United in Grief, Divided By Street

Words like tariff, DEI, and Trump waterfall from American lips alongside national protests and sweeping corporate boycotts. A crescendo of emotion underlines daily interaction wherein non-political discussion is politically incorrect. Conventional wisdom suggests our social climate is unprecedented. I wonder if resolution is closer than grand rebellion. 

The Dollar is a Ballot

Market research and brand consulting are my trade. Without breaking NDA, I assure you that Fortune 500 companies feel the cold shoulder of collective, redirected purchases. The science of corporate brand marketing is propaganda that exploits the art of lying. Truth is an object of clarity, and sometimes discovery–one doesn’t need an archaeology or law degree to understand the glass. 

Somehow, truth remains obscure. 

American Muscle

An acute sense of fairness, alongside righteousness, is embedded in our national DNA, evidenced by The Declaration of Independence, The American Civil War, and the ongoing American Civil Rights movement. 

I estimate American conviction dances with polarized views, forcing the tightrope walk of reasonable middle ground. In our persistent political tug-of-war, might is right, and we’ve overgrown our reliance on capital-based persuasion instead of persuasion by public-good based logic. The two are conflated, but logic centering public good must prevail over capital-based persuasion for peace to prevail over madness. 

DEI, like affirmative action, has crumbled under the pressure of the current regime. Although Biden was the president during recent, landmark affirmative action cases, I would argue that the power behind a regime is determined by the Supreme Court. 

Just a Friendly Game of Baseball

Nonetheless, as an optimistic, yet observant, black man, I care less about the contemporary political climate than people expect. I’ve been an outsider, or treated like one, for as long as my memory serves me. Whether prodded by the fox’s tickle or the wolf’s fang, the perceptive mind acknowledges predators. 

When a person crosses the street as I approach, I never know why. Because I’m a man? Because I’m a black man? Because I’m tall? The truth is too far from reach; I rather not waste energy inferring. To be perceived as a predator yields advantages, yet there remains a cost to having an undesirable reputation. 

Establishing relationships with people is like the batter’s box in MLB baseball; no matter how intensely you focus on the ball, you won’t make good contact most times. Every human is equipped with a unique assortment of abilities, skills, and talents. An athlete chooses their sport, like a sport chooses the athlete. 

The challenge of life is finding a fulfilling big league. I have not arrived yet, but I am thankful to approach my evolving path–I hope you are aligned in your own unique way.  

Kindness Always Wins,

Apollo 

Books I’m reading? 

My reading list is an evolving document, so I apologize for all of the books I say I’m going to read and said I was going to. Usually I read them, but I don’t talk about them each time. If you’re for a book that helps you bind mathematical, poetic, and metaphysical concepts, The Visionary Eye by Jacob Bronowski is for you. 

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