In the Wheel

 Little Rock, AR State Capitol May 8, 2021 Just a brief recognition of long-term public service hero Lennon Jones. He appears here in the two 'class photos' that record his span of service: 1991-2021. He's still there! He is the Properties and Facilities Manager at the Arkansas State Legislature. I hope your retirement account is bursting. Yes, this means I looked through decades of class photos of this legislature. It was interesting. In the very early days, they included children, pages, and spouses.

May 20, 2021 Jackson, Mississippi Visit to Medgar and Myrlie Evers' Home Former home of my grandparents in Lancaster, Ohio. Built 1959. My grandparents' house in Lancaster, Ohio had a carport. None of the many homes (over 10 of them?) I lived in as a child ever had one, so their carport was a unique little adventure when our family would visit during the summer. It was adjacent to their neighbor's carport, but was about four feet lower, so there was a little wall that gave the space an even cozier feeling. My grandpa used to smoke his pipe out there after dinner, sitting on the low wall, with his foot up on the milking stool. I loved the smell of the pipe smoke, the warmth of the summer evening, and the fireflies. It's different than hanging out in the driveway, which would be weird. For many people, it's like an outdoor living room. The acoustics are different, and you can stand out there during a belligerent midwestern rainstorm and feel safe from potential danger...

Memphis May 11-13 View of the Lorraine's classic sign with the motel in the background The wreath on the balcony is a replica of the one placed  there after Dr. King's assassination. The Lorraine got me started. Popular culture can be a good teaching tool. Take Watchmen . I learned a lot about the Green Book, I learned about the Tulsa Massacre, I recognized Emmett Till in the story, and felt the terror of a sundown town. There is probably plenty I missed. Here's a link from BET going over some of the history covered.   Likewise, hearing about the Lorraine Motel on Driving the Green Book sparked my interest in learning more about trying to travel and move about the country as a Black person in America. We see only some  of what goes on today. Driving the Green Book gives you the details that fill out the truth of taking a trip prior to 1970 in the U.S. Pack all your food because you won't be able to buy any on the road. Bathrooms? Hotels? Gas? Good luck. Travel for Black...

May 8-May 11, Little Rock, Arkansas Little Rock, AR qualified for the Civil Rights Trail when government officials, supported by overt and covert tactics used by Little Rock residents, refused to allow and violently opposed integration of the Little Rock school system.  In Context It's 1957, two years after the murder of 14 year-old Emmett Till. No one was ever held accountable for his murder. It's also two years after Rosa Parks' bus ride in Montgomery, AL, which sparked sit-ins and freedom rides all over the south. Legal precedent has been set by the U.S. Supreme Court in Brown v. Board (1954), which struck down 'separate but equal', finding that separate educational facilities are inherently unequal. It was followed by what is known as Brown II , which required desegregation of schools 'with all deliberate speed'. And yes, that language was vague enough to cause glacially-paced planning where desegregation could be pushed  off into future decades.  200 B...

May 7, 2021 Amarillo, TX to Little Rock, AR Miles Today: 613 Total miles: 2,781 Gas in OK: $2.79 Roadkill: Two armadillos, one (possibly two) tortoises, one deer* Happy Throwback Thursday This is the famed Cadillac Ranch, in the freakishly flat and windy wilds of Amarillo, TX. I happened to notice on the map that it was close to the hotel I stayed in so I decided to head over before gassing up for Arkansas on May 7--yes I've got blog posts stacking up. Why is it? Why indeed. It is allegedly an ' art installation ', which in America means that of course there will be some shopping available on site. In this case, it's cans of spray paint. Now, in many cities you can't buy spray paint if you're a minor. Why?  Because you might make something look better---------------------->     But seriously, I had some thoughts about this whole enterprise when I saw it. So I suppose that means it is art, since it 'evoked' something in me. Anyone who knows me knows t...

Section 5. Notification of Federal and State Officials.   (a) Beginning three (3) months after the enactment of this article, the Clerk of the City shall execute the mandatory and ministerial duty of sending letters on an annual basis to the members of the United States House of Representatives whose District includes the corporate limits of the City, both Arkansas United States Senators, any Representative or Senator in the Arkansas General Assembly whose district includes  all or a portion of the corporate limits of the City, the Governor of the State of Arkansas, and the President of the United States.  (b) This letter shall state, "The City of Little Rock, Arkansas, has passed an ordinance to de-prioritize adult marijuana offenses, where the marijuana is intended for personal use, and requests that the governments of the United States of America and the State of Arkansas take immediate steps to enact similar laws.