Filed under: Celebrity Style , Red Carpet
Filed under: News, The Economy
Filed under: Football
These should be happy times for top football recruit C.J. Johnson of Philadelphia, Mississippi.
His biggest problem these days should be getting ready for life at college and preparing his body to play big-time college football on a national stage.
Instead, Johnson has become the poster boy for what can go wrong when privacy is invaded, college loyalties run amok and people use social media sites like Facebook to make people look bad.
Johnson says he was the target of such a campaign that was triggered by a recruiting war between bitter college rivals --the University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University -- for the services of Johnson, an all-state linebacker.
Johnson had decided to attend Mississippi State but changed his mind when defensive coach Manny Diaz left the school. Johnson then decided to attend Mississippi.
Johnson's decision angered Mississippi State fans and some took to Facebook saying that Johnson's mother worked as a housekeeper for a Mississippi graduate and was getting paid $100,000.
Johnson took to his Facebook page to deny the charge and said he wasn't going to post on Facebook anymore, presumably because he feels they helped spread the false rumor about his mother's employment.
In the garbled English common in the online world, Johnson said "...I'm not considering Mississippi state anymore bc you have constantly comment on my page send me crazy inboxes and has made my recruiting experience a living nightmare. Goodbye facebook."
I hope a few different things come to Johnson in short order.
The first is that wherever he goes to college, he should spend a good portion of his time in English class to polish his communication skills.
Second, I hope he develops a better understanding of the world around him and a slightly thicker skin to deal with the slights the world will undoubtedly throw his way over time.
Johnson is just a kid so he can be forgiven for being a little oversensitive in this case. He has the right to change schools. But he should also know that such a decision will bruise some feelings among those he left at the altar.
He simply needs to understand that Facebook is not his enemy. Facebook didn't lie about his mom, an anonymous user of Facebook did.
And Johnson should just wait until he misses a key block or tackle during a big college game versus a hated opponent (Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State perhaps).
The hate mail he will receive on his Facebook page will make him long for the good old days when the only bad posting he saw was a lie about what his mom earned.
I wish C.J. Johnson lots of luck and hope his immense talent on the field helps people forget his little misstep off the field.
Filed under: News
After receiving a slew of negative criticism for featuring only white women in last year's magazine issue, Vanity Fair added two blacks in their upcoming 17th annual Hollywood Issue.
Anthony Mackie and Rashida Jones, star of hit TV comedy 'Parks and Recreation,' were among the chosen few to make the cover page, although their photos are in the insert.
Also included in the issue is Willow Smith, daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith.
From left to right: Ryan Reynolds, Jake Gyllenhaal, Anne Hathaway, James Franco, Jennifer Lawrence, Anthony Mackie, Olivia Wilde, Jesse Eisenberg, Mila Kunis, Robert Duvall, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Andrew Garfield, Rashida Jones, Garrett Hedlund and Noomi Rapace.
Mackie, who starred in 2010's Oscar Best Picture winner 'The Hurt Locker,' will next be seen in 'The Adjustment Bureau' with Matt Damon; while Jones, who was featured in this year's Oscar nominated film, 'The Social Network,' has a slew of films slated for release in 2011, including 'Friends with Benefits' with Justin Timberlake, and 'The Muppets.'
Last year's cover was the second consecutive year in which no blacks were included.
Filed under: The Spark w/ Amanda Diva
Filed under: Celebrity News, News, The Economy
The two took part in a town hall meeting at Atlanta's private Morehouse College just a week after President Barack Obama urged more people nationwide to become teachers.
Duncan told an audience that more than 1 million educators are expected to retire in the coming decade and that federal officials are hoping to harness that opportunity to create a more diverse teaching work force, noting that less than 2 percent of the nation's 3 million teachers are black men.
"Everybody can't be a business major," Lee told the auditorium packed with male high school and college students. "We have to educate ourselves. We have to educate our young black men."
Lee, a Morehouse graduate, said he was influenced most -- outside of his own family -- by two of his Morehouse professors. Both educators attended Monday's gathering and were asked to stand up to be honored.
Duncan used the occasion to promote the federal TEACH campaign. The program was launched in the fall to persuade more minorities -- particularly males -- to enter education. The federal government has launched the teach.gov website, a one-stop-shop for anyone wanting to enter teaching, including professionals hoping to switch careers.
"If you want to make a difference in the life of our nation, if you want to make a difference in the life of a child, become a teacher," Obama said in a video address taped for Monday's event. "Our country needs you."
Read more about Spike Lee's call for more black men to become teachers on The Grio. As young black men are now experiencing a crisis in education, Spike's message comes at an important time. Teaching is a wonderful profession. There is not a teacher in the world who has not expressed the sense of personal satisfaction that comes from this career. What a great field for black men -- who are often emotionally stymied by society -- to get into. The issue of black male unemployment could be addressed with programs that help African American males claim this social role while providing our underachieving young men with role models, killing two social ills with the positive arrow of education.
In December, Nick Cannon shared with the world that he and wife Mariah Carey are expecting twins. Now, comes news that the couple is expecting a boy and a girl.
The 'We Belong Together' singer told Life & Style magazine, "Even before we announced it was twins, I was trying to keep everything gender-neutral because I didn't want to impose an identity on them too soon."
Carey added, "There were fan contests on Twitter about what gender they are and rumors about them being two boys or two girls -- but nobody guessed this!"
Until the twins due date of April is here, the 40 year-old Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter has been cooking up a storm, Cannon, 30, revealed to People magazine.
"She cooks it, tastes it, but instead of laying up and eating it, I end up eating it. I think she craves it, but once she cooks it and smells it then the cravings go away," the 'Drumline' actor, revealed.
Cannon, who shoots his first live stand-up special at the Palms in Las Vegas on March 5, says that in his spare time, he's been helping his wife build nurseries in their homes in both Los Angeles and New York. They've even narrowed down names.
"They won't be crazy names like Carburetor or something," he says. "But they're definitely unique."
The Men In Her Life
For Mariah Carey, having more #1 songs than any American solo artist has been a credit to the company she keeps. From her power wielding ex-husband Tommy Mottola and superstar slugger Derek Jeter to super-producer Jermaine Dupri and new hubby Nick Cannon, each man has played a significant role in the five-time Grammy winner's life. Blackvoices.com takes a look at the men behind the diva.
Tommy Mottola - Husband
No one is more responsible for Mariah Carey's success than former Columbia Records head Tommy Mottola. After receiving Carey's demo from artist Brenda K. Starr, for whom Carey sang backup, he signed her on the spot. While recording her 1990 debut, the two became romantically involved and tied the knot in a lavish ceremony in 1993. Just three short years later, they split, and a divorce was finalized in 1998.
Trey Lorenz - Backup Singer
In 1992, Carey performed an MTV 'Unplugged' special to show nonbelievers that she was not a studio singer. Her cover of the Jackson 5's 'I'll Be There' with her longtime backup singer Trey Lorenz was later released as a single and became a number-one hit in the United States. Lorenz was able to score a record deal from the duet, and Carey co-produced his debut. On July 7 of this year, the two performed the song at the Michael Jackson memorial, which was held at the Los Angeles Staples Center.
Jermaine Dupri - Producer
It's not a well-known fact that Jermaine Dupri has been working with Carey for nearly 15 years. In 1995, Carey worked with the So So Def Records founder on 'Always Be My Baby,' from her 'Daydream' album. It became the most successful record on U.S. radio that year. And though these two worked on several remixes together over the years, their magic came a decade later when J.D. produced four songs on 'The Emancipation of Mimi,' Carey's 10th studio album and most successful to date.
ODB - Musical Collaborator
Since rapping 'Me and Mariah go back like babies and pacifiers,' Ol' Dirty Bastard, the late Wu Tang Clan MC, helped solidify Carey in the world of hip-hop and R&B. The 1995 remix to 'Fantasy' became a number-one hit. The friendship between Carey and ODB lasted throughout the years. The songstress even met the rapper upon his release from jail in 2003.
Diddy - Musical Collaborator
Carey has Sean 'Diddy' Combs to thank for helping to reinvent her image as a sexy, more hip-hop friendly artist. The Bad Boy Records founder produced her 1997 Grammy-nominated song 'Honey,' which, ironically, replaced 'Mo Money, Mo Problems,' featuring Diddy and his star artist, the Notorious B.I.G. , on the Billboard charts.
Mase - Musical Collaborator
'Honey' was Carey's 12th number-one song. Before turning his life over to God and becoming a minister, Bad Boy rapper Mase appeared on the popular remix of the record, alongside the Lox and Diddy. The song, which also had its own video, was featured on Carey's 2003 remix compilations, aptly titled 'The Remixes.'
Boyz II Men - Musical Collaborator
'One Sweet Day' remains the longest-running number-one song on the Billboard Hot 100, spending 16 weeks on the chart. The Philly quartet co-wrote the song with Carey as a tribute to their slain manager, while Carey was inspired to memorialize Def Leppard guitarist Steve Clark.
Mobb Deep - Musical Collaborator
For 'The Roof,' from Carey's 1997 album 'Butterfly,' producers Trackmasters sampled Mobb Deep's 'Shook Ones (Pt.2).' The single was not released commercially in the United States, but it was the third release from her European album. The Queens rap duo remixed the record as well.
Dru Hill - Musical Collaborator
Prince produced, arranged, composed and performed 'The Beautiful Ones' for the epic movie soundtrack 'Purple Rain,' but Carey covered the song on her 1997 'Butterfly' album with Baltimore R&B group Dru Hill.
Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
Filed under: Women's Health, Disease Prevention, Cancer
According to a recent AOL News article, health officials are researching a possible connection between breast implants and a rare form of cancer. Anaplastic large cell lymphoma has been found in at least 60 women with implants, leading to concerns that the two could be related. This cancer "attacks lymph nodes and skin and has been reported in the scar tissue which grows around an implant." It is of such concern that the FDA is having doctors report any cases of this unique disease that comes across their tables.
While any cancer-causing agent is something to worry about, this does not seem to be reason to run to your doctor and have your set removed. Researchers from the agency say "a definitive study would need to collect data on hundreds of thousands of women for more than 10 years. Even then, causality may not be conclusively established." This, however, is not the first time the FDA has questioned the safety of implants. In 1992, silicone implants were removed from the market due to the lack of data on their effectiveness. However, they were allowed back in 2006 after they could not conclusively connect them with any sort of disease. This new cancer information can only make one wonder just how correct they were in allowing these implants to be used again. One woman's family found out the hard way just how serious this surgery can be.
German reality and porn star Carolin "Sexy Cora" Berger (above) lost her life at the tender age of 23 after breast enhancement number six. Yes, six. In a move to take her already ample breasts up another cup size, the young woman suffered a cardiac arrest during surgery which unfortunately went unnoticed by doctors. She was eventually placed into a coma and died nine days later. Though this newly discovered cancer was not to blame for Carolin's death, it does beg the question - how much is too much? With an estimated five to ten million women with breast implants, how many of them have complications we were never made aware of? Is a larger cup size worth chemotherapy? Death?
We here at Black Voices are neither advocating or discouraging the usage of silicone or saline implants in breast enhancement. What little advice we can give is, talk to your doctor and do your research. It is important to make sure when making a decision of this magnitude that you have all the facts you can possibly have. Just as your mom always told you, better safe than sorry.
Ladies, does this new possible cancer link make you any more concerned about the idea of implants, or is this just another unfounded scare?
Filed under: Football
Filed under: Dr. Boyce Money
Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights, Media
Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama
Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights
Filed under: Personal Finance, Savings
Well, gentlemen, it's officially that time of year again. Nope, not time for the Super Bowl (Go Steelers!), it's time for the female equivalent of the Super Bowl. That's right, Valentine's Day is just around the corner. And I've got your cheap Valentine's day ideas to get you through.
Assuming you're not one of those cheap and trifling brothers who routinely breaks up with a woman just before major holidays to avoid the inevitable financial outlay, you're gonna have to spend some money and you might be searching for some ideas. In this economy, every dollar counts, and since we can't all lavish our women with a pair of Louboutins, here's a few recession-friendly ideas to help you out. Cheap Valentine's Day presents can still be thoughtful and romantic.
3. Buy Some Inexpensive Wine - The operative word here is inexpensive, not cheap. No, I'm not talking Boone's Farm Strawberry Wine, which is something you really should be done with after age 21. Pink by Yellowglen is a classy sparkling wine that's very affordable (about $10) and easy to find. Ménage à Trois Red is good stuff at just $12 a bottle. Sometimes a cheap Valentine's Day is a more romantic Valentine's Day if it means staying home and getting tipsy with the one you love.
4. Give a Cheap Yet Thoughtful Gift - Non-perishable items with sentimental value always give you the most bang for your buck, so why not get creative and make a gift that will actually last past the end of the month? With a little money and ingenuity, you can put together a nicely bound book of your most precious photos, create a custom calendar, or a make a mug featuring your mug at either KodakGallery or CafePress. You can also buy a customized, romantic Valentine's Day present on the classy site Red Envelope for as little at $25. The keyword is longevity in this case of giving a cheap Valentine's Day gift. Creating a momento of your loving memories will outlast perishable Valentine's Day gifts like candy.
5. Give a (Sorta) Pricey Gift - With the realization that people are po' these days, designers like Tory Burch, BCBG, Marc Jacobs, and Gucci now offer an array of affordable Valentine's Day gifts that will impress your loved one with the designer name sans designer price. You can buy trend accessories like toggle bracelets, cosmetic bags, statement rings, perfume, costume jewelry, and perfume for well under $100. If all else fails, lingerie is the gift that keeps on giving, and you can both reap the benefits. Sorta cheap Valentine's Day lingerie can be found at outlets like Lingerie Diva and Overstock.com.
These are merely suggestions, not a one-size-fits all list, of cheap Valentine's Day ideas. No two women (or men) are the same, so you should obviously give some thought to what your loved one likes best. With a little creativity and a lot of thought, you can treat your significant other to a memorable holiday, and save money for your Super Bowl bets or upcoming birthdays at the same time. Remember, it's the emotion, the romance and the intimacy that count on Valentine's Day -- not the money.
Got any other cost-conscious ideas for a great, cheap Valentine's Day?
Carlina White (pictured above), the woman taken from a New York hospital as an infant and raised by her kidnapper for 23 years, thought that her birth mother was a drug addict who had given her up, according to a child welfare official in Connecticut.
White said the woman who kidnapped and raised her, Ann Pettway (pictured below), told her that a drug-addicted Mother had given her to Pettway as a baby in 1987.
Pettway surrendered to police last month and faces kidnapping charges. She has confessed to taking White from the Harlem Hospital as an infant in August 1987, according to the FBI.
White, who is now 23, has reconnected with her biological family.
It is no suprise that Pettway told White the lie about her birth Mother as part of her criminal plan to disconnect the girl from her true past; Pettway did everything possible to keep the girl from learning that her birth parents, Joy White and Carl Tyson, were in fact searching for her.
A $10,000 reward offered for the return of the baby went uncollected.
Luckily for White, who was raised by Pettway in Atlanta under the name of Nejdra Nance, suspicions grew that something wasn't right when Pettway couldn't provide her with a copy of her birth certificate. White also noticed she didn't look like anyone else in Pettway's family.
Periodic checks of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children website by White revealed a baby photo that looked a lot like her. By some miracle, she was able to contact Joy White, and Mother and Daughter were reunited after DNA tests were conducted.
The Carlina White saga of solving her own kidnapping, with its uplifting conclusion, has all the makings of a Hollywood movie.
Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama, Race and Civil Rights
Broadcaster Tavis Smiley doesn't mince words to describe the "America I Am" touring exhibit that opened in Washington D.C. Tueday to kick off Black History Month.
"It is the biggest, baddest, boldest exhibit ever conceived to tell the story of the African-American contribution to our country," Smiley said in an interview Tuesday before The African American Imprint exhibit opened at the National Geographic Museum with more than 200 artifacts that celebrate black achievement.
"I understand that might sound like hyperbole or hype," Smiley said. "But it takes four theaters and 12 galleries to show all of the pieces. It takes a couple of hours to go see it all and I promise that visitors won't be the same once they do."
Items on display reach back into history and include "The Door of No Return" from the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, shackles used in the American slave trade, letters of abolitionists and the door key from the Birmingham jail cell that held Dr. Martin Luther King.
Artifacts in the exhibit also highlight the cultural contributions of black people like a trumpet played by Louis Armstrong, handwritten notes from Langston Hughes, a boxing robe worn by Muhammad Ali and a model of the first traffic signal which was built by Garrett Morgan.
Smiley has parlayed his visibility and influence as host of the nationally televised Tavis Smiley Show into the chief inspiration behind the "America I Am" project.
"I didn't want to explore just a slice of our contributions because that has been done before," Smiley said. "I wanted an amalgam of our contribution so that is wide the the items on display are so wide ranging."
Smiley said a central question about the relevance of black people in America, originally posed by historian W.E.B Du Bois more than 100 years ago, acts as the inspiration for the exhibit.
"Du Bois asked "Would America have been America without her Negro people," Smiley said. "I told our partners that this is the question I want answered when people visited the exhibit. We answer that question in a resounding way without demonizing anybody else."
"I spoke with the pastor and we are picking up the desk today so it can be part of the Washington D.C. experience," Smiley said. "We had a similar experience with Ernie Green (one of the Little Rock Nine). He had some items that we were lucky enough to get included in the exhibit."
Smiley said despite the large number of items of display, organizers have to the leeway to swap out certain artifacts when special items that might be of greater interest to local viewers are made available.
Smiley said his new found appreciation for just how precious historical artifacts are has colored how he has viewed the recent political uprising in Egypt against the government.
Though he understands the anger of the demonstrators, Smiley said he was dismayed that some people entered the national museum and destroyed artifacts dating back centuries.
"It broke my heart seeing people destroying their own history," Smiley said. "No matter how upset they were at the government, I see no value of destroying items that are so important to the world. Why do they have to destroy their past? They should be concerned with creating a new future."
The unrest and destruction of history in Egypt has clearly given Smiley a greater appreciation of his accomplishment in regard to "America I Am."
"When you see this exhibit you simply fall more in love with black people," Smiley said. "When you consider where we started started out from 400 hundred years ago against all odds, you see an amazing story. You walk out of the exhibit feeling like you are walking on clouds."
Filed under: Gossip, Basketball
Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights
It's sad that Wildrick Guerrier, 34, committed a crime that forced his deportation from the United States to Haiti.
And its even sadder that Guerrier died in a Haitian jail after suffering from cholera-like symptoms.
But I will scream if I hear immigration rights activists turn Guerrier into some kind of hero or martyr to promote relaxed immigration rules in the U.S.
It's bad enough that legal U.S. citizens commit crimes here and turn huge parts of our country into hellholes unfit for decent people to live.
When people who aren't legal citizens of this country violate laws, they know they are toying with their privilege of living here. When they get caught, they should be shown the door, as Guerrier was shown last January.
At the time he was sent home, no one knew for sure that Haiti were devolve so quickly and completely. No one knew a leadership crisis would cause international donors to withhold promised reconstruction funds. No one knew international peacekeepers would bring cholera to the island-nation and see the disease kill thousands.
Since the situation in Haiti has fallen apart, our government has stopped the deportation of criminals from Haiti back to their homeland, according to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official.
While I'm far from thrilled they get to stay in this country and continue to prey on American citizens, I understand that sending them back to Haiti would be equal to a possible death sentence.
That would not be right.
But in the case of Wildrick Guerrier, the deportation was correct - even though it ended in his death.
A woman identified as Guerrier's finance was quoted as blaming the U.S. government for his death in a Haitian jail cell. I know she is in pain but she has it all wrong.
It is Guerrier's crimes committed here that caused his death.
