Kaia Larsen — Times Record

The buzz this week is about Bazz Reeves. And Marshal Richard J. O’Connell. Bazz was a U.S. Deputy Marshal in Judge Isaac C. Parker’s day. In fact, Bass’ commission was actually signed by Judge Parker, a rare occurrence, indeed.

Kareem Abdul Jabbar has written about the relationship between Reeves and Judge Parker, explaining that Reeves was a leader among leaders and that Judge Parker had no eye for color — only justice.

That’s why we’re all so excited about the Bass Reeves statue. It’s a launching point from which to tell the story of Bass Reeves. All sorts of lessons are tied to the life of this man — Civil War, reconstruction, civil rights, literacy, justice, leadership, law enforcement, and how national politics can impact local politics and even the life of one man.

Yeah, I get a little wound up about this project. It’s fun to finally see the excitement hitting the news wires. We’ve only been working on this for the last year and a half or more.

Amy Sherrill’s story in the Times Record

Now playing: David Gray – A Century Ends