“It is not necessary that you believe that the officer who choked Eric Garner set out that day to destroy a body. All you need to understand is that the officer carries with him the power of the American state and the weight of an American legacy, and they necessitate that of the bodies destroyed every year, some wild and disproportionate number of them will be black.” ― Ta-Nehisi Coates, Between the World and Me

Take this journey with your Bronx Warrior Goddess as you hear what happened to us in Baltimore, and the bonds of friendship that withstood extreme fear, danger, incarceration, and repression at every level. Judy, Turco and I had been in the Patriot Party/Rainbow Coalition where together we had faced much harassment by the police. We were also put in prison under martial law while living underground in Montreal. But it wasn’t until Baltimore that we felt the full and terrifying brunt of the brutality and intimidation tactics used by law enforcement.  It was also a time when there was a huge campaign to destroy the Panther Party. Neutralizing and discrediting them in every way possible, when in fact, they were providing protection and much needed community services to very underserved neighborhoods. We were all war buddies, and the harassment only served to bring us closer and create unbreakable bonds that time, distance and even death cannot destroy. Next week you will hear how my training and experience with the Rainbow Coalition gave me some of the skills and courage to help me save my daughter's life in her battle with cancer. So listen up! Talk about Kicking some Ass!

There is nothing on this earth more to be prized than true friendship. Thomas Aquinas