Category Captain Black

Silver Sentinel; Super Hero and I, among others, are part of what Silver calls ” Golden Age ” real life superheroes ( RLSH ).
Growing up in the 60s and 70s, we’re spiritual uncles for a current RLSH Movement populated by mostly 20 somethings.
I like being a Golden Ager. I always admired Golden Age heroes of my time more than modern ones. Younger RLSH probably perceive the 1980s America where we came of age the same way we viewed the 1950s: a distant time of chic glamour and two fisted crusaders. For my age group Peter Gunn; Untouchables or Sean Connery James Bond reruns epitomized cool television heroism.
RLSH these days could say the same about Phillip Michael Thomas/Don Johnson Miami Vice episodes ( yes, it was on TV before becoming a Jamie Foxx movie, lol. ) or 1984’s cult classic movie: The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across The Eighth Dimension.
We’re from an era of a Cold War; high top fades and day glow fashions. I marveled at 1930s gangland violence. Young RLSH could do the same at documentaries about the 80s-90s Crack Wars or cinematic classics like Colors and Boyz N Tha Hood.
As a Golden Ager I grew up during a time when macho was still socially acceptable and our new wave activism has stood the test of time to now be considered ” Golden Age ” by peers a couple decades our junior.
I unapologetically believe in civic duty. I promote standing up to crime and reaching out against poverty. Discrimination is an old sparring partner and like past civil rights marchers and nationalists who inspired me, I too refuse to remain silent when prejudice is on the loose.
My RLSH approach combines NAACP/SCLC-style advocacy with creative activism enshrined by comic book icons like the Justice Society of America ( a model for my Street Team of America ) or Story Studios must-read Johnny Saturn epic.
There’s a heavy pulp novel influence to my work and always acknowledge Doc Savage and his Famous Five as prime examples of what a RLSH-like group of uncostumed crusaders would be.
Add The Avenger and Justice Inc.; Buckaroo Banzai; the Hong Kong Cavaliers and his Blue Blaze Irregulars alongside Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack to the list. I believe in having friends with whom you can save the world.
I’m old school. The 21st Century is a little light on values for my tastes. As a visionary I love its multi-media technology but work to upgrade people to keep pace with rapidly advancing technology.
The Golden Age school of thought provides contemporary RLSH with proven perspective on how to go about this very unusual brand of activism.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info.

The Gulf Oil Spill is yet another potential call to action for the real life superhero ( RLSH ) Movement.
Our inspirational input could help break a frustrated mindset unhappy with British Petroleum and the federal government. Generational poverty; Katrina and the Recession haven’t broken New Orleans spirit.
Losing their worldclass seafood could push things over the tipping point.
That said, colorful spokespersons for blame-free team work could help mobilize a mass volunteer response beneficial to all concerned. The Spill threatens the local and national economy in a highly visible way. Degrees in economics are unnecessary to grasp its impact.
The learning curve is as simple as starvation or self-sufficiency for all effected.
RLSH can call attention to the already discussed volunteer option.
Deploying properly trained and equipped citizens can eventually turn the tide on this mother of all eco-disasters. America is financially ruined and civic action can help pave the road to distant recovery. The Depression was ended by such a public/private partnership.
Todays question is whether the current government, corporate culture and public can rise to this particularly ugly occasion?
It’s not a simple matter of can a handful of costumed activists really save the day? Looming over this consideration is yet another epic setback that will punish millions who can ill afford another colossal failure.
That scraping sound in the near future is the bottom of the imaginary well holding ” limitless ”
play money. That’s a sound few want America to hear.
With stakes like these can anyone say using costumed activists might not speed soaking up this oil spill?
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

I could have made Capt. Black a separate identity.
Given the flak previous activism stirred that would have been bright. But I LIKE BEING CAPT. BLACK ALL THE TIME: in the supermarket; at the drug store; walking down the street. Cap is me and I am ” he.”
This isn’t another self- it’s my best self with a flashy name tied on like a bow. Comic book, pulp novel and many real life super heroes hide who they are for very good reaons, retaliation being the main one.
Despite my philosophical bent and love of RLSH writing, I’m also a fighter who refuses to run from anyone, anywhere, anytime. Anybody who doesn’t like what I do has a personal problem, one he’s well advised to keep to himself. I’m big on de-escalation and threat management so if you ever read I had to touch an opponent, rest assured it’ll be justified.
That said, secret IDs make alot of sense.
Most people take pains to avoid potential 24/7 confrontation. Another identity, where you’re not sticking your nose in others business, is a smart move.
Strategically, some RLSH need to have public identities simply to avoid hassles with law enforcement and others likely to have problems with masked citizens.
California’s Mr. Extreme encountered this barrier when trying to attend a community meeting inside a police station. While I think they over reacted, government has that tendency when we don’t march in lock step.
My reasons for not wearing a mask are myriad: eye sight ( I’d need prescription lenses; shades or goggles to make it work! lol ); being Black and masked in my hometown of Savannah, GA- not a good idea; Fictional inspirations like Doc Savage; Mr. Fantastic; Luke Cage, Powerman and Buckaroo Banzai bare their faces to the world and last but not least, real life inspirations from the civil rights Movement went unmasked.
It’s my way of telling society’s bullies someone isn’t afraid to stand up and show who he really is.
I’m not knocking secret ID RLSH. If you have kids I understand. Why bring all this heat down because some percentage of RLSH will have stalkers or violent opposition to our do gooding.
That should be factored into everyones game plan.
Our web presence plus movies like Kick Ass and being featured on 20/20 means more attention, good and otherwise. Keeping a safe, seperate other life is worth the trouble when weighing the odds of harassment.
I’m used to being hated. It means I’m doing my job right.
Comes with being big, Black and vocal. Look at the warm receptions Bill Clinton or Karl Rive get from varied factions and you don’t always have to be big and Black to be hated! lol.
Hatred is someone else problem, not mine. If the hater attempts to make his problem mine then I respond with all appropriate measures. Most haters are cowards and wouldn’t attempt harm even if they stood before you.
The violent minority amongst haters have to be dealt with decisively. Anyone making the quantum leap from jealosy to assault needs some sense knocked into him.
Whether pre-RLSH or RLSH, I’ve known that standing up and being vocal invited more hostility than sitting down and shutting up.
When or if some hater gets worked up enough to attack me then I’ll answer this article’s question, ” May I see your ID? ” with a reply that’ll make headlines!
I PROMISE YOU!
Obviously other RLSH are to deal with this in their own manner. My task was to outline some of the unlikely consequences being creatively good to create.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

Catherine Ariemma is a Lumpkin County, Georgia AP ( Advanced Placement ) teacher at the center of a firestorm.
She had students dress in Ku Klux Klan robe for a racism documentary they were filming. Black students saw them strolling through the lunchroom and understandably sparks flew.
As a Georgian; Black man and RLSH I fully understand both her intent and those students outrage.
Here is a textbook example of the power of costuming! These images evoked such powerful emotions that it’s now an international scandal.
Members of the real life superhero ( RLSH ) Movement use costumes to inspire and bring attention to worthy causes.
Cases like Ms. Ariemma’s present rare opportunities to demonstrate the power of iconic symbols, pro and con.
Visual shock and awe like this challenges hard wired inequality too often unsaid in public.
I grew up under Jim Crow-Lite combating racist insults and treatment on a regular basis. Comfort was derived from devouring science fiction, pulp novels, comics and history books.
Heroic images from fact and fiction reminded me that the lop sided reality around me wasn’t the only one.
The real world offers few super villains courteous enough to wear outfits screaming ill will. At least with Klan robes on you can see trouble coming.
In suits and ties it becomes harder.
I support what Ms. Ariemma was attempting. Images instruct in ways even the best words sometimes can’t.
Breaking the conspiracy of silence on race is real life super heroism worthy of praise. Too often some envision old black and white footage when civil rights is mentioned.
Civil rights and the power of images is as relevant today as when protesters allowed themselves to be beaten on television to spur legal reform.
Images can either provoke great good or evil. It’s up to the individual to decide how he’s motivated.
To the offended Black children I offer this caveat: if it’s upsetting seeing people in Klan robes, imagine how unpleasant it is being bushwhacked by plain clothed Klan minds?
The real world doesn’t always offer easily identifiable menaces like the Joker or Dr. Doom.
Too often real life super villains wear nice suits and hide behind respectable titles while destroying lives.
I think Catherine Ariemma earned her honorary cape for courageous use of iconic imagery.
You never know where a RLSH may pop up!
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

The day in 2004 I gave my college ( Savannah State University ) Model United Nations team an over sized replica of a $10,000 donation, I publicly rounded the corner on a secret lifelong dream: being a real life superhero ( RLSH ).
I felt like Doc Savage, Bruce Wayne and Tony Stark combined!
The team meeting room was named after my late mother and I. She was my Model UN sponsor when I attended there.
Ironically I dropped out but felt compelled to help since they otherwise wouldn’t have been able to attend the Harvard World Model UN in Scotland. We can thank an unforgettable person named Carline ( [email protected] ) for that!
This gift keeps on giving in the form of brilliant Model UN students who always contact me. They confirm why we need to invest in exposing young minds tot he world. I’m their bridge to what happens when people decide to do the extraordinary. Sometimes even I can’t quite believe it happened.
Sadly after this economic melt down, it ain’t likely to happen anytime soon ( lol ).
A writer couldn’t have scripted a better plot. I strongly felt then and now that a spiritual ” Writer ” was guiding me.
This nearly pulled the cover off stealth RLSH activities inspired by pulp novels and comic books. Even then I knew coalition building was the natural evolution of this unique humanitarian style.
Real life superheroes are known for our charitable outreach. It’s one of our cornerstones. Fast forward to 2010 and I’m active in a Movement doing daily what I did that beautiful day on Savannah State’s campus.
BTW, I did give someone some money yesterday on one of my Help The Hood morale walks in New Orleans 8th Ward. After generational poverty; Katrina and the Gulf Oil Spill this inner city still stands undefeated but sadly underfunded.
That’s why I do what I can.
Especially when few if any RLSH are playboys with limitless disposable income, giving definitely is a form of real life super heroism.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. [email protected] is where you can make a Pay Pal donation to help him Help The Hood!
http://www.captblack.info.
 

If you were born in the 60s or 70s and are a member of what the media calls the ” real life superhero ” ( RLSH ) Movement one term for you could be, the Adam West generation.
Adam West’s immortal Batman portrayal was far more than entertainment for some. Young minds dealing with Vietnam; Civil Rights and Watergate could watch these reruns and wish they were its pointy eared good guy. Not only was his Batman a good guy he was actually the best guy in town ( Gotham City specifically ).
Brilliant, brave and a public icon, Adam West’s Batman inspired youth from America’s ghettos and rural areas to the most upscale suburbs. He was an antidote to possible nihilism after assassinations of real life heroes and trust in the Presidency plummeted.
For a half hour kids could see what their parents wanted them to be on the screen leaping around in a cape and cowl. West’s Batman wasn’t an angry protester nor tried to undermine traditional values. His character worked hand-in-glove with local police and even spoke at civic events.
As adults with a flair for creative concerned citizenship, the Adam West generation is known for old school values and public outreach. Anyone familiar with Florida’s Superhero knows exactly what I’m talking about. In many ways he’s our generational ambassador.
This isn’t just history to me. I’m part of the Adam West Generation too.
Growing up in a racist Southern town ( Savannah, GA. ), Adam West’s Batman showed me someplace where police weren’t the enemy and anything was possible. His weekly battles colorfully reinforced what my folks taught.
My folks aren’t here but I carry on their example. Like my peers I’m old school and really believe in corny things like honor and civic duty.
We’re the Adam West generation and don’t apologize for believing what our parents said or this show preached decades ago. Whether suited up or not we each try to show old school values aren’t just found on reruns.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captbalck.info
 

I promote the “superhero” solution to persistent problems like crime, hunger and hopelessness.
Please purge capes and cowls from fiction out of your minds. That’s not necessarily what I’m talking about.
By “superhero” I also don’t exclusively mean the real life superhero ( RLSH ) Movement’s activists and crime fighters. This term easily incorporates epic figures like Paul Robeson, Teddy Roosevelt and others from history.
Recent additions include Welsey Autrey, New York’s Subway Hero; Duane ” Action ” Jackson and Lance Orton, the vigilant vendors who foiled this years Time Square bombing attempt.
People famous and anonymous can impact others in phenomenal ways. The “superhero” solution advocates phenomenal impact as a way of life. A public that exercises such imagination is a safer, more compassionate one.
The more lives you touch positively the more likely you are to continue in this vein. This solution becomes ingrained behavior and eventually accepted cultural practice.
We’ve accepted virtual reality on the internet. It’s high time everyday reality was seen as susceptible to good intention and consistency. Especially with an oppressive economy and spreading despair we have to increasingly use the “superhero” solution or risk becoming overwhelmed. Benevolence and effort are what drive this solution by creating good where there may have been none.
It starts with understanding you’re bigger than apathy or problems before you. inspiration can be found in fact and fiction. Religious texts also serve this purpose. Whatever the source, understanding you’re superior to negatives around you is step one.
The next step is acting on this realization on a regular basis. The “superhero” solution isn’t a one-time quick fix. It’s a lifelong approach limited by imagination and effort.
We can imagine ourselves weak and powerless. We can also imagine ourselves strong and powerful. Too many entomb themselves in limited thoughts and misery. Our goal is to take the special few not doing so and turn them into the majority in society.
That’s the essence of the “superhero” solution.
Sources of “superhero” inspiration are: major network; talk show and publication home pages ( CNN and Parade Magazine come to mind ) and organization websites including: the Congressional Medal of Honor Society and the Carnegie Hero Commission.
This is not an exhaustive list and can stretch to infinity. Just like our ability to use the “superhero” solution.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development.
 

Anyone who’s read my articles or knows me is aware of my love for real life superhero ( RLSH ) philosophy.
One day I see it being an authentic academic field. If we do our job well hopefully it won’t be beneath heading, Abnormal Psychology ( lol ).
I enjoy work examining what we do. Beneath the fancy names is alot of deeply intellectual, even spiritual subject matter.
One of the best articulators I’ve encountered is a gentle giant named Silver Sentinel.
Ironically he keeps a low profile but the depth of his insight is attention getting. We’re part of the RLSH who are usually plain clothed while on patrol. He does have a Silver Sentinel outfit for special occasions while I possess a few theme t-shirts. The outfit hasn’t been a big priority and I enjoy seeing what fellow members wear!
Silver Sentinels’ two main contributions to the literature are spot on analysis of parameters we should operate within and purity of purpose that even earns kudos from real live super villains ( RLSVs )-our biggest critics and unlikely supporters.
A varied background as thinker; security professional and spiritual person informs his writing. It offers a balanced vision of how to practically pursue this dream without crossing the line into vigilantism or egotism.
Silver Sentinel has quietly emerged as an important voice for a Movement quietly stretching the boundaries of creative concerned citizenship.
There’s so much more to this than merely eccentric exteriors. There’s a world of internal treasure awaiting patient exploration.
Silver Sentinel’s writing offers as good a road map for navigating the real life superhero ( RLSH ) world as one can find.
Do yourself a favor, read his blog and postings on http://www.reallifesuperheroes.org. He really is a RLSH philosopher king in his own right.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info.

You know you’re living right when young people ask you for career advice. In a days time two aspiring members of the real life superhero ( RLSH ) movement approached me- the first on line ; the second by phone.
This is an unexpected bonus to living my dream come true: advising others how to do the same… in their own way. Last year saw me regularly e-mail; chat and talk with fellow RLSH.
I’ve communicated with some of the big names in the Movement. I’ve done the same with not-so big names and people from related groups. As of this writing I haven’t personally met any RLSH but look forward to that footnote in my history. While most of us are solo acts, communication assures success as individuals and as a subculture. I know only too well the highs and lows of visionary living. Toss in this unconventional take on concerned citizenship and there’s a definite need for dialog.
This Movement is too precious to hoard to ourselves. Having experienced its scope I know the temptation to be latter day Lone Rangers. Alot of us are the only RLSH within respective city limits. My hope is we’ll reach out not only to each other always to more conventional concerned citizens. Whether you’re a cyber crusader or actually get out publicly, building rapport helps get the job done. Our impact grows with the amount of relationships created. We’re a broad coalition of very creative ( sometimes cantankerous ) folks who use fiction to leverage fantastic results from ourselves and everyone we meet.
Any real life superhero checklist would be woefully incomplete if it doesn’t include communication as an absolute necessity.
Communication is a super power unto itself, comforting fellow RLSH and inspiring fellow citizens to become champions in their own right!
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. [email protected]  ( Pay Pal account ); (912) 272-2898 and http://www.captblack.reallifesuperheroes.org
 

Long before I thought real life superheroes ( RLSH ) could actually exist I contented myself in the exploits of exceptional people without fancy names or outfits.
My list of real life superheroes is always growing and accommodates diverse folks like Alexander Dumas; Toussaint L’Ouverture; Booker T. Washington; Frederick Douglas; Theodore ” Teddy ” Roosevelt; Douglas McArthur; the Tuskegee Airmen; George Patton; Harry Truman; Paul Robeson; Hosea Williams; Joseph Lowery; Medgar Evers; Noble Drew Ali; the Honorable Elijah Muhammad; Malcolm X; Muhammad Ali; John F. Kennedy; Robert Kennedy; Benjamin Hooks; Colin Powell; Clarence Thomas; Earl Winthorp De veaux ( maternal grandfather ); Gloria Evelyn Wilson DeVeaux ( maternal grandmother ); W.W. Law; Sam Jones; Adeeb Shabazz and others. They may not have the same politics but they inspire me nonetheless. Inspiration comes from many directions and I’m always on the lookout for it. The real world can drain the heart of wonder. It can be a depressing place made even more so by todays headlines. That’s where studying great lives famous and not-so-famous helps self-motivation keep going.
Wesley Autrey is one not-so-famous real life superhero who leapt onto a New York subway and shielded someone who’d fallen onto the tracks with his own body! As heroic as when service members throw themselves on enemy grenades to save their comrades-in-arms, I always reflect upon Autrey’s astonishing courage.
Google his name and give your spirits a much needed treat: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wesley_Autrey
Someone like him and everyone mentioned boldly says just how great we can be. Wesley Autrey and the others remind the world real life superheroes aren’t always costumed!
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. (912) 272-2898; [email protected]  ( Pay Pal address ) and
http://reallifesuperheroes.org/archives/3187