Today is the 140 anniversary of Juneteenth, the annual celebration of Black freedom.

Even though the Emancipation Proclamation declared the official end of slavery on January 1, 1863, most enslaved Africans in America did not find out until much later. Among the last to find out were slaves in Galveston, Texas who did not learn of their freedom until Union soldiers marched into town on June 19, 1865.

Upon hearing the news, Black people celebrated by laughing, crying, praying, and dancing in the streets for days.

Although Juneteenth is only officially recognized as a holiday in the state of Texas, people throughout the country use the day to honor the Black freedom struggle.

Let us use this day to reflect upon and give thanks for the freedoms that we have. Also, let us renew our commitment to fight against the various forms of unfreedom that undermine all of our prosperity.
May the ancestors be pleased with us.

R.I.P. Len Bias

Twenty years ago, the sports world lost one of its brightest lights far too early. On June 19, 1986, Len Bias, the University of Maryland basketball standout, passed away from a cocaine overdose.

Before Lebron James, Tim Duncan, or Shaquille O’Neal were projected as can’t-miss draft picks, Len Bias was considered the league’s next superstar. Considered by many to be the best player in ACC history, Bias’ unparalleled athleticism, body type, and versatility prefigured the modern point-forward that dominates today’s game. In addition to his physical gifts, Bias’ basketball IQ and on-court maturity convinced scouts that he had all of the requisite skills to excel on the pro level. Drafted by the Boston Celtics with #2 overall pick, Bias was considered the natural successor to Larry Bird.

Unfortunately, he never got to play his first game.

Less than two nights after being drafted by the NBA’s most storied franchise, the All-American celebrated his newfound success by with friends and teammates. Like many college athletes during that era, Bias’ partying practices frequently included cocaine. Soon after the party started, Bias’ friends were calling for an ambulance to rescue the fallen star, who had overdosed on the narcotic.

Bias’ death signaled more than a competitive blow to the Celtics, who have never fully recovered from his death. As his mother, who would lose her other son four years later to a parking lot shooting in Maryland’s Prince George’s Plaza, accurately notes, Bias’ death helped to intensify the nation’s war on drugs. More specifically, the Bias tragedy exposed the dangers of cocaine, which had previously been underestimated as a relatively harmless party drug among the privileged.

While we regret his early exit, his death was not in vain.

May He Rest In Peace

“Freedom! You askin me about freedom. Askin me about freedom? I’ll be honest with you. I know a whole more about what freedom isn’t than about what it is, cause I’ve never been free. I can only share my vision with you of the future, about what freedom is. Uhh, the way I see it, freedom is– is the right to grow, is the right to blossom. Freedom is -is the right to be yourself, to be who you are, to be who you wanna be, to do what you wanna do.” – Assata Shakur

In honor of Juneteenth, I’m asking each of you to reflect on what freedom means to you. Please share!

Last night, the Miami Heat came within one game of wining their first NBA title. In one of the great playoff games in NBA history, Dwyane Wade willed Miami to an overtime victory over the suddenly reeling Dallas Mavericks.

I’m still not worried.

While it may appear that my “Dallas in 7” prediction is suddenly dubious –as many of my readers/haters have indicated via email and blog comments– the series is going exactly how I expected. Like any seven game series, this year’s finals is filled with momentum shifts, falsely obvious pre-game predictions, and post-game justifications.

Remember how, after game 2, all the “experts” said that the Heat would lose because Dwyane Wade wasn’t ready? Remember how, before game 4, everyone guaranteed that Dirk would have another rough shooting night after game 1?

The key to successful prognostication is not to second-guess oneself by obsessing about the natural ebb and flow of a close series. Instead, it’s best to sit back, relax, and enjoy what has turned into one of the best series in Finals history.

I’m sure that many of you (particularly the Miami loving haters) will argue that I’m merely being stubborn and won’t admit that I was wrong. Here’s why I disagree:

• The home team has won every game in this series. The final two games are in Dallas. While history tells us that there is always a road victory (perhaps the best argument against Dallas), the stakes are to high for Dallas to falter at home.
• The Mavericks are finally angry. After getting shafted by the league with the Stackhouse suspension, and the refs with the Avery Johnson timeout controversy, Dallas will develop the “us against the world” mentality that stoked the Detroit Pistons two years ago. More importantly, after giving games 3 and 5 back to Miami, the Mavs need to prove to themselves and the world that they’re mentally tough. Trust me, they are.
• Dwyane Wade has proven that he is the best player in the series and maybe the league (It’s the playoffs, let me be hyperbolic!!!). Still, even Michael Jordan needed more help than Dwyane got last night. It’s simply unfair and unreasonable to expect him to put together two more all-world showings. Unfortunately, the Wade cannot singlehandedly carry the Heat to two road victories in Dallas.

My prediction: Dallas in 7 (Still)

Pregancy Is Perilous For Female Basketball Stars
By Melissa Silverstein 

The Women’s National Basketball League celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer, and with 14 teams, the league’s doubters have been silenced. But each season fans wonder about the absence of a stalwart player or two normally on each team’s roster. Retirement? Injury? No, not necessarily.

The missing players — stars like DeMya Walker and Marie Ferdinand — may be pregnant or have recently given birth, one of the realities of the WNBA and other women’s professional leagues. Seeing athletes play out their postpartum weight loss on national TV offers an up-close view of what it takes to get back into game shape. Houston Comets star Sheryl Swoopes is proof it can be done. She has been named MVP a record three times since having her son Jordan 10 years ago.

The athletes of the WNBA are the best of the best, and their league has a supportive pregnancy policy. Not every athlete is so lucky. Take Darnellia Russell, a high school player in a new documentary about a girls’ basketball team from Seattle.

For the rest of this story, click here