How I'll miss my old neighborhood...

I went to a Black History month booktalk at a local church about the new book of my Inauguration Day breakfast friends...

They gave a great talk. 2 talking points:

1) BD says that when it comes to reforming juvenile justice, you have to drive home the point that "Every child deserves a 2nd chance." She said that the "If you do the crime, you pay the time" line of conservatives from decades ago caught hold, but in polling people agree with the other motto just as much.

2) BA says that unionizing charter schools is the next big thing, since they have turnover rates in teaching staff of like 50% at many, and that you have to drive home that "good working conditions are good teaching conditions are good learning conditions".

Also, some other things:

1) For BA's 65th birthday, BD took him to Gaza for a protest march.

2) On the night of Obama winning the election in Grant Park, BA said he looked around and there was a (white) cop dancing with an older (black) woman, and he was like, "Where the hell are we?"... He said he couldn't leave that night, since he knew that the next morning everything would be different.

3) That night in Grant Park, he also found the spot where he got "beaten bloody" during the Democratic National Convention as a rioter, and posed with some city cops for a picture, all in a row with their arms around each other's shoulders, and everyone was smiling.

4) BA thinks all movies about teaching are pieces of crap and put out unrealistic messages, but he cries during them anyways. "But," he was like, "I also cried 3 times during Avatar, and [BD] poked me and told me to stop being so silly," and with that they both laughed and looked at each other, lovingly.

At the end of the talk, a (white) church elder invited me to come back next Sunday after service if I wanted to get involved with their church's social justice committee, which has like 4 projects going on. I think I will - the church was integrated and very impressive.

But, I'm moving!