Dr. King’s dream and march, our nightmare and pain “I feel so broken hearted, I cried so many tears There was so much you gave me, to my heart, to my soul So much of your dreams that were never told There was hope for a brighter day Why were you, my flower, plucked away Oh, oh, I’m missing you Tell me why the road turns I’m missing you” —Diana Ross I miss my son. I miss hugging him. I miss looking in his eyes when he is excited. I miss us discussing his plans for his future. I miss sharing in his everyday experiences. I miss his smile. I miss his joy. All I ever wanted was for him to be in an environment where he can grow. My son was arrested at 19 years of age. He was sentenced t

The phone rings a woman cries out. “Rhonda, is your son okay? I heard he was robbed at gunpoint. Was he shot?" "My son is on his way home from school. It must be someone else." I replied. I hung up the phone and I called the cell phone my sister had bought my son for Christmas. A voice I did not recognize answered. I asked, “Who is this?" I demanded, "Put my son on the phone."  The person responded, "You're son is dead" and then they hung up. I called back crying, "Please put my son on the phone." They replied, "He's dead." I ran to the car with no idea of where I was going. I decided to drive the route my son would have walked home from school. I was praying "Please God let me find m

An Open Letter to Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson In Regards to you being "thrilled to announce - after much deliberation, prayer, conversation and discussion…” you are running for re-election: Mayor Johnson, many Sacramento residents are not so thrilled with your announcement. In fact, for many of us your announcement and words therein adds insult to injury. Mayor Johnson prayer is something many of us know so very well. Falling on our knees in pain we know all too well. Crying to the heavens for a change we know all too well. Screaming out in the middle of the night for comfort we know all too well. Sleepless nights concerned for the welfare of our teens to walk, ride in or play in t

May 17th 2011 I left work early to head to city hall. As I entered the building I was surprised to see so many community members dressed in blue shirts with the initials SPOA and a photo of a badge printed on the front of the shirts. Many held signs which read, “Protect Sacramento.” As I sat in the session and listened to the presentation given by Sacramento Police Chief Braziel I was alarmed, concerned and to be honest extremely disappointed. As I listened too many of the speakers my heart began to ache. I began to pray. I became overwhelmed with sorrow. Suddenly city hall transformed into a 16th century fairy tale-- The Pied Piper of Hamelin. Or better yet, the Pied Piper of Sacramen

Kudos to St. Mark Missionary Baptist Church Youth Department for providing an educational opportunity for youth 13-17yrs of age. The program will focus on youth violence prevention- to save a life and save freedom. The program will include discussions on youth death and youth arrests. Everyone is welcome. Please bring youth who you feel could benefit from the outreach. On Friday youth will write down what they want to discuss. A mother who lost her teenage son will discuss choices. Her son died after making a bad choice and police attempted to apprehend him. The mother has a powerful tragic story to share with the youth. Their will also be several youth performances including the Aztec

"Mother, Mother there's far too many of you crying. Brother, brother, brother there's far too many of you dying. You know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin here today. Father, Father you don't need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate. You know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin here today... We've got to find a way to bring some understanding here today... When will it end, when will people start getting together again..."  Marvin Gaye http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9KC7uhMY9s What's Going On?   April 20, 2011 One dies and six  injured as a result of violence in South Sacramento. Four were shot on 51st Avenue in South Sacramen

"What have I got to do to make you love me? Huh? What have I got to do to make you care? What do I do when lightening strikes me and I wake up and find that you're not there? What have I got to do to make you want me? What have I got to do to be heard? What do I say when it's all over? And sorry seems to be the hardest word? It's a sad, so sad It's a sad sad situation and it's getting more and more absurd... It's sad, so sad. Why can't we talk it over? Oh it seems to me that sorry seems to be the hardest word" Ray Charles and Elton John" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y29dWcuqQY   In Memory of All of Sacramento Youth Homicide Victims (This is an incomplete list. I apologize for all the n

Can somebody, anybody tell me why we die?... Prayyyyyyy, and we pray and we pray, and we pray, and we pray Everyday, everyday, everyday, everyday and we pray, and we pray, and we pray, and we pray... While you laughin we're passing, passing away... Can somebody anybody tell me why? Hey, can somebody anybody tell me why we die, we die? I don't wanna die... Bone, Thugs and Harmony  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMYAEHE2GrM&feature=related Within three days, in Sacramento, ten people were shot. Four have died including an eighteen year old who died of stab wounds. Seven are injured by gunshot wounds.  Many more could have become victims as over 30 shell casings are found and many bullet

How can you mend a broken heart? Al Green "I can think of younger days when living for my life Was everything a man could want to do I could never see tomorrow, but I was never told about the sorrow And how can you mend a broken heart? How can you stop the rain from falling down? How can you stop the sun from shining? What makes the world go round? How can you mend a this broken man? How can a loser ever win? Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again I can still feel the breeze that rustles through the trees And misty memories of days gone by We could never see tomorrow, no one said a word about the sorrow Please help me mend my broken heart and let me live again" Toni

For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong. H. L. Mencken Since High School I enjoyed attending basketball games. I use to love watching the Sport. As a youth I admit I was sports struck. Heck, I went to my prom with one of our high schools best basketball players. As a middle aged adult I still enjoy watching a good game of basketball. But it is what it is-- a game. It is a band-aid fix not a permanent solution to the economic growth of our city. Sacramento is in deficit. Having the Sports team in the city did not prevent the city's deficit. I would like to believe if the team were never here the city would have found other avenues to grow. Yes, The

Recently I took a job at an answering service call center. I thought it would be easy work. I mean, really how difficult can it be to answer the phone and take and relay messages? Well, I learned it is not easy seeing how spoiled some of us have become. A woman calls in for her home warranty company. She is very upset because it is Friday and the contractor assigned is telling her he needs to do additional work and needs authorization to complete the job. I went to work happy and in good spirits. But my smile turns upside down as the caller begins yelling at me. I continuously apologize and attempt to explain her coverage amount. I explain customer service will open on Monday and she ca

On Monday, December 20th, I received two emails to attend the NAACP Press Conference scheduled for Tuesday December 21th, 2010 at 9:30am which ask for a Community to stand united “to engage in a process that will result in a strategic plan to end the senseless violence that has been occurring in our city.” With all my heart and outrage I wanted to attend the conference. But with such short notice I was unable to get the morning off of work. Since I was not at the Press Conference and read an article in the daily paper which concerns me I am writing this open letter to the “Mayor, Leaders, Activists”, standing united. To be honest I was both excited and disappointed. I am genuinely excite

An Open Letter to the Mayor and Council for the City of Sacramento As a resident of the City of Sacramento who has continuously stood before you begging, crying, pleading for you to address the violence, which has left our children dead on Sacramento city streets or leaving Sacramento to become the walking dead in California prisons, I have several questions regarding your position on surveillance cameras. In regards to Sacramento Press article: Police Working on Surveillance System http://www.sacramentopress.com/headline/41637/Police_working_on_surveillance_system   Within the article it states: “There are many factors that will determine where the cameras will be placed...Among those

This morning I woke up determined to have a good day. But I guess that was not suppose to happen. I left to drive my son to school. We stopped on the way to pick up one of his classmates. We sang with the music on the radio and laughed and talked. Everything was nice. I drove home and decided to clean out my car. It was peaceful on my street. Everything seem so nice. I called a co-worker to see if she could work for me today. I decided to go shopping and then come home and wash clothes, cook dinner and basically relax the rest of the night. I sang as I headed off to the store. When I arrived in the store I received a call from a relative. I answered the phone and heard the words, "Rhon

(Please see Part 1) In front of me, the officer continued to make my son feel like crap, like less than a human being. And my anger grew. The officer told me he will talk to me but not my son, not in the presence of my son and for my son to stand back and he and I could walk away and speak. I should have turned and walked away at that moment. But instead I wanted to give the officer the benefit of the doubt. I walked away from my son to hear the officers explanation. The look in my sons eyes haunt me as I write this, I could see his pain was compounded. I believe the officer could not justify his actions and somewhere in that uniform he couldn't face my son telling me the truth in front

If one really wishes to know how justice is administered in a country, one does not question the policemen, the lawyers, the judges, or the protected members of the middle class. One goes to the unprotected--those, precisely, who need the law's protection most!--and listens to their testimony. James Baldwin For many Sacramento residents life for us has not been a crystal stair. It's had many obstacles (tacks), set backs (splinters), disappointments (boards) and places where their seems to be no relief (no carpet on the floor) But we keep climbing. we keep trying, we keep living maintaining love and hope. Each time my oldest sons appeal is denied I send him a letter writing, a quote from

This article is written with hopes that Mayor Johnson will drive his newly purchased $51,000 tax-payer Black SUV to the Intersection of Life and Freedom for Sacramento area youth. We are fed up with our Mayor driving by our pain and suffering. As it currently stands our Mayor drives through the city with his tax-payer paid tinted windows like Mr Magoo shielding just himself as youth life and youth Freedom blows in the wind in the city of Trees. Sacramento has a Mayor who can't seem to see the forest (our youth) through the trees. He is constantly distracted with his own desires, wants and self promotion. When will he promote Life and Freedom? On August 29, 2010 Alonzo Haynes, 23yrs young

Initially I wasn't moved by the fact the City Council moved the public comment section of council meetings. I wasn't moved because selfishly I welcomed the change since it will allow me to again have the opportunity to speak when I am overwhelmed and need to voice my concerns. As it is now, due to my schedule, I no longer can attend the first half of the council session and will miss the public speaking on matters not on the agenda. But with the change, if I miss speaking regarding an item on the agenda I can now attend and speak at the end of the session. If I am overwhelmed with a concern not on the agenda I can now make it in time to have a voice. But to not be selfish and since I don

The Mike B Foundation will join the call to "Silence the Violence" to call for an end to gun violence in Sacramento. Sacramento, Ca (July 24, 2010) On Saturday, July 24th, The Mike B Foundation will host the "Silence the Violence, National Day of Action in Sacramento to call for an end to the violence that plagues Sacramento streets. The activities will start at 10am at 4124 - 4542 Florin Road at the corner of Franklin Blvd, Sacramento.  One of the objectives is to allow the community to take steps towards healing and come together in an effort to bring peace to our streets. The event is held in honor of those lost to violence and will allow opportunites to work together for a better com

Mayor Johnson July, a month celebrated for Independence and Freedom has become tragic for many Sacramento residents. As you look to gain more power community residents wonder if you are taking some time to look at a crisis of youth violence existing in Sacramento? If so, other than providing more after-the-crime occurs officers on our street what if any plans do you have to prevent youth violence? Do you have any plans to assist in a community taking steps towards healing from the aftermath of death. We do appreciate the presence of law enforcement officers. We are not making light of their efforts. However, many of us see law enforcement as a crime deterrent and not necessarily a soluti