THOUGHTS ABOUT TROUBLE INDICATORS - IN PEOPLE IN MATIONS

THOUGHTS ABOUT TROUBLE INDICATORS – the health of a people a nation Even as a child I asked WHY; I’d ask a lot of adults WHY about a lot of things. It soon became clear to me that I had and would always have far more WHYS than answers. Also clear to me was that I would have to search and find answers to my WHYS and that adults accessible to me didn’t have all the answers. Yesterday’s Google was my city library; you could often find me there trying to find answers to my WHYS. That’s where I developed my love for reading. I found that many of my questions had been asked and answered and were available in books. It’s probably through reading that I learned to find answers to my WHYS through observation. That brings me to the point of this post. I once revisited the neighborhood I grew up in. I could no longer see the pride and wellbeing I had known growing up. Walking around the neighborhood I began the see the trouble indicators that screamed its ill health. Whatever my point of view there were dominant clusters of liquor stores and little churches; these are not the cause of the ill health. The causes rest in the factory closing leaving a field of weeds; they rest in the freeway ripping the heart out the neighborhood taking with it little businesses owner-occupied homes and the sense of pride and wellbeing. I find a comparison between my old neighborhood and our country, America. From any perspective more and more Americans are finding it impossible to keep bread on a table, to provide their children with an education and a roof over their heads. There is a desperation a pain in America that can be seen in the increase of drug and alcohol consumption and the desperate pleas to a perceived God for relief – a desperate and incessant plea for help. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT EMBRACING PAIN

THOUGHTS ABOUT EMBRACING STRESS – forms of coping My education training and experience have enabled me to develop and teach others coping skills to manage stress. Most mature adults are well aware that stress is ever present in everyday life. What few mature adults realize is that stress is not a cause but a reaction; the stress we experience is our reaction to stressors. Stressors are those irritating circumstances that lead to what I call pain; I don’t use pain to mean just physical pain but includes all circumstances which ultimately bring discomfort to an individual. It is a natural reflex reaction to get rid of pain as quickly as possible, but too often we do nothing but cover it up; we take a pain killer and go to bed hoping the pain is gone by morning. When we mask pain we also hide the cause of the pain. When we embrace our stress (pain) we examine it until we discover the stressor(s) that caused it: we then take action to eliminate, mitigate, or cope. When we can’t eliminate a stressor we try and mitigate it; failing to reduce the severity of it we develop coping strategies – but we never stop exploring ways to rid ourselves of stressors. I think people who feel that power rest within themselves have a better chance of successfully embracing stress. On the other hand, people who feel that power resides somewhere outside of them have little or no chance of embracing pain. People who mask their pain with drugs, alcohol, or religious belief will find it difficult if not impossible to identify the stressors in their lives. www.adolphusward.net

MILK THE IRON COW - book 2 or trilogy

MILK THE IRON COW is Book 2 of historical black family fiction and is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – early 1941. It is the eve of World War II; the time when black families were leaving farms in the south for work in northern factories. Black men were denied employment and barred from union membership. GO TO WEB PAGE: – PLEASE SHARE. www.adolphusward.net,

HARVEST THE DUST - 1st of Trilogy

HARVEST THE DUST is Book 1 of historical black family fiction and is set in Arkansas – 1934. It is the time when Jim Crow Laws governed the lives of black people – what they could and could not do; where, when and how they could do it. The Great Depression was devastating the nation’s economy; cotton was the staple crop; and Arkansas’ fertile land had turned to dust. GO TO WEB PAGE: – PLEASE SHARE. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT WHO BUILT THIS (Country)

THOUGHTS ABOUT WHO BUILT THIS (COUNTRY) – WE did Some years back I wrote a poem titled “We’re Growing Up” – the opening line was I Saw Us When We Were Born Covered By The Slime and Blood of Slavery… On one occasion I recited the poem at a gathering of follow artist and art lovers. An artist came up to me at the end of the session and quietly informed me that we, black folks, did not come into being in slavery – that black folks were in existence when white Europeans were still living in caves. The conversation continued with the artist pointing out an objection to saying African American as a racial description, preferring to say African instead. I listened intently to being identified as African rather than African American but could find no compelling reason to prefer one over the other. Slavery was a barbarous, dehumanizing act that transformed African slaves into a different people – African slaves eventually became Americanized Africans: African Americans. We are not the same people as were our African parents. Thanks to the blood and resilience passed on to us by our African parents we maintained our humanity through slavery, Jim Crow, and systemic discrimination to the present day. Black groups saying We Built This (Country) is really an over reach, a spin on reality. Now in rebuttal some Irish groups are saying We Built This (Country). Like black Americans white Irish Americans who use the mantra are over reaching reality. History records the struggle of Irish people to become a part of the American fabric. Some Irish need to be reminded that once the door of opportunity was opened for them they joined other white Europeans in closing that door to black Americans in the building trades and other skilled jobs and that denial continued well into the 1970s. All white American and Europeans need to be informed or reminded that black labor has been employed in every aspect of American and European development. Whether it was black hands laying brick molding steel, building roads and rails or changing the course of rivers, whether it was black unpaid labor that created the money that filled the banks that paid the wages of the Irish and other Europeans, America as it is would not exist without the active participation of Americans of African descent – black folks. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE CHOICES

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE CHOICES – make your own or they’ll be made for you I stay away from telling others what they should do to attain what they want. I learned early on that my choices are just that, mine; and not what will lead another to where they want to go. I don’t love nor trust anyone more than I love and trust myself. It is out of the love and trust of self that I am able to love and trust others. I decided long ago to set my own course in life and not wait for circumstances or others to make that decision. Through experience and education I learned the value of acquiring the skills necessary to do what I set out to do; I learned to persevere and not give up when I failed. I learned that the road I traveled would not be crowded; I learned that most of the time I would be alone physically and in my soul. Some of the choices I’ve make have not set well with those close to me. I decided to take the responsibility into my own hands to not father more children by undergoing a vasectomy. I decided when I should get a divorce and sought agreement with my spouse. I decided I would never marry again. These were choices I saw necessary to achieve what I set out to do. I have not had the success I set out to achieve in all my choices but I would never have achieved the success I did and will have if I had not made my own choices. I have discouraged some from following my choices. What has been or will be successful for me might very well kill them. I have acquired the skills necessary to make choices that have a reasonable chance of success. It would be foolish of me to support a person in a choice they haven’t acquired the skills for. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT THINKING ABOUT RACE

THOUGHTS ABOUT THINKING ABOUT RACE – attacking every insult to blacks is a waste of energy There is a game played by men who see themselves superior to others; the game is played repeatedly in order to test and maintain dominance, to keep those being dominated off balance, distracted. The game has many forms – all intended to persuade the dominated to exhaust themselves through the waste of energy. If he can be kept busy swatting farts he will miss the rat about the bite the baby; he will miss the white man entering through his basement window, or that white man writing the law to take away his rights, his life, or the one who is planning to annihilate him. Some things are said and done by white men to yank our chain so to speak; or in today’s vernacular, the white man is just fucking with us. While we’re exhausting ourselves swatting farts the real harm to us as a people is being done undetected. Not every fart is worth the cost of a pleasant smelling aerosol. Rather than bringing a white fart to a public forum for debate, a quick and effective response could be – GO FUCK YOURSELF! www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT SPINNING

THOUGHTS ABOUT SPINNING – spinners twist story into another reality I use spinner here to mean a person with the word-skills to make the truth seem a lie and a lie seem the truth. There are spinners who have perfected the craft of spinning to the degree they are sought after in our most respectable institutions. Spinners have twisted their way out of the shadowy world of criminal deceit into the world of respectability. Instead of being chastised and scorn for their suave lying, spinners are applauded for their bold daring. It is as if a person who can make a lie sound like the truth is awarded while a real truth teller is made to feel ashamed. We seem willing to accept the twisted version of a truth than the unadorned version of a reality. It appears we Americans want to believe we are that shining city on a hill where the love of God resides, where freedom and the pursuit of happiness is given to all, where our actions, no matter how inhumane, are committed for the good of all. We are so use to twisting our own lies that spinners have become akin to us, a part of the American family: we are comfortable being spun. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT BEING AMERICAN

THOUGHTS ABOUT BEING AMERICAN – mythology is becoming reality At least once or twice a week I sit with a group of retired men at a mall coffee shop. It’s a mixed racial group; like other informal groups this one opens conversation to issues in the news, local and national. Quite naturally the so called Browning-of-America and the growing white resistance to it enters the conversation frequently. I make no pretense of speaking for the group or any member; I have shared my view on the subject with the group and now share it with you. The invitation by founders of a budding America inviting the oppressed to see America as a land of opportunity and freedom and to make it their home was specifically an invitation to white Europeans and not people of color. The public face of that invitation made it seem the invitation was to any and every one. Since the European elite had already relegated blacks to a subhuman level and only fit for servitude, it never entered their minds that black people would ever see the invitation to freedom and opportunity as including them. What started as a mythology for white people began to take on a reality of color – white elites and some members of the working class have joined hands to stop and reverse the Browning (blackening)-of America. There’s a bit of irony here in that white Europeans brought blacks here to help build the land of freedom and opportunity yet continue to deny them their share of ownership – white elites added color to a white dream and now want to wake up to a white reality. I conclude that blacks have and continue to contribute to the development of this America and rightly claim an uncontestable ownership. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT SOLUTIONS vis-a-vis BLACK PROTEST WHITE NATIONALISM

THOUGHTS ABOUT SOLUTIONS vis-a-vis BLACK PROTEST WHITE-NATIONALISM – taking room to think First an aside; I’ve been absent from posting regularly because of a heart attack. Over time the accelerate rate and erratic rhythm of my heart weakened the muscle to the point where it no longer pumped blood with enough force to nourish my brain and body, especially during a high aerobic activity – I now have medication that helps me maintain normal heart function; I still must slow my ass down and work on regaining the strength of that vital muscle. Now to what I really want to share: because I’m black I think first about the welfare of black people – beginning with family, friends, others of my kind, and then others no matter the kind. I’m an American, though not in the white-nationalist sense. I don’t think America belongs exclusively to black people. And I don’t waste time quibbling with white people about my right to be here; nor is my right to be here rooted in the words transcribed from the mouths of white men or some creator fashioned by them. I am here because I am: as were my parents, grandparents, and ancestors reaching back in a time before white men even knew this continent existed. We black folks love to talk about our problems and we do a lot of it – to fucking much of it. I meant that just like I said it, but I’ll subdue it a bit for those with thin skins. I don’t mean that any voice should be left out of exposing racism: I do mean we tend to get stuck talking-and-re-talking about it till the story loses its voice, its strength. Let me take another bite out of our black butts – the more time given to talking about a problem the less time given to solving that problem. We avoid working on a solution because it’s hard fucking work, we have to think. Solving problems that plague black folks is hard work but its work we have to do to get a desired quality of economics, education, employment, and the sense of well-being. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT EXECUTIVE CENSORSHIP

THOUGHTS ABOUT EXECUTIVE CENSORSHIP – foreshadow of a dictator Our news media faces a constant barrage of executive criticism whenever reporting does not agree with his point of view. Executive is moving toward dictator whenever the leader of a small Country can challenge his point of view and provoke the treat of being annihilated. Executive is moving toward dictator whenever voices of descent are muted by treat and intimidation. Whenever black voices of descent are threatened with loss of livelihood, we, all Americans, are in the shadow of a dictator. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT FLAG KNEE AND FIST

THOUGHTS ABOUT FLAG KNEES AND FISTS – moving from the expression of pain to relief Today’s debate, as in days past, is fundamentally about the presence of pain versus ignoring that pain exists. Equal justice for all in America is at best an intended reality or at worse a conscious lie. The American flag has been imbued with equal-justice-for-all as though it is a reality. The pledge to the flag is affirming that justice for all is a reality; that is obviously not true. So the pledger is lying whether he or she is conscious of it. Protesters, whether violent demonstrators, marches, sit-ins, kneelers, or closed fists, are calling a lie out, uncovering a lie for what it is: a lie. Many whites who choose to believe the lie are particularly angered when blacks lead a protest. It’s as though blacks should have no right to call a lie a lie – especially an American lie. I applaud protesters, whatever the chosen tool; but there is a need for another group to join the fight for economic social political and legal justice for all Americans. That group must be made up of those skilled in the crafts and science of Solution. Solutioners would translate the pain of Protesters and formulate remedies for that pain. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT WAR POLITICS AND BLOOD

THOUGHTS ABOUT WAR POLITICS and BLOOD I’m sharing the body of this again because of the latest volley of treat and intimidations between the leaders of both North Korea and the United States. Just sharing thoughts about the politics and blood of war. Although I served just over 4 years in the Marine Corp during the Korean Conflict I didn’t have to kill anyone and my writing these thoughts ought to tell you no one killed me; the truce was signed shortly after my enlistment. I met combat hardened marines who had re-upped just to go back to the killing fields. They were angry when the truce was signed and cursed the coming peace. These were professional soldiers – professional killers. Whether one likes or despises professional killers we need them. There are people and governments around our beautiful globe who don’t like Americans – any kind of American – and will send professional killers to do us harm. So for bad people we need our own bad people to stop them. The politics of war is what a war is really about – the real reason we (any country) goes to war. Wars are fought for control and dominance of resources; that can be power, land, wealth, natural resources, and even people. Our country won’t just come right out and tell us that so the politics allows leaders to give us a palatable reason; one that we can accept: ‘We’re going to war to defend DEMOCRACY’ – that word has a good sound to it; it’s full of all short of good feelings like saving other people and spreading God’s will. The Blood of war is something quite different from the Politics of war. The blood of war is more about taking more lives than we give; it’s about winning at all cost. In the heat of battle, a fighting soldier (killer) isn’t thinking about democracy, he’s too busy taking blood and trying to keep his own. So, I’ve learned to separate the politics of war from the blood of war – I often condemn the politics but always honor the blood. The difference between the wars of yesterday and those of today is that the cost of a political victory is payed for with more blood – the weapons used by both sides are more devastating, more lethal. http://www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEXT WORLD

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE NEXT WORLD – what could be if racism decides not to stand in the way Curiosity Streams is but one of the sources I use to peek into the future. In the episode Next World predictions about quality and quantity of age, health, and human habitat are said to be attainable well within the next generation. That means humans living to 100 years of age will soon be more the rule than exception. It means that more humans will live free of disease; it means that more and more humans will share common habitats in common spaces in diverse places – including the planet Mars. I have said and say again that white-racism is a serial killer; not just a taker of human life but of opportunity, ambition, self-esteem, and incentive to be the best person one can be and to contribute to the betterment of all human beings. Racism is difficult if not impossible to define until it is paired with a human condition or activity. Racism becomes definable, for me, when I look at the areas of pain in and among black people; there is pain in our self-image, in the level of our incarceration, in the quality of our health, in the quality and diversity of our education, in our inability to find consensus about our pain and what to do about the racism that creates and aggravates that pain. Racist are committed to doing what they can to create more pain for black people. There must be an unequivocal commitment among all black people to stop them. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY OF HUMAN ACTIVITY

THOUGHTS ABOUT CERTAINTY AND UNCERTAINTY – one can be the other and at the same time As a writer I give a considerable amount of time to thinking about things of interest to me. Because of a recent heart attack I have even more time to think about things. At 82 it is certain my heart will take longer to heal than if I were 42. Because of age it is uncertain that my heart will ever see the strength it once enjoyed – this is a certainty. There are three areas of interest in which I here share my thinking; my heart is not among them. The first area is whether or not white racism against blacks will continue to grow vocally and physically. It is certain white racism against blacks has and will continue to exist. It is uncertain whether or not social, economic, and political gulfs between whites and blacks could grow to the extent that violence is seen as the only remedy; but it’s certainly a possibility. My second area of interest is global-warming. It is certain that human activities pollute the air we breathe but arguably uncertain as to those activities negatively altering global weather patterns. It is certain that human activities have polluted our water systems – rivers, lakes, oceans - altering life forms and habits. It is certainly possible that human activities have some effect on global weather patterns. My third area of interest is the children of undocumented immigrants. An executive order created a path to citizenship for thousands of young people. The order acted as a collective voice of most Americans. The present executive, for political reasons, rescinded the order and put the fate of thousands in the hands of a Congress now guided by political interest rather than ethical conscious. Outcome is uncertain. www.adolphusward.net

DESPITE OUR RACIAL DIFFERENCES AMERICA SEEMS TO BE WORKING – different people continue to work play marry and have children together America was born in racism and domination; presently, led by a group of rich and powerful white men, a small group of Americans believe America’s birth was as God intended and should be used to shape the laws and social practices of American lives. Most Americans apparently chose to ignore these racist rants and continue to follow their own choices. America’s strength has been and will continue to be in the diverse nature of her citizen’s cultures and skills. www.adolphusward.net

DESPITE OUR RACIAL DIFFERENCES AMERICA SEEMS TO BE WORKING – different people continue to work play marry and have children together America was born in racism and domination; presently, led by a group of rich and powerful white men, a small group of Americans believe America’s birth was as God intended and should be used to shape the laws and social practices of American lives. Most Americans apparently chose to ignore these racist rants and continue to follow their own choices. America’s strength has been and will continue to be in the diverse nature of her citizen’s cultures and skills. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT WORKING MY CRAFTS

THOUGHTS ABOUT WORKING MY CRAFTS – death will find me in one or the other Next week I go out to New York for three weeks rehearsals of an original play written by James Anthony Tyler nurtured at the Berkshire Playwrights Lab directed by Joe Cacaci. I will have the first time pleasure of working with Leon Addison Brown who will be my son – just the two of us in this story. The story’s title is SOME OLD BLACK MAN. After New York we’re off to the Saint James Place Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington, Massachusetts for tech and performance. Like any artist I love what I do. What’s so rewarding about writing and acting is I can do it till death catches up with me. After a number of years of staff positions in business industry government and education I chose to write and act because there is no age limit – I can boogie till I drop. I love all artist particularly dancers; the dancer embodies and expresses the soul rhythm of life itself. My heart weeps for the dancer whose body can no longer do what the spirit urges. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT HEALTH I SENT TO IMMEDIATE FAMILY

THOUGHTS ABOUT HEALTH I SENT TO MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY - sodium and high blood pressure PLEASE SHARE You guys know that I pay close attention to what I put into my system. I'm sure you've read something on the dangers of processed foods - the dangers of too much sugar sodium (salt) and fat. I have noticed, for instance, that all processed foods contain more sugar than ever before: particularly bakery and dairy products; the sodium levels in those products are also up. I've known for some time that my system is particularly sensitive to sodium (salt). Sodium, even in moderation, increases my blood pressure past safe limits. I have to read product labels closely. Read an interesting article on Google Chrome about sodium and blood pressure; the article suggest that consumers should be weary of any item with a sodium level above 140 milligrams (mg). The article goes on to suggest that a person sensitive to sodium limit their daily intake to 500 milligrams (mg) or less. No one loves me more than me. No one loves you more than you. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT AGING ADVICE

THOUGHTS ABOUT GIVING ADVICE ON AGING – don’t ask for it I’m at that gray, bent, withering age where people add sir to what is said; women hold doors for me, and cars actually stop and wait for me to cross. I love it – age does have its benefits. The other day while checking out in a grocery line the male scanning my items stopped and asked, in a smiling voice, “Sir, how old are you?” I gave him my smiling 82 years and watched his face fill with amazement. “I hope I live that long,” he said. I didn’t say it but I thought: some of the shit I’ve done might kill you long before 82. Later, with groceries in hand I entered my apartment complex and was greeted with, “How are you today, sir?” Before I could reply, seeing my food items, he continues, “I see why you’re in such good health, at your age. I thanked him; thought it but didn’t say it: if you consume as much fat sugar and salt as I have you may not make it. My drug of choice it alcohol; hated doing lines, my sinuses screamed ‘what the fuck.’ Hated when the joint got to me; apparently my lungs and sinuses had reached an agreement. Alcohol wasn’t that much better but it seemed the least destructive; even though there were times I couldn’t find my ass with both hands. I had so much sex at one time in life my tongue and dick just quit. So I hope no one ever asked my advice for long living – I just might tell them. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT NIGGER - THE WORD

THOUGHTS ABOUT NIGGER – THE WORD The etymology (history) of the word nigger is not the focus of my comments; what is of concern to me is how the word is being given the increasing-power it now has by the futile efforts to outlaw and bury its use in language and literature. The word will not be drummed out of world languages and literatures by verbal nor written condemnations. No inquisitions backed by armed enforcers will rip violating tongues out by their roots or pages from books. I really don’t intend to be insensitive when I say NIGGER ain’t going away soon. I just think there are more important issues black people need to be dealing with. The acceptable hashtag version, N-word still says NIGGER. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD PREDATORS

THOUGHTS ABOUT NEIGHBORHOOD PREDATORS – thinking black After living in urban, residential, and rural areas of this country and one other I’ve learned a few things about the predatory nature of some people; I’m talking about the neighborhood predator – that person(s) who lives in the neighborhood and feeds on people who s/he lives next to, laughs and talks with, smokes and drinks with, goes to church and prays with: waiting for the moment when a neighbor’s back is turned, waiting till darkness hides their intended treachery. A neighborhood predator(s) can only be stopped by another neighbor(s). If left unchecked predators grow bolder; s/he will not wait for darkness to cloak h/er, will not wait till a back is turned, they will take the property and life of a neighbor while making no effort to cover their face. Unlike other animals that stop killing and feeding themselves when their hunger is satisfied, like parasites, neighborhood predator will continue their blood lust till there’s no one left to feed on before feeding on each other. Pleading and praying will not stop a predator, s/he only understands and responds to brute force. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIVING WHILE FIGHTING

THOUGHT ABOUT LIVING LAUGHING FIGHTING – my art of saying fuck-it while fucking with it The discussion, often argument, as to whether human behavior is shaped more by nature-nurture or environment-perception has been around since wo-man first started to be aware of her-is self. More recently epigeneticist discovered some answers, some light, at the cellular level of our being – African ancestors called it Blood Memory. We not only look like our parents but we are preconditioned, before we’re born, to adopt a parent’s behavior – saint or sinner, so to speak. This means a pimp might produce a pimp, a prostitute a prostitute, a preacher a preacher, a musician a musician, a liar a liar, a murderer a murderer, a racist a racist, and the list go on. Once we leave the womb and enter the realm of nurture and environment, what happens to us there affects and shapes our behavior. Remember that we are all preconditioned for certain behaviors. Both nurture and environment brings those predispositions into play – what was only possible and predictable becomes real. The reasons why we seem to be always dealing with the same human problems is that human behaviors are passed on from one generation to the next, to the next, to the next. Racism is a behavior. So, for me it is not a new and shocking reality. Instead of railing at the top of my lungs till I burst a brain vessel, I assess the value of the harm it is causing and decide how I should deal with it. If racism is causing me no real harm, fuck it. Someone calling me a nigger doesn’t even get the hand, fuck’em. When I assess the harm has significant value and can cause pain or worse, I move to thwart or reduce its impact. I will take a life or die defending my own and that of my kind before submitting to lethal harm. PLEASE SHARE. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX

THOUGHTS ABOUT THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX – not following the crowd One thing that has helped me continue my development is my ability to think outside the box. Even as a young growing child WHY was always flowing from my mouth. Even when punitive rules didn’t encourage the inquiry I thought it silently. I was never one to just do what I was told when it didn’t make sense. Even when it seemed to make sense I wanted to know Who said it and Why. Mother was more tolerant with my Whys than Dad, but I still thought it. In primary school I was seldom mentally in class with the rest of the kids. I was always exploring the outside world visible to me or the world in my imagination; they were almost always more interesting than what was being told without ever allowing me to ask Why and Who said. As a young adult I had what I call a vision. In this dream state I was in a very dark place, so black I could see nothing, even though my eyes were wide open. The space was full of people; although some stood still most were moving opposite to the direction I was going. Some people tried to change my direction but I’d simply brush them away and continue walking. I could see nothing but intuition compelled me to keep moving. As I continued the numbers of people diminished to a point when I was alone. Soon there was a dim light ahead and I knew I was headed in the right direction – awake and more conscious. I have long been an independent thinker and am never confined to any box – religious, racist, political, sexist, social, or genetic. www.adolphusward.net

SECOND NOVEL IN A TRILOGY

MILK THE IRON COW is Book 2 of historical black family fiction and is set in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – early 1941. It is the eve of World War II; the time when black families were leaving farms in the south for work in northern factories. Black men were denied employment and barred from union membership. Go to for more information – PLEASE SHARE. GO TO WEB PAGE: www.adolphusward.net,

THOUGHTS ABOUT EUROPEAN AMERICAN PATHALOGY

THOUGHTS ABOUT EUROPEAN AMERICAN PATHOLOGY – white domination drives racism drives behavior The latest moves by the republican administration away from healthcare for all is no surprise to most thinking Americans. Now that our whole political system (republican, democrat, independent, others) is driven by the rich and powerful, those with the power are moving to forge the economic, political, and social systems in ways that not only maintains but increases white dominance – controlled by white wealth and power. Not all white people will share the benefits of this dominance; even though they are led to believe so. In an objective sense I salute the gamesmanship of the power brokers in the way they formed a coalition of the white wealthy and the white impoverished to win the election and an overt change in the economic-political direction of the United States Government. For the white wealthy the goal is, was, and will always be to maintain dominance through wealth and power; only the allusion of morals and ethical behavior is tolerated in this dominance. For the white impoverished the goal is to always be a little better off than people who are not white. Given the modest gains of some black people topped by a black man becoming president of all Americans, and given the so called browning of America, the white impoverished felt and feels themselves losing the ground they thought was theirs through inheritance. White wealth and power offered them a life line and they grabbed hold pledging hope and votes to white wealth and power. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT BLACK WRITER ON TOUR BOOKFAIR

THOUGHTS ABOUT BLACK WRITERS ON TOUR BOOKFAIR, Carson, CA – Saturday 29 April 2017 I first thank Doctor Rosie Milligan, founder and producer of BWOT, creator of the forum for writers, artisans, and commercial venders. This is an annual event; everyone is a consumer of one product or another – BWOT is a marketplace where you may find what you’ve been looking for. I sold a complete set of my trilogy plus a single title; and gave a free copy to a high school student. As important, I had conversations with individuals about the economic, political, and social growth of black people. Racism continues to be a constant challenge; but the growth of black people is unstoppable. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE IN THE MOMENT

THOUGHTS ABOUT LIFE IN THE MOMENT – breathing the now For reasons beyond my full understanding I have never wanted to escape any part of my living, no matter how difficult it seemed in a particular moment. In my use of alcohol and drugs my goal was never to escape life but to enhance the experience of it. Before becoming my own employer I held positions where personnel policies provided for the accumulation of vacation days. Because I never chose to be away from my job for more than a few days, a week at most, I always had unused vacation days at the end of a year; instead of long vacations I took many mini vacations. Now as a working retiree, I’m self employed as a fiction writer and character actor; I work every day and take many mini moments for other interest. For me, all I do is not different things but one thing with different moments – I have learned to live in the moment. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT CONGRESSMAN BRAD SHERMAN'S TOWN HALL

THOUGHTS ABOUT CONGRESSMAN SHERMAN’S TOWN HALL – democracy is alive and politically awake here in Reseda, California Saturday 22 April 2017 2 pm to 4 pm was the date and time of this meeting; Reseda High School Auditorium was the venue. The auditorium is said to be one of the largest public venues in the San Fernando Valley. Reseda High School is within walking distance of my apartment, so I arrived about 1:30. A huge crowd had already gathered waiting for the doors to open; once the doors opened the auditorium quickly filled to its capacity. A colors guard marched in bearing our nation and state’s flags; all stood and recited the pledge of allegiance. I couldn’t forget the pledge even if I tried. However, as an atheist I don’t repeat the, “under God” phrase – I go silent for those words. My respect for our flag and love for our country does not come from the lies I was indoctrinated with in grade school but is self-imbued with the toil and sweat of my parents and the black lives and limbs lost in defense of our nation and its ideals: imbued by the thought of those black people still relegated to the butt hole of America and the world. Black people have labored and died too many for too long to give up our earned birthright, the right for reparations, before we have it well in hand. www.adolphusward.net

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PREVAILING POLITICAL WINDS AND FORECAST

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT PREVAILING POLITICAL WINDS AND FORECAST – forecast, no change The very-rich and those on their way to that island of economic safety, sees government as an enemy – it, government, gets in their way of profit making. What is a little puzzling to me is that large numbers of the not-rich whites and those who have no hopes of ever being, also sees the government as an enemy – it, government, spends too much money on social programs and not enough on jobs and opportunity for them. Race is always a squall in these political winds. Few white people will admit it publicly but bad economic times always find a political balance with government assistance to black people. The supposed balance is a lie – a spin on reality by the very-rich, politician, media, and racists; but the lie still thrives as truth in our racist country. I have searched, in vain, for a comprehensive development plan with strategies for securing black wealth, political economic and social, self-defined, power. Yes, there are institutions, organizations, and community groups with mission statements designed to keep them in a self-sustaining mode – enough money and other support to stay alive for another year or two. Not only is there no such comprehensive plan but there is no organization, no forum, which could bring black institutions, organizations, and community groups together with the expressed purpose of developing a comprehensive plan to better the condition of all black people. This issue is dealt with extensively in Claud Anderson’s, “Black Labor White Wealth.” I agree with him: without a comprehensive development plan black desperation will continue in our racist country and world. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT MY SOLO PERFORMANCE

THOUGHTS ABOUT MY PLANNED SOLO PERFORMANCE – not going to happen Thanks FACEBOOK for bringing memories back into focus. I did put together a solo performance with sketches of visuals, lights, and sound; a director would have enabled it to come to life. But that play will not be seen on any stage – at least not soon. The reason is caught up in the dispute between 99 Seat Theatres and my union, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA). In order for my show to be staged an Equity contract, requiring a minimum wage would be necessary – 99 Seaters have refused. I cannot work for nothing and ignore my union’s position – I don’t want to. I did a considerable amount of work for a 99 Seater under an old Equity agreement. That work gave me a lot of exposure. Love the theatre and its founders; but I can no longer work for nothing. The whole point of my solo performance was to promote and sell my trilogy of novels. My genre is Historical Black Family Fiction. The stories and characters are interesting and informing. I don’t need an equity contract to read from my books, with character voice, in front of college or university students. So like any creative person, I’ve reshaped my solo performance to a dramatic reading. All I need now is an invitation from college and university teachers and students, in the LA area, who have as interest in stories related to the African American experience. Go to my new website for more about my works and me. www.adolphusward.net

A GOD NOTION

A GOD NOTION God is really a subconscious projection to be God or serve one. We construct our God and code Him Her It’s nature as we perceive ours to be.

THOUGHT ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT'S TRANSPARENCY

THOUGHTS ABOUT OUR GOVERNMENT’S TRANSPARENCY – no attempt to hide raw naked ass Our beloved America is a hideously deformed democracy and has been since its birth. With hand on heart we pledge allegiance under God to freedom and justice for all: with piety smiling in our shinning faces we lie; we look our self-made God in his face and without fear of retribution boldly lie. As a writer of historical fiction, with a focus in the black experience, I explore and listen to the lives of black people since our African ancestors were brought here to be slaves. Although European founders and white citizens of this republic built tremendous wealth on the labor blood and death of slaves neither slave nor freeman was ever considered human; we were less than human and legally declared to remain so. A black person, slave or free, was neither to be considered fully human nor to have the same social economic or political rights as a white person – no mater his or her class. A black person was never to think him/her self as good as a white person. The reason why the American government, the States, the Courts and a large number of white citizens are adamant about any government assistant or reparation to black citizens is that assistance that reparation would elevate the social economic and political power of blacks to that of many whites; which would prove that blacks are in fact as human as whites and could no longer be treated with less respect and justice. An increase in black wealth is the path to an increase in justice and respect. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT REPUBLICAN VOWS TO KILL OBAMA...

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE REPUBLICAN PARTY’S VOW TO KILL OBAMA – his legacy and its shadow – please share Rich white and powerful members of the party have stood and still stand on the head of Lady Liberty and Old Glory to exclaim before the world their disdain and disgust for the despicable Black American president, Barack Obama; vowing to stand against whatever he stands for and too bleach out whatever trace of his existence might be left, including his fowl animal odor. Many white citizens have joined these rich and powerful Republicans eager to replace a black man with a white one. A moment ago I finished watching a film title MICROBIRTH on Curiosity. Medical research is just beginning in this field and researchers have done a good job in simplifying what really is a complex field of study. I think I’ve got the essence of why research should, must, be accelerated if the human race is to be given the genetics equipped to avoid a worldwide pandemic; one which could lead to human extinction – this pandemic wouldn’t give a damn if your skin is white or black: all of us human beings would be fucked. The idea is that with the rise in asthma, diabetes, obesity and other health issues our immune systems don’t work as well as in the past; the idea goes on to say that our immune systems are automatically given the tools to fight off invaders at the moment of birth; the idea goes further still by asking the question how is the birth-process different than it was in the past: cesarean vs vaginal birth – breast vs bottle feeding, to mention a couple known. What prompted me to share these thoughts is the Republican demolition of Obama Care. Trump Care is still being engraved in stone on the mountain top; the white tablets will be delivered by a legion of little plump white cherubs. Their arrival will be heralded by the thundering voice of our white god – hail to our white savior. But I’m left to wonder; given all that white if there’ll be anything in T-Care for all black citizens. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT I DO AND DON'T SEE

THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT I DO AND DON’T SEE – what I don’t see has and can hurt me If you believe some mystical hand in a fairy tale land is directing the lives of human beings you may not care to read any further in this brief essay. If on the other hand you believe that where humans are in their development is the result of choices made, you might find some interesting thoughts in what I say. When I was much younger I was most often guided by what I could see, or better put, what I was given to see. Here are a couple examples of my being blinded by what I could see. I had cashed my paycheck in a bar directly across the street from the factory. A huckster was selling glitzy items to any holder of fresh money. I had no interest in the pens lighters jewelry, but a watch did arrest my seeing. As if reading my thoughts he slipped it off his watch-clad-arm and onto mine; before I could ask the price he pointed to one of the fifty dollar bills in my hand – without him asking I gave it to him. My glitzy watch tic-toc for most of two days and stopped. Another example of my see only experiences was when I’d been introduced to a hustler who was said to be looking for a business partner in a startup. He drove to a small vacant store in a business district, a For Lease sign in its window. He casually informed me he needed four hundred dollars on the nine hundred dollar/month cost – I gave it to him without question. Never saw the hustler again; the person who introduced us boiled over with apologies but somehow his apologies never turned into four hundred dollars. My personal experiences give cause for me to look at what I don’t see in our new president’s promises to make America Great Again: he says we’ll have a new government, new army, new law enforcement, new healthcare system, new education system, new employment system, and happier Americans. What I see is Americans duped into turning against one another; public against press, traditional sex against alternative preference, race against race, religion against religion, citizens against immigrants, and haves against have not. I see most Americans continuing to pay the superrich more and more of less and less income for the Greater America bliss promised. What I see is our new government acting as primary broker enabling the super-rich to buy America’s public lands with its natural and productive resources and subsequently too enslaving ordinary citizens – the buyers are not all Americans. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHT ABOUT CAPITALISM vs SOCIALISM

THOUGHTS ABOUT CAPITALISM vs SOCIALISM – one tends to concentrate wealth, the other tends to spread it I see capitalism vs socialism as being the root cause of obstructionism and party polarization in the operating activities of our government. Through private ownership with its profit motive, capitalist have won the favor of a large portion of the voting public. I believe this is because that public believes what benefits capitalist could also benefit them – there is now a desperate reach by that public for any promise of a better and sustained livelihood. That capitalistic public is blinded by the promise which obscures the reality that pure capitalism tends to concentrate wealth – the rich and powerful tends to get richer and more powerful, to the exclusion of all others. Put simply, the more wealth one has the more he/she is in a position to purchase the means of production and obtain profit – no or little wealth means no or little control of production, no or little control of profit. Other developed countries opt to employ social democracies which tend to find a balance between capitalism and socialism. This form tends to resist the concentration of wealth and support the general welfare of all citizens. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT PAYING EXTORTION TO LIVE

THOUGHTS ABOUT PAYING EXTORTION TO LIVE – the wealthy buy up freedom and opportunity In the existing struggle between the haves and have much less or next to nothing, the have less or next to nothing are forced to pay what amounts to extortion for the right to stay alive. A scam set by extreme wealth delude the rest of us into thinking if we pay pennies to fight their millions of dollars that we can wrestle from them a better life and livelihood, and eventually realize a reasonable share of the wealth we help create. It’s a fool’s game we play. Super wealth has the momentum and is likely to carry the day. The gulf between the haves and have less or nothing will continue to grow both deeper and wider. There is and has always been a tendency of the wealth-poor and politically impoverished to try and win the favor of the super wealthy – the recent presidential election is but one obvious example. What the poor and impoverished still fail to realize is that super wealthy individuals have absolutely no intention of sharing the wealth. Their intention is and will always be to exploit every opportunity to increase their wealth and too distant themselves from the have less and have none. What is blatantly hypocritical about the way this charade is played out is that it’s cloaked in Constitution and Religious Rhetoric. http://www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OPTIMISM OF YES WE CAN vs THE REALITY OF BUT WE WON'T ALLOW IT

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE OPTIMISM OF, YES WE CAN vs THE REALITY OF, WE WON’T ALLOW IT – the move away from democracy I have an abiding and unshakable admiration for our president Barack Obama. My admiration rest on the fact that he began his first term in office with the philosophic principle that America could move to being a nation that would exemplify the true meaning of equal freedom and opportunity for all. From the start, white wealthy-powerful men and women stood on the summit of our government and shouted, ‘Yes you could but we won’t allow it.’ Even in the face of that potent headwind our courageous president maintained that philosophic course through his second and final term. For a person to hold on to what could be through the shit of what is, takes the kind of courage only a few of us have. I readily admit that I don’t have that kind of courage. I am comfortable in calling shit just what it is – shit. I have known for some time that white wealth-power has always vowed to keep wealth and the American Government firmly in its control. White middle and lower classes have always benefitted from that position so there was little need for them to complain. Yes, there have always been white people who found a bit of moral ground to stand on, but that has not nor will it ever sway white wealth-power. The rule of law has always been a banner waved as evidence of a democratic value; but what is grossly understated is that there are unjust laws – laws can be created or circumvented to curtail the rights and freedom of some while enriching the freedom of others. It is the laws and regulations of our government, at all levels, that keep black people living in a state of economic and psychological panic. www.adolphusward.net

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HOUSE WE LIVE IN

THOUGHTS ABOUT THE HOUSE WE ALL LIVE IN – this house we call America Because our house is so big and spacious I sometimes have this fleeting illusion that its size is immeasurable - I know that’s not true, but it seems so sometimes. I’m quick to admit that others have thought me a little strange, a little off. When I was much younger I would run from that observation; as I aged I came to embrace it. I am indeed a little off – a little crazy, at times a little more than a little is probably a better description. I am crazy enough to know that other peoples also live in this house. Although they live in different rooms, although we seldom if ever meet one another, although we all don’t look alike or speak the same language, this house is theirs just as much as it is mine. When I first came to know where my room was in this house I found I was surrounded by people of European extractions – some among them didn’t want me to venture too close to their room; they, in fact didn’t want me to occupy any room in this house. I’m not certain, but perhaps this is why I became a little, sometimes a big crazy. I have grown insane enough to know that me and mine will live where ever we want in this house, that we will contribute to and enjoy all the benefits this house has to offer, that we will not allow another people to deny us those benefits, that we will give our lives or take the lives of others rather than be denied any benefit enjoyed by others in this house – this is OUR house too: OUR America. www.adolphusward.net

STAND UPSIDE DOWN - historical black family fiction

STAND UPSIDE DOWN: Trailer – please share https://youtu.be/JGip9tl0r74

MILK THE IRON COW - historical black family fiction

MILK THE IRON COW: Trailer – please share https://youtu.be/Gh5Ybzl7E5c

HARVEST THE DUST - historical black family fiction

HARVEST THE DUST: Trailer – please share https://youtu.be/Ud4KyD3YKVI

HISTORICAL BLACK FAMILY FICTION TRILOGY

MY TRILOGY BOOK TRAILER – please share https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCxMdAa3JqU