Archive for April 2016

How To Enjoy NFL Draft Town

How To Enjoy NFL Draft Town
I’m a huge fan of the NFL Draft, I used to be that guy sitting in a bar somewhere (stuffing my face with chicken wings), with a buddy watching hours of draft coverage when it used to start on Saturday morning. Some of those years back then (10-12 years ago), I’d have it on the... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 28, 2016 at 5:28 am • 

Give It Up For Southside Baseball

Give It Up For Southside Baseball
I’ll be honest going into this season, I didn’t think much of this White Sox baseball team. I know, I know it’s late April and you can’t win a World Series in the spring. But you can lose one. How many years did the south side guys start off slow and find themselves looking up... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 26, 2016 at 9:44 pm • 

The Suckiness of Baby Gates

The Suckiness of Baby Gates
The name “Baby Gate” alone sounds negative, like it’s either a controversial act (like Watergate), or a barrier from a penitentiary for really small people. I have spent the last few weeks and a bunch of money and time trying to get two baby gates up in our house. This all started with our 11... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 25, 2016 at 10:06 pm • 
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The Influence of Prince On All Artists

The Influence of Prince On All Artists
When Purple Rain came out in 1984 I was eight years old, my parents wouldn’t let me see it due to its graphic nature but I rocked out to the music. Prince’s next album was 1985’s Around the World in a Day and though it was no Purple Rain it had a great song “Raspberry... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 21, 2016 at 9:43 pm • 

My Father Has Been Gone Two Years

My Father Has Been Gone Two Years
It’s been two years since my dad’s been gone I can’t believe my dad has been gone two years, in some ways it seems like yesterday, in other ways, it feels like two years, maybe longer. I still dream about him every other week, it’s usually set back in the day on 123rd Street at... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 20, 2016 at 8:03 pm • 

The Legacy of Jackie Robinson

The Legacy of Jackie Robinson
This week celebrated documentary filmmaker Ken Burns aired his latest work on Jackie Robinson on PBS s stations. I watched and enjoyed seeing that my baseball hero was flawed. I know from being “the only brotha in the room” a lot of my life that the road to integration can be a challenging one to... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 14, 2016 at 10:25 pm • 
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I Remember Doug Banks

I Remember Doug Banks
I’m just finding out about the loss of local radio icon Doug Banks. Like many people I grew up listening to him first on WBMX 102.7 (before it became WVAZ V103 in 1988), when he was doing “Banks & Company” in the afternoons. Then he moved over to WGCI 107.5 and really came into his... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 11, 2016 at 2:11 pm • 

When The Streets Take One Of Your Own

When The Streets Take One Of Your Own
You’ve seen it on the news, the stories of violence. Young black men killed in the streets, families broken up and it keeps happening over and over. Now imagine that it happens to one of your relatives. I just got back from Detroit from helping bury my cousin, senselessly killed and that’s when this becomes... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 10, 2016 at 9:58 pm • 

What it Means To Be A Black Father

What it Means To Be A Black Father
This month marks two years that my dad (pictured with me back in the day), has been gone and 10 months that my son is here. I understand the weight on raising a young black male these days and how my father raised not one but three black men. I take this challenge on to... Read more »
By Charles W. Johnson,
April 1, 2016 at 7:01 am • 
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    Charles W. Johnson

    I'm a lifelong writer (since I was 8 years old), and have been doing this blog in some form or fashion since 2004. I'm a DePaul University alum, class of 1999 and prior to that Brother Rice class of 1994. . And I appreciate you taking to the time to read what I have to say, feel free to email charles.w.johnson@hotmail.com

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