Featured

A Letter from the Publisher: Investing in the Truth

To our readers and neighbors,

When we launched The Truth Seekers Journal (TSJ), our mission was simple: to restore trust in local journalism by focusing on verified facts, transparency, and the stories that truly shape our community.

Today, I am proud to share that the “pulse” of this journal is stronger than ever. This past week, we reached a significant turning point in our growth. Our page views have tripled, and most importantly, our Returning Visits have grown by over 1,000%. This tells me that TSJ isn’t just a site you stumble upon. It is becoming a trusted resource you rely on.

National Recognition

I am also honored to announce that The Truth Seekers Journal has been awarded a prestigious rural reporting grant from Grist, following a highly competitive national selection process. Grist is a national leader in environmental and justice journalism.

Furthermore, to ensure we maintain the highest ethical standards, we have been formally accepted as members of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), the Online News Association (ONA), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), and the Atlanta Press Club. These affiliations are our “gold standard” promise to you that our reporting is independent, ethical, and professional.

Expanding Our Expertise

Growth isn’t just about numbers; it’s about the depth of the stories we can tell. I am thrilled to highlight two key pillars of our expanded editorial team:

  • Dr. Florita Bell Griffin has joined us as a Contributing Writer and Systems Analyst. Dr. Griffin will lead our coverage in the AI, Science, and Technology sectors. Her expertise allows us to move beyond the headlines, providing our readers with deep-dive analysis on how emerging technologies and infrastructure projects impact our local economy and daily lives..
  • Ted Knorr, our resident historian, continues to bridge the gap between our past and present through his twice-monthly column, “Shadow Ball: Learning More About Negro League History.” Many of you have already engaged with Ted by submitting questions and sharing family stories, making “Shadow Ball” a true cornerstone of our community dialogue.

The Road Ahead

We are no longer just a news site; we are a growing civic institution. Whether we are investigating DeKalb data centers or documenting the rich history of the South, our goal remains the same: to give you the information you need to understand your community and shape your future.

Thank you for being the most important part of this journey. We are just getting started.

In Truth,

Milton Kirby

Founder & Publisher, The Truth Seekers Journal

Featured

Carter G. Woodson – the Father of Black History

Carter Godwin Woodson, known as the Father of Black History, was a pioneering historian, author, journalist, and educator who dedicated his life to documenting and promoting African American history.

By Milton Kirby | Decatur, GA | February 4, 2025

Carter Godwin Woodson, known as the “Father of Black History,” was a pioneering historian, author, journalist, and educator who dedicated his life to documenting and promoting African American history. Born on December 19, 1875, in New Canton, Virginia, Woodson’s work laid the foundation for studying and recognizing Black history in the United States.

A Scholar and Educator

Woodson’s academic career was characterized by tenacity and excellence. He attended Lincoln University in Pennsylvania and Berea College in Kentucky before earning his doctorate from Harvard University, becoming the second African American to do so after W.E.B. Du Bois. He later served as the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Howard University, where he emphasized the value of Black scholarship. Woodson taught in both public and collegiate settings, trained researchers and staff members, and authored numerous books and articles on Black history. From 1919 to 1920, he also served as the Dean of the School of Liberal Arts and Head of the Graduate Faculty at Howard University.

Courtesy Smithsonian

Founding the Study of Black History

In 1915, Woodson founded the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) to promote research and education on Black heritage. He also established the Associated Publishers, a company dedicated to publishing works by and about African Americans. From his home in Washington, D.C.’s Shaw neighborhood, he led ASALH’s initiatives and wrote extensively on Black history, including managing The Journal of Negro History (now The Journal of African American History).

Woodson’s efforts to establish African American history as an essential part of the larger American narrative extended beyond his organizations and publications. His work inspired educators nationwide to incorporate Black history into their curricula, and many sought his advice and resources for classroom use.

The Birth of Black History Month

In 1926, Woodson launched Negro History Week to highlight the contributions of Black Americans. He selected the second week of February to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass (February 14) and Abraham Lincoln (February 12). Over time, this observance gained nationwide recognition and expanded into Black History Month, which was officially designated by the U.S. government in 1976. President Gerald Ford urged Americans to “seize the opportunity to honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans.”

A Lasting Legacy

Woodson spent the last 28 years of his life in his Washington, D.C., home, where he continued his research and advocacy until his passing on April 3, 1950, at the age of 74. Recognizing his immense contributions, President Barack Obama designated the Carter G. Woodson Home as a National Historic Site in 2016. Located at 1538 Ninth Street NW, this site is preserved by the National Park Service as a testament to his legacy.

The Importance of the Carter G. Woodson Home

Woodson’s historic home functioned as the headquarters for ASALH and played a crucial role in advancing Black history education. From this location, he:

  • Researched and wrote groundbreaking works on African American history
  • Managed The Journal of Negro History
  • Planned the first Negro History Week, which later evolved into Black History Month
  • Led efforts to promote Black scholarship and education

The Ongoing Celebration of Black History

Today, Black History Month is celebrated in the United States and Canada (February), the United Kingdom (October), and other countries. Each year, ASALH selects a theme for the month, and the 2025 theme, “African Americans and Labor,” highlights Black workers’ contributions to labor movements and industries. Schools, institutions, and organizations continue to honor Woodson’s vision by integrating Black history into their curricula and programs year-round.

Recognizing Woodson’s Impact

Woodson’s dedication to preserving and teaching Black history ensured that African Americans’ achievements would no longer be overlooked. His legacy lives on through the work of ASALH, the continued observance of Black History Month, and the recognition of African American contributions across multiple sectors. Thanks to his efforts, the study of Black history has become an essential part of American education and culture.

As we celebrate Black History Month, we honor Carter G. Woodson’s vision and commitment to historical truth, education, and cultural preservation. His pioneering work remains a cornerstone of African American history and a testament to the power of knowledge in shaping a more inclusive society.

Mentoring and Training

Woodson was a mentor to many up-and-coming historians and scholars, including Alrutheus A. Taylor, Charles H. Wesley, Luther Porter Jackson, Lorenzo Johnston Greene, Rayford W. Logan, Lawrence D. Reddick, and John Hope Franklin. The association’s headquarters—Woodson’s home—served as a training center where these scholars refined their research skills and, in turn, mentored succeeding generations of African American historians. Woodson and ASALH also cultivated important relationships with Black churches, colleges, universities, schools, and community centers nationwide.

Carter G. Woodson Home NHS Temporarily Closed

The Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site is currently temporarily closed due to renovation. Please visit the National Park Service website for updates on its reopening.

Atlanta Turns Infrastructure into Canvas with New Public Mural in Mechanicsville

Atlanta unveils “Wild Seed, Wild Flower” mural in Mechanicsville, highlighting community, culture, and public art investment ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA  | April 21, 2026

The sun hadn’t quite decided what kind of day it wanted to be. On one side of the retaining wall, warmth. On the other, a stubborn chill that clung to jackets and fingertips. But even in that cold pocket of Windsor and Rawson, the mural behind us radiated its own heat, a 10,000‑square‑foot pulse of color, care, and community.

Mechanicsville has seen its share of seasons. Some harsh. Some hopeful. But on this morning, as neighbors, artists, city leaders, and children gathered at the foot of a seen and unseen wall, the neighborhood felt like it was stepping into a new chapter. It was painted in over 100 colors and more than 800 spray cans, but rooted in something older, deeper, and already alive.

“Murals aren’t just nice because they look nice,” said Adriane Jefferson, Executive Director of the Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs. “They’re absolutely necessary.”
She wasn’t talking about beautification. She was talking about story, the kind that lives in a community long before a ribbon is cut.

And that’s the truth of Wild Seed, Wild Flower: it didn’t arrive to make Mechanicsville beautiful. It arrived to reflect the beauty that was already here.

A Wall That Needed a Story

Councilmember Jason Dozier spoke like a man standing in his own living room.
“Welcome to my home community of Mechanicsville,” he said, and the crowd answered with warmth.

He told the story of the “big A wall,”  a massive, weathered stretch of concrete that residents passed daily, often with frustration. A wall that collected graffiti, grime, and the weight of being overlooked. A wall that sat beneath new rapid housing units, beneath the Beacon at Melody, beneath the quiet resilience of people rebuilding their lives.

Mechanicsville Mural by artist Charity Hamidullah – Photo by Milton Kirby

Dozier remembered telling the administration early on: We’ve got to do something about this wall.

And in that moment, you could feel the neighborhood nodding with him. Because every community has a wall like that — a place that holds the memory of what hasn’t yet changed.

But now, that same wall holds a child tying someone else’s shoe while tying their own — a gesture Mayor Andre Dickens interpreted as a symbol of Atlanta itself:
Helping others while helping ourselves.
Growing together.
A group project.

Art as Infrastructure, Art as Home

Mayor Dickens spoke about infrastructure, not the kind marked by orange cones and jackhammers, but the kind that shapes how a city feels.

“People are seeing these murals,” he said. “You’re seeing the social and artistic infrastructure that resonates with our emotions and our love of the city.”

It’s rare to hear a mayor talk about art with that kind of clarity. But in Atlanta, public art has long been a civic language. From Maynard Jackson to today, artists have been treated not as accessories to city life, but as partners in shaping it.

And this mural, the largest of the ten commissioned for the Bridges, Tunnels, and Walls program, stands as a testament to that partnership.

The Immigrant Who Helped Atlanta See Itself

When Monica Campana, co‑founder and executive director of Living Walls, stepped to the mic, she brought the story full circle.

She came to Atlanta in 2007 as an immigrant from Peru.
She founded Living Walls in 2010.
And she learned quickly that public art was the most democratic, accessible, and empowering way to claim space in a city.

“Public art made me feel like my voice mattered,” she said.
It made her feel seen.
It made Atlanta feel like home.

And then she said something that stayed with me long after the speeches ended:

“This mural is a love letter to Atlanta.”

A love letter written by artists from New Orleans, New York, Greece, Iran, Eritrea, Italy, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Peru,  and Atlanta itself.
A global chorus painting a local truth.

Charity Hamidullah – Photo by Milton Kirby

The Artist Who Saw God in Mechanicsville

When lead artist Charity Hamidullah spoke, the ceremony shifted.
Her voice carried something tender, something spiritual.

She talked about seeing children at the Dunbar Center — chalk on their hands, creativity in their eyes.
She talked about seeing God’s creativity in the neighborhood.
She talked about communities tying each other’s shoes, lifting each other up, dancing in harmony.

“This wall is just a mirror,” she said.
A mirror of Mechanicsville.
A mirror of Pittsburgh.
A mirror of South Downtown and Castleberry Hill.
A mirror of every place where people have survived, created, and loved each other through change.

Soccer Ball – Mechanicsville – Photo by Milton Kirby

Yes, the mural was created ahead of the World Cup.
Yes, the world will see it.
But Charity reminded us of the deeper truth:

“This community has been beautiful for a very long time.”

The mural didn’t create that beauty.
It simply made it impossible to ignore.

Mechanicsville Mural – Photo by Milton Kirby

A Wildflower That Will Keep Spreading

When the ribbon was finally cut, the crowd pressed forward — neighbors, artists, city staff, children, elders.
People touched the wall.
People took photos.
People lingered.

And in that lingering, you could feel something growing.

Wildflowers don’t bloom because someone is watching.
They bloom because the soil is ready.

Mechanicsville was ready.

This mural — this wild seed — will keep spreading. Not because of the World Cup.
Not because of the cameras.
But because the community it reflects has been blooming all along.

And now, the city has a wall that tells the truth.

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Still Becoming

In Still Becoming, Florita Bell Griffin explores how rapid innovation can weaken trust, continuity, and human connection when systems change without coherence or lived context

By Florita Bell Griffin, Ph.D | Houston, TX | April 21, 2026

Most people who have lived long enough can sense when something is changing in the wrong way, even when it appears to be working. Systems improve. Outputs sharpen. Efficiency increases. Yet something essential thins. The sensation arrives quietly, often before language forms around it, registering instead as unease, fatigue, or distance. It can feel like walking into a familiar place after a renovation and realizing the layout makes sense on paper while the experience feels strangely disorienting.

This response comes from pattern recognition. Over time, people learn to distinguish movement that carries meaning from movement that merely accelerates. Earlier decades reward speed. Later years sharpen sensitivity to coherence. Progress that arrives without sequence feels unstable. Improvement that sheds its own history feels incomplete. What people recognize in these moments is discernment: an internal measurement of whether a system still holds together across time.

Many people over forty already know how to learn new tools. They have learned repeatedly across careers, technologies, institutions, and roles. What unsettles them now is rarely the demand to learn. The deeper issue is orientation. Too often, new systems arrive as if nothing existed before them. They provide instruction without context, features without lineage, and efficiency without explanation. The burden of coherence shifts onto the individual, who is left to reconcile what was with what is, without meaningful support from the structure itself.

Consider a system that updates regularly. Interfaces refresh. Terminology shifts. Workflows reorganize. Each change functions as intended. Performance metrics rise. Support demands fall. Yet longtime users feel disoriented rather than strengthened. The system has changed correctly, yet it has changed without coherence. No bridge connects the earlier state to the present one. No visible lineage explains how one version became the next. The result rarely presents as failure. The result presents as gradual erosion of trust, because the user can feel the system moving while the system declines to show its own continuity.

This dynamic extends far beyond software. Consider a healthcare organization that introduces a new operational model to improve throughput and reduce costs. Appointments become shorter. Scheduling becomes optimized. Data flows more cleanly between departments. Yet patients feel increasingly unseen, and practitioners struggle to reconcile new protocols with established judgment. Outcomes may improve on paper, while continuity of care thins. What has been gained in efficiency has been traded for intelligibility. The system works, yet fewer people feel grounded within it, because the link between prior practice and current policy remains unclear.

A life accumulates context whether a platform acknowledges it or overlooks it. Decisions leave residue. Experiences layer. Judgment forms through consequence rather than instruction. People carry forward lessons from work, family, loss, responsibility, and recovery. When tools enter that terrain without regard for what already exists, they feel intrusive rather than supportive. This becomes especially visible after forty, because the reader holds enough lived sequence to detect when a system treats human reality as interchangeable.

The difference shows up in subtle places. A tool can offer new power while draining confidence. A process can become smoother while leaving users less certain of their footing. A platform can create speed while requiring people to re-translate their own history into new labels. Over time, this creates a specific kind of fatigue: the fatigue of carrying coherence alone. People remain capable and engaged, yet they spend energy reconstructing context that a well-designed system could have carried forward on their behalf.

This is why certain innovations feel misaligned despite technical success. Systems may perform flawlessly while quietly dissolving coherence. They optimize outcomes while thinning meaning. People who have navigated enough transitions recognize this dynamic instinctively. They have seen institutions evolve, organizations restructure, technologies arrive, and narratives reset. They understand that sequence matters, because sequence is how accountability stays visible. Sequence is how judgment retains legitimacy. Sequence is how a person remains themselves across change.

Over time, the absence of continuity produces predictable consequences. Confidence erodes, rarely because people lack ability, and more often because they lack orientation. Decision-making becomes reactive rather than grounded. Authority shifts from judgment to procedure. Participation narrows to compliance. The shift tends to appear as silence rather than protest. People disengage without dramatic refusal. They adopt the tool while withholding trust. They follow the workflow while reducing investment. A system can interpret that as success because output continues, while the deeper relational layer continues thinning.

Still becoming describes growth that carries forward rather than breaks apart. It reflects development that aligns with a life already in motion, rather than demanding reinvention at the cost of integrity. In this posture, experience becomes an asset rather than an obstacle. Memory serves as structure rather than sentiment. Judgment operates as signal rather than delay. The person remains intact while the tool becomes more capable.

As intelligent systems increasingly shape how people work, decide, and interpret their own value, this distinction grows more consequential. Performance alone rarely satisfies. Coherence becomes the measure. Systems reveal their true character through how they handle what came before. Systems that honor sequence strengthen trust because they remain intelligible across time. Systems that erase lineage require users to rebuild meaning repeatedly, and that cost accumulates.

Still becoming is a way to describe progress that remains inhabitable. It is the choice to build systems that can move forward without abandoning the lives already inside them. It is the insistence that continuity carries value, because continuity is how people recognize themselves across change.

This distinction is the terrain this inventor now moves through.

© 2026 Truth Seekers Journal. Published with permission from the author. All rights reserved.

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MARTA Launches First Phase of Rapid A-Line Bus Service, Marking Major Step in Atlanta Transit Expansion

MARTA launches Rapid A-Line, Atlanta’s first bus rapid transit route, connecting downtown to southside neighborhoods with faster service, dedicated lanes, and phased station improvements.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, Georgia | April 18, 2026

Atlanta’s transit system reached a milestone Saturday with the launch of the first phase of the Rapid A-Line, the region’s first bus rapid transit corridor operated by Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA).

The new five-mile route connects Downtown Atlanta to key neighborhoods, including Capitol Gateway, Summerhill, Peoplestown, and the BeltLine’s Southside Trail. Riders can also transfer to MARTA’s rail system at Five Points, Georgia State, and Garnett stations.

The Rapid A-Line begins service as part of MARTA’s broader NextGen Bus Network redesign, a systemwide effort aimed at improving frequency, reliability, and access across metro Atlanta.

A Phased Opening with Immediate Service

Phase One service began April 18 with buses running daily from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. The line currently operates using 40-foot compressed natural gas (CNG) buses branded for the Rapid A-Line.

While the system is designed to deliver rail-like features, some elements will roll out in stages. Off-board fare payment at stations is scheduled to begin May 2, along with additional amenities such as real-time arrival information.

MARTA Rapid Busing – Courtesy photo

In areas where construction is complete, buses travel in dedicated red lanes reserved strictly for transit and emergency vehicles. At several major intersections—including Martin Luther King Jr. Drive at Forsyth Street and Hank Aaron Drive at Haygood Avenue—buses receive signal priority, allowing them to move through traffic more efficiently.

Where construction is still ongoing, riders will use temporary stops located near future station sites. These stops are currently fare-free to accommodate the phased rollout.

Connecting Communities and Key Destinations

The Rapid A-Line is designed to improve connectivity between downtown and fast-growing neighborhoods south of the city center. The route links residential communities with major destinations such as the Georgia State University Convocation Center and the expanding BeltLine corridor.

Transit officials say the project represents a shift toward faster, more reliable bus service that mirrors many of the benefits traditionally associated with rail.

Delays and Challenges Along the Way

Despite the milestone, the project has faced hurdles. During construction, crews encountered unexpected underground infrastructure that slowed progress. In addition, a battery recall affecting the New Flyer electric buses originally planned for the route forced MARTA to adjust its rollout strategy.

Those challenges led to the decision to launch the line in phases. Full completion of all bus rapid transit stations is now expected in Phase Two, scheduled for fall 2026.

What Drivers Need to Know

MARTA is urging drivers to pay close attention along the corridor. Red bus-only lanes are restricted to transit vehicles and emergency responders, with no driving or parking permitted.

Motorists are also advised to follow traffic signals carefully at intersections where buses receive priority and to allow buses to clear before proceeding.

A Step Toward the Future

The Rapid A-Line marks Atlanta’s first true entry into bus rapid transit, a model used in cities nationwide to deliver faster service without the cost of rail expansion. As MARTA continues to build out its NextGen Bus Network, transit leaders say the A-Line will serve as a blueprint for future corridors aimed at improving mobility across the region.

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Atlanta Marks Major Housing Milestone with Opening of The Beacon at Cooper Street

Atlanta celebrates opening of The Beacon at Cooper Street, marking 500 rapid housing units delivered to address homelessness through innovative modular construction and community partnerships.

By Milton Kirby | Atlanta, GA | April 17, 2026

Atlanta leaders, community members, and housing advocates gathered this week in the Mechanicsville neighborhood to celebrate a major milestone in the city’s fight against homelessness: the ribbon cutting of The Beacon at Cooper Street, the final development needed to reach the city’s goal of 500 rapid housing units.

Mayor Andre Dickens called the moment “promises made and promises kept,” emphasizing that the project represents more than just construction.

“This work is not just about numbers,” Dickens said. “It represents 500 opportunities, 500 lives, and 500 chances at stability and dignity.”

Mayor Andre Dickens The Beacon @ Coopers Street – Photo by Milton Kirby

The Beacon at Cooper Street includes two multi-story buildings with 100 modular studio units, each designed to provide safe, supportive housing for individuals experiencing homelessness. The development also includes on-site offices for case management, mental health services, and other support systems aimed at helping residents rebuild their lives.

A Citywide Effort

The project is part of Atlanta’s broader Rapid Housing Initiative, a strategy launched by the Dickens administration to address homelessness by quickly converting underutilized city-owned land into permanent supportive housing.

From its earliest days, the initiative relied on partnerships across government, nonprofit organizations, developers, and the private sector.

“This is what it looks like when we listen, when we engage, and when we build together,” Dickens said during the ceremony.

City officials highlighted earlier developments in the initiative, including The Melody, a container-based housing community that gained international recognition, and Waterworks Village, a modular apartment complex delivered in record time.

Community Support in Mechanicsville

Leaders also praised the Mechanicsville community for embracing the project, noting that neighborhood support played a key role in its success.

“There’s a lot of ‘not in my backyard’ across the country,” Dickens said. “But this community said yes—and that made all the difference.”

District 4 Councilmember Jason Dozier described the development as both personal and transformative, pointing to the broader impact stable housing can have on families and neighborhoods.

“Housing creates the foundation for safety, health, and economic stability,” Dozier said.

More Than Housing

Officials emphasized that The Beacon is not just a housing project, but part of a larger ecosystem of care.

Thirty units are dedicated to individuals who need ongoing medical and mental health support through partnerships with local healthcare providers. The development also includes a “housing navigator” program to help individuals transition from hospitals and shelters into stable living environments.

The Beacon @ Coopers Street – Photo by Milton Kirby

Research cited during the event shows that rapid housing programs are effective, with 70 to 90 percent of participants remaining housed after one year.

Looking Ahead

While the ribbon cutting marked a significant achievement, leaders were clear that the work is far from finished.

Speakers emphasized that while the milestone is significant, much work remains to address homelessness across the city.

With the 500-unit goal now achieved, city officials signaled plans to expand the model and continue building housing solutions across Atlanta and the broader region.

As Dickens put it, “Love ought to look like something—and today, you can see what that looks like.”

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The Weight of a Life Taken Too Soon

A life taken too soon leaves a community grieving, questioning motive, seeking justice, and confronting the painful truth that no loss is ever just another headline.

By Milton Kirby | Charlotte, NC | April 15, 2026

There are moments when a life is taken so suddenly, so violently, that the world seems to tilt. A man is gone, and the questions begin to circle like smoke: Was it for property? Was it for money? Was it sheer meanness? Did the perpetrator believe he would get away with it—or did it even matter to him at all?

A face that once belonged to someone loved, someone known, someone real, now risks becoming one more among the faceless victims of senseless violence. His memory will remain vivid to those who cared for him, but to the wider world he becomes another name, another headline, another loss absorbed into the background noise of tragedy.

It isn’t that people don’t care. It’s that they don’t feel the closeness. When pain doesn’t touch our own doorstep, we often treat it as someone else’s burden. But violence is never someone else’s problem. It is a wound to the whole community, whether we acknowledge it or not.

No article can stop the next person determined to commit harm. But sometimes words reach the ones who are still reachable—the ones whose hearts are open enough to be changed.

When details are scarce, the mind fills the silence with questions: What if? Could anything have been done? Should something have been done differently? These questions haunt the people left behind, because the truth is simple and brutal: no amount of money, property, or pride is worth a human life.

So what do we do with the pain? We keep living. We keep hoping. We try—slowly, painfully—to place the hurt behind us. The hurt and images soften with time, but they never disappear. The face never leaves us.

And then comes the hardest question of all: Could I have done something if I had been there? The honest answer is often the only one we have—I don’t know.

Technology has made policing more efficient. Investigators can find perpetrators faster than ever before. We can only hope that in this case, justice follows truth, and truth follows evidence.

When the full story emerges, one family may feel a measure of relief, even as the pain deepens. Another family may face shock, disappointment, or disbelief. Violence ripples outward, touching more lives than the one it took.

And for those responsible, the question lingers: If they could do it all over again, would they? Would they choose differently—not because they were caught, but because hindsight reveals the weight of what they destroyed?

These are not easy questions. But they are necessary ones. Because the value of a life demands nothing less.

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SHADOW BALL: Learning More About Negro League History

April 14, 2026

 … this column exists for only one purpose and that is to answer your questions on Negro League baseball history. To that end, I need your help … if you are reading this column and enjoy it and want it to continue and you don’t already know everything about Negro League history … then please submit a question on any aspect of Negro League history. Your questions are the lifeblood of Shadow Ball—they shape where we go next.

 – players, teams, events, and more – and, in so doing, you will direct where this column goes moving forward. Your participation is important and appreciated. The very existence of this column depends on you. Submit your questions to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com.

Last week’s The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: Who was the first African American pitcher to toss a no-hitter in Major League baseball? Sounds like a straightforward question but due to the peculiar history of Negro League baseball it is not so straight. Turns out there are three answers that I find acceptable: very acceptable. Let’s take a look at them in order.

On May 12, 1955, New York Giant right hander Sam Jones became the first African American to toss a Major League no hitter when he held the Pittsburgh Pirates hitless in a 4-0 victory. Shadowball favorite Will Clark nailed this one just half a day after it was posted.

Sam Jones had a solid big-league career. In addition to the no hitter, Jones had several other distinctions. Him & Quincey Trouppe formed the first African American battery in the American League. Jones was the runner-up to Early Wynn for the 1959 Cy Young award and tops in the NL. Sam Jones career strikeouts per 9 innings (7.5) was higher than all Major League pitchers with as many or more innings pitched than he had when he pitched his last game on October 3, 1964 (i.e. more than the Big Train, Rapid Robert Feller, Rube Waddell, Dazzy Vance and everyone else in MLB history).

Shadowball reader Matt Garvey offered some info that led me to an answer I had not considered but should have. He mentioned that Bill Gatewood had several no hitters. That got me to take a look at Gatewood. Negro League historian Phil S. Dixon offers that Gatewood may have authored as many as twenty no hitters at various levels of competition throughout his career. Phil has found documentation on six of them. One of them occurred on June 6, 1921, and, since December 16, 2020,when MLB designated 7 specific Negro Leagues (including the Negro National League in 1921) as Major. So, the first Major League no hitter by an African American was thrown by big Bill Gatewood in 1921, the second season of “Major” Negro League baseball.

I have one more possibly correct answer in mind – Charles Leander “Bumpus” Jones who, in his major league debut, took the ball for the Cincinnati Reds against the Pittsburgh Pirates 0n October 15, 1892. Ol’ Bumpus went on to be the only pitcher to toss a big league no hitter in first game in the majors. It also was the last game pitched from a pitcher’s box, instead of a mound, 50 feet way from home. It also, if local newspaper sources (as well as early family census records) are accurate he was the first Major League pitcher of African descent. He was referred to as mulatto in the census and colored in local newspaper articles.

If you are keeping score here is a list of select Major League baseball no hitters pitched by African Americans:

#1        10/15/1892 Bumpus Jones            National League

#2        O6/06/1921   Bill Gatewood           Negro National League

#3-21  numerous pitchers, including Satchel Paige, Hilton Smith, Leon Day, and a combined no no by Jose Mendez and Bullet Joe Rogan.

#22     05/12/1955    Sam Jones                National League

Ol’ Sam Jones went to his grave thinking he was the first.

The Shadowball Significa Question of the Week: What feared slugger was the first to hit a home run in a Negro League East-West Classic? The Classic was the official name of the Negro League All Star game. Send your answer and any comments on the Negro Leagues to shadowball@truthseekersjournal.com or Shadow Ball, 3904 N Druid Hills Rd, Ste 179, Decatur, GA 30033

Ted Knorr

Ted Knorr is a Negro League baseball historian, longtime member of the Society for American Baseball Research’s Negro League Committee, and founder of the Jerry Malloy Negro League Conference and several local Negro League Commemorative Nights in central Pennsylvania.

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Living With AI: How It Is Changing Work, Family, and Community

By Florita Bell Griffin | Houston, TX | April 14, 2026

Artificial intelligence has moved into daily life with unusual speed. For many people, the shift happened almost quietly. One year, AI sounded like a technical subject reserved for engineers, laboratories, and large technology firms. The next year, it appeared in search engines, workplace software, school assignments, customer service systems, banking alerts, medical platforms, shopping tools, social media feeds, and the everyday devices people use from morning until night. This change matters because AI has become part of the environment ordinary people live inside. It shapes routines, choices, expectations, and relationships in ways that feel practical, immediate, and increasingly difficult to ignore.

Living with AI now means more than using a new tool. It means adapting to a new layer of digital influence that reaches into work, family, and community life all at once. That is why the subject deserves public attention in plain language. People do not need a technical credential to understand that AI is changing how tasks are completed, how children learn, how information spreads, how institutions respond, and how trust moves through society. The technology matters because its effects are human before they are technical. They show up in pressure, convenience, confusion, speed, dependence, and shifting expectations about what a normal day looks like.

Work is one of the clearest places where this change can be seen. AI now helps draft emails, summarize meetings, analyze documents, generate reports, screen applications, support customer interactions, and automate routine administrative tasks. For many workers, that support feels useful. It can reduce repetitive labor and free time for more thoughtful responsibilities. Yet AI also changes the terms of work itself. When software can perform part of a task in seconds, employers may begin to expect faster output, tighter turnaround, and broader productivity from each employee. This creates a new pressure inside ordinary jobs. Workers are asked to keep pace with systems that operate at machine speed while still bringing human judgment, accuracy, and accountability to the final result.

That pressure reaches across many kinds of employment. Office workers may be expected to manage more communication and produce more written material in less time. Teachers may face students who rely on AI-generated responses while classrooms still require genuine understanding. Small business owners may feel compelled to adopt AI tools simply to remain competitive in scheduling, marketing, customer service, or content production. Freelancers may discover that some of the work they once performed manually is now partially automated, shifting their value toward refinement, oversight, and strategy. The central issue is clear. AI changes work by altering expectations before many people have fully adjusted to the new conditions.

Family life is changing too, though in a different way. Inside the home, AI often arrives through convenience. A parent may use it to organize a schedule, draft a message, compare options, plan a meal, or gather information quickly. A student may use it to summarize reading, solve equations, explain ideas, or generate writing. A teenager may encounter AI through social media filters, recommendation systems, voice tools, or creative applications that make digital life feel more interactive and responsive. These uses can feel harmless or even helpful, and in many cases they are. Still, the deeper issue lies in the habits being formed beneath the convenience.

Families now face a world where polished answers arrive instantly, often before a child has struggled long enough to think deeply. That changes the rhythm of learning. Human development still depends on concentration, reflection, patience, memory, and the slow strengthening of judgment. AI can support those processes when guided carefully. It can also weaken them when it becomes a substitute for effort. A child still needs to read, wrestle with ideas, organize thought, make mistakes, and grow through correction. Families who live well with AI will need more than rules about devices. They will need a culture of conversation around truth, effort, wisdom, and the difference between assistance and dependence.

Communication inside families is also affected. AI-generated content can create a world where words are easier to produce than to mean. Messages may sound polished, affectionate, persuasive, or authoritative with very little human thought behind them. This creates a subtle challenge for relationships. Language has always carried emotional weight because it reflected effort, presence, and intention. When machines can imitate tone and fluency with ease, families may need to value sincerity more consciously. The question becomes larger than whether AI can help write something. The question is whether people remain connected to what they truly mean.

Community life is changing as well. AI influences the information people see, the stories that spread, the recommendations that shape local behavior, and the digital atmosphere communities live inside. News feeds, search platforms, neighborhood groups, online forums, and church or civic communications are increasingly shaped by systems that rank, summarize, suggest, and amplify content. This affects public understanding because visibility shapes perception. When a system decides what appears first, what sounds most credible, or what receives more circulation, it quietly influences what a community notices and how that community interprets events.

This becomes especially important in times of uncertainty, grief, conflict, or public concern. AI can help distribute useful information quickly. It can also accelerate confusion when false, exaggerated, or emotionally manipulative material is produced at scale and shared without care. Communities once relied heavily on visual evidence, familiar phrasing, or polished presentation as signals of trust. Those habits now require greater caution. AI makes it easier to generate images, text, and voice that feel persuasive on first contact. Living with AI therefore requires stronger local habits of discernment. Communities need people who pause, verify, compare sources, and bring steadiness into public conversation rather than reacting to every polished piece of digital material that appears urgent.

The effect on institutions is also part of community life. Schools, hospitals, banks, local governments, insurers, and public service systems are increasingly using AI to process requests, flag patterns, route cases, estimate risk, and improve efficiency. These systems can help organizations move faster and manage complexity. Yet ordinary people live inside the consequences of those systems. A parent trying to resolve a school issue, a patient trying to understand care options, a worker navigating a benefits question, or a resident dealing with a public service problem wants more than speed. They want fairness, clarity, and a real path to human review when something goes wrong. Community trust depends on whether institutions use AI in ways that preserve dignity and legibility for the people they serve.

Living with AI also changes the emotional atmosphere of daily life. Digital systems now respond faster, speak more smoothly, and generate more content than ever before. People can feel surrounded by a constant stream of answers, prompts, recommendations, and alerts. That density creates convenience, though it can also create fatigue. Human beings still need quiet, pause, and room to think without immediate computational assistance. Work, family, and community all depend on that slower space where reflection forms. A society that moves entirely at machine pace risks losing the habits that hold human life together.

This is why AI deserves a serious public conversation centered on ordinary people. The real question is larger than whether a tool is impressive. The real question is how people will live with a technology that changes the flow of work, the formation of children, the quality of communication, and the trustworthiness of public life. That conversation belongs in homes, schools, churches, businesses, and local communities because the effects of AI already live there.

Living well with AI will require discernment, steadiness, and a stronger public ethic. People will need to ask better questions about the systems they use. Families will need to protect the habits that build character and judgment. Employers will need to remember that efficiency carries responsibility. Communities will need to value truth more carefully in a world where polished content is easier to produce than ever before. AI is now part of ordinary life. The task ahead is to make sure ordinary life remains deeply human while this technology continues to expand.

© 2026 Truth Seekers Journal. Published with permission from the author. All rights reserved.

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Wear Your Health on Your Sleeve

“Smart devices now track heart rate, sleep, and glucose, turning everyday wear into powerful tools for health awareness, prevention, and community wellness.”

You can track your heart rate, sleep, even glucose levels  just by strapping on a device. Are these next-generation right for you?

By Jeanne Dorin McDowell | April 12, 2026

Wearable health monitors have come a long way since Fitbits and Apple Watches introduced the idea of digitally counting steps and calories burned.

Today’s wearables include a dizzying array of devices—armbands, smart rings, smart eyeglasses, chest-strap monitors, clothing embedded with sensors—to track physical activity, heart rate, blood pressure, temperature, blood oxygen, glucose levels, stress, sleep patterns and movement.

And while it can be fun to track your biometrics on your own, wearables are having a big impact on doctor-patient relationships by giving health care providers real-time access to critical health data. Some can record and transmit electrocardiogram (ECG) readings; others can detect falls and epileptic seizures before they happen.

“I ask my patients to self-monitor to tell me what their heart rates are,” says Niraj Varma, M.D., a cardiac electrophysiologist and professor of medicine at the Cleveland Clinic who routinely recommends wearable monitors for patients diagnosed with atrial fibrillation (A-fib), a common heart disorder that can disrupt blood flow and lead to blood clots and an increased risk of stroke.

Nearly 1 in 3 Americans use a wearable device, such as a smartwatch or band, to track their health and fitness. But not all remote monitors are created equal.

  • Consumer-grade wearables, such as smart-watches and rings, which you can buy online or at retail stores, may be fairly accurate but are not FDA-approved, which means they have not met stringent regulatory requirements.
  • Medical-grade wearables, such as most continuous glucose monitors, which measure sugar levels, usually require a doctor’s prescription and are FDA-approved. Health information is transmitted via an app or a receiver and can be shared remotely with a physician, so it can be interpreted and discussed with the patient.

While the accuracy of consumer devices varies across brands and the metrics that are being measured, they are not considered as accurate as medical-grade wearables.

But even if the accuracy falls short, one of the intrinsic values of consumer wearables is that they can signal that something is wrong.

“If you are tracking your activity and motion as well as heart rate, and suddenly there’s a change—not from yesterday to today but a definite trend of something happening—the wearable can be an alert system that tells you something is going on,” says Albert Titus, a professor of biomedical engineering at the University at Buffalo.

Here’s a rundown of widely used wearable tech devices and what doctors who work with them have to say.

SMARTWATCHES AND FITNESS TRACKERS

BEST FOR: Monitoring basic health metrics and exercise

If your idea of a fitness tracker dates back 15 years or so, you might want to see what the new models can do. Through a technique called photoplethysmography, which detects heart rate by measuring changes in the volume of blood flowing near the surface of the skin, sensors can measure heart rate and even stress levels.

They can also flag an irregular heartbeat, says Erica Schorr, associate professor in the School of Nursing at the University of Minnesota and a member of the American Heart Association’s Center for Healthy Technology and Innovation, Digital Science Working Group. That said, watches and trackers are not a replacement for regular checkups; they can’t diagnose a heart attack or other serious medical condition.

SMART RINGS

BEST FOR: Monitoring sleep

Smart rings emit light at specific wavelengths into the skin, then measure how much of that light is reflected back to the ring. Since blood absorbs more light than other tissue does, the ring can monitor the rhythmic ebbs and flows in blood volume to track your heart rate and sleep cycles. These devices typically connect to a phone app and may require a monthly subscription.

Smart rings may compile heart rate data more accurately than smartwatches and may produce more accurate measurements in people with darker skin tones than wrist-worn devices do. (Melanin, a dark pigment in the skin, can absorb some of the light emitted by optical sensors and distort heart rate measurements. But there is less melanin on the inside of the fingers than on the wrist.)

While sleep monitoring is a selling point of these devices, not everyone is sold on the value of this function. “It’s challenging for many wearables to accurately assess deep and REM sleep,” says Cheri Mah, M.D., a sleep physician and adjunct lecturer with the Stanford Sleep Medicine Center. “People can get fixated on their daily sleep outcomes and on perfecting those numbers.” Instead, she recommends looking at your results in terms of trends rather than nightly performance.

SMART GLASSES AND SMART CLOTHING

BEST FOR: Serious fitness enthusiasts

Smart clothing refers to garments—usually shirts and leggings—with embedded sensors that monitor vital signs and track physical performance. Like other health wearables, smart clothing monitors heart rate, temperature, heart rhythm and physical movements; the data is transmitted via Bluetooth to an app in real time. Some smart clothes send alerts when the wearer experiences an irregularity or a health problem.

Even eyeglasses can come with health trackers nowadays. Smart eyewear is equipped with sensors and Bluetooth connectivity embedded in the frames, and some can monitor heart rate and calories burned. But, like wrist-based monitors, they’re not as accurate as some other products.

CHEST-STRAP HEART MONITORS

BEST FOR: Serious athletes, people with heart conditions While the heart rate monitors in your smartwatch or ring can provide useful data about your general fitness and exercise levels, a wearable that wraps around your chest to measure heart rate is considered the gold standard. Chest-strap monitors use electrocardiography to measure electrical signals from the heart, which makes them more precise than the sensors used in wrist- or finger-based devices. In April, researchers at the University of Missouri College of Engineering announced the development of a starfish-shaped wearable powered by Al technology that can detect heart problems with 90 percent accuracy.

Some of these devices connect with a cable or wirelessly to a device that you can tch to your clothing or carry in a pock-while many newer models use wireless nections to send data to your phone or another device.

If you have a heart condition, your doctor might prescribe a medical-grade heart monitor that records the heart’s rhythm, such as a Holter, which your physician reviews after return the device. These monitors are even more accurate than the retail versions.

CONTINOUS GLUCOSE MONITORS

BEST FOR: People with diabetes or prediabetes, biohackers

Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), which are worn as a patch and use a sensor that’s inserted under the skin with a needle, continuously record glucose levels, sending an alert when they rise or fall too far.

“People who benefit most from CGMs are those with diabetes who require insulin therapy, because these monitors have been associated with reducing the risk of severe hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar,” one of the most feared complications of insulin use, says Aoife M. Egan, an endocrinologist at the Mayo Clinic.

The American Diabetes Association advocates for CGM accessibility for people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who are required to take insulin. But CGMs have also become popular with people who just want to know more about the impact of food, stress and activity on their glucose levels. The emergence of several kinds of nonprescription CGMs have empowered the biohacking-curious to measure the sugar in their bloodstream, although over-the-counter CGMs give less-detailed feedback than prescription models.

An effective glucose monitor needs to pierce the skin, researchers say. Last year the FDA alerted consumers that using smartwatches or smart rings that claim to measure blood glucose levels without piercing the skin “can lead to errors in diabetes management.”

Is a Wearable Monitor Right for You?

Wearables continue to evolve: Scientists are working on a smart ring that can help detect hand tremors, a Parkinson’s disease symptom; wearables that will be able to detect neurodegenerative diseases, like multiple sclerosis and ALS, in the earliest stages; and even a wrist-worn device that tracks activity patterns, which may catch early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. But while wearables have myriad benefits, some people find that continuous monitoring of their health creates anxiety. Fluctuations in heart rhythms or blood sugar levels are normal and often insignificant, but if your device sends up an alarm, it can provoke unneeded stress. “Telling someone they’re experiencing a heart arrhythmia if they don’t feel it can create more anxiety,” says Lindsey Rosman, assistant professor of medicine in the division of cardiology at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Rosman says we need more studies both on the adverse effects of wearables and on who would actually benefit from these devices. —J.M.

Jeanne Dorin McDowell writes about health and wellness for national print and digital publications.

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In Rome, A Close Race Reveals a District in Tension Between Change and Tradition

By Milton Kirby | Rome, GA | April 8, 2026

The room was loud. The streets were quiet. And somewhere between the two, the truth of this election began to take shape.

When The Truth Seekers Journal arrived just after 6:00 p.m. at the Courtyard by Marriott Rome Riverwalk, the Harris campaign’s election night gathering was already underway. Inside, the mood was upbeat, almost celebratory. Supporters filled the space. Staff moved with purpose. Cameras from regional and national outlets lined the room.

It did not feel like a campaign bracing for defeat.

It felt like one expecting to compete.

That sense of optimism extended beyond the crowd. Harris’ campaign communications manager, a commuter from Indiana balancing the demands of political work with planning a wedding and searching for a home, spoke candidly about the moment. It was a reminder that behind every campaign are real people — building lives while trying to shape the direction of a district.

But step outside, and the tone shifted.

A short walk toward Broad Street revealed a different kind of energy. Parking spaces were filled, but foot traffic was sparse. The usual buzz of a downtown evening felt muted. Conversations were harder to find and when they did come, they carried a different weight.

One voter visiting from Woodstock, GA did not hesitate when asked about the direction of the country.

“Not good,” he said plainly.

Pressed further, he pointed to rising costs and what he described as a lack of moral leadership. His frustration echoed a familiar theme in conservative-leaning areas where economic pressure and cultural concerns often intersect.

Outside a small convenience store, another conversation revealed a different kind of distance from the political moment. Language barriers limited engagement, but the takeaway was just as telling: uncertainty. When asked about the direction of the country or even basic economic markers like gas prices, responses were hesitant, fragmented — a reminder that not all voters experience politics in the same way, or with the same level of access.

At a nearby restaurant, the conversations grew more layered — and more personal.

Patrons spoke openly about national issues, including U.S. involvement overseas, frustration with political leadership, and the feeling that neither party fully addressed their concerns. One voter described deep concern about American foreign policy, particularly in the Middle East, while still expressing a measure of trust in Democratic candidate Shawn Harris over his opponent.

Others reflected on community identity – describing Rome as a place where faith, family, and familiarity still shape daily life. Politics, in these conversations, was not abstract. It was tied to values, relationships, and lived experience.

Photo by Milton Kirby – Sidewalk view of Broad Street

By the time the race was called, the numbers brought clarity, but not simplicity.

According to Georgia Secretary of State official election results, Republican candidate Clay Fuller secured victory with 72,304 votes, while Democrat Shawn Harris received 57,030. The margin was decisive, but the context told a deeper story. In a district previously carried by Donald Trump by nearly 37 points, the narrower gap signaled movement — even in defeat.

Back inside the Marriott, that perspective defined the night.

Moments after networks called the race, Harris entered the room to sustained applause. Supporters rose to their feet. There was no visible deflation — only determination.

“We didn’t win here tonight,” Harris told the crowd. “But we did.”

He pointed to the nearly $2 million spent by Republicans and national attention brought into the race, arguing that such investment in a traditionally “ruby red” district reflected a changing political landscape.

“The Republican Party should never have to spend that kind of money here,” he said. “That tells you things are changing in northwest Georgia.”

Harris emphasized that the campaign’s work would continue immediately, framing the result not as an endpoint, but as momentum heading into November.

“This is not about me,” he added. “This is about the people here – working families trying to make ends meet.”

He also struck a conciliatory tone toward his opponent, acknowledging the result as fair and signaling a willingness to move forward without dispute.

The night, in many ways, became a study in contrast.

Inside: energy, belief, and a narrative of progress.
Outside: skepticism, frustration, and quieter conviction.

Between them sat the reality of Rome  in a district where political identity is not fixed, but layered. Where some voters feel deeply engaged, others feel disconnected, and many are navigating both at once.

The result belonged to Clay Fuller.

But the story of the night — and perhaps of the district — remains unfinished.

Related articles

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A Farmer, a General, a Democrat: Shawn Harris Enters Georgia’s 14th District Race

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