Your Black World: Anita Baker Almost Goes to Jail

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Singing great Anita Baker barely missed going to jail Friday in a dispute with her ex-husband over music royalties. The 52-year old Baker found herself in a heated battle with Walter Bridgforth, her ex-husband, over the details of their divorce settlement.
"I’m so happy. … I have never been in such a position before," Baker said in the hallway outside court. "And we don’t intend to ever be in such a position ever again. I just wanna go home,and I’m happy to go home. … As horrific as it could have been, it was lovely to feel supported, though, on the other end."
Baker was faced with a deadline Wednesday to sign documents that empower court-appointed music contract expert Howard Hertz to obtain information from record labels regarding how much Baker owed her ex-husband. The deadline passed and Baker still had not signed. This led to the Wayne County Chief Family Court Judge Lita Masini Popke ordering Baker to either show up in court on Friday or go to jail.

Click to read.

Black Political News – 2/27/10

Obama signs executive order recognizing HBCUs

By theGrio

5:55 PM on 02/26/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – President Obama says these schools have felt the pain of the recession most acutely because they enroll a higher proportion of low and middle-income students…

> READ MORE

Ex-Detroit mayor may be heading back to prison

By theGrio

4:51 PM on 02/26/2010

VIDEO – If ever a public figure should be down for the count, it is Kwame Kilpatrick…

> READ MORE

White House social secretary Rogers resigning

By theGrio

2:34 PM on 02/26/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) – Rogers recently came under criticism for her handling of the administration’s first state dinner…

> READ MORE

Paterson’s downfall shouldn’t eclipse his remarkable rise

By Dr. Boyce Watkins

2:25 PM on 02/26/2010

OPINION – In Gov. Paterson’s mind, he wasn’t supposed to lose…

> READ MORE

Despite legal troubles, ex-Detroit mayor lives large

By theGrio

10:41 AM on 02/26/2010

DETROIT (AP) – If ever a public figure should be down for the count, it is Kwame Kilpatrick…

> READ MORE

NY Gov. Paterson won’t seek new term amidst staff scandal

By theGrio

10:18 AM on 02/26/2010

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Paterson, bedeviled by a scandal involving a top aide and lacking support in his own party, has found himself severely weakened…

> READ MORE

Black News – 2/27/10

Noose hung at UC San Diego Fuels More Post ‘Compton Cookout’ Protests

• The racial situation at UC San Diego just goes from bad to worse. First it was the hideous … Read More
• By Carmen Dixon on Feb 27th 2010 10:30AM | Comments (3)

Around the Web: D-Nice & Malinda Williams, Nick Cannon, Whitney Houston, Robert Pattinson

• ALREADY DONE Another black celebrity couple bites the dust. ‘Soul Food’ actress Malinda Williams … Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Feb 27th 2010 5:55AM | Comments (3)

Full List of the 41st NAACP Image Award Winners

• ‘Precious: Based on ‘Push’ a novel by Sapphire’ was the big winner at the 41st NAACP Images. Held … Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Feb 27th 2010 2:17AM | Comments (1)

Red Carpet Rundown: The 41st NAACP Image Awards

• You might think the NAACP Image Awards were all about ‘Precious,’ which won in most of the … Read More
• By Lauren Williams on Feb 26th 2010 10:37PM | Comments (1)

Live Blogging: 2010 NAACP Image Awards

• Every year, the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization, the National Association for … Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Feb 26th 2010 8:14PM | Comments (5)

Preview Pics: ‘Night Catches Us’ With Kerry Washington, Anthony Mackie

• Among the films to be shown at the 39th annual New Directors/New Films Series is ‘Night Catches … Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Feb 26th 2010 5:30PM | Comments (0)

Creative, Fun Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money: Part I

• As Black History Month nears an end, I’m mindful of the importance of leaving a great financial … Read More
• By Lynnette Khalfani-Cox on Feb 26th 2010 5:27PM | Comments (2)

Iman The Icon Up Close and Personal

• Iman Mohamed Abdulmajid is a Somali style warrior who has self-admittedly kicked open doors for … Read More
• By Angela Bronner Helm on Feb 26th 2010 5:10PM | Comments (12)

A Noose, A ‘Jiggaboo’ and the Now Infamous ‘Compton Cookout’

• We’re beginning to think that Jim Crow might be an undergrad at the University of California-San … Read More
• By Alvin Blanco on Feb 26th 2010 4:58PM | Comments (2)

80-Year-Old Woman Sentenced to Prison for Burglary…Again

• Imagine an 80-year old woman ransacking and stealing cash from a major medical office in Torrance, … Read More
• By Eboyne Jackson on Feb 26th 2010 3:58PM | Comments (6)

KiD CuDi’s Back to Blogging

• With scores of followers being duped by pseudo-solo-dolos, Kid Cudi gave up Twitter and promised … Read More
• By Journey Ade on Feb 26th 2010 3:30PM | Comments (2)

Desiree Rogers Leaving White House

• She came to the White House as a FOO (Friend of Obama) of the highest rank, with a fine New Orleans … Read More
• By Paul Shepard on Feb 26th 2010 3:04PM | Comments (10)

Regina King: Excited And Frustrated About Return of ‘The Boondocks’

• While promoting her upcoming comedy ‘Our Family Wedding,’ actress Regina King couldn’t contain her … Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Feb 26th 2010 3:03PM | Comments (4)

‘Cop Out’ Film Review

• The Bruce Willis-Tracy Morgan film ‘Cop Out’ has gotten a lot of hype, but there comes a time when … Read More
• By Wilson Morales on Feb 26th 2010 2:15PM | Comments (1)

Should Politicians Send Their Kids to Public Schools?

• At a press conference at the White House on Monday, Education Secretary Arne Duncan spoke about … Read More
• By Ericka Blount Danois on Feb 26th 2010 2:09PM | Comments (1)

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses Health Care On CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses Health Care On CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360

Sharpton-Smiley fight reveals rift in black leadership over Obama

Sharpton-Smiley fight reveals rift in black leadership over Obama on MSNBC

Black News on AOL – 2/25/10

SplitScreen – Tracy Morgan’s ‘IMPREGN8ED’ feat. Jimmy Kimmel

• "30 Rock" and "Cop Out" star Tracy Morgan has turned his "somebody gon’ pregnant" catchphrase … Read More
• By BVX Staff on Feb 25th 2010 5:07PM | Comments (0)

Does She Talk Too Much?

• My wife talks too much. She goes non-stop. I don’t even know what she’s saying half the time … Read More
• By Mason Jamal on Feb 25th 2010 5:02PM | Comments (1)

Maxine Waters’ Concern for Homeowners is Not Dumb

• Okay, Rep Maxine Waters made an error. She mistook the fed’s discount rate– the rate at which the … Read More
• By Jeff Mays on Feb 25th 2010 4:32PM | Comments (0)

Boston Celtic Marquis Daniels Wastes Money on Diamond Head?

• There has to be a line drawn somewhere when it comes to jewelry, doesn’t there? In another story of … Read More
• By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Feb 25th 2010 3:43PM | Comments (0)

EA Sports Stands By Tiger, Gillette Unsure About Future

• Tiger Woods’ apology last week may have helped to smooth over some aspects of his infidelity, … Read More
• By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Feb 25th 2010 3:39PM | Comments (0)

PETA Uses Tiger’s Sex Scandal for Promotion

• While there is some debate about whether Tiger Woods’ recent public apology was sufficiently … Read More
• By Ericka Blount Danois on Feb 25th 2010 2:32PM | Comments (0)

Obama Health Care Summit Will Yield Little

• It wasn’t exactly the political dog and pony show some critics predicted, but don’t look … Read More
• By Paul Shepard on Feb 25th 2010 2:22PM | Comments (2)

Secretary Arne Duncan Talks HBCU Funding, Early Childhood Ed and Loan Repayment Programs

• Last May, President Barack Obama’s education budget reduced funding given to HBCUs by $85 … Read More
• By Ericka Blount Danois on Feb 25th 2010 12:11PM | Comments (2)

Melanie Fiona’s ‘It Kills Me’: The Desperate, Pathetic Woman’s Anthem

• I know sometimes we are all a sucker for a good beat, a nice melody and a sweet voice. A … Read More
• By Jam Donaldson on Feb 25th 2010 11:31AM | Comments (56)

Vogue Italia launches Black and Plus-Size Sites

• Vogue Italia proves its at the head of a progressive movement, recently launching websites … Read More
• By Claire Sulmers on Feb 25th 2010 11:29AM | Comments (0)

Board Members With Display Name Issues

• Have you visited the new message boards but experienced issues with your display name upon log in? … Read More
• By TiffaniLW on Feb 25th 2010 11:13AM | Comments (0)

Guilty Plea in Katrina Police Shootings

• At first, the story of police shooting unarmed people looking for food in the wake of the … Read More
• By Paul Shepard on Feb 25th 2010 10:46AM | Comments (1)

Al Sharpton Versus Tavis Smiley on Black Agenda

• Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of … Read More
• By Kevin Eason on Feb 25th 2010 10:30AM | Comments (1)

Man Who Allegedly Threw Baby From Bridge Charged With Murder

• Shamsid-Din Abdur-Raheem of New Jersey was charged Wednesday with murder for allegedly throwing … Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Feb 25th 2010 9:38AM | Comments (2)

News Blast: Health Care Summit to Take Place Today, Alleged War Crimes Leader Facing Deportation

• Health Care Summit to Take Place Today Today President Barack Obama will hold his televised … Read More
• By Abena Agyeman-Fisher on Feb 25th 2010 9:17AM | Comments (0)

Your Black News from TheGrio – 2/25/10

• 
  

  NY gov suspends aide, seeks investigation into domestic violence allegations

  By theGrio

  8:26 AM on 02/25/2010

  ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) – Gov. David Paterson has suspended a close aide and is asking for an investigation by the attorney general after a published report linked the aide to a claim of domestic violence…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Local activists responsible for ‘Negrohead’ Mountain name change

  By theGrio

  5:53 PM on 02/24/2010

  VIDEO – Local Santa Monica residents convinced Los Angeles County and the U.S. Geological Survey to change that name…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Ex-cop pleads guilty in Katrina killings probe

  By theGrio

  5:46 PM on 02/24/2010

  NEW ORLEANS (AP) – A former police lieutenant pleaded guilty to conspiring to obstruct justice after federal officials say he helped cover for officers who killed two people in the chaos following Hurricane Katrina…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Black woman refused service for being a ‘bad tipper’

  By theGrio

  5:00 PM on 02/24/2010

  VIDEO – A woman who says Kampai Japanese Steak and Seafood House, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina refused her service has started a petition to boycott the establishment…

  > MORE

• 
  

  NYPD officers acquitted in sodomy case

  By theGrio

  3:16 PM on 02/24/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) – A New York City police officer accused of sodomizing a drug suspect in a subway station was acquitted after defense attorneys spent weeks chipping away at the credibility of the accuser…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Entire teaching staff fired at underperforming US school

  By theGrio

  2:02 PM on 02/24/2010

  VIDEO – Tthe Central Falls School Committee voted Tuesday evening to fire every educator at Central Falls High School at the end of the school year…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Ex-sportscaster Marvell Scott pleads not guilty to rape in NYC

  By theGrio

  12:36 PM on 02/24/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) – A former New York City sportscaster was indicted Tuesday on charges he raped a 14-year-old runaway working as a prostitute…

  > MORE

• 
  

  How new credit card reforms may help your bottom line

  By Keosha Johnson

  10:39 AM on 02/24/2010

  The Credit Card Act of 2009 includes several changes that will benefit U.S. consumers. But there’s a catch: credit card companies are not giving up without a fight…

  > MORE

• 
  

  University TV show mocking blacks sparks freeze

  By theGrio

  10:35 AM on 02/24/2010

  SAN DIEGO (AP) — The University of California, San Diego has halted funding for student media after a TV segment ridiculed black students outraged by a party mocking Black History Month…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Mo’Nique prepares for comedy tour

  By theGrio

  9:23 AM on 02/24/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) — Mo’Nique won the Golden Globe. She also picked up a SAG Award. And don’t forgot about her most recent honor this week at the BAFTA’s…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Ariz. lawmakers want to force Obama to show birth certificate in 2012

  By theGrio

  9:08 AM on 02/24/2010

  PHOENIX (AP) — Nearly half of the Arizona Legislature wants to force President Obama to show his birth certificate to state officials if he runs for re-election…

  > MORE

• 
  

  CBS fights ’04 Jackson ‘wardrobe malfunction’ fine

  By theGrio

  8:39 AM on 02/24/2010

  PHILADELPHIA (AP) – CBS argued anew Tuesday that it should not be held responsible for the half-second of nudity…

  > MOR

Black News from NewOne.com – 2/22/10

OPINION: Ron Paul Is A White Supremacist

By Casey Gane-McCalla February 24, 2010 3:13 pm

Read more about OPINION: Ron Paul Is A White Supremacist

TAGS: John Birch Society, Neo-Nazis, Ron Paul, Timothy McViegh, White Supremacists

NATION

AZ Legislators Want Obama To Show Birth Certificate In 2012 Election

By Associated Press February 24, 2010 1:58 pm

Read more about AZ Legislators Want Obama To Show Birth Certificate In 2012 Election

TAGS: Arizona, Barack Obama, birthers

NATION

DR. BOYCE: Al Sharpton, Tavis Smiley Fight Is Post-Obama America

By Dr. Boyce Watkins February 24, 2010 12:17 pm

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Al Sharpton, Tavis Smiley Fight Is Post-Obama America

TAGS: Al Sharpton, Barack Obama, Tavis Smiley

NATION

NAACP To Honor Former White House “Green Czar,” Van Jones

By News One February 24, 2010 11:43 am

Read more about NAACP To Honor Former White House “Green Czar,” Van Jones

TAGS: NAACP, Van Jones

SPORTS

OPINION: Dear Tiger, You’re A Fool To Stay With Elin

By RK Byers February 24, 2010 10:33 am

Read more about OPINION: Dear Tiger, You’re A Fool To Stay With Elin

TAGS: Charles Barkley, Elin Nordegren, Hillary Clinton, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods

SPORTS

Allen Iverson Leaves Basketball To Take Care Of Sick Daughter

By Associated Press February 24, 2010 9:56 am

Read more about Allen Iverson Leaves Basketball To Take Care Of Sick Daughter

TAGS: Allen Iverson, NBA, Philadelphia

NATION

Fearing Obama’s Agenda, States Push For Looser Gun Laws

By News One February 24, 2010 9:19 am

Read more about Fearing Obama’s Agenda, States Push For Looser Gun Laws

TAGS: Barack Obama, guns

NATION

UPDATE: Six Haitian Orphans Resume Trip To New U.S. Homes

By News One February 24, 2010 8:58 am

Read more about UPDATE: Six Haitian Orphans Resume Trip To New U.S. Homes

TAGS: Haiti

BP COMMUNITY

BP Group Spotlight: Black Politics on the Web on BP

By BIG CED February 23, 2010 5:42 pm

Read more about BP Group Spotlight: Black Politics on the Web on BP

TAGS: black politics on the web, BP Community, politics

SPORTS

Female Athletes Want To Make Pole-Dancing An Olympic Sport

By Associated Press February 23, 2010 5:37 pm

Read more about Female Athletes Want To Make Pole-Dancing An Olympic Sport

TAGS: Olympics, Pole Dancing

NATION

Congressional Black Caucus Frustrated With Jobs Legislation

By News One February 23, 2010 5:25 pm

Read more about Congressional Black Caucus Frustrated With Jobs Legislation

TAGS: Congressional Black Caucus, unemployment

Dr. Boyce Watkins: Tavis Smiley vs. Al Sharpton

Dr. Boyce Watkins talks about the big fight between Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton.

Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton fight about Barack Obama

Tavis Smiley and Al Sharpton fight about Barack Obama

Black News – 2/22/10

ACORN Dissolves Its National Organization

By News One February 22, 2010 5:00 pm

Read more about ACORN Dissolves Its National Organization

TAGS: ACORN

NATION

NYC Man Fatally Shoots Wife, Two Daughters, Then Himself

By News One February 22, 2010 4:10 pm

Read more about NYC Man Fatally Shoots Wife, Two Daughters, Then Himself

TAGS: crime, New York City

ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION: Do Two Current Oscar Nominees Expose White Genetic Fears?

By RK Byers February 22, 2010 3:53 pm

Read more about OPINION: Do Two Current Oscar Nominees Expose White Genetic Fears?

TAGS: Birth of a Nation, James Cameron, Peter Jackson

NATION

DR. BOYCE: Do Young Leaders Now Make the NAACP Relevant?

By Dr. Boyce Watkins February 22, 2010 2:59 pm

Read more about DR. BOYCE: Do Young Leaders Now Make the NAACP Relevant?

TAGS: NAACP

SPORTS

NCAA Football Player Kicked Off Team For Showing Off Cash On Twitter

By Casey Gane-McCalla February 22, 2010 2:57 pm

Read more about NCAA Football Player Kicked Off Team For Showing Off Cash On Twitter

TAGS: black athletes, NCAA Football

NATION

White Sorority Wins Sprite Step-Off Competition

By Casey Gane-McCalla February 22, 2010 12:21 pm

Read more about White Sorority Wins Sprite Step-Off Competition

TAGS: Black fraternities and sororities, Stepping

NATION

Obama Unveils His Own Health Care Reform Plan

By Associated Press February 22, 2010 11:25 am

Read more about Obama Unveils His Own Health Care Reform Plan

TAGS: health care reform

NATION

Officers Acquitted In Sodomy Police Brutality Case

By Casey Gane-McCalla February 22, 2010 10:59 am

Read more about Officers Acquitted In Sodomy Police Brutality Case

TAGS: Michael Mineo, NYPD, Police brutality

NATION

Why Aren’t Minorities Graduating From College?

By News One February 22, 2010 10:34 am

Read more about Why Aren’t Minorities Graduating From College?

TAGS: black students, education

NATION

FBI Believes Kwame Kilpatrick Ran Criminal Enterprise

By Casey Gane-McCalla February 22, 2010 10:23 am

Read more about FBI Believes Kwame Kilpatrick Ran Criminal Enterprise

TAGS: Detroit, FBI, kwame kilpatrick

NATION

Georgia Lawmaker To Resurrect Slavery Apology

By News One February 22, 2010 9:10 am

Read more about Georgia Lawmaker To Resurrect Slavery Apology

TAGS: discrimination, Georgia, justice, racism, slavery

White Old Man Goes Wild

White old man goes wild and beats the crap out of a black man.

The History of Black Economic Empowerment: Dr. Malveaux Speaks

Why, the email asks, do we still have Black History Month?  The writer might be white, or she might not. She identifies her self as a "conscious woman" and sends the email to one of my public addresses.  She seems chagrined that "race still matters" and wants to initiate an exchange of views with hers at the foundation – studying black history is obsolete.  We have a black president, the woman writes.  Black people have made so many strides.  Aren’t you holding on to the past, she argues, when you insist on having this month to study black history?

I am not in the habit of engaging in email debates with folks who are ill informed, so I ignore the note. Still, I am intrigued enough by it to print it out and paste it to my desktop for a few days. When I pick up high school history books, I see African American history sprinkled through, like seasoning, as opposed to being placed at a base. And I think of the tremendous vision of Dr. Carter G. Woodson, the second African American to receive a Ph.D. from Harvard (after WEB DuBois) and the founder, in `1915, of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH). Woodson wrote the masterpiece "The Miseducation of the Negro" and founded Negro History Week in 1926. By 1976 the week had expanded into African American History Month. The Association, based in Washington, DC, sets a theme for Black History Month each year (notice that I use Black and African American interchangeably – for me they are the same thing). This year the theme is "The History of Black Economic Empowerment".

Economics is the study of who gets what, when, where and why. It is the study of the way the factors of production – land, labor, capital and creativity are paid in rent, wages, interest and profit. It is the history of the knife, of how the pie is sliced. And it is the story of why African Americans get so much less than our fair share of the pie.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Jesse Jackson Discuss The Black Agenda

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Jesse Jackson Discuss The Black Agenda

African American News: The Dalai Lama Talks about Tiger

The Dalai Lama said Saturday that he had – somehow – never heard of Tiger Woods.

When Woods’ sex scandal was explained to him, Tibet‘s exiled spiritual leader emphasized the importance of self-discipline.

All religions have the same idea "when it comes to adultery," he said.

"Whether you call it Buddhism or another religion, self-discipline, that’s important. . . . Self-discipline with awareness of consequences."

Woods, in his carefully scripted apology on Friday, struck a similar line.

 

Click to read.

Black News from TheGrio – 2/20/10

• 
  

  Ole Miss football player collapes in workout, dies

  By theGrio

  2:00 PM on 02/20/2010

  OXFORD, Miss. (AP) – A University of Mississippi football player has died after collapsing during the first day of team workouts…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Haiti PM: Gov’t to take land for temporary camps

  By theGrio

  4:43 PM on 02/19/2010

  PORT-AU-PRINCE (AP) – Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive says the Haitian government will appropriate land to build temporary camps for earthquake victims…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Depardieu says he’s not too white to play Dumas

  By theGrio

  3:54 PM on 02/19/2010

  BERLIN (AP) — Gerard Depardieu has rejected the discussion over his right to play mixed-race author Alexandre Dumas because he is a blue-eyed blonde…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Mayor backs fed probe of Ore. police in shooting

  By theGrio

  3:54 PM on 02/19/2010

  PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – Portland Mayor Sam Adams joined black leaders Friday to support a federal civil rights investigation into the shooting death of a black man by a white police officer…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Mom caught on tape teaching daughter to shoplift at Chuck E. Cheese

  By theGrio

  3:13 PM on 02/19/2010

  VIDEO Indianapolis Metro Police are searching for a woman who they say used a child to commit a crime…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Rap star says Romney got physical with him on plane

  By theGrio

  1:14 PM on 02/19/2010

  BOSTON (AP) – A rap star says former Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney first touched him — and not the other way around…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Fewer Americans fall behind on home loans, end of foreclosure crisis possible

  By theGrio

  12:17 PM on 02/19/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) – The number of American borrowers falling behind on their mortgage payments dropped sharply at the end of last year…

  > MORE

• 
  

  United Airlines pilot gets suspended sentence for drinking on job

  By theGrio

  12:06 PM on 02/19/2010

  LONDON (AP) – Erwin Vermont Washington was removed from a plane at London’s Heathrow Airport shortly before it was due to take off for Chicago…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Tiger Woods: ‘Sorry’ for irresponsible behavior, unsure of golf comeback

  By theGrio

  11:17 AM on 02/19/2010

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida (AP) – Tiger Woods is telling his family, friends and fans he is "deeply sorry" for his selfish and irresponsible behavior, and admitting to affairs…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Fan gets jail time for text-stalking Ashanti’s mother

  By theGrio

  11:16 AM on 02/19/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) – A delusional fan who unleashed his crude fantasies about Ashanti in a battery of text messages to her mother was sentenced to two years in jail…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Tiger heads back to sex addiction therapy after apology

  By theGrio

  11:07 AM on 02/19/2010

  PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. (AP) – Tiger Woods will return to therapy after he ends a three-month silence and speaks about his infidelity and his future plans…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Obama touts $1.5 billion in housing aid for hardest hit states

  By theGrio

  9:22 AM on 02/19/2010

  LAS VEGAS (AP) – President Obama plans to offer new help to the states hit hardest by the housing crisis, as he looked to address voter frustration that could threaten his party’s hold on Congress…

  > MORE

Black Social Commentary from TheGrio – 2/20/10

• 

  Dr. Boyce Watkins

  Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

  Malcolm X’s legacy ignored 45 years after his murder

  5:20 PM on 02/19/2010

  OPINION – Malcolm’s legacy has been treated like the neglected step-child of the African-American struggle for freedom and equality…

  > MORE

• 

  Earl Ofari Hutchinson

  Journalist, author and broadcaster.

  Tiger’s been tamed, now leave him alone

  5:03 PM on 02/19/2010

  OPINION – Black superstars cause much media and public hurt when they supposedly betray the collective self-delusion of sport as pure and pristine…

  > MORE

• 

  Glenn Minnis

  Sports contributor

  Why we should accept Tiger’s apology

  12:53 PM on 02/19/2010

  OPINION – For better or worse, Tiger Woods seemed to want you to know that he’s not much different from you or I…

  > MORE

• 

  Lamonia Brown

  President of Gilchrist Entertainment

  Hollywood’s most overlooked resource: black female directors

  8:22 AM on 02/19/2010

  OPINION – It took 74 years for the Academy Awards to acknowledge a black female as best actress. How long will it be before black woman is nominated for best director?…

  > MORE

• 

  Glenn Minnis

  Sports contributor

  Five things Tiger Woods should say at mea culpa media event

  11:31 AM on 02/18/2010

  OPINION – What can Tiger Woods do to redeem himself besides just saying ‘I’m sorry’?…

  > MORE

• 

  David A. Love

  Writer and human rights advocate

  New census prisoner policy could benefit American cities

  8:46 AM on 02/18/2010

  OPINION – America’s prison population could play an important role in the country’s redistricting battles, and help reshape America’s electoral map…

  > MORE

• 

  Hazel M. McFerson

  Associate Professor of International Studies at George Mason University

  Why the US won’t ‘take over’ Haiti

  8:17 AM on 02/18/2010

  OPINION – There is no need for ‘nation-building’. What is required is temporary international guardianship…

  > MORE

• 

  Clarence Haynes

  Writer for VIBE, Newsday, The Source, Publishers Weekly, and Giant Magazine.

  Why remaking ‘We Are the World’ may have been a mistake

  9:01 AM on 02/17/2010

  OPINION – Something about the remake feels inauthentic, the simplicity of the original has more sway…

  > MORE

• 

  Dr. Boyce Watkins

  Author and Finance Professor at Syracuse University

  The stimulus one year later: A bold move that began a jobless recovery

  8:14 AM on 02/17/2010

  OPINION – Abysmal disparities in economic opportunities prove that equality has not yet been achieved…

  > MORE

Black News: Marley Family Livid Over New Book Release

Bob Marley is embroiled in a fiery debate with a Las Vegas-based publisher over alleged unauthorized changes to the cover and title of his recently released memoir which threatens to taint the near-perfect image of reggae music royalty, the Marleys.
Ky-Mani Marley, a Grammy Award-nominated reggae and hip-hop artist, penned "Dear Dad: Where’s the family in our family, today?” which was released this month by Farrah Gray Publishing in celebration of Marley’s 65th birthday.
The issue between author and publisher lies mainly in the extra coverline: "The Story The Marley Family Apparently Doesn’t Want You To Know.”
In an online statement, Ky-Mani says the caption is unauthorized: "I did NOT authorize him to make any changes to the cover of my book, nor do I condone any of the captions he has written!”
Further, Ky-Mani told The Gleaner, a Jamaican newspaper, that he was considering legal action against the Gray, saying he simply wanted to tell his story without causing any conflict. He told the newspaper the title was changed from "Dear Dad: The Marley Son Who Persevered From The Streets To Prominence."
But Dr. Farrah Gray, the publisher, stands by the book, saying he worked with Marley every step of the way. He said that Marley wrote the book using a ghostwriter and the interviews were recorded.
"I didn’t write his book,” Gray told BV on Books. "I published it. He did the final edit. Now he’s issuing a statement that he didn’t approve it…for those of us who believe in one love, Ky-Mani Marley’s story deserves light. He’s throwing me under the bus and going on a smear campaign, but I have the tapes. The tapes are worse and he doesn’t want those publicized.”

 

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins on Tiger’s Press Conference

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Today, Tiger Woods finally did what everyone expected him to do: He spoke out on his own behalf. The world waited for months to hear a peep from the man who has decided to do one of the greatest disappearing acts the sports world has ever seen. When there was no Tiger, there was no professional golf.

The press conference was starting on the wrong foot, as there was buzz of a boycott from golf writers, who felt that Tiger was not giving proper respect to media by refusing to allow them to ask questions. There was also the ire communicated from his fellow golfers, such as Ernie Els, who called Tiger "selfish" for giving his press conference on a Friday, during a tournament sponsored by Accenture.

What Ernie Els failed to remember is that Accenture is the company that dropped Tiger when he was being embarrassed by the media. There is no reason that Tiger should be the least bit hesitant about stealing the headlines away from their golf tournament. Perhaps had Accenture not decided to abandon Tiger, he might not have abandoned them.

His mother was there, the PGA Commissioner was there, and one of Tiger’s roommates from college was in attendance. What was missing from the press conference? Well, the press. I’m not sure if you can actually call this a press conference when you’ve chosen to exclude the media. The other glaring absence from the room was Tiger’s wife, Elin.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins: Fellow Golfer Calls Tiger Woods “Selfish”

by Dr. Boyce Watkins 

Tiger Woods is planning to have the press conference of the year tomorrow, during which he will talk about his past, present and future. He will be in the TPC Sawgrass clubhouse in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. He is not going to answer questions and the world will be watching. All three major networks are planning to tune in and for just 30 minutes, you may as well call him Tiger Obama, given that his speech is getting the same attention at the State of the Union Address.
Ernie Els, one of Tiger’s arch rivals on the golf course (if Tiger has any rivals), is lining himself up to be one of the first men to attack Woods for his choices.
"It’s selfish," Els told Golfweek. "You can write that. I feel sorry for the sponsor. Mondays are a good day to make statements, not Friday. This takes a lot away from the golf tournament."

Click to read.

Your Black News – 2/18/10

NATION

Obama Spokesman Robert Gibbs Tweets For Posterity

By News One February 18, 2010 11:13 am

Read more about Obama Spokesman Robert Gibbs Tweets For Posterity

TAGS: Barack Obama, Obama Administration, Robert Gibbs, social media,technology, Twitter

OBAMA

Obama Looking To Hire Social Media Manager

By News One February 18, 2010 11:08 am

Read more about Obama Looking To Hire Social Media Manager

TAGS: Barack Obama, Obama Administration, social media, technology,Twitter

NATION

Duke Rape Accuser Charged With Trying To Kill Boyfriend And Arson

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 10:15 am

Read more about Duke Rape Accuser Charged With Trying To Kill Boyfriend And Arson

TAGS: Arson, domestic violence, Duke, North Carolina

SPORTS

Shani Davis Wins Gold In Men’s 1,000 Speedskating

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 9:10 am

Read more about Shani Davis Wins Gold In Men’s 1,000 Speedskating

TAGS: Olympics

NATION

8 Missionaries Freed By Haitian Judge Return To U.S.

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 8:58 am

Read more about 8 Missionaries Freed By Haitian Judge Return To U.S.

TAGS: Haiti

JUST CURIOUS

JUST CURIOUS: Is Motherhood A Valid Excuse To Ditch The Army?

By News One February 18, 2010 1:50 am

Read more about JUST CURIOUS: Is Motherhood A Valid Excuse To Ditch The Army?

TAGS: Army, black families, black soldiers, Single Mothers

SPORTS

Tiger To End Months Of Silence With Press Conference Friday

By Associated Press February 17, 2010 4:18 pm

Read more about Tiger To End Months Of Silence With Press Conference Friday

TAGS: sex scandals, Tiger Woods

NATION

Haiti Judge To Free 8 Of 10 U.S. Missionaries Accused Of Kidnapping

By News One February 17, 2010 4:10 pm

Read more about Haiti Judge To Free 8 Of 10 U.S. Missionaries Accused Of Kidnapping

TAGS: Haiti

The Latest in Black News – 2/18/10

NATION

Obama Spokesman Robert Gibbs Tweets For Posterity

By News One February 18, 2010 11:13 am

Read more about Obama Spokesman Robert Gibbs Tweets For Posterity

TAGS: Barack Obama, Obama Administration, Robert Gibbs, social media,technology, Twitter

OBAMA

Obama Looking To Hire Social Media Manager

By News One February 18, 2010 11:08 am

Read more about Obama Looking To Hire Social Media Manager

TAGS: Barack Obama, Obama Administration, social media, technology,Twitter

NATION

Duke Rape Accuser Charged With Trying To Kill Boyfriend And Arson

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 10:15 am

Read more about Duke Rape Accuser Charged With Trying To Kill Boyfriend And Arson

TAGS: Arson, domestic violence, Duke, North Carolina

SPORTS

Shani Davis Wins Gold In Men’s 1,000 Speedskating

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 9:10 am

Read more about Shani Davis Wins Gold In Men’s 1,000 Speedskating

TAGS: Olympics

NATION

8 Missionaries Freed By Haitian Judge Return To U.S.

By Associated Press February 18, 2010 8:58 am

Read more about 8 Missionaries Freed By Haitian Judge Return To U.S.

TAGS: Haiti

JUST CURIOUS

JUST CURIOUS: Is Motherhood A Valid Excuse To Ditch The Army?

By News One February 18, 2010 1:50 am

Read more about JUST CURIOUS: Is Motherhood A Valid Excuse To Ditch The Army?

TAGS: Army, black families, black soldiers, Single Mothers

SPORTS

Tiger To End Months Of Silence With Press Conference Friday

By Associated Press February 17, 2010 4:18 pm

Read more about Tiger To End Months Of Silence With Press Conference Friday

TAGS: sex scandals, Tiger Woods

NATION

Haiti Judge To Free 8 Of 10 U.S. Missionaries Accused Of Kidnapping

By News One February 17, 2010 4:10 pm

Read more about Haiti Judge To Free 8 Of 10 U.S. Missionaries Accused Of Kidnapping

TAGS: Haiti

Man Throws Baby From a Bridge

A man who snatched his infant daughter from the arms of her maternal grandmother while the child’s mother was in court getting a restraining order against him told police he threw the baby off a bridge and into a frigid New Jersey river, prompting a massive search Wednesday beneath a busy parkway.

Search teams, including boats, dogs and helicopters, scoured the area beneath the Garden State Parkway’s Driscoll Bridge in central New Jersey for any signs of 3-month-old Zara Malani-lin Abdur. Acting New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow called the incident "an example of a horrific case of domestic violence."

Authorities suspended the search after dark and planned to resume at daybreak Thursday.

Authorities say the girl’s father, 21-year-old Shamsiddi Abdur-Raheem of Galloway Township, allegedly forced his way into the grandmother’s East Orange apartment around 4 p.m. Tuesday, striking her in the face, choking her, and forcibly taking the baby, wrapped in a blanket and a pink and gray onesie, before fleeing in his vehicle. The 60-year-old grandmother, who police declined to identify, chased after Abdur-Raheem and was struck when she tried to stop him by throwing herself in the path of his van. She was treated for her injuries at a local hospital and released.

Abdur-Raheem was arrested four hours after the abduction in southern New Jersey, and allegedly confessed to police that he had tossed the child from the bridge before driving to consult with his Imam, who then drove him to the home of a relative who called police.

 

Click to read.

Black Scholar Boyce Watkins and The TakeAway Discusses – Does Forgetting Race Make Us (or Chris Matthews) Post-Racial?

Black Scholar Boyce Watkins Talks With The TakeAway -

Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks about Russell Simmons and Banks

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Hip hop mogul Russell Simmons seems to feel that banks are not treating the poor in a proper fashion. This week, in a rant on his site, “The Global Grind,” Simmons had this to say:
“They trick customers into doing things that are not good for them through lack of transparency, and surprise them with new fees when they can least afford it. I’m learning an important lesson about ethics or lack of ethics in this industry. In fact, I’m fighting with a bank right now that doesn’t know what kind of ass whipping they are going to get when I expose them for the abusive practices and exuberant fees they are charging the poor. What they are doing is trying to double their already outrageously high fees in exchange for providing absolutely nothing to my customers.”
Simmons went on to try to create a “movement” by adding a call to action:

“Let’s start the biggest public discussion ever about how banks treat us and expose these banks for their unequal treatment and unconscionable conduct. The time is now.”

 

Click to read.

Sean Bell Officers Let Go by Feds

Federal authorities will not pursue charges against the officers involved in the fatal shooting of Sean Bell, the unarmed bridegroom who died in a hail of police bullets outside a Queens strip club just hours before his wedding.

Prosecutors said there was "insufficient evidence" that Bell’s civil rights were violated when undercover officers unloaded on a car carrying Bell and two friends on a Jamaica street in November, 2006.

Three officers were acquitted in 2008, including Michael Oliver, who police said reloaded while firing 31 of the 50 shots that filled the vehicle and surrounding streets.

 

Click to read.

Black Entertainment: Kevin Eubanks Leaving the Tonight Show

When Jay Leno goes back to theTonight Show, he may need to find a new musical sidekick: Bandleader Kevin Eubanks is said to be leaving Leno’s side after 18 years.
NBC so far has not officially confirmed the latest shock wave to hit Leno’s show, first reported by L.A. radio K-EARTH 101 and also being reported by the New York Times.

 

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Speak About the State of Black America

Dr. Boyce Watkins and Rev. Al Sharpton Speak About the State of Black America

Black Economic News: The Economic Policy Institute – 2/16/10

 

12/07/09
American Indians and the Great Recession—Economic Disparities Growing Larger
Issue Brief

11/12/09
Getting Good Jobs to People of Color
Briefing Paper

07/21/09
Unequal unemployment—Racial disparities in unemployment vary widely by state
Issue Brief

03/09/09
Stuck in Neutral: Economic Gains Stall Out for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2000s
Briefing Paper

10/31/08
Hispanics and the economy: Economic stagnation for Hispanic American workers, throughout the 2000s
Briefing Paper

09/18/08
Reversal of fortune: Economic gains of 1990s overturned for African Americans from 2000-07
Briefing Paper

01/18/08
What a recession means for black America
Issue Brief

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12/16/09
A bleak future for black children
Analysis & Opinion

12/09/09
High unemployment: A fact of life for American Indians
Economic Snapshots

11/12/09
Reversing the Decline in Good Jobs [event]
Other

11/10/09
Jobs creation effort needs to focus on good jobs
Economic Snapshots

09/18/09
Three lessons about black poverty
Analysis & Opinion

07/08/09
African Americans see weekly wage decline
Economic Snapshots

04/22/09
Among college-educated, African Americans hardest hit by unemployment
Economic Snapshots

09/05/08
Jobs Picture, September 5, 2008 – Special Issue
Economic Indicators

08/04/08
Understanding the black jobs crisis
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06/10/08
Subprime mortgages are nearly double for Hispanics and African Americans

Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks The State of Black America with Rev. Al Sharpton

Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks The State of Black America with Rev. Al Sharpton

Dr. Boyce Watkins Says CBC Needs to Be Fixed

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

 

From left are, Rep. Donald Payne, D-N.J., Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., Rep. Edolphus Towns, D-N.Y. and Rep. Charles Rangel D-NY. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

Does anyone think that the Congressional Black Caucus works for the interests of the African-American community? Well, think again. It appears that, according to a scathing report in The New York Times, African-Americans don’t have the money to buy the CBC’s loyalty. At the very least, they do not appear to be the top priority for a legislative group that has allowed dollar signs to complicate its priorities.

The New York Times article details a highly suspicious network of foundations and charities that seem to funnel money to CBC members in exchange for influence in Washington. The political and charitable wings of the CBCtook in $55 million dollars between 2004 and 2008, with only $1 million of that coming through their political action committee; the rest came through their unregulated network of foundations, which are allowed to escape campaign finance laws designed to keep legislators from being bought by corporate America.

While the CBC argues that the funds are used to support charitable causes in the African-American community, it seems that the foundation spends more time "big balling" with elaborate corporate events than it spends actually doing work for the community. Federal tax records show that the CBC Foundation spent more money on the caterer for its annual dinner, $700,000 dollars, than it spent giving out scholarships. As my mama used to say, "That’s just trifling."
Even more disturbing are the relationships that the Congressional Black Caucus has formed with industries that clearly do not have the interests of the black community at heart, including the Internet poker industry, cigarette manufacturers, alcoholic beverage producers and rent-to-own companies. Many rent-to-own companies operate in predominantly black neighborhoods and are effectively electronic drug dealers: They give consumers a quick high today in exchange for unethically high fees and massive amounts of debt. Well guess what? The CBC is one of the reasons that the rent-to-own industry has been allowed to expand its operations in urban communities where CBC members don’t even live.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses The State of Black America With Rev. Jesse Jackson

Dr. Boyce Watkins Discusses The State of Black America With Rev. Jesse Jackson

Black News from TheGrio – 2/14/10

• 
  

  Frank Thomas announces retirement from baseball after 19 seasons

  By theGrio

  2:43 PM on 02/12/2010

  CHICAGO (AP) – Frank Thomas has announced his retirement following a 19-season career in which he hit 521 homers and won two American League MVP awards with the Chicago White Sox…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Tennessee diver becomes first black national champion

  By theGrio

  2:29 PM on 02/12/2010

  KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) – Michael Wright, a 22-year-old senior at Tennessee, won the title Monday at the USA Diving Winter National Championships…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Holder may abandon civilian trial for 9/11 mastermind

  By theGrio

  1:14 PM on 02/12/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Eric Holder is leaving open the possibility of trying professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed before a military commission…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Jamie Foxx delivers music, instruments to kids

  By theGrio

  10:20 AM on 02/12/2010

  LOS ANGELES (AP) — Jamie Foxx wanted to entertain a group of musically inclined high school students with a few bars from his Grammy winning hit, "Blame It"…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Haitians hold day of mourning on quake anniversary

  By theGrio

  9:19 AM on 02/12/2010

  PORT-AU-PRINCE(AP) – In many of the outdoor camps, trucks with loudspeakers blast evangelical music while missionaries talk to families under tarps…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Army discharging single mom who refused deployment

  By theGrio

  8:12 AM on 02/12/2010

  SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) – Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, an Army cook stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, was arrested in November after skipping her unit’s deployment flight…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Bill Clinton hospitalized; undergoes heart surgery

  By theGrio

  3:26 PM on 02/11/2010

  NEW YORK (AP) – Former President Bill Clinton had two stents inserted Thursday to prop open a clogged heart artery…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Holyfield’s wife says boxer hit her several times

  By theGrio

  2:40 PM on 02/11/2010

  FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) – Evander Holyfield’s wife claims the boxing great hit her after an argument. She now has a temporary protective order against him…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Haiti’s differing death counts add to confusion

  By theGrio

  10:16 AM on 02/11/2010

  TITANYEN, Haiti (AP) – Wildly conflicting death tolls from Haitian officials have raised suspicions that no one really knows how many people died in the Jan. 12 earthquake…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Caught on tape: High school soccer brawl

  By theGrio

  9:58 AM on 02/11/2010

  VIDEO – Mississippi’s two top 6-A soccer teams went head to head in a championship match that ended in a vicious attack on a player…

  > MORE

• 
  

  Bus tunnel beating spurs criticism of ‘observe and report’ security

  By theGrio

  9:42 AM on 02/11/2010

  VIDEO – Three unarmed security guards were following orders last month when they stood by without intervening as a 15-year-old girl was badly beaten…

  > MORE

• 
  

  South Africans celebrate 20 years of change

  By Robert G. Thompson

  9:23 AM on 02/11/2010

  JOHANNESBURG – The meaning of Mandela’s release doesn’t only resonate with South Africans of color. It hits home to white South Africans as well…

  > MORE

Your News: University of Alabama Huntsville Shooting

U. Alabama Huntsville is confirming that three people were killed in a campus shooting.  The suspect was a female.  Another student was injured, and the woman is in custody.  Another student was injured as well.  The shooting took place in the science building.

News: Girl Beaten and Robbed as Guards Watched

A 15-year-old girl who was badly beaten and robbed in a Seattle bus tunnel as three unarmed security guards looked on told investigators that she thought the men would protect her.

The statements were revealed in court papers filed Wednesday against the teen girl accused of attacking her and the three young men accused of stealing her purse, phone and iPod. The four were all charged with first-degree robbery.

The victim told a King County sheriff’s detective that the group followed her from a nearby department store into the bus tunnel at Westlake Station on Jan. 28, and she deliberately stood next to the three guards.

The guards didn’t intervene, though. They have standing orders to "observe and report," so they called police but did nothing else as another 15-year-old girl punched and repeatedly kicked the victim in the head.

 

Click to read.

Dr. Conrad Murray Still has Patients Who Love Him

One involuntary manslaughter charge later … and Dr. Conrad Murray‘s patients in Las Vegas still can’t wait to put their lives in his hands.
One of his patients — Marietta Lewis — claims Dr. Murray is responsible for saving her life, and she told us, "I made sure to call and have my name added to his patient wait list, so that when he comes back, I will still be under his care."
Well he’s back … Dr. Murray was photographed going into his Las Vegas office yesterday, just two days after he was freed on $75,000 bail.

Click to read.

Sharpton, Jealous and Morial Meet with President Obama

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and three prominent African-American leaders grappled Wednesday with how to improve economic opportunities for blacks, whose joblessness looms well above the national average and is nearly twice that of whites.

On a day of treacherous weather in Washington, Obama kept his scheduled meeting with Benjamin Jealous, president of the NAACP; Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League; and the Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network. Dorothy Height, chairwoman of the National Council of Negro Women, could not make it to the White House because of the pounding snow and winds that kept most of the nation’s capital shut down.

The meeting did not yield immediate announcements or initiatives.

Obama and the other leaders focused on targeting aid to regions to help black people and other groups that have been hit disproportionately hard by the recession, Jealous told The Associated Press.

"When you try to focus on how to lift all those boats, what you come back to are places — geographic areas, urban and rural, where assistance should be located," he said. "That approach can work if Congress lets it work."

He added: "This is about place. It’s not about race."

Click to read.

Reality Star Convicted of Murder

A San Francisco jury has found a former reality TV show contestant guilty of killing a man in 2007.

Twenty-nine-year-old Jamal Rashead Trulove of Oakland was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Prosecutors say Trulove fatally shot 28-year-old Seu Kuka at a San Francisco public housing project in July 2007. Truelove was arrested in Monterey County on a $5 million murder warrant in October 2008.

Click to read.

Gang Intervention Specialist Killed

When Ronald "Loony" Barron urged a young graffiti tagger to put away his paint cans, he was doing what he viewed as his mission – steering kids away from crime – but he paid for it with his life.

Los Angeles police arrested a 16-year-old boy on Tuesday, saying he would be charged with murder for shooting Barron to death Sunday night after Barron confronted him.

A 40-year-old former member of the notorious Crips gang, Barron in more recent years had become a respected anti-gang counselor who had preached against violence in schools and jails.

"He was all about helping children like the little kid who shot him," Barron’s younger brother Anthony Blanks said. "He was out there helping children from making the same mistakes he made."

Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said detectives started working on the case shortly after Barron died of multiple gunshot wounds at a hospital. They soon found a surveillance videotape from a business near the scene of the shooting that showed a tagger at work.

 

Click to read.

NCAA Anti-trust Lawsuit May Lead to Athlete Compensation

A district court judge in San Francisco on Monday denied theN.C.A.A.’s motion for dismissal in a class-action lawsuit headed by the former U.C.L.A. basketball star Ed O’Bannon. The ruling leaves the N.C.A.A.’s licensing contracts open to discovery.

O’Bannon’s lawyers filed the antitrust suit in July, claiming that former athletes should be compensated for the use of their images and likenesses in television advertisements, video games and on apparel. They said Monday’s ruling was an important first step.

“This is a truly historic day — to our knowledge, no one has ever gotten behind the scenes to examine how student-athletes’ current and future rights in their images are divided up and sold,” said Jon T. King of Hausfeld LLP, one of the lead lawyers representing O’Bannon.

Click to read.

Man’s Wife Suspected in His murder, Won’t Get Insurance Payment

Jesse T. Brown was shot in the back two years ago by a white man driving a pickup.

That much of the unsolved homicide police know for sure.

The 24-year-old video game lover and wannabe rap artist was walking to the corner store on Lynnhaven Parkway, not far from his home on Millington Drive in Virginia Beach. His wife, a Navy enlistee, was out at a club with a friend.

Brown’s family has been "suffering," as his father put it, that no one has been arrested.

But now they are equally perplexed at why Brown’s insurance company is withholding a $100,000 payment: The company has identified Brown’s wife, Aspen Smith, as a suspect in the homicide, which was news to everyone, including Smith.

Brown, the assistant manager at a video game store, was talking on his cell phone and walking to the corner store the night of Dec. 1, 2007. A white man in his 20s driving a black pickup stopped near Brown, asked for directions and then opened fire. Brown’s friend, on the other end of the phone, heard the gunshots and then heard nothing.

Brown’s father, Timothy Brown Sr. of Laurinburg, N.C., said he checks in with the investigator, Detective Ray Pickell, about once every other month, but the case has been cold for quite some time.

"I’ve been suffering trying to figure out what’s been going on," he said.

 

Click to read.

Man’s Body Found in Plane Landing Gear

Jiji/Getty

A Delta Airlines jet is inspected on the tarmac at Narita international Airport outside Tokyo Sunday after a dead body was discovered in the landing gear bay.

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Japanese authorities were seeking American help Monday to identify a body found in the landing gear compartment of a  plane that arrived in Tokyo from New York.

A mechanic made the grim discovery after Delta Flight 59 landed at Tokyo’s Narita International Airport about 6:05 p.m. local time Sunday, a Chiba prefecture police spokesman said.

The victim, believed to be a stowaway, was a black man clad in a long-sleeved, plaid shirt and jeans, police said.

Click to read.

Toyota Ignores Black America

Hardy L. Brown

The Toyota automobile company has implemented a worldwide recall of many of its cars with the company reaching out to its customers saying stay with us. Bring your cars in for repair and be careful while driving until you can get it repaired. The executives have been on television, radio and even put paid advertising in major daily newspapers nationwide to inform their customers of the sticking gas pedal and to stay with them. General Motors and Ford have begun advertising the message, bring your Toyota product in for trade to our products. They are doing all of this while ignoring the owners of Black newspapers and radio stations which is an issue for me.

They are aware that we’re here because they have invited us to drive their cars so we could write about how they drive and the quality of their products. They even send us company press releases to publish for our readers.

So they know we are here as a viable business and credible resource to our communities. Yet, when it comes to spending money with any of us, they stop. The same is true with other companies but this article is focused on Toyota from my perspective.

Over the past decade, I would take a quick count of the makes of Toyota autos in the parking lot of St. Paul AME Church on any given Sunday morning. I was doing it because I had a Black owned Lincoln Mercury/Volkswagen dealer advertising in my paper.

Click to read.

Dr. Conrad Murray Appears in Court

Hours after Dr. Conrad Murray was charged with involuntary manslaughter in connection with Michael Jackson’s 2009 death, the embattled physician pleaded not guilty Monday afternoon (February 8) during an arraignment hearing at a Los Angeles courthouse, according to The Associated Press.

Murray’s bail was set at $75,000, three times greater than the bail usually set for such crimes. Without being handcuffed, Murray was then taken into custody for booking. He must surrender his passport, allowing him to travel within the United States but not out of the country. Prosecutors had been seeking bail of $300,000, but Superior Court Judge Keith L. Schwartz rejected that amount. The involuntary-manslaughter charge carries a maximum jail sentence of four years.

 

Click to read.

Black Politics: Cop Not Indicted for Shooting Unarmed Man

NEW ORLEANS – A grand jury on Thursday declined to indict a white police officer who shot an elderly black man in the small Louisiana town of Homer in a case that heightened racial tension and sparked protests.

The panel returned a “no true bill,” meaning the case won’t go to trial, after considering and rejecting a range of charges including murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide against former police officer Tim Cox.

Many in the rural town of 3,800 were outraged by the shooting last February of Bernard Monroe, a 73-year-old left voiceless by cancer. Police said Monroe was armed when he was shot outside his home, but witnesses said he didn’t have a weapon.

The grand jury heard testimony from 20 witnesses over two days, said Kurt Wall, director of the criminal division of the state attorney general’s office. The attorney general handled the case after the local prosecutor recused himself.

“We believe it was a full, complete, accurate and thorough presentation conducted at a neutral site. We respect the grand jury’s decision,” Wall said.

An FBI spokeswoman said the bureau is continuing to investigate the case.

click to read.

Black News: Michael Irvin Arrested for Sexual Assault

A woman claims in a lawsuit filed only days before the Super Bowl that former Dallas Cowboys star Michael Irvin sexually assaulted her at a South Florida hotel, an allegation labelled a false attempt at "civil extortion" on Friday by Irvin’s attorney.

The woman filed the lawsuit on Thursday in Broward County Circuit Court seeking unspecified damages for the assault that allegedly occurred July 4 or 5, 2007, at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

A spokesman for the Broward State Attorney’s office, said the matter remains under investigation but no charges have been filed. Because the woman waited more than two weeks to report the incident, there was no physical evidence or hotel surveillance video.

Stallworth will return

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte’ Stallworth will be reinstated after the Super Bowl from his suspension for killing a pedestrian while driving drunk last March in the Miami area.

 

Click to read.

Black News: latifah Produces Documentary for Vh-1

From AllHipHop.com:

Queen Latifah’s Flavor Unit has inked a deal with VH1 to produce a made for TV comedic drama about two best friends and their views on relationships.

The untitled flick is set in Atlanta and revolves around two African-American women, Keisha, a former video dancer and Val, an aspiring fashion mogul.

The movie was written by Stacy Littlejohn, who will also serve as executive producer, along with Queen Latifah and Flavor Unit’s Shakim Compere.

Click to read.

Black News: Former NFL Star Warren Sapp Arrested

Former NFL star Warren Sapp has been charged with domestic battery in South Florida, and the analyst will not be part of the NFL Network’s Super Bowl coverage on Sunday.

Sapp was charged with one count of misdemeanor domestic battery and is expected to appear before a Miami-Dade County judge Sunday, Miami Beach police spokesman Juan Sanchez said.

The NFL Network spokesman Dennis Johnson released this statement: "We have been made aware of the arrest of Warren Sapp by the Miami Beach Police Department. In light of these circumstances, Warren Sapp will not appear on NFL Network while we review the matter."

The domestic violence allegation was reported around noon Saturday and detectives interviewed Sapp later that day, Sanchez said. The alleged physical altercation against a female acquaintance took place at 6 a.m. ET Saturday at the Shore Club Hotel, where Sapp was staying, ESPN’s Kelly Naqi reported, according to a source.

The victim had a swollen knee and bruises on her neck, according to an arrest affidavit. She told detectives that she was partying with Sapp and her friends at the hotel and asked for his room key when she grew tired. Sapp reportedly woke up the victim a few hours later and they started to argue. She told investigators that Sapp started to choke her and pushed her down on a couch.

Click to read.

Dr. Boyce Watkins on MSNBC: The State of the US Economy

Dr. Boyce Watkins on MSNBC: The State of the US Economy

Man Exonerated by DNA Evidence for 33-Year Old Crime

Rochester, N.Y. – Thirty-three years after his wrongful conviction and 28 years after he was released on parole, Freddie Peacock, 60, has been exonerated with DNA testing at a Thursday hearing in Rochester.
It’s all part of something called the “Innocence Project,” which is affiliated with Cardozo School of Law. Project Co-Director Peter Neufeld and Peackcock’s other attorneys were in court with Peacock.
Peacock, who is mentally ill, was convicted of raping a Rochester woman in December 1976. At that time he told the officers about recent hospitalizations, but they continued to interrogate him until he allegedly confessed to the crime.
He was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. He was later released on parole in 1982.
A state judge in Rochester dismissed Peacock’s conviction Thursday afternoon.

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Obama’s Chief of Staff in Hot Water for “Retarded” Comment

Special Olympics Chairman and CEO Timothy Shriver personally accepted an apology from White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuelon Wednesday, days after comments surfaced in which Emanuel used the word "retarded" to describe a proposal made by a group of liberal Democrats.

According to a joint statement from Shriver and five other disability advocates who attended a meeting at the White House, Emanuel "sincerely apologized for his mistake and the pain it caused in our community." Emanuel also committed to signing an online pledge to make the word obsolete.

"We are thankful to Mr. Emanuel for meeting with us today and hearing our concerns," the statement said.

"Our community has earned the right to be respected instead of ridiculed. We have suffered injustice for generations and we are demanding that it end," the advocates said. "This is another small step on the road to a country that accepts the gifts of all."

Emanuel invited Shriver and the other advocates to meet with him after his months-old remarks came to light in a Wall Street Journal article this week and infuriated members of the disability rights community.

According to the report, last August Emanuel met with liberal groups at a weekly strategy session that highlighted the issue of health care reform. Emanuel used the term "f—ing retarded" after hearing from a group of liberals that they planned to run television ads against the more conservative, reform-averse members of their own party.

 

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Financial News: Homeowners Having Problems

updated 12:25 a.m. ET, Wed., Feb. 3, 2010

In 2006, Benjamin Koellmann bought a condominium in Miami Beach. By his calculation, it will be about the year 2025 before he can sell his modest home for what he paid. Or maybe 2040.

“People like me are beginning to feel like suckers,” Mr. Koellmann said. “Why not let it go in default and rent a better place for less?”

After three years of plunging real estate values, after the bailouts of the bankers and the revival of their million-dollar bonuses, after the Obama administration’s loan modification plan raised the expectations of many but satisfied only a few, a large group of distressed homeowners is wondering the same thing.

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Black News: Vanity Fair Cover Considered Racist

Vanity Fair

One thing magazines love to do is call dibs on who will be the new "It" celebrities in the year to come. Sometimes they pick stars whose careers are destined to take off, occasionally they make incredible calls with near-nobodies who later become A-listers, and usually the majority of their picks fade into oblivion. While we’d like to think celeb bible Vanity Fair puts a great deal of thought and planning into its annual "New Hollywood" issue, this year the editors really limited their scope when it came to choosing the next big stars. (Or perhaps they overemphasized the "Fair"? ) Every woman on its new cover is extremely thin and very, very white. Unless Vanity Fair considers one redhead to be diversity, we feel the need to cry foul.

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News: Police Suspended After Beating Teenager

The city of Pittsburgh has suspended three white police officers while officials investigate accusations that they beat up a black teenage arts student who was walking to his grandmother’s house after dark, the mayor said Monday.

The city agency that handles police misconduct allegations has agreed to complete its investigation of the Jan. 12 confrontation by month’s end, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl said. It must do so before any decision is made on whether to fire the officers.

"Since the investigation will take several weeks to complete, the immediate action I call for today is necessary for the safety of the officers involved, their colleagues and the peace of mind and safety of the entire community," Ravenstahl said.

 

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Tom Joyner Talks to Dr. Boyce Watkins About Black Scholarship

Tom Joyner Talks to Dr. Boyce Watkins About Black Scholarship

Cynthia McKinney Breaks Silence about Government Killings

They shot this Black man in his genitals and in his back.  It sounds like a hate crime to me.  How else could one describe it?
Well, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it was self-defense.  But how many times have we heard self-defense by cops used as a cop out? 

Well, what about Amadou Diallo?  Amadou Diallo was murdered on February 4, 1999 by New York Police Department (NYPD) cops who mistook a wallet for a gun.  They claim that they thought he was going to shoot them and so they shot him in self-defense.  One officer fell as if he had been shot.  41 bullets later, Amadou Diallo had been shot 19 times.  Young Amadou was only 24 years old.  He could survive the itinerant life of an African trading family, moving from Africa to Asia, but he couldn’t survive the mean, racist streets of America.  And the killer cops went free.  Diallo’s mother and step-father settled with the City of New York for $3 million in a lawsuit alleging wrongful death, racial profiling, and violation of Amadou’s civil rights.

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Julianne Malveaux: The Loss in Massachusetts is Not What You Think

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley was a lousy candidate who ran a lousy campaign and lost her bid for Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat as a result. Instead of preserving 60 filibuster-proof votes for Democrats, she handed the Massachusetts senatorial seat to Republican Scott Brown on a silver platter. And, as they are entitled to, Republicans are celebrating, dubbing the extremely conservative Mr. Brown as "41" and suggesting that his election signals a Republican resurgence.

Too many will see this as the waning of President Obama’s influence, but that’s not necessarily the case. Martha Coakley ran a lousy campaign. While Scott Brown was retail politics, she was wholesale. While he was "the people’s candidate", out shaking hands and exuding personality, she was uptight and uncommunicative. It probably ought not matter, but in sports-obsessed Boston she described a Red Socks pitcher as a Yankee fan, exhibiting not only ignorance of sports, but also of her base. She disdained hand shaking and was good for a series of bloopers, which she later described as "jokes". She is so out of touch that in a post-election interview, she said she would not have done anything differently!

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Obama Presented as a Pimp in Tea Party Poster

 

A tea party group in Houston has been passing around a picture of President Obama as a pimp.  TeaParty.org, founded by Dale Robertson sent out an email with the subject line: “Obama Pimpin Obama-Care, One Last Time!.”  Robertson was also shown holding up a sign calling taxpayers “Niggars.” 

Black News: Caressa Cameron Becomes the 7th Black Miss America

Good news for everyone who only sees the negative:

Congats to 22-year-old Caressa Cameron of Fredericksburg, Virginia, who won the Miss America Crown Saturday Night.  She is a student at Virginia Commonwealth University. 

Her platform is on AIDS education.