The "Old Block" Tells All.

  You have already seen his master-work on the mega movie screen, (who has not seen Lethal Weapon®?) His tiny footprint has also made an impact in other Hollywood hits, but that is not what has made him a living legend in the hearts and minds of the African-American community at large. He is known in Brazil as “Mestre Preto Velho”, (named after a great revolutionary Capoeira Master). He is a master in the flamboyant and deadly martial art called Capoeira, (specifically “Os Malandros de Mestre Touro”, sponsored by Tekura Jegnas, Inc.), which flies the banner of Capoeira Angola de Sao Bento Grande. (Whew! More than a mouthful to say the least.) His given name is Dennis Duane Newsome, (I call him Bro), and you have heard me casually mention his first name in connection with my BFAMs. We became BFAMs nearly 50 years ago, back in San Diego Community College. We met in a famed journalism class, taught by the incomparable Ms Dixon. Dennis asked for a volunteer to demonstrate his then fl

  Discover your own heritage, and embrace it! If you fail to discover your own family roots you will inadvertently adhere to someone else’s roots, culture, and customs. We were all created for different climates, altitudes, and geographical locations. Our chemical makeup, complexions, and bone structure dictate our propensity to survive in a given situation or environment. Knowing this vital information can add years to your already-short existence. Other human cultures may appear more flamboyant or exciting than your own, prompting you to become someone or something that you are not. Be who and what you are, at all times. Avoid the urge to conform to the masses, simply to “fit in” with the crowd. I was often alone in school, college, and the military due to my non-conformist demeanor, but I was always happy being myself. Overseas, people, (mostly female people), gravitated to me because I never drank alcohol, rented an apartment in their neighborhoods, and learned enough of thei