Ricky don’t lose that name! Lightning rod Black Rock City Councilman Rick Torres tells the CT Post’s Brian Lockhart “I would like to be called Enrique from now on. I don’t expect people to do that overnight. That’s kind of hard to do.” Torres says part of the reason for the new identity is grounded in self discovery. “I want to be an instrument of positive change, particularly for black Americans.”
Torres shares this note to self on his Facebook page.
He tells Lockhart: “Over the years I’ve tried not to be who I am because I want to be more like you, and that’s mostly based on prejudices and stereotypes that affected me both in my family and the life I’ve lived as a teenager in Bridgeport. Even as a 54-year-old I am transitioning and want to be closer to who I was meant to be, rather than a cartoon of what I thought I should be.”
Torres has an interesting perspective on race relations that has stimulated both head nodding and eyes rolling. He has shared these views on OIB accusing government programs of hurting African Americans they were designed to help. Even some of Torres’ friends say his sincerity is preoccupied with “saving the black man” that sometimes comes across as condescending.
An example of Torres’ perspective from his Facebook page:
My years of education (biology from Washington University St Louis) taught me that we have common DNA. So what’s the problem? Why can’t we get along? Why are we intolerant? Our common-ground is our DNA. We are the same inside. We are blood brothers. Some of our brothers (black) need us to care about their plight. We must care.
So what will it be for you; Rick, Ricky or Enrique?
*** Let’s not forget our roots and the struggles that have plagued the Spanish-Latino-Hispanic countries, communities, etc. throughout history and the fact Enrique is a Spanish name. In America, Hispanics since we came from so many places of color, shapes, cultural and economic levels, etc. we were referred to as “mud people” or “mongrels” due to the mix of different races and ethic backgrounds from the changes of different conquering countries and their armies. Whether it’s slave blood, Indian, Spanish conquistadors or their royal and political leaders, their blood runs through us! Before you can save the black man or take up his struggle, you must save yourself and your people first, no? ***
Well it did not take long and RICK went back to being RICK. What a shame, you could have been a contender.
Well Enrique, maybe you should focus on being a role model for the Hispanic community. Your comments regarding the black community are demeaning and insulting at best. It is an insult to the local and national black leadership. Your platform has turned you into a cartoon character, a joke. You would be wise to keep your strange ministry and belief system to yourself. You are only giving ammunition to your adversaries and alienating yourself from members you should be building bridges to. Sorry Enrique, I found your belief disturbing before the election and when your voting bloc starts getting wind of this they may just think you are nuts! Your only saving grace is you are a very nice guy and run a very nice eatery.
Steven Auerbach, who can forget the classic scene in Casablanca, made in 1942 where Humphrey Bogart who plays Rick asked: “How can you close me up? On what grounds?” And Claude Rains who plays Captain Renault: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!” This was the biggest known secret in Black Rock. People knew Rick’s views and his language about blacks but they said nothing, instead getting a Republican elected was their goal.
I questioned Rick on his views on OIB and his backers but instead I became the bad guy for questioning Rick’s views about blacks. I also said he would have a real hard time trying to get black City Council members to agree with him on anything. Thanks for trying to come out of the closet on race but we have seen people like you all our life, trying to run from your own people.
Ron,
In response to JB below you comment, “How about some solutions, we know what the problems are.”
What are the problems, Ron, from your perspective, from the residents of PT Barnum, and other places where there appear to be more “problems” than “solutions.”
How many of the solutions include a participation by the person with the problem rather than a service or program from outside that changes little or nothing?
Rick Torres, that’s what I called him this morning, grew up in Evergreen which was an experience similar to PT Barnum I am told, and he has a world view he shares, and thus is vulnerable to (neither conversation, nor serious dialogue) but rather caricature by those who will not respect those who differ from them.
I certainly do not agree with Rick on a number of subjects, but I do on many others. I am happy to recognize him and his family as hardworking entrepreneurs who pay their taxes, educate their kids to the fullest possible, and have time to share with the community at large through voluntary and currently elected service.
But support of Rick is not my real subject. Rather it is to listen to Ron Mackey tell me about all the problems (that Rick should not be considering). What does Ron know and what solutions might possibly work and who and what is required for such implementation? Time will tell.
John Marshall Lee, don’t play word games with me when you said, “But support of Rick is not my real subject. Rather it is to listen to Ron Mackey tell me about all the problems (that Rick should not be considering).” Rick Torres and yourself can consider anything you want.
You and Rick might want to start by reading a few things by Tim Wise who is an author and educator and who is white. Here is something he wrote:
1. How do you define racism?
As with other “isms” (like capitalism, communism, etc.), racism is both an ideology and a system. As such, I define it in two ways.
As an ideology, racism is the belief that population groups, defined as distinct “races,” generally possess traits, characteristics or abilities, which distinguish them as either superior or inferior to other groups in certain ways. In short, racism is the belief that a particular race is (or certain races are) superior or inferior to another race or races.
As a system, racism is an institutional arrangement, maintained by policies, practices and procedures–both formal and informal–in which some persons typically have more or less opportunity than others, and in which such persons receive better or worse treatment than others, because of their respective racial identities. Additionally, institutional racism involves denying persons opportunities, rewards, or various benefits on the basis of race, to which those individuals are otherwise entitled. In short, racism is a system of inequality, based on race.
2. How is racism different from white supremacy?
White supremacy is the operationalized form of racism in the United States and throughout the Western world. Racism is like the generic product name, while white supremacy is the leading brand, with far and away the greatest market share.
I do a good amount of reading and I thank you for making a suggestion in that direction.
Are you saying the problem in Bridgeport is “racism” as a product, and ‘white supremacy’ is a brand? Are you saying this is the problem you reference when you state, “we know what the problems are?”
What are your solutions? Being familiar with a problem is one thing, and asking for solutions when you have assumed everyone believes as you do, the problem you see is the real problem. But what are your solutions? Or what have you tried? What has worked? What has not worked yet?
And please refrain from accusing me of word games. I find this subject a serious problem in itself, and the fact we cannot even move beyond the statement itself in dialogue, shows the true impediment it is to community solutions. As for me, I am willing to meet you, have coffee or a meal together, let you get to know me and vice versa or even begin with phone conversations. But you have ignored all such serious offers. You have some time and I am willing to use some of mine as well. Do you not respect me for my serious purpose in the City, at least? And can you set aside for the moment what one or more Council members have said about my addresses to the Council? (After all I am only waiting for other OIB readers to get answers to the questions I regularly ask, and you have never told me my questions are out of order.) I am waiting for you to respectfully take me seriously. Time will tell.
Ron–in your definition of racism: ‘racism is an institutional arrangement, maintained by policies, practices and procedures–both formal and informal–in which some persons typically have more or less opportunity than others.’ What would be one of those policies, practices and procedures? Would the belief people have ‘more or less opportunity than others’ be the same as believing people have more or less ability than others? Let us look at some policies that may be back-handed racist institutional arrangements maintained by policies, practices and procedures.
The idea minorities should be given a bonus on hiring exams: Why do this? It sounds to me the people who proposed the idea believe minorities lack the ability to compete. Like when you give the less athletic kid a head start. You know he can’t compete without a head start because he is not as good as the other kids.
Welfare: Was welfare designed to help people or to give them enough to stay exactly where they are? As opposed to making legislation to keep people in their place and paying for the enforcement and legal challenges, just give the people the money. Give them just enough to make collecting the money and staying put easier than working. Why start working for $400/week (minus taxes, travel, wardrobe, benefits, lunch, etc.) when I will give you $900/mo to stay home? Of course, if you were working you would eventually move up (stock boy to department head to manager to district manager). The $900/mo will always be $900/mo.
The mass consumerism targeting minorities: You know these people are getting money. Use the mass media to convince them to give it to you because of a certain phone, sneakers or car. Not only does this keep the targeted people from gathering wealth, it makes the marketers wealthy. Why rob someone when you can convince them to give you their money?
Public housing: Keeping people in prison is difficult and expensive. People inherently do not like being in prison. Make a prison people want to stay in and voluntarily move to. Have a laundry, grocery and quickie mart as part of the complex. You are free to leave but staying is easier. Make it just enough to sap all but the strongest motivation to move out. Out of sight, out of mind.
Bad school: This is the most difficult and the cleverest of all. You make the schools ‘bad’ by eliminating the consequences of poor performance and bad behavior. This way the people in the school make it a bad school. Without the threat of consequences you have a ‘lord of the flies’ arrangement. The kids do the work for you. You could even get to the point the poor performers refer to the good performers as ‘light, bright and almost white.’ The people who devised this arrangement could even be viewed as trying to help by spending more money, building new buildings and putting programs in place but they never address the root of the problem. Those who try to tighten up on discipline would be viewed as blaming those who cannot be held responsible for their own behavior. As long as everybody keeps making money do not upset the apple cart. Keep them poor, ignorant and voting Democrat.
BOE SPY, Tim Wise: “On White Privilege”
www .youtube.com/watch?v=J3Xe1kX7Wsc
So you think the secret white America is a little like this?
Tim Wise sounds reasonable and as he walks you through his theory it seems to make sense but it is flawed on its surface. He started out with a flawed theory. The things he points out are more of a coincidence than an organized plot hatched by an organized group of conspirators. However, if you believe it then so be it. It leaves just one overwhelming question. How come you and Rick Torres do not fit into the stats Jennifer Buchanan posted and why doesn’t every minority just do what you did? I.e. you both started our living in the projects at the bottom of the income scale. You both went to crappy BPT schools. Now you both own your own homes and are middle to upper middle class.
BOE SPY, I NEVER ran away from being black, I was born black in America and it’s responsible to do everything I can for other blacks. Rick still doesn’t know who he is.
I distinctly remember one “Dan Malloy” who wanted to be called “Dannel Malloy” after he became governor. It happens. People grow out of their younger nicknames and into their original given names.
BG, my given name is Leonard. You can call me that. I also like Lennie. I’ve been called Leonardo and Len and Leo and Nardo. And all kinds of unspeakable things, some deserved and some not (although most of the time deserved). To paraphrase Phineas Taylor Barnum … Don’t care what they call me as long as they call me something.
Lennie, we’ve got your number, we’ve had it the whole time. Lennie, can’t change your number … 867-5309.
My original given handle is Bond Girl. BG was just a phase. 😉
This is more of Torres doing what he has always done … look to be the center of attention. Now he wants to be called Enrique? And this is significant of what? Does he think he is once again as he termed himself “the exceptional Latino?” My brother-in-law who is a native of a central American country and is quite definitely Latino said after he was able to stop laughing at the stupidity of Torres’ comment, he found that comment itself to be racist.
I can relate Lennie, Jen, Jenny, Jenny Sue, Jennifer–and Bucky–don’t even get me started with the last names I have married. I give Mr. Torres a lot of credit for bringing to the discussion the fact our legislative bodies create what they think is a utopia for those who need assistance, a utopia they would never live in–although a few have publicly chronicled their miserable starving week of living on food stamp dollars–but the system is broken and people of color are paying the highest price.
Start with our jails.
www .americanprogress.org/issues/race/news/2012/03/13/11351/the-top-10-most-startling-facts-about-people-of-color-and-criminal-justice-in-the-united-states/
A new report by the Pew Charitable Trusts shows a family’s race, economic background and neighborhood play a role in economic mobility.
African Americans are less likely to top their parents’ income and wealth than whites are. And blacks are more likely to be stuck at the bottom of the ladder or fall out of the middle.
This study couldn’t even measure black mobility in the upper income levels because the number was too small.
Recent Census Bureau data shows white Americans have 22 times more wealth than blacks. Twenty-two times.
In 2010 the median household net worth for whites was about $111,000 compared to less than $5,000 for blacks.
Whites also have 15 times more wealth than Hispanics.
This wealth inequality is due to many factors including the implosion of the real estate market along with higher unemployment rates among minority groups.
So is it the message that is bothering some people, or the messenger?
Jennifer Buchanan, okay now, you are starting to cross over into Rick Torres’ zone with this post. How about some solutions, we know what the problems are, what is it, it makes you feel good to give this list?
Ah, Mr. Mackey, knowing is half the battle. It does not ever make me feel good to see a laundry list of injustice. All people everywhere must first understand there is a real problem before something can be done to start to fix it. I do not know what The Fix is–I doubt anyone does … but opening the discussion, as painful as it is, is a good start in my opinion.
Jennifer Buchanan, stop playing games, your efforts with CW4BB and Rick Torres and the Republicans did NOTHING to deal with those problems. I kept asking on OIB about reaching out to the black community in the 130th district and to reach out to those in PT Barnum, but no, you gave lip service. Jennifer Buchanan I have no respect for you on this topic.
Jennifer B., I have to agree with Ron Mackey. We know you and Enrique are close friends, but to defend this weird commentary is a mistake. I always believed white people outside of the gold coast here were the recipients of welfare and food stamps. The discussion is disturbing on so many levels, the most disturbing is Enrique’s interpretation. Jennifer, I am surprised you jumped in to support it with your facts and figures.
Ron–you say the Republicans did nothing to deal with these problems. Look at the stats Jenn gives. These stats represent where blacks are near the end of Obama’s (D–just in case you did not know) second term as president. Just for fun, look at the same stats at the end or Reagan or Bush’s presidencies and at the end of Clinton’s. If the stats at the end of Reagan and Bush’s presidencies were better than those at the end of Clinton and Obama’s, who would you think did more for the advancement of colored people? It seems like all the Democrat help is the kind of kindness that can kill you. Helping minorities the same way we helped Native Americans by putting them on reservations.
This would have more to do with choices than anything else. Minorities are far less likely to buy a house than whites. When they do buy a house they tend to buy it in the neighborhood where they live while whites move out. We call that white flight but it is really just economic good sense. Minorities also tend to have more kids.
Most of your wealth is your house. One guy buys a house in 1970 in BPT for $30K. The other moves out and buys a house in Fairfield for $45K. 40 years later, the one guy has a $300K house that gets split among 2 kids and the other has a $180K house that gets split among four kids. You might want to look at what the kids will do with the inheritance (save it, invest it, buy a house or buy a really fancy car). Each choice will build or dilute wealth. You can see how one group would build wealth over the generations. You would also have to look at the tendency to have life insurance, IRA’s and savings. Each generation passing wealth to the next and that generation building the wealth.
You can call me Ray or you can call me Jay …
(Is that how the commercial went?)
Seriously, talk about pandering … good grief.
Here’s the original bit done by the original comic Bill Saluga:
www .youtube.com/watch?v=qoYsfbq3vMc
Just call me the f’n troll and I’ll be happy!!!
Wazzzup, f’n Troll?
Glad to oblige, f’n troll!
Check it out,
www .unnaturalcauses.org/interactivities_01-1.php
What can I do about being labeled “White” on my birth certificate? When I was seven years old I moved to Puerto Rico and they changed my name (on school record) to Jorge and changed back around 1978 when I came back to Elias Howe. Call me Jorjoe. Wasn’t there a song titled, Midnight Train to Jorjoe?
OMG Joel, THAT was funny. Now this song will replace “Call me Al,” which has been playing in my head since I read this post. With your lyric modification, of course. 🙂
A good number of us grew up poor and lived in poor neighborhoods. Let’s not make it sound like Rick Torres and blacks have an exclusive claim to poverty.
I would like to think Torres was elected to work on today’s problems, not the wrongs of 100 years ago.
*** No one has a choice or control when they’re born over issues concerning their health, economic status, parents, religious choice, race or ethnic background, education, past history, etc. What’s happened in the past, good or bad, is merely history that hopefully by learning and understanding it, can help one make better choices and positive changes towards one’s future! The more of life’s strikes one has against them, the harder one needs to work to get on base without pointing the finger of blame as an excuse for not trying! Great current example of this rags-to-riches type story is our current “President Of The United States,” Barack Obama! ***
Not really. Obama’s father graduated from the University of Hawaii after three years with a B.A. in economics and received an A.M. in economics from Harvard. His mother graduated from the University of Hawaii with a PhD in anthropology. Obama’s stepfather graduated from the University of Hawaii with an M.A. in geography. His grandmother was promoted as one of the first female bank vice presidents and grandfather was a furniture salesman in Hawaii. They were strongly middle to upper middle class.
*** Obama comes from divorced parents and was raised mostly by his grandparents. He was born with what’s considered two color strikes against him; first strike, half African black, which is considered different from American blacks, second strike, half white. Put them together in the eyes of some blacks and whites and it describes a derogatory word called “zebra!” Depending on where you live and how you’re raised may affect which side you’re accepted by and which side you’re more comfortable with and relate to! Religion could also be a strike against him depending on the community he was raised in. Even today as President he’s still considered to be Muslim and criticized for it even though he’s not! What prestigious schools did Obama go to during his first 12 years of schooling I wonder, to prepare him for college? ***
Mojo–you don’t have to wonder. Just Google it.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Early_life_and_career_of_Barack_Obama#Education_summary
Kindergarten 1966–1967 Noelani Elementary School @Honolulu, Hawaii Public
1st-3rd grade 1968–1970 St.Francis Assisi @Jakarta, Indonesia Private Catholic
4th grade 1970–1971 State Elementary School Menteng @Jakarta, Indonesia Public
5th-12th grade 1971–1979 Punahou School @Honolulu, Hawaii Private
High school diploma, 1979
It looks like he went to a variety of schools, both public and private. Some in the US and some abroad. It looks like someone had the resources to pay for part of his education. Not the kind of thing (rags to riches) poor people can afford or choose to do. Even though he went to high school in Hawaii and I think Hawaii has relatively good schools, he attended a private High School.
Who cares what he wants to call himself, shouldn’t people have a choice about what they call themselves? Let’s stick to the real news and issues … next.
Amen.
The CT Post and OIB are reporting this drivel while the city council goes off on a junket at taxpayer expense, cancelling the last budget and appropriations committee meeting prior to being handed the budget by the mayor.
BptPorter: Right? Some posters just need a jumping-off point to create a segue into an anti-Torres rant. (Yes, I said segue.) And YAWN.
Whoa. What a response to caring. Amazing. If I had any belief leadership was heading in the right direction, my effort to confront this issue would be meaningless.
We must care to stop the decline of the black community. I will not sit around and wait for it to improve on its own. The track record of the last 60 years for blacks would not be tolerated by any other group.
BTW Latinos aren’t far behind. One crisis at a time.
Enrique, there are many battles in life we try to fight. Some are personal, others social. I do not think anyone on this blog believes you have ill will or are mean-spirited. The problem is this is not your battle. We all go through life bearing witness to injustices. It is like trying to fight your children’s battles. As much as you want to, you know it is not your battle to fight. In this case, you are choosing a battle that is not yours to fight. You may be a very well educated individual, but your education and background does not give you credibility. Education and role models will take care of all the ills of our youth. It is not a sin to be born poor. It is our responsibility as part of a society to raise others up. If it means giving opportunities to those requiring it as well as computers etc, then so be it. As an integrated society, eventually we will all gravitate toward a higher good. I do not think any specific minority has a monopoly on brains, motivation, knowledge, determination and higher aspirations. Sometimes just a little nudge or a kind word can change the destiny of many. You may be well-intentioned, but you do not hold the magic wand. Better Enrique, you focus on Black Rock and your constituents. You want to change lives? Take kids to the symphony and museums outside Bridgeport. Show them possibilities. I do not care what race, religion etc, etc, all people are the same. We can all learn from each other. People need to be exposed to external stimuli and they will grow up wanting to learn more and contribute to society. I am hopeful.
Rick Torres, let’s start with what you just wrote, “We must care to stop the decline of the black community. I will not sit around and wait for it to improve on its own. The track record of the last 60 years for blacks would not be tolerated by any other group.” What is it you, Rick Torres, are doing to fight this and what is your Republican Party doing?
Rick, do you know any blacks in Bridgeport? Have you ever spoken to Rev. Anthony Bennett, Sonny Gardner, Donald Day, Lyle Jones, Marilyn Moore? I’m sure you haven’t because they would have given you a very deep conversation that would show you you are off base about blacks. Rick, keep on talking.
Can someone please translate this for me?
From John Marshall Lee
And please refrain from accusing me of word games. I find this subject a serious problem in itself, and the fact we cannot even move beyond the statement itself in dialogue, shows the true impediment it is to community solutions. As for me, I am willing to meet you, have coffee or a meal together, let you get to know me and vice versa or even begin with phone conversations. But you have ignored all such serious offers. You have some time and I am willing to use some of mine as well. Do you not respect me for my serious purpose in the City, at least? And can you set aside for the moment what one or more Council members have said about my addresses to the Council? (After all I am only waiting for other OIB readers to get answers to the questions I regularly ask, and you have never told me my questions are out of order.) I am waiting for you to respectfully take me seriously. Time will tell.
Bob Walsh,
Perhaps you missed a thread or two on OIB. It was a direct answer to Ron Mackey who chose to accuse me of “word games” previously. My response. And then an invitation, offered several times previously, to Ron to communicate in a more direct and deeper fashion. That’s all. If you are still confused by the statement you reproduced, I am available by phone 203-259-9642. Time will tell.
Anyone who feels like commenting on the black reality may do so. I haven’t pretended to speak on what it is like to be a black man, although I feel no other group faces such obstacles.
I have commented blacks are not achieving at the levels they should and their failure rate is unacceptable. If any of this insults you, that is too damn bad, call a black cop and have him arrest me for caring about blacks. I’m sure there is a law against that.
Rick Torres, come down off your soapbox with comments like, “If any of this insults you, that is too damn bad, call a black cop and have him arrest me for caring about blacks,” hey Rick, this is the United States of America and no ones gets arrested for an insult. The real insult are your comments but please, keep making them. That is so nice of you caring about blacks and keep up your good work of NOT doing anything about those blacks you care about.
Ron–this is kind of a double standard. Rick is just a council person. A minority council (R as opposed to D) member at that. One of the few, if not the only, thing he can do is bring this issue to the forefront. Start a conversation about the possible causes, solutions and implications of the issue. In reality the city council does little more than approve or disapprove the mayor’s policies. Rick’s comments and ideas are not that different in substance than the ones Obama put forward in his “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. Rick lacks the ability to legislate an initiative.
Now, you criticize Republicans for not helping minorities. Then criticize Republicans who do something to cast light on minority issues. You have to choose one side or the other. You either want them to help or you want them to do nothing. One of these choices has to be the one you support. I know he is a Republican but your ‘damned if you do, damned if you don’t’ thing is a little hypocritical.
BOE SPY, you’re off base, this is just a group of people getting together to talk about a common cause, there is no rank or titles, it’s just a group of people talking.
BOE SPY, in fact Rick Torres could meet with the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance Of Greater Bridgeport, Firebird Society of Bridgeport and the Bridgeport Guardians to make his views known.
Rick Torres, seeing as you are now an elected City Council member and Bridgeport has a large number black residents of all ages, you need to invite all of the other black City Council members to your store to hold meetings to discuss your issues about blacks. You are now in a position to gain support.
www .cpbn.org/program/color-justice
Ron Mackey, you just gave Enrique a brilliant idea! Perhaps you and Jennifer can help Enrique orchestrate a weekly meeting at Harborview Market. Not only will he improve his clientele, he can share his ideas in a casual nonthreatening environment. Maybe create a huge think tank on how to cure the problems plaguing the black community. Maybe we can get interest from Dateline or 20/20. Maybe Oprah will come and invite him on her show as the Messiah for Black America. The ramifications are endless. I’m seeing book deals, a possible Lifetime movie, a run for Congress and maybe the first Hispanic Republican President of the United States. I’m getting goosebumps–NOT. But I do believe Harborview Market would make a great meeting place to discuss these issue with members of the black community. Let’s get the Connecticut Post to do a special on this and get Enrique’s views and goals.
This whole thing is pure bullshit. Enrique, my ass. With all the problems in this city, we have a Cuban telling the blacks what their problems are and why they have been screwed for all these years. According to some who post here it’s only the minorities who have suffered the scourge of poverty. Try chasing the coal wagon to get any coal that falls off so you can have some heat. Try warming bricks on the coal stove so they can be put under the blankets of your bed for temporary warmth. Try have the soldiers, sailors and marine fund deliver food to your house every week. Poverty has no ethnic preference, it affected everyone. Rick, get back on point or your political career will be short.
I imagine you want Rick to be prepared to look at budget items like:
“What do you do when the Federal $$$ run out?” Three years ago Bridgeport received an award of millions to support police hiring and training. Received and spent. And now who will pay the dollars to maintain? Security for citizens, quality of life improvement, school security corridors for youth, gun training (to silence unlawful discharges like The Gun at Bagel King) and overtime pension or external OT issues that are important and often expensive? Time will tell.
Yes, I do. I am not interested in his unsupported statements.
Enrique, I welcome your thoughts.
I wonder how many of us are out there helping a youth (both African Americans or Latinos). Why don’t we AA and L visit Central High School and find out how a Professor is helping out our youth, let’s find out how we can help so many more can be reached. How about DJ Redd (sorry if I misspelled your name). He is working with our youth to empower, motivate them by using his talent, that of music. How many of us have stretched out our hand to help … because the help is needed. So, to Enrique, if you have a vision to help the less fortunate, then continue your work. The light at the end of the tunnel will not/is not the train coming.
*** The plight of the American Black in the USA has been looked at, talked about, sung about and studied by many people of different races, past, present and near future. What seems to have been forgotten by many is the plight of the average Human Beings who lack the basic needs those who have take for granted in 2014! *** THE PLIGHT OF THE WORLD! ***