Greatest Collegiate Guards (under 6'2") During the Last 25 Years

If you know me, you know two interrelated facts: (1) I love the game of basketball; and (2) I love playing the game.  I will never forget my introduction to the game.  I was in the fifth grade at Moore Elementary School in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.  Some of my friends were on the basketball courts playing, so I decided to join them (At the time—believe it or not—I was a football player).  To say that my introduction to the game was rocky would be a gross understatement.  My friends laughed at me and told me that I was terrible (this was no lie).  But, after this embarrassing introduction, I was determined to learn how to play the game.  Soon, my passion for football would make way for my true first love: basketball.

This past weekend, I was at a bar watching a few college games when I started to think about some of my favorite collegiate basketball players of all time. More specifically, I started thinking about my favorite guards of the last 25 years (1992 to present).

When I thought about this question, a few names came to mind.  However, I wanted to gather different perspectives from my friends, so I conducted a poll on Facebook.  I also did a little research online to see what other basketball-lovers had to say.  To be fair, I wanted to judge the players on very specific qualities.  I decided to exclude the respective players pro careers; I only wanted to focus on their college careers.  Also, I decided that my list could include players 6’2” or shorter.

Allen Iverson

 

The first name to come to mind was Allen Iverson who is my favorite basketball player of all time.  Iverson played two seasons at Georgetown from 1994-1996.  During his tenure, he averaged 23 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, and 3.2 steals per game.  He shot 44% from the field and 68% from the free throw line.

In terms of impact, there is probably no one (small) player in the history of the game who changed the game the way he did.  He was instrumental in players wearing longer shorts, black socks (along with the Fab Five) and black shoes.  He also possessed one of the most unstoppable moves in the history of the game: the crossover (ask Michael Jordan).

Jay Williams

Let me say this: I am most certainly NOT a Duke fan.  However, when I think about all-time great guards, Jayson Williams’s name belongs in the conversation.  Williams dominated the ACC from 1999-2002.  During his career, he averaged 19.3 points per game, 6 assists per game, 2.2 steals per game, all while shooting 45% from the field and 67% from the free throw line.

As talented as Williams was, he was equally, if not more so, intelligent.  Although he could dominate a game physically, he mastered the game of outthinking his opponent. 

 

 

Steph Curry

Steph Curry had a great career at Davidson College.  The funny thing about Steph is that not many people recruited him out of high school.  This explains why he ended up playing his college career at Davidson College instead of a high major program. 

Steph played at Davidson from 2006 to 2009.  During this period, he averaged 25.3 points per game, 3.7 assists per game, and 2.1 steals per game.  He shot 46.7 percent from the field, and 87.6% from the free throw line.

Steph Curry is the best shooter the game has ever seen (on any level).  His shooting changed the way guards prepared for games, and the way coaches recruited.  He was also an underdog, who was told that he was too skinny, or not athletic enough to play high-major basketball.    

 

 

Kemba Walker

Kemba had one of the most storied careers of any player on this list.  He literally carried his team to the National Championship in 2011.  He played with heart and swag that not many players before, or after him, have displayed.

During his career at UCONN, from 2008-2011, he averaged 16.1 points per game, 4.4 assists per game, and 1.7 steals per game.  In addition, he shot 43 percent from the field and 78 percent from the free throw line.

I watched a lot of players play, but I have never seen anyone with a step-back move like Kemba.  Talk about shifty.  He was a throw back New York City guard in the same vein as Kenny Anderson, and Stephon Marbury.

 

 

Chris Paul

Last but not least: Chris Paul.  He played every game with a chip on his shoulder.  This does not surprise me because I remember when he played ball at the YMCA in Winston-Salem.  He was younger than us, and much shorter, but he always played with passion and aggressiveness.  On the defensive end, he defended with a tenacious spirit like a smaller version of Gary Payton. 

During his career at Wake Forest, from 2003-2005, he averaged 15 points per game, 6.3 assists per game, and 2.5 steals per game.  He shot 47% from the field, and 84% from the free throw line.

Chris’ biggest impact on the game was his ability to dominate a game without being a volume shooter.  There are very few players in the history of the game who could dominate a game without shooting 20 times per game.  CP3 is that rare player who mastered this skill.

 

 

This list does not include the one-and-done players.  Who would you add or remove from your personal list?

Peace

Reasonable Doubt: A Critical Analysis

When I reflect about historically great hip hop albums, there is always one that comes to mind: Reasonable Doubt.  I have read many blogs, and participated in many discussions about the greatest hip hop albums of all time.  Usually, Reasonable Doubt is mentioned after Illmatic, Ready to Die, and the Chronic.  Although the aforementioned albums are certified classics, Reasonable Doubt is easily my favorite. 

Developing a Love for Music

Growing up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina (in my best Big Mike from the Wood voice), I was influenced by music at an early age.  This is not surprising to me considering my father’s love for music.  He remembers events in history based on what he was listening to at the time.  I thought this was very interesting and decided that I would be like my father by trying the same technique.  It worked out pretty well for me. 

In my early years of listening to music, I listened to the albums my dad played on his record player.  This could range from James Brown and Isaac Hayes, to the Supremes, to Sade to Michael Jackson.  Then, in the early 1990s, I started listening to the radio where I began hearing a new genre of music called hip hop.  During this era, west coast hip hop artists were experiencing mainstream success.  I remember listening to Ice Cube, Ice T, NWA, MC Eight, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, and many other west coast artists.  At that point, I was very young, so I had not developed my pallet for music.  I loved anything with a good beat.    

If I Got to Choose a Coast I Got to Choose the East . . .

My love of east coast hip hop began once I heard Wu-Tang Clan.  The Clan was not rapping about low riders, beaches and 40 ounces; instead, they were rapping about MPV’s, Timberland Boots, and Tommy Hilfiger.  Although I was still very young, I was hearing about many of these topics at school, and around older members of my family.  This made me want to listen to hip hop from other artists.  Shortly thereafter, I was introduced to other east coast artists such as: The Notorious B.I.G, Nasir Jones, Big L, Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest and many others.  It was at that time that I knew what my musical pallet would consist of.

[Hip Hop] and Basketball

In the summer of 1996, I was playing basketball for an Amateur Athletic Union team called North Carolina Select.  I was 14 years old, but because I was a pretty good player, I played with the 17 and Under team.  Our team played extremely well in the North Carolina state tournament, so we earned an invitation to the AAU Nationals that were being held in Orlando, Florida.  We rented a van for the trip to Florida.  At this point, people were transitioning from using cassette tapes to using compact discs.  I was fortunate to have a Discman and was listening to the 4 or 5 CD’s I had brought with me.  At this point, I had not heard of Jay-Z.  I saw one of my teammates constantly bobbing his head, so I asked him what he was listening to.  He said “Jay-Z.”  I asked him to let me listen when he was done with the CD, and he said “okay.”  I must have listened to the album three times from start to finish without skipping one track.  This is really rare for me because I am easily turned out by a track.  It might be because I do not like the beat, or because it sounds too much like an R&B track.  I’m very picky when it comes to the hip hop music I like.

After the tournament concluded, and we made it back to North Carolina, there was only one thing on my mind: to purchase Reasonable Doubt. I bought the album from a music store on Stratford Road.  I must have listened to the album 30 times during that first week.  By this point, I had fully developed my pallet for music; I knew that east coast hip hop was going to be my choice.

“Friends” and “Classics”: Two Overused Terms

I do not use the word “friend” loosely at all.  I am more likely to say that someone is an associate.  Likewise, I do not throw the term “Classic” around often.  In fact, I think I have a much higher standard for a classic than most people do.  If I skip one track it cannot be a classic in my eyes.  With that being said, Reasonable Doubt is an undeniable classic.  From the start of the album to the end, Jay-Z seamlessly weaves in stories about money, power, respect, struggle, street life, fashion, regrets, and everything in between.

What’s Your Favorite Track?

Can’t Knock the Hustle.  Jay-Z came out of the blocks swinging with this track.  Being able to get Mary J. Blige on a track was a pretty big move for an artist who had to start a record label in order to be able to push his own product.  This track grabs the listener’s attention and sets the tone for what is to come.

Favorite Line: “Got the US Open, advantage Jigga/Serve like Sampras, play fake rappers like a campus Le Tigre, son you too eager”

Politics as Usual.  I love the way this song begins.  The beat is unbelievable, which should not be surprising considering that Ski Beats was the man behind the boards.  If you have ever hustled anything—legally or illegally—you can probably relate to this song. 

Favorite Line: “suckin me in like a vacuum, I remember telling my family: “I’ll be back soon, that was December 85 and Jay-Z rise 10 years later, got me wise still can’t break my underworld ties”

Brooklyn’s Finest.  Anytime you combine Jay-Z and B.I.G on a track, you are in for a treat.  You could sense that each artist had respect for the other, but you could also sense the competitiveness in each artist. I love this song because Jay and B.I.G. went toe-to-toe, blow-for-blow for over four minutes.  It is still difficult for me to definitively declare a winner.

Favorite (Jay-Z) Line: “From 9-6, the only MC with a flu, Yeah I rhyme sick, made a fortune off Peru, extradite, China white heroin Nigga please, like short sleeves I bear arms”

Dead President’s II.  This might be my favorite Jay-Z song.  Ever.  If you have been living under a rock and have not heard this track, please go to youtube to listen to it.  This song epitomizes true 1990s hip hop.    

Favorite Line: “The Icon, baby, you like Dom, maybe this Cristals change your life, huh?    Roll with the winner heavy spinners like hit records: Roc-A_Fella don’t get it corrected,  this shit is perfected . . .”

Feelin it.  When I am having a good day, I will listen to this song because it is all about celebrating individual and group success. 

Favorite Line: “Making sure every nigga stay rich within my cipher, we paid the price to circle us, success—they turned the mic up, I’m bout to hit these niggas with some shit   that’ll light ya life up if every nigga in your clique is rich, your clique if rugged, nobody   will fall cause everyone will be each other’s crutches”

D’Evils.  What is a dope hip hop album in the 1990s without a DJ Premier beat?  Jay-Z made sure to get a Premier beat on his first album, and as always, Premo delivered.  The play on the word “Devils” is pretty clever I might add.

Favorite Line: “Whoever said illegal was the easy way out, could not understand the     mechanics and the workings of the underground, granted nine to five is how you survive,   I ain’t trying to survive, I’m tryna live it to the limit and love it a lot”

22 Two’s.  Ski Beats delivered a dope beat on this song.

Favorite Line: “If you could catch Jay right, on the late night with the eight, right, maybe you could test my weight, right”

Can I Live.  D.J. Irv Gotti masterfully sampled an old 70s track for this epic song.  This song is flawless.  No more explanation needed.    

Favorite Line: “The youth I used to be, soon to see a million no more Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William, illin for revenues, Rayful Edmund-like, Channel 7   News, round seven jewels, head dead in the mic”

Ain’t No Nigga.  This is an iconic track featuring a young artist by the name of Foxy Brown.

Favorite Line: “Yo, ain’t no stopping this, no lie promise to stay monogamous, I try but  love you know these ho’s be making me weak, ya’ll  know how it goes B so I stay deep”

Friend or Foe.  Once again, Jay-Z retained the services of DJ Premier for a banger.  “Friend of foe yo, state your biz . . .”

Favorite Line:  “You draw, better be Picasso, you know the best, cause if this is not so, ah, God Bless . . . “

Coming of Age.  I believe this was Memphis Bleek’s first time rhyming on wax.

Favorite Line: “Yeah, the only way to blow you let your shit bubble quietly and then you blow, hey keep your cool.”

Cashmere Thoughts.  This song has a catchy beat, and the lyrics are on-point. 

Favorite Line: “Ghetto’s Errol Flynn, hot like heroin young pimps is sterile when I pimp     through your borough and I gotta keep your tricks intact, cause I walk like a pimp, talk like     a mack . . .”

Bring it On.  Another Dj Premier banger featuring Sauce Money.  Sauce Money was really on-point on this track. 

Favorite Line: “Can’t do for dolo, had to turn away when Tony killed Manolo, that’s real,    mixed feelings like a mulatto, thug thought he was O.G. Bobby Johnson, I played him like Benny Blanco . . .”

Regrets.  This song is the perfect way to end a masterpiece.  After all, who does not have regrets? 

Favorite Line: “Time waits for no man, can’t turn back the hands once it is too late, gotta   learn to live with regrets.”

The authenticity of the lyrics, stellar production, song placement, and collaborations catapult this album to the top echelon of hip hop albums.  I would put this album above Illmatic, Ready to Die and Chronic any day.

Peace

We Miss the Old Kanye

My first time seeing Kanye West perform was in 2004 at North Carolina A&T’s Homecoming concert.  At that time, he was performing at various college campuses while promoting his new album: The College Dropout.  During his performance, it was easy to see how much he wanted to be successful.  He had the eye of the tiger.  When he addressed the crowd, it was not to brag about being a genius, or to talk about clothing designers whom his audience had probably never heard of.  If I remember correctly, he was wearing a Ralph Lauren shirt, and a pair of jeans.  He was relatable to the college crowd because his choice of topics reflected his background.  He talked about working in retail stores; he talked about fraternities and sororities; he talked about relationships with women; he complained about student loans (the bane of my existence); and other topics many college-educated students could relate to.  Not only did he talk the part, but he looked the part of a student because he wore clothes that many students could afford or kind of afford(one time for those refund checks). Kanye seemed very genuine, which I think won over masses of fans.   

It always seems that with any great rise to fame, there is a story of a fall from glory.  This has happened to many great musicians (Bobby Brown, Jodeci, and many others).  For Kanye, I believe his descent began after his mother passed away even though he was able to mask it from the public for quite some time. I would be willing to bet the people who were close to him witnessed a change well before the public saw destructive signs.

From 2004-2011, Kanye released four certified classic albums: The College Dropout; Late Registration; Graduation; and My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.  During this six-year run, he was on top of his game as a producer and musician.  I guess I should have known that his reign on top would not last forever.  After all, most athletes and musicians have a prime that usually does not last longer than ten years.  I do not know if this is determined by an audience who grows tired of hearing the same voice, or by a person’s lack of hunger once he or she reaches a certain level of success.  Either way, as the law of gravity dictates: what goes up must eventually come down.  Unfortunately for Kanye, his descent from the top of the game has been very painful to watch because he has literally been making statements that seem to be completely illogical.  I obviously do not know who he has in his circle, but it would seem that someone would be trying to reel him in before he goes too far off the deep end.   

I believe Kanye’s issues began rising to the surface sometime after his mother passed away in November 2007.  Based on interviews, and songs he made about her prior to her death, it was clear that she was very important to him.  In 2008, less than a year after her death, he made probably his darkest album: 808 and Heatbreaks.  Art is often a reflection of reality; after listening to this album, it was clear to me that he was in a lot of pain.  Unfortunately for him, his pain did not translate into a great project like Mary J. Blige.  She seems to make her best music when she is going through an issue with her love interest. His 2008 release is his only album between 2004 and 2011 that I did not particularly care for.  In 2010 when he released My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, I thought Kanye was back.  Boy was I wrong.

Sometime after 2011, I believe his behavior became noticeably erratic.  I remember hearing stories about him arriving to award shows clearly intoxicated.  He started proclaiming more and more about his greatness and how much a genius he is.  He also started disrespecting respected members of the media, e.g. Sway “You Ain’t Got the Answers” Calloway.  I must digress for just a moment to briefly discuss that infamous interview.  Kanye completely went off on Sway and you could tell that Sway was trying to remain calm.  Yet, you could also tell that the RN inside him was thinking “I will slap the s**t out of this midget if he does not stop disrespecting me on my damn show.”  Although that interview was funny, it showed just how far Kanye was out of touch with reality.  This was certainly not the first time he said something controversial, however, it was the first time I remember feeling like he had no reasonable basis for his behavior.    

2016 has been a terrible year for Kanye—one of the great producers in music history.  He seems desperate to reclaim the spotlight that he used to have because of his musical gifts.  He is married to a Khardashian, a family that is synonymous with controversy.  Didn’t Kanye see what happened to Lamar Odom?  In all fairness to Kanye, I think he is suffering from some sort of diagnosable mental disorder. I have even talked to friends who are mental health experts and they too believe that he has a mental illness.  As one of my Facebook friends posted the other week, Kanye West is on the verge of being the subject of an Unsung episode.  For the sake of the hip hop community, I hope he can bounce back from this set back because We Miss The Old Kanye.

Peace

Trump: My Worst Nightmare

 Tuesday, November 8, 2016 will forever stand out in my mind (and not for any good reasons).  During the 2016 presidential election cycle, I naively brushed off the notion that Trump might win.  I ran down a laundry list of reasons why he would not win: (1) he is not qualified; (2) he is racist, sexist, and misogynistic (I’m sure I left off a few other descriptors); (3) Republicans won’t support him because they too see that he is not a worthy candidate; (4) he was a reality star—doesn’t that exclude you from running?; and (5) “the hair.”  I was sure of my position; I knew I was right.    

   The week leading to the election, I started feeling differently.  I had the same feeling in the pit of my stomach when I knew the principal called my dad to tell him about my behavior at school.  I knew an ass whooping of epic proportions was soon to come.  Either way, I listened to political pundits, I watched interviews of the candidates, and I read articles written about both candidates.  All of these acts made me feel worse.  I distinctly remember one interview that made me realize that Trump might win.  In this interview, the interviewer discussed a phenomenon called “lean in.”  Lean in is all about the voters who were not proclaiming to the heavens that they would vote for Trump.  These were the closet supporters of Trump. If you asked them whom they were planning to vote for, they would say something like: “I don’t know; both candidates are bad.”  Or, they might lean close to you (yeah, in your personal space) to say: I’m voting for Trump.  This phenomenon has forever changed the face of American Politics and the world as we know it.

     Trump is a narcissist.  He is arrogant.  He is overtly racist.  And sexist.  His campaign centered on these hateful concepts.  Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate.  In every interview, Trump distanced himself from President Obama, and his administration.  He was resolute to prove that he is not a politician and that he will “Make America Great Again.”  He insulted women, Muslims, African Americans, disabled folks, President Obama and Hispanics.  He talked about grabbing women by their vaginas.  He spewed rhetoric about Muslims being terrorists.  He repeatedly stated that African Americans live in the “inner city.”  He blatantly mocked disabled citizens.  He refused to acknowledge that President Obama was born in the United States of America.  He talked about building a wall to keep Hispanics out of this country. Sadly, this type of rhetoric enabled him to accomplish his goal.  This is an indictment and conviction of this country.

    Trump focused on only one segment of the population: White men.  He did not even make a half-hearted effort to appeal to minorities because he knew he did not need their vote in order to win.  He knew that if he could get the bulk of the white male population, which represents 31% of the U.S. population, he would have enough to win.  He knew that if he could get this group to support him, they would be able to have some influence over their wives, sisters, and other women in their lives.  It was truly a white wash strategy, which happened to also be a winning strategy.  It showed that Trump does not intend to unite this country along party lines, racial lines, or any other line.  To use an analogy: Trump went through 200 million packs of Starburst and only ate the pink ones.  He did not even open or taste the yellows, or the reds. You know why?  Because he did not have to.

    So how bad can Trump really be?  I believe he can be historically bad.   He will have the power to pen Executive Orders.  He will be able to veto bills.  As the Commander-in-Chief, he will have passcodes to our nuclear warheads.  He can roll back the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare (ironically, he is already backing off of this position).  Because his party control Congress, it should be much easier for him to assert his influence and power.  That said, I still do not believe that republicans will go for any and everything that he might propose.  One of the biggest concerns many people have is that he will be able to appoint at least one justice to the U.S. Supreme Court.  This appointment of a conservative justice has the potential to change issues that impact minorities such as: voting rights, abortion and affirmative action.  Because justices are appointed for life, Trump's appointment(s) could be the gift that keeps on giving (Heavy sarcasm).  Stay tuned.

     Despite the many political fires Trump’s presidency could ignite, many people are more concerned about social issues.  Because Trump ran his campaign as the Anti-Obama candidate, many of the most hateful, racist and evil people have rallied around him.  These people are emboldened and feel that they are taking the country back from the hands of its first African American president.  Since Trump won the election, I have seen many examples of overt racist acts.  These acts have been perpetrated against the very groups Trump criticized and disregarded during his presidential election. 

To generalize, I guess these people feel that if the president elect can make racist, sexist, homophobic and otherwise discriminatory comments, why can’t they?  One thing this group of people better realize is that this is not 1865, nor 1945.  People in this country have been enslaved, raped, brutalized, beaten, wrongfully imprisoned and murdered for the right to be treated with respect and dignity.  It would be a huge mistake for these people to think that folks will be terrorized.  These folks better remember that the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment acts as a shield and a sword for all citizens.  In laymen’s terms: they better get some Act Right about themselves because we are never going back to the Jim Crow Era, and we are certainly not going back to slavery.

Peace

The Birth of a Nation: Shifting the Slave Narrative

I grew up in what was the Antebellum South.  During my childhood, I did not learn about the details of Nat Turner’s Rebellion.  I do, however, recall one of my teachers mentioning the rebellion in passing.  I did not know the rebellion was led by a black slave.  Ironically, or maybe not so ironically, I recall learning about John’s Brown’s anti-slavery efforts—I wonder why?  In the fall of 2000, I finally discovered details regarding the rebellion in an African American Studies class.  Prior to this class, I had learned about the typical African American heroes including: Frederick Douglas, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  It is funny how much of Black folks’ history is not taught in most schools.  If you care to learn about this piece of U.S. history, you have to take a class during college.  From the very beginning, Black folks have made an immeasurable impact on this country, despite, in many instances—being considered less than a man or woman. 

Seeing Nat Turner’s story on the big screen is profoundly important, impactful and powerful.  His story is so much more than a typical slave narrative.  The typical slave narrative shows Black people being beaten, raped, demeaned, tortured and killed.  I hoped a director would write, produce and release a movie that truly shows the fighting spirit of Black people.  I mean we just had a Black president for eight years, so anything is possible, right?  Although I grew tired of the same slave narrative, I watched movies and read articles and books about the time period.  I did so because I believe history is important, and without understanding your history, it is hard to understand where you are going and why you are going.  Without having an understanding of slavery, reconstruction, and Jim Crow, how can you truly understand the historical significance of the times we are living in now?  And the similarities—albeit couched in a different oppressive system. 

I was cautiously intrigued when I heard Nate Parker was making a movie about Nat Turner.  However, I had questions: will the story accurately portray Nat’s story, or will some non-black person be given credit for the rebellion?  Before The Birth of a Nation was released on the big screen, it was lauded at the Sundance Movie Festival.  I even heard there was a bidding war between major movie labels for the right to release the movie.  I thought: this might actually happen!  The idea of a Black man playing the lead role about slavery is no small feat.  Knowing that Nate Parker, and not Denzel Washington, or Will Smith—both well-known Hollywood names—would be the lead was very interesting.  As I dug deeper, I learned that Parker actually took two years away from acting to raise money for the film.  He put up $100,000.00 of his own money, which was, in his own words, “all he had.”  That is admirable.  How many people are willing to risk it all, in the face of naysayers, to see a dream come true? 

Sexual assault allegation.  Trial.  Acquittal.  Prior to Parker raising the money to finance his film, I had never heard about his personal life (nor did I care).  What I knew: he was a talented actor who had played in one of my favorite movies—The Great Debaters.  Outside of that, I knew nothing.  Indeed, I believe that his personal history would have remained a relative mystery had he failed at raising money for the movie.  But, alas, he raised the money.  He wrote the script.  He starred in it.  He secured a stellar cast of Black actors.  Once all of these pieces fell into place, I started hearing about a sexual assault case from 1999.  I am not here to argue the merits of that case.  However, he was acquitted of all charges stemming from the 1999 case in 2001.  In this country, when a person is acquitted, that person is typically viewed as being innocent.  People don’t typically demand an apology from someone who has maintained his innocence.  Certainly, his or her history is not publicized just before the release of a major motion picture.  The strategic release of information regarding his case was too carefully planned to be a coincidence.  It was clearly a ploy to derail his project.      

A few days ago, I watched an interview of Nate Parker on the Breakfast Club.  During this interview, Nate talked about his movie being bigger than him and his character.  He talked about how this movie should make (all) people feel uncomfortable, but how he hoped that it would serve to encourage people to have open discussions about race, privilege, and oppression. In 50 years, I believe people would look back to these times we are living in now.  People will see the similarities between 2000s and the 1960s.  In the 1960s, Black folks were being oppressed, and abused.  In 2016, Black men are still being imprisoned and murdered by law enforcement—often without just provocation. If race relations do not improve, there is no telling what people will do.  That should make everyone uncomfortable.  We should all be thinking of effective methods to deal with these issues before it is too late.  By no means am I saying The Birth of a Nation is the answer to these issues.  However, after seeing the movie, I hope people will finally feel compelled to engage in honest discussions about privilege and oppression. 

The 2016 version of The Birth of a Nation tells a very powerful story.  The plot is good and the acting is believable.  This movie was overdue and I am pleased that it was released.  It shifted the traditional slave narrative—albeit temporarily—to show that Black folks fought courageously against the system of bondage.  We were not all docile.  Many of us fought to the death for the freedom we enjoy today.  I would recommend the movie to anyone—regardless of race, gender, or age.

Peace