Confederate Flags at Dr. King’s Church

If the confederate battle flag were not a symbol of hate, why would someone leave several of them on the lawn of Ebenezer Baptist Church yesterday, under the cover of darkness at 1:00 a.m.?.

This is the home church of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This is my home church.  This hits very close to home for me.

If everyone who thinks there is nothing wrong with the confederate battle flag flying and its’ soldiers being honored publicly, then ask why any state or nation would honor a group who tried to overthrow their leadership?

Do you think Germany honors Hitler or flies the Nazi flag anywhere?  (Actually, I believe it is illegal to fly or display the Nazi  flag in Germany.)

If you want to get access to the power you believe you deserve, and if you are not satisfied with what is going on in your community, make a plan to get involved to help bring positive change. Those who are seasoned will welcome you when you show up.

If you want a safer neighborhood, you cannot simply call the police.  You need to help the police.  The best security in any neighborhood a nosy neighbor.  They see and hear everything!  They can really help the police solve crimes.  No matter how small the tip, it might be what is needed to solve a case or cases.

When people are bold enough to come together to work toward common goals, our neighborhoods improve. When we vote in large numbers in EVERY ELECTION and vote the entire ballot, we send a signal to politicians that we put you in, so we will “take you out” if you refuse to fully represent our interests.

When we get involved, vote and stop complaining about things, we honor Dr. King’s legacy and the efforts of our ancestors who worked and sacrificed to free us from slavery. When we work together, vote and stop complaining, we show white supremicists, skin heads and other racist hate groups that when you mess with one of us, you will have to deal with all of us.

When you leave your symbol of hate at the church of Dr. M.L. King, Jr., the man who fought for injustice for all races, these hate groups will learn they have moved to sacred ground and we will not tolerate it.  We will protect Ebenezer Baptist Church as we keep King’s dream alive!!

So, I challenge you to get involved in your neighborhood, church or other nonprofit. Take your power back by getting involved. When people decide to come together to work on positive solutions, they are amazed at what they are able to accomplish… You will be too!

Serena Wins Wimbledon Again!

It was so relaxing to watch several of Serena Williams’ matches during the 2015 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London at the All-England Club.

In typical fashion, Serena had several matches where momentarily it appeared she was not going to pull out a win. Then, without changing facial expressions, she was able to patiently make a comeback, one point at a time.

On the way to her sixth Wimbledon win, Serena had to play her older sister Venus in round 16. It is always tough for me to watch them play each other because both cannot win. Retired Wimbledon champ Chris Everett, and other sports commentators are speculating that Wimbledon 2015 may be the last time we see these incredibly talented tennis players compete against each other. At age 35, Venus is challenged with Sjogren’s syndrome, a chronic autoimmune disease, since 2011. Among other things, this disease zaps your energy. So she may not have the stamina to keep playing at this level.

The Williams sisters have won a combined eleven Wimbledon titles.

At age 33, Serena appears to be playing at her best. In fact, after the convincing win in the Wimbledon finals Sarurday morning, defeating 21 year old Garbine Muguruza 6-4, 6-4. Coming back  from being down 5-1 in the second set, Garbine was unable to out perform the powerful strokes and mental toughness of Serena.

This Wimbledon win earns her the No. 1 world rank and second  “Serena Slam” title (winner of all four major tournaments: Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and U.S. Open). The sports world is already predicting Serena’s favorables odds of winning the U.S. Open Labor Day weekend in New York.

I do not know about you, but I am going to be glued to my TV watching all of Serena’s matches. I am counting on watching her win in the 2015 U.S. Open as long as she stays healthy and in shape.

New Knee Going for a Ride

Tomorrow, July 13, will mark two months since my total knee replacement surgery. As I am healing, I am faithfully going to my physical therapy appointments, doing the exercises, and praying for patience.

It has been challenging for me not being physically able to participate in my community advocacy and neighborhood programs. Some days it was a challenge just trying to stay awake. On other days, the pain was very intense (pain meds help with pain and pur me to sleep). Yet, on other days it was frustrating because I could not drive. Depending on friends and family for rides to doctor appointments, to bring food and groceries was hard. While I was using a walker, often I did not feel well enough to want to leave home. When I did, I had to ride in the back seat so I could put my legs on the seat. If I sat normally with my knee(s) bent, the pain and throbbing was too excruciating to handle.

Now that I have passed that stage, I am excited and looking  forward to running, cycling, golfing and more.  I have graduated from a walker to a cane to riding the bicycle in physical therapy. Thanks to my doctors and their caring staffs at Emory Midtown Hospital and at Atlanta Human Performance Center, I am on track for my knee to be as good as it was before I hurt it in a tennis match over twenty years ago.

Yes, I am truly excited that my new knee is now going for a short ride on the bike at physical therapy. However, after many more months of intense physical therapy, it should be able to ride in bike races and more.

If you or someone you know recently had a much needed surgery or medical procedure, what was the most important thing someone did for you or you did for someone?