Archive
Miami Police Dept. Has Killed Seven Black Men in Eight Months?
by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World
Some people in Miami are outraged over the treatment of black men by the Miami Police Department. According to reports, a victim by the name of Travis McNeil made for the 7th black male victim fatally shot by the Miami PD in just 8 months. The shooting of this 28-year-old was the last straw. The New York Times reports:
Unemployment Benefits Disappearing, No Jobs On the Horizon: What Exactly Are People To Do?
Elliot Millner
The news just keeps getting worse for those who are unemployed or underemployed. According to a recent report, despite the fact that the jobless rate in the U.S. continues to rise, many of those newly unemployed people will likely be limited to 26 weeks of state unemployment benefits, at best. This is because the deadline to file for extended federal unemployment benefits expires in December 2011, meaning that if a person hasn’t filed for benefits by approximately July 1, federal benefits won’t be an option.
Add this news to the recent report that the numbers of those chronically unemployed(unemployed from six months to a year or longer) is on the rise and it begs the question: What exactly are these people supposed to do? With Republicans in control of the House of Representatives, and looking to cut spending, the likelihood of any unemployment benefits extensions are slim to none. Read more…
Oprah Honored by Morehouse Scholars
Nyshia Taylor, YourBlackWorld.com
The second part of Oprah’s “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” event was filled with high-profile singers, actors, and journalist, but surprisingly they were not the stars of yesterdays show. There is no doubt that the spotlight moment of the show was when Oprah was honored by a group of scholars from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia.
Study Shows College Majors are Segregated by Race
Nyshia Taylor, YourBlackWorld.com
According to a new study by Georgetown University in Washington D.C. college graduates will make 84 percent more in their lifetime than those with only high school diplomas. The study also shows different majors can lead to significantly different median wages, and that majors are highly segregated by race and gender.
Wheelchair-Bound Man Gets in Scuffle with D.C. Police Officers
Nyshia Taylor, YourBlackWorld.com
Washington D.C. officials are investigating a situation that involves two D.C. police officers in what appears to be them tackling a wheelchair bound man onto the pavement, which resulted in him busting his head.
513 Migrant workers Packed into two US Bound Semis
by Nyshia Taylor, YourBlackWorld.com
An X-Ray machine in Chiapas, Mexico busted two trucks en route from Guatemala to the United States carrying a total of 513 migrant workers.
5-Year-old Prodigy speaks 6 languages, Plays 7 instruments
Your Black World reports.
Spending $1,500 a week on tutoring and lessons for a child may seem absurd to some, but for Mabou Loiseau the results are substantial.
Oprah’s star filled farewell
Your Black World reports.
In case you have been living under a rock and did not know the final episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show will air on May 25th.
Toddler Found Buried Under Concrete
South Carolina toddler Rodricus Williams was found dead when his body was discovered in a trash can buried under 400 pounds of concrete. As if this is not horrific enough the boys father Roger Williams and his girlfriend Grace Nichole Trotman are suspected to be his killers, both have been charged with homicide by child abuse.
Anthony Hopkins, Black Pastor Gets 51-Years in Prison for Putting Wife in the Freezer
Anthony Hopkins, an Alabama evangelist who spent years torturing his family of eight children and killing his wife, then stuffing her body in to a deep freezer, all while preaching the word of God at revivals, got the maximum sentence of life for murder plus 51 years for convictions, including sodomy and sexual abuse.
The 39-year-old evangelist stood devoid of emotion as Circuit Judge John Lockett imposed the sentence last Thursday. Assistant District Attorney Ashley Rich called Hopkins "evil of the worst kind."
Dr. Boyce Watkins: The FAMU Sex Tape May be a Big Ol Lie
From NewsOne.com
Read more about DR. BOYCE: The FAMU Sex Tape May Be A Big Ol’ Lie
TAGS: FAMU, HBCUs, sex scandals
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Brought to you by The Great Black Speakers Bureau, the top black speakers bureau in the world andYour Black World where you can get black news and black social commentary from Dr. Boyce Watkinsand other leading black scholars.
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Black News from TheGrio – 1/25/10
Mo’Nique wins Screen Actors Guild Award for role in ‘Precious’
By theGrio
11:40 AM on 01/24/2010
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Mo’Nique’s trophy came for her searing portrayal of an abusive mother in "Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ By Sapphire."
Reporter’s notebook: Witnessing a miracle in Haiti
10:05 AM on 01/24/2010
DISPATCH – Seventy-two hours. That is the window of time most experts give for finding survivors of a disaster. Yesterday a 24-year old Haitian man was pulled alive from a pile of rubble…
Teen violist alleges Pittsburgh police brutality
By theGrio
11:18 PM on 01/23/2010
PITTSBURGH (AP) – The photos taken by Jordan Miles’ mother show his face covered with raw, red bruises, his cheek and lip swollen, his right eye swollen shut…
theGrio’s Todd Johnson talks to MSNBC about being on the ground in Haiti
By theGrio
9:05 PM on 01/23/2010
VIDEO – MSNBC’s Monica Novotny talks with theGrio.com’s digital journalist Todd Johnson about his coverage in Haiti. Johnson spent a week in Haiti and covered…
Vick shows rebuilt life on BET docu-series
By theGrio
5:51 PM on 01/22/2010
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – Michael Vick returned to the site of his gruesome dogfighting crimes, looked at an empty dog bowl left behind in a dingy cage…
After ‘mistakes,’ Yele Haiti gets new accountants
By theGrio
5:01 PM on 01/22/2010
LOS ANGELES (AP) – The announcement came hours before Jean was to headline a globally broadcast concert called "Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief"…
Jackson estate administrators want cut of profits
By theGrio
4:59 PM on 01/22/2010
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Two men administering Michael Jackson’s estate are seeking 10 percent of profits they’re able to generate from the late pop superstars work…
Mistress buys billboards to expose relationship with Obama adviser
By theGrio
4:55 PM on 01/22/2010
VIDEO – The billboards, reportedly placed in New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco, point people to a website that catalogs in meticulous photographic detail a long romance…
Prince pens tune about Minnesota Vikings
By theGrio
4:10 PM on 01/22/2010
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – The "Purple Rain" songsmith penned "Purple and Gold" after he saw the Vikings beat Dallas at the Metrodome last weekend…
Defiant Obama urges Congress to pass jobs bill
By theGrio
3:18 PM on 01/22/2010
ELYRIA, Ohio (AP) – Obama weaved angry us-against-them rhetoric throughout the day, telling a town hall audience that he "will never stop fighting" for an economy that works for the hard-working…
Pat Robertson Says Haitians Caused Their Own Suffering
Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.
Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."
The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ "
Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.
"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other." Robertson has previously linked natural disasters and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion in the United States. Soon after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 and wreaking unprecedented devastation on New Orleans, Louisiana, Robertson weighed in with his own theory.
Father Accused of locking 7 year old daughter in dryer and turning it on
Steve McClairin,36, is accused of placing his seven-year-old daughter in the dryer, shutting the door, and turning it on.
McClairin was arraigned Wednesday morning on a handful of charges, including two counts of endangering children, felonious assault, kidnapping and domestic violence.
Prosecutors say the accusations in this story are horrific.
"There’s no explaining this type of activity, why any individual would place any human being or any animal or anything in a dryer is unexplainable and to a normal thinking person, there’s no explanation and obviously this man has issues," said Mike O’Malley, First Assistant to Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Bill Mason.
Black News: Sex Has Health Benefits
To paraphrase a great old slogan for Guinness beer: Sex isn’t just good, it’s good for you!
Okay, so maybe there’s some wishful thinking going on — the science isn’t exactly iron-clad — but evidence is accumulating that the more sex you have, the better off you are.
There is one caveat, though. “We do not have good data to show a direct connection [to all-around good health]," says Jennifer Bass, the head of information services at the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction in Bloomington, Ind. "We know that healthier people have more sexual activity. But we do not know which comes first. Does the good health make you more willing to have sex, or does the sex have a positive impact?”
And you dirty girrrls and Don Juans should know that the assumed health benefits of sex are generally thought to accrue to people in loving, monogamous relationships or those flying solo. Risky sex with lots of partners will probably do more harm than good.
Black News: Two girls, 12 and 14 Years old, Rob a Bank
Police in Ohio are searching for two brazen girls, believed to be as young as 12 and 14, who robbed a bank in a Cincinnati suburb and escaped a police dragnet that included a helicopter and dogs.
Ohio police are looking for two girls suspected of robbing a bank.
The baby faced bank robbers, one believed to be 12 years old and the other 14 or 15, entered the 1st National Bank in Symmes Township, "walked up to the bank teller, and gave the teller a note demanding money," Steve Barnett, spokesman for the Hamilton County Sherriff’s Office, said in a statement.
Medgar Evers Prosecutor Goes to Prison
JACKSON, Miss. — Bobby DeLaughter, a former Mississippi prosecutor and judge whose legal conquests became the subject of books and a movie, is set to report to federal prison Monday for lying to the FBI in a judicial bribery investigation.
The next chapter of DeLaughter’s life, as inmate No. 12930-042, marks a long fall from the height of his legal career in 1994 when he was a prosecutor who helped convict a civil rights-era assassin for the 30-year-old murder of NAACP leader Medgar Evers.
The 55-year-old DeLaughter (deh-LAW’-ter) was to report to a federal prison camp in McCreary, Ky., by 2 p.m.
DeLaughter’s lawyer, Thomas Durkin of Chicago, told The Associated Press on Monday that he didn’t know exactly what time DeLaughter would report to prison, but that he wouldn’t be late. A prison official said he was not in custody as of about 10:45 a.m.
Black News Hot off the Grio – 10/26/09
Hampton University basketball player in critical condition after shooting
By theGrio
3:20 PM on 10/26/2009
HAMPTON, Va. – Senior Hampton University basketball captain and forward Theo Smalling was injured early Saturday morning in what a Hampton University (HU) Spokesperson called a senseless accident…
Uncle Remus museum still grapples with race issues
By theGrio
11:40 AM on 10/26/2009
Elementary school students in the room shriek with delight at Wren’s Nest, the very house where newspaperman and author Joel Chandler Harris brought the mischievous characters…
Madonna plants tree to launch Malawi girls school
By theGrio
11:08 AM on 10/26/2009
LILONGWE, Malawi (AP) — Madonna is marking the start of construction at her school for girls in Malawi…
23-year-old basketball player dies of heart attack
By theGrio
10:00 AM on 10/26/2009
LISBON, Portugal (AP) – Kevin Widemond, a 23-year-old American guard, died of a heart attack during a Portuguese basketball tournament…
Dr Boyce: the Megan Williams Story is Unbelievable
- Megan Williams, left, and her mother Carmen Williams stand outside of the Logan County Courthouse Thursday, March 13, 2008, in Logan, W.Va. (AP Photo/Jeff Gentner)
Megan Williams, an African-American woman who was allegedly raped, tortured and kidnapped by a group of seven white men in West Virginia two years ago at the age of twenty is now claiming that she was playing with our minds. It is a shock to hear that Williams is now saying that the story is a lie, a complete fabrication. She is set to recant her story in a press conference today.
The stomach-turning story that involved drinking urine and eating human feces while being raped repeatedly and subjected to racial slurs was something she apparently made up for fun. If Williams were playing with our heads, I only wish she’d come up with a less disgusting way to do it. The problem is that the prosecutor, Brian Abraham, isn’t buying Williams’ new story, and neither am I.
The prosecutor’s position is that he did not convict the defendants based solely on Williams’ testimony. Abraham has stated in published reports that he learned early on that Williams tends to exaggerate and embellish details, perhaps due to the fact that Williams has been described as being “mentally slow.”
Abraham also claims that he did what any good prosecutor should do: achieve a conviction based on physical evidence and the defendants’ statements. If there is evidence that a sexual assault occurred and proof that Williams endured kidnapping and torture, such evidence should certainly outweigh the significance of any statements made by Williams. There are also other possibilities in this case, such as the chance that Williams may be receiving threats that have pressured her to change her testimony.
Black News Hot off thegrio – 10/14/09
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Jesse Jackson escorts kids to school after beating death
By theGrio
12:16 PM on 10/13/2009
CHICAGO (AP) – After an honor student’s brutal beating, the Rev. Jesse Jackson is joining parents in escorting a group of students who attend a high school on Chicago’s South Side…
Detroit school sends kids home due to lack of teachers
By theGrio
11:48 AM on 10/13/2009
VIDEO – Nearly 60 children went to Detroit’s McFarlane Elementary school Monday morning, only to be sent home because there were not enough teachers…
Jamie Foxx talks about ‘Law Abiding Citizen’
By theGrio
10:56 AM on 10/13/2009
VIDEO – Jamie Foxx reflects on the initial fan reactions to "Law Abiding Citizen," his movie co-starring and produced by Gerard Butler….
Sharpton speaks with theGrio about Limbaugh’s bid for Rams
By theGrio
9:34 AM on 10/13/2009
ST. LOUIS (AP) – The Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are attacking a bid by Rush Limbaugh…
Swastika and "Obama" carved into golf course green
By theGrio
9:32 AM on 10/13/2009
VIDEO – Massachusetts Police along with the Secret Service are investigating a troubling act of vandalism at a Lakeville country club…
MLK’s children settle lawsuit over estate
By theGrio
8:50 AM on 10/13/2009
ATLANTA (AP) – After more than 14 hours of discussion, the heirs of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. reached a settlement late Monday that will keep the family from a public jury trial…
Farm share grows cheap vegetables for low-income communities
By Kumasi Aaron
7:05 AM on 10/13/2009
VIDEO – It’s Wednesday afternoon, and for Dominique and her son Dominick, that means one thing: fresh organic produce…
GOP uses ACORN to fight bank redlining law
By theGrio
3:47 PM on 10/12/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — Conservative Republicans are capitalizing on the troubles of community activist group ACORN — ranging from charges of voter registration fraud…
Obama song video prompts protests at NJ school
By theGrio
2:39 PM on 10/12/2009
BURLINGTON TOWNSHIP, N.J. (AP) – It’s an elementary school where students were seen in a video from earlier this year, singing a song in praise of President Barack Obama…
Caught on tape: Bar brawl becomes gun fight
By theGrio
11:41 AM on 10/12/2009
VIDEO – Police in Ohio are investigating a gunfight that broke out at a Toledo bar last week. The entire gun battle was caught on camera…
Your Black News: Michelle Obama Gets Criticized for Her Staff Size
In the past it’s been almost a tradition for America’s first ladies to catch flack from their husbands’ political opponents over the size of their staffs, and Michelle Obama certainly hasn’t been exempt from that. Criticism of her "massive" staff has popped up on email chains, blogs, and chat rooms. But what are the facts regarding how many people are under her employ, and how does the size of her staff compare to that of past first ladies?
On July 1st of this year, the Obama White House posted the Annual Report to Congress on White House Staff on its official blog. A minor uproar over the first lady’s staff size ensued. One critic atCanadianFreePress.com accused the president’s wife of employing an "unprecedented number of staffers" for someone who "doesn’t perform any official duties," while a widely circulated chain email reported that "there has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life." Many other critics of the Obama administration expressed similar sentiments.
Black News: Pregnant 12-Year old Found: Father Accused of Incest
A few weeks ago, we reported on the story of two sisters, one of them a pregnant 12-year-old, who were missing with their adoptive father. Well, time reveals most mysteries, and this one has become a bit clearer.
The father of the two girls, Mathew Hess, has been charged with indecent liberties with a child, first-degree rape and felony incest between near relatives.The father has already been charged with child neglect and two counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Visit Your Black World for the latest in Black News!
Black News: Judge on Trial for Allegedly Sodomizing Inmates
Judge Herman Thomas
The trial of a former US judge accused of having sex with male inmates in exchange for leniency is set to start in Mobile, Alabama.
Herman Thomas, 48, denies the charges, which include sodomy, kidnapping, extortion, sex abuse and assault.
Up to 15 current and former prisoners are set to testify against him at the jury trial.
He was once the Democratic Party’s choice to be the first black federal judge in south Alabama.
Mr Thomas resigned as a judge in 2007 following allegations that he spanked inmates in his private office at the county courthouse with a paddle.
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Black News from TheGrio – 10/5/09
School to be named after the nation’s first black priest
By theGrio
9:02 AM on 10/05/2009
Columbia’s first Catholic high school will be named after the nation’s first known black priest. The Rev. Augustine Tolton was born into slavery in Ralls County in 1854…
Despite path to recovery, employers aren’t ready to hire
By theGrio
7:42 AM on 10/05/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) – Job hunters will face long odds well into next year. As the unemployment rate inches closer to 10 percent, most businesses are nowhere close to hiring again…
NAACP holds rally in Rockford, calls for new investigation in shooting
By theGrio
7:17 AM on 10/04/2009
NAACP president and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous returned to Rockford on Saturday for his second rally in the city about 90 miles northwest of Chicago…
‘Housewives’ cast member’s ex-fiance dies in fight
By theGrio
3:30 PM on 10/03/2009
ATLANTA (AP) — The former fiance of a cast member from "The Real Housewives of Atlanta" died Friday night after a fight outside an Atlanta strip club…
Wyclef Jean goes back to school
By theGrio
4:54 PM on 10/02/2009
BOSTON (AP) – Wyclef Jean is going back to school to earn a degree from Boston’s Berklee College of Music.
U.S jobless rate is the highest since June of 1983
By theGrio
11:18 AM on 10/02/2009
VIDEO – The U.S. unemployment rate rose to 9.8 percent in September as employers cut far more jobs than expected…
Kanye West and Lady Gaga’s tour canceled without explanation
By theGrio
8:38 AM on 10/02/2009
NEW YORK (AP) — Kanye West and Lady Gaga’s highly anticipated tour is over before it even began…
Meet Jay Leno’s new comedy queen
By Todd Johnson
8:03 AM on 10/02/2009
VIDEO – Marina Franklin’s everyday comedy helped land her a spot on NBC’s "The Jay Leno Show" …
Your Black News: Author Writes a Book for Ex-Cons to Start Businesses
from AOL Black Voices, Your Black World
In the first book published by her New York-based Resilience Multimedia, Sheila Rule delivers much-needed information to a segment of society that has long been ignored: the incarcerated and formerly incarcerated. In ‘Think Outside The Cell: An Entrepreneur’s Guide for the Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated’ by Joseph Robinson, readers learn vital information, including how to overcome obstacles that convicted felons face while trying to reenter society and find work.
Rule, who worked at The New York Times for 30 years before her recent retirement, was spurred to start her publishing company after writing to the incarcerated as a volunteer for the Riverside Church Prison Ministry. With funding from the Ford Foundation, she plans to publish next year the ‘Think Outside the Cell’ book series featuring real-life stories by the incarcerated, formerly incarcerated and their families. Rule takes time to talk about the book with AOL Black Voices.
AOL Black Voices: How did you come up with the idea for the book?
Sheila Rule: Joe’s book has been published amid renewed efforts to help the formerly incarcerated-who are disproportionately black and Latino-successfully reenter society. But Joe believes that the reentry programs being developed, while commendable, too often focus on finding jobs in a nation where, according to a Princeton University study, it is easier for a white person with a felony conviction to get a job than for a black person who has never been arrested. Joe believes that "Think Outside the Cell" presents a largely unexplored option-entrepreneurship-that can help give men and women leaving prison a realistic second chance
Black News from The Grio –9/17/09
Newborn found in storm drain
By theGrio
2:14 PM on 09/17/2009
VIDEO — An infant is recovering after spending two hours in a Georgia storm drain. The search began after an 18-year-old woman showed up at a Dekalb hospital…
Reactions to President Carter’s comments
10:00 AM on 09/17/2009
VIDEO – TheGrio went to the streets to see how people feel about what the former president had to say. Watch the video and then share your opinion with us…
Chris Brown begins community service in Virginia
By theGrio
9:07 AM on 09/17/2009
VIDEO — Chris Brown cleared weeds and debris at police horse stables in Virginia on Wednesday for the first day of his 180-day court-ordered community service for beating ex-girlfriend Rihanna…
Ohio woman spanks a stranger’s child
By theGrio
8:19 AM on 09/17/2009
VIDEO – Spanking a child in public usually won’t cause too much of a ruckus, unless it’s not your child. Gloria Ballard is accused of swatting a toddler’s behind…
Abercrombie & Fitch sues Beyonce over plan for fragrance
3:42 PM on 09/16/2009
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Teen clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. is suing singer Beyonce Knowles over her plans for a fragrance named after Sasha Fierce, her alter ego…
Caught on tape: Attempted home invasion
By theGrio
3:40 PM on 09/16/2009
VIDEO – She claimed to be his mother’s cousin, but he didn’t open the door…
Detroit youth create anti-marijuana PSA
By theGrio
2:14 PM on 09/16/2009
VIDEO — A group of Detroit teenagers are using their talents to create a PSA that will hopefully keep their peers off drugs. A recent study across Detroit…
Study: Patient care varies between races
By theGrio
6:46 AM on 09/16/2009
VIDEO – Past medical research has shown that when it comes to a variety of nonemergency medical procedures and conditions, racial disparities exist
Caught on tape: Kid beaten on school bus
By theGrio
5:16 PM on 09/15/2009
VIDEO – The 17-year-old victim was white and his 14 and 15-year-old assailants were black. Police released a video of the beating, which shows the victim being punched repeatedly…
Taylor Swift and Kanye West finally speak after outburst
3:00 PM on 09/15/2009
NEW YORK (AP) — It looks like Kanye West has finally given a personal apology to Taylor Swift. Representatives from "The View" say West called the country sensation after her appearance on Tuesday’s show.
What Obama Needs Right Now
By Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University
MSNBC’s TheGrio.com.
- Obama prepares for pivotal health care speech
- Michael Vick warns students about the dangers of peer pressure
- Welcome to the age of "No Child Left Un-Politicized"
This week, Michael Jordan will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He will always be remembered for his many accomplishments and record-breaking achievements in the sport. However, as President Obama prepares to put on a full-court press for health care reform in a speech to Congress tonight, he needs only to look back at one performance from "His Airness" to gain inspiration.
Twelve years ago, in the NBA Finals, Michael Jordan was going to lose. Sick with the flu, he could barely walk, and his aura of invincibility had been shattered in the eyes of the American public. Mike was going to finally relinquish one of his many titles and Karl Malone was going to get the championship that we all now know he never received.
But Mike was Mike, and Karl wasn’t. Mike found a way to win and Karl Malone found a way to become "posterized" as yet another footnote in the astonishing legacy of the great Michael Jordan. Every great man or woman has an opportunity to build his or her legend, and it comes during the most trying of times. It is how we respond to these moments that make the difference between becoming Michael Jordan or just another Charles Barkley.
The President Gives a Week to HBCUs
by DANIELLE CANADA September 3, 2009, 10:36am
HBCU Alumni will be thrilled to learn that the week of August 30 through September 5, 2009 is officially National HBCU Week. The White House released a proclamation from the President officiating the week and praising HBCUS for spawning some of America’s most notorious Black leaders.
“For more than 140 years, HBCUs have released the power of knowledge to countless Americans. Graduates of HBCUs have gone on to shape the course of American history-from W.E.B. DuBois and Booker T. Washington, to Langston Hughes and Thurgood Marshall. Today, in twenty States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin_Islands, these colleges and universities are serving hundreds of thousands of students from every background and have contributed to the expansion of the African American middle class, to the growth of local communities, and to our Nation’s overall economy…”
Whitney Houston is Not As Good as She used to be
Whitney Houston struggled with her voice during her much-hyped comeback performance on ABC’s "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. But industry prognosticators don’t expect the diva to trip up on the charts next week.
"I Look To You" — Houston’s first album in seven years — is expected to sell upward of 200,000 copies during the week ended September 6, which should easily enable it to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart when rankings are released next Wednesday.
Black News off the Grio – 8/29/09
Author, musician discusses Katrina’s legacy in New Orleans
3:00 PM on 08/29/2009
VIDEO – Ned Sublette speaks about being an author, historian, and musician who lived in New Orleans, Louisiana for the year leading up to hurricane Katrina.
New Orleans native talks about family struggles after Katrina
By theGrio
2:00 PM on 08/29/2009
VIDEO — Charelle Strahan’s grandmother will never be counted among Hurricane Katrina’s 1400-plus casualties. She died in February 2006, six months after the storm had passed, but as Strahan puts it…
SAT scores still low for African-American youth
By Todd Johnson
5:40 PM on 08/28/2009
VIDEO – More minorities are taking the SAT, but test scores for black students remain lowest among racial and ethnic groups, according to data released this week by the College Board.
Coroner: Drugs killed Jackson
5:05 PM on 08/28/2009
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson’s death was a homicide caused primarily by the powerful anesthetic propofol and another sedative, the coroner announced Friday
Naked man hijacks a school bus
By theGrio
1:20 PM on 08/28/2009
ATLANTA (AP) — Corey Turner was mowing the lawn of a southeast Atlanta church Thursday when he did a double-take: A public school bus that was hijacked by a shirtless man was careening down a nearby road at around 25 mph, and screaming kids were jumping out the back of the vehicle…
Williams sisters and James Blake ready for the U.S. Open
12:11 PM on 08/28/2009
Venus and Serena Williams, James Blake and others came to Bryant Park to show off their tennis skills before the US Open starts on Monday.
Australia debates whether Aboriginal policies are racist
12:10 PM on 08/28/2009
SYDNEY (AP) – A U.N. expert’s harsh criticism of Australia’s Aboriginal policy reopened a national debate Friday on a decades-old issue: how best to help the country’s original settlers and most disadvantaged minority.
Wax figure of Michael Jackson unveiled
By theGrio
11:55 AM on 08/28/2009
Michael Jackson’s music will live on long after his death, and so will his image, in several different ways.
NAACP challenges rapper C-Murder’s conviction
8:45 AM on 08/28/2009
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The head of the Louisiana NAACP is calling on the state Supreme Court’s chief justice to intervene in the case of rap artist Corey "C-Murder" Miller, who was sentenced earlier this month to life in prison for killing a youth in a nightclub…
Vick feels the brotherly love in his Eagles debut
6:36 AM on 08/28/2009
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — It’s been a long time since Michael Vick heard such sweet sounds.As Vick entered Thursday night’s preseason game against Jacksonville on the second play from scrimmage, many in the crowd stood and cheered. Although he never acknowledged the support, Vick was thrilled about the reception from the Philadelphia fans…
Venus and Serena Buy a Part of a Team
They might spend most of their time on the tennis courts, but Venus and Serena Williams are avid football fans. So much so that they purchased a small ownership in the Miami Dolphins. The deal, which was announced this week, makes Venus and Serena the first female African Americans to have an ownership stake in an NFL team.
"I am so excited to be part of such a renowned organization," Serena said. "Having spent so much of my childhood in the area, being involved with a staple of Miami culture is a huge honor. We look forward to many championships and much success together with the Miami Dolphins."
Medicine on Call: How to deal with Chronic Pain in a Natural Way
Dr. Elaina George tells you how to deal with Chronic Pain in a natural and healthy way.
Dr. Wilmer Leon Analyzes Obama’s Position on Afghanistan
Under the pretext of responding to the September 11, 2001 attacks in America, the United and States and Great Britain invaded Afghanistan on October 7, 2001 under the banner of Operation Enduring Freedom. President Bush 41’ told the American people that the US strikes were,
“…designed to disrupt the use of Afghanistan as a terrorist base of operations, and to attack the military capability of the Taliban regime…we will make it more difficult for the terror network to train new recruits and coordinate their evil plans. Initially, the terrorists may burrow deeper into caves and other entrenched hiding places…At the same time, the oppressed people of Afghanistan will know the generosity of America and our allies. As we strike military targets, we will also drop food, medicine and supplies to the starving and suffering men and women and children of Afghanistan… ”
During the 2008 presidential campaign, candidate Obama promised to immediately withdraw troops from Iraq in order to bolster the forces in Afghanistan in order to defeat the Taliban and Al Qaeda. “It’s time to refocus our attention on the war we have to win in Afghanistan.”
I believe that this tactic was taken by the Obama team in order to placate the anti-Iraq contingent of the American electorate on the left while not leaving himself vulnerable to the “soft on defense” hawkish argument on the right. As a campaign tactic this approach proved to be successful. In reality, this may prove to be one of the greatest miscalculations President Obama has made. The real question here becomes, what’s the best tactic to accomplish this end?
Dr Boyce Talks Ted Kennedy’s Legacy for MSNBC
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – MSNBC’s TheGrio.com
(AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, FILE)
Many of us once joked that Bill Clinton was the "first black president" (which he wasn’t). We had it wrong. If such a title were to be given to any white man, that should have to be the late Senator Ted Kennedy. He was never president of the United States, but he was certainly one of the kings of his generation.
As a member of the Senate since 1962, Senator Kennedy had a long career fighting for those forced to live in the underbelly of a capitalist society. Over the last 47 years, he has done it better than nearly any politician in American history. African-Americans were among the many beneficiaries of his passionate life’s work, and for that, we will always be appreciative.
In a multitude of areas including housing, income, civil liberties, and equality, Ted Kennedy has been on the front lines. His brother John introduced the Civil Rights Act of 1964, considered to be one of the most impactful pieces of legislation ever produced by our government. After John’s death, Ted and his brother Robert were instrumental in seeing that the bill was passed.
Senator Ted Kennedy then went on to help pass one law after another to support the rights of the elderly, the sick, the poor and the incarcerated. He introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Civil Rights Act of 1991, The Civil Rights for Institutionalized Persons Act, among others. He also helped to amend the Fair Housing Act, and has fought relentlessly for those who’ve never known the comfort of attending an Ivy League University.
Senator Kennedy’s political compassion, as well as his complicated coping mechanisms, may be linked to the tragedy he experienced during his life. As a young child, he watched his sister Rosemary endure a failed lobotomy, saw his brother Joseph die in World War II and then witnessed his older sister Kathleen’s death in a plane crash. This tragedy was compounded by the assassinations of his two brothers, Robert and John during the 1960s. This kind of pain doesn’t heal easily, and few families endure such an amazing amount of personal tragedy. It is quite possible that the weight of his psychological pain gave Senator Kennedy the ability to empathize with the struggles of others, as well as the strength to fight through hurdles presented by his adversaries.
Your Black Celebrity News: Judge Puts the HAMMER down on Chris Brown!
A judge on Tuesday sentenced Chris Brown to five years’ probation and six months’ community labor for the beating of Rihanna and ordered the R&B singer to stay away from his former girlfriend for the next five years.
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they’re attending music industry events.
A probation report prepared for Tuesday’s sentencing describes two previous violent incidents. It said the first happened about three months before the February beating while the couple was traveling in Europe; Rihanna slapped Brown during an argument, and he shoved her into a wall. In the second instance, Brown allegedly broke the front and passenger side windows on a Range Rover they were driving while visiting Barbados, Rihanna’s home country. Neither attack was reported, the probation report states.
Why Doesn’t Allen Iverson Have a Job?
Dr. Deborah Stroman, a leading scholar on Leadership and Sport, was asked why Allen Iverson can’t find a job. Here is what she had to say.
“Money is only one aspect of a good veteran not being picked up by a team. The other factor is leadership. If the organization is trying to develop new leaders, the coach and/or general manager will not gamble the new leader’s development and team chemistry with the introduction of a veteran leader. And this veteran leadership may be displayed by performance or verbal acumen. For example, you may have a veteran wide receiver or running back who doesn’t talk much but has the potential to dominate on the field. A younger player may be drawn to that performer as a role model and not the new leader (often times the quarterback) who is trying to gain influence and control of “his” team. Or the veteran leader may be charismatic and draw attention to himself and away from the leaders that the organization is rightfully trying to impose on the other players. The organization feels that the signing of the veteran player is just not worth the risk.”
Dr. Elaina George: Michael Jackson’s “Teachable Moment”
The following is a statement made by Dr. Elaina George, an Otolaryngologist out of Atlanta and advocate for physicians.
‘Michael Jackson did not have a chance’ was my first thought when I read the report that just came out about what caused his untimely and tragic death. I was unprepared for the absolute disregard for the first tenant of the doctors’ Hippocratic Oath – First do no harm.
There was no way that harm would not have come to Mr. Jackson. It was beyond negligent to give him a mixture of three different kinds of sedatives, a muscle relaxant, an antidepressant in addition to Propofol, a general anesthetic that is only used in an operating room setting (because it can stop someone’s breathing). Each of these drugs by themselves can be lethal, but together it is a recipe that will almost definitely kill someone. I can think of no medical scenario that would justify mixing these kinds of drugs. Hopefully, Mr. Jackson’s death will teach us that prescription drugs, though helpful are no substitute for doctors doing everything in their power to protect the health of their patients, including just saying no when it is appropriate.
Your Black News: Michael’s Doctor Had Major Financial Problems
AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Pool Photographer
Hmmm…maybe that’s why Dr. Conrad Murray is being so cooperative with the Los Angeles Police Department. And the Las Vegas Police Department. And the Clark County Sheriff’s Department. And the Drug Enforcement Administration.
It seems it’s not the good doctor’s first time at the rodeo.
A check of Michael Jackson‘s physician’s legal past has revealed everything from domestic violence charges (of which he was acquitted) to financial woes (which at one point included a bankruptcy filing) to his latest headache (you know, other than that whole target-of-a-manslaughter-investigation thing), the possibility that his Las Vegas home could soon be foreclosed upon.
Let’s hope the feds treaded lightly during yesterday’s search. Depreciation can be a real bitch.
Documents filed July 23 with the Clark County Recorder reveal that Murray could face foreclosure on his gated country club estate as soon as November. Though the timing on the filing may seem a bit like kicking Murray when he’s down, Jackson’s doctor reportedly fell more than $100,000 into debt on the home, with his last payment, of $15,000, being made in January of this year. (Which may be why Murray was so keen to stay in Jackson’s good graces and keep the $150,000-a-month salary that came with it.)
As for Murray’s less current troubles, here’s a rundown of his legal lowlights:
Black News from TheGrio – 08/22/09
First black NFL official dies at 81
1:55 PM on 08/21/2009
CASTRO VALLEY, Calif. (AP) — Burl Toler, the first African-American official in NFL history who went on to work one Super Bowl in a distinguished career, has died. He was 81.
Female boxers will get a chance at Olympic gold
By theGrio
12:38 PM on 08/21/2009
For anyone who doubts a woman can hit or ever score a knockout punch, look no further than these women. Some are college students on scholarship and they all fight to win.
Urban farming may save the hip-hop generation
By John Baiata
12:21 PM on 08/21/2009
When Darren ("The Human Beat Box") Robinson was at his improvising best, rapping for "The Fat Boys" during the 80’s and early 90’s, fat was phat.
Naked man arrested for assault on plane
By theGrio
9:01 AM on 08/21/2009
VIDEO — Authorities say a flight was forced to return to Oakland International Airport after a male passenger stripped, hit another passenger and fought with crew members.
Poll: Americans losing confidence in Obama
8:01 AM on 08/21/2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll says that Americans, concerned over the future of health care reform and anxious about the growing federal budget deficit, are losing faith in President Barack Obama.
Burress’ teammates saddened by plea deal
3:24 PM on 08/20/2009
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Plaxico Burress’ decision to plead guilty to a weapons charge and accept two years in prison surprised his former New York Giants teammates
2 teenagers charged as adults in hate crime against elderly black fisherman
2:39 PM on 08/20/2009
Two teenagers were arrested Thursday and charged as adults in what police say was the racially motivated beating of an elderly black fisherman.
Same-sex couples stage ‘kiss-in’ to protest treatment at diner
By theGrio
12:15 PM on 08/20/2009
VIDEO – Dozens of same-sex couples locked lips inside a popular Maryland diner Wednesday to protest the treatment of a lesbian couple there.
Did Marion Barry Get His Wife Evicted?
This week’s Loose Lips column delves into the background behind Mayor Adrian M. Fenty’s move to evict Cora Masters Barry and her Recreation Wish List Committee from the Southeast Tennis and Learning Center—a beautiful eight-year old facility in Congress Heights.
Some questions remain unanswered: For one, why did this happen in the first place? When the story initially broke, Attorney GeneralPeter Nickles explained that the city discovered that RWLC’s corporate registration had lapsed through “random checks of nonprofit organizations that do business with the city.”
LL finally connected yesterday with Nickles to ask him about the origin of the probe. He says the random check was part of a Fenty administration effort to review city arrangements with nonprofit organizations in the wake of misconduct allegations against Ward 8 Councilmember Marion Barry.
Your Black News: Guess Who’s Loving the Chocolate?
Simon Cowell’s woman, Sinitta Malone. What you think?
Your Black News: Michael Vick Expected to Head to the Field Thursday
Michael Vick is expected to play for the Eagles on Thursday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. I guess this is the end of the most interesting 2 years of his life.
Your black News: Prison Population Set to be Reduced in California
A controversial bill that California legislators say would allow the early release of more than 27,000 inmates from crowded prisons will be taken up by the state Assembly on Monday.
Inmates at Mule Creek State Prison in Ione, California, interact in a gym modified to house them in August 2007.
The Senate on Thursday passed the corrections package 21-19, after Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, assured senators the changes would protect the public from the most violent offenders.
The legislation also would direct more resources toward parolees, he said.
Senate Republicans say the bill would undermine public safety. All 15 Senate Republicans voted against the measure.
Both houses of the legislature are controlled by Democrats.
Consideration of the bill comes as California faces a mid-September deadline for reducing itsprison population by about 40,000 inmates. A special panel of three federal judges issued the order, contending the crowded prison system violates prisoners’ constitutional rights.
The judges said they will make the reductions themselves if the state fails to act.
The measure would save the financially strapped state $524.5 million, according to a statement from Steinberg’s office.
When coupled with budget revisions that lawmakers made in July, the total corrections savings would be $1.2 billion, he said. That is the amount that Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants as part of his efforts to cut state spending and balance the budget.
Comparing Him to Hitler Now? Jeez
Lyndon LaRouche, an overzealous and obviously ignorant political action instigator decided to compare Barack Obama’s new Healthcare plan to Hitler. Perhaps LaRouche’s mama should be compared to Hitler for giving birth to him.
Child’s Abduction Brings Up Questions
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The tearful foster father of a missing five-year-old boy with cerebral palsy said Thursday he believes the child was kidnapped and pleaded for his safe return.
Meanwhile, authorities intensified their round-the-clock search for Hasanni Campbell, who disappeared Monday in an upscale Oakland neighborhood.
His foster father, Louis Ross, the last known person to see Hasanni, said the boy disappeared after he briefly left him outside his car in the rear parking lot of a shoe store where Ross’ fiancee, Jennifer Campbell, works.
Ross said he went to the store’s front entrance to ask Campbell to open the back door, but when he returned to the parking lot, Hasanni was gone.
"We refuse to give up hope. We know he wouldn’t walk away like that," Ross told The Associated Press Thursday. "Whoever has him, let him go. Please drop him off somewhere — the police, a hospital, a school. Somewhere. Please."
Dr. Boyce Joins the Al Sharpton Show
Dr Boyce Watkins of Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition is now slated for a weekly segment on "Keeping it Real with Al Sharpton." The show is currently syndicated in 18 cities across the nation and adding new affiliates each week. Every Monday from 1:15 – 2:15 pm EST, Dr. Watkins and Rev. Sharpton will discuss political issues of the day and matters affecting our nation. To find out more about the show, please visit www.SharptonTalk.net or www.BoyceWatkins.com.
To see Dr. Watkins’ latest articles with MSNBC’s "TheGrio.com", please visit this link: http://www.thegrio.com/author/dr-boyce-watkins-1/
To see Dr. Watkins’ latest work with AOL Black Voices, please visit: http://blogs.blackvoices.com/bloggers/boyce-watkins-phd/
To listen to Dr. Watkins’ last conversation with Rev. Sharpton, please click here.
In light of President Obama’s recent announcement that African American education should be a top priority for Black leadership, Dr. Watkins will be speaking with Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and other African Americans on ways to directly challenge the astronomical dropout rates for African American students. Many of these issues are addressed in Dr. Watkins’ book, "Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About College." To start the academic year, Dr. Watkins will be distributing free e-copies of this book to members of the Your Black World Coalition during the month of September, 2009. We will also be reaching out to President Obama to offer support in solving this problem, for we firmly believe that managing the dropout rate is one of the keys to saving our great nation.
For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.
Williams Sisters Considering Buying a Share of Miami Dolphins
Serena Williams and her sister Venus are in preliminary talks to become part-owners of the NFL‘s Miami Dolphins, the 11-time grand slam winner confirmed on Wednesday.
"There have been preliminary talks and hopefully it will work out," Serena Williams told reporters after her second round win over Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova at the Toronto Cup. "That would be a great opportunity for both of us.
"We’ll see what happens, you never know."
If they did acquire a stake in the Dolphins, the Williams sisters would join musicians Jimmy Buffet and Gloria and Emilio Estefan, who became minority partners in the team earlier this year.
Buffett, owner of Margaritaville Enterprises, signed a deal in May, which includes the team’s stadium being renamed after his LandShark Lager beer for the 2009 season.
The Williams, who live in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, are not described as big NFL fans but view the Dolphins as a vehicle to promote themselves.
"Venus and I are always trying to expand our brand," said Williams. "If the opportunity presents itself we would love to see where it can take us.
"Hopefully we’ll be able to expand our brand."
Oprah’s Highly Anticipated Season Premiere
This fall will be Oprah’s 24th season of her talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”, and she is claiming that the season premiere will be one of the most anticipated shows of this decade. So what is going to make this episode so spectacular you may ask, well “O” will be interviewing Whitney Houston. This will be Whitney’s first interview in almost seven years so this definitely should be interesting. The premiere will air Monday September 14, and make sure you watch it.
Costco Removes Black “Lil Monkey” dolls from their Shelves
Costco Wholesale pulled dolls out of East Coast stores more than a week ago after at least one complaint that they were racially offensive.
The dolls — which came in African-American, Caucasian and Hispanic versions — were accompanied by stuffed monkeys and wore hats reading, "Lil’ Monkey."
At least one customer in the Greensboro, N.C., area complained to Costco that the theme was racially offensive with the African-American doll, according to television reports from that area.
"Immediately Costco and our company made the decision to pull the product off the shelves," said Mary Gustaff, CEO of the Federal Way company that designed the dolls, The Brass Key. Also known as BrassKey Keepsakes, it is a family-owned company that has been in business more than 28 years.
Falsely Accused Texans Await Reparations
By theGrio
About 40 former Texas inmates cleared by DNA evidence are looking forward to a big payday on September 1st.
Texas leads the nation in DNA exonerations. According to The Innocence Project – a legal organization that handles these cases – 241 prisoners have been cleared nationwide in the past 20 years. Thirty-eight were convicted in Texas. Now, the state is trying to make up for their lost time.
The last time Jerry Evans was in a courtroom was 23 years ago when a jury sentenced him to life in prison for sexual assault. But this summer DNA evidence cleared him.
"Had these test results been available at the time of the trial, you would not have been convicted in this case," the judge said at his exoneration hearing.
Evans walked out of prison a free man – cleared of any wrongdoing.
"Now that I look back at it," said Evans, "I wonder now how in the hell I did 23 years in prison."
Click here to read the rest
Is the Worst Behind Us?
BEN FELLER
President Barack Obama on Friday welcomed a dip in unemployment as evidence "the worst may be behind us" with the recession well into its second year.
Earlier, however, the White House said that the president still expects unemployment to hit 10 percent sometime later this year.
White House press secretary Robert Gibbs said the two positions don’t contradict each other.
"I would describe the report that came out today as the least bad report that we’ve had in a year," Gibbs said. "But we still have a long way to go."
The new Labor Department numbers show that employers cut 247,000 jobs in July, another job loss but also the smallest reduction of any month this year. The unemployment rate dropped marginally from 9.5 percent to 9.4 percent, although one of the reasons for that change is that hundreds of thousands of people left the labor force.
"Today, we’re pointed in the right direction," Obama said in brief remarks in the Rose Garden hours after the report was released. "While we’ve rescued our economy from catastrophe, we’ve also begun to build a new foundation for growth."
Even so, Obama said: "We have a lot further to go. As far as I’m concerned, we will not have a true recovery until we stop losing jobs." He also said he won’t rest until "every American that is looking for a job can find one."
The president used the new jobs figures not only to pitch the benefits of the already passed stimulus package but also to press for policy changes on health care, education and energy that he seeks.
Joe Budden Gets Jumped by Wu Tang
Members of the Wu Tang Clan have been beefin’ with Joe Budden ever since Joe claimed that he is a better rapper than Wu Tang member Method Man, but recently things went a little too far. While Joe was recording his online show this weekend Raekwon, who is also a member of Wu Tang, confronted him which lead to Joe getting jumped by other members of the rap group. As if all of this wasn’t bad enough the fight was recorded and they made Joe apologize. Click here to watch Joe speak about the incident.
Sherri Shepherd Shows off Her Body
Sherri Shehperd showed off her new body yesterday on The View. Overall, she lost ten inches over a period of several months. CONGRATS to her!!!
Florida Woman Suspended from Work for not Speaking to Mayor
JEFF BURNSIDE
If you see the mayor of Deerfield Beach, Florida out on the street, you better say hello.
City maintenance worker Cassandra Moye was suspended for two days without pay for failing to greet Mayor Peggy Noland while at work earlier this week.
Moye has the unenviable job of cleaning up trash and restrooms for $12.33 a hour, a job she was suspended from for failure to pay homage to the mayor while she spoke with Moye’s boss.
"I didn’t speak to the mayor and so my supervisor suspended me for two days," Moye said. "She is the Mayor, but I don’t know her personally and I didn’t think it was right for me to interrupt them, so I just kept about my work."
Moye’s supervisor, George Edmunds issued Moye a memo stating Moye was being suspended because "the disrespectful attitude you displayed to the Mayor was unacceptable."
Moye said she was also threatened with termination.
Black Ice Cream Truck Driver Beaten by Three White Men
By theGrio via AP
Three white men have been jailed on a hate crime charge in the beating of a black suburban ice cream vendor.
Victor McDonald, 44, said the July 22 beating left him with facial fractures and blurred vision. He told the Houston Chronicle for a story in Wednesday editions that he has forgiven his assailants but can’t understand why he was attacked.
"For God’s sake, I sell ice cream," McDonald said. "What threat did I pose to them?"
Dale Howell, 36, Troy Elledge, 42, and Christopher Elledge, 20, are charged with aggravated assault with a hate crime enhancement. Aggravated assault is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison, but the enhancement raises the maximum penalty to life imprisonment.
It is the first time the enhancement has been used for a second-degree felony in Harris County since Texas’ hate crime law took effect in 2001, said Donna Hawkins, spokeswoman for the Harris County District Attorney’s office.
All three suspects were being held in the Harris County Jail. Bond was set at $30,000 apiece for the Elledges, whose relationship was not clear, and at $40,000 for Howell. None has attorneys yet, court spokeswoman Mary Leal said.
The suspects blocked McDonald’s ice cream truck and beat him while shouting racial epithets on a northwest Harris County street, police said.
The blows broke McDonald’s nose and bones around his left eye. He said his vision remains blurry, but he is hopeful it will improve as his skull heals.
McDonald, who has been selling ice cream since June when he was laid off from a job selling wireless service, said he won’t return to driving the ice cream truck.
"These people have friends and family members. I’m a marked man," he said.
Click here to watch the news story
Suspected Killer of Vernon Forrest goes to Court
By theGrio
As his grandmother sat nearby weeping, a 20-year-old man charged with killing ex-boxing champion Vernon Forrest had his first appearance in court Wednesday morning.
Demario Ware, who turned himself in to authorities Tuesday night, is charged with murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
He appeared at a jailhouse hearing in front of Fulton County Magistrate Sylvia McCoy, who read him the charges. Wearing a navy blue jail jumpsuit and handcuffs, Ware said nothing other than "yes, ma’am" and kept his eyes on the floor. He is being held without bond.
Ware’s grandmother, Rose Thomas, sat in the courtroom crying.
"He wasn’t raised up to do the thing he done," she said after the hearing. "I’m sorry to the gentleman that got killed and his family. I know if I’m hurting like I am, then I know they’re hurting."
Police say Forrest, 38, was shot to death July 25 after he chased a man who robbed him of his championship ring and Rolex watch. No other arrests have been made in the case, but police do not believe Ware is the person who shot Forrest.
The investigation continues into the shooting.
Rihanna’s Mom Speaks on Her Relationship with Chris
The picture above is of Chris Brown as he left the court house yesterday where he was suppose to be given his community service time, but that court date has been changed to another date. In other Chrianna (haven’t seen that in a while) news Rihanna’s mom has spoke with Star Magazine about her concerns of Rihanna still wanting to be around Chris.
I’m devastated, but what can I do? We love her but can’t stand to see her play Russian roulette with her life. Chris has a bizarre power over her. She still loves him and he knows it. In her eyes, he’s a god. Even after what he did, it’s not diminished.
Think Tank Reaches Out to Black Males
Call for Solutions
The Think Tank for African American Progress – to be held in Memphis from October 14 to October 16, 2009 – seeks solutions to challenges confronting Black boys and young men. We are inviting scholars, activists, and advocates to join us for the 2009 Think Tank with the theme “What is the Future of Black Boys?”. Practitioners, community activists, and researchers whose efforts are related to the following thematic areas are invited to submit a solutions proposal in relevance to one of the 4 thematic areas: (1) Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (S.T.E.M); (2) Education/Youth Development; (3) Community/Economic Development, and (4) Health.
The Think Tank will feature opportunities for practitioners, researchers, policy makers, and, Black youth themselves to: (a) dialogue about solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing our communities; (b) think about strategies to resolve these challenges; and (c) design methodologies by which to implement solutions. We will consider formal, applied program evaluations as well as papers that integrate theoretical perspectives to better inform local, state, or federal policies.
Those wishing to participate in the Think Tank should submit a 750 – 1000 word proposal summary detailing a specific challenge facing Black boys and young men, along with an outline of suggested solutions. The summary should outline specific solutions or strategies for an issue in one of the previously mentioned areas. It should also include a rationale for the proposed solution(s), and strategies that a target audience (i.e., practitioners, parents, educators, and policy makers) could feasibly implement. In addition, applicants should identify what resources are needed in the implementation of the proposed solutions. First authors of accepted proposals will receive free registration to the Think Tank to present their paper in a poster presentation. In addition, there will be publication and collaboration opportunities (e.g., special issues in peer-reviewed journals and funded workgroups) from the Think Tank.
Potential Topics
First Look at Kimora and Djimon’s Son
This is one of the first public pictures of Kimora and Djimon’s son Kenzo and he is such a cutie, it looks like he is may look more like Djimon but it is still to early to tell.
Join the Your Black World Coalition
The Great Black Speakers Bureau
Become a Dangerous Negro Today
Your Black Bloggers 
Black News: Rallies Planned for Heather Ellis Case
To join the Your Black World Coalition, please visit www.YourBlackWorld.com.
From Dr Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.com
To the Your Black World family:
When the children of my assistant Shauntay (Justin and Journi) brought the case of Heather Ellis to me, I was in disbelief. I was shocked that in 2009, a young college student, with no criminal record, could face 15 years in prison for cutting line at Walmart. I was even more appalled by the threats from the KKK and allegations by local leaders that the town went as far as blacking out the local news coverage during the minutes that the family held a press conference in support of their daughter. We sent information about the case to CNN and other media outlets, and they covered it (along with BET, Essence, ABC News and others), but I don’t feel this is enough. We’ve decided that we aren’t going to take this sitting down, and we hope you won’t either
In honor of Justin and Journi, the two young visionaries who convinced me to take on this issue, we’ve created the "Journey for Justice," set to take place in Kennett, Missouri on Monday, November 16 at 11 am. On that day, we are going to meet at the Walmart where the incident took place (1500 1st St., Kennett, MO) and march to the steps of the courthouse(Square 200 Slicer St.). You can find out more information about the case and rally on the site www.TheHeatherEllisCase.com. Given that the prosecutor in the case (Stephen Sokoloff) has asked for a change of venue (to Bloomfield, MO – a town with less than 20 black people), some of the details of the rally might change (I have no doubt that they are scheming to make this as difficult as possible). But I can guarantee you this: On November 16, we are heading down there to fight against the madness occurring in this county, no matter what the cost.
Click to read.