MARK YOUR TRUTH HERE

The Origins of Black History Month

2012-02-01T12:55:00.005-05:00

black history month, also known as african heritage month, is a time to appreciate, celebrate, reflect & rejoice in the magnanimous beauty & unparalleled brilliance of the motherland. in acknowledging africa's extraordinary contributions to global society, we honor all members of the afrikan diaspora. let us begin by taking in an-depth look at just how this unique cultural phenomenon came to be.

in the early 1900's, omega psi phi, one of the oldest african-american fraternities, first celebrated the achievements of black people on february 12, abraham lincoln's birthday. later, in 1916, dr. carter g. woodson, an honorary member of omega psi phi, convinced the association for the study of negro life & history - an organization he started - to sponsor "negro history week." his aim? to reach a larger, more diverse audience.

dr. woodson began the annual celebration in 1926 to increase awareness of & interest in black history among both blacks & whites. he diligently distributed promotional brochures & pamphlets to various state boards of education, elementary & secondary schools, colleges, universities, women's clubs, white scholarly journals, black newspapers & periodicals: implementing ways to document truth.

unequivocally accepted as the founder of this, now, national movement & observance, dr. woodson comes from humble beginnings. he was born to parents who had been enslaved & were illiterate. as an adolescent he worked in the west virginia coalmines to support his family; as a result, he started school later than most children yet he earned a high school diploma with honors. his motto in life was "it is never too late to learn."

dr. woodson continued his education at harvard university where he received his master's & ph.d. he later studied at the prestigious sorbonne in paris, france. while developing as a scholar he recognized a disturbing pattern in history & literature books. he was convinced africans were intentionally omitted from history, &, if they were mentioned at all, it was done only to advance the culturally oppressive myths (read: lies) about africa & her people: imparting, by default, to europeans a false sense of superiority & to africans a fatal sense of inferiority.

for example, the african ancestry of alexander pushkin, noted father of russian literature, is peculiarly "blacked-out" from standard history texts. pushkin was castigated for embracing his heritage. another literary giant of african descent, alexander dumas, spent most of his life in france. dumas once publicly stated, "when i discovered i was black, i was determined to act so that men should be beneath my skin."

in germany, the word "mohr" means black. in english, however, that same word is spelled: moor. one of the world's most honored & treasured musicians is a man of african origin. we know him in america as ludwig van beethoven; in germany, he is referred to as "the blackamoor." beethoven is also known in other countries as "the black spaniard."

contrary to past belief & contemporary misconception, february was not "given" to blacks by guilt-ridden whites because it's the shortest month of the year. dr. woodson consciously chose the second week in february to memorialize the birthdays of lincoln, & more significantly, abolitionist & freedom fighter, frederick douglass. in the early 1970's, dr. woodson's vision was extended throughout the entire month of february. moreover, the use of the noun "black," which symbolized power, pride & purpose, was ceremoniously added to the title.

today, dr. woodson is generally best known for his groundbreaking book, "the miseducation of the negro." he wanted black history affirmed everywhere it is researched: on every continent & in every culture. just like marcus garvey, maya angelou, malcolm x & queen mother moore, dr. woodson clearly understood the power accurate history has on a people's collective self-determination, self-value & self-worth.

february 1 is the first day of african heritage month. comedian paul mooney calls black people, "stolen africans." however you identify yourself, all god's children can share dr. woodson's third eye this month & every day of our lives. how? we can honor our ancestors, cultivate our spirit, express our creativity & treat our brothers & sisters with the love & compassion they so richly deserve. ache alafiani.

Novak Djokovic & Victoria Azarenka Win 2012 Australian Open Singles Titles

2012-01-29T22:10:00.005-05:00

world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated world #2 rafael nadal of spain 5-7, 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5 to win the 2012 australian open men's singles title. the thrilling match was the longest men's final of the open era, lasting five hours & 53 minutes. djokovic becomes the fourth player in history to win four titles in five majors. he now has five career major singles titles. dubiously, nadal became the first player to lose three straight major finals.

djokovic's historic victory was his third consecutive major, all against nadal, continuing his dominance over the passionate lefty. djokovic has beaten nadal seven times in a row, all in finals. ironically, this was the first five-set encounter in their growing rivalry. either player has won the last eight majors. nadal currently holds a 16-14 lifetime edge, but the gap is closing quicker than djokovic's foot speed.

victoria azarenka of belarus destroyed maria sharapova of russia 6-3, 6-0 to capture the 2012 australian open women's singles crown. azarenka's stunning victory, her first career major singles title, also catapulted the fiery 22 year-old to the #1 ranking on the wta tour. despite her one-sided loss, sharapova moves to the #3 spot on the wta tour.

azarenka was one of six women with an equal opportunity to dethrone caroline wozniacki of denmark as the #1 player when the tournament began. the others were petra kvitova, sharapova, li na, samantha stosur & agnieszka radwanska. wozniacki lost in the quarterfinals to defending champion kim clisters of belgium, who azarenka beat in three tough sets in the semi-finals. sharapova beat kvitova in the semis, a rematch of their 2011 wimbledon final, won by kvitova, who remains #2.

Justice Department Expanded Definition of Rape Includes Men & Transgendered Women

2012-01-12T23:34:00.006-05:00

the u.s. justice department announced they are expanding its 85-year definition of rape to include attacks against both men & transgendered women. as such, any non consensual penetration, no matter the gender of the attacker or victim, will now constitute rape.

according to a release from the white house & the department of justice, "rape will now be defined as penetration, no matter how slight, of the anus or vagina with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ or another person, without the consent of the victim."

attorney general eric holder announced the changes to the uniform crime report's definition of rape. the justice department says this will better reflect state criminal codes & updated definitions of sexual penetration. the new definition will lead to a more comprehensive nationwide statistical reporting.

said holder, "these long overdue updates to the definition of rape will help ensure justice for those whose lives have been devastated by sexual violence & reflect the department of justice's commitment to standing with rape victims." the attorney general continued, "this new, more inclusive definition will provide us with a more accurate understanding of the scope & volume of these crimes."

an fbi advisory panel recently recommended revisions to the historic definition, which was established in 1927. that law defined rape as the "carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly & against her will." expressed in solely heterosexual constructs, the law meant rape only happened when a man forcibly penetrated a woman through her vagina.

Deportation of U.S. Teenager to Colombia Latest Failure of Immigration System

2012-01-06T19:14:00.003-05:00

the family of a dallas, texas teenager, jakadrien turner, is demanding answers after she was deported to colombia, despite the fact that she's a u.s. citizen who doesn't speak spanish.

turner, a 15 year-old african-american runaway, was living in houston when she was arrested for shoplifting in the spring of last year. she gave police a fake name belonging to a 22 year-old undocumented immigrant from colombia with warrants for her arrest.

the immigration & customs enforcement agency (ice) reportedly discovered turner's fingerprints did not match those of the colombia nattional's, yet deported her anyway. "the country has no idea that we have a rogue police force. that police force is called ice," says ralph isenberg, a dallas businessman who advocates for immigrants.

dallas reverend peter johnson, a longtime civil rights advocate who has worked with the turner family, echoes isenberg's sentiments. said johnson, "i'm hoping that black america - who have a history of understanding the destruction of our families, because of what slavery has done to our families - will at some point wake up & understand that the problem of immigrants is something we can not ignore."

jacqueline stevens, a political science professor at northwestern university, recently published an exhaustive report on u.s. citizens who have been detained & deported. she says deportation is only the latest example of a failed immigration system.

turner has been in bogota, colombia since april 2011. it is only now, after tireless efforts of her grandmother, are we hearing about this horrific story. as such, president obama's immigration & deportation polices have come under intense media scrutiny, particularly so in, this, an election year.

according to pew research center, almost 60% of latinos oppose the obama administration's deportation policies. while republicans claim democrats are "soft" on immigration, the obama administration has deported 30% more undocumented immigrants annually than during the second term of george w. bush.

despite such cultural dissatisfaction with obama's deportation policies, polling doesn't show the latino vote is in jeopardy with the personable commander-in-chief. obama still beats his performance among latino voters when compared to his share of that electorate in 2008. also, there are one million more registered latino voters than there were four years ago.

with republicans focused on securing the border & democrats focused on a path to citizenship, the immigration debate for policy priority remains ongoing. while deportations may not be a deciding factor on who occupies the white house, the issue will get a lot of attention in the coming weeks. the naacp & the cbc have called upon the obama administration to help assist in the immediate release & return of jakadrien turner from colombia.

Romney Narrowly Wins Iowa GOP Caucus

2012-01-06T12:31:00.002-05:00

winning by just eight votes, mitt romney narrowly defeated former pennsylvania senator & tea party-backed rick santorum for the gop presidential nomination. the former massachusetts governor's shockingly slim victory was the closest iowa republican caucus in history.

both romney & santorum received 25 percent of the votes, while representative ron paul of texas placed third with 21 percent of the votes. former house speaker newt gingrich placed fourth, followed by texas governor rick perry, who then announced he is going back to texas to reassess his faltering campaign. perry received 10 percent of the vote, despite spending more money than any of the candidates.

representaive michelle bachmann of minnesota, who won the iowa straw poll in august, placed a distant sixth. bachmann summarily ended her presidential aspirations at a press conference, admitting, "the people of iowa have spoken." former utah governor john huntsman finished seventh.

said democracy now journalist & host amy goodman, "the 2012 presidential election promises to be long, contentious, extremely expensive & perhaps more negative than any in history."

Barry Bonds Sentenced with House Arrest, Probation and Community Service

2011-12-21T12:13:00.008-05:00

former major league baseball superstar barry bonds was sentenced last week to 30 days of house arrest, two years of probation, 250 hours of community service & $4,100 in fines & court costs after he was found guilty of obstructing justice in august. u.s. district judge susan illston presided over bonds' controversial case.

bonds doesn't have to worry about spending his holy-days being trapped inside his two-acre beverly hills home as his sentence was stayed, pending an appeal unlikely to be heard for at least a year. prosecutors wanted bonds to serve 15 months behind bars.

during the 2003 bay area laboratory co-operative (balco) investigation, bonds attempted to mislead the grand jury by purposely answering questions about steroids with rambling non-sequiturs. the government - as well as the media - went after bonds for eight years. he became the face of the steroids era in baseball.

bonds is the 11th person convicted in the ongoing steroids investigation & was the government's biggest target. unlike fellow steroid abusers like sammy sosa & mark mcguire, bonds not only lied under oath, he was also chasing baseball's most prestigious record - hank aaron's all-time home run record of 755. bonds retired in 2007 with 762 homers, a number some baseball purists acknowledge with a hypothetical asterisk.

after years of denial & dishonesty, mcguire came clean in 2010. he admitted using steroids throughout the 90's during the peak of his career with the st. louis cardinals. the year before his guilty admission - which was not under oath in front of a grand jury - the cardinals hired him as their hitting coach. mcguire had been out of the spotlight long enough for fans & his former team to forgive him. st. louis won the world series in october.

bonds kept a low profile the past four years, yet his philanthropic efforts are rarely reported in the media. most notably, the 47 year-old husband & father has been a vocal advocate of bryan stow, the giants fan whom was brutally beaten outside dodger stadium in march. bonds paid for the college education of stow's two children & recently filmed a psa to help his cause.

judge illston was aware of & impressed with bonds' service for charitable issues. in fact, she cited his anonymous goodwill as one of the reasons he didn't receive the jail time sought venomously by the prosecution. said illston, "the thing that was striking to me was that most of that was done out of the public eye & privately."

baseball has a long list of talented players (jason giambi, rafael palmiero, andy pettite, manny ramirez, garry sheffield, i.e.) whose steroid use will undoubtedly hinder their chances at going to cooperstown. but only bonds had the unquestionable hall of fame credentials - before the dark cloud of suspicion began to follow his every waking move.

bonds was arguably the best player in the 90's. he hit 30 or more homers every year except 1991. he won the national league mvp award three times. with his blinged out diamond cross earring dangling from his left ear & his short, compact swing, bonds was the epitome of swag: long before the term became popular & culturally relevant. he was a 14 time all-star who won several gold gloves yet will probably go down in history as a man unfaithful to a sport which honors its heroes.

Mumia Abu-Jamal Will Not Be Executed

2011-12-08T11:28:00.009-05:00

prosecutors have called off their 30-year battle to execute former black panther mumia abu-jamal for allegedly murdering a white, male police officer, putting to an end the racially charged case that became a major battleground in the fight over the death penalty.

flanked by maureen faulkner, the widow of police officer daniel faulkner, philadelphia district attorney seth williams announced his decision wednesday, just two days short of the 30th anniversary of the killing. he said continuing to seek the death penalty would open the case to "an unknowable number of years" of appeals.

said williams, "there's never been any doubt in my mind that mumia abu-jamal shot & killed officer faulkner. i believe that the appropriate sentence was handed down by a jury of his peers in 1982." williams, the city's first black district attorney continued, "while abu-jamal will no longer be facing the death penalty, he will remain behind bars for the rest of his life, & that is where he belongs."

abu-jamal was convicted of fatally shooting faulkner dec 9, 1981. he was sentenced to death after his trial the following year. abu-jamal, who has been incarcerated in a pennsylvania prison over 29 years, has garnered worldwide support from those who believe he was & continues to be victimized by a racially biased justice system.

the writings & radio broadcasts of abu-jamal from death row made him a cause celebre & the subject of numerous books & movies. his 1995 book, "live from death row," describes prison life & calls the justice system racist & ruled by political expediency. the one-time journalist, reaped global support from the "free mumia" movement. hundreds of vocal supporters & death penalty opponents regularly attend court hearings in his case, even though abu-jamal is rarely entitled to be present.

the conviction was upheld through years of legal appeals. but a federal appeals court ordered a new sentence hearing after ruling the instructions given to the jury were potentially misleading. the u.s. supreme court declined to weigh in on the case in october, forcing prosecutors to decide if they wanted to again pursue the death penalty through a new sentencing hearing or accept a life sentence.

williams said he reached the decision to drop the death penalty bid with the blessing of maureen faulkner, who said another sentencing hearing would be just the beginning of another long, arduous appeals process. "another penalty proceeding would open the case to the repetition of the state appeals process & an unknowable number of years of federal review again, even if he were successful," williams said. he also said after nearly three decades some witnesses have died, or are otherwise unreliable.

widener university law professor judith ritter, who represented abu-jamal, applauded the decision. "there is no question that justice is served when a death sentence from a misinformed jury is overturned. 30 years later, the district attorney's decision not to seek a new death sentence also furthers the interests of justice," said ritter.

according to trial testimony, abu-jamal saw his brother scuffle with the young patrolman during a 4:00 am traffic stop in 1981 & ran toward the scene. police found abu-jamal wounded from a round from faulkner's gun. faulkner, shot several times, was killed. a .38-caliber revolver registered to abu-jamal was found at the scene with five spent shell casings.

maureen faulkner continues trying to remain visible to ensure her slain husband is not forgotten. they were 25 year-old newlyweds when he died. wednesday she said, "my family & i have endured a three-decade ordeal at the hands of mumia abu-jamal, his attorneys & his supporters, who in many cases never even took the time to educate themselves about the case before lending their names, giving their support & advocating for his freedom. all of this has taken an unimaginable physical, emotional & financial toll on each of us."

abu-jamal, born wesley cook, turned 58 earlier this year. his message resonated particularly on college campuses & in the movie & music industries - actors mike farrell & tim robbins were among dozens of luminaries who used a new york times ad to advocate for a new trial. the beastie boys played a concert to raise money for abu-jamal's defense fund.

over the years, abu-jamal has fearlessly & steadfastly challenged the lily-white makeup of the jury, instructions given to jurors & the statements of eyewitnesses. he also alleges ineffective counsel, racism by the trial judge & another man confessed to the crime.

but maureen faulkner railed against what she called the justice system's "dirty little secret" - the difficulty of putting condemned killers to death. since the u.s. supreme court restored the death penalty in 1976, pennsylvania has put to death three people; each of those individuals willingly gave up on their appeals.

faulkner lashed out at the judges who overturned abu-jamal's death sentence, calling them "dishonest cowards," whom, she said oppose the death penalty. "the disgusting reality with the death penalty in pennsylvania is that the fix is in before the hearing even begins," she says. faulkner also vowed to fight anyone who tries to extract special treatment for abu-jamal, advocating instead he now be moved to the general population.

she said, "i will not stand by & see him coddled, as he has been in the past. & i am heartened that he will be taken from the protective cloister he has been living in all those years & begin living among his own kind - the thugs & common criminals that infest our prisons."

both sides have events planned to commemorate faulkner's death & abu-jamal's subsequent arrest. faulkner, williams & others involved in the prosecution will gather in suburban philadelphia to mark the anniversary this week for a screening of the anti-mumia documentary by philly filmmaker tigre hill. supporters of abu-jamal, including princeton professor cornel west, planned a symposium friday at the national constitution center for the man they call an "innocent revolutionary & celebrated journalist."

south african archbishop desmond tutu said, "when the south african constitutonal court was set up after the end of the apartheid regime, one of its first acts was to abolish the death penalty. for three decades, mumia has been held in a windowless, bathroom-sized cell & denied any physical contact with his family or members of his community. this is in violation of the u.s.'s own constitution. now that it is clear that mumia should never have been on death row, justice will not be served by relegating him to prison for the rest of his life - yet another form of death sentence."

Hershey School Refuses To Admit HIV-Positive Male Teenager

2011-12-03T00:55:00.006-05:00

the milton hershey school was founded by the chocolate tycoon as a school that "nurtures & educates children in social & financial need to lead fulfilling & productive lives." sadly, that fulfillment won't be realized by a 13 year-old honor student from delaware county who's hiv-positive.

...is this how we celebrate world aids day?

in an exclusive interview with nbc philadelphia's denise nakano, the disheartened boy said, "i feel no other teenager should go through this, being denied just because they have hiv." his lawyer filed a discrimination suit in u.s. district court alleging the school "violated multiple anti-discrimination laws," by not admitting him due to his hiv+ health status.

the lawsuit was filed under a pseudonym. the boy & his mother requested their identities not be revealed. the school doesn't deny why they rejected him; furthermore, they petitioned to have the court review the case. the school released a statement wednesday; part of which stated, "in order to protect our children in this unique environment, we cannot accommodate the needs of students with chronic communicable diseases that pose a direct threat to the health & safety of others."

ronda goldfein from the aids law project is representing the boy & his mother in the federal discrimination lawsuit. goldfein says, "if you have a school that's open to the public, it's open to the public. if you have a student that has a particular need & requests assistance, then you accommodate. you don't simply say, we don't like you, we don't like your diagnosis, you can't come here."

the boy's mother said, "it makes me angry, like really, really angry, because they don't understand how great he is." the teenager has lived with hiv all of his life but doesn't feel hiv defines him. he excels in school, is active in sports & was learning to speak two foreign languages. he hoped hershey - a cost-free, private boarding school for children from low-income families - would advance his education.

"they didn't look at whether my client presented any threat, they just said 13 year-old boy with hiv, oh no, that's too dangerous," said goldfein. the lawsuit calls for the school to both admit the fun-loving student & give unspecified monetary damages. said the boy, "i think that it was wrong to put me through emotional distress."

NBA Players and Owners Reach Tentative Agreement for 2011-2012 Season

2011-11-26T17:06:00.004-05:00

nba players & owners reached a tentative agreement early saturday to end the 149-day lockout with the intention of opening the delayed 2011-2012 season on christmas day. neither side provided many specifics but said the only words players & fans wanted to hear. "we want to play basketball," said nba comissioner david stern.

after a secret meeting earlier this week, both sides negotiated more than 15 hours friday to try & save the season. this handshake deal, however, still must be ratified by the players & the owners. stern said it was "subject to a variety of approvals & very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that all will come to pass & that the nba season will begin december 25."

barring a change in scheduling, the season will open with a triple header. the new york knicks will host the boston celtics, followed by the miami heat at the dallas mavericks & finally, the chicago bulls versus the los angeles lakers. president obama, after finishing a basketball game at fort mcnair in washington, gave a thumbs-up when told of the settlement. "all i feel right now is finally," said dwayne wade.

the league plans a 66-game season & aims to open training camps december 9. ironically, just 12 days after talks broke down, stern declared the nba could be headed to a "nuclear winter." the all-star game is scheduled to be held in orlando, yet no date was finalized. union executive director billy hunter said, "we thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution & save the game & to be able to provide the kind of superb entertainment the nba historically has provided."

a majority on each side is needed to approve the agreement. the nba needs votes from 15 of 29 owners. the nba owns the new orleans hornets. stern said the labor relations committee plans to discuss the agreement later saturday & expects them to endorse it & recommend to the full board. the union needs a simple majority from its 430-plus members. but their process is a bit more complicated.

the players dissolved the union november 14. they must drop their anti-trust lawsuit in minnesota & re-form the the union before voting on the deal. also, because the union disbanded, a new collective bargaining agreement can be completed only once the union re-forms. drug testing & other issues still must be negotiated between the league & the players. said stern, "we're very pleased we've come this far...there's still a lot of work to do."

participating in the talks for the league were stern, deputy commissioner adam silver, san antonio spurs owner & chairman of the labor relations committee peter holt, along with attorneys rick buchanan & dan rube. the players were represented by hunter, president derek fisher, vice president maurice evans, attorney ron klempner & economist kevin murphy.

the owners locked out the players july 1. both sides spent arduous months battling over division revenues & other changes owners wanted in a new collective bargaining agreement. they said they lost hundreds of millions of dollars in each year of the former deal, ratified in 2005. they wanted a system where big-market teams wouldn't have the ability to outspend their smaller counterparts. the players fought those changes, not wanting to see any teams taken out of the market when they become free agents.

said silver, "this was not an easy agreement for anyone. the owners came in having suffered substantial losses & feeling the system wasn't working fairly across all teams. i certainly know the players had strong views about expectations in terms of what they should be getting from the system. it required a lot of compromise from both parties' part & i think that's what we saw today."

stern opined despite some "bumps" friday evening, "the greater good required us to knock ourselves out & come to this tentative understanding." he denied litigation was a factor in accelerating a deal, but things happened quickly after the players filed a suit which could have won them $6 billion in damages if the court ruled the lockout was illegal.

"for us the litigation is something that has to be dealt with," stern said. "it was not the reason for the settlement. the reason for the settlement was we've got fans, we've got players who would like to play & we've got people who are dependent on us. and its always been our goal to reach a deal that was fair to both sides & get us playing as soon as possible, but that took a little time." this was the second shortened season in nba history. the 1998-99 lockout reduced the season to 50 games.

Herman Cain Denies Mounting Sexual Harassment Allegations

2011-11-17T11:30:00.004-05:00

republican presidential candidate herman cain has unequivocally denied the mounting sexual harassment allegations against him, saying, "they simply didn't happen." cain has vowed not to withdraw his candidacy from the race. some polls have shown his numbers have slipped considerably since five women have accused him of sexual harassment. cain & mitt romney were front-runners a few weeks ago.

last week cain denied the claims of his latest accuser, sharon bialek, who said the two were out to dinner because she'd hoped cain could help her find employment. she said cain put his hands underneath her dress, reached for her genitals & put her head toward his crotch. bialek said she wanted to give a face & a voice to the women who are fearful of speaking out, although two admittedly cannot speak publicly due to confidentiality papers they reportedly signed.

bialek was accompanied at a press conference by controversial defense attorney gloria allred. cain appeared on abc's 'jimmy kimmel live' the same evening. when asked by kimmel if he'd consider hiring allred as his attorney cain quipped, "you almost made me say something that my handlers say you should not say. let me put it to you this way: i can't think of anything that i would hire her to do, ok? i can't think of a thing."

also last week, another woman, karen kraushaar, confirmed publicly for the first time she had accused cain of sexual harassment. kraushaar's initial allegations came when they both worked for the national restaurant association in the 1990s. cain has denied these & all other allegations from the women as "simply false."

dahlia lithwick, senior editor at slate, told amy goodwin on democracy now, "i think this goes to these archetypes, that if you fail everything else, just accuse women of being insane, accuse them of being trampy, accuse them of being hysterics. i think that that's a little bit of what you're hearing here...i find it fascinating that you never hear these accusations turned against male accusers of misconduct. these are really, really shakespearean ideas of women as emotional & unhinged."

Dr. Conrad Murray Found Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter In Michael Jackson Trial

2011-11-09T23:15:00.004-05:00

a two-year legal battle over who was responsible for the sudden death of michael jackson came to a dramatic close monday. after about nine hours of deliberation, which began friday morning, a california jury found doctor conrad murray guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

dr. murray appeared to show no emotion as the verdict was read by court clerk sammi bentson. but latoya jackson, one of the infamous sisters of the late king of pop, let out a loud, but short scream. a loud celebration erupted among jackson's fans outside the downtown los angeles county courthouse, where emotions ran so high one woman fainted.

the clearly startled dr. murray was immediately handcuffed & taken away by deputees after los angeles county superior court judge michael pastor denied bail. explaining his decision to remand murray to police custody pastor said, "this is not a crime involving a mistake of judgment...this is a crime where the end result was the death of a human being. that factor demonsrates rather dramatically that the public should be protected."

sentencing was set for november 29, with dr. murray facing up to four years in prison. defense attorney ed chernoff told cnn the defense team's main job right now is to prepare for sentencing & limit the amount of time dr. murray spends in jail. said chernoff, "what matters most right now is trying to keep dr. murray from taking up a prison cell in this community. that's what we're focusing on right now & we'll deal with an appeal after that."

another of dr. murray's lawyers, nareg gourjan, told cnn monday night the outcome may have been different had the defense been able to introduce jackson's past drug use & "financial condition," as additional evidence. he described his client as "devastated" by the verdict, adding he's trying to stay positive with more legal options ahead of him. said gourjan, "we're hoping that the appeals court will have something to say about this."

dr. murray served as jackson's personal physician as he prepared for his comeback concerts. jackson said the 50-city tour - this is it - would be the final concerts of his illustrious career. according to testimony, dr. murray gave him the surgical anesthetic propofol to help him sleep nearly every night for the last two months of his life. jackson's tragic death on june 25, 2009 was caused by "acute propofol intoxication" in combination with two sedatives, the los angeles county coroner ruled.

Angela Davis Speaks At Occupy Wall Street

2011-11-02T14:31:00.002-04:00

angela davis spoke to the people of occupy wall street at washington square park in new york city october 30. davis thanked the occupy wall street movement for transforming politics in the universe. she spoke to the brutal police crack-down on the occupy encampment in her hometown of oakland & supported the call for a national strike on november 2.

the activist, author, professor & scholar captivated her audience, speaking to the perils of language, while calling on the movement to transform the meaning of democracy, occupation & unity. davis utilized the "people's mic" to draw attention to rising concerns of inclusion, urging the movement to embrace a "complex unity," within the concept of "99 percent."

davis referenced the black feminist lesbian mother warrior poet audre lorde upon addressing the festive crowd. said lorde, "how can we come together in a unity that is complex & emancipatory? differences must not be merely tolerated but seen as a fund of necessary polarities between which poles creativity can spark like the dialectic."

when asked about the upcoming u.s. election davis responded by saying, "the two-party system has never worked; it does not work now & we clearly need alternatives. personally, i believe we need a powerful, radical, third party."

davis continued, "in the meantime, this movement, which is not a party, can accomplish much that political parties are unable to accomplish & so it would seem to me, that the best way to exert pressure on that corrupt two-party system is to continue to build this movement & to demonstrate that it reaches not only across the country but across the ocean."

What The Media Won't Tell You About Libya

2011-11-01T12:49:00.002-04:00

some americans & others around the world seemed to rejoice in the october 20 death of libyan president muammar gaddafi. for decades gaddafi was identified by the media as a dictator, pariah &/or ruler. as such, the same people who read the new york times & wall street journal believed what they heard on cnn & fox about his regime.

listed below are some of the unknown facts which demonstrate how the people of libya have benefited from gaddafi's leadership. these facts were not printed in our so-called trusted news sources. these facts were not spoken about on our nightly news shows. yet people who consider themselves to be well-educated & well-informed will still believe what they are being told about libya under gaddafi.

1) every libyan citizen received free education from kindergarten to the graduate school of their choice anywhere in the world. 2) as a result, the literacy rate in libya has reached 92% - higher than the u.s. 3) every libyan citizen received lifelong free medical care. 4) every libyan citizen was provided with debt-free home ownership. 5) every libyan citizen received free electrical service.

6) every libyan citizen received free pure water service. 7) every libyan citizen received a 50% discount on the purchase of an automobile. 8) for libyan citizens, the price of gasoline was 17 cents per gallon. 9) every libyan citizen is eligible to receive loans free of interest. 10) interest is illegal in libya.

11) there are no income taxes in libya. 12) every libyan couple who decides to marry receives a $50,000 gift from the libyan government. 13) every libyan citizen is qualified to receive a gift of a free land package that includes free farming equipment, free seed & free water for irrigation.

since 1992, muammar gaddafi has been organizing african oil nations into a consortium to benefit the peoples of the african continent. two conferences were held & african leaders enthusiastically endorsed the unified movement. resolutions were passed & timetables were agreed upon. final agreement was near.

the key to this african unity movement & the key to understanding why nato was sent in to organize the strategy to destroy the gaddafi regime is this: the new african union proposed by gaddafi would no longer accept american dollars - or the european euro - in payment for oil. the financial basis being established by gaddafi meant the new african union would require any purchase of african oil be paid for in gold. no gold, no oil.

said professor michel chossudovsky, "with the killing of libya's leader muammar gaddafi, nato is celebrating what, in their view, is a great victory. however, this so-called victory has nothing to do with freedom or justice; it is part of a broad, insidious, geo-political strategy that has been on nato's drawing board for years. and what is even more frightening than the blood lust being shamelessly splashed across the mainstream media is the fact that this latest maneuver is merely a small part of a much wider military agenda with potentially catastrophic consequences."

St. Louis Cardinals Win 2011 World Series

2011-10-29T17:21:00.012-04:00

the st. louis cardinals beat the texas rangers 6-2 in game seven to win the 2011 world series. chris carpenter pitched six solid innings to get his second win of the series. the 36 year-old all-star right hander gave up two runs in the first inning. he would shutdown the rangers but was relieved by the bullpen after giving up a leadoff single in the seventh inning.

third baseman david freese, a native kid who quit baseball in college, was named most valuable player. freese hit .348 & set postseason records with 21 runs batted in & 52 extra base hits, while tying a postseason record with 25 hits. he became the sixth player in major league baseball history to win the league championship series mvp & world series mvp.

the cardinals' improbable journey was all the more remarkable considering the plethora of obstacles they overcame. they lost starting pitcher adam wainwright before the first spring training game was played. all-stars albert pujols & matt holliday, in addition to freese, key players each, missed significant stretches of the regular season. but they never lost faith.

the redbirds were down 10 & 1/2 games in the wild card race to the atlanta braves on august 25. undaunted, they captured a playoff berth on the last day of the regular season. st. louis beat the heavily favored, 102-win philadelphia phillies in the division series & took care of the 96-win milwaukee brewers in the championship series.

returning home to busch stadium with a 3-2 deficit, the cardinals played one of the most exciting games in world series history. despite twice being down to their last strike they showed their resilliency. freese hit a two-run triple in the 9th inning to tie the game at 7-7. berkman singled in the 10th inning to even the score at 9-9. freese hit a dramatic leadoff walkoff solo homer in the 11th inning to earn them a shot at championship glory.

st. louis won their second world series crown in six years - they beat detroit in 2006 - in front of a stadium-record crowd of 47,399 loyal fans. hundreds more were stationed outside the park in ballpark village, hotel rooms across the street & even atop a nearby parking garage. their 11 championships are second all-time to the new york yankees, who have 27.

"when you play in a city like this, where we have the greatest fans in the world, they come out every day & they allowed us to do what we did this year," said cardinals general manager john mozeliak. "so i thank all of them & all our employees, because without them, we're not standing here. so thank you," he said.

cardinals manager tony la russa, who now has 3 world series rings as manager, admitted, "it was overwhelming. we were on the edge game after game after game. you might lose one, but as it got closer, elimination games, the character on this club is off the charts. we are more talented i think than some people realize, especially as we got healthy. but you play with that urgency, its a little scary at times & it takes a lot out of you, but its really fun to compete that way."

carpenter, 36, pitched on three days' rest for the second time in his career - the first, in the nlds against the phillies. "you can't say enough good things about the guy," said lance berkman, who hit over .400 in the series. "he's such a big game picther. what he's able to do goes beyond his stuff. the way he competes, the way he controls the game, the way he studies a lineup, knows how to pitch to it," berkman said.

the texas rangers lost their second straight world series, falling last year to the san francisco giants in five games. 50 years ago they were the washington senators. but in 1972 the franchise moved to texas. their 2010 mvp josh hamilton said about game seven, "we caught carpenter a little bit by surprise there in the first inning. but he did settle down. you can never get comfortable. i think we got the feeling that most teams felt during the season when they played us."

the cardinals improved to 8-3 in seven-game world series. as berkman said, "we're world series champions & nobody can take that away from us. what makes that even sweeter was the manner in which we won it. hollywood would have a hard time scripting something like this. you hear that sometimes, but its true with this team. the reality of it is way better than anything you can make up about the team."

The Mountaintop - A Review

2011-10-25T00:31:00.006-04:00

last thursday pm i attended the broadway premiere of playwright katori hall's olivier award-winning drama, the mountaintop. tony award nominee kenny leon directs samuel l. jackson as the rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. & angela bassett as camae, an enigmatic maid at the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee where the civil rights leader has retired after delivering his legendary "i've been to the mountaintop" speech.

myself & the two buddies who invited me nestled into the mezzanine of the bernard b. jacobs theatre, undaunted by the chill inside. we were excited to witness two oscar nominated actors who have not worked together since the early 80's when the negro ensemble company produced colored people's time. says jackson, "we all know that somebody else was supposed to do the play & she didn't," referring to halle berry's rumored attachment, "but things always happen the way they're supposed to."

the part of camae was named after the playwright's mother (carrie-mae), who grew up near the lorraine motel. but bassett stresses hers is a fictitious character: "i'm doing my own thing." in shaping his portrayal, jackson - who was an usher at dr. king, jr's funeral - drew upon his connection beyond their shared spirit of activism. says jackson, "like me, he was a father, a husband & he dealt with fame."

the dubious encounter between dr. king, jr. & the maid takes place in room 306 of the motel on april 3, 1968, the night before his assassination. when jackson enters the room (to the audience's applause), what struck me immediately was his complete lack of physical resemblance to dr. king, jr. the make-up & wardrobe was terrible. additionally, his southern accent was horrendous. he consistently went in & out of the accent, which served more of a distraction than a reminder of dr. king's warmth.

still, the drama was interesting in depicting dr. king, jr. as a man, not an icon. anxious about writing an upcoming sermon & also out of pall malls, at one point he looks out the window & says, "where is that nigger with my cigarettes?" the audience howled with laughter, partly because those words were unexpected & also because the pain associated with the 'n' word has become normalized.

despite their quiet chemistry, this writer feels bassett overpowered jackson on stage. her role as camae was brilliant. her humanity evolved as the play progressed; ironically, she met dr. king, jr. on her first day of work. camae was initially meek & timid, somewhat awestruck. yet as they continued to rapport (aided by the liquor in her pocket & them sharing her pall malls) she became this fiery, sassy woman who could obviously hold her own.

there was a sense of discomfort in the air: dr. king, jr was openly flirting with camae. their sexual tension was palpable, yet camae made him subtly clear about her respect for his marriage & her dignity as a christian woman. she knew her worth. nevertheless, the two playfully traded jabs without causing harm. the actors' timing was sharp & the play's pace was brisk. hall's writing was excellent, allowing two people to become equals, regardless of their class & gender differences.

my friends & i liked the play immensely. seeing dr. king, jr. as a vulnerable hue-man being exceeded my expectations & shattered my illusions about his stoic image. ultimately, we were treated to a well-rounded portrait of a man with fears & flaws, yet remains steadfast to his principles. jackson said, "we hope audiences enjoy the play; more importantly, angela & i will enjoy being there together, telling this wonderful story."

Obama Dedicates MLK Memorial

2011-10-17T13:40:00.003-04:00

at the dedication of a memorial of rev. dr. martin luther king, jr, president barack obama said, "an earthquake & hurricane may have delayed this day, but it was a day not to be denied." the memorial returned dr. king to the national mall - a symbol of the change he once galvanized - at a ceremony attended by thousands.

crowds began at dawn to crowd onto the memorial site, just southeast of the steps where king delivered his historic "i have a dream" speech. designed as what king described as a stone of hope hewn from a mountain of despair, the memorial is the first to a black man on the national mall & its parks, & the first monument to a non-president on the mall.

president obama said, "in this place he will stand for all time among monuments of those who fathered this nation & those who defended it...a black preacher, no official rank or title, who somehow gave voice to our deepest dreams & our most lasting ideas - a man who stirred our conscience & thereby helped make our union more perfect."

obama also said the monument was not for the assassinated leader alone: "the movement of which he was a part depended on an entire generation of leaders. many are here today, & for their service & sacrifice we owe them our everlasting gratitude. this is a monument to your collective achievement."

the president went on to state, "some giants of the civil rights movement like rosa parks & dorothy height, benjamin hooks, rev. fred shuttlesworth, they've been taken from us these past few years. this monument attests to their strength & courage, & while we miss them dearly, we know they rest in a better place."

"finally," obama remarked, "there are the multitudes of men & women whose names never appear in the history books. those who marched & those who sang, those who sat in & those who stood firm. those who organized & those who mobilized - all those men & women who through countless acts of quiet heroism helped bring about changes few thought were even possible."

in conclusion, said obama, "faceless, anonymous, relentless young people, black & white, who have taken our whole nation back to those great wells of democracy which were dug deep by the founding fathers in the formulation of the constitution & the declaration of independence. to those men & women, those foot soldiers for justice, know that this monument is yours as well."

president obama was just six years old when dr. king was tragically gunned down on the balcony of the lorraine motel in memphis, tennessee. he credits dr. king with helping him pave the way to the white house as america's first black commander-in-chief. aretha franklin, stevie wonder & poet nikki giovanni were among those who honored the legacy of the nation's foremost civil rights leader. organizers anticipated over 50,000 people would attend.

Gil Noble Resigns as Host of 'Like It Is'

2011-09-29T16:17:00.003-04:00

gil noble will not return to hosting abc's 'like it is.' the 79 year-old cultural icon suffered a severe stroke two months ago. he continues to recuperate & according to his family is "making progress." noble began hosting the public affairs show in 1968. noble's loved ones, along with his attorney, told wabc/channel seven general manager david davis last week noble would not return as host.

"they have made the difficult decision that gil can no longer continue as host of 'like it is'," davis wrote in an e-mail to his staff. "i said i understood & after so many years of serving the community & hosting such an historic program, gil deserves the opportunity to completely concentrate on his recovery." noble's family says he will no longer be able to host the show.

airing sundays at noon, 'like it is' is a powerful resource for african-descended people. noble's cultural integrity, loving spirit & social consciousness was evident in every show. he's interviewed athletes, celebrities, educators, journalists, musicians, newsmakers, politicians & regular folk with compassion, fairness & respect.

noble has been a long-time activist for the african-american community. outside of his work at channel seven, noble has produced documentaries on w.e.b. dubois, rev. dr. martin luther king, jr & malcolm x. channel seven has been airing classic installments of 'like it is' since his stroke.

davis said, "channel seven will continue to serve the african-american community with a program that examines all the critical issues - jobs, education, housing, politics, transportation, culture - the list will be defined by our viewers' needs & interests." he said the news, programming & public affairs department would work on a new program, with details coming soon. "we cannot duplicate gil noble of 'like it is,' but we should always respect his passion for the truth," davis wrote.

Did the State of Georgia Execute an Innocent Black Man?

2011-09-23T14:02:00.009-04:00

at 11:08 pm wednesday, the state of georgia executed troy anthony davis by lethal injection. about 500 peaceful protesters, 95% of whom were black, respectfully gathered in front of the jackson state prison in jackson, georgia. the diverse crowd included children, elderly folk & pregnant women. some of them proudly wore i am troy davis t-shirts. for hours upon hours they shouted, 'spare this man's life.'

according to historian & author william jelani cobb, "when word came that the supreme court was stepping in, there was elation. but we just sank when we learned that there wasn't going to be any change in his fate. people quietly gave in. as davis was in the process of dying, some prayed. some people fell out on the grass. others were talking about what we should do next. it was a roller coaster."

davis was originally scheduled to be executed at 7:00 pm. the u.s. supreme court, opting not to address this case previously, weighed in for over three hours before ultimately refusing his attorney's appeal. davis, a black man, was convicted in 1991 of shooting & killing mark mcphail, a white, male off-duty police officer in savannah, georgia in 1989.

no physical evidence was provided by the prosecution. no murder weapon was found. seven of the nine eyewitness recanted their testimony; many citing law enforcement coercion, stress & fear of reprisal. some said the police made them lie. one witness signed a police statement indicting davis - yet he was illiterate. some said the person, sylvester coles, who reported davis to the police, actually shot the police officer.

just before his controversial execution, davis humbly maintained his innocence. he urged people to dig deeper into the provocative case for the truth. when asked for his final words davis said, "for those about to take my life, may god have mercy on your souls, may god bless your souls."

historically, within every facet of the american criminal justice system, people of african ancestry have experienced financial shortcomings, inadequate legal representation, media apathy, racial discrimination & social inequality. marcus garvey once said, "people who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it." richard pryor once said, "there is no justice for black people...there's just us."

some people felt u.s. president barack obama should speak to a case of this magnitude. obama is the most powerful black man in america. his attorney general, eric holder, is black. legally, the president lacks the authority to intervene in state convictions. but the justice department could investigate claims davis' civil rights were violated in his trial.

often when folks have been mistreated legally &/or wrongly convicted they have an opportunity to correct the injustice. you can sue the police. you can be granted a new trial. you can be released from prison. you can be given compensation. you can, at the very least, continue to exhaust the legal system of all its resources to amend the wrongs against you.

but there is no legal way to correct a death sentence. once convicted, the burden of innocence falls squarely on the shoulder of the convicted individual. if davis was serving a sentence of life in prison without parole, he could continue to press the legal system to grant him a fair trial - but because of the death penalty, he does not have that opportunity.

troy davis' case has ignited national discourse around the viability of the death penalty. many people feel strongly one way or the other on moral grounds. however, the many questions of doubt against davis were so uncertain in this case it left a bad taste with people who are staunchly pro-death penalty. furthermore, in a system which routinely misidentifies black suspects & disproportionately punishes black people, the cultural oppression of african people continues.

since 1973, more than 130 people have been released from death row because they were wrongly convicted. the movement to add davis to this list was strong from the outset. the georgia board of pardons & parole received hundreds of phone calls to help delay davis' execution twice. over a million people signed petitions & others raised money to run ads on georgia radio stations calling for justice.

amnesty international, colorofchange.org, naacp, national action network & other activists, community-based organizations & progressive people fought valiantly to save davis' life. prayer vigils were held around the world from portland, oregon to paris, france. despite his inevitable fate, davis felt the case was bigger than him.

some of the prominent people across the political spectrum who spoke out included archbishop desmond tutu, former georgia republican congressman bob barr, hip hop group outkast member big boi, former u.s. president jimmy carter, members of the congressional black caucus, former georgia supreme court justice norman fletcher, pope benedict xvi & former fbi director william sessons.

long live the spirit of troy anthony davis!!!

Novak Djokovic & Samantha Stosur Win 2011 US Open Singles Titles

2011-09-13T23:20:00.006-04:00

world #1 novak djokovic of serbia defeated world #2 rafael nadal of spain 6-2, 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 to win his first us open men's singles title. djokovic is now 6-0 against the passionate lefty this year - all in finals - continuing his dominance over all opponents. he has 10 titles (six more than any other player) in 2011 & has compiled a mind-boggling 64-2 record.

djokovic becomes the sixth men's player in the open era to win three major championships in the same year. he beat andy murray of great britain at the australian open & nadal at both wimbledon & the us open. most notably, for the second year in a row, djokovic saved two match points against roger federer of switzerland in the semi-finals to emerge.

samantha stosur of australia upset three-time us open champion serena williams of the united states 6-2, 6-3 to win her first major singles title. the 9th seeded aussie outplayed williams from the outset, mixing powerful serves & punishing forehands to keep williams on the defensive. williams was seeded #28, as injuries sidelined her for most of the year.

this was stosur's third career title, a trophy most folks thought she would not capture against the favored 13-time major champion of usa. a finalist at last year's french open, stosur was inconsistent this year, yet she played within herself to her own surprise. williams had not dropped a set during the entire tournament, which was moved to sunday women's finals & monday men's finals due to hurricane irene the previous week.

Legendary Motown Singer-Songwriter Nick Ashford Transitions

2011-08-23T23:50:00.004-04:00

singer-songwriter nick ashford transitioned monday at the age of 70 in a new york hospital. ashford & his wife valerie simpson formed the brilliant duo, ashford & simpson. together they penned elegant & soulful classics for marvin gaye, diana ross & chaka khan, among other artists. ashford was battling throat cancer & underwent radiation treatment.

ashford & simpson garnered their greatest success at motown with songs like "ain't no mountain high enough" & "reach out and touch somebody's hand," by ross, & "you're all i need to get by" by gaye & tammi terrell; in the early 90's, mary j. blige & method man remade the song, earning them a grammy for best hip hop duo.

the gifted pair created anthems for others, among them, "i'm every woman" by khan, which was later remade by whitney houston. ashford & simpson also triumphed writing for themselves. perhaps their best-known song was the 80's hit "solid as a rock."

after learning of his friend's death, verdine white of earth, wind & fire said, "his music is unmatched in terms of great songwriting...they had magic & that's what creates those wonderful hits...without those songs, those artists wouldn't have been able to go to the next level." on twitter alicia keys wrote, "i'm so sad that he's gone...so many of the greatest are are going to a greater place...what a legacy of infectious music...man!"

ashford & simpson initially met in 1964 in a new york city church. ashford, a south carolina native, came to nyc to pursue a dance career. simpson was a music student. after they connected the two decided to write songs together. said white, "they were always comfortable with each other & they made all of us comfortable, because they were comfortable."

their first major success occurred when they wrote "let's go get stoned" for the legendary ray charles. the bluesy, gospel-tinged song became a huge hit for charles; as such, it brought them to the attention of motown records, who signed them to write for their artists.

at motown they wrote romantic & soulful ballads for the charismatic duo of gaye & terrell. songs like "your precious love" & "ain't nothin' like the real thing" became instant classics. originally, "ain't no mountain high enough" was their hit, until ross later re-recorded it with a new arrangement fueled by sweeping pop grandeur - making it her signature song.

ross may have been their greatest muse: with her, they had some of their biggest songs & helped give her lifetime-defining hits distinguishing her solo career apart from the supremes. among the songs ross made were "reach out & touch," "the boss," "my house," & "missing you," a tribute to the late gaye & others. they also composed some of the music for "the wiz," the ill-fated movie musical starring ross & michael jackson.

in an industry where marriages & partnerships are fleeting, their relationship stood the test of time. "the thing is they were married & working together, that was what was special about them...everybody admired that," white said. married for 38 years, ashford & simpson helped sell millions of records for several artists in the midst of succeeding as their own entity. writing into the new millennium they were credited as co-writers for amy winehouse's "tears dry on their own."

the pair continued to perform, stretching more than four decades of exciting & riveting showmanship. they also were owners of the popular new york city restaurant sugar bar, where many top names & emerging artists would showcase their craft. in 2002, ashford & simpson were inducted into the songwriters hall of fame. ashford is survived by his wife & two daughters.

NBA Hall of Fame/Class of 2011

2011-08-15T19:04:00.004-04:00

the naismith memorial basketball hall of fame welcomes the class of 2011:

teresa edwards. artis gilmore. herb magee. chris mullin. dennis rodman. arvydas sabonis. tom 'satch' sanders. reece 'goose' tatum. tara vanderveer. tex winter.

Is There A Link Between Race & Disease?

2011-08-12T20:07:00.004-04:00

around jackson, mississippi, where a common breakfast is eggs fried in lard, dr. herman a. taylor, jr. is known as "heart man." the respected university of mississippi cardiologist is director of the jackson heart study, the largest epidemiological investigation ever undertaken to discover the links between cardiovascular disease & race.

from now until 2014, dr. taylor, jr. & his team will follow 5,302 african-american residents of three mississippi counties: hinds, madison & rankin, they will observe their lives & seek to discover how their heart health is related to their environment.

for the study's participants there will be periodic medical examinations & referrals for care when problems arise. the ultimate aim of the $54 million investigation, dr. taylor, jr. said, "is to gain the information we need to stop an epidemic of cardiovascular diseases within the african-american community." the study is not without precedence.

the framington heart study, which tracked cardiovascular disease in three generations of new englanders, is thought to be the most productive investigation in public health history. but when the study was initiated in 1948, the town of framingham was mostly populated by second-generation immigrants & other whites. few blacks were included.

since 1963, death from cardiovascular disease for the nation as a whole has declined. yet, in regions like mississippi among african-americans mortality from heart disease is flat, or trending upward. particularly with women. a middle-aged african-american woman in mississippi has four times the risk of death from cardiovascular disease than a white woman elsewhere in the country.

dr. taylor, jr. & his team have identified a number of barriers to life quality, among them access to health care, high blood pressure, inactivity, obesity & smoking. they are also gathering relevant data on often overlooked issues such as anger, extended family, hostility, optimism, religion, social support & stress. they want to know what's killing folks.

african-american women in mississippi suffer from very high levels of obesity, higher than national averages. their rates of diabetes & hypertension are also quite high. fortunately, alcohol consumption among the women is much lower than average. additionally, the team will look at how these women respond to racial discrimination & how they cope with it.

one of the primary concerns of dr. taylor, jr's team is the immediate environment of the participants. a healthy lifestyle can be compromised when exercise - a jog or walk in the neighborhood - becomes a risky proposition. in other words: do people feel safe where they live? are there grocery stores in the area, or do people rely on the corner market with its customary jars of pickled eggs & pigs' feet on the counter?

in the traditional diets of african-americans in mississippi, the calories & fat are astronomical. they add up to being the fattest state in the nation. soul food, as such, could use a little tweaking. dr. taylor says, "the problem today for people living under stressful conditions is that harmful stuff is sometimes a cheap way to take a load off their lives & feel less stressed. i think that drives a lot of eating & smoking."

people in mississippi remember the highly controversial tuskegee study. in fact, the rationale for keeping valuable information from the study's participants was to not interfere with the history of their disease. says dr. taylor, jr., "we're an observational study. we take an active role in spreading the word about prevention. when one of our medical exams shows something of clinical importance in a participant, we contact their physician. if they don't have one, we have a group of local doctors who've volunteered to take them on."

Stop Hydraulic Fracturing Now!

2011-07-28T17:26:00.004-04:00

misleading the public under the erroneous claim natural gas is a "clean" energy, the powerful oil & gas industry currently uses a hazardous & toxic process for natural gas extraction called hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking). this devious process, ongoing in 34 states, is causing irreparable damage to the environment, poisoning animals & humans, making farms, homes & large tracts of land uninhabitable.

after several years of devastating many western states, gas drilling companies are now descending eastward - especially new york, pennsylvania & west virginia. they have already leased large areas including the susquehanna & delaware river basins. they're also poised to contaminate the water supplies of 41 million people from delaware, new jersey, new york & pennsylvania. these companies have already ripped thru western pennsylvania & west virginia, leaving these areas in ruins.

hydrofracking occurs when gas companies drill down, thru our aquifers, then horizontally thru the shale & pump in millions of gallons of tracking fluid comprised of millions of gallons of water, tons of toxic, carcinogenic chemicals & sand. its pressurized to such a high degree causing small earthquakes, fracturing the shale & releasing the gas.

it also releases tons of toxics - heavy metals, methane & radioactive materials. these toxibs seep thru the fractured rock, thru the vertical fault lines & other cracks in the ground & enter into our water supplies. once the water & the earth are poisoned there is no recourse.

the chemicals used in fracking do not biograde. moreover, there is no known technology to filter or treat the fluid waste. the small percentage of waste extracted usually ends up re-injected somewhere else, or worse, dumped. these toxins will be in our air, soil & water, for thousands of years...all for a short-term energy plan.

this process should be illegal. but its not. the halliburton loophole, inserted into the 2005 energy policy act, exempts hydrofracking from the clean air act, clean water act, safe drinking water act & superfund act - all of the environmental safeguards created to protect us. this process goes on completely unregulated & we must act swiftly, in the spirit of compassion, fairness & unity. for more info go to: www.unitedforaction.org.

I Am A Man: Black Masculinity In America

2011-07-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

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this award-winning documentary links everyday black men from various socio-economic backgrounds with some of black america's most progressive academics, social critics & authors to provide an engaging, candid dialogue on black masculine identity in american culture.

i am a man was directed by filmmaker byron hurt. hurt directed the critically-acclaimed, "hip hop: beyond beats & rhymes," "barack & curtis," as well as the recent doc, "soul food junkies." hurt is also an anti-sexist activist, gender violence prevention worker & writer. his diverse media background includes experience in broadcast television, long-form documentary, print & public relations.

this powerful documentary features interviews with bell hooks, michael eric dyson, john henrik clarke, dr. alvin poussaint, mc hammer & others.

Novak Djokovic and Petra Kvitova Win 2011 Wimbledon Singles Titles

2011-07-04T17:01:00.007-04:00

novak djokovic of serbia defeated rafael nadal of spain 6-4, 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 to become the 2011 wimbledon men's singles champion. djokovic culminated his first title at the all-england club in london by also claiming the #1 ranking for the first time in his stellar career. djokovic's incredible match record this year is 49-1. his lone loss came at the hands of world #3 roger federer of switzerland in the semi-finals of the french open.

djokovic beat nadal, the defending champion, for the fifth consecutive time this year - all in final matches. but this was his first victory against the humble spaniard in five major tournament clashes. the personable serb credits a gluten free diet, confidence & hard work as subtle keys to his dominant success. the 24 year-old djokovic admitted afterwards he struggled with self-doubt yet continued to believe he could beat the best players in the world when it counted most.

petra kvitova of czechoslovakia upset maria sharapova of russia 6-3, 6-4 to win her first major singles title. the 21 year-old lefty displayed a powerful serve, crushing ground strokes & winning volleys to exceed her own expectations. seeded #8, kvitova reached the wimbledon semi-finals - her first major semi showing - last year, losing to eventual champion serena williams. but this year she was poised to go all the way.

the shy czech grew up watching her idol, martina navratilova, win 9 wimbledon singles crowns. although she doesn't serve & volley like martina, kvitova's aggressive style was reminiscent of a younger sharapova. in 2004, at age 17, sharapova beat serena williams in straight sets to shock the tennis world upon winning her first major singles title. kvitova is headed for the top 5 & will be a favorite at the u.s. open.

Same-Sex Marriage Legalized In New York State By Narrow Margin

2011-06-25T18:19:00.004-04:00

lawmakers voted late friday to legalize same-sex marriage, making new york the largest state where gay & lesbian couples will be able to wed. the marriage bill, whose fate was uncertain until moments b4 the vote, was approved 33-29 in a packed but hushed senate chamber.

four members of the republican majority joined all but one democrat in the senate to support the controversial measure after an intensely emotional campaign. with his position still undeclared, senator mark j. grisanti, a republican from buffalo who sought office opposing same-sex marriage, told his colleagues he agonized for months b4 concluding he was wrong.

grisanti said, "i apologize for those who feel offended...i cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, the people of my district & across this state, the state of new york & those people who make this the great state that it is the same rights that i have with my wife."

senate approval was the final hurdle for this historic piece of legislation, which was approved last week by the assembly. governor andrew cuomo signed the measure at 11:55 p.m. the law will go into effect in 30 days, meaning same-sex couples could begin marrying in new york by late july.

passage of same-sex marriage in new york followed a daunting run of defeats in other states where voters barred same-sex marriage by legislative action, constitutional amendment or referendum. currently five states permit same-sex marriage: connecticut, iowa, massachusetts, new hampshire, vermont, as well as the district of columbia.

in 2009 the bill was easily rejected by the senate, then controlled by democrats. but as he pledged during the campaign cuomo made same-sex marriage one of his top priorities for the year. he deployed his top aide to coordinate the efforts of a half-dozen local gay-rights organizations - whose disunity & feuding was blamed for the bill's original defeat.

most of the republicans opposed the bill morally. however, many also had political concerns, fearing legalized same-sex marriage on their watch would embitter conservative voters & cost the republicans their one-seat majority in the senate. leaders of the state's conservative party, whose support many republican lawmakers depend on to win election, warned they'd oppose in legislative elections next year, any republican senator who voted for same-sex marriage.

but after days of contentious discussion capped by a marathon nine-hour closed door debate on friday, republicans came to a fateful decision. the full senate would be allowed to vote on the bill, the majority leader, dean g. skelos said friday afternoon. each member would be left to vote according to his or her conscience.

republican lawmakers spent much of the week negotiating changes to the marriage bill to protect religious institutions, especially those against same-sex weddings. the assembly & the senate approved those changes friday. yet they weren't enuf to satisfy the measure's harshest critics. in a joint statement, new york's catholic bishops assailed the vote.

"the passage by the legislature of a bill to alter radically & forever humanity's historic understanding of marriage leaves us deeply disappointed & troubled," the bishops said. ruben diaz, sr. of the bronx, the only democrat to cast a no vote, said, "god, not albany, has settled the definition of marriage a long time ago."

legalizing same-sex marriage in america is a relatively recent goal of the gay movement. over the past few years gay-rights organizers have placed the issue at the center of their agenda, steering money & muscle into dozens of state capitals in an often uphill effort to persuade lawmakers, media folk & our society. in new york, advocates flooded district offices with thousands of e-mails, phone calls & signed postcards from constituents who favored same-sex marriage.

new york is now the largest state to grant legal affirmation to same-sex weddings. also home to a large, visible & politically influential gay community, supporters described the victory as both poignant & symbolic - in june 1969, a riot against police took place at a west village bar, the stonewall inn. led by black & latino drag queens, the fight was a major turning point of the gay movement, which, unbeknowst to many, actually began in the early 50's.

during a brief recess amidst the vote, senator shirley l. huntley, a queens democrat who recently supported the bill publicly, strode from her seat to the back of the senate chamber. she congratulated daniel j. o'donnell, an openly gay manhattan lawmaker who sponsored the legislation in the assembly. they hugged & o'donnell, standing with his longtime partner, began to tear up. "we're going to invite you to our wedding," mr. o'donnell said. "now we have to figure out how to pay for one."

Dallas Mavericks Win 2011 NBA Title

2011-06-15T12:16:00.006-04:00

the dallas mavericks defeated the miami heat 105-95, in game six, on the road, to win their first nba championship. dirk nowitzki was named most valuable player. nowitzki averaged 26 points & 10 rebounds, but most importantly, the 13-time all-star led his team to victory by averaging 10 points per game in the 4th quarter.

despite their third seed in the playoffs, pundits expected dallas to lose to the talented portland trailblazers in the first round. in game four of their exciting series dallas blew a 23-point lead & lost the game. however, the mavs showed their determination, grit & resiliency by winning the next two games decidedly. they would not be a one & done team.

in round two dallas swept the two-time defending champion los angeles lakers, to every one's surprise. led by veteran point guard jason kidd, former 6th man of the year jason terry, 3rd place defensive player of the year center tyson chandler & an incredibly versatile bench, the mavericks went on to beat the gifted oklahoma city thunder in the western conference finals to face miami for the second time in five years.

miami was a team some loved to hate. all-star forward lebron james was criticized for his "decision" to leave cleveland & take his talents to south beach. james was joined by all-star center chris bosh to form, with all-star guard dwayne wade, the big three. b4 the season began miami hosted a celebration on stage featuring the three players amidst a cloud of smoke & james boldly predicting multi-championships.

the heat beat the youthful philadelphia 76ers in five games in the first round. their highly anticipated second round series against the heavily favored boston celtics showcased the brilliant defense of miami. the heat prevailed in five games. miami's eastern conference final opponent, the chicago bulls, boasted mvp point guard derrick rose & coach of the year tom thibodeau, as well as the league's best record, 62-20, giving them home court advantage for the playoff season.

neither team shot well in the series, primarily because chicago & miami were the top two defensive teams in the nba. rose struggled from the floor. his teammates, most notably center joakim noah & forward carlos boozer, were inconsistent. the bulls were unable to score freely & lost close games as a result, sending miami to the nba finals again; miami defeated dallas four games to two in 2006.

dallas & miami finished the regular season with 28-13 road records, tied for best in the nba. as such, miami's home court advantage was tenuous. miami won game one failry routine. but in game two, dallas overcame a 15-point deficit with less than eight minutes to go in the 4th quarter - one of the greatest comebacks in nba finals history - to even the series.

after miami beat dallas on the road in a close game three, they would never feel the thrill of victory, only the agony of defeat. games three, four & five were decided by a total of eight points. each game was a defensive struggle, marked by james' inability to score in the 4th quarter, for which he was heavily criticized. said james after the series, "i did not play up to my own standards...i have a lot of work to do."

game six was close for the first three quarters. both teams blew sizable leads & the game was decided in the 4th quarter. dallas' incredible shooting from three-point range proved decisive. jason terry scored 27 points off the bench. jj barrea added 17 points. deshawn stevenson hit three from downtown. timely offensive rebounds from tyson chandler, shawn marion & nowitzki demoralized miami. the heat committed costly turnovers & showed no heart at the end. dallas was a team of destiny.

Long Live The Spirit of Gil Scott-Heron

2011-05-30T00:46:00.009-04:00

gil scott-heron transitioned friday at age 62 in a new york hospital. the beloved author, lyricist, musician, poet & singer enjoyed a successful albeit tumultuous collaboration with musician brian jackson. their work fused blues, jazz & soul with a potent hybrid of critical thinking, political commentary & social consciousness which transcended age, culture, gender, faith & sexuality.

many of scott-heron's friends & musical contemporaries have paid tribute upon learning of his demise. abiodun of the legendary last poets said scott-heron was the "link between john coltrane & malcolm x." public enemy founder chuck d said on twitter, "we do what we do how we do because of you." wu-tang clan's ghostface killah wrote, "salute gil scott-heron for his wisdom & poetry. may he rest in paradise."

as a spoken word artist in the early 60's & 70's some deemed scott-heron the 'godfather of rap' & the 'black bob dylan' - labels he personally appreciated yet publicly rejected. a deeply sensitive man, his impact on today's artists was humbling. eminem wrote on twitter, "rip gil scott-heron. he influenced all of hip hop." cee-lo green called him the "god gil scott-heron," while talib kwali said "he completely influenced me as an artist."

politically outspoken rapper michael franti said scott-heron's talent was his ability to "make us think about the world in a different way." he would make listeners "laugh hysterically about the ironies of american culture, anger at the hypocrisy of our political system, all to a beat that kept us on the dance floor, with a voice & flow that kept you waiting with anticipation for the next phrase."

richard russell, who produced & released scott-heron's final album, i'm new here, in 2010, described him as a "master lyricist, singer, orator & keyboard player." said russell, "gil was not perfect in his own life, but neither is anyone else. and he judge no one. he had a fierce intelligence & a way with words which was untouchable; an incredible sense of humor & a gentleness & humanity that was unique to him. gil shunned all the trappings of fame & success. he could have had all those things. but he was greater than that."

the musician's publisher jamie byng remembered him as "a giant of a man, a truly inspirational figure whom i loved like a father & a brother." scott-heron touched people who encountered him with his "singularity of vision, his charismatic personality, his moral beauty & his willingness to take his fellow travelers through the range of emotions," byng wrote.

byng continued, "throughout a magnificent musical career, he helped people again & again, with his willingness & ability to articulate deep truths, through his eloquent attacks on injustices & by his enormous compassion for people's pain. hundreds of thousands of people saw gil perform live over the decades, always with remarkable bands, & few came away untouched by his magnetism, humility, biting wit & warmth of spirit."

lemn sissay, a friend of scott-heron's who produced a documentary on his work, told the bbc he was a "polymath who spoke crucially of the issues of his people. in the late 60's & early 70's black poets were the news-givers because their stories were not covered in truth by the mainstream media." scott-heron's critically acclaimed & most well-known piece, the revolution will not be televised - which he wrote at age 19 - is often referenced in american pop culture yet resonates with oppressed folk globally.

born april 1, 1949 scott-heron was the son of a jamaican footballer who was the first black man to play for glasgow celtic. he was raised by his grandmother in jackson, tennessee. she introduced him to the writing of langston hughes, a writer whose work scott-heron admired & revered. scott-heron felt hughes spoke intuitively to the people, not at the people, an asset he demonstrated in his grass-roots music.

during in an interview with bbc music 6 last year, scott-heron recalled, "my grandmother bought a piano for about $8 i think it was. i began to listen to the radio & try to pick out what they were playing by ear. there were a lot of blues progressions that i was able to give some life to on the piano, there, & i enjoyed it very much."

at age 17 he wrote the vulture, a story about the death of a drug dealer. by this time scott-heron had moved from segregated tennessee to new york city's chelsea, a neighborhood which he described as "85% puerto rican, 15% white & me." he began his recording career with the independent label flying dutchman records (a nod to the leroi jones play) in 1970, at the height of the black power movement.

scott-heron's militant voice of protest can be heard on his 1974 album winter in america, which produced soul-aching ballads & timeless classics. this caught the attention of music impresario clive davis who made him, in 1975, the first artist he signed to arista records. by age 23 he'd published a book of poetry, two novels & recorded three albums; addressing issues like apartheid, celebrity, drug addiction, nuclear power, poverty & racism.

scott-heron successfully campaigned alongside bob marley & stevie wonder for an american national holiday to be named in honor of one of his heroes, the rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. his spirited activism engendered a level of respect & warmth with his fans wherever he played, both locally & globally. in 1993 he wrote message to the messengers, calling on rappers & musicians to use their art for social change.

in 2001 scott-heron was jailed in new york state for cocaine possession & again, five years later, for violating a plea on a drug-possession charge by leaving a rehabilitation clinic. it was while he was doing jail time when he received a visit from russell, who guided him into the studio for his eagerly anticipated comeback album.

on his blog russell said, "to my knowledge he never accepted an award. he always wanted everyone else to receive credit for their work. he is the only artist i've ever worked with who requested that the studio's engineer photo be given equal prominence to his own on his website. gil meant a massive amount to me, as he did to so many people. his spirit was immense. he channeled something that people derived a huge benefit from."

African-American CNN Anchor Don Lemon Reveals He Is Gay

2011-05-18T13:28:00.008-04:00

in his new memoir transparent, african-american cnn anchor don lemon reveals he is a gay-identified man. in an official statement lemon says, "today i chose to step out on faith & begin openly living my truth."

lemon's admission was not a secret. in fact, many of his co-workers & managers were keenly aware of his homosexuality. he now joins national television news anchors like rachel maddow & thomas roberts who have similarly acknowledged their sexual identities in a public forum.

"i think it would be great if everybody could be out," lemon told the new york times. "but its such a personal choice. people have to do it at their own speed. i respect that. i do have to say that the more people who come out, the better it is for everyone, certainly for the tyler clementis of the world."

tyler clementi is the gay-identified rutgers university student who committed suicide last fall. lemon futher laments, "i think if i had seen more people like me who are out & proud, it wouldn't have taken me 45 years to say it...to walk in the truth."

even beyond whatever affect his revelation might have on his television career, lemon said he recognized this step carried special risk for him as a black man. he told the new york times, "its quite different for an african-american male. its about the worst thing you can be in the black culture. you're taught that you have to be a man. you have to be masculine. in the black community they think you can pray the gay away."

as a same-gender-loving man of african descent, this writer is curious to know exactly what lemon means when he says, "more people like me." does he mean black men? professional black men? men over 40? men at cnn? other media folk?

as arsenio hall would say, things that make you go hmmmmmmmm.

2011 NBA Post-Season Award Winners

2011-05-06T12:39:00.003-04:00

the national basketball association recently announced its annual award winners for the 2010-2011 season. they are as follows...

most valuable player - derrick rose, chicago bulls.
coach of the year - tom thibodeau, chicago bulls.
rookie of the year - blake griffin, los angeles clippers.
defensive player of the year - dwight howard, orlando magic.
sixth man of the year - lamar odom, los angeles lakers.
most improved player - kevin long, minnesota timberwolves.
sportsman of the year - stephen curry, golden state warriors.

congratulations & godspeed for their worthy accomplishments!

Knicks Swept by Celtics in First Round of 2011 NBA Playoffs

2011-04-28T18:41:00.004-04:00

the new york knicks were swept by the boston celtics four games to none in the first round of the 2011 nba playoffs. this was the knicks first playoff series since 2004 & they have yet to win a playoff game in 10 years. knicks coach mike d'antoni was obviously disappointed in the outcome yet remains optimistic about the future of his team, which was challenged with nagging injuries & new superstars.

amare stoudamire resurrected the culture of the knicks at the beginning of the season when he came over from the phoenix suns. in fact, bcuz of his stellar play he was the mid-season favorite for mvp. before the all-star break the knicks scored big wins over atlanta, chicago, denver, miami, new orleans & portland, establishing themselves as a legitimate force. stoudamire was voted by fans as a starter on the eastern conference squad - their first since patrick ewing.

after the all-star break the knicks acquired carmelo anthony, chauncey billups & anthony carter from denver in a blockbuster deal sending wilson chandler, danillo galinari, raymond felton & timofey mozgov to the nuggets. they also picked up (former knick) jared jeffries from washington & sent eddy curry to minnesota for corey brewer, who was later released to dallas.

the team noticeably struggled with their new lineup: brilliant one game & baffling the next. ny finished the season with a 42-40 record, their first winning season in a decade. the city was buzzed. the fans were excited. the players were hyped. their post-season relevancy benefits the league: madison square garden is the mecca for championship basketball & new york city is the media capital of the world.

still, the celtics displayed their chemistry, experience & resilience in each game. 2010 all-stars ray allen, kevin garnett, paul pierce & rajon rondo successfully embodied their roles within the team framework. glen davis, jeff green (newly acquired from okc), jermaine o'neal & delonte west solidified a team on a mission.

the first two games were hard fought. billups was injured late in game one & sat out the series. boston held their home court victories - by a total of five points - primarily bcuz they executed down the stretch, a skill the knicks must cultivate during the off-season if they expect to contend for a title next year & in the future.

stoudamire suffered back spasms in game two & was never fully healthy despite a gallant effort throughout. games three & four in the garden were blowouts, neutralizing the crowd's anticipation & thirst for killing celtic green. the knicks' bench competed mightily, outscoring the starters, yet boston proved why they deserved to move on the eastern conference semi-finals against the miami heat. the celtics are a better team.

UConn Wins 2011 NCAA Title

2011-04-07T23:24:00.005-04:00

the university of connecticut defeated the university of butler 53-41 to win the 2011 ncaa title. uconn coach jim calhoun joins john wooden, adolph rupp, mike kryzezwski & bobby knight as the only coaches to win three or more championships. at age 68, calhoun becomes the oldest coach to win the ncaa tournament. huskies all-american point guard, bob cousy award winner & naismith finalist kemba walker was named the final four's most outstanding player.

the game was played in front of a record crowd, over 75,000 fans, in houston. uconn's defense was brilliant, as they blocked 10 shots & held butler to an abysmal 18.8 field goal percentage - the worst in an ncaa final in 70 years. the bulldogs' best players mack howard & shelvin mack were a combined 5 for 23 shooting from the perimeter. furthermore, butler had no points in the paint during the entire game.

walker, who will graduate as a junior on his 21st birthday, may 8, averaged 23.5 points during the tournament. he scored 16 points & grabbed nine rebounds upon leading his young team to victory. uconn started three freshmen, among them jeremy lamb, who finished with 12 points & seven rebounds, along with roscoe smith who blocked four shots. sophomore center alex oriakhi played superbly, contributing 11 points, 11 rebounds & four blocked shots.

no one expected uconn or butler to play for the championship. butler lost last year's title game to duke amidst their cinderella run to the finals. they join the university of michigan as the only team in the last 20 years to both play & lose back-to-back title games. uconn (32-9) capped an amazing & unprecedented run after ending the regular season on a mild losing streak. they won the big east tournament - winning five games in five days - climaxed by their demoralizing win against butler.

the bulldogs played hard, but shot poorly, finishing with a record three two-point field goals. it was an ugly game to watch, particularly in the first half, as both teams struggled to drop the rock; the halftime score was butler 22 uconn 19. missed shot after missed shot for butler will be over-analyzed by pundits, yet the fact remains uconn's defense swarmed the bulldogs at every opportunity forcing bad shots & unlikely turnovers. uconn won the last 11 games of the season & deserve their place in history.

The Brief Wondrous Life Of Oscar Wao: A Writer's Review

2011-03-31T13:50:00.010-04:00

on a recent bright saturday afternoon in the village of harlem, i was excited to see my friend, elvis nolasco, star in the brief wondrous life of oscar wao. masterfully told by pulitzer prize-winning author junot diaz, this epic novel chronicles the life of oscar de leon, an overweight dominican boy growing up in paterson, new jersey who is obsessed with falling in love, science fiction novels & the curse plaguing his family for generations.

nolasco's solo gig was presented by special arrangement of the american place theatre's literature to life program. the american place theatre is committed to producing high quality new work by diverse american writers. the literature to life program gives students a new form of access to literature by bringing to life the world of the book with performances creating an atmosphere of discovery which spark the imagination.

the event was held at the harlem stage, a wonderfully intimate venue which celebrates & perpetuates the unique & diverse artistic legacy of harlem & the indelible impression it has made on american culture. harlem stage has been at the forefront of the development & presentation of new & experimental works by artists of color for over 25 years. in 2006, harlem stage completed a $26 million comprehensive campaign anchored by the restoration of the historic 135th street gatehouse into a state-of-the-art, flexible performance, rehearsal & support space.

i arrived about 20 minutes before show time, not knowing what to expect. i greeted a few friends & saluted some associates. there was a noticeable buzz in the air. the place was sold out to an inter-generational, multi-cultural audience. needless to say, i was hyped! i've known elvis almost 10 yrs & have witnessed him perform in film & on stage - but not alone, in this atmosphere, with this type of creative pressure.

as i'd not read diaz' novel, i was unfamiliar with the story, which only added to my anxiety & uncertainty. elvis was - in a word - brilliant. he captivated the pensive crowd for about 60 minutes with his charm, passion & wit. the variety of colorful people in the novel came alive on stage for us all to see. we felt their joy & pain. we identified with their trials & tribulations. elvis nolasco was treated to a standing ovation when his set was done.

finally, to every one's surprise & delight, junot diaz joined elvis on stage for a brief question & answer. diaz humbly praised his magnanimous performance. someone asked if a film was in the works. diaz mentioned possibly & he'd welcome elvis in the film upon witnessing his versatility. i was so proud of my friend. i felt like i was in the midst of a renaissance of sorts. his family & friends were there to support him as well.

Happy 54th Birthday to Ghana!!!

2011-03-08T15:45:00.005-05:00

on march 6, 1957 in ghana, the union jack was replaced with a flag of red, gold & green with a distinctive black star at its center. the british-ruled gold coast was now a self-determining country. ghana became the 1st sub-saharan nation to claim its independence from colonialism.

this was a historic event, heralded as the force urging other sub-saharan nations forward in their quest for liberation. often not discussed & usually overlooked is the impact ghana's independence also had on america's civil rights movement, or the impact black america had on dr. kwame nkrumah, the brilliant man who eventually lead his country to freedom.

many african intellectuals of that era completed their tertiary & post-graduate education in europe: it was customary, if not expected. ever the visionary, nkrumah set his sights on america & enrolled in lincoln university, one of america's oldest historically black colleges. he studied economics, sociology & theology; he also received an informal education in the politics of race & the plight of american-born black folk.

when nkrumah was not in school in philadelphia, he lived in the village of harlem, where he sold fish on the streets & waited tables on merchant ships. nkrumah attended black churches in harlem & philly. he aligned himself with black political organizations like the n.a.a.c.p., where he met & began working with the scholar w.e.b. dubois, who quickly became a mentor to nkrumah.

upon completing his studies in lincoln, nkrumah attended the university of pennsylvania, where he earned master's degrees in education & philosophy. while there, an already politicized man began to shape his ideas of pan-africanism as well as his vision for a liberated & unified continent - a place where all people of the african disapora could return to & call their home.

marcus garvey, the jamaican freedom fighter who advocated black self-reliance in america, was another instrumental figure in nkrumah's life. nkrumah noted in his autobiography, "but i think, that of all the literature i studied, the book that did more than any other to fire my enthusiasm was philosophy and opinions of marcus garvey, with his philosophy of 'africa for africans' and his 'back to africa' movement, did much to inspire the negroes of america in the 1920's."

during nkrumah's time at the university of pennsylvania he helped to establish its african studies section. he also established the african students association of american & canada, while serving as its first president. given his investment in his country's future, its no wonder some of the most notable black people in american history were present to witness ghana's independence.

the a-list includes u.n. undersecretary for special political affairs ralph bunche, also a nobel peace prize recipient; senator charles diggs; rep. adam clayton powell, jr.; mordecai johnson, the 1st black president of howard university; international labor activist maida springer; horace mann bond, the 1st black president of lincoln university & father of julian bond; rev. dr. martin luther king, jr. & his wife coretta scott king; as well as lucille armstrong, representing her husband, louis, who could not attend.

also present was then vice-president richard nixon, who approached a group of black folk whom he assumed were ghanaians & asked, "how does it feel to be free?" they said, "we wouldn't know, we're from alabama." ironically, the 1st time nixon met rev. dr. king, jr. was two days b4 the event. king said, "i want you to come visit us down in alabama, where we are seeking the same kind of freedom the gold coast is celebrating."

the repeated reference to alabama & freedom was especially poignant because ghana's independence occurred virtually on the heels of a major civil rights victory there: the montgomery bus boycott. the yearlong boycott began on december 1, 1955 when rosa parks refused to get up & give up her seat to a white person. in november of 1956, the u.s. supreme court issued a ruling in which it was declared the laws of segregation on buses were unconstitutional.

in his book, african americans in ghana: black expatriates and the civil rights era, author kevin kelly gaines writes, "the fulfillment of ghanian and african demands for national independence informed many african-americans' struggles for equal citizenship." during a radio interview in accra, rev. dr. king jr. said of ghana's independence, "it renews my conviction in the ultimate triumph of justice. and it seems to me that this is fit testimony to the fact that eventually the forces of justice triumph in the universe, and somehow the universe itself is on the side of freedom and justice. so that this gives new hope to me in the struggle for freedom."

ghana's close relationship with black america, which was forged by nkrumah, continues today. dubois, who was not at the independence celebrations because the u.s. government refused to issue him a visa, moved to ghana in 1961 & spent his remaining years there. among the african-americans who have called ghana home include activist, educator & poet dr. maya angelou, writer & pan-africanist george padmore, writer julian mayfield & lawyer-author rev. dr. pauli murray.

in 2001 ghana's parliament passed "the right to abode," unprecedented legislation affording any person of african descent the ability to live & work there indefinitely. ghana is the 1st african country to extend such an overture to people in the diaspora.

when u.s. president barack obama addressed ghana's parliament in july 2009 he said, "africa's future is up to africans. the people of africa are ready to claim that future. and in my country, african-americans - including so many recent immigrants - have thrived in every sector of society. we've done so, despite a difficult past, and we've drawn strength from our african heritage." for obama to choose ghana as the destination of his 1st official visit to africa was a befitting tribute to the legacy of kwame nkrumah.

Black Inventors/Brilliant Inventions

2011-02-26T19:17:00.003-05:00

people of african ancestry have made extraordinary contributions throughout the course of hue-man history. these brilliant inventors realized their god-given talents to create useful products we probably take for granted everyday. in the spirit of african heritage month i've listed some of their inventions which simplify the lives of folks all over the world.

a.p. ashbourne - biscuit cutter. l.c. bailey - folding bed. james a. bauer - coin changer. andrew j. beard - car couple; rotary engine. g.e. becket - letter box. alfred benjamin - stainless steel pads. h. bradberry - torpedo discharger. phil brooks - disposable syringe. marie brown - home security system. henry blair - corn planter; cotton planter. sarah boone - ironing board. l.f. brown - horse bridle bit. oscar e. brown - horse shoe. otis boykin - guide missile; pacemaker. john a. burr - lawn mower.

burridge & marshman - typewriter. r.a. butler - train alarm. george carruthers - radiation detector. george washington carver - lotion & soaps; paints & satins; peanut butter. george cook - automatic fishing reel. a.l. cralle - ice cream mold. william d. davis - horse riding saddle. w.a. detiz - shoe. joseph dickinson - arm for recording player; player piano. o. dorsey - doorknob; doorstop. clatonia j. dorticus - photo embossing machine; photo print wash. p.b. dowing - postal letter box. dr. charles drew - blood plasma.

t. elkins - toilet. david a. fisher - furniture caster. robert fleming, jr. guitar. george f. grant - golf tee. j. gregory - motor. micheal harney - lantern. soloman harper - thermo hair curlers. b.f. jackson - gas burner. h.a. jackson - kitchen table. joseph n. jackson - remote controllers; video commander. isaac r. johnson - bicycle frame. jerry johnson - sani-phone. lonnie johnson - super soaker. william harwell - space shuttle retrieval arm. w.a. lavallette - printing press. lester lee - laser fuels. maurice w. lee - pressure cooker.

f.w. leslie - envelope seal. a.l. lewis - window cleaner. john l. love - pencil sharpener. hugh macdonald - rocket catapult. tom j. marshall - fire extinguisher. w.a. martin - lock. jan matzeliger - shoe lasting machine. elijah mccoy - lubricators. alexander miles - elevator. garrett morgan - gas mask; traffic signal. lyda newman - hair brush. alice h. paker - heating furnace. j.f. pickering - airship. purdgy & sadgwar - folding chair. w.b. purvis - fountain pen; hand stamp. l.p. ray - dust pan. a.c. richardson - insect destroyer gun.

w.c. richardson - baby buggy. n. rillieux - sugar refinement. walter sammons - pressing comb. g.t. sampson - clothes dryer. henry sampson - cellular phone. dewey sanderson - urinalysis mchine. ralph sanderson - hydraulic shock absorber. s.r. scottron - curtain rod. j.w. smith - lawn sprinkler. r.b. spikes - automatic gearshift. j. standard - refrigerator. t.w. stewart - mop. rufus j. weaver - stairclimbing wheelchair. paul e. williams - helicopter. j.b. winters - fire escape ladder. granville t. woods - auto air brake; electric cutoff switch; electric railway system; galvanic battery; relay instrument; roller coaster; telephone system; telephone transmitter.

President Obama Names 15 Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients

2011-02-16T23:37:00.004-05:00

president barack obama today named 15 recipients of the presidential medal of freedom. the medal of freedom is the nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the national interests or security of the united states, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant private or public endeavors. the awards will be presented at a white house ceremony early next year.

obama said, "these outstanding honorees come from a broad range of backgrounds & they've excelled in a broad range of fields, but all of them have lived extraordinary lives that have inspired us, enriched our culture & made our country & our world a better place. i look forward to awarding them this honor."

the recipients are: 1) george h.w. bush, 41st us president, vp during the reagan administration & former cia director; 2) chancellor angela merkel, the 1st woman & 1st east german to serve as chancellor of a unified germany, which this year marks its 20th anniversary; 3) congressman john lewis (d-ga), an american hero & freedom fighter during the civil rights movement who served as chairman of the student nonviolent coordinating committee at age 19 & continues to serve georgia's fifth district since 1987.

4) john h. adams, who co-founded the national defense resources council in 1970, served as executive director & later, as president of the nonprofit environmental advocacy group until 2006; 5) dr. maya angelou, activist, actress, author, educator, filmmaker, humanitarian, poet & producer who is currently the reynolds professor of american studies at wake forest university; 6) warren buffett, an american industrialist, investor & philanthropist, he's one of the most successful investors in the world.

7) jasper johns, an american artist who produced a distinguished body of work dealing with themes of identity & perception since the mid-1950's whose work has influenced pop, minimal & conceptual art; 8) gerda weissman klein, a jewish holocaust survivor who's written several books about her experiences & recently founded citizenship counts, a an organization teaching students to cherish the value of their american citizenship; 9) dr. tom little, an optometrist who was brutally murdered 8/6/10 by the taliban in the kuran wa munjan district of afghanistan along with nine other members of a humanitarian team on a mission to provide vision care in nuristan.

10) yo-yo ma, recognized as a prodigy since age five he made his carnegie hall debut in nyc at age nine & is considered the world's greatest cellist whose celebrity transcends the world of classical music; 11) sylvia mendez, a civil rights activist of mexican & puerto rican descent whose victorious lawsuit after being denied entry into an all-white school at age eight was a landmark case in the movement against segregation; 12) stan "the man" musial, a baseball legend & hall of fame first baseman for the st. louis cardinals for 22 years who was a 24 time all-star selection, three time most valuable player & member of three world series teams.

13) bill russell, the former boston celtics' captain who revolutionised professional basketball with his defensive prowess leading boston to 11 nba titles in 13 years, including a record eight in a row, five time most valuable player & the first african-american to coach in the nba; 14) jean kennedy smith, who in 1974 founded vsa, a nonprofit organization affiliated with the john f. kennedy center promoting the artistic talents of children, youth & adults with disabilities; 15) john j. sweeney, the current president emeritus of the afl-cio who served as their president from 1995 to 2009, revitalizing the american labor movement by emphasizing social justice, union organizing & workers' advocacy rights.

Power To The People! The Egyptian Revolution Was Televised!

2011-02-13T00:57:00.005-05:00

the sounds of freedom continue to ring thru cairo 24 hrs after hosni mubarak was forced to resign by the awe-inspiring courage, determination & resilience of millions of egyptians who poured in2 the streets in unprecedented numbers for 18 str8 days. after 30 yrs of authoritarian rule, the impossible became possible: the hated dictator has left the country & his notorious police force has all but vanished.

for the tens of thousands who were in tahrir (liberation) square friday pm, the explosive news of mubarak's resignation spread like wildfire; within seconds crowds erupted in2 screams of joy & relief. strangers exchanged congratulatory embraces, their eyes moist with tears of disbelief & pride at the historic change they helped create & witness.

all night long every street in cairo lit with celebrations. people streamed in2 tahrir square from across the colossal city, waving egyptian flags, breaking out in2 dance, poetry & song, their faces bursting with a sweet & unknown delight. loud chants of "the people have brought down the regime" & "hold your head up, you are egyptian" echoed late in2 the night.

egypt's revolutionaries defy trivial generalizations. they are men & women, young & old, rich & poor, educated & illiterate, muslim & copt, atheists & believers, capitalists & workers, peasants & techies, artists & state employees, housewives & professionals, salafists & socialists, long-time activists & apathetic citizens.

after their long night of jubilation the revolutionaries returned to the square saturday, now armed with brooms, garbage bags & a new found sense of national pride. thousands dutifully swept the dusty streets in & around tahrir square, pausing at different intersections to recall the bloody battles with state security & thugs unleashed by mubarak's oppressive regime. others applied a fresh coat of paint to the pavements while talking about the freedoms they wanted to enshrine in their rejuvenated country.

the january 25th uprising in egypt has set an inspiring example to people globally. three days in2 the shift of power tens of thousands of peaceful protesters on cairo's qasr-al-nil bridge shattered the invincibility of egypt's security forces empowered with their bodies & a neo-gandhian fearlessness in the face of extreme brutality. when the panicked regime took the police off the streets to intimidate people in staying at home, the people responded by organizing committees to guard their neighborhoods.

when the regime unleashed hired thugs to stage pro-mubarak demonstrations & attack journalists & pro-democracy protesters in the square, thousands fought back with rocks while others set up make-shift clinics to treat the wounded & distribute blankets, food & water, as well as tents to those inside the square. when state television framed the demonstrators as directed by "foreign elements," folks waved egyptian flags, asserting a patriotic struggle. employees of state media outlets & well-known media personalities soon began to speak out in protest.

challenging mubarak's power has been fatal. according to estimates by the human rights watch & united nations, at least 300 people were killed in the uprising. many others have been detained & possibly tortured by egypt's intelligence & military force. every time mubarak or his recently deputized vice president omar suleiman appeared on television, they expressed contempt for the protesters, announcing piecemeal reforms to try & appease the millions in the streets.

indeed, each day brought a litany of new reasons for the people's frustrations & rage against the regime to swell. but despite the lack of restraint on the part of mubarak's hostile regime, the pro-democracy protesters did not respond to the constant provocations with violence. instead, the diverse & united people in the square delivered periodic chants of "ours is a peaceful revolution, ours is a popular revolution."

18 days of progressive struggle brought power to the people. egypt's revolution was televised but remains far from over. who will shape the post-mubarak era? who will be allowed to guide the transition to civilian rule? as the celebrations in tahrir square continue folks' concerns about the prosperity, restoration & success of egypt are not awash in cynicism. there are more questions than answers. egyptians have tasted the power of a popular uprising whose foremost demand was met & now they can't imagine giving up until all of their conflicts are resolved.

these include the repeal of the emergency law, the dissolution of parliament, constitutional reforms to ensure fair & free elections, the release of all political prisoners & justice for all those killed during the revolution. no one knows how quickly these demands will be met, but affirmed by their monumental victory against mubarak, millions of egyptians now believe if they continue the struggle anything is possible.

Packers Edge Steelers In Super Bowl XLV

2011-02-08T02:01:00.002-05:00

the green bay packers defeated the pittsburgh steelers 31-25 to win super bowl 45 & claim the coveted vince lombardi trophy. the thrilling game was witnessed by over 103,000 fans in arlington, texas, home to the dallas cowboys. this was green bay's 4th super bowl title. the packers won the 1st 2 super bowls with vince lomabardi coaching bart starr & they won again in 1997 led by (recently retired) qb brett favre.

super bowl 45 mvp was green bay qb aaron rodgers who completed 24 of 39 passes for 304 yards & three touchdown passes. rodgers' brilliant performance was slightly overshadowed by six dropped passes which would have augmented his numbers & changed the final score. packers cornerback nick collins intercepted a pass for a touchdown, leading an underrated defense to a hard-fought victory in a season many pundits thought was over after 14 regular season games.

when green bay was struggling at 8-6, their hopes for a playoff berth were slim, yet veterans like wide receiver donald driver & cornerback charles woodson - both of whom missed the 2nd half of the super bowl due to injuries - empowered their team to one win after the next. the 6th seeded packers beat the philadelphia eagles, new york giants & chicago bears on the road to earn a super bowl trip against the more experienced steelers.

packers wide receivers greg jennings & jordy nelson caught touchdown passes as green bay dominated the 1st half, leading 21-10, despite a steelers td pass from ben roethlesberger to hines ward late in the 2nd quarter. the game's momentum shifted as the steelers scored again, cutting green bay's 18 point lead to three points but the black & yellow never got closer. the steelers' offense, stifled by costly turnovers, was unable to move beyond midfield in their final possession with less than two minutes in the game. pittsburgh is now 6-2 in super bowl games.

The Origins Of Black History Month

2011-02-02T17:34:00.003-05:00

black history month, also known as african heritage month, is a time to appreciate, celebrate, reflect & rejoice in the magnanimous beauty & unparalleled brilliance of the motherland. in acknowledging africa's extraordinary contributions to global society, we honor all members of the african diaspora. let us begin by taking an in-depth look at how this unique cultural phenomenon came to be.

in the early 1900's, omega psi phi, one of the oldest african-american fraternities, first celebrated the achievements of black people on february 12, abraham lincoln's birthday. later, in 1916, dr. carter g. woodson, an honorary member of omega psi phi, convinced the association for the study of negro life & history - an organization he started - to sponsor "negro history week." his aim? to reach a larger, more diverse audience.

dr. woodson began the annual celebration in 1926 to increase awareness of & interest in black history amongst blacks & whites. he diligently distributed promotional brochures & pamphlets to various state boards of education, elementary & secondary schools, colleges, universities, women's clubs, white scholarly journals, black newspapers & periodicals: implementing ways to document truth.

unequivocally accepted as the founder of this, now, national movement & observance, dr. woodson comes from humble beginnings. he was born to parents who had been enslaved & were illiterate. as an adolescent he worked in the west virginia coalmines to support his family; as a result, he started school later than most children, yet earned a high school diploma with honors. his motto in life was, "it is never too late to learn."

dr. woodson continued his education at harvard university where he received his master's & ph.d. he later studied at the prestigious sorbonne in paris, france. while developing as a scholar he began to recognize a troubling pattern in history & literature books. dr. woodson became certain africans were intentionally omitted from history, & if they were mentioned at all, it was only done to advance culturally oppressive myths (read: lie) about africa & her people: arbitrarily imparting to europeans a false sense of superiority & to africans a fatal sense of inferiority.

for example, the african ancestry of alexander pushkin, noted father of russian literature, is peculiarly "blacked-out" from standard history texts; in fact, pushkin was castigated for embracing his heritage. another literary giant of african descent, alexander dumas, spent most of his life in france. dumas once publicly stated, "when i discovered i was black, i was determined to act so that men should be beneath my skin."

in germany, the word "mohr" means black. in english, however, that same word is spelled: moor. one of the world's most honored & treasured musicians is a man of african ancestry. we know him in america as ludwig von beethoven. in germany he is referred to as "the blackamoor." beethoven is also known in other countries as "the black spaniard."

contrary to popular belief & contemporary misconception, february was not "given" to blacks by guilt-ridden whites because its shorter than other months. dr. woodson consciously chose the second week in february to memorialize the birthdays of lincoln, & more significantly, frederick douglass. in the early 1970's his vision was extended throughout the entire month & the use of the noun "black," symbolizing power, pride & purpose, was ceremoniously added to the title.

today, dr. woodson is generally best known for his groundbreaking book, the mis-education of the negro. he wanted black history affirmed everywhere it is researched: on every continent & in every culture. like w.e.b. dubois, marcus garvey & malcolm x, dr. woodson clearly understood the power accurate history has on a people's collective self-value & worth. we share his third eye this month & each day of our lives honoring our ancestors, cultivating our spirit, expressing our creativity & treating our brothas & sistahs with the love & compassion they so richly deserve.

Ugandan Gay Rights Activist Murdered

2011-01-28T15:29:00.006-05:00

david kato, a progressive ugandan gay rights activist, was beaten to death & found in his home wednesday. police have confirmed his murder & one suspect has been arrested. kato courageously sued rolling stone, a local tabloid newspaper which outed him as a homosexual & published the photographs of several people they said were gay, including mr. kato, with the headline, 'hang them'.

u.s. president barack obama was "deeply saddened" to learn of kato's death. obama said, "in uganda, david showed tremendous courage in speaking out against hate...he was a powerful advocate for fairness & freedom...the united states mourns his murder & we recommit ourselves to david's work." obama continued, "at home & around the world, lgbt persons continue to be subject to unconscionable bullying, discrimination & hate...lgbt rights are not special rights they are human rights."

u.s. secretary of state hilary clinton has urged authorities to investigate & prosecute the killers. the bbc's joshua mmali, in kampala, says its unclear whether the death is linked to the rolling stone campaign but police have said there is no connection between kato's activism & his death. the police say the main suspect - who lived with kato - remains on the run.

homosexual acts are illegal in uganda, with punishments of 14 years in prison. an mp recently tried to increase the penalties to include the death sentence in some cases. there has been a recent spate of "iron-bar killings" in mukono, where kato lived, in which people have been assaulted with metal. witnesses told the bbc a man entered kato's home near kampala & bludgeoned him to death before leaving.

his sexual minorities uganda (smug) group said kato had been receiving death threats since his name, photographs & address were published by rolling stone last year. frank mugisha, the group's executive director, told the bbc's network africa programme he was "devastated" on hearing the tragic news from new york. mugisha said, "he was killed by someone who came in his house with a hammer, meaning anyone else could be the next target." he said kato was concerned about recent death threats.

human rights watch (hrw) has called for a swift investigation into kato's death. hrw's maria burnett said, "david kato's death is a tragic loss to the human right community...he was a fearless voice for the protection of the lgbt community." kato diligently campaigned against the anti-homosexuality bill, which appears to have been quietly dropped after provoking a storm of international criticism when it was mooted in 2009.

clinton said she was "profoundly saddened" by kato's death, stating, "this crime is a reminder of the heroic generosity of the people who advocate for & defend human rights on behalf of the rest of us & the sacrifices they make...as we reflect on his life, it is also an occasion to reaffirm that human rights apply to everyone, no exceptions, & that the human rights of lgbt individuals cannot be separated from the human rights of all persons."

following a complaint by kato & three others, a judge last november ordered rolling stone to stop publishing the photographs it said were homosexual, saying it contravened their right to privacy. several activists said they had been attacked after their photographs were published. mugisha called on the ugandan government to step up security for gay people, stating, "we're strongly asking every gay & lesbian & bisexual & transgender person in uganda to watch our for their security...they should take extra caution."

rolling stone editor giles muhame told reuters news agency he condemned the murder & that the paper had not wanted gays to be attacked. muhame said, "there has been a lot of crime, it may not be because he is gay...we want the government to hang people who promote homosexuality, not for the public to attack them." in the 1970's when former leader idi amin was in power, "iron-bar killings" were fairly common in uganda.

Scott Sisters Released From Miss. Prison

2011-01-09T00:50:00.004-05:00

jamie & gladys scott were released from a mississippi prison friday, after serving 16 years for an armed robbery which netted $11. during an emotional news conference attended by activists, family members, friends & supporters, the sisters thanked everybody who helped secure their release, including mississippi governor haley barbour, who suspended their life sentences last month.

38 year-old jamie said tearfully, "we're so grateful...i never thought this day would come...but i kept the faith & i do know god will show up." her 36 year-old sister, gladys simply said, "praise god." the sisters' life sentences were suspended with the unprecedented condition of one sister donating a kidney to the other, who is sick & needs a transplant.

their attorney, chokwe lumumba, said the sisters were exuberant as they were reunited with their mother & children at 8:00 am from a prison in pearl, mississippi. said lumumba, "they're feeling great. this is beautiful. i feel like a young fella myself."

in 1994 the women were convicted of armed robbery for hitting two men on the head with the butt of a shotgun in forest, mississippi, as well as stealing $11. activists have contended their harsh sentences were racially biased. jamie said she'd continue to speak out on behalf of other women in the prison, stating, "i won't leave them behind. i will be their voice."

jamie is currently on dialysis & hopes to receive better medical treatment now. gladys agreed to donate one of her kidneys when barbour included the stipulation as part of their release, which some feel is politically motivated - barbour is touted as a republican presidential candidate for 2012 (against obama) & this decision could influence black voters.

last december lumumba admitted the arrangement "does sound a little barbaric," but noted gladys would have donated the kidney anyway. he said the sisters must undergo more medical tests before the transplant can take place. lumumba said it's not clear how the operation will be paid for. said the attorney, "we still need medicaid to handle the bill, or we'll be looking for donors to help us."

Happy Kwanzaa Everyone!!!

2010-12-29T15:27:00.003-05:00

the season of kwanzaa has come again, the celebration & season of joyous harvesting & sharing of good in the world. founded in 1966 by dr maulana karenga, professor of black studies at california state university-long beach, this year marks the 44th anniversary of the recovery & reconstruction which has found a valuable & enduring place in the hearts, homes & daily lives of over 30 million people throughout the african disapora. the seven day celebration is dec 26-jan 1.

the nguzo saba is a vital source of practices & principles to bring, increase & sustain good in the world. they represent values & vital teachings of our ancestors about how we are to live decent lives, rightfully relate to each other & the world & teach our children by word & deed what it means to be an african man & woman in this world. each of the seven days we practice a different principle & learn to incorporate them into our daily lives .

day 1: umoja (unity) speaks to the ancient african ethical understanding: we come into being & flourish in relationship & that being of & with each other, logically & morally leads us to being for each other in real & mutually rewarding ways. umoja cultivates in us a sense of oneness with each other & a responsibility to each other, our people, hue-manity & the world. umoja calls on us to stand in solidarity with the suffering, oppressed & struggling peoples of the world in their rightful resistance to oppression & their just quest for the good life we all deserve & want. umoja makes us conscience of our obligation to care for the environment as sacred space & preserve & promote its flourishing, health & wholeness.

day 2: kujichajulia (self-determination) obligates us to respect our own cultural way of being hue-man in the world & to avoid dignity-denying & self-deforming imitations of others. kujichajulia urges us to define ourselves by the life & dignity affirming ways we walk & work in the world & to name ourselves in deep-rooted respect for our identity as bearers of dignity & divinity. kujichajulia calls on us to create for ourselves in the good-producing & world-preserving ways of our ancestors & to speak for ourselves in ways revealing our rootedness in our own culture & our commitment to the goodness & uniqueness of being african in the world.

day 3: ujima (collective work & responsibility) encourages us to commit ourselves to work & struggle to build the caring family, moral community, just society & good world we all deserve & want to live in. ujima teaches us to constantly search for & sustain common ground in the best of our moral values & to engage in cooperative projects for the common good. ujima demands we increase our efforts to confront & solve the persistent & pervasive hue-man problems of disease, homelessness, hunger, needless deaths, poverty & war which disfigures the face & future of hue-manity.

day 4: ujamaa (cooperative economics) is a principle of shared work & shared wealth of the world. ujamaa calls for & cultivates economic practices which demonstrate due respect for the dignity & life-affirming necessity of work, the right to a life of dignity & decency & a right to an equitable share of the good & goods of the world. moreover, as a project of cooperative creation & sharing of good, ujamaa seeks care & support of the vulnerable & a rightful relationship with the environment protecting it from the evils of depletion, plunder & pollution.

day 5: nia (purpose) speaks to us of our collective vocation to do good in & for the world & to restore our people to their traditional greatness defined by this ongoing creation & pursuit of the good. in this practice we follow the path of service like the heroes & sheroes before us who sacrificed their lives so we could live fuller, freer & more meaningful ones. the lessons of rev dr martin luther king jr's teachings on service as the substance of greatness, malcolm x's teaching on offering one's life as a testimony of social value & dr mary mcleod-bethune's teaching that we must live our lives so that at the end we are able to stand tall on the platform of service.

day 6: kuumba (creativity) calls on us to always do as much as we can in the way we can in order to leave our community & the world more beautiful & beneficial than we inherited it. kuumba teaches us to reaffirm the ancient african ethical commitment to constantly heal, repair & transform the world - called serudjta in ancient egyptian. kuumba requires us to revere life & to apply the active arm & healing hand to end the social injustice & persistent suffering around us & throughout the world. kuumba challenges us to become & be examples of the new world we struggle to bring into being.

day 7: imani (faith) is founded in the ancient ethical & spiritual teachings of our ancestors, forged in struggle & reaffirmed in the reality of every day life directed toward doing good in the world. amidst the cynicism, despair & evil in the world, we believe in the eventual triumph of good in the world. we dare to believe eventually thru acts of deep & enduring loving kindness, hard work & long struggle africa will come into her own again; the people of darfur, haiti, the congo & the survivors of katrina & all other oppressed & suffering people will be liberated, recover & rebuild their lives & forge a future of expansive freedom, justice & forward movement.

heri za kwanzaa - happy kwanzaa!

Obama Signs Repeal Of Don't Ask Don't Tell Military Policy

2010-12-25T15:48:00.003-05:00

president barack obama brought the arduous political struggle over the military's controversial "don't ask don't tell" policy to a close wednesday, signing legislation that will bring an end of their ban on openly gay men & lesbian women serving in the armed forces.

the bill repeals a 1993 law ushered in during the clinton administration. obama signed the bill in front of a jubilant crowd of supporters at the department of interior. among those in attendance included vice-president joe biden, house speaker nancy pelosi (d-ca), senate majority leader harry reid (d-nev) & joint chiefs chairman adm. mike mullen.

"this is a good day...i'm overwhelmed & i've never been prouder," obama said. he said the repeal "will strengthen our national security & uphold america's ideas." "no longer will tens of thousands of americans in uniform be asked to live a lie." "this is the right thing to do for our military," said the commander-in-chief. "it's the right thing to do, period."

continually exhorted by a supportive audience, obama said, "this is a moment more than two centuries in the making...over the course of u.s. history, gay americans fought just as hard as & gave just as much to protect the country as anyone else...we are a nation that believes all men & women are created equal."

passage of the repeal was a major political victory for obama & congressional democrats. obama repeatedly promised to repeal the ban during the 2008 presidential election. the crowd chanted "yes we can" as obama was introduced before the historical signing - a reference to his popular campaign slogan.

massachusetts rep. barney frank, an openly gay democrat, called the bill's passage, "the biggest single thing," in terms of the progress of gay rights in america. air force lt. col. victor fehrenbach said, "he made a promise to me a year & a half ago...he looked me in the eye & said i'm going to get this done." air force veteran jeff cadavona said, "when i was in the military in the 60's, they'd hammer you over for being openly gay...if they found you out they'd kick you right out."

the change won't be immediate, however. the white house noted the repeal may take several months to enforce. the pentagon has an 87-page implementation plan for the repeal. over the next few weeks, military officials need to examine & rewrite a series of directives, policies & regulations related to the current law.

Georgia Prisoners' Strike Makes History

2010-12-22T15:20:00.003-05:00

on december 9, 2010 thousands of prisoners in six of of georgia's state prisons initiated the largest prisoner strike in u.s. history. they united across racial & religious boundaries to demand an immediate end to the cruel & dehumanizing conditions which damage the lives of prisoners, their families & the communities they return to.

prisoners demand access to families, a living wage for work, an end to cruel & unusual punishment, decent health care, decent living conditions, increased educational opportunities, just parole decisions, nutritional meals, self-improvement & vocational opportunities. their demands are not only fair & just, but mandatory under the u.s. constitution & international human rights laws.

its not just in georgia where oppressive conditions exist. prisoners across america are denied basic medical care, exposed to illnesses, obstructed from accessing the court, subject to routine dehumanization, separation from their families & violence. u.s. jails & prisons are in constant violation of the international covenant on civil & political rights, the united nations convention against torture & other cruel, inhuman & degrading treatment & the standard minimum rights for the treatment of prisoners.

its imperative concerned members of the general public, faith-based communities, human rights advocates, legal community members & social justice activists mobilize in support of prisoners & their families today. georgia prison authorities have reportedly reacted to the prison strike with violence. the threat of retaliation will remain for the foreseeable future & we must rise to the occasion with increased action & vigilance.

the legal community has a unique role & serious responsibility in working to support prisoners & communities targeted by policies of mass incarceration. the forces fighting against race & class-based policies must be strengthened & supported. under the guise of a war on drugs, the u.s. government has constructed the largest prison economy on the planet, incarcerating more of its own people than any place else in the world.

when evidence of the pervasive targeting of communities of color at every level of the criminal legal system is recognized for what it is, there is only one conclusion to arrive at: mass incarceration is the new jim crow. like the old jim crow this system serves to perpetuate economic inequality, institutionalized racism & political disenfranchisement. it seeks to divide people of color & poor whites in order to keep middle-class & working communities enslaved on an economic & political plantation prioritizing profits over folks' decency & democracy.

the transcending of the politics of racial antagonism by the prisoners in georgia striking for their human rights & human dignity is a profound call for the renewal of visionary mass movements for freedom & social justice. our communities outside of these walls are in dire need of human rights as well: a livable planet, educational opportunities, food, health care, housing, jobs & peace. in building an integrated, mass movement for human rights inside & outside the prisons we are working to undermine the conditions of economic, political & social oppression fueling apathy, crime & violence.

Beyond The Fair Sentencing Act

2010-12-14T13:15:00.006-05:00

this year's historic vote in congress to scale back the harsh & racially disparate mandatory sentences for federal crack cocaine offenses was a watershed event in the movement for a humane approach to american drug policy. the fair sentencing act expects to benefit about 3,000 defendants annually, with an average sentence reduction of 27 months.

defendants convicted of possessing as little as five grams of crack - the weight of two pennies - no longer receive a mandatory five years in prison; the quantity-based sentencing disparity between crack & powder cocaine offenses has been significantly reduced. the true value of the new law will be seen, however, only if it helps secure widespread drug policy reform.

as welcome as the new reforms are, they leave in place the broad structure of mandatory sentencing for most drug offenses, under which judges have no discretion to weigh mitigating circumstances such as the defendant's age, history of abuse & parenthood. as such, the current drug policies have produced the most bizarre outcomes: in 2004, a 55 year prison sentence was imposed on weldon angelos, a 24 year-old music producer in utah with no prior felony convictions.

on three separate occasions angelos sold about $350 worth of marijuana to a police informant. at each sale, angelos possessed a gun, which he neither used nor threatened to use. yet under the terms of federal mandatory penalties, judge paul cassell, a george w. bush appointee, was required to impose what was essentially a life sentence, which he called "unjust, cruel & even irrational."

in recent years states across the nation have re-evaluated their excessive sentencing policies. michigan's extremely punitive "650 lifer law," whereby even a first-time offender convicted of selling 650 grams of cocaine or heroin would receive a life sentence without parole - the same as for 1st-degree murder - was finally scaled back in the late 90's after being on the books for 27 years. former republican governor william milliken, who signed the law into effect, called it "the worst mistake of my career." similarly, the rollback of new york's notorious rockefeller drug law in 2009 marked a milestone after decades of vigilant campaigning.

the federal crack reform continues this incremental move towards just sentencing policies, but there is more work to do. drug courts, for example, have proven to help divert low-level offenders into treatment rather than prison, but many of them impose strict criteria for admission, often focusing on cases in which prison terms would be unlikely to be imposed even without the program.

school-zone drug laws, imposed with the inarguable goal of reducing drug sales to children, often apply as well to drug sales between consenting adults. this has been a predictable racial impact, because large portions of densely populated urban areas, disproportionately comprising communities of color, lie within a school zone. in new jersey, 96% of such penalties were imposed on african-americans or latinos, an outcome which this year persuaded the legislature to restore discretion to judges in such cases.

the first test of the impact of the fair sentencing act will come when the u.s. sentencing commission votes on whether to apply the guideline changes retroactively to the thousands of people who committed their crack cocaine offense before the bill was signed. additionally, the commission's report on mandatory sentencing, due out in 2011, may help to strengthen the long-standing & much documented argument about excessive punishments.

ultimately, the scope of reform can be measured only by our ability to level the unbalanced playing field in addressing substance use. while the so-called war on drugs has been waged for decades, it is actually two distinct wars. in well-heeled (read: white) communities substance use is treated as a public health issue best served by prevention & treatment. in low-income communities of color, substance use is often viewed as a criminal justice problem to be solved with more police, prosecutors & prisons.

our challenge is to implement drug policy broadly, fairly & rationally.

Federer Beats Nadal In ATP World Tour Finals

2010-12-03T09:02:00.004-05:00

world # 2 roger federer of switzerland defeated world #1 rafael nadal of spain, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to win the atp world tour finals in london last sunday. federer was dominiant in his usual all-court brilliance. this was the most highly anticipated match of the year. their friendly & respectful rivalry marked only the 2nd time they've played this year, with nadal winning in str8 sets on clay this summer.

the 29 yr-old king federer, a husband & proud father of twin daughters, was gracious in his acceptance speech. he was visibly thrilled to beat nadal, the heir apparent to his crown. this was the 22nd time the two have played each other in their career. the 24 yr-old nadal leads 14-8. federer did not lose a match in the year-end eight-man championship round robin.

nadal finished an impressive year, winning 71 matches & seven titles. nadal became the 1st male since rod laver to win the french open, wimbledon & us open in the same year. he amassed over $7 million in prize money for the year & now has 9 major titles. federer won the australian open for his record 16th major title.

fans & pundits wondered would federer regain his swagger this year. he welcomed new coach paul annacone, whose success with federer's idol, the beloved american champion pete sampras, is well documented. annacone's presence has been evident in federer's aggressive play. he's been returning serve with conviction, particularly on the backhand wing, as well as chipping & charging from time to time. also, he is moving forward earlier in the point & shortening the rallies.

federer once remarked he wanted to win 20 majors b4 he retires. he recently said he'd like to play in the 2016 olympics, which will take place in brazil, even tho he'll be 35 then. 2010 was admittedly a disappointing season for the humble champion, federer took great pride in beating nadal in a tournament most players regard as the 5th major. 250,000 adoring fans in england witnessed great tennis all week, capped by an exciting final with the two best male athletes in white shorts.

Senate Approves $4.6 Billion for Black Farmers and Native Americans

2010-11-22T13:32:00.008-05:00

the senate has approved almost $4.6 billion to settle long-standing claims brought by native americans & black farmers against the government. the money has been held up for months in the senate as democrats & republicans squabbled over how to pay for it. the two class action lawsuits were filed over a decade ago.

the landmark settlements include almost $1.2 billion for black farmers who say they've suffered discrimination at the hands of the agriculture department. $3.4 billion would go to indigneous landowners who claim they were swindled out of royalties by the interior department. the legislation was approved by senate voice vote friday & sent to the house.

president barack obama praised the senate for passing the bill & urged the house to move forward. his administration is also working to resolve separate lawsuits filed against the usda by hispanic & women farmers. said obama, "while these legislative achievements reflect important progress, they also serve to remind us that much work remains to be done."

elouise cobell, a member of the blackfeet tribe from browning, montana & the lead plaintiff in the native americans' case said friday it took her breath away when she found out the senate passed the bill. she said she felt despondent after the chamber tried & failed to pass the legislation many times. two people who would have benefited from the settlement died on her reservation this week.

said cobell, "its 17 below & the blackfeet nation is feeling warm. i don't know if people understand or believe the agony you go through when one of the beneficiaries passes away without justice." john boyd, head of the national black farmers association said the passage of the black farmers' settlement is also long overdue. said boyd, "26 years justice is in sight for our nation's black farmers."

bi-partisan lawmakers have said they support resolving the long-standing claims of discrimination & mistreatment by federal agencies but funding has been caught up in a fight over spending & deficits. republicans repeatedly objected to the settlements when they were added on to larger pieces of legislation. but senate majority leader harry reid (d-nev) satisfied conservative complaints by finding spending offsets to cover the rest.

the legislation also includes a one-year extension of the temporary assistance for needy families program, which gives grants to states to provide cash assistance & other services to the poor, & several native american water rights settlements in arizona, montana & new mexico sought by senator jon kyl (r-ariz).

in the native american case, at least 300,000 indigenous people claim deception from royalties overseen by the interior department since 1987 for things like gas, grazing, oil & timber. the plaintiffs would share the settlement. the cobell lawsuit dragged on for 15 years.

one judge in 2008 comparing it to the charles dickens "bleak house," which chronicles a never-ending legal suit. using passages from that novel, us district judge james robertson noted "the suit has, in course of time, become so complicated...no two lawyers can talk about it for five minutes without coming to a total disagreement as to all the premises."

the native american plaintiffs originally said they were owed $100 billion, but were willing to settle for less as the trial wore on. after more than 3,500 court filings & 80 court decisions, the two sides finally reached a settlement in december. cobell said, "personally i still think we're owed a hundred billion dollars, but how long do you drag this thing out?" she said, "do you drag it out until every beneficiary is dead? you can't do that."

cobell said she feels confident about passage in the house, where the two settlements already have passed twice as part of larger pieces of legislation. for the black farmers, its the second round of funding from a class-action lawsuit originally settled in 1999 over allegations of widespread discrimination by local agriculture department offices in awarding loans & other aid. its known as the pigford case - named after timothy pigford, a black farmer from north carolina who was an original plaintiff.

the government has paid more than $1 billion to about 16,000 farmers, with most getting payments of about $50,000. the new money is intended for people, some estimates say about 70,000 or 80,000, who were denied earlier payments because they missed filing deadlines. the amount of money each would get depends on how many claims are successfully filed.

the bill passed friday would be partially paid for by diverting dollars from a surplus in nutrition programs for women & children & by extending customs user fees. interior secretary ken salazar said, in refernce to the passage of the cobell settlement: "this is a day that will be etched in our memories & our history books."

the obama administration has aggressively moved to resolve the discrimination cases after most of them have lingered a decade or more in the courts. last month, the agriculture department offered native american farmers who say they were denied farm loans a $680 million settlement. agriculture secretary tom vilsack said the passage "marks a major milestone in usda's efforts to turn the page on a sad chapter in our history."

Rangel Found Guilty Of 11 Ethics Violations

2010-11-16T22:08:00.010-05:00

a house ethics subcommittee found representative charles rangel (d-ny) guilty on 11 counts of violating house rules "by clear & convincing evidence," rep. zoe lofgren (d-calif), the chair of the house ethics subcommittee announced tuesday.

rangel was found guilty of breaking house rules related to reporting rental income from his villa in the dominican republic, of using a rent-controlled apartment in harlem for campaign activities & rules against using congressional stationery to raise funds for a center at new york's city university to be built in his name. after receiving news of the verdict, rangel blasted the findings, "unfair & unfortunate."

the popular new yorker was clearly incredulous, asking, "how can anyone have confidence in the decision of the ethics subcommittee when i was deprived of due process rights, right to counsel & was not even in the room?" rangel continued, "i can only hope the full committee will treat me more fairly & take into account my entire 40 years of service to the congress before making any decisions on sanctions."

but lofgren affirmed her subcommittee's verdict & the process they used to warrant their arduous decision. said the chairwoman, "this has been a difficult assignment, time-consuming & we have approached our duties diligently & that includes every member of this subcommittee...we have tried to act with fairness, led only by the facts & the law & i believe that we have accomplished that mission."

representative michael mccaul (r-tex), the top republican on the subcommittee, endorsed their findings, but said the rangel matter has broader implications for the entire house. "i'm hopeful as we move forward with this matter into the next phase, that at the end of the day we will be able to begin an era of transparency & accountability, a new era of ethics that will restore the credibility of this house," he said.

rangel faced charges stemming from a 21-month investigation. the rare & historic trial began monday, more than two years after the congressman recommended the ethics subcommittee fully monitor him following various non-stop media reports of irregularities in his personal financial disclosure reports to the house & his untidy tax filings. rangel refused to file income taxes from 1998 to 2008.

although rangel insisted he never knowingly violated house rules, he stepped down from his chairmanship of the powerful house ways & means committee in march of this year following a ruling from the subcommittee on gift rules violations. after moving on, he defiantly kept a high profile on capitol hill & in his harlem district, steadfastly maintaining his innocence at every opportunity. he was re-elected to a 21st term on november 2.

in an extraordinary speech on the house floor in august, rangel held forth for over 30 minutes to defend himself - before going home to new york to campaign for re-election. he said, then, there was "not one scintilla of evidence" to prove him guilty of the violations & demanded the ethics subcommittee publicly try him so he could answer the allegations.

yet when the eight-member house panel began the hearing, rangel calmly walked out of the proceedings, deeming them unfair & a violation of due process as he sat perturbed with no legal representation. he explained he'd spent nearly $2 million in legal fees in the run-up to the trial & asked the subcommittee to delay his hearing until he could find & raise more money to pay for more lawyers.

the subcommittee said no.

rangel exclaimed, "the committee has deprived me of the fundamental right to counsel & has chosen to proceed as if it is fair & impartial & operating according to rules, when in reality they are depriving me of my rights." despite his absence, the subcommittee's staff attorneys continued with their case, making an early motion to end the hearing with no further evidence or witnesses against rangel. they granted their judgment & then went into closed executive session to debate each count against him.

now that rangel has been found guilty, the full committee will meet to make a recommendation to the full house about punishment. ultimately, their decision on his political future could potentially range from censure to expulsion to reprimand.

Free The Imprisoned Scott Sisters

2010-11-08T05:47:00.011-05:00

on xmas eve in 1993, a robbery occurred near the small town of forest, mississippi. no one was hurt & perhaps $11 was taken. two african-american sisters, jamie scott, 21, & gladys scott, 19, were convicted of the most draconian sentences imaginable short of the death penalty. each were sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in prison. they've been imprisoned ever since, despite the lack of credible evidence.

jamie, now 38, is seriously ill due to kidney failure. she is on dialysis thrice weekly & suffers from excruciating headaches which they treat only with tylenol. 36 year-old gladys is trying to get her sister hospitalized asap. they were accused of luring two men into a trap, in which the men had their wallets taken by acquaintances of the sisters, one of whom had a shotgun. three teenagers, ages 14-18, pleaded guilty to robbing the men. in their initial statements to investigators they did not implicate the women.

but a plea deal was arranged in which the teens were required to swear the women were involved. as part of the deal, two teens were obliged to testify against the sisters in court. howard patrick, age 14 at the time of the robbery, said the pressure from authorities to implicate the sisters was immediate. patrick testified, "they said if i didn't participate with them they would send me to parchman & make me out a female."

patrick was referring to mississippi state prison, which was once the notoriously violent parchman prison farm. the lawyer questioning patrick said, "in other words, they would send you to parchman & you would get raped, right?" "yes sir," said the frightened teenager. the teens were sentenced to eight years in prison each & were released after two years.

..."mississippi goddamn," as nina simone sang.

among the many people invested in helping the scott sisters include naacp president ben jealous, who is actively seeking a pardon from mississippi governor haley barbour. said jealous, "it makes you sick to think that this sort of thing can happen...that these women should be kept in prison until they die - well, that's just so utterly inhumane."

why were mississippi authorities insistent on oppressing the scott sisters with life sentences, yet let the teenagers, who unquestionably committed the robbery. serve lighter sentences? life sentences for robbery can only be imposed by juries in mississippi, but its extremely rare for that sentencing option to even be included in the instruction given to jurors.

chokwe lumumba, an attorney representing the scott sisters, captured the prevailing legal sentiment when he said, "i don't think mississippi law anticipates that you're going to be given this instruction in a case where nobody gets hurt & $11 is allegedly stolen. in the majority of cases, even the ones that are somewhat nasty, they don't read that instruction."

even the original prosecutor, ken turner, who is now retired & believes the sisters are guilty, has said he thinks it would be "appropriate" to offer them relief from their punitive sentences. turner recently told the clarion ledger in jackson, mississippi, "it was not a particularly egregious case." the appeals process for the women has long since been exhausted. as such, it is up to governor barbour, who is considering petitions on the sister's behalf, to do what is decent, humane & right.

"mississippi goddamn..."

the mississippi department of corrections confirmed governor barbour's role in pardoning five cases of life sentences - four for murder, signed into executive order july 16, 2008. radley balko, in an article for slate magazine, noted none of the five men were given relief because of concerns they had been unfairly treated by the criminal justice system. there were no questions about their guilt or the fairness of the proceedings against them.

but they did have one thing in common. all five men had been enrolled in a special prison program "that had them doing odd jobs around the governor's mansion." again, why were the scott sisters mistreated with such heinous contempt? a spokeswoman for the governor said she referred the matter to the state's parole board. under mississippi law, the governor does not have to follow the board's recommendations: he can act autonomously.

some mississippi observers have characterized the governor's actions as acts of mercy; others have called his deeds dangerous abuses of power. in response to jamie's illness, gladys & others have offered to donate a kidney for transplant. evelyn rasco, the women's mother, told the clarion-ledger, "i wish they would just hurry up & let them out. i hope that is where it is leading to. that would be the only justified thing to do." but if the governor refuses to act with a pardon or clemency, her daughters are both likely to suffer an unjust death in prison.

"...mississippi goddamn!!!"

San Francisco Giants Win 2010 World Series

2010-11-02T00:11:00.006-04:00

the san francisco giants defeated the texas rangers 3-1 in game five, on the road, to win the 2010 world series. the giants' title is their first since 1954, when the team was based in new york & led by hall-of-famer willie mays. mays' grandson, the much maligned, current giant star & all-time major league home run leader barry bonds threw out the first pitch in game one at candlestick park in san francisco, which the giants won 11-7.

34 year-old veteran giants shortstop edgar renteria was named world series most valuable player. renteria hit .412 with two home runs & six runs batted in. he becomes the fifth shortstop in mlb history to win mvp & the fourth player to hit game clinching homers in separate world series. renteria was a key member of the 1997 florida marlins championship squad.

san francisco ace & two-time cy young award winner tim lincecum won both the opening & closing games, pitching brilliantly in game five with a one run, three hit, two walk, 10 strikeout performance in eight innings. giants closer brian wilson saved game five, retiring the side in 10 pitches.

the giants pitching dominated the series. in addition to lincecum's greatness, matt cain won game two, throwing seven & two-thirds innings in their 9-0 victory. cain's streak of 21 1/3 consecutive shutout innings in the postseason highlighted their incredible starting pitching. 21 year-old lefthander madison baumgarner led the giants to a 4-0 game four win, surrendering three hits in eight innings. texas only had one base runner reach second base in the last two games.

other giant standouts included outfielders cody ross & andres torres, rookie catcher buster posey, second baseman freddie sanchez, infielder juan uribe & first baseman aubrey huff, all of whom delivered timely hits & made defensive gems. uribe was a member of the 2005 world series champion chicago white sox, as was his teammate aaron rowand, who delivered a two-run triple in their game two blowout.

the texas rangers made their first world series appearance. manager ron washington won the respect of his team & inspired them to accomplish several firsts during this exciting 2010 postseason. texas made the playoffs for the first time since 1995, won their first playoff series ever & became first time american league champions by defeating the defending world series champion new york yankees in six games.

rangers hitters batted a paltry .190 during the world series, scoring just 12 runs in five games. their star lefty cliff lee, sporting an intimidating 7-0 postseason record entering the fall classic, was beaten twice by the giants. texas' powerful 3-4-5 hitters, josh hamilton, vladimir guerrero & nelson cruz were a combined 7 for 54.

Who Am I?

2010-10-31T04:27:00.003-04:00

i am...

descendant.

son. brother. cousin. nephew. uncle. in-law.

citizen. neighbor. student. classmate. dancer. singer. choreographer. musician. athlete. coach. instructor. employee. co-worker. boyfriend. lover. partner. actor. model. best friend. associate. taxpayer. voter.

activist. counselor. educator. intern. organizer. supervisor. trainer. volunteer. essayist. poet. mentor. tutor. columnist. filmmaker. playwright. artist. feminist. humanitarian. sgl.

assertive & withdrawn. compassionate & judgmental. disciplined & apathetic. faithful & insecure. generous & selfish. kind & sarcastic. loving & indifferent. peaceful & destructive. resilient & neglectful. selfless & egotistical. trustworthy & manipulative. understanding & intolerant.

being. consciousness. healing. spirit. warrior.

complex. passionate. vulnerable.

wounded.

American Scientific Experiment or Bio-Chemical Genocide?

2010-10-04T15:44:00.003-04:00

america faces global outrage after their recent exposure of infecting patients in a guatemalan mental hospital with sexually transmitted diseases (std's) in scientific experiments. government officials provided prostitutes to patients from 1946 to 1948 to test if the new drug, penicillin, could prevent std's. none of the tests proved successful & the results were hidden in medical archives for decades.

president barack obama apologized for the emergence of the american government's role in their deliberate attempt to mistreat mental illness patients. but medical historian susan reverby from wellesley college in massachusetts unearthed the shocking details of the tests while researching archives in pennsylvania.

almost 700 men & women were exposed to gonorrhea & syphilis during the research. if the patients failed to contract the illnesses they were intentionally inoculated. obama called guatemalan president alvaro colom to apologize after becoming aware of this secretive disaster friday. u.s. secretary of state hilary clinton called to apologize the night before.

white house press secretary robert gibbs said, "obviously this is shocking, it's tragic, it's reprehensible, it's tragic & the u.s. by all means apologizes to all those who were impacted." arturo valenzuela, the u.s. assistant secretary of state for western hemisphere affairs, said in her conversation with colom, clinton expressed 'her personal outrage & deep regret that such reprehensible research could occur.'

guatemalan embassy official fernando de la cerda said his country hadn't known anything about the scientific experiment until clinton's telephone apology thursday night. de la cerda said, "we appreciate this gesture from the usa, acknowledging the mistake & apologizing...this must not affect the bilateral relationship."

reverby made the discovery last year while combining the archived records of dr john cutler, a government researcher involved in the infamous tuskegee study from 1932 to 1972 which tracked 600 african-descended male sharecroppers in alabama who had syphilis without ever offering them treatment. she found cutler also led the guatemalan project, which is believed to be on a much bigger & more burdensome scale.

during the tuskegee experiment scientists knew the men were infected with syphilis, yet they withheld treatment to track the progression of the disease. but in guatemala, inmates, prisoners & soldiers in mental asylums were wilfully infected, sometimes by using prostitutes provided by the scientists during jail visits or sometimes by pouring the germs onto skin abrasions caused by the research.

reverby shared her disturbing find to health professionals at a conference in may. a month later she provided the government with her discovery resulting in last week's white house apology & has since posted them on her website. said reverby, "i was just completely blown away. i was floored. i expected to find something on tuskegee. there was nothing. what he left behind were these records from the guatemalan study."

unlike tuskegee, most of the subjects were treated - which is why reverby said she did not publicize her findings sooner. she felt no one was in immediate danger, adding, "it's not like i could have stopped something that was happening now." strict regulations today make it clear it's unethical to experiment on people without their consent & require special steps for any work with such vulnerable populations as prisoners. but these regulations were absent in the 1940's.

the u.s. government has ordered two independent investigations to uncover exactly what took place in guatemala & to make sure current bio ethics rules are adequate. the inquiries will be led by the prestigious institute of medicine & the presidential commission for the study of bio ethical issues. dr arthur caplan, a university of pennsylvania bio ethicist said, "we've made some obvious moral progress. the sad legacy of past unethical experiments is that they still shape who it is that we can get to trust medical researchers."

Bishop Eddie Long Sued For Sexual Abuse And Other Claims By Four Men

2010-09-28T06:45:00.005-04:00

bishop eddie long was recently sued by four male plaintiffs for various coercive charges, most notably sexual abuse. long presides over the new birth missionary baptist church, the largest church in georgia, with 25,000 members & host to former u.s. presidents carter, bush & clinton.

the first two plaintiffs, maurice flagg & anthony robinson, claim long used his position as spiritual counselor & leader to take the young men, aged 17 & 18 respectively at the time of the alleged abuse, on trips out of state & perform sexual acts with them. robinson & flagg are now 20 & 21 years old. prominent atlanta attorney b.j. bernstein, who represents three of the plaintiffs, described long's relationship with the boys as odd.

bernstein says, "it was essentially a marriage ceremony where there were candles, an exchange of jewelry & biblical quotes given." another plaintiff, jamal parris, detailed how long allegedly gave him his personal cell number just two weeks after the two had met & claims long encouraged him (parris) to call him (long) 'daddy.'

parris said he joined new birth in 2001 & later became long's personal assistant. he claims long would ask him to remain in his private office after church where long engaged him in sexual misconduct. parris eventually left the church & found out from other young male church members they too had sexual contact with long.

eddie legrande, father of spencer legrande, a plaintiff from north carolina, told the journal constitution he witnessed long take on the role of father to his (then) teen aged son. legrande also saw the gifts lavished upon his son. said legrande, "he would call him dad in front of me...i'm very hurt about it...if the accusations are true, i think he should be banned from his church...i think he should do jail time & pay the victims for the hurt...he should be used as an example."

after several days of silence in the midst of these shocking allegations, long addressed his loyal congregation by neither confirming nor denying the charges. reading from an ipad, long said, "there have been allegations & attacks on me. i have never in my life portrayed myself as a perfect man. but i am not the man that's being portrayed on the television. that is not me." long was interrupted by thunderous applause from supporters, many of whom arrived two hours early for the sunday service.

long went on to compare himself to the biblical tale of david fighting the giant. the bishop said, "please hear this. i've been accused. i'm under attack. i want you to know as i said earlier i am not a perfect man. but this thing i'm going to fight. i feel like david against goliath, but i've got the rocks & i haven't thrown one yet."

in a brief statement to the press, long stated, "on the advice of counsel, i am not going to address the allegations & attacks against me, again, as i stated earlier, i want this to be dealt with in a court of justice & not in the court of public opinion."

some young male supporters wore 'i support eddie long' t-shirts...

the suits allege long, one of the most powerful pastors in america, used church funds to give the young males cars, cash & gifts. new birth missionary baptist church is also named as a defendant. civil rights leader & former naacp chairman julian bond called long a "raving homophobe," saying if the allegations are true, "it will be a sad victory for gay rights."

long is the spiritual mentor of rev. bernice king, youngest daughter of coretta scott king & rev. dr. martin luther king, jr & new chair of the southern christian leadership conference. bond refused to attend the june 2006 funeral of coretta scott king - held at the mega-church, where bernice is a pastor. said bond, "i knew her attitude towards gay & lesbian rights...i just couldn't imagine that she'd want to be in that church with a raving homophobe & i couldn't see myself in that church either."

bond, an avid & longtime supporter of lgbt rights continued, "it's just sort of typical of people who are raving homophobes who are secretly homosexual & who are homophobes because they are filled with so much self-loathing & self-hate that they've got to let it come out in some way & it comes out in homophobia." long's virulent anti-gay attitudes are well-known, as are those of rev. bernice king.

Rafael Nadal and Kim Clisters Win 2010 US Open Singles Titles

2010-09-14T02:18:00.016-04:00

world #1 rafael nadal of spain defeated world #3 novak djokovic of serbia 6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 to capture his first us open singles championship. the 24 year-old sexy spaniard becomes the first man since (fellow lefty) aussie rod laver in 1969 to win three consecutive majors in one year; earlier he won the french open & wimbledon. nadal's historic victory makes him the seventh man to claim all four majors in a career. amazingly for one who grew up on clay, he has nine major singles titles.

nadal impresses folks with his determination, humility & willingness to improve every aspect of his all-court game. his serve, once a liability, is now clocked at 135 mph. he volleys with conviction. nadal's aggressive backhand is a major weapon off the ground & when he moves forward he rarely misses an overhead. his conditioning, power & speed are equally exciting for fans & intimidating for opponents.

after nadal won a highly competitive first set, djokovic won four of the next five games. nadal broke back to tie the second set at four games all but the match was re-scheduled for monday due to the rain. when play resumed nadal got stronger & eventually wore down the personable serb. djokovic showed tremendous poise in defeating roger federer in five hard-fought sets during their third str8 us open semi-final showdown, destroying the possibility of a crowd-favored, media anticipated nadal-federer final.

kim clisters of belgium beat vera zvonereva of russia 6-2, 6-1 to win her third us open singles crown. clisters defended her title with powerful ground strokes, solid net play & unwavering defensive ability. clisters won the hearts of millions last year upon returning to the tour after early retirement. she became the third mother to win a major. clisters defeated 30 year-old american hopeful venus williams in a three set thrilling semi-final.

the 26 year-old zvonereva, playing the best tennis of her career, reached her second str8 major final; she lost the wimbledon crown to serena williams. the talented russian seemed overwhelmed from the start, making unforced errors from all parts of the court. clisters' experience was more than enuf to rattle her opponent, as she played with confidence, maturity & patience. during her acceptance speech, zvonereva was in tears, yet warmed the hearts of the crowd when she said, "i love new york." clisters' ranking climbed to #5 & zvonereva has achieved a career high #4.

the us open men's doubles title went to american twin brothers bob & mike bryan. the bryans are the winningest men's doubles pair in history. the women's doubles crown went to american vania king & serbian yaroslava shevdova. king & shevdova won wimbledon earlier this year. the mixed doubles title went to americans bob bryan & liezel huber.

Will America Save Troy Davis?

2010-08-27T13:46:00.007-04:00

a federal district court decision puts georgia death-row inmate troy anthony davis back on track for execution, despite doubts about his guilt raised during a june 24 evidentiary hearing. judge william t. moore, jr., ruled executing an innocent person would violate the united states con-stitution & davis didn't meet the extraordinarily high legal bar to prove his innocence. in '91 davis was convicted of killing police officer mark macphail.

larry cox, executive director of amnesty international usa, said, "nobody walking out of that hearing could view this as an open-and-shut case." cox further stated, "the testimony that came to light demonstrates doubt still exists, but the legal bar for proving innocence was set so high it was virtually insurmountable. it would be utterly unconscionable to proceed with this execution, plain and simple."

davis' hearing obscured the following: 1) four witnesses admitted in court they lied at trial when implicating davis & they didn't know who shot officer macphail; 2) four witnesses implicated another man as the one who killed the officer, including a man who says he saw the shooting & could clearly identify the alternative suspect, who is a family member; 3) three original state witnesses described police coercion during questioning, including one man who was 16 years old at the time of the murder & was questioned by several police officers without his parents or other adults present.

laura moye, director of aiusa's death penalty abolition campaign said, "the troy davis case is emblematic of everything that is wrong with capital punishment. in a system rife with error, mistakes can be made. there are no do-overs when it comes to death. lawmakers across the country should scrutinize this case carefully, not only because of its unprecedented nature, but because it clearly indicates the need to abolish the death penalty in the united states."

note: this writer disagrees with moye's assertion, "because of its unprecedented nature." mumia abu-jamal, whom, like davis, is a man of african descent, was convicted & sentenced in 1982 for the murder of philadelphia police officer daniel faulkner after a trial many viewed as racially biased. black men con-stitute over 45% of the death row population. jamal, once a peabody award-winning radio reporter & now critically-acclaimed author, has a case eerily similar to davis, yet remains on death row, 28 years later.

any wonder folks feel the justice system, is criminal...

since the launch of its feb '07 report, where is the justice for me? the case of troy anthony davis, facing execution in georgia, amnesty international has campaigned intensively for a new evidentiary hearing or trial & clemency for davis. aiusa has collected hundreds of thousands of clemency petition signatures & letters from across america & around the world. archbishop desmond tutu of south africa, pope benedict xvi, former us president jimmy carter, as well as lawmakers within & around georgia have joined the call for davis' clemency.

amnesty international is a nobel peace prize winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.8 million activists, supporters & volunteers who campaign for universal human rights from more than 150 countries. aiusa investigates & exposes abuses, educates & mobilizes the public & work to protect people when dignity, freedom, justice & truth are denied.

Yes, I'm Really 50!

2010-08-12T00:22:00.013-04:00

friday august 6 was an incredible milestone 4 me. god blessed me with 50 years of life on planet earth. i felt compelled 2 affirm, honor & value the gift of life by sharing a few thoughts here, albeit briefly, about being 50, black, male & same-gender-loving in america.

someone told me a long time ago every day above ground is a blessing so live it like its the last day u have. or something to that effect. my memory these days is as reliable as a cell phone call not dropping in the middle of an important conversation. or one you're too afraid to end bcuz the person on the other end is boring you to, in the words of actor/comedian bill murray, h-e-double hockey sticks.

i don't live my life like its the last day i have. somewhere along the way i developed a nasty sense of entitlement. perhaps u could call it spiritual arrogance? i have a way of dismissing folks who don't stimulate my body, mind or spirit. & not in that order, either. i've become so detached from folks, when i meet someone who excites me emotionally, intellectually or spiritually i just don't know how 2 react or what 2 do.

one of my cousins in chi-town, a gifted writer, once said, i believe in referring 2 an anonymous member of our wacky family, "i can only take people in small doses." my quintessential spirit connected with her insight immediately! what a relief 2 know u don't think uniquely when tryna deal with challenging family dynamics. but i digress...

black men die prematurely in america: rick james, gerald levert, tupac shakur, luther vandross, i.e. lest i 4get the assassinations of malcolm, martin & medgar. 50 is, indeed, a cultural milestone 4 this african-descended brotha. when i stopped drinking & drugging in the summer of '95 i knew i needed 2 take care of myself in a serious way: the revolution will not be televised but i can still get my shit together b4 god calls me home.

i stopped telling folks my age many, many yrs ago bcuz nobody believes me. apparently, i don't look like a 50 year-old black man. the brotha at work. the brotha at school. the brotha on the corner. the brotha in the gym. the brotha on christopher street, wall street or 125th street. the brotha on bet, cnn or pbs. like michael jackson told ola ray in the landmark '83 thriller video, "i'm not like other guys." while peeping paul mooney, the godfather of comedy, at caroline's on broadway last saturday nite he said "michael was not a pedophile, but he was definitely x-files."

michael jackson was born 342 days b4 me & died suddenly last june.

after all the pain i've endured - most of it self-inflicted - i used 2 wonder why god kept me alive when so many of my heroes & sheroes are gone 2 soon. as my father put it, "god did not put u on this earth just so u can feel good." damn, damn, damn. seems being of service 2 my community has divinely energized my compromised immune system: my negative sense of self has been replaced by a positive concern 4 others.

african people have been in america since 1441. we've been called everything but a child of god, yet i like calling myself black. black like miles davis. black like grace jones. black like tiger woods. yeah, i went there. have u eva felt like a tiger in the woods? like someone was chasing u & u d'nt know why but u started running nowhere fast? whycome white folk wanna b black, until the police come? ok, i'm being silly. perhaps i don't know where i'm going with this latest post?

on tha real, i'm grateful 4 a life worth living. i'm grateful folks trust me with their feelings & shortcomings. i'm grateful 4 the gift of self-awareness. i'm grateful 4 an intimate relationship with a loving god. i'm grateful 4 friends who care about my joy & my pain. i'm grateful my sexuality is fostered with the spirit of self-determination. i'm grateful 4 organic & vegetarian food. i'm grateful 4 thrice wkly workouts at the gym. i'm grateful 4 daily prayer & regular meditation. i'm grateful 4 my apt in the village of harlem. i'm grateful 4 integrity, respect & self-love. i'm grateful 2 b grateful :-)

i'm single & unemployed. most brothas i know are single: str8, same-gender-loving, or otherwise. the unemployment rate 4 black men in nyc is almost 50%. been that way long b4 a black man moved into the white house. my newfound reality? i've learned 2 b happy with or without money, with or without a partner & with or without the approval of others.

...how old am i? yes - i'm really 50 & free 2 b me!

Will Prison-Based Gerrymandering In New York End Legally?

2010-08-09T00:15:00.003-04:00

new york state recently passed legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering in new york. their courageous decision brings new york's redistricting process in line with basic principles of democracy & will serve as a model for other states in the effort to count incarcerated populations correctly in the next round of redistricting.

prior to this new legislation, new york counted prison populations during the redistricting process as most states do: by counting them where they're incarcerated, a practice known as prison-based gerrymandering. this unethical practice violates the principle of one person, one vote enshrined in the 14th amendment of the us constitution, which requires election districts be roughly equal in size, so elected officials each represent the same number of constituents.

prison-based gerrymandering artificially inflates population numbers - as such, political influence - in districts where prisons are located, at the expense of other districts. about 60,000 incarcerated persons are in new york state & the accurate counting of incarcerated folk is essential to fair representation throughout the state.

african-americans living in new york are incarcerated at a rate more than eight times higher than whites living in new york. also, african-americans & latinos account for 30% of the state's population, yet over over 70% of its prisoners. 98% of new york's prison cells, however, are located in in disproportionately white state senate districts.

john payton, president & director-counsel of the naacp legal defense & education fund said, "because incarcerated persons in the us are disproportionately african-americans & other people of color, the current counting of incarcerated persons at their place of incarceration, rather than at their pre-arrest residence, severely weakens the voting strength of entire communities of color." payton further stated, "ending prison-based gerrymandering in new york will enable state & local officials to better fulfill their obligations under the federal voting rights act."

like most states, new york defines a person's domicile as a place where that person voluntarily resides. article two, section four of the new york constitution says an incarcerated person retains the place of residence he or she had prior to arrest. incarcerated persons do not choose the districts where they're confined & can be removed at any time at the discretion of the department of correction services.

unlike myself, incarcerated persons have no opportunities to interact with or develop enduring ties to the surrounding communities. they can't use local services, such as libraries or parks. most importantly, they cannot vote in those communities: they are not constituents of those districts, yet how many new yorkers are aware of these historical indiscretions?

incarcerated persons remain legal residents at their pre-incarceration addresses. they maintain ties to the outside world thru their families & other relationships in their home communities. at the end of their sentences they're released to those communities. the average length of incarceration is less than three years, but the prison count remains in effect for a decade. by counting incarcerated residents of these communities elsewhere, prison-based gerrymandering deprives these districts of the just level of political representation to which they're entitled.

this landmark legislation follows similar bills in delaware & maryland earlier this year. "we urge governor paterson to sign this important legislation into law & call on other states to enact similar legislation before the next redistricting cycle begins, " said dale ho, assistant counsel in ldf's political participation group. ho further stated, "moving forward, the census bureau should ease the burden on state & local governments by changing its enumeration methods to count prisoners in their home communities in the next decennial census."

The Leo Role Call

2010-08-03T02:04:00.015-04:00

these dynamic peeps are born under the zodiac sign of leo:

marsha ambrosius. louis armstrong. james baldwin. lucille ball. antonio banderas. count basie. angela bassett. tony bennett. halle berry. barry bonds. kobe bryant. fidel castro. co co chanel. roger clemens. roberto clemente. bill clinton. george clinton.

carl crawford. viola davis. robert de niro. alexandre dumas. bill evans. patrick ewing. roger federer. laurence fishburne. marcus garvey. alex haley. mata hari. isaac hayes. thierry henry. jason heyward. alfred hitchcock. dustin hoffman. whitney houston.

iman. marvin isley. mick jagger. magic johnson. madonna. benjamin mays. george michael. helen mirren. barack obama. sean penn. alex rodriguez. pete sampras. wesley snipes. hilary swank. andy warhol. isaiah washington.

me.

NYC Awards $7 Million Settlement in the Slaying of Sean Bell

2010-07-29T00:08:00.007-04:00

new york city awarded a seven million dollar settlement in the case of sean bell, the unarmed african-american killed by nypd in a 50-bullet barrage on nov 25, 2006. bell, 23, died around the corner from a queens bar where his bachelor party took place. two of his friends, joseph guzman & trent benefield, were also wounded. undercover police were investigating complaints of prostitution at the club.

bell's death ignited community outrage & inspired social change. the deal awards $3.25 million to the estate of bell, $3 million to guzman & $900,000 to benefield, minus 30% for legal fees. a day after learning of the settlement, during a news conference guzman said, "nobody wins in this case." guzman was shot 17 times & still wears a leg brace.

william bell, sean's father, told the daily news wednesday he's outraged. bell lashed out at michael palladino, a top police union official who called his slain son drunk - suggesting he brought on his own demise. palladino called the settlement "an absolute joke." said bell, "he thinks life is a joke...i don't think life is a joke."

upon learning of the settlement tuesday palladino fumed, "bell was intoxicated and tried to run the cops over." he further lamented the cops were "doing their lawful duty." he also said, "the settlement was excessive and disregards sean bell's actions and culpability."

the bell estate payout will benefit two young daughters he had with nicole paultre bell, the beautiful, poised & resilient fiancee who legally took his name after his death. she called the settlement, "reasonable," but poignantly added, "the girls will never have their father."

at a two-month trial in 2008, detectives marc cooper, gescard isnora & michael oliver said they opened fire on a car carrying bell & his friends because they believed the men were armed & the men defied orders to halt & tried to drive away. no weapons were found.

a judge who heard the case instead of a jury cleared the officers of manslaughter & other charges. he said in a decision prosecution witnesses who testified the officers opened fire without warning lacked credibility. the officers remain on modified duty & face departmental charges which could result in their dismissal.

the bell settlement follows other multi-million dollar payouts in high-profile civil lawsuits involving the nypd. in june the city agreed to pay a record amount for a civil rights lawsuit when it settled for $9.9 million with barry gibbs, an innocent man who spent 19 years in prison - after being framed by a police detective.

in 2001, the city & police union agreed to pay $8.7 million to abner louima, who was beaten & sodomized with a broomstick in a police precinct by officers. after legal fees, louima was left with about $5.8 million. the plaintiffs in the bell case said they would now lobby for pending state legislation calling for a special prosecutor for police shootings, more firearms training & other measures.

Racialized Marketing Masks Publishing Industry Cultural Biases

2010-07-10T20:29:00.015-04:00

sue monk kidd's best-selling novel, the secret life of bees, was published by penguin books. the story was set in the south with african-american characters. kidd's novel garnered fame, fortune & recognition, in addition to being utilized on screen in a film of the same name starring queen latifah, jurnee smollet & alicia keys.

kathryn stockett's novel, the help, also published by a penguin books imprint, sold one million books w/in a year of publication. her accolades & awards include the prestigious south african boeke prize. the help is being adapted for the screen under the production of academy-award winning director steven spielberg.

both authors have realized their dreams. yet they are not the first white women to pen stories of the black american south & achieve success. in 1928, julia peterkin wrote a novel, scarlet sister mary, for which she received the pulitzer prize in fiction. kidd's & stockett's novels explore racism while celebrating the power of friendship & acceptance. the covers of both novels did not reveal the race of the characters, yet they were both marketed to black & white audiences.

bernice l. mcfadden's debut novel, sugar, was recently published by a penguin books imprint. set in the 1950s south, the story - akin to kidd & stockett - deals with racism & celebrates the power of friendship & acceptance. the original cover depicted a beautiful black woman standing behind a screen door. sugar was marketed solely to african-american readers. this type of marginalization is uniquely known among african-american writers as seg-book-gation.

the practice of seg-book-gation is culturally biased, financially impotent & historically demonizing. literature about the oppressed written by the oppressor has a long tradition. the disturbing trend can be traced to colonialism, a movement not only physical but textual, the evidence of which can be found in the diaries, journals & letters of colonists, plantation slave owners & settlers.

representation of african-americans by white folk in texts records a his-tory of inferiority. based on these perceptions, as well as institutional, legal & societal oppression, african-americans have endured enslavement, genocide, medical apartheid & segregation. inferiority is a fundamental tool to ethnic distancing in society. today, this tool is used with great precision in the mainstream publishing industry.

although the distancing may not be total, as a few african-american authors have enjoyed mainstream success, the brilliant work of many african-american authors is racialized in bookstores as african-american literature. this type of marketing implies our literature is anomalous & singular, but not universal. african-descended authors' works, then, are not viewed as people, rather, as a genre, much like mysteries, romances or thrillers.

if you walk through any local bookstore in america, or major bookstore abroad, you will not see sections of books labeled with the following categories: british literature, korean literature, pakistani literature and/or white american literature. none of these ethnicities are objectified or singled out the way african-american writers are.

mainstream publishing houses contort themselves to acquire books glorifying crime, drugs & illicit sex. known as hip hop fiction or street-lit, these novels often reinforce stereotypical images african-americans fought hard to overcome. we are the descendants of great literary pioneers who first gave voice to the african-american experience, yet somewhere we lost our way; today folks embrace, by default, a genre denigrating a cultural institution which took hundreds of years to construct.

2010 is arguably the 90th anniversary of the birth of the harlem renaissance. 50 years ago we honored the transition of zora neale hurston, a fiercely independent, yet misunderstood cultural icon during the renaissance. in 1950, hurston's poignant essay, what white publishers won't print, published in the negro digest, addressed current challenges faced by african-american authors seeking the american dream.

hurston wrote, "for various reasons, the average, struggling, non-morbid negro is the best-kept secret in america. his revelation to the public is the thing needed to do away with that feeling of difference which inspires fear, and which ever expresses itself in dislike." the sistah speaks truth to power!

...but is anybody listening?

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams Win 2010 Wimbledon Singles Titles

2010-07-05T11:22:00.006-04:00

rafael nadal of spain defeated the czech republic's tomas berdych 6-3, 7-5, 6-4 to capture his 2nd wimbledon singles crown. nadal did not defend his 2008 victory at the famed all-england club last year due to injury. the buffed & handsome 24 year-old now has 8 major singles titles in his glorious young career. the only major nadal has not won is the us open, yet he's regained the #1 ranking, again, from roger federer of switzerland.

federer was soundly beaten in the quarterfinals by the hard-hitting berdych 6-3, 4-6, 6-1, 7-6, his 2nd str8 quarterfinal loss in a major tournament. federer, who later admitted he weathered back & leg injuries during the event, drops to #3 - his lowest ranking since nov '03. serbia's novak djokovic, whom berdych dominated in the semifinals in str8 sets, rises to #2. berdych's amazing run at wimbledon catapults him to #8 in the world.

serena williams defeated russia's vera zvonareva 7-6, 6-2 to win her 4th wimbledon singles title. williams passes billie jean king & is now 6th on the all-time list of women's major singles champions, led by margaret court-smith of australia with 24 wins. zvonareva, in her 1st ever grand slam final, competed mightily, yet could not handle the aggression, experience & savvy of williams. her sistah, venus, lost in the quarterfinals.

earlier this year, williams, the 2010 australian open champion, conceded she wanted to win a calendar grand slam. williams won 4 str8 grand slam tournaments, though not in the same year; the feat was dubbed the serena slam. however, she lost in the quarterfinals of this year's french open to australia's hard-serving samantha stosur. williams' triumph is her 13th, a number she says is lucky 4 her.

Lakers Beat Celtics In Game 7 Of NBA Finals

2010-06-21T04:19:00.003-04:00

the los angeles lakers defeated the boston celtics 83-79 in game 7 of the 2010 nba finals at the staples center in los angeles b4 a frenzied & purple sellout crowd. the lakers defended their 2009 title, repeating as champions 4 the second time in a decade. neither team shot well from the floor, yet the solid defense of both squads made it close at the end, as the lakers overcame a 13 point deficit midway thru the 3rd quarter. this was the most watched nba final since the bulls defeated the jazz in 1998.

kobe bryant was named nba finals mvp 4 the second str8 year. the 31-year old superstar now has five rings, equaling laker hall-of-famer magic johnson, just one shy of all-time great kareem abdul-jabbar. laker coach phil jackson won a record-setting 11th title, his 5th with the lakers. jackson guided the chicago bulls in the mid-90's to 6 championships - the only team 2 three-peat twice, '91-'93 & '96-'98. jackson has 113 wins with chicago & 112 wins with the lakers.

the last nba finals' game 7 took place 16 years ago when the eighth-seeded houston rockets won the last 2 games against the favored new york knicks in 1994. the lakers now have 16 titles in 32 championship games, compared with the celtics' 17 wins in 22 finals. the stored rivalry was their 12th final in nba history, unparalleled in team sports. boston has a 9-3 edge. the last time these two greats played a game 7 was in 1987 when the lakers, led by magic, kareem & james worthy, prevailed over the celtics' larry bird, kevin mchale & robert parrish.

pundits have already begun 2 speculate on the immediate future of celtics coach doc rivers, the 2008 champion, as well as lakers coach phil jackson who earlier this year suggested retirement may become a reality. celtics guard ray allen is among the free agents this summer, as july 1, 2010 will go down as the most hotly anticipated day in nba history. other free agents include lebron james, dwayne wade, amare' stoudamire, chris bosh, joe johnson, yao ming, dirk novwitzki & carlos boozer.

South Africa Honors Soweto Uprising During 2010 World Cup

2010-06-17T11:01:00.007-04:00

south africa, the host country of the fifa 2010 world cup soccer tournament, observed the 34th anniversary of the june 16, 1976 soweto uprising. historically recognized as the catalyst to the anti-apartheid movement, thousands of students from the black township of soweto gathered to embody self-dertermination & march in protest at being forced to go to school in afrikaans, the language of the white supremacist minority regime.

police opened fire on the unarmed students, killing hundreds, including a 13 year-old teenager. hector pieterson was the first - in the spirit of crispus attacks - to die in the violence. photographs of a demonstrator carrying away the boy's limp body caused international outrage & stoked resistance to legalized apartheid & socialized racism.

the anniversary is now commemorated as youth day, coinciding this year with south africa's match against uruguay, its 2nd game in a world cup. how far has the country come since the end of apartheid in '94? said national football team captain aaron mokoena, "we all know what the day means for south africans & especially for the youth...it would be very special to win the game on the day...it is a day we all remember."

the soweto of 2010 is a far cry from the impoverished slums which the students marched through in 1976. the township originally established to house white johannesburg's black labour force. today landscape parks, a massive shopping mall, a newly renovated golf course & sports-paved streets are recognizable traits of a modern city.

soccer city stadium sits at the township's edge. and orlando stadium, the students' destination in the 1976 march, hosted a star-studded world cup kick-off concert last week featuring the black eyed peas, john legend & shakira. south africa is the venue for the world cup's opening & closing matches. long live the students of soweto!

Obama Extends Benefits To Same-Sex Couples

2010-06-04T01:47:00.003-04:00

president barack obama ordered government agencies wednesday to extend additional benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees, including child care services & expanded family leave. the initiative comes a year after obama signed a memorandum giving federal workers' same-sex partners a first round of benefits including dependent-care & visitation rights. additionally, obama asked federal agencies to determine what other benefits could be given to domestic partners without congressional action.

among the results of his review he announced included: access to credit union & other memberships when those are provided to federal workers; child-care services & subsidies; giving domestic partners the same status as 'family members' when federal appointments are made; more flexibility to use family leave to attend to the needs of domestic partners & their children; as well as relocation benefits.

as with obama's memo a year ago, this one covers only benefits that can be extended under existing law, without congressional approval. legislative action would be required for a full range of health care & other benefits. in fact, health care benefits are the ultimate piece-de-resistance' for many activists, which obama supports wholeheartedly. in a statement, obama called on congress to extend health benefits to same-sex partners.

obama said, "while this memorandum is an important step on the path to equality, my administration continues to be prevented by existing federal law from providing same-sex domestic partners with the full range of benefits enjoyed by heterosexual married couples."

several times during obama's historic presidential campaign he pledged to support the lgbt community, which has been critical of his actions as commander-in-chief. the white house recently backed a compromise on the military "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays in the military that would move ahead on repeal but still allow the pentagon time to implement new policies. in april, obama moved to grant same-sex partners full visitation rights in hospitals.

Aiyana Stanley Jones Slain By Detroit Police

2010-05-19T09:32:00.005-04:00

this weekend, a seven year-old african-american girl, aiyana stanley jones, was shot & killed by detroit police. at the time of the shooting, aiyana was on a couch sleeping. detroit police entered her home to execute a search warrant in a homicide investigation & they threw a flash bang - also known as a stun grenade - thru the front window of jones' apartment.

eventually jones caught fire. as her grandmother tried to put out the flames, police entered & a gun went off. aiyana was shot in the neck & pronounced dead in the hospital. her father, charles jones, had to wait several hours b4 he was able to find out what happened to his precious daughter.

detroit police came to jones' home searching for a suspect in the recent shooting death of 17 year-old jerean blake, who was gunned down in front of his girlfriend on friday. blake's story is also a tale of senseless police brutality, a painful reminder of the domino effect this type of violence can have on a community.

sadly enuf, the police didn't find the suspect they came to apprehend. as such, they left jones' home without resolution. aiyana's family is now traumatized, yet their horrific story raises important questions: why are military-type weapons used in civilian homes? how do we hold law enforcement accountable while honoring their human fallibility? why do these types of crimes occur disproportionately among folks of african descent & low-income folks? what can we do to heal our wounded spirits?

instead of being excited about her friends at school, jumping rope & playing games, aiyana stanley jones is six feet under. violence towards african-descended women & children is not uncommon. black people & other progressive folk will, no doubt, honor her memory. however, we live in a white supremacist society which values the lives of people who don't look like aiyana. when a similar tragedy befalls becky, megan or suzie, america mourns for months...

who will cry for the little girl?

Long Live The Spirit Of Lena Horne

2010-05-11T16:13:00.015-04:00

activist, actress, dancer & singer lena horne transitioned monday, may 10 at the remarkable age of 92. born in (do-or-die) bed-stuy, brooklyn, new york, june 30, 1917, the classy & elegant lena mary calhourn horne took the stage as a dancer at harlem's famed cotton club when she was just 16. she later became a singer there, playing to packed houses (of white patrons only) with band leaders cab calloway & duke ellington.

nine years later she signed with mgm studios & became one of the first women of african descent to be showcased in hollywood for her stunning beauty & wonderful talent. at 25, horne was the first african-american to sign a long-term movie contract with a major hollywood studio. she was given a screen test by mgm & signed after a studio scout saw her performing in a new york club.

horne brought something uniquely her own to every role, whether cast as a principle or extra. her presence was captivating yet not intimidating; she exuded a quintessential spirit despite enduring anti-black & anti-female oppression in the white male capitalist patriarchal entertainment industry. oscar-winning actress hattie mcdaniel once said, "i'd rather get paid $200 a week to play a maid, than $2 a week to be a maid." horne's signature song was "stormy weather," & she was determined to break the prevailing stereotypes of black women as domestic servants, nannies or wenches.

african-american film historian donald bogle wrote, "she would sing a song in the film, then she would disappear...the studio could cut those scenes out if they felt that audiences in the south might object." horne's butterscotch complexion became a blessing & burden as she was often expected to pass for white in order to appear desirable for a leading white male actor. she worked during the jim crow era when interracial marriage was illegal, yet never compromised her dignity, faith & self-respect.

horne complained she was used as "window dressing" in white films, mostly limited to singing performances that could be easily edited out for play in southern theaters. she defiantly rejected studio plans to promote her as a latin american. also, her stepfather, miguel rodriguez, negotiated her contract for her never to play a maid or "tarzan extra." she began taking singing lessons in 1935, eventually landing a part in the all-black broadway production "dance with your gods." five years later she became the first african-american singer to tour with a white group.

the black community admired her tireless efforts to foster fair treatment & racial equality in the workplace. she remained steadfast yet fully aware of the career risks. while touring with the uso during world war 2, horne stood up for black soldiers who were forced to sit behind german prisoners during one of her performances. after the uso withdrew her from the tour, she used her own money to travel to sing for the troops. horne sued american restaurants & theaters for racial discrimination, knowing she'd be using the "coloreds only" back door entrance before going on stage.

horne has a daugher & son from her first marriage, which ended in 1944. she married again in 1947 to lennie hayton, who was then mgm's music director. she decided to keep the marriage secret for several years - hayton was white. but when the public learned of their marriage the couple received hate mail & threats of violence.

during the turbulent 60's horne became an associate of paul robeson, a man whose political & social consciousness inspired her to seek justice. like horne, robeson was an artist of integrity who believed in his convictions & was convicted for his beliefs. the black power movement fueled their desire to awaken the spirit of oppressed folk globally. horne joined in the historic march on washington. later that decade, she was invited with james baldwin, harry belafonte & lorraine hansberry by robert f. kennedy to a special dinner to discuss growing racial tension in the country.

by 1981, horne enjoyed a resurgence of her career with a hit show on broadway. "lena horne: the lady & her music," garnered her a special tony award & two grammys. in 1978, her passionate role as glinda, the good witch, in the all-black musical the wiz, co-starring michael jackson & diana ross, was critically acclaimed. in 1989 she received a lifetime achievement award for her soulful singing. in 1995, her jazz album, "an evening with lena horne," earned her another grammy. she became a cultural icon.

horne's memorable guest appearances on such emmy-award winning television shows as sesame street, the cosby show & a different world broadened her audience & widended her appeal. we learned, in fact, from the youth inspired cosby spin-off, a different world, jada pinkett-smith's character, lena james, the free-spirited transplant from baltimore, was named after lena horne.

lena horne embodies self-determination. she once said, "my identity is very clear to me now...i am a black woman...i am free...i no longer have to be a credit...i don't have to be a symbol to anybody...i don't have to be a first to anybody...i don't have to be an imitation of a white woman that hollywood sort of hoped i'd become...i'm me & i'm like nobody else."

long live the spirit of the legendary, lovely, luminous lena horne...

Fasting for Freedom

2010-03-16T23:52:00.006-04:00

i'm in the middle of my quarterly five-day fast. my intention during this, now, decade-old ritual, is to drink orange juice in the morning, organic juices & water during the rest of the day, in addition to snacking on fresh fruits & organic nuts. bcuz i live with a compromised immune system some folks are concerned about the physical challenges. but hey, like my former primary care physician once told me when i struggled, several yrs ago, with the decision to take hiv meds: its my body, my life, my choice.

how do i feel right now? anxious, confident, determined & proud of myself for doing what i've come to know is god's will for me. fasting has helped me build a more positive self-image. fasting inspires me to choose spiritually in my relationship with food. fasting teaches me self-discipline, a valuable quality lacking in my new way of life. in the spirit of unconditional loving acceptance, fasting has become a way of life for a brotha.

when i first started fasting i didn't ask for help nor know what i was doing. after three days i rewarded myself with some popeye's chicken - which sent me to the bathroom, calling ralph. since that nasty episode i've read some books, talked to others & worked closer with a loving god. depriving my body of food is often accompanied by light headaches, mild nausea and/or a sense of disorientation. i've learned to expect some discomfort yet not panic or bug the pluck out.

at the moment, janet jackson is singing younglove, from her debut album of the same name, on an old episode of soul train, which is now accessible on the centric channel. on the tennis channel, roger federer is playing marcos baghdatis in a highly-contested third round match of the indian wells classic. multi-channel surfing can be fun when you have a sony bravia 46' flat screen tv to play with.

as always, i'll break the fast at noon with a huge salad filled with almonds, bananas, croutons, raisins & walnuts. lata, around 3:00 pm, i'll walk to the uptown juice bar on 125th st & enjoy some broccoli, brown rice, vegetarian noodles & tofu. for someone raised on grease, sugar, pork & chocolate, who knew food could be exciting, fun & healthy? with freedom comes responsibility. fasting is a vehicle for growing into mature consciousness. but don't get it twisted: god has the keys to this ride...

New Orleans Saints Win Super Bowl XLIV

2010-02-09T01:17:00.005-05:00

the new orleans saints defeated the indianapolis colts 31-17 to win their first ever vince lombardi trophy as the 44th super bowl champion of the national football league. saints all-pro quarterback drew brees completed 32 of 39 passes for 288 yards, two touchdowns & no interceptions. he was unanimously awarded the game's most valuable player. brees' 32 completions tied a super bowl record, held by new england patriots all-pro quarterback tom brady. the exciting game, played in front of 74,059 fans, made history as the most watched television program, ahead of the last episode of m*a*s*h.

most of the pundits expected a shootout between brees & colts all-pro quarterback peyton manning. not many expected the saints defense to hold the high-powered colts' offense to just 17 points. in fact, the game was a tale of two halves as indy led 10-6 going into the 3rd quarter, yet were outscored 25-7 the rest of the way - matching the biggest comeback in super bowl history. the colts made an impressive goal-line stand just b4 the 1st half ended, as the saints came up short on a surprisingly conservative 4th down running play. however, the saints got the ball back quickly & ended the 1st half with a long field goal - one of three, 40+ yards by placekicker michael hartley - a super bowl record.

saints head coach, known for his bold, aggressive play-calling, decided to open the 2nd half with an onside kick. it worked. brees then calmly picked apart the colts interior with the precision of a surgeon, charging the saints to a 13-10 lead behind running back pierre thomas' touchdown scamper. another saints field goal increased their lead to six points until manning engineered one of his textbook drives, giving the colts a 17-16 edge. brees' goal-line touchdown pass to tight end jeremy shockey, coupled with his two-point conversion to lance moore gave the saints a 24-17 lead.

it seemed we were headed for a thrilling overtime game with manning at the helm. but with 3:12 left in the 4th quarter, safety tracy porter, shadowing manning & his target, all-pro wide receiver reggie wayne the whole play, intercepted his pass & ran 74 yards for a score, the 3rd longest in super bowl history. the crowd erupted. the saints sideline went wild. the colts fans were stunned. porter's pick, equally as dramatic as his interception of brett favre in the nfc title game, was the game's only turnover; one manning will always regret.

perhaps the four-time nfl mvp colts qb is human, after all.

the people of the city of new orleans & the state of louisiana, who continue to suffer the devastating aftermath of hurricane katrina, amidst the contemptuous indifference of our government, will be partying on bourbon street for days to come, as mardi gras officially begins sometime next week. the saints, whose maligned fans once wore bags over their heads during home games, played with tremendous determination, heart & pride. all of the players, veterans & rookies alike, felt their victory was for the people, who needed something to feel good about after being betrayed, displaced & neglected.

after the game, brees said, "four years ago who ever thought this would be happening when 85 percent of the city was under water from hurricane katrina...most people not knowing if new orleans would ever come back or if the organization and the team would come back...this is the culmination of that belief and that faith." added porter, "we weren't the aints...we were a team of destiny, a team that can make big plays." finally, saints linebacker scott fujita remarked, "look around the stadium...it was like six or seven-to-one (saints fans)...the black and gold just poured into miami...the whole world was behind us...this was bigger than just a game for the saints...we are the world's team."

who dat, who dat, who dat say gonna beat dem saints?

One Year After Daddy Transitions

2010-01-20T08:55:00.002-05:00

xactly 368 days ago god called my father home. he lived 80 years & suffered a short bout with lung cancer. my father transitioned three days after his earth day & three days b4 barack hussein obama was inaugurated as america's 44th president - the seventh of african ancestry. also, my father shares the same earth day as miami heat all-pro guard dwayne wade, whom, like my father, is a proud chicago native.

i felt compelled to acknowledge this milestone of sorts. something ritualistic about a year later makes me wanna reflect. reflection is good 4 the soul: the soul yearns to know itself thru its own experience. nana imhotep gary byrd taught me experience is always the best teacher. coming to terms with my father's homegoing was not difficult, primary bcuz god has granted me the serenity to accept the things i cannot change. seems this writer has matured in some ways.

still, i miss dad. i miss his annoying phone calls at no o'clock in the morning. i miss his reply of 'prosperity' when i'd answer my phone (his call) with the standard greeting of 'peace.' i miss our spirited dialogues about black people, family values, history, movies, religion, sports, world affairs, i.e. i miss his nervous, somewhat vulnerable, laughter when i'd catch him off-guard with a funny, goofy or silly remark. i was pleased to make him laugh & appreciated him more when we shared those moments.

my father, slowly over a period of time, began to truly listen to his son. he listened to my joy, my pain, my dreams, my struggles, my sexuality, my spirituality, my goals, my failures, my needs & my shortcomings. my father, slowly over a period of time, began to share with his son what his life was like as a fatherless little boy, as a teenager, as a korean war veteran, as a newlywed, as an entrepreneur, as a divorced man, as a retired adult & as an elder. we cultivated a relationship based in honesty, mutual respect & trust.

part of sanity is effectively relating to others...

oddly enuf, he boldly predicted obama would win. he said america was ready 4 change & america would not, in 2008, elect a white male, whom, in his mind, did not represent change. he also said america was neither ready nor willing to elect a female, especially, if she was white, bcuz, again, a white candidate symbolized past/current political failures. of course, i dismissed his prediction with my usual rebellious nature. but what do i know about politics? in the '04 prez election i voted 4 ralph nader, knowing damn well he was gonna lose.

when i was a kid my father taught me to respect all people, no matter who they are & where they come from. he taught me to work hard, make sacrifices & try to do the best that i can in whatever i endeavor. he said he never met anyone who "wanted to be unsuccessful." he believed in self-determination, asserting, "if you want something done in this world, you better do it yourself, or you'll be waiting for other people to do things for you the rest of your life."

just b4 he left this earth he insisted i become a sportswriter. why? good question. bcuz there are very few black sportswriters in america & he thought i could make money (to eventually buy him the black mercedes benz he joked about incessantly) doing two things i love: sports & writing. sounds logical, right? but i'm not a logical person. my heart is not in it. maybe if i were a quarter century younger i could shift gears & go 4 it. just 4 him. maybe in my next lifetime. 4 now, i'm happy being me. grateful we connected as men.

Haiti Suffers Catastrophic Earthquake

2010-01-15T22:12:00.008-05:00

in what some are calling one of the world's most catastrophic disasters, the island of haiti suffered a major earthquake tuesday. the number of deaths are estimated at 100,000. over 40,000 bodies are buried. relief, repair & recovery will undoubtedly take years. international relief organizations are mobilizing a response to the 7.0 earthquake that rocked port-au-prince, destroying the national palace, many government ministries, major hotels & private residencies in the 250 year-old capital city.

the world is watching. god is omnipresent. recent memories of the tsunami, katrina & 9/11 have resurfaced in my psyche. my deepest condolences go to the families, friends & loved ones of haiti, both here & abroad. the full dimensions of the earthquake are unknown. folks on the blogosphere continue to share their varied perspectives. one thing is certain: the men, women & children of haiti are wounded & they need to heal.

most communications with haiti were cut-off, leaving much of the on-ground reporting to haitians & foreigners armed with internet connections & mobile phones. the sad news trickled out in twitter feeds & cell phone pictures from eyewitnesses. they showed collapsed roofs, slabs of concrete & bodies in the streets. what witnesses reported but mercifully did not record were the screams of the desperate & the trapped & the occasional cheers when survivors were pulled from the rubble.

my primary sources of information are cnn, keith olberman & ny1. their non-stop, round-the-clock coverage has been, at times, difficult to watch. cnn showed disturbing footage of haitian men & women - still alive, unable to pry themselves free of rubble, as citizens can be seen in the foreground walking by, looking for lost ones, traumatized by the unfolding tragedy. mothers were seen trying to cover the eyes of their children. in fact, when one of the journalists walked inside of a classroom of teachers & students who miraculously survived, then showed footage of a building destroyed with teachers & students inside, i felt their loss.

raymond joseph, haitian ambassador to the us, said on cnn's situation room with wolf blitzer, "this is a catastrophe of major proportions...the place is really bad now."haiti was still trying to recover from the devastation of a series of back-to-back hurricanes that flooded the northern town of gonaives & the central plain that has been haiti's breadbasket.

haiti is the poorest & second most densely populated country in the western hemisphere. also, haiti has struggled with political turmoil, including the ouster of president jean-bertand aristide in 1991, his restoration by us president clinton in 1994, his re-election in 2001 & his hasty departure, again, shrouded in mystery: he claims he was kidnapped by the us military & forced into exile in south africa. a united nations peacekeeping force under brazilian command has been in haiti since his ouster & remains after the election of current president rene preval.

the obama administration has offered $100 million in relief aid. obama said of the haitian people, "you will not be forsaken...we need an international effort." while many americans are willing to help, folks are encouraged to make cash donations & other supplies to respectable capacity-building organizations genuinely invested in the independence, self-determination & self-reliance of the haitian people. unfortunately, high levels of corruption & scandal peak when folks are most vulnerable; often, the people who need the most help never get it.

obama, in an unlikely yet not unique move, has enlisted former presidents george w bush & bill clinton to serve the haitian people. clinton was named special envoy to haiti. their responsibilities are unclear as of this writing. perhaps bush can somehow redeem himself? the recent us policy toward haitian immigrants is pretty ugly...

haitian refugees interdicted by the us coast guard are not screened to see if they may have valid claims to refugee status. only those who take the initiative to clearly proclaim their fear of return to haiti will be allowed to make an asylum claim. only three of more than 1,000 haitians intercepted since february 1 have been screened as a result of their protestations; these 3 were returned to haiti without a full asylum hearing. haitians who reach the us without being interdicted are put into fast-track removal procedures, during which they are subject to mandatory detention & are not eligible for release on bond.

this package of measures is only applied to haitian people!

i feel compassion for the people of haiti & their loved ones. people on the island are desperately frightened, homeless & hungry. the lack of water, food & medical supplies augments a deteriorating infra-structure for which such aid is forthcoming from countries around the world. time is of the essence. some natives utilize homeopathic remedies to tend to the biological wounds of their loved ones. some folks are being buried on top of each other. some are simply too shocked to act.

haitian-born samuel dalembert, the 7'1 center for the nba's philadelphia 76ers has generously pledged $100,000, while at the same time admits, "i feel helpless." grammy award winning musician/rapper wyclef jean has offered his organization, yele, as a resource for financial contributions. the 2009 world series champion new york yankees have pledged $500,000. the city of new york is launching a $1 payroll donation for all city employees. amidst the darkness & despair folks' selfless service challenges my cynicism towards our government & my wavering faith in humanity.

thank god the obama administration will help. we should help. we are all god's children. each one, teach one is more than just an african proverb. but where did the $100 million come from? amazing how we can assist others abroad & neglect our basic needs at home. i intend to make a cash donation. not sure how much or when, but, i will, sooner than lata. am i my brother's keeper? no doubt.

Will I Win In 2010?

2010-01-07T15:31:00.005-05:00

thank god folks didn't call me after the ball dropped to ask me if i have any new year's resolutions. bcuz i don't. new year's resolutions are non-existent virtues i choose not to indulge in. i do believe, however, a new year is a golden opportunity for reflection & intention. deepak chora says, "everything in the universe begins with intention." gary zukav, author of the critically-acclaimed 'seat of the soul, 'says, "what you intend is what you experience." spiritual life coach iyanla vanzant says, "god knows the deepest desires of your heart."

actively learning from their perspectives can help shape my journey. a few years ago i wrote a spiritual vision for success. the paper sits right in front of my computer. i see it everyday. i decided to read it aloud for three consecutive weeks bcuz of a spiritual law - if you do the same thing everyday for 21 days it becomes a habit. applying open-mindedness is essential to growing, maturing & responding life's unfolding mysteries.

i want more for my life in 2010 than i experienced in 2009. or 2008. or 2007. or, you get the message, right? i've been on this earth nearly half a century & i feel it. dammit, i feel everything. everything! at the moment i feel happy yet unfulfilled. content yet not satisfied. optimistic yet worried. excited yet depressed. appreciated yet invisible. thrilled yet scared. a walking paradox, i'm basically a conflicted muhfuh.

despite my creativity, intellect & spirituality i tend to operate more out of fear than love. in fact, the unknown can be terrifying for almost anyone yet this honest self-revelation gives me absolutely no comfort. growing isolation, minor setbacks & petty frustrations make me feel like i'm not making progress. perhaps i need to let go of unrealistic expectations - or get out of my own way, ask others for help & start taking action?

a few years ago i set a goal, one of many, for myself. my goal was to write a book, a film & a play b4 the age of 50. to date, i've written a film & a play. my earth date is august 6. i'm proud of these accomplishments yet frustrated bcuz the work has yet to be seen by anyone other than a few artistic friends. i'm learning to persevere & remain steadfast with my intentions no matter what does or does not happen in my life. life didn't show up god woke me up!

i want to have my own greeting card company for people in recovery & their loved ones. i started taking small biz classes to gather information, network with like-minded folks & seek positive direction. this passionate desire of mine seems incredibly elusive at the moment. one of my ongoing challenges is the inability to focus on one thing at a time. besides, i'd rather watch porn. uh, was that too much information? anyway, oprah winfrey once said, "happiness is having something to look forward to."

wateva.

so...will 2010 be the year of realized ambitions, new horizons & unlimited possibilities? will 2010 honor the deepest desires of my heart? will 2010 bring me a partner? will 2010 reward me with artistic success? will 2010 offer financial prudence? will 2010 improve my conscious contact with god? or, will i settle for the latest sports obsession, otherwise known as the lebron james sweepstakes? of course, i don't know what will happen in 2010. i'm willing to give it my best & let god take care of the rest. in the meantime, here's to a happy new me :-)

Precious - A Film Review

2009-12-09T14:26:00.021-05:00

several weeks ago i attended a matinee mid-town screening of precious, the provocative film based on the award-winning 1996 novel authored by sapphire, the artist formerly known as ramona lofton. the film tells the horrific story of precious, claireece jenkins, a dark-skinned, illiterate, obese teenager in 1987 harlem, pregnant with her second child. sapphire, who once described herself as a "recovering lesbian," was initially reluctant to see her book on the screen. she was eventually swayed to do so by the film's director, lee daniels, the now, out & proud-to be-gay-identified brotha best known for producing monster's ball, which garnered halle berry an oscar for best actress, the first african-american woman to win the award.

the buzz around this film primarily comes from the cast, as well as its executive producers, oprah winfrey & tyler perry, who came aboard at the midnight hour to secure financing challenges & hollywood name-worthy prestige. precious stars newcomer gabourey sidibe, a harlem native who beat out 400 females for the role - her first major gig. her abusive mother is played by actress/comedienne monique. other prominent actors include mariah carey as their social worker, paula patton as precious' new teacher, lenny kravitz as a nurse & sherri sheperd as an administrative assistant.

sadly enuf, the complexity of social issues presented yet never addressed in the film: emotional abuse, hiv, illiteracy, mental illness, obesity, poverty, rape, self-hatred, teenage pregnancy, violence, i.e. seems to escape the media's delusions of a post-racial america while our bi-racial president ascends to international power. ultimately, precious' deep seated problems are symptoms of internalized oppression. she lives in a dark, untidy apartment with her infant child, born with down-syndrome, as well as her mother, who sees no future beyond their welfare checks - the 'welfare queen' was a black, female stereotype tool of racist propaganda fueled in the 80's by white, male senators newt gingrich, daniel moynihan & ronald reagan; despite the fact 80 percent of women on welfare were white women.

parental neglect is normalized in the film. precious grows up with no loving black men in her life. in fact, the only time we see her absent father is when he rapes her. his face, much like his humanity, manhood & spirit, is not present. ralph ellison wrote about black, male invisibility b4 the civil rights movement jumped off: have we changed? turn on bet & decide 4 yourself. her mother can be seen in the foreground voyeuristically watching the rape & saying nothing. while precious is being raped, the director quickly inter-twines back & forth images of soul food on the stove with her father's moans, precious' screams & unrecognizable accompaniment music. how bizarre is that?

i felt like i was at ripley's believe it or not...

precious' apathetic mother, mary, was addicted to cigarettes, food & television. mary, like her daughter, is socially isolated. mary screams vulgarities at precious, damaging her non-existent sense of value & worth. mary seemed obsessed with controlling her child in one way or anotha, using food, money & terror as weapons of dehumanization. in one scene, she chastizes precious for not serving her ham hocks with collard greens; she forces precious to eat the the full plate of food in front of her, b4 making her cook dinner again.

one day, on her way to school, precious steals a bucket of chicken & runs off down 125th st. are we expected to believe a 350 pound teenager cannot be caught running with a bucket of chicken in her hand? she encounters a group of young, black males. the three guys are, of course, cutting class, rolling dice, smoking weed & listening to rap music. of course. bcuz, in harlem, that's how brothas keep it real. right? anyway, one of the guys makes a lewd comment about precious' ass. the other two laugh, oblivious to her misery & their misogyny. she tries to walk away but gets pushed to the ground instead, face first. precious' humiliation is further illustrated by a dog who eats her chicken while she lays helpless on the ground. she's both depicted & treated like an animal.

mary's repeated emotional & physical abuse - she threw the television at precious, barely missing her head, as she ran out the apartment, down several flights of stairs with her baby (!) in her hand - towards her daughter makes precious feel loveless, ugly & worthless. when mary sexual abuses precious her despair goes unspoken. at school, precious has no friends: they laugh at her & no one notices her pain. when she is home alone, she looks in the mirror & sees herself as a skinny, white girl with no problems, perhaps like marcia brady? she often visualizes her life as an adored, fashionably-attired celebrity surrounded by paparazzi, while imagining an ongoing romance with a light-skinned boyfriend.

precious' fantasies are rooted in anti-black conditioning...

none of the heroes & heroines in precious' world mirror her shade & size. why? were these casting choices intentional, or simply the status quo for a downtrodden black girl in the hood? precious' new teacher, in her 'each one teach one' class, is compassionate, kind & light-skinned. she invites precious into her cozy home, where precious meets her lesbian partner, anotha light-skinned sistah. precious' family social worker (who appeared contemptuous working with precious & her mother) is light-skinned. also, the caring nurse at the hospital has a similar hue. any wonder she seeks a life light, bright & damn near white?

lee daniels' work on other independent films include monster's ball, the story of a black woman in love with the racist white prison guard assigned to execute her husband on death row; shadowboxer, the story of an incestuous romance between two cold-blooded bounty killers: a black man & his white stepmother; & the woodsman, the story about a pedophile struggling to change his life. some critics say he pushes the envelope at all costs with characters generally untouched by mainstream film. this writer feels his cinematic choices demonstrate problematic & recurring themes of dehumanizing black images on screen.

farai chideya, the brilliant host of national public radio's news & notes said "filmmaker lee daniels seems to head right for the fire." in a june 2006 interview with national public radio's ed gordon (after his directorial debut in shadowboxer) daniels says, "certainly the offers don't come as frequently as they had been...but what they want is something that i'm not willing to give, which is a stereotype of an african-american."

wtf?

daniels' father, a police officer, was killed during a robbery when he was 13. he goes on to tell gordon, "my father was also abusive physically to me because he didn't want me to become a writer & he thought that that was not a masculine thing to do & he thought that i would amount to pretty much of nothing...so i was abused & i think that it's therapeutic...my work is therapeutic...monster's ball, the woodsman & shadowboxer, because i don't go to therapy & i sort of live through my films."

why didn't gordon question daniels about his decision, consciously or not, to seek therapy in order to heal his woundedness? does gordon - who also revealed in the interview losing his father as a teenager - believe therapy is un-african-american? does therapy challenge their notions of manhood? an eerie silence pervaded this interview: two adult, successful, black men who've undoubtedly experienced feelings of grief, loss & sorrow with their fathers at a young age, yet neither one of them have developed the ability to share their hurt, pain & vulnerability.

writer ishmael reed recently wrote a scathing essay entitled, "the selling of precious: the myth of the black male sexual predator." reed is suspicious of sarah siegel, the white woman who invested five million dollars in the film; siegel's 'niche dilemma' marketing plan is currently available on you tube. reed says, "sarah siegel has joined an innovative marketing plan that couples obama's name with the most extreme of sexual crimes. this woman might have invested in a movie that some are calling the worst depiction of black life yet done."

new york press critic armond white (who shares many of reed's sentiments regarding the film) compares precious to the film, birth of a nation, directed by d.w. griffith - credited as an early film pioneer. reed says, "i would argue that this movie makes griffith look like a progressive. moreover, i've looked at a number of pictures that show how the nazis depicted blacks & though jewish & black men appear as sexual predators in many, i've never run across one in which minority men are shown as incest violators."

reed is critical of winfrey & perry's roles as executive producers. he noted a new york times article dated 2/4/09 which reported, "a deal did not emerge for push (the title of sapphire's novel) until about a week after the festival (sundance film festival) ended, with potential distributors balking over the price insisted upon by cinetic media, a new york marketing & sales company for independent film, according to two people with knowledge of how the deal came together but were not authorized to speak publicly. a spokeswoman for cinetic declined to comment, but bidders said ms. winfrey & mr. perry had been crucial to the deal coming together."

(sigh) it's 2:06 am & i've yet to finish this damn review. i'm tired of writing about precious. real talk. suffice it to say, the film provides more questions than answers. the ending of the film was confusing. frustrating. boring. precious improved her reading skills, yet this teenaged single parent walks out of school with her two kids, alone - homeless, jobless & penniless. where is she going? who will help her raise her kids? how will she learn to navigate life in harlem with her myriad of social issues?

...if the box office numbers are profitable, does anyone smell a sequel?

Yankees Win 2009 World Series

2009-11-10T15:22:00.004-05:00

the new york yankees defeated the defending champion philadelphia phillies in game six of the 2009 fall classic, 7-3, to win their 27th world series title. mariano rivera recorded the final four outs in typical fashion, to the delight of the cheering crowd at the spanking new, $1.5 billion yankee stadium. yankees designated hitter hideki matsui was named most valuable player. matsui, in limited duty, hit an astonishing .615 with three homers & eight runs batted in to help a balanced offensive attack.

manager joe girardi wore number 27 with the intention of inspiring his players to return to the coveted championship game, their first series appearance since losing to the, then, expansion club, arizona diamondbacks in 2001. during the off season the yankees spent $420 million to secure left-handed starting pitcher cc sabbathia, right-handed starting pitcher aj burnette & first baseman mark texiera. all three players were instrumental in the yankees' success.

before, during & after the regular season most of the media focus was on alex rodriguez, who, earlier this year admitted to using a banned substance in 2003. the charismatic all-star third baseman embraced the support of his teammates, as well as the loyal, albeit fickle yankee fans. one local paper headline called him a-roid, yet he finished the year with 30 homers & 100 runs batted in, despite losing over a month of playing time due to a hip replacement surgery.

the yankees also acquired outfielder nick swisher who finished the year with 29 homers, while sometimes batting ninth. the yankees slugged 243 homers in their new park, a franchise record. all-star shortstop derek jeter & second baseman robinson cano became the first infield pair (second base/shortstop duo) to record 200 or more hits in a season. texeira led the american league with 122 runs batted in & tied tampa bays' carlos pena for the lead in homers with 39.

while sabbathia & rivera are likely cy young award candidates, it was the consistent pitching of 37 year-old veteran lefty andy pettite players lauded in their world series journey. in fact, pettite clinched the winning game in all of the playoff series; first against the minnesota twins, who the yankees defeated three games to none, secondly against the feisty los angeles angels, who the yankees defeated in six games & finally against the phillies. pettite was 2-0 in the world series, winning game three & six.

phillies all-star second baseman chase utley tied yankee legend reggie jackson's major-league record by hitting five homers. phillies all-star first baseman ryan howard set a dubious world series record with 13 strikeouts. veteran pitcher pedro martinez, acquired from the mets during the regular season, lost both games he started. phillies lefty cliff lee, former cleveland indians teammate of sabbathia & last year's american league cy young winner was victorious in game one & five.

the yankees held a parade in downtown manhatan friday. the day b4 several of their players attended an espn televised game in madison square garden to watch the cleveland cavaliers play the new york knicks. knicks fans applauded their newly crowned champions but lost the game anyway. the yankees got a prime return on their investments. some folks say they paid for their title. baseball is a business. maybe next year i'll be able to afford a ticket to see them play. in the meantime, it feels good to be associated with a winner...

Bloomberg Narrowly Wins NYC Mayoral Race

2009-11-05T01:20:00.003-05:00

michael bloomberg won a third consecutive term as mayor of new york city, defeating former city comptroller william thompson by less than 55,000 votes. bloomberg won 51% of the vote, compared to thompson, who received 46% of the surprising highly contested, albeit racially polarized vote. in total, the expected low turnout was comprised of about 1.1 million folks on a brisk tuesday.

bloomberg was victorious in three of the five boroughs, manhattan, queens & staten island. his opponent won 73% of the african-american vote. it was estimated bloomberg spent $180 per voter. thompson accused bloomberg of running the most negative campaign in the history of new york city's mayoral election. among other things, bloomberg accused thompson of gambling with the city's money as comptroller - taking contributions unethically. his campaign theme was progress, not politics as usual.

thompson faulted bloomberg for usurping his power over the city council to change the term limits from two terms, as citizens voted, to three terms. winning the boroughs of brooklyn & the bronx, thompson sought to discredit bloomberg's character & paint him as a man with a lot of money but little common sense. the bespectacled african-american also tried to align himself with president obama as a man of change, yet the incumbency proved too much for him to overcome.

there was hardly any excitement about a mayoral race in the city that never sleeps. bloomberg & thompson debated twice, yet the indifference among jaded new yorkers was evident at the polls. moreover, the myriad of complex issues facing working class folk - escalating rents, faulty school system, high unemployment, incompetent transportation boards, poor economy, rising taxes, i.e. - was not enuf to generate interest in our political future. is it true when they say money talks & bullshit walks?

President Obama Signs Historic Hate-Crimes Bill Into Federal Law

2009-10-31T01:29:00.007-04:00

president barack obama signed a law making it a federal crime to assault an individual because of his or her gender identity or sexual orientation. hailed by supporters as the first major federal gay rights legislation, the expanded federal hate-crimes law was added to a $680 billion defense authorization bill signed by obama at a packed white house ceremony.

the matthew shepard and james byrd, jr. hate crimes prevention act was named for matthew shepard, a gay wyoming teenager who died after being kidnapped and severely beaten in october 1998, and james byrd, jr., an african-american man dragged to death by a group of young white males in texas the same year. the appropriations bill signing was attended by shepard's mother, judy, as well as vice president joe biden, attorney general eric holder, defense secretary robert gates and other leading members of congress.

obama cited the work of the late massachusetts senator edward kennedy and others "to make this day possible." to loud applause, obama hailed the hate crimes measure in the bill as a step toward change to "help protect our citizens from violence based on what they look like, who they love and how they pray." later that day, wednesday october 28, obama stood with shepard's parents and relatives of byrd, jr. at a separate white house event honoring passage of the expanded hate-crimes law.

noting reports of 12,000 crimes in the last decade based on sexual orientation, obama called the historic bill another step in the continuing struggle for human rights. obama said, "because of the efforts of the folks in this room, particularly those family members standing behind me, the bell rings even louder now." upon finishing his remarks he hugged the weeping relatives as the audience applauded.

several religious groups are concerned a hate crimes bill could be used to criminalize conservative speech relating to subjects like abortion or homosexuality. however, holder said any federal hate-crimes law would be used only to prosecute violent acts based on bias, not to prosecute speech based on controversial racial or religious beliefs. former president george w. bush threatened to veto a similar measure but obama brought a reversal of that policy to the white house.

when the bill won final congressional approval last week, human rights campaign (hrc) president joe solmonese called the hate-crimes measure "our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people." earlier this month, obama told the hrc - the nation's largest gay rights group - our nation still needs to make significant changes to ensure equal rights for gays and lesbians. while addressing the group at their annual dinner, obama said, "despite the progress we've made, there are still laws to change and hearts to open...this fight continues now and i'm here with you in that fight."

among other related initiatives, obama has called for the repeal of the 'don't ask, don't tell' ban on gays serving openly in the military, a policy hotly debated by both obama and biden during the 2008 presidential campaign. obama has also urged congress to repeal the defense of marriage act and pass the domestic partners benefit and obligations act. the defense of marriage act defines marriage, for federal purposes, as a legal union between a man and a woman. the act allows states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. the domestic partners benefit and obligations act would extend family benefits now available to heterosexual federal employees to gay and lesbian workers.

Harlem's Mart 125: The American Dream

2009-10-15T15:24:00.002-04:00

a couple of weeks ago i attended an interesting film & culture series at medgar evers college in brooklyn. the ongoing series is free & offers filmmakers from the african diaspora the opportunity to share their work in a culturally affirming environment. b4 the film an open mic is available for poets & spoken word artists. after the film a panel discussion is held to explore various concerns & issues impacting our community, as well as to engage the audience in dialogue. in the spirit of activating social change, we exchange ideas, raise awareness & speak truth to power.

the film, harlem's mart 125: the american dream, was brilliantly directed by rachelle salnave gardner, a native new yorker who moved to atlanta. this documentary film is about the history of mart 125 & how it correlates to the 'revitalization' of 125th street - harlem's main commercial sector. right from the opening moment, the film gives viewers a historical journey depicting the economic transition of 125th street from the late 60's (rev dr king/malcolm x era) to our current post-obama reality.

mart 125, a now-defunct space across the street from the apollo theatre utilized by business owners of african descent, is used as a metaphor to examine the plague of perplexities surrounding this unique black community & its relationship with the plans of urban renewal from a commercial standpoint. the film offers a microcosmic analysis of the displacement (read: genocide, or its politically correct term, gentrification) of black american communities today.

the film is dispersed with candid interviews from activists, entrepreneurs, politicians, residents & stakeholders whose conflicting views about how harlem changed right b4 their eyes illuminates the complexity of issues surrounding a community in peril. one of the statistics which resonated with me was how rent skyrocketed in a decade. in 1997 a one-bedroom apartment was available for $650/month. in 2007 that same apartment was $1500/month. the question on many folks' mind: who benefits?

i was inspired by the ensuing panel discussion. expertly facilitated by the series' mc, miles mcafee, the spirited audience was treated to food from the soul. in addition to the beautiful filmmaker, the panelists were kanya vashon mcgee, founder of the tree of life bookstore in harlem (circa 1969), kevin powell, activist, author (recently defeated in a brooklyn community district primary), fred saunders, real estate developer & pierre thiam, owner of the dakar restaurant in brooklyn.

miles immediately pointed out another sistah - in the spirit of gender equity - was invited yet could not attend. he also shared all of the panelists were personal friends, in other words, be kind to my peeps. after opening remarks, panelists shared their perspectives on the film & the many underlying issues disturbing our community: apathy, hiv/aids, mental illness, prison industrial complex, racism, substance use, unemployment, violence, etc. the audience was encouraged to ask questions in what miles termed "the liberation zone." he also suggested we network afterwards, as well as return for their upcoming film on october 15.

U.S. President Barack Obama Wins 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

2009-10-10T04:47:00.004-04:00

us president barack hussein obama was awarded the 2009 nobel peace prize. the nobel committee said he won it for "his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy & cooperation between peoples." his efforts to support international bodies & promote nuclear disarmament highlighted the committee's choice, deemed controversial by some, considering his inauguration was less than two weeks before the february 1 nomination deadline.

early friday morning the president was awakened by his youngest daughter malia who exclaimed, "daddy you won & its bo's birthday." his other daughter sasha was quick to remind him, "we have a three day weekend coming up." upon addressing the white house he said "its good to have kids to put things in perspective." obama said he didn't feel he "deserved to be in the company of such transformative figures" who'd previously won the prestigious award. among the record 205 nominations were zimbabwean prime minister morgan tsvangirai & chinese dissident hu jia.

the nobel laureate is chosen by a five-member committee. five norwegians are chosen by norway's parliament to sit on the nobel committee. those qualified to nominate candidates include academics, international judiciary, members of national governments & previous prize winners. the committee compiles a shortlist of between five & 20 candidates. details of the nominations & selection process are kept secret for 50 years, augmenting the awards' mystique.

reactions to the committee's decision were swift & varied. mark mardell, bbc north america editor said, "there was already a huge weight of responsibility on obama's shoulders & this medal hung round his neck has just made it a little heavier." mohammed elbaradei, the head of the un's nuclear watchdog, the iaea, stated, "in less than a year in office, he has transformed the way we look at ourselves & the world we live in & rekindled hope for a world at peace with itself." taliban spokesman zabihuilah mujahid told the reuters news agency "obama should have won the nobel prize for escalating violence & killing civilians." republican national committee chair michael steele said, "the question americans must ask is what has obama really accomplished?"

in a prepared statement, the norwegian committee said, "only very rarely has a person to the same extent as obama captured the world's attention & given its people hope for a better future...his diplomacy is founded in the concept that those who are to lead the world must do so on the basis of values & attitudes that are shared by the majority of the world's population." asked why the prize was awarded to obama less than a year after he took office, nobel committee head thorbjoern jagland said, "it was because we would like to support what he is trying to achieve...it is a clear signal that we want to advocate the same as he has done."

archbishop desmond tutu of south africa, a former winner, said, "it is an award that speaks to the promise of president obama's message of hope." french president nicolas sarkozy said the award confirmed "america's return to the hearts of the people of the world." furthermore, the statement of the nobel committee said, "mr obama had created a new climate in international politics...multilateral diplomacy has regained a central position, with emphasis on the role that the united nations & other international institutions can play." the committee added the us was now playing a more constructive role in meeting "the great climatic challenges" facing the world & that democracy & human rights would be strengthened.

obama is the first american president to win the prize since former us president jimmy carter in 2002. former vice president al gore shared the prize in 2007. among earlier leaders, theodore roosevelt won the prize in 1906 & woodrow wilson won in 1919. first awarded in 1901, the nobel prize was invented by the swedish industrialist & inventor of dynamite alfred nobel. obama's new found gifts include a diploma, gold medal & $1.4 million, which he's donating to charity. the prize-giving ceremony for the peace award is scheduled to take place on december 10 in oslo, the norwegian capitol.

Family Reunion Looms On The Horizon

2009-09-29T13:42:00.006-04:00

my mother, youngest sistah & i've been talking about having a family reunion lately. nearly half a century on the planet & i've yet to participate in a family reunion. back in tha day the o'jays recorded a wonderfully heartfelt song about family reunions but i thought they were singing about somebody else's family. not my family. my family has a long-standing reputation of always showing up late to family functions. the one's we plan!

after speaking to a few folks who've experienced family reunions of their own, the consensus is it takes at least a year to plan such an event. are folks genuinely interested? will they show up or cancel on cp time? where should we gather? what will we do? how much will this cost? does anyone know oprah? well, seems everyone knows oprah but the most practical way to get to her is thru her best friend. gayle king. but i digress.

after we gauge folks' interest it was suggested to establish a planning committee. can't imagine how that would work considering we plan poorly in this family: plan b means fuck it cuz i ain't going. although i must admit the women in our family have always held it down, especially when it comes to nurturing the kids. ah, yes. bebe's kids. there are so many now. can't remember every one's names. of course, with all these hip hop inspired, post-9/11, weird ass spellings...what happened to simple names like john, paul, george & ringo?

i was watching an episode of america's next top model & one of the participants was a fly young sistah from the west coast; california, i believe. her name was spontaneus. 4 real. i gagged. what was her momma thinking? or drinking? why do black folk do shit like that? ok, i prolly spelled her name wrong - she changed a letter here & there. u know how we do. tryna be creative. & shit. something different. oh, how we lie to ourselves. but that was her name. a model named spontaneus. right. she lost early. not bcuz of her name. but it wasn't a plus. trust me.

the idea of a family reunion intrigues me for so many reasons. most of our tribe lives in chicago, yet we got folks scattered in florida, indiana, missouri, new york & texas. our world has become more & more isolated as we speak, or tweet. nobody talks to each other. krs-one once rapped about the difference between civilization & technology. growing up we talked about the cosby show or the weather, but not about how we felt. do i expect a reunion to change family dynamics? no. but we can have fun in the spirit of unity. also, we can model the young folk a template for love.

from what i understand, family reunions are unique opportunities to learn about ancestral legacies. we learn to practice patience as we wait for the elders to take out their teeth before they talk. we learn to practice more patience as we wait for the elders to remember their train of thought. we learn to practice more patience as we wait for the elders to wake up when they fall asleep. we learn to practice even more patience as the elders go on & on & on about stuff nobody understands. yo, i don't care what nobody says: u can't make a long story short. why? bcuz it's a long story...

granted, some folks would rather text than talk. some folks prefer e-mail to real mail. i'm cool with it all yet i believe a family reunion could impact us in ways none of us might imagine. after all, it'd be a first. a new experience. we'd be together bcuz we really wanted to, not bcuz we feel we have to, like when someone dies, for example. we can start a valuable tradition for generations to come. many of us come home from work & bury ourselves into the computer, tv or latest video game. others don't connect. at all. i miss being around my peeps more & more as i get older. so, i hope we do it sooner than lata.

besides, like antwone fisher, i can eat.

Juan Martin Del Potro and Kim Clisters Win 2009 US Open Singles Titles

2009-09-16T15:18:00.004-04:00

20 year-old juan martin del potro of argentina stunned world #1 roger federer of switzerland 3-6, 7-6, 4-6, 7-6, 6-2 to win his first grand slam singles title at the us open in flushing meadow last monday. the thrilling match lasted well over four hours, starting in the early afternoon and climaxing at nite with one of del potro's many powerful forehand winners. del potro became the second south american (guillermo vilas '77) to claim the heralded crown. surprisingly, for a non-american, he admitted, "this was my dream, my favorite tournament, i've always wanted to win here and i can't believe this moment."

del potro crushed world #2 rafael nadal of spain in the semi-finals 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in less than two hours. his booming serve and flat, hard ground strokes were too much for nadal, who, despite a sore abdominal strain, played better as the tournament progressed. del potro is now the only man to beat both federer and nadal in a grand slam tournament. del potro was in tears after he shook hands with federer, who set the record of 15 grand slam men's singles titles upon beating american andy roddick in a five-set epic at wimbledon this summer.

clearly the hands-down favorite - he'd never lost to del potro - federer was primed for a record-tying sixth us open crown. the elegant swiss was up a set and a break at 5-4 in the second set before del potro broke his serve with an incredible running down-the-line forehand winner. in the third set del potro double faulted on set point yet showed maturity and poise beyond his years to come from two sets to one down for his unforgettable triumph. federer was 50 percent on his first serves and converted only five of 22 break points, conceding in the post-match press conference, "i had my chances...he played well...its not the end of the world."

kim clisters of belgium handily defeated surprising first time finalist 19 year-old caroline wozniacki of denmark 7-5, 6-3 to win her second us open singles title. clisters won in 2005 and abruptly retired to get married and have a baby. she returned to the tour this summer and played well in three tournaments. clisters became the first mother since evonne goolagong in 1980 to win at flushing meadow. after delivering a forehand winner at the net on match point she dropped to her knees and cried tears of joy.

clisters admitted after the match, "this wasn't our plan...i just wanted to play some matches and get used to the environment again." her 18-month old daughter jada joined her on court later to the delight of the record-setting crowd. the beaming clisters, popular and well-liked by all, was gracious in congratulating the young dane for her impressive run to the finals. the ninth-seeded wozniacki, who showed a steady calm in each of her matches, survived the onslaught of upsets as 16 of the top 32 seeds lost in the first two rounds.

the unseeded clisters was given a wild card this year and used it wisely. she didn't lose a set the entire tournament, playing hard each match with nothing to lose. clisters defeated venus williams in the fourth round & her sistah serena williams in a controversial semi-final match. williams was fined $10,000 (as well as $500 fine for racket abuse) by the usta for shouting verbal obscenities at a lines woman who called a foot fault on williams as she served 5-6, 15-40 in the second set. though contrite during her post-match press conference, the following day williams issued an amended apology to the lines woman, the usta, clisters and her fans for her, "inappropriate outburst."

White House Environmental Adviser Van Jones Resigns

2009-09-10T11:40:00.006-04:00

last week white house environmental adviser van jones resigned from his gig as obama's green jobs czar. some republican leaders actively sought his demise amid revelations (some deem controversial) from his past activism, all of which caught white house officials off guard. jones joined the administration in march as special adviser to the council on environmental quality. as he did not report directly to obama, he did not require senate conformation and avoided the kind of vetting cabinet officials are generally accustomed to.

after jones stepped down from a progressive post many were excited about he said, "on the eve of historic fights for health care and clean energy, opponents of reform have mounted a vicious smear campaign against me. they are using lies and distortions to distract and divide." jones continued, "i have been inundated with calls from across the political spectrum urging me to stay and fight, but i came here to fight for others, not for myself. i cannot in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. we need all hands on deck fighting for the future."

in recent days jones had issued a couple of public apologies, one, for signing a petition in 2004 from the group 911 truth.org. the embattled group questioned whether bush administration officials "may indeed have deliberately allowed 9/11 to happen, perhaps as a pretext for war." the other apology he offered was for using a crude term to describe republicans in a speech he gave before joining the obama administration. of course, some will question the sincerity and timing of his apologies, but i digress.

another source of contention was jones' brief involvement with the bay area group, standing together to organize a revolutionary movement (storm), a group which was allegedly influenced by marxism. additionally, jones admitted he's a staunch advocate and supporter of political prisoner mumia abu-jamal, the brilliant and profilic brotha institutionalized on death row (falsely) convicted of killing a philadelphia cop in 1981.

fox news channel host glenn beck, who recently warranted national attention for calling obama a racist, led the charges against jones after a group jones founded in 2005, colorofchange.org, organized a successful advertising boycott for beck's show specifically due to his callous attack on the president. rep. mike pence (r-ind.) ushered the call for jones' resignation stating, "his extremist views and coarse rhetoric have no place in this administration or this debate."

senator christopher s. bond (r-mo.) urged congress to examine jones' "fitness" for the position. in an open letter, bond wrote, "can the american people trust a senior white house official that is so cavalier in his association with such radical and repugnant sentiments?" echoing bond's concerns was senator john cornyn (r-tex.), chairman of the national republican senatorial committee. cornyn wrote on his twitter account, "van jones has got to go."

on fox news sunday, senator lamar alexander (r-tenn.) and former house speaker newt gingrich declined to criticize jones directly but alexander questioned why the obama administration appointed so many czars. "i don't think he's the issue...i think the czars are the issue," alexander said. former vermont governor howard dean, who (also) signed the 9/11 truth.org petition - admittedly by mistake - said of jones' resignation, "i think he was brought down...it's too bad...it's a loss for the country."

white house adviser david axelrod appeared on nbc's 'meet the press' sunday and mentioned he had not spoken with obama about jones' decision. axelrod said, "the political environment is rough, and so these things get magnified...but the bottom line is that he showed his commitment to the cause of creating green jobs in this country by removing himself as an issue and i think that took a great deal of commitment on his part."

jones' meteoric rise to national prominence in the environmental movement is a unique commentary for a strong black man in a conservative multicultural society. he was a civil-rights activist in california before shifting his focus to energy and environmental issues exclusively. jones was respected for articulating, organizing and strategizing a broad visionary plan for green jobs in a manner ordinary folk could embrace and feel inspired by pre-obama. he undoubtedly benefited from a yes we can america. yet less than six months on the job many republicans are saying, no you can't.

Michael Vick Signs Two-Year Deal With Philly

2009-08-14T01:27:00.018-04:00

former atlanta falcons star quarterback michael vick just signed a two-year deal with the philadelphia eagles. the first year is reportedly worth $1.6 million & the second year with an option for $5.2 million. why is this breaking news? the unemployed & supposedly, now, bankrupt vick was released from prison on may 20 after serving just 18 months for his implicit role in an ugly yet profitable dog-fighting ring which made him the default poster child for animal rights lovers around the world who despise anyone who knowingly harms innocent pets. the folks at peta must be pissed.

nfl commissioner roger goddell's decision to both reinstate vick & extend him the ability to earn a living also raises concerns about the real values (read: ratings bonanza/revenue bonus) of the nfl. vick's swift return to football glory is unusual, in that goddell typically suspends athletes at least a year for off-the-field activities unbecoming to the league's tarnished image.

cleveland browns wide receiver donte stallworth pleaded guilty to a dui manslaughter in june yet served only 24 days in jail after he killed a man attempting to cross the street. goddell suspended the talented flanker for the entire 2009 season for violating the league's substance abuse policy & intends to reinstate him after the super bowl. stallworth recently signed a lucrative seven-year deal.

what, if any, role does vick's african ancestry play in folks' perception of his microscopic media assessment? black male athletes in america are demonized for egregious, immoral and/or unethical transgressions - muhammad ali, ron artest, barry bonds, kobe bryant, plaxico burress, wilt chamberlain, michael irvin, magic johnson, adam (pacman) jones, michael jordan, dennis rodman, deon sanders, o.j. simpson, latrell sprewell & mike tyson immediately come to mind.

b4 we paint a broad brush of racial profiling here, keep in mind the man was found guilty in court of a crime. that's why he went to prison! still, this country spends more money for folks to be behind bars than to be behind books; california doles out $49k per prisoner but you don't hear attorney general eric holder speaking out on this disparity do you? some folks believe vick got off easy like sunday morning & now he's back on the field possibly contending for the playoffs. hmmmm...

is it possible to discern vick has learned life lessons after doing time? are we to expect he, though admittedly remorseful, would've stopped what he was doing had he not been caught? how long does it take to heal an open wound? vick is scheduled to appear on 60 minutes this sunday nite. an oprah visit is sure to follow. maybe he'll lead public awareness campaigns on the evils of dog fighting at some point, which is kool until you wonder if he can make a difference in the lives of average folks, or, our youth.

years prior to all this sad stuff going down the seemingly modest vick was another handsome, successful & young brotha led to believe he was invincible in a supremacist society ripe with cultural contradictions. white male athletes neva (!) have to answer to the white, male community when their private lives are fucked up in public. real talk.

pete rose got a lifetime ban upon finally confessing (after lying repeatedly) he bet regularly on baseball games. brett favre once said he was addicted to pain medication. chris andersen violated the nba's substance abuse policy more than once. fuzzy zoeller casually joked tiger woods would celebrate one of his pga tour wins by eating some fried chicken. john mcenroe was unabashedly contemptous of tennis officials during his matches. i contend white, male skin privilege transcends the thrill of victory & the agony of defeat.

eagles all-pro starting qb donovan mcnabb told reporters he adamantly lobbied for the team to sign the embattled vick. mcnabb's love/hate relationship with philly fans & their media is no secret, but he echoes the sentiments of his coach mike reid: he feels "everyone deserves a second chance...he's spoken truth to the nation...who better to join a team who's gone through tough times...i'm looking forward to it." hall of fame qb & espn analyst steve young suggested philly might use mcnabb & vick together in certain situations. boos or cheers await them both.

vick will undoubtedly experience unwarranted attention both on & off the football field. his every move will be analyzed, blogged & commented on for months to come. he is, indeed, a marked man. while his new found mentorship with the retired (super bowl winning coach of the indianapolis colts) tony dungy is respectfully heralded publicly as an act of humility, hopefully he'll seek counseling of some sort. prison time is serious biz.

yeah, i'm a bit cynical of the need to publicly redeem one's self tho i believe vick deserves the opportunity to resolve his internal conflicts & live life abundantly. nonetheless, i wonder how the dog-fighting folks he once hung out with feel about their source of income? cruel & inhumane treatment of animals surely must haunt one's soul. but if you are a marketable black athlete with a skilled lawyer america will help you forget your pain.

are you ready for some football?

Sonia Sotomayor Makes History As New Supreme Court Justice

2009-08-09T19:05:00.002-04:00

with historic distinction sonia sotomayor was sworn in saturday august 8 as the us supreme court's first latina justice, third female & third person (thurgood marshall, clarence thomas) of african ancestry in the top court's 220-year history. sotomayor is president barack obama's first appointment to the prestigious court, which has shaped many polarizing issues like abortion, school desegregation & the death penalty. as a successor to the now, retired, justice david souter, sotomayor is not expected to alter the nine-member court's ideological balance.

sotomayor initially swore an oath at a private ceremony in the room where the justices hold their private conferences. minutes later she took a second oath from chief justice john roberts in an ornate conference room, beneath a portrait of the heralded chief justice john marshall. as her left hand rested on a bible held by her beloved mother, celina, sotomayor pledged to "do equal right to the poor & to the rich." sotomayor rocked a cream-colored suit & her right ankle, fractured in a fall a couple of weeks after her (somewhat contentious) nomination, was unbandaged. her 60 or so guests included justice anthony kennedy, white house counsel greg craig & other members of the obama administration who helped prepare her for the senate confirmation hearings, as well as assorted family members & friends.

roberts said that once the oaths were administered sotomayor could "begin work as associate justice without delay." obama nominated her for the lifetime appointment in may & the senate confirmed her on thursday. the 55 year-old native new yorker has been lauded by some with the most impeccable credentials in 100 years, having been a federal judge for 17 years. she is the daughter of proud puerto rican parents raised in a south bronx housing project who was educated at princeton & yale b4 experiencing success in the legal profession. sotomayor will join justice ruth bader ginsburg as the only other woman currently serving on the court.

obama, noticeably absent from the ceremony, scheduled a white house reception for sotomayor on wednesday. the new justice can now begin working, although the supreme court won't hear arguments until september 9, in a key campaign finance case. the entire court will convene a day earlier, however, for a formal ceremony to welcome sotomayor. she will learn some of the court's quirky customs, for example, as a newcomer, she must take notes & answer the door when the justices have private meetings, including one in late september at which they dispose of a couple thousand appeals.

meir feder, a former clerk to sotomayor's predecessor, souter, says the first case in september could get her thinking about the biggest change anyone faces in becoming a justice, the far-reaching impact of some supreme court decisions. feder, who is now a partner at the jones day firm in new york, said, "there are few easy questions that come the court's way...you're not applying settled law because if it's settled, it shouldn't get there in the first place." sotomayor symbolizes cultural pride & gender solidarity everywhere; in fact, several women in an east harlem restaurant watched her ceremony on television together while sporting t-shirts emblazoned with the words, wise latina.

Faison Firehouse Theater Presents James Baldwin's Harlem: Remembering Jimmy On His 85th Birthday

2009-08-05T14:24:00.002-04:00

sunday august 2 james arthur baldwin celebrated his 85th spiritual earth day. earth day is a term i learned from (one of my mentors) nana imhotep gary byrd. he calls birthdays earth days bcuz all of god's kids are born once on different days yet on the same planet. anyhoo. the faison firehouse theater in harlem offered a riveting tribute to the man who inspired me, as he did so many others around the universe, to write. sitting in the theater for my first time on this historical occasion i felt in awe, deeply humbled & very excited to be in the presence of such greatness.

in the house was tony award winning choreographer & host george faison, the legendary activist/playwright/poet amiri baraka, author/poet/professor sonia sanchez, author quincy troupe, historian/writer herb boyd, vogue magazine's editor-at-large andre leon talley, howard university english department chairwoman eleanor traylor, musician/singer genovis albright, along with baldwin's sister-in-law helen baldwin, nephew trevor baldwin, as well as one of his proteges, alexa birdsong.

the ominous stage was adrift with african masks, kente cloth & other loving remnants of the motherland. you could feel the spirit of james baldwin in the room. i know i did. faison encouraged folks to get drinks (like jimmy) b4 the show started. baldwin was known for his all nite cocktail parties in the south of france where miles davis, bobby short, simone signoret or nina simone would stop through. i stopped drinking over 14 years ago & chuckled with the memory of a perfect excuse to have just one drink.

each special guest offered a wondrous tribute to baldwin - devoted activist, gifted writer, incredible humanitarian, the oldest of nine kids, a man baraka referred to during his eulogy at st john's cathedral of the divine as "god's revolutionary black mouth." interspersed between guests were snippets of the poignant documentary, the price of the ticket. the theater was completely packed as late arriving folks stood proudly in the back to witness a celebration of a harlem literary genius. what a blessing!

Roger Federer and Serena Williams Win 2009 Wimbledon Singles Titles

2009-07-09T02:42:00.003-04:00

roger federer of switzerland defeated american andy roddick in a thrilling duel lasting over four hours, 5-7, 7-6, 7-6, 3-6, 16-14 to win his sixth wimbledon men's singles title. this was the seventh consecutive year federer reached the men's final. more importantly, the historic victory was his 15th grand slam singles title, surpassing the record formerly held by the hall-of-fame american pete sampras' 14. the stylish swiss also regains the #1 spot on the men's tour, moving past his younger & currently injured rival rafael nadal of spain.

the unlikely final pair set tournament records for most total games in a championship match, 77, as well as most games in the fifth set, 30. ironically it took the last game of the match for federer to finally be able to break roddick's serve, clocked as high as 143 mph. federer finished the day with a personal best 50 aces & 107 winners. on the last point when roddick's forehand reply went awry ino the sky, the normally placid federer leaped triumphantly in the air, knowing he'd made history witnessed by several former champions who were present - bjorn borg, rod laver, ilie nastase, pete sampras & manuel santana.

no one expected roddick to reach the final, as all the british hopes were square on the muscular shoulders of 22 year-old upstart andy murray, who, i must note, tho english fans don't seem to care, is a scotland native. everyone, except roddick, that is, wanted a murray-federer final. murray has a 6-2 record against the brilliant shot maker & was confident of his chances if they were to meet again. while federer defeated murray in the '08 us open final some folks say the supremely talented scot will be the next #1 player. however, in a wonderful display of all-court controlled aggression, roddick defeated murray in four hard-fought sets.

serena williams defeated older sistah venus williams 7-6, 6-3 to win her third wimbledon women's singles crown. all three wins have come against her hard-hitting sistah, who has five all-england trophies of her own. the well-played victory now gives serena 11 grand slam singles titles, trailing only chris evert (18), martina navratilova (18) & steffi graf (22), all of whom are in the hall-of-fame. venus, with her two us open wins, has amassed seven grand slam titles.

these two amazing african-american women were born & raised in compton, california. they are both humble humanitarians whose athleticism, determination & power on the court belie their class, dignity & selflessness off the court. usually they both struggle in the first week of a grand slam tournament to find their form, yet neither sistah dropped a set on their way to what most folks expected - their fourth wimbledon final against each other. also, this was the 21st time they've played together professionally, with serena now holding an 11-10 edge.

after the closely contested first-set tiebreak, serena settled down & venus started to make a few more unforced errors, particularly from her vulnerable forehand wing. interestingly enuf, the polite english crowd never shows favoritism when these two champions square off, tho it was clear when venus broke serena's serve in the eighth game of the second set they wanted to see more tennis. displaying maturity, poise & steadfastness, serena held serve to hoist the coveted trophy, which she last held in 2003. the williams sistahs also took home the doubles title, defeating australians samantha stosur & rennae stubbs in straight sets.

Michael Jackson: Gone Too Soon At Age 50

2009-06-27T18:42:00.005-04:00

about 6:30 pm thursday evening i received a text from my youngest sistah, tracey, in chicago, asking me if i heard about michael jackson having suffered a heart attack. b4 i was able to rsvp, less than 60 seconds lata, a friend in nyc texted me stating michael jackson was dead. how did i feel? shocked, stunned, in disbelief. immediately i called my friend, nate, to see if he was aware & to confirm what was, in my mind, a possible rumor bcuz with michael you just neva know. to my chagrin, it was true.

despite the efforts of his personal physician in his california home michael jackson's heart stopped beating around 2:30 pm. as i sit here listening to his media-maligned, yet melodic invincible cd, i'm thinking about my own mortality. born in the same (august) month, the king of pop was two years older than me. he also shares the same birthdate (8/29) as my aunt dianne in gary, indiana. for someone whose life was clouded in complexity, genius, isolation, mystery & woundedness, the brilliant legacy of michael joe jackson will continue long after my heart stops beating.

harlem's apollo theater has been swarmed by local/national media outlets since thursday. there was a multi-cultural mix of folks buying michael buttons, caps, posters & t-shirts, chatting, dancing, singing & trying to somehow make sense of his premature death. the commercialization of michael engulfed several blocks on 125th street. amazing how we profit from one's pain & rationalize it bcuz everyone else seems to do it! nothing is sacred anymore. the coroner had yet to release a report & black folks were selling shit with a quickness - just like when obama became prez.

did i buy something? damn skippy...

i feel for his kids. children who grow up without a father's direction, guidance & love experience an emptiness you cannot underestimate. his three kids' privacy was heavily guarded & they are, no doubt, cared for, yet their sudden loss makes my heart ache. much will be written about michael's transition in the weeks to come, but i affirm he was a compassionate humanitarian. his unconditional & universal love for children is well-known, despite the long held allegations of his sexual abuse of children, none of which i eva believed for one moment.

jackson's larger than life persona has fueled intense media scrutiny, internet chat room gossip & international tabloid rumors. whether the subject was his neverland ranch, peter pan muse, relationships with mccauley caulkin, gary coleman & ryan white, everyday folks (this writer included) always seemed to have a strong (!) opinion about his various idiosyncracies. what part did michael play in all this drama? he claimed innocence from the onset, asserting kids would neva hurt him as adults do, but, still, he was a grown ass man.

we adored him as a child. his infectious smile warmed the hearts of millions. he danced liked james brown, sang like frankie lymon & talked like, well, a happy little colored boy. omg. did i say colored? anyhoo, how many of us were glued to the idiot box when the j5 saturday morning cartoons came on? his solo work with legendary producer quincy jones changed the cultural landscape of music videos as we know it today - billie jean was the first video by an african-american artist to appear on mtv. but don't sleep, ralph mcdaniel's (hip hop infused, nyc based) video music box had mad love for mike b4 mtv, vh1 or bet.

michael's bright red leather jacket (from the beat it video), jheri curled hair, neon socks, penny loafer shoes, sequined glove & tuxedo pants shortened at the legs were unique fashion trademarks copied across the globe regardless of age, culture, gender, religion or sexual orientation. b4 his short-lived marriages to lisa marie presley & debbie rowe, he dated teen stars tatum o'neal & brooke shields. when did we last see him hooked up with a sistah? he wrote the song 'muscles,' for diana ross, giving rise to our morbid fascination with them as a potential (?) couple, but, at that point, his manhood was being questioned, too. did his androgynous look, introverted personality & squeaky voice confuse us?

no doubt, some folks have held michael was asexual, gay or phucked up...

author/meta-physician/professor deepak chopra was recently interviewed by cnn's anderson cooper about his 21 year friendship with michael. he characterized the gloved one as a caring, devoted & loving father who did not exhibit any type of inappropriate behavior in his presence. in fact, michael's kids spent considerable time playing with chopra's kids. chopra confirmed jackson's addiction to prescription drugs & admitted michael suffered from lupus, as well as a rare skin disease which some have long touted as anti-black bleaching cream. chopra vilified the plethora of celebrity hollywood doctors who feed the addiction of their patients, vowing to come forth with names at a lata date.

most media reports jackson's doctor gave him demerol. chopra said he also was given oxycontin & other narcotics to deal with his physical pain induced by lupus & the skin disease. toxicologists will offer their medical perspectives at some point. an autopsy can provide further insight into the exact nature of his untimely demise. of course, we may neva know the truth about how and/or why michael left the universe after half a century. his music can be heard in the streets, on the radio/tv & via the internet. he is, alas, gone too soon.

Roger Federer Wins French Open Singles Title In Historic Fashion

2009-06-10T01:47:00.002-04:00

world #2 roger federer of switzerland defeated roger soderling of sweden, 6-1, 7-6, 6-4 to win his 1st french open singles crown. the historic win tied pete sampras for 14 grand slam singles titles, a record he hopes to break at this summer's wimbledon. despite losing the last three years in the french open final to world #1 rafael nadal of spain, federer persevered in perhaps his most difficult championship win. his most coveted trophy brought an onslaught of tears at match point, when soderling was unable to return his lethal forehand.

most pundits expected & predicted nadal would win a record fifth consecutive title. yet in the fourth round, the #23 seed soderling shocked the tennis world dominating nadal in four sets. hall of famer & tv analyst john mcenroe called soderling's win, "the greatest upset in the last 20 years of the game." in fact, this was soderling's first grand slam final yet he was thoroughly outplayed by federer, who entered the match with a 9-0 record against the much improved swede, who now ranks #12.

federer becomes the sixth man to capture all four grand slam singles titles. he joins andre agassi, don budge, roy emerson, rod laver & fred perry in the record books. also, federer has now played in 20 consecutive grand slam semifinals, a feat some are calling the joe dimaggio of tennis records. his durability, integrity & respect as an international athlete continues to marvel both the average fan & the top players on tour. soderling would later concede during the trophy ceremony, "he is the greatest tennis player of all time."

the first set lasted about 22 minutes as federer opened the match with a service break. federer served brilliantly throughout, not facing a break point until late in the second set. during the tension-filled tiebreaker federer aced soderling on four straight serves, drawing awes from the adoring crowd at philippe chartier stadium. soderling eventually picked up his game, hitting winners from both angles, yet he lacked the mobility to track down the assortment of drop shots adeptly utilized by federer.

federer's road to the final was not without struggle as he faced adversity time & time again. in the second round against unseeded jose acasuso of spain, federer was down 1-5 in the third set, the match tied at a set apiece, before he found his range & prevailed in four sets. in the third round against paul-henri mathieu of france, he lost the first set convincingly, yet he would play well enough to get a tough four set win in front of a partisan crowd, despite the fat his opponent was playing on home turf.

in the fourth round against 31 year-old veteran tommy haas of germany, federer lost the first two sets. as the match unfolded he found himself in an unenviable position, serving at 3-4, break point in the third set, before unleashing his trademark inside out forehand. federer won the thrilling match in five sets. in the semi-finals against world #5 juan martin del porto of argentina he was down two sets to one. the 20 year-old had never won a set off federer in their five previous contests yet he was dominating on serve & hitting winners from the back of the court with ease. federer slowly turned the tide & fought his way to the final where he felt the pressure of expecting to win because nadal was no longer in the draw.

winning the french open singles championship is a difficult task for any player. each year a number of european-born clay-court specialists upset top-ranked players with discipline, patience & steadfast games. the red clay at roland garros is unlike any other surface on the atp tour. when you add the inevitable rain, swirling winds & topspin forehands you have a dusty road few are able to climb successfully. federer had long been hailed the second best clay court player in the game. but on this historic occasion, the now married & soon-to-be father was, in the words of tina turner, simply the best.

14 Years Of Freedom!

2009-06-05T11:46:00.004-04:00

on may 20 god blessed me with 14 years of freedom from active addiction. thru his grace & mercy i feel spiritually refreshed & glad to be alive. most days. some days i'd rather hide under a bridge. with cable tv. some buffalo wings & french fries. a sexy chocolate man by my side to caress my body, stimulate my mind & feed my spirit. u know the deal...

anyhoo. i'm grateful to be clean. no alcohol, no caffeine, no drugs, no nicotine, no pork, no white bread, no white eggs, no white flour, no white meat, no white milk, no white popcorn, no white salt, no white sugar, etc. yeah: u know the deal. god has helped me clean my temple. so amazed am i not to be using any mind or mood-altering substances. my life was a mess b4 he rescued me from insanity, depravity & death. the day i got clean is 1 of the most important days in my life. may 20, 1995 is/was the beginning of my spiritual journey.

regular prayer & meditation cultivated a serenity i never knew existed. friends with brothas & sistahs all over the globe has given me the diversity i lacked. learning how to live one day at a time was the perspective eluding me for decades. what a joy it is to be clean! do i feel happy, joyous & free every day? no. but i do feel a peace of mind in experiencing a deeper level of self-acceptance accompanied by an awareness & empathy 4 others. in fact, helping others is 1 of the highest aspirations of the hue-man heart. god continues to use me as an instrument of his will. as such, we play beautiful music together.

no longer am i under the illusion of being his conductor.

recovery has fueled my creative passions in ways i long felt hopeless about. some of the dreams, goals & aspirations from my childhood & young adult years have awakened my spirit. collaborating with other artists has given me the opportunity to learn from my ongoing mistakes. even when i feel alone, depressed, sad and/or uninspired, i can connect with someone - online or on the phone or via a text - who understands my dilemma. its a relief to accept my shortcomings as an integral part of my humanity. after all, if i'm not perfect why would i expect others to be?

everywhere i travel people respect me today. some of the drug dealers in my hood call me by my 1st name only. when i was a kid growing up on the south side of chicago folks called me faggot, punk & sissy so often i cringed walking down the street in public. the fear of public humiliation battered my spirit. emotional abuse & sexual abuse were constant companions. my manhood was attacked. i lived in a dark abyss of hatred, shame & terror. haunted by guilt & riddled with anxiety i secretly believed my life had no meaning, purpose or value. i'm wounded & i need to heal.

i can admit today i'm not frightened of the darkness but i'm afraid of the light. why? bcuz the truth will piss u off b4 it sets u free. sorting thru the confusion & contradiction of my life has been a painful process. i'm still learning to simply say, to myself, i hurt. my 97 year-old great- great grandmother used to tell me as a kid, "no one leaves this world unscathed." she also said, "let your conscience be your guide." her words of wisdom are with me with each breath i take. eugenia jefferson was my sojourner truth. she transitioned feb 16, 1976. her loving spirit shines a window thru my soul.

thank god i'm clean - just for today!

NBA Playoffs 2009: I Love This Game!

2009-05-07T17:44:00.004-04:00

as the sportsworld awaits with delicious anticipation the showdown between kobe & lebron in the nba finals, the first round of the nba playoffs ended with a bang. the most exciting series took place between the defending champion boston celtics & the chicago bulls. the celtics emerged victorious on their homecourt 109-99 in game seven, after enduring critical injuries, overtime losses & near defeat by the young, upstart bulls led by rookie of the year point guard derrick rose. despite his brilliant though sometimes erratic play, rose was overshadowed by boston guard rajan rondo who averaged a triple double for the entire series! rondo has quickly become the catalyst for a team playing without superstar, team leader & 2008 defensive player of the year kevin garnett on the floor.

garnett suffered a season-ending injury in a game against utah earlier this spring. no one thought the celtics could/would defend their title without him. ray allen's 51 points was not enuf to avert a triple-overtime game six loss at chicago. last year's finals mvp paul pierce was consistently
inconsistent. glen davis' much improved mid-range jumper has proved fruitful. center kendrick perkins had 16 points, 19 rebounds & seven blocks in the celtics' game five win. their bench - last year's strength - has been noticeably weak, despite the efforts of eddie house, tony allen, brian scallabrini & the new kids on the block, stephon marbury & mikey moore. forward leon powe was also on the bench with a season-ending injury.

the bulls stole game one in boston. rose tied kareem abdul-jabbar's 1970 nba record with 36 points in his rookie playoff debut, while also dishing out 11 assists. their first-time coach vinnie del negro says the kid will soon be a star. newly acquired forward john salmons scored a career high 38 points in the upset win. after losing the next two games, ben gordon was electric, scoring 42 points in the bulls' game four overtime thrilling victory in the windy city. the series set an nba playoff record with seven overtime periods, as both teams won two overtime games. five games were decided by three points or less. second-year player joakim noah played sensational defense, rebounding & & blocking shots. tyris thomas can only get better if he keeps his emotions in check. kirk hinrich & brad miller outplayed the celtics' bench throughout most of the series.

the cleveland cavaliers had the best record in the nba at 66-16 & are expected to reach the nba finals for the second time in three years. coach of the year mike brown employs team defense to the delight of sold-out crowds. the acquisition of all-star guard mo williams solidifies their solid backcourt with delonte west, beset by injuries for a considerable portion of the season. 2009 mvp lebron james averaged 32 points, 11 assists & seven rebounds in a dominating 4-0 sweep of the #8 seed detroit pistons, who played without all-star guard allen iverson, out for the season with back injuries. after six consecutive eastern conference finals appearances, culminating with their '04 title, the end of an era & the dawn of a new day is upon us. cleveland is real talk.

2009 defensive player of the year orlando magic center dwight howard led his team to a 4-2 series triumph over the athletic philadelphia 76ers. orlando thrashed philly by 25 points on the road in game six, despite howard being suspended for the game, after he elbowed 76ers center samuel dalembert in the magic's close game five win. the #4 seed atlanta hawks survived a seven-game series with the miami heat, who won just 15 games last year. dwayne wade finished third in mvp voting behind kobe & lebron, played like a superstar, yet his young supporting cast could not hold him down. none of the seven games were close, in fact there were very few lead changes at all.

over in the western conference the los angeles lakers faced an unlikely #8 seed in the utah jazz. i thought utah would fare better, given their playoff experience, home court strength & overall versatility. but the lakers prevailed 4-1 because los angeles' depth is unparalleled, they're the #1 scoring team in the league, kobe's the best 4th quarter finisher on the planet & coach phil jackson has nine championship rings, tied with boston's red auerbach for most in nba history. the #2 seed denver nuggets easily dispatched a disappointing new orleans team in five games. hornets' all-star guard chris paul finished the year first in assists & steals, a rare accomplishment in today's high-profile game, yet was clearly outplayed by nuggets point guard chauncey billups. all-star forward carmelo anthony will play in the second round for the first time in his young career. in fact, denver coach george karl denver believing they can beat anybody.

more will be revealed.

the dallas mavericks surprised pundits with how easily they dismantled the #3 seed san antionio spurs 4-1. dirk nowitzki, jason kidd, josh howard & jason terry were exceptional, as were their role players off the bench. all-star forward tim duncan was not 100% physically. guard manu ginobli's season-ending injuries lef them with a disadvantage. tony parker was spectacular & tried to carry the team but he was virtually a one-man show on a team who prides itself on unity, not heroism. the houston rockets showcased their superior defensive prowess in defeating the #4 seed portland trailblazers 4-2. despite the absence of all-star forward tracy mcgrady, the rockets kept portland's all-star guard brandon roy out of the paint for most of the series. yao ming, ron artest, shane battier & aaron brooks led a balanced attack for houston, their first series win in 10 years.

North Carolina & UConn Win NCAA Titles

2009-04-09T02:04:00.003-04:00

the north carolina tar heels gave head coach roy williams his second ncaa title by soundly defeating the spartans of michigan state 89-72. senior forward wayne ellington scored 19 points & was named the final four's most oustanding player. first team all-american junior guard ty lawson set an ncaa title record with eight steals, adding 21 points & six assists to his brilliant game. senior center tyler hansborough, another first team all-american, had 19 points & 11 rebounds to lead a balanced offensive attack against a team no one expected to be in the championship game.

the title game took place in detroit, 30 years after hall of fame guard magic johnson led michigan state to a 79-64 win over hall of famer larry bird's indiana state sycamores. johnson gave the team a pep talk before the game & was seen on tv several times in the stands trying to cheer on his alma mater. but from the opening tip off north carolina had too much efficiency, energy & experience, racing to a 21-7 lead. in fact, their 55 first half points set an ncaa record for most points in the first half. also their 21 point half time margin set a record for largest lead in a title game.

there were moments in the second half when michigan state, sparked by the shooting of forward goran suton, showed signs of a comeback. however, they never got closer than 13 points as the tar heels' depth, maturity & poise were unmatched. in a game billed as david versus goliath most experts expected north carolina to win. michigan state defeated two number one seeds, louisville & connecticut, to reach the finals, yet when all was said & done, another historic victory was had by north carolina.

39-0. perfection. the women's team at uconn went undefeated this year, topped off by a dominant 74-57 win against the university of louisville - like michigan state, another unexpected title contender. uconn senior forward tina charles was named the final four's most outstanding player, as her 23 points & 19 rebounds led the huskies to their sixth title in team history. coach gene auremima was emotional afterwards, happy to share their success with senior guard & first team all-american renee montgomery, who scored 19 points.

uconn sophomore forward & first team all-american maya moore scored 24 points & played solid defense against louisville's first team all-american forward angel mccoughtry. early in the first half montgomery set the tempo by running & gunning at will. with both her parents proudly watching from the stands the spunky spark plug put on a show, her killer crossover a pain in the ass for the cinderella team in black & red. comparisons with other championship teams are inevitable, yet this group of women showed determination, focus & heart all year round. blowouts are usually boring but you couldn't help feel the joy watching them play.

New York Post Cartoonist Depicts President Obama As Dead Chimpanzee Shot By White Male Cops

2009-02-20T15:47:00.014-05:00

the new york post ran a cartoon depicting the author of the stimulus bill as a dead chimpanzee, shot & killed in cold blood by two befuddled looking white male cops. the caption comes from the cop standing behind the cop with the smoking gun in his hand and reads: "they'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill." this racist cartoon, drawn by sean delonas, was strategically run on wednesday february 18, the day after president barack hussein obama signed into law the $800+ billion bill, his first major piece of legislation.

i contend ownership breeds oppression. new york post owner rupert murdoch, whom also owns the fox news channel, has historically attacked the beauty, dignity & hue-manity of black folk in one genre or anotha. to expect anything different from him or his employees would be insane. malcolm x once said, "if you're black & in america & don't know you're crazy, then you're really crazy." still, the timing of this cartoon is eerily similar to cnn producing black male comedian (instead of a black male activist, historian, journalist or professor) dl hugley's show, "dl hughley: breaking the news," a few short weeks b4 the election. any wonder why folks say the more things change the more they stay the same?

perhaps delonas did not intend to be controversial. nonetheless his cartoon has created a media frenzy. i peeped the news & witnessed various perspectives from cnn's anderson cooper, david gergen & roland martin, msnbc's keith olberman & the women on abc's daytime talkfest the view. i tuned on the radio (wbai-fm) & heard from bklyn councilman charles barron, whom, along with councilmembers eric adams & letitia james, as well as rev al sharpton, has organized a series of rallies in front of the post's mid-town nyc headquarters, in addition to otha pro-active initiatives. finally, i went online & got instructions from colorofchange.org & yourblackworld.com, two progressive organizations dedicated to social change, to boycott the paper & write the post's editors & corporate sponsors demanding a public apology & the immediate firing of delonas.

i just love it when folks talk about racism :-)

the cartoon, run on pg 12 of the paper & can also be seen on their web, was not funny, insightful or meaningful in any way. the post says the cartoon was meant to mock the contents of the stimulus bill by comparing the legislation to the now infamous pet chimpanzee who attacked a woman in connecticut. furthermore, the post's editor, col allan, defends the concerns of black & otha progressive folk stating, "the cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to with the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in connecticut. it broadly mocks washington's efforts to revive the economy. again, al sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a political opportunist."

the post wants us to believe the cartoon is not about obama. but on the page preceding the cartoon there's a big picture of obama signing the bill. some pundits - not limited to republicans but also including well-meaning blacks & so-called liberal whites - who defend the post say the cartoon could easily be mocking nancy pelosi, speaker of the house or otha congresspeople who supported the bill. yet the historical legacy of apes, chimps & monkeys as racist symbols of black folk in america, used many times during the election attacking obama's character, are part of our ancestral cellular memory.

yesterday myself & otha journalists received an e-mail from the post's associate editor sandra guzman which reads, "thank you for your feedback. please know that i had nothing to do with the sean delonas cartoon. i neither commissioned or approved it. i saw it in the newspaper yesterday with the rest of the world. and, i have raised my objections to management." white house press secretary robert gibbs was asked about the image on air force one wednesday. he replied, "i have not seen the cartoon, but i don't think its altogether newsworthy that i don't spend a lot of time reading the new york post."

what is particularly troubling about the cartoon image is the increase in race-based violence in america. hate crimes are on the rise, ranging from arson on black churches to homosexual assalts to vandalism. in fact, obama survived an unprecedented number of death threats, reported or otherwise, during his historic journey to 1600 pennsylvania avenue. just a week ago, a man drove from louisiana to the capitol with a rifle b4 he was stopped by the police, whom he told he had a "delivery" for the president. in venezuela, hugo chavez had to pass a law against the right wing calling for his assassination over television. would a bigoted group be punished for doing the same thing in america?

a cartoon calling for the murder of a us president gets you prison time...

hopefully the black press and/or global journalists of color will seek to do more than write about how pissed off we are. its not enuf to be outraged when the life of a hue-man being is publicly attacked. the cartoon should serve as a lesson in white supremacy 101. rev dr king jr said, "a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to injustice everywhere." the new york post should be held accountable financially, legally & socially for their crimes aganst hue-manity. if folks (americans, democrats, obama supporters, i.e.) allow the new york post to get away with the usual default apology for this blatant offense then the blame is on us not them.

in the late-80's i joined forces with cemotap - commitee to eliminate media offensive to african people - a queens-based non-profit, to boycott the new york post. among otha pro-active initiatives we disseminated fact sheets, marched in the streets of harlem, urged consumers to stop buying the paper & wrote editorials to raise folks' awareness & cultivate social change. the noted african-american historian benjamin mays once said, "a man's job may be finished, but his work is never done." in the spirit of mumia abu-jamal, anthony baez, sean bell, tawana brawley, eleanor bumphurs, larry davis, amadou diallo, michael griffith, fred hampton, rodney king, abner louima, anthony rosario & assata shakur i'm reminded of an ole skool cultural saying, "praise the lord & pass the ammunition."

Father Farewell

2009-02-15T23:39:00.005-05:00

my 80 yr-old father died of lung cancer saturday night january 17. i've been avoiding writing this blog & i'm not sure why. i neva thought i'd write about my father's death. when god called him home i was neither shocked nor stunned receiving the news from my youngest sistah, tracey, whom, i sensed, in making small talk, which i hate, was struggling with how to tell me. is there a right way to inform your brotha of the death of your father? to be honest, i anticipated a short struggle with cancer based on his age, failing health & my evolving spirituality.

the last time i saw him was in frigid chicago, mid-december, in his messy bedroom, sleeping quietly. i felt god's calming presence. god told me he would welcome my father home sooner than lata although he was unwilling to give me the exact date & time. real talk. the whole week i was home my father was in & out of the hospital troubled with dementia, loss of appetite & what seemed to be a restless spirit. for the first time in my life this proud man appeared defeated, shaky & vulnerable. i was frightened.

when tracey told me he died i was with a few friends & shared the news with them. each offered their condolences & vowed to check in on me from time to time. thank god for caring friends. i was relieved he was no longer suffering the hue-man condition yet i felt deeply ashamed bcuz, at age 48, i had no money in my savings account to go home for the funeral. instead of grieving his loss i was worried i'd be unable to participate with my family in his farewell. my youngest brotha, james, was generous enuf to pay for my round-trip ticket & i headed home for five days.

b4 leaving nyc i humbly asked my mother how i could be of service. she mentioned the obituary. instinctively i felt writing his obituary would be an honor & a privilege - nothing i eva expected in life yet something god prepared me for on my spiritual journey. my cousin lorraine's sensitive & selfless editing proved fruitful. unexpectedly, to my delight, another cousin, rod, officiated the quietly respectful morning service. when one of my father's gambling buddies shared a few words about their relationship my heart warmed with love.

the otha family members who were present for my father's funeral, despite their personal feelings & unresolved conflicts, made the difficult trip worthwhile. some folks we grew up with as kids showed up with hugs & smiles. cousin juanita, arriving fashionably late as usual, sang a couple of songs in her unique style: i like her voice. aunt maxine, whether you wanted to or not, could be heard quibbling about the integrity of my obituary. wateva. as lorraine e-mailed me earlier, this was my tribute to my father. she also warned me of a potential backlash; her mother didn't think my obituary was fair.

i had the police on speed dial.

almost a month has passed since he made transition & i've yet to shed tears. am i in denial? no. i've been missing my father more & more the last few days. i can feel it in my gut. those annoying phone calls at 8am have left a void which no one can replace. 80 years on earth for a black man in america is nothing to sneeze at. i'm at peace with our relationship because he was finally honest with me about issues i thought we'd take to the grave. for example, he felt unappreciated by his family & also told me he wished he'd been a better father - i told him he was the best father a son could ask for. he cried. he cried some more. he then hung up the phone perhaps embarrassed or overcome with emotion or unwilling to remain vulnerable with his son.

amazing what you remember when somebody you love dies. i was grateful he shed those tears bcuz black men are conditioned to be invulnerable. as paul laurence dunbar once wrote, "we wear the mask of silent unity." speaking of silence, the ride to the burial was creepy. we're talking dark shadows creepy ok? i shared a car with my mother, older brotha larry, older sistah marla & tracey. the silence was omnious. omg. was i the only one in the car who couldn't breathe? nobody mentioned my father's death. his casket, of course, was in one of the cars in front of us, yet we didn't talk about - him. we were all gathered together bcuz of, him. if it weren't for, him, we wouldn't be together, on this day, for, him. crazy, scary & tuggle to the bone.

my father was a veteran, having served in the korean war many years b4 i was an embryo. proud of his anti-church, anti-prayer, anti-religious perspective, he once told me when the enemy was upon him he had no time to pray. said it didn't matter who or what anyone believed in bcuz self-preservation is the first law of nature. don't ask why but i wanted to argue with him. after all, even the pointer sisters knew "you got to believe in something." but i digress. i'm good at that. digressing. yeah, that's me. i digress. if i don't do anything else i...ok. i need to compose myself, or something resembling sanity.

now i know why i avoided writing this blog...

something in me says writing about my father's transition represents closure - as if his casket wasn't already closed. there i go again, tryna make light out of a dark situation. tryna ease my pain with sarcasm to mask the grief, loss & sadness. it's surreal knowing he's not physically present. i used to wonder how i'd respond if he went b4 i did. life with a compromised immune system has been emotionally challenging; so many friends with aids-related complications have come & gone. i grew weary of asking god why am i still here? my father, interestingly enuf, helped me to accept what i knew intellectually: everything in life is purposeful.

still, there is something to be said for the written word. this is my second draft & i'm feeling better already. i have my father's obituary on my computer desk. i'm not ready to put him on the wall with the obituaries of otha family members & friends. not just yet. am i in denial? no. i know he's gone. but i want him now where i needed him then: by my side. close to me. like a father should be for his son. in the spirit of unity.

Pittsburgh Steelers Win Record 6th Super Bowl

2009-02-05T13:41:00.003-05:00

the pittsburgh steelers defeated the upstart arizona cardinals 27-23 to win their record sixth super bowl. with less than three minutes to go in the fourth quarter, steeler quarterback ben rothlesberger led a montana-like drive, culminating with a touchdown pass to wide receiver santonio holmes with 35 seconds left in the game to seal the deal. holmes caught nine passes for 124 yards, including six in the fourth quarter & was awarded the most valuable player.

prior to super bowl 43 the dallas cowboys & san francisco 49ers tied the steelers with five vince lombardi trophies. the storied franchise, led by the bright, confident & handsome young african-american head cocah mike tomlin moved them into the history books for more than one reason. the two other steeler coaches to win super bowl trophies - chuck noll with four & bill cowher with the win in 2006 - share a commonality with tomlin: they were hired by the rooney family at a young age; all coaches were well under 40, a risk that paid off.

most experts picked the experienced steelers to run away with the game, as this was the first super bowl trip for the cardinals, whom, at 9-7, won their division yet lost the last four games heading into the playoffs. arizona's high-powered offense was spearheaded by all-pro quarterback kurt warner. the popular 37 yr-old is the third oldest qb to play in the super bowl & only the second qb in history (craig morton) to lead two teams to the super bowl. warner's two big, strong wide receivers antoine bolden & larry fitzgerald are always a threat to gain big yards after a catch and/or score.

the all-world fitzgerald broke several of hall of famer jerry rice's records in the cardinals' three wins preceding super bowl 43. though relativley quiet in the first half, he caught seven passes for 215 yards & two touchdowns in the game, yet it was not enough to stop pittsburgh from prevailing in the end. the steelers' number one ranked defense, led by defensive player of the year, linebacker james harrison made the plays when it counted. in fact, just before the end of the first half, harrison intercepted warner's goal-line pass & ran a record 100 yards to give his team a 17-7 lead.

pittsburgh took a 20-7 lead into the fourth quarter & looked like they were poised for a rout until warner caught fire. the young cardinals, fueled by fitzgerald's stunning 64 yard touchdown reception, led 23-20 with a little over three minutes in the game. their players were jumping for joy on the sidelines. but this year the steelers have manufactured six fourth quarter or overtime victories. their confidence in rothlesberger was evident as he led them down the field, with one big play after the other, at times escaping what looked like surefire sacks from the tenacious arizona defense. holmes later confessed he told rothlesberger in the huddle to give him the opportunity to make a play for his team. like a mailman, he delivered.

Rafael Nadal & Serena Williams Win 2009 Australian Open Singles Titles

2009-02-02T17:51:00.003-05:00

Rafael Nadal of Spain continued his dominance over former world #1 Roger Federer of Switzerland in a thrilling five-set win, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6, 3-6, 6-2, to win the 2009 Australian Open Men's Singles Title. The victory - his first on a hard court in a grand slam, lasted almost four & a half hours. Nadal destroyed Federer's opportunity to win his 14th major, which will tie Pete Sampras for the most in men's grand slam singles history. Ironically, Nadal is the only player to defeat Federer in a major; he's beaten him 13 out of 19 times in their incredible rivalry. In fact, their ongoing play against one anotha parallels the legendary competition between Martina Navratilova & Chris Evert, Bjorn Borg & John McEnroe, Andre Agassi & Pete Sampras.

This was the most anticipated match of the season. After seeming to be invincible, Federer lost his top spot last summer to Nadal when he succumbed to him at Wimbledon. The 22 year-old powerful lefty has shown no signs of stepping down from his throne. His five-set, semi-final win over countryman Fernando Verdasco took five hours & 14 minutes, the longest in Australian Open history. Some experts felt despite Nadal's superior level of fitness he'd be too weary to beat Federer in Rod Laver Arena, in front of Rod Laver, who was there to witness the match. But Nadal is resilient with a heart of gold. He saved a bushel of break points, particularly in the third-set where Federer had six chances in game 10 & game 12.

When Federer won the fourth set it looked like he'd be victorious. Yet he played unusually flat in set number five. Federer's five-set record is 13-11, amazingly mediocre for someone considered to be the best of all time. At the podium, upon receiving his runner-up trophy, he began to cry uncontrollably: he showed us his humanness. Nadal, like Federer, has three of the four majors in his repertoire. He has six majors & will probably break Sampras' record as well. But he gets better because he has Federer to play against on the world's biggest stages. Like Laver, who did it twice, unlike Federer whose yet to do it once, Nadal might win all four grand slams in a single calendar year. The international tennis community awaits with delicious anticipation.

Serena Williams defeated Dinara Safina of Russia in straight sets to win her fourth Australian Open women's singles crown. The resounding victory moved her into the number one spot, a familiar place for the confident African-American. Williams now has 10 grand slam singles titles, a record shared only by Margaret Court, Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Chris Evert, Steffi Graf & Monica Seles. In fact, both Martina & Steffi are on record stating Serena could be the greatest of all-time among women, yet nagging injuries & outside interests have impacted her ability to play at a consistent level.

The match, their second straight grand slam appearance against one anotha, seemed over before it started as Williams broke early & often in the first set. She ripped winners from both sides & attacked Safina's vulnerable second serve without mercy. The third-seeded Safina has made tremendous strides in the last 18 months, getting physically fit & working on her mental toughness, an overwhelming liability in her career. Despite her outstanding play to reach the final, she was no match for Serena, who was in control from the very first point.

Williams joins Court, Evonne Goolagong, Graf & Seles as the only women to win four singles titles down under. Record temperatures plagued players throughout the tournament. In fact, the heatwave was, at one point during Williams' semi-final match against eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova, over 140 degrees on the court. Australian Open policy dictates the roof to be opened after the first set, a welcome relief to both champions. Williams also won the doubles with older sistah Venus, their eighth major title.

President Barack Hussein Obama: Will His Inauguration Inspire Our Transformation?

2009-01-22T17:01:00.003-05:00

on a brisk tuesday january 20, 2009 in the nation's capitol, just shortly after noon, the exact time our con-stitution officially embraces a new president, chief justice john roberts administered the oath of office to america's 44th commander-in-chief, barack hussein obama. roberts' awkward fumbling of a simple procedure was evident, yet obama remained calm. this historical event was witnessed by millions across the globe. for many people of african descent obama's reclamation of power symbolizes a new day in a new year. his audacity to hope was fully realized but where will we go from here?

home alone watching various television coverages of the inauguration i began to slowly regret my decision to not (do whatever it takes to) participate, at least physically, in obama's improbable victory. i didn't think it was practical to be amongst what i assumed would be a few million people outside in the bitter cold, even though i was born & raised in hyde park, on the south side of chicago, former home to both chicago's first black mayor harold washington & the nation's new leader. ironically, my best friend called me monday morning with a bus ticket from his church, yet i remained steadfast in my unwillingness to go to washington dc.

truly an inter-generational affair i reveled in the large number of young people who were present to witness this day. obama inspired people diverse in age, culture, faith, gender, region & sexuality. the energy & spirit were impacted unlike any other president, including john f kennedy, whom many see parallels in the tall, skinny man with the funny last name. an impartial observer might conclude the states of america were united, if only for one day. folks were in tears, again, as he put his hand on the bible (the same bible used by abe lincoln when our african ancestors were enslaved), wife & first lady michelle beaming next to him with pride, pledging allegiance to an oppressive system of laws & lies & loathing.

early in the campaign i quietly volunteered for obama, yet ultimately chose to vote for georgia representative cynthia mckinney & her vp running mate, rosa clemente of the green party primarily because their progressive platform resonated with my revolutionary spirit. as gil scott-heron once wrote, "i believe in my convictions & have been convicted for my beliefs." who else during the recent presidential campaign engaged us to think critically about complex issues - pertinent issues ignored by 'the best political team on tv' - such as anti-homosexual bias, darfur, hip hop community, hiv/aids prevention, impeaching bush, mental illness, misogyny, prison industrial complex, reparations, substance use & white supremacy? speaking truth to power can lead to assassination: medgar evers, malcolm x, rev dr king jr, john f & robert kennedy, i.e.

no doubt, obama is a powerful man with a sad job. america's arrogance is hated by many both here & abroad. his predecessor, george w. bush, leaves two terms in office with the worst popular rating in american history, in addition to a plethora of problems. the obama administration inherits two wars, a three trillion dollar debt, wall street recession, auto industry depression, home foreclosures, ongoing rise in unemployment, gender pay inequity, global warming challenges, political cynicism, faith-based discord, etc. his cup runneth over. in fact, bi-racial top ten pro tennis player james blake, a former harvard student & fervent obama supporter, told a reporter a couple of days ago during the australian open tennis tournament, "i'm excited to be a part of this but i don't envy his new job."

no shit.

the ethnic expectations are enormous for obama. the energy & excitement of his inauguration was evident on the faces of folk, many of whom, including this writer, never believed this one fine day would manifest. obama is bright, compassionate, handsome, intelligent & resilient. people feel connected to him because he's shared honestly about his personal challenges growing up without his kenyan father, feeling alienated culturally & substance use, which he stopped while in college. black folk, in particular, i believe, see obama as an example of the best we can produce in this country from a political standpoint. though vehemently cynical black folk want obama to embody the words of rev dr king jr when he said, "i've seen the promised land...i may not get there with you but i want you to know tonight that we as a people will get to the promised land."

america promised us 40 acres & a mule quite some time ago. she has yet to deliver on her promise. any wonder black folk have a sense of entitlement? i don't want my mtv i want to be financially compensated for the unpaid labor of my ancestors. just tell me where to sign the check, ok? though we know he's one man who's hue-manly fallible, there exists a sense of ownership in his presidency: a black family in the white house is a small down payment on america's unkempt promise. when he talked about every person in the nation experiencing happiness, fulfillment & success, folks feel he's talking to them, not at them, because he cares. he is, after all, one of us. he generally identifies himself as an american, yet in a interview with tavis smiley last fall he talked about the challenges of being a black man in american politics; the first black family symbolizes what is possible - even when many folk don't trust the 'man', 'the system,' or the world in which we live.

my 80 year-old father predicted obama would become president, shortly after he announced his candidacy in february of 2007. god called him home three days before the inauguration of emancipation. my father's transition is a sobering reminder of how fragile life is. my father once told me america is a lie. he told me in 25 or 50 years americans will no longer refer to themselves as black or white, particularly with a racialized black man as president. barack hussein obama cannot change racism, but his triumph can transform the global perception of black people emotionally, psychologically & spiritually in a way unprecedented in this century. my father taught me everything in life is mathematical. hopefully, obama's next four years will add up to something good for us all.

155 People Survive Plane Crash in NYC

2009-01-16T15:12:00.002-05:00

yesterday afternoon us airways flight 1549 crashed into the hudson river of new york city. there were 155 people aboard, including flight personnel, none of whom were seriously injured tho many are challenged by hypothermia & others were hospitalized for various ailments. many are calling this incident a modern miracle, hailing the pilot a hero. shortly after the crippled jetliner left laguardia airport for charlotte, north carolina it is reported yet not confirmed a flock of birds struck the plane & soon after a steady decline ensued. the landing was smooth & within minutes emergency rescue workers quickly converged to assist people onto a number of nearby ferries.

i learned about this incident thru a friend who called me around 4:30 pm & in the course of our conversation he asked me did i hear about the plane crash this afternoon not too far from times square. he told me to turn on the tv & sure enuf, every local & national station was reporting the unfolding accounts of this incredible ordeal. many of the passengers have been interviewed about their experience & each one has been asked did they think about dying when they heard the pilot say, "brace for impact...we're going down." each individual shared their fears, their concern for family, friends & loved ones, as well as their unwavering pride for the pilot who performed an amazingly calm descent into a frigid river on a bitterly cold day.

many of the passengers locked arms in prayer as they noticed water creeping into the cabin & smelled smoke coming from one of the engines. the jetliner remained afloat & folks were led onto the wings of the plane to stand & wait patiently until help arrived swiftly without much fanfare. a geologist on cnn aptly noted if there had been large chunks of ice in the water the jetliner would've quickly submerged into the river killing everyone instantly. often when this type of trauma occurs folks will choose not to fly again because the painful memories are too much to bear - revisiting terror in a time of terror is emotionally, psychologically & spiritually challenging for anyone - yet one passenger admitted he was ready to fly, go home & be with his family.

this story continues to dominate the media just days before barack obama will make history as the nation's 44th president - the seventh of african descent, a little known fact written about extensively by embattled attorney alton maddox in harlem's amsterdam news. also, yesterday was the 80th earth day of rev dr martin luther king jr. king was a brilliant author, community organizer, freedom fighter, husband, liberation theologian, nobel peace prize winner, parent & son: perhaps his spirit was wading in the water?

Caregiving Is A Marathon Not A Sprint

2008-12-24T18:04:00.003-05:00

a few weeks ago i went home to native chicago after learning my 79 year-old father has lung cancer. he also shows early signs of dementia, as well as being challenged by depression & hypertension. when i arrived at the bernard mitchell hospital on the campus of the storied university of chicago in tony hyde park i was stunned at his dramatic weight loss. dad is built like a penguin (though we jokingly called him a weeble) yet laying in bed he looked like half a person. he shook my hand & told me he was glad to see me, struggling to speak.

the room was eerily quiet. perhaps because it was late evening, perhaps because his former roommate was no longer there, or perhaps because god wanted him to get some much needed rest. there was a tray of uneaten food to his side, a few nurses tending to other patients across the way & the popular game show wheel on fortune was on tv. my dad seemed oblivious to it all. he just layed there, on his left side, sort of mumbling to himself. he was not the independent, prideful, robust man i knew for the 48 years god's graced me with life.

i'd never visited my father in a hospital before. as such, i didn't know what to say to him. i tried to get some information about his condition & prognosis from his nurse, an attractive & charming sistah, before entering his room. i felt like i needed to be armed with something tangible because i was anticipating a battle of intellectual resistance. my father, like many black men of his generation, has always treated his emotional, mental & physical health as an afterthought. he was in the business of doing, not feeling. i once told him the most athletic thing he ever did was jump to conclusions. he didn't think it was funny at the time. i did. wateva.

attempting to appear like the birth of the cool was my initial strategy. not that i'm prone to displaying irrational outbursts when loved ones are ill mind you, yet something in my spirit was calm, quiet & serene. god's grace was with me. yet when he told me president-elect obama was our new supreme court justice & hilary clinton was following (w/ her traveling pants) suit i didn't know how to react. my first thought was to diffuse his dementia with sarcasm, but i didn't think it was appropriate. a small sign of maturity had surfaced: his needs were more important than me trying to extract some attention i felt he never gave me as a child.

to be honest, i didn't want my dad to see how scared i was. the unknown can be terrifying for almost anyone. so many questions permeated my consciousness: would he be hospitalized indefinitely? will our family transition him to an assistant living program or nursing home? will he return to the solitary isolation of his apartment? is he headed for chemotherapy, radiation and/or surgery? will the dementia permanently negate his short-term memory & long-term plans for breaking the casinos? was he going to die prematurely from cancer like my cousin joey at age 45 just four short years ago?

i wanted to stop thinking but i couldn't find the off switch...

witnessing the vulnerability of my dad for the first time in my life helped me fully appreciate accepting my own. american-born black men are socialized & conditioned to always appear - by any means necessary - aggressive, dominating, in control, masculine, powerful, strong, tough, virile, etc. the noted african-american poet paul laurence dunbar called it the mask of silent unity. filmmaker byron hurt, in his critically acclaimed indie doc, beyond beats & rhymes: a hip hop head weighs in on manhood in black culture, says, "black men live in this box which defines our manhood...when we live outside of this box we get called a bitch, faggot, punk, soft, weak...nobody wants to be called those things." comedian dave chappelle brilliantly asserted in a season two sketch of his self-titled comedy central show, "this is when keeping it real goes wrong."

when my dad was released from the hospital he was visibly depressed. he layed in bed all day, tossing & turning to get some relief on one side of his deteriorating frame. he refused to take off the hospital gown at home, he wouldn't eat any of the food delivered weekly by the meals on wheels program, take a (much needed) bath, or turn on the lights of his one-bedroom hyde park apartment. he seemed more like a prisoner than a person. he had a homemaker, nurse, physical therapist & social worker to assist him, yet he was resistant at every opportunity. i felt frightened, inadequate & wanted to run like hell: but where to, how far, what for & from whom? i prayed & asked god to reveal his will for me in the moment.

afternoons i'd come by & just sit with him. his bedroom looked like sanford & son. talk radio was on & his tv had colorful zig zag lines running amok. it was obvious he was not emotionally available so i stopped trying to engage him. when you're sick & folks ask a lot of questions, you don't like feeling interrogated. well, i don't ok? at one point he said to me, "mark, i want you to rescue me from the phone & the door." rescue me? my father wanted his homosexual son to rescue him? clearly he was crying for help because he didn't feel safe. my heart was deeply touched in a place usually reserved for men with a smile like morris chestnut. but i digress.

my dad lives at the very end of the 17th floor in his building. the long ass walk gives one enough time to reflect on all kinda shit. anyhoo, on one of the more bitterly cold chicago afternoons my dad came to the door, which was slightly ajar, though accompanied by a long, silver doorjack behind the knob. he insisted the door was open. it wasn't but i was not about to argue my point with him. he proceeded to sit on the lone piece of furniture in his pitch black living room, a chair in front of the windows. there were a pair of large binoculars on the window sill & he told me to use them whenever i felt like it. he said, " i'd give you a history of the city but i'm too tired. i've done everything the doctors & nurses asked me to do i just want to come home & get some rest & i'll be fine cause i got everything i need right here."

just the same he told me his building, at one point, was, unbeknownst to most folks, the tallest building in the city of chicago. this was in the mid-50's, just before rosa parks & emmitt till inspired the civil rights movement. looking out at the prudential building & sears tower this hidden fact was, of course, for me, difficult, if not impossible, to imagine. nonetheless i was grateful for the moment. he was, now, the dad i always longed for & wanted to have, a man who would take time to talk to me & teach me what was important in life: having a sense of belonging, knowing your place in history, sharing a piece of your soul when no one is looking.

the day before i flew back to harlem usa there was a peace beyond understanding in my dad's bedroom. if only i could bottle that feeling forever. i stayed with him for about an hour & left quietly to watch the bulls game with my aunt maxine, who lives on the same floor as my mother. i believe, self-centeredly, this arrangement was made because god knows how lazy i am. as i tiptoed out his room he thanked me for coming by & said he appreciated me trying to help him. what more can a son want from his ailing dad?

while walking out of his building i remembered the party for elders in the community room on the first floor. i peeked in for a moment, not really expecting to see anyone i knew, but curious about the food being served. one of the volunteers from the party's host, a non-profit for the elderly organization (their name escapes me) asked me if my dad received a plate. i told her he's not eating, he's really depressed & he's trying to come to terms with his life-challenging illness. she said she's worked with cancer patients for years. she said illness can bring families closer together or drive families further apart. but she said family members who desire to tend to the needs of their loved ones should understand caregiving is a marathon not a sprint. god speaks through people & she comforted me at the divine time.

my new role as caregiver is challenging & rewarding. as soon as i got home i did some research with cancercare, a national nonprofit organization providing free, professional support services to anyone affected by cancer: http://www.cancercare.org/. their chelsea headquarters are in the same building where i receive aids-related services for my life-challenging illness - an unexpected vehicle for us to bond. i've also enlisted the services of a few friends in new york who live with cancer & asked them to call my dad periodically for emotional support. to my surprise & delight, my dad agreed to take their calls, just not on the same day because "i don't want to feel anymore overwhelmed."

home is where the heart is. indeed.