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Gallery: 2011 Spring Shoe Guide

March 23, 2011, 7:00 am
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As of last Sunday, spring has officially sprung. While it doesn't seem like spring just yet in most parts of the country, it won't be long before sunshine and warmer weather start creeping up.

As a savvy fashionista, you've probably already begun planning your warm-weather outfits, so why not start with a great pair of shoes? We've rounded up the very best spring shoes styles to help you plan ahead and start stockpiling for your slammin' spring wardrobe!

 

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Della Handbags Empower Ghanaian Women Through Style

March 23, 2011, 8:12 am
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In their Summer 2011 collection, Los Angeles-based handbag and accessory line Della is releasing a series of clutches in limited-edition fabrics that serve a two-fold purpose: amping your summer wardrobe and creating economic opportunity for those in need.


On a temporary visit to Ghana, designer Tina Tangalakis formed an unexpected bond with local seamstress Beatrice Agabe to create Della, a line of vegan bags that not only support the Ghanian economy but also offer education and jobs for local women.

Whereas accessories of any print are generally outsourced for production, Della employs local seamstresses in the village of Hohoe, Ghana to handcraft each individual bag. As incentive, the women are taught about micro-financing, savings development and entrepreneurship, which will hopefully lead to women starting their own businesses in the future.
Della also finds and purchases authentic Ghanian locally, boosting the country's economy and further opening the door for future African businesswomen. The Summer 2011 collection's clutches are featured in three limited edition fabrics that were, as with the rest of the line, purchased and manufactured in the country.

Each clutch features a divided interior, built in sleeves, and a zippered change pocket - big enough to tote to work, yet small enough to carry to a party. Every Della product comes with a tag signed by the seamstress that made it, and each purchase allows for the addition of seamstresses to the entrepreneurial program in Ghana.

Accessories are so much chicer when they're bought for good! If you're interested in paying it forward and building a hotter summer collection, Della bags are available at retail outlets and online at dellala.com. The clutches are set to be released in May 2011.

What is your favorite positive accessory? Tell us!

 

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Rashida Jones, Andy Samberg Team Up for Romantic Dramedy 'Celeste and Jesse Forever'

March 23, 2011, 8:33 am
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Rashida Jones and 'Saturday Night Live''s Andy Samberg are set to star in the upcoming romantic dramedy 'Celeste and Jesse Forever,' which was written by Jones and actor-writer Will McCormack.

With Lee Toland Krieger directing the film, the story is about a couple that's getting divorced but wants to remain friends -- a kind of inversion, perhaps, of the just-hooking-up subgenre of 'Friends With Benefits' and 'No Strings Attached,' stated the L.A. Times.

"Our movie is about two people who love each other a ton but they don't know what to do with that love, and how do you let that person go," Jones said. "It's very different from: 'I like having sex with this person because I'm so modern but then, ooh, maybe I like them.' I'm less interested in that story." She added, "It's the version of 'When Harry Met Sally' 20 years later, or 'Blue Valentine.' It's really about how you break up with someone."

Jones is one of the few black actresses being offered colorless roles in films these days.

The Los Angeles native was featured as a lawyer in the Oscar-nominated film 'The Social Network' and is a co-star of NBC's 'Parks and Recreation.' She is currently gracing the screen in the independent film opposite Chris Messina in 'Monogamy.'

In a recent interview, the daughter of music producer Quincy Jones talked about her encounters as a woman of color.

"It's such a complicated issue. I'm so proud of all of my heritages, and I've got lots, and I'm so happy to be a part of the history or people of color in film in any way that I can be. It definitely bums me out that it's not more represented, but I also feel like at a certain point everybody's going to kind of look like me and we're not going to be able to judge each other based on the way that we look."

Coincidentally, Jones and Samberg were featured together in another romantic comedy, 'I Love You, Man,' where Jones played the fiancée to Paul Rudd's character.

"Whatever discrimination people have faced, or I've even faced -- "You're not white enough"; "you're not black enough" -- everybody's going to get over it. I'm proud to be black, I'm proud to be Jewish, I'm proud to be all these things, but I don't ever want people to feel like they can take ownership of me and use it as a fight against the other side. I just feel like we're kind of past that. I feel like it's not postmodern to think that way."

Jones will next be seen in 'The Muppets,' with Jason Segel, 'The Big Year,' with Owen Wilson and Steve Martin, and 'My Idiot Brother,' with Rudd again.

 

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Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight: Carlos Thomas -- Father, Scholar, Leader

March 23, 2011, 9:02 am
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Professor Carlos Thomas is one of the sharpest, most powerful black men on earth. Sitting on two Ph.D.s (not one), Thomas has built a career that embraces the essence of the black academic warrior. Not only is he typically the sharpest man in the room, he is a living personification of the essence of what it means to be a black man in America: To love your family, teach the children around you (not just your own) and to stand a stand for what is right. It is because he has chosen to live a life full of power and purpose that Dr. Thomas is today's Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight on AOL Black Voices:


What is your name, and what do you do?

My name is Carlos A. Thomas, and I am an assistant professor of information systems and operations management at Southern University in Baton Rouge, La., father of three and husband to one!

What is your personal, professional and educational background?

I'm a native of West Tennessee and was raised by my mother and maternal grandparents. I spent most of my childhood growing up in rural Dyersburg, Tenn., and moved to Memphis at 16 when my mother remarried after my father's death. After completing high school, I attended Vanderbilt University on an athletic scholarship and completed my degree in human and organizational development. During my time at Vanderbilt, I began the process of becoming racially and socially conscious about society. This was due in part to the positive influence of hip-hop artists such as Public Enemy, Paris and X-clan. My professors at Vanderbilt and Fisk also had a profound impact on my social consciousness, particularly Dr. Jimmie L. Franklin, Dr. Lewis V. Baldwin, Dr. Ray Windbush and Dr. L.M. Collins.

After graduation, I wanted to leave the South to experience a different part of the country, so I took a job in Philadelphia teaching conflict resolution skills to elementary school students through the Student Anti-Violence Education (SAVE) program established by Julie Rausch and Deborah Spungen. That year away from my comfort zone was more difficult than anything I had experienced, and I grew exponentially as a result. I learned how to cook ramen noodles every way imaginable (lol). While the experience was difficult, it was a great growing experience and helped to prepare me to be a leader for my family.

After a year in Philadelphia, I returned back to Tennessee to visit family and, by coincidence, was offered a job teaching and coaching football and tennis. Simultaneous to working as a public school teacher and coach, I completed a master's degree in sociology with a concentration in race, class and gender studies. I LOVED my time in this program. The professors at the University of Memphis were exceptional and helped me to further develop my level of consciousness about society. After completing the program I returned to Nashville and enrolled as a part-time student at Tennessee State University in the doctoral program in public administration taking classes in the evening while working as a social worker charged with the responsibility of reunifying families whose children had been placed in the State's custody.

After completing my coursework for the doctorate in public administration, I received an offer to work at Louisiana State University in their academic support center for student athletes. I took the position with the intention of staying three years maximum to complete a second masters in information systems and decision sciences. Well, twelve years later, I'm still here. During my tenure in Baton Rouge, I completed the second masters in ISDS, the doctorate in public administration from TSU, and a second doctorate in information systems and decision sciences at LSU. My time as a professor at Southern University teaching information systems and operations management has been rewarding and challenging. In addition to teaching, I conduct research on health care and technology in developing countries, specifically in Sub-Saharan Africa.

How did your experience as a former athlete shape the way you view black males, sports and the NCAA?

If you ask former football players who played D-1 football how they feel about their experiences playing at their respective universities, I bet you 75% will tell you they have mixed feelings about their experiences as a student on an athletic scholarship. Similarly, I too have a love-hate perspective about my time as a student on an athletic scholarship. My best friendships were forged during my time as an athlete-student and the challenges I endured during training and competition have served me well in meeting life challenges. However, there were significant tradeoffs associated with my choice to pay for college by playing football.

One such trade-off is that I really didn't get an opportunity to fully experience college life as a result of having time commitments to the football program. The NCAA's 20 hour rule is a joke, and no program really adheres to it. As such, we had voluntary warm up sessions before practice which was actually a way to get us to practice without starting the time clock. I could go on and on but suffice it to say, we spent a disproportionate amount of time training for competition.

So....let's talk about the NCAA......

I have increasingly developed a strong disdain for the farce the NCAA puts on for the country. The notion that D-1 football and men's basketball is amateur is completely laughable! We live in a capitalist society, and I'm a compassionate capitalist. So, I say make your money, but don't act like this is amateur competition. When football coaches are making $5 million a year, it ain't amateur!!! Ask the coach's wife if it's amateur, lol! I really think Dr. Emmert, who I admire a great deal, and the rest of the folks at the NCAA should really address the issue of what D-1 sports has become: athletic share-cropping! It's crazy man!

Teaching at LSU allowed me to see the good and the not-so-good in college sports. I've had the pleasure of meeting some of the sharpest brothers in the world who just happen to play sports. Collis Temple, III, Tyrus Thomas, Rahem Alem, Trev Faulk and Garret Temple were just a few of the guys I've seen at LSU who defied the stereotype of the big dumb jock! Collis graduated in 3 years and by the time his eligibility was up he had a masters degree, as did Rahem. Trev Faulk graduated with honors in 3 years with a degree in business and went on to play in the NFL before returning to Louisiana. The day after LSU won their Elite Eight game to advance to the final four in 2006, which was a Sunday, Garrett and Tyrus were in study hall at 12:00 noon! Not hung over from celebrating the win but in study hall to prepare for mid-term exams! Great young men indeed!

Looking to the future, I pray my son chooses not to play college football or football period! But if he chooses then I'll support him, but my fingers are crossed!

You have a genuine interest in the success of the black male. How does this influence your approach to academic work?

I thought that when I stopped being a social worker that I would stop doing "social work." Nothing could be further from the truth! I find myself having to counsel our young people on the basics of what is acceptable academically and socially! I take a tough-love approach to my profession. Having worked internationally as an auditor and consultant, I have globalization up close and personal! Folks in other countries are working their behinds off to get ahead while our young people sit idle preoccupied with foolishness like "The Basketball Wives." Man, I was in Cameroun last year at a conference on IT development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and I met two young men who took a boat from Accra, Ghana, to get to the conference. They had no money and no place to stay, but they wanted to learn so badly that they rode on a boat to get to the conference. Bruh, it brought tears to my eyes. So when I see something like that, I have little patience for laziness. Thus, I hold my students to high standards, and they meet them!

Do you have any advice for aspiring young African Americans who wish to follow in your footsteps?

Get out of America and see the world! You are loved beyond these borders and admired beyond anything you could have imagined! GO SEE THE WORLD! Study as much and as long as you can and defer life responsibilities as long as possible.

Is there anything else you'd like to share with our AOL Black Voices audience?

Yeah, if you're up for challenges and want to do some social engineering, come to the South! This really is still one of the last social frontiers in our society and the need for motivated progressive minded young people is arguably greater today than in the civil rights era of the 1960s. Peace!!!!!

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and the author of the bookBlack American Money To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. To suggest a subject for a Dr. Boyce Watkins Spotlight, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.

 

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Liz Taylor & Michael Jackson: The Way They Were

March 23, 2011, 9:29 am
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Elizabeth Taylor

Hollywood has lost a grand diva of the silver screen. Actress Elizabeth Taylor is dead at age 79. The iconic star, whose career spanned 70 years, died early Wednesday morning peacefully at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Taylor had been seriously ill for more than a decade and was being treated for congestive heart failure. She had been hospitalized for two months.


The Academy Award-winning actress, activist and businesswoman was best known for her work in such iconic films as 'Giant,' 'National Velvet,' 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' and 'Butterfield 8,' but even more than that, Taylor was a giant humanitarian with a heart that was generous to a fault.

An avid defender of civil rights, Taylor strongly believed in equality for all even during a time in Hollywood when blacks were treated like second-class citizens. She was known to selflessly donate monies to various grassroots organizations to further the cause of racial justice.
Elizabeth Taylor
Taylor was also a longtime devoted friend to pop mega-star Michael Jackson (pictured right). Theirs was a solidified friendship that withstood all of the turbulent media lynchings that Jackson went through during the later stages of his career.

Taylor and Jackson are said to have become friends after one of Jackson's Los Angeles concerts in the 1980s. Taylor reportedly walked out of the concert because of "poor visibility," and Jackson called her to ask why. A few minutes on the phone led to three hours, and the next thing they knew, they were close friends.

Aside from their public friendship, it was rumored for years that Taylor and Jackson carried on an affair. Taylor once said about her friend Michael:

"What is a genius? What is a living legend? What is a mega star? Michael Jackson -- that's all. And when you think you know him, he gives you more... I think he is one of the finest people to hit this planet, and in my estimation, he is the true King of Pop, Rock and Soul. He is part of my heart. We would do anything for each other."

Taylor and Jackson are said to have told each other "everything" and bonded because of their tumultuous pasts and histories of being "troubled young stars." Some say that their relationship was borderline obsessive, including Jackson's alleged Elizabeth Taylor shrine in his home. They are also said to have shared nights together in Neverland, although Elizabeth Taylor claims all they did was laugh, hang out and watch a lot of Walt Disney.

In addition to her film work and humanitarian efforts, Taylor was a serial bride. Married eight times to such famous men as actor Richard Burton, crooner Eddie Fisher and millionaire hotelier Conrad Hilton (grandfather of Paris Hilton), it was strongly rumored last year that Taylor was scheduled to go down the aisle yet again with a ninth candidate, 49-year-old Jason Winters (pictured below), who is an African-American millionaire businessman, head of Sterling Winters Management and is Janet Jackson's manager.

The rumors were shot down by Taylor, though, when she said that even though she loved Winters "with all her heart," there would be no ninth marriage.

Elizabeth TaylorAs a businesswoman, Taylor became best known for her creation of the best-selling White Diamonds fragrance, which hit the market in 1991. In the fall of 2006, Taylor celebrated the 15th anniversary of her White Diamonds perfume, one of the top-10 best-selling fragrances for more than a decade. White Diamonds, along with her other popular scents, Passion and Black Pearls, earned an estimated $200 million in annual sales.

The actress who has appeared in more than 70 films cheated death countless times: A common cold caused her to miss being on the flight that killed her third husband and movie producer Mike Todd. Taylor had medical issues that plagued her throughout her life, such as pneumonia, two hip-joint replacements, pregnancy delivery problems, a hysterectomy, serious back injuries, an appendectomy, an abscessed tooth, a brain membrane condition, a tracheotomy, stomach infection, internal bleeding surgery, drug and alcohol abuse and she even choked on a chicken bone.

The last of the few remaining film goddesses, Taylor is survived by her four children, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

We will truly miss you, diva!



 

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Overweight Vs. Obese: 6 Ways To Tell

March 23, 2011, 9:45 am
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Are you overweight, obese or neither?

To be obese is to be overweight, but to be overweight doesn't necessarily make you obese. A bulky weight trainer, whose muscle mass may take up a high percentage of their weight, could have the same body mass index (BMI) as a dormant couch potato.

Tricky, right?

There's a universal measurement that many health professionals use to compare body weight to height, known as the body mass index, or BMI. According to WebMD, BMIs between 25 and 29.9 are considered overweight, and anything above 30 is obese.

Most people think this is enough to define themselves as overweight, obese or neither, but being considered fat is not as simple as a BMI number.




Judy Stone, a certified nutritionist and director of the Center for Functional Nutrition, says BMI is merely a start.

"It is most useful as a guideline in reference to people who are inactive and don't exercise because the weight measure has no way of distinguishing between lean muscle mass and fat," Stone says.

Stone recommends observing other health factors in order to determine your physical health status. She says it's easy for people to look at the obvious, specifically appearance, but additional functions play a major role.

"The differences between someone who is overweight and someone who is obese are going to be a matter of degree," Stone says. "You are more likely to see poorer blood sugar regulation, higher blood pressure, higher triglyceride levels, and more chronic conditions as a person moves along the continuum from overweight to obese."

Here are 6 ways to help you determine whether you are overweight, obese, or of average size.

1. Regulate your body's blood sugar and blood pressure levels. High levels of both are a result of bad eating habits and a lack of exercise. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the recommended blood pressure is 120/80 or less. Blood glucose levels should be between 70 and 140 mg/dL before meals.

2. Pay attention to small signs. Frequent headaches, gas after meals, or difficulties waking up in the morning are issues you should make note of. Stone says to be worried when you get a collection of symptoms. "Little things that people wouldn't pay attention to," Stone says, "are indications that something is wrong with you body."

3. Evaluate the types of groceries you buy. "If you have more things that don't need to go in the refrigerator than items that do, you should reevaluate your grocery choices," Stone says. The best foods to eat are ones without a nutrition label including fresh vegetables, poultry and fruits.

Stone says that foods that come in packages are normally predigested by the manufacturer to extend the lifespan. These foods are processed with artificial preservatives, complex sugars and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ingredients which elevate sugar levels.
4. Calculate your heart rate. The amount of time spent exercising every week helps to regulate your heart rate. According to the CDC, age determines a person's target heart rate by subtracting your current age from 220. Therefore, an average heart rate for women between 28 and 35 would be 185-192 beats per minute. Take a quick 60 seconds to calculate your beats per minute. It's easiest to feel the pulse on the artery of your wrist.

5. Get eight hours of sleep each day. Stone says giving the body poor quality nourishment can result in low energy levels. Natural energy boosts will keep you active throughout the day and even encourage you to workout 30 minutes a day. If you get eight hours of sleep daily, but have a hard time getting out of the bed or feel fatigue during the day, try altering your diets options.

6. Measure the changes in your BMI. Record your BMI during every annual checkup. Discuss significant shifts and any other issues mentioned in this article to your doctor to determine if you should take further steps. Stone says health problems usually take several years to develop. "By the time your BMI is showing out of range, that condition has probably been going on for years."

The BMI is a helpful assessment, but look at the bigger picture. Examine all of the factors mentioned and speak with your physician to determine if you are overweight, obese or at a normal weight. Depending on the results you may need to create a healthier lifestyle.


Have you assessed your own body mass? Did the results surprise you? Tell us!

 

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What to Watch: Taraji P. Henson's 'Peep World,' 'Sucker Punch' and 'ConSINsual' DVD

March 23, 2011, 9:55 am
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Out this week is 'Peep World,' starring Michael C. Hall, Rainn Wilson, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, Judy Greer, Ron Rifkin, Kate Mara, Ben Schwartz, Leslie Ann Warren and Alicia Witt.

What happens to a rich, neurotic family when one of their own writes a tell-all exposing their dirty secrets? The Meyerwitz family is about to find out. And the timing couldn't be more hilariously awful.

As the Meyerwitz clan prepares for the 70th birthday of nasty family patriarch Henry (played by Ron Rifkin), 'Peep World,' the expose written by youngest son Nathan (played by Ben Schwartz) has gone red hot, making a mess of all of their lives. Jack (played by Michael C. Hall), the oldest son, is failing in his career and now has to bend over backwards to convince his wife, Laura (played by Judy Greer), that certain, ahem, salacious events in Nathan's book weren't really committed by him. Sister Cheri (played by Sarah Silverman), a drama queen and struggling actress, can see the Peep World movie set from her window, and grows increasingly enraged watching a more successful actress play a horribly unflattering version of her. Her solution: sue her younger brother for libel.

Meanwhile, black sheep Joel (played by Rainn Wilson), a disaster in slow motion, plots to turn his life around at his family's expense, and Marilyn (played by Lesley Ann Warren), the children's mother, long-divorced from Henry, still carries a torch for her ex, one that's only inflamed further by the revelations in Peep World. For his part, the now-famous Nathan cluelessly wonders what the fuss is all about and basks in his success, much to the annoyance of all around him.

Over the course of 24 hours, this group of likable and unlikable misfits will summon their courage to come together for the family dinner they'll never forget.

Henson plays a corrections officer who falls in with Rainn Wilson's character.

Also out in theaters is Zack Snyder's 'Sucker Punch,' which stars Emily Browning, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Carla Gugino, Jon Hamm, Oscar Isaac and Scott Glenn.

'Sucker Punch' is an epic action fantasy that takes us into the vivid imagination of a young girl whose dream world provides the ultimate escape from her darker reality. Unrestrained by the boundaries of time and place, she is free to go where her mind takes her, and her incredible adventures blur the lines between what's real and what is imaginary.

She has been locked away against her will, but Babydoll (Emily Browning) has not lost her will to survive. Determined to fight for her freedom, she urges four other young girls -- the outspoken Rocket (Jena Malone), the street-smart Blondie (Vanessa Hudgens), the fiercely loyal Amber (Jamie Chung) and the reluctant Sweet Pea (Abbie Cornish) -- to band together and try to escape their terrible fate at the hands of their captors, Blue (Oscar Isaac), Madam Gorski (Carla Gugino) and the High Roller (Jon Hamm).

Led by Babydoll, the girls engage in fantastical warfare against everything from samurais to serpents, with a virtual arsenal at their disposal. Together, they must decide what they are willing to sacrifice in order to stay alive. But with the help of a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), their unbelievable journey -- if they succeed -- will set them free.

Out on DVD is the urban thriller 'ConSINsual,' starring Keena Ferguson and Siaka Massaquoi.

When a faithful husband compromises his own moral principles to satisfy his wife's perverse sexual appetite, it sets into motion a dangerous and potentially deadly sequence of events in this "must-see film."

Terrence Moore (Massaquoi) a successful chef and faithful husband, goes to the extreme to please his wife's (Ferguson) sexually inquisitive desires. What follows is a dense web of lust and manipulation as he is falsely accused of rape and may pay the ultimate price. Is it a crime? Or is it just a dirty little game of cat and mouse?

Directed by Paul D. Hannah, the film also stars Kathryn Taylor and Alexis Zibolis.

 

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Survey: 74% of African Americans Think the NCAA Is Racist

March 23, 2011, 10:07 am
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In a survey taken by yourblackworld.com, 74% of the black respondents said that the NCAA's policy of giving financial compensation to coaches and administrators and not compensating athletes is racist. The survey asks the following question:

"Given that most of the NCAA coaches and commentators who earn millions are white and most of the top athletes in revenue-generating sports are black, does racism play a role in the disparity in compensation?"

The majority of the respondents chose the answer that "Yes, the NCAA's policies are racially biased in favor of whites." The other options were "No, the disparity has nothing to do with racism" and "I'm not sure." Roughly 15% of the respondents said that the pay disparities have nothing to do with racism.

The survey is telling in that many, including former University of Michigan basketball star Jalen Rose, have criticized the NCAA's compensation policies. The NCAA, during March Madness, collects more advertising revenue than the post seasons of both the NBA Major League Baseball. All the while, many of the athletes, a large percentage of whom are black, have families in poverty. A large number of NCAA basketball coaches earn well over $1 million dollars per year, and often receive signing bonuses as a result of the play of athletes.

John Calipari at the University of Kentucky, for example, signed an eight-year, $32 million contract during a time that the university was experiencing significant budget cuts in faculty pay and student services. Calipari makes his money from the labor of his top players, most of whom are black. The same business model is used all throughout the United States, as the NCAA is allowed to skirt around anti-trust and labor laws in order to engage in a form of black wealth extraction that would be unimaginable anywhere other than a communist country.

Making matters more interesting is that there is very little congressional oversight of NCAA activities, allowing the league to create rules that severely punish players and their families if they are caught being paid for their services. The rules are analogous to the laws that once punished slaves for learning how to read, or blacks who wanted to attend the same schools as whites. The comparison is accurate because many might logically wonder why it should be illegal for an American citizen to be compensated for his/her labor in a free and fair market. Additionally, the NCAA's consistent exclusion of African Americans from coaching positions creates a form of unspoken academic and athletic apartheid that leaves black families disproportionately harmed.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan and NAACP President Ben Jealous have spoken about the disparities in graduation rates between white and black players. Additionally, civil rights and labor leaders are starting to take note of the NCAA's practices. What's most important is that the parents of the young men being used by the NCAA cartel make themselves aware of how the system works. It's a sad state of affairs in academia when making money becomes more important than educating our children. But that's exactly what is happening with the NCAA.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.

 

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Chic Or Weak? Meagan Good's Rocker Look

March 23, 2011, 10:34 am
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Meagan Good's really taking her new rocker trend seriously, and we admire her ability to develop a new style and stick with it. But is last night's out-and-about look over-trendy or just right?


The actress was seen out on the street in ripped jeans, black leather jacket, suspenders, low-heeled combat boots, black distressed tank, small LV clutch and single dangly earring.

Should she keep up her new look or stick with one key piece for each outfit?

Tell us: Is Meagan's look chic or weak?

 

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Barry Bonds' Perjury Trial Begins

March 23, 2011, 10:45 am
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The Trial of Barry Bonds Begins

The Barry Bonds perjury trial has begun, and if you're anything like me, you're glad that this nonsense will soon reach its merciful end. In these dire times, doesn't our federal government have more pressing concerns than prosecuting a former baseball great who, more than likely, knowingly took steroids and lied about it?

The Bay Area Laboratory Co-Operative (BALCO) investigation and Bonds, at this point, are like Milli Vanilli. No one really cares anymore. Whatever punishment the judge doles out will not compare to the fact that the man, who should've been one of baseball's immortals, will forever be a punch line in the court of public opinion.

During the trial, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Parrella, called BALCO founder Victor Conte, Bonds' personal trainer, Greg Anderson, and Bonds "the three Musketeers of BALCO."

Anderson repeated his long-standing refusal to testify against his childhood friend and was held in civil contempt of court, taken into custody by U.S. Marshals and escorted out a backdoor.

According to the AP, this will be his fourth time in prison, his third for refusing to testify against Bonds, and he likely will be held until the end of the trial. The case is expected to last about a month.

Anderson also served three months in prison and three months in home confinement for money laundering and steroids distribution from the original BALCO case. Anderson's plea in that instance happened in 2005. Bonds' trial is the last to stem from the BALCO investigation.



Anderson was the go-between for Bonds in his contact with BALCO, and without his testimony to authenticate that contact, the judge excluded what the government said were three positive drug tests performed for the lab. Because Anderson isn't testifying, the government will have a harder time proving the charges in Bonds' indictment, which includes four counts of making false statements to the grand jury and one count of obstruction.

The AP also reports that the government's star witness, Steve Hoskins, has testified that he saw Bonds and Anderson leaving Bonds' spring training bedroom with a syringe and assumed that Anderson had injected the player with steroids. He testified that he saw the two disappear into Bonds' room "once or twice" at each spring training over three consecutive years beginning in 2000.

Hoskins said today that he was a childhood friend of Bonds' and traveled with the slugger as an assistant between 1999 and 2003. Hoskins testified that Bonds' significant weight gain began to concern him so much that he secretly recorded a conversation with the trainer about steroids so he could convince Bonds' father, Bobby Bonds, that his son was using the drugs.

But that may not be enough. Bonds insists that he thought he was getting injections of "flaxseed oil" and "arthritic cream."

Like Bonds, I always forget to ask my doctor just what's in that needle before I get injected. We all know the truth, but isn't it just a tad hypocritical to condemn Barry Bonds for taking performance-enhancement drugs, when you can't watch a football game without being inundated with ads for Cialis and Viagra and you can't flip through People magazine in the grocery store checkout line without being flooded by images of insecure, rich people with all types of plastic surgery and bodily implants?

If he's found guilty of lying to a grand jury, by all means, give him his due punishment. As for the details and prime-time press coverage, I'd rather do without. If we really insist on wasting precious government resources, my vote goes to locking up Charlie Sheen's crazy behind for something.

Now, that would be a real accomplishment.


 

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Duke's Bourgeoisie & the Fab Five Thugs

March 23, 2011, 3:21 pm
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Jalen Rose


No one wants to be called an Uncle Tom. Targeted at middle- or upper-class African Americans, it's nearly the same as a slur -- right up there with the "N" word. Uncle Tom means that you've bought into the establishment and are not looking back to the folks who helped you get there. Being called an Uncle Tom means that you're not really black or, perhaps worse, that you don't want to be.

Jalen Rose, a retired NBA and college basketball star, executive produced a brilliant documentary on Michigan's Fab Five, who were arguably the most talented freshman class in college basketball history. They were all great players who came from humble beginnings and brought a swagger to college basketball that we have rarely seen since.

In the documentary, a then 18-year-old Jalen Rose expressed his impression that most of Duke University's black players, who, at the time, included Grant Hill, were Uncle Toms. Rose's statement led to a firestorm of criticism, and incited an angry New York Times Op-Ed response from Hill.
Rose, now older and wiser, has defended his comments as those made by his teenage self -- a young black boy who loved basketball and knew he would never be recruited by Duke. Hill, however, responded to Rose's comments as if he made them the other day, imposing that Rose's remarks were a direct insult to his family, and a dismissal of the accomplishments made by Duke's black basketball-playing alumni. Hill closed his Op-Ed piece by unnecessarily pointing out that while he was on the team, Duke never lost to the Fab Five.
Now, with all due respect to Grant Hill, the black bourgeoisie, the black man who invented the toilet bowl and the glory of Duke University, brother missed the point. His knee-jerk reaction was, understandably, to defend himself, his family and his blackness -- but perhaps he should have asked himself why so many people loved the Fab Five, and what they represented.

As an 18-year-old undergrad, Rose was trying to express the fact that, as an inner-city kid, who, although perhaps unable to articulate it at the time, he felt alienated because he was poor and black. Kids from the hood develop swagger and attitude because 1) they have an innate poetry as a people (kind of like the Irish); and 2) it works really well as a defense mechanism against ongoing societal judgment -- the same kind of judgment that assumed the Williams sisters didn't talk to the other (white) female tennis players because they thought they were better players. When, in reality, they were two young, working-class, teenage black girls used to playing on broken tennis courts in South Central L.A., who were thrust into the predominantly white world of professional tennis with an overly ambitious father pushing them to work harder. So they developed thick skins. Read: attitude.

What is so compelling about the Fab Five is that these young black men left their fear behind to charge on to the world stage without apology. They were young brothers who stayed true to their roots and still became successful in the mainstream.

There are plenty of people who don't like Duke for the same reasons that prompted Rose's comments in the documentary -- it is widely perceived that Duke doesn't recruit a certain kind of black player; they don't go into the hood to find diamonds in the rough, like Michigan and Georgetown did in the '80s. They mostly recruit players like Grant Hill and Tommy Amaker, who come from privileged backgrounds and are likely to be successful in whatever field they pursue.

Duke is a private institution and has the right to do whatever it wants to do. Hell, as far as sports teams go, the Yankees spend more money than any other team on the planet. But people call Duke elitist because, for many people, they represent a system that prefers to keep the grittier players like Jalen Rose in the margins. But what Grant Hill failed to clarify, at a crucial moment when he had the opportunity to do so, is that if we don't address the issue of class division within the black community, we're just perpetuating the notion that the black bourgeois are somehow morally better than common black folk.

For every Jalen Rose who makes it, there are 10 others like him who don't. And some don't make it because of their individual choices, but more don't make it because of a pervasive and elitist attitude that continues to alienate and disenfranchise young black men in America. The only way to combat this issue is to engage in honest and thorough discussions about what's really going on -- Grant Hill didn't do that with his response in the New York Times.

The first casualty of elitism is compassion. Sadly, as intelligent, well-raised and well-read as Grant Hill is, he's still unable to see outside of his own world.

 

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Q&A: Designer Alexander Amosu

March 23, 2011, 11:00 pm
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When the word "luxury" is mentioned, brands like Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent often come to mind. These European labels have been the precedent for years. But African designer Alexander Amosu is setting a new standard with his collection of luxury goods that range from gold iPhones to his bespoke suits and shirts.

BV on Style sat with the designer minutes after his runway show during ARISE Magazine Fashion Week to talk fashion, working with Alicia Keys and African style.


BLACK VOICES: Your long list of accomplishments is inspiring and intimidating all at the same time, especially for someone your age - congratulations!

ALEXANDER AMOSU: (Laughs)Thank you very much!

BV: As far as your array into fashion, what inspired that? Why did you decide to make it your next project after everything you've already done?

AA: Well, really, it was about trying to create something different, something that was going to challenge me a little bit more, something that will have longevity in the fashion industry - but not just the fashion industry. It was about creating a luxury brand that can compete on the same level as Louis Vuitton and Versace. That's what my goal is, and I'm looking forward to taking on that challenge.

BV: Your client is obviously someone who enjoys high-end goods, but that's not what you're all about. You're also involved in a lot of charities. You designed the Key of Life charm, and Keep a Child Alive is the organization benefiting from the sale of them. How did you get involved with them?

AA: Charity has always been a passion of mine. Any way I can contribute to help raise money makes me feel good, and one of the key things I spoke to Alicia Keys about when we discussed me making the key was my need to design something people would be able to buy and, at the same time, be able to help people.

That was very important to me when creating the key. Alicia bought number one and Queen Latifah bought number two. And all the money from the sales goes toward saving lives. It's always a great feeling when you help people out.
BV: The launch of your jewelry and accessories collection is in June; will other charities have an opportunity to work with you?

AA: Absolutely.

BV: Are there any specific charities you plan on working with next?

AA: Any charity I can help out that's in line with what my vision is for philanthropy, I'd love to help out.

BV: What can you tell us about the AA Trust?

AA: The AA Trust is something I've been putting together for a while now. Our goal is to encourage and help entrepreneurs in Africa who don't have funding to start their businesses and enable them to grow. There are a lot of entrepreneurial individuals in Africa, and in general, that just don't have that basic capital needed, so we hope to fill that gap.

BV: You're targeting people between the ages of 16 and 27 to help them start their businesses. Aren't you starting a mentor service?

AA: I am, yes. I hope by the end of the year to have that up and running and build that up.

BV: Great! Now - going back to fashion, you're a fantastic designer and dresser. You have great style!

AA: Thank you (laughs)!
BV: You're welcome! Not everyone thinks of style when they think of Africans; most headlines are more on the negative side. What would you like people to know about Africans and style?

AA: I think African designers are ready to show the world that we're a force to be reckoned with on a global scale. We've been growing the brand for a long time. For me, my message out there for anyone who's trying to make their dream a reality is to understand that there are always going to be obstacles. It's a fact of life; deal with it.

If you already know you're going to hit a brick wall on the way and you're already prepared for it, you know you're going to walk around it, climb over it, dig your way underneath it or break it down, but you're going to get through. At least you have to try and make the effort.

BV: That's a great motto for life!

AA: Thank you!

To learn more about Alexander Amosu's work, check out his website www.alexanderamosu.co.uk

What do you think of Amosu's collection? Tell us!

 

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School Board Member Revisits 'N***er Heaven'

March 24, 2011, 3:58 am
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Ann Murray, Nigger Heaven


The public school system in Broward County was thrust into the limelight earlier this month, after video surfaced of 29-year-old Ticora Daniels slapping a 7-year-old boy's hand from his mouth, because he allegedly struck her daughter on a school bus.

Now, the ignorant and racist statements of school board member Ann Murray (pictured below) will ensure that Broward County stays in the news for quite some time.

In 2007, Murray, at the time a bus terminal supervisor, told her colleagues, which included three African-American bus drivers, that she was forced to sit in "n**ger heaven" while attending a Bills game:

"Do you remember when a group of us from transportation came down to watch a Bills game, she asked fellow supervisor Lisa Spince. "Yeah, they had us up in n**er heaven. You know, way up at the top of the stadium.''

One of the bus drivers, Markeia Funchess, filed a complaint with the board's Equal Educational Opportunities Department, in spite of receiving a phony apology from Murray.

According to the Miami Herald, Funchess said Murray referred to it as the "n**ger bleed section,'' then apologized and said, "I forgot the company that I was in.'' In a statement, Murray issued another apology:

"In 2007, I used a word I should have never used,'' Murray wrote. " "Minutes after saying it, I apologized to my co-workers and subordinates. Eventually, I received a very strong reprimand from my supervisor. To this day, I have the deepest regret for the incident and the pain I may have caused others. I ask the African-American community and all communities who suffer with the ugliness of bigotry to accept my sincerest apology. I pray for healing and forgiveness from those I have offended as we move toward a new chapter and forever close the old.''

School Board Member Ann Murray Revisits 'N***er Heaven'


If Funchess's account is correct, "I forgot the company that I was in" can hardly be considered "deepest regret." It sounds like the instinctive reaction of a spineless bigot who forgot the target of her ingrained prejudice was within earshot.

During a school board meeting, where ethics and leadership were called in to question because two school board members were arrested for bribery and official misconduct, Freda Stevens, vice president of the Democratic Black Caucus, called for Murray's resignation, saying that her apology came "too late":

"If I didn't call her out, she never would have apologized,'' said Stevens. "She is just trying to save her political career.''

Her career may need saving from more than her Klan-ish tendencies.

According to the Palm Beach/Broward County New Times, after Murray's election to the school board, she "quickly cozied up to the special-interest campaign contributors [that] she claimed she would fight... and hasn't reformed a thing."

But that doesn't stop Broward County from protecting their own, and on Monday, Broward Superintendent Jim Notter made it clear how ineffective Murray's punishment was:

"[The reprimand] went in her personnel file and that was basically the end.''

While racist statements, such as the ones uttered by Murray, come a dime a dozen, when you look at the incident in a broader sense, this incident bothers me more than most.

Why?

Because it highlights not just racism, but the systemic classism that our black students in Broward County are forced to endure.

When turning the microscope on the county that was instrumental to the high-jacking of the presidential election in 2000 and where the dropout rate of African-American students is double that of white students, even though the population is 20.5 percent and 58 percent, respectively, what quickly becomes evident is that there is a culture of clinging to manufactured entitlement in this county that did not die with slavery.

As a young girl in Mississippi, I remember listening to my elders reminisce about the "Buzzards Roost," the "Coloreds Only" balcony seating at the old Clarke Theater. Under the cover of anonymity, their classmates would throw popcorn down on the heads of white moviegoers. During those days, where blacks sat was patronizingly coined "heaven" because we were considered lucky to even be allowed into the theater.

So while it comes as no surprise that this incident was regarded as something so small that it warranted nothing more than a "written reprimand," what is troubling is the nonchalant way in which Murray introduced Jim Crow-era racism into the conversation.

Like it was second nature.

This woman was not only allowed to keep her job in 2007, but to subsequently become a member of a local governing body whose sole purpose is to represent the public and ensure our children receive the best education possible.

Her insensitive statements show just how little respect she has for the public she's supposed to serve, and if nothing more than a written reprimand is given, Broward County will once again prove why they are considered a safe haven for cronyism and corruption, and no apology can ever heal that.

 

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James Mandarino: Police Officer Found Guilty of Beating Motorist at Traffic Stop

March 24, 2011, 4:26 am
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James Mandarino: Police Officer Found Guilty of Beating Motorist at Traffic Stop

James Mandarino, an officer with the Streamwood Police Force in Illinois, was convicted this week by a judge who watched his videotaped beating of a motorist. He was found guilty of aggravated battery and official misconduct.

"Any rational analysis [of the video] will show that the conduct of the defendant was wrong, just plain wrong, unprovoked, unnecessary and unacceptable," said Cook County Circuit Judge Thomas Fecarotta Jr.

In the video, Mandarino is seen hitting Ronald Bell (pictured) several times with a metal baton. Mandarino had originally followed Bell to the home of his brother, when he asked Bell to get out of the car. During the 15 strikes of the baton to Bell's face and body, it appears that Bell is trying to cooperate with the officer and he is also unarmed.

Stacey Bell, Ronald's brother, made the point that every officer's car should be equipped with a dash cam, because if his brother had not been recorded during the incident, it would have been his word against the officer's. As a result of the conviction, Mandarino could get either probation or up to five years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for April 25.

Mandarino's attorneys are attempting to argue that the officer followed procedure and that Bell was stopped because he and his passenger appeared to be intoxicated. He also claims that both men acted aggressively. Bell and his passenger, Nolan Stalbum, deny the allegations.

Even though the judge believes that the passenger and driver were both drunk, he still thinks that Mandarino crossed the line:

"But if a picture speaks a thousand words, the video speaks a million," he said.

The James Mandarino beating of Ronald Bell says a great deal about where we stand as it pertains to the police treatment of American citizens. Currently, the state has a tremendous amount of power to abuse and disrespect people, even when they've done nothing wrong. I've seen people go to jail after simply asking the officer a question. Countless citizens have been beaten, shot or incarcerated in incidents that could have easily been avoided.

The recent police tasering of Jonathan Zimmerman in New York is a perfect case in point. Zimmerman was simply sitting in his car with a woman, when an officer decided to confront him, asking him to get out of the car. While Zimmerman was double parked, there was no reason for the officer to do anything other than write him a ticket.

As a result of Zimmerman simply speaking back to the officer and asking why he was being harassed, he ended up having to have taser prods surgically removed from his back.

The point in the Zimmerman case, as well as the case of Ronald Bell, is that simply coming into contact with the police can be hazardous to your health. It can also jeopardize your freedom. Given that black men are more likely to be stopped and searched by police, we are also the ones who are most likely to be either harmed or killed by the hands of an officer.

People in wealthy communities also commit crime, and if they were subject to the same degree of police scrutiny, they, too, would find themselves behind bars more often. Many charges placed on innocent people are simply the result of their interaction with the officer -- and nothing else.

A quick point to also be made is that the administrative officials who took Mandarino to task for his behavior should be applauded. Good officers are harmed by police misconduct as much as the rest of us. Therefore, we all have an incentive to get bad cops off the street, and I am glad they were diligent enough to secure a conviction.

Watch Ronald Bell's beating here:



Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.

 

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Was Chris Brown's Tirade a Publicity Stunt to Sell More Records?

March 24, 2011, 5:56 am
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I spent yesterday a bit disappointed with entertainer Chris Brown after his alleged tirade on 'Good Morning America.' After being one of the few voices defending Chris Brown on CNN a couple of years ago, I quietly wondered if I was wrong about him. It's not that I thought Chris Brown was a good man. It's that I saw him as a 19-year-old kid who was not beyond redemption. America has a nasty habit of destroying the lives of young black men when they make mistakes at an early age.

My mind tried to wrap itself around the Chris Brown/'Good Morning America' incident. I figured that Chris would be on his way to jail, given that busting out a window is not exactly legal and nearly any decision to break the law amounts to a parole violation. But I saw and heard almost nothing indicating that Chris was going to experience any significant legal consequence from his behavior.

Throughout the day, there were reports of Chris going in and out of museums, hanging out with his girlfriend, eating at fancy restaurants, etc. I saw nothing about him heading to jail in handcuffs, meeting with his lawyers or hiding out in an unsecured location. Those were the kinds of things Chris might have been doing when he initially attacked the singer Rihanna two years ago, but that was hardly his demeanor in New York City.

I then made a few other interesting observations about the Chris Brown/'Good Morning America' incident. After Chris busted out the window and yelled at the top of his lungs about his anger over the interview, he tore off his shirt and stormed out of the building. Okay, is it just me, or does it seem odd that a person would take their shirt off right before walking out into the middle of Manhattan in 40-degree weather, right as the police and media are about to converge on him?

What better way to sell your new record than to have every media outlet in the country taking pictures of you without your shirt on? Sorry, Chris, but I don't believe your tirade was real. Personally, I think it was a hoax. Meagan Morris at Sheknows.com also agrees. Morris noted that Kanye West did effectively the same thing by having a meltdown on The Today Show after being asked about the "Taylor Swift incident" at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2009. Oh yeah, West also happened to have his melt down right before his album was released. Funny how these things work.

The stunt likely worked for Mr. Brown. His album already possesses several hit songs and the 'Good Morning America' incident got his name in the headlines. Additionally, going off the handle in public like this firmly secures Chris in his new bad boy image, which allows him to actually make a profit off the fact that so many people consider him to be a menace to society. He is now performing with more hip-hop artists than ever before, and one of his songs, 'Look at Me Now,' features the ultimate bad boy, Lil Wayne.

It appears that the bad boy thing is working for Chris and he is rising back to the top. His first alleged stunt -- crying when performing on the BET Awards -- didn't go so well. The truth is that most of us are simply puppets to the whims of ego-maniacal celebrities and their managers. Entertainment is a business, and the bottom line is that's all that matters. So media attention by any means necessary almost always amounts to profitability.

As for me, I'm done trying to defend Chris Brown. He seems to have embraced the concept of "thugism." Perhaps Lil Wayne is his new role model, but I hope Chris realizes the consequences of courting attention at all costs. This may not end well for him.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your e-mail, please click here. To follow Dr. Boyce on Facebook, please click here.

 

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Michelle Obama on the Affordable Care Act, One Year Later

March 24, 2011, 6:18 am
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Michelle Obama on the Affordable Care Act, One Year Later


I want to share with you a personal story in the hopes that it encourages you to get the most out of your doctor visits for your children.

A few years ago as a working mom, I had the best intentions to feed my kids healthy food on a budget, knowing that sometimes pizza or the drive-thru were inevitable. But I was surprised when my pediatrician pulled me aside during an annual well-child visit and told me we needed to start paying better attention to what we were feeding our girls.

They were younger at the time. They were active and growing, with a healthy sense of themselves, which Barack and I have always encouraged. But our doctor told me that their BMIs were creeping upwards. Now to be honest, I didn't really know what BMI was. And I certainly didn't know that even a small increase in BMI can have serious consequences for a child's health. So I'm grateful my pediatrician was there to help. He explained that BMI, or Body Mass Index, is a way of gauging whether or not your child is within a healthy weight range for his or her height, age and growth pattern. A percentage too low may indicate hunger and poor nutrition, and a percentage too high can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other health issues. I was fortunate that our pediatrician was paying attention to the trends of childhood obesity, because I never would have known to ask for a screening on my own.

This information is now within reach for you and your family too -- you just have to ask for it. Last year, my husband signed the Affordable Care Act, which required new insurance plans to cover preventive services like BMI screenings without any kind of deductible, co-pay or co-insurance. So today, most of you can get your child's BMI screened without paying a penny out of pocket.

As parents, you will also benefit from the new law. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, preventive services like mammograms, colonoscopies, cervical screenings and treatment for high blood pressure are available in new plans without any out of pocket costs. We know that these kinds of preventive services will go a long way in preventing chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and high-blood pressure, which touch the lives of millions of Americans. These diseases also consume over 75 percent of the health care spending in our country. Increasing access to preventive care will keep us all healthier and save money.

And by making it easier for women to get mammograms, the Affordable Care Act will help women with breast cancer catch the disease in the early stages. We know that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. The Affordable Care Act will help prolong women's lives while we search for a cure.

So I encourage you to talk to your child's pediatrician and your doctor. Ask for a BMI screening so that you can catch any problems early on. Make sure you're getting the care you need to stay healthy yourself and stop health problems before they become emergencies. Together we'll all stay healthier and raise a generation of happy, healthy kids.

 

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Forbes Names The Best Cities for Minority Entrepreneurs

March 24, 2011, 7:45 am
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Forbes Magazine recently published their top 52 metro areas for minority entrepreneurs. According to a recent study, immigrants were the fastest growing group of new business owners, more than doubling their numbers from 1996. Interestingly enough, most of their growth are in areas that have huge African American populations.

"In Atlanta, where half the residents are African American, a host of Hispanic and Asian entrepreneurs have set up shop over the last decade. Atlanta now boasts the second-highest percentage of self-employed minorities among the top 52 metropolitan areas with populations greater than 1 million."

Does Forbes' list point to the African American communities' inability to serve their own? See their full list here




 

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Oakland's Hidden Black History Gem

March 24, 2011, 7:50 am
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From The San Francisco Chronicle: In an almost inconspicuous building on the corner of Martin Luther King and 14th Street in downtown Oakland, lies an often overlooked gem - the African American Museum and Library of Oakland, or AAMLO.

Along with art installations AAMLO also has an in depth archive of Oakland's African American history. The archives serve as a research center of African-American history for schools, educators, researchers, Ph.D. students and anyone with an interest in Oakland's history. It is mostly collections of books, photos and oral history from early black pioneers going back as far as the Spanish Inquisition. Also to be found are stories, documentaries and even music from Oakland's early residents and families.
Learn more about this museum and how you can support their efforts at The San Francisco Chronicle

 

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Baltimore Mayor Leads Citywide Fight Against Breast Cancer

March 24, 2011, 7:55 am
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Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-BlakeFrom Baltimore ABC2: This coming weekend is a special event in the Baltimore region. It is called "The Many Faces of Cancer" and it focuses on cancer; in particular in the the African American community.

It is an issue close to the heart of Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake who appeared on Good Morning Maryland @ 9 Thursday to talk about it.

See her full interview and get details on this weekend's campaign at Baltimore's ABC2

 

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Author, Mat Johnson, Tackles Poe's Racial Politics in 'Pym'

March 24, 2011, 7:55 am
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From NPR: If all you think of when you think of Edgar Allan Poe are poems like "The Raven," or tales of terror like "The Fall of the House of Usher," you might not realize that Poe was a funny guy. I'm not talking belly laughs, but more a creepy comic vision that savored the absurd in desperate situations - like an annoying corpse whose darn heart just won't stop thumping; or - spoiler alert! - a whodunit where the killer turns out to be an orangutan. It's this strain of ghastly humor in Poe that Mat Johnson mines in his new novel, Pym, an inventive and socially sassy play on Poe's one and only novel: The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket.





Hear more about this book and Mat Johnson, the author, at NPR

 

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