Waiting While Black. . .The Starbucks incident is only one example of what black folks go through every day

By now, we've all heard about the incident at the coffee shop in Philadelphia where two African American men had the audacity to set up a meeting with a friend/colleague in Starbucks.  Imagine that, a meeting in Starbucks?  You know how the story unfolded.  They ended up in handcuffs being escorted out of the cafe just as the friend they were meeting showed up.

What pains me more than the sight of these good looking black men being "shackled" and kicked out of the establishment was the look of resignation on their faces.  They were smart to know that resisting arrest could lead to being shot by the police.

During the last recession, white men and women all over America pretty much hung up their shingles and made Starbucks their personal "offices."  Heck, they still do it to this day.

I can walk into any Starbucks in this town during open hours and find at the very least six people who are "conducting business" inside Starbucks.  They "might" purchase something.  And if they do, trust me, they nurse that cup for hours.  Just having a "messy" table is enough for them to "squat" as long as they please.

If I'm being totally honest, I too, have stopped in a Starbucks to use the restroom or wait for someone and purchased nothing.  I believe that most Americans have done the same.  Why not?  We know that we've all given Starbucks a good sum of money over time while working, traveling, shopping, in airports, office buildings, you name it.

It's sort of like stopping at a gas station while traveling and using the restroom.  Starbucks stores just like gas stations are everywhere.

And maybe that's the problem.

Maybe they've gotten too big for their own good. 

Starbucks is so convenient for me.

There's one in my building and I go there at least once a day for coffee or a snack. 

Boycotting Starbucks means that I would have to leave my building and take the extra time and effort to visit an independent coffee shop or another chain. There are coffee shops on every corner.

And that is why I think I need to boycott Starbucks (at least until I see some true commitment and change).  Because boycotting Starbucks is easier than tossing and turning in my sleep because I was just too lazy to be inconvenienced.

50 Years Since Dr. King was brutally assassinated - do we even dare to dream anymore?

I was a small child when Dr. Martin Luther King was brutally assassinated on the 4th day of April in 1968. 

However, I will never forget the squeal that my mom's friend let out when she learned that his wounds were fatal.  She walked in and said to my mother, "They shot him down like a dog!" 

My mom who had been listening to the events unfold on the radio sadly replied, "He's dead."

The blood curdling scream pierced my young ears and remain etched in my memory forever.

In my neighborhood, Dr. King was a saint and someone who gave us a hope and a dream for a better future.

And here we are today, 50 years later, under the "leadership" of a man who dares us to dream (and not in a good way).

I refuse to give in to what many would have us do and abandon all hope.

I will admit - it's pretty darn blurry right now.

We must never forget.  And never stop dreaming.