I got a chance to meet Terrell Jermaine Starr a few years ago. I was the communications director for a national organization (early 2000s) and he joined us as an intern. Very bright, focused and interesting young man. He made an impression on me. After he left, he made it his business to stay in touch with me throughout the years. 

In fact, he was the one who convinced me, reluctantly, to join Facebook a few years ago. I was too busy on Myspace and didn't want to be overwhelmed with another social media site geared towards college students. He was my first Facebook friend. Now I have nearly 8,000 friends and fans. Thanks Terrell!!!

Anyway, periodically, he would send me Facebook messages and postcards from Russia where he lived and studied for a while. He'd try to convince me, "there are some Black people here." Finally, he sent a few pics and I didn't tease him about how LONG it took for him to find these two ladies. LOL

He enjoyed his time there but was eager to get home and start his journalism career. Well, he's currently a journalist at NewsOne.com where he wrote a wonderful testimony to his grandmother which helps me understand just how he BECAME the great man he is BECOMING. And, no, that's not a typo. (smile).

Terrell starts off saying:

From as early as 10 years old, I awoke to my grandmother tapping the ceiling directly underneath my bed with a wooden broomstick at 7 o’clock each morning during the school week. I rolled from underneath my covers, bathed, then made my way downstairs to the kitchen, where she would have a bowl of grits, a side of bacon, and a glass of orange juice ready for me on our kitchen countertop.

Ever-watching the clock, she would make sure I finished breakfast in time to be out of the house at half-past seven, so I would make it to school on time. Before I left, my grandmother would often ask me if I had completed any homework assignments teachers had given the day before. I was good student, so I almost always said, yes. But even if I didn’t do my homework, she would have no way of knowing.

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When I saw this earlier today, I was completely undone! The headline from Straight from the A read:

Father Gives His Nephew An Old School Azz Whoopin On Webcam For Acting Hard On Facebook

Now, on face value, I  know a lot of people are going to cosign the uncle's reaction, but I fear that his actions may do more damage than good. I know, I know, we think that corporal punishment is the way to raise our children and my children had gotten their fair share of "whuppings."

But as I get older. I mean, come on. Dude is shirtless, using foul language and violence to get his point across that "gangsta" mentality is unwelcome in his family. I honor the spirit of the uncle who wants to do all he can to keep his nephew from being overcome by "thug life," but children imitate what they see.

Worldwide embarrassment by a shirtless, pants hanging down, draws showing man beating someone with a belt while attempting to uphold family values is very ironic, tragic and shows the mixed messages we send our children.

"We don't come from that (*&^!" 

Uncle looks, talks and is acting more like a "thug" than the nephew. SMH

Watch video here. WARNING: Lots of Weak language (I don't honor this by using term "strong language."

Get more details and pics at Straight from the A