The Dead Soldiers

For more than a hundred years, African Americans sought unfettered access to American college campuses. During the 1970's, following the passage of federal legislation designed to end exclusion, along with new federal student loan and grant programs, many traditionally segregated colleges found it fiscally prudent to open their doors. Some were serious about inclusion; some only saw huge profits to be made. Against this backdrop, the first full generation of African Americans began matriculation on American campuses. With no federal oversight, many higher education tragedies ensued that remain to this day unrecognized and unreported. “The Dead Soldiers”, is the true story of a one-time Washington DC street hustler caught up in just such a situation on an upper Midwestern campus, where survival is the only major that counts.

Derek M. Robbins*, a modern-day renaissance man, is a painter, artist, author, poet, musician, DJ, producer, director, standup comedian and software consultant. Born in Washington D.C., he excelled academically, at both Parkdale and Largo High schools daily (an anomaly of court-ordered busing). He’d finish his day either taking classes at PG Community College, or working as a programmer for the National Weather Service. High school honors included President of the Chess Club, National Merit Semi-finalist, Federal Junior Fellowship, Who's Who Among American High School Students, and the Largo Lions Award for Scholarship, Leadership and School Spirit. He studied history at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, while contributing heavily to the campus newspaper’s creative insert, Visions, and hosted the morning show at Moorhead State University’s KMSC radio station. He earned his Bachelor's from North Dakota State University, with majors in History, Political Science, Multicultural Studies, and Computer Science. His collegiate accomplishments included: the Concordia History Scholarship (highest GPA among history majors); Freshman Chess Champion; record store chain consultant; display of paintings at galleries, and completion of data entry/computer operations studies at Moorhead AVTI. He later earned certificates in software management, paralegal studies, and media relations/press secretary and received awards for his verse from the American Poetry Association, National Poetry Library, International Society of Poets, Poetry Academy, and Amherst Society. Other works by DMR1: Tales from the Sesean Galaxy, (*Star-child) poetry collection (Amazon eBook); a non-fiction, but humorous DIY eBook, Your Wedding Day, (Amazon eBook); non-fiction tome The Dead Soldiers (Amazon Books); escapist, sci-fi, fantasy novel, Autism (one day’s journey inside the captive mind) (Amazon Books); the fact-based fiction romantic comedy, Diary of a Bachelor Father (Amazon Books); crime, action-thriller The Vanguard Part 1: Six Day Insurrection (soon on Amazon eBooks); and an art-film short of his paintings and poetry, narrated by him, Starchild’s Random Notes from Exile. (YouTube:youtube.com/watch?v=jbn882xZOGY).