WHEN BRENDAN WHITT THINKS...

My First Parade the Circle

“Suddenly the little light bulb in my head went off, “Is this for Parade the Circle?” I thought to myself. I had learned of Parade the Circle when my neighbor and friend, and then Children’s Librarian Kevin Ray invited me to volunteer with the Cleveland Public Library when they were chosen to contribute to the 2013 edition of the parade. “

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'A man on a Mission with his Skateboard' by Brendan Whitt

“ In 2008 Ja'Ovvoni started providing skate lessons as a way to help build the Cleveland skate scene. He offered free lessons to youth at the Stella Walsh recreation center on Broadway on Cleveland's east side. Ja'Ovvoni credits Marty Piczazak who “fought to make it happen” as he put it.”

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Blought #30: Obama's Cookout

“Most importantly, I was waiting to hear the first president say “nigga” on live TV. Like in a, “The Republicans still trippin’, so me and Joe said ‘fuck them niggas.’ And we got it done.” kind of way. The entire state house would have erupted in applause and cheers. Of course, I was wishful thinking.”

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Blought #29: What the 2016 Playoffs Mean to Certain Legacies

“ This year’s playoffs have a different feel to them. The East is a much stronger conference than it was a year ago and we finally have a fairly healthy field of players to start (Sorry Memphis). Certain teams and players have a lot riding on their team’s success during this year’s playoffs.”

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Hipsters, Yuccies and the Black Urban Creative

“The black urban creative is excluded from the Yuccie culture by definition. A hipster or Yuccie that lives in an urban neighborhood lives there because of gentrification. A black urban creative lives in the hood by circumstance. Yuccies have the choice of Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s and the seasonal farmers’ markets. The black urban creative has the choices of a supermarket full of sugary and processed meats, fruits and vegetables.”

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