It’s true that Bix Beiderbecke, king of the cornet, was gone at 28, Charlie Parker at 34, Dinah Washington at 39, John Coltrane at 40. Billie Holiday made it to 44 — not young, but an age that should have been before her time.

Some musicians, classical and rock, as well as jazz, reach especially advanced ages. The music stimulates their mind, connects them with others and lowers stress. Importantly, performing is also a physical workout. Watch the virtuosi sweat.

Tony Bennett passed at 96, having sung only 23 months earlier (with Lady Gaga). Though the performances were billed as “One Last Time,” Bennett seemed in fine form.

The early deaths were usually tied to addictions. Biedernecke was an alcoholic. Washington was cut down by abuse of prescription drugs. Parker, Coltrane and Holiday suffered multiple addictions.

How did Walter Theodore Rollins escape? Born in Harlem, Rollins took some wrong turns. At 21, he helped rob a tobacco store and did time in jail. And he got hooked on heroin. But at around age 24, Rollins put himself into the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky, and broke the habit.

Also called the Lexington Narcotic Farm, the facility was both a prison and hospital for addicts. Numerous musicians and artists passed through. Relapses were common, but Rollins was not among them.

From then on, Rollins committed himself to staying sober and healthy, spiritually and physically. He got into yoga and meditation, which he practiced religiously. Many a recovering alcoholic know their power.

It is a falsehood, as Rollins demonstrated, that getting high feeds creativity. A year after leaving “Lexington,” as musicians called the hospital, Rollins recorded his seminal album, “Saxophone Colossus.” From there he built his legacy as an improvisational genius.

Rollins was not alone among other jazz greats who lived well into their 90s. They include Eubie Blake (96), Marian McPartland and Benny Carter (95), Lionel Hampton and Bucky Pizzarelli (94).

The list of rock musicians perishing in their 20s and 30s from drug abuse is voluminous: Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Brian Jones, Jim Morrison and Amy Winehouse all died at 27. Sid Vicious didn’t make it past 21. But Mick Jagger still performs at 82.

Let’s not overstate the extent to which mind-altering substances spur creativity by relaxing the brain and freeing up associations. Researchers find that novel thoughts do not necessarily lead to good art.

I recall attending a memorial service for Horace Silver, the master of hard bop, who had died at the respectably ripe age of 85. The son of a Cape Verdean immigrant, Silver started life with scoliosis among other physical burdens. But he used those challenges to pursue a life dedicated to family, spirit and healthy eating. He had cut down touring to spend more time with his wife and son. It’s all there in his autobiography, “Let’s Get to the Nitty Gritty.”

When the service ended, young jazz musicians filled the church with Silver’s gospel-flavored, Brazilian-inspired sounds. (Steely Dan borrowed heavily from Silver for their opening of “Rikki Don’t Lose That Number.”)

Like Rollins, Silver lacked nothing in creativity and didn’t regard self-destruction as the price for producing original sounds. Starting in 1959, Rollins “disappeared” for a while to work on his art. He would practice for hours on New York’s Williamsburg Bridge.

He emerged three years later with an album called “The Bridge.” And as a bonus, he had 64 years left to make more music. Rollins knew that great artists didn’t have to die young.

Written by Froma Harrop

Official website; https://twitter.com/FromaHarrop

Staff Writer; Jamar Jackson

This brother writes with a love for poetry, music, and real conversations that reflect everyday life in the Black community… Much of his inspiration comes from old records, spoken word, and the kind of stories people carry with them for years… One may contact him at; JJackson@ThyBlackMan.com.

Before Spike really shook Hollywood up, Black movies often felt filtered down too much. Studios wanted stories safe enough not to scare mainstream audiences. Spike never seemed interested in playing that game. His characters talked like people we actually knew. The neighborhoods looked lived in. Cats sweating on hot Brooklyn blocks. Old heads sitting outside watching everything happening around them. Young brothers trying to survive while carrying pressure they barely understood themselves. Nothing felt overly cleaned up for approval. That honesty hit different.

A lot of that perspective probably comes from the fact Spike is a proud graduate of Morehouse College. Brothers who understand HBCU culture know those spaces shape you mentally. There is pride there. Debate. Black history. Confidence. Style. Community. You can feel that influence running through Spike’s work because his movies carry the energy of somebody deeply connected to Black people instead of somebody studying us from afar trying to imitate what he sees.

When School Daze came out, many Black students immediately recognized what Spike was talking about. Colorism. Greek life. Hair politics. Identity struggles. Class differences. He brought all those conversations right onto the screen while other filmmakers probably would have avoided them completely. Some folks got uncomfortable because certain scenes felt too real. But that was Spike’s gift. The brother never ran from uncomfortable truth.

Then Do the Right Thing landed and changed Black cinema forever. Even today that movie still feels alive because America still wrestles with many of the same tensions. Anybody raised around urban neighborhoods recognized the emotional temperature immediately. Hot summer days. Police tension. Frustration sitting underneath conversations. People trying to survive financially while pride and anger keep bumping into each other constantly. Spike captured all of that naturally. The characters did not feel fake. They felt familiar.

One thing I always respected about Do the Right Thing was how Spike trusted audiences enough not to hand them easy answers. Everybody watches that movie differently depending on life experience. Some people defend Sal. Others connect more with Radio Raheem or Mookie. Brothers still debate that ending decades later because real life rarely wraps itself up neatly. Spike understood that complexity.

Then came Malcolm X, and honestly, that picture felt bigger than Hollywood. Spike knew exactly how important Malcolm X remained to Black America, so he treated the story carefully instead of turning it into some watered down history lesson. Under Spike’s direction, Denzel Washington gave one of the greatest performances ever seen on screen. Young Black men walked out theaters wanting to learn more about themselves afterward. That kind of impact matters.

What made Malcolm X connect deeply was the humanity inside the storytelling. Malcolm was not shown like some untouchable figure floating above ordinary people. Audiences watched him struggle, evolve, sharpen mentally, and stand stronger in his beliefs over time. A lot of brothers saw pieces of themselves inside that journey because many were trying to rebuild their own lives while fighting through difficult environments.

Another Spike Lee film that really connected inside Black households was He Got Game. That movie understood basketball culture better than most sports films ever made. Spike knew talented young athletes often carry entire neighborhoods on their backs before adulthood even arrives. Family expectations. Coaches chasing money. Friends wanting help. Fathers trying to reconnect. Everybody pulling at one young brother from different directions. That pressure felt real because Spike understood the culture surrounding Black athletes beyond just highlight reels.

Family tension always felt authentic in Spike’s movies too. Fathers and sons arguing awkwardly. Pride getting in the way of communication. Love existing underneath frustration nobody knows how to express properly. A lot of Black men recognized those dynamics immediately because many of us grew up around similar situations. Spike never tried making everybody perfect. His characters felt flawed, emotional, stubborn, funny, intelligent, angry, and human all at once.

Years before social media turned outrage into entertainment, Spike also warned people about exploitation through Bamboozled. Looking back now, that movie almost feels prophetic. Spike questioned how entertainment industries profit from stereotypes and humiliation while audiences casually consume the content without thinking deeply about consequences. At the time, some folks probably missed what he was saying. Today the message feels impossible to ignore.

You can also see Spike Lee’s influence all over today’s Black filmmakers. Directors like Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Ava DuVernay, and Barry Jenkins all create stories centered around Black identity confidently. They bring politics, emotion, culture, trauma, fear, and beauty into their work without apologizing constantly for it. That freedom did not magically appear overnight. Spike spent decades helping kick those doors open creatively.

Of course, not everybody always agrees with Spike Lee. Some people feel he pushes racial conversations too directly. Others think certain films intentionally create discomfort. Truthfully, that may be exactly why his work continues lasting. Art that changes culture usually irritates somebody eventually. Spike never moved like a man interested in blending quietly into Hollywood just to keep everybody smiling around him.

Now before somebody starts naming Crooklyn, Mo’ Better Blues, Inside Man, or BlacKkKlansman, understand these are simply a few personal favorites and examples. Spike Lee’s catalog runs deep enough that every brother probably has a different answer depending on what stage of life he was in while watching his movies.

For me, Malcolm X still stands above everything because it felt spiritual, emotional, political, and personal all at once. Another brother may choose Do the Right Thing because of how relevant it still feels right now. Somebody else may connect more with He Got Game because of the father and son relationship running through the story. That is what makes Spike Lee different. His films hit people personally.

One thing remains undeniable though. Black cinema changed once Spike Lee stepped into Hollywood. The brother brought authenticity, cultural pride, neighborhood energy, political conversation, and Black identity onto the screen in ways the industry could no longer ignore.

I would honestly like to know which Spike Lee movie stays with you the most personally and why. Not necessarily the biggest hit financially, but the one that still sits in your spirit years later.

Staff Writer; Jamar Jackson

This brother writes with a love for poetry, music, and real conversations that reflect everyday life in the Black community… Much of his inspiration comes from old records, spoken word, and the kind of stories people carry with them for years… One may contact him at; JJackson@ThyBlackMan.com.

What separates him from many stars is the feeling he brings onto the screen. Some actors entertain people. Denzel reaches something deeper. Young brothers watch him closely because he carries intelligence without sounding preachy. Older men respect the discipline in the way he speaks and moves. Mothers trust the characters he portrays because there is usually some sense of responsibility tied to them even when flaws exist. A lot of young Black males have searched for examples during these years. Some had fathers guiding them daily while others learned from music, streets, church elders, or athletes. Denzel quietly became part of that learning process for countless homes across America.

When Malcolm X reached theaters, the impact inside Black communities felt immediate. Brothers who normally skipped historical discussions suddenly wanted to know more about Malcolm X. That alone says everything. Denzel gave the role spirit and fire. You could feel the transformation taking place through every stage of Malcolm’s journey. The early hustle. The prison years. The sharpening of the mind. The discipline. The growth into leadership. Young Black men connected with that because many understood what it means to struggle with identity while trying to become something stronger.

The performance never felt stiff or overly polished. That was the beauty of it. Malcolm came across like a living, breathing man dealing with pain, mistakes, purpose, and change. Plenty of brothers walked out theaters feeling inspired afterward. Some started reading more seriously. Others became more conscious about how they carried themselves in public. Certain men even changed the way they spoke to family members after watching the film. That role planted seeds. A lot of people may never admit it openly, but Denzel helped push many Black men toward self reflection during that era.

Years later, The Hurricane brought another unforgettable performance. The story of Rubin Carter struck nerves because Black men already understood what it feels like to be viewed unfairly. Denzel captured exhaustion in a way that felt painfully real. There are scenes where he barely raises his voice, yet audiences can still feel the anger sitting inside the character. That quiet frustration connects deeply with many viewers because countless Black men spend years swallowing emotions just to survive daily life.

What makes that role stand out is the dignity Denzel gives the character. Even while trapped inside terrible circumstances, Rubin Carter still carries pride and mental toughness. Black men recognize that spirit immediately. Some brothers have experienced unfair treatment from schools, jobs, police, or society in general. Watching somebody refuse to mentally collapse despite enormous pressure feels powerful. Denzel does not overplay the role with dramatic tricks. He trusts the emotion to speak naturally through his face and body language. That honesty makes the performance hit harder.

Then came Training Day, which shocked many people because audiences had never really seen Denzel step into darkness like that before. Alonzo Harris feels dangerous from the moment he appears on screen. Every city has men carrying that same energy. Charismatic individuals who know how to control rooms through fear, manipulation, and confidence. Denzel plays the role so naturally that viewers almost forget they are watching an actor. Black men especially understand the deeper message hiding underneath the character.

Alonzo represents what happens when power consumes somebody completely. Beneath the swagger sits insecurity, paranoia, and spiritual emptiness. Older brothers watching the film see warnings inside the performance. A man can have money, influence, respect on the streets, and still lose himself entirely. Denzel gives the character layers instead of turning him into some simple villain. That complexity makes the movie unforgettable. Young men learn that leadership without integrity eventually collapses under its own weight.

Not long afterward, John Q touched Black fathers in a completely different way. That film reflects everyday pressure many working men know all too well. Bills stacking up. Jobs wearing you down. Feeling helpless while trying to protect your family. Denzel brings raw emotion into the role because the desperation feels believable. There is nothing glamorous about John Q. He looks like countless fathers waking up before sunrise every day trying to hold everything together with limited resources.

A lot of Black men connect with the frustration in that movie because they understand sacrifice. Hollywood has spent years pushing ugly ideas about Black fatherhood, yet John Q shows a man willing to risk everything for his child. That hits home. Brothers sitting in theaters see reflections of themselves, uncles, cousins, and friends inside that story. Some viewers walk out emotional because they rarely see working class Black fathers shown with that level of humanity and love.

When Fences arrived years later, Denzel gave audiences another role that felt painfully familiar inside many Black households. Troy Maxson reminds people of older fathers and grandfathers shaped by hard living and disappointment. Men from certain generations were taught survival before softness. They carried pain quietly because life demanded toughness from them constantly. Denzel understands that world deeply, and it shows throughout the performance.

Troy frustrates many viewers, but that is the point. He loves his family while still hurting them emotionally. Black men recognize that contradiction because some grew up around older relatives who struggled expressing affection properly. The role sparked conversations between generations because younger brothers finally started seeing how unresolved pain can travel through families for years. Denzel never tries making Troy overly likable. He allows him to feel human with all the rough edges still attached.

What truly makes Denzel important to Black men is not simply talent. It is the depth he brings into the lives of the people he portrays. Whether playing Malcolm, Rubin Carter, Alonzo, John Q, or Troy Maxson, he treats each role with seriousness and respect. Young brothers watching those films absorb lessons about pride, accountability, discipline, temptation, sacrifice, and emotional struggle without realizing it at the time.

Even away from movies, many Black men admire how Denzel carries himself publicly. No constant attention seeking. No embarrassing behavior for headlines. Just consistency, faith, professionalism, and wisdom. Older brothers respect that because dignity matters in our communities. Younger men need to witness somebody successful who does not move like a clown for validation.

As Black audiences continue searching for substance, leadership, and authenticity on screen, it raises another question worth asking. Will there ever be another actor capable of carrying Black male cinema the way Denzel Washington continues to do across multiple generations? Hollywood changes constantly, but very few men command the same respect across age groups, communities, and decades the way Denzel has managed to do.

Now before somebody mentions Glory, Remember the Titans, Philadelphia, Man on Fire, American Gangster, The Equalizer, or another classic, understand these are simply a few personal favorites that stand out to me over the years. Truthfully, Denzel’s catalog runs so deep that every brother probably has a different movie sitting close to his heart depending on what stage of life he watched it in.

I don’t know about you, but I can truly say I need a little break from all the winning. It has been overwhelming. It has been breathtaking.

I could use a break from the winning for a while. It has been lightning quick, non-stop winning on so many fronts. Out of fairness, perhaps we should allow the other guys to win some, just to make it competitive.

Let’s look at some of the many wins so far.

From day one before, he could warm up his desk seat, he single-handily brought the runaway inflation that he inherited from the previous administration completely under control. Like a masterful magician he waved his magic wand and the high price of eggs, bacon, bread, beer, coffee, gas and oil vanished into thin air.

Affordability was no longer some mysterious concept but a living reality for everyday American families.

Americans everywhere have seen unbelievable low prices on items never ever witnessed in years. Perhaps, ever. It has been nothing less than amazing and miraculous.

Prices continue to fall to the point it is just overwhelming. There is serious concern that with prices so low and continuing to fall Americans may become severely overweight.

Then there are the tariffs established by executive orders. Before the ink could dry, manufacturing plants relocated from other countries to the US. Thousands if not millions of jobs overnight flowed into the US. It has been nothing short of mind-blowing.

There would have been far more new plants and manufacturing jobs if the courts would not have interfered with the winning. But even with those courts interfering, manufacturing plants from Asian and other places began to relocate to the US. American workers, especially younger workers, are ecstatic and are rushing to fill the slots on assembly lines in those plants.

As one young man pointed out, “This is a dream come true. More than anything, being an influencer, rap artist or social media creator, I always wanted to work on an assembly line in a plant.”

The credit for this great win is due to the tariffs and the fantastic, unprecedented deals won by the current occupant of the Oval Office. Let no one be mistaken, only the current occupant of the Oval Office and no one else could have done it.

Countries for years probably going back to the early days of the nation’s founding have unfairly taken advantage of American presidents. Suckering them into terrible economic trade deals. But no longer.

New trade deals have been established within a wink of an eye. The current occupant of the Oval Office is a grand negotiator. A supreme deal maker.

The US is no longer a victim nation. The economic trade war has been won by America. It is just another in a barrelful of wins.

The US has gone from a place that foreign visitors were reluctant to travel to. Now it is the hottest place on the planet to visit. Everyone wants to visit the US.

There was a time foreigners questioned if it was safe to travel to the US. They were told it was too risky.

That ruthless, foreign street gangs and alternative, multi gender cabals had invaded the US spreading unbelievable terror across cities, towns and farm areas.

That is no longer the case. Bathrooms and bedrooms have been made safe again.

Federal troops and ICE are out there on the streets protecting lives and rights. Foreign visitors are flocking to the US in unprecedented numbers now.

Tourist centers, hotels and motels are now overbooked for the unforeseeable future. It has been incredible.

The US is so hot it is on fire. It has been a great win for everyone, not just the millionaires and the billionaires in the US. Everybody is winning.

People in other countries used to look at the US and Americans worryingly. Americans they felt were fat, ugly, uncouth and uncivilized. Not anymore.

The Canadians, Greenlanders, Mexicans, Nigerians, Cubans and people around the world have rediscovered America and Americans. They have nothing but love for the nation and its people. They now sing hosannas in praise of America and its people.

Until the current occupant of the Oval Office, American presidents were mocked and ridiculed by foreign leaders. They laugh behind their backs at them. No longer.

The current occupant is hailed and respected by foreign leaders everywhere. Jokes are no longer made. Foreign leaders are breaking down doors in an attempt to meet with the current occupant. Many have taken to dressing even speaking like him.

Then there was the war with Iran. It was a huge win for the US. Overnight the US was able to completely obliterate its nuclear weapons and its military capabilities.

Less than a year later the US returned just to ensure that Iran was not trying to piece together the destroyed pieces. Have to give them credit, the Iranians are an enterprising people.

Still, one would have thought Iran would have learned a lesson the first go around when they saw all their nuclear efforts setback to the stone age. But they didn’t.

The Iranians have since learned their lesson. It has been a painful lesson: Don’t mess with the US. It is not a paper tiger.

They were given 24 hours to surrender. It only took them a few minutes for them to bend their knees. Another great win for the US. World leaders including China, Russia and others were forced to conclude definitively the current leader of the US is not only not a buffoon but a military genius, perhaps one of the greatest in all history.

In recognition of how much we have been winning, the current occupant of the Oval Office is planning a new huge White House ballroom, an arch of success and a new garden project featuring all the founding fathers and others. During these great economic times this is exactly what the nation needs and wants.

We have been “winning bigly.” We have been winning so much it is tiring.

Staff Writer; Al Alatunji

Question or comment regarding this article? Feel free to send a message to: Alatunji@ThyBlackMan.com.

Soap operas began as radio programs that morphed into TV series with the advent of television in the 1940s. They were mostly watched by women because men were away at work in the factory or on the family farm plowing the fields.

Major soap manufacturers were the primary sponsors since women did all the household chores during this time.  The sponsors were companies like Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, and Lever Brothers.

Soap operas explored themes like love, betrayal, sex, social issues, corruption among the elite and political class.

Modern day soaps have an intense focus on dysfunction, tearing down of traditional social norms (the concept of man and woman) with an obsessive focus on how “racist” America is.  In many ways today’s soaps are anti-America.

Listening to the hysterical freaking out by radical liberals over last week’s U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the Voting Rights Act, you would think America is on “The Edge of Night.”

As I have written in previous columns, the international intelligence consensus, led by our CIA, about the Black community is that “they are very emotional…if you get them emotional, they will lose sight of their objectives.”

So, like clockwork, it was no surprise that after the U.S. Supreme Court released it’s 6-3 ruling in the Louisiana v. Callais case that radical Black liberal media appointed leaders and organizations lost their collective minds.

Democrat shills like Roland Martin, Joy Reid, Don Lemon, Laura Coasts, Whoopie Goldberg, Sunny Hostin, Jemele Hill, Barak Obama; and radical liberal organizations like the NAACP, The National Urban League, the Congressional Black Caucus, the Black Economic Alliance, the United Negro College Fund, the Thurgood Marshall Fund, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Bar Association all claimed that white racist Republicans like Donald Trump were trying to put Blacks back in slavery.

The court did not, let me repeat, DID NOT overturn the 1965 Voting Rights Act!  They simply said that you cannot base the drawing of a congressional district with the sole intent of packing enough Black voters in a district so that it guarantees a Black will be elected.

Implicit in what these radical Black liberals are saying is that the only way for Blacks to win an election is for them to receive only Black votes.

In other words, whites will not vote for a Black candidate.  Nothing could be more anti-American.

There are currently four Black Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives:  Byron Donalds (FL), Wesley Hunt (TX), John James (MI), Burgess Owens (UT).  They each represent a majority white district.

And what radical liberals always seem to forget is that America voted twice for Barak Obama, each time with a majority of the white vote.

So where is the political racism?  I will wait for your answer…

The Supreme Court basically said that it is perfectly fine to gerrymander based on party affiliation (Democrat, Republican); but you cannot do it to guarantee an outcome based on race (majority-minority districts).

Can someone please tell me how this is devastating to the Black community?

Another question for my radical liberal sycophants, I have seen you all over the media ranting about how Republicans and conservatives have been chipping away at voting rights, affirmative action, and other liberal programs for decades; so why did you not do anything legislatively to protect these programs or update these programs for the 21^st century?

In Bill Clinton’s and Barak Obama’s first terms in office, Democrats controlled the House, Senate and the White House and you did nothing.  Were they also racists?

To the NAACP, The National Urban League, the Congressional Black Caucus, Black Economic Alliance, the National Association of Black Journalists, the Thurgood Marshall Fund, the United Negro College Fund, the National Bar Association, why were you not forward thinking enough to be proactive versus reactive?  Since radical liberal Black leadership “knew” Republicans were attempting to eradicate these programs why did they do nothing?

Herein lies the problems with the media appointed radical Black leaders in the Black community, they are worthless.  They are supposed to be the “talented tenth,”  “the boule,” “the bourgeoisie.”

How much of the blame for the Black community’s plight fall at the feet of these weak, radical, liberal organizations and their bought and paid for leadership?

The Supreme Court’s decision is going to force both Black and white, liberal and conservative, Democrat and Republican to work together in coalitions based on a shared agenda.

This is what these crazy radical Black liberals refuse talk about.  By getting rid of the minority districts, whites will pick up a considerable amount of Black voters that will necessitate dialogue and interaction.

Who would argue that this is a bad thing?

These white and Black elected officials will now have to build relationships with people under the new maps they would normally never have to engage with.

In majority white districts, elected officials could ignore their Black constituents; in majority Black districts elected officials could ignore their white constituents.

Under the new maps Black and white elected officials will be forced to interact with the new voters of their districts.

These once useful laws and programs from the 1960s began with the intent of creating equality and justice specifically for Blacks; but they have morphed into guaranteed outcomes (majority-minority districts, all but guaranteeing that a Black would win the election).

That is the singular issue the Supreme Court was addressing in its ruling last week.  Nothing more, nothing less.

The right to vote, still there.  The right to pick your representative based on your political values, still there. The right to guarantee that you have a Black representative, gone!

If you want a Black representative, build coalitions and meet at the ballot box.

According to Pew Research, “the number of Black eligible voters in the United States is projected to reach 34.4 million in November 2024 (the latest year data is available) after several years of modest growth. And Black eligible voters stand out for turnout rates that are higher than among Latino and Asian eligible voters.”

According to this same research, Blacks comprise 14% of all voters.  Half of Black eligible voters live in one of eight states. Texas has the largest number, with 2.9 million, followed by Georgia and Florida (2.6 million each). Rounding out the top eight are New York (2.4 million), California (2.0 million), North Carolina (1.8 million), and Maryland and Illinois (1.4 million each). Together, these states account for 52% of Black eligible voters in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Regionally, more than half of Black eligible voters (57%) live in Southern states. The Midwest (17%) and Northeast (16%) have the next-highest shares of the nation’s Black eligible voters, while relatively few live in the West (10%).

Black eligible voters are more likely than eligible voters to be women (53% vs. 51%). They also tend to be younger than eligible voters overall: 60% of Black eligible voters are under the age of 50, compared with 52% of all U.S. eligible voters.

Only 64% of eligible Black voters actually voted in 2024.  This is the problem, not racism.

So as opposed to giving Blacks a reason to vote,  radical Black liberals keep trying to force Black voters to accept amnesty for illegals, boys in girl sports, homosexuality, no punishment for crimes, higher taxes and radical feminism.  Black voters continue to show they are not in agreement with these media appointed leaders, so an increasing number are now voting Republican.

As the soulful singer, Michael McDonald told me, “what a fool believes he sees; no wiseman has the power to reason away; ‘cause what seems to be is always better than nothing at all.”

Staff Writer; Raynard Jackson

This talented brother is a Pulitzer Award nominated columnist and founder and chairman of Black Americans for a Better Future (BAFBF), a federally registered 527 Super PAC established to get more Blacks involved in the Republican Party. BAFBF focuses on the Black entrepreneur. For more information about BAFBF, visit www.bafbf.org. You can follow Raynard on Twitter; RealRaynardJ; on Gettr: RaynardJackson.

Can also drop him an email at; RaynardJ@ThyBlackMan.com.

]]> https://thyblackman.com/2026/05/05/supreme-court-voting-rights-act-ruling-black-voters-analysis/feed/ 2 https://thyblackman.com/2026/04/27/trump-under-pressure-polls-fall-mark-kelly-media-attacks/ https://thyblackman.com/2026/04/27/trump-under-pressure-polls-fall-mark-kelly-media-attacks/#comments Tue, 28 Apr 2026 03:32:56 +0000 https://thyblackman.com/?p=139478 (ThyBlackMan.com) These are troubling times for President Donald Trump. His poll numbers are in the toilet. The country doesn’t trust him with the economy and doesn’t support him on what was his favorite issue, immigration. The war he started is not going well and is not popular. He needs to “win” it and make it be over and the Iranians are not cooperating. They are like that.

So what does the King do when things are spinning out of control? Usually, we’d be worrying about him starting a war, but he’s already done that and while it might have distracted from the Epstein of it all, rising gas prices more than made up for that. So if you can’t start a new war and you’re having trouble winning the war you did start, what do you do?

Attack. What else explains the president’s decision to unload, again, on Sen. Mark Kelly, the former astronaut who flew 39 combat missions in Desert Storm and had the audacity to make a tape, with other veterans in Congress, telling the military and intelligence communities that they should not follow illegal orders? Holocaust Studies 101. Not to Trump, who called it treasonous at the time. Not to Hegseth, who moved to strip Kelly of his military pension and demote him; that’s in federal court right now, where Kelly will certainly win.

On Wednesday, Trump took to Truth Social, posting that Kelly should be imprisoned. “Lock him up,” was the phrase he used. An American hero.

It’s the playbook of this administration. Look at Kash Patel. He should be the former Director of the FBI by this point. The fact that he’s not is only testament to how many loyalty points he’s won for targeting Trump’s targets. And his own. including The New York Times reporter who had the audacity to write a piece about how taxpayer-funded security teams were escorting Patel’s girlfriend to her beauty appointments. So what did Kash do? According to The New York Times, he had the FBI investigate the reporter for possible “stalking” because she talked on the phone with the girlfriend once and, following standard reporting techniques, asked her for names of those she should speak with and made her own calls. Since when is reporting stalking? When it’s done to a Trump insider.

At least Fed Chair Jerome Powell is off the hook. They were after him too; the minions at the FBI and the Justice Department were determined to punish him for standing up to President Trump when some Republican senators got in the way to make clear that dropping the trumped-up investigation was the only way to get Powell’s successor confirmed.

That these trumped-up investigations — of Kelly, for instance, or The New York Times reporter, or an earlier search targeting a Washington Post reporter — run into obstacles in the form of federal judges, grand juries, or even members of Congress does not mean that they are harmless. They denigrate all those involved and have a chilling effect both inside and outside the government. Knowing that you can be fired for not following the president’s political agenda undercuts the security that civil service should protect. Career prosecutors get fired for taking on the president and his men, or not taking on their baggage. Reporters get investigated for doing their jobs as reporters. The New York Times has the will and the resources to fight back when its reporter is threatened. The Atlantic, which Patel has now hopelessly sued in a stunt filing that will likely go nowhere, will fight back. But the damage is done.

President Trump is scheduled to break bread with the press corps he detests at Saturday night’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner. It will be a difficult night for the president, not because the organization is out to embarrass him (they invited a mentalist, not the usual comedian, to host, sparing the president his own version of Saturday Night Live), but the temptation for him to attack, with all those enemies in the room, will likely be more than he can resist. It’s not that it’s smart politics. It’s not. It’s just his nature.

Written by Susan Estrich