The Latest in Black News – 9/9/10

Denzel Washington, Halle Berry Among Aretha Franklin's A-List Cast For Biopic

• The Queen has spoken and she wants the biggest names in Black Hollywood to star in her highly ... Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Sep 9th 2010 6:25PM | Comments (4)

Pastor Terry Jones' Koran Burning Cancelled

• Since Pastor Terry Jones (pictured above) was supposedly guaranteed on Thursday that the ... Read More
• By Allison Monyei on Sep 9th 2010 6:16PM | Comments (7)

Around the Web: If Rappers Were Colleges, Jay-Z Signs Willow Smith + More

• What if rappers were colleges? Trying to explain your higher learning experience may be a lot ... Read More
• By Journey Ade on Sep 9th 2010 5:30PM | Comments (1)

Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson to Honor Mary J. Blige, Others at Spelman College Fundraiser

• Academy Award nominated director Spike Lee and actor Samuel L. Jackson, who are both Morehouse ... Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Sep 9th 2010 5:05PM | Comments (4)

Marvin Sapp's Wife, MaLinda, Dies of Colon Cancer

• Prominent gospel music artist Marvin Sapp recently lost his wife, MaLinda Sapp, to colon cancer. ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Sep 9th 2010 4:46PM | Comments (9)

Marvin Sapp: Wife Dies of Colon Cancer

• One of Gospel music's most beloved artists is mourning the loss of his wife. Marvin Sapp's wife, ... Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Sep 9th 2010 4:20PM | Comments (8)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Suspect in Domestic Violence Case‎

• A former gal pal of boxing icon Floyd Mayweather, Jr. is claiming that she was assaulted by him ... Read More
• By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Sep 9th 2010 4:15PM | Comments (6)

Black and Missing: Have You Seen This Person?

• Gloria Denise Damon Case Type: Disability, Endangered Date of Birth: October 9, 1966 Missing ... Read More
• By Jeff Mays on Sep 9th 2010 4:07PM | Comments (5)

Around the Web: Hip-Hop Undergoes a Renovation, Beyonce, Homeless Kids, & Terry Jones

• Hip-Hop Undergoes a Renovation Tenants at the Bronx apartment building where DJ Kool Herc hosted ... Read More
• By Laura Adibe on Sep 9th 2010 4:00PM | Comments (1)

Dwight Howard, Child's Mother Royce Have a War of the Roses

• One of my favorite films of all-time was "War of the Roses," starring Michael Douglas and Kathleen ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Sep 9th 2010 2:47PM | Comments (9)

Gabby Sidibe Covers Elle Magazine

• Go Gabby! Oscar-nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe, best known playing the title role in 'Precious,' ... Read More
• By Lauren Williams on Sep 9th 2010 2:13PM | Comments (3)

Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck Exploit 9/11 for Profit

• For all those people who thought the outrageous rhetoric coming from Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin ... Read More
• By Jeff Mays on Sep 9th 2010 1:45PM | Comments (6)

Why Pastor Terry Jones 'Koran Burning' is Idiotic and Dangerous

• When Pastor Terry Jones lights his proverbial match on Saturday's scheduled 'Burn a Qur'an ... Read More
• By Nida Khan on Sep 9th 2010 1:30PM | Comments (6)

15 Celebrities Who Should Insure Their Body Parts ASAP

• Last week, NFL superstar Troy Polamalu made an unusual decision, he insured his trademark ... Read More
• By Chris Yuscavage on Sep 9th 2010 12:45PM | Comments (4)

T.I. in Jeopardy of Losing Axe Endorsement Deal

• From Hip Hop Wired: T.I.'s run-ins with the law may cost him more than a tarnished ... Read More
• By Alexis Stodghill on Sep 9th 2010 12:43PM | Comments (3)

NFL Announcer Makes Terrible Comments about Hurricane Katrina

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

NFL Hall of Famer Dan Hampton has a great deal to apologize for this week. During a broadcast of an NFL game between the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints, Hampton thought it would be funny to bring up that little thing called Hurricane Katrina. Making reference to the fact that the Vikings needed to show up with their A-game, Hampton said, "The Vikings need to go down there and hit that town like Katrina."
Bad move buddy, bad move.
There isn't much to say about Dan Hampton other than the obvious. It didn't take him long to realize that it might be inappropriate to make jokes about an event that led to the death and displacement of tens of thousands of people. Hurricane Katrina affected real lives in a very real way, and Hampton needs to understand that. Additionally, invoking Katrina into the fantasy world of professional football is only productive to the extent that the success of the Saints has helped to heal the hearts of New Orleans residents who've lost everything. So, if you can't bring Hurricane Katrina up in a positive and uplifting way, please don't bring it up as a joke.

 

Click to read.

Danny Granger of Team USA Says Europeans Smell Like Dead Donkeys

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

If I were an old man responsible for managing Team USA's public image, I would be cursing Twitter every day of the week. Apparently, giving young, bold athletes instant access to media was a cruel joke orchestrated by both fate and Mother Nature. At any rate, the latest athlete to embarrass himself with his Twitter account was Danny Granger. Making reference to the fact that deodorant is not as popular in Europe as it is in the United States, Granger said that Europeans smell like "dead donkeys." Here are his exact words:
"i'm dying over here ..how come nobody in europe wears deodorant? guess they didn't get the memo – smellin like dead donkey..no joke"

Click to read.

Officials Grow Alarmed by Detroit Homicide Rate for Black Males

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

African American males in Detroit between the ages of 15 and 24 are dying at a rate that is roughly seven times higher than the rest of the Detroit population. If they were dying at the same rate as everyone else, there would be one death every three weeks. Instead, there are two black men dying every single week.
This has set off alarm bells within the Detroit Police Department, which has taken heavy criticism for its policing of the black community. Their most recent embarrassment was the shooting of seven-year old Aiyana Jones during a police raid. But the Chief of Police, Ralph Godbee Jr., is concerned about black men killing one another.

 

Click to read.

President Obama Delivers Speech on the Iraq War

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

He came, he saw, he conquered. Well, sort of. President Obama took the nation's attention for about 20 minutes tonight to deliver a speech about the end of America's military involvement in Iraq. Sitting in the Oval Office with pictures of his family in the background, President Obama effectively told America that the last eight years are over. He thanked the troops, thanked the American people, and reminded the Iraqis that we still support them. He was being presidential, as he normally is.
The president worked to build bridges with Americans who disapprove of his performance. He mentioned how the high cost of the war reduced the nation's ability to sustain its middle class. He talked about how patriotic Americans both approved and disapproved of the war, and even mentioned an earlier conversation he'd recently had with President Bush. He also reminded the American people that by ending military operations in Iraq, he was keeping one of his most significant campaign promises.

 

Click to read.

Black Politics, President Obama and Hurricane Katrina

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action 

I still remember when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans five years ago. I'd just attended the Essence Music Festival the year before, only to hear that the very same streets I'd visited were now flooded with water. It was also the week of my first confrontation with Sean Hannity on the air. Donald Rumsfeld had come on the show right before me, and Hannity and I were arguing about why it seemed that the government spent more time planning to shoot "looters" than actually saving the people in the flood. Rarely before Katrina had we witnessed such a gross dehumanization of our fellow American citizens.
President Obama sought to commemorate the anniversary of Katrina by speaking in New Orleans this weekend. He told the students at Xavier University that he plans to stand with the community when it comes to making sure they know the Federal Government is behind them in the on-going quest for full recovery.
"My administration is going to stand with you, and fight alongside you, until the job is done," Obama said.

 

Click to read.

Why Children Need to be Protected: This Child Was Not

A South African girl who survived a criminal attack that shocked the nation was among those killed when a train hit a school van this week, a family spokesman said Friday.
Liesel Augis was only six years old when she was raped, beaten unconscious with a brick and thrown into a fire by a family friend in 2006. She survived and became known as “Little Rock” because of her strength and resilience.

On Wednesday, Liesel’s bus driver went around a closed railroad crossing gate and the van was hit by a train. Nine children died at the scene in Cape Town, and a 10th died Friday. Only the driver and four children survived.

Family spokesman Malvern de Bruyn said that Liesel had a zest for life, and the accident has left a deep scar in the family and the nation.

“We could see she was someone who wanted to defy anything that would cut her life,” de Bruyn said.

Liesel’s 2006 attacker, Abraham James, was sentenced to 28 years in jail without parole.

 

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Bad Economy Hurts Obama – More Black News – 8/27/10

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Dr. Boyce Watkins - Wyclef Can’t Be President: Is that Good or Bad for Haiti?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University Scholarship in Action 

 

I just returned from Haiti, a country that continues to be devastated by the recent earthquakes that rumbled the soil in it's capital, Port-au-Prince. Haitians lived under an umbrella of tragedy long before the earthquakes took place, and the suffering has only intensified since the media has left its shores. One thing that most of us believe, including myself, is that Wyclef Jean loves Haiti. His candidacy for president of Haiti was met with open arms by some, and folded arms by a few others. The evidence of disdain was presented to me personally when Wyclef had to cancel an appearance on my show due to the number of death threats he'd been receiving.
The mixed response to Jean's announcement reflects the multitude of perceptions that various stakeholders have when it comes to the idea of Wyclef becoming president. I have spoken privately to friends in hip hop who've assured me that Wyclef has an infinite supply of love for his home country and wants to do what's right. But I've also met with friends who feel that Wyclef is a beacon of self-promotion who cares far less for Haiti than for his own bank account.

 

Click to read.

The Latest in Black Sports – 8/20/10

Vikings Star Percy Harvin Collapses at Practice, Hospitalized

• Most of America might have expected that the return of Brett Favre was the biggest story at the ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 20th 2010 7:25AM | Comments (0)

LeBron James Disses Dan Gilbert in GQ Magazine

• LeBron James recently did an interview with GQ Magazine, during which he chose to be brutally ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 19th 2010 5:19PM | Comments (12)

Lance Stephenson: NBA Player Charged With Assaulting Girlfriend

• Lance Stephenson of the Indiana Pacers had just begun his NBA career. He was chosen as the 40th ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 17th 2010 8:58AM | Comments (8)

Son of Former NFL Player Ickey Woods Dies of Asthma Attack

• Former Cincinnati Bengals running back Ickey Woods was stricken by the sudden death of his ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on Aug 15th 2010 6:51PM | Comments (14)

Are All Black Women Angry about Essence White Fashion Editor, or Just One?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, TheLoop21.com

It seems that the world has grown irritated with Essence Magazine for hiring a new white fashion editor. Michaela Angela Davis, a former employee, has blasted the organization for effectively betraying its constituents with the non-traditional hire. She cites mass discrimination that has historically occurred within the fashion industry and seems disappointed that “our space” no longer belongs to us.

I certainly empathize with Davis’ point. Davis is a strong and direct black woman (I had her on my show), one who has very little tolerance for those who deviate from what she perceives as righteous ideology regarding women and minorities. Her passion for the issues that affect us seems to come from a genuine place, like a black woman who has seen enough and refuses to allow herself or anyone like her to be victimized by a clearly racist and sexist society. 

 

Click to read.

Black News: 13-Year Old Boy Murdered in Case of Mistaken Identity

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

Theresa Lumpkin was, until yesterday, the mother of 13-year old Robert Freeman Jr. of Chicago. Her tenure as his parent ended with the young boy was shot and killed on the South Side of Chicago in what many believe to be a case of mistaken identity.
Witnesses say that the murder was deliberate, as the gunman shot the young boy multiple times.
"My baby was just lying there,'' said Lumpkin. "He tried to get up. He tried to fight for his mama. He tried to fight for his life.''
Neighbors who saw the incident did not want their names to be published.
"I was running out [of] the door to say, 'Stop shooting that baby,'" one neighbor said.
Robert had 22 bullet holes in his body, according to doctors. The people of the community say that he was apparently targeted because he had the same complexion, height and hairstyle of another boy who was the actual target. Police are investigating whether the shooting was due to a dispute over drugs or money.
This was the fourth teen shooting in the area this week.

 

Click to read.

Black News: AKA Sorority Has Legal and Financial Issues

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

The women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. are in the middle of a crazy legal situation, which has led to a judge in Chicago ordering the director of the sorority to bring financial records to the courthouse today. The Chicago Sun-Times is reporting that Cook County Judge Daniel Riley seemed concerned that for two days in a row, he requested that the person in charge of the organization's financial records appear in court, and this was the second day that it didn't happen.

"They didn't bring me the person I asked for twice," the judge said.
On Tuesday, the group was found to be in contempt of court for not bringing its records custodian to the courthouse. The organization had instead sent an HR manager who said she didn't have access to the financial records.
The legal wrangling has occurred as a result of a lawsuit filed by members of the group alleging improper spending by Barbara A. McKinzie, the group's president. They are questioning, among other things, the $1 million in compensation she received from the organization.

The judge ruled on July 1 that 94-year old Julia Purnell, a former president and the oldest living former president of the organization, could inspect the financial records. Purnell, who sued to see the documents, said she would present her findings to the organization at the St. Louis meeting. Her attorneys are saying that the group refused to give her access to the records.

 

Click to read.

Two Year Old Boy 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.

No Black Jurors for Oscar Grant Murder

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone cameras and disseminated throughout the Internet. Adding insult to injury, the Grant family just found that there will be no African American jurors in the trial of grant's shooter.

Jack Bryson, whose sons were with Grant the night he was killed, was angry about the jury selection.

"This is like a slap in the face," Bryson told The Associated Press. "This case came all the way to Los Angeles after the judge in Alameda County said they couldn't get a fair and impartial jury there.
"This is the best you can do, and you did this in two days. We could've stayed back in Oakland for this."

Click to read

African American Scholar Angry Over Black Professors Being Excluded

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

Dr. M. Cookie Newsom

is the Director for Diversity Education and Assessment at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is also a trouble maker and an angry black woman, which is likely going to cause her serious problems with her colleagues (we talked yesterday about how being angry can get a black person into serious trouble). Dr. Newsom, however, has good reason to be angry. In a recent interview with Diverse issues in Higher Education, Dr. Newsom stated in plain language that most major universities are not serious about diversifying their faculty and that this hurts all students, especially students of color.
"The dismal truth is academe doesn’t really want a racially-diverse faculty," Newsom said during a faculty diversity presentation at the American Association of University Professors’ (AAUP) annual national conference in Washington, D.C. "It’s totally a myth."

Dr. Newson based her conclusions on statistics and data she collected which shows that most major universities are good at documenting plans to increase faculty diversity, but most of it’s nothing but lip service.

Click to read more.

Dr. Boyce: Talib Kweli Weighs in on Slim Thug’s Comments about Black Women

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

A note to Slim Thug: You probably just need to be quiet for a while. It's not to say thatyour comments about black women were outside your rights to freedom of speech, but if you keep dissing the audience most likely to go out and buy your records, you are probably going to end up in the same poorhouse as MC Hammer. Don't get me wrong, black men love your music (at least I do), but the bottom line is that brothers don't buy albums, books, or anything else put up for sale. But when black women turn on you, it's a wrap son. Settle down and go back to the studio; it's good for your financial health.
I wrote yesterday about the comments made by Slim Thug regarding how he perceives white women to be a better dating choice than black women, as well asColumbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill's response to Slim Thug's words. It seems that the debate has taken a life of it's own, now that rapper Talib Kweli has joined the conversation. In a recent essay he wrote for Vibe Magazine, Talib Kweli was ever the diplomatic artist, as he showed respect for Slim Thug, but also expressed his own concerns for his colleague's remarks about black women:

Click to read.

 

To read more about the debate regarding Slim Thug’s comments about black women, click here.

Black News from TheGrio - 6/10/10

• 

  Ex-Memphis mayor runs against white rep on race

  By theGrio

  11:15 AM on 06/10/2010

  MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Willie Herenton tried to stir up his low-key congressional campaign Wednesday by claiming again that his race is a good reason to send him to Washington...

  > MORE

• 

  New jobless claims dip for third straight week

  By theGrio

  10:03 AM on 06/10/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - At the same time, the tally of laid-off workers continuing to claim jobless benefits fell by the largest amount in almost a year...

  > MORE

• 

  Will BP go bankrupt? Shares plunge on spill fallout

  By theGrio

  9:06 AM on 06/10/2010

  LONDON (AP) - The share price falls in London and New York have wiped out around half the company's market value since the spill began with an April 20 rig explosion in the Gulf...

  > MORE

• 

  School fires teacher for having child out of wedlock

  By theGrio

  9:00 AM on 06/10/2010

  VIDEO - A former teacher claims she was fired after admitting that she conceived a child several weeks before marrying the baby's father...

  > MORE

• 

  Obama to meet families of 11 killed in oil spill

  By theGrio

  8:25 AM on 06/10/2010

  WASHINGTON (AP) - Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama also wants to hear the families' thoughts on changes the government can make to ensure that future deepwater oil drilling is safe...

  > MORE

• 

  SC Dems urge surprise Senate candidate to quit

  By theGrio

  9:46 PM on 06/09/2010

  COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Court records show Alvin Greene was arrested in November and charged with showing obscene Internet photos to a University of South Carolina student...

  > MORE

• 

  Clinton: Iran sanctions a victory for Obama

  By theGrio

  4:40 PM on 06/09/2010

  BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Iran's decision to turn its back to White House overtures convinced the world of the need for sanctions, she said...

  > MORE

• 

  Student's prank leads to 'molester' label in yearbook

  By theGrio

  4:14 PM on 06/09/2010

  VIDEO - A senior with access to this year's yearbook reportedly changed the last name of a younger student, we've chosen not to identify to instead read 'molester'...

  > MORE

Barack Obama an "Angry Black Man?"

• Obama's "Angry Black Man" Criticism: Isn't He Also Half White?

  9:36 PMJun 9

  Source: Blackvoices Main

  In light of all of the interesting analysis that others have done regarding why President Barack Obama can only get so angry about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, I was wondering if any of this analysis makes sense. In fact, most of the ... Read More

• BP Shares Get Hammered as Firm May Face Bankruptcy Due to Spill

  7:46 PMJun 9

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Today, the shares of British Petroleum (BP), the company responsible for the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, plunged 16 percent in heavy trading. There were nine times more shares traded in the company today than the average daily volume. The added ... Read More

• Rev. Jesse Jackson Says Congress Ignoring Jobs Crisis

  7:05 PMJun 9

  Source: BV Black Spin

  In a piece on The Huffington Post, the Rev. Jesse Jackson stated that he is concerned that Congress is ignoring the jobs crisis in America. Over 300,000 teachers are facing layoffs this year, and teen unemployment is the highest its been since 1948, ... Read More

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Black News from TheLoop21 – 6/8/10

 

Chris Brown Barred From United Kingdom Because Of Rihanna Beating

The Adverse Journey of Black Filmmakers

Thurgood Marshall's Legacy Takes Center Stage

Want Your Own Talk Show? Oprah's Hiring.

Coleman’s Ex-Wife Shares Death Pics?

Race Rears Its Ugly Head In S.C. GOP Primary