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Coronavirus in Black and Green

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Published in the St. Louis American March 11, 2020

The situation with COVID-19 is worth watching for several reasons. The coronavirus has infected nearly 110,000 people and killed 3,800 people in 100 countries. Just recently, a case popped up in St. Louis County, so now our region is part of the growing global statistics.

It appears that the outbreak finally got the attention it deserved once the U.S. stock market plunged. When rich folks cough, poor folks have convulsions. When white folks catch a cold, black folks get pneumonia. It is always about race and class. Read more

Free to Kill

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Published in The Capital City Hues on February 24, 2020

“If you don’t like it—move!”

That’s the historic response that those of African descent have heard whenever we confront issues of injustice or inequity by racist systems of oppressions. Surprisingly, it is the most common response hurled at small family farmers and residents who oppose CAFOs.

I learned that as part of a recent post-screening discussion on the documentary “Free to Harm.” The documentary exposes the community and environmental impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). An award-winning documentary husband and wife team, Matt Wechsler and Annie Spiecher, focused on the decades of agricultural deregulation and devastating laws favoring massive livestock production.

By the time the film ended, I chucked my prepared remarks. What I just experienced called for a different kind of response. Even though I’m familiar with CAFOs, I was less familiar with the seemingly futile efforts of communities against these Goliath, bloodsuckers.

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What Price are the Democrats Willing to Pay

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Published in BlackCommentator.com on March 19, 2020

With the coronavirus looming on the nation like a heavy shroud, most folks have probably forgot about the super conniving by the Democrats. For those who say the Dems can’t organize, they organize in their own establishment interests. We saw an almost magical disappearance of candidates dropping out to make way for Joe Biden. A New York Times headline said it best: Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders.

If one is of sound mind, you know there’s nothing radical or revolutionary about the Democratic Party. Calling it a progressive party is being generous.  I know all of this, but I was still hopping mad when I said the invisible hand of the party manipulate the process to ensure a clear path to the White House for Uncle Joe. Tom Steyer, Pete Buttigieg Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Mike Bloomberg—poof. Gone. Read more