Knowa De Baraso. Credit: Screenshot.
AND A CHILD SHALL LEAD THEM
Knowa De Baraso, a 12-year-old social media content creator, exploded onto the national scene during the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Even before the DNC, the young brother has built up nearly 70K followers on X by discussing his political views and battling misinformation. During the DNC, Knowa had the opportunity to meet and/or interview folks like the U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Rev. Al Sharpton, Rep. Justin Pearson, and the Democratic Party’s nominee for President, current Vice President Kamala Harris. But what really put Brother Knowa on the current national radar was when people learned that he (again, only 12) confronted and humiliated grown-a Mike Lindell (the MyPillow CEO), who was walking around the DNC undercover, by checking Lindell for spreading sourceless misinformation about the Big Lie that the 2020 election was stolen. We should be absolutely celebrating this young brother’s intelligence, charm, courage and political acumen. We should also be challenging ourselves as adults to be at least half as fired up and informed about politics as Knowa; especially since politics impacts every single aspect of our living.
How does this little boy have more sense and better understanding of how government politics work than you “voting doesn’t matter” ass adults? https://t.co/AEqGXj49P7
— Bassey Ikpi (@Basseyworld) August 22, 2024
BLACK CHILDREN NEED PROTECTION, NOT ABUSE
Latoreya Till, the mother of a 15-year-old teen who was berated and jailed by a Detroit judge, stands with Attorney James Harrington. Credit: Screenshot, FOX 2 Detroit.
Recently, a Detroit-area15-yr-old Black girl was on a field trip to watch proceedings in a local courtroom. During the experience, the young lady fell asleep, which, FYI, is not a crime. The judge, however, treated it as if she had been found guilty of murder. The judge ordered the girl taken into custody, handcuffed, jailed, then brought back before him (wearing jail clothes), all the while berating the young sister in front of her classmates, everyone in the courtroom and all who were tuning into the judge’s livestream on his private Facebook page “King’s Corner.” Never mind the fact that she signed up to plant trees, but the group’s organizer changed plans and took to youth to the courthouse. Never mind the fact that the young lady is housing insecure, never certain where she and her mom will be able to lay their heads. Never mind the fact that the judge was presiding over a homicide case that forced the sister to “relive a traumatic event.” 36th District Court Judge Kenneth King, a brother, still chose to berate, belittle, and demean this child… for falling asleep. King stands on what he did despite national and international backlash. The young lady and her mother have filed a lawsuit against King. If it goes to court, King as a Black man, might just experience that same foul treatment he doled out. But because he’s a judge, he probably won’t.
DEED THEFT, THE NEW NATIONAL CRAZE
Members of a NY developer company, seen here with police protection, are breaking into a property they stole via deed theft. While the pair attempted this break-in, the actual owners of the property were inside the home. Credit: Screenshot.
Recently, I mentioned deed theft in a sermon as an example of how Black and Brown folk are experiencing modern-day land left. I learned about this from a Black media colleague of mine who works for the New York Amsterdam News. They reported that in New York City, unscrupulous developers were finding ways to steal a property owner’s home title (deed), sell the property and get the real homeowner thrown out on the streets. These developers have been targeting mainly elderly Black and Brown folk in NYC, and getting away with it until NY Attorney General Letitia James made it possible for her office to prosecute any lowlife who engages in this theft, which not only steals a home but steals that property owner’s chance to pass down generational wealth. Sadly, though, folk in NYC are still attempting this “caucastic” crime. But, after my sermon, later that evening I saw a news flash saying folk are now running that same scam here in Houston. So, apparently, deed theft is going national. And there needs to be a national (and hyper-local) response to beat down these suited-up corporate thugs who are bringing unsolicited misery to folk just trying to live their lives – in their homes.
