I appreciate your postings. They are always well thought out and are generally informative. Anyone who has gone to Atheist Nation's chat can see how communication can breakdown without postings such as you provide.

Ralph,
Irritation is bad for the blood pressure. I know, when I'm off work, mine drops by 20 points. You are too important to give in to frustration or to get carried away with something that will just cause you more grief. Take some deep breaths, and realize that this too shall pass, and know that sometimes it needs to pass. Take care.

Ralph,
I am putting together a documentary on "Everyday Atheists" and want to make sure that the Black Freethought voice is heard. I need help is finding someone who is black, lives relatively near Burlington, North Carolina (central part of the state), and is willing to be on camera. I have a document describing the project that could be posted, just let me know. I have sent a "friend" request to you, so you could send response via that route or we could make other arrangements.

Sorry for your loss.

Brother Ralph,

I've read some of your material and your writings and essays are exceptional. Your copious works will now become a part of my required reading. Once I saw the Eric Dolphy sound clip, I knew you were hip! Eric's rendition of "You don't know what love is" is still, in my mind, one of the most profound interpretations of that standard ever played (and that's not because I'm a flautist).

I am an aspiring writer, my blog can be found by googling: "The African American Agnostic." If you don't mind I will quote you from time to time.

Peace and Critical Thinking,
Rob

Lovin your group man. It's good to see dat black atheists are comin out online bro.
Peace,
Michael

Happy belated birthday, Ralph.

Yes, those are several of the issues I'm exploring in my dissertation.

I read your page, but I asked only because you named so many interests and people usually have a specific era or subject that draws their attention the most. It was nice hearing from you.

Well, I would imagine the racism isn't as virulent as it once was, but it still remains. As long as people are still racist in general it will be there. I went to a school that was heavily polish with a church that held mass in both english and polish. So I'm personally familiar with that experience. It was there amongst the students, but I can't say as much about the leadership.

The issue for them was that I was not catholic so they charged my parents more so I could attend and many of the teachers and students seem to quietly enjoy getting to exclude me from things like first communion and confession, etc. That's what first turned me off.

I research twentieth century US political history. I'm writing a dissertation on the New York Republican party, Nelson Rockefeller, and the liberal tradition in the Republican Party that was actively stamped out for the most part. I came to political history a little late, when I first came to graduate school I was most interested in urban history. I'm also very interested in African American history (which is my minor).

I noticed that you are a history buff what eras and topics interest you the most?