By: Claire Larson, Guest Contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on November 17, 2019 Saturday’s win came at a great cost. One of the best young men the Crimson Tide has brought into the program suffered a potentially career-ending injury. Hopefully, team orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lyle Cain, is correct and Tua Tagovailoa is able to make a full recovery. He epitomizes what is good about college football. He is a brilliant athlete as well as a wonderful, humble young student. No doubt this injury is both physically and mentally devastating to the young man who, as a child, would sleep with a football under his arm. The injury suffered by Tua was a posterior right hip dislocation. The hip joint is a ball and socket joint. The head of the femur, the upper leg bone, is a ball that fits into a socket of the pelvis. This injury forced the ball of the femur out of the socket and behind the joint. The danger with this type of injury is damage to the blood vessels and nerves in the joint. The longer the hip remains dislocated, the higher the risk of damage. Damaged blood vessels can lead to reduced blood flow to the femoral head which can cause death of the bone (necrosis). Damage to the sciatic nerve can cause debilitating pain. Thankfully, it appears the team doctors immediately reduced the dislocation as soon as Tua was in the locker room which would potentially mitigate these issues. Several reports also indicated Tua suffered a posterior wall fracture. Hopefully, that is not the case as this could complicate recovery and cause long term issues such as osteoarthritis. One has to wonder whether this was preventable. Several questions might come to mind: When you’re up by four touchdowns, is it necessary to practice a 2-minute offense using a quarterback who is playing injured? Does continually running up the score cause fans to leave at half-time – a pet peeve of Coach Saban? (Did President Trump put a jinx on the team? Just kidding…..kind of…😉 ). The injury also has potential NFL draft implications for the young man some projected to go as the top pick. Whether we love or we hate the Crimson Tide, I know every one of us wishes Tua all the best in his recovery process and future career.

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on November 13, 2019 The November 2019 issue of GQ Magazine is interesting. It features a cover story on the New Masculinity, with a photo of music mogul Pharrell Williams on the cover dressed in effeminate attire. On page 16 of the magazine, GQ shows painter Jonathan Lyndon Chase and his husband, Will Chase, in an intimate embrace. This is the new masculinity for black men. Dresses. Makeup. Purses. Effeminate male lovers laying on top of men. The white political organizations, mainstream media, corporate community, and entertainment establishments are reshaping the image of black men from strong masculine figures we adored like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., U.S. Senator Edward Brookes (R-Massachusetts), General Colin Powell, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall to men like Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), rapper Kanye West, as well as effeminate entertainers like Lil Nas X, E.J. Johnson, and Jonathan Lyndon Chase. In the new paradigm, certified Uncle Toms, neutered political figures, and effeminate black men are exalted in the mainstream press and showcased by the entertainment industry as role models for the black community. These black men have joined the ranks of sports figures as the promoted face of non-threatening black men (except for NFL football players like former quarterback Colin Kaepernick). In recent decades, the national political landscape has seen the demise of power players like Mayors Maynard Jackson (Atlanta), Marion Barry (Washington), Coleman Young (Detroit), as well as U.S. Representatives Elijah Cummings (D-Baltimore), John Conyers (D-Detroit), and John Lewis (D-Atlanta). For the most part, these civil rights icons have been replaced by a litany of safe black men such as Mayor Randall Woodfin (Birmingham), State Representative Chris England (newly elected Chairman of the Alabama Democratic Party), and legions of state legislators, city council members, county commissioners, and federal, state, and local black judges who have been molded in the political image of Clarence Thomas. It is generally acknowledged in the black community that Clarence Thomas represents the gold standard for Uncle Tomism in America. One of the few exceptions to this disturbing trend is newly elected Montgomery, Alabama mayor, Steven Reed, who hails from a strong and committed civil rights family in Alabama. Steven Reed, the former Montgomery County Probate Judge, has never been weak or compromised on matters of race or his masculinity. In short, effeminate acting men and gay black men are the new standard bearers of the black community, and Uncle Tomism is on the rise. In contrast, the white political, business, sports, and entertainment establishments are riding the rising tide of hardcore white male privilege that was ushered in with the election of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Trump, Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh are the faces of white male privilege in the modern era. There is nothing effeminate about them. Likewise, there is nothing effeminate about Wall Street. Its worldwide symbol is a statue of a raging bull. The transformation from strong black men to effeminate black men is not the result of accident or a coincidence. Strong black men have always been under seize in America. Now, they are almost extinct. The psychological castration of black men has replaced the centuries of physical castration they suffered. Where will it end?

By: Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on November 10, 2019 Two thousand years ago, a relationship was formed between Jesus of Nazareth and Mary of Magdalene, a vibrant young girl who lived in Magdala, a city of 40,000 residents who were mostly poor and outcast members of society in Judea. In the Greek language of the Gospels, Magdala was called "Magdalene”. Mary's parents were poor. She eventually became a local prostitute who sold her body for sexual pleasures in order to survive. Despite her loss of innocence and sins, Mary always sought a better life than the one she was living. Two years before his crucifixion, Jesus travelled four miles on the dusty road from Capernaum to Magdala as he spread the Gospel. While in Magdala, Jesus was invited to dinner at the home of the local Pharisee, Simon. The purpose of the dinner was to discuss Jesus' teachings about the Kingdom of God, which upset the Pharisees. Simon despised Jesus for his teaching. Upon Jesus' arrival at Simon's house, the Pharisee failed to provide Jesus the customary water to wash the dust from his feet, or a respectful kiss of greeting on the cheek, or an anointment with olive oil. Simon had invited Mary Magdalene (who was by then a prostitute in town) to his home as part of a plot to tempt Jesus and test his faith. Mary silently entered the room holding a jar of expensive alabaster perfume. Even though she was a prostitute, Mary Magdalene had come to believe in the love and acceptance preached by Jesus. Luke 7:37-50. Mary stood behind Jesus weeping, and she began to wash his feet with her tears and wipe them with her hair. She kissed his feet and anointed them with ointment. Jesus pointed out to Simon that Mary had extended to him the customary hospitality for invited guests that Simon had withheld. At that moment, Jesus forgave Mary of her sins and told her, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." Mary departed Simon's home, but not Jesus' life. Even though Mary was not selected by Jesus to serve as one of his disciples at that time, she accompanied Jesus and the twelve disciples as they traveled the land, and she never returned to the life she had once known. Luke 8:1-3. Mary, along with several other women named in the Bible, "ministered unto him of their substance." While women in Jesus' time were considered equal to men, their worldly duties and responsibilities were separate. Jesus, himself, treated women better than they are treated in modern times. For example, Jesus intervened and stopped the stoning death of a woman who was accused of adultery. John 8:3-11. He also told Martha, the sister of Lazarus of Bethany, that her sister Mary made the right choice when Mary decided to sit at Jesus' feet and listened to his teachings, rather than perform the housework needed to serve him during his visit to their home. Luke 10:38-42. For reasons that are not fully explained in the Gospels that were eventually selected by religious men for inclusion in the Bible as we know it today, Jesus exhibited a particular affection for Mary Magdalene after their meeting at Simon's house. She followed Jesus from Galilee and around the towns and villages in Judea. Mary Magdalene "ministered unto him." Matt. 27-55-56. She attended the Last Supper with Jesus and his disciples. The most renowned portrayal of Mary's attendance at the Last Supper is Leonardo da Vinci's famous painting of the Last Supper, which shows Mary seated to the right of Jesus. The painting is depicted in the respected Chronological Guide to the Bible (at page 172), published by Thomas Nelson, Inc., 2010. Only twelve individuals appear with Jesus in Leonardo da Vinci's painting because Judas Iscariot left the dinner immediately after Jesus dipped his bread into the bowl and handed it to Judas, which is how Jesus identified Judas as the person who betrayed him. John 13:18-30. This left Jesus, the eleven other disciples, and Mary Magdalene at the dinner table to continue the supper, as depicted in the da Vinci painting. Mary was also present at Gethsemane as she waited for Jesus to finish praying on the night of his arrest. Even though Jesus knew that his death was imminent, he asked God to spare his crucifixion. God remained silent, and Jesus accepted his Heavenly fate. Matt. 26:36-56; Mark 14:32-52; Luke 22:39-53; and John 18:1-11. Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross, along with Jesus' mother and aunt, during his crucifixion. John 19: 25. The Bible does not explain why she was chosen to attend the crucifixion at this spot, alongside Jesus' mother and her sister. When Jesus saw his mother and the "disciple" standing by her, whom he loved, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold thy son." John 19:26. At that moment, Jesus seemed to elevate Mary Magdalene to "disciple" status, as all of the original twelve disciples had fled the scene, or deserted Jesus, or were otherwise in hiding out of fear for their lives. During the long procession to the crucifixion site at Golgotha, Jesus turned to the crowd that followed him and made this spontaneous proclamation, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children .... Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck." Luke 23: 28-29. Even though Jesus died for the sins of man/womankind, Jesus seemed to prophesy that the Daughters of Jerusalem would suffer infertility for a long time. Was Mary Magdalene included in this group of women? Obviously not, as Mary was hours away from being elevated to "disciple" status at the foot of the cross. From there, Mary would become a powerful witness to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Mary Magdalene was the first and only person to see the resurrected Jesus at the burial tomb. Mark 16:9; John 20:15-17. At the resurrection, Jesus called her, "Woman," as he had done with his mother at the foot of the cross. Jesus said to Mary, "Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father: but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend to my Father, and your Father, and to my God, and your God." John 20:17. It is important to note that Jesus used the term "Brethren" and not "disciples" in his instructions to Mary. For the "disciples" had denied him and deserted him after his arrest. Mary left the tomb and broke the news of Jesus' resurrection to the other disciples. Weeks later, Mary Magdalene, along with Jesus' mother and the other "disciples," watched Jesus ascend into Heaven. Acts 1:14. After the Ascension, Mary Magdalene disappears from recorded Biblical history. Was Mary Magdalene Jesus' wife? Yes. Was she pregnant with Jesus' child when he addressed the Daughters of Jerusalem on the way to his crucifixion? Probably. Is this why Jesus first revealed himself only to Mary Magdalene after he was resurrected? Yes. Did Mary Magdalene flee Jerusalem after Jesus' message to the Daughters of Jerusalem and his ascension to Heaven? Yes.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Republished with additional commentary by Claire Larson on October 20, 2019 Donald Watkins initially wrote about the Boeing 737 Max disaster in the April 16, 2019 article reprinted below. Thankfully, this aircraft model is still grounded. However, additional details that were revealed over the weekend show that Boeing was complicit in an attempt to cover up just how early they knew there was a problem with their blockbuster airplane. Back in 2016, Mark Forkner, the Max's chief technical pilot, in a conversation with colleague, Patrik Gustavsson, admitted there were issues with the jet’s MCAS system and that, "I basically lied to the regulators (unknowingly)." Forkner may have unknowingly lied to the regulators but it appears Boeing actually DID lie to regulators when they initially withheld this information. Boeing’s management sat on this information for four months before turning it over to the FAA. Watkins states, “There was no excuse for Boeing's failure to turn over these text messages. This amounts to obstruction of justice in an agency and Congressional probe. Any ordinary citizen who pulled this stunt would be indicted for obstruction of justice.” There appears to be some extreme irregularities in relation to the government agency’s approval of this aircraft. Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg was removed as chairman of the board last week. The question is how far up the chain of the command does the buck stop? Where was the government oversight? There is No “Fix” for 737 MAX Airplanes By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on April 16, 2019 Despite the Boeing Company’s crisis management spin in the aftermath of a Lion Air 737 MAX airplane crash in Indonesia in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Air 737 MAX crash in March 2019 that killed a total of 346 passengers and crew members, it has become painfully obvious to the flying public that there is no “fix” for this $120 million airplane. An excellent six-minute educational video from Vox.com explains why the 737 MAX has engineering flaws that are far beyond the software “fix” promised by Boeing. No amount of PR spin, political lobbying, or endorsements from the "big dogs" in Washington can transform a flying death trap into an airworthy commercial jetliner. Boeing needs to abandon this dangerous airplane and properly redesign another model from scratch. During the aircraft redesign and manufacturing process, the Washington “Swamp” creatures need to stop "whoring" long enough for the Federal Aviation Administration do its job of properly assessing the flight safety of the new aircraft before it is put into commercial service (and not after one of them has crashed). It would be nice if the members of Congress who led the push to deregulate the FAA’s flight safety protocols would participate as “dummy” passengers in the flight testing phase for the 737 MAX airplanes Boeing is trying to “fix” with a software update before they are returned to public service. Because they participated in creating this flying death trap, these politicians ought to become part of the solution in “fixing” the airplane (if this is even remotely possible). If they truly believe in Boeing and the 737 MAX aircraft, these Washington politicians need to put their lives at risk before subjecting members of the flying public to the perils of the “fixed” 737 MAX. Of course, they will never do this because they have already traded the safety of the flying public for a slap on the back and hefty campaign contributions from PACs controlled by Boeing, its major vendors, and the airlines that by Boeing's products. Meanwhile, the public should avoid flying on the 737 MAX death trap, including the so-called “fixed” ones. Unfortunately, deregulation of the airplane manufacturing industry compromised flight safety instead of strengthening it. Every time this occurs, unsuspecting and innocent passengers and crew members are at risk of dying on a massive scale. To date, it appears that it is cheaper for Boeing to pay PR firms, industry lobbyists, Washington "Swamp" creatures, civil and criminal lawyers, and death-claims relating to crashed 737 MAX airplanes than it is to redesign and properly certify a new aircraft to replace the 737 MAX. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Donald V. Watkins ©Copyrighted and Published on April 16, 2019 Despite the Boeing Company’s crisis management spin in the aftermath of a Lion Air 737 MAX airplane crash in Indonesia in October 2018 and an Ethiopian Air 737 MAX crash in March 2019 that killed a total of 346 passengers and crew members, it has become painfully obvious to the flying public that there is no “fix” for this $120 million airplane. An excellent six-minute educational video from Vox.com explains why the 737 MAX has engineering flaws that are far beyond the software “fix” promised by Boeing. No amount of PR spin, political lobbying, or endorsements from the "big dogs" in Washington can transform a flying death trap into an airworthy commercial jetliner. Boeing needs to abandon this dangerous airplane and properly redesign another model from scratch. During the aircraft redesign and manufacturing process, the Washington “Swamp” creatures need to stop "whoring" long enough for the Federal Aviation Administration do its job of properly assessing the flight safety of the new aircraft before it is put into commercial service (and not after one of them has crashed). It would be nice if the members of Congress who led the push to deregulate the FAA’s flight safety protocols would participate as “dummy” passengers in the flight testing phase for the 737 MAX airplanes Boeing is trying to “fix” with a software update before they are returned to public service. Because they participated in creating this flying death trap, these politicians ought to become part of the solution in “fixing” the airplane (if this is even remotely possible). If they truly believe in Boeing and the 737 MAX aircraft, these Washington politicians need to put their lives at risk before subjecting members of the flying public to the perils of the “fixed” 737 MAX. Of course, they will never do this because they have already traded the safety of the flying public for a slap on the back and hefty campaign contributions from PACs controlled by Boeing, its major vendors, and the airlines that by Boeing's products. Meanwhile, the public should avoid flying on the 737 MAX death trap, including the so-called “fixed” ones. Unfortunately, deregulation of the airplane manufacturing industry compromised flight safety instead of strengthening it. Every time this occurs, unsuspecting and innocent passengers and crew members are at risk of dying on a massive scale. To date, it appears that it is cheaper for Boeing to pay PR firms, industry lobbyists, Washington "Swamp" creatures, civil and criminal lawyers, and death-claims relating to crashed 737 MAX airplanes than it is to redesign and properly certify a new aircraft to replace the 737 MAX. PHOTO: Boeing 737 MAX airplanes on the assembly line at the company's manufacturing factory in Renton, Washington.

By Claire Larson, guest contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on October 18, 2019 The world has lost a true champion for democracy. He was a man who came from humble, religious means who never forgot where he came from. He was born of a laborer father whose parents were sharecroppers and a deeply religious mother who founded the Victory Prayer Chapel in the basement of their home. The church moved several times but the steadfast principle of service to the community was a constant. Of his mother, Cummings said, “Through her example, my mother taught me to lead with integrity and that service to others is the highest calling”. Cummings demonstrated those values the entire time he served in the House. It was clear to anyone listening to him that he was led by his values and beliefs rather than any corporate leash holder. He believed in what he fought for and fought strongly for what he believed in. “The issues he was fighting for were the issues he so strongly believed in. His work was much more than a job. It was very much a part of who he was,” Hilary O. Shelton, the director of the NAACP’s Washington Bureau, said. He was involved in politics for the right reason – to make a difference and to stand up for what is right. He was a champion of the people whose fight for equality began as a young boy. At the tender age of eleven, he was left with a permanent reminder of the constant battle being waged over civil rights. He was part of a group of young black boys who attempted to integrate a public pool. They would soon discover the “public” pool, was not exactly considered public by the group of white people who also used it. They greeted these young boys with shouts of “Go back to where you came from” (a phrase reminiscent of recent words bellowed at four Congresswomen of color) and pelted them with rocks and bottles. One of those bottles hit Cummings in the face and he was left with a permanent scar across his eyebrow. The leader of the integrating group was a lawyer for the NAACP named Juanita Jackson Mitchell who was also hit by a flying object on a different day. It was her steadfast leadership that was instrumental in seeing the pool finally integrated and her example was one of the principal factors in Cummings also becoming a lawyer. After graduating from high school, Cummings attended Howard University majoring in political science where he was elected student body president. He then went on to obtain a law degree from the University of Maryland. He became a practicing attorney and served 14 years in the Maryland House of Delegates prior to being elected to the US House of Representatives, befriending people on both sides of the aisle. In an era where Democrats and Republicans seem to be fighting like cats and dogs, Cummings had the innate ability to build bridges that benefited everyone. “He appreciated the people who put their value and trust in him, and he respected that, and you know as a partisan, as a non-partisan, but more importantly, as an American, and certainly a Marylander, you have to love him for that, and I did,” said former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, also former chair of the Republican National Committee. Cummings took over the House seat from Kweisi Mfume in 1996, who said of Cummings, "Common law and experience teach us that politics change people — but Elijah was a person who changed politics – he put a human face on it — he made it real." During Cummings’s tenure, he served as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus and later the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, taking over that position in January of this year. One of the duties of this committee is to investigate wrongdoing by the executive branch. He so strongly believed in the importance of his mission that he was still working from his hospital bed at Johns Hopkins, including leading a Democratic caucus conference call and issuing subpoenas into the investigation of Donald Trump and his policies just several hours prior to his death. As Chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, he launched investigations into Trump’s deals in Russia, violations of national security information in relation to Mar-A-Lago as well as Lt. General Michael Flynn and violations of the emoluments cause of the Constitution among others. Cummings never backed down from any issue that he believed was worth fighting for. "Cummings incurred President Donald Trump's wrath because he believed in standing up to bullying at the Presidential level. Yet, he never wavered in forcefully representing the needs of his constituents. Cummings was one of the few African American elected officials in America who was not afraid to speak up for blacks in Baltimore and around the nation. He was a 'man's man'. Cummings will be sorely missed in Washington and Baltimore. What's left on Baltimore's local political scene are black officials who are nothing more than non-controversial, castrated political eunuchs," said Donald Watkins, whose late brother Dr. Levi Watkins, Jr. was a longtime political force in Baltimore. Earlier this year, Cummings asked, “When we’re dancing with the angels, the question will be asked, in 2019, what did we do to make sure we kept our democracy intact? Did we stand on the sidelines and say nothing? Did we play games?” Elijah Cummings, you most definitely did everything possible to make sure we kept our democracy intact. For that, we are forever indebted to you. God bless you, Elijah Cummings. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Claire Larson, guest contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on October 13, 2019 This was a historically significant week in Alabama history. For the first time in its 200-year history, Montgomery elected its first African-American mayor. Steven Reed won the election in a runaway landslide garnering 67% of the votes cast. Reed is currently a probate judge in Montgomery County and was also the first African-American elected in Montgomery County to that position. Donald Watkins states, “I have known Steven Reed all of his life. He was groomed for leadership since childhood. It is no surprise that he went from the first African-American probate judge in Montgomery County to the City of Montgomery's first black mayor. Steven is well-respected and well-liked by many political factions around the state. This is a historic moment for Montgomery -- the Cradle of the Confederacy and Heart of Dixie. It is only fitting that the City's first African-American mayor comes from a family that has been dedicated to the advancement of civil and political rights for blacks in the state.” Reed has not limited himself solely to the advancement of African-American citizens in Montgomery County. He has also worked diligently for other groups that have been traditionally disenfranchised in the South. During the 2015 same-sex marriage ban mêlée, Reed proved that he would uphold Constitutional law rather than popular opinion stating, “We’re a nation of laws, not of men, and so we are sworn to uphold an oath in the probate court and that’s what we do, we uphold the oath as it relates to the state constitution and the U.S. constitution. And so we understand that we can’t bring politics and personal feelings into decisions that we make day-to-day.” Reed was the first Alabama probate judge to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples. He follows the law rather than looking for creative ways to skirt it. Reed comes from a very accomplished and respected African-American family. He is smart, strong, unbiased, and forward-thinking receiving a degree in Business Administration, cum laude, from Morehouse College while balancing studies with football and his fraternity, Omega Psi Phi. Reed then pursued his MBA at Vanderbilt. His father, Dr. Joe Reed, was one of the first blacks on the Montgomery city council. Dr. Reed has been a champion for civil rights for more than seven decades. Watkins wrote about the elder Reed and his many contributions to the community in an earlier article: https://www.facebook.com/1297783899/posts/10210791309360975?sfns=mo The younger Reed is no stranger to state politics either, having served as senior aide to Lieutenant Governor, Jim Folsom, Jr. During that time, he worked on several initiatives involving education and economic growth. He has also continued to assist his community serving on the boards of River Region United Way, Britton YMCA and the Metro Board of the Montgomery Area YMCA. He coaches YMCA football on a volunteer basis as well. Prior to getting involved in politics, Reed worked for a management consulting firm and ran his own business. He has the experience to merge business with politics and get Montgomery moving. As Watkins states, “It will be a long time before the state's African-American community will see another black politician with the courage, work ethic, and intestinal fortitude of Steven Reed. There is no one else on the black political scene who is in Steven's league. Montgomery will be well-served under Steven's leadership. Steven will make us proud, again. He is 'unbought' and 'unbossed'. Plus, his personal and professional integrity is beyond reproach. For the first time since Dr. Richard Arrington, Jr., became mayor of Birmingham in 1979, the African-American community in Alabama has a strong mayor who will champion education, economic empowerment, equal justice, and participatory democracy in one of the state's major urban areas." He predicts Steven Reed will emerge as a national leader because of the dearth of strong leaders in the African-American community. In 1619, the first slaves were brought to this country. In 1819, the city of Montgomery was founded. In 2019, the first African-American was elected as mayor. Things are going in the right direction for African-Americans in Montgomery. With Reed at the helm, things should start to move a little faster. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Claire Larson, guest contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on September 30, 2019 Alabama is a state that could stand to improve its national educational rankings. For many years, Alabama has sat in the outhouse of both the K-12 and college standings. Performance tests typically show less than half of elementary students are proficient in math, science and reading. The good news is Nick Saban and the University of Alabama football team are in a position to help. In 1991, a non-profit called TeamMates was started in Lincoln, Nebraska by Tom and Nancy Osborne. It relied on the notoriety and popularity of the football program to get the program off the ground. In Nebraska, football is God, just as it is in Alabama. The first year, the TeamMates Mentoring Program matched 22 University of Nebraska football players with 22 Lincoln, NE junior high school students. The mentors were asked to spend at least one hour a week with their mentees participating in whatever they enjoyed doing. The most important thing was just spending time with the students as a positive influence. Twenty-one of those students graduated from high school and the remaining student left to pursue a successful motocross career. Eighteen of those 22 students went on to college. As the program continued to grow, mentors from the community were encouraged to participate. The requirements were the ability to pass a background check and a commitment to spend at least one hour a week with the mentee at their school. Each year the number of participants in the program increased, to the point where 10,286 students in five states are now being mentored during the 2019-20 school term. In addition, the program is funded through donations and grants rather than government taxes and is not held hostage to the whims of politicians. It goes without saying, the benefits to the student as well as the mentor are immeasurable, but the benefits to society in general are numerous. Studies show that students who participate in a mentoring program are far less likely to abuse drugs/alcohol, commit a crime, become a teenage parent or rely on public assistance to make it through life and are far more likely to graduate from high school and go on to college. Mentees also show an 85% reduction in disciplinary referrals, a 55% increase in academic performance and 75% fewer unexplained absences. Mentoring programs clearly provide the benefit of a more educated populace that is less likely to become a public taxation burden. Please join me in encouraging Coach Saban to adopt a similar program. The Crimson Tide is at the top of the college football rankings this week. Let’s make sure the educational system follows in its footsteps. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Guest Contributor Copyrighted and Published on August 31, 2019 We are in the thick of the 2019 US Open in Flushing, New York, where 15 year-old American tennis prodigy, Cori “Coco” Gauff, has been dominating. Coco was last featured on this blog on July 8th, after she impressed tennis fans all over the world with three wins at her first Grand Slam tournament at Wimbledon. Coco is the youngest player to reach the fourth round of the women’s singles at Wimbledon since 1991, when Jennifer Capriati clenched this title. Coco’s thrilling performance at Wimbledon still elevated her ranking from number 313 to number 140. Since then, the young Coco has gone on to compete and win against her very capable opponents at the 2019 US Open. Coco beat 18 year-old Russian player, Anastasia Potapova, in the first round and went on to defeat Hungary’s Timea Babos in the second round. Coco is now set to play world number 1 and defending US Open champion Naomi Osaka in the Women’s third round tonight, at 7:00pm EST at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. At 5’10” Coco’s physicality allows her to deliver a powerful serve and her backhand is her best shot. She is considered to be one of the quickest and most agile players on the tour. Inspired by Venus and Serena Williams, many are saying Coco could be the next great American tennis star. Like the Williams’ sisters, she possesses both mental durability and physical talent; exactly what it takes to be a champion. Good luck, Coco! The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Claire Larson, guest contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on September 4, 2019 Allene and Albert Stephens are an African-American husband and wife not known to many outside of their hometown of Las Cruces, New Mexico. Allene was a social worker. Albert was a military medic of 21 years turned entrepreneur. Back in the 1950’s they started an enterprise that would greatly benefit the world at large…their family of five daughters and one son. Theirs was a modest household. The best lesson they taught their children, however, was that with hard work they could become whatever they chose to be. There was never a question of whether Mr. and Mrs. Stephens’ children would go to college. They knew education, hard work and perseverance was the key to achievement. Illustrating this, Albert did not retire until the age of 82. Though all of the Stephens children are highly successful, this article will highlight their daughter, Myrtle Potter. Myrtle has never even met the word “lazy”. From the time she was a young girl, she was always willing to put in the time and effort it takes to succeed. Her grades reflected her effort; they were always excellent. Her interests included politics and she took that interest all the way to the Girl’s State governor position of New Mexico. At the age of 16, she decided she was bored, told her parents she wanted to quit high school and wanted to start college. Always one to question the status quo, she also decided the area university was not her cup of tea. She then informed her parents she wanted to attend the University of Chicago and become a lawyer after obtaining an undergraduate degree in Political Science. The Stephens’, also parents to Myrtle’s five other siblings, weren’t quite so sure about this plan to obtain an education at one of the pricier universities in the country. Myrtle decided to create the evidence that would convince her parents that she would not be challenged by the local university. She enrolled in 24 credit hours of junior and senior level courses at the local university in what would have been the beginning of her senior year in high school. Myrtle told them, “If I prove to you that I can do well in all of these courses, you have to help me go to UChicago. “ Her father agreed to this. She made all “A’s” except for one “B”. Living up to their end of the bargain, her parents took out a home equity loan to send her to UChicago but also told her she would have to help contribute. She took a job as a waitress the summer prior to her freshman year. It was during my college years that I met and befriended Myrtle’s sister, Leah. In an environment where many chose to devote substantial time to extracurricular activities and suffer the consequences, like her sister, Leah was also always concerned about her coursework and her career, first and foremost. Her dedication to her goals paid off. She was offered a management position with a Fortune 500 company upon graduation and has continued to climb through the ranks since then. It was through Leah that I met her sister, Myrtle. While attending college, I also spent my summers working, but as a nanny for various families on the East Coast. At the start of that particular summer, Leah let me know her sister had just let her nanny go and was looking for someone to quickly take her place. I jumped at the opportunity and quickly became aware I was in the presence of someone who would go far in life. The life lessons I learned from Myrtle still benefit me to this day. Myrtle enrolled as a political science major but because she needed to work while attending college, she took a job during her sophomore year as a ward secretary at the UChicago medical center. She loved her job and continued into her junior year also working in the medical lab. At that point, she realized law wasn’t the calling she originally thought it might be, but also realized she was in her third year as a political science major at a very expensive school her parents had mortgaged their house to help her attend. She had found her calling but didn’t know how to bridge where she was with where she wanted to be. She began to take the small steps that get you to where you want to be. Going into her senior year she started looking for a position that would take her from school into the workforce. Her first stop was the business college to look for an internship. She wasn’t a business major, but the administration made an exception to allow her to intern with IBM in sales. It wasn’t her first choice as she hated computers but what she got out of it was knowledge of business that she took to the next opportunity. It then dawned on her that she could take her love of medicine and marry it with business and turn that into something she loved to engage in every day. She called headhunters and told them she wanted to work in healthcare. Her perseverance paid off and she got a job with Proctor and Gamble in their new patient care division…Selling adult disposable diapers! In all seriousness, she found it to be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable jobs she ever had. It allowed her to give the customer dignity in healthcare….a theme that has followed Myrtle throughout her career. She was with P&G for several years and quickly got promoted prior to marrying her college boyfriend, James (who ironically graduated from Harvard in the field she had originally intended to pursue – law). They moved to the East Coast and Myrtle took a job as a sales rep with Merck. She was there for 14 years taking Pepcid from a prescription drug to an over-the-counter medication, as well as leading the marketing of Prilosec, making it the biggest selling drug in the world. She was one of the lead architects of the Astra/Merck joint venture (now AstraZeneca). The key to Myrtle’s success was that as opportunities became available, she never turned one down to learn something new about something she didn’t know. In fact, it seems the only opportunity she turned down was the chance to run a company at 28 years old. She was intelligent enough to realize that at the time she didn’t have the breadth of knowledge needed to do the type of job she expects of herself. After gaining a substantial amount of experience at Merck, she was convinced to take a VP position at Bristol-Myers Squibb. She was quickly promoted to President of the Cardiovascular/Metabolics division, making her the first black woman to lead a major pharmaceuticals business unit. During her tenure, she was in charge of pricing strategy for all of the human health business and redesigned how BMS accomplished clinical development and commercialization. This changed how drugs were developed. Another four years passed when Genentech called to offer her a one million dollar signing bonus and the positions of executive vice president of commercial operations, chief operating officer, and member of the executive committee. They had 13 drugs in the pipeline and needed the expertise she had gained via her willingness to take on any position that allowed her to add to her knowledge base. She was sought out because of her knowledge of how to commercialize drugs in a very efficient manner. She did exactly that with the cancer drug, Avastin and Xolair, an asthma drug. In 2005, everything was going well for Myrtle career-wise. In her private life, Myrtle had honed the hobby of riding/jumping horses. That particular weekend she was riding in a competition. She was coming to the last jump and hit it at the wrong distance. She was thrown from the horse and came down on her shoulder. During her recovery she was given a medication to prevent scar tissue. She began losing hair, losing 30 lbs., skin peeling…. Then her lungs, liver and kidneys failed. She was told to put her affairs in order and let them know who should tell her children she had passed away. Thankfully, a doctor was found that correctly diagnosed what was happening…a reaction to her medication. The industry that she had given so much to, almost took her life. Once these issues were diagnosed and treated as a reaction, it took a year to recover. She couldn’t drive during that time because she couldn’t see well enough to do so; she couldn’t even write a check because she couldn’t figure out how to do it. Once she recovered she had a choice to make: go back into corporate life or do something different. She chose to become an entrepreneur and started a company that gave advice to many pharmaceutical companies as well as the consumer on how to better navigate the medical system. (During her illness, it had become clear how difficult it can be for patients to get the care they need.) She’s done that for almost 15 years now but is now dipping her feet back into the corporate waters as the Vant Operating Chair for Roivant Pharma. Myrtle’s rise from her humble beginnings as young black girl in a New Mexico school system ranked in the bottom quintile in the US to a much sought-after corporate executive of several of this nation’s largest corporations, illustrates how young girls in this country can aspire to become anything they wish through hard work, dedication to education, perseverance and the right type of support system. As parents we need to instill in our children this message: You need to be willing to work hard in school, learn everything you can about anything you can and apply all of that knowledge in the field you choose. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the website owner. Assumptions made in the analysis are not reflective of the position of any entity other than the author – and, since we are critically-thinking human beings, these views are always subject to change, revision, and rethinking at any time.

By Claire Larson, guest contributor ©Copyrighted and Published on September 22, 2019 Last night, the world in general and women who have been the victim of sexual assault, in particular, lost a huge advocate in the fight to be treated with dignity. Cynthia Rondini was taken from us far too soon by pancreatic cancer. In August of 2017, Donald Watkins wrote the following to Cynthia Rondini: “Dear Cindy, This is the most difficult letter I have ever written. I was saddened to learn yesterday that you are battling Stage IV pancreatic cancer. Your husband Mike broke the news to me. As I understand it, you learned of your diagnosis six weeks after Megan’s February 26, 2016, suicide. My niece and nephew are world-renowned doctors/pioneers in cancer research. Based upon their body of work in this area, I know the road ahead will be a long and difficult one for you and your family. You have been pursuing criminal justice in Megan’s case from the moment you learned that she was drugged and raped by Terry Jackson “Sweet T” Bunn, Jr. You have been unrelenting in this battle. So was Megan, even when she was alone and in her darkest hour as a rape victim. Cindy, you do not have to carry on Megan’s fight for justice anymore. There is an army of warriors fighting for Megan now. I am asking you to leave the battlefield. Focus on preparing your daughter Samantha for her senior year in high school, her college years, and womanhood. Love Samantha as only a mother can do. Hold her closely as often as you can. Let Samantha know that Megan has been an exceptional role model and inspiration for all of us. Megan’s life was cut short by the collective failures of the individuals who helped Sweet T escape prosecution for her rape. Yet, Megan’s legacy as a champion for justice is alive in the army of committed warriors she has left behind.” Finally, I do not know if we will ever meet in person. You are in God’s hands now. He is a magnificent God. He has brought us together for a purpose, and I fully understand my purpose in your family's life. As you rest now, please know that I will fight for Megan with every ounce of strength in my body. I will not disappoint you, or Megan. I will not stop fighting for Megan until we have reached the mountaintop of justice. May God be with you, always and forever! Sincerely, Donald V. Watkins” Cindy, as you leave the battlefield, please rest in eternal peace knowing that we WILL continue your fight. During your lifetime, you made sure the University of Alabama became a safer place for its female students. Through your advocacy and that of Megan’s friend, Madison Bush, the Tuscaloosa SAFE Center was opened and the University agreed to commit $250,000 to the center. They’ve agreed to support it through the building of strong partnerships with the community that will help it succeed. This center will be a haven for our young daughters who have suffered one of the most degrading and soul-stealing crimes that can be perpetrated against a woman. Prior to its opening, survivors of sexual assault were forced to travel to Birmingham for a SANE-certified forensic exam. Your tireless fight for Megan also forced the University to commit another $150,000 to existing campus programs to prevent sexual assault from happening in the first place and to help its shaken victims when it does. You also made sure your daughter received in death, her B.S. degree from the Honors College that was stolen from her in life. Megan’s name will continue to live on through the scholarship named after her and we will continue the movement both of you started to make sure rape victims are treated with respect and dignity and that perpetrators are not allowed to rape their victims a second time through the press and legal systems. May God wrap your family in his loving arms and comfort them over the coming days as they process the loss of your earthly life. God bless you, Cynthia. You were the best mother and wife anyone could have hoped for.

Good evening. I am asking that everyone reading this, please pray for Donald and those that love him. He reported to the Federal Prison today where he will be held until the appeals process rightfully overturns this sentence. Several different avenues are being pursued to gain that result. There are many people reading this site who have been personally helped by Donald in the past and others who are thankful that he has the courage to speak out about issues other people are too frightened to address. If you are one of those people and would like to help Donald, please send a message via the “contact” button at the top of this website. This website will continue to address issues of significant public interest via guest columnists. God Bless.