BOOK 2 - AUTHOR'S SELF-INTERVIEW

THE SELF INTERVIEW -

Q: Mark, why did you write the Race Traitor novels?

A: I had a number of remarkable and memorable experiences in my 47 year law enforcement career.  What I found intriguing was the integration of those experiences into a suspenseful gripping description of the violence and murder that occurred in the City of Chicago in 1974. My assignment to the Detective Division for a week was part of my Probationary Police Training in 1970.   I was just 23 years old and I hadn’t seen a lot of violence in those years so joining the police department gave me a new life experience that became part of my persona.  The day that the area 1 detectives responded to an anonymous complaint of a body in the 3rd floor janitor’s closet of the South Moor Hotel located on Marquette Road and Stony Island was my 2nd day of the assignment.

We responded to the location and went directly to the janitor’s closet.  When we opened the closet door we observed a large rolled up carpet leaning vertically against the wall.  We pulled the carpet out and unrolled it.  At the end of the roll, a body appeared. It was the body of Franklin Williams. (A homicide victim/ Race Traitors)

The youth had been executed!  Bound and gagged and shot in the back of the right side of the head!

My heart crashed into the depths of amaze, conflict and finally anger.  It bled thoughts of what did this child do to deserve such fate and what (Motherfucker) could do something like this.
That was my first introduction to the reality of Gang Violence in the Chi.

A Young Black Boys life had been reduced to the “Exigency” of gang supremacy.  The Gang had become the new parent to thousands of black youths who had wants and needs that the black family could not effectively provide.

I often found myself suppressed with distress and anxiety over this new plague of Murder.   I grew up in a Christian home with religious beliefs that became values and morals that bowed to the teachings of the Bible.  “Thou Shall Not Kill!”

That Commandment seemed to drift out of the minds and hearts of the city youths as more murders were committed and efforts to avoid prosecution were imposed by gang members, threatening the lives and safety of anyone who dared to provide evidence against the killers.  Standing up for righteousness and justice became “Snitching” and the penalty for compliance could result in death.  These   young felons imprisoned the community.  They showed no remorse, no conscious conflicts no concern for the value of a human life.  

Q: The Title Race Traitors: What made you title your book Race Traitors?

A: I heard a song by one of my favorite Blues & Folk singer, Terry Callier.  Back in the late sixties and early seventies he was one of my favorites.  He got off the set and stopped recording for a period and early in 1990 I heard him singing a song titled “Traitors to the Race. It was a Rap Song! I couldn’t believe that Terry started singing Rap Prose. The words in the song identified the violence in our race and called out the offenders for their treachery.  I immediately identified with the message and stated then that I would name my first novel, Race Traitors!

Q: The characters in your books, how many of them did you actually know?

A: Well, not many.  A few of them were police officers, but the majority were characters I gave life to in the novel.  DoubleA, Black Sunny, Artie the Brute, PeachAzz, Naomi, Myles Sivad were all characters that I created to enhance the intrigue of the novels.  Sivad, if you have not noticed is Davis, spelled backwards and the name Myles was an icon in the community.  I found that giving life to those characters was the most fulfilling and enthralling literary adventure I ever had.  

Q: What influenced you to join the Chicago Police Department?

A: I was 20 years old when I saw a guy from the old neighborhood.  We attended DuSable High School together and we associated with the same group of teens from 45th & Calumet.  When I saw him in his tan recruit uniform with his gun belt and police star I was envious.  He wasn’t a warrior coming up and I was a bit surprised to see him as a police officer.  I said to myself if he could become a police officer, then so could I.  My path to selection was full of obstacles.  Several rejections at the required physical examination, and then background investigations that denied my application.  I didn’t let that stop me. I was determined to become a police officer.   The rest is history!                                     

Q: Finally, you served 47 years in the field of Law Enforcement and during that period what do you think was your most rewarding achievement or accomplishment. 

A: On June 4, 1999, two young motorists lost their lives as a result of a traffic incident involving the Chicago Police.  These two incidents were a combination of mistakes made by all parties involved.  I was profoundly affected by these incidents and even more concerned because one of the incidents involved members under my command.  I felt compelled to do something that would reduce the probability of such tragedies from ever reoccurring.  I met with the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Public Schools, Paul Vallas and introduced my vision.  He was extremely receptive to my vision and he directed me to meet with members of his staff to develop a plan to implement a program that would impact the conflict. I was aware that the Chicago Public Schools offered driver education training and I felt that this program would offer a captive audience and have a positive impact on future motorist’s behaviors.

   We developed a plan which would address Anger Management, Respecting Authority and making Wise Decisions.  We teamed up with Peter Karl Productions, which produced the Crime Watch Series and created videos that demonstrated behaviors on how to and how not to behave when stopped by the Police. The Program was highly received by the public and became a Supplement to the Driver Education Curriculum in Chicago Public Schools.