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by Leroy Moore Michael Manning Greener Pastures Lie WithinNew York, New York, the Big Apple. The City that doesn’t sleep is the home of a story full of worms sluring around day by day trying to escape the feet of man-made oppression. In the middle of city lights, Broadway and the history of Black Harlem is the dark injustice of victims of police brutality, laws that lock up homeless people and a dim beaming light trying to live and find the healthy juices of this big apple; the Manning family. Born in the Bronx on December 2nd 1969. How funny, graduating from an institution named after a man that raped this country, Christopher Columbus High School. Although life in the Bronx is the temptation of inner city ingredients i.e. drugs, alcohol and gangs Michael stayed clean and never had trouble with the law in fact from the age of 15 to 18 he served as a member of his neighborhood civilian patrol with his closest friends. They were responsible for the arrest and capture of a burglar. He also played little league baseball and basketball for the police athletic league, which he has trophies. Like many older Black families, Michael was surrounded by love from his grandmother, ants, uncles, nices, nephews, cousins and two brothers and two sisters. However growing up in the Bronx of New York is not an easy task for anybody and the Manning family had their share of battles with poverty that led to a search for greener pastures of employment, lower rates of street violence and safety. In 1992 Michael, his girlfriend of 12 years and her three children packed up and moved to Pennsylvania in hopes of a better life. He landed a job as a line cook at a resort for a while. Michael’s mother told me that Michael’s craft is cooking. "Oh, yes he can cook!" His mother wrote in a letter. But he took a job in an Envelope Corporation. This is where Michael’s life changed forever. One day at work Michael was just stocking the selves when a forklift ran him over leaving him with severe spinal damage, nerve damage, carnal damage and daily chronic pain. In the words of Michael, "My disability has put a sizeable struggle on my life, mostly I feel helpless and ashamed at times when others have to do for me what I once was able to do myself." Recovery was slow but Michael went through physical therapy and graduated with the aid of a cane but he still has chronic pain. It seemed every time Michael’s life came together, the dark sky would open up and release a bolt of lightning.
Defending My Brother, Michael ManningDefending himself Michael’s heart was racing Hands cut up, blocking Defending himself Don’t need hard evidence Called lazy & not contributing to society But the shackles are slowly unlocking Don’t just sit there His family is struggling for media attention We have to be the Harriet Tubmans of today I am here today to defend my Black disabled brother, Michael Manning. |
Original Post Date
2002-08-12 11:00 PM
Original Body