Dear Dean Magazine: February 2024

FEB. 22, 2024 

MAGAZINE 

BLACK 

HISTORY 

- “US” 

BE EXCITED TO 

ENDORSE PRESIDENT 

BIDEN AND VP HARRIS 

THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF ERASURE: 

WHY THE GOP IS ATTACKING BLACK AND 

LGBTQ PEOPLE 

Plus! 

BLACK HISTORY MONTH 

IN ANIMATION 

MYRON'S HIT OR MISS LIST 

WHAT I'M STREAMING RIGHT NOW 

HOT TAKES 

FEATURED BOOKS & MORE!

THE GOODS 

03 Welcome From Myron 

06 

Be Excited to Endorse President 

Biden and VP Harris 

by Myron J. Clifton 

10 Black History In Animation 


14 

15 

17 

18 

20 

21 

26 

34 

38 

We Speak 

by Muriel Vieux 

Black History - “US” 


Ronald McNair — A Trailblazer 

in Education, Science, and Space 

Exploration 

by Kenny Akers 

What Are We Celebrating? 


A Place In History 


Hot Take! x4 

The Intersectionality of Erasure: 

Why the GOP Is Attacking Black 

and LGBTQ People 

by Victoria A. Brownworth 

Myron's HIT or MISS List 

My Favorite Things 

Streaming Right Now 

D E A R D E A N M A G A Z I N E , W E B S I T E , B L O G S & 

B O O K S A R E D E S I G N E D B Y K A T Y A J U L I E T L E R N E R

February 

2024 

Happy Black 

History Month! 

Americans would be better citizens of the world if 

Black History was fully taught in American schools 

and represented in American media. 

As we groove into our second year, we are always 

happy to feature contributors who help make the 

magazine enjoyable, talked about, interesting, and 

growing. 

This month we delve into Black History with Kenny 

Akers who tells us about Robert McNair, Victoria 

Brownworth who writes about the attacks on Black 

and LGBTQI people, and enjoy the words and poetic 

writing of Muriel Vieux who Speaks and asks What 

are We Celebrating this month? 

We are free and one things we do that no one else 

does, we advertise author’s books – at no cost to the 

authors. Please check them out and support them! 

We publish thought-provoking articles on 

government, gender, race, and politics, while also 

providing space for movie and television reviews, 

poetry, short stories, food, pets, fun, and a welcoming 

platform for independent authors and writers. 

And we provide this space for free – because our 

motto is and will remain: Some Art Deserves to be 

Free. 

So don’t be shy – submit your article! 

Myron 

We deep dive into why we enthusiastically endorse 

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, 

and we celebrate “Us” regular every day Black people. 

Finally, we collectively give a round of applause to the 

new and long overdue Peanuts feature movie that 

stars Franklin. 

Of course all your favorites are here - What’s 

Streaming that includes Netflix’s dedicated Black 

History catalog, Hot Takes, and Hit/Miss. 

Dear Dean Magazine | Feb. 22, 2024 | Page 3

About Me 

Website | Bookshop | Twitter 

Myron J. Clifton is an author of novels Jamaal’s Incredible Adventures in the Black Church; 

Monuments: A Deadly Day at Jefferson Park; BLM-PD: Revenge was Inevitable; Her Legend Lives in 

You: The Untold Story Honoring the Goddess & Our Daughters; and short story collection, We 

Couldn’t Be Heroes, and Other Stories. Also check out his weekly podcast, Voice Memos, his FREE 

digital magazine, Dear Dean Magazine, and his weekly blog at both Medium and DearDean.com. 

Myron lives in Sacramento, California, and is an avid Bay Area sports fan. He likes comic books, telling 

stories about his late mom to his beloved daughter Leah, and talking to his friends. BOOKS ON 

AMAZON 

Loving Myron J. Clifton's Content? 

S H O W Y O U R S U P P O R T W I T H 

A C O N T R I B U T I O N T O D E A R D E A N ! 

Advertising / Contributions 

words@deardeanpublishing.com 


Jamaal's Incredible Adventures in the 

Black Church by Myron J. Clifton 

Before Jamaal's seventeenth birthday, he’s appointed as his preacher uncle’s 

designated driver and unwilling personal confidant. Behind the fine outfits and 

hats, behind the delicious cooking, Jamaal is exposed to crazy aunties, sexy church 

sisters, corrupt pastors, and predator deacons. A good kid who just wants time to 

finish his homework and kiss a girl his own age, Jamaal is dragged through the 

strange world of the Black church. You best pray for him. 


F E A T U R E D A R T I C L E 

Myron J. Clifton 

BE EXCITED TO ENDORSE 

PRESIDENT BIDEN AND 

VP HARRIS 

President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are the 

right presidential team now and for the 2024 election. The 

dynamic duo has successfully righted the many disasters 

of the Trump years while helping America Build Back 

Better — and then some over the past three-plus years. 

Their list of first term accomplishments are numerous, farreaching 

domestically and internationally, impactful by 

small -and large- scale measurements, and the 

accomplishments are inclusive of all Americans. 

If one only watches network news, one will think the 

administration is struggling to find its 2024 campaign 

footing and fighting on equal levels with whomever the 

republican nominee will be. 

And if one gets its news from Fox News, one is getting 

Trump gibberish, Steve Bannon, Jared Kushner, and a 

steady stream of white nationalist lies. 

And, if one gets news from The Breakfast Club, The 

Shade Room, Tiffany Cross, Angela Rye, Charlamagne, 

Meek Mill, Killer Mike, Nicki Minaj, Kanye, Snoop 

Dogg, Luther Campbell, Candace Owens, or Nina 

Turner, one is getting garbage from the rappers, and 

salty hate from the Black media folk who are still mad 

their chosen one Elizabeth Warren isn’t president, and 

even madder she wasn’t chosen over Kamala Harris for 

vice president. 

That is wrong and the networks are misleading viewers 

and voters. 

If one gets news from social media, especially Twitter or 

TikTok, they are getting fed an endless stream of 

republican talking points, propaganda from China, and 

misinformation and disinformation from Russia and other 

foreign states that hate America. 

But it is not just republicans, rappers, or biased 

journalists who are on the bash President Biden and VP 

Harris anti-campaign trail. 

Cori Bush, Ilhan Ohan, Rashida Tlaib, and other far left 

democrats are fundraising by being anti-Biden and 

Harris, while they separately take credit for the 

administration's accomplishments. 

And let’s not forget the unearned privileges loser 

brigade that includes bland human Lego man Dean 

Phillips, the white Mrs. Cleo, Marianne Williamson, and 

buffoon bro Andrew Yang. 


M Y R O N J . C L I F T O N 

.They strengthened consumer protections, eliminated 

excess banking fees, and passed the strongest gun control 

measures in a generation. 

You see? The information superhighway is full of potholes 

and trash and missing traffic signs that point the way to the 

Biden-Harris success stories. 

The Biden Harris team is historically consequential and 

presently outstanding. 

President Biden has consoled the nation after mass 

shootings, and VP Harris deftly wooed, soothed, and won 

the respect of global leaders as she visited numerous nations 

to advance U.S. interests. 

She also rallied international support for Ukraine, conducted 

the highest-level tour of African nations, and spent months 

visiting college campuses to extoll all of the above and more. 

They successfully calibrated the federal government and 

put it back on track to work toward advancing democracy, 

preserving federal lands and Native lands, rebuilding 

infrastructure, modernizing rural technology, eliminating 

student debt, and restarted climate work. 

The team, working with democrats across the big tent, got 

record numbers of judges confirmed — including historic 

numbers of women and Black women. 

They have taken on science, healthcare, women’s and girls’ 

rights to abortion and access to pre and postnatal care, 

Black women’s maternal health, and safety and protection 

for immigrants. 

The team has overseen the economic recovery pundits and 

republicans said could not be done. There are more jobs, 

lower unemployment, higher wages, and the lowest Black 

unemployment ever -as the first term policies take hold in all 

sectors, including the record-breaking stock market, lower 

gas and oil prices, and stronger unions in major industries. 

What could be better? Plenty, including the administration 

and its surrogates actively and relentlessly tell the nation 

what they’ve accomplished, how it matters to each person, 

and what more can and will be done with a second 

administration. 



Detractors, foreign agents, and republicans are actively 

running anti-Biden-Harris campaigns across all social 

media platforms, and via email and text. 

Rank and file democratic voters want more success 

stories and fewer defensive stories that respond to the 

latest bullshit from a minimally attended Trump rally. 

The calls for the administration to brag are coming from 

stalwart and newer democratic voters who are tired of 

playing react and respond instead of brag and attack, as 

Plies colorfully says in this video. 

The administration is full of capable and savvy social 

media staff who run a tight rapid response team. And 

they’ve just hired a new person specifically to increase 

online outreach to Black voters: 

And as is clearly stated here, even when the 

administration does brag, they are efficient, accurate, and 

boring — not the way to win views, shares, and likes on 

social media which is critical to being in front of stories 

and setting the narratives rather than always reacting to 

negative narratives. 

The outreach is important because Biden/Harris must 

secure the base of the party, Black voters, and ensure the 

important demographic is heard, knows what the 

administration is doing and will do for the community, and 

to aggressively combat the endless stream of 

misinformation specifically directed at the community. 



With the most important election in our lifetimes it 

remains a singular priority to re-elect the best 

presidential team in history. We are voting for the very 

life of American democracy and there can be no 

equivocation on whether to vote or who to vote for. 

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris 

have earned a second term and they’ve earned your 

vote. 

With the most important election in our lifetimes it 

remains a singular priority to re-elect the best 

presidential team in history. We are voting for the very 

life of American democracy and there can be no 

equivocation on whether to vote or who to vote for. 

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris 

have earned a second term and they’ve earned your 

vote. 


in Animation 

Franklin was introduced shortly after Dr. Martin 

Luther King was assassinated. Charles Shultz had 

received a request to include a Black child in his 

famous comic strip and he agreed that the strip 

needed such a character. Franklin was born. And 

though he did not have the storylines or character 

quirks as the other Peanuts kids, the fact he was 

there, in 1968, at a beach and playing alongside 

white kids was a big deal. 

and appreciation, shows the powerful impacts animation 

can have on children. There is a generational “trauma” many 

Generation X children carried – small, subtle, yet no less 

important than bigger, more well known, trauma triggers. 

So when the Thanksgiving special was made and folk say 

Franklin sitting by himself and in a beach chair, some 

people, especially Black people, felt the isolation 

Franklin may have felt. 

Charles Shultz had a team of artists working for him and 

it is no longer known which artist drew that, but Mrs. 

Shultz has said that although she and her beloved 

husband didn’t realize it at the time, they were later able 

to see why the scene was received the way it was and is. 

The fact the new Apple TV cartoon directly addresses 

the scene, and the way the online community, especially 

Black and brown folk are embracing with celebration

New Children’s Books! 

by Katya Juliet Lerner 

Now Available on 






NEW! 

ON SALE 

NOW 

Sometimes, when you’re at a crossroads, a door will open and what enters will inspire you. Other 

times, what enters will make you gag. These stories by a ride-share short-timer might have the 

same effect on you. A man, recently laid off from his job and intrigued by the people he might 

meet (and the money he might make) decides to drive ride-share while looking for a new 

professional management position. 

Don’t want to drive drunk? Well, then, by all means, plug in your location and get your friendly 

neighborhood ride-share driver to ferry you to your next bar. Need to move but can’t afford 

movers? There’s an App for that! Tired of waiting for tricks on the corner? Wait—I’ve got an idea. . 

. 

The behavior and stories of folks who call on ride-share turned into a unique anthropological 

study for one man who decided to drive ride-share while looking for a new professional 

management position. Recently laid off from his job and intrigued by the people he might meet 

(and the money he might make), the author unwittingly became the anonymous confidant for 

men, women, nonbinary people, and children. Unfortunately for him, he also became the innocent 

target of people who couldn’t hold their liquor, others who couldn’t hold their temper, and at 

least one who couldn’t keep his hands to himself. 

Little did they know they were in the Prius of a writer, who would be able to look in the rear view 

and tell their stories. 

This collection of anecdotes is non-judgmental, full of irony and dry humor, and may help 

someone else decide: Is driving ride-share for you? 


BLACK 

HISTORY – 

“US” 


Myron J. Clifton 

There are wonderful social media stories about Black 

History Month and the historic people who make up the 

Black American diaspora experience. Famous, infamous, 

women, men, lgbqti, children, churches, politicians, and 

business folk. 

There's wonder, horror, celebration, and much love. 

And there's Us. 

Us are people who see each other when the larger society 

ignores us. 

Us are Black boys and men whose joy we celebrate - Black 

Boy Joy - I'm 59 and hold my Black Boy Joy close because it 

was and is a gift. 

Us brings the nation and world joy, laugher, tears, energy, 

and life... 

Who are "Us?" 

Us 

Us are the regular everyday Black people who help make 

this nation survive and thrive. Workers, students, leaders, 

business owners, and business customers. 

Us are consumers, creators, thinkers, scientists, teachers, 

supervisors, fast food, and retail workers. 

Us are also mixed with Taino, Euro, Indigenous, Asian, 

Hispanic, and Latino, and indigenous folk from every 

Caribbean island, and of course from all nations from our 

Motherland. 

We see you and we see… Us. 

Us 

Us works in factories, restaurants, customer service, 

malls, strip malls, and small businesses that populate our 

communities. Salons, barbershops, wig & cosmetics, 

clothing, kids, and 2nd-hand stores and smoke shops. 

Mechanic, auto parts, clinics, nurses, preachers, and 

pastors. 

Us 

When we celebrate Black History, we are celebrating all of 

Us. 

from the cities, the hoods, the rural and suburban, to the 

streets, hospitals, and prisons 

And those that went to glory before Us. 

Happy Black History Month, Black man head nod, and 

endearing greeting, Fam to you - Us. 


We Couldn't Be Heroes 

Short Story Collection: We Couldn't Be Heroes And Other Stories What if a Black 

man could control the weather, God called 911, or aliens took our souls? Would 

we notice? Would we care?... Enjoy the entire collection, seven stories in all, on 

earth and in space and in any order. 


RONALD MCNAIR — A TRAILBLAZER IN 

EDUCATION, SCIENCE, AND SPACE 

EXPLORATION 


Kenny Akers 

Ronald McNair's journey is a testament to the power of 

determination and the pursuit of knowledge. Born in 

Lake City, South Carolina, he encountered 

discrimination at a young age when he was denied 

access to books at a segregated library. This 

experience, rather than dampening his spirit, ignited a 

fire within him to challenge the status quo and strive for 

excellence. 

McNair's thirst for knowledge led him to pursue higher 

education. He excelled academically and earned his 

Ph.D. in physics from the prestigious Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology (MIT). His dedication and 

brilliance in the field of science laid the foundation for 

his future accomplishments. 

In honor of his remarkable contributions, the Lake City, 

South Carolina library, where he faced racial 

discrimination as a child, was dedicated as the Ronald 

McNair Life History Center. This highlights a powerful 

symbol of Black resilience, progress, and the 

importance of education to excellence. 

Ronald McNair's accomplishments and successes will 

have a forever impact on education, science, and space 

exploration, and will be forever remembered and 

celebrated as one of America's most honored heroes. 

In 1978, McNair made history by becoming one of the 

few African Americans accepted into NASA's astronaut 

training program. This achievement not only 

showcased his exceptional abilities but also shattered 

race barriers and opened doors for future generations. 

McNair's journey to space was a testament to his 

determination and the triumph of diversity in space 

exploration. 

Tragically, McNair's life was cut short in the Challenger 

space shuttle disaster in 1986. However, his legacy 

lives on through his numerous achievements and the 

impact he made during his time on Earth.

Marcus A. Banks-Bey, M.Div 

Gathered experience and elevation gained from years as an Army & hospital chaplain, mental health worker 

and clinical psychology doctoral student, equips Marcus A Banks to aid in journeying the reader to 

intelligently question their past belief systems and future creative visions of thought and identity as a 

purposeful means to developing their own personal reality for establishing their “true identity.” 

Within Dig Deep lies practical language, developed to help the reader grow the relationship with 

themselves, and understand why nurturing the relationships we have with our Faith, Family, Friends, Fitness 

and Finances will support our Purpose, Planning, Patience, and Persistent-Perseverance. This system helps 

one establish their own 5×5 Side by Side Guide through life. Dig Deep was written following a series of 

extremely challenging life occurrences, including the suicide of the author’s brother, Iverson; divorce; and 

war deployment. From this place, the author engaged in the process of self-discovery, self-awareness and 

meaning. 


Myron's 

HOT TAKE 

#1 

Happy Black History month for all who celebrate, 

acknowledge, participate, or respectfully observe. 

I’m grateful I was born Black. I’m thankful to know 

our history in this nation, and I’m optimistic about 

our future. Shout out to my mutuals who are 

Black. I see you, family. 

#2 

#4 

#3 

President Biden isn’t 

President of the world. 


CLICK TO MEET 

THE HOSTS! 

MYRON 

JENN 

Two longtime friends have informative, yet 

brief discussions about multitudinous topics. 

NEW EPISODES ON FRIDAYS! 


MYRON J. CLIFTON & JENNIFER VANLAANEN'S PODCAST 

VOICE MEMOS REVIEWS 

Listen Now! 

Stay 

Shallow! 

Like listening to your BFFs June 2, 2022 

kjlerner

The intimate and heartbreaking story of a Black undercover police officer who famously kneeled by the 

assassinated Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr--and a daughter's quest for the truth about her father. 

In the famous photograph of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on the balcony of Memphis's 

Lorraine Motel, one man kneeled down beside King, trying to staunch the blood from his fatal head wound 

with a borrowed towel. 

This kneeling man was a member of the Invaders, an activist group that was in talks with King in the days 

leading up to the murder. But he also had another identity: an undercover Memphis police officer reporting 

on the activities of this group, which was thought to be possibly dangerous and potentially violent. This 

kneeling man is Leta McCollough Seletzky's father.. 

Marrell McCollough was a Black man working secretly with the white power structure, a spy. This was so 

far from her understanding of what it meant to be Black in America, of everything she eventually devoted 

her life and career to, that she set out to learn what she could about his life, his actions and motivations. 

But with that decision came risk. What would she uncover about her father, who went on to a career at the 

CIA, and did she want to bear the weight of knowing? 


Looking back on the Before and the events leading up to the After, it was impossible to say precisely when 

everything went to shit. Understanding the importance of human connection, a lone trader braves the 

Weeps and an emerging cult to unite the survivors of a shattered world. The Before and The After is a tale 

of loss, acceptance, and finding one’s truth in a barren future. 

Catherine Sequeira 

Catherine Sequeira is a veterinarian, author, and teacher. Originally from California, she has lived in 

Switzerland, New York, Oklahoma, and Scotland. She is an avid tabletop gamer and was all verklempt the 

first time her older son kicked her ass at Lords of Waterdeep. She would live in the garden if she could, 

pretending to be Snow White or channeling her inner Poison Ivy. When the weather chases her inside, you 

can find her reading sci-fi and fantasy or binging horror shows. She lives in Northern California with her 

partner, younger son, cat, and rescue dragon (the bearded kind, that is). 


The Intersectionality of Erasure: 

Why the GOP Is Attacking Black 

and LGBTQ People 


Victoria A. Brownworth 

Among the most iconic images out of Nazi Germany are 

stark scenes of mass book burnings of books by Jews, 

gay people and others Adolf Hitler and the Third Reich 

found undesirable enough to try and erase them not just 

physically in concentration camps, but any trace of them 

and their words. These images so seared the 

consciousness post-war that in 1953 Ray Bradbury 

wrote a dystopian novel, “Fahrenheit 451,” later a 1966 

film directed by François Truffaut with international 

stars Julie Christie, Oskar Werner and Cyril Cusack, in 

which book burning and the eradication of books 

altogether, is the central theme. The story takes place in 

a near future that looks much like now, but with a 

society oppressively controlled by a government that 

has firemen destroy all literature in controlled burns to 

prevent revolution and thinking and subversive 

thoughts. 

No one is burning books in 2024 America, but they are 

taking them off the shelves, led by municipal and state 

governments and driven by many of the same fears that 

propelled the Nazis and the amorphous Big Brotheresque 

government in Bradbury’s classic story. Book bans 

are being led in the U.S. by the deceptively benignseeming 

far-right extremist group Moms for Liberty 

infiltrating school boards nationwide as well as red state 

GOP governors like Florida’s Ron DeSantis, Texas’s Greg 

Abbott, Mississippi’s Tate Reeves, Alabama’s Kay Ivey, 

and Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin. Just like their 

progenitors in Nazi Germany and their fictional 

representatives in “Fahrenheit 451,” Republicans know 

content that America’s kids should not be reading, and 

they are banning it wherever they can. 

That content is almost solely books about and written by 

LGBTQ and Black people. According to the American 

Library Association (ALA), books about LGBTQ and Black 

people were among the most challenged books in 2020, 

2021 and 2022. Ron DeSantis rose to national prominence 

with his notorious parental controls law, dubbed the “Don’t 

Say Gay” law, which banned any references to LGBTQ 

people in the schools from K through 12–including in 

classroom teaching and in books in school libraries. In 

January 2023, DeSantis, just weeks ahead of announcing 

his run for president, banned Black history AP courses in 

high schools. DeSantis said the lessons in the courses 

delved too far into political agendas and raised topics like 

queer studies and abolishing prisons. Despite pushback 

from Black officials in the state, which included Democratic 

lawmakers and Black clergy, the DeSantis administration 

determined that the class “significantly lacks educational 

value.” 

Dear Dean Magazine | Feb. 22, 2024 | Page 26 

While DeSantis’s presidential run failed, his anti-LGBTQ 

and anti-Black policies were immensely popular with GOP 

leaders and lawmakers nationally. In the past two years

V I C T O R I A A . B R O W N W O R T H 

since DeSantis began his “Don’t Say Gay” campaign, nearly 

every state has adopted anti-LGBTQ laws and book bans 

are rampant nationwide, forming a core tenet of 

Republican politics. The Republican party has also adopted 

a platform that de-centers all DEI initiatives. DEI-- 

diversity, equity, and inclusion--are organizational 

frameworks which seek to promote "the fair treatment and 

full participation of all people," particularly groups "who 

have historically been under-represented or subject to 

discrimination" on the basis of identity or disability. 

Republicans assert that racism is not systemic, structural, 

or endemic in the U.S. and therefore books and teaching 

that suggests otherwise is damaging for students. The GOP 

also still adheres to the belief that homosexuality is a 

choice and is against God’s teachings and that 

transgenderism is a mental illness promoted by “woke” 

culture. 

During the GOP presidential primary, which began with 13 

candidates and now has only two–disgraced and twice 

impeached former president Donald Trump and former 

UN Ambassador and South Carolina governor Nikki Haley, 

the first woman of color to run for president as a 

Republican–racism, homophobia and transphobia were all 

issues. Black candidate Sen. Tim Scott insisted that the U.S. 

is not racist and his Southeast Asian challengers–Haley and 

Vivek Ramaswamy–agreed. 

Haley has a complicated history with regard to race. She 

has said repeatedly on the campaign trail that America is 

not a racist country, but she has also told the very moving 

and disturbing stories of her father being racially profiled 

by police–something she witnessed as a child and which 

she said humiliated her father. 

Haley also took down the Confederate flag as governor, 

which many found a brave action, but she declined to say 

the mass shooting of Black parishioners of Mother 

Emanuel church in Charleston by white nationalist Dylann 

Roof was racially motivated. Haley has also sided with Moms 

for Liberty on their anti-LGBTQ platform. And on December 

28, at a town hall in New Hampshire, Haley forgot that slavery 

was the cause of the Civil War. 

On the February 3 episode of “Saturday Night Live” in a sketch 

of a town hall with her and Donald Trump (played by James 

Austin Johnson), Haley was confronted by “SNL” host for the 

night, queer Black actress and comedian Ayo Edebiri, playing a 

town hall audience member. 

Edebiri asked Haley what she would say “was the main cause 

of the Civil War. Do you think it starts with an ‘S’ and ends with 

a ‘lavery’?” 

“Yep, I probably should have said that the first time,” Haley 

replied. Ironically, as Haley was attempting a mea culpa for 

erasing slavery from the history of the country she says 

isn’t racist, President Biden was winning the Democratic 

primary in her home state of South Carolina. 

Haley’s remaining challenger, Trump–leader of the 

Republican party and of the white nationalist Make 

America Great Again (MAGA) cult movement--is a 

notorious racist, dating back to his being found liable in 

1973 by the Nixon Department of Justice for racial bias in 

leasing his and his father’s many real estate properties in 

New York. 

Trump also famously took out full page ads in the New 

York papers calling for the executions of the five Black 

teens known as the Central Park Five who were coerced 

by police into false confessions and wrongly convicted in 

the violent rape and brutal beating of Trisha Meili, a jogger 

in Central Park in 1989. Meili lost 80 percent of her blood 

volume, had 21 skull fractures, and was beaten so badly in 

the face that one of her eyes was dislodged. She was in a 

coma for two weeks and spent months in the hospital and 

then in rehab learning how to walk and talk again. Trump 

never acknowledged that the Central Park Five were 

innocent of the horrific crime and never apologized for his 

role in their incarceration. Even after they were 

exonerated, Trump continued to call for their deaths. 


V I C T O R I A A . B R O W N W O R T H 

Trump also never apologized for his racist birtherism 

claims–the assertion that Barack Obama was born in 

Kenya, not Hawaii, and as such could not legally be 

president. 

As president, Trump also repeatedly made disparaging 

comments about Black people, whether it was sports 

figures or nations with primarily Black citizenry, which he 

referred to as “shithole” countries. And Trump had the 

most anti-LGBTQ policies of any president in U.S. history 

and is largely responsible for the current wave of anti- 

LGBTQ policy and rhetoric in the Republican party. 

experienced doesn’t exist in order to mollify an electorate 

that has been inculcated by Trump to believe that people 

who aren’t white are going to take their country from 

them, then books and AP courses and teachers who are 

allowed to actually teach become all the more critically 

important. 

They are crucial to maintaining our national identity–our 

true national identity–as a racially diverse, multicultural, 

and fundamentally intersectional country. The country we 

always strived to become and the promise of which the 

GOP and Trump wants to take from us, one erasure at a 

time. 

In 2021 Virginia’s Glenn Youngkin became the first GOP 

candidate to run on book banning–and won. Youngkin 

campaigned on getting books out of libraries and Critical 

Race Theory out of schools. He ran ads with tearful parents 

upset that their children were being forced to read books 

that were “anti-white” or that “promoted homosexuality.” 

His gambit worked–67,000 Democrats voted for 

Youngkin. 

We hear all the time that “representation matters.” 

America is still a nation where “firsts” are happening every 

day: First woman, first Black person, first gay person, first 

trans person to be elevated to a particular position 

previously only held by men, white people, straight people, 

cisgender people. Thus when the stories and histories of 

Black and LGBTQ Americans are erased, when the GOP 

focuses on Black, queer and trans people as a deflection 

from their corrupt and criminal leader and likely nominee 

for president, all Americans suffer. The goal of the GOP is 

to demonize Black, queer and trans people and shift 

attention from the Republican party’s own failed 

leadership to these historically marginalized people 

instead. 

When even the first woman of color to run for president of 

the Republican party must gaslight herself--and us--by 

reiterating that racism that she herself and her family have 

Victoria A. Brownworth is a Pulitzer Prizenominated 

and Society of Professional Journalists 

Award-winning journalist whose work has appeared 

in The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, The 

Philadelphia Inquirer, Baltimore Sun, DAME, Ms., 

The Nation, The Advocate, Bay Area Reporter and 

Curve among other publications. 

She is the author and editor of more than 20 books, 

including the Lambda Award-winning Coming Out of 

Cancer: Writings from the Lesbian Cancer Epidemic 

and Ordinary Mayhem: A Novel, and the awardwinning 

From Where They Sit: Black Writers Write 

Black Youth and Too Queer: Essays from a Radical 

Life. She lives in Philadelphia. 

www.victoriabrownworth.com 


Coming Soon! 

Dr. Josie Harjo is used to cutting up dead bodies. As a veterinary pathologist at a state diagnostic lab, it’s her 

job to figure out the cause of death in a never-ending parade of various non-human species. Most cases are 

cut-and-dried, and rarely will a carcass roll in that gets her racking her brain. 

When a rancher shows up with a dead horse, Josie thinks it’s going to be a typical day at the office. She 

quickly learns that this is the third suspicious death in as many days, and the clock is ticking to figure out 

what’s going on before any more lives are lost. 

The necropsy is frustratingly unremarkable, and Josie is forced to follow all leads no matter how implausible. 

Tensions rise as the rancher starts pointing a finger at a disgruntled employee and an assault charge forces 

the cops to start asking questions. With a hefty insurance payout on the table, Josie realizes that she can’t 

ignore the possibility that the rancher might be involved. As the pathologist leading the case, Josie has to 

wonder, is it just coincidence or is there something more nefarious killing horses at JW Ranch? 


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All sayeYO users enjoy up to 2 free GB of storage for 

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and can instead focus on their craft and new connections. 

Meet the Founder, Kevin Linney 

My name is Kevin Linney, I also go by the name Crucial 

Point. I have tons of friends that make music and we all 

have the same issues regarding storage and sharing our 

music. As an underground/independent Hip Hop artist, I 

wanted to create a platform where we could store and 

easily share our music with people around the world. 

Even as an amateur artist, I had close to 200 song files 

sitting on Google Drive and DropBox, none of which 

were being promoted or heard by anybody other than 

myself. I needed a place where I could simply store my 

song files and easily share them when I want and with 

who I want. 

I created the sayeYO app with music artists in mind. I 

added features like the discover page, where artists can 

share songs made public with other app users. In the 

discover page users can play songs, like songs and click 

on any shared links. Our in-app text messaging allows 

users to share full-length songs, media files and much 

more for improved communication and collaboration. 

I also added a business directory so that sayeYO app 

users can connect with people who offer services within 

the music industry. Some of the categories include DJ’s, 

record labels, mixing and mastering, music blogs/news, 

podcast, marketing and promotions, management and 

consulting, dancers and choreographers, plus much much 

more. 

The sayeYO app is truly one of a kind. It is not your 

typical cloud storage app. I know there are millions of 

song files sitting on various storage drives around the 

world that have not been listened to in months or years. I 

know from personal experience with my music that it is 

easy for artists to create songs and not ever put them out 

or promote them. 

I want music artists to think differently about music and 

audio storage. Songs don’t have to be stored and 

forgotten about. Music artists can upload all their songs 

to the sayeYO app and have a place to privately store 

their music or share their music publicly with a global 

audience. 

Don't let your music files get lost in storage. Join sayeYO 

and invite your music friends! www.sayeyo.com 


Vernon L. Andrews 

Policing Black Athletes 

Racial Disconnect in Sports 

O R D E R 

T O D A Y !

BLM-PD 

BLM-PD 

BLM-PD 

BLM-PD. BLM-PD. BLM-PD. BLM-PD 

BLM-PD 

In the not too distant future, the US has been taken over by white nationalists, and 

the institutionalized racism that has underscored the country’s entire history has 

once again been codified. California has seceded from the US, and a band of strong 

women plan to start the next civil war following the death of their friend at the hands 

of the police. This is BLM-PD.

MYRON'S 

list 

HIT OR MISS 

HIT 

President Biden won the first national Democratic Primary, easily winning South 

Carolina with 97% of the vote and taking all 55 delegates. 


MISS 

Republicans deciding not to pass Border Funding 

because they say doing so would help President 

Biden’s re-election prospects. GOP showing why 

they are the do-nothing party. 

HIT 

The Biden Job numbers –another 353k jobs in 

January, continuing the add to the record of the 

most jobs created during an administration. 

MISS 

Failed Sears catalog model Dean Phillips wastes 

billions of Harlan Crow’s money to only get 1k 

votes in South Carolina, the representative from 

Minnesota, famously known online as 

“DropoutDean” even lost to wayward unicorn 

perennial loser Marianne Williamson, who 

gathered only 2k votes from people who love her 

essential oils. 

HIT 

Donald Trump hit with 

$88m judgement for the 

rape of E. Jean Carroll. 

HIT 

NFL Playoff ratings are always high, but the AFC 

championship game between the Baltimore Ravens and 

Kansas City Chief was the highest rated championship 

game ever. 

MISS 

FBI agents who “somehow” missed two rooms when 

they search Mar a Lago for missing government secret 

documents 

MISS 

88M 

Pollsters supplying bogus information that cable news 

hacks on MSNBC and CNN use to disparage President 

Biden and VP Harris.. once again proved to be 

monumentally wrong as the President did what informed 

voters knew he would, handily win South Carolina. Have 

all the seats, Steve Kornacki 

HIT - RIP 

A drone that killed 3 U.S. Service members. President 

Biden called the families and was there when the bodies 

were returned to U.S. soil. Because the three are each 

Black, Fox News decided to slander them and the military 

because Fox News is a racist shitbag of a network. RIP - 

Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, 46, of Carrollton, Ga.; Spc. 

Kennedy Ladon Sanders, 24, of Waycross, Ga.; and Spc. 

Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, 23, of Savannah, Ga. 

HIT 

Megan Thee Stallion’s new music, HISS, topped 

charts, got her a major music contract where she 

still owns her catalog and full rights, and caused 

Nicki Minaj to meltdown online out of spite and 

jealously. 

MISS 

Dean Phillips votes were a no-show in New 

Hampshire where he lost by 60 pts to President 

Biden who didn’t get on ballot but overwhelmingly 

won as a write-in candidate. Drop Out Dean. 


Her Legend Lives In You: 

The Untold Creation Story Honoring The 

Goddess And Our Daughters. 


Available on

NEW! 

ON SALE 

NOW 

A cup of coffee or tea paired with interesting company is an unbeatable combination. We learn 

and share so much through this simple social ritual. Nuanced origin stories. Brow-raising 

secrets. Good news. Bad news. Hopes and dreams, insecurities and fears. Sip by sip, we do 

business, catch up, plan our lives, and discover common ground. 

To gain a better understanding of his friends, Myron went on a mission to try their favorite 

drinks. He was struck by the complex flavors and simple pleasures that characterized their 

personalities. Sweet. Spicy. Bold. Bewitching. Optimistic. Ostentatious. Practical. Perfectionist. 

In Coffee, Grounded, Myron reviews these drinks and brews up a perfect blend of culture and 

caffeine. He examines the history of various ingredients and coffee-growing regions, painting a 

vivid picture of faraway lands and hometown haunts. 

Pour yourself a cup and curl up with this tasty collection of stories steeped in friendship and fun. 

Order & Indulge!

MY FAVORITE THINGS 

streaming right 

now...

S T R E A M I N G N O W 

Netflix’s Black History is American History Page - 

Netflix has an entire category dedicated to Black 

History. Movies include: 

Self Made Inspired by the Life of Madame C. J. 

Walker 

The Last Dance – The Story of Michael Jordan and 

the Bulls 

Harriet 

I Want to Dance with Somebody – Whitney 

Houston 

42 – Jackie Robinson 

Who Killed Malcom X? 

Race: Bubba Wallace 

High on The Hog – African American Food History 

Dolemite is My Name 

Plus, movies that are directed and/or starring Black actors 

Apple TV: The Buccaneers 

Five friends from New York who are each from newly 

wealthy families, go to England to snag husbands from 

among the single Dukes and Lords. The time is during 

the late 1800’s, America’s Gilded Age, when new money 

shoved its way into English aristocracy. The 8-episode 

first season is fast paced and uses modern music to help 

set the scenes – similar to Bridgerton. The series is very 

soap-operas, easy to watch, and easy on the eyes. 

Apple TV: For All Mankind – Seasons 1-4 

The “What If” series that reimagines the U.S. Soviet 

Union/Russian space race. It changes key pieces of 

history and plays with actual events while weaving in new 

characters and old footage to make a unique and 

enjoyable series that spans decades. The character arcs, 

well managed special effects, and the aspirational yet 

problematic people and governments make the series one 

of Apple TV’s best. 


Pre-Order 

NOW 

The Empire Wars 

A powerful YA debut set in a world where survival and magic are a deadly mix. 

Coa, who was born feral in the North Transatlantic wilds, has just been captured. Now, Coa is 

subject to public humiliation and execution in a gruesome spectacle known as The Great Hunt. 

If participators die in the Great Hunt—their entire family will be executed. In front of 

everyone. The nationalist regime, known as the Allied Force, will not rest until all foreigners 

are exterminated. Her best hope might be Princess Ife, born of privilege, but newly married 

into the authoritarian lineage. 

Her riskier choice is an alliance with a gorgeous, cunning participator—marked as a traitor to 

his militarized nation. Soon, Coa entangles herself with the captivating, deadly young man who 

could be her ultimate downfall. 

Akana Phenix is a recent Harvard alum who researches genocide. 

The Empire Wars comes out on July 30, 2024. It is now available 

for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Audible, Apple Books 

and more. On social media, she is primarily on Twitter, but she can 

also be found on Instagram and TikTok. She is located in the 

United States of America. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/akurephenix 


Robin Martin, Editorial 

The Joyful Warrior 

Podcast Network 

Music App 

Mark Lerner Astrology 

Katya Juliet's Jewel Box 

Great Start Initiative

Dear Dean Magazine: February 2024

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