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FISHER: 2019 is the Year of Legitimate Discontent – let’s get to work!

THE NEW TRI-STATE DEFENDER — The fruit of structural racism is the standardizing of white mediocrity and the suppression of black creative excellence. And we deserve full, equitable, inclusion into the society we have helped to shape, build and sustain. Until that goal is achieved, we must obtain and maintain a maladjustment to the injustice that continues to be normalized.

Published

8 years ago

January 5, 2019

Oakland Post

By Rev. Dr. Earle J. Fisher, Special to The New Tri-State Defender

In August of 1619 the first enslaved Africans arrived on the shores of America in Jamestown, Va. Two hundred years later in 1819, the city of Memphis (named after Memphis, Egypt) was founded. As we enter 2019 and commemorate the quadricentennial of Africans in America and the bicentennial of Memphis, TN, one thread of consistency is stitched through the fabric of our history.

Race still matters.

It is fair to ask one to speak of the progress that has been made in the country and the city of Memphis in the past 400 and 200 years, respectively. What might be more prudent to ask – and difficult to discuss – is this: Are we where we should be?

If I stick a knife in your back nine inches and take it out six, is that progress? The implication is, ‘No!’ – Malcolm X (El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz)

Progress is a relative term. Malcolm X said, “If I stick a knife in your back nine inches and take it out six, is that progress?” The implication is, “No!”

Our appeals to a disassociated type of “progress” are diversions from weightier matters of accountability, justice and equity. They require, especially people of color, to yield to the sprinkles of tokenism and exceptionalism that serve as a demand for conformity, complacency and cowardice. It is a demand to be satisfied with crumbs.

Have things changed? Absolutely. Are things better for people of color than they were 400 or 200 years ago? In some ways, yes.

However, issues of segregation, poverty, exclusion, exploitation, miseducation and other forms of injustice continue to disproportionally impact people of color.

In his book “The Education of a Black Radical” the Honorable Judge D’Army Bailey wrote of the 1960’s something that rings true in the present.

‘Negroes who claim to be satisfied with the present situation fall into one of three categories. One, they are either too scared or they haven’t got enough sense; or two, they are making more profit from (the current situation) than they would from (a more inclusive and progressive one), and they like living in a luscious jail; or three, they’re lying to themselves and everyone around them.’
Judge D’Army Bailey, “The Education of a Black Radical”

“Negroes who claim to be satisfied with the present situation fall into one of three categories,” wrote Bailey.

“One, they are either too scared or they haven’t got enough sense; or two, they are making more profit from (the current situation) than they would from (a more inclusive and progressive one), and they like living in a luscious jail; or three, they’re lying to themselves and everyone around them.”

So, what do we deserve? And how do we obtain it?

We deserve much more than crumbs and bare necessities.

The fruit of structural racism is the standardizing of white mediocrity and the suppression of black creative excellence. And we deserve full, equitable, inclusion into the society we have helped to shape, build and sustain. Until that goal is achieved, we must obtain and maintain a maladjustment to the injustice that continues to be normalized.

Mediocrity requires that we be content with basic, bare-minimum access and inclusion. Thus, we are asked to celebrate incremental improvements in wages, minority contracting, access to public funding for education and healthcare. Meanwhile, poverty rates, infant mortality rates and wage gaps remain amongst the highest in the country.

We deserve better.

The foundational principle we must embrace to obtain what we deserve is the full-throated demand and support of black empowerment. We deserve to thrive. And Memphis (nor this country) will ever be all it can be until we embrace the full affirmation of those who make up the majority of Memphis and Shelby County.

Race. Still. Matters.

I recall the evocation of Dr. King’s name in 2018 during the events surrounding #MLK50. What I do not remember hearing is that we must reclaim in 2019 King’s phrase from his famous, “I Have A Dream” speech.

Said King: “The sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.”

Ida B. Wells once wrote, “The way to right wrongs is to turn the light of truth upon them.”

Here’s the truth: our discontent is legit.

This is not a denial of any accomplishments. This is the acknowledgment of their inadequacies.

King, Wells and other venerable ancestors did not dismiss the factual plight of people of color despite certain forms of social and political advancement. Nor did they revoke the cries of the poor and disenfranchised as race-baiting ingrates. Their demand is that we obtain and maintain what we deserve.

This is what I commit to demand and work towards in 2019 and 2020.

When it comes to matters of truth, love and justice, I am an unapologetic extremist. This year – 2019 – cannot be the year of piecemealed, milquetoast appeals for more gradualism. Not if we hope to be great.

And I believe our greatness – the fullness of our potential – is what we deserve.

Let’s get to work.

Clearly, it’s now or never.

This article originally appeared in The New Tri-State Defender.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

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Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

1 week ago

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Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY