Do the Right Thing

When it comes to radically reducing gun violence in America, many who could affect positive changes constitute the “dictionary definitions” of obdurate, i.e., hardened, obstinate, stubborn, impertinent, reprobate, callous, unfeeling, insensible, and unyielding people who will not do so until “the chickens come home to roost.”  Having received “filthy lucre” from their respective lobbyists, many members of Congress and State Legislatures are simply intransient when it comes to altering their extreme positive dispositions related to the gun industry.  While surveys indicate that 65% of American citizens support gun legislation, a mere 35% of elected Republicans share their view.  Similarly, many of the latter ignore the documented warnings regarding domestic terrorism.  

The Department of Homeland Security has told us that “White supremacists will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the United States through 2021,” and “…Although foreign terrorist organizations will continue to call for attacks on the US,  …we judge that ideologically-motivated lone offenders and small groups will pose the greatest terrorist threat to the Homeland through 2021, with white supremacist extremists presenting the most lethal threat."  

For those willing to take their heads out of the sand when it comes to America leading the world in gun violence, please note that the Boulder and Atlanta mass killings were indicators of long-standing phenomena, not a “new normal.”  As one source noted,  “Since 2009, there have been 245 mass shootings in the United States, resulting in 1391 people shot and killed and 950 people shot and wounded. (https://everytownresearch.org/maps/mass-shootings-in-america-2009-2019/)  Another report’s headline read “2020 Ends as One of America's Most Violent Years in Decades.”  Therein, it was noted that “Gun violence and gun crime, in particular, had risen drastically, with over 19,000 people killed in shootings and firearm-related incidents in 2020. That’s the highest death toll in over 20 years…”  Nevertheless, following the most recent mass-killings, the same old rhetorical drills occurred, i.e., declarations that feign action but, in the end, are just words dutifully uttered during the current mass-killing news cycle.

Before each mass-killing news cycle ends, CEOs, government officials, and organized groups post public moral statements.   We learn how “saddened” they are, how their “thoughts and prayers” are with the families of the victims.  Unknown numbers of individuals post social media statements such as “Boston Strong,” “United Against Hate,” “Stronger than Hate,” “I am Charlie.”  Currently, some who were formerly posting “Black Lives Matter” are posting more expansive statements such as “I Stand with the AAPI Community,” “Stop the Hate,” and “End Racism Now.”  “Capitalist Pimps” profit from hastily made paraphernalia  displaying such slogans.  A Congressional and/or a few State legislative committees might hold hearings related to guns, but in the end, all too  many citizens will behave as if mass-killings are “things you have to live with” in American society, something like the cliché regarding “death and taxes.”

Sadly, mass-killings are occurring so frequently in 2021 that most Americans don’t know how many have taken place these first few months!  They can’t tell you something as simple as how many people were killed and wounded this year during mass-shootings in [1] Bolivar, Mississippi, [2] Detroit, Michigan,  [3] Little River Park in Miami, Florida, [4] Indianapolis, Indiana, [5] Muskogee, Oklahoma, [6] South Side Chicago, Illinois, [7] Houston, Texas,  or [8] Tampa, Florida.  Instead, people died; flags were flown at half-mast; clusters of citizens publicly protested for a few days; and America’s killing fields seemed to be fertilized by the fresh blood which is likely to flow ever faster until this mass dance with death becomes a matter of the “chickens coming home to roost.”  Note, for example, the media coverage of the Boulder victims and community members.

Perhaps eye witness Ryan Borowski put it poignantly best when he stated, “Boulder feels like a bubble and that bubble burst.”  Let us not forget, however, that this “bubble” was created centuries ago, after “settlers” stole the land from Indigenous People.  A World Population Review article indicated that, for 2021, the Boulder “bubble” has the following homogenous demographics: White: 87.37%; Asian: 5.80%; Two or more races: 3.82%; Other-race: 1.51%; Black or African American: 1.20%; Native American: 0.21%; and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.10%.  

Nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, home to large historically White college populations and a plethora of STEM-based industries, a Pollyanna disposition would have residents enjoying magnificent hiking trails and waxing nostalgic as they listen to John Denver sing “But the Colorado Rocky Mountain high, I’ve seen it raining fire in the sky, the shadow from the starlight is softer than a lullaby…”  Withing the idyllic predominantly-White “Boulder bubble,” one should not have their life change forever after hearing a weapon of mass destruction being used by a terrorist to slaughter innocent people.  

Without formal governmental intervention, more “Boulder bubbles” will burst and many, other than the mass killers, will have the proverbial “blood on their hands.”  It is tragic that mass-killings have been normative or, as one person stated, they existed “yesterday, today, and will continue tomorrow.”   Still worse is knowing these deaths will continue until the “chickens come home to roost” in many other “American bubbles,” e.g., in Marjorie Green’s 14th Congressional District, not Atlanta Georgia; in Cameo Shores, not Watts, California; or in the Pennsylvania Borough of Jefferson Hills, not the Hill District of Pittsburgh.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

March 25, 2021

  “…But there comes a point when
When we exhale, yeah, yeah
…Life never tells us the when's or why's
…But when you've got friends to wish you well
You'll find your point when you will exhale, yeah…”
Songwriter, Kenneth Edmonds

On January 20, 2021, President Joseph Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’s Inauguration Day provided an opportunity to exhale, i.e., a chance to physically and psychologically recuperate from the many consequences of simultaneously enduing the Corona virus pandemic, the racial pandemic, and the toxic world P45 as well as his sycophants created over the past 4 years. Especially contributory to this moment to exhale was the 22-year-old National Youth Poet Laureate, Amanda Gorman.

Ms. Gorman reinvigorated people with, “…Somehow we weathered and witnessed a nation that isn’t broken, but simply unfinished… And, yes, we are far from polished, far from pristine, but that doesn’t mean we are striving to form a union that is perfect. We are striving to forge our union with purpose. To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and conditions of man…” Gorman added, “…We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover… there is always light, if only we’re brave enough to see it. If only we’re brave enough to be it.” In addition to the inspiration from Ms. Gorman, the Inaugural Ceremony provided other opportunities to exhale. 

It was a very soothing moment, a signal that “morning comes,” when Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor administered the oath of office to Vice President Harris while using the same bible as did former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshal. The powerful presence of diverse women was reinforced by the aura of Queen Mother, former First Lady, Michele Obama as she graced the platform. At one point, it seemed as if Queen Mother Obama signaled to Vice President Harris, “You go, Girl!” Further underscoring the presence of women’s power were the opening remarks by Senator Amy Klobuchar and the participation of former First Lady Hillary Clinton as she observed a major crack in the White, male, patriarchal glass ceiling she had hoped to shatter. 

Evidence of the Inaugural Day exhale also came from women members of Black Greek-lettered organizations as they displayed their solidarity by wearing strings of pearls symbolically associated with Vice President Harris’ Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and “chucks,” her comfort shoes of choice. Unfortunately, some folks debunked the “pearls and chucks exhale” moment by declaring that the election of Vice President Harris was a “token” gain in a still rigorously racist, capitalistic, imperialistic country.  Do know, however, the “pearls and chucks exhale” was also a matter of psychologically preparing to “climb the hill” Gorman referenced –the hill built by White, racist, terrorists.

Just as the Great Pyramids were not built in a day, social movements do not realize their end goals in a year, much less a day. Rather, as we experience the ebb and flow of successes and setbacks, our civil rights movement is sustained by celebrating critically-important intermittent victories because the “hills we climb” are steep, treacherous, and occupied by ferocious enemies. Therefore, freedom fighters pause to exhale while knowing that “We as a people will get to the promised land.” 

As we “keep pressing on,” we will need more moments to exhale. Afterwards, we must not permit anyone or anything to turn us around. We must go forward attacking some of the biggest lies ever told, e.g., that [1] the most recent Presidential election was stolen; [2] men are inherently superior to women, that anatomy is destiny; [3] that one religion is “the correct” religion and there is “one correct version” of that religion; [4] the White race is biologically and divinely superior to all other races; and [5] by deeds, America has adequately practiced its creeds. 

“Turn me round, turn me round,
Ain't gonna let nobody, turn me round,
I just keep on a-walkin', keep on a-talkin',
Marching on to freedom land.
…Ain't gonna let no jailhouse, turn me round,
Turn me round, turn me round,
…I can't let segregation, turn me round,
Turn me round, turn me round,
…Ain't gonna let no dogs, Lord, turn me round,
Turn me round, turn me round,
Ain't gonna let no dogs, Lord, turn me round,
I'm gonna keep on a-walkin', keep on a-talkin',
Marching on to freedom land…”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 27, 2021

2020, A PRELUDE TO THE 2021 WHITE SUPREMACIST ATTACK ON CONGRESS

​A quick online search will yield numerous references to 2020 being a “racial awakening” year in America.  As with many words, “awakening” has multiple meanings including, the literal awakening from sleep; developing a renewed interest or attention; and a rude calling of attention to uncomfortable facts. When it comes to racism, 2020 was more of a rude awakening to uncomfortable facts related to the extent of racism, especially as practiced by some police officers.  As is well known, this rude awakening was stimulated by the videotaping and rebroadcasting of George Floyd’s murder by police officer Derek Chauvin who knelt mercilessly on Floyd’s neck.  In short, 2020 was a year of reticent White Americans receiving incontrovertible evidence that racism was rampant in America, that it was indeed systemic, and that it literally had deadly consequences.  However, 2020, was not a year of “racial reckoning.”  

​“Racial reckoning” is not a matter of tokenism, e.g., a formerly overwhelmingly White corporation quickly hiring a Black assistant to a White senior level employee; a university promising a modest enrollment increase of Black students; or a city passing a resolution regarding racism being a public health matter.  If there were “racial reckoning” in America, after centuries of justice delayed/denied, then Black Americans would finally receive their “40 acres and a mule,” i.e., reparations appropriate to 2021 circumstances.  

​If there were “racial reckoning,” for example, the City of Pittsburgh in conjunction with partners from higher education institutions, foundations, the private sector, and families would with all deliberate speed resolve the matters that produce the educational achievement gaps in the Pittsburgh Public Schools.  After years of not having done so, “racial reckoning” would include the University of Pittsburgh, on an ongoing basis, extending multi-million-dollar business contracts to Black owned and operated companies.  “Racial reckoning” would include Pittsburgh being a leading city where all essential workers are compensated appropriately, especially in professions such as early childhood education where Blacks are disproportionately underpaid.  It would entail making Pittsburgh a “most livable city” for all.  Given that these types of things have not happened in Pittsburgh or elsewhere, 2020 was more of an epiphany.  

2020 was a “year of epiphany” that signaled how internal decay was causing the crumbling of racist, patriarchal, homophobic, xenophobic, sexist, and other deleterious walls.  November 3, 2020 was similar to that moment when “Dorothy” realized the “Wizard” was not only a complete fake but also an exploiter of human beings.  Instead of “going home,” American citizens “clicked their heels” and evicted P45 from America’s home.  Their 2020 actions were reinforced on January 5, 2021,when they “showed up and showed out” in Georgia, electing two senators from the Democrat Party.  

2020 was predictive of what took place on January 6, 2021,as the Electoral College vote was being counted.  It forecast the unthinkable, that a sitting American President, with narcissism, ignorance and intolerance dripping down his face and hatred frothing at his mouth, would incite White supremacists to attack members of Congress!  If there ever were such a thing as being totally disengaged from reality, he so demonstrated by once again ranting about a “stolen election,” an election that had in fact been confirmed, reconfirmed, and reconfirmed again by all relevant parties. 

Before the next President could be inaugurated, we witnessed the most infamous moment in American Presidential history.  All doubts were removed regarding how some police treat Black peaceful protesters as compared to how they treat White supremacists engaged in destruction. The criminal assault on Congress was so disgraceful that the leaders of other nations declared that the would be American “emperor” has no clothing.Things sank so low that P45’s most loyal sycophants abandoned him as evidenced by Senator McConnell stating "If this election were overturned by mere allegations from the losing side, our democracy would enter a death spiral. We'd never see the whole nation accept an election again," and Senator Graham exclaiming "…but today…count me out. Enough is enough."  

Aside from insuring that P45 never again holds public office in America and being appropriately prosecuted for all of his criminal conduct, now is the time for an unwavering assault on the beast that remains in America as evidenced, for example, by the more than 100 members of Congress who objected to the Electoral College results, AFTER AN ASSAULT BY WHITE SUPREMACISTS ON CONGRESS A FEW HOURS BEFORE THEY VOTED!  

Let the federal investigation of the resultant 5 deaths and all aspects of the attempted coup proceed as rapidly as possible. Instead of P45’s enablers slapping him on his wrists for a few days, Facebook and other social media should permanently ban him as Twitter did.

If nothing else moves “we the people” to action, then never stop thinking about the possibility that instead of 5 lives being lost during the White supremacist assault on the Capitol, we could have had a mass-murder that claimed the lives of unknown numbers of members of Congress and, still worse, the mob that moved on Congress was incited by P45, his son, his lawyer, and others.  And shamefully, a so-called “breakdown” in security would have been contributory.  

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

January 8, 2021

 OpEd from the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus 

We are at a crossroads as a commonwealth and a nation as we battle the most serious and deadly surge of coronavirus cases to date. Despite a White House that has focused all its attention on making baseless claims to undermine election results, the CDC continues to urge Americans to avoid gathering this holiday season to slow the spread and save lives. It’s a tall order and significant sacrifice for all of us as we grapple with the thought of not seeing friends and family members. It truly didn’t have to be this way if our leaders had worked together from the start. 

We know the pandemic has been grossly mismanaged at the federal level with disastrous effects. Here at home, Republicans who have held the majority in our state legislature for the last decade have spent 10 months trying every trick in their book to undermine our governor, our health professionals and a preponderance of the medical and scientific evidence that has guided Pennsylvania's pandemic response.  

Most recently, many have joined President Trump in his fruitless quest to disenfranchise Pennsylvania voters -- landing themselves, once again, on the wrong side of history. Even in Georgia, where President-elect Biden won by a much slimmer margin than in Pennsylvania, GOP legislators resisted the urge to pander to an inflamed mob and, instead, discharged their constitutional duty responsibly and faithfully. They didn’t take part in the Rudy Giuliani traveling COVID super-spreader circus, and they didn’t attempt to convince their congressional delegation to ignore millions of their state’s voters in an attempt to overturn the election. Alternatively, Pennsylvania Republicans’ reaction to the election and the pandemic have been in lockstep with Trump’s: ignore reality, sow division and discord, and abandon the responsibilities voters entrusted them with. 

Since March, we’ve seen disturbing behavior from Republicans in their districts and in Harrisburg, where they’ve discouraged mask-wearing and intimidated local officials, pressuring them to defy state orders. In Lebanon County, emails revealed by PA Spotlight showed state Rep. Russ Diamond, state Rep. Frank Ryan and state Sen. Dave Arnold encouraging businesses and local officials to “go rogue” against the governor’s stay-at-home order. In Cumberland County, commissioners pushed back against their local Republican lawmakers’ calls to prematurely enter the Green Phase of reopening. There have been calls for the secretary of health to resign and efforts to impeach the governor -- all at the behest of Republicans in Harrisburg who seem to believe they know better than the medical and public health experts. 

As virus numbers climbed exponentially this fall, the legislature had the opportunity to provide $1.3 billion in federal CARES Act money directly to the frontline workers, farmers, childcare providers, veterans, families, local restaurants and other businesses most impacted. Instead, Republican leaders refused to consider any of these proposals, and took the money to help fill budget holes largely of their own creation. 

And, when the governor responded to this latest surge and acted to slow the spread and save lives, Republican’s only input was, “He’s trying to cancel Christmas.” Seriously? Let’s be clear: COVID-19 is a global health crisis that requires a response from leaders across the globe. The governor’s efforts are not a targeted political attack on certain people in this commonwealth: They are an attempt to save lives. 

These are serious times, and we face serious challenges. The election is over, and the pandemic is surging. For the sake of all Americans and all Pennsylvanians, serious leaders need to respond to these challenges honestly and responsibly. As we prepare for the new legislative session, PA House Democrats will once again be proposing fiscal and legislative policies to keep people safe while providing the help they need to support their families, communities, and businesses until this pandemic is over. The people of this commonwealth need our Republican colleagues to find the courage and focus to join us in this effort. 

By Pa. state Rep. Jake Wheatley

This week, I was reminded of some dark realities that have sadly been a constant presence in my life and only moments away.

There have been several shootings around our city in recent days, but the one that took the life of 1-year old Zykier Young just hits me differently. As a human and as a father, I must ask myself if this violence will ever end? 

I have started reading a book by Ta-Nehisi Coates to my 8-year-old son, called Between the World and Me. It gives us an opportunity to bond but to also to talk about what it means to be a Black man and our role in this world. But, the other night, I just couldn’t do it. It’s too painful to look at my son and know that there just doesn’t seem to be any rest or secure place for us in this world. 

When you can’t find safety in the place where you rest your head, and you can’t walk or sit or drive in your neighborhood without fearing death from those who are sworn to protect you and those who you fight to protect, what’s left? Where does the stress and trauma of it all end?

I’m an eternal fighter and believe that I was born to fight for freedom and justice. I believe that we have no choice but to continue pushing ahead, but there are days where it drives me to my sunken place and opens those windows of doubt. We must do better -- for our next generation, for our families, for us.

It’s vital we continue to fight against this violence on all fronts in our cities and towns large and small across our great state. Far too many of us have dealt with the anguish, grief and anger that comes after losing a loved one to senseless gun violence. We all deserve to feel safe in our homes and our communities, and the only way we’re going to accomplish this is by working together to make systemic and effective changes to end this scourge, once and for all. 

Rep. Jake Wheatley is Democratic chairman of the Pa. House Finance Committee and represents the 19th Legislative District.

 Five months after the shooting death of Breonna Taylor, activists and influencers, including 1Hood Media Founder and CEO Jasiri X, continue to call for the arrest of the police officers who pulled the trigger. To increase the visibility of the protests for police prosecution and other issues impacting the community, Until Freedom, an intersectional social justice organization, is hosting BreonnaCon August 22-25 in Louisville. This first-of-its-kind “community convention” will include workshops, food and school supply giveaways, a faith revival and more. Several celebrities, including Real Housewives of Atlanta stars Porsha Williams and Phaedra Parks and Love & Hip Hop New York cast member Yandy Smith-Harris will participate in the 4-day convening. 

"We are honored to participate in the convening for Breonna Taylor this week. Justice delayed us justice denied. #JusticeForBreonna — with Farooq Al Said, Jasiri Oronde and Brittney Chantele at Injustice Square. From 1 Hood Media."

1Hood Media is a collective of socially conscious artists and activists who utilize art as a means of raising awareness about social justice matters affecting people around the world. The mission of 1Hood Media is to build liberated communities through art, education, and social justice .

 For information about 1Hood Media, visit 1hoodmedia.com. 

"According to PUM Contributor Dr. Jack L. Daniel  who is also an Emeritus Vice Provost and Professor, Chancellor Patrick Gallagher's update is one of the strongest, if not the strongest, set of action steps I have seen since campuses across the nation recommitted themselves to the pursuit of equity and social justice."

Dear Members of the University Community:

Racial inequality and injustice run counter to the very mission of a university. Our fundamental objectives—to advance the frontiers of knowledge, to be a source of opportunity through education, and to improve society—are all directly harmed if we allow or sustain inequality or injustice based on an individual’s race or ethnicity.
To truly thrive, a university must be an open, just and supportive community—a space that, by design, fosters the pursuit of learning, teaching and the creation of new knowledge. Yet, at the University of Pittsburgh, racist behaviors, systems and structures remain an all-too-common reality. As a community, we must move beyond the goal of creating a more diverse campus and instead work to create an equitable, welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone.
This work involves looking beyond our campuses. A university is also a vital part of a broader community: our region. As an anchor institution, Pitt offers tangible benefits to the places we call home. Far from being an ivory tower, we are counted on to be an effective partner, economic powerhouse and an advantage for those who live and work near us in western Pennsylvania.
Yet, despite Pitt’s remarkable role in transforming our region, not all of our neighbors have benefited equally from our success. In Pittsburgh, large racial and ethnic disparities persist in terms of family wealth, health and education. These divides are particularly daunting in the city’s historically Black neighborhoods. As an anchor institution, we have a commitment to connecting all of our neighbors—including those within our university’s shadow—to these opportunities.
A university is also a global force, dedicated to advancing and sharing knowledge to make the world a better place. Racial injustice and inequity have no regard for campus boundaries or city lines. These issues are among the greatest challenges facing our society today.
Pitt, like all great universities, tackles great challenges. Transforming our campus systems and structures to fully support the success of Black students, faculty and staff is a start—one that will require years of internal examination, active conversations and conscious change.
Moving forward, we must tirelessly recognize and address racist attitudes, behaviors and policies. We must take a closer look at every area within our university—including how we approach teaching, research, financial decisions, policing, recruiting, hiring and contracting.
We must do better.
In early June 2020, we kicked off this mission-critical work. We’ve filled the last few weeks with listening, advocating and learning. But we’ve also taken real and concrete steps toward building a more inclusive campus environment for everyone—and especially for our Black peers and peers of color.
To share a few examples of actions already underway across the University:
In the Office of the Provost
Developing a one-credit online course on systemic anti-Black racism and anti-racism. First-year students are required to take this course, which will be available to all Pitt students beginning fall 2020.
Hiring Dr. John Wallace as the new vice provost for faculty diversity and development, a role that involves envisioning and overseeing Black faculty diversity and development.
Hiring an assistant director in the Center on Race and Social Problems to help establish the center as an interdisciplinary, University-wide hub for race-related research and faculty support.
Engaging a University-wide tenure and promotion committee in developing expectations and guidelines for counting diversity- and inclusion-related service and community-engaged research for promotion and tenure.In the Division of Student Affairs
Launching an Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Action Plan. This plan initiates an array of changes within the Division of Student Affairs, including:Recruiting and training staff as restorative justice mediators to respond to bias incidents.
Requiring bias incident report training as well as annual anti-racism training for all professional staff and student workers.
Increasing the percentage of Black clinicians working in the University Counseling Center to align with the percentage of Black students on campus.In the Office of Human Resources
Adding an anti-racism training module to the required anti-sexual harassment training for all new employees.
Requiring hiring proposals to plan for diversity outreach to Black candidates in order to ensure adequate diversity in hiring pools.In the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Expanding the Office of Diversity and Inclusion to become the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. This change, spearheaded by the newly appointed Vice Chancellor for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Clyde Pickett, will support expanding programming that specifically aims to implement and advance equity and inclusion strategies.
Committing to publishing statistics on bias incident reports.
Hosting a three-day virtual symposium called “Advancing Social Justice: A Call to Action” that drew at least 12,000 registrants from around the world.In the Office of Public Safety and Emergency Management
Hosting at least three events each semester, in partnership with the Division of Student Affairs, to build relationships with Black students and student representatives.
Publicly posting the office’s policies online.
Creating a checklist of expectations for security guards and Pitt police officers who are paid to support student organization events.In the School of Medicine
Establishing a Dean’s Scholarship that covers four years of tuition costs, as well as living stipends and travel funds, for up to three underrepresented minority students, with guaranteed support for two Black medical students, annually.Across all six Health Sciences Schools
Creating an Office of the Ombudsperson, which will offer confidential and anonymous support to students of these schools.In the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
Increasing the involvement and engagement of Black Pitt students in the recruitment, enrollment and retention of Black high school students.In the Office of the Chancellor
Expanding membership of the Chancellor’s Advisory Committee on Public Safety to bolster representation by Black students.These early and immediate efforts complement many others that are already underway in our schools, departments and programs.
Looking ahead, we will continue engaging students, faculty and staff—as well as many stakeholders in surrounding communities—and grow this list of actions. Our extended University planning process will focus on formalizing these plans, committing the resources necessary and presenting to the Board of Trustees once our plans are complete.
To the students, faculty, staff and scholars, including many members of the Black community, who have helped us pivot toward progress: Thank you. We still have considerable work to do, but your voices, time and efforts have guided our early steps toward becoming a better university.
In the coming week, we will be launching a website devoted to identifying and tracking these objectives. This site will also serve as a channel for members of our community to share ideas and provide feedback on our progress. I encourage you to bookmark it now—and check back in a few days for the full launch.
Respectfully,
Patrick Gallagher

 “I know why the caged bird sings, ah me, When his wing is bruised and his bosom sore, When he beats his bars and he would be free’ It is not a carol of joy or glee, But a prayer that he sends from his heart’s deep core, A plea, that upward to Heaven he flings-I know why the caged bird sings.”

-Paul Laurence Dunbar-

Wearily we watch as “Black babies face double the risk of dying before their first birthday” (see Gaby Galvin, August 1, 2019).  Tragically, Black teens have the highest probability of becoming a homicide victim.  The most gifted Black child’s life can be halted when a wanton bullet finds its deadly mark.  Black men know that jogging while wearing a “hoodie” and a Covid-19 protective mask could contribute to them being murdered.  Like Sandra Bland, days after a traffic stop arrest, a Black woman can be found dead in a cell, or, as with Breonna Taylor, be aroused from sleeping and murdered during a “botched” police raid.

Far too many Black lives are ones in which hopes are routinely dashed; excruciating pain is daily delivered; spirits are constantly broken; and life is like trying to breath inside a stifling vault.  For no other reason than being Black, these harsh things and more are strapped on Blacks’ backs and, in turn, contribute to the rapid rise in mental illness among Blacks (See Cordilia James and Petersen Pedersen in the Wall Street Journal, July, 21, 2020). 

More than a century after Dunbar wrote the above poem, my father-in-law (Nathaniel S. Colley, Sr.) experienced what all highly accomplished Blacks know, i.e., that “doing the right things” does not provide him/them with a pass to escape the deleterious fate of being born Black in America.  He did his undergraduate work at Tuskegee; earned his law degree from Yale; served as an army officer during World War II; was a NAACP Western Region general counsel; and, while assisting President John F. Kennedy, he agreed to take part in an inspection of military troops stationed in Japan.  

While in Japan, a Japanese citizen sought to understand the extent of White American racism by asking, “Mr. Colley, if you go to Mississippi, will they also put dogs on you too?”  My father-in-law said, “Yes, if I go to Mississippi, they’ll put dogs on me too!”  For the rest of his life, Colley Sr. reminded himself and others that neither his Tuskegee and Yale degrees nor his many distinguished trial lawyer accomplishments would prevent “dogs from being put on him too”  ---that Malcolm X spoke truth when he asked and answered, “What do Whites call a Negro with a PhD?  A Nigger!”

Recently, I had a reminder that “dogs could be put on me too.  The rear deck of my home is about 15 feet from the water that feeds into the Chesapeake Bay.  An armed White police officer walked past my home many evenings and spoke to me as I sat on my deck.  His seemingly friendly “hellos” caused me to have a lapse in judgment, but I was reminded of who I was when I went down to the boardwalk to fish.  

As the White officer approached, I said “Hello,” and he said, “Excuse me, do you live here?” I said “Yes” and, pointing to my home, I added, “I speak to you from that deck behind us when you pass by each evening.”  He said, “Oh and, by the way, you have to move your stool off the boardwalk.  There are no chairs allowed on the boardwalk.”  Noticing the gun strapped on the officer’s hip, I knew being a Black man was in play, not “Dr. Jack L. Daniel, the emeritus Vice Provost and Distinguished Service Professor.”  Hence, I said nothing and moved my stool.  

After the officer left, I thought about what could have happened had I gotten angry, jumped up and asked, “How can you ask me if I live here when, after so many evenings, you passed by my home and spoke to me?”  In minutes, the story could have become, “After fearing for his life, officer accidentally shoots angry man who was breaking the law on residential boardwalk,” followed shortly thereafter with “#Jack L. Daniel, say his name.”

If you are Black in America, then you don’t drive your car; walk down the street; barbecue in a public park; enter your own apartment late at night; fall asleep in the reception area of a dorm hall; attempt to cash a check with “Dr.” in front of your name; or engage in any normal activity without the nagging realization that you could become a fatal statistic.  You can’t be stopped at a red light without the possibility of a White male throwing lighter fluid on you and setting you on fire as was done recently to a Black woman in Wisconsin.  Even in death, as was the case for Congressman John Lewis, racist derived inhumanity was put on full display when, in  their “tributes to John Lewis,” Republican Congressman Marco Rubio and Senator Dan Sullivan mistakenly posted pictures of themselves and Elijah Cummings.  

Notwithstanding the woes of being Black in America, we of good faith will continue to do as John Lewis commanded, i.e., “get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and redeem the soul of America.”  We will do so  because we know, as John Legend sang, “One day when the glory comes; It will be ours, it will be ours; One day… When the war is won; When it's all said and done; We'll cry glory, oh glory.”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 28, 2020

  THE “WALLS” CAME TUMBLING DOWN:

Not just statues, flags, names, and other accouterments of systemic racism

The biblical account of the battle at Jericho indicates that people marched around Jericho for six days and, on the seventh day “…As soon as the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted a great shout, and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they captured the city” (Joshua 6:20). Note that the people did not simply enter the city. They also destroyed the city. With this biblical story in mind, one might reflect on the desirable outcomes for the efforts of today’s freedom seeking people who are marching around the “City of Systemic Racism.”

As a result of the many protest marches since George Floyd’s death, we have witnessed things such as the following:

· Princeton University removed the name of former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson from a building on its campus because of his racist beliefs and policies.

· Mississippi lawmakers voted to remove the Confederate battle emblem from its state flag.

· Walmart ended its practice of locking up Black beauty products.

· In a letter to the House Clerk, Speaker Nancy Pelosi requested the "immediate removal" of the portraits of four Speakers who served the Confederacy in various capacities: Robert Hunter of Virginia, Howell Cobb of Georgia, James Orr of South Carolina and Charles Crisp of Georgia.

· NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from all its events.

· PepsiCo decided to change the stereotypical Aunt Jemima name and image. 

· HBO removed “Gone with the Wind” from its offerings.

· Commissioner Roger Goodell said the NFL was wrong for not listening to players' criticisms of racism. 

As necessary  as the foregoing acts of contrition might be, they are not sufficient for destroying the “City of Systemic Racism.” To do so, for example, Princeton University must destroy all old policies and practices that enabled systemic racism and replace them with new policies and practices that enable timely positive outcomes in terms of equity and social justice throughout the University. Again, the NFL must go beyond updating the Rooney Rule and make good on its promise to hire Blacks in senior positions as well as significantly involve Blacks throughout the business that depends so heavily on Blacks. 

Instead of being satisfied with the outcomes of the recent protest moments, we, the people, must march on through November 2020 and attack the “City of Systemic Racism” by taking control of the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the Presidency. Subsequently, the new national leadership must [1] implement science-based strategies and tactics against Covid-19; and [2] legislatively address things such as lynching, affordable health care, police reform, the cost of higher education, pathways to citizenship, and appropriate wages for essential workers.

Destroying the “City of Systemic Racism” means doing what CNBC reported regarding Walmart Chief Executive Doug McMillon’s call to action, i.e. “…the country’s top CEOs will look for ways to address racial inequities that span society, from how the world of finance works to how police treat black Americans. In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” McMillon said the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man pinned down by a Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on his neck, has prompted new urgency to do more than just donate money. McMillon, who is chairman of the Business Roundtable, announced the group of business leaders will form a special committee to advance racial equality and justice solutions. ‘What we see is a moment here, a moment where we can make a bigger difference.’”

If we are to destroy the “City of Systemic Racism,” then higher education leaders must do as Pitt’s Chancellor Patrick Gallagher did when he declared, “…In this moment of raw grief and anger, we must plot a path forward. We must find ways to build bridges, listen and empathize—even when it is uncomfortable. And we must demand better of our leaders, holding them accountable by voting and pushing to reform the laws and institutions of our democracy. Working together, we have enormous power to realize change.

…The University of Pittsburgh is a longstanding leader in our region. Yet, for all of our remarkable accomplishments, African Americans living within the Cathedral of Learning’s shadow are still confronting an alarming opportunity gap. We can expand our efforts to translate our work into practice and spur a local renaissance in our surrounding neighborhoods and communities.

Reshaping our university to be more diverse, inclusive and just—while also expanding our reach and impact in promoting social justice—is a significant effort, and we will need to resource and sustain this transformation over time. Because of this, I am putting our nearly complete strategic planning process—which aims to chart Pitt’s course over the next five years—on hold. This pause will give us time to incorporate specific strategies to strengthen our commitments to racial equity and justice. I will need your help in identifying the most promising initiatives in this final plan, and I hope you will participate.”

In a Joshua like fashion, Chancellor Gallagher has launched a process which, with the assistance of the University community as well as the Pittsburgh community, should result in the building of a new “city” from the one now known as the University of Pittsburgh. Let us not stop “marching” until the “walls” preventing equity and social justice at the University have truly come tumbling down. 

“…One day when the glory comes
It will be ours, it will be ours
Oh one day when the war is won
We will be sure, we will be sure
Oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)

Now the war is not over, victory isn't won
And we'll fight on to the finish, then when it's all done
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)
We'll cry glory, oh glory (Glory, glory)
Oh (Glory, glory)”

-John Legend-

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

July 19, 2020

Tricknology: “The techniques of deception and manipulation employed by a dominant group (especially a White majority) to disempower a weaker one (especially a Black minority)”

The racist tricknology referenced herein is related to how some devious Whites, along with their willing Black workers, flip the “Brer Rabbit” script and the “rabbit” is duped by the “fox.”  These Machiavellian types know very well what constitutes White privilege; that there are health and wealth disparities as a function of systemic racism; and that it is White racism when a Black man is murdered by a White cop who keeps his knee on the neck of the handcuffed Black man for more than 8 minutes!  However, when brutal incidents trigger urban insurrections, then the following scenario plays out.  

• The “fox” immediately cries crocodile tears and, after a hearty cry, the “fox” declares her/his intentions “to do something significant, if not radical,” to address racism.

• The “fox” begs for the “rabbit” to  explain “White racism,” to describe “what it is like to be the recipient of “racism,” to “help me understand so that I can do the right thing(s)”  because “Black lives matter.”

• The “rabbit” throws the “fox” into her/his “home”/comfort zone by spending inordinate amounts of time explaining White racism to the “fox.” 

• The “rabbit” and “fox” “discuss and discuss racism until it becomes disgusting” and the “rabbit” finds her/himself “sick and tired of being sick and tired”  —all while nothing of significance is done to halt the racism pandemic.  

Having deployed the foregoing tricknology, the racism pandemic marches on as evidenced by Ferguson essentially being Ferguson six years later; the NFL being without more Black coaches having been hired years after implementing the Rooney Rule; and White cops keep on killing Blacks as White racism is being explained to Whites who know all too well the nature of racism given that they too are likely practitioners.

As Blacks explain White racism, police misconduct flourishes, e.g., two Buffalo officers knocked a 75-year old man down, causing him a serious injury and no police assisted the man who lay bleeding on the ground.  After the two perpetrators were suspended without pay, 57 members of Buffalo’s police emergency team resigned from the unit.  During this time period, we witnessed six Atlanta officers get charged after they pulled two Black college students out of their car, smashed in their windows, and used a stun gun on them.  And, just as police misused a helicopter to clear D.C. streets for 45 to do a photo opportunity, back in February 2020, police escorted masked White nationalists when they marched in D.C.  

As tired, worn down, duped Blacks explain White racism to the powers that be, Black unemployment remains in a depression-like state. The June 6-7, 2020 Wall Street Journal reported, “…The jobless rate fell to 13.3% from April’s 14.7%, a post-World War II high.”  Note that 13.3% was an “overall” number and that unemployment rates for Hispanics, Blacks, and Whites were  17.6%, 16.8%, and 12.4% respectively.  Thus, Hispanic and Black unemployment remained higher than the nation’s historical high.

Having fallen victim to the tricknology, little if anything takes place regarding the development of Black wealth via home ownership.  For example, Linda Lutton, Andrew Fan, and Alden Loury observed that, in Chicago, “68.1% of dollars loaned for housing purchases went to majority-white neighborhoods, while just 8.1% went to majority-black neighborhoods and 8.7% went to majority-Latino neighborhoods…” (June 3, 2020).

As with no gains for Blacks in home ownership, there are no gains in terms of closing the educational achievement gap.  Instead, the June 6, 2020 New York Times article indicated, “New research suggests that by September, most students will have fallen behind where they would have been if they had stayed in classrooms, with some losing the equivalent of a full school years’ worth of academic gains. Racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps will most likely widen because of disparities in access to computers, home internet connections and direct instruction from teachers…”  

Explaining racism to Whites does very little in terms of reducing the systemic factors that make race a critical factor when deciding whether to put a parent in a nursing home.  We know that “…Covid-19 has been particularly virulent toward African-Americans and Latinos: Nursing homes where those groups make up a significant portion of the residents — no matter their location, no matter their size, no matter their government rating — have been twice as likely to get hit by the coronavirus as those where the population is overwhelmingly white…” (New York Times, May 21, 2020).

Whites have had sufficient opportunities to learn about White racism, having practiced and benefited from it for several centuries.  Therefore, Blacks must  “flip the script” and have White folks explain what specifically they are going to do to end White racism!  Whites should “put some skin in the game” by doing things such as the following: 

• Take any one of the existing police reform plans and implement actions steps that end the murders of Blacks and other forms of police brutality.  

• Never again hire a less-qualified White instead of a higher-qualified Black.

• Stop all “red lining” related to the purchase of homes.

• Use federal, state, and local public dollars to end the systemic causes of Black health, income, wealth, and educational disparities.

• Implement effective gun legislation, including taking weapons of mass destruction off the streets of urban America.

• In 2020, implement a voting tsunami that washes away the “principalities in high places.”  

• At the end of 2020, as a New Year’s gift, explain to Blacks how the foregoing was accomplished.

For any who still insist that they don’t understand White racism, please binge watch the murder of George Floyd or the horrendous circumstances related to the deaths of Michael Brown, Philando Castile, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice, and Breonna Taylor.  Then listen to Billie Holiday sing, 

Southern trees bear a strange fruit

Blood on the leaves and blood at the root

Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze

Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees

Pastoral scene of the gallant South

The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth

Scent of magnolia, sweet and fresh

Then the sudden smell of burning flesh

Here is a fruit for the crows to pluck

For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck

For the sun to rot, for the tree to drop

Here is a strange and bitter crop

Jack L. Daniel

Co-Founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

PITTSBURGH, PA (May 29, 2020)—The following is a message Pittsburgh Bureau of Police Chief Scott Schubert sent bureau-wide at 6 a.m. today. Public Safety is releasing it publicly in response to questions from the public and media about PBP’s response to the tragic and senseless death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Colleagues,

I'm certain many of you have by now viewed the video of George Floyd’s in-custody death in Minneapolis on May 25.

Like you, I was deeply disturbed and saddened by what I saw.

This is not how we are trained to restrain people and it's not what we stand for as police officers.

Regardless of the original crime or what occurred prior to the arrest, a person in handcuffs and face-down on the ground should not lose their life due to the action or in action of the involved officers. It was difficult to watch Mr. Floyd pleading for help and gasping for breath before saying his final words—all while pedestrians frantically pleaded with officers to help him. I simply cannot comprehend the actions of the officers or their lack of moral courage and duty to intervene and stop the action before it was too late. My prayers are with Mr. Floyd and his family during this most difficult time.

As police officers, we have a fundamental duty to care for and safeguard everyone and anyone in our custody. That did not occur with this particular incident. A man was de prived of his life, a family was deprived of their loved one, a community was deprived of their faith in the people who are entrusted to keep them safe and our noble profession was deprived of its legitimacy by the incomprehen sible and senseless actions of a few. There was no consideration for the value of human life and that is inexcusable. These officers don’t represent any of us in law enforcement and must face the consequences for their actions! We are better than this. We must continue to do what's right. 

I'm thankful for the men and women of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police. I know the high level of training each of you have received and I know firsthand the high level of professionalism, bravery, courage and compassion our officers display on a daily basis. We have sworn an oath and I trust that all of us will use our moral courage to intervene when we see something wrong. We owe it to each another, we owe it to our noble profession and we owe it to the community we protect and serve.

I have asked the Academy to review this senseless death and share additional information that can help reinforce our training and policies. Excessive force is unacceptable and will not be tolerated at any level.

Thank you for your commitment to selfless service. Please stay safe and healthy!

Scott

Chief Scott E. Schubert

City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police

THOSE WHO HAVEN’T  FIGURED OUT 

WHETHER TO VOTE FOR TRUMP AIN’T BLACK

It is very problematic for anyone to define the essential factors for being Black.  Over several centuries, Blacks have struggled to specify the collective noun by which they are to be identified and, in turn, articulate the attendant beliefs, behaviors and values associated with names such as “Negro, Colored, Afro-American, African American, and Black.”  Regardless of the appellation used, it has always been a well-known fact that “all skin-folk ain’t kin-folk!” Nevertheless, one “litmus test” to be or not to be Black is offered herein, i.e., [1] the extent to which a racially Black person acts in ways that advance Blacks’ pursuit of freedom, justice and equality and, conversely, [2] the extent to which a racially Black person consciously acts in ways to retard Blacks’ pursuit of freedom, justice and equality.  

With the foregoing in mind, consider a few iconic examples of “skin-folk who ain’t kin-folk” and, therefore, not Black regardless to whether their skin color is “light bright and damn near White,” “teasing tan,” “mellow yellow,” “paper bag brown,” or “indigo black.”    

• The Slave Snitch.  The Slave Snitch caused other slaves to be killed by doing things such as inform the slave master when slaves were planning to run away or warn the master when freedom-loving slaves plotted to  burn crops in the field.  They were brainwashed to believe “servant obey thy master” was applicable to them and their White master.  The Slave Snitch was a traitor to his/her people, a real “Judas” who never got rewarded with pieces of silver but rather with something as simple as a pat on the head and leftover food from the master’s table.

• The Tragic Mulatto.  The Tragic Mulatto was not Black because he/she had a minimal amount of “Black” blood.  The disqualifying factors for the Tragic Mulatto were things such as [1] self-hatred based on their belief that their minimum amount of “Black” blood reduced them to something less than human; and [2] they were in such agony about not being “pure White” that they did things such as attempt to “pass for White;” detest any positive cultural phenomenon ascribed to being Black such as the creation of the spirituals and jazz; and they were as willing as any White racist to take actions that denied freedom, justice and equality for Black people. 

• The Brown-Tongue Sycophant.  This groveling, obsequious, backside-licking person will “kiss up” to and do the bidding for White racists, e.g., oppose economic programs to aid Black businesses even though the same programs are used to aid White businesses; fight against progressive programs that result in justice and equity on college campuses; stymie efforts to provide Blacks with affordable housing; and advance educational policies that are known to sustain achievement gaps.  They take great delight in being “poster children” for movements against affirmative action, voting rights acts, reducing Black maternal mortality, and other forms of social justice.  

• The Demented Sociopath.  We know these demented folks by the death and destruction they cause for other Blacks when they sell guns, dope, drugs, and other poisons in Black oppressed communities.  They shamelessly sell Black bodies for sex as well as write and sing filthy lyrics about Black women.  These are the lacking in consciousness pons who produce the annual records of Black homicides.  Properly miseducated and infused with self-hatred, they help deliver hell on earth for Black people.  

• House Negro.  As Malcolm X described the House Negro, “His master’s pain was his pain. And it hurt him more for his master to be sick than for him to be sick himself. When the master’s house started burning down, that type of Negro would fight harder to put out the fire than the master himself would.”  

As sad/sick as the foregoing “skin-folk who ain’t kin folk” might be, it is very important to remember that, as with the House Negro, they are the minority of Black folk regardless of how conspicuous they might be.  As Malcolm X noted, “…the field Negroes were the masses. They were in the majority. When the master got sick, they prayed that he’d die. If his house caught on fire, they'd pray for a wind to come along and fan the breeze.”  Today, the masses of Blacks know for certain that Trump must go and will vote for him to do so!  Therefore, one is left to wonder how a few outlying “skin-folk” got so confused about whether to vote for Trump.”

It might well be that we are in the presence of the “Jonestown Effect,” a situation in which [1] cult members got drawn into a universe of “alternative facts,” habitual lying (18,000 by Trump since he took office), and, for various reasons, [2] these confused souls “drank the Kool Aid” poured in the form of “What have you got to lose?”  Once they drank from the poisonous cup, 2+2 no longer equaled 4 and racism, however blatantly expressed, was not racism.  Lost and confused, truly bamboozled, the following bizarre thinking occurred.  

• Trump could not have had me in mind when he derided people from “shit hole countries.”  

• It was not racism when, in 1989, Trump paid about $100,000 for ads calling for the execution of the innocent “Central Park Five.”  

• There is nothing racist about Trump’s “birther” attacks on President Barack Obama or Trump’s recent refusal to hold a ceremony for hanging President Obama’s portrait in the White House.  

• When Trump’s spewed racist phlegm regarding Hispanic immigrants being rapists and murders, he was just engaged in “campaign rhetoric” and he most certainly did not believe the same things about African and Caribbean immigrants.

• Trump was simply being objective, not racist, when he claimed there were some “very nice people” among the White Nationalists who ran amuck in Charlottesville.  He was telling the truth when he said he did not know the White supremacist leader David Duke who endorsed him.

• Although he initially called Coronavirus a hoax, delayed action steps, and said nothing the day we reached  100,000 American deaths, including disproportionate numbers of Blacks, Trump cares more about the loss of human life than the economy.    

• Trump is not attempting to stifle the Black vote by attacking the use of absentee ballots.  He is just trying to make America great again by preserving democracy.

• Trump is simply being respectful given that he tweets profusely but said nothing to condemn a policeman who kneeled on a Black man’s neck until he died.

• Trump might be a little homophobic, xenophobic, and misogynistic but he is not racist. 

The miniscule number of “skin-folk” who might be figuring out whether to vote for Trump could resolve their dilemma by recalling that chickens don’t deliberate whether to not only permit the fox to guard but also take up residence in the hen house.  If this common sense does not register, then recall the indecisiveness of those minorities who wondered whether to support Adolf Hitler as he rose to power.  As for one who would use the Black masses to help replace Trump, remember “there’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip” and, therefore, “don’t count your chickens before they hatch!”

Jack L. Daniel

Co-founder, Freed Panther Society

Contributor, Pittsburgh Urban Media

Author, Negotiating a Historically White University While Black

May 29, 2020