Page 6 - Florida Sentinel 7-17-20

Editorial/Column
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The First Lady Of Literature?
he other day I noticed
an advertisement in the paper announcing the release of Rashia Wilson's biography entitled, "The Life Of A Hood Star Trap Queen." And the only thing I have to say is that I'm all the way here for it.
AssoonasIsawtheadI made the decision to purchase a copy. And, apparently, I wasn't the only person interested in what Rashia had to say because, according to Amazon, the book was already sold out.
If the lack of availability of Ms. Wilson's memoir is any indication of how well the book is being received, then I think it may be safe to say that the self-proclaimed queen of tax fraud could have a potential best-seller on her hands.
I don't believe that it should be surprising to anyone that a demand exists for a book detailing the exploits of a woman like Ms. Wilson. Successful, sophis- ticated and charis-matic criminals have always, appealed to the masses going back to the days of Al Capone. And the rags-to- riches-to-ruin-to-redemp- tion arc that Ms. Wilson is currently navigating is the most popular trope in literature.
Of course, some people, mostly haters I imagine, would wonder what makes Ms. Wilson's story special enough to warrant docu- mentation. They will be quick to point out that she didn't make the most money, wasn't the slickest and may not have been as
flamboyant as others in her same lane.
While all of this may be true to a certain extent, the fact of the matter is that, Ms. Wilson was able to achieve something that even her most notable contem- poraries could not .... Notoriety.
Regardless of the numerous things that could be brought up to negate her status, there's no denying that, out of all the so-called "drop girls" of her era, none of their names rang in the streets or in the media more than the person nicknamed "The First Lady." That alone gives Ms. Wilson a level of elevated relevance.
Even though her brashness was the main reason why she received more time than anyone else in her field (I mean it doesn't get any more gangster than daring the feds to indict you and posing with bond money), the bravado she displayed went a long way towards making her that much more interesting.
Anyone familiar with federal prison will tell you that she is, hands down, the most popular currently incarcerated person to come out of the Tampa Bay area. From California to New York everyone seems to have heard about the girl from Florida who had the custom made pink 9mm handgun and who, allegedly, paid $30,000+ for her child's first birthday party.
Whether or not any of the unbelievable accounts of her actions are actually true (for the record Ms. Wilson denies just about everything
reported about her by news outlets) doesn't matter. The point is that these types of tall tales helped to shape her narrative.
Though some people may not want to admit it, when it comes to Tampa street legends, Ms. Wilson's name belongs in the Hall Of Fame right next to the likes of John Christopher, Baby Doll, Mace, Knott and Wee-Wee. Individuals who were notorious hustlers in their day, but whose legacies could soon be overshadowed by a woman who was savvy enough to simply place pen to paper.
Hopefully, along with the book, Ms. Wilson's team is also preparing to have a screenplay written as well. A Netflix movie based on her life would be the perfect project for someone like Will Packer (a St.
Petersburg produce.
involved.
Of course, how far Ms.
Wilson's book goes will ultimately depend on how much support she receives from her own community. Hate or love her previous lifestyle, there's no way to escape the fact that she's one of our own.
With that being the case, now that she's learned from her mistakes and is trying to make a living the right way, I think it's only right for us to help her achieve as much success as possible.
Reality On Ice is © by the Florida Sentinel Bulletin Publishing Company. You can contact Mr. Barr at: cbarronice@gmail.com.
Packer's
familiarity with the area and pull in the industry would, not only, give Ms. Wilson's story the treatment it deserves (with an actress like Meghan Good playing the lead role) it would also allow for the popular director to make amends with the hometown he's neglected for years. A win-win for all parties
native) to
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C. Blythe Andrews 1901-1977 (1945)
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Our Children’s Lives Matter
(PART ONE)
No doubt, parents of age K through 12 students who attend K through 12 public schools are con- fused and torn about sending their children to school in August, while the country is still experiencing a Coronavirus hurricane that was initiated by Memo- rial Day and July Fourth weekend bar-hoppers and beach-goers.
The hurricane Tulsa, Oklahoma Republican Trump Party of 80,000, thousands of protest marchers, and the upcoming scheduled Republican National Party’s Convention in Jacksonville, Florida, will initiate each of their own storms. True to the reckless, selfish and sociopathic nature of America’s Chief of Dunces, our children, teachers, staff, jani- tors, lunchroom workers, bus drivers, aides, and school resource officers will be at risk and place each other at risk for COVID-19. They all have literally been thrown under their school busses for nefarious reasons.
Parents, therefore, would do well to opt for home- schooling or virtual schooling until a vaccine is found because of the high risk of transmitting and contracting COVD-19. Given no state followed CDC guidelines before opening up, it would be unwise to send your children to a person-to-person teaching school setting. On any given day, children will come in contact with or touch community surfaces used commonly by other children and by at least six other school personnel. Indeed, there are a number of questions that need to be addressed and answered before school begins.
We will share ten of the most important questions parents and taxpayers should have the answers to before school starts. Indeed, America’s handling of the Coronavirus epidemic is characteristic of the manner in which Trump handled his bankrupt com- panies.
T
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