On Sunday, Morehouse College will make history by graduating it’s first white valedictorian in the 141 year history of the all-male historically black college.   The student’s name is Joshua Packwood.   Joshua Packwood was a Rhodes Scholar finalist who maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his academic career at Morehouse College.  Upon graduation, he will immediately start working for financial powerhouse Goldman Sachs.   If you knew Joshua Packwood’s story, you will understand how he was able to thrive in such an environment.  Joshua Packwood grew up in a poor section of Kansas City, Missouri and attended a predominately black high school in his neighborhood.   Because of trouble and controversy within his own family, he lived briefly with the family of his high school friend, who is African American.    This is a man who chose to turn down Columbia University for Morehouse College.   

He is very popular among his peers and there are students that have embraced this moment as a historical one and one that the school should be proud of.   However, there are some students, alumnists and some administrators that are unsettled by this.  They see this as a huge wake-up call as to how black men as a whole are doing academically in college.  Some students have even spoken directly to Joshua Packwood and expressed their congratulations but also their discomfort with the whole issue.   

Morehouse College should stand up, pat themselves on the back and take a bow.  This institution prides itself on achieving MLK’s dream and advancing that cause as much as possible.  This accomplishment by Packwood, no matter how unsettling it may be to others is a great sign of progress.   It should be congratulated and embraced by every American, especially the African-American community.   We should congratulate a young man who despite his tough circumstances chose to embrace a community and a culture completely different from his own in hopes of gaining an education that was more than academic.   This is an example and lesson we can all learn.   All of us needs to be taken out of our comfort zones at times and placed in a contrasting environment or situation so that we can really test ourselves.  

This man took that risk and reaped a great reward. 

Those that are uncomfortable or unsettled should consider the situation in the reverse.  Picture an African-American valedictorian in an Ivy League school or a mainstream institution such as a USC or Ohio State.  Wouldn’t we as a community expect this man or woman to be embraced in the same manner for their same achievements?   As an African-American, I feel that we should set the example and not be bound to the racial divisions that continue to plague us to date.   This is a tremondous opportunity for Morehouse College as well as the rest of us to use this moment to do so.  I believe that this situation should not be the scapegoat that validates the academic performance of black men in college. {there are many more factors}Certainly, there are students that will be also walking with Mr Packwood that worked just as hard and sacrificed just as much to get to the same position.   And if this situation can be used as a motivating factor for all of us to achieve better, then it’s all gravy.

Congratulations to Joshua Packwood for his achievement and congratulations to Morehouse College for this great advancement toward MLK’s dream.

It’s one thing to cry about your role on a team that is contending to win the Super Bowl. It’s quite another to cry about a role on the defending Super Bowl Champions especially considering the fact that he did not play because he was hurt. But Alas, the crybaby Jeremy Shockey continues to defy reason. He claims that he is concerned about what role he would have with the team considering that they won the whole kit and caboodle without him. Plus, he is bitter towards the front office over reports that he was being offered to the New Orleans Saints.

What Jeremy Shockey does not seem to comprehend is that his diva-type attitude with a heavy dose of me, me, me and me thrown in was a team cancer. It was a team cancer that buried the Giants in 2005 and 2006.

It is a team cancer that DOES NOT NEED TO REAR IT’S UGLY HEAD AGAIN.

The main reason why the Giants hoisted the Lombardi Trophy was not just merely because of addition but because of subtraction. Along with the addition of a Steve Smith, Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss came the eventual subtraction of the selfish and divisive behavior that has killed this team in the past. Jeremy Shockey is still living in 2006, still with the bitching, moaning, whining and groaning in hopes that gullible teammates and coaches will take him seriously. This is the equivalent of a poor soul that still owns Windows 98. Still living in the past. Well, it’s time to catch up to the present. This is not the team you once knew. This team that used to accept your behavior and turn a blind eye is not the team you once knew.
I’ll aim to get to the heart of what Jeremy Shockey is really pissed about. He used to have the permission to snap at Eli Manning while he was earning his stripes. He used to have the right to push his me, me, me attitude in Eli’s face. But Eli Manning has led his team to the Promised Land, won a Super Bowl MVP and is living life like it’s golden. {He is getting married in Mexico this weekend} The bottom line is that this is now Eli’s team and Jeremy Shockey will have no choice but to be a good soldier and stand in line.

And he is having a huge internal problem with it.
I would love to have Jeremy Shockey on this team in 2008. With the Giants going from the hunter to the role of the hunted, every opponent will circle this team on the schedule and bring their A game. Jeremy Shockey still has an opportunity to find a role on this team, keep his mouth shut and give Eli Manning, his teammates and coach the respect they deserve. If he does, then it’s all gravy. If not…

Exit stage left.

Congratulations to George Stephanopoulos and Charles Gibson on their wonderful performance in the debate last night on behalf of ABC News.  Their main goal {and the media’s overall goal} was to execute a witchhunt of the tallest order.  A 53 minute witchhunt based on issues that does not pertain to me, you or the average person.    A 53 minute witchhunt on issues that will NOT end this disgraceful war in Iraq, a war that should have never taken place.  A 53 minute witchhunt on issues that will NOT curb rising gas prices, especially diesel prices which in turn are leading to rising prices at the grocery stores and supermarkets.   A 53 minute witchhunt on issues that will NOT solve the subprime mortgage crisis and/or the housing crisis.  None of these issues were brought up  in this critical debate for damn near an hour.   

And they would not have it any other way.

In this critical election year with pertinent issues that needed to be addressed YESTERDAY,  ABC News unleashed it’s agenda as well as the agenda of all of the media for the rest of this election year:  to establish political theater and drama and place it in far greater priority and esteem over the REAL issues that needs to be addressed.   Their interest is for people to be more engaged than ever in this political theater and drama and at the same time to be more DISENGAGED than ever in the issues that actually matter.   The eyes of the media execs of ABC News and other media outlets are filled with dollar signs for one reason.  RATINGS, RATINGS, RATINGS.   And if political theater with no substance gets the job done, so be it.   Any of these news outlets can go ahead and continue with their slogans and advertisements claiming they have the people’s interest at heart.   That is a liar liar, pants on fire situation. 

What’s more disturbing is that Hillary Clinton seemed to be actually enjoying this and even engaged in the witchhunt herself.   She knows first-hand of the game and the agenda that the media has  and what this could do to her party’s chances in November.  However, it has become clear that Hillary is for Hillary.  She could have chosen to take the high road and neglect to further the media’s agenda of political theater in favor of an issues-based debate.   My respect and patience for her is damn near gone.  Obama, {knowing full well what was taking place} chose to take the high road when he was given the opportunity to return the favor.   He is on to their agenda, which is why he is refusing to do another debate.   Guess who agreed to do another one in hopes of political gain?  Her name begins with a H. 

Those of us that are hungry for a change and hungry for an issues-based discussion should not stand for such BS as this critical juncture.    This disgrace last night left me just short of vomiting.

Thanks a lot, ABC News.

Peter Jennings must be rolling over in his grave right now. 

Welcome to WordPress.com. This is your first post. Edit or delete it and start blogging!