ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES 1200 - 1337 England, Scotland and Wales (The British Isles) was amongst a Europe in crisis because the Holy Roman Empire was in decline. The power of the church had been depleted by the very long struggles with the papacy and the city-states. There was trouble in Kiev in 1240 when the Mongols destroyed it and the overlords took over. It then developed in isolation until the 15th century. German colonization in the northeast brought about political and economic changes. Social unrest really set in through out Europe that was compounded by famines, dynastic wars, economic decline and then the Black Death of 1347 caused devastation all over. The Hohenstaufen dynasty was the aspirations of the Holy Roman Emperors to have complete universal authority was blocked by the papacy in central Italy, and also in the city-based communes of northern Italy. The Emperor Frederick II had a clash with Rome in 1211 to 1250. This was a time when popes exercised strong political power and they wanted nothing to get in their way. Under Innocent III from 1198 to 1216 the medieval papacy was at its very height of spiritual authority and also civil or secular rather than ecclesiastical power and it wanted no interference in its power. After his death, the papacy gave the Kingdom of Sicily to Charles of Anjou, and so this meant that Frederick’s heirs were eliminated. With the growing power of France and England the Roman Empire lost any justification for political supremacy in Europe. Also in Germany a mosaic of small parts clerical state were making changes to undermine the imperial authority of the Roman Empire. Now after one hundred years of peace all along the Anglo-Scottish border, Edward I from 1272 to 1307 was determined to assert his over lordship over the British Isles. So in 1284 in 1284 he annexed Wales, giving the title of Prince of Wales on his son. However Scotland proved to be more intractable as Edward attempted to subdue the Scots he was met by resistance that was led by Robert Bruce who was the victor at Bannockburn in 1314. Bruce, wanting to extend his domains, sent an expedition to Ireland in 1315. His brother Edward continued to fight there until his death in 1318. So in 1328 England acknowledged Scottish independence after a devastating period of guerrilla warfare and a destructive border raiding.

ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES 1200 - 1337 England, Scotland and Wales (The British Isles) was amongst a Europe in crisis because the Holy Roman Empire was in decline. The power of the church had been depleted by the very long struggles with the papacy and the city-states. There was trouble in Kiev in 1240 when the Mongols destroyed it and the overlords took over. It then developed in isolation until the 15th century. German colonization in the northeast brought about political and economic changes. Social unrest really set in through out Europe that was compounded by famines, dynastic wars, economic decline and then the Black Death of 1347 caused devastation all over. The Hohenstaufen dynasty was the aspirations of the Holy Roman Emperors to have complete universal authority was blocked by the papacy in central Italy, and also in the city-based communes of northern Italy. The Emperor Frederick II had a clash with Rome in 1211 to 1250. This was a time when popes exercised strong political power and they wanted nothing to get in their way. Under Innocent III from 1198 to 1216 the medieval papacy was at its very height of spiritual authority and also civil or secular rather than ecclesiastical power and it wanted no interference in its power. After his death, the papacy gave the Kingdom of Sicily to Charles of Anjou, and so this meant that Frederick’s heirs were eliminated. With the growing power of France and England the Roman Empire lost any justification for political supremacy in Europe. Also in Germany a mosaic of small parts clerical state were making changes to undermine the imperial authority of the Roman Empire. Now after one hundred years of peace all along the Anglo-Scottish border, Edward I from 1272 to 1307 was determined to assert his over lordship over the British Isles. So in 1284 in 1284 he annexed Wales, giving the title of Prince of Wales on his son. However Scotland proved to be more intractable as Edward attempted to subdue the Scots he was met by resistance that was led by Robert Bruce who was the victor at Bannockburn in 1314. Bruce, wanting to extend his domains, sent an expedition to Ireland in 1315. His brother Edward continued to fight there until his death in 1318. So in 1328 England acknowledged Scottish independence after a devastating period of guerrilla warfare and a destructive border raiding.

The Journey of Ardro Knight, ends in triumph,
But it is a story of Stark Reality.
It concerns something everybody knows about.
It scares a lot of people.
Others don’t want to hear about it.
Some try to hide it.
Others don’t care,
But we all gotta deal with it in one way or another!!!

        This story is about one black youth whose checkered school past abruptly ends with an ugly incident that gets him kicked out of school. He comes near to joining the thousands of black males who each year, fail to graduate from high school and/or college. He doesn’t realize that—according to prolific research data--he may be one of the 62% of black males that do NOT finish high school in four years.

        Ardro finds himself in juvenile detention where, as he reviews his life, he searches for root causes of the many factors that brought him to this end. As he leaves detention, and wanders aimlessly through his out-of-school experience, fear, anxiety, and social /emotional disorientation assail him. He first encounters delight, then a violent shock, which initiates an all-at once frightening, angering, beautiful and euphoric episode.

        This appalling experience ends with an awakening that overpowers him with a happy resolve, and a brand new set of problems. In order to make his newfound dreams possible, his resolve, and his search for answers leads him into love, and a series of intriguing adventures that focus him into a new life.

        We meet Ardro’s family, his school, his teachers, his peers, his church, the Community Service Agencies, Law Enforcement, Health facilities, etc; all having the responsibility for providing and satisfying, on a daily basis, his social/emotional development, as well as his security, moral guidance, and companionship needs. All, of these role groups—in close communication and association—are responsible for Ardro’s management and control. These folks also provide instruction, and answers to his moral questions. Most importantly, they all ought to provide encouragement, security, roots, and feelings of approval, admiration, and love. Not one of the characters in Ardro’s story is aware that he or she is either part of his great umbrella of support, or a possible vehicle for his destruction. Helene, of course, wants to be the support system, but without help and support she could easily become destructive. As in real life, characters do not communicate their emotions, anxieties, desires, etc. to others. Communication is nil. Each tries to fulfill his role to educate Ardro, or place him in a niche where his life can be managed for him—all without knowledge of each other’s efforts.

        It is a wild pipe dream that Cap and Gown manufacturers would find a lucrative new market in high school and college graduations for young black men. How this will happen remains a tantalizing ------ mystery.