Ron Goodwin is an assistant professor of history at Prairie View A&M University. Even though he was a military “brat,” he still considers San Antonio home. Like his father and brother, Ron joined the U.S. Air Force and while enlisted received his undergraduate degree from Texas Lutheran University in Seguin, Texas. After his honorable discharge, he completed graduate degrees from Texas Southern University. Goodwin’s book, Blacks in Houston, is a pictorial history of Houston’s black community. His most recent book, Remembering the Days of Sorrow, examines the institution of slavery in Texas from the perspective of the New Deal’s Slave Narratives.
Recent Posts
A New Hope
Forgive me for borrowing the title of one of the most profitable films in history, “Star Wars: A New Hope.” I’ve always been enamored by space. I’m a child of the 1960s and I remember playing with my Major Matt Mason action figure (not a doll!) as my family and I watched Neil Armstrong step onto the moon and state “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” in 1969. I still [...]
Tell me the truth
Democracy – a) government by the people, b) a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them, directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections. Merriam-Webster Dictionary There were many things I learned from my father. He taught me how to change the oil in my car, paint a house, and even how to get the pretty girl at a party. [...]
Monday Morning Quarterback
Leadership – the action of leading a group of people or an organization. Oxford Languages Let’s face it. It’s not easy being a “leader.” It requires a certain fearlessness to not be afraid of making difficult decisions and charisma to get others to support those decisions. Not everyone has the fearlessness and charisma to be considered a successful leader. Most in our society shy away from leadership positions, often for fear of failure. It [...]
When silence is deafening
I have a true confession, of sorts, I must make. In this time of health crises, I find myself becoming more and more fearful of being in crowds. Let me be more specific: a group of more than five. What is so sad is that I used to love being in groups, at church, the amusement park, restaurants. I enjoyed the energy from others enjoying similar activities. Well, those days seem to be gone. [...]
Protect and Serve (Control)
The black community’s relationship with law and order has been tenuous, at best, for generations. Sadly, I believe our society has lost sight of the original purpose of law enforcement and how that purpose has been altered in our current societal and global environments. What’s even worse, if that’s possible, is that some groups in our society still embrace the archaic and erroneous ideology that people of color are genetically inferior to those of [...]