Tuesday, May 29, 2012

The Concrete Perspective

Hotep,
Residing on the bench of justice for the past 23 years, Judge Gregory Weeks gave up-and-coming prosecutors and current legal finaglers in North Carolina, a reason to abort the practices of selective justice.  On 4/20/2012 the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge in Cumberland County ruled in favor of defendant Marcus Reymond Robinson’s plea for Racial Justice.  Word is bond!
Marcus’ death sentence was vacated – making his case the first in the state’s history to gain relief on the new Racial Justice Act.  This Act provides a process by which statistical evidence can be used to establish that race was the basis for seeking or obtaining the death penalty.  A much needed change.  Na mean?
History shows that landmark decisions – such as this – make room for progress, but ruffle the feathers of detractors of change, in the process.  In 1961, President John F. Kennedy issued executive order 10925, which we know today as:  “Affirmative Action.” This executive order has aided the careers of Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, current North Carolina Governor Beverly Perdue, and Tony Dungy; the first African American NFL head coach to win a Super Bowl.
Without question, Judge Gregory Weeks has benefited from executive order 10925 as well.  His decision to begin the journey to end racial injustice in North Carolina is a monumental display of poetic justice.  Na mean?
Award winning journalist, Soledad O’Brien, dropped a jewel when she said:  “Our country is full of people whose perspectives are never heard, people who have something to say.”  The world is full of “talkers,” but rarely do these “talkers” care to discuss sensitive matters – such as the death penalty.  SMH
Having something to say; my goal is to speak change into existence.  The masses need to hear the perspective that’s rarely heard in its entirety, the perspective of a one-time aspiring hip-hop artist becoming a death row defendant due to racial bias.  I’m a journalist encased within my biggest story – giving you a view from the inside – bringing change to fruition.  Ya heard?
My work is just beginning blogosphere.  Affirmative Action, Racial Justice and W2TM have and will change the course of judicial practices in the state of North Carolina.  Real talk.
In honor of Soledad O’Brien’s autobiography, “The Next Big  Story,” it’s only right that I use her words to close out this landmark expression: “I’m a pioneer and I know it.  I need to prove myself worthy of this opportunity for which I am immensely grateful.  This is a country of chances, but not of endless chances.”
Keep it 100,
MannofStat
Copyright © 2012 by Leroy Elwood Mann

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Knowing is believing

This entry was originally scheduled for May 6, 2012

Hotep,
I’ve been told, on more than one occasion, that I have a habit of over analyzing situations that would be considered trivial to most.  I’m a thinker; I won’t apologize for that.  Some of the greatest inventions known to man were insignificant thoughts to someone else.  Right?  I mean, I take great pride in being a thinker.  My thought patterns are excessive sometimes to the point of sleep deprivation.  Feel me?
Expressing my thoughts to you has been a beautiful experience.  This particular expression didn’t originate as a thought.  This piece comes directly from my heart.  Word is bond!
How often do we believe we know someone?  Truly knowing a person is believing in who they are.  For example, a gardener knows the seed he/she sows.  The gardener believes in what he/she knows about the seed.  The gardener will nurture the soil surrounding the seed until it either blossoms or withers.
I was introduced to my gardener shortly after 2 a.m. on July 22, 1968.  Being the ever-so-diligent gardener, Moms knows her seed.  My Creator has gifted me with an eternal existence.  In this realm, Moms has cultivated my being by making me aware of the wintry seasons this life has to offer.   She provides the essential motivation at the slightest hint that I might whither.  She believes in who I am, at a time when my public image is that of an undesirable, but most importantly, she nurtures the soil surrounding me with her attentiveness, guidance and maternal showers of undying love.  Feel me?
A seed is a source of life.  My life has been buried in this box for the past 17 years.  But know this: I am a seed enriched by the nutrients of a bond between mother and son.  I’m the seed that produces deeply rooted optimism by pushing aside my stereotype and creating a new reality.  My growth will push me through any surface – thanks to my gardener.  Ya heard?
I know you Moms, not only as my gardener, but also as the most beautiful flower in the Creator’s garden of life.  My love for you is eternal.  Happy Mother’s Day!!
Your Seed,

MannofStat
Copyright © 2012 by Leroy Elwood Mann