Straight Inc's 1st Black Victim

[StraightPrisoner-78]

Mark Bell:  It is good to hear from you after all these years.  I did not know you well.  I was admitted there in 4/78 as a 13 year old having committed the atrocious act of smoking marijuana - ONE TIME.   [ This Message was edited by: StraightPrisoner-78 on 2006-06-07 05:08 ]

[Sam Kinison]

Str8's first black client was named Ruben Hayes and he came in the Rahall Building.Came and left before my intake but it's well-known in my generation.Dion's last name was Fortt.The other blacks during my time were Charles Neavens and Darlene Berry.I'm curious about what happened to Darlene.Definitely a moody person,she went from 3rd phase to Staff Trainee at 15 years of age.One day,poof,no more Darlene.Her father ran the time-out room at Largo High.

[NAILBOMB]

OOh ooh, please tell me another story about a negroid sighting "inside the camps"   :smile:

[StraightPrisoner-78]

I can't believe you remember that in such detail, but that is absolutely correct.  Well, I can say that Straight was not biased:  They mistreated everyone in the program without regard for gender, age or race.[ This Message was edited by: StraightPrisoner-78 on 2006-06-07 05:12 ]

[Sam Kinison]

On 2005-01-08 05:01:00, Woof-a-Doof wrote:

"His name was Dion.



Seemed not unlike any other monotionious (sp) day in the group. It doesnt seem that we had been in the Morgan Yacht building that long. For myself I was still mesmorized by the garage doors on either side of the group, over on the 4th phase side. They always made such a sound when being opened/closed. I remember feeling like it was something special to have the doors open, as if we had done something particularly worthy of fresh air. I remember them calling for those that had "responcibilities" so that they could "watch" the door. But of course, the door wasnt what needed watching....it was the group. Not long after we had moved to the Morgan Yacht Building I recall the entire first row bum rushed one of the doors in one swift, planned and seemingly calculated move...For those of us not involved in the mass exidous, we sat in utter amazment. Chairs...or delapadated church pews were splintered as they over turned being trambled by "Door Keeps" and those fleeing the scene. Those of us left in the group had a sense of exhileration for our brehteren (as I recall it was all males that bolted for the door).  At the same time there was a deepening sence of chagrin. Those of us who had been there for a considerable time knew that the doors would more than likely forever closed and the luxury of having the rolling doors open would be lost forever.



I digress...



As standard procedure, some lame staff memember came out and asked if anyone knew Dion. To my memory, none raised thier hands. The staff shrugged thier shoulders and returned to the intake area and the mundane group went on.



As the group ended and the chourus began to resonante thru the bare concrete walls and fiberglass coated floors, the door to the staff offices opened and immediately staff and 5th phazers yelled/demanded "Eyes Front"....but it was tooo late. Many of us had already seen the first black male (In Straight Inc.) being escorted into the front of the group for a formal introduction.



Dion seemed to be a good natured soul, infact, during his short stay (or my short memory) I don't recall him ever acting out. But what has wrang thru my remaining memory cells was how he was treated like a court jester at best. Liz Cassidy (as was Helen Petermen) was one of the main contributors to having Dion jump thru hoops....for "fun"



What kinda hoops, one might ask. There was a song the group sang for a long long time called "Shortning Bread"...you know the one...Mammy's lil baby loves shortnin shortnin, Mammy's lil baby loves shortning bread. Least I forget, as I burn my green leafy substance, there was another song, even more inflammatory, IMHO. "Pick a Bale of Cotton"........Consider the words to that song for a moment....



Interesting that these seemingly "harmless songs" had thier roots buryied deep in the heart of oppression, essentually Slave songs.



Liz Cassidy/Ms.Pete, would call Dion by name, have him stand up and either where he stood, or make him come to the front of the group and sing these songs. It was like she had her own lil pet mandingo, some lil black minstrel for her amuzement...oh, and of course the groups morale....cuz it always cheered the group up to see Dion not only sing the songs, but to act them out, mimicing the words which he sang.



Perhaps he was young and didnt realize what was taking place. On the other hand, maybe Dion knew he was in a bad bad place and if it meant demeaning himself and his culture, he would do what ever it took to endure.



As my anniversary nears, feelings/emotions/memories dont come to me in multiple waves. Yet, they come to me in a single wave and persist untill I either talk and spill my guts on ears, that with all good intentions have no posssibility of understanding...or I ride those waves out, that may take weeks/months to subside. Both methods seem to work well for me, other times they dont.



Dion is one of those waves!"

I sang ¨Pick a Bale of Cotton¨,too.Who won the Grammy?Dion was a good-hearted person who stayed at the Cassidy house in his first days.Jimmy used to misguidedly call him his nigger.I´m sure he didn´t mean anything by it,as he really wasn´t capable of deliberately harming anybody.I remember in a guys rap one time,he and I were picked to talk one-to-one.We spent the whole time arguing which team Julius Erving played for.I caught crap for ¨BSing¨ with a newcomer!

[starry-eyed pirate]

Dr. J was a sixer, man.  Used to go watch 'im play at the spectrum when I was a kid, maybe 11 or so.  My dad used to take me to sixers games.  I seen Darryl Dawkins one time when I was down courtside. watched him warm up.  Bad-ass muther-fucker!  He 's the first one who started breakin' the back-board when he slammed his dunk down.  He's the reason they invented the spring rim.  Bad-ass muther-fucker come right from high school too.  Right into the NBA.

Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins, Maurice(Mo) Cheeks, Andrew Tony, Caldwell Jones, Bobby Jones.  I remember all those guys.  Used to love goin' to the spectrum for basketball games.  Just me an' my Dad.

[Anonymous]

I think Todd was his name.  He was there when I was there in St. Pete in 1982.  Certainly not the first, but was the only one I remember.  Imagine what Straight would have been like if you were the only white person in a completely black straight.  The demographics of straight were certaintly white and upper middle class (at least the Sprinfield, VA branch).  What I recall is that the staff had to tell us not to talk about being Butt-Fucked by Niggers in jail ... that was a common thing that we'd yell at people if they talked about leaving straight ... yup, you'll be corn-holed by them darkies if you leave.  :lol:

In the earlier post Woof described the building scene in detail.  Does anyone remember when that movie star ... Elliott Gould showed up?  Talk about an odd open group night that was.

[Troll Control]

On 2006-05-29 09:12:00, starry-eyed pirate wrote:

"Dr. J was a sixer, man.  Used to go watch 'im play at the spectrum when I was a kid, maybe 11 or so.  My dad used to take me to sixers games.  I seen Darryl Dawkins one time when I was down courtside. watched him warm up.  Bad-ass muther-fucker!  He 's the first one who started breakin' the back-board when he slammed his dunk down.  He's the reason they invented the spring rim.  Bad-ass muther-fucker come right from high school too.  Right into the NBA.



Dr. J, Darryl Dawkins, Maurice(Mo) Cheeks, Andrew Tony, Caldwell Jones, Bobby Jones.  I remember all those guys.  Used to love goin' to the spectrum for basketball games.  Just me an' my Dad."

Dr. J was originally a New Jersey Net from the ABA.  This is where he became a big-time star.  He was one of the first superstar ABA guys to go to the NBA for BIG bucks.

He was one of my basketball heroes as a kid.

_________________
"Compassion is the basis of morality."

-Arnold Schopenhauer[ This Message was edited by: Dysfunction Junction on 2006-05-30 11:51 ]

[Anonymous]

On 2006-05-30 09:00:00, Anonymous wrote:

"I think Todd was his name.  He was there when I was there in St. Pete in 1982.  Certainly not the first, but was the only one I remember.  Imagine what Straight would have been like if you were the only white person in a completely black straight.  The demographics of straight were certaintly white and upper middle class (at least the Sprinfield, VA branch).  What I recall is that the staff had to tell us not to talk about being Butt-Fucked by Niggers in jail ... that was a common thing that we'd yell at people if they talked about leaving straight ... yup, you'll be corn-holed by them darkies if you leave.  :lol:

Miller Newton told me that ---"I hope you like getting buttfucked by black men in jail".  I recall Steve Hagan having to "make amends" to the group and to Mr. Toy ( a black Executive Staff member for a brief time in 82 or 83) for yelling at some kid "Do you want to end up sucking nigger dicks in jail?".  

I reminded Miller of his statement to me when I paid him a visit last week, and told him maybe he should get ready for a li'l bit o' interracial forced sodomy if his bankruptcy fraud trial ends with justice prevailing.  He didn't seem to appreciate the advice.


RTP2003 fought in defense of the Old Republic

[Anonymous]

what's this about a trial with Miller?

[Anonymous]

On 2006-05-31 15:25:00, Anonymous wrote:

"what's this about a trial with Miller?"

he's in arbitration with the creditors he tried to defraud by claiming he had no assets when in reality he owned the building and property across the street from his home.  He deeded them to a non-profit org he started, but only after lying that he had no assets.  Basically he can't keep from lying or committing fraud.  That's what he llikes to do--lie, commit fraud, and abuse children.

[teachback]

[Anonymous]

Hey!! Isn't that Sammy D?? I remember him! I remember staff giving him a real hard time cause he had a problem looking you in the eye!!

[Anonymous]

when i first came in,about a week after or so,there was a guy name Colin......he was a real junkie/druggie or whatever name you want.....they made him sing songs....."short'n bread".....he was the real deal.....serious tracks on his arms and legs......he really wasn't there long...maybe a month then one day i noticed he was gone......poof!...i believe ,looking back,that he had a real drug problem...and str8 really wasn't set up for that....it was set up for middle class kids with a marginal problem or none really at all......colin posed a threat because they really had to help him and couldn't.....just my take on it.....Mr.Rick Toye was a counselor executive staff that was a good guy....he was also part of the Black Panthers back in the 60's!not sure why he had to go,i was 7 stepped when that happened.......Todd McCoy was the only black person i saw finish str8....the others i remember were Matt E and Maria M,but they were only half black....Todd is one of the many that has since died after being in str8.....he was the victim of a drug deal gone way bad.....for the records,hippie

[Anonymous]

Bump.