Black to Black

By Barney Blakeney I tend to relate memories to music. Songs trigger memories for me – where I was, what I was doing, how I felt. Last Saturday made me think of Ice Cube’s “Today Was A Good Day”. The lyrics, which I sometimes think are stupid, are set to the tune of The Isley…

By Barney Blakeney I attended the 102th Annual NAACP Freedom Fund Banquet Sept. 21. A friend made it possible. The tickets were $150 bucks. That’s another story. The house was packed – for those who could afford it, the event was well worth the price of the ticket. I left having learned a couple of…

By Barney Blakeney As Charleston ramps up efforts to assist in the recovery of the Bahama Islands after their recent devastation by Hurricane Dorian, in a Monday conversation about relief efforts John Wright president of the African American Settlement Communities Historic Commission, Inc. outlined an unprecedented proposal that would move assistance to the Bahamas beyond…

By Barney Blakeney This week has been difficult. My aunt Sarah Lees Cooper, a former Williamsburg County teacher ,used to say “Getting old is a blessing. But it’s so inconvenient.” My personal recovery from Hurricane Dorian again proves how true her assessment is. I’ve in the past prided myself on riding out hurricanes. Though neither…

By Barney Blakeney Out of the blue recently I got a call from a friend telling me he agreed with a recent column I wrote about North Charleston municipal elections. That was a breath of fresh air. The column was about the need for change in North Charleston. I welcome both compliments and complaints. They…

By Barney Blakeney Too often we focus on the wrong stuff. Last week I wrote a story about candidates who have filed for municipal elections in North Charleston. Erroneously I wrote one candidate previously ran for the North Charleston mayoral position. You woulda thought I’d shot the pope, according to some Facebook critics!  It was…

By Barney Blakeney I was sitting on the steps with some of the fellas a few days after the August 8 murder of a man on the Eastside’s Hanover Street. Subject of the day – “The Eastside will change!” People have been killed at that corner before, but this is different,” said Art. “This time…

By Hakim Abdul-Ali An old Afrikan proverb states, “Until the lions write their own history, the tale of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.” That’s a remarkable truth within itself, and its a prompting wakeup call to me as it should be to the senses of any aware Afro-conscious and all other well meaning folk…

By Barney Blakeney I learned some time ago Rural Missions, Inc. on Johns Island was closing. Last week I learned it closed May 31. A lot of people likely don’t understand the role Rural Missions, Inc. played in our community. Unfortunately, too many people don’t even know it existed! That’s a sad commentary. I learned…

By Barney Blakeney The police reports of traffic fatalities involving bicyclists have been alarming. Local police public information officers send the reports regularly, but it took awhile for me to recognize a trend. I guess that’s why it’s so important for reporters to be as objective as humanly possible. As a regular peninsula driver, cyclers…