I rushed home on Thursday night, ate dinner and then parked myself in front of the TV in my office to hear what LeBron James had to say. I wasn’t alone. Millions tuned in on ESPN at 9 p.m. to see where King James would take his basketball talents. We all know, now, that he [...]
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Tags: black, james, lebron, man, money, power, race, racism
Posted in Battinto's column • 5 Comments »
That headline got your attention, didn’t it? I wish I knew for sure where LeBron is going to play next year. If I did, I’d be famous for breaking the story. But my instincts tell me something about his decision to make the announcement on ESPN during an hour-long broadcast and donate sponsorship proceeds to [...]
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Tags: boys, cleveland, club, girls, james, leaving, lebron
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You would think after spending two years in a federal penitentiary, Mike Vick would want nothing at all to do with law enforcement. You would think after losing millions in endorsements and salary from the NFL, the Mike Vick would cherish this second chance he’s been given to play professional football. You would think after [...]
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Tags: mike, vick, virginia beach
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PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Go anywhere in this historic town and you’ll find someone with an opinion about Mayor James W. Holley III. Many appreciate everything he’s done for the city and want him to complete his term. Others respect and tolerate him, though they think he’s held the position too long. And yet another faction [...]
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Tags: holley, james, mayor, portsmouth, recall
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This marks my return from my self-imposed hiatus. I have taken a few months off to tend to other projects, and though many of them remain incomplete, I felt it was time to start writing again. One thing my absence has done is given me lots to say. But I am not going to say [...]
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Barack Obama is bright. He is charismatic. He is a great orator. He has a beautiful family. He is inspiring. He is also a good teacher, especially when it comes to how to deal with the issue of race. I think he provides an excellent blueprint for African Americans who seek leadership positions and overall [...]
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Tags: obama, president, racism
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One of the things that I always respected about the military was its insistence on decorum and respect. On more than one occasion, I have encountered a military man or woman who when addressing me, respectfully called me “sir.” It always sort of jolts me at first, especially when the individual is obviously as old [...]
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When President Obama stepped into the controversy regarding the arrest of Henry Louis “Skip” Gates by offering his commentary on the issue, many people became critical of him. They found it foolish for the President to give his two cents worth regarding an issue that has burned in this nation for a very long time. [...]
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Tags: beck, biden, cambridge, crowley, gates, harvard, malkin, obama, police, president, race, racism, relations
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It was the mid-1990s and I was in my late 20s, a stage when I was exiting my young and shall I say adventurous bachelor life and beginning to think about settling down. Like many other young African American men, I had strong opinions about homosexuality. My strong opinion was keep it away from me. [...]
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Tags: arkansas, author, bestseller, died, e. lynn harris, gay, homosexual, invisible life
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When it comes to issues of race and the debates surrounding it, I typically take the approach that President Obama uses. While cognizant of the problems and aware that they impact me in a profound way, I do not wear my opinions on my sleeve. I am not quick to call something an act of [...]
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Tags: african, american, arrest, barack, blacks, cambridge, cnn, gates, harvard, health care, henry, in america, louis, obama, president, profiling, racism, the batts report
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