Author: Reemberto@gmail.com

Their “end-game”.  What and How. Substance and Style. Time for a counter-revolution.

It is not just what they are doing, it is also how they are doing it.

It is not just the substance of what they are trying to accomplish, it is also the style in which they are accomplishing it.

What is going on in the USA today is nothing short of a revolution; a revolution from the inside out; a revolution instigated by those in power to stay in power. But a revolution nonetheless.

Quite a bit of what – on the surface – the Trump Administration’s revolution is seemingly seeking to accomplish is indeed laudible. Peace in Ukraine and the Middle East. Efficiency in government. Control immigration. Focus aid for the poor. All sounds good. Who can disagree?  If all the news you hear comes from the White House and it’s crony media (the new State media), and if then you listened to the President’s address to Congress, you would think that everything is going oh so well. Yet that address had by conservative estimates over one hundred right out lies and many more other distorted information.

And.

How they are going about – and their apparent end game – beyond their lies and distortions is, in a simple word: Evil.

Their evil is exasperated when they are pompous, self-righteous and arrogant in presenting their propaganda.

And it is evil. Dictating by fear, selective enforcement, creating chaos, disregarding established protocols – that is how they are getting things done. And that is mean-spirited, abusive, and cruel. And evil.

It is as if their enemies are the suppressed people of Gaza and Ukraine, the civil servants in the USA government, the undocumented, and the homeless. 

Their enemies also include the LGBTQ+ community. According to the MAGAs and  their perverse pseudo theology the LGBTQ+ community is “poisoning” the culture with the likes of drag shows and the talk of diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Also their enemy? Science. Artists. And academia.

In a nutshell, their enemies are the defenseless and those who have heard the cry of the poor, the excluded, the sidelined, the bullied and all ‘others’. 

How to explain this madness? According to the MAGAs, it all started with the revolutions of the 60’s. 

It is those revolutions in the realm of politics, culture, governance and theology that they despise. It is the increasing participation of others in the political process they don’t like. It is the welcoming of more voices in the civic discourse they deplore. It is the expansion of empathetic government programs they want to eliminate. It is the theology that promotes preference for those in need they refuse to accept.

They clearly intend to revert back not to the 1950’s, but to the 1890’s. They seek to return to the times when philanthropy (very partially) took care of those in need, barons and oligarchs controlled the economy, labor was unorganized, expansion of empires was still a thing, faith was personal with no collective interests, and – most critical – power was the exclusive privilege of white, heterosexual  (self identified) Christian men. 

And that, my friends, is part of  their ultimate end game.

[Luckily, in a country where the majority of men are indeed white, heretosexual, and (at least culturally) Christian , not all adhere to the MAGA mentality. Many of these white non-MAGA men are people of goodwill, critical thinkers, and empathetic to those unlike them. They are our friends 🙂 And to you we shout: ¡GRACIAS!]

What a macabre of a man! Pure evil. That President Donald Trump. 

So he directs the USA government to radically stop providing life saving food and medicine to the poor throughout the world to starve and sicken them to death. After decades of building goodwill towards the USA with the provision of food and medicine for the poor, he is now killing the very people we have been helping. After decades of people looking to the USA as a beacon of hope he has turned the USA into an instrument of cruel, intentional desperation, and death. This time the killing not only by providing other government the war tools for the killing fields – unfortunately how the USA does so in many parts of the world and has also been doing for decades – but by yanking away food and medicine promised to the poor for meager survival. This is mean. This is cruel. This is evil.

This approach creates a new never seen hatred of the USA by people throughout the world. What was seen as a benevolent act of goodwill – in part countering the hatred instilled by the provision of the war machinery – has been turned into another despicable act of sheer evil: The intentional denial of life saving food and medicine for the poor for purely political gain.

Maybe his intent is to make sure the destitute throughout the world no longer sees the USA as that beacon of hope so they will not want to come here. 

(Ah! That’s it! The man is a genius!)

He is creating a new world order where people despise the USA to the point that they no longer want  to come here. And, he is dismantling the USA government to the point that it no longer works for the people already here. 

It seems he is making good on his promise to fix the immigration problem by making the USA a place where no one is proud to live here, a place where the government controls the media, a place where the government is ran by oligarchs, a place where only white heterosexual (self identified) Christian man have political and capital power. 

The end-game of their revolution?. A USA more similar to the likes of Russia than to the Western European nations. Gee, maybe we should be Russia’s friend now. Oh, wait, we already are? Yep. We are there. Their end-game is complete.

It is time to start the counter-revolution.

 

When did feeding the hungry and curing the sick become a worthless collective good?

Can you imagine a world where folks that are materially better off come together and decide to help the poor in a faraway land by sending them goods and medicine? Each of us could decide to do this individually, taking food and medicine ourselves. But that’s simply oftentimes impractical. 

Would it not be much better for us as a community to collect money to pay those among us that know how to grow food and those that produce the medicine, and then ship the goods to those far away places? There we could work with faith communities and volunteers – and of course the local folks – to get the food and medicine to those that need it most.

Of course we’d know that there are bad elements in each step in the process that are bound to abuse the good will of the community. There’d be those that overcharge for the production, others that would steal some of the goods along the way, and others that would resale the free goods to make a profit. 

But we would work to minimize these losses. We would do financial audits, we would analyze the process to identify inefficiencies, and we would constantly improve. However, we would never just dismantle the project and simply leave people to starve without food and die without medicine.

We would never do that because we as a community are people of good will, a generous people. We understand that helping others is a good thing, it pays dividends that are incalculable. It is, to those folks of faith, doing God’s work.

And that my friends, is exactly what we were doing when we as a nation decided to use a limited amount of our tax dollars (our collective chest) to pay our farmers in the heartland to grow certain food that we would buy from them and have it shipped to other parts of the world where we would contract with faith groups and locals to distribute. And that’s exactly what we did when the government partnered with major drug manufacturers to produce life-saving medication to distribute throughout the world.

We did this with the knowledge that it is an imperfect system. We know that some unscrupulous farmers would over charge, that some drug manufacturers may over charge, that some faith groups would take advantage of certain contractual loopholes, and that there would be inevitable graft at the local level. 

But we also knew that these ‘bad actors’ were the exception, not the rule. We knew that the vast majority of the folks in the supply chain of getting the food and medication to where it is most needed are honest folks proud to be part of projects that demonstrate our national collective good will. And the vast majority of taxpayers are happy that their elected officials and workers throughout the government, faith and private sector supply chain are honest people of good will trying to do their best to deliver on the collective decision that helping the poor in far away places is a good, humane value.

We know that helping the poor far away in no way negates our responsibility to help those nearer to us, in our local community. We can do both.

Do we have to address the waste and graft in the process? Of course! 

But to do what this new Administration is doing, taking a sledge hammer to a system that has generally worked for decades and has served the common good as decided by the general population through the policies adopted by elected representatives and implemented by competent agencies and partners is simply not the way to improve a good thing. Destroying agencies like USAID, which in turn decapitates the capacity of other agencies – many of which are faith based – to do their work, is just plain wrong. It is also shortsighted, as these programs create immense good will towards America and ferments relationships that change hearts and minds. Worse yet is how they are doing it! Dehumanizing the people served as well as the people that do the serving; being facetious and insulting to those that have given of their life and livelihood for years – decades! – committed to this public good; and providing no alternative, leaving people to literally die of hunger and die because their medication is no longer available.

When did feeding the hungry and curing the sick become a worthless collective good? What Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and their accomplices are doing is nothing short of a moral crime against humanity. We have to hold them accountable. 

We do not have to let this stand. It is our collective money. It is our collective decision. Collectively we have decided that we are willing to contribute through taxation to this worthy cause of providing food and medicine to the needy of the world. Let’s not let this Administration take that away from us. 

Let’s not let their complete and total lack of compassion infect our collective will. We are a good people. We can come together to reverse this madness. Yes, we can do this!

Updated Version may be available

If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

Oh, how normal it feels! Super Bowl Sunday was surely fun. The weekend was restful. The grandkids offer such a relief from the madness around us. Looking forward – or not! – to the snow. Heading down to see family next weekend. All good.

Yet the madness of the moment is still very much with me. Hard as I try to avoid it, the anxiety of what is yet to come can be overwhelming. 

The doubts of the validity of our concerns emerge ever more poignant: Are we exaggerating things? Are we in our own bubble too much? Are we getting our information from ultra biased sources? Might it be that what is happening is nothing more than a fast paced change that will yield some corrective measures more so than radicalism, autocracy or oligarchy? Are we exaggerating things?

The initial rage has turned into sustained anger. How to turn that anger into action consumes my thinking. The inevitable thought of what others should be doing keeps entering my head, knowing full well that I can not control what others do – I can only control myself, what I do.

But, what can I do?

I’ve tried talking with family members who voted for Trump, only to be scolded for not having understood their pain during the 8 years of Obama and 4 years of Biden. It is they who tell me “elections have consequences; you voted for them!” And they are blunt when they tell me “everything Trump and Musk are doing is exactly why we voted for them. Take a chill pill. This is only the beginning!” No response would break through their impenetrable shield to their fountain of information, to their self imposed censorship.

And this, my friends, is why a new ABC* poll yesterday had Trump at his highest approval rating, 53%. (*It is not lost on me that it is a strategic advantage for ABC to come out with such a poll. After all, they are the latest media organization that has buckled under Trump’s pressure by offering to settle his lawsuit and contribute millions to his future library).

The road ahead is not for the faint at heart. I totally understand anyone who decides to retreat from this conversation or decides to take only token action, contribute a few dollars here, write a letter to congress there. After all, we all have a life to live. After all, the vast majority of the world’s population live totally disengaged from their government. Of course they are all impacted monumentally by the actions of totalitarian, inefficient or ineffective governments. But, most folks are consumed with the day to day drudgery of making due (‘resolver’); not unlike us who are consumed by the day to day drudgery of consumerism, entertainment, health maintenance, and such.

Sometimes I wonder what our generation was thinking when we rejoiced on the progress made over the last few decades, expecting that direction to continue unfeather. Yet we see today across the globe, and across the cultural and faith spectrum, a fierce backlash to what we considered progress. For example, it seems to be in vogue in our Church to question Vatican II; the advancement of women is being reversed in many countries throughout the world; and, misguided nostalgia for traditionalism rules the day. 

And the experiment with democracy? It is dead too. Idealism is dead. 

There is not a single country in the world where democracy is seen as a viable option for governance. Indeed, democracy is losing at the ballot box only to give those that get elected the opportunity to use democratic principles against democracy itself and entrench themselves in power and destroy the very thing that got them elected.

How silly and naïve of us to think that we would be the generation to conclusively turn around centuries of society being controlled by the toxic marriage of self-serving political power with those that control the world’s capital? Isn’t that how it has been since the dawn of humankind? How insolent of us to think that we would live in the enlightened era – that moment in history – where common folks would work collaboratively for the common good to create the “beloved community”.

The realization that that was not meant to be, that our lifetime is but a blip in history. that there is a lot of work to be done by others in future generations – if future generations come to be, that is – that realization is sinking in. 

Next year the USA celebrates 250 years of what happened in 1776, the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Surely it will be a dystopian celebration, one where those in power will claim that they are reclaiming the real intent of that ideal and aspirations. They will – in essence – steal our dream. (For those of us that are Cuban, this sounds all too familiar. Jose Marti was conveniently ‘repurposed’ to serve the purpose of the 1959 Revolution).

Yet, with all this ‘doom-and-gloom’, with all this coming at us, I can not fall into desolation. My faith won’t let me do that. I still believe in the constructive will of people, the power of relationships, and the spirit of goodness. 

I refuse to give the power to those in power to have power over me. 

Yes, I will pray. And yes, I will do contemplation. And yes, I will participate in our rituals and sacraments. And. And – not but – I will take independent and collective action. I don’t know what those actions will be. I do pray that, as St. Ignatius may or may not have said:

“I will do everything as if it all depended on me, knowing full well that it all depends on God.”

(Or, as Mother Teresa of Calcutta supposedly said: “Live ‘as if’ – as if you believe”).

And this, my friends, is why I must not fall into desolation, get discouraged, exhausted, or give up.

If not us, then who? If not now, then when?

GRACIAS (por nada) Señor Trump

NOTE: This thought-piece was inspired by having had a brutal day Saturday, February 1st, 2025. I went to the National Building Museum to see the Brutalism Exhibit and then later in the evening to watch the film The Brutalist at Silver Spring’s American Film Institute. A brutalist day indeed. Not unlike what we are experiencing in the USA at these times. Brutal. In Spanish: Brutál, with the accent appropriately enough in that last syllabus for extra emphasis.)

Gracias Señor Trump. Thank you!

Thank you for recognizing that the body of water touching the nations of the USA, Estados Unidos de Mexico, and Cuba rightfully belong to the people of this great Continent – (North) America – and should hereafter be known as The Gulf of America. As a Spanish speaker born and raised in North America (Cuba and USA, respectively) I thank you for your foresight to accept the reality that nations need to share natural resources, talents, and treasures to benefit all, not just the few that extract and exploit. (Oh, wait! That’s not why you did it? Then, gracias por nadaI – thank you for nothing).

As long as we are in the renaming and reaffirming kick, I commit to – during the time that you are President – call this great Nation of which you are the duly elected leader “USA”. Just USA. For those of us that are fortunate enough to speak Spanish, this is quite fitting. You see, USA in Spanish means ‘use’. And that is exactly how you govern (or rather dictate). You ‘use’ people. You use people as commodities, as disposable goods, as transactional instruments. 

The chant USA! USA! USA! will have a totally new meaning under your tenure as President. Everytime I hear it, I will be reminded of your abuse of people; of how you, in Spanish “USA y abUSA nuestra gente” – how you use and abuse our people.

Every time I hear someone say (or sing) “I love the USA”, I will be reminded that to you this refers only to that part of USA that will bend their knees to and worship you. I will be reminded that to you “I love the USA” means loving a hyper-consumer society that all too often rapes your soul in the absurd competition to have more stuff. I will be reminded that to you “I love the USA” means love everyone except ⅓ of the folks living in USA, i.e.: many immigrants, federal workers, LBGTQIA+, or Blacks.

You see, when I say or sing “I love the USA” I am reminded of the amazing awesome people I have met in USA during my six decades here. I will be reminded that the vast majority of folks that live in this land are hard-working, empathetic, welcoming, and God-fearing people. I know. I’ve had the privilege of interacting with people from across the social, economic and political spectrum in nearly every State in this great – if incomplete and imperfect – Nation, USA. I have worked with those struggling in the streets of urban USA, those in the halls of political power, those in the ivory towers, those in the C suites, and those that control how capital works (for good and bad). I have seldom met the vile, mean, vulgar, and indecent persons that you so perfectly personify. I’ve certainly met a fair share of people I disagree with, people that I will argue with, people that I feel uncomfortable with. But like you? Very – very – few. It is not lost on me that those that you enticed to storm the Capitol – and later ‘forgave’ – may be like you. But, those are the rare exceptions to a USA full of common folks with common aspirations and common problems who want to live-and-let-live, and (mostly) respect each other – even if some have that sickness of racism and homophobia still in them.

May I remind you Sir, this month, Black History Month (and yes, BHM is still a thing to most of us), that the house in which you reside – the White House – was built by Blacks and is maintained by Latinos. May I remind you, Sir, that your wealth was greatly facilitated by multi-generational wealth, something that is structurally denied to many descendants of slaves and new immigrants. And, may I remind you, Sir, that as much as you’d like to not recognize it, you are in a privileged class of White people, you are a product of another type of DEI – Daddy’s Entitlement & Investments. (And please don’t talk to me about the token Jews in your family, your adoring Black friends, or your new-found Latino lovers, including Rubio and Co. These are all – not unlike you – opportunists; and they will turn on you on a dime when the day comes).

Señor Presidente, here I am to say “PRESENTE”. Present! Present to resist, organize against, and fight your divisive, disruptive, disgusting disarray of malicious dictates. You may have the power of the presidency and the power of the pulpit to misinform and create an impenetrable shield to your cult following who choose self-censorship over critical thinking. You may have conned many – as you would say – ‘good people’ to be swayed by your populist language about high inflation, being left behind, and other very real conditions of a system that is out of whack and in need of fixing. You may actually have some simplistic ideas that merit conversation, dialogue, and debate. But how you go about things, your pompous self-indulgent indecent style, how you dictate, how you are re-interpreting the Constitution and the laws of USA to impose your draconian will on the masses – that approach will not work. Will. Not. Work. The power of the people throughout these United States of America will reclaim USA for the – albeit aspirational – common, collective good sooner rather than later. Anger and rage will be turned into active resistance and practical and pragmatic action. 

Sir, you remain a pathetic old man surrounded by useful idiots and pathetic rich people whose adulation is shallow and temporary. You may be able to disrupt, but you will not destroy our determination to be USA – “The United States of America: Unidos Siempre Avanzando”). 

Reemberto Rodriguez

__________________

JANUARY 21 TUESDAY

And so it Begins: The Era of Governing by Fear Mongering and Selective Enforcement

My heart goes out to the families that today begin a life of government repression by fear if not practice. While our personal concern about this autocratic government is mostly philosophical, theoretical, and distant, for many families in our community, neighbors and friends the impacts of governance by fear mongering is real, with real daily practical negative consequences. This includes – among many others – people here from Central America, federal workers, and LGBTQ+ folks.

CENTRAL AMERICANS

Many of our Central American neighbors will have to live with the uncertainty of not knowing whether their TPS (Temporary Protective Status) will be overturned. Others will have to be excruciatingly careful of being pulled over because their immigrant documentation is not in order. some of the 20-something Dreamers – brought to the US as small children – are thrown into the insecurity of not knowing what is next.

Can you possibly put yourself in their shoes? How would it feel to wake up in the morning not knowing if you, your parents, or your friend will face deportation today, next week, next month, or sometime over the next four years? How could you plan for the near future, much less plan for retirement, make that addition to the house, or simply plan a vacation? Even a visit to the hospital for a minor injury would bring angst and anxiety. You’d be living in fear, a fear mercilessly imposed by a mean-spirited government that dehumanized you and wants you outta here. What respect can you have for that government? What energy would you have for community involvement or civic engagement? You’d just want to get by without any incident, make sure you make no noise, hoping you get to see another day in this land.

FEDERAL WORKERS

Making federal workers the scapegoats of the exaggerated claim of government inefficiencies is another mean-spirited narrative of this Administration. Of course there are plenty of examples of the federal government bureaucratic blunders and mismanagement. Yet, to convey that federal workers are all a bunch of leeches abusing their government jobs is another fear mongering tactic. 

To impose on the federal workforce a real or implied allegiance requirement to the President is nothing short of the implementation of an autocratic State. To mess with the promised retirement plans and contractual commitments of these workers is a direct low blow to people that joined this workforce in good faith, many compromising the high salaries they could have gotten in the private sector for the privilege of working for the collective common good. (And yes: I know what I am talking about here – it is personal).

LGBTQ+

Imagine after years of a generally welcoming cultural environment to be fear-mongered into getting back in the closet. Imagine being happily married and being scared into thinking the unthinkable, that your legal marriage may be invalidated. Imagine being the parent of a child that expresses ambiguous sexual orientation and having to deal with elected officials that despise your family and want to make your child into what they are not. 

The attack of this Administration on the LGBTQ+ community is abhorrent. It is beyond the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy of the past. It is another example of their mean-spirited, self-righteous, misguided Christian principles. It is yet another example that they will govern without regards to the aspirations of those that disagree with them.

And so it begins: The era of governing by fear mongering and selective enforcement.

And so we will resist, we will protest, and we will be empathetic and in solidarity with our friends and neighbors that are being selectively abused by a government led by a convicted felon who is a useful idiot of the world’s richest man.

JANUARY 22 WEDNESDAY

THIS is a Christian Nation?!? In case you missed it, the Trump Administration has directed ICE to no longer respect schools and houses of worship as spaces off-limit to immigration raids. Early this morning Trump demanded an apology from the Episcopal Bishop that simply reminded us of our faith-based calling to be emphatic of all people, calling her – among other derogatory language – ‘nasty’. What did she say? Watch the video: 

https://youtu.be/mI4h4zbkNMU?si=_vQSaMmOidhXmTpb

JANUARY 23 THURSDAY

Today I began listening to Pope Francis’ new autobiography. It was simply jarring to listen to the first two chapters of his own immigration story while riding the F4 bus being the only white person on the bus, accompanied by people all evidently from somewhere else – mostly Central Americans – and others who are descendants of slaves – African Americans.

Keeping it real. This is what I overheard as the bus meandered its way through Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, Maryland:

 A conversation between two Latina women sitting on the seat in front of me: One nervously says to the other, “I don’t know what I will do with my children if my work is raided”. The other – equally nervously – responds, “My Jewish neighbors have offered to take in my kids in case something happens to me”. That, my friend, is the reality of Trump’s America. Thankfully, we live in the State where people of goodwill are empathetically standing up and accompanying and helping these victims of State sponsored violence. These arbitrary raids are instilling fear in the Latino community to the point of having to plan what families will do when they are rounded up and shipped away from their children as if they were disposable trash. Neither schools or churches are beyond the wrath of these raids. 

Want to do something but can’t figure out what? We are fortunate to have in our own backyard an organization that is at the front line of the resistance: CASA. Please donate. https://wearecasa.org/donate-2/

 

Feeling joyful, and hopeful for our grandkids (a post DNC posting)

I know we are all extremely busy. But sometimes you see a picture that triggers a music video that triggers some joyful thoughts that are accentuated when you read a meditation – and then you feel compelled to write it down for your grandkids to read years from now; and for your friends and family to know where your head and heart are at.

(This piece is an unapologetic ode to the Democratic National Convention and the amazing American tapestry of speakers that gave it their best. They spoke to me. Their language is universal – for those that want to hear and listen). 

This morning, our youngest son sent us the picture of our youngest 1-yearl old grandaughter literally doing her first act of civil disobedience, protesting against the closing of her neighborhood playground that happens to be next to the house of the vice presidential nominee of the Republican Party. JD Vance. 

My first thought?  Why did this man – who supposedly wants to serve the people – force the closure of a neighborhood park instead of him and his family simply moving to a more secured place for 73 days, till election day? THAT would have been a selfless act, an act signaling that he is thinking of others, not himself; something he – and his running mate – seem incapable of doing.

Then I read the weekly summary of the daily meditations from Father Richard Rohr, including one authored by a Native American Episcopal priest highlighting the value of ancestors:

https://cac.org/daily-meditations/ancestors-and-wisdom/

In reading this, it brought tears to my eyes as I remembered some of my own ancestors’ loving care of our familia. Of course, I also remembered the pain cost by other ancestors because of their self centered, selfish ways. And thus one of our major challenges: Understanding where we come from, being proud of our heritage, and criticizing its errors and working to correct them. Always with joy, always looking forward to a brighter future. 

Today I choose the joy of meditating on goodness rather than darkness. I am not forgetting the darkness of the past. Never forget! But I refuse to be shackled by the venom of hate, the misguided language of wrongful appropriation of selective Christianity, or the misplaced nationalistic, limited, small use of the word ‘patriotism’. 

It is the hopeful joy of the future that keeps me going. It is the hope that my grandchildren will grow in freedom, be joyful, be centered in a compassionate faith, and care for each other, their friends, familia, neighbors, community, and Mother Earth.

Thus I turned to music 🙂 “Teach your children well”. (I hope they update this version to reflect this week’s happening 🙂 )

https://youtu.be/dQOaUnSmJr8?si=-P8HqMJ3GIhN6GGZ

To Coach Walz, I say: “Put me in Coach!”

https://youtu.be/JaG7ENoIuDE?si=WIHzeZz79cyF6CAi

And to our future Madam President Kamala Harris: Freedom!

https://youtu.be/yh91lO-PU0o?si=uhm1DbwtTZbL8kwU

(Listen to the end 🙂 )

And: Just for fun, a totally ‘feel good’ video – more Freedom (from Jon Batiste):

https://youtu.be/3YHVC1DcHmo?si=MJCxpIPJjQTKsMxe

And yep: I will do my part so that this November we elect two folks whose values align with ours; two folks that while imperfect and with whom I disagree on certain core issues, I am highly confident can lead us in a democratic way, a way that engages the common folks in exta-ordinary – and yes, joyful – ways.

What to make of the Republican Convention

As half of the USA gets ready to relish in what they intend to be the first coronation of an American king-in-the-making, let’s the rest of us reflect, put it in perspective, and explore what we can do.  As their pomp and self-assurance of a landslide victory resonates through their echo chambers, let it spark through the land an outcry of quiet rage not easily measured in polls or pundits. 

Trump’s assassination attempt has unleashed a rash of social media memes invoking religion and faith in a way that is nothing short of perverse – and to some of us repulsive. The outlandish attribution of the near miss to a miracle of the Almighty or the intervention of the Virgin Mary is yet another anointment of Trump as Cyrus, the non-believer Persian King who is seen by Judeo-Christians as a “flawed vessel for good”. This comparison conveniently explains away all of Trump’s evidently sinful behavior, and now can even position him as a converted Savior, not unlike Alexander the Great. It is interesting to note that some saw this coming as far back as 2018:

https://www.vox.com/identities/2018/3/5/16796892/trump-cyrus-christian-right-bible-cbn-evangelical-propaganda

Thus it becomes literally impossible to rationally converse with those that believe in St. Trump. To them, it is an article of faith that Trump will save us from the heathens – the Democrats.

What are we to do?

• First, stop. Just stop arguing with them. Or trying to convince them of anything. Don’t respond to the memes or counterpunch with social media responses. Let them soak in their own imaginary ecstacy of a new scriptural Revelation.

Do affirm to anyone all across the political spectrum – who will listen ‘in good faith’ – the reality of the most likely trajectory of a MAGA administration. This can be done unemotionally, and with the expectation that to some this will sound like good, positive changes in a new christian Nationalist nation. (The lower case “c” is intentional. They abuse the term Christian and thus I will not call them such).

And what exactly is that trajectory? What are some pragmatic and practical likelihoods of what a MAGA administration may bring? (I am intentionally leaving out the hottest of hot issues – abortion and Gaza – to focus on other more mundane stuff). Here’s what a MAGA makeover if the USA will look like:

1. The end of health care coverage for people under 26 years old that are still dependent on their parents. (Yes, that coverage is a marquee item of ObamaCare).
2. Elimination of federal funding for the arts, to match the MAGA states doing so already. (See what DeSantis just did in Florida; he literally ‘zeroed out’ arts funding).
3. Do away with the Department of Education. (And revert all education decisions to the States, without any federal oversight. Think eliminating special programs for special needs children, i.e.: autism).
4. Stop funding anything related to environmental protection or climate science. (Instead welcome rampant construction of coastal areas for the benefit of short term profits of developers).
5. The above would include de-fund NOAA. (This would leave weather forecasting in the hands of the private sector, including the likes of Elon Musk).
6. Focus on oil industry exploration. (And minimize any research of alternative energy, electric cars, or solar panels, and heavily fund highway construction and eliminate funding for public transportation).
7. Disregard any federal requirements for building work-force housing. (Instead, fund luxury mega projects through tax benefits for oligarch international developers).
8. Drastically reduce any federal grants for cities to deal with the challenges of homelessness, mental health, childcare, and other ‘social safety net’ measures. (Instead, conveniently rely on “charity and church organizations” to handle these ‘problems’).

And most surely:

• Dismantle the two party system, installing in its place a one party system where MAGA rules all aspects of the bureaucracy. This will include making it very difficult for any political party – other than the MAGA party – to certifiably win any elections; and, demand loyalty and allegiance to the President from mundane bureaucrats throughout the whole government infrastructure, from school boards and election boards to scientists and regulators. (This will be a return to the worst of the old days of the patronage system of Chicago, New York, and the Deep South).

I am convinced that given these dire times, there is an undercurrent of quiet rage in America that will not stay silent November 5th. I sense a collective outrage that may not be manifested in social media memes or outlandish public comments. But rather it is an outrage of underlying distaste for what a MAGA administration would bring – a visceral, “it does not seem right” feeling that leaves a bad taste in the mouth. This quiet rage will increase in intensity and numbers as MAGA’s true colors continue to come out and we get closer to election day. And, this quiet rage will spark a voter turnout like never seen before; a voter turnout that will unite many in saying NO to MAGA. We will win. (The MAGAs will not accept that victory. But that is for another essay).

Do you have other practical and pragmatic anecdotes of what a MAGA administration will bring to change the USA? Email me and I will continue curating the list over the next few months.

Reemberto 

Reemberto@gmail.com

I was born in Cuba a mere 13 years after WWII. I lived a childhood in turmoil, during the late 50’s and early 60’s. Think Revolution, Bay of Pigs, Missile Crisis. I exiled to the United States in December of 1966, just in time for the turmoil of the civil rights days, more assassinations, Woodstock, and the Moon landing.

I finished high school in 1974 – and just came back from celebrating our 50th reunion from Henry County High School. This was a time when disco was still in the gay underground, soon to blossom into the mainstream. In college – Georgia Tech – I was exposed to folks from everywhere, different lifestyles, and different ways of thinking beyond what I had experienced in the confines of suburban (almost rural) middle Georgia. 

I don’t know why I chose architecture; there are no architects in my family. But living and studying with architects expanded my horizons as to how to – literally – look at life. It also exposed me to the fringes of circles of drug, sex, rock-and-roll – and friends across the gender spectrum at a time when such was not yet ready for prime-time. 

Simultaneously, I deepened my faith in Catholicism. And soon discovered the strong correlation of my liberal schooling and the social justice teachings of the Church. Thanks to the Agrupación Católica Universitária (ACU) – and the spiritual direction of Father Edd Salazar, S.J. – I committed to do ‘faith doing justice’.

All at the same time, I remained staunchly grounded on my “Cubaness”, never straying too far from my innermost desire to reconnect with my contemporaries that I had left behind when I exiled. Indeed, I increasingly became interested in learning more about how the Cuban Revolution went so wrong, how the beautiful aspirations of a more egalitarian, less corrupt society soon warped into a top-down repressive system from within and a system captive to imperialist demands from outside. I also saw the inexcusable ‘thumb on the scale’ that the US put on Cuba with an illegitimate embargo/blockade that to this day strangles the Cuban people and does nothing more than provide the Regime – and its adversaries (or corollaries?) in Miami – to do nothing substantive to change things.

The older I got professionally, the more I saw around me – and in history – people of good faith, people doing good deeds, people truly committed to the service of others. (Yes, my glasses are indeed rose colored!) I was a sponge, trying to learn as fast as I could to dispel hate and embrace love. Not easy, but certainly committed to the pursuit.

The twists and turns of life took me to working with disenfranchised communities and those in the margins in the US. I was privileged to work with entities that sought to create change for the common good, including NeighborWorks America. (I was not necessarily involved in direct services – I did more technical assistance). My professional work became my life’s commitment. My life’s commitment became my professional work. And so it was for 12 years with Montgomery County government under the leadership of mentors and greats like Ike Leggett. And I have not looked back. The last three years of post official work has brought me to the University of Maryland where I’ve ran across an amazing team of devoted academicians that have rekindled my passion for learning from, sharing with, and accompanying those whose voices are seldom heard.

Oh, and how sad what I see today! The seemingly total collapse of the aspirational ideals I embraced throughout my life: aspirational ideals where the down-and-out, the discarded, and the invisible can be authentically engaged and be part of defining a more caring, empathetic – and yes, loving community. Yet it was not to be – at least not yet.

When the Berlin wall fell, I thought for sure we were starting a truly transformative era in the world. When 9/11 happened, I thought for sure we’d come together. When January 6th happened I thought we’d surely wake up.

Yet it was not to be – at least not yet.

Regarding Cuba, I continued to dabble in whatever ways I could to remain connected. And then Obama went. And I saw a glimpse of what was possible. The aspirations became closer to reality. It was exhilarating and exciting. I truly thought that we were moving towards a more reciprocal, just, welcoming, and mutually beneficial diplomatic relationship. Yet it was not to be – at least not yet. (But, I keep trying to do my part by taking students to experience the reality – and better understand of the ‘whys’ of a perverse US policy).

Sometimes I think that I was born a decade too late. Had I been born earlier, I would have totally been a Woodstock hippie.  Instead I became an old geezer that reminisces about those days with an idealism that is probably far from reality.

I don’t know that I am ready to grow old in a world opting for authoritarianism. It is sad to see the absence of aspiration of democracy anywhere in the world including the United States.

It is becoming clearly evident that I live in but a blip of history; a quirk of a world that is moving in the same direction it has always moved: more wars, more conflicts; our times are not different.

No, I have not fallen into desolation. There is still hope, there is still faith. Yet, it is a melancholic scene.  So many dreams deferred. So many aspirations shattered. And now people in the United States are on the verge of willingly electing a movement that will certainly reverse – if not destroy – what in my lifetime many of us worked towards: A loving community, because it is meant to be – even if not yet.

May goodness prevail. Vote.

Wishing you a reflective 4th of July. (Do people read long posts anymore? Probably not. But for the few kindred spirits that might, I hope you will pass it on).

Almost 250 years ago 13 renegade colonies declared independence from the rule of a one party system with an all-powerful king. They opted for a messy, imperfect – but aspirational – multi party system with three equal governing branches of power. So we thought. Evidently we’ve been celebrating the 4th all wrong all along. What we are now told we have is an all powerful president, a puppet judiciary, and an insignificant legislature. Sounds like the same thing we had before 1776.

But: We still get to elect the president – though this November 5 may very well be the last time we do so before the next president changes the rules to ensure all future presidents are from his ruling party.

As we watch the parades, enjoy baseball and eat them hot dogs, I pray we will commit individually, with family, friends and community to vote November 5. It may be the last time it matters.

Hyperbolic? Think again. Read Project 2025. If after you read it, you agree with it, then your vote should certainly go to the one party MAGA administration. That is your pregorative. If you win, MAGA will rule, establishing a one party system with a king of a pesident, making everyone else ‘the enemy’.

If you read Project 2025 and don’t agree with it, then vote for the continued evolution of an imperfect and incomplete – but aspirational – system of governance. We may not have gotten it right yet and are certainly not there yet either, but the alternative ain’t pretty. Not pretty at all.

(No false equivalency please. The choice is stark. One is assured chaos, uncertainty, and a one party rule by force. The other is messy, argumentative, deliberative, inclusive, and governed by a spectrum of different opinions, styles and substance).

May you have a reflective 4th. And commit to vote vote vote.

Black history. It is easy to give it a month of appreciation – and rightfully we should. And – not but – to me it is so much more: A lifetime of being shaped by the Black experience. I grew up in the deep south), I’ve lived for the last 20 years in Silver Spring, MD), and worked through the decades in disenfranchised communities throughout the US.

In 2013 I wrote a reflection on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famous “I have a dream” speech. (The original is archived in a Google Blogger posting). What follows is an update to that original posting.

I feel extremely blessed for having crossed paths with greatness through my years. While growing up in the Atlanta area, both personally and professionally, the happenstance incidents of intersecting with African-American heroes – and common folks – has shaped my life and core values in countless ways… (I thought I’d begin writing these down before I start forgetting them. I am sure that some of the stories are embellished with the inevitable influence of the passage of time. I hope I am doing them justice still.)

Most momentous among these experiences that shaped me was when, as a young architect (circa 1982), I was asked to do the architectural model for the concept of the African American Experience Museum. Dan Moore, the dreamer of the idea, worked with me to produce the concept: An interactive place where you would ‘feel’ the experience of ‘being there’ at some of history’s most precious moments during the Civil Rights era. The unveiling of the model brought together “Daddy” King, Coretta Scott King, MLK III, Andrew Young, Hank Aaron – and me. I was simply overwhelmed when asked to sign the same scroll that these giants signed… I’d like to think that the scroll is probably somewhere in the APEX museum today.

I had the honor of serving under Mayor Andrew Young as a housing and community development planner.  His Chief of Staff at that time was Shirley Franklin, who went on to become Mayor herself. Mayor Young’s term followed the tenure of Atlanta’s first African-American Mayor, Maynard Jackson. (The Atlanta airport was eventually renamed ‘Hartsfield- Jackson’ in his honor.)  One of my most memorable moments was being in the Mayor’s office discussing the housing issues in Atlanta. Shirley Franklin, ever the consummate strategists; Mayor Young, ever the consummate visionary; and Maynard Jackson (who came back for a third term after Young), ever the detailed expert. Indeed, it was so amazing to see Maynard Jackson bring his housing finance expertise (from his Chicago days) to specific issues.  He knew more about the ‘fine art’ of housing finance than anyone else I’ve ever encountered in my lifetime of working in the field.

Before joining the City, I had the pleasure of interacting with then Atlanta Councilmember (before becoming Congressman) John Lewis as we worked with inner-city communities when I was with the Community Design Center of Atlanta… Let’s just say that his wisdom in ‘little things’ was simply prophetic even back then… His projection of love – yes love – in contentious community settings was such a refreshing approach to community building!

And then there was Hosea Williams.  (For folks not from the ATL, let’s just say that Rev. Williams is a pillar of greatness when it comes to helping the poor – and a ruckus example of what an imperfect elected official can be.)  Rev. Williams’ commitment to serving the poor is now famous, especially during the holiday season. But, back then, it was not pretty. Finding the right location to serve the ever increasing number of food insecure people; getting the permits in time when – let’s just say that – his ‘organizational’ skills were not the greatest… And then there were his personality traits that unfortunately got him into trouble… Oh, that special like for libations!… Yet: even with these personal challenges, his commitment to feeding the poor was contagious… We miss him dearly. But his spirit lives on.

As I ‘grew’ professionally, I had the opportunity to go through the Leadership Atlanta program.  One of the most wrenching sessions that will forever stay with me was the session given by Civil Rights Great C.T. Vivian.  He was simply mesmerizing.  His ‘in-your-face’ approach to ‘speaking truth to power’ and ‘telling it like it is’ was so very powerful that it is a fundamental influence to my value system with regards to race to this day… I wonder if he could be that blunt in our hyper-sensitive politically correct world today… (I may have to ask his son, who is still doing work in the field…)

… But, it is not only the ‘famous’ African-Americans that have shaped my life’s value system. It is also the countless ‘average folks’ I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with over my lifetime… Some of these also merit a ‘shout out’: There’s Glen (I believe that’s his name):  The only classmate that invited me to a ‘conversation’ when I arrived in Griffin, Georgia (30 miles south of Atlanta) in 1968, in the 7th grade. (Yep, THAT ’68!) I spoke no English. White students would have none of me. When I walked into the lunchroom, Glen – an African-American student – signaled for me to come over and sit with him. We had a great lunch and became good friends… But, it was not easy. After that lunch the Spanish teacher took me to the Principal to tell me that I could not sit with ‘those kinds’ during lunch… I did not understand why; he was my friend!  The Principal explained to me why. If I wanted to survive in the school, I had to be a racist… Those were tough times.

We then moved on up to Hampton, Georgia, home of the famous Atlanta Raceway where the Allman Brothers had their largest open air concert – and home of Gladys Knights and the Pips.  I would commute to Henry County High School, starting there soon after it integrated. (I will be going back down there this summer to celebrate our 50th high school reunion). There were racial walk-outs; fights; rumblings; and all of that stuff… No matter: In my senior year I decided to run for Vice-President with my African-American friend on the ticket as President… We ran under the slogan of “Vote for A Cuban and an African”… Then, when graduation time came, we had a party at my house – in ‘lilly-white Lake Talmadge’…  Suffice it to say that having a house full of African-American friends in a white neighborhood back then was not exactly received well by the neighbors.

Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Birth home of the KKK. The mountain that has enshrined the Confederate troika of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson.  We ended up moving nearby (Tucker) and having many family gatherings there, watching the laser show highlight how the War of Northern Aggression was not about slavery, but about State rights. Yea, right… If there’s any doubt that God has a sense of humor, Stone Mountain Park today is one of the most popular sites for African-American family reunions.

So many experiences through the years!… Working with Joe Lewis and the community in Atlanta’s West End in the 70’s, meeting at the Shrine of the Black Madonna where I bought “Deep is the Hunger” by Howard Thurman; and working with Rudy Bryant from the Pratt Institute back in the 80’s to develop a national “Leadership Development Network”. 

Then working at Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (now NeighborWorks America) from the early 90’s till 2009, most of that time led at the time by Ken Wade, a national leader in his own right. I learned so much providing technical assistance to the executive directors of the Miami and New Orleans Neighborhood Housing Service – both strong African-American women; working alongside Don Phoenix, past Executive Director of the Savannah NHS; doing organizational assessment from Joan Straussman; helping to get elected African-American councilmembers in areas as diverse as Green County, Mississippi and Oakland, California (Robert Jackson and Lynette Gibson McElhaney); and visiting the Delta (“David Duke” country) with Winnie Stoney at a time when a Latino and an African-American women being seen together was not exactly ok; and coordinating community leadership institutes with Tony Austin, Mark Robinson, James Johnson, David Hunt, Ronnie Galvin, J Otis, Folami, and Karima – and so many others.

I will be forever grateful to Ike Leggett for giving me the opportunity to join his team back in 2009 as the Silver Spring Regional Director in Montgomery County (MD). I am blessed to have been mentored by Ike and came to deeply appreciate his life’s journey. It was particularly heartwarming to share with him and his lovely wife, Catherine – and still stay connected with them to this day. While working with the Montgomery County community, I also met Jim Stowe, whose commitment to the cause is so real. I was also fortunate to learn from two great matriarchs, Charlotte Coffield and Pat Tyson of the Lyttonsville neighborhood.

All of this exposure to greatness has shaped my deep appreciation of the African-American experience, and my personal commitment to continue learning from that experience. So, as I contemplate the “I have a dream” speech during this 2024 Black History Month, my heart is filled with gratitude for all those famously great and not-so-famously great people that have taught me – that are teaching me – the values of perseverance, resilience, honor, respect, and yes: Love!… I look forward with great joy and expectations to the experiences ahead as we continue the journey.

Reemberto Rodriguez

February 8, 2024

A very personal deep appreciation of Black history

Reemberto Rodriguez (February 9, 2024)

 

Black history. It is easy to give it a month of appreciation – and rightfully we should. And – not but – to me it is so much more: A lifetime of being shaped by the Black experience. I grew up in the deep south), I’ve lived for the last 20 years in Silver Spring, MD), and worked through the decades in disenfranchised communities throughout the US.

In 2013 I wrote a reflection on the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. famous “I have a dream” speech. (The original is archived in a Google Blogger posting). What follows is an update to that original posting.

I feel extremely blessed for having crossed paths with greatness through my years. While growing up in the Atlanta area, both personally and professionally, the happenstance incidents of intersecting with African-American heroes – and common folks – has shaped my life and core values in countless ways… (I thought I’d begin writing these down before I start forgetting them. I am sure that some of the stories are embellished with the inevitable influence of the passage of time. I hope I am doing them justice still.)

Most momentous among these experiences that shaped me was when, as a young architect (circa 1982), I was asked to do the architectural model for the concept of the African American Experience Museum. Dan Moore, the dreamer of the idea, worked with me to produce the concept: An interactive place where you would ‘feel’ the experience of ‘being there’ at some of history’s most precious moments during the Civil Rights era. The unveiling of the model brought together “Daddy” King, Coretta Scott King, MLK III, Andrew Young, Hank Aaron – and me. I was simply overwhelmed when asked to sign the same scroll that these giants signed… I’d like to think that the scroll is probably somewhere in the APEX museum today.

I had the honor of serving under Mayor Andrew Young as a housing and community development planner.  His Chief of Staff at that time was Shirley Franklin, who went on to become Mayor herself. Mayor Young’s term followed the tenure of Atlanta’s first African-American Mayor, Maynard Jackson. (The Atlanta airport was eventually renamed ‘Hartsfield- Jackson’ in his honor.)  One of my most memorable moments was being in the Mayor’s office discussing the housing issues in Atlanta. Shirley Franklin, ever the consummate strategists; Mayor Young, ever the consummate visionary; and Maynard Jackson (who came back for a third term after Young), ever the detailed expert. Indeed, it was so amazing to see Maynard Jackson bring his housing finance expertise (from his Chicago days) to specific issues.  He knew more about the ‘fine art’ of housing finance than anyone else I’ve ever encountered in my lifetime of working in the field.

Before joining the City, I had the pleasure of interacting with then Atlanta Councilmember (before becoming Congressman) John Lewis as we worked with inner-city communities when I was with the Community Design Center of Atlanta… Let’s just say that his wisdom in ‘little things’ was simply prophetic even back then… His projection of love – yes love – in contentious community settings was such a refreshing approach to community building!

And then there was Hosea Williams.  (For folks not from the ATL, let’s just say that Rev. Williams is a pillar of greatness when it comes to helping the poor – and a ruckus example of what an imperfect elected official can be.)  Rev. Williams’ commitment to serving the poor is now famous, especially during the holiday season. But, back then, it was not pretty. Finding the right location to serve the ever increasing number of food insecure people; getting the permits in time when – let’s just say that – his ‘organizational’ skills were not the greatest… And then there were his personality traits that unfortunately got him into trouble… Oh, that special like for libations!… Yet: even with these personal challenges, his commitment to feeding the poor was contagious… We miss him dearly. But his spirit lives on.

As I ‘grew’ professionally, I had the opportunity to go through the Leadership Atlanta program.  One of the most wrenching sessions that will forever stay with me was the session given by Civil Rights Great C.T. Vivian.  He was simply mesmerizing.  His ‘in-your-face’ approach to ‘speaking truth to power’ and ‘telling it like it is’ was so very powerful that it is a fundamental influence to my value system with regards to race to this day… I wonder if he could be that blunt in our hyper-sensitive politically correct world today… (I may have to ask his son, who is still doing work in the field…)

… But, it is not only the ‘famous’ African-Americans that have shaped my life’s value system. It is also the countless ‘average folks’ I’ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with over my lifetime… Some of these also merit a ‘shout out’: There’s Glen (I believe that’s his name):  The only classmate that invited me to a ‘conversation’ when I arrived in Griffin, Georgia (30 miles south of Atlanta) in 1968, in the 7th grade. (Yep, THAT ’68!) I spoke no English. White students would have none of me. When I walked into the lunchroom, Glen – an African-American student – signaled for me to come over and sit with him. We had a great lunch and became good friends… But, it was not easy. After that lunch the Spanish teacher took me to the Principal to tell me that I could not sit with ‘those kinds’ during lunch… I did not understand why; he was my friend!  The Principal explained to me why. If I wanted to survive in the school, I had to be a racist… Those were tough times.

We then moved on up to Hampton, Georgia, home of the famous Atlanta Raceway where the Allman Brothers had their largest open air concert – and home of Gladys Knights and the Pips.  I would commute to Henry County High School, starting there soon after it integrated. (I will be going back down there this summer to celebrate our 50th high school reunion). There were racial walk-outs; fights; rumblings; and all of that stuff… No matter: In my senior year I decided to run for Vice-President with my African-American friend on the ticket as President… We ran under the slogan of “Vote for A Cuban and an African”… Then, when graduation time came, we had a party at my house – in ‘lilly-white Lake Talmadge’…  Suffice it to say that having a house full of African-American friends in a white neighborhood back then was not exactly received well by the neighbors.

Stone Mountain, Georgia.  Birth home of the KKK. The mountain that has enshrined the Confederate troika of Robert E. Lee, Jefferson Davis, and Stonewall Jackson.  We ended up moving nearby (Tucker) and having many family gatherings there, watching the laser show highlight how the War of Northern Aggression was not about slavery, but about State rights. Yea, right… If there’s any doubt that God has a sense of humor, Stone Mountain Park today is one of the most popular sites for African-American family reunions.

So many experiences through the years!… Working with Joe Lewis and the community in Atlanta’s West End in the 70’s, meeting at the Shrine of the Black Madonna where I bought “Deep is the Hunger” by Howard Thurman; and working with Rudy Bryant from the Pratt Institute back in the 80’s to develop a national “Leadership Development Network”. 

Then working at Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation (now NeighborWorks America) from the early 90’s till 2009, most of that time led at the time by Ken Wade, a national leader in his own right. I learned so much providing technical assistance to the executive directors of the Miami and New Orleans Neighborhood Housing Service – both strong African-American women; working alongside Don Phoenix, past Executive Director of the Savannah NHS; doing organizational assessment from Joan Straussman; helping to get elected African-American councilmembers in areas as diverse as Green County, Mississippi and Oakland, California (Robert Jackson and Lynette Gibson McElhaney); and visiting the Delta (“David Duke” country) with Winnie Stoney at a time when a Latino and an African-American women being seen together was not exactly ok; and coordinating community leadership institutes with Tony Austin, Mark Robinson, James Johnson, David Hunt, Ronnie Galvin, J Otis, Folami, and Karima – and so many others.

I will be forever grateful to Ike Leggett for giving me the opportunity to join his team back in 2009 as the Silver Spring Regional Director in Montgomery County (MD). I am blessed to have been mentored by Ike and came to deeply appreciate his life’s journey. It was particularly heartwarming to share with him and his lovely wife, Catherine – and still stay connected with them to this day. While working with the Montgomery County community, I also met Jim Stowe, whose commitment to the cause is so real. I was also fortunate to learn from two great matriarchs, Charlotte Coffield and Pat Tyson of the Lyttonsville neighborhood.

All of this exposure to greatness has shaped my deep appreciation of the African-American experience, and my personal commitment to continue learning from that experience. So, as I contemplate the “I have a dream” speech during this 2024 Black History Month, my heart is filled with gratitude for all those famously great and not-so-famously great people that have taught me – that are teaching me – the values of perseverance, resilience, honor, respect, and yes: Love!… I look forward with great joy and expectations to the experiences ahead as we continue the journey.

Reemberto Rodriguez

February 8, 2024