Honoring the Past, Building a Future
There’s something grounding about touching a brick wall. Maybe it’s the cool roughness under my fingertips, or the quiet weight of time pressed into each mortar line. These walls, with their weathered hues and enduring strength, are more than just structures—they are storytellers. As I’ve walked Main Street, hand to brick, I’ve felt the whispers … Continue reading Stepheny’s Hand On The Brick Walls of Main Street
I'm sure like me, you have opinions about things that need better understanding before putting them out there. In my case I'm referring to the Census that took place in 2023. My concern is how the Census impacts a historic neighborhood like Happy Hill. Happy Hill in Ward 4 has been shifted to Ward 2. … Continue reading Census Change: Happy Hill Shifted To Ward 2 – How’s It Working Out
This post is written with eyes wider than when I began the series. I have loved all the comments, regardless of the position taken. I was rather proud of all of us, not a temper tantrums to behold. I had this brilliant idea. I will write about black lives that have risen to the top of … Continue reading Four Amazing Black College Presidents That Inspire Those Who Come After Them – Part 4
Michael Bruce Curry (born March 13, 1953) is an American bishop who is the 27th and current presiding bishop and primate of The Episcopal Church. Elected in 2015, he is the first African American to serve as presiding bishop in The Episcopal Church. He was previously bishop of the Diocese of North Carolina. I met … Continue reading Included In This Series Are Two Of My Heros: Presiding Bishop, Michael Curry, and Stanford University Provost, CondIessa Rice -People Like This Believe, “You Can Do Anything You Want To Do In America As A Black, Including Becoming President” -Shelby Steele
The music industry has been transformed by talented, remarkable black artists: singer-songwriters and performers. Their contributions to jazz, soul, rock, gospel, and R&B stand in contrast to the victimization cry that our usual City Councilmen and cohorts cry when questioned or criticized. These usual suspects make a living telling the black community they are victims … Continue reading “I Sing Because I’m Happy-I Sing Because I’m Free” Celebrating The Achievement And Success Of Black Musicians -Part 2
I read Ayn Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged, after college when I returned to my normal reading life. For years, I worried that I was neither smart nor important enough to disappear from the world as the entrepreneurs and industrialists in the novel leave to make a plan to thwart socialism. Canadian economist Reuven Brenner refers … Continue reading The “Vital Few” – A Series on Black Achievement Across The American Spectrum: Sports, Music, Medicine, Education, Politics…Part 1
Main Street Rocky Mount 