The worst kind of brawl you can get into is one with an opponent who has nothing to lose. Think about it. How many times have you seen a team fighting for a play-off spot taken down by a team that has no chance of going anywhere? For some reason, when there isn’t as much […]

When I was in the seventh grade, I hurt my hip playing unorganized football. Since I was one of the few fat kids in the neighborhood, they’d give me the ball, and all the kids would jump on my back, and I would carry the pile toward the end zone. I was the William “The […]

I think we all have something we need to do, and we’re being held off by fear, procrastination, stubbornness – or all of the above. As you know, I recently had hip replacement surgery that I’ve needed for a while (And thank you so much to those of you who sent me well wishes and […]

it to say, the president had the same kinds of questions, concerns and compassion for Troy Davis that most black people have. With so much doubt centering around his guilt, why would the state of Georgia be so hellbent on putting him to death? These are my words, by the way – not the president’s. […]

A couple of weeks ago, I went to see the Broadway play “The Mountaintop” in New York and loved it. It wasn’t what I expected at all because it depicted a side of Dr. Martin Luther King rarely seen or discussed. It was real, raw and a reminder that before he was assassinated and relegated […]

How many times have we mouthed the lyrics to “We Shall Not Be Moved,” “Oh Freedom” and “We Shall Overcome” without really thinking about the meaning of the words – let alone actually imagining or recalling what it was like to sing them while in the trenches? Celebrating the legacy of Dr. Fred Shuttlesworth stirs […]

We’ve all expressed our opinions, vented, aired it out, and in my heart of hearts, no matter how we got to this point, I believe most of us share a common goal – to re-elect President Obama. That can only happen if we take all the time and energy we’ve been using to debate, defend […]

When I enter a partnership, I don’t take it lightly. Whether it’s love, a spades game or a business deal, some of the basic rules apply. We have to share at least some of the same passions, have trust and, of course, be committed to working together in good times and bad. As bleak as […]

We all have plans, schedules and agendas, and our ego – the human side of us – makes us think sometimes that what WE have to do takes precedence over everything else. For the past month, my mind has been on two main issues: The MLK Memorial and march led by Rev. Al, and what […]

Before I get to Mark Halperin, let me give you a little background. They say that if you’re angry with someone, you should write a letter, get all the mean stuff out, and then tear it up or delete it. When you’re a little more calm, you write another letter or confront the person face […]

I’ve probably attended more graduation ceremonies that I can count in my lifetime. Recently, I came to the conclusion that – at high school graduations, especially – maybe it’s time to flip the script. I mean, each commencement exercise is so predictable: Speeches from the valedictorian and salutatorian, remarks from the senior class officers and […]

The capturing and killing of Osama bin Laden put many of us in a celebratory mood, but landing in Birmingham, Alabama yesterday and arriving in a town called Pratt City put things in perspective. No pictures, no video, no news footage can tell the story like actually seeing it for yourself – not just seeing […]