at 5:45 pm on wednesday the 7th i was careening (okay, doing 32 in a 30 m.p.h) down tn hwy 243 (better known as main street) in mt. pleasant ... looking for the jones chapel ame church ...

it's dark and i'm looking for numbers when i realize i've passed my mark...and, the odd and even numbers have switched side of the road as north main became south main - oy!

so i turn around in the first lit parking lot i see - it's a liquor store, i don't go in, turn back up the road, find the church and enter...

reverend smith was playing the piano when i entered ... when we talked he told me, "i didn't give you any directions - i tell people that when they miss the church, go to the first liquor store, don't go in, turn around and come back to the church ... we both had a good laugh over that one...

my presentation was a little choppy - i was expecting youth and actually had an all adult audience so i had to re-think my delivery ... but all in all it was well received ...

i opened with "you don't actually have to commit a murder to be executed for it..." and laid out the gary graham case briefly ... and talked about unfairly targeting the working poor, racial disparity based on the victim's color, and the mentally ill...

we had a solid discussion afterwards with four people willing to help us in mt. pleasant ... i will follow-up about a church resolution soon, and identify some local businesses they can approach for support as well... i was invited out to the waffle house after we finished up at 8 p.m. but i had promised mama i would stop by for pinto beans and sweet potatoes...great way to finish a good night...

<3