Well, it has come to this: recent headlines indicate that the POTUS is twisting into a myriad of knots (re his story about the meetings with the Russians in Trump Tower); tens of books are being written about the takeover of our way of life by the Russians; the nationalist white party has applied for a permit to march in Washington, DC; and, black folk don’t seem to have much choice between supporting the Democrats -who have not always delivered- and the Republicans, who are suspect.

What is a loyal American citizen to do? Make no mistake, blacks and native Americans are the ‘first’ people of this country; there should no longer be any debate that we were here in the ‘new world’ long before Columbus. And even though our short stint under the American economic slave system has long passed, the legacy of its sheer brutality and inhuman practices remains.

In the meantime, we black folk have grown physically stronger; intellectually keener; intuitively sharper; and, persistent about surviving. Now, if we could just organize all that into a system of governance.

Just saying……… This past week, I spent nearly four days in Detroit in the company of nearly three thousand black journalists at the annual convention of their national association. Alas, the city needs so much help, but it is experiencing another ‘renaissance’, what they are saying about the re-gentrification of Detroit’s downtown; going from 95% black to 75% black.

As Detroit goes, so goes the other large urban centers? Using my City planning background, I can predict that it’ll take another five years before economically marginal people will be pushed out of the core of the City. It is a clear and present development. Do black folk have a vested interest in Detroit? If so, better jump on the caboose of that train.

That aside, the gathering of journalists covered every subject matter, addressing issues relevant to race, gender, and sexual orientation, print, digital, and other media.

I was delighted to be part of the Author Showcase where I had the opportunity to listen to an interview of Malcolm Nance, who said of himself, “I am not a journalist, I am a spy.”

His book, The Plot to Destroy Democracy, is an analysis of how Russia’s goals have been developed and executed. His book captures the headlines of today’s stories, but he has been telling this story for years!

I told Malcolm about a recent column of mine in which I questioned whether blacks should remain loyal to the Democratic Party, or perhaps start a new political movement. He quickly objected to that notion, reminding me that the Democratic Party is the only one right now where the numbers are in our favor; that we must keep our hands on its rudder, so to speak.

The mid-term elections are looming, and that is exactly what I plan to do: vote, send money to the ‘best’ Democratic candidates, continue to speak out on issues that matter most to us, never pause in the fight for our rightful place in this society- at its head. We must never be satisfied being left standing behind any one, or accepting any inferior ideas.

And that is what we are working to gain: the continuous elevation of ideas; going high; speaking truth to power; picking the cause to die for; taking knees; raising fists; wearing hoodies; marching; staying woke; saying their names, and never forgetting.

Our ongoing struggle? The race question has never been properly raised in this county; therefore we cannot yet properly and finally answer it.

For me, the issue has always been a question of power and control; who has the power, and how that power is used to control others (fill in the blank).