Yes, my eyes have been observing the Occupy movement, and they have also seen some of our ‘leaders’ make cameos in front of the television cameras speaking to the people. I come away thinking we are at an age where these same self-proclaimed leaders have no trouble when a microphone is in front of their faces, but not much else in the way of protest it seems.

When a leader wants to prove he’s ‘keeping it real’, he or she better be ready to face what Dr. Martin Luther King  faced in his civil disobedience. In fact, these leaders better prepare themselves for the long haul. The protesters in the Montgomery Bus Boycott of 1955 did so for 381 days. In a 21st Century world of media, I wonder if they would have the stamina to last a year and 16 days, putting the pressure on a corporation (the bus company) to finally relent and adopt the policy that anyone on any of their buses can sit anywhere? I wonder about that.

It’s our fault, meaning the generation after the Civil Rights Movement. It’s our fault we’ve forgotten and have allowed other protests not take the same page and/or assume the role ourselves to take the mantle and continue the struggle. Consider for a moment Dr. King's '‘A Letter From Birmingham Jail’ was written in guess what? A jail! He risked his liberty because he knew the cause of Civil Rights was much, much bigger than he. Perhaps that is the reason why we don’t have too many leaders in the 21st Century right now. It’s not that they don’t believe in their cause, it’s merely the suspicion they don’t realize it’s not about them. It’s not about the massaging of the egos or how many friends they can gain by their ‘accomplishments’. Remember, Dr. King once said, “a man who hasn't found something he is willing to die for is not fit to live.” So how many of our leaders are ready to die for what they believe in? How many of them are ready to have their closest allies alienate them for the pursuit of truth? (yes, this happened with Dr. King, look it up) Which of our leaders will be bold enough to face the Powers That Be with a firm voice while at the same time, willing to work with his enemies?

This isn’t about any one politician or set of politicians. If you think they are leaders, you have and will always be mistaken. Politicians can do the greater good if their hearts and objectives for which they were voted for are consistent. We know how the opposite works, too many times. A leader is someone who operates from the grassroots level. He or she is a person who understands the pulse of the community and is knowledgeable enough to know they will need to work in sync with the same politicians to meet their goals legislatively. Dr. King in the pursuit of Civil Rights spoke and marched under three presidents; Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson. You think the movement would have been completed under one administration?  Although in the author’s opinion the movement was cut short, the push for equality lasted from 1955 to Dr. King’s unfortunate death in 1968. If one wants to aspire to be a leader today, it will require commitment to make sure these goals are achieved and should be prepared to work for YEARS.

Because in reality, that's how long it takes for change to occur. Don't believe in the microwaveable fairy tale you've seen and/or heard.

Note: I wrote this back in August 2006, but don't see it posted on the blog list. I hope you like. Enjoy.

I read where former civil-rights leader and Atlanta mayor Andrew Young stepped down from a post at Wal-Mart. The post was to help Wal-Mart improve its public image which the retail giant has come under fire in recent years. However, Mr. Young stepped out of the line of racial fire by resigning his post, and it was a good thing too. No matter how factual his statements were, it just goes to prove every time the truths of the community’s ills are mentioned, feet are stepped on and nerves are touched. Here is what he said during an interview with the L. A. Sentinel, one of the oldest black newspapers in Los Angeles, he answered a question if he was concerned whether or not the retail giant caused the smaller mom and pop stores to close down:

"Well, I think they should; they ran the 'mom and pop' stores out of my neighborhood," the paper quoted Young as saying. "But you see, those are the people who have been overcharging us, selling us stale bread and bad meat and wilted vegetables. And they sold out and moved to Florida. I think they've ripped off our communities enough. First it was Jews, then it was Koreans and now it's Arabs; very few black people own these stores."

Young apologized for his comments and resigned from his Wal-Mart post shortly thereafter. It is my hope that everyone looks past the races he mentioned, and takes a look at the larger issue here, while reading his words myself, tried to express but taken the wrong way.

There was a time during the 1992 unrest where politicians, corporations and civil leaders pledged to ‘Rebuild L.A.’. I imagine no one read the fine print on which specific section of the city would be renovated because if you look closely, the only area that I can see that is being rebuilt is downtown. I’m sure that’s the case in many metropolitan areas where the urban communities are facing their share of retail neglect. Perhaps the only people who should shout loudly on this topic are the people who were promised that all of L.A., including its improvised neighborhoods, be renovated. But I digress.

There is a grain of truth in what Mr. Young said. “very black people own these stores.”, meaning the mom and pop stores in the community. As I have explained before, growing up on the streets of South Los Angeles back in the 1980’s, I had the feeling of being a stranger to my own community. I visited stores owned by merchants who didn’t reflect where I lived; their interests were different than mine, their store policies, etc. One of my long term dreams is to eventually own a store in the community, but when if you happen to look around at the empty vacant lots and notice the ‘for sale’ signs on the land, you’ll discover the owners of said properties don’t live in the area and are of a different ethnic background than I. I’ll just hazard a big guess here, but part of the reason why the Vermont Knolls area was left untouched for fourteen years was because previous owners of the land either refused to sell or set their property at such a high price that it was impossible for anyone to acquire it. I’d love to hear from anyone who has more experience on the subject. However, during my years of being a citizen of the area, that’s the best I can come up with and I’m sticking to that theory until further notice.

When we have something that belongs to ‘us’, we sure better support it and not squander it, especially not now because there is enough money to go around. It’s just not coming back to the urban neighborhoods fast enough. If you take away the specific ethnic groups Mr. Young mentioned, the conclusion is very clear; there are different players, but the game remains the same. Citizens living in urban areas continually get left out when it comes to retail.

Of course you’ll have civic and religious leaders calling Mr. Young’s comments, ‘insensitive’, ‘condescending’, and ‘racist’. The only groups of people who will be affected by his words are the same citizens living in urban areas where fewer mom and pop stores remain. Think about it; his comments may have been offensive, but will that change the fact that no giant retailers will continue to stay away from the community; that the very few corporate retailers in the area now will continue to set high prices for their products, forcing residents to pay more? Add to the fact as people of color continue to drive out of their neighborhoods to find a retailer for food and/or clothing, will that in fact dilute the mom and pop stores even further?

What is ironic about Mr. Young’s former employer is that two years ago they were involved in a fight with Inglewood merchants over this very same topic. Anyone remember Proposition 4-A? I spoke about it in an earlier entry, ‘The Perception of a Black Neighborhood.” Check it out.

Mr. Young said it best when he spoke about the reaction his comments might generate:

"Things that are matter-of-fact in Atlanta, in the New York and Los Angeles environment, tend to be a lot more volatile,"

All that being said, at the end of this day, a few tempers will rise but everything will remain the same. Urban neighborhoods in major metropolitan cities will continue to receive less and less financially while other corporate interests, different ethnic groups will thrive due to those same shoppers in the community.

Unfortunately for the mom and pop stores still in existence, that’s offensive enough.

Twenty four hours ago, my wife Chandra and I caught the midnight show at our local theater to watch the highly anticipated ‘The Avengers’ flick. Obviously, three shows were added and the one we attended was sold out. Not to worry, we bought our tickets ahead of time. The Avengers is based on the Marvel Comics series by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby when the House of Ideas was rolling. As I write this, I smile with pride because other than the Hulk, I have collected Avengers titles in the past. I dare you to challenge my Avengers trivia - in the Stan Lee, Roy Thomas era. You’ll probably get me in the Englehart years and after though.

What can I say? If you’re a fan of the comic book like me, then the Avengers did not disappoint. Just as the first issue back in 1963, the villain in this movie version was Loki, the brother of Thor. If you don’t know who either of these names are, look it up. Better yet, read the comic books to find out. As far as the impression it made on those who are not fans of the superhero team, I would say after reading the Twitter feeds they were just as equally impressed. Everyone who had a hand on making this masterpiece should be proud. We’re definitely going to see it again.

Here’s the thing; the Avengers had been planned for quite some time since Marvel Studios decided to introduce their characters such as Iron Man, the Hulk (already had a film in 2003) Thor and Captain America. Ironically enough, for most of the early runs in the 1960’s and ‘70’s, the ‘big three’ were largely absent from the comics leaving only Hawkeye (he’s in the film), Black Panther (trust me, he’s not a militant though the name did cause Marvel to simply call him The Panther for a time), Giant-Man & the Wasp. Oh yeah, even the Vision, Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver rounded out the rest of the team. You’ll probably get these heroes in Avengers 5,6, 7 or a TV series of the same name, but the irony is that Marvel stuck with a fraction of the earlier team and it paid off.

Watching Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury appearance at the very end of the first Iron Man set up the hysteria we witnessed last night. By mentioning the ‘Avenger Initiative’, it was a sign that the movie featuring the team might be made. What also helped was the buzz sounding the appearance at the end credits via social media. It was a success how the studios and their public relations staff pulled it off. (Even with the books themselves adding to the hype (smile)) So while Chandra and I sat waiting for the movie to start, I wondered: how can authors and/or publishers capture this amount of buzz for our books? Do we need a Nick Fury at the end of Harry Potter telling him, ‘you think you’re the only wizard out there?’ (probably not, since the Harry Potter series have done great on their own. Perhaps the buzz can be captured by the use of a simply literary device I don’t see used as much anymore. Maybe I’m reading the wrong books.

An epilogue is defined as “a concluding section that rounds out the design of a literary work.” It brings the entire story to a close. The old Quinn Martin programs like The Fugitive or the Streets of San Francisco used it to wrap all of the loose ends of the plot together. In fact, all of the Marvel movies in the past four years had an epilogue. The end credits acted as such, but it advanced the larger story along, which was the movie everyone wanted to see. Interest was built and the goal had been reached to get the types of numbers those involved were looking for.

Now the question is for authors and writers is that can we use that technique for our books? I believe it is possible if you’re writing a series. I imagine the popular detective and horror books are using them but in case you’re not sure, here’s what WiseGeek has to say on the matter:

The epilogue can also be used to show that a story isn’t truly over, and there will be another installment or sequel.

e-Notes:
They can be used to hint at a sequel or wrap up all the loose ends.

An epilogue can continue in the same narrative style and perspective as the preceding story, although the form of an epilogue can occasionally be drastically different from the overall story. When the author steps in and speaks directly to the reader, that is more properly considered an afterword. It can also be used as a sequel.

My suggestion is that if you have a series of books in mind to share with your readers, use the epilogue as an effective way to gauge that type of excitement just as each of the superhero movies have done. For example, I am in the process of rewriting my old novellas from years past with a central character. In my mind, I constructed a theme between all five stories that I wrote but I need a plot device to connect one to the other. Sitting down, I wrote an epilogue that may need some work, but it does its job. So you do not need to have a shadowy figure wait for you in your mansion after a long night, it can be a long lost relative showing up at your front door, the doctor with test results in his or her hand, a verdict in a trial your protagonist is involved in, any use of building interest for the next novel or tale is advised when writing the epilogue.

I guarantee more movies will go this route, I bet they will. Just like of last night (at this hour there must have been a fight between heroes, a blast of energy from Loki, something) waiting to the very end could be the trap you can set for your readers if you’re an author of fiction. Whatever you think of the direction their comic books are now, you can’t fault the studio division for this elaborate plot of creating the buzz for their film - a movie everyone wanted to see and got their wish.

Avengers Assemble…at midnight!

Note: I wrote this back on March 2006. Not sure if I posted this in the blog before, but I just wanted to share. Thanks for your support.

March 3, 1991
 
American forces just kicked Iraq butt in Kuwait. The Republican Guard, the troops of Saddam Hussein lost in 'the mother of all battles'. Patriotism was high in this country. Don't believe me? Just ask a certain Seton Hall player who refused to wear a flag on his jersey and see if the country wasn't swept with civil euphoria. However, one night in Lakeview Terrace changed all that. Not only did it trigger an unrest among citizens that happened twenty-seven years prior, but the final culmination in a year of woe of residents of South Central Los Angeles. It tarnished a long-standing mayor's legacy, caused the ouster of a police chief and a huge 'crash' felt by all Angelinos.
 
The Rodney King beating.
 
You remember it, don't you? You remember watching it in your homes that night during a newscast at home wondering what was going on. Questions formed in your mind about why four police officers are steadily beating a man with nightclubs although the suspect was on the ground. Better yet, you wonder why are fifteen police officers just standing around, not even once motioning for the beating to stop? Either you had those questions in your mind or you could have said "good for him, he deserves it".
 
When you look back at the beating and Latasha's death, you can say that there was hope the trial would vindicate the outrageous sentence given by Judge Karlin in the Harlins trial. You wouldn't think Justice wouldn't be so blind twice, could it? Unfortunately on April 29, 1992 borrowing a line from "The Fire Still Burns" (The Depths of My Soul) "Justice wasn't blind that day; it was despised."
 
Fifteen years later you see the remains of that night in the empty lots from burned out buildings. There are a few Korean businesses around but not as many as before although they still own the land of where a swap meet once stood. It makes you wonder, doesn't it? It makes you wonder in the height of such patriotism in America, that March 3, 1991 exposed our main hypocrisy: that all citizens of this great land are never treated equal. Rodney King was no saint mind you; he'd be the first to tell you that. However, a young girl's tragic death, a verdict, and an unrest should surely tell you:
 
'The more things change, they stay the same'
 
Nuff Said. 

This is in the blog but since everyone is recalling their memories of the Unrest of 1992, I thought it would be appropriate to post again.

From December 2005:

Note: I just wanted to post this because this year was a special one, 2005 it marked the 40th anniversary of the Watts riots, there were riots in France, Australia, and talks of riots surrounding the execution of death of Tookie Williams...I thought I just explain the reasons why you should not riot:
 
When you riot.....it convinces the other side that they were right
 
When you riot.......you destroy your community, literally and figuratively
 
When you riot......you cause further risk to being arrested, having a record and not being able to speak your voice when it counts;  the ballot box
 
When you riot....it may be satisfying for a temporary time, but in the long run, solves nothing
 
When you riot.....the only ones who *get* the message are officials who create more laws to punish you
 
When you riot........we all lose
 
When you riot....it allows watchful eyes to judge your humanity, thereby calling you '"savages"
 
This isn't to discourage anyone from expressing their emotions when as a people, a ruling or verdict goes against you. However, you should have to lower yourself to the despicable way the other side uses to ridicule you in your anguish.
 
A caller to a conservative radio show years ago said to the hosts after the not guilty verdict in the Damien Williams a.k.a. 'Football" trial ( convicted of assaulting Reginald Denny in 1992)  that those on his side should riot at the ballot box. Why do you think Propositions 187 and 209 in the mid 1990's passed with an overwhelming majority? If you're sick at the way the media portrayed Mr. Williams and his death afterword, if you're tired of watching our children gunned down by their own kind and law enforcement, if you're frustrated in hearing divisive voices down your community, then you know there's one thing you should do: take positive action. Vote, become involved in community events, volunteer in your neighborhoods, be a role model for the kids, do what you have to do to turn the tide. Tookie's dead, and there's nothing anyone can do....for now. However, make 2006 the year you turn the tide of ignorance. There is no better *revenge* than to tick off your enemies. That's how they respect you. If no action is taken, they'll continue to mock and make fun of you as they always will.
 
So there's no reason to riot, but there's plenty reason to respond. Think on that.
 
Peace and Happy New Year