Black History Month Great Black Person #24 of 28

Black History Month Great Black Person #24 of 28:

Lily & Layla

My two black cats Lily and Layla never marched on Washington or fought for civil rights, but for 11 years, they were two of my most loyal friends. They both went to the great litter box in the sky this past year and I miss them. Happy BHM, Lily and Layla... you were the best pets a guy could have.

Black History Month Great Black Person #23 of 28

Black History Month Great Black Person #23 of 28:

Boyz II Tuskegee Airmen

The bad thing about Black History Month is that it's so short that it makes it difficult to cram all the worthy black profiles into February's 28 days. That's why for this installment, I'm pulling double duty. This installment features both the soulful R&B group, Boyz II Men, and the first group of African-American U.S. fighter pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen. Now at first glance, these two groups seem to be mutually exclusive, but that's just not the case. Boyz II Men and the Tuskegee Airmen are both groups of black guys who had a lot of hits. They both... ok, maybe they don't have a ton in common, but I'd like to think that if Boyz II Men was around during World War II (hey, there's another thing, they're both reliant on the roman numeral II), that the Tuskegee Airmen would be shooting down enemy planes with "Motownphilly" playing in the background... somehow. I guess in this scenario, the Tuskegee Airmen also had iPods. Anyway, happy BHM, Boyz II Tuskegee Airmen... thanks for killing 'em softly with your song/turrets.

Black History Month Great Black Person #22 of 28

Black History Month Great Black Person #22 of 28:

College Park, GA

If you followed the BHM rundown last year, you'll remember that I featured my rather dangerous hometown of Riverdale, Georgia. Well, College Park is its sister (or maybe sista) city of sorts and was a second home to me as a child. Located about ten miles north of Riverdale, College Park (pronounced Collipark by the natives) is where my grandparents lived and where I stayed when my parents were at work. Much like Riverdale, College Park has a predominately black population and more than its fair share of criminal activity; nevertheless, the city holds a special place in my heart. There's a certain pride to having survived, I mean lived, in College Park... and I'm not the only one who thinks so... Cam Newton, Ludacris, Josh Smith, Monica, Yung Joc, Adam "Pac-Man" Jones, Mr. Collipark, 2 Chainz, Bill Curry, Tameka Cottle, Morgan Burnett, Key Fox, Bubba Sparxxx (close enough), and Creflo Dollar have all called College Park home. Not too shabby for a city less than ten square miles in area. So happy BHM, College Park... you may be home to the highest crime rates in the state, but you're also home to a Heisman trophy, which Cam will tell you covers up all sorts of criminal behavior.