Happy Election Day! (I hope)

If you're reading this, and you're a United States citizen 18 or older (sorry, Fierce Teenager), I gotta believe you're voting today. Make history, people!

I'm leaving now to head to my local voting location, where I'll turn in LB's ballot and cast my own vote. California has a lengthy ballot, as always, but there are some truly important issues being addressed, so I don't mind. Wonder Girl 's going with me to the polls, and she's psyched for our election party tonight.

Happy Election Day, yall!

Feed All the People

So many want to ignore the issue of race in the contest for the American presidency, to pretend it matters not at all, while candidates pat and turn for the Black vote. These are the same people who would testify that race is no longer a divisive or defining factor in this country, and point to Mr. Obama's serious bid for the Democratic nomination as evidence. Then there are those of us who live in the real world.

USA Today recently reported that most large cities in America lack sufficient full-service grocery stores to serve their populations. (Don't worry; there's a liquor store on every corner, along with a place to buy Cheetos and soda.) It's difficult to eat healthfully when you've got to take two buses and walk several blocks to get to a produce section. Under those circumstances, would you buy 5 pounds of bananas or a few boxes of processed corn breakfast? Maybe they should just stroll down to the local farmer's market? Some cities are looking at incentives to bring fresh air markets to these areas, but not much has been done to date.The citizens in these inner-city areas are disproportionately brown, and almost 100% low-income.

So many want to point to Mr. Obama as the realization of Dr. King's dream. But Dr. King's heart belonged as much to the working class as it did to us middle class Black folks. What can be said of a nation in which something as basic as healthy, living food (not to mention health care) is out of reach for so many? Some dreams are still deferred.

***Photo By Pam Spaulding, The Courier-Journal