By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 29, 2018 Women who are raped and sexually assaulted are victims of crimes and should be treated as such. Women who tolerate the cavalier and chauvinistic attitude most men exhibit toward female rape and sexual assault victims are after-the-fact facilitators of this disgusting behavior in our dominant, male-privilege culture. Women who do not condemn this type of behavior implicitly tolerate it. Based upon the rights and privileges conferred under the amalgamation of federal and state constitutions, statutory laws, common law jurisprudence, and traditional social customs from colonial days to present day, here are the power rankings of different segments within American society: 1. White males -- the U.S. Constitution was written by white males and ratified for the benefit of white males only; 2. Dogs, horses, cows, and other valued animals -- animal rights laws date back to the Massachusetts Body of Liberties (1641) -- the first legal code established by European colonists in New England); 3. Black males; 4. White females; and 5. Black females. Prior to the end of the Civil War in 1865, blacks had no legal rights in America. Then, in 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. In 1868, the 14th Amendment guaranteed to African-Americans the right of due process and equal protection of the law. In 1870, the 15th Amendment gave blacks the right to vote. In 1964, the 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax requirement for blacks voting in federal elections. Of course, it would take a century of social activism before any of these legal rights would be effectively enforced. Like slaves, women had no legal rights in America when the U.S. Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788. Like slaves, women in America were regarded as second-class citizens and the “property” of white men. Prior to October 6, 1871, a husband enjoyed the legal right to: (a) beat his wife with a stick no thicker than his thumb, (b) pull her hair, (c) choke her, (d) spit in her face, (d) kick her about the floor, and (e) inflict upon her like indignities that were sanctioned in the old English common law (which served as the foundation for American laws). In addition to his ability to physically abuse his wife, a husband also acquired the rights to his wife's person, the value of both her paid and unpaid labor, and any property that accompanied their nuptials. From 1736 to 1979, laws in each colony/state gave married men the right to rape their wives with impunity and without legal consequences. In 2016, a Republican presidential candidate, who routinely called women “dogs” and “pigs”, was elected as the 45th President of the United States -- with strong support from women voters. Prior to his election, women across America knew from his own tape-recorded words that President Donald J. Trump grabbed women by the “pussy” and kissed them without their permission. They also knew that Trump gleefully allowed other men (e.g., Howard Stern, etc.) to disrespect his daughter Ivanka by publicly calling her a “voluptuous”, “piece of ass” in his presence. In 2017, America learned that President Trump openly supported former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, a reputed pedophile, in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Moore was accused of molesting several young teenage girls while he was serving as a local prosecutor in Gadsden, Alabama. Thankfully, Alabama voters, who are mostly “Red State” Republicans, drew the line in the sand at pedophilia and defeated Moore. Along with this legal and political history, Americans have also seen so-called “Evangelical Christians” embrace and condone the sexist, chauvinistic, sexually abusive, and regressive political agenda that is on full display in the Republican effort to seat Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Supreme Court, at all cost. Kavanaugh, who is a nothing more than political hack, has privately signaled his willingness to undo Roe v. Wade, the 1973 landmark case that recognized a woman’s right to choose an abortion. Kavanaugh, who is also a husband and father of two daughters, is the Supreme Court nominee Trump chose to take all Americans back to an unsafe time for pregnant women in our country’s history. Sadly, Kavanaugh is willing to betray all women in order to accomplish this outdated, chauvinistic, anti-women, political goal. For this reason, alone, Kavanaugh is unfit to serve on the Supreme Court. One of the senators leading the charge for Brett Kavanaugh’s confirmation is Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who was also a Republican presidential candidate in 2016. When Trump gratuitously attacked Cruz’ wife and her physical appearance during the 2016 presidential election, Cruz did nothing to defend her honor. Since Trump has been president, Cruz has been on his knees performing a political form of “fellatio” on Trump, even when Trump does not ask for it. With the Kavanaugh nomination on the line, Cruz has switched from fellating Trump to French-kissing his political derrière (figuratively speaking). Given the long, well-documented, undisputed, historical mistreatment of women in America, why do so many of them who are loving mothers, daughters, sisters, nieces, and wives continue to facilitate the unabated perpetuation of abusive male privilege when they have the voting power to end it, immediately? PHOTO: The Power and Control Chart depicting how men control women who are friends, family members, co-workers, and sexual assault victims. This chart was prepared and published by the Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness Center at the University of Michigan.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 28, 2018 Eleven male Republicans members on the United States Senate Judiciary Committee voted today to advance the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court by sending it to the full Senate for an approval vote. Kavanaugh is mired in a decades-old sexual assault controversy involving Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor who claims Kavanaugh assaulted her when they were teenagers. Kavanaugh has denied the sexual assault claim. Both parties testified under oath about the incident during Thursday’s Committee hearing. Sen. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., who voted to advance the Kavanaugh’s nomination, has called for a one-week delay in the full Senate vote in order to allow the FBI time to conduct a full background investigation into Dr. Ford’s allegations of sexual misconduct. If Sen. Flake and one or two other Republican senators oppose a Senate floor vote unless and until the FBI gets involved, this move could stall or even doom Kavanaugh's confirmation. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) has gone on record as saying she supports Flake’s call for an investigation. A History of Second-Class Citizenship Based upon the history of how men in power have historically mistreated women in America for hundreds of years, the outcome of the Kavanaugh nomination is difficult to predict. Trump, who calls women “dogs” and “pigs” and who was captured on an audiotape describing how he grabs women by the “pussy”, was elected as President even though he has no respect for women. Now, Trump is leading the fight for Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation. Trump also supported former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, a reputed pedophile, in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Moore was accused of molesting young girls while he was serving as a local prosecutor, but this did not deter Trump from supporting him. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has promised to “plow right through” Ms. Ford’s sexual assault claims in order to get Kavanaugh confirmed. McConnell does not care whether Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Ms. Ford, or whether Kavanaugh has lied about his version of the incident. The Republican Judiciary Committeemembers who voted in favor of Kavanaugh were Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), John Cornyn (Texas), Michael S. Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Mike Crapo (Indiana), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), and John Kennedy (Louisiana). The ten Democrats on the Committee voted against his nomination. Senator Ted Cruz's vote for Kavanaugh is not surprising. After Trump viciously attacked Cruz’ wife and her physical appearance during the 2016 presidential election, Cruz did nothing to defend her honor. Like a typical political coward, Cruz never held Trump accountable for his unnecessary personal attack on Heidi Cruz. The Republican Attitude Toward Women is a Present-Day Vestige of Centuries of Legally Sanctioned Abuse The treatment of women in the United States is best gauged by tracking the status of their rights in the United States Constitution, its 27 Amendments, and centuries of case law. The Constitution was written on September 17, 1787, presented on September 28, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788 by white men for the benefit of white men. Women and slaves in America were regarded as the “property” of white men. Neither group had any rights that were protected in the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution (known as the Bill of Rights) were intended to recognize and protect the individual rights of white men. Women and blacks were excluded from the basic protections afforded in the Bill of Rights. Women in America have been subjugated to second-class citizenship, or worse, for centuries. For example, a married man had the right to beat his wife as long as the stick he used was a “switch about the size of one of his fingers (but not as large as his thumb) and it did not leave permanent injuries on her.” This right was protected in Alabama until October 6, 1871 when the Alabama Supreme Court declared such wife-beating conduct unlawful in the case of Fulgham v. the State of Alabama. Prior to Fulgham, a husband enjoyed the right to: (a) beat his wife with a stick, (b) pull her hair, (c) choke her, (d) spit in her face, (d) kick her about the floor, and (e) inflict upon her like indignities that were sanctioned in the old English common law (which served as the foundation for American laws). In addition to his ability to physically abuse his wife, a husband also acquired the rights to his wife's person, the value of both her paid and unpaid labor, and any property that accompanied their nuptials. Women did not get the right to vote in America until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Furthermore, women only acquired the right to equal pay for performing the same jobs held by men in 1963. Sexual Assaults Were Authorized in Law For centuries, English common law held that it was not legally possible for a man to rape his wife. From 1736 to 1979, this sexist legal principle allowed married men in America to rape their wives with impunity and without legal consequences. The vestiges of this male sexual privilege in American history still linger today. Rape and sexual assault victims are demeaned, trashed, and re-victimized in our society. Many law enforcement agencies routinely disrespect these victims when they are reporting sexual assaults (as was the case involving University of Alabama honors student Megan Rondini in 2015). These victims are often marginalized in the political arena when their sexual assault incidents get in the way of regressive chauvinistic agendas, as was the case with the Kavanaugh-Ford Senate Committee hearing. It is now up to two Republican female Senators – Lisa Murkowski and Susan Collins -- and one Republican male – Jeff Flake -- to prevent a complete failure of justice in the Kavanaugh-Ford sexual assault case. These Senators must demand a full and complete FBI investigation into Dr. Ford’s allegations. The results of this investigation must be provided to all Senators and the public before a vote is taken on Kavanaugh's nomination. Will these three Republican Senators rise to the occasion? The future of sexual assault victims hangs in the balance. So does the status of women in America. PHOTO: Brett Kavanaugh (left) denies decades-old sexual assault allegations made against him by Dr. Christine Ford (Right). Kavanaugh's nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court will soon be decided by the full Senate. Which one of these two people is lying under oath?

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 23, 2018 Next week, eleven male Republicans members of the United States Senate Judiciary Committee will decide the fate of Brett Kavanaugh, an appellate court judge who has been nominated by President Donald J. Trump to the U.S. Supreme Court. The nation has become obsessed with whether these Republican Senators, who control the Committee, will treat Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, a California professor at the center of a decades-old sexual assault accusation against Kavanaugh, with the dignity and respect Dr. Ford deserves when testifying before the Committee about this matter. Based upon the history of how men in power have mistreated women in America for hundreds of years, the answer is clearly and loudly, “No”. Any doubt about this matter must factor in the current political environment in Washington that rewards chauvinistic behavior in a profound way. Trump, who calls women “dogs” and “pigs” and who was captured on an audiotape describing how he grabs women by the “pussy”, was elected as President even though he has no respect for women. Now, Trump is leading the charge for Kavanaugh’s Senate confirmation. Remember, Trump also actively supported former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, a reputed pedophile, in his bid for a U.S. Senate seat last year. Moore was accused of molesting young girls while he was serving as a local prosecutor, but this did not deter Trump from supporting him. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) has promised to “plow right through” Dr. Ford’s sexual assault claims in order to get Kavanaugh confirmed. McConnell does not care if Kavanaugh sexually assaulted Dr. Ford, or whether Kavanaugh has lied about his version of the incident. Republican Judiciary Committee members Chuck Grassley (Iowa), Orrin G. Hatch (Utah), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), John Cornyn (Texas), Michael S. Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Mike Crapo (Indiana), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), and John Kennedy (Louisiana) will supposedly weigh the credibility of Kavanaugh and Ford in a "rigged" hearing that is clearly stacked against Dr. Ford. They will then decide Kavanaugh’s fate. Mitch McConnell’s statement strongly suggests that the Committee's hearing will be a farce and that Kavanaugh’s confirmation is a done deal. Additionally, McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, works as Trump’s Secretary of Transportation. McConnell must deliver the Supreme Court judgeship to Kavanaugh, by any means necessary, in order for Chao to stay in good standing with Trump. Senator Ted Cruz is the last person American women should depend on to champion their right to fair treatment in the era of Donald Trump. When Trump attacked Cruz’ wife and her physical appearance during the 2016 presidential election, Cruz refused to defend her honor. Cruz never made Trump apologize for his unnecessary personal attack on Heidi Cruz. Instead, Ted Cruz folded like a spineless coward and reminded America that “a man who will not fight for his family will not fight for anybody else.” The Republican Attitude Toward Women is a Present-Day Vestige of Centuries of Legally Sanctioned Abuse The treatment of women in the United States is best gauged by tracking the status of their rights in the United States Constitution, its 27 Amendments, and centuries of case law. The Constitution was written on September 17, 1787, presented on September 28, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788 by white men for the benefit of white men. Women and slaves in America were regarded as the “property” of white men. Neither group had any rights that were protected in the Constitution. The first ten amendments to the Constitution (known as the Bill of Rights) were intended to recognize and protect the individual rights of white men. Women and blacks were excluded from the basic protections afforded in the Bill of Rights. It was well recognized that there was a "race exception" to the Constitution. For the first 78 years after it was ratified, the Constitution actually protected slavery and legalized racial subordination. Instead of Constitutional rights, slaves were governed by "slave codes" that controlled every aspect of their lives. They had no access to the rule of law. They could not go to court, make contracts, or own any property. They could be whipped, branded, imprisoned without trial, and hanged. In the 1857 Dred Scott case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that "[Blacks] had no rights which the white man was bound to respect." It took a civil war from April 12, 1861 to May 13, 1865 before additional amendments to the Constitution would give slaves and their descendants the full rights of citizenship -- at least on paper. In 1865, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude. In 1868, the 14th Amendment guaranteed to African-Americans the right of due process and equal protection of the law. In 1870, the 15th Amendment gave blacks the right to vote. It would take a century of social activism before any of these rights would be effectively enforced. In 1964, the 24th Amendment abolished the poll tax requirement for blacks voting in federal elections. Like blacks, women in America were subjugated to second-class citizenship, or worse, for centuries. For example, a married man had the right to beat his wife as long as the stick he used was a “switch about the size of one of his fingers (but not as large as his thumb) and it did not leave permanent injuries on her.” This right was protected in Alabama until October 6, 1871 when the Alabama Supreme Court declared such wife-beating conduct unlawful in the case of Fulgham v. the State of Alabama. Prior to Fulgham, a husband enjoyed the right to: (a) beat his wife with a stick, (b) pull her hair, (c) choke her, (d) spit in her face, (d) kick her about the floor, and (e) inflict upon her like indignities that were sanctioned in the old English common law (which served as the foundation for American laws). In addition to his ability to physically abuse his wife, a husband also acquired the rights to his wife's person, the value of both her paid and unpaid labor, and any property that accompanied their nuptials. Women did not get the right to vote in America until the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Furthermore, women only acquired the right to equal pay for performing the same jobs held by men in 1963. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and Fair Housing Act of 1968, were passed for the benefit of male and female African-Americans. Other women of color benefitted from these Acts of Congress, as well. Sexual Assaults Were Authorized in Law For centuries, English common law held that it was not legally possible for a man to rape his wife. In 1736, Sir Matthew Hale -- the prominent jurist who established the legal principle that it was hard to prove a rape accusation involving a woman whose personal life wasn’t entirely “innocent” (i.e., a woman’s past sexual experiences could be used by the defense in a rape case) -- explained that the state of marriage constituted permanent consent to a man's sexual desires that could not be retracted. From 1736 to 1979, this sexist legal principle allowed married men in America to rape their wives with impunity and without legal consequences. The vestiges of this male sexual privilege in American history still linger today. Rape and sexual assault victims are routinely demeaned, trashed, and re-victimized through mean-spirited attacks on their character. Many law enforcement agencies routinely disrespect these victims when they are reporting sexual assaults (as was the case involving University of Alabama honors student Megan Rondini in 2015). These victims are often marginalized in the political arena when their sexual assault incidents get in the way of regressive chauvinistic agendas, as is the case with the Kavanaugh-Ford Senate Committee hearing. In the end, the men who trample the rights of American women in the blind pursuit of political power and partisan tribalism will stain the lives of their female progeny. Whether they realize it or not, these men will make the women in their bloodline carry a badge of shame for generations. PHOTO: Professor Christine Blasey Ford (left) and Brett Kavanaugh (right) are at the center of a high-stakes sexual assault accusation that has clouded Kavanaugh's Senate confirmation hearing for a seat on the U.S. Supreme Court.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 24, 2018 Dr. Isaac Scott Hathaway (1872–1967) was an American educator and artist who was best known for creating more than 100 busts and masks of prominent African Americans. I met Dr. Hathaway shortly after my father, Dr. Levi Watkins, Sr., became president of Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama in 1962. Dr. Hathaway was the director of ceramics at Alabama State. He also taught art and sculpturing classes at the university. I attended Alabama State’s Laboratory High School on campus. My interest in art brought me into direct contact with Dr. Hathaway on a frequent basis. About a year after Dr. Hathaway retired in 1963, I heard that he designed a coin for the U.S. Mint. I thought this was super cool and tried to research this matter. However, I could not find anything in our textbooks or in the public library downtown that confirmed this fact. I asked my father whether it was true and he told me the full story behind this historical event. In 1945, Dr. Hathaway was selected to design coins honoring two African-Americans, becoming the first African-American to design a coin for the U.S. Mint. The first coin was a half dollar bearing the likeness of Booker T. Washington. It was minted from 1946 to 1951. The second coin was a half dollar bearing the likeness of George Washington Carver. It was minted from 1951 to 1954. My father also told me the U.S. Post Office issued a 10¢ stamp in 1940 in Booker T. Washington’s honor. The stamp was affixed to a “First Day of Issue” envelope, dated April 7, 1940, from “Tuskegee Institute, Alabama.” He also told me the Post Office issued a 3¢ stamp with George Washington Carver’s image on it. The stamp was affixed to a “First Day of Issue” envelope, dated February 12, 1948, from “Booker T. Washington Birthplace, Virginia.” This stamp was issued to celebrate Washington’s journey in life “from slave cabin to Hall of Fame.” I was stunned. It seemed surreal in 1964 to confirm that the image of two distinguished African-Americans was actually printed on two sets of U.S. Postal stamps and engraved on two sets of half dollars in national circulation in the 1940s and 1950s. This remarkable achievement occurred many years before the birth of the civil rights era of the mid-1950s and 1960s. Yet, these historical events were completely omitted from the textbooks authorized by the Alabama State Board of Alabama in the 1960s for use in Alabama’s public schools. After I graduated from law school and passed the Bar exam, I commenced my long search to find and collect these four iconic pieces of American history. It took me nearly 20 years to secure two mint condition, uncirculated Washington-Carver half dollar coins and two Washington-Carver stamps in a pristine condition and affixed to the “First Day of Issue” commemorative envelopes issued by the Post Office. By way of historical perspective, the Postal Service would not honor another African-American until 1979, when it issued a commemorative stamp honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks’ image would not appear on a U.S. Postal Service stamp until 2013. Words cannot describe the sense of pride and exhilaration I felt when I acquired the last of the four pieces of my Booker T. Washington-George Washington Carver coin and stamp collection. I reclaimed an important piece of history that had been suppressed during my childhood. In the process, I secured tangible proof that white Americans of interracial goodwill thought enough of two American-Americans educators in Tuskegee to place their likeness on coins and stamps that circulated in the general population while racial segregation and Jim Crow racism reigned unchecked in the South. Dr. Hathaway made history by designing these two half dollar coins. Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver made history by achieving greatness in higher education research and services at Tuskegee University. The American government honored Washington and Carver by commissioning these commemorative coins and stamps in the 1940s and 1950s. This unprecedented and positive gesture in American history was intentionally omitted from Alabama public school textbooks for decades. Thankfully, we have been able to reclaim and preserve this important chapter in African-American history. For this, I am grateful. PHOTO: Dr. Isaac Scott Hathaway was selected to design half dollar coins honoring two African-Americans, becoming the first African-American to design a coin for the U.S. Mint. PHOTO: Booker T. Washington stamp and commemorative envelope. PHOTO: Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver half dollar coins. PHOTO: George Washington Carver stamp and commemorative envelope.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 20, 2018 My recent article on the history of American Beach prompted me to publicly ask this thought-provoking but controversial question: From an economic, educational, networking, and community development standpoint, are blacks in America worse off today than we were a hundred years ago? The advancements and achievements highlighted in this article were exceptional at the time, given the total absence of black elected officials in the South from the end of the Reconstruction era in 1877 to the beginning of the desegregation era of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. “Black Wall Street” Greenwood is a historic freedom colony in Tulsa, Oklahoma. It had one of the most prominent concentrations of African-American businesses in the United States during the early 1900s and was popularly known as America's "Black Wall Street." In 1921, the Oklahoma state government, with the assistance of Tulsa's white residents, massacred hundreds of black residents and razed this neighborhood within hours. This race riot was one of the most devastating massacres in the history of U.S. race relations, destroying the once thriving Greenwood community. Within five years after the massacre, surviving residents who chose to remain in Tulsa rebuilt much of the business district. They accomplished this despite the opposition of many white Tulsa political and business leaders and punitive rezoning laws enacted to prevent reconstruction. It resumed being a vital black community until racial segregation was outlawed in the 1950s and 1960s. The desegregation of American society allowed blacks in Tulsa to live and shop elsewhere in the city. This, in turn, caused Greenwood to lose much of its economic vitality. Today, there is no “Black Wall Street.” Only 20 or so black-owned businesses are among the 3,671 companies that are publicly traded on Wall Street. Black-Owned Banks Access to capital is an essential building block for economic vitality and sustained community development. More than a century ago, the economic realities imposed by segregation required African-Americans to pool their resources their resources and help each other. Black-owned banks were part of this long tradition. From the end of the Reconstruction era in 1887 to the beginning of the Great Depression in 1929, more than 130 black-owned banks opened for business and provided capital to black entrepreneurs and prospective homeowners at a time when it was too expensive or impossible to get money elsewhere. As a result of these banks, the number of black-owned businesses rose from 4,000 in 1867 to a peak of 50,000 in 1917. Today, there are only 19 black-owned banks in the United States. One of these banks is mine -- Alamerica Bank in Birmingham, which opened in January of 2000. State and federal regulators in the United States have not chartered another black-owned bank since Alamerica was issued its state charter and FDIC insurance in 2000. Alamerica is the only black-owned, full-service bank ever chartered by the State of Alabama. Black America’s Intellectual Mecca From the 1880s through most of the 20th century, Macon County, Alabama was the intellectual "Mecca" for African-Americans. The County is home to famed Tuskegee University, one of the world's top universities in the 20th century. In 1912, Tuskegee's board members included Sears and Roebuck founder and chairman, Julius Rosenwald, and a host of other leading American industrialists. By the 1940s, some of Tuskegee's academic offerings and research programs pre-dated and outpaced those of racially segregated “white” universities in Alabama. For example, Tuskegee offered a baccalaureate degree in nursing in 1948. In contrast, The University of Alabama did not commence a comparable nursing program until 1950. Macon County introduced the world to Booker T. Washington, founder and long-time president of Tuskegee University, and George Washington Carver, one of the most prolific and celebrated inventors of his times. Dr. Carver’s pioneering work with the peanut is legendary and has been chronicled worldwide. Tuskegee University was also home to the historic “Tuskegee Airman”, America’s first black aviators whose heroics during World War II are unparalleled in the annals of military air combat. Additionally, the University's campus was designed by architect Robert Robinson Taylor, the first African-American to graduate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Perceived as a spokesman for black “industrial” education, Booker T. Washington developed a network of wealthy American philanthropists who generously contributed their money, time, and resources to the University. These individuals included Henry Ford, Andrew Carnegie, Collis P. Huntington, John D. Rockefeller, Henry Huttleston Rogers, George Eastman, and Elizabeth Milbank Anderson. The University's strategic relationships with these key supporters propelled Tuskegee to international prominence. The faces of Tuskegee University’s two most distinguished leaders (i.e., Booker T. Washington and George Washington Carver) were printed on two sets of U.S. Postal stamps and engraved on two sets of half dollars in circulation in the 1940s and 1950s. This remarkable achievement occurred years before the birth of the civil rights era in the mid-1950s and 1960s. Macon County was the pride and joy of African-Americans throughout the world. It was a thriving community with a respected black middle class, a university known worldwide for its academic excellence, and a world famous Veterans Administration medical facility. Presidents of the United States regularly visited Macon County and its African-American leaders. Today, Macon County is struggling to stay afloat economically and otherwise. One third of the County’s population lives below the poverty line. The County's public schools are struggling to secure adequate funding and employ highly qualified teachers. Even though it is surrounded by a sea of poverty, Tuskegee University continues to offer 40 bachelor's degree programs, 17 master's degree programs, a 5-year accredited professional degree program in architecture, 4 doctoral degree programs, and the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. The University is home to over 3,100 students from the U.S. and 30 foreign countries. Tuskegee University was ranked among 2018's best 379 colleges and universities by The Princeton Review and 6th among the 2018 U.S. News & World Report best HBCUs. Civil Rights Giants Unlike today’s feeble black political and community leaders, civil rights giants like Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks, Ralph David Abernathy, Johnnie Carr, Fannie Lou Hamer, E.D. Nixon, Fred Shuttlesworth, John Lewis, Wyatt Tee Walker, Constance Baker Motley, and many others of their ilk boldly led a movement for freedom and justice that literally transformed the political, educational, economic, and judicial landscape of America under the most difficult of circumstances. They worked long and hard to implement community-based goals and were unrelenting in their efforts to improve the overall quality of life for African-American communities across the nation. Today’s black elected and appointed political officials are mostly “photo op” figures who do very little, if anything, to adequately represent the interests of their constituents. Quite often, they function as “pack mules” for the special interest groups that fund their political campaigns or sponsor their appointments to public office. For example, an African-American former state representation in Birmingham, Alabama pleaded guilty in September of 2017 to taking bribes from major polluters to persuade his constituents to oppose a federally mandated EPA cleanup of contaminated neighborhoods in his legislative district. He was aided in this cause by the president of the local chapter of the NAACP, who is also black. The “Vision” Thing For most of the 20th century, America’s black community revered its religious leaders, educational figures, businessmen/women, working class, and women who had the vision necessary to shape and elevate the community’s socio-economic status. Today, the African-American community glorifies athletes, entertainers, self-appointed “bishops” of mega churches, and other celebrity figures. The “vision” thing is gone. For the most part, it has been replaced with “buck-dancing”, kowtowing, and self-centered, personalized “hustling.” Our religious leaders are way too busy establishing “personality-based” ministries that emphasis the size of their mega-churches and the opulence of their mansions, luxury cars, and private jets. If the next Martin Luther King, Jr. is among them, we cannot find him/her. Lost in the “Promise Land” In 1968, Dr. King was assassinated leading African-Americans and whites of interracial goodwill to the “Promise Land”. Once we arrived there in the 2000s, African-Americans became lost in irrelevancy. Unless this undesirable socio-economic trend is reversed, irrelevancy will become a permanent state of being for blacks in America. PHOTO: Henry Ford (left) with George Washington Carver (right). These two men enjoyed a close personal friendship and productive working relationship while Carver pioneered in paradigm-shifting, high impact research projects at Tuskegee University during the early 1900s.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 16, 2018 An old friend of mine called me yesterday to express his concerns about the state of politics and race relations in America. My friend is a white, 77-years-old lawyer and politico who lives in Texas. He has worked in state and national politics since his collegiate days nearly six decades ago. His former wife was a cabinet member in President George W. Bush’s administration. He is a fiscal conservative and social moderate. We have known and worked with each other for more than a decade. My friend is concerned that the interracial goodwill and respect for humanity that was established by brave men, women and children during our lifetime is being wiped out in President Donald Trump’s administration. My friend has deep roots within the Republican Party. Yet, he never saw the phoenix-like rise of Donald Trump encroaching upon America’s political horizon. In my friend’s view, Trump epitomizes all that is evil in this country -- greed, selfishness, bigotry, xenophobia, the use of offensive language, the tirade of disparaging judgments against women, Spanish-speaking Americans, and Muslims, and a dangerous propensity for dividing us into mean-spirited political tribes. Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Trump’s ties to Russia and the litany of guilty pleas by the President’s inner circle of friends and advisers have convinced my friend that Donald Trump is the most corrupt U.S. president in modern history. Trump’s White House “swamp” is much worse than any political “swamp” my friend has seen in Democratic or Republican administrations in his lifetime. My friend is well-connected to a host of Republican power-brokers and Trump supporters around the nation. He said Donald Trump has made hatred, bigotry, religious intolerance, and violence against Americans of color fashionable. Trump popped the cork and has unleashed a bottled-up anger in white voters that has lain dormant for years. Since Trump assumed the Presidency in 2017, he has trashed and humiliated: (a) Congressional leaders, (b) fellow Republicans who disagree with his "enrich the rich" policies, (c) former White House staffers, (d) a host of mainstream media organizations, (e) many respected Republican political strategists, and (f) his own personal attorneys, among others. These people/entities, many of whom have known Donald Trump intimately for decades, privately label Trump as an unstable “racist”, “fascist”, “sexist”, and “bigot”. Many of them question Trump's “fitness” to serve as President. One of them wrote an op-ed essay for the New York Times earlier this month that described just how dangerous and incompetent Trump is and how the “adults in the room” are managing his presidency in an effort to protect and preserve our democracy. America’s ultra-conservative corporate leaders and a plethora of fear-mongering politicians and special interest groups helped to create this political “Frankenstein” we call President Donald Trump. Now, even this cadre of individuals appears to be powerless to stop Trump from debasing the American presidency on a daily basis. Somehow, Trump’s acts of subservient behavior with Russian President Vladimir Putin, his contempt for women (whom he calls “dogs” and “pigs”), his disdain for “dumb”, "mentally-retarded”, “marble-mouth” Southerners like U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, his attacks on the Department of Justice, his disrespect for the work of America’s national intelligence agencies, his propensity for incessant lying, and his laziness in office have been normalized into acceptable presidential behavior. Furthermore, there is no elected or appointed official in the national government with the stature, ability, and political strength to challenge Donald Trump’s menacing and reckless behavior as President. While many of these officials hold important sounding titles, they merely enjoy the illusion of power when dealing with Donald Trump. Most of the time these officials are on their knees serving as political “fluffers” for Trump. According to my friend, Trump’s brand of racial politics, which is built on fear and demagoguery, is wreaking havoc on the nation. He believes Trump is shaping an America that resembles Nazi Germany during Adolf Hitler's rise to power. Under Hitler’s reign as “Führer”, Jews, Germans of African descent, Gypsies, and gays were rounded up, persecuted, and eventually slaughtered on a scale that is unimaginable. Most of the so-called "good" Germans looked the other way while more than six million concentration camp victims were exterminated by Hitler's SS troops between 1941 and 1945. My friend says U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Texas (and elsewhere in America) are rounding up and persecuting immigrants of color just like Hitler’s SS troops did with the declared “undesirables” in Nazi Germany. Families are being split up during ICE raids just like they were in Nazi Germany. He pointed out that Trump even tried to get a reputed pedophile from Alabama –Roy Moore – elected to the U.S. Senate. Trump also slammed Attorney General Sessions recently for indicting two Republican Congressmen who were early supporters of the President. In contrast, Trump has publicly and repeatedly demanded criminal investigations that target his political adversaries. My friend firmly believes that, as a nation, we are much better than this. He reminded me that President Lyndon Johnson regularly used the N-word in the White House. Yet, Johnson pushed Congress to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Johnson also declared a "War on Poverty" that drastically improved the plight of tens of millions of poor and elderly Americans. In Trump’s case, his selfish, deplorable, and narcistic actions as President match his openly vulgar words and small-minded views as a man. At the end of the day, Trump has shown America that he only cares about himself. This cannot be the future of politics in America. PHOTO: President Lyndon B. Johnson (left) and President Donald J. Trump (right).

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 11, 2018 Every time I think I have experienced the depth and breadth of talent inside the Watkins family, I am pleasantly surprised to see it taken to a higher level. My grandniece Kaitlyn was recently photographed showcasing her dance talents in NYC. Kaitlyn is my sister Marie’s granddaughter. She is extremely smart, classy, talented in the performing arts, and beautiful, inside and out. Kaitlyn, a high school student, has performed with a number of ballet companies in the LA area. She has also participated in the summer programs at the American Ballet Theatre in NY and the San Francisco Ballet Company. This summer, Kaitlyn participated in a five-week ballet program based at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA. Kaitlyn's mother, Dr. Isla Garraway, is a pioneering cancer researcher. A surgeon-scientist, Isla is the principal investigator of a basic and translational science laboratory at UCLA that is focused on characterizing human prostate stem and tumor-initiating cells, and examining the biological and environmental interactions that influence the growth of cancerous tumors. Isla is a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center and of the Broad Center for Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA. She is an attending urologist in the Greater Los Angeles VA Healthcare System. Isla holds Ph.D. and M.D. degrees from the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine in the same fields. Kaitlyn's aunt, Dr. Doris Garraway, holds a Bachelor's degree in French Language and Literature from the University of California at Berkeley, a Masters degree in French Literature from Duke University, and a Ph.D. degree from Duke University in French Literature. She is the author of The Libertine Colony: Creolization in the Early French Caribbean (Duke UP, 2005; reprint 2008), and editor of Tree of Liberty: Cultural Legacies of the Haitian Revolution in the Atlantic World (University of Virginia Press, 2008). She is presently an Associate Professor of French and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in French at Northwestern University. Kaitlyn's uncle, Dr. Levi “Alec” Garraway, is Vice President of Global Oncology at Eli Lilly and Company. In May of 2015, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute selected Alec as one of the nation’s top biomedical scientists. He graduated from Harvard University with a Ph.D. degree in biomedical research and a M.D. degree in medicine, both of which were conferred simultaneously. Kaitlyn's grandmother, Dr. Annie Marie Garraway, attended Owen Junior College in Memphis, Tennessee for her freshman year. My father, Dr. Levi Watkins, Sr., was the founding president of Owen Junior College, which later merged into LeMoyne College. Marie transferred to Northwestern University, where she graduated with a degree in mathematics. Marie earned a doctorate in mathematics from the University of California at Berkley and had a successful career in telecommunications. She was one of the "human computers" whose pioneering mathematical algorithms and inventions for Bell Laboratories and Lucent Technologies paved the way for the modern era of telecommunications and the electronic transmission of data around the world. May God continue to bless Kaitlyn as she pursues her academic and performing arts goals in life. As the patriarch of the Levi and Lillian Watkins family, I am very proud of Kaitlyn and the way she represents our family. PHOTO: My grandniece Kaitlyn. PHOTO: Kaitlyn dancing in NYC.

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 6, 2018 President Donald Trump has demanded that the New York Times turn over the anonymous senior official in the Trump Administration who wrote an op-ed essay that was critical of Trump. The newspaper published the essay yesterday. Among other things, the op-ed essay stated: “[M]any of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. I would know. I am one of them. To be clear, ours is not the popular 'resistance' of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous. But we believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic. That is why many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses until he is out of office. The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making. . . . From the White House to executive branch departments and agencies, senior officials will privately admit their daily disbelief at the commander in chief’s comments and actions. Most are working to insulate their operations from his whims. . . . In public and in private, President Trump shows a preference for autocrats and dictators, such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, and displays little genuine appreciation for the ties that bind us to allied, like-minded nations. . . . Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over. The bigger concern is not what Mr. Trump has done to the presidency but rather what we as a nation have allowed him to do to us. We have sunk low with him and allowed our discourse to be stripped of civility.” Trump, who called U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions a “traitor” and “retard”, is furious about the op-ed essay. Inside the West Wing, the hunt is on for the author of this essay. The White House has openly labeled the author as a “coward”. Trump has denounced the publication of the op-ed essay an act of "treason." “Insiders” privately admit the White House is in full meltdown mode. Many Administration officials who work directly with Trump believe he is “unfit” for the Presidency. They are afraid to say so publicly out of fear of retribution. They say Trump spends most of his time each day tweeting, watching Fox News, chatting with friends on the phone, and mocking his critics. He has shown no interest in reading presidential briefing on any subject. As usual, Congressional leaders Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan are silent during this latest White House crisis. Both men are regarded as little more than political "fluffers" for Trump. I believe the author of the anonymous op-ed essay is Vice President Mike Pence, who has not commented publicly on this essay. There could not have been any thoughtful discussion amongst cabinet members about invoking the 25th Amendment that did not include Pence, a former congressman from Indiana. This is why "no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over." PHOTO: President Donald Trump in a fit of rage. Is he "fit" for office? A senior Administration official who works directly with Trump says,"no."

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 10, 2018 The “Hunt for Red October” is a suspenseful movie (based upon a Tom Clancy novel) that tracks Soviet submarine captain Marko Ramius (Sean Connery) as he abandons his orders and heads for the east coast of the United States. Equipped with innovative stealth technology, Ramius' submarine, "Red October," is virtually invisible. However, when an American submarine briefly detects the Russians' presence, CIA agent Jack Ryan (Alec Baldwin) sets out to determine Ramius' motives, fearing he may launch an attack on the U.S. Instead of attacking the U.S., Ramius is defecting to the U.S in his submarine. When they realize Ramius' plans, the Russians desperately pursue “Red October” for the purpose of destroying the submarine before Ramius can accomplish his "rogue" mission. On September 5, 2018, the New York Times published an op-ed essay by an anonymous senior official in President Donald Trump’s administration. The essay was highly critical of Trump and his fitness to serve as President. Like the Russians in the movie, Trump became enraged by the tough criticism of someone working within his administration and began his own hunt for “Red October”. Trump immediately called the publication of the essay an act of “treason.” Following his lead, the White House quickly labeled the anonymous essayist a “coward." In a scene reminiscent of authoritarian regimes in North Korea, Iran, China, and Saudi Arabia, Trump demanded that the New York Times “turn over” the essayist to the government. The Times refused to do so. Trump then demanded that U.S. Attorney Jeff Sessions open a Department of Justice (“DOJ”) investigation to find the anonymous essayist. Trump, who routinely refers to Sessions as a “traitor”, a “retard”, and an “idiot”, views him as "weak" and "dumb." There has been no comment from the DOJ on whether an investigation has been opened to find the anonymous author of the essay. Meanwhile, White House officials, cabinet members, and Vice President Pence stampeded to the White House to openly deny authorship of the essay. Their denials ring hollow amidst the following candid statements in the essay: “[W]e believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic. That is why many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump’s more misguided impulses until he is out of office. The root of the problem is the president’s amorality. Anyone who works with him knows he is not moored to any discernible first principles that guide his decision making. . . . Given the instability many witnessed, there were early whispers within the cabinet of invoking the 25th Amendment, which would start a complex process for removing the president. But no one wanted to precipitate a constitutional crisis. So we will do what we can to steer the administration in the right direction until — one way or another — it’s over.” Privately, Washington “insiders” have confirmed that Trump and the White House are in full meltdown mode at this time. Many officials who work directly with Trump truly believe he is “unfit” for the Presidency, but they are afraid to say so publicly. They are concerned that Trump spends most of his time each day tweeting, watching TV, and chatting with “friends” on the phone instead of doing his job. Vice President Mike Pence, who issued a denial that he is the author of the anonymous op-ed essay, has said he will not question members of his staff to determine if one of them is the essayist. Realistically, there could not have been any thoughtful discussion amongst cabinet members and administration officials about invoking the 25th Amendment that did not include Pence, or his trusted surrogate, and Attorney General Jeff Sessions. It is well-known in Washington that Trump has no trust in either man. How will Trump’s hunt for “Red October” end? Just like it did for Richard Nixon. In the end, truth prevailed. In America, no one has ever been able to suppress the truth about our institutions of government forever. Our First Amendment right to freedom of speech sets America apart from the rest of the world in this regard. PHOTO: Trump Administration officials who deny that they authored the anonymous New York Times op-ed essay that was highly critical of President Donald Trump.

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 7, 2018 For a fleeting moment this week, I thought U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions might be part of the well-meaning “resistance” group described in the anonymous New York Times op-ed essay that is keeping Donald Trump from engaging in reckless behavior as America's President. I actually believed this was the reason why Sessions has kowtowed to Trump’s non-stop, embarrassing, abuse and humiliation of him. Trump has labeled Sessions a “traitor”, a “retard”, an “idiot”, and much worse. Trump has repeatedly stated that he can’t stand Sessions’ profound Southern accent. The President also thinks Sessions’ Alabama-based educational background is inferior to Ivy League schools. Finally, Trump views Sessions as "weak" and "dumb". Yesterday, Sessions denied that he is a member of the “resistance” group within the Trump Administration. With his denial, Sessions made it clear that he has willingly subjected himself to Trump’s gratuitous denigration of him as a human being for no good purpose. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., my childhood pastor in Montgomery, Alabama, always told us: "Don't let anybody take your manhood." This is exactly what Trump has done to Sessions. And, for reasons no one understands, Sessions has allowed him to do it. Will Sessions ever regain his "manhood" in Trump's world? I don't think so. What do you think? PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on September 4, 2018; Updated at 5:20 p.m. EST Yesterday, President Donald Trump lashed out at U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions and blamed him for the recent indictments of “two very popular Republican Congressmen”. Trump was referring Representatives Duncan Hunter of Alpine, California, who was charged last month with spending campaign funds on personal expenses and falsifying federal reports on his political finances, and Chris Collins of New York, who two weeks earlier was accused of insider trading and lying to the FBI. Hunter and Collins were the first members of Congress to endorse Trump after he announced his long-shot bid for president in 2015, at a time when few others did. Sessions was the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump’s candidacy. According to Bob Woodward's new book titled, "Fear: Trump in the White House," Trump views Sessions in a very negative light. "This guy is mentally retarded," Trump said of Sessions. "He's this dumb southerner," Trump told former aide Rob Porter, mocking Sessions by feigning a southern accent. Against this backdrop, Trump's criticism of Sessions highlights this simple fact: The U.S. Department of Justice has historically used the prosecutorial powers of the United States government to silence dissent and manipulate the political process. This abuse of prosecutorial power continues to this day. Exposing COINTELPRO and Other Government Lawlessness In 1976, the Select Committee to Study Governmental Operations with Respect to Intelligence Activities of the United States Senate, commonly referred to as the "Church Committee", launched a major investigation of the FBI and COINTELPRO, the Bureau's official, centralized campaign from 1956 to 1971 to smear and harass activists for social justice and equal opportunity in America. Under COINTELPRO, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover ordered FBI agents to "expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize" individuals and organizations targeted by the program. During the COINTELPRO campaign, the FBI and other federal law enforcement agencies routinely lied, cheated, and framed targeted individuals and organizations. The Final Report of the Church Committee confirmed the primary methods used by the FBI to carry out the objectives and abuses of COINTELPRO. They included: a.Infiltration:Agents and informers did not merely spy on political activists. Their main purpose was to discredit, disrupt and negatively redirect action. b.Psychological warfare:The FBI and local police used a myriad "dirty tricks" to undermine progressive movements. They planted false media stories and published bogus leaflets and other publications in the name of targeted groups. They also forged correspondence, sent anonymous letters, and made anonymous telephone calls aimed at disrupting legitimate, peaceful protests. c.Harassment via the legal system:The FBI and local police abused the legal system to harass targets and make them appear to be criminals. Officers of the law gave perjured testimony and presented fabricated evidence as a pretext for false arrests and wrongful imprisonment. They discriminatorily enforced tax laws and other government regulations and used conspicuous surveillance, "investigative" interviews, and grand jury subpoenas in an effort to intimidate activists and silence their supporters. d.Illegal force:The FBI conspired with local police departments to threaten dissidents; to conduct illegal break-ins in order to search dissident homes; and to commit vandalism, assaults, beatings and assassinations. The object was to frighten or eliminate dissidents and disrupt their movements. e.Undermine public opinion:One of the primary ways the FBI targeted organizations was by challenging their reputations in the community and denying them a platform to gain legitimacy. COINTELPRO created and/or controlled negative media for the purpose of undermining civil rights and political organizations. In Alabama, the Birmingham News and Montgomery Advertiser were dedicated and willing participants in these COINTELPRO activities. COINTELPRO was successfully kept secret until 1971 when Director Hoover declared that the centralized COINTELPRO campaign was over, and that all future counterintelligence operations would be handled on a case-by-case basis by local FBI field offices. The FBI and DOJ have publicly admitted that Congress and the American people rightfully criticized COINTELPRO for abridging First Amendment rights and for other reasons. Unofficial COINTELPRO Activities Persist The FBI continued its abusive COINTELPRO practice of interfering with and stifling freedom of speech well after 1971. "The problem persists after Hoover….", stated U.S. Magistrate Joan Lefkow in 1991, "The record before this court shows that despite regulations, orders and consent decrees prohibiting such activities, the FBI had continued to collect information concerning only the exercise of free speech." On February 28, 1988, noted Washington Post journalist Gwen Ifill published an article titled, “Black Officials Probes and Prejudices” that based upon a review of the raw data involving 465 public corruption cases handled by the U.S. Department of Justice over a five-year period. The review showed that black officials were being prosecuted far more heavily than their representation in the population of elected officials. Among 465 public corruption probes reviewed, which were limited to high-ranking politicians above the level of school board, 14 percent were targeted on black officials. Yet, blacks made up only 3 percent of the nation's elected officials at the time. The Justice Department was never able to adequately explain this gross level of disparate treatment. Many attributed it to unofficial COINTELPRO activities that were still at play, particularly in Southern states. The FBI’s targeting and harassment of Birmingham, Alabama’s first black mayor, Dr. Richard Arrington, Jr., was detailed in the Congressional Record-Senate at S2533-2546 (March 9, 1990). Then-Alabama Senator Howell Heflin, who was appalled by this prosecutorial misconduct, placed it in the Congressional Record for historical purposes. Arrington became a COINTELPRO target in 1972 following his election to the Birmingham City Council in 1972. The FBI’s Birmingham field office continued COINTELPRO operations for many decades after the Bureau’s Washington headquarters ended its centralized COINTELPRO activities in 1971. Dr. Arrington was one of 1,897 civil rights activists targeted by the FBI for "neutralization". Despite his mistreatment by rogue federal prosecutors and local FBI agents, Mayor Arrington was never indicted for any criminal offense. In 1992, Department of Justice officials in Washington cleared Mayor Arrington of all allegations of wrongdoing, and issued the first-ever public apology to a sitting public official for smearing his name. Dr. Arrington’s case was the first documented FBI-led attempted coup d'etat of a duly elected mayor on U.S. soil. In 1996, federal prosecutors formally notified Birmingham U.S. District Court Judge U.W. Clemon of their intent to indict him on various fraud-related charges arising from his sister’s operation of a non-profit school in Los Angeles. The local office of the FBI despised Judge Clemon because of his long history as a civil rights activist and his fairness on the federal bench. As was the case with Mayor Richard Arrington, FBI agents constantly looked for ways to "neutralize" Judge Clemon and force him off the judicial bench. The lead political group responsible for Judge Clemon’s judicial appointment to the federal bench in 1980 immediately launched an investigation into allegations of prosecutorial misconduct in Clemon’s case. This investigation produced a comprehensive report to the U.S. Attorney General on the prosecutorial misconduct. Based upon this report, U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno terminated the criminal investigation of Judge Clemon with no charges filed. Judge Clemon went on to become the chief judge of the federal bench in Birmingham for ten years. He served with distinction on the bench until his retirement on January 31, 2009. The DOJ’s Inspector General (“IG”) has found that the FBI improperly opened investigations on American activist groups between 2001 and 2006, even though they were planning nothing more than peaceful protests and civil disobedience. Epilogue The Department of Justice is experiencing a real problem with “rogue” federal prosecutors and law enforcement agents. Their ranks are growing. In Birmingham, for example, a handful of “skinheads” and other far-right extremist groups have invaded the ranks of federal law enforcement officials and are wielding the reigns of national government power to advance their bigoted personal agendas. By now, it is apparent to all Americans that Donald Trump does not have a problem with politically motivated investigations and prosecutions. He just hates it when federal prosecutors target and abuse his political allies, family members, and him. PHOTO: U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is under fire again. This time, President Donald Trump is blasting Sessions for not protecting two indicted Republican Congressmen from criminal prosecutions.

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on August 30, 2018 Just when we thought things could not get uglier between President Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions, we learned yesterday that the trashing of Sessions took a nose-dive to a new low. POLITICO describes the broken political relationship between the two men this way: "Seized by paroxysms of anger, Trump has intermittently pushed to fire his attorney general since March 2017, when Sessions announced his recusal from the Russia investigation. If Sessions’ recusal was his original sin, Trump has come to resent him for other reasons, griping to aides and lawmakers that the attorney general doesn’t have the Ivy League pedigree the president prefers, that he can’t stand his Southern accent and that Sessions isn’t a capable defender of the president on television — in part because he 'talks like he has marbles in his mouth,' the president has told aides." Alabamians have consistently given Trump the highest approval ratings of any state in the nation. Yet, Trump consistently trashes Jeff Sessions, who is Alabama's native son. Now, Trump has let it be known that he cannot stand his loyal supporters with deep Southern accents. Furthermore, those supporters who graduated from the University of Alabama now know that they do not have the Ivy League pedigree Trump prefers to represent his public image. Why do the very Southerners who are despised by Trump and who are regularly trashed by him behind their backs such staunch supporters of his presidency? Why does Trump dislike them so much? Conversely, why do his Southern supporters lick his boots with pleasure? PHOTO: President Donald Trump (left) and Attorney General Jeff Sessions (right).