by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World
An 18-year old student at the University of Cincinnati was killed this weekend after being stunned by a police taser. Everette Howard, a student in a summer program preparing him for college, died after the attack. Friends say that Howard was trying to break up a fight in front of a dorm when campus police arrived on the scene.
By Julius Kane
In 1827 a group of black businessmen were fed up with the negative depictions of African-Americans in their local newspapers, so they decided to start their own. A few months later America's first, 'race' newspaper was born. At the helm were two young black men; 28 year old college graduate John Russwurm and 32 year old preacher Samuel Cornish. Freedom's Journal, as it was called, made certain every article and editorial had a deliberate slant that showed blacks in a positive light with dignity and class. Cornish and Russwurm knew they not only had to report the news but they had to inspire as well. Any news worthy item involving "Africans" was to be included.
by Kirsten West Savali, Your Black World
Broward County, Florida, home of stolen presidential elections and racist school board members, is once again thrust under the microscope, as a correctional officer is exposed misusing his position of power to transform a jail into a House of Ill-Repute.
Insurgents shot down a U.S. military helicopter during fighting in eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 30 Americans, most of them belonging to the same elite unit as the Navy SEALs who killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said Saturday. It was the deadliest single loss for American forces in the decade-old war against the Taliban.
Your Black Politics received this message from the White House today. It is President Obama’s first response to recent reports that for the first time in U.S. history, federal government debt has been downgraded from AAA status.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
I spent time watching a trailer for the film "Dark Girls," directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry. Oddly enough, the clip was sent to me by a friend of mine who has spent her life being praised for being "light skinned-ed" and having the long, flowing hair of a black Marilyn Monroe. She eventually married a tall, dark man, leading me to wonder if she feels any guilt for receiving preferential treatment over something that should never have mattered at all.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
Pat Buchanan, one of the most divisive political constructs of this century, made an interesting comment about President Barack Obama. In a recent interview with Rev. Al Sharpton, Buchanan referred to President Obama as Sharpton’s “boy.”
The remark led to Sharpton responding with the kind of ferocity that the situation demanded, telling Buchanan that he needs to respect Barack Obama as his president and everyone’s president. Buchanan initially refused to issue an apology, but eventually took the time to “clarify his remarks.”
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
The recent release of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that Black unemployment declined during the month of July. It had reached 16.2 percent and dropped over the course of the month to 15.9 percent. While the number is an improvement, it is still nearly double that of white Americans.
Your Black World Reports
A reported 29,000 children under the age of 5 have died in the recent famine in Somalia, according to estimates by the U.S. government. The drought is the worst in Somalia in the last 60 years, and the United Nations estimates that there are over 640,000 small children who are acutely malnourished. They also predict that the number of dead children will continue to grow.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Schoarship in Action
Respected commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson recently made a set of accurate remarks about the challenges that President Obama faces within the African American community. He cites a recentWashington Post/ABC News poll that shows that there are as many African Americans who are dissatisfied with the president's performance as there are who are happy with it.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Scholarship in Action
It appears that disrespecting the president by referring to him as a sex organ on national television is not a seriously punishable offense. Mark Halperin, the man who referred to President Obama as a "d*ck", is now back in action on Morning Joe. So, you can trust that when you watch the show, you’re not exactly getting objective analysis….instead, your political analyst (not to mention the editor-at-large at Time Magazine), has no problem referring to the president as a d*ck on national television.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins
I’ve never met Lenny McAllister, a former host on WVON 1690 in Chicago. The only thing I know is that Lenny is a Republican (which I am not), and that WVON was once my favorite radio station in the entire country. The station, in my mind, has always represented the essence and history of the South Side of Chicago, a place that is near and dear to my heart.
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:
by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World
On Thursday of last week, Rev. Howard Creecy Jr. died of unknown causes. Creecy was a well known Atlanta minister and the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). His funeral is to be held August 6th at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church in Atlanta, and other details are still being finalized according to SCLC and Jackson Memorial representatives. Initially, the funeral was to be held on Friday.
By JasmineHughes
Most people know the story of Rosa Parks, a black, middle-aged seamstress who refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama back in 1955. But Long before Parks earned her title as the “mother of the civil rights movement,” she wrote a detailed account of nearly being raped by a white neighbor who employed her as a housekeeper in 1931.READ THE REST OF THIS ENTRY →
Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World
For previous report click here.
It is probably safe to say that Malikah Shabazz is not upholding the image of her father, Malcolm X. At the age of 46, X’s youngest daughter has been sentenced to 5 years of probation for stealing $55,000 from an elderly woman by charging on credit cards in the woman’s name. Shabazz is required by the courts to pay off the debt in full. If she fails to do so, she could get up to 7 years behind bars.NYDailyNews.comreports:
by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World
Valuable time is ticking away, and there is now less than a week left until the U.S. runs out of money. Government leaders around the world are getting nervous. According to Reuters, a board member of the Bank of Japan stated, “As the world’s biggest economy, the U.S. would have an immeasurable impact on global financial markets and Japan would not escape the damage. Valerie Pecresse, France’s budget minister says, “The global economy needs an American agreement…WRAPPED UP IN A BOW.” Simply put, everyone’s nerves are being frazzled by this U.S. governmental stalemate. Reuters reports:
by Ayvaunn Penn, Your Black World
According to reports from CNN, “the World Bank has pledged more than $500 million for famine victims in Somalia as the United Nations met in emergency session Monday to address the aid response in Somalia, the hardest-hit nation in the region.” Robert B. Zoellick, the World Bank President, released a public statement saying, “Immediate relief and recovery is the first priority, and it is important to act fast to reduce human suffering.” The UN reports that over 12 million people are suffering from the famine, and that includes two regions of Somalia.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action
In early 2001, America’s economic future was rosy: Our government was sitting on a massive budget surplus, and the Congressional Budget Office predicted that the next 10 years would carry our nation down the path of seemingly endless prosperity. This was a good time for President George W. Bush to push through a set of massive tax cuts, significantly reducing government revenue at a time when we didn’t quite seem to need the money.
Your Black World reports.
The debt-ceiling deadline is fast-approaching, with leadership from both the Democratic and Republican parties bickering over the final arrangements. The Democrats rejected a Republican proposal to raise the ceiling in a two-step process, but both sides are concerned about a negative reaction in Asian markets if a deal is not reached soon.
by Dr. Boyce Watkins.
Many of us have seen the dismal statistics for black males in America. African American men are at the bottom of the barrel in nearly every category of life, including healthcare, education, incarceration, and unemployment. Many of us raise our black boys with little to no understanding of how many of these statistics are perpetuated by a series of systems that serve to enhance and promote a lifestyle that leads to an early death. That is one reason why we’ve expressed concern for hip-hop music, fueled by corporate America, that promotes a self-destructive lifestyle that many young men emulate.
It turns out that the facts might be worse than many could have speculated. According to a recent study, black men are half as likely to die in prison than if they are free. The authors of the study claim that easier access to healthcare, protection from drugs and alcohol and the ability to avoid deadly black-on-black violence leads to a longer life span for those who are incarcerated. African American males are the only group for which these facts hold true, according to the authors of the study.
Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World – Scholarship in Action
I saw a headline today involving Pastor Jeremiah Wright. The headline stated the following: "Jeremiah Wright's Church Denomination Banishes ‘God the Father’ for Gay Inclusion.” The headline was interesting in that it almost seemed to imply that Jeremiah Wright had made the decision himself.
What was most peculiar about this article is that it was dead wrong. First, Pastor Wright has not been the head of The Trinity United Church of Christ for at least two years. Therefore, he doesn't make the church's decisions. Secondly, the United Church of Christ is a national body, meaning that even Trinity itself cannot make such a decision. So, the goal of getting Pastor Wright's name into a juicy headline played a dominant role in how this article was written.
by Elliot Millner, J.D.
In this recent magazine article, the author provides a fairly detailed timeline of how and when they feel that the Democratic party (still considered by most of the general public to be the “party of the people”, and more interested in working for the interests of the poor and middle-class) lost its way and became more similar to the Republican Party in its subservience to the super-wealthy and corporations.
Although I won’t go as far as some and say that there are no differences in the two major parties, especially on social issues, increasingly the economic policies put forth by the Democratic Party largely serve the interests of the business community and wealthiest 1% of the population. Democrats increasingly do just enough to make sure that they are able to get enough votes to maintain their seats. Take for example the extremely watered-down health care reform bill. Despite all the raucous debate surrounding it, the final product is a shadow of what could have been given the fact that Democrats held the presidency and both houses of Congress. Is it better than nothing? Yes, but that should not be the standard when you are in control, and when you claim to represent the interests of everyday working people.
The question that goes unanswered is this: What are the alternatives? If, as the author suggest, the Democratic party had no choice but to run to the super wealthy and corporations for support given its loss of a base with labor unions, what new or other base can come along to change that? There is mention of the fact that Black people have consistently been the most loyal voting block to the Democratic party, however is this continued loyalty the best plan of action given the ever decreasing returns on that loyalty?
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