Woebeit, I’ll defend my perspectives with bombast, but I never disrespect other’s opinions. Even so, it truly frustrates me when my folks talk to me as if my intelligence doesn’t surpass what the mainstream media grudgingly reports as gospel. In fact, I quickly tell them that they aren’t intelligent enough to converse with me. Thus, I laughed at myself when I dropped that lug on big George “Stalky” Gray, one of my most cherished friends and confidants. For sure, we’re both deep thinkers. But, “What we have here is a failure to communicate.” Opinions are like (you know what?) notwithstanding, I forgot George conned that acerbic put down. He also was the first person I heard use the idiom, “We can disagree without being disagreeable.”

   Square business, I failed to factor in the historical fact that George played on Texas Southern University’s greatest basketball teams (also played with the Globetrotters), and that he loves TSU with an unquestionable passion.  Thus, he will never give up on the school that he cajoled his (basketball star) daughter to attend.  On the other hand, I’ve been told there’s absolutely no record to validate that I ever sat foot on the historically Black university’s campus. What I’m saying here is, that we have two people who often think alike and share a common history, yet we see TSU’s problems from vastly different perspectives. George firmly believes that the fight to save TSU starts with getting rid of the “handkerchief headed” puppets that masquerade as administrators. He further believes TSU is worth saving, and the alumni must fight to reclaim their alma mater. 

   In fact, George has often been a committee of one in the past to reconnect today’s TSU with its glorious history. The big fellow no doubt adheres to his alma mater’s song which urges, “Fight, fight, fight for Texas Southern;  fight, fight for our maroon and gray, undivided we will stand with the greatest in the land…TSU, TSU we loveeeee you.” Thus, George epitomizes the alumni that see their beloved school as a cancer patient that can be saved by removing the disease from their body. On the other hand, I see TSU’s persisting woes as a smokescreen to obscure a covert attempt to steal TSU’s soul. What I’m saying is, we’re wasting time and energy fighting for pseudo control of TSU’s body, instead of fighting to make its (Open Enrollment) soul untouchable. Lest we forget, we made the same mistake with “Affirmative Action.”

   Race card notwithstanding, affirmative action was instituted explicitly to serve disenfranchised descendants of slaves (historically impacted by the nation’s discrimination laws in particular), the same as TSU. History records, that LBJ initiated Executive Order 11246 after his nebulous 1964 Civil Rights Act failed to open doors for Black folks.  TSU was created, especially for Black folks, because White folks didn’t want their privileged urchins interacting with our pickaninnys as peers. Okay. OKAY!  I’ll be good, so you don’t have to queue up The Twilight Zone theme.  Then again, I must tell it like it is, because it damn sure is, whether I tell it or not. Shazam! I’m an ideal watcher on the wall, because Dr. Thomas F. Freeman drilled into my nappy head the idiom: “Trust nobody, about nothing at no time and you’ll never be disappointed.”

   Nevertheless, it disappoints me when political astute brothers and sisters fail to connect the historical dots to see the big picture. While Black folks focused on “Dr. Prissy’s” petty cash abuse, the Regents have quietly changed its admission standards again. Behold: “Texas Southern University has an open admission policy; however, all entrants must be able to demonstrate their ability to perform successfully at the college level. The American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) is recommended. The test scores are used for evaluation purposes…. In addition passing the Texas Assessment of Academic Skills (TAAS)/ Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) is required, exemptions do not qualify.... Texas Residents Only.”