'Black Panther' Trailer Is Out!

"You are a good man with a good heart.   It is hard for a good man to be a king."
I have been eagerly anticipating this movie ever since it was announced Marvel was FINALLY going to stop playing around and film the movie based on the first Black comic superhero in the Black Panther, AKA T'Challa, the king of the fictional technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda.

The Black Panther comic actually came out before the more well known Oakland based organization of the same name was founded.

Black Panther, and it starts Chadwick Boseman as T'Challa.  The cast of this movie also includes Lupita Nyong'o, Angela Bassett, Forest Whitaker, Phylicia Rashad, Danai Gurira, Michael B. Jordan and Daniel Kaluuya just to name a few of the peeps in it.

We will get to not only meet much of T'Challa's family including his little sis Princess Shuri, the future Black Panther and ruler of Wakanda, but get to see Wakanda in all it glory.

It's scheduled to be released to your fave multiplex during Black History Month on February 18, 2018 and I am already blocking that day off on next year's calendar to see it.

Here's the trailer for it



You'll now know after seeing this trailer what I mean when I say don't make me go Wakandan on you.

Congratulations Councilmember-elect Narvaez!

A few hours ago I received another reminder of just how many amazing people I have in my life and who call me their friend.

I've known Omar Narvaez for several years now thanks to his work with Lambda Legal in their Dallas regional office, as a past three time president of the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas and his service on the Dallas County School Board.   He was elected in 2015 to his first full six year term on the Dallas County School Board after being appointed in May 2014 to fill a vacancy on that board.

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He recently ran for the Dallas City Council District 6 seat in West Dallas currently held by Monica Alonzo, who is also the Dallas Mayor Pro Tem and sister of Texas state rep Roberto Alonzo (D).

Narvaez during the May 6 city election made it to the runoff with Alonzo, and armed with endorsements from the AFL-CIO and former Dallas city councilmember Angela Hunt, beat her in the runoff.  All the District 6 precincts reported in a few hours ago and have been counted, so that means Omar is the councilmember-elect for District 6.

It wasn't close.  Narvaez and #TeamOmar flipped the Election Day script, and garnered 1132 votes (58% of the vote) to Alonzo's 828 votes (42% of the vote).

Alonzo was one of three incumbent Dallas council members and allies of current Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings to lose their council seats yesterday.  Alonzo was joined by her council colleagues Tiffinni Young in District 7, the southeast Dallas district that includes Fair Park where the Texas State Fair happens, and Erik Wilson in the south Dallas centered District 8.

Mayor Rawlings had endorsed Alonzo and Young, and stayed neutral in the District 8 race.

"I'm ready to fight the corruption and get it stopped at City Hall and to stop the wasteful use of our tax dollars on boondoggle projects,"Narvaez said in a Dallas Observer story.  "For far too long, District 6 has been underrepresented;  It's time for thoughtful and intelligent leadership at City Hall.

And it looks like on runoff election night, District 6 agrees with you.

Congratulations Councilmember-elect Narvaez!   Amazing accomplishment, and know you are looking forward to this exciting new challenge of representing your District 6 constituents at Dallas City Hall.

TTNS 2017- Day 2

It's Day 2 of the 9th annual edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, and it's the day I get to do my Contemporary Texas Trans History.

I enjoyed Day 1, in which I not only got to hear Babs Siperstein's speech, but spend some quality time with her  Phyllis Frye and a few other folks.

Got a chance to not only hang out with old friends, but meet some new ones in the process.

I mentioned that the Blueberry Festival was happening in Nacogdoches, and one of our events was impacted by it.

Our 5:30 PM reception got cut short of it's 7 PM end time because of the setup taking place on Main Street in historic downtown Nacogdoches for the Festival.

Us leaving early to ensure the car didn't get towed from the parking area that was also going to be used for festival vendors allowed me, Kayla, and Rebecca to go back to our now sold our host hotel.

My gameplan was to take a short power nap, then do some more writing and prep for my session, but ended up waking up about 10 PM.  

But back to the TTNS Day 2 story.

We'll be back in the Twilight Ballroom of the Pattillo Student Center for breakfast and to be welcomed by Dr. Janet Tareilo, SFA's Associate Provost for Academic Affairs.

We'll then start the concurrent sessions for the day at 9:40 AM before breaking to hear our Day 2 keynote speaker Jeremy Ivester.  My session will be part of the Concurrent session block that starts at 12:30 PM.

Once the concurrent session are completed around 3:30 PM, the TTNS closing ceremonies take place with remarks from our emcee Jenifer Rene Pool and TTNS founding Executive Director Josephine Tittsworth before we bring this year's edition of the Texas Transgender NOndiscrimination Summit to a close.

We'll then start the countdown to 2018 and bringing the TTNS back where it started, to the University of Houston campus for its 10th Anniversary edition. .

'Stacey's Not A Girl' Book Launch Event

While I'm here in Nacogdoches, my heart will also be with Dr. Colt Keo-Meier as he finally launches his trans themed children's book Stacey's Not A Girl.

It is a compilation of stories from not only Colt's childhood, but the childhood of several trans masculine persons.  An Indiegogo campaign raised the over $9,000 to get it published,

I got to read an advance copy of it and loved the book.  I also thought about the trans kids who will enjoy reading something that has a character in it like them

The book is now available for purchase, and you can check out the book launch event for it at The Montrose Center from 2-4 PM.

Good luck, hope it's successful and you sell out all the available copies of it.

Shut Up Fool Awards- Texas Blueberry Festival Edition

While I'm in Nacogdoches TX for this year's 9th annual edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit, it isn't the only event taking place in this East Texas college town this weekend.   We also have the 28th annual Texas Blueberry Festival taking place tomorrow.

The main street of historic downtown Nacogdoches will have events from a bluegrass music concert to a 5K run as the expected 19,000 people descend on the town to enjoy the fun and blueberry infused treats as we chill on the Stephen F Austin State University campus plot the next phases of the trans movement.

I still haven't forgotten that I have the  Friday business of calling some fools out.

Honorable mention one is Donald Trump for pick an outrage.

Honorable mention number two is Houston homophobe Dave Wilson, who went on FOXNoise26 and made some nasty remarks about the upcoming Houston Pride parade

Honorable mention number three we go across The Pond for in British Prime Minister Theresa May.
She called a snap election three years before she was mandated to in an attempt to get a Conservative Party ruling majority and it resulted in a hung parliament in which she will now have to form a coalition government in order for the Conservatives to remain in power.

Honorable mention number four tis Josh Duggar, for having the faux faith based hypocritical balls to sue because he's upset that peeps found out he molested his sisters and cousin.

This week's winner is Gov. Greg Abbott,

He caved to Lt Gov. 'Potty Dan' Goeb Patrick and called a special oppression session that will take place on July 18 and cost this state's taxpayer's $800,000 to basically try to pass the bad Texas GOP that deservedly failed during the just concluded regular session..

And that means once again we'll have to go to Austin to fight Texas GOP legislative oppression that is happening simply to enhance his GOP gubernatorial primary prospects.

Greg Abbott, shut up fool! .

 

TTNS 2017- Day1

I'm here on the Stephen F Austin State University campus in their Baker Patillo Student Center to check out the happenings for this year's 9th edition of the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit

Our first day of action kicks off with the TNNS opening from Josephine Tittsworth, our emcee Jenifer Rene Pool and welcome from Dr. Adam Peck the Associate VP of University Affairs.  

Our keynote speaker will be Babs Siperstein, and after lunch, the concurrent sessions start and run until  4 PM , then we close out TTNS Day 1 with a reception at the Cole, Art Center from 5:30 -7 PM.

And we also hit Nacogdoches the same weekend as their annual Texas Blueberry Festival is hitting historic downtown Nacogdoches , so this should be an interesting time here on the SFA campus.
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Moni's Headed To Nacogdoches

I've probably done more travel inside the state of Texas in 2017 than I have outside of the borders of the Lone Star State.

But my out of state travel will probably catch up to my instate travel before the year is over,

I've done five trips to Austin with only one of them being the personal business variety.  The other four (so far) were to battle Texas GOP legislative oppression and looks like I'll have to do that again in July.   I just came back from the ATX at the invitation of United We Dream to speak at their Memorial Day rally.

I attended a transgender leadership training in the Dallas suburb of Irving back in February, and recently returned to the DFW area for the Black Trans Advocacy Conference in Dallas

The dates for this trip have been on my calendar since the conclusion of last year's event, but as you read this I'm headed NNE up I-69 (the highway formerly known as US 59) or the Eastex Freeway to native Houstonians, for the 9th annual Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit taking place June 9-10. .

I haven't missed a TTNS since my return back to Houston from Da Ville in May 2010, and the first event I attended after I came back home was the 2010 edition of it that was held at Rice University.

I had the honor of being the keynote speaker for it last year.

Over the last few years, the TTNS has ventured from its Houston area roots to hit the Texas roads and be hosted on various college campuses around the state.   In the last few years we have gone to San Marcos (Texas State),  Richardson  (UT Dallas), and last year Killeen (Texas A&M  Central Texas).   This year it was time to bring it to East Texas, and I know that trips to The Rio Grande Valley, West Texas and the Panhandle are probably in the TTNS future along with its desire to one day be on one of our Texas HBCU campuses.

So what's the Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Summit?  TTNS is two days of teaching, learning and plotting the path of social justice in the Lone Star State and beyond.

 It has been instrumental in getting trans friendly policies and procedures implemented at Texas state colleges universities and several Texas school districts .  The TTNS is also two days of us getting to network, chat with with old friends and meet new ones.

There was a moment during last year's event in Killeen in which myself, Josephine Tittsworth, Jenifer Rene Pool and Phyllis Frye got to do something we don't get to do very often in Houston.  We sat down at a table and the four of us got to talk for longer than five minutes during a quiet TTNS moment.  

The reason I'm going to this year's TTNS is to teach my Contemporary Texas Trans History seminar again.

This year we're headed to Lumberjack Country and the campus of Stephen F. Austin State University  in Nacogdoches, which is 140 miles NNE of Houston.  

Nacogdoches is not only the hometown of Stephen F/ Austin State University, it also has the distinction of being the oldest town in Texas, beating out San Antonio for that distinction by being founded in 1716 and incorporated in 1837.

This year's TTNS Friday keynote will feature one of our trailblazing leaders in Barbra 'Babs' Casbar Siperstein,  and the last time I saw her in the flesh was at last year's LGBT Pride reception at the White House.

Looking forward to seeing and spending some quality time with her and our Saturday TTNS keynote speaker in  Jeremy Ivester.

So for those of you making the trip to Nacogdoches to be there for the TTNS, thanks for doing so and see y'all at the Baker Pattillo Student Center on Friday and Saturday.

Number 12- Rest In Power And Peace, Kenne McFadden

Was wondering how long it was going to take before all the anti-trans hatred being spewed out of Dan Patrick's and other Texas Republican mouths trying to pass SB 6, HB 2899 and other unjust anti-trans hate legislation would result in the death of a trans Texan.

The answer to my question was April 9. when 27 year old Kenne McFadden's lifeless body was found floating in the San Antonio River near the city's famed Riverwalk and many of us were up I-35 in the ATX fighting Texas GOP legislative oppression aimed at the Texas trans community.

But because the San Antonio media misgendered Kenne at the time, we are just now finding out two months later about her murder.  

Once again news media transphobes, accurate reporting of trans murder victims matters.  And I'm sick and tired of the media misgendering repeatedly happening to Black trans women .

Kenne is the 12th trans woman we have lost to anti-trans violence in 2017, and 11 of the twelve US murder victims have been African American.   Native American Jamie Lee Wounded Arrow of South Dakota is the only (so far) non Black trans person killed.

What also continues to sadden us at Black Transwomen, Inc is that nine of the dozen souls we have lost to anti-trans hate are under age 40.

And yes Dan Patrick, Lois Kolkhorst and Texas Republican Party, her blood is on your hands.  Anti-trans hate thoughts + anti-trans hate speech = anti-trans hate assaults and murders of trans women.

And far too often those trans women who end up dead share my ethnic background.

According to a KENS-TV report, the San Antonio PD has a person of interest in the case who is already in jail on unrelated charges, and they plan to after further interviews and sorting out what happened in this case, arrest and charge this person.

I, my San Antonio trans family and trans people and our allies across the Lone Star State will be keeping an eye on this case as it develops.

Rep. Senfronia Thompson Calls Out The TX GOP Transphobic Discrimination

“White. Colored. I was living through that era…bathrooms divided us then, and it divides us now. America has long recognized that separate but equal is not equal at all.” “I can also tell you that separate restrooms for transgender kids, which is what we will be discussing for this bill, are also based on fear and not fact.”
-TX State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-Houston)

On this May 21 date that will live in Texas political infamy as 'Discrimination Sunday', the Texas GOP decided to satisfy their inner bigotry and pass a bill (HB 2078) laws to discriminate against Texas trans kids.   They also passed another bill that would allow taxpayer funded adoption agencies to refuse to place children with TBLGQ, non-Christian or unmarried people because of religious objections

Rep. Senfronia Thompson has been in the Texas House since she was elected to represent Texas House District 141 since 1972 and is the longest serving African-American woman in the Texas Legislature.

As she did in 2005 in her 'Hellfire Flames of Bigotry' speech in which she called out the passage of the unconstitutional Texas anti-gay marriage amendment to our state constitution, 'Ms. T' was once again standing tall against injustice when she took to the Texas House floor to remind her colleagues that separate is not equal, and discrimination aimed at trans people is just as ugly as when it was done to her and other Black Texans.

Too bad the Texas GOP isn't getting that message through their pointed hoods.

And with us headed once again into a tax money squandering special oppression session,  I wanted y'all to see and hear the words of one of the people and Democrats who have had our backs during this Texas legislation oppression session.

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First LGBT Pride Month Display Up At Houston City Hall

On my birthday, as their way to get me out of the house and to a known location so they could surprise me, I ended up at Eric Edward Schell's studio to take a P.R.I.D.E, Portrait.

I was happy to discover that it is one of the photos that went up today along with a placard explaining the project;

The P.R.I.D.E Portraits project was created by Schell, and the acronym stands for Photographs Representing Individuals Deserving Equality.   As Schell said in an OuTSmart interview this campaign is about visibility.

"Visibility is key to promoting the humanization of a group that faces dehumanization every day," said Schell.

It's also vital it happen when the Texas TBLGQ community is under sustained legislative attack.

As far as we;re aware of , this is the first time that the city of Houston has displayed an LGBTQ-specific project at City Hall, and it couldn't have come at a more opportune time.   .

Texas Special Oppression Session To Start July 18

Not satisfied with the fact they didn't get all their legislative oppression done during the recently concluded 85th Texas Legislative session that ended on Memorial Day, Gov. Greg Abbott just called for legislators to come back to Austin starting on July 18 for another 30 days and $800,000 wasted taxpayer dollars.

While he caved to Lt Governor Dan 'Potty Man' Patrick, he also made it clear he wasn't happy about the gamesmanship that was played in order for Patrick to get the special session he craved.

Well Governor Abbott, ,you could have called the special session and limited it only to the sunset legislation if you were that unhappy about the stunts that Patrick and his Texas Conservafool Freedom Caucus buddies played in the House. .

Instead you rewarded their shenanigans and probably ensured they will play those games in the future.

The first bill to be taken up on the call will be the sunset legislation to keep key state regulatory agencies from shuttering their doors, but once that legislation is passed, Gov. Abbott then outlined 19 items that he will allow the legislature to take up, including oppressing Texas transgender people.

In addition to oppressing trans people, some of the other items are school finance reform, creating automatic rollback elections when local property taxes rise by a certain amount, more abortion regulations, voter fraud, school choice for special needs students and property tax reform.

And it means that once again,  me and the rest of the Texas trans community and our liberal progressive allies are going to have to roll to the ATX once again this summer to fight Texas GOP legislative tyranny aimed at our trans kids..

It's a fight that we not only must win, we're determined to win.

Race and Gender Discrimination Sidelines Nebraska Soccer Player And Her Team

Not happy to hear about the situation that took place in Nebraska in which a soccer team was disqualified from a tournament before they were to play in the finals of it because in the president of the Springfield Soccer Club's words, for "looking like a boy."

Meet 8 year old Milagros 'Mili' Hernandez.   Mili loves soccer, has been playing for three years and currently plays for the Azzuri Cachorros Chicas club team in Omaha, NE.  Mili is so skilled at the game that she plays with the 11 year old squad, and she and her teammates were playing in a tournament organized by the Springfield Soccer Club.

After playing three games on Friday and Saturday and advancing to the semifinals of the tournament that were to be played on Sunday, they were shocked to find out they had been shadily disqualified from the tournament.

The reprehensible chain of events started when an anonymous complaint was made by someone telling tournament officials that a boy was playing on a girls team.

Hmm, I suspect the anonymous complainer must have been a supporter of a suburban based melanin free team, but back to the story.

Mili's coach Mario Torres got a phone call early Sunday morning informing him that Mili had been listed as a boy on the roster, but instead of resolving the issue, disqualified the team.

Torres called Mili's family, and despite them bringing and presenting multiple forms of identification proving that Mili was female, the tournament director refused to reverse the incorrect decision.

Torres suspects that the twin evils of racism and gender discrimination are at play here.

"We had already paid to play.  We'd played three games.  Why was this not resolved before the semifinals?" asked Torres. "Even if this was a mistake, they did not need to humiliate her or kick the entire team off the field."

The president of the tournament hounded me all throughout the tournament.  He disqualified three of my four teams for bogus reasons. He caused a lot of problems and for that reason, we feel this had to do with race."

Torres 'club has already filed a complaint with the Nebraska State Soccer Association, and as you can expect, the bigots at the Springfield Soccer Club have no comment for the media.  The Nebraska State Soccer Association put out a statement concerning the ugly incident yesterday.

The story has gotten the attention of US women's soccer legends Mia Hamm and Abby Wambach and tennis legend Billie Jean King, who have sent messages of support to Mili via Twitter.  Hamm has invited Mili to come to one of her soccer camps.

And Mili is thankful for the support she has received.  She's also going to continue to wear her hair short.

But it still doesn't bring back the opportunity for Mimi and her team to prove on the field that they were the best team at that tournament.

Introducing the New TransGriot Logo!

I've been working since late 2016 on this project for a few months in conjunction with Houston based Koncept Kit, a trans owned marketing firm, and now I finally get to reveal my new official blog logo to you readers.

I've wanted and frankly needed one for a while to put on business cards, and eventually merchandise, and here it is.

Thanks to Koncept Kit for all your hard work and skill in making my vision of what I wanted in a blog logo come to life.

Gov. Abbott's Press Conference Today

Gov. Greg Abbott (R) has called for a press conference to take place in Austin at 2:30 PM CDT that will be watched from both sides of the political aisle in Texas and probably have the nation's attention.

It is assumed that at this press conference, Gov Abbott will announce his decision on whether or not to call a special session, and if he does, what issues the special session call will entail.
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Ever since the Memorial Day sine die date of a contentious 85th Texas Legislative session, rumors have been flying even that day under the Pink Dome that we were cruising toward a special session.

Lt. Governor Dan Patrick (R) has been loudly pushing for a special session in large part because he's pissed off his unjust SB 6 that he got Sen Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham) to push died in the Texas House.

Abbott is in a no win situation.  Only he under the Texas Constitution has the power to call a special session.  He also decides what bills to bring up during that special session that can last up to a maximum of 30 days.

During a special session, Texas lawmakers can only consider legislation that fits into the governor's 'call', or the issue that the governor specifies in the special session proclamation that will be read during the upcoming press conference,  

The governor also because of Texas Constitution Article 3, Section 40 faces no limitation of the number of issues that can be designated for consideration in the special session proclamation.

The governor can also call as many special sessions as he wishes. Back in 2003, then Governor Rick Perry (R) called the Lege into special session three consecutive times in order to execute the infamous partisan Delaymandering of Texas congressional districts.

And don't think that 2018 Texas GOP primary politics aren't entering into the political calculus of this. The governor and lieutenant governor are up for re-election next year, and it's been rumored that Patrick is angling to go after Abbott despite previous declarations that he is running for reelection as the lieutenant governor. .

If Abbott calls a special session to attack Texas trans people, he'll not only look like he's Dan Patrick's puppet and not his own man, he'll piss Texas trans people and our allies off if he adds the anti-trans BS to the call. .

Abbott will also piss off Texas taxpayers who have to foot the $800,000 bill for this 30 day exercise in Texas Republican legislative oppression.

If he doesn't call the special session, then Dan Patrick will probably use his decision not to do so as an attack weapon in a potential Republican gubernatorial primary (assuming he runs for governor next year) by claiming that Abbott is not a 'real conservative' and doesn't want to stand up for your 'Texas Values'

FYI Lt Dan, if you think that attacking trans people is good for your political prospects, ask ex Texas state reps Debbie Riddle (R-Tomball) and Gilbert Pena (R-Pasadena), former South Carolina state senator Lee Bright, and former North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory.

Transphobia is increasingly becoming,even in GOP leaning Texas, a losing political strategy, and you keep attacking Texas trans kids at your political peril.

So in a few hours I and a lot of people in the Lone Star State will be watching to see if we'll have to make another trip to Austin to fight Republican legislative tyranny aimed at the Texas trans community for cynical GOP political primary gain.      

Congrats Niece and Nephew For 200 Strange Fruit Shows!

One of the things I got to do when I took my 2014 Labor Day weekend vacation trip back to Louisville was head to the WFPL-FM studios in downtown Louisville to record an episode of Strange Fruit.

Strange Fruit in this case is the talk show and podcast hosted by Dr. Kaila Story and Jaison Gardiner, AKA known as Niece and Nephew to moi, that on a weekly basis discusses politics, pop culture and Black gay life.

And yeah, definitely need to show their wonderful producer Laura Ellis some love as well.

So far I've been on Strange Fruit twice, with the 2014 studio appearance being the last time I was on it.  

Been a little busy since September 2014 and so have they. Niece has gotten married since then and has her women and gender studies associate professor teaching gig at the University of Louisville to keep her busy.

And she was just named to the 2017 NBC Out #Pride30 list.

I did get to see and spend some quality time with Niece and Nephew when I went to Da Ville for my vacation last year.  

They will be celebrating this upcoming broadcasting milestone of 200 shows on June 21 with a live taping and party.

Congrats Niece and Nephew for 200 amazing Strange Fruit shows!   Thank you for not only inviting me to be a part of it and getting the chance to speak to you Fruitcakes (the nickname for their listeners)  but for educating, entertaining and informing your WFPL-FM listeners and those who enjoy it via podcast for the last several years. .

May Strange Fruit continue its high standard of radio broadcast excellence in discussing the issues of importance to our community, and make it to the next broadcasting milestone of 300 shows.

The Most Unfriendly LGBT President Ever

The turning of the calendar page to June also means that it's the start of Pride Month, and we have gotten spoiled over the last eight years by having a president who is cognizant of that.

It was this time last year I had gotten the invitation to go to the LGBT Pride Reception and I was scrambling to try to get to DC for it.

That's not the case with 45 despite the fact during the campaign he promised he would be 'the most LGBT friendly president in history'.

Like all his other campaign promises, that has turned out to be a lie.   We already had the best president ever when it came to LGBT rights issues in the previous occupant of the White House at that time in Barack Obama.

Trump stocking his campaign advisory team with long time LGBT haters like Mike Pence, other professional gay baiters and right wing hate pastors telegraphed to me and everyone else paying attention except the Log Cabin Sellouts that this would not be an administration that we could count on, much less would be inviting us to his White House for a Pride Reception.

If there were any folks in LGBTQ World holding out hope that Trump was going to live up to his campaign rhetoric, that died June 1 when he failed to put out a proclamation for Pride Month as President Obama had done for every year of his presidency.

And I was saying while in attendance at last year's Pride Reception that if Hillary didn't win, this would probably be the last one until possibly 2021.

Damn I hate it when I'm right.

2017 Williams Watch- Venus Is Out At 2017 French Open

Aww, I was hoping with all the upsets that included defending 2016 French Open champ Garbine Muguruza, that 10th seeded Big Sis would get to make a serious run at winning her second French Open title, but it was not to be,

She got off to a great start against 30th seeded Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, taking the first set of the match, but you have to win two to advance to the next round, and it fell apart for her.  

Venus lost 7-5, 2-6, 1-6 to end her run at Roland Garros.

Oh well, 'Williams'-don starts on July 3,  Maybe she'll have better results on the other side of the Channel  when they go to her and Serena's personal tennis playground at the All England Club.

We'll see in a few weeks .    

Brienne Minor Wins Historic 2017 NCAA Women's Singles Tennis Title

Black history was made on May 29 at the recent NCAA Division I women's tennis championships that were conducted at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex on the University of Georgia campus in Athens. GA.

University of Michigan sophomore Brienne Minor became the first African-American woman ever to win the NCAA Division I women's tennis title   In case you're wondering, the first African-American man to win an NCAA men's singles tennis title was the legendary Arthur Ashe in 1965.

She was the 2014 Illinois state girls singles champion, but in this NCAA women's singles tournament, she was ranked 24th in the nation, and also played with her Michigan teammates in the NCAA Division I team tennis championships that started in Athens back on May 18.   .

Michigan advanced to the Round of 16, beating Youngstown State and Kentucky before being eliminated by national finalist runner-up Stanford.

When the NCAA women's singles tourney started on May 24, the unseeded Minor faced the task of having to win six matches in six days to get to the finals of the 2017 NCAA women's tourney while battling tendinitis in her knees.

Minor was also in the section of the bracket that contained the number one seed Francesca Di Lorenzo of Ohio State.and was facing in the opening round the woman who ended her 2016 NCAA women's tournament run in Miami's Sinead Lohan.

It took her three sets, but she beat Lohan 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 to jumpstart her title run. Di Lorenzo was surprisingly upset in the opening round by Pepperdine's Mayar Sharif Ahmad, and Minor knocked her off in straight sets in the Round of 16 on her way to the finals .

Minor would face Florida senior and tournament sixth seed Belinda Woolcock  The Aussie was playing her last match as a Gator and had only dropped one set on her way to the championship finals.  She also wanted to add the NCAA women's singles title to the 2017 NCAA team tennis championship she played a huge role in Florida winning over Stanford.

Woolcock played 14 singles and doubles matches over the eleven days of the NCAA Division I tourney with an 11-1 record to help Florida win the NCAA team championship, was named the Most Valuable Player in the NCAA team tournament, and made the all Tournament team in singles and doubles.

But it was Brienne Minor's day and she was on an eight match tournament winning streak at this point. With her family cheering her on, Minor made the admittedly tired Woolcock run all over the court as she raced out to a 4-0 first set lead before Woolcock broke her serve to finally get on the first set scoreboard.

Woolcock gave the service break back to stoke Minor to a 5-1 first set lead and won the next two games to close to 5-3, but dropped her service game to give Minor a one set lead in this NCAA title match.

Minor held serve to begin the second set and jumped out to a 3-1 and 4-2 lead before Woolcock made one last push and closed to 4-3 by blanking Minor with a love service game.   But Minor stormed back by winning the next two to take the set and the 2017 NCAA women's championship in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.

Minor knocked off three players ranked in the top 16 in the nation to earn this historic title, and not only gave Michigan their first ever NCAA women's singles tennis national champion, she made some Black history in the process.

With the win she also earned a wild card entry into the 2017 US Open that begins on August 28

Pittsburgh (and Philadelphia) Voted For Hillary, Not 45

The political science joke about Pennsylvania is that it is Pittsburgh in the west, Philadelphia in the east and Alabama in the middle.

We all know that Trump shockingly won this state narrowly on Election Night in large part to three third party candidates siphoning off just enough votes to allow Trump to eke out a narrow (ugh) victory in the Keystone State.

Dear Orange Misleader seems to have it in his head that the two largest cities in the state of Pennsylvania voted for him when he cited the Steel City as his jacked up rationale for pulling the US out of the Paris Climate Change Accords that 195 nations signed.

No Dumb Donald, Pittsburgh didn't vote for you, it voted for Hillary, and it wasn't close.

Hillary Clinton received 363, 017 votes (56.4%) of the votes cast in Allegheny County to Trump's 257, 488 (.40% ) .

Gary Johnson received 15,854 (2%) ,Jill Stein  5,021 (0.8%) and Darrell Castle got 1,793 (0.3%)

In Philadelphia, it was a blowout    Clinton received 560, 542 votes (82.4% ) of the votes cast in Philadelphia County to Trump's  105, 418 (15.5%).

Johnson got 6,786 (1%). Stein 6,452 (0.9%) and Castle 1,029 (0.2%)

So nope Dumb Donald, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, the two largest cities in the state, didn't vote for you. and in both cities it was a massive rejection of you.

TransGriot Note:  Thanks to TransGriot reader Jason Byrd for sending me the Allegheny and Philadelphia Counties 2016 election data that inspired the post.