Dexter's Vantage Point!

April 5th marked a year since shock-jock Don Imus got canned for making his “nappy headed ho’s” comment in referring to African American members of the Rutgers women’s basketball team. Public pressure from the likes of Al Sharpton and Jessie Jackson ultimately led to Imus’s firing. Big deal. Imus got another gig-business as usual. Because of Imus’s comments antagonists of hip-hop have since sprawled out of the woodwork to condemn the harsh lyrics artists often use in their music. Meetings between the likes of hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons and music executives have taken place to talk about toning down the lyrical content. Why bash hip-hop? If Imus didn’t make his racist statement would critics of hip-hop be calling for a lyrical overhaul? I don’t think so. In society when you have the ability to freely express yourself you have a certain level of power and dominion. The media is a good example. Over 90 percent of all networks, newspapers, and television shows are owned and contro...

On April 15, 1947 as a member of the Brooklyn Dodgers Jackie Robinson galloped on the field wearing his Dodger blue uniform thereby smashing baseballs white’s only club in Major League baseball. April 13th center fielder Torrii Hunter made the following statement regarding the celebration of Jackie Robinson’s accomplishment: "This is supposed to be an honor, and just a handful of guys wearing the number. Now you've got entire teams doing it. I think we're killing the meaning. It should be special wearing Jackie's number, not just because it looks cool. " In my opinion baseball has long lost its luster and hue. The game Robinson courageously integrated 61 years ago and help build has nearly become the way it was before he broke the color barrier and that’s lily-white. Jackie’s legacy has been reduced to players wearing his famous number 42 in his honor. Many who dawn the jersey know little about the man or his legend. How would Jackie Robinson feel about the Housto...

After recently reading to a group of third graders at Weisser Park Elementary I was driving along Jefferson Boulevard looking at the hole in the ground that will be the new home of the Wizards baseball team. As I drove by that hole I thought to myself, “Does this baseball stadium make economic sense?” I have a saying I often mutter to myself and that’s, “concentrate your energy where the problems the greatest.” Take on the most pressing matters first-the rest can wait. I love the idea of revitalization but it should make sense, especially from an economic standpoint. To me the baseball stadium doesn’t make sense. It’s a waste of resources particularly when there’s nothing wrong with the Wizards current home. It will take more than a change of venue to induce fans to commit to the Wizards-they couldn’t even sell out the stadium they are in now. In the famous baseball movie Field of Dreams actor Kevin Costner heard from the distinguished voice of James Earl Jones, “if you build it they w...

Forty years ago on April 4, 1968 Martin Luther King was slain by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis, Tennessee. The universal frustration African Americans felt led into riots across the country. Perhaps the biggest was in Washington D.C. African Americans were fed up with having their leaders slain. Death fueled by racism visited the doorstep of Medgar (spelling) Evers in 1963, Malcolm X in 1965 and unfortunately King’s fate followed. I was five days old when King met his maker. As I quietly celebrated my fortieth birthday last Saturday I wondered what the climate was like in Fort Wayne and around the country the day King was slain. I asked my parents what they remembered. They both suggested it was a dark day the African American community. Are we any closer today in realizing King’s Dream of universal harmony irrespective of color? I don’t think so. I think the time has come to finally create a comprehensive plan rather than to rely on King’s dream of forty years ago. Let’s exam...