by Michael | Feb 8, 2016 | Family, Relationships
Last month me and Dawn spent a few days in one of my favorite places. I was able to introduce her to Portland. We visited the spots I wanted to see with her. We walked in the cold rain around Pittock Mansion and drove through several sprawling gardens, getting lost...
by Michael | Jan 30, 2016 | Faith-Related, Family
Last month I had the opportunity to visit my mentor and father-friend, Dr. Johnathan Alvarado, on the occasion of his 50th birthday. His wife, Dr. Toni Alvarado, invited a collection of colleagues, parishioners, friends, and extended family to a party. I stayed for...
by Michael | Aug 21, 2015 | Faith-Related, Family, Quotes, Reading
Parents of black male children know that the world poses a much greater danger to our sons than they do to the world. We raise our black sons to be aware of their surroundings and to know how they are being perceived–whether they are shopping in a store,...
by Michael | Jun 26, 2015 | Faith-Related, Family, Quotes
Perhaps I am a cynic, but my uncomplicated conditioning and my deep-down knowing about the ubiquity of racism remind me that the invisibility of a symbol is not the same as the absence of racist hate. I have had numerous interactions with white folk in nice suits,...
by Michael | May 27, 2015 | Family, Quotes, Reading
All things come to an end; small calves in Arkansas, the bend of the muddy river. Do all things come to an end? No, they go on forever. They go on forever, the swamp, the vine-choked cypress, the oaks rattling last year’s leaves, the thump of the rails, the kite, the...
by Michael | Apr 16, 2015 | Family, Relationships
The year we got married we made a lot of decisions. We purchased a fixer-upper. We had to get a car. We built a garage and searched for a lawn mower at the hardware store my father sent me to over in the Back of the Yards. We also completed a budget together, elected...
