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What a week this has been! Here around Chicago, everybody was holding their collective breaths waiting for the verdict to come down after the Prosecution rested its case against Jason Van Dyke, the white cop, who mowed down LaQuan McDonald, a black teenager walking away from him with a knife clutched in his hand. Because Van Dyke felt threatened by this situation, his reaction was to empty his gun in the back of this young man, riddling his body with 16 bullets. This killing was covered up by Chicago law enforcement with the cooperation of other cops on the scene who did not feel similarly threatened but later chose to observe the oath of silence rather than betray their trigger-happy comrade. The truth finally came to light when rumors that this incident was captured on a body cam reached the media, after which the tape was finally released under pressure, and once it was aired all over TV, outrage was immediate at the sight of the young man being hit in the back and falling to the ground as a hail of bullets continued to puncture his shuddering body. Heads soon began to roll. The Cook County States Attorney was voted out of office, and the Mayor withdrew his plans to run for re-election, so great was the black community's resentment against him. After 3 years of finger-pointing and political mayhem, the perpetrator was finally indicted for murder and brought to trial, his case lasting over a month as a stream of experts and witnesses provided dramatic testimony. Much speculation also centered around a jury made up of 6 women and 4 men, 1 Asian, 1 Hispanic, 1 Black and the rest White. Once word came down that the verdict had been reached and would soon be announced, Chicago was literally on lock down, anticipating trouble in case an innocent verdict caused all hell to break loose. Extra police were dispatched everywhere, workers were sent home from their jobs early, businesses were closing up shop. crowds gathering outside the court house. But Lady justice got her due. After 2 days of deliberation, the jury found Jason Van Dyke guilty of second degree murder, his sentence to be determined by a judge whom everybody has described as being very fair. There was also praise for the all-white prosecution team who presented a strong effective case for the State. So, this is a victory in a war that has yet to be won. Colin Kaepernick, can feel a little compensated. Then, there was the clash for the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh, for Supreme Court Justice that has now ended in his being sworn in. It's impossible for me to pass any impartial judgment on this case because i have such a visceral dislike for Kavanaugh, his supporters and his president. I cannot stomach these Republicans and what "making America great again" means to them. In my gut, however, I know that, as flawed as they are, Liberal and Progressive Democrats and Moderate Independent representatives would be better for the nation's survival than those Red-neck racists, and White privileged conservatives and Blue collar bigots who infest this country and will now be in a position to bring about a change for the worst. Donald Trump is a despicable person who is not the caliber of man who should be President of the United States and leader of the free world. And the fact that millions of white people, especially white men, feel this way, too, is proof of how he is not only a disgrace but a threat to the survival of America.

In a world dominated by the British Empire, and at a time when many Europeans considered black people inferior, Sierra Leonean writer A. B. C. Merriman-Labor claimed his right to describe the world as he found it. He looked at the greatest city in the greatest empire the world had ever known--and laughed. An African in Imperial London: The Indomitable Life of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor (Hurst/Oxford University Press) tells the fascinating story of early 20th-century London through the eyes of this ambitious young African who spent fifteen years in the great metropolis. In this first biography of Merriman-Labor, award-winning writer Danell Jones describes the tragic spiral that pulled him down the social ladder from witty observer of British life to a patient in a state-run hospital for the poor. The book chronicles the life of an extraordinary man in an extraordinary time and offers a rich portrait of London as writhed its way into a new century of appalling social inequity, world-transforming inventions, and unprecedented demands for civil rights. An African in Imperial London is a must-read for anyone eager to learn the hidden history of Africans living at the heart of the British empire. Readers will be moved and inspired by the engaging story of an African writer determined to fight for social justice as he proved his talent on the world’s greatest literary stage. Marvelously readable! Corby Skinner, Yellowstone Public Radio An enlightening account of what it meant to be black in the most powerful country in the world. Peter Stansky, Stanford University The moving and surprising story of A.B.C. Merriman-Labor. Edward Mendelson, Columbia University Elegantly written and meticulously researched. Hakim Adi, University of Chichester A deep sense of humanity pervades this splendid biography. David Killingray, University of London A brilliant biography. Jacqueline Mulhallen, Counterfire.org Danell Jones is an award-winning writer, scholar, and teacher. She received her Ph.D. from Columbia University where she was awarded a Whiting Fellowship in the Humanities and a Bennett Cerf Award for her writing. Read more about her at danelljones.com.

Excellent recap! I had to download the nbc5chicago app - because none of the cable stations carried the verdict live. Two of my three daughters work in the loop - so my anxiety was dialed up to “high”. As for the grifters in Washington; well, I do my best not to think about any of them so that I may maintain my good health.