Kickass and Stokes name

Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has been known to lament the absence of the Stokes name among noteworthy athletes–the tragic story of pro basketball player Maurice Stokes being a rare exception. So he—the keeper, was pleased to see an inexplicable post detailing the exploits of Ben Stokes in an English cricket game.

One of the paragraphs read in part, “Stokes finished as England’s top scorer with 47 not off 30 balls, with four fours and two sixes…..” whatever the hell that all means.

Appearance of the Stokes name in politics is, of course, dominated by Louis and Carl Stokes, one a big city mayor and the other—Louis, a long-time congressman and civil rights leader.

That Ben and the keeper share a surname that is common in the accomplished Black communities of athletics and politics should comfort and challenge them to condemn racism as it continues to rear its venomous head, particularly in the keeper’s case since his athletic prowess peaked when he caught Byron Kallenbach’s popup in a grade school softball game, and was later narrowly defeated in an election for junior prom king.