The Friday Flashpoints!
After perusing the day's headlines....
***Kudos to the Honorable Vernetta R. Perkins, my Spelman Sister and old colleague who was sworn in yesterday as the first Black woman to serve on the Dallas County Bench in historic Selma, Alabama.
As you may recall, Selma was ground zero for many of the critical moments of the Civil Rights Movement, including the infamous date of March 7, 1965, "Bloody Sunday," one that soon found peaceful protesters, led by the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis (then the leader of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee), who were beaten unmercifully by police officers that were determined to thwart their march to the state's Capitol Complex in Montgomery.
Judge Perkins, a Selma native, is pictured below with another Selma raised jurist, Duval County (Fl) Judge Rhonda Peoples-Waters, a Fisk alumna who has been my good friend since our law school days at the University of Florida. Also pictured are Birmingham, Alabama twin sister Judges Shera Grant and Shanta Owens, and several other Black judges that made the trek to welcome Judge Perkins into the profession.
Having worked alongside Judge Perkins on several serious felony cases in the past, I can attest that litigants in her courtroom will appear before a very wise and compassionate jurist; my prayers are with her honor and her family in the years ahead!
***I beseech your prayers as my extended family prepares to commemorate the remarkable life of Walter Lee Smith, the 7th President of Florida A&M University, this weekend at Allen Temple AME in Tampa, Florida.
For those desiring to be present but are unable to attend, I will have a special Hobbservation Point in his memory this weekend!
***I extend my own prayers to the family of Demaryius Thomas, the former star wide receiver for the Denver Broncos who died yesterday at his home near Atlanta.
While the cause of death is still unknown, what is known is that 33-years of age is still relative youth, and his loss will be tough for his family, friends, and former teammates to assuage; please keep them in your thoughts in the days ahead.
***Yes, I saw the verdict of "guilty" in the Justin Smollett “fake” MAGA beating case yesterday, but as I wrote earlier this week, it is crystal clear that this young Brother has mental health issues that MUST be addressed, preferably by the court system.
I say preferably because to be honest, many of us have kin or friends who struggle with mental health issues that never receive help because they, 1. Don't think anything is wrong with them, or, 2. Can't afford therapy.
I assume that affordability is not an issue for the Smollett family, one that includes his sister, the talented actress Jurnee Smollett. But still, here's hoping that the young Brother will get all of the help he needs so that he can pursue his career once more down the line.
***Speaking of needing some couch time with a therapist, The Hill is reporting this morning that former President Donald Trump is extremely angry with former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The news site quotes Trump: "The first person that congratulated [Joe Biden] was Bibi Netanyahu, the man that I did more for than any other person I dealt with...Bibi could have stayed quiet. He has made a terrible mistake, and I haven’t spoken to him since. Fuck him."
Well, I guess that Netanyahu won't be sending any fruitcakes to Mar-a-Lago this Christmas, and Trump probably didn't bid Bibi a Happy Hannukah with a box of Florida oranges this year?
Stay tuned…
***The Hill is also reporting this morning that President Joe Biden is whining that his low approval ratings are due to biased reporting by the press.
Hmmm…
Perhaps Mr. Biden should take a page from his predecessor, Mr. Trump, and project his accomplishments, real or perceived, directly via Twitter? Or, perhaps he should use more Oval Office chats and show up at the White House Press Room more often to set whatever he perceives to be out of order in line?
The truth of the matter is that from my own independently owned media perch, the current President's successes have been heralded greatly by the press, and his failures, like the Afghanistan withdrawal, or the promises that have yet to be kept, like voting rights relief and police brutality Federal crackdowns, are being fairly analyzed and debated in the public square.
Lest we forget that the true role of the press, be it mainstream or independent, is to report and analyze the president in a fair, balanced, and on legal issues, accurate manner—and not become the home team cheer squad!
Morris Brown College
I was beyond ecstatic yesterday to learn that Morris Brown College, founded in 1881 by the African Methodist Episcopal Church, has been accepted for accreditation candidacy and is now eligible to offer students Federal Financial Aid! When accreditation was lost in 2002, so, too, was financial aid funding and many students dropped out or enrolled elsewhere because of the steep financial burden (and concerns of earning unacreddited degrees).
Yestedday’s announcement was quite personal, as a number of members of my extended Hobbs and Cambridge family graduated from Morris Brown in the 1980s and 90s, and during my student days at nearby Morehouse College, my closest friends and I spent quite a bit of time relaxing on Morris Brown’s historic campus, one that provides some of the best views of the Atlanta skyline!
Kudos, again, to the administration, faculty, students, and the AME Church for working indefatigably since 2002 to resurrect one of America's finest HBCU's!
Thank you for subscribing to the Hobbservation Point—have a wonderful weekend!