By Kevin Davies

Copyright: c.2026, Publisher: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, SRP: $29.95, Page Count: 338 pages

Four weeks of testing, and you’re exhausted.

Two gallons of blood, maybe three, have been removed. No lie. You’ve laid on tables, slid through machines, been scanned so much you lost count and finally, your doctors have a diagnosis. As in the new book “Curved Air” by Kevin Davies, you have hope there’s a what next?

Though the disease was known in parts of Africa and likely existed here in the United States for hundreds of years, sickle cell disease (SCD) is a relative newcomer in disease research.

Says Davies, “Sickle cell was first identified more than 120 years ago” and it was considered as a “Black disease.” Because of that, discrimination followed “sickle cell warriors” and research was scant, though white people can and do get SCD.

With “agonizing” pain as a major symptom, “SCD is one of roughly seven thousand genetic diseases” currently known to science. When someone has SCD, a genetic mutation causes their red blood cells to curve and get stuck in blood vessels, rather than flowing freely as they should. This diminishes the oxygen supply “to various parts of the body… which causes inflammation and pain,” jaundice, stroke, and damaged organs. Anemia, Davies says, can leave a patient fatigued and short of breath. Anticipating pain crises causes anxiety and PTSD.

Says Davies, “More than forty million people carry” one copy of the genetic mutation that causes SCD, and “five hundred thousand affected” babies are born with the disease per year, worldwide.

Over decades, research was done haphazardly. Papers were written; treatments were tried, used, or discarded. Doctors discovered that genetic testing could prevent new cases, a heartbreak for would-be parents. Researchers discovered that “a perfect storm” of confluence spread SCD: malaria, human population, and mosquitoes.

There was always hope that someday, sickle cell disease might be cured.

Then, Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) gene-editing therapy was approved by the FDA, and a brave volunteer named Victoria Gray stepped forward…

So, you want to – need to – learn more about sickle cell disease? Is it imperative for you? Then, this is your book. But there are things you’ll want to know before you dive into “Curved Air.”

Because author Kevin Davies is the editor of The CRISPR Journal, you can expect up-to-date, cutting-edge information; but that’s a two-sided coin: the information is heavy-duty, not always easy to grasp, and it’s burdened by acronyms that can be overwhelming. Yes, that’ll inform you, but it may also send you elsewhere for further understanding, which really should’ve come from this book.

And yet, if you or someone you love has SCD, this is your book. It explains where the disease came from, why it hasn’t been completely cured yet, and what kind of hope you can hold. It’s a good start on a path to comprehension.

Also, be aware that the narrative here is sometimes padded with journalistic fluff that might annoy you if you’re eager to get to the science. Indeed, “Curved Air” will teach you. Then again, it also might test you.

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By Tamara Shiloh

Henry Ossian Flipper’s life is a remarkable story of insistence, achievement, injustice, and ultimately vindication. Born enslaved on March 21, 1856, in Thomasville, Georgia, Flipper rose from the restrictions of slavery to become the first African American to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point. His accomplishments extended far beyond military service; he later became a respected engineer, surveyor, author, translator, and government official.

After the Civil War, Flipper’s family settled in Atlanta, where education became central to his future. He attended schools established for African American children by the American Missionary Association and later studied at Atlanta University. In 1873, Congressman James C. Freeman of Georgia nominated Flipper for admission to West Point. He entered the academy that July.

Flipper’s four years at West Point were extremely difficult. Because of racism, he experienced harassment and almost complete social isolation from many of his fellow cadets. Nevertheless, he succeeded academically and graduated on June 14, 1877, ranking 50th in a class of 76. His graduation represented a historic breakthrough for African Americans in the United States military.

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Commissioned as a second lieutenant, Flipper was assigned to the 10th U.S. Cavalry, one of the famed African American regiments known as the Buffalo Soldiers. At Fort Sill in Indian Territory, now Oklahoma, Flipper served as an engineer, surveyor, construction supervisor, quartermaster, and commissary officer. One of his most lasting engineering accomplishments was a drainage system that eliminated pools of stagnant water around the fort and helped reduce mosquito-breeding areas. The system became known as “Flipper’s Ditch,” and portions of it remain associated with Fort Sill today.

Flipper’s promising military career ended abruptly in 1881 when he was accused of embezzling commissary funds. A court-martial acquitted him of embezzlement, but convicted him of conduct unbecoming of an officer. The Army dismissed him in 1882. The circumstances surrounding his punishment would later be widely regarded as unjust and influenced by the racial discrimination of the period.

Rather than allowing his dismissal to define his life, Flipper built an extraordinary civilian career. He became a civil and mining engineer and surveyor, working extensively throughout the American Southwest and Mexico. He established an engineering office in Nogales, Arizona, became knowledgeable about Spanish and Mexican land law, and later worked for the federal government, including service connected with the Department of Justice and the Department of the Interior.

Flipper died in Atlanta in 1940, but efforts to restore his reputation continued for decades. In 1976, the Army changed his dismissal to an honorable discharge. Then, on February 19, 1999, President Bill Clinton granted Flipper a posthumous presidential pardon.

Today, Henry Ossian Flipper is remembered because his life helped open doors for generations of African American military officers, engineers, and public servants who followed him.

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By Carla Thomas

After remaining closed for more than two decades, Tyrone Carney Park reopened Thursday Aug 27, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating a $5 million investment in recreation, wellness and community space in East Oakland.

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee, District 7 Councilmember Ken Houston, city leaders, community partners and residents gathered at the half-acre park, located at 10501 Acalanes Drive, to commemorate its long-awaited revitalization.

“Revitalizing and reopening Tyrone Carney Park strengthens the Town by expanding youth programs, supporting job training, and improving public health,” said Lee said. “Oakland is on the move, fulfilling our promise to build a safer and more vibrant East Oakland.”

The mayor said she thought the sculpture designed by Dana King was beautiful and that the event was emotional for her being the daughter of a veteran. 

“I know the Carney family, and it was wonderful to see Deborah and the entire Carney family there. It was wonderful to see where seniors, youth, and everybody can enjoy a beautiful safe park in Sobrante Park with Tyrone’s legacy.”

Led by Oakland Public Works, the improvement project added four play areas, two fitness-equipment areas, paved walking paths and a circular central plaza with ornamental paving. Improvements also included a lawn, wrought-iron perimeter fencing, new gates, extensive landscaping and a memorial honoring the park’s namesake.

The city contracted with Beliveau Engineering Contractors for structural improvements and Dillingham Associates for landscaping.

Originally opened in 1968, the park closed in 2002 and remained inaccessible for more than 20 years. Its restoration grew from a multiyear collaboration between the City of Oakland, East Oakland Neighborhoods Initiative (EONI) and Sobrante Park Advisory Council.

Community advocacy by EONI helped secure funding through Proposition 68, California’s 2018 Parks and Water Bond. Additional financial support came from Oakland Capital Improvements Impact Fee funds and a California Strategic Growth Council Transformative Climate Communities grant.

Houston said the reopening represented more than the physical restoration of a neighborhood park.

“It reflects our commitment to investing in East Oakland, honoring one of our hometown heroes, and creating a safe, welcoming place where families can gather, children can play, and community can thrive,” Houston said. “Tyrone Carney’s legacy of service will continue to inspire generations through this park.”

The park was named in honor of Carney, an Oakland resident and U.S. Marine Corps private first-class who died while serving in Vietnam on June 9, 1968. He was 20 years old. Before entering military service, Carney participated in the Boy Scouts of America and Youth for Christ.

His first cousin, Deborah Carney, remembered him as a man committed to service.

“Tyrone Carney was a God-sent man,” she said, recalling his words: “ ‘May the works I have done speak for me, when I am resting in my grave and there is nothing else to be said.’”

Oakland Public Works Director Liam Garland said the department was honored to help realize the community’s vision for a safe and welcoming green space.

Myka Hammock, director of Oakland Parks, Recreation and Youth Development, said the park’s tree canopies, play structures and memorial would inspire community youth while providing opportunities for wellness, recreation and connection.

The Sobrante Park Advisory Council and Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, both key stakeholders in the redevelopment, will continue serving as stewards of the reopened park.

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