In Honor of Black History Month there will be several stories posted on the histort both past and present of African Americans
Black History Month: For the love of liberty
For the love of liberty. A PBS miniseries uses letters, diaries, speeches, journalistic accounts, historical text and military records to document and acknowledge the sacrifices and accomplishments of African-American service men and women since the earliest days of the republic. The story spans the Revolution to Iraq and examines why, despite enormous injustice, these heroic men and women fought so valiantly for freedoms they themselves did not enjoy. Watch a clip of the movie below and learn more HERE:
Black History Month, Derrek Pitts. Black Astonomer
Derrick H. Pitts is an American astronomer. He is Chief Astronomer and Planetarium Director for the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
NBC Black History Month Menu sparks contorversy
A special NBC Black History Month lunch spread -- featuring fried chicken, collard greens and black-eyed peas -- sparked a commissary controversy yesterday, but the African-American chef who planned it doesn't understand the fuss.
"All I wanted to do was make a meal that everyone would enjoy -- and that I eat myself," NBC cook Leslie Calhoun told The NY Post last night.
Calhoun's proudly planned feast, which she began last year, hit a snag when Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson, the drummer for Jimmy Fallon's "Late Night" show band, The Roots, shot a photo of the menu outside the network's Rockefeller Center cafeteria and posted it on Twitter.
Read more: HERE
President Obama giving more funding to HBCUs
The leaders of the nation's historically black colleges and universities breathed a sigh of relief this week when they learned that President Barack Obama's fiscal 2011 budget includes a $30 million funding increase for their financially struggling schools.
For the fiscal year that will begin on Oct. 1 , Obama proposes $279.9 million for historically black colleges and universities — $30 million more than he proposed for fiscal 2010 and $13 million more than Congress appropriated, according to the United Negro College Fund . Including other minority-oriented educational institutions, Obama's total budget request is for $520 million , up from $496.3 million this year.
JET magazine, billed by publisher Johnson Publishing Co. as "the world's No. 1 African-American newsweekly," is getting a new design, layout and logo in an effort to expand its content and appeal to a multigenerational readership.
The inaugural Feb. 15 issue, on newsstands Feb. 8, is described as "the most sweeping evolution of its iconic brand [JET] in the company's history."
Black History Month: Governor Schwarzenegger Appoints Brigadier General Mary J. Kight Adjutant General of the California National Guard
On 02/01/10 Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Brigadier General Mary J. Kight as the first female adjutant general of the California National Guard and first African-American female National Guard adjutant general in the nation.
“Brigadier General Mary Kight is a proven courageous, loyal and honorable leader. She has a long and distinguished history of service to our state and nation and I am proud to have her as the first female adjutant general of our military forces here in California,” said Governor Schwarzenegger. “I am confident that with General Kight’s leadership, the California National Guard will continue to be fully prepared, standing ready and able to assist our local communities and our country when called upon in times of emergency.”
General Kight has served the California National Guard for nearly 25 years. She has been assistant adjutant general since 2006 and previously held the positions of assistant adjutant general, air for the California National Guard Headquarters from 2004 to 2006, 201st Mission Support Squadron detach commander for all members on Title 10 from 2001 to 2004, 144th Mission Support Group commander in Fresno from 1999 to 2004 and first aircraft generation squadron commander for the 144th Fighter Wing from 1994 to 1998. Prior to that, Kight was an aircraft maintenance officer from 1990 to 1994, a field maintenance officer from 1987 to 1990 and an avionics maintenance officer from 1984 to 1987. She was a wing executive officer for the Nebraska Air National Guard from 1981 to 1984 and served the U.S. Air Force from 1974 to 1981.
“I whole-heartedly share in the Governor’s commitment to public safety and ensuring that our armed forces are well-trained and equipped to provide support and assistance here in California and abroad at a moment’s notice,” said General Kight. “I am honored to take on this new position serving the California National Guard as adjutant general and I look forward to using my knowledge and experience to uphold California’s military forces’ outstanding legacy of service.”
General Kight, 59, of Sacramento, earned a Master of Strategic Studies from Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, a Master of Science degree in human resources management from Gonzaga University, a Bachelor of Arts degree in social welfare from California State University, Chico and an Associate of Arts degree in general studies from Monterey Peninsula College. She also graduated from Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College and Air War College. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $180,201. Kight is a Republican.
Jasmina Anema passes away
Jasmina Anema, the leukemia-stricken girl whose brave fight to live captivated the city ( New York ) and inspired thousands to become bone marrow donors, has died. She was 6 years old. In her brief life her cause was championed by Kelly Roland, Rihanna and President Obama
Jasmina's yearlong battle against an especially fatal form of leukemia ended at 10:55 Wednesday night at NYU Langone Medical Center. In her final moments, she was surrounded by her mother and a cluster of loved ones.
Black History Month: A.D. King: Brother to the Dreamer
The accomplishments of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s younger brother, A.D.( Alfred Daniels ) King may have been overshadowed by his famous brother. But the time for his story has come. A.D.'s life story and commitment to community service is the subject of the documentary film "A.D. King: Brother to the Dreamer."
The film reflects on the contributions of A.D. to the civil rights movement. A Baptist minister, A.D. is credited with being a leader of the Poor People's Campaign, and co-founding the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. According to the film he helped build churches in Atlanta including Ebenezer Baptist Church and other parts of the South.
The world premier of the film was hosted earlier this month at Morehouse's International Chapel.
Set up a screening of the movie by clicking HERE Watch trailer for the movie below:
States with highest number of black homicides
Pennsylvania leads the nation in the rate of black homicide victimization according to a new analysis of unpublished Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data released today by the Violence Policy Center (VPC). The annual study, “Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2007 Homicide Data,” (http://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide10.pdf) uses 2007 data--the most recent data available from the FBI--and ranks the 50 states according to their black homicide victimization rates. The study found overwhelmingly that firearms, usually handguns, were the weapon of choice in the homicides. This is the fourth year that the VPC has issued the report and the third time in four years that Pennsylvania has topped the ranking.
The top five states with each state's corresponding black homicide victimization rate are:
1) Pennsylvania, 36.36 per 100,000; 2) Missouri, 34.82 per 100,000; 3) Indiana, 30.89 per 100,000; 4 (tie) Nevada, 29.83 per 100,000; and, 4 (tie) Wisconsin, 29.83 per 100,000.
There were 7,387 black homicide victims in the United States. Of these, 6,345 (86 percent) were male, and 1,042 (14 percent) were female.
The homicide rate for black victims in the United States was 20.86 per 100,000. In comparison, the overall national homicide rate was 5.30 per 100,000 and the national homicide rate for whites was 3.11 per 100,000.
For homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 82 percent of black victims (5,743 out of 7,011) were killed with guns. Of these, 73 percent (4,204 victims) were killed with handguns. There were 701 victims killed with knives or other cutting instruments, 247 victims killed by bodily force, and 200 victims killed by a blunt object.
For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 72 percent of black victims (2,474 out of 3,431) were murdered by someone they knew. Nine hundred fifty-seven victims were killed by strangers.
For homicides involving black victims for which the circumstances could be identified, 69 percent (3,023 out of 4,362) were not related to the commission of any other felony. Of these, 55 percent (1,669 homicides) involved arguments between the victim and the offender. Ten percent (294 homicides) were reported to be gang-related. Forty-four percent of gang-related homicides (128 homicides) were in California, which may be in part due to more comprehensive reporting. In California, 44 percent of non-felony related homicides were reported to be gang-related.
Former NBA player attacks the people of Haiti in open letter
Former NBA player and sometime ESPN.com contributor Paul Shirley who averaged an entire 1.8 points while playing profesionally has decided he is much better being an unfeeling idiot who attacks a country that has just been hit by an earthqauke. He attacks Haiti for being poor and for a lack of birth control.
Here are some of the "highlights" of an article he wrote for Flipcollective.com:
First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.
As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it’s possible, could you not re-build your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty- and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?
....I haven’t donated to the Haitian relief effort for the same reason that I don’t give money to homeless men on the street. Based on past experiences, I don’t think the guy with the sign that reads “Need You’re Help” is going to do anything constructive with the dollar I might give him. If I use history as my guide, I don’t think the people of Haiti will do much with my money either.
ESPN.com found his statements so repulsive they have cut ties with him and issued this brief statement:
He was a part-time freelance contributor. The views he expressed on another site of course do not at all reflect our company's views on the Haiti relief efforts. He will no longer contribute to ESPN.
All White Pro Basketball League ( This is not a joke ) [ SOURCE ]
A new professional basketball league boasting rosters made up exclusively of white Americans has its eyes set on 12 southern cities.
The All-American Basketball Alliance announced in a news release Sunday evening that it intends to start its inaugural season in June
"Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league," the statement said.
Don "Moose" Lewis, the commissioner of the AABA, said the reasoning behind the league's roster restrictions is not racism.
"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," he said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."
Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.
"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."
25 Influential Black Women in Business
The Network Journal, an award-winning business magazine providing news and commentaries on issues that affect the growth of businesses and the advancement of professionals in the workplace for an audience of predominantly African-American professionals, corporate executives and small-business owners, announces its 2010 list of “25 Influential Black Women in Business.”. Read the list below:
This year’s extraordinary honorees are:
Kenetta Bailey, Senior Vice President, Marketing, WE Tv and Wedding Central
Vanessa Best, President and CEO, Precision HealthCare Consultants
Jackie Carter, Vice President & Publisher, Non-Fiction Books Scholastic Inc.
Candi Castleberry-Singleton, Chief Inclusion & Diversity Officer, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UMPC)
Susan E. Chapman, Global Head of Operations, Citi Realty Service, Citi Inc.
Chrysa Chin, Vice President, Player Development, National Basketball Association (NBA)
Denise Coley, Director, Global Supplier Diversity Business Development, Cisco Systems, Inc.
Michelle Drayton, President & Publisher, Today's Child Communications
Mavis T. Thompson, Esq., President, National Bar Association
Teresa Taylor Williams, Ph.D., CEO & Founder, TTW Associates, Inc. / New York Trend Newspaper
Donna Sims Wilson, President, M.R. Beal and Company
Could Kwame Kilpatrick be headed back to prison?
DETROIT – Kwame Kilpatrick lost his job as Detroit's mayor and his freedom, in part, for telling lies.
A judge on Wednesday called Kilpatrick deceitful and self-serving while ordering him to come up with more than $300,000 for restitution to the city within 90 days or possibly face a return to jail.
"We are here because you committed perjury," Wayne County Circuit Court Judge David Groner told Kilpatrick. "You pled guilty and you agreed to pay $1 million in restitution, but you have not been responsible in paying it. You have not been credible in this courtroom and you, again, have not been honest to the city of Detroit."
The ruling is the latest legal setback for the convicted felon and one-time leader of the financially struggling city.
Death sentence to be reconsidered for ex-Black Panther
WASHINGTON (AFP) – The US Supreme Court ordered Tuesday a lower court to reconsider its decision not to execute ex-Black Panther Mumia Abu-Jamal for murdering a Philadelphia police officer in 1981.
"The judgment is vacated, and the case is remanded to the United States Court of Appeals," the highest court in the United States said in its ruling.
The death penalty sentence of Black Panther-turned human rights campaigner Abu-Jamal, 55, was overturned in March 2008, after his conviction for the murder of police officer Daniel Faulkner.
A three-member Pennsylvania appeals court voted two-to-one to overturn the former radio journalist's death sentence, automatically commuting his sentence to life in prison.
But the US Supreme Court orderd a new court review of the case following an appeal by prosecutors and a decision last week in a separate case in the state of Ohio, in which the death penalty verdict against another inmate was upheld.
Abu-Jamal has always claimed his innocence while on death row for some 28 years. While in prison he has become a leading crusader against the death penalty.
Abu-Jamal was serving as the president of the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists at the time of his arrest. He was a founding member of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Black Panther Party as a teenager.
Black Panther Party was a Leftist African-American organization from the 1960s and 70s established to promote black power and self-defense.
NBA stars raise over $800,000 for Haiti earthquake victms
NBA player Dwyane Wade and retired all-star Alonzo Mourning have created an earthquake relief fund that has pledged over 800,000 dollars for the Haitian people hit by the recent disaster.
Wade has donated 174,000 dollars which is the amount he makes for playing one game in the National Basketball Association.
Mourning, LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul each pledged 100,000 dollars, fund officials said.
The "Athletes Relief Fund for Haiti" began gathering donations from professional stars on Friday.
Mourning spent three days visiting Haiti last week, travelling with Miami-based Project Medishare, which has worked to improve health facilities for the poor in Haiti for over a decade.
The retired player worked at a makeshift hospital and assisted rescue workers in the devastated capital of Port-au-Prince.
Mourning plans to return to Haiti on Tuesday.
In honor of Black History Month, Macys celebrates you.
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--This February, in celebration of the remarkable contributions made by African-Americans, Macy’s commemorates Black History Month with special events that celebrate you. In honor of African-Americans past and present who have made an impact in their communities and have inspired others to be their best selves, Macy’s “Celebrates You” events will help individuals to discover their own “brand” - their unique voice, style and personality that will empower them to advance and achieve success, like the trailblazers before them.
In the tradition of storytelling, Macy’s “Celebrates You” events will consist of panel discussions with local African-American leaders from community organizers and business executives to local trendsetters at 10 Macy’s stores nationwide. These homegrown leaders will share with audiences their personal philosophies of success and give insight into the decisions and actions that have led them to be their best while inspiring others. Sheila P. Coates, founder and president of Be Your Own Brand™, will moderate these spirited discussions. Ms. Coates, a marketing and brand development expert with nearly two decades of experience, has guided the images of well-known celebrities at major entertainment conglomerates including Sony/BMG and Universal Music Group. Ms. Coates will also help participants understand the importance of personal branding and how defining an individual’s visual brand can make a positive and enduring impact upon one’s life and career.
“Every year, Macy’s is proud to honor the contributions of African-Americans with our Black History Month events nationwide. This new initiative with Be Your Own Brand will serve to further inspire and empower our customers. This innovative program is a great complement to our slate of Black History Month events that range from cooking demonstrations to exhibits that celebrate African-American achievements throughout history,” said Martine Reardon, Macy’s executive vice president of marketing.
“We’re not making you over – we’re making you better; by helping you be the best you can be,” said Sheila P. Coates, founder of Be Your Own Brand. “Discover your own brand and celebrate others who continue to be their own brand and make a statement.”
Macy’s Celebrates You events will take place in New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Chicago, Atlanta, Washington, DC, Detroit, Miami, Cincinnati and Philadelphia. At each gathering, in addition to the panel discussions, Macy’s fashion experts from Alfani and Lancôme will be on hand to put some of those image-making tips to use as they help customers enhance their personal brand with new clothing and makeup. Participants will also receive a one-day saving pass and a Black History Month engagement calendar with any purchase of $50 or more.
Macy’s Celebrates You Event Locations
Macy’s Beverly Center, Los Angeles, Feb. 4, 7:30 p.m.
Macy’s Lenox Square, Atlanta, Feb. 6, 2 p.m.
Macy’s Herald Square, New York, Feb. 9, 6 p.m.
Macy’s Aventura, Miami, Feb. 13, 2 p.m.
Macy’s Metro Center, Washington, DC, Feb. 17, 5:30 p.m.
Macy’s Center City, Philadelphia, Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m.
Macy’s on State Street, Chicago, Feb. 19, 12 p.m.
Macy’s Kenwood Towne Centre, Cincinnati, Feb. 20, 2 p.m.
Macy’s Somerset, Detroit, Feb. 27, 2 p.m.
Macy’s Houston Galleria, Houston, Feb. 28, 3 p.m.
For a complete listing of Macy’s Celebrates You and other Black History Month Events and news on discounts for event attendess, please visit www.macys.com/blackhistory
'Negro' Race Choice On Census Form Sparks Outrage
The 2010 census form offers "negro" as a race choice. The option has angered many who find the word offensive.
A fiery blast from the past is conjuring controversy in the new millennium. The word "negro" is now featured on an official U.S. document and now many are questioning if the Census Bureau is being insensitive.
It's a word that many African Americans associate with segregation, so imagine how shocked many were to see it on the 2010 U.S. census form.
Activist and PBS host Tavis Smiley is ending his annual State of the Black Union conference after 10 years.
Smiley says he was inspired to start the event because black issues were rarely addressed in the president's State of the Union speech or in the national media. The conference averaged 7,000 to 10,000 participants each year, was broadcast on C-SPAN and drew speakers ranging from President Barack Obama to basketball great Magic Johnson.
Smiley says he's ending the event because he needs time to focus on other projects, such as his four PBS prime-time specials this year. He also says black issues now are being addressed by numerous other media outlets, commentators and bloggers.
Smiley tells The Associated Press the series "doesn't have the premium that it used to have ? and that's a good thing."
Negro League Stamps to be introduced in 2010
The Negro Leagues Baseball stamps, to be issued in June, pay tribute to the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. Drawing some of the most remarkable athletes ever to play the sport, including Satchel Page and Josh Gibson, the Negro leagues galvanized African-American communities across the country, challenged racist notions of athletic superiority, and ultimately sparked the integration of American sports.
The Negro Leagues Baseball stamps pay tribute to the all-black professional baseball leagues that operated from 1920 to about 1960. The two 44-cent stamps comprise one scene painted by Kadir Nelson.
In 1920, Andrew ?Rube? Foster (1879?1930)?who began his baseball career as a pitcher?established the Negro National League, the first successful league of African-American teams. Nicknamed ?Rube? after defeating major-league pitcher George Edward ?Rube? Waddell in 1902, Foster is considered the ?father? of Negro leagues baseball. He is featured on the stamp.
NYPD racially profiles and hit one of their own, AGAIN!
A black off-duty NYPD sergeant carrying takeout food to his girlfriend's apartment claims he was racially profiled and roughed up by aggressive cops in the Bronx.
Sgt. Reginald McReynolds says he was handcuffed for 20 minutes while threatened by a rookie cop with arrest and the loss of his pension.
"I was minding my business," McReynolds told the Daily News. "I can think of no other reason for being stopped but my skin color."
"This incident has opened my eyes," added McReynolds, who's assigned to the Quality Assurance Division, which audits crime statistics
NEW YORK Percy Sutton, the pioneering civil rights attorney who represented Malcolm X before launching successful careers as a political power broker and media mogul, has died. He was 89.
Marissa Shorenstein, a spokeswoman for Gov. David Paterson, confirmed that Sutton died Saturday. She did not know the cause. His daughter, Cheryl Sutton, declined to comment when reached by phone at her New York City home on Saturday before midnight.
The son of a slave, Percy Sutton became a fixture on 125th Street in Harlem after moving to New York City following his service with the famed Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. His Harlem law office, founded in 1953, represented Malcolm X and the slain activist's family for decades.
The consummate politician, Sutton served in the New York State Assembly before taking over as Manhattan borough president in 1966, becoming the highest-ranking black elected official in the state.
Sutton also mounted unsuccessful campaigns for the U.S. Senate and mayor of New York, and served as political mentor for the Rev. Jesse Jackson's two presidential races.
"The godfather," Jackson once called him.
In a statement released Saturday night, Gov. David Paterson called Sutton a mentor and "one of New York's and this nation's most influential African-American leaders."
"Percy was fiercely loyal, compassionate and a truly kind soul," Paterson continued. "He will be missed but his legacy lives on through the next generations of African-Americans he inspired to pursue and fulfill their own dreams and ambitions."
In 1971, with his brother Oliver, Sutton purchased WLIB-AM, making it the first black-owned radio station in New York City. His Inner City Broadcasting Corp. eventually picked up WBLS-FM, which reigned for years as New York's top-rated radio station, before buying stations in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit and San Antonio between 1978-85.
The Texas purchase marked a homecoming for the suave and sophisticated Sutton, born in San Antonio on Nov. 24, 1920, the youngest of 15 children.
Among Sutton's other endeavors was his purchase and renovation of the famed Apollo Theater when the Harlem landmark's demise appeared imminent.
Sutton's father, Samuel, was born into slavery just before the Civil War. The elder Sutton became principal at a segregated San Antonio high school, and he made education a family priority: All 12 of his surviving children attended college.
When he was 13, Percy Sutton endured a traumatic experience that drove him inexorably into the fight for racial equality. A police officer approached Sutton as the teen handed out NAACP pamphlets. "N-----, what are you doing out of your neighborhood?" he asked before beating the youth.
When World War II arrived, Sutton's enlistment attempts were rebuffed by Southern white recruiters. The young man went to New York, where he was accepted and joined the Tuskegee Airmen.
After the war, Sutton earned a law degree in New York while working as a post office clerk and a subway conductor. He served again as an Air Force intelligence officer during the Korean War before returning to Harlem in 1953 and establishing his law office with brother Oliver and a third partner, George Covington.
In addition to representing Malcolm X for a decade until his 1965 assassination, the Sutton firm handled the cases of more than 200 defendants arrested in the South during the 1963-64 civil rights marches. Sutton was also elected to two terms as president of the New York office of the NAACP.
After Malcolm's assassination, Sutton worked as lawyer for Malcolm's widow, Betty Shabazz. He represented her grandson, 12-year-old Malcolm Shabazz, when the youth was accused of setting a 1997 fire that caused her death.
Sutton was elected to the state Legislature in 1965, and quickly emerged as spokesman for its 13 black members. His charisma and eloquence led to his selection as Manhattan borough president in 1966, completing the term of Constance Baker Motley, who was appointed federal judge.
Two years later, Sutton announced a run for the U.S. Senate seat held by Jacob Javits, although he pulled out of the Democratic primary to back Paul O'Dwyer.
Sutton remained in his Manhattan job through 1977, the same year he launched a doomed campaign for mayor that ended with Edward I. Koch defeating six competitors for the Democratic nomination.
Sutton was among the first voices raised against the Vietnam War, surrendering his delegate's seat at the 1968 Democratic convention in protest and supporting anti-war candidate George McGovern four years later against incumbent President Richard Nixon.
In addition to his radio holdings, Sutton also headed a group that owned The Amsterdam News, the second largest black weekly newspaper in the country. The paper was later sold.
Sutton's devotion to Harlem and its people was rarely more evident than when he spent $250,000 to purchase the shuttered Apollo Theater in 1981. The Apollo turned 70 in 2004, a milestone that was unthinkable until Sutton stepped in to save the landmark.
Sutton "retired" in 1991, but his work as an adviser, mentor and confidante to politicians and businessmen never abated. He was among a group of American businessmen selected during the Clinton administration to attend meetings with the Group of Seven (G-7) Nations in 1995-96.
"He was a great man," said Charles Warfield Jr., the president and chief operating officer of ICBC Broadcast Holdings Inc., reached early Sunday morning. He declined to comment further out of respect, he indicated, for the wishes of Sutton's family. The Rev. Al Sharpton planned a news conference Sunday to talk about Sutton's life and legacy.
Mother, daughter share learning, graduation experience at ULM
By Matthew Hamilton mhamilton@monroe.gannett.com
Reva McMillan said she never had qualms giving study advice to her mother, Maria McMillan.
The 25-year-old and the 52-year-old have grown accustomed to one another's opinions through the hours of drilling on course materials. Before big exams, the McMillans would play the respective roles of professor, write mock tests for each other and always offer a critique and encouragement afterward.
"I have no problem telling her, 'Maybe next time we'll study a little harder,' and she did the same for me," Reva McMillan said. "We've studied so much together, I feel like I could be a nurse, like I'm practically receiving half of her degree."
On Saturday, both mother and daughter graduated with degrees from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, two of more than 450 students who received diplomas at the ULM fall commencement at Fant-Ewing Coliseum, Reva McMillan received her bachelor's degree in sociology and Maria McMillan received the bachelor's degree in health sciences she needed to become a registered nurse. In her commencement address, UL Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Elsie Burkhalter mentioned the mother and daughter as an embodiment of learning as a lifelong pursuit.
"What a wonderful example of education transcending boundaries and stereotypes," Burkhalter said.
Burkhalter, the first woman and the first African-American to head the UL Board of Supervisors, told the graduates what she said she had always told her students when she was a classroom teacher: Education opens doors to their future.
She applauded the graduates for their degrees and joining elite company.
"Only 20 percent of Louisiana citizens hold a higher education degree," Burkhalter said. "Less than 7 percent hold graduate degrees."
She encouraged graduates to continue to learn even after graduation and to use their knowledge to improve their community despite the long odds they might face.
"While you're improving yourself, you have to be an advocate to others and help them," Burkhalter said. "Give the world the best you have, and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway."
Reva McMillan said she hopes to continue her education at Grambling State University and eventually become a social worker. She's not sure yet what that work will be, but she has an early interest in helping high-school dropouts get degrees.
"I just want to make a difference, especially with young people," Reva McMillan said.
Before Saturday's ceremony, she said watching her mother would be an inspiration to help people pursue their education.
"To see her walk, it means a lot," Reva McMillan said. "It's not only another college student. It helps me to understand that although she's my mom, she can learn from me while I learn from her and it never stops."
Black groups, calling for census changes, say they won't be satisfied with an undercount
Black groups on Wednesday urged the government to improve the count of African-Americans in next year's high-stakes census, saying they won't be satisfied with a tally that has historically overlooked millions in their community.
The National Urban League, the NAACP, Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson met with Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to voice their concerns the Census Bureau might not be doing enough to ensure an accurate tally. Roughly 3 million blacks were missed in 2000, while many whites were overcounted.
Meet the 4th Grade winners of the LTH Poetry Contest
By George Cook owner of www.letstalkhonestly.com
While I love everything I do with serving on my local Board of Educatiom and running of my web site the one thing that I find the most rewarding is working with children
That is why I coach and sponsor a poetry contest every year in my little town of Hillside. The theme of this years poetry contest was "If I was President ". As much as I love coaching and winning championships ( 2 if you just wanted to know...lol ) it's always great to reward children for something other than sports because many of our kids will not be sports stars but will make it via education and anything to reinforce that message is wonderful. It is my pleasure to introduce to you the two winners of this years poetry contest. 1st Place: Aiseosa Iyahen, 2nd Place Anaiyah D. James.
Left to right: Aiseosa Ihayen and Anaiyah D. James
The Winning Poems
If I was President
By Aiseosa Iyahen, First Place
If I was president the crowd would go wild
The governor would shrug and the mayor would hug
I would first work on the jobs, economy, and tools
Why? To make a better place for our schools
How would I do this? Not one person would miss
I would visit Afghanistan so there would be no problems in Pakistan
Children will be able to get free lunch so there won't be a fist to punch
People would be able to visit their loved ones in jail so they wont see their kids fail
Libraries would have enough books for kids to read and charities would have enough food to feed
If I was president this is how it would be love in the world is faith, out of this world is hate
If I was president
By Anaiyah D. James
If I was president, students could bring cupcakes to school on their birthdays
And we would keep the planet very clean, so we wouldn't need an Earth day
Food, gas, and shelter would cost less,
And students wouldn't have to work so hard just to pass a test.
If I was president, robbers and gang members would go to jail.
When it comes to playing games or spring Olympics, every student would prevail
Last, I would play jazz and R & B music over the loud speaker
And all of the students would bring presents to their teachers
Satiric look at why republicans can't make in roads into the Black Community. While humorous the short book does give common sense tips on how the RNC can reach out to black voters. The book touches on conservative talk radio, black political beliefs, and the failure of the RNC to reach out to black voters.
2010 TOP 10 HBCUs
Here are the top 10 HBCUs for 2010 as judged by the US News College Report. The usual suspects are there, Spelman, Howard, Morehouse. Is your college in the top 10. Read the list below and click the link below that to see the entire top 25.
