Tag Captain Black’s Commentary

As a newly minted super rights activist ( among endless other things ) I think we have a God ( or Intelligent Design ) given right to become MORE than what resumes or low expectations dictate.
Constitutional scholars and mystics may argue whether there is an inherent right to be ” super ” but that’s what I’m strongly suggesting.
Super rights are promoted from sources as divergent as ecstatic religion and sober secularism.
From holy books; philosophy, psychology and every field there’s a clarion call to be super stated in various ways.
American comic book and pulp novel fiction recently joined these sources inspiring us to be more. They even popularized the term ” super ” and mainstreamed the concept in sensationalized fashion.
Anyone accomplishing something to an accompaniment of nay sayers performs a super rights act.
Super rights are the hidden subtext underwriting every great social movement against limitation and prejudice.
Overcoming all the negative ” isms ” ( Racism; sexism; homophobia; Islamo-phobia, xenophobia, etc. ) is classic super rights activism in action.
Names like Ghandi; King; Malcolm X; Paul Robeson; Howard Thurman; Theodore Roosevelt; Frederick Neitzsche; Abraham Maslow; Deepak Chopra, Adeeb Shabazz and numerous others are diverse proponents of what I call super rights.
Without some inner drive to exceed where else does great achievement spring?
Human beings may be beaten down or conned into performing beneath their potential but the drive toward super rights is an unbreakable part of us.
More importantly everyone defines what his/her expressed super right will be.
For some it’s joining what the media calls the real life superhero ( RLSH ) Movement. Others choose a desired profession. Some opt to attempt a long dreamed feat.
Super rights have as many applications as there are minds to envision them.
Celebrities clearly made this choice as have exceptional folks not in the public eye.
My question to you is simple: have you decided to exercise your super rights today?
The right to be super is one well worth life long study and effort. So much internal insecurity and suffering can be alleviated once people use this very unconventional human right.
Super rights activism is at the heart of any movement for freedom and justice.
What are we waiting for?!!!!!!!!
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK is a newly minted super rights activist who promotes wellness; crime prevention and self-development.
 

By Captain Black
I don’t wear a special ” Capt. Black ” costume  while in public but like other members of the real life superhero ( RLSH ) Movement I help out where I can.
Wearing one of my Kufi skull caps means I’m on duty. That and the optional Capt. Black t-shirt.
The following is based on the last two days activities:
Yesterday saw me give a young mother struggling with her baby carriage a dollar for the little one ( Recession-era spontaneous donation rate, lol. ) and tell her, ” Capt. Black is always here for you! ” while walking away. In good Lone Ranger style I often don’t stick around.
Shortly thereafter I held the door open for an apparent stroke survivor after he’d struggled to his feet from a wheel chair to enter a gas station.
Inside, I won $4.00 on a scratch off ticket.
Rationalists will call this coincidence while the more metaphysical say the Universe down loaded a little gift as reward for my efforts.
Today I assisted a senior citizen friend across a busy highway to a nearby store on a rough side of East New Orleans. I secured him and carried purchases back to his apartment. He insisted I take what he gave me ( hard to argue with him when he’s loaded, if you know what I mean ).
I resolved to pass this gift along to others while making rounds in the near future.
All this could be coincidence so I leave interpretation to the reader.
Years ago, I used most of an inheritance by donating to charity and investing in struggling businesses. The idea of using it for scarce joy never entered my mind. Resources are the grease allowing the wheels of philanthropy and industry to roll faster. The spiritual heights and connections made from this period of my life remain unsurpassed.
RLSH and other concerned citizens give from the heart and wallet… often until it hurts.
We specialize in what I call ” micro-good: ” acts that aren’t headline making like curing cancer or million dollar giveaways but nonetheless impact quality of life where were live. These small acts take on a synergistic life of their own as our creative approach makes people reflect.
From reflection comes increased incentive to help others at a time when it’s hard enough helping oneself.
As this examination of the past two days shows, the ebb and flow of micro-good touches those offering outreach and recipients alike.
Karma; coincidence; Divine Intervention on a very small scale, I leave the final judgement to each of you.
I close with this observation: micro-good works! Share your instances of unexpected rewards from doing micro-good.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes wellness; crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info
 

Real life superheroes ( RLSH ) are a growing Movement of cyber escapists who crusade only online alongside creative activists hitting the streets with new names and outfits.
It’s an exciting time to help stretch the ( usually, yawn! ) concept of concerned citizenship into broader, bolder forms.
As usual I caution against inevitable cultural blowback. I don’t do it as a kill joy nor being a hater. I just look at trends in related fields and consider us with this in mind.
Because we haven’t amassed a series of high profile civil rights violations like 1990s Bounty Hunter Scare ( a RLSH related field if EVER there were one ), there haven’t been Congressional hearings and states tripping over themselves to slap down varying degrees of regulation.
Currently unlicensed and potentially unlimited, we are largely self-policed and advise ourselves on legal and other vital concerns. While a host of RLSH books have been written with many more pending, we don’t have a hand book per se ( though Knight Owl’s RLSH Manual serves admirably ) or defined industry standards.
As private citizens being conscious of HUGE criminal and civil liabilities this caveat keeps the vast majority of us out of trouble. Related fields like private security and bounty hunting have copious case law chiefly documenting false arrest; impersonation of officers and excessive force cases.
Unlike government counterparts, when a security officer; bail enforcement agent and especially a real life superhero grabs the wrong person or unlawfully inflicts injury, he/she QUICKLY goes to jail and has roughly a year to plan his/her defense before a potentially skeptical court.
There’s very real legal risk in being a RLSH. Keep in mind most of us don’t have official status with the local PD like some versions of Batman or Doc Savage commissions from the NYPD and feds of his pulp novel America. Ideally we can work on establishing relationships with law enforcement to avoid future conflict.
We’re still fleshing this role out. Kinks remain to be smoothed out but a doctrine ahs been established. We’ve also grown to include conventional concerned citizens in what I term RLSH-inspired community coalitions ( RICCS ) to patrol the streets and dispense food supplies alongside our colorful peers.
The devil is in the details and regarding the real life superhero Movement, it remains to be seen what ultimate form our details will assume. We’re still a work very much in progress.
That said, there remains very real legal risk in being a RLSH.
Ask an attorney or visit RLSH sites where you can e-mail or chat with experienced folks about this one-of-a-kind lifestyle.
*Informative RLSH sites include:
Superhero Law
Real Life Superheroes
Superheroes Anonymous
Heroes In The Night
Real life Superhero Project
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-developemnt. http://www.captblack.info.
 

Geist is an interesting guy, even among fellow real life superheroes ( RLSH ).
We’ve never communicated except by e-mail and an ocassional IM chat. I stay current on his media appearances and consider him a modest standard bearer for this very unusal lifestyle.
What I like most is how he sold a comic book collection to finance his new role as a masked activist. His portfolio includes assisting flood victims; regularly helping the homeless and ongoing donations to various people in need. Geist is always somewhere, helping somebody.
He’s like a one man Red Cross and Justice League all rolled into one green outfit.
Among the better known RLSH, Geist still maintains a low key profile. His shades and scarf gimmick has ” pulp novel ” written all over it. As someone pulp-influenced I like the regular clothes look as much as costumes.
Geist is the kind of subtle humanitarian our Movement should celebrate. He doesn’t toot own horn nor could ever be accused of vigilantism. He’s become a presence who makes himself known and disappears. He’s definitely got the mystery man part of the RLSH role down pat.
Don’t be surprised if he pops up on the Comments section of an online story congratulating you. That’s the kind of guy he is.
His balanced approach invites study by anyone considering becoming a RLSH or even those already active.
So many lives can be touched with a little money and time invested. Do yourself a favor and google Geist.
Those already familiar know what I’m talking about. Newcomers are in for a real treat.
Geist was one of the first RLSH I researched after going public like this. All I can say is he’s a quiet force for good.
NADRA ENZI AKA CAPT. BLACK promotes crime prevention and self-development. http://www.captblack.info

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