Great News!!! Kanye & Common Team Up To Bring 20,000 Jobs To Chicago!

They put on for their city! Rappers and Chicago natives, Kanye West and Common have joined forces to bring over 20,000 jobs to their hometown.

Common recently announced during a press conference that his Common Ground Foundation will be working with Kanye West’s Donda’s House, Inc. and the Chicago Urban League in an initiative to bring employment opportunities through The Chicago Youth Jobs Collaborative. 92 percent of the Black youth in Chicago is unemployed, which means that many of these kids are on the streets. And we’ve all read the gruesome headlines about Chicago’s cruel streets. But what’s worse is Chicago has become the center of the national gun debate, and the city’s youth has taken the hardest hit from gun violence.

In the first eight weeks of 2013, there were 52 homicides, with 15 victims between the ages of 13 and 19, according to a RedEye analysis of preliminary crime data.

Common told Poppin Lines, “Obviously, one of the biggest reasons our kids are going through what they’re going through is because of poverty. I was doing an event in the neighborhood and there were some kids from Englewood and I said, ‘Man, what do y’all really need? What’s gonna stop this?’ And they were like, ‘We need money. Man, if we could work.’ They want a chance.”

And it’s a beautiful thing that Common and Kanye will be giving them this chance. Not only will this initiative bring long-term jobs to the youth of Chicago, but it will also bring a music festival that will act as a yearly fundraiser to raise money for the jobs and other programs. It will be held on September 20-21 behind the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park.

“It’s one thing to provide summer jobs for these kids, but we’re trying to provide year-round jobs,” saidAndrea Zopp, CEO of the Chicago Urban League. “We’ve had hearings and the kids have told us that they need jobs year-round.”

Isn’t it wonderful to see stars like Kanye and Common raising awareness to current social issues, like education and poverty?

Meet Sylvia Rhone - The New Woman In Charge At Epic Records!

Music executive Sylvia Rhone, who’s helped guide many of our favorite stars’ careers, including Nicki Minaj, Drake, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder, is now president of Epic Records. Rapper Missy Elliott was one of the first Twitter followers to congratulate the pioneering executive.

 

BEAUTIFUL NEWS: Meet The New Woman In Charge At Epic Records!

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Mar 19, 2014

By Jade Earle

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Music executive Sylvia Rhone, who’s helped guide many of our favorite stars’ careers, including Nicki Minaj, Drake, Erykah Badu and Stevie Wonder, is now president of Epic Records.

Rhone said to Billboard Magazine that she was “honored” to be given the position. “What makes this opportunity different from any other is my partnership with renowned music executive L.A. Reid,” she said. “I’m looking forward to what I think will be the finest chapter in my career.”
Rhone had already worked at Epic alongside L.A. Reid and launched a joint venture with the label, Vested In Culture (VIC) — Latin star Kat Dhalia is one of the stars on its roster. Previous to her appointment at Epic, Rhone served as president of Universal Motown Records and was once the CEO and chairwoman of Entertainment Group. Her tenure at Electra was groundbreaking, as it was the first time an African American and woman held the prestigious title. 


Congrats to Sylvia Rhone!

‘Get On Up’ With The James Brown Biopic [TRAILER]

The film follows the turbulent life and career of James Brown. We get to see Brown go from a troubled youth in prison to the top of the charts in all of his free-spirited glory. Starring Chadwick Boseman as James Brown, the film also finds Viola Davis, Octavia Spencer, Craig Robinson and Jill Scott.

Check the trailer out below and make sure you get to the theater on August 1 to see the movie!

NEWS: President Obama Unveils "My Brother's Keeper" Initiative

President Barack Obama has just launched "My Brother's Keeper", an Initiative created to support and encourage the success of young men of color in the United States.

After the murder of Trayvon Martin 2 years ago, President Obama committed himself to creating a community task force that would minimize the violence and risky behavior for young men who live in urban communities. As we all know, these environments can be unforgiving towards young men of color and they experience an inordinate amount of harassment.

Watch the speech below:



"My Brother's Keeper" will be led by Broderick Johnson, the Assistant Secretary to the President. The task force will also include the Education Secretary, the Attorney General, and the Labor Secretary of the United States.

The President warned that although this initiative will require community support, it will not operate as a replacement for parenting.



What do you think of this Initiative? This is definitely a step in the right direction but we need more information about what that will look like in terms of community involvement and the protection of our young men!

Magic Johnson to Own Part of WNBA Franchise The LA Sparks

Magic Johnson and Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter have partnered to buy the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA, saving the struggling franchise from relocation or contraction, WNBA president Laurel Richie has confirmed.


The new Sparks ownership group also includes Dodgers president Stan Kasten and part owners Todd Boehly and Bobby Patton, according to sources.



"Their knowledge of L.A., their passion for sports in L.A., it's just a great thing," WNBA president Laurel Richie told ESPN.com's Mechelle Voepel. "I could say it a million times: We are truly, truly excited."



A news conference is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.



The Sparks, one of the original eight WNBA franchises, have been in limbo since Christmas when their previous owner, Paula Madison, abruptly told the league and Sparks coaches and employees that her company could no longer operate the team. Madison subsequently told The Associated Press that her family lost $12 million operating the franchise since buying it from the Buss family in 2007 and $1.4 million last season.

Michelle Obama Says We're Too Busy Being "Ballers", Calls on Blacks to Close Educational Gap

Bowie State University, a traditionally black college, invited First Lady Michelle Obama to speak at their Commencement on Friday, May 17th. During her speech First Lady Michelle expressed her concern over the strong educational gap that still exists with young Black Americans.

Young African Americans spend too much energy stunting for cameras and chasing dreams of being hip-hop stars. Mrs. Obama's point? The Black community needs to shift gears and put education as the top priority. Here's a snippet of her speech:

"...more than 150 years after the Emancipation Proclamation, more than 50 years after the end of “separate but equal,” when it comes to getting an education, too many of our young people just can’t be bothered.  Today, instead of walking miles every day to school, they’re sitting on couches for hours playing video games, watching TV.  Instead of dreaming of being a teacher or a lawyer or a business leader, they’re fantasizing about being a baller or a rapper. Right now, one in three African American students are dropping out of high school.  Only one in five African Americans between the ages of 25 and 29 has gotten a college degree -- one in five." 

We couldn't agree more! As always, Mrs. Obama so eloquently and tactfully said what so many of us have been thinking for a long time.

What do you think of Mrs. Obama's words? Are Blacks responsible for the gross disparity in Educational achievement?

CLICK HERE to read the First Lady's full commencement speech.

First black mayor elected in Germany!!

According to the Grio, the German paper The Local reported that Mauer, a village in southwest of Germany, has voted in the first black mayor in the history of Germany, despite almost no campaigning being done by the mayor-elect, John Ehret:

The 40-year-old Ehret, whose father was an African-American soldier and mother a native German, took over running the village of Mauer near Heidelberg, southern Germany on Friday, Der Spiegel reported on his inauguration.

Despite almost no campaigning, he picked up slightly more than 58 percent of the vote, beating out a civil servant in the village of about 4,000 residents. Observers said Ehret profited from a so-called “Obama” effect, though the trained police inspector didn’t seek the comparison.

Black Man Becomes 1st To Lead Texas A&M’s Corps Of Cadets

Nearly a half-century after African-Americans were admitted to predominantly white Texas A&M University, a black student has finally reached the pinnacle of one of its signature organizations.
Marquis Alexander next school year will become commander of A&M’s Corps of Cadets, a high-profile post that involves establishing the cadets’ dress codes for their military-style uniforms and setting their daily schedule, including physical training that can begin before dawn.


Congratulations!!!

Remembering Dr. King On 44th Anniversary Of His Assassination

Just as the Civil Rights Movement was beginning to reach new heights, one of its most prominent leaders and vocal proponents was gunned down in a heinous assassination. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was slain by a gunshot as he stood outside a Memphis hotel on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. Central time. The details around the shooting of King have been swirled in controversy, although an arrest was made in the case nearly a year later.

Similar to the conspiracy theories surrounding the John F. Kennedy assassination and Lee Harvey Oswald, some speculated that King’s convicted killer, James Earl Ray, was not the true perpetrator. Conflicting reports from ballistic evidence to witness accounts clashed, even prompting Rev. Jesse Jackson to speak on the murky details again in 2004; Jackson was present with King during the time of his passing.

In an interview with Democracy Now’s Amy Goodman, Rev. Jackson said:
“But I will never believe that James Earl Ray had the motive, the money and the mobility to have done it himself. Our government was very involved in setting the stage for, and I think the escape route, for James Earl Ray.”

Dr. King seemingly foretold his death after giving his last speech, often referred to as the “I’ve Been To The Mountaintop” address. Near the end, King speaks of an untimely death while still in Memphis on April 3 due to a bomb threat to his outgoing plane. In the speech, he urges revelers to continue their fight against injustices. Using his effective voice, King was defiant and fearless in the face of death.
“And I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land. So I’m happy, tonight. I’m not worried about anything. I’m not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord!”
Dr. King’s legacy was cemented long before that fateful day. Just 39 years old, he had become the voice of the oppressed and disenfranchised. He was beloved and hated all at once, yet it never stopped him from his tireless bent to rally. King was an active supporter of union workers and other unfairly treated employees. Although fellow activist James L. Farmer Jr. called for peaceful protests in the wake of his passing, violent riots broke out in nearly 110 cities with Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington being affected the most. The protests nearly drove the cities to ruin and it wasn’t until the 1990s that Washington’s Shaw district saw recovery.
If King were alive today, he would have turned 83 this past January. What would King say of a world where a Black man is president but racism still plays a large part of what divides America and the rest of the free world? What would King’s opinion be of the Trayvon Martin case? How would someone who nearly unified the world look at our country today? It is nearly shameful that the very things King died speaking out against still play a major part in our lives in 2012. Everyone should look at what’s ahead of them and ask hard questions as to why the world seems to be running in place.

Rest In Peace, Dr. King.

 (from Newsone)

HORRIBLE!!!!! Gwinnett County Teacher Apologizes for Using Slavery in Math Equations

Luis Rivera apologized to school officials for implementing ridiculous  slave questions into math equations for third graders.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution obtained a statement from Rivera, who resigned Wednesday after teaching at Beaver Ridge Elementary since 2008, in which the educator apologized profusely for his “poor taste”:
“I did not write those questions with the intent of being malicious or offensive,” said Rivera. “I wrote poorly written questions in an attempt to enhance student achievement. I have brought shame to my family, and my school. For that, I cannot apologize enough.”
Rivera was instructed to create a homework assignment that correlated with the slavery lessons that the students were being taught in Social Studies. The cross-curriculum method was intended to reinforce their understanding of the subject matter. One of his most specific instructions and the question that has caused him the most trouble  was to examine a day in the life of author, historian, orator and former slave, Frederick Douglass. The question he came up with was highly offensive to many African-American parents: 

“If Frederick got two beatings per day, how many beatings did he get in one week?”
Rivera, who told officials that he “immediately felt remorse and embarrassment” when he realized that parents were offended, claims that teachers were told to explain to their students the difficult obstacles that Douglass had to overcome to become a successful, respected leader. He also believes that his ethnicity should prove that he meant no harm:

“As a minority myself, I understand the trials and tribulations associated with being a minority,” he wrote. “There was no intent to harm, or to offend. Rather, I was trying to make connections for the students, while completing my assignment of cross-curricular integration.”



What do you think of this question?  Was it inappropriate?

Brown Vs. Board Of Education Lawyer Dies At 94

Robert L. Carter, a federal judge who helped form the case against segregation in the historic Brown Vs. Board Of Education Supreme Court trial has died at age 94 after complications from a stroke.
Carter was part of Thurgood Marshall’s NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund as a lawyer and helped win the historic 1954 court decision, Brown Vs. The Board Of Education that ended legal segregation in the American school system.

The New York Times reports:

Mr. Carter’s well-honed argument that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional on its face became the Supreme Court’s own conclusion in Brown. The decision swept away half a century of legal precedent that the South had used to justify its “separate but equal” doctrine.

Mr. Carter and his underpaid, overworked colleagues at the Legal Defense and Educational Fund argued before the court that the South’s schools rarely offered anything like equal opportunities to African-American children. But that was beside the point in any case, they said. Segregation itself, they argued, was so damaging to black children that it should be abolished, on the ground that it was contrary to the 14th Amendment, which guarantees equal rights to all citizens.

Malcolm X's Daughter Sentenced to Probation for Identity Theft

Malikah Shabazz, the youngest of Malcolm X's children, was recently sentenced to five years' probation for stealing the identity of Khaula Bakr, the widow of one of her father's bodyguards.

Malikah was charged with acquiring a total of $55, 884.28 in debt under Khaula's name, she plead guilty.

An arrest warrant was first issued in June 2010, Malikah was extradited from North Carolina where she was living with her daughter. She was ultimately arrested in February 2011 but was not convicted until yesterday. During the waiting period she was held for $100,000 bond.

While being escorted out of the court room Malikah nonchalantly remarked, "I haven't been to New York since 1999." Wow, no remorse!

What a terrible way to follow her parents' legacy. Malikah's lucky she only got probation!

World Population Soon to Reach 7 BILLION!!!

It is estimated that on October 31st the world's population will have reached the 7 Billion mark!

The global population has grown at a staggering rate. Take a look at the pace of its growth:

1805 – 1 Billion

1927 – 2 Billion

1959 – 3 Billion

1974 – 4 Billion

1987 – 5 Billion

1999 – 6 Billion

2011 – 7 Billion

So what has happened in the last 100 years that's caused the population to boom from a little less than 2 billion to a whopping 7 billion? The size of the average American family in the 1800's was about seven children per woman, so why wasn't the population bigger back then?


 

Booker T. Washington and his family


Even with problems like the flu epidemic, the lifespan of human beings has become much greater. The average life expectancy of a human being in 1800 was only 36 years old! Nowadays it's around 77.

Also, the evolution of science and medicine has caused death rates to decline at a rapid speed. In a first world country, most women and children can now expect to live through childbirth; there was a time when many people did not survive through this. Moreover, various ailments such as cancer, high blood pressure, and diabetes are no longer a death sentence.

The development in technology has also allowed for people to cut down on manual labor, which in turn causes less wear on our bodies. In combat this is also true. During the 19th Century men had little to no protective gear so the death rate was much higher.

Add in a few baby booms every few decades and there you have 7 billion people.

Wow! If the population grew from 6 to 7 billion in only 12 years, imagine what the population will be like in 2050!

3 Female Activists Win the Nobel Peace Prize

3 women have been awarded for their nonviolent activism on behalf of women's rights for global equality.

Yemeni activist Tawakkul Karman, Africa’s first democratically elected female President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee were all awarded with the prize this week.

All of these women are working towards democracy and gender equality in their cultures and seek to ensure that women are granted equal opportunities.

The prize award of $1.5 million was split three ways, this is the first time a woman has won the prize since 2004 and is the first time an Arab woman has won the prize at all.

We are so proud to see that women of color are finally receiving global recognition for their push towards equality. One for the home team!

Congressional Black Caucus Disappointed in President's Lack of Support

We have already told you about the rising unemployment rates within the Black community. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) has made a public statement about its disappointment in the way President Obama has handled this growing demographic. The current rate of black unemployment is at about 17% and it shows no signs of decreasing!

In August when President Obama toured the Midwest to promote his economic policies, it was noted by rep. Maxine Waters (D-California) and other CBC colleagues that the president made no effort to visit any black communities. Waters mentioned that "We support the president but we're getting tired."

The CBC has been very cautious about speaking on its opinions about the president's conduct. Emmanual Cleaver (D-Missouri) explained that "There is a less-volatile reaction in the CBC [to the president's policies] because nobody wants to do anything that would empower the people who hate the president."


They have been very outspoken about their disdain for the way Tea Party members have disrespected the president on a personal level. However, the CBC wants it to be known that although they support President Obama, they don't agree with his lack of concern for the black community's struggling unemployment rate.

As representatives of the black voices in their communities, the CBC still feels a responsibility to make it known that they aren't happy with President Obama's actions, or lack thereof.

Do you think Obama has a special responsibility to ensure that the black community is assisted before the rest of the country? George Bush did it with his own people, would it be such a crime for Obama to put us first?

We are also glad to see the CBC speak out about their concerns for the black community. They are not obligated to agree with everything President Obama does just because he's black too.

Database of Slave Names Revealed in VA

After years of intense research, the Virginia Historical Society has revealed a list of roughly 1,500 slaves that resided in the state.

The website (called Unknown No Longer) is searchable by name, location, occupation, plantation, or gender and includes over 250 images of original documents dating back to the 1700's. Although the Virginian Historical Society is not done adding names, facts, and images to the database, they are launching the site with what they currently have. The state of Virginia held the most slaves in the country, so they definitely have a long way to go.

But here's the best news: the database gives free access to the public! So if you think that you may have some lineage in VA you may want to check it out.

This site was made possible by a $100,000 donation from the Dominion Resources and the Dominion Foundation. We are so glad to see that someone is finally making an effort to acknowledge the thousands that helped build the United States into the nation it is today.

To access Unknown No Longer, click HERE

Cherokee Nation Kicking Out Black Descendants?

Here is a chapter of US History that you won't read in the books!

For a long time the Cherokee Nation embraced the descendants of "Freedmen", African-American slaves that the tribe used to own. The Freedmen did not have Cherokee blood but an 1866 treaty between the US and the Cherokee nation made it law that all Freedmen and their descendants would receive the same benefits as an ethnically Cherokee person (including suffrage).

It was voted that this treaty COULD NOT be changed under any circumstances at any time! But in 2007 the Cherokee Nation passed an amendment that one must be of Cherokee blood to obtain tribesmanship.

What does this mean? That the 2,800 registered descendents of Freedmen are at risk of losing their tribal status! Usually the US Government stays out of tribal affairs but it has intervened to make sure that the 1866 treaty is still fairly enforced.

Tribal leaders are not trying to hear it! And they plan on proceeding with the 2007 amendement by disregarding all non-blood members. Tribe leaders are especially eager to get these members out because they feel that Freedmen are unfairly taking advantage of suffrage benefits.

This story is disappointing and saddening. Honor and integrity are irreplaceable, it is terrible to see that a whole nation is willing to back out on it's word.

Leila Lopes From Africa Wins “Miss Universe” Title!

Leila Lopes from Angola won the title of Miss Universe 2011 yesterday.  Leila beat out 88 other women to win the coveted crown.  
Leila is not only beautiful but very smart.  She is a 25-year-old business management student currently studying in Great Britain. And she’s the first person to ever win the Miss Universe title for her country of Angola.

Congrats Leila Lopes!!!!  

Meet The First African-American woman on 6th Circuit Court

The Senate has confirmed Bernice Donald as a judge on the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Judge Donald will be the first African-American woman confirmed for that court.
She has broken through racial barriers throughout her career. She was the first African-American woman to be elected as a judge in Tennessee, serve on the federal bankruptcy court and sit as a U.S. district judge in her state.
The Cincinnati-based court serves Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.
She has been a federal judge based in Memphis the past 16 years.
Judge Donald is the sixth of 10 children raised on a sharecropper's farm in Mississippi.
The vote was 96-2. Voting "no" were Republican Sens. Jim DeMint of South Carolina and David Vitter of Louisiana.

President Obama's Approval Ratings Hit a Record Low

Just as the presidential campaigns go into full swing President Obama's approval ratings have hit an all time low.

According to the Washington Post, more than 60% of 1,001 randomly tested Americans say that they question the way Obama has handled our failing economy.

However, 43% approved of the way he handled his job overall. Strangely enough, only 28% of the polled group approve of the way Republicans have proposed to handle the economy.

Take a look at this graph which illustrates Obama's declining approval rates:

You can see that his disapproval ratings have shot up in the last few months. Since the beginning of August there have been several things which demanded President Obama's full attention; several disasters that have been beyond his control. With the recent earthquake, several hurricanes, and the struggling employment rate, Obama was bound to lose.

At his best, Obama had a 63% approval rate (which is considered excellent) when he began his presidency but he is now 20% lower than that and doesn't seem to be getting any better.

Obama's opportunity for redemption will come in his upcoming speech for a $300 Billion jobs plan. The speech is scheduled to take place this Thursday evening. President Obama's plan will include payroll tax cuts and an extension of unemployment benefits. If the speech is a sucess with the public it has the potential to send his approval rates soaring! However, only time will tell if the American public is willing to once again put their faith into the president's ideas.

Based on poll results it seems that the American public is unhappy in general! People are tired of feeling hopeless and they don't seem to think that any party can get us out of this mess. Let's hope that these next few months can bring new changes and opportunities.