Category: Featured

Poking the bear: Khabib, Conor, and The Act of Restraint

LeRon Barton
Poking the bear: Khabib, Conor, and The Act of Restraint

On Satuday, October 6, 2018, I like many people had their eyes and ears on UFC 229, and it’s main event, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor. I had attended my partner’s high-school reunion and was unable to watch the fight, but I had my face glued to my phone, constantly viewing Twitter for updates. MMA, or mixed martial arts, has (very) slowly moved from a fringe sport once described as “human cock fighting” by recently passed Arizona Senator John McCain, to an extremely popular event that garners millions in attendees…

Reject the Emmett Till/Brett Kavanaugh Comparison

LeRon Barton
Reject the Emmett Till/Brett Kavanaugh Comparison

Apparently, there is a meme going around showing Emmett Till’s body saying “Women do lie about rape” to defend Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Okay, there is a lot wrong with this and it s triggering for me. As a Black man, one of the many things I have to worry about is false rape accusations. These things happen, especially when we are involved with white women. People’s lives have been ruined, taken, and entire towns have been destroyed because a white woman accused a Black man of rape….

Allyship is a verb

LeRon Barton
Allyship is a verb

Black folks are tired. I mean worn out, depleted, and exhausted. The marathon of life and the hate we experience has got us debilitated. Drained of power and desire to talk with white folks about what it means to be Black, our struggle, and attempting to justify why we should not be terrorized. We are out of ways to tell white America why we are deserving of respect and peace. Black people cannot describe our lives enough. We have said everything and done everything. It is over. This is the…

#Permitpatty and #BBQBecky: 911 is a joke

LeRon Barton
#Permitpatty and #BBQBecky: 911 is a joke

There are not too many Black people walking among us today that can tell you they have avoided contact with the police. It is an almost inevitable collision. You can be walking down the street, driving a car, entering your own home, or performing everyday life tasks, and eventually you will interact with the cops. This is something Black parents try and prepare their children when they give The Talk, a conversation our Mothers and Fathers have with us about how to act when confronted by the police and how…

#LivingWhileBlack

LeRon Barton
#LivingWhileBlack

For while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.” -James Baldwin, Sonny’s Blues If I were to ever be asked, “What is life as a Black person?” I would be totally aghast. Not because I couldn’t answer the question, but because of how vast it is. Where would I start? Would it be with our current…

The Long Fight: Parkland kids vs. America

LeRon Barton
The Long Fight: Parkland kids vs. America

I admire the Parkland kids: students who were a part of one of the worst mass school shootings, now turned activists. They have taken their pain and tragedy and turned it into a movement for gun control. While most people would still be reeling from the tragedy (and rightfully so), Emma Gonzales, David Hogg, Alex Wind, Jacyln Corin are among others who have decided to fight for more sensible gun laws. That is strength that most, including myself, do not possess. I love these kids and for the first time…

A Black Guy and A White Guy Walk Into A Bar and Talk About Sexual Harassment

LeRon Barton
A Black Guy and A White Guy Walk Into A Bar and Talk About Sexual Harassment

A Black guy and a white guy walk into a bar…. Men of today are feeling the pinch. I hear the talk in the locker rooms, at lunch, or at the bar. “They’re getting everybody! You can’t look at a woman, pay her a compliment, or even try and talk to her without someone saying “sexual harassment.” Men are scared, feeling as if their rights are being taken away from them and the olden days are far in the rear view mirror. When I listen to these conversations, I chuckle…

Musings on survival: Living In The Ghetto and the Near Inevitability of Prison

LeRon Barton
Musings on survival: Living In The Ghetto and the Near Inevitability of Prison

I recently read Blood in the Fields: Ten Years in the Nuestra Familia Gang and was taken aback by one of the main characters in the book. Mando was a young guy who grew up in a violent household who joined a gang, and ended up committing a murder that would net him a sentence of 29 years to life. I became very sad and thought of one of the young men I met in San Quentin, Efrain. While visiting San Quentin, California state prison for an educational panel, I…