Category Archives: Authors A-H

Authors listed by last name A-H

A Flat Tire and the older white gentleman! – by Terry Howard

I was seated on my behind in a parking lot changing a flat tire on my old pickup truck when an older white gentleman came up out of nowhere. Dressed as I was in tattered jeans, a white tee shirt stained with ketchup and fried chicken grease and a black knit cap, my knee-jerk reaction was a fear that perhaps he thought I was stealing hubcaps. Yikes, was a bullet or cop soon to pay me a visit?

But I was wrong. Boy was I wrong.

Continue reading A Flat Tire and the older white gentleman! – by Terry Howard

What to do in those moments of rage! Part 3 – by Terry Howard

Grandma, get him (Trump) off the TV screen!

The plan was to finish the series on how to deal with acts of hate in the aftermath of the recent election. In fact, I had moved on to other stuff, praying that my severe bout of “Trump Fatigue” had gone into remission. But suddenly an email sent me back into my doldrums, a message by a black grandmother whose granddaughter’s friends are India, Asian and white:

“Terry, it was our family dinner on a peaceful Sunday afternoon when the face of Donald Trump appeared on the TV. Suddenly I detected a visual change, one of fear on my granddaughter’s face. She grimaced, cowered and shook her little shoulders. When I asked what was wrong she replied, ‘Grandma, get him off the TV. He’s evil and I’m scared.’ Her reaction concerned me greatly,” said grandma. “When I asked why she replied, ‘He is hurting my friends. He is going to send them away. If this group is fearful of Trump, it is hard to imagine what Hispanic children are feeling.”

Continue reading What to do in those moments of rage! Part 3 – by Terry Howard

What to do in those moments of rage! EXPEDIENCY on the STREETS – Part Two

In Part one of this two-part series, “What to do in those moments of rage,” we called out the increases in acts of hate after the recent election. We follow up here with some tips for getting home safely.

But here’s the reality that threatens that goal – “drive by hate” can spring up unexpectedly, anytime and anywhere. And it’s on the rise across the country. Such acts can puncture your comfort zone while crossing a parking lot, walking on campus, sitting in an athletic stand, in cyberspace – anywhere.

Continue reading What to do in those moments of rage! EXPEDIENCY on the STREETS – Part Two

Our Youth: Responding to Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, and Harassment – By Marc Brenman

As I write this, the United States has very recently elected a President who has been accused of racism, xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia, ablism and anti-Semitism. These qualities have been likened to fascism. A number of the groups and individuals who supported the candidate were openly white Suprematist and/or neo-Nazi. Since the election, there has been an outbreak of hate crimes, hate incidents, hate speech, and harassment against those in traditionally discriminated against groups. These range from violent crimes to simple gloating and misapprehension of what supporters voted for. The Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded over 700 hate incidents as of November 18, 2016.

Continue reading Our Youth: Responding to Hate Crimes, Hate Speech, and Harassment – By Marc Brenman

What to do in those moments of rage! EXPEDIENCY on the Streets – by Terry Howard

(Article is Part 1 of a series) So here we are, and not in some far-flung foreign country either. We’re in America 2016, and hate is popping up across the nation. And as incidents of racist, sexist and Islamophobia harassment continue in the wake of the election, many are asking, ‘what should I do when (not “if”) acts of hate are directed at me or others?’

“God Bless You,” was her seemingly choreographed response to this question I asked my friend and her young black son “Mark”:
“Given the documented cases of hate crimes since the election, how would you respond if haters drove by you and yelled ‘Hey N—-r”, go back to Africa. We’re taking our country back!”
“Uh, uh! If that happens to me, I’m ready to rumble!” said “Mark,” at hearing mom’s response.

Continue reading What to do in those moments of rage! EXPEDIENCY on the Streets – by Terry Howard

Poem in Exile: Habana Cuba – by M. Bugi

Lower down the bridges of man Made regulations
and let me wonder in the Spanish architectural field
the high rising skeletons of your priesthood
Let me, Kick, apart
Trading slavery a market to human dishonesty,
A dark age to be crucified again,
as i look back and travel in the Scorns of History,
Not long ago Che, and Fidel Castro- marched into it.

Continue reading Poem in Exile: Habana Cuba – by M. Bugi

Broken on the Inside: The War Never Ended – by Simon Hammelburg

HammelburgBroken on the inside – The War Never Ended by Dutch author and journalist Simon Hammelburg is based on 1200 interviews with Holocaust survivors and their children. The book reads like a novel but is based on facts, some of which have never been revealed before, disclosing insights of the psychological aftermath of survivors as well as the post-war generations and the traumas that are passed on for over six generations.

Continue reading Broken on the Inside: The War Never Ended – by Simon Hammelburg

President Elect Donald Trump! I didn’t see it coming – by Terry Howard

As we wove our way down Route 15 through rural Virginia on Sunday, I can honestly say that I was unable to “see” past the hundreds of “Trump /Pence” signs posted on well-kept green lawns. I failed to recognize the rural folks and not to be ignored sentiments behind those signs.

Those are the voices who spoke loudly last night!

Continue reading President Elect Donald Trump! I didn’t see it coming – by Terry Howard

Are you the president? – by Terry Howard & Bernard Strong

My favorite “suit” is a pair of rumpled up bib overalls. The $199.00, “buy one, get one free” corporate “suits” I’ve accumulated over the years were dropped off in Goodwill boxes, or retired into the deepest recesses of my closet to be retrieved only on rare occasions, say a formal dinner or funeral. Continue reading Are you the president? – by Terry Howard & Bernard Strong

About Devali — by Iftikhar Chaudri

The holiday season for the Hindu Community all over the world is marked by the ‘The Fesitival of Lights’- Devali. The myth and story of Devali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil; and it is with each Devali and the lights that illuminate our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope. From darkness unto light — the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, that which brings us closer to divinity. During Devali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope.

Continue reading About Devali — by Iftikhar Chaudri