California wildfires serve to remind what's really important...

Get the Point!

I wish that my first post of the year was on a happier note, but the wildfires in Southern California this week remind me of the critical need for those of us in the journalism business to provide real facts—and real hope—during perilous times.

Calamity in California

Anytime a natural disaster occurs, it is normal for those of us outside of the zone of impact to be moved with compassion for those who are coping with the devastating effects of the latest fire or storm, and while I joined the chorus of millions by using my Facebook platform to check on my family members and friends living in Southern California yesterday, while most noted that they were "safe" from harm, several close friends that I met during our collegiate years—each hailing from the Pasadena/Altadena areas in California—indicated via social media that their homes and hometowns were being razed in real time 😢.

In August of 1990, on the very first day of our freshman year at Morehouse College, I met Akil Grant, Derek Ferrell, and Eric Brown—three from among a very large contingent of "Cali Boyz" who would become (and remain) close to my crew, the "Florida Boyz."

Vince “Akil” Grant, Dr. Eric Brown, and Derek Ferrell (below), fellow members of the “legendary” Morehouse Class of 1994

Years later, I would meet Ferrell/Grant's high school teammate, Jason Mitchell, a FAMU alumnus who I met within the Fraternal Bonds of Kappa Alpha Psi.

Nupe Jason Mitchell (to my right) along with his Spring ‘94 Alpha Xi Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi line brothers Brandon Moore and Brian C. Thomas during Florida A&M’s 2019 Homecoming festivities…

Each time that I checked my Facebook page yesterday, these four Brothers kept all of their family and friends updated on the latest reaches of the deadly fires and the impact that the same was having on their families and their individual states of mind. By early evening, I admit that my eyes welled up with tears when Brother Brown wrote a comment on my page that the home that he grew up in was no more—one of many thousands of residences lost to this calamity.

My prayers are with the firefighters who are working ‘round the clock to provide relief…

Cognizant that the end of this tragedy is not near, it is my sincere hope that our collective prayers and efforts are given to assist those in need out in Southern California. While there certainly are those who will use this tragedy to settle political scores against old ideological foes (yes, I mean you, Donald Trump), most Americans are rational, caring, and empathetic enough to understand the dire straits that those who have lost their loved ones and/or their homes will face in the days ahead! Thus, my humble request that each of you reach out to the charity of your choice and give whatever you can to help our fellow Americans TODAY. In ages past, I have patronized individual Go Fund Me accounts as well as the American Red Cross (1-800-RED CROSS).

As always, if nothing else, please continue to send your prayers or positive vibes to our neighbors on the West Coast!