A Note for GARY COLEMAN

A NOTE for GARY COLEMAN

Interesting, you know. Gary Coleman's death. Tough to frame. He was born in '68, two months before MLK was assassinated. He dies here in the Spring of 2010, a year and a few odd months after the nation embraces its first Black president. The 42 years Gary lived, survived, starred, starved, suffered and, ultimately, succumbed to an early death are interesting. He stood, somewhat symbolically - at 4'8" - for the truncated state of Blacks, and Black Men, and Black Women, and Black People in Black Hollywood. Held under 5-feet by a kidney disease, he manifested that into a $100k an episode sitcom hustle only to have his earnings squandered by friends, family, and reportedly his own financial irresponsibility. Interesting, you know. Gary Coleman's death. Even more interesting, perhaps... was his Life. Gary, thanks for the laughs brotha. Sorry, truly I am, for all the tears they cost you.