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Bryonn Bain, an aspiring lawyer, accomplished writer and poet, placed second in the International Poetry Slam.

Bryonn's experiences sadly reflect the current state of affairs for Black men in America. His story has been the topic of conversation for Ted Koppel, Chris Mathews, Johnnie Cochran and Oprah Winfrey. Bryonn will soon be interviewed by Mike Wallace for CBS' 60 Minutes. His is a story of a legal system gone awry. While on break at Harvard Law School, Bryonn and his friends were at a New York nightclub. Upon exiting the club after a night of dancing, Bryonn and his friends witnessed a group of kids throwing bottles at a building. Not wanting to get involved, the four friends crossed the street and continued on toward the subway and their Brooklyn homes.

The four friends were suddenly confronted by New York City Police, and quickly thrown against the car, handcuffed, and taken into custody. No explanation, no Miranda Laws given, no questioning of witnesses of the bottle-throwing incident. Only after a long night spent in jail was this promising law student released, although with no explanation, no apology, and no dignity.

After this event, Mr. Bain created The Bill of Rights for Black Men, an essay that was published by Harvard Law School and championed by Dr. Lani Guinier, a Harvard professor and civil rights attorney. A book written by Bryonn recounting these events, the lessons learned, and encouraging accounts of the people of all races that have come to the aid of Bryonn will be released this fall. Bryonn speaks of never losing sight of your goals despite the obstacles that you may face along the way, and of a future of equality of human rights.

<<The four friends were suddenly confronted by New York City Police, and quickly thrown against the car, handcuffed, and taken into custody. No explanation, no
Miranda Laws given, no questioning of witnesses of the bottle-throwing incident. Only after a long night spent in jail was this promising law student released, although
with no explanation, no apology, and no dignity.<<

Yup. . .must be true simply because he said it was true.