This week, Uncle Luke comes to terms with the end of the Randy Shannon era.

Saturday was one of the saddest days for Miami-Dade’s African American community with the firing of Randy Shannon as the University of Miami’s head football coach. At the end of the day, I can’t argue with athletic director Kirby Hocutt’s decision to let Shannon go, but his dismissal still hurts.

I haven’t hidden the fact that Shannon is a dear friend of mine, but his ascendancy to the top job of the Hurricanes program meant a lot to blacks. He was one of the few people of color to have a very high profile job in this town. We already know it is virtually impossible that a black person will ever be elected county mayor or be selected to be county manager, so seeing Shannon, a hometown guy, reach the mountain top was something the African American community could be proud of and aspire to.