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/question279.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” 

Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects related to this post, consult the link below:

It’s time to Break It Down!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/24/08, 12/22/10, 12/21/11, 12/26/12, 12/25/13, 12/23/15, 12/21/16, 12/26/17, 12/26/18, 12/25/19, 12/23/20, 12/25/21, 12/21/22, and 12/27/23)

According to tradition, mine if no one else’s, my Christmas post includes a complement of Songs of the Season. Today’s issue will constitute the next edition in that tradition. With the exception of 2009, I’ve done a version of this post every year since 2008. In 2009, Obamacare, or its official government name, The Affordable Care Act (ACA), was headline news, so that’s what I wrote about.

It’s Tuesday night, or in my personal time dimension, Blog Night. In keeping with what I do, let’s make it so; Wednesday’s coming! As incorporated in the title above, many purists celebrate Twelve Days of Christmas, and for the 15th time in 16 years, so will I. This has been documented in song, book form, at least one movie, and in countless tales and renditions. Let’s blog about it…again.

By quirk of the calendar, it’s Christmas Day, so, right on time, here’s the Christmas Blog. I hope you enjoy the blog/e-concert.

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus, you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. But that really shouldn’t be a problem since the man we call 44 brought Christmas back (wink-wink). But seriously though, in case you don’t know, Christmas never went anywhere.  In fact, a quick check back over the Obama years reveals…Christmas was a staple in his repertoire. (http://www.msnbc.com/am-joy/watch/-merry-christmas-never-left-the-white-house-824078915806).  

Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day.

The beauty of this post is, it’s timeless. By the time you get around to it, most, if not all of you will already have done whatever it is you do to observe and/or celebrate Christmas. But you know what, herein lies an opportunity to take one more moment, a time out if you will, before returning full tilt to your normal schedule.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort through the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. Not the recent election, or the economy (recession or no recession), no wars, and absolutely no (further) references to Presidents, past, present, or future.

No, this is your time to take a break and leave all that behind. Notice, I did not say forget it, and I certainly would never ask that you pretend it doesn’t exist. Just give yourself a break.

In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am reprising an amalgam of previous posts. In fact, not just any posts…posts from several Christmas’ past. This is my fourteenth e-Christmas Concert. Several years ago, I pressed the reset button on the Concert. Instead of simply providing 12 standards, I upped the ante and provided 24, 12 by female artists, and 12 by male artists. This year, Christmas Day was Monday, two days ago. Take your time, but give them a listen, if you like Christmas Music.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled “The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.”  I think Congreve was on to something.  If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards by several of my favorite artists. This year’s version includes a variation of the artistic olio I pulled together for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure several years ago. Below, you will find hot links to YouTube video interpretations and two songs (one male, one female), for each of the 12 Days of Christmas listed and included in today’s Yuletide e-concert.

Female Artists

1. Eartha Kitt is known for having had many talents skills, and abilities, among them acting and singing.  Last year I substituted her most popular Christmas song for “Nothing for Christmas.”  After a 1-year hiatus, I’m bringing back Santa Baby.  As I’ve noted before, the song was born in 1953, and as I will this Sunday, it turned 65 this year.  She slays (or if you’re really in the Christmas spirit — sleighs) it. https://youtu.be/Mk_GmhD053E
2. Dianne Reeves is a Grammy-winning jazz artist who sings in the vein of Dinah Washington and Carmen McRae, a skilled lyricist and scat singer.  She presents “Christmas Time is Here” as if it’s her own. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hInJstw1cGE
3. Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America.  She had a short and tumultuous reign.  But cream rises to the top, and her talent ensured that losing her title was but a mere speed bump in a star-studded road.  Her rendition of “Do You Hear What I Hear” provides a glimpse of her musical flexibility and skill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmvk0NJnzE
4. Lena Horne was a jazz musician whose career spanned over 70 years.  She was also an actress, dancer, and civil rights activist.  She demonstrates her vocal caliber in this version of “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dh8JZp_gnU4
5. Cassandra Wilson was born December 4, 1955.  Her birthdate alone ensured that I included her on this list; ’06!  But that’s not the only reason she made the cut.  Her range includes blues, country, and folk music, as well as jazz.  Moreover, she stuck the proverbial landing in her rendition of “The Little Drummer Boy.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TmAQzS5Zk7o
6. Toni Braxton is a lot of things: a talented songwriter, singer, pianist, record producer, actress, television personality, and philanthropist. She is known to be sexy, sultry, and an unpredictable reality show star.  She’s still best known for her music though, and her version of “Santa Please” will do absolutely nothing to change that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nFWiF_E_VQ
7. The Emotions are one of those classic Old School Girl Groups born in the 70’s.  Influenced greatly by Maurice White of Earth Wind & Fire Fame, they continue to perform today.  One of my favorite tunes by them is their version of “What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas?” https://youtu.be/coO2E2v5RwE
8. Anita Baker released her first solo album in 1983.  In 1986, she released “Rapture”, and it was the dawn of her stardom.  She is known for her trademark “husky” voice, and she is at her Christmas best in this version of “The Christmas Song.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHze40h13mc
9. Diana Ross and the Supremes were the “It” Group of Motown when Motown was the “It’ place of Soul Music.  The Supremes are America’s most successful vocal group with 12 number one singles on the Billboard Hot 100. Here they are with their 1965 rendition of “Silver Bells.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIJROwP4BnM
10. Ella Fitzgerald is jazz royalty.  Frequently referred to as the First Lady of Song, the Queen of Jazz, and Lady Ella, she was widely acclaimed for her purity of tone, impeccable diction, phrasing, and intonation, as well as a horn-like improvisational ability.  Virtually all scat singing is measured against her. Check out her version of “Sleigh Ride. ”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnEbRaFaqfg
11. Whitney Houston had a voice known worldwide.  Her recordings accounted for nearly 200 million records sold.  Hers was a clarion voice of our times.  This version of “Joy To The World,” taken from the movie, “The Preacher’s Wife,” is special, as was she. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYPpyTyPf6I
12. Ledisi (Anibade Young) is an R&B and jazz recording artist.  Her first name means “to bring forth” or “to come here” in Yoruba.  She was aptly named.  Enjoy her rendering of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xMz5oGc8s1Q

Male Artists

1. James Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of “Merry Christmas Baby” is not so up-tempo, but still a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than just flash and dash. https://youtu.be/4VFZGRoZwB0
2. Donny Hathaway was a multifaceted soulful crooner and a product of Howard University who excelled in jazz, blues, soul and gospel music, an Alpha Man.  He suffered from depression and died of suicide January 13, 1979, at 33 years old.  He rendered this marvelous recording of “This Christmas. https://youtu.be/pj1mVUEHeUE
3. The O’Jays were formed in 1965 and have been a staple in Soul and R&B music ever since.  They knock it out of the park with this version of “Christmas Just Ain’t Christmas Anymore.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fc4g1wsIA9g
4. The Temptations were a significant part of what made Motown, Motown, in the 60’s and 70’s.  Their rendition of Silent Night lives on as a classic among classics as far as Christmas music goes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFc7STuQF0U
5. Al Green, soul singer, turned minister, soul singer-minister was at his most popular during the 70’s.  He puts his considerable talents to good use in this version of “I’ll be Home for Christmas.” https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cFyRwlR5YXk
6. El DeBarge was the central figure in the group known as DeBarge, which reached its zenith in the 80’s.  El was one of several members of the group who went on to fashion solo careers.  He nails this version of “Christmas Without You.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_xB6VD7fS8
7. Will Downing has been recording albums since 1988.  I’ve seen him in concerts twice, including a couple of weeks ago, and I own most of his recorded music.  He simply does not disappoint.  This recording of The First Noel is no exception. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWKBIuk-I
8. Joe (Lewis Thomas) released his debut album in 1993.  He has maintained a presence on the music scene ever since. His nuanced presentation of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” is just another fine example of his limitless talent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vbpsVILCvU
9. Jerry Butler, popularly known as the Ice Man, fitting for an Alpha, is a singer, songwriter, and musician (guitar, electric guitar, bass, piano, saxophone, and drums) who was the lead singer for the Impressions before going on to a solo career. He recorded this classic version of O Holy Night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0dR1Dk7Bu0
10. Luther Vandross was a musical icon. Period. End of story.  He is one of my favorite musicians, and his treatment of “My Favorite Things” is certainly among my favorite Christmas songs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6TRlV6MOOU
11. The Whispers hail from LA, and have been around since the 60’s.  They became members of the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2003…for good reason.  They got it like that.  And they prove it with this version of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fbJ95aWUc_A
12. Kem (Owens) is an R&B/Soul singer who has made his uniquely fashioned mark on the music scene since 1999.  He enlists Ledisi (Anibade Young), another single named musical star to create a fabulous rendition of “Be Mine For Christmas.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_8rVJ_ENaY

That’s it, 24 artists and videos and/or songs. Add it all up and you get “Twelve Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2024 Edition!” Enjoy it throughout the Season, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

It’s time to Break It Down!

This has been quite the year for the WNBA, and with it, an equally fantastic voyage for one of its brightest stars, Caitlin Clark. The young rookie broke numerous records as a collegian. But as she neared her inevitable transition to a pro career in the WNBA, several of the league’s veterans, and more than a few former players, admonished her, and warned that moving to the big leagues would prove to be more of a challenge than Clark was prepared to handle. In short, they thought, and some said, she was overrated, and that the big, strong, grown women in the W would gift her with the comeuppance that she so richly deserved.

A week ago, Time Magazine named Clark its Athlete of the Year. Sheila Johnson, billionaire owner of the league’s Washington Mystic took exception, and criticized Time for bestowing the honorific upon Clark. Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) asserted the media could do a better job of promoting all the league’s players, rather than focusing on Clark’s exploits. She inquired why the publication “couldn’t have put the whole WNBA on the cover,” given the talent the league possesses.

Johnson, co-owner of three Washington sports franchises – the NHL’s Capitals, the NBA’s Wizards, and the WNBA’s Mystics, continued, “When you just keep singling out one player, it creates hard feelings.” I will come back to Ms. Johnson’s criticism/query.

So, by now, you already know the CliffsNotes version. After a moderate to slow start, CC found her groove. She went on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. For much of the season, the chase for the ultimate rookie award was a two-player race, between Angel Reese and Clark. The two were collegiate rivals, playing in a couple of the most watched games in the history of Women’s College Basketball. Their teams, Iowa (Clark) and LSU (Reese), battled in the 2023 NCAA Finals, with Reese and LSU winning the Title. In 2024, They met in the Semi-Finals, with Clark and Iowa prevailing. The Lady Hawkeyes went on to lose to South Carolina in the Championship Game.

Fast forward to the WNBA Season. Reese and Clark both broke records on the way to having stellar individual campaigns. Reese broke the all-time WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15-straight (she had 26 total), corralled the most rebounds in an NBA season, and finished with the most rebounds ever. She also finished with the most offensive rebounds ever, and was second all-time among rookies in defensive rebounds. It’s fair to say she is the total package, and the Chicago Sky is over the moon (pun intended) to have her in their organization.

After getting off to an inauspicious 1-8 start, Clark and the Indiana Fever recovered to make the playoffs. In the process, Caitlin proved herself in year one, to be among the most prolific scorers and passers in league history. She averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 90.6 from the free throw line. She led the WNBA in assists, she was 2^nd in free throw percentage, she was 7^th in scoring, 19^thin rebounding, and 21^st in three-point shooting. She averaged 35.4 minutes per game, second in the league, and never missed a game. She has the most assists in a single WNBA game (19), but on the downside, she also had the most turnovers in a season. Fortunately, her history-making 337 assists helped offset her turnovers.

She was the fastest player to get to 350 points and 150 assists, regardless of experience, and she also became the fastest to 100 3-pointers. She was the first player in WNBA history to record 20+ points, 15+ assists, and 5+ rebounds in a single game. She scored the most points by a rookie, she had 14 double-doubles, she set a rookie record with 122 3-pointers (second most in WNBA history). She was the first rookie in league history to record a triple-double (she had 2). Clark was the first person to be named Player of the Month and Rookie of the Month in the same month. She was Rookie of the Month four times. Not surprisingly, in the one month Caitlin didn’t win Rookie of the Month, Angel did. Clark is the Indiana Fever’s all-time leader in 10+ assists games. Clark was the ninth rookie to be names a WNBA All-Star starter. She had 10 assists in the game, which set a record in the All-Star game by a rookie.

Finally, no assessment of Caitlin’s rookie season would be complete without mentioning the Caitlin Clark Effect (CCE) on viewership and attendance. Her televised games averaged 1.178 million viewers, which is nearly three times the audience for all other WNBA games (394K). Actual game attendance for Fever games averaged 16,084. Non-Fever games averaged 8,552, an 88% difference. Some individual teams saw even more dramatic differences. When the Fever visited Atlanta, the Dream drew 17,592 fans. In all other games, they averaged 3,316 fans. In Washington, the Mystics drew 20,522 when they hosted the Fever. In other games, they averaged 4,988. It should also be noted that some teams moved their games to larger arenas to capitalize financially on the CCE. 

Beyond the games, the attendance, the stats, and the records, Clark brought additional intangibles to the table. The WNBA and Caitlin Clark were main topics of discussion, not just afterthoughts, or filler, on ESPN Sports talk shows, along with on talk radio and on social media. That is not to cast shade on current or past WNBA players. There are, and have been, magnificent star caliber players. Fact! 

But seriously, Ms. Johnson’s criticism and question are both patently absurd. The WNBA is 27 years old. As a league is has labored under a host of stigmas, from the whisper campaign that it is comprised of and caters primarily to gay women, to it’s just an under-resourced stepsister to the NBA, to it’s just a write-off for its wealthy owners, and now to, Black women in the W are just peeved because they think Caitlin is stealing their shine…and more. There have always been talented players in the W. Always. But the league has seldom had a player that demanded attention, in a must-see TV kind of way. And to be honest, Caitlin may or may not be that lightening in a bottle long-term. Time will tell.

However, in 2024, she was that woman! They say a rising tide lifts all boats. While I don’t subscribe to that aphorism in all cases, I do believe it has, so far, applied to Caitlin Clark and the WNBA. The entire brand is better, because of Caitlin. Using what justification, never mind metric or analytics, could an entire leagues be “Athlete of the Year?” The unreduced truth is, it will take a lot more than Caitlin Clarks to elevate the WNBA to be on equal footing with the NBA. It will take more stars, more sponsors, higher and more consistent viewership and attendance, and a series of years that build on 2024. Meanwhile, “I’ll Go Ahead and Say It: She Was Wrong!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.comand/or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

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https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/13/sport/sheila-johnson-caitlin-clark-time-magazine-spt-intl/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

I penned and published this post a year ago. I’m reprising it today. It’s not sports, or politics, or current events. It’s just a couple of extraordinary weeks from my ordinary life. Enjoy. Or not. Your call. Peace!   

Occasionally, I stretch my personal boundaries and share a personal experience in my posts. During the last couple of weeks, I published reprised editions of the blog. As a concession to being away on vacation, I opted to do so, instead of delving into process of developing new or current content. But make no mistake, posting on the fly, from thousands of miles, and numerous time zones away was a challenge. Another box checked.

The last couple of weeks presented me with an extraordinary and exhilarating slice of life. My hope is, it unfolded in an unobtrusive, if not totally unnoticeable way. My wife and I undertook a 14-day odyssey that included six airports, eight flights, a 3-day cruise, and more than 10,000 miles, not including nautical miles, or ground transportation. In addition, we spent time in locations seven, and nine time zones away. Not coincidentally, I posted from cities in each of those time zones, Egypt Standard Time two weeks ago, and Gulf Standard Time last week.

For a time, we wondered whether the whole notion of this trip was merely a snake-bit idea. Initial planned and schedule for post-Thanksgiving 2020, Covid intervened, and effectively said, NOPE, not happening. It took three years to reschedule it to post-Thanksgiving 2023. Then Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, and suddenly, the journey that I had looked to with such anticipation and excitement, seemed quite possibly headed for a second cancellation. However, as we continuously monitored State Department advisories, consulted trusted friends and associates who recently traveled to Egypt and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as checked-in with our travel agents. We continued to get affirming intel, and on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, admittedly, with some degree of trepidation, we boarded our first flight, and said, “Let’s do this.”

Needless to say; there were people in our inner circle who were not wild about the idea of our traveling to the Middle East, especially, amid heightened tensions stemming from the conflict between Hamas and Israel. Interestingly, there were also folks who, in one camp, thought Egypt was overrated, and folks in another camp who were unimpressed with the UAE in general, and with Dubai, in particular. Then there was yet another camp which was enraptured by the opulence of the Emirates. Fast forward to the end. Peace in the Middle East, at least in the parts we visited, endured. Both Egypt and Dubai delivered, as advertised. They are two very different places, The Capital of Egypt, Cairo, is part of a sprawling 20 million people metropolitan area, and known for its antiquities, while the UAE was created in 1971, one of, if not the wealthiest nation on earth, and filled with gleaming streets, and soaring skyscrapers. Dubai, the largest city in the Emirates, with a population of 3 million people, and the Capital of Emirate of Dubai, is home to the tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, which stands 2,722 feet tall (over half a mile). Abu Dhabi, the second largest city in the Emirates, and the Capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, is home to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the largest Mosque in the Country, and the third largest Mosque in the world. The building complex covers an area of more than 30 acres, excluding exterior landscaping and parking.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent in the UAE, this is where I fully embrace my bias and admit, the impetus for the trip, for me, was Egypt. As a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity (ΑΦΑ), Inc., which holds as its symbol, the Sphinx, I’ve long wanted to see it in person. My wife is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority (ΔΣΘ), Inc., and the Pyramid is one of the organization’s symbols. For an Alpha-Delta couple, it doesn’t get much better than having an opportunity to visit/see the Sphinx and the Great Pyramid. Except, it did get better. It just so happened that the trip not only covered December 4th, the Fraternity’s 117th Anniversary, but also December 1st, my 50th Alphaversary. Suddenly, that 2020 Covid cancellation is feeling like divine karma. I’ll take it.

Visiting Giza may have been the pièce de resistance of the trip, it was one of many highlights. The Hanging Church in Cairo, the seat of the Coptic Pope, is perhaps the first church built in basilican style. It is called “Hanging,” because its nave is suspended over a passageway. The Aswan High Dam is a prominent historical landmark, and one of the largest embankment dams in the world. It is used as a mechanism to prohibit the Nile from flooding, Then, there is the Nile, the world’s longest river, 4,132 miles (11 countries…Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, South Sudan, Republic of the Sudan, and Egypt). Karnak Temple Complex, located in Luxor, comprises a vast mix of temples, monuments, and chapels. Construction of the complex began during the reign of if Senusret (1971-1926 BCE). BCE means Before the Common Era, or before Christ was born. There were also numerous museums of note, including, the Karnak Open Air Museum, the Mummification Museum, and the Le Scarabe Papyrus Museum. Every stop included shops, and or vendors.

In the UAE, we visited three of the country’s seven Emirates, all eponymous of their Emirate, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah, the largest cities in each of the three largest Emirates. I mentioned the Burj Khalifa earlier. Standing on the 125^th Floor circular observation tower, looking out over, and surveying the sprawling, gleaming city of Dubai was an amazing sight. The 60-second ride from lobby level to the 124^th Floor, as you might imagine, was quite the experience. But nothing compared to cityscape vista available from any point on the 125^th Floor. By the way, to get to the top floor, you must climb the final flight of stairs. I guess the engineers, architects, and designers wanted visitors to do some of the work on their own, of ascending to the summit. The only 7-Star Hotel in the world, Burj Al Arab (Tower of the Arabs), is in Dubai. It is the third tallest hotel in the world, and one of the most iconic structures in Dubai. Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization is a veritable one-stop shop for viewing over 5,000 artifacts from the Islamic world. It was a fascinating venue. Finally, Abu Dhabi, home to Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, President of the UAE. Sheikh Zayed is the third son of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who was the first President of the UAE, which was founded in 1971. The Presidential Palace, Qasr Al Watan, is a working palace, and a cultural landmark. Perhaps the most visited landmark in Abu Dhabi is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The main axis of the building is rotated 12 degrees south of true west, aligning it in the direction of the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

We visited all these sites, and more. Mrs. Miller even rode a Camel while in Giza, and we rode the dunes in the Arabian Desert. Much appreciation to our travel agent, tour guides, and traveling compatriots. Thank God for traveling mercies. “Fourteen Days; What an Adventure (A Second Look)!“

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the links: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.comand/or http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.

Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right-hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box. 

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post: