MJ CELEBRATES THE BIG 5-0

The King of Pop celebrates his 50th Birthday today. As one of his biggest fans, I just wanted to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL!  In celebration of Mike's 50 years, take a look at the classic Thriller video below.  I don't know about you, but after all of these years, this video still scares me.  But with all that said, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT.

IT'S OFFICIAL - HISTORY HAS BEEN MADE

Today, Barack Obama was officially voted the Democratic Presidential nominee at the Democratic National Convention.  A few states officially gave their votes in their designated speeches, and briefly after that, Senator Hillary Clinton spoke over a loud roaring crowd for New York and she moved to suspend the roll call vote, and officially named Senator Obama the Democratic nominee.  This was an emotional and historic moment, and not only for all BLACKS, but also for this wonderful country.  Overjoyed is what I feel. After all of the suffering and all of the pain that my people have endured, finally progress has a name, Barack Obama- YES WE CAN! 

 

DR. DRE'S 20 YEAR OLD SON HAS DIED

Dr. Dre's 20 year old son, Andre Young Jr. has died.  Dr. Dre's publicist said in a statement that, "Dr. Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr."  Andre Young Jr. was found dead Saturday by his mother at their home in suburban Woodland Hills, county coroner's Lt. John Kades said.  

An autopsy was performed Monday, but the cause of death is not likely to be determined for some time while toxicology test are done, Kades said. 

Please keep Dr. Dre and his family in your thoughts and prayers, and may Andre Young Jr. rest in peace. 

SOUTH SIDE GIRL

If you did not know or understand Michelle Obama before her Monday night speech at the DNC, you definitely knew and understood her afterwards.  Her mission was to humanize her

husband, and for skeptics to see her husband as the next President of the United States.  She did everything that she set out to do and she did it perfectly.  

    During this speech, she dismissed those who questioned her patriotism.  A few months back, republicans took her statement in which she said that she was "really proud" of her country for the first time, and made it a negative statement.  They tried to say that this statement showed that she was unpatriotic.  

    This was a very touching and genuine speech.  Afterwards her two daughter joined her, while they spoke to Presidential hopeful Senator Barack Obama via satellite from Missouri.  Obama's first statement to the crowd was, "How about Michelle Obama?" "Now you know why I asked her out so many times even though she said no.  You want a persistent president."  

    She used this speech to explain and show ways in which Obama unites people together, while she also mentioned many things that made people see that Obama is just an ordinary man with extraordinary plans for this country.  She said, "Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party- if any- you belong to.  That's not how he sees the world.  He knows that thread that connects us- our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future - is strong enough to hold us together as one nation even when we disagree."

    The whole thing was phenomenal. I was proud to be a woman, a BLACK american, and a BARACK OBAMA supporter watching this speech.

Below is part of the video, "South Side Girl," that the audience watched, which was a biographical film narrated by her mother.  It covered her entire life, everything from her childhood to her career in law to her apprehension to dating a man with a funny name.

SENATOR BARACK OBAMA PICKS HIS VP

My text message reads:

"Jennifer--

I have some important news that I want to make official.

I've chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate.

Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois -- the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.

I'm excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us cant do this along.  We need your help to keep building this movement to change."

Senator Biden definitely meets the test and is highly capable of becoming the President of the United States if anything were to happen to Senator Obama.  This key moment was something that all were eager to see, and in my opinion, he has choose someone who can take the punches and throw them as well.  Senator Obama, who has been criticized for not being as hard as many believe he should be on the McCain campaign has definitely chosen someone who is not afraid to fight back at criticism and someone capable of holding his own.

Obama's former rival, Senator Hillary Clinton stated in a written statement Saturday morning that, "Senator Obama has continued in the best traditions for the vice presidency by selecting an exceptionally strong, experienced leader and devoted public servant."  While many Clinton supporters are upset that Senator Clinton was not even a consideration, this statement proves that Senator Clinton is not totally dissatisfied with Obama's choice.  

When Senator John McCain's campaign found out who would be the veep, they quickly reacted with a written statement and campaign ad, calling attention to Senator Biden's past remarks about Senator Obama's experience.  This is not the first time that a presidential nominee has chosen a VP who has criticized them during the primaries.  No matter who he choose, i'm sure that they have criticized Obama for something in the past.

My words to OBAMA is that he has picked a candidate who enhances his chances of winning and I am proud to support an OBAMA/BIDEN ticket! YES WE CAN! 

Sidebar: With everything in my being, I believe that CHANGE will happen for me, my family, and my unborn children, as soon as Senator Barack Obama is elected the next President of the United States of America.

Take a look at the vid below if you BELIEVE!

TODAY'S HOTTEST FEMALE ARTISTS COME TOGETHER TO COMBAT CANCER THROUGH SONG

Antonio "L.A." Reid along with longtime creative colleague Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds produced and created a smash hit dedicated to combat cancer. "Just Stand Up" features Mariah Carey, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Miley Cyrus, Melissa Etheridge, Ashanti, Natasha Bedingfield, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Leona Lewis, LeAnn Rimes and Carrie Underwood. All sales of the star-studded single will benefit cancer research.

All of the singers will come together to perform the song live on Sept. 5 during the "Stand Up to Cancer" television special, set to air simultaneously on ABC, NBC and CBS. Other stars expected to turn out for the hour-long fund- and awareness-raising program include Jennifer Aniston, Lance Armstrong, Katie Couric, Sally Field, Salma Hayek, Meryl Streep, Forest Whitaker and Reese Witherspoon.

In 2007 the Entertainment Industry Foundation founded the Stand Up to Cancer program, which calls on entertainment-industry people and platforms to help fight cancer.

Press play below to hear the song.

OHIO REPRESENTATIVE STEPHANIE TUBBS JONES DIES TODAY

Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first BLACK woman to represent Ohio on the U.S. House of Representatives died Wednesday after suffering a brain aneurysm, medical officials said.   Rep. Tubbs Jones, who was 58 years old and in her fifth term, suffered the aneurysm on Tuesday, while driving in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.  

    CNN reports, she was rushed to East Cleaveland's Huron Hospital, where a team of doctors determined Wednesday morning that she had "very limited brain function," said Dr. Gus Kious, the hospitals chief of staff.  According to a statement from her family, Huron Hospital and the Cleveland Clinic, before Tubbs Jones died the aneurysm was in an "inaccessible part of her brain."  Tubbs Jones died at 6:12 p.m. 

    Tubbs Jones was a superdelegate and scheduled to attend the Democratic National Convention next week in Denver, Colorado. 

    She was born in Cleveland, she started public life as a municipal judge in 1981.  She also was a trial court judge for seven years before her election into Congress.  She was expected to win her sixth term this upcoming November.  Tubbs Jones was a member of the dynamic Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.  and she was definitely a woman who defined her own dreams, but also was dedicated to helping others to find and define their dreams.  She was truly one of the greatest leaders in the United States political system.  

    Tubbs Jones' husband passed in 2003 of a heart attack.  The couple shared one son.  

OBAMA'S VICE PRESIDENT...

WHO WILL IT BE? Wouldn't it be nice to finally know who will be on the ticket with Senator Barack Obama. I don't understand why people keep pushing the issue. It's one of those things that you can look at like this, you'll find out eventually. Speculation, anxiety, and anticipation just makes for great conversation. The strange thing about the situation is that the VP never usually has this much of an effect on the presidential candidate's outcome, however, this year the VP can help to make or break Obama's chances. Everyday that you turn to CNN, you would think it was the DAY that you would find out. Obama's campaign even played with reporters in sending an email with the subject line reading, "Vice presidential..." with the first line of the email saying, "just kidding." Great humor for those who are dying to find out this important, yet inevitable piece of information.

I'm quite sure that there are a few people who know who the pick is, and whoever it is, it's safe to say that they are nothing like your friends who can't hold anything - they can definitely keep a secret.

Senator Joe Biden, whom many people think is the one, is definitely not spilling the beans, if he is. CNN reported that on Tuesday, he told reporters camped outside his Delaware home that it's not him. "You got better things to do guys; I'm not the guy," he said. Asked where he would be on Saturday -- when Obama is reportedly scheduled to hold a campaign event in Springfield, Illinois, that may feature his new running mate -- Biden replied, "Here," pointing to his driveway. He softened up a little later that night, telling reporters, "I promise you, I don't know anything."

The other person who many people think could possibly be Obama's running mate is the governor of Virginia, Tim Kaine. The only problem with Tim Kaine is that he is running for Senator, and usually a person who is believed to win a seat in the Senate wouldn't usually give their seat up.

Along with Biden and Kaine, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana is considered to be another person among the top tier of VP contenders

The Obama campaign has kept mum on all details, except the most obvious, which is, that he will pick a running mate. His campaign would neither confirm or deny whether Obama would appear with his VP candidate this weekend.

CNN reports that, while the focus in recent days has been on Bayh, Biden and Kaine, there are quite a few other serious contenders, and a curveball pick could always be in the works. Other big names thought to be in the running include retired Gen. Wesley Clark, New York Sen. illary Clinton, Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd, Texas Rep. Chet Edwards, Nebraska Sen. Chuck Hagel, Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine, former Georgia Sen. Sam Nunn, Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.

Obama's campaign says when he makes up his mind, he'll send a text and e-mail to his supporters to let them know who his sidekick will be.

OUR NEXT GENERATION OF BILLIONAIRES

Tyler Perry, Tiger Woods, 50 Cent, Jay Z all have one thing in common- self- attained wealth. These people have defined, and continue to redefine their own dreams, making it so their great-grandchildren will be living off of their earnings. I'm so glad our BLACK people are starting to move beyond labels and bling, while that stuff can be fun and entertaining, it does not make one wealthy. Notice that I didn't just say rich, there is a major difference between wealthy and rich. Rich people go broke, wealthy people usually don't go broke.

These guys are labeled as the next generation of billionaires. Yes, you heard correctly, billioniares. It was once enough to be labeled as a millioniare, and not that being a millionaire is not good enough, trust and believe I would not mind having access to a few millions myself, however, it seems that once Oprah made that billionaire mark, she made it okay for other BLACKS to know that the billionaire feat was very much attainable.

What FORBES says about them:

32-year-old Tiger Woods

When the golf champion returns to the links from a knee injury, he'll continue a financial rise that could crown him the first billionaire to make his money through sports. We predict it could happen as soon as 2011 because of Tiger's lucrative endorsement deals.

33-year-old Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson

The new king of hip-hop wealth banked $100 million after taxes on one deal alone when his stake in VitaminWater's parent, Glacéau, was bought by Coca-Cola (nyse: KO - news - people) as part of a $4.1 billion deal. 50's portfolio also includes the popular G-Unit clothing line and record label, plus films, videogames and a slew of platinum albums, including last year's Curtis. Also in the works: a mining partnership with South African billionaire Partrice Motsepe.

38-year-old Shawn "Jay Z" Carter

It's been some year for Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter. In the past 12 months, the Brooklyn, N.Y.-born hip-hop demigod released a platinum album, signed a 10-year, $150 million deal with concert promoter Live Nation and tied the knot with longtime girlfriend Beyoncé Knowles. Quite a record.

38-year-old Tyler Perry

Producer, director and actor Tyler Perry earned $125 million last year, the sixth highest payday on our most recent Celebrity 100 list. The New Orleans native banked more than Jennifer Aniston, Tom Cruise and Bon Jovi combined, thanks to his three movies and the sale of his sitcom to TBS. Next up is a role in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek prequel. Building a billion-dollar fortune in the entertainment business is extraordinarily rare but certainly not impossible, as evidenced by Steven Spielberg, worth an estimated $3 billion, and George Lucas, worth an estimated $3.9 billion.

BAD CHOICES HAVE LEFT A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE NAMED MICHAEL VICK BROKE

Choices are something that could have Michael Vick in a very different place right now. This man made more than $20 million in bonuses alone for great football plays, but last year when Vick found himself in the situation that he is in, he couldn't find the $1 million dollars to pay the restitution for care of the dogs in his kennel. If he failed to pay the bills for the dogs, Vick faced additional prison time.

ESPN reports that, Banks in Toronto; South Bend, Ind., and Charlotte, N.C., demanded repayment of more than $6 million in loans used to finance a car rental business, a wine enterprise and other ventures. A sports marketing company that he hired and fired even before he was drafted in 2001 hounded him for another $5 million in lost fees. And he faced breach of contract charges on two other deals.

At this point Mike owed everyone money, and he was in way over his head in debt, and had no clue how to get out of it. He became desperate and started to ask from help from people whom he thought could really help him out of his situation. But, what he did not know was that these people would scam him out of millions more. In desperation, he turned to a Falcons teammate, linebacker Demorrio Williams. This lead to disaster after disaster. Time after time Mike was taken advantage of by scam artists. This situation is extremely sad, but the truth of the matter is that there isn't much that Vick can do to keep his financial affairs in order while he's behind bars at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan. It's a shame that a young BLACK man who made a few bad choices has to go through this. He has to feel extremely lonely. It must be a bad feeling to feel like you are alone and can not trust anyone to help you in your time of need.

But this is where prayer comes in, and I hope that is what his days consist of.

See full story and more details here on ESPN.com

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME

First, why is Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama okaying Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and her family to have their SHINE at the Democratic National Convention? Productions, speeches, introductions and all of that is beyond crazy to me. And then for them to put her name into the nomination is beyond me. I can not even be mad at the Clinton's, they are simply doing them, but Obama is the one who had to okay this madness.

It’s suppose to be for the purpose of uniting the party and heading off potential embarrassing problems at the convention from Hillary supporters. This lady LOST fair and square. It was not a tie, she lost. Obama needs to realize that if the shoe was on the other foot, the Clinton's wouldn't dare let the Obama's in on anything. or, maybe he does already realize that. It just bugs me that BLACKS are always playing the nice role in a bad situation, yet when the situation is flipped we are the last ones to be acknowldeged. If Obama had lost, there would probably be so much as a mention of his name and him waving from the crowd. Yet, 'her name will be placed into nomination. She’ll give a prime-time address, introduced by her daughter Chelsea. Her husband, former President Bill Clinton, will get his own plum speaking slot on a separate night. She will also have her own production team to create the introductory video that precedes her speech – the same people who produced Bill Clinton’s biography video “The Man from Hope” in 1992. You can bet Obama wants a drama-free convention and sees this laundry list of concessions as a way of keeping the peace," Jack Cafferty states in his Cafferty Files blog.

Is this a party for the Clinton's, (Chelsea, Bill and Hillary) will all be present on the stage during that evening. It wouldnt surprise me if this was all the work of the Clintons, but Obama had to okay this, and honestly, WHY? Senator Clinton even found a way to make it so there's language in the party’s platform that refers to the “18 million cracks in the highest glass ceiling,” which refers to the number of people who voted for her. Am I the only one that didnt forget that Hillary Clinton is the loser in this whole scenario.

I must stop talking because I will go on forever....leave your comments and tell me what you think.

BET HAS A NEW NEWS PROGRAM, JEFF JOHNSON IS THE HOST

I remember when I was younger, I know that I am only 23, so it wasn't that long ago, but around middle/high school, I used to religiously watch two shows, Moesha and BET Nightly News. I wanted to be Jackie Reid, and would tell myself all the time, when I go away to college I will intern for Jackie Reid. I would even call up to BET (Black Entertainment Television) and ask who I should talk to about interning with BET Nightly News, keep in mind I would not be able to intern for another three to four years once I got to college, I was just that adamant about working with her. I used to call and talk to this lady named Eldra Gillman, whom I think still works for CBS, and I bugged her to death. But to much dismay, once I got to college BET NIghtly News with Jackie Reid was no longer a program on BET. This program meant a lot to me, and I am sure it meant a lot to many other viewers, not only BLACKS, but everyone who watched this program for national and international news that affected the BLACK community.

For some reason BET has not been able to consistently continue on with the news programming. The network has tried to implement a few long standing news oriented programs throughout the years with hosts such as Tavis Smiley, Ed Gordon and Jackie Reid, respectively, but none have remained.

BET's news division will launch its newest talk show, felicitously titled 'The Truth With Jeff Johnson,' tonight at 11pm. AOL Black Voices reports that the show will be hosted by "the young, hip and debonair political motivator and social commentator, who first debuted as "Cousin Jeff" on 'Rap City,' the weekly half-hour program promises to use a mix of investigative reporting and one-on-one interviews with leading experts to review the week's events and examine exactly what the top headlines mean for the Black community."

The former National Youth Director for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) told BlackVoices.com yesterday that, "I don't want us to be the "black show" as much as a show that provides a different perspective and covers issues that other networks don't view as news."

This new show is a bittersweet moment for me. Bitter because I think that it's beyond crazy that BLACKS do not have a daily news show to watch, one that is for us and by us, especially at a time such as now. Yet, sweet because this is a start, a great start, and I am excited to see what comes of this show. I just pray that we drive this show's ratings as high as we drive 106 & Park, I Want to Work For Diddy, Flavor of Love, I Love New York, and all the other non-productive shows that are great for entertainment purposes only. It's time for some substance. Now don't get me wrong, entertainment is great, I watch entertainment shows quite often, but balance is imperative. Imbalance is unhealthy, and detrimental to the BLACK community.

Make sure you tune in tonight and watch!

Sidebar: This show will air on Friday's at 11pm at night. Are they setting themselves up for failure before the program even begins? Where are young people on Friday nights???? I'm just saying. Lets just say unless we (young people) start making some changes, we are usually hanging out.

JESSE JACKSON SPEAKS TO ESSENCE ABOUT HIS OBAMA STATEMENTS ON FOX & MUCH MORE

A little over a month ago, we all got wind of the "real" Jesse Jackson. That whole burrying the N-word stuff he was talking about obviously included everyone but him. People like that kill me, you ever hear your parents tell you not to do something, that is clearly wrong (so they should be telling you not to do it), but then they do it. Well, Jesse Jackson is the chief ambassador vying for BLACK people to surcease the use the N-word, whether we are using it to speak to each other or using it in any other way, his point was that, it should not be used period. Yet, he is at FOX News Network (of all places) and is talking about Senator Barack Obama (off air but it was picked up y a microphone that was left on), he says, “talking down to Black people” and “telling n—s how to behave.” That was pretty hypocritical of Jesse, and he recieved a lot of backlash from BLACKS about his remarks, critics began to dismiss the civil rights activist, and a previous two-time U.S. presidential candidate, as a non-relevant leader inthe BLACK community.

Rev. Jackson addressed some of these issues and much more over at Essence, but here's an excerpt of the interview.

ESSENCE.COM: The rapper Nas and writer Kevin Powell, who is running for Congress in Brooklyn, have said that you particularly, and other civil rights leaders, are no longer relevant and need to step aside. How do you remain relevant to this newer generation?

JACKSON: The reality is that if you’re running for Congress, you need the votes of senior citizens. You need the votes of churches. You are not getting in Congress on a youth vote. That’s not the mass that you need to win a congressional seat. You need an intergenerational, multicultural coalition. And that experience cannot be thrown away. In Dr. King’s time, Dr. King was 34, but he reached out to A. Philip Randolph. It took both A. Philip Randolph and Dr. King in tandem to make the March on Washington take place.

ESSENCE.COM: We’ve seen you champion African-American issues and fight against injustice. Many people simply want to know, when you mentioned the N-word in your off-air remarks about Obama last month—why? They want you to tell them, as an African-American, why did that happen?

JACKSON: It should not have happened. What was private talk became public controversy, and I am embarrassed by that. There is no virtue in that kind of talk, and it should always be discouraged. My appeal even then was that responsibility is a significant message, but our needs require real government intervention and private sector incentives to address the issues of unemployment, building affordable housing and making education more affordable, which really was my point. It was a very painful period for me to have gone through that. The good news is that it’s behind us now.

ESSENCE.COM: Have you talked to Obama about it?

JACKSON: Yes. As a matter of fact, he sent me a welcome to the convention and made credentials available to me. We’ve gone on to the next stage.

After you read the interview, tell me what you think!!!

Sidebar: Rev. Jesse Jackson was in this situation before, remember when he referred to Jews as "hymies," and to New York City as "Hymietown," circa 1984. Once he admitted to it, he again said that it was a private conversation, as if that makes his remarks less offensive. A leader such as he, should be learning lessons, not repeating actions, right?

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL WILL NOT CONSIST OF GETTING BOOKS AND MEETING TEACHERS FOR CHICAGO AREA STUDENTS...THEY WILL BE BOYCOTTING

The term 'boycott' goes all the way back to the 1800's, and guess what we (BLACKS) were all in the mix back then too. BLACKS always had to figure out ways to make things better for themselves, and boycotting became a way to express that we were fed up, and just not going to take the nonesense being thrown at us. The practice of boycotting started circa 1830, when the National Negro Convention encouraged a boycott of slave-produced goods.

Well, boycotting is still being practiced today and it is 2008. Almost 180 years later, BLACKS are still fighting for what we need and what we should already have, EQUALITY. In this case, Chicago is dealing witn inequality and low resources in the inner city schools. One Chi-town official is taking an unconventional approach, well for 2008, its rather unconventional. When was the last time you heard of a mass boycott where people were actually doing something. It's been some time since I have heard of BLACKS boycotting. I stand to be corrected, if I am wrong. Chicago's Democratic State Senator James Meeks has proposed a rather radical action to protest the underfunding of Chicago's inner city schools. Meeks has issued a call for all school kids in Chicago's poorest districts to boycott the first day at their assigned school and instead head to resource rich predominately white schools and attempt to register there.


Now you know that this will cause a major uproar. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but they will not be accepted with open arms. They will be pushed right back over to the other side of town, where 'they belong.' It's no deep dark secret that schools in middle class and affluent neighborhoods are afforded better schools, better resources and just overall better opportunities. It's a shame that our government, city, state, and federal, does not allocate enough funds for our children to be afforded an education that will allow them to compete with their peers in wealthy neighborhoods. And forget competing for a minute, they do not even have the resources to read at the appropriate grade levels.

Full story from Chicago Tribune:

Nearly 50 ministers on Monday embraced plans for students to boycott at least the first day of Chicago Public Schools classes, a move aimed at ramping up pressure on state officials to address widespread inequities in education funding.

The church leaders from the city's West and South Sides pledged their support as lawmakers return to Springfield on Tuesday to meet in a special session Gov. Rod Blagojevich called to consider the funding issue that has vexed lawmakers for decades.

The ministers said they would urge their congregations and communities to participate in the first-day boycott Sept. 2 and attempt to enroll Chicago students in New Trier Township High School District 203 in north suburban Winnetka.

"We refuse to continue to allow the State of Illinois to orphan our educational system," said Rev. Albert Tyson of St. Stephen AME Church.

Those who do not agree witht he boycott stated:

"It's counterproductive to urge kids not to attend school," Gov. Blagojevich said at a separate event. "If a child misses a day of school, that child will miss an opportunity to learn. I think children should take advantage of every possible day they can to go to school."

Further, he said, Chicago Public Schools would lose some state money if students skip because average daily attendance helps determine each school district's overall funding.

New Trier District 203 Supt. Linda Yonke, bracing for Meeks' attempt to enroll 1,000 students, labeled the ministers' move a "political action" she hopes won't be disruptive.

The governor thinks its counterproductive for students to boycott and miss school. He says, if a child misses school, that child will miss an opportiunity to learn." I want to know if he honestly believes that, who is he fooling? It sounds nice, but in all actuality, if a child who attends a school with no resources misses school, they aren't missing much learning at all, simply because the resources aren't there for them to learn anything.

For one, a classroom of 35 children has five dated books, if that (no people this is not an exaggeration), two, there aren't any teachers in the classroom, beacuse they get tired of not being properly compensated for their hard work, as a result they have long-term substiutes who aren't prepared to teach anything, so the students aren't learning; then you have students in the classroom who are constantly disrupting the class because they can't read and don't want anyone to know, so they act out.

There are so many things that go on in underpriviledged schools, and for the most part an abundance of learning is not one of them. So if the constant conventioanl way of trying to make our schools better is not working, then you are suppose to try new things.

Go ahead and try to redefine your dreams Chicago inner city schools--BOYCOTT until they give you what you are suppose to already have.

WHO SAID THAT THERE WAS A SUCH THING AS WHITE SPORTS & BLACK SPORTS?... WELL, TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE LIARS!

When you think of swimming as a sport and not a recreational activity, BLACKS don't necessarily hit top of mind. Swimming is just not our sport, or is it? I never got with the notion of a sport belonging to one particular race. But I totally understand when they say things such as that, which is only a result of the limited number of BLACKS we see participating in whichever sport that is being referenced. With all of this said, BLACKS are moving well beyond basketball and football. Tiger Woods shot that whole notion down of golf not being a sport for BLACKS, Arthur, Serena and Venus shot that notion down about tennis not being a sport for BLACKS. Vonetta Flowers, the first BLACK athlete to win a gold medal in the winter olympics, when she won the inaugural women's bobsled event, shot that notion down about sports that invlove cold weather not being sports for BLACKS . Along with Garret Hines and Randy Jones, who were the first BLACK U.S. men to win medals in the winter olympics when they brought home the silver in the four-man bobsled competition. So this whole thing with WHITE SPORTS and BLACK SPORTS is becoming a thing of the past.

This past weekend Bronx born and Jersey bred, Cullen Jones, made history as one of four men on the USA's winning 4X100 freestyle relay team. They took the Gold with a world record time of 3 minutes, 8.24 seconds in a race that kept all viewers on the edge of thier seats. Jones, who almost drowned the first time he ever entered the pool, is now only the third BLACK person to qualify for the Olympics in swimming, Cullen Jones has also positioned himself as an advocate and ambassador of swimming for reluctant black children.

Jones is a graduate of North Carolina University, where he was an English major. He burst onto the international swimming scene at the 2006 Pan Pacific Championships in Victoria, British Columbia. In the summer of 2006, he became a professional swimmer after signing with Nike.

People such as Jones, are definitely redefining the meaning of BLACK sports. We (BLACKS) are a determined group of people, who can compete with the best of them, in any sport when prepared, and when given the opportunity.

WE REMEMBER BERNIE MAC FOR ALL THAT HE WAS: GREAT, HUMBLE & LOVING

"He opened his eyes on his own and looked at Rhonda. She called his name, and he opened his eyes and nodded to her. She smiled at him and told him, 'Don't leave me … 'I'm waiting for you to come back.' He shrugged his shoulders, and she said that's when she knew he was tired. He signaled to her that his body was tired."

Just like that, the KING OF COMEDY was no longer on this earth with us, and his last few days consisted of non-verbal communication. These are the actions of a man who was never known to be speechless, he always seemed to have words that could make anyone with a sense of humor laugh. No matter how bad your day was going, if you heard one of Bernie Mack's jokes, you could not help but to crack a smile or to let out laughter.

On Saturday, August 9, 2008 Bernie Mack, born Bernard Jeffrey McCullough, passed away due to complications from pneumonia in a Chicago area hospital. Mack was 50 years old, and at a very young age he began to work his way to Hollywood success from an impoverished upbringing on Chicago's South Side, where he lived with his mother and grandparents.

Through his comedy, his various other projects, and his commitment to his wife, daughter, granddaughter and other family members and friends, he lived his life to the fullest. God must have needed a really good laugh, to call him home so soon. He will truly be missed. My prayers go out to his family, friends and to all of his fans. His jokes and great personality will forever resonate in our hearts.

YEA THEY WHITENED HER...I DONT CARE WHAT ANYONE SAYS...SEE IT FOR YOURSELF

I am quite sure that Beyonce Knowles had to approve this advertisement before it got to the public, and appraently she did not see anything wrong with it. L'Oreal, the cosmetic company in charge of this advertisement has been accused of "whitening" the singer's skin colour in a number of print ads for women's magazines in the United States.

What message does this send out? Is it not okay to be exactly who you are or to be BLACk and appear exactly as you are. The thing that makes me want to go to every newstand and tear these ads out is the message that it is sending to our children, not only our BLACK children, but to children in general. first, the chick is not even a dark skinned BLACK girl, she is fair skinned to begin with, why make her appear to be lighter than she already is.

The visual lightening in this advertisement made me, and I am sure millions of other BLACK people do a double take. At first glance, she looks WHITE. I was puzzled. L'Oreal is basically saying we want you on our ads to sell our product but we can't deal with the fact that you are BLACK, so we need to do some fixin up to your face. definitely a slap in the face to BLACKS.

The company releases a statement saying, "We highly value our relationship with Ms Knowles. It is categorically untrue that L'Oreal Paris altered Ms Knowles' features or skin tone in the campaign for Feria hair color." Tell these lies to the next gullible person, because you are lying.

Knowles has worked with the cosmetics company since 2001. And if she approved this ad, she is just as much of a liar as L'Oreal and not to us, but to herself.

The ad is appearing in this month's Elle, Allure and Essence. I can not believe that the editors over at Essence would run this advertisement. So to refrain from saying something without knowing the facts, i'll just leave it at this. Do BLACK people even use L'Oreal hair products? I don't know, i'm just asking?

OUR ACADEMY AWARD WINNERS HUDSON & WHITAKER ARE NOW TOGETHER

Two of our very own Academy Award winners, Forrest Whitaker and Jennifer Hudson are starring in Winged Creatures, a 2008 adaptation of Roy Freirich's novel, which carries the same name as the movie. While in the restaurant, the main charachters which also include, Dakota Fanning, Kate Beckinsale, Guy Pearce, and Josh Hutcherson, suddenly hear gunshots. Dakota Fanning, who plays Anne Hagen, hides under the table with her dad and best friend Jimmy Jasperson, played by Josh Hutcherson, while they watch the gunman shoot several people, including her father and then himself. Forrest Whitaker was one of the victims shot, but he lived.
There were five who survived this trauma, and throughout the movie they struggle to understand how to move on after this event. The reaminder of the movie, all of the actors cope with the situation in the restaurant that day, and how it has drastically changed thier lives.
Struggling to understand her father's death, Anne forms some sort of religious hysteria. Jimmy becomes mute, protecting a secret that he and Anne share until it nearly destroys him and his already fractured family. Charlie (Forrest Whitaker), who was grazed by a bullet and is a driving-school teacher, attempts to make his incredible luck work for him at the casino. Jennifer Hudson plays Kathy Archenault, Whitaker's daughter. Carla, played by Kate Beckinsale, the restaurant cashier, loses her ability to take care of herself and her infant son. Ron Abler, a psychologist, attempts to help the survivors but is met with suspicion and little response from any of them. Dr. Laraby, played by Guy Pearce, an ER physician who failed to save two of the shooting victims, turns to his wife as someone to 'save.' The movie follows these five traumatized people as they struggle to regain their trust in the ordinary world.

This movie is reminiscent of Academy-Award winning movie, Crash, a passion piece, where the charachters are brought together through living thier everyday lives. Through these characters' interactions, Crash seeks to depict and examine not only racial tension, but also the distance between strangers in general. This movie seems to depict some of the same messages, although we are living our own separate lives, certain events can lead us to realize that we are much closer than we would like to think.

Looks to be a HIT! Check out the movie trailer below.

DETROIT MAYOR KILPATRICK JAILED

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was jailed Thursday after a judge found that he violated terms of his bond by going to Canada last month, unauthorized. Kilpatrick, who is facing felony charges of perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct of office, was freed on $75,000 bond.

Warren Evans, a Wayne County Sheriff said the mayor will be treated like any other high-profile inmate at the jail. He said that appropriate measures will be taken to ensure his security as well as that of other inmates at the facility.

The Detroit Mayor has been involved in a public scandal since January, when the Detroit Free Press reported he exchanged romantic text messages with his former chief of staff, Christine Beatty, indicating the two were involved in an affair. Kwame Kilpatrick's attorney Jim Parkman said an immediate appeal of the mayor's jailing is planned. A hearing on the appeal is scheduled for Friday, the Detroit Free Press reported.

See Full Story here

MORGAN FREEMAN IN A BAD CAR WRECK

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was in serious condition at a hospital in Tennessee, not too far from his home in northern Mississippi, after being in a car accident Sunday night. Freeman has suffered a broken left upper arm, other fractures and neck and shoulder injuries. The car that he was driving was owned by his passenger, a Memphis resident Demaris Meyer, whom Bill Luckett described as a mutual friend of his and Freeman's.

Bill Luckett, a friend and co-owner of a restaurant and blues club with Freeman said, "He's in good spirits, but he's in a lot of pain." A little after 11:30 Sunday night the paramedics removed Freeman and Meyerfrom the car and they were airlifted to the hospital, according to Angie Underwood, a Mississippi Highway Patrol spokeswoman.

Bill Rogers, who lives on the highway where the accident happened said that the vehichle flew about 45 feet before it alighted on its trunk. "The car was torn up so bad I couldn't tell what it was," he said.

Freeman is an Academey Award winning actor, film director and narrator. He won an Academy Award for best supporting actor in 2005 for his role in the gritty boxing film "Million Dollar Baby." He has been nominated for Oscars three other times, for the movies "Street Smart," "Driving Miss Daisy" and "The Shawshank Redemption."

Freeman was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in the Mississippi Delta region. He moved back to open the blues club and the restaurant in 2001. In a 2005 interview with CNN, he said returning to the area was "one of the smartest moves I've made in life."

Please pray for a speedy recovery for both, Freeman and Demaris Meyer, the friend whom he was driving with.

OBAMA IS NOT FOR SLAVERY REPARATIONS

Democratic presidential hopeful, Senator Barack Obama, opposes giving reparations to descendants of slavery, he said Saturday in Illinois. Is he wrong for this? I dont think so, but of course he's at odds with some BLACK people. You and I both know that if we were to receive money and nothing else, that many of us would go broke shortly after. Ya'll know how we do, so please do not front; we'd be in the mall, on vacation, and doing everything that will give the money right back to them. Now dont get me wrong, we will have all intentions on starting our own businesses, paying for college education, building up our communitites, etc...but some how if we received monetary reparations and nothing else, we probably would still have a long way to go.

The point that I am making is that I doubt very seriously if a monetary reparation will give us the change that we need. Make higher education free to all BLACKS, take all the money that BLACKS would get and use it to fix each and every public school across the United States, fix the inner city communities...I could go on forever, but these are some of the things that will help to combat the legacy of slavery.

Senator Barack Obama agrees, he says, "I have said in the past -- and I'll repeat again -- that the best reparations we can provide are good schools in the inner city and jobs for people who are unemployed." And by the way, Senator Obama has held the same position on reparations since he ran for Senator back in 2004.

Over two dozen members of Congress are co-sponsors of legislation that will create a commission that would study reparations, a combination of programs and payments to make up for the damage done by slavery.

I'm anxious to see what will come out of this whole reparation ordeal.

WAKE UP PEOPLE OR WIN A FREE ONE WAY TICKET HERE...

Things are real out here people, I mean they are getting serious. HIV/AIDS is moving closer and closer to your bedroom each and every day. I am not for being all preachy, but just check this out. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) was about 16,000 estimates short on the number of new people infected with HIV each year. That is extremely scary. There are more new cases of Americans infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, than previously believed, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said today. This past year about 56,000 people became infected with HIV, which means that the CDC was 40% off, said Dr. Kevin Fenton, director of the CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

CDC's previous estimates suggested that there were approximately 40,000 new people infected with HIV each year. CNN reports that the center's estimates used "limited data and less precise methods," which is now using technology that can determine when someone was infected with the virus.

The center says that this new technology can tell if someone has been infected with the virus in the last 5 months, which seems to be a great advancement in HIV/AIDS research.

I dont know about you, but the fact that 56,000 people in the United States contracted HIV scares the HELL out of me. Im not sure how many people out of this number are BLACK, but considreing the fact that in 2005 half of the people infected with HIV/AIDS were BLACK...you should be scared out of your mind.

I'm not here to judge anyone, so whether you are married, single, or dating... please go to Sam's, Costco, BJ's and buy an economy pact of condoms. Time on this side of the dirt is lovely right now, cherish it!