Easter Does Not Mean To Me ...

For much of my life, the celebration of Easter and spring were one of my favorite times of the year. However, when in recent years that I have reflected on the past and, more importantly, attempted to move forward ... EASTER HAS NOT MEANT TO ME ...

As I now prepare for 'the end of my life', the image, shot in Dupont Circle on Easter Sunday, 10 April 2006, ranks as one of my favorite Easter images.

When a few weeks ago I learned that my Simple Tech external hard drive containing much my digital photography from October 2005 through June 2007 (including the above image) and correspondence, writings and other important data dating back to 2004 could not be viewed on my computer and may have been deleted ... I flashed back to 'scenarios' in the past when something of value to me had been destroyed or dismantled by someone in my life.

And that the 'dismantling of the lives of black men', at least from experiences, have been foundation for the weatlh of many.

Hoping that the historic data could be retrieved, when visiting Fort Lauderdale in early March, I took the hard drive down with me and left it at Best Buy's Geek Squad. When checking with Best Buy on the morning of my departure that I was informed me the data had been lost, while, I certainly was disappointed, after my experiences of the previous week, the 'lost data' not only did not mean to me what it had meant, just a few days before but, and not unlike when one's last breath is exhaled, though the lost was still felt, the news from Best Buy, representing 'a sign' to 'move on' came as 'sigh of relieve'!

While the lost images represent only a few years of the past 15 years, what is more important, is the fact that whenever I revisit any of the images taken between 1992 and 2007 and not unlike Ken Wyban when he revisits images that I took of his last days at 21 N Street, SE, or that revisit places that I once lived or frequented or that encounter people that I have known, over the years, haunting memories flash before me.

However, Mr. Wyban was compensated. I, a 50 something black male, was not. Nor will I ever be able to regain nor recover what what 'dismantled' from me. It is not able the pictures nor the external hard drive.

If the past 15 years of institutionalized racism has been enough, you know God Damn well that more than 30 years of being targeted and blacklisted by the US Government and the law enforcement community, is more than enough!