Black History is as big a part of the American experience, like it or not. My thoughts and opinions are present for all to read and to take in. Through my life, I have had some great friends and co-workers who are Black Americans, too many to name. We worked together as deputy sheriff’s, police officers, prison guards as well as Marshals and had many many laughs and good times through our time together. In my 35 years in private practice, one of my favorite people of all time was my good friend Ron Stewart, ret. L.A.P.D.. Ron was one hell of a cop and even a better human being could not be found. Ron’s stories of being black and being a cop in the Los Angeles Police Department back in the 60’s were spellbinding. Black Americans are as important to the fabric and cloth of America as apple pie. The contributions of this group of Americans are used by all people in the world, daily!
I remember Virginia and Lillie Mae, two of the most interesting black women I have ever met. Virginia’s daughter is an F.B.I. special agent. Virginia and Lillie Mae were Miss Peggy Lee’s housekeeper and cook. Lillie Mae owned an apartment building and did some insane cooking and I still miss her ‘Monkey Bread’, the pork chops and gravy and the greens! I was with Lillie Mae during the good times at all those dinners at the Miss Peggy Lee’s mansion for all the birthdays and holidays as well as when she was not feeling well. I remember telling Lillie Mae how much I loved a particular set of lamps in her home, well when Lillie Mae died, she left them to me. I still love those lamps to this day. Virginia’s reflections over coffee and cinnamon rolls in the kitchen of that incredible mansion on her thoughts of Charles Bronson still sticks in my memory, too bad actually, I used to like his movies.
One of the critical components of Nazarian and Associates was Darryl and his wife, these two folks were with me for almost my entire career and I loved them both as people and someone I called friends. Darryl and I have some great stories as to his ability to get into places and to get folks served…. no matter how big the gates were. The best part of Darryl and his wife was the attention to detail in whatever assignment he was handling for me.
My love of the music of Motown and Jazz and like it or not, music in America would not exist if not for the men and women of the Black community and that too is a fact! Muddy Waters, Ella and it would take hundreds of pages of list the names of all the Black singers and musicians that have Made America Great. Back in the early 1970’s I attended Los Angeles City College and got my Police Science degree. At the time I decided to take ‘Chicano History’ and a class called ‘Black History’, I was the only white student in the class and got some grief from a few of the attendees. Over time that distraction would disappear as I guess they got used to my outrageous comments during class time… totally out of amazement, The BALLPOINT PEN!!!!!
Garret Morgan the man who invented the 3 Light Traffic Signal and the GAS MASK!!! Sarah Boone invented the ironing board and related items, Alexander Miles was the man who invented the Automatic Elevator Doors, Charles Drew and his blood banks…. the list goes on and on, Fredrick McKinley Jones the man responsible for refrigeration on trucks that would become THERMO KING. You cannot move through life and not use an item that was invented by a Black American! Similar to music the list of these inventors who happen to be Black Americans are too long to list…… and much of this I remembered from my classes in the 70’s at Los Angeles City College…. All great men and women.
During many of this countries wars, the black men and women were very, very critical to America’s wins! Tuskegee Airmen, the first African American military pilots and navigators along with all the support for the war effort. These men would go on to earn 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, hero is not a big enough word for these incredible men. 992 flyers including 14,000 total support staff that fought honorably during WWII….. Buffalo Soldiers, U.S. Army regiments that were all African Americans….. formed in 1866. Their name was given to them by Native American Tribes for the fierce, brave and resilient fighting style. Despite facing racism (the very true meaning of racism, not the bullshit we hear about today in 2026). The heroism demonstrated by the Tuskegee Airmen and the Buffalo Soldiers was a demonstration of true Black American History. Someone I always enjoyed through history was General Colin Powell, a four start general and a career of 35 years serving America. Why this man never became the first black president to this day still makes me wonder. I was not a fan of Obama and I was absolutely no fan of Da Reverend Jesse Jackson, “Rainbow Push” my ass.
My point in running through my thoughts here are to show that I can be fair in the way that I think of what I have to say. I do not apologize for any of my comments, and what I write is based only on what I believe, without question. Again, I know the difference between BULLSHIT and ROSES. No, not all blacks are criminals. However, in too many cases, many of the cities in America have FOOLS in office for no other reason than the color of their skin of the person in these elected positions….. Fact! That is also the case of many of these black sheriffs and chief of police, not talent, but to fill a spot to appease ghetto rats who seem to be major violators of the law!