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Michael Jackson's Alleged Love Child Shot Down in Court

September 7, 2010, 8:17 am
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Michael Jackson's Alleged Love Child Shot Down in Court


Mocienne Petit Jackson (pictured middle), a woman who claimed to be the love child of pop icon Michael Jackson and Dr. Barbara Ross-Lee (pictured left), sister of Diana Ross, was denied a DNA test.

An L.A. county superior court judge ruled that the Norwegian-born woman could not obtain permission to determine whether Michael was in fact her father and was also denied custody of her three siblings and a portion of the megastar's inheritance.

Jackson had filed court papers back in July, hell-bent on proving that the entertainer was her dad, and that Dr. Ross had given birth to her only to have her kidnapped at the age of 9 in a twisted plot that was devised by Jackson matriarch, Katherine.

According to 35-year-old Jackson, all of this was done to protect a then-17-year-old Michael's growing fame and popularity. Jackson even when on to insist that there were seven co-conspirators involved in the plot.

Dr. Ross-Lee, who said that she has never even met Michael, has publicly denied Jackson's claims, calling her "delusional" and the situation "bizarre."

In her claims, Jackson petitioned for custody of Michael's three children and requested that a portion of his estate be awarded to her. And to add icing on the cake, she said that she, too, suffered from the very same skin condition that afflicted her alleged dad, vitiligo.

Now that the court has ruled, though, Jackson's allegations will never fall upon the ears of a jury.



 

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Sagging Pants Now a Crime in Ga. Town

September 7, 2010, 8:36 am
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Georgia mayor to sign baggy pants ban


As someone older than the age of 40, I can sympathize with Mayor Phil Best (pictured above) of Dublin, Ga. The sight of young brothers walking around with their pants falling off their behinds makes me cringe.

I'm not sure why. There are plenty of terrible fashion statements being made out there by big-money celebrities on red carpets and mall-rat wannabes around the block.

But there is something about those falling pants and the exposed boxers that scream ignorance.

Even still, I question Mayor Best's decision of making saggin' an indecent exposure crime that could get violators a fine of $200.

While I agree that something needs to make these young men pull up their pants, making sagging a crime troubles me.





The law would prohibit the wearing of pants or skirts more than three inches below the top of the hips, exposing the skin or undergarments.

Police will be left to enforce the law, so are they supposed to run around high school parking lots with tape measures in hand looking for violators of the three-inch rule?

I'm sure city officials hope that a simple warning for kids to pull up their pants will be sufficient, but we all know that there will be at least one kid (and likely more) who will push the law to its constitutional breaking point by getting arrested and fighting the ticket in court.

And he may win.



It's hard to see how the law would stand up to judicial scrutiny. Can't you just see the ACLU jumping in with its high-priced lawyers, defending a kids right to sag? Give me a break.

Some people are already complaining that the law will be used to target young black males. Well, a quick visit to just about any mall will tell you that young white males model just about everything they see from their black counterparts, including saggin'. So it's up to the community to make sure that young black boys aren't the only ones getting pinched for this infraction.

I'm not sure how this will turn out on the streets or in the courts, but I applaud Mayor Best for at least attempting to get the pants of young boys back where they belong -- on their behinds.



 

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$1.5 Billion for Wealthy Arkansas Farmers; Nothing for Black Farmers

September 7, 2010, 8:57 am
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From The Root:

Apparently, the votes of white farmers in a key state trump the USDA's settlement of long-standing discrimination complaints -- especially in an election year.

The ire that black farmers and their advocates are currently feeling has two targets: the Senate's failure to vote the money to complete the farmers' settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and President Obama's recent generous offer to white Arkansas farmers. Both examples of political expediency are bitter reminders of black farmers' second-class status.

For five months, the Senate has blocked passage of legislation that contains money to fund the USDA's $1.25 billion settlement of the second bias suit lodged by black farmers. The agreement, called Pigford II, is supposed to redress past USDA racial discrimination cases.

In 1997 Pigford I, the first USDA settlement, provided 13,000 farmers with $50,000 each and debt relief. Timothy Pigford, a North Carolina farmer, and 400 other African Americans had filed a class-action suit against the USDA, alleging bias in allocation of farm loans and assistance. For decades their complaints were ignored or got a slow response. Pigford II occurred after the USDA admitted that thousands of other black farmers' claims from the 1990s went uninvestigated.

John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, says that bills to fund the settlement have failed seven times in the Senate, and a black-farmer attachment was taken out of the recent farm-aid disaster bill. "We have been working on our restitution for 26 years," Boyd says.

Related:
+ Black Farmers Face Financial Famine Waiting For USDA Settlement
+ Black Farmers Still Waiting to be Compensated for Racism

In August alone, Senate Republicans blocked the settlement twice. Gary R. Grant, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, asks, "Don't these legislators in states suffering economically know the money will boost the income in their state?"

Read the rest of the story on TheRoot.com.


 

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President Obama unveils $50 billion road, rail plan

September 7, 2010, 9:10 am
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President Obama unveils $50 billion road, rail plan

President Barack Obama's plan to spend $50 billion to renovate roads, railways and airport runways sounds like a great plan to improve this country's crumbling transportation infrastructure while providing jobs for hundreds of thousands of unemployed Americans.

Too bad it won't ever see the light of day unless Americans question the sudden urge of some politicians to be fiscal conservatives.

The AP writes:

Administration officials said the transportation plan's initial $50 billion would be the beginning of a six-year program of transportation improvements, but they did not give an overall figure. The proposal has a longer-range focus than last year's economic stimulus bill, which was more targeted on immediate job creation.

The plan calls for rebuilding 150,000 miles of roads; building and maintaining 4,000 miles of rail lines and 150 miles of airport runways, and installing a new air navigation system to reduce travel times and delays. Obama also called for a permanent funding mechanism, an infrastructure bank, to focus on paying for national and regional infrastructure projects. Officials provided few details of how the bank would work.

As several devastating accidents show, this country's transportation infrastructure is crumbling before our eyes. Witness the 2007collapse of the I-35 W bridge in Minnesota.

According to the Pew Research Center, one in four of this country's 600,000 bridges need major repair or are carrying more traffic than they are supposed to, and a third of our major roadways are in substandard condition.

And have you taken a flight recently and sat on the runway for an hour or more? Our airports are filling to capacity while the air traffic controllers tasked with averting mid-air collisions are working with equipment from the 1970s.

"It's a plan that says, even in the aftermath of the worst recession in our lifetimes, America can still shape our own destiny, we can still move this country forward, we can still leave our children something better - something that lasts," the president said in a Labor Day speech in Milwaukee.

But Republicans are already criticizing the plan, saying America doesn't have the money to spend.


Check out the predictable responses from Senate and House Republican leaders:

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said the plan "should be met with justifiable skepticism." He said it would raise taxes while Americans are "still looking for the 'shovel-ready' jobs they were promised more than a year ago" in the $814 billion economic stimulus measure. The House Republican leader, John Boehner of Ohio, added "We don't need more government 'stimulus' spending. We need to end Washington Democrats' out-of-control spending spree, stop their tax hikes, and create jobs by eliminating the job-killing uncertainty that is hampering our small businesses."

These comments are crazy, especially coming from Republicans, who are seeking to preserve tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and companies, who are profitable and flush with cash. These companies have not even begun the hiring that could improve our overall economic well-being.

A frustrated Obama let his guard down for a moment and said:

"They talk about me like a dog."

And then he attacked Republicans for criticizing every proposal without presenting viable alternatives.

The Republican slogan should be "No, we can't," Obama said. "If I said fish live in the sea, they'd say no."

He's right, and comments from the president aren't going to change that.

To me, this isn't even a political issue. Where are the millions of unemployed and underemployed Americans who could benefit from some of these proposals? Where are the Americans who drive these roads and see the terrible conditions? Where are the unemployed construction workers who would like to keep their homes?

Until those people speak up, nothing is going to change.



 

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Oprah Winfrey & Bill T. Jones to Receive Kennedy Center Honor

September 7, 2010, 9:47 am
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When it comes to exemplifying performing arts in American culture, the annual Kennedy Center Honors showcases the lifetime achievements of today's most notable figures.

And this year's list of five honorees doesn't fall short of previous recipients, which includes Johnny Carson, Bruce Springsteen and Robert De Niro.

Today it was announced that President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will be on hand to present awards to Oprah Winfrey, Sir Paul McCartney, Merle Haggard, choreographer Bill T. Jones and lyricist-composer Jerry Herman.

Despite pulling the plug on her 25-year show next year to launch her network, OWN, Winfrey already feels that she has "elevated" her career with her latest accomplishment.

"This feels like an official American citizenship in a very exclusive club of artists and contributors to the nation in a very special way," the media maven revealed to the Washington Post. "It feels like an elevated kind of award, and there aren't many in this category. They look at your work, your life work, who you are as a human being and the spirit of who you are as a human being. Not many honors look at that depth."

For Jones, helming one of the world's leading dance establishments, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company (responsible for choreographing the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and landing a Tony Award for his Broadway musicals 'Spring Awakening' and 'Fela!' was more than enough to qualify for an honor this year at the Kennedy Center Opera House.

The 2010 Kennedy Center Honors takes place Dec. 5 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., and will air on CBS on Dec. 28.

 

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Black Farmer Brings Discrimination Settlement Fight to NYC

September 7, 2010, 11:00 am
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Black Farmers

NEW YORK CITY-- Standing across from the U.S. Court House in lower Manhattan with his work mule named Struggle, John Boyd (pictured above), president of the National Black Farmers Association, urged President Barack Obama to pressure Senators to fund the $1.25 billion settlement of a discrimination lawsuit brought by black farmers almost two decades ago:

"The message for the president is real simple: We appreciate your support but we want you to go a step further and pressure the Senate to call for a vote before the mid-term elections," Boyd told Aol. BlackVoices in an interview. "I think he can push the legislators."

Black farmers successfully sued the federal government and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for blatantly denying them access to low-interest loans and farm subsidies while granting these same benefits to white farmers. When black farmers did receive loans, they were often at a rate higher than those offered to white farmers. Equipment grants and subsidies often came too late and without explanation, as farming is an extremely time sensitive endeavor.

The federal government first settled Pigford v. Glickman in 1999, paying out more than $980 million to 16,000 farmers, but many of the black farmers who were discriminated against were not properly notified or given enough time to join the suit.

As a result, a 2007 farm bill introduced by Obama reopened the settlement and the $1.25-billion figure was agreed upon. But the payment has not made it through the Senate, because it was a part of larger bills that were voted down. The bill, which has passed the House twice but failed seven times in the Senate, is caught up in bipartisan politics, Boyd said. With the mid-term elections coming up, several senators do not want their stance as fiscal conservatives questioned.

If the Senate waits until after midterm elections, there is a chance that there will be a change in leadership, which may mean starting the lobbying process all over and falling to the bottom of the priority list once again.

Meanwhile, Boyd said, black farmers are dying, struggling to maintain their land or losing their family land at an alarming rate to foreclosure:

"I'm preaching too many eulogies and I'm not a preacher. I have to go to these funerals and look at these families knowing they were eligible for this settlement that could have helped them," said Boyd. "These farmers are dying with no resources."

The payment would average out to about $50,000 per farmer. That's not enough to save all of the black farmers now in jeopardy, but it could help some farms survive and allow families to be at least partially compensated for the discrimination they faced.

"This is a half of a loaf," Boyd said about the $1.25 billion settlement. "I'm not saying the settlement is perfect, but give me the half loaf and let me get some resources out there. This money would be going to some of the poorest counties in this country."

The trip to New York City marks one stop in a tour Boyd has taken to bring awareness to the problems facing black farmers. Tuesday's event follows rallies and meeting in North Carolina and Louisiana.

Boyd said he has received support at every stop as Americans become more aware of the plight of black farmers.

"It's discrimination plain and simple," said Kileem Roacher, 32, a Brooklyn, N.Y., resident who recognized Boyd from an appearance on C-Span. "Obama should tell Congress to get this done.

Boyd said there are two solutions to the problem. First, the Obama administration could use administrative funds from the USDA to fund the settlement as was done recently for Blanche Lincoln, a Democratic Senator from Arkansas who recently won a promise of $1.5 billion in disaster aid for farmers in her home state for the loss of crops last year. Lincoln recently survived a runoff and is facing a tough fight for re-election in November.

Many large-scale farms will receive the funds, including payments of anywhere from $100,000 to $800,000 for some agri-businesses.

Boyd said the same solution should be offered for struggling black farmers:

"They find money for AIG, Wall Street or any country with an issue. "Here is the oldest occupation for black people and we cant seem to find the funds," said Boyd.

The other solution is to bring the settlement up for a vote as a standalone bill. Boyd said he has gotten slaps on the back from more senators than he can count, saying they support the payment to black farmers but couldn't vote for it because it authorized some other spending they did not approve of.

"I want a free-standing bill so we can see who support this and who doesn't," said Boyd. "I also want to hear from the president. I don't need much time. Fifteen to 20 minutes should do because black farmers are running out of time."

 

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Director Reggie Rock Bythewood Examines Mike Tyson/ Tupac Closeness In 'One Night In Vegas'

September 7, 2010, 1:30 pm
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Premiering tonight as part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series is the sports documentary, 'One Night in Vegas,' which examines the night of September 7, 1996 when Mike Tyson fought to claim another heavyweight championship and rapper Tupac Shakur was shot shortly after leaving the fight.

Shakur and Tyson were friends, a feeling of kinship linked them as each rose to stardom from poverty only to be thrown in prison. Following Tyson's victory, Shakur and "Iron Mike" were to celebrate at an after party, but the rap star never arrived. Shakur was brutally gunned down later that night, and the scene in Las Vegas quickly turned from would-be celebratory revelry to ill fated and inopportune tragedy.

Director Reggie Bythewood ('Biker Boyz'), with the full cooperation of Mike Tyson, will tell not only the story of that infamous night but of the remarkable friendship between Tyson and Tupac.

Blackvoices caught up with the writer/director as he spoke about working with Tyson and talking about that historic evening. Here are some excerpts from the interview.

What made you think of connecting Mike Tyson to Tupac?

Reggie Rock Bythewood: I think they were already connected. Whenever you think of what happened to Pac you just kind of admittedly go back to, "that happened the night of this Tyson/ Bruce Seldon fight." I think the thing that was surprising is really understanding the depth of their friendship. The last recording session that Pac ever did in life is when he went to a recording booth the day before the Tyson/Seldon fight and recorded a track for his boy Mike. I never really put that together before I started doing this documentary; so all of these discoveries were really just a fresh spin on things.

What was the reason behind the documentary?

RB: Well, first off, let me say that ESPN and producer Damon Bingham sat together and decided that they were going to do this. So they pulled me in. I was coming off of co-writing 'Notorious' and I had been on a previous documentary with Laila Ali. So when I first came into it I must say for myself that I was a little skeptical because I really loved 'Tupac's Resurrection.' That was a great documentary. There was a great Tyson documentary that was out and so I was skeptical as to whether or not there was something different about this night, different about their relationship, about them as individuals that I wanted to say. But one of the things that just started to evolve, number one just as sports fan, was just a really understanding that this was the last night that Mike walked out of the ring a champion and then just kind of investigating, kind of understanding and just in terms of sports history to understand what was going on and was there something that happened on this particular night that might have changed the course of his career. It was just an interesting thing to examine. I think the other thing that was just really interesting that was happening is that I never really set out, even though we have information that people have never heard before I never set out to say, "Hey, this is a fact that you don't know. Hey, this is a fact that you don't know." What it ended up becoming was that it became a character study and what was interesting to me was to hear what Mike was feeling, and what he was thinking when these events happened. It was really interesting for me to hear how they became friends. It was also interesting to see the cast of the characters, if you will, that surrounded themselves around Pac and Mike. Pac had people like Suge Knight around him and he had a special relationship with people like Dr. Maya Angelou. Dr. Maya Angelou came and visited Mike in jail. Just to hear these stories, I suppose part of my job is to hold a mirror up to society, hold the mirror up to Mike and Tupac and reflect in a way that we haven't seen before. I just thought that these stories that came through made it worthwhile for me.

How cooperative was Mike in reliving that night, as well as Tupac's mom?

RB: Mike was cooperative. It was really interesting. He was cooperative. When the cameras were off I would say that he was guarded. For example, we just had a premiere of the film in Harlem. I wanted to do it in Harlem and I wanted to do it in the community center in Harlem and so we did it at this place called The Dwyer Cultural Center. When Mike rolled up I would say that he was a little bit guarded, but when the film was over he stood up in front of the audience and trusted everybody and talked about how moved he was. It was almost like, him standing up that night, like we were seeing a changed person, at least at that moment. So he was cooperative but something happened, just like sometimes as a filmmaker you turn the cameras off and you get things that you wish you got on camera - that wasn't the case with Mike. It was just basically when the cameras were on is when he talked and when he opened up. The other thing I did was that the third day of shooting we went to the Tupac Shakur Center and sat with Sister Afeni and just told her what it is, what we were looking to do with the film and then we just had other people, a gentleman named Jamal Joseph who was a Black Panther back in the day - actually I think Jamal would say that he's still a Black Panther - and had a close relationship with Pac. So it wasn't just sitting there with Mike and just sitting down with Pac's family, but also all the other people that had an interesting perspective on him.

What do you want audiences to remember the most from watching this documentary?

RB: That's interesting. I think that I approach it a little differently. I think the way that I approach is that people are going to get different things from it. What I was not interested in doing at all was doing a documentary that just sensationalized this sort of event. I feel like all the documentaries have done that and I didn't want to do that. What I really wanted to do was not to make any attempts to present them as choir boys and I didn't make any attempt to say that they were bad guys. I just really wanted to do an honest portrayal of who these people were. I think some people have their perspectives challenged in terms of who they think Mike was and who they thought Pac was. But I just think it's an interesting look and a different way to look at it than we've looked at before.

 

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Regina King: Racism, Hollywood and Other People's Money

September 7, 2010, 3:34 pm
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I recently read an open letter written by Regina King, the famous actress who seems to be in every major black film and TV show I can think of. Ms. King is a black female version of Harrison Ford, the kind of actress who has been in more movies than we can name, yet unappreciated for the magnitude of her gifts to the industry.

Regina King's recent challenge to those who hand out little meaningless trophies called Emmy Awards was a very telling reminder that racism knows no boundaries. The Hollywood streets and screens that have been traditionally denied to us as a people continue to be granted to others who have exclusive racial access. Just like during the days of slavery, we do much of the work, but get very little credit.


In her letter, King cites statistics regarding the lack of representation of African Americans among those nominated for Emmy Awards. She also mentions the fact that the nominating committee makes its decisions in a vacuum, with little or no accountability for how the decisions are made. This is the same thing that happens in many of the "Whites Only" corners of power all throughout our country.

One other thing that Regina King's letter to the Emmy nomination committee tells us is that wealth disparities between blacks and whites continue to permeate most of our nation's institutional infrastructure, from corporate America to universities. We are consistently made to be visitors in another person's home, primarily because we do not own the land on which we stand. So, while many African American actors and actresses have done more than enough to earn an Emmy, the truth is that they are usually going to be last in line for recognition of their achievements.

Individuals like Tyler Perry have been criticized (justifiably) for serving a formula of chicken and cornbread stereotypes in order to achieve Hollywood success. At the same time, Perry must be praised for thinking above and beyond the models and options of most actors and actresses when it comes to the freedom he has obtained through ownership. By creating his own production company, Perry has harnessed the ability to employ and hire hundreds of African American actors, actresses, production workers, talent scouts, etc. in ways that Hollywood has never done. In that regard, he deserves our respect.

The point here is that in spite of the fact that Regina King is correct in every sentence of her letter, this form of racism will continue to persist. What we might want to consider is the possibility that perhaps we can move toward a model of ownership in Hollywood that allows our films and our awards to reflect our values. The Emmy Awards are nice, but they were never created for us in the first place. By lining up and hoping that others will recognize our talent and validate us, we are always going to have our destiny controlled by someone else.

When we teach our children to become the next Laurence Fishburne, we may also consider teaching them how to become the next Oprah Winfrey. When we tell them how much LeBron James earns in a year, we should show them the average income of the man who owns the Miami Heat. The point here is that wealth and power are created by owning things, and if we don't own that which affects us, we are always going to be on the sidelines complaining. On a side note: I love Regina King for writing that letter. Girl, you are my absolute hero.


Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

 

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I AM Powerful

September 7, 2010, 5:34 pm
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Your DAILY AFFIRMATION for Tuesday, September 8, 2010:

"My power and potential are beyond sight. They exist with in the boundless, formless kingdom of the heaven within me. The know no limits and are subject to nothing in the material world. I AM powerful. Thank you God."
____________________________________________________________________

Your power is amazing,

Barry J.
Previously: Created On Purpose


Barry Johnson is an businessman, motivational speaker and management consultant. He holds a B.S. degree from Yale and an MBA degree from Harvard. You can follow him at twitter.com/thebarryjohnson and email him at bjohnson@risemovement.org

 

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Tiger Woods Makes Ryder Cup: Not Everyone Wants Him There

September 7, 2010, 7:30 pm
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Tiger Woods is on the Ryder Cup team this year, after months of speculation that he might be left off the boat. The American Ryder Cup team takes on the European team each year in a golf match that has become an important symbol of professional respect on the PGA Tour. Corey Pavin, the captain of the team, said that he had to watch Tiger's performance for several tournaments to determine if he might be a possibility.

Woods didn't qualify for the team based on points. Instead, Pavin had to make him one of his four captain's picks. Woods wasn't an easy choice because he had a terrible season, and he tends to play poorly in the Ryder Cup.

In his history with the Ryder Cup, Woods has only gone 3-1-1 in singles competition. In team events, he is 6-12-1. The only Ryder Cup the US has won in the past decade was the one in which Tiger wasn't competing.

But golf is a business, and one thing that always holds true is that Tiger Woods fills the stands. Had Pavin chosen to leave Tiger off to the side, he would have gotten a tap on the shoulder from the powers that be who are mostly concerned with revenue generation. At the end of the day, it's all about the Benjamins.

Perhaps the Ryder Cup will be another step on Tiger's road to redemption. As it stands, the super hero we had last year has been replaced by a mediocre divorcee who admits that he's a sex addict. That doesn't work nearly as well for Madison Avenue. But Tiger's father once told him that if he puts the ball in the hole, all of his problems will go away. Well, at least most of them.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

 

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Floyd Mayweather's Attack on Manny Pacquiao Outrages Group

September 8, 2010, 3:12 am
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Floyd Mayweather's attack on Manny Pacquiao outrages group

Just because Floyd Mayweather came out with an "apology" for his racist rant toward Manny Pacquiao doesn't mean the outrage is over. The National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), a non-profit organization that promotes the active participation of Filipino Americans in civic and national affairs, released a statement condemning Mayweather for his comments and called upon the boxing world and the NAACP to do the same:


"We are outraged by Mayweather's racially offensive remarks," Greg Macabenta, the NaFFAA's national chairman, said in a statement to ESPN. "This disgusting diatribe against Pacquiao is a racial slur against all Filipinos and Filipino Americans and an embarrassment not only to the boxing community, but to all Americans. Talking trash may be common between boxing rivals, but Mayweather's racially laced profanities brazenly crossed the line of decency and respectability. Pacquiao, on the other hand, has taken the high road and acted like the gentleman that he is.


"We call on National Boxing Association and state athletic commissions to censure Mayweather for behavior that is both abhorrent and demeaning to boxing fans and to the whole world of sports. We also call on the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to reprimand the boxing star for insulting people of color. We are further asking all civil rights organizations to stand in solidarity with us in denouncing this racist and homophobic rant. Mayweather's apology is unacceptable and he must be made accountable for his damaging statements.


"At a time when immigrant communities are being viewed with increasing suspicion and mistrust, Mayweather's cruel, abusive and hurtful remarks can only stoke more hostility, derision and resentment against individuals who look foreign by virtue of their looks, their size or the sound of their names. Coming from a boxing celebrity with millions of fans around the world, Mayweather's shameless and reckless conduct unfairly paints an entire racial and ethnic group with a broad brush and seriously undermines America's core values of inclusivity and racial tolerance."
Mayweather's camp hasn't responded and will most likely remain quiet for the time being, but clearly Mayweather has gone too far and he will have to pay for his actions.


 

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Rodney King Engaged to Juror Who Awarded Him Millions

September 8, 2010, 3:27 am
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Rodney King, whose senseless beating by the Los Angeles police became fodder for news outlets worldwide, became engaged to one of the jurors who awarded him a $3.8 million settlement in a civil suit against the LAPD reported RadarOnline.

King met former juror Cynthia Kelley a day after he was awarded the money at a pizza shop.

Reportedly, Kelley was King's strongest supporter during the trial.

When they met, they were both married at the time. After they each got divorced, though, they began a relationship that ended when King agreed to take part in the VH-1 reality TV show "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" in 2008. King had admittedly become addicted to PCP and wanted to kick the habit.

On a whim last May, the 44-year-old King decided to call Kelley to see if she was still available, and as luck would have it, she was:

"It just so happened that we reconnected. "... It was like we were never apart from one another," Kelley told Radar. "She is a Godsend, a blessing in my life," King told the website. "I don't know what I would have done without her in my life. "... I can't wait to make her my wife."

King rose to national prominence back in March of 1992. He was a cab driver chauffeuring two passengers and speeding. Police spotted him and gave chase. King was afraid that since he had been drinking, he would be arrested for drunk driving, so instead of stopping, he decided to try and lose the policemen who were on his trail.

Several other police cruisers and a helicopter were summoned called to the scene. When police finally caught up to King, the situation only intensified: He refused to exit his car at first, then complied. Officers testified that King reached toward his back pockets and they thought he was going for a gun. More police approached King and eventually tasered him.

King was thrown to the ground and what occurred thereafter became pages in a history book: A posse of white policemen began pummeling King, even while he was lying helpless. The 25-year-old cab driver was beaten to a pulp with fists, batons and swift hard kicks by four officers while 10 other policemen just stood around and watched. Unbeknown to law enforcement, though, a man had been videotaping the entire incident.

After the merciless beating, King was taken to a hospital where he was diagnosed with 11 skull fractures, permanent brain damage, broken [bones and teeth], kidney damage and emotional and physical trauma. One of the nurses overheard some of the officers who had accompanied King to the hospital joking and bragging about the number of times he had been struck.

Even though the videotaped footage was aired by news agencies around the world, sparking anger and unrest particularly in the Los Angeles area, the four policemen involved in King's attack were acquitted.

The acquittals sparked the 1992 L.A. riots, which left more than 50 people dead and resulted in $1 billion in damages. A subsequent federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers being found guilty and sent to prison while the other two were acquitted.



 

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Venus Williams Headed to U.S. Open Semi-Finals

September 8, 2010, 3:40 am
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Venus Williams Advances to Seventh US Open SemifinalsAs if anyone really questioned it when the tournament began, Venus Williams made her way to the U.S. Open semi-finals. She defeated French Open champ Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the quarterfinals. Her next opponent and probably her toughest in the tournament so far is Kim Clijsters, who is on a 19-match winning streak.
"I want to be in the final, because then obviously it's just one more step," Williams, who came in to the tournament ranked 3rd in the world, told the Associated Press. "But I'm just focused on the semis, and I don't get too excited unless the tournament is over. I feel really comfortable here, and it's great to come back to a place where I have won and a place where I've played well."

Williams won the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001 but hasn't played in a title match since losing to Serena in 2002. She's also the only American left in the tournament after the ousting of Sam Querry by Switzerland's Stanislas Wawrinka.


Even still, Kim Clijsters, in spite of her winning streak, also realizes that Venus will be her toughest match-up in the competition so far:
"Venus is a great competitor. She's been playing some really great tennis these last few matches," Clijsters said. "I look forward to it. It's a challenge."


 

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Seeing Double: Kym Whitley & Jackee Harry Prove They're Two Separate People

September 8, 2010, 3:50 am
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Seeing Double: Kym Whitley & Jackee Harry Prove They're Two Separate People
Comedienne Kym Whitley and actress Jackee Harry are photographed together at casting director Robi Reed's annual BBQ fundraiser in Los Angeles.

The two Hollywood stars are often mistaken for each other by fans and understandably so since Whitley once played Harry's twin on the sitcom '227.'

Currently, Whitley co-hosts NBC's new reality series 'School Pride' that premieres on Sep 24, 2010.

Harry is touring in a national stageplay, 'Me & Mrs. Jones.' (Read: 'Jackee Harry Back On Road In 'Me & Mrs. Jones' Stageplay.')
For related stories, read: 'Buzz Exclusive: Sherri Shepherd Host of 'The Newlywed Game'

& 'Keeping It Real: LisaRaye On Why She Only Wears White'
Kym Whitley & Jackee Harry


 

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UN Admits Failure to Prevent Mass Rapes

September 8, 2010, 4:04 am
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UN admits failure to prevent mass rapes


The sad admission from the United Nations on Tuesday that rape is being used widely as a weapon of war in Congo spotlights the worst kept secret in the world of peacekeeping.

U.N. forces there are outgunned, out manned and out of solutions to help civilians there.

The latest U.N. report on the Congo said that more than 500 systematic rapes were committed by armed fighters in eastern Congo since late July, which is twice the number previously reported.

As if that wasn't bad enough, the U.N. has accepted partial blame for not protecting citizens.

Some international observers have begun to question the usefulness of the U.N. peacekeeping mission in Congo, which cost more than $1 billion a year to operate but has provided little peace or security for the people.

For now, though, it appears the U.N. is going to dig in and try to turn around its performance there.

U.N. Assistant Secretary for Peacekeeping Atul Khare said peacekeepers will undertake more dangerous night patrols, conduct random weapons checks on communities and provide better communications equipment for U.N. personnel.

The U.N. should be applauded for keeping up the good fight, but one has to wonder if the effort in Congo can be successful.

It's bad enough that mineral wealth in the region is fueling the protracted battle between the government and rebel fighters, but both sides have abandoned customary rules of fighting and have taken to the most barbaric forms of warfare - including the rape of women, children and men in the civilian populations.

Khare was traveling in the Congo when a new batch of previously unreported rapes in the Uvira region came to light. There, 74 cases of sexual violence (with 21 against girls between the ages of 7 and 15) and six rapes against men took place.

Margot Wallstrom, another U.N. official, said that rapes in the Congo are so common "they do not trigger our most urgent interventions."

There it is: the U.N. admitted that systematic rape of civilians barely register shock or an urgent response.

How sad.

If the U.N. has come to the noble conclusion to stay in the Congo, now is the time for the words to end and the serious peacekeeping work to begin.



 

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President Obama Unveils $50 Billion Infrastructure Plan for Roads, Railways

September 8, 2010, 4:13 am
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President Obama
President Barack Obama used Labor Day as an opportunity to unveil a new $50 billion plan to create jobs and bolster the economy. The plan revolves around boosting the nation's infrastructure to expand roads, railways and runways.

During his speech, the president also took the opportunity to criticize Republicans for turning down many of his measures. He joked that their slogan is "no we can't," and said that they are talking about him "like a dog."

The president said that his goal is to rebuild 150,000 miles of roads, 4,000 miles of rail and 150 miles of runways. He said that he'd like his rail system to go coast-to-coast. He also wants to invest in a strong high speed rail system similar to that which they have in Europe and China.

The primary objective of Obama's new plan is to create jobs. This has been a pounding frustration for the administration since Obama was elected. The recent jobs numbers showed a slight increase in unemployment to 9.6 percent, with black unemployment skyrocketing to 15.6 percent. All of these issues matter to the president, especially with mid-term elections coming soon.

One additional challenge for the president as he works to spend us out of our misery is that Republicans are attacking him on the deficit. Perhaps because they are having trouble finding other talking points, the right wing has defined Obama as a tax and spend president. This criticism seems questionable in light of the fact that President George W. Bush spent hundreds of billions of dollars on the Iraq war and gave quite a few tax cuts to the wealthy that ended up increasing our national debt a great deal.

It appears unlikely that President Obama will get any of his measures passed any time soon. Additional spending by Democrats is likely to be perceived unfavorably by voters with elections coming up this fall. Even his fellow party members are hesitant to commit to spending additional funds.

Related:
+Black Unemployment Rate Increases 700% More than White
+President Obama Announces New Economic Measures

The president's plan is a very good idea. America's infrastructure is falling apart, and there are thousands of roads and bridges in serious disrepair. Additionally, it is shameful that our national railway system is not nearly as strong as the one they have in Europe. I found great pleasure in traveling across Europe by train, and I remember wishing we could do the same here in the U.S.


Additionally, Obama's idea of improving the dire joblessness situation through infrastructural investments is also a good move. It's similar to your mother allowing you to earn extra money by having you clean out the garage. If you are a teenager who just lost his job at McDonald's, you'd thank your mom for doing you a favor. Obama is like our mom, and the American people are the teenagers being put to work. The problem for us is that our mom (the government) is in serious debt and might not be able to afford to sustain all of her children financially.

With all that said, the problem with creating jobs in America is that our economy is not structured for job creation. In fact, the U.S. has not created one net new job since 1999. Workers wages remain stagnant and the gap between the rich and the poor continues to grow. Much of this due to our nation's commitment to undermining labor unions, deregulating corporate activity and allowing for rampant, unrestricted globalization by corporations determined to send jobs overseas. At some point, we're going to have to change course, but I am not sure if it's going to happen under Obama. We've had an interesting two years thus far, and it's not completely inconceivable that we've only got two years of Obama left. I guess we'll see what happens.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition and a Scholarship in Action Resident of the Institute for Black Public Policy. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

 

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$1.5 Billion for Wealthy Arkansas Farmers; Nothing for Black Farmers

September 8, 2010, 4:45 am
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From The Root:

Apparently, the votes of white farmers in a key state trump the USDA's settlement of long-standing discrimination complaints -- especially in an election year.

The ire that black farmers and their advocates are currently feeling has two targets: the Senate's failure to vote the money to complete the farmers' settlement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and President Obama's recent generous offer to white Arkansas farmers. Both examples of political expediency are bitter reminders of black farmers' second-class status.

For five months, the Senate has blocked passage of legislation that contains money to fund the USDA's $1.25 billion settlement of the second bias suit lodged by black farmers. The agreement, called Pigford II, is supposed to redress past USDA racial discrimination cases.

In 1997 Pigford I, the first USDA settlement, provided 13,000 farmers with $50,000 each and debt relief. Timothy Pigford, a North Carolina farmer, and 400 other African Americans had filed a class-action suit against the USDA, alleging bias in allocation of farm loans and assistance. For decades their complaints were ignored or got a slow response. Pigford II occurred after the USDA admitted that thousands of other black farmers' claims from the 1990s went uninvestigated.

John Boyd, founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association, says that bills to fund the settlement have failed seven times in the Senate, and a black-farmer attachment was taken out of the recent farm-aid disaster bill. "We have been working on our restitution for 26 years," Boyd says.

Related:
+ Black Farmers Face Financial Famine Waiting For USDA Settlement
+ Black Farmers Still Waiting to be Compensated for Racism

In August alone, Senate Republicans blocked the settlement twice. Gary R. Grant, president of the Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association, asks, "Don't these legislators in states suffering economically know the money will boost the income in their state?"

Read the rest of the story on TheRoot.com.


 

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FBI: Former Soldier Threatened To Kill Obama

September 8, 2010, 6:00 am
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A former soldier arrested after a hostage incident at a military base in Georgia faces multiple charges that include threatening to kill President Barack Obama and former President Bill Clinton, according to federal court documents filed Tuesday.

Robert Anthony Quinones, 29, of Hinesville, Georgia, was arrested Monday after the two-hour hostage situation at Winn Community Hospital on Fort Stewart, about 45 miles from Savannah, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Officials said he had demanded care at the hospital.

Quinones is charged with assault of a federal officer and kidnapping in the incident, which ended with the gunman's surrender and no injuries.

After he was taken into custody and during interviews, Quinones "expressed his plans, preparation and intentions to kill President Obama and former President Clinton," according to an affidavit filed in federal cour. "Quinones detailed his studies of Secret Service protocols, sniper techniques and means of disguise and weapons concealment to implement his assassination plans."

A search of his residence resulted in the discovery of 11 long guns, four pistols, multiple rounds of ammunition and dozens of bayonets and knives, according to the affidavit.

Authorities also found books and manuals about FBI hostage rescue teams, Osama bin Laden, Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, the Russian Mafia and other topics, according to the affidavit signed by FBI and Secret Service agents.
Quinones, when asked if he would kill Obama or Clinton if given a chance, said, "Yes. On a scale of 1 to 10 about being serious, I am a 10," the affidavit said.

Quinones was discharged from the military in February and had a civilian job at Fort Stewart, said the FBI, which released no other information on his military record.

The hostage incident started at about 4 a.m. Monday at the Winn Army Community Hospital, when the former Army serviceman entered the facility and demanded care, spokesman Kevin Larson said Monday.



Kevin Eason is a freelance editorial cartoonist and Illustrator from New Jersey. His brand of satire covers news events in politics, entertainment, sports and much more. Follow him on Facebook.


 

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Obama Will Not Extend Bush-Era Tax Cuts to Wealthy

September 8, 2010, 6:18 am
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Obama Will Not Extend Bush-Era Tax Cuts to Wealthy

If there ever was a time for Democrats to push back against George W. Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy, now is the time.

With their mid-term election prospects growing more dim by the day, Democrats have started to panic; many started acting like Republicans and endorsed keeping Bush tax cuts for the wealthy.

But now, President Barack Obama is clearly signaling where he stands on the issue. In a speech on Thursday, Obama is expected to announce that he opposses extending Bush tax cuts for couples making more than $250,000 and individuals making more than $200,000.

The New York Times writes:

Mr. Obama's opposition to allowing the high-end tax cuts to remain in place for even another year or two would be the signal many Congressional Democrats have been awaiting as they prepare for a showdown with Republicans on the issue and ends speculation that the White House might be open to an extension. Democrats say only the president can rally wavering lawmakers who, amid the party's weakened poll numbers, feel increasingly vulnerable to Republican attacks if they let the top rates lapse at the end of this year as scheduled.

It is not clear that Mr. Obama can prevail given his own diminished popularity, the tepid economic recovery and the divisions within his party. But by proposing to extend the rates for the 98 percent of households with income below $250,000 for couples and $200,000 for individuals - and insisting that federal income tax rates in 2011 go back to their pre-2001 levels for income above those cutoffs - he intends to cast the issue as a choice between supporting the middle class or giving breaks to the wealthy.

Given the state of the economy, extending tax cuts to the less than 2 percent of the population that makes over $250,000 per year makes sense. The percentage of African American households that makes above that amount is miniscule. As White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs put it:

"This economy is not hurting people that make $800,000 a year; it's hurting families that are making $40,000 a year."



Republicans argue that tax increases, even to people with financial abundance, will hurt the economy. USA Today writes:

House Minority Leader John Boehner, whose district includes Ohio, countered with a proposal for a two-year freeze on all current tax rates, while cutting back federal spending to 2008 levels. Boehner said this morning on ABC's Good Morning America that no one's taxes should be raised during such a tough economy.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., accused Obama of seeking "a massive tax hike on small businesses in the middle of a recession" and added that "it's no surprise that most Americans think the country is on the wrong track and that Democrat policies have failed to do anything to fix their top concern, the economy."

Republicans are wrong on this issue and most Americans know it. A new CBS poll finds that 56 percent of Americans believe the tax cuts should expire. Even 48 percent of Republicans say the tax cuts should expire.

That's because they know $250,000 is a lot of money. They know that most of the wealth in this country is concentrated in the hands of a few. They know $250,000 per year means that you can live more than comfortably anywhere in the country. That's because, regardless of party, I think most Americans don't have a problem paying their fair share.



 

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Michelle Obama Hosts First-Ever Salute To Dance At The White House‎

September 8, 2010, 6:39 am
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Michelle Obama Hosts First-Ever Salute To Dance At The White House‎


High voltage electricity could be felt throughout the White House East Room Tuesday evening as dancers sashayed through a cosmos of movements, each more brilliant than the next, competing against each other in a competition of supremacy--ballet, contemporary, hip-hop--all a celebration of American dance.

First Lady Michelle Obama hosted her first series of dance performances as part of an event honoring Alvin Ailey's iconic artistic director Judith Jameson (pictured left), who will be stepping down after a solid 20-year run.
Michelle Obama Hosts First-Ever Salute To Dance At The White House‎

Not only did the legendary Alvin Ailey dancers perform but also on hand to shower Jamison with heartfelt emotion was the Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Washington Ballet, The New York City Ballet and Super Cr3w from MTV's "America's Best Dance Crew."

The First Lady was accompanied by her daughters (Sasha and Malia) and mother (Marian Robinson). Mrs. Obama was observed clapping after each performance but literally leaped to her feet after Broadway's Dayton Tavares (top right) strutted his stuff on stage as one of the high-flying Billy Elliots.

The tear-jerker portion of the evening was when the Alvin Ailey troupe gave a riveting modern dance interpretation of a signature piece called "Revelations," which was a tribute to their company's long-time 67-year-old leader, Jamison.

Michelle Obama Hosts First-Ever Salute To Dance At The White House‎After all was said and done, Mrs. Obama called Jamison "an amazing, phenomenal, fly woman." According to the Associated Press, she went on to say..."Let me tell you, your picture in 'Cry' was the only piece of art in our house," the First Lady told Jamison, who was sitting in the front row. "Cry," is a grand and poignant 15-minute solo for which Jamison was most famous in her dancing years, and an excerpt of it was performed by company member Linda Celeste Sims (pictured in white dress).

Last weekend, Jamison spoke to the AP about her feelings with regards to her being honored at the White House by the Obamas:

"What a rare opportunity, to be invited by your country's First Lady to be honored like this," Jamison said. "This event is totally unique. It's so terribly important to recognize this art form and to understand how important it is to the fabric of this country. This will be another clarion call to people: Pay attention to your arts!" said the grand dame of dance.

Watch the performance here:



 

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