GOP Wingnuts Gone Wild: Rick Santorum Uses N-Word to Describe President Obama

Rick Santorum must be tired. He could no longer keep the mask of civility on when it comes to his deep-down feeling about Barack Obama. Listen to how he described our president and judge for yourself.



I'm not feeling so kindly towards Rick Santorum right about now. How about you?

Obama's Weekly Address: Passing the Buffett Rule So That Everyone Pays Their Fair Share

President Obama calls on Congress to pass the Buffett Rule, a principle that ensures that millionaires and billionaires do not pay less in taxes as a share of their income than middle class families pay -- as a matter of fairness.





Do you support the Buffett Rule?

Unique Building * Forest Spiral (Darmstadt, Germany)

The economic crisis in America makes many of us sad as we think about our current or future housing. I thought it would be good to visualize again about what housing could be in America if we just allow our creative flow to take hold.


The Forest Spiral building was designed by a famous Austrian painter and sculptor named Friedensreich Hundertwasser (December 15, 1928 – February 19, 2000). It is located in Darmstadt, Germany. The building contains 105 apartments, a parking garage, a supermarket, a café, a bar, a playground for the children of the residents and a small artificial lake.

Wordless Wednesday: Soul Brothers

OURStory: Silent Soldiers

I read a passionate post from the Fort Wayne African American Independent Woman back in April 2007 that discussed the plight of women in the blogosphere. I am very familiar with racism. That is a factor for anyone that is Black in America.

On the other hand, my understanding of the sexism experienced by women, in particular nubian women, is not nearly as informed. I've been blessed in my personal life to be surrounded by powerful Black women that owned their own businesses, practiced medicine, invested in the stock market, served in top-level positions with federal government and so forth. I have seen these Black women overachieve in spite of obstacles they faced because of their gender or race. Like I said ... I'm blessed to have these powerful sisters in my life. I hope that my two daughters draw upon these powerful women as role models as they both grow up.

Most villagers are not aware of the power that exists in our own midst. We may know our ancestors, however, history continually turns into HIS-story ... without much mention of our Black women. Did you know that our Black women were silent soldiers in the Civil Rights movement?

Ella Baker. Septima Poinsette Clark. Fannie Lou Hamer.

They and others risked their lives and worked tirelessly, demanding a social revolution — but history has often overlooked them. They were the women of the civil rights movement.

Though historians now acknowledge that women, particularly African Americans, were pivotal in the critical battles for racial equality, Rosa Parks’ death highlights the fact that she was one of the very few female civil rights figures who are widely known. Most women in the movement played background roles, either by choice or due to bias, since being a women of color meant facing both racism and sexism.

Click here to learn more about women that were overlooked during the Civil Rights movement.

We have to tell OURstory whenever possible. We must define ourselves. The beauty of being a blogger is that you are not censored. I invite you to share some little-known aspects of our story. We are not limited to telling our story in the month of February. We can do it whenever we want.

Anyhow, I would love to hear from other villagers on the powerful women in their lives. We're just sitting around the fire under the baobob tree. Care to share a comment on this post?

Dr. Ethelene Jones Crockett Outstanding Alumni Award Winner: Leland Bassett (2012)

My maternal grandmother, Ethelene Jones Crockett, was born in 1914 in St. Joseph, Michigan and grew up in Jackson, Michigan. She attended Jackson Community College (JCC) and graduated from University of Michigan. She married George Crockett, Jr. who was an accomplished lawyer, judge and congressman in his own right, and they had three children (including my Mom!) before she decided to attend medical school at Howard University in 1942.

Grandmother Crockett served her medical internship at Detroit Receiving Hospital but completed her residency in a New York City hospital because no Detroit hospital would accept an African American woman. She became the first Black female Ob/Gyn in the state of Michigan in 1952.

She retired from active practice in 1972. In 1978 she became the first woman president of the American Lung Association. Unfortunately, she died later that same year.

My grandmother was larger than life. I loved her very much.  I'm sure that she would be pleased to know that Detroit businessman Leland Bassett is the recipient of the 2012 Dr. Ethelene Jones Crockett Outstanding Alumni Award.  The Dr. Ethelene Jones Crockett Award is presented to a person who has displayed a positive and personal involvement in the betterment of humankind and has ongoing contact with JCC.  [SOURCE]

Bassett, who graduated from the college in 1964, is chairman and chief executive officer of Bassett & Bassett, communications managers and counselors, in Detroit. He has pioneered the application of human communication sciences and strategic planning in public relations, corporate communications and strategic communications for more than 30 years.

Congratulations to Mr. Bassett ... he's officially part of our 'village' now!

Happy Birthday: Aretha Franklin (1942- )

Aretha Franklin was born on this date in 1942. She is one of the most accomplished and influential vocalists of the last two centuries. Franklin was born in Memphis and grew up in Detroit, where her father, the Rev. C. L. Franklin, was the pastor at the New Bethel Baptist Church. [SOURCE]

She has a remarkable inventory of albums, songs, bios and photos. However, many in the current generation may remember her best for that hat she wore at the inauguration!

What is your greatest memory or favorite song from the Queen of Soul?

Video of the Day: GOP War on Women (Extended Cut)

This is a powerful video in many respects. Will the furor over the 'war on women' still be as strong in November when the votes are cast in the presidential election?

Skittles, Neighborhood Watch and the Death of a Child

I've been watching the developments in the Trayvon Martin case over the past couple of weeks. I'm still amazed that the powers-that-be in the state of Florida haven't figured out that nothing changes until the guy who pulled the trigger ... George Zimmerman ... is arrested.

It's been almost a month since 17-year old Trayvon Martin was gunned down by self-appointed neighborhood watch captain George Zimmerman. Despite Zimmerman admitting to following, confronting, and killing Trayvon, he has yet to be arrested or charged with any crime.

Just minutes before Trayvon was killed, Zimmerman had called police stating that Trayvon looked "suspicious." Trayvon was unarmed and walking back to his father's home in Sanford, Florida when Zimmerman accosted him.

At the crime scene, Sanford police botched their questioning of Zimmerman, refused to take the full statements of witnesses, and pressured neighbors to side with the shooter's claim of self-defense. As it turns out, Sanford's police department has a history of failing to hold perpetrators accountable for violent acts against Black victims, and the police misconduct in Trayvon's case exemplifies the department's systemic mishandling of such investigations. And now, the State Attorney's office has rubber-stamped the Sanford police's non-investigation, claiming that there is not enough evidence to support even a manslaughter conviction.

Trayvon's family and hundreds of thousands of people around the country demanded justice. It took some time but earlier this week the Department of Justice began an independent investigation into the Sanford police department's unwillingness to protect Trayvon's civil rights.

Walking home from the store shouldn't cost you your life, but when Black youth are routinely assumed to be violent criminals, being randomly killed is a constant danger. Before Zimmerman decided to get out of his parked car gun in tow to pursue Trayvon on foot that night, he called the police to identify Trayvon as a "suspicious person" apparently because he was wearing a hoodie and walking too slowly in the rain for Zimmerman's liking. Despite being instructed not to follow Trayvon, Zimmerman proceeded to confront and fatally shoot the boy in the chest within a matter of minutes. Zimmerman went from being a Neighborhood Watch volunteer to a vigilante in a nanosecond.

The case has been compromised from the beginning. When Sanford police arrived on the scene, Zimmerman was first approached by a narcotics detective not a homicide investigator who "peppered him with questions" rather than allowing him to tell his story without prompting. Another officer "corrected" a witness giving a statement that she'd heard Trayvon cry for help before he was shot, telling her she had heard Zimmerman instead.

And beyond the questions of professional competence or even the police's disregard for the facts, Florida's notorious "Shoot First" law takes a shooter's self-defense claim at face value incentivizing law enforcement not to make arrests in shooting deaths that would lead to murder charges in other states. These 'Stand Your Ground' laws need to be changed.

Sanford has a history of not prosecuting when the victim is Black. In 2010, the white son of a Sanford police lieutenant was let go by police after assaulting a homeless Black man outside a downtown bar. And, in 2005, a Black teenager was killed by two white security guards, one the son of a Sanford Police officer. The pair was arrested and charged, but a judge later cited lack of evidence and dismissed both cases.

Emotions are running raw in Sanford and all around the nation. How are you feeling about the Trayvon Martin case at this point in time?

Video of the Day: Tribute to Trayvon Martin and Wake Up Call for the Rest of Us

It is well beyond time for things to change in America. Emmitt Till was lynched over 50 years ago ... Trayvon Martin's case is much too similiar. Killed simply for the level of melanin in his body. Something simply ain't right.

Happy Birthday: Moms Mabley (1897-1975)

Let's take a moment to remember 'Moms' Mabley. She was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, NC on this date in 1897. She was the first African American woman to establish herself as a single act in stand-up comedy. [SOURCE]

A pioneer of social satire, she strongly influenced Black comedians Richard Pryor and Whoopi Goldberg. In her comedy routines, Mabley adopted a stage persona based loosely on her own grandmother but with a distinctly cantankerous and sassy edge. She was known for her folksy humor and ribald jokes and affectionately referred to her audience as her "children."





Onstage Mabley became famous for her gaudy house-dresses, floppy hats, and over-sized clodhoppers. During the 1960s, she recorded more than 20 albums of her comedy routines and appeared on television shows hosted by Harry Belafonte, Mike Douglas, Merv Griffin, Flip Wilson and Bill Cosby.





A year after starring in the feature film Amazing Grace (1974), Mabley died of natural causes at the age of 78.

What do you remember of 'Moms' Mabley?

Obama's Weekly Address: Ending Subsidies for Big Oil Companies

President Obama says that America needs an all-of-the-above energy strategy that invests in new technologies and ends the $4 billion in annual subsidies to oil companies that are earning historic profits.





This seems like a 'no-brainer' for me. Why do we continue to give these large oil companies $4 billion a year?

Rest In Peace: Curtis "Teddy Bear" Wofford (1959-2008)

A brother I knew back in my college days passed away on this day in 2008. His name was Curtis Wofford, Jr., although most of our college town (Riverside, CA) knew him as 'Teddy Bear'. Curtis, Kin 'Undisco Kid', Cecil 'Sweet C' Treadway, Lenny 'Mighty Mac' McNeil, Herb 'Superb Herb' Partlow and me ('The Wizard of Soul & Mind') were radio personalities at KUCR 88.3 FM  ... a student-operated radio station on the campus of the University of California, Riverside (UCR).

Kin began the magic in 1978.  Lenny and Cecil joined KUCR a little later.  I came on-board sometime in 1979 or 1980.  Teddy Bear and Herb hosted their inaugural shows on the same day in August 1980.

To my knowledge, Curtis never attended the school as a student. However, he was persistent in coming by the radio station each weekend ... until the station manager, Louis Vandenberg, eventually gave 'Teddy Bear' his own radio show.  He joined the broadcast family, created by Kin, Lenny and Cecil, which became known as 'Soul of Sunday'. We were the SOS Crew ... and for a brief period of time we were wildly popular in the Inland Empire. We DJ'd parties at local hotels, roller-skating rinks and were regular DJ-guests at the California Institute for Women ... home of the Manson girls and other female felons.

Cecil, Lenny and I eventually left Riverside and KUCR. Curtis stayed at the radio station. He continued KUCR’s “Soul on Sunday” during his longtime involvement in the station, from the early ’80s to the mid-’90s. As Louis Vandenberg wrote,

"Teddy was a respected community volunteer at KUCR. He made a real contribution as a broadcaster over the airwaves on KUCR, as program host, producer, music coordinator, MC and Program Director. He knew the music well and brought it to the community with an unforgettable personality and style. He was a good and gifted man who was a joy to know and to work with. His passing is a real loss, deeply felt. We remember him now for the gift of his great talent and warm personality, with deep appreciation and gratitude. All condolences to his surviving family members."

Curtis bought my first car ... a 1972 Chevy Nova ... from me when I left Riverside in 1981. I saw him once or twice after that. He died at the age of 48, on March 18, 2008 at Riverside Community Hospital.

He was born March 27, 1959 in Gadsden, AL. Curtis graduated from Rubidoux High School and attended Riverside Community College. Curtis is survived by his brothers, Joseph Whatley, Riverside, CA, Jerry Chance, Perris, CA., James Chance, Philadelphia, PA, Dean Ragland, Detroit, Michigan; sisters, Vanessa Evans, Riverside, CA, Marjorie Roberts, Perris, CA, Michelle Chance, Philadelphia, PA; host of nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mary Jo Whatley and Curtis Wofford, Sr.

Curtis was truly an Original Villager and I am very sad to learn of his passing. If you knew him ... please take a moment to sign his guest book. If you did not know Teddy Bear ... please keep him and his family in your prayers anyhow. One Love, Teddy...

Happy Birthday: Queen Latifah (1970- )

I like Dana Owens, better known as Queen Latifah (meaning delicate and sensitive in Arabic). I like her music. I like her acting. I like her style. As such, I am glad to wish Queen Latifah a very happy birthday. She was born on March 18, 1970 in East Orange, NJ. [SOURCE]

Did you know that this powerful sister once worked at Burger King. She had that job before she released her debut single, Wrath of My Madness, in 1988.

She was a star on 'Living Single', a truly funny television show. She had been in a number of movies such as Juice, Jungle Fever, House Party 2, Set It Off, Living Out Loud, The Bone Collector, Bringing Down the House and Barber Shop 2.

In 2003, she was nominated for an Oscar for her role as Mama Morton in Chicago. In 2007, she announced her engagement to long time girlfriend Jeanette Jenkins.





I love me some Queen Latifah. What is your favorite Queen Latifah song or movie?

Wordless Wednesday: Gold Diggers

Taser Death: Jersey Green (Aurora, IL)

It happened again! This time the electrocution-by-taser took place in Aurora, Illinois. Police responded to several 911 calls last night about 37-year old Jersey Green. It appears that Green was jumping on parked vehicles. Police say that Green jumped off a parked SUV when they arrived and he tried to run away.

Ordinarily being a fool doesn't result in the death penalty.   However, we now know that the Aurora Police Department doesn't like to be disrespected. They don't bother seeking out a reason for disrespect. They react.

Green made the mistake of jumping on the hood of a police car. That was enough provocation for a police officer to pump 50,000 volts of electricity into Green. The jolt was enough to knock Green to the ground where three police officers handcuffed him and put him into custody.

At this point the officers figured out that this UNARMED man was in physical distress. They called for an ambulance.  Shortly thereafter Green stopped breathing. He was taken to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead.

It took only a few hours for the police to let the public know that Green was a registered sex offender and that he was charged with some drug offenses 15 years ago. They conveniently avoid mentioning that he wasn't convicted of those charges. It is typical in these taser-related deaths for the police to try to indicate that drugs were involved in the death ... anything to avoid admitting that they killed an UNARMED man by extra-judicial electrocution.

An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow by the Kane County coroner’s office.

Taser Death: Raymond Allen, Jr. (Galveston, TX)

It happened again! This time an UNARMED 34-year old father of three was killed by taser-happy officers from the Galveston Police Department. The family of Raymond Allen, Jr. seeks to find out exactly what happened to him. [SOURCE]

"He was tasered from what I hear, two to three times and hog tied." said the victim's father, Raymond Allen Sr.

Allen Jr. rented a room at a Galveston motel on February 29, 2012.  He was seen jumping from a second story balcony. A worker at the motel said she saw Allen Jr. jump twice and that's when the police showed up. Instead of helping the unarmed man ... the police pumped him with 50,000 volts of electricity more than once.

The crime listed on the incident report is resisting arrest.

Investigators also said that Allen Jr. stopped breathing at the scene, was revived, then rushed to the hospital. He died two days later.

The Galveston County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy, but the ruling on what caused his death is pending results from a toxicology report.

The family has already filed a lawsuit in this case.

History of Daylight SavingsTime

Villagers, here is more than you wanted to know about daylight time!

Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005).

Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006.

Many other countries observe some form of "summer time", but they do not necessarily change their clocks on the same dates as the U.S.

Daylight time and time zones in the U.S. are defined in the U.S. Code, Title 15, Chapter 6, Subchapter IX - Standard Time.

History of Daylight Time in the U.S.

Although standard time in time zones was instituted in the U.S. and Canada by the railroads in 1883, it was not established in U.S. law until the Act of March 19, 1918, sometimes called the Standard Time Act. The act also established daylight saving time, a contentious idea then. Daylight saving time was repealed in 1919, but standard time in time zones remained in law. Daylight time became a local matter. It was re-established nationally early in World War II, and was continuously observed from 9 February 1942 to 30 September 1945. After the war its use varied among states and localities. The Uniform Time Act of 1966 provided standardization in the dates of beginning and end of daylight time in the U.S. but allowed for local exemptions from its observance. The act provided that daylight time begin on the last Sunday in April and end on the last Sunday in October, with the changeover to occur at 2 a.m. local time.

During the "energy crisis" years, Congress enacted earlier starting dates for daylight time. In 1974, daylight time began on 6 January and in 1975 it began on 23 February. After those two years the starting date reverted back to the last Sunday in April. In 1986, a law was passed that shifted the starting date of daylight time to the first Sunday in April, beginning in 1987. The ending date of daylight time was not subject to such changes, and remained the last Sunday in October. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 changed both the starting and ending dates. Beginning in 2007, daylight time starts on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November.

For a very readable account of the history of standard and daylight time in the U.S., see Ian R. Bartky and Elizabeth Harrison: "Standard and Daylight-saving Time", Scientific American, May 1979 (Vol. 240, No. 5), pp. 46-53.

OURstory: Colonel Charles Young (1864-1922)

One of most courageous African Americans in the history of the U.S. military was Colonel Charles Young. I'm pleased to see that a saber owned by Col. Young was included in the America I AM exhibit at the Cincinnati Museum Center a few years ago.

Young was born March 12, 1864 to ex-slaves in Mayslick, Kentucky. His family moved to Ripley, Ohio, where he attended high school. After he graduated he taught in the Black high school in Ripley. Young was a professor at Wilberforce University. His house near Wilberforce is a National Historic Landmark.

He was the third African American to graduate from West Point in 1889. He graduated in spite of the hatred, bigotry and discrimination he encountered as an undergraduate.

His first assignment after graduation was with the Buffalo Soldiers in the 10th Cavalry in Nebraska, and then in the 9th and 10th Cavalries in Utah.

Young was then awarded a commission as a Major in the Ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Later, during the Spanish-American War, he was in command of a squadron of the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers in Cuba.

After the war with Spain, Young was reassigned to Fort Duchesne in Utah where he encouraged Sergeant Major Benjamin O. Davis ... who later became the first African American to reach the rank of Army General.

In 1903 Captain Young was in command of the 10th Cavalry, who were segregated at the Presidio of San Francisco. He was assigned as the acting superintendent of Sequoia National Parks. During his supervisory tenure his troops built a road longer than all previous roads combined. Soon wagons and automobiles were winding their way to the mountain-top forest for the first time.

Young was sent to the Philippines to join his 9th regiment and command a squadron of two troops in 1908. Four years later he was once again selected for Military Attaché duty, this time to Liberia. For his service as adviser to the Liberian Government and his supervision of the building of the country's infrastructure, he was awarded the NAACP Springarn Medal.

Because of his exceptional leadership of the 10th Cavalry in the Mexican theater of war, he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and was briefly Fort Huachuca's commander in Texas.

Young was devoted to his wife Ada and their two children; son, Charles Jr. and daughter Marie. He was a renaissance man who played several instruments (piano, violin and guitar) and spoke several languages.

Colonel Charles Young was the highest ranking African American officer in the army when World War I started.

With the explosive arrival of WW1, the public, and especially African Americans considered the possibility of Young receiving a major leadership role in the war. He had met challenges of racism, bigotry, and discrimination embedded within society and within the military. He had shown himself to be exceptional, not only as an military officer, but also as a leader of men.

But justice and the rule of equality in the military were not for Lt. Colonel Charles Young. When he took his scheduled army physical, the doctors said his blood pressure was too high. Young and his comrades, his supporters, and the African American news media believed otherwise. On June 22, 1917, Young was retired, under protest.

The forced retirement didn't sit well with Lt. Col. Young. In June 1918 he made his way on horseback ... over 500 miles ... from Wilberforce OH to Washington DC to demonstrate that he was fit for duty. Once in DC, he asked the military for immediate reinstatement and command of a combat unit in Europe. Young was reinstated and promoted to full Colonel.

Col. Young, was assigned to Liberia as Military Attaché. He died at that post on January 8, 1922, while on a research expedition in Lagos, Nigeria.

Rest in Peace: Willie Davis (1940-2010)

I used to take the bus to attend Dodgers games when I was young. Me and my buddies would pay $1.25 for general admission tickets ... then spend a few innings trying to sneak down one of the stairwells to get to the lower levels of the stadium. My three favorite Dodger players at the time were Bill Buckner, Willie Davis and Claude Osteen.

As such, I was very sad to learn that Willie Davis, the best center fielder in Dodgers' history, died this week at the age of 69.

Authorities said a neighbor, who usually brought breakfast to Davis at his home, discovered his body. The case is being handled by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office, but authorities said it appears that Davis died of natural causes.

William Henry Davis was born April 15, 1940, in Mineral Springs, Ark. He was a star athlete in baseball, basketball and track at Roosevelt High School in Los Angeles in the late 1950s, and signed with the Dodgers in 1958. He spent only two seasons in the minor leagues before joining the Dodgers briefly in 1960.

"He was so talented," former Dodger shortstop Maury Wills said in an interview Tuesday with the Los Angeles Times. "God really blessed him with some great tools — for any sport, really — speed, strength, agility — everything an athlete needs in order to make the big time."

Davis, known as "3-Dog" for his uniform number and his speed on the bases, was a key member of outstanding Dodger teams during the 1960s that won World Series titles in 1963 and 1965 and the National League pennant in 1966. He batted .305 or higher for three consecutive seasons beginning in 1969. And he still has more hits, extra-base hits, triples, runs scored, at-bats and total bases than any Dodger during their years in Los Angeles starting in 1958.

"The thing about Willie Davis that left the greatest impression on you was the sight of him running," said Dodger coach and former teammate Manny Mota. "Once in spring training, I saw him score from second base on a fly ball to center field. He was the only person I ever saw do that."

Davis hit .279 over his career, with 398 stolen bases, including a career-high 42 in 1964.

Willie Davis was one of my childhood sports heroes. Who was your favorite baseball player back in the day?

OURstory: Langston University

Langston University, Oklahoma’s only Historical Black College or University (HBCU), founded on March 12, 1897. Over one hundred years old Langston U. moves with confidence toward a second century of excellence. On November 16, 1907 (the year Oklahoma became a state), Langston City was officially established. Since African Americans were not permitted to attend any of the institutions of higher education in Oklahoma Territory, Black citizens appeared before the Oklahoma Industrial School and College Commission in July 1892 to petition that Langston have a college.

Read the rest of OURstory.

Did you attend an HBCU? Do you have any friends or family who attended Langston University?

Video of the Day: Is ZayZay the Youngest Comedian in the World?

Have y'all heard the stylings of ZayZay yet? Here is shares some insights on what 'Growing Up Black' means to him.






Did you resemble any of his remarks?

Obama's Weekly Address: Investing in a Clean Energy Future

Speaking from a factory in Virginia, President Obama talks about how companies are creating more jobs in the United States, making better products than ever before, and how many are developing new technologies that are reducing our dependence on foreign oil and saving families money at the pump.

Black Unemployment Rate Spikes to 14.1% in February 2012

The United States added 227,000 jobs in February 2012 - making it 24 consecutive months of private sector job growth - and unemployment rate remained at 8.3 percent. Job growth was widespread last month in the private sector, with large employment gains in professional and business services, health care and social assistance, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, and mining. according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

There are about 12.8 million unemployed people in the country - essentially unchanged from last month. Our nation's unemployment is near its lowest rate in almost three years. The trend of positive employment news continues to grow under the leadership of President Obama.

The news was not positive for the Black community.

The unemployment rate in the Black community grew in February 2012 to 14.1%. This compares to previous months:

• Jan 2012 - 13.6%
• Dec 2011 - 15.7%
• Nov 2011 - 15.5%
• Sep 2011 - 16.0%
• Aug 2011 - 16.7%

The overall message for the US economy is good. This is the eighth straight month with over 100,000 people entering the workforce. However, we are sad to report that the rate of unemployment in the Black community remains disproportionately high. That is why this blog is very happy to see proactive efforts to increase awareness of the power of Black Dollars. We have to look to ourselves to fix this problem!

What is your opinion of the unemployment data that was released today?

Past is Prologue: Barack Obama vs. Mitt Romney

Often you can tell a lot about a person today by looking at how the person was 'back in the day'. For example, we can look at Mitt Romney in this photo with his Bain partners from 'back in the day' and it is obvious that he has an obsession for money.

On the other hand, we can tell an awful lot about President Barack Obama by listening to him in this 1990 video as he speaks (without a teleprompter) in support of Professor Derek Bell and the hiring of more faculty members of color at Harvard University. [SOURCE]





What say u?

Wordless Wednesday: Still I Rise

Taser Death: Nehemiah Dillard (Gainesville, FL)

It happened again! Earlier today Alachua County Sheriff deputies used their taser guns at least twice on a patient at the Meridian Behavioral Healthcare located in Gainesville, FL. They were called to the location to handle 29-year-old Nehemiah Lazar Dillard who was tearing up property, throwing chairs, and threatening staff. [SOURCE]

Deputies tried to talk Mr. Dillard down ... and when that didn't work they blasted him with 50,000 volts of electricity from their taser. Dillard continued to fight back. A second shot was fired from the taser gun. This second electrocution effort brought Dillard down. He was transported to a local hospital ... where he was promptly pronounced dead.

An active investigation is underway to determine the cause and manner of death. The sheriff deputies involved in this taser-related killing have not been identified to the public yet.  An autopsy is expected to be performed in the upcoming days. Further details will be made available upon investigation.

Rush Limbaugh Apologizes as 12 Advertisers and 2 Radio Stations Drop His Show

Rush Limbaugh has been despicable and vile on his daily 3-hour syndicated radio show for decades. He regularly attacks women, Blacks, Democrats and others. For the past week he focused his energy in effort to attack 30-year old Georgetown law student, Sandra Fluke, by calling her a 'slut' and 'prostitute'.

Fluke testified to congressional Democrats that she wanted her college health plan to cover her birth control. Limbaugh wasn't impressed.

“If we’re going to have to pay for this, then we want something in return, Ms. Fluke,” Limbaugh said. “And that would be the videos of all this sex posted online so we can see what we’re getting for our money.”

He also asked the 30-year-old Fluke: “Who bought your condoms in junior high?”

And on Friday, Limbaugh scoffed at the Democrats’ talk of a conservative “war on women.”

“Amazingly, when there is the slightest bit of opposition to this new welfare entitlement being created, then all of a sudden we hate women. We want ’em barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen,” he said. “And now, at the end of this week, I am the person that the women of America are to fear the most.”

Being outrageous usually works for Limbaugh. However, this time he went to far. This time the outcry from social media was focused and effective. In the past few days seven advertisers pulled out of their sponsorship of the Limbaugh radio show.

1. Allstate Insurance
2. AOL
3. Bonobos 
4. Carbonite
5. Citrix
6. Legal Zoom
7. Pro Flowers
8. Quicken Loans
9. Sears Holding
10. Sleep Number
11. Tax Resolution
12. The Sleep Train

At least one radio station has dropped the Rush Limbaugh show from their rotation:

1. KPUA 670 AM (Honolulu, HI)
2. WPEC 96.9 FM (Pittsfield, MA)

 Rush Limbaugh is basically a prostitute himself. He sells his outrageous rhetoric for advertising revenue. Once he saw that his advertising revenue was impacted by this kerfuffle with Sandra Fluke we see that Limbaugh went into apology mode on his website.

Personally, I don't think that an apology is enough.  Rush Limbaugh needs to be suspended or removed from his radio show.  Anyone that would call my mother, sister or daughter a 'slut' or 'prostitute' on a national broadcast doesn't deserve to be on the airwaves.   We had to teach this lesson to Glenn Beck and Laura Schlessinger.

Perhaps it is time for Rush Limbaugh to learn that he doesn't have a God-given right to be a jerk on the public airwaves.   What is your opinion on this latest Limbaugh controversy?

Obama's Weekly Address: Taking Control of Our Energy Future

President Obama talks about how the American auto industry is back and creating cars that are better than ever -- and says we need to fight for a clean energy future that is within our reach.





What is your take on the efforts of the president when it comes to energy policy?

Racism Is As Racism Does: Federal Judge Richard Cebull is a Racist

Did you see where a U.S. district judge in Montana thought it would be funny to forward a racist email indicating that President Barack Obama's mother practiced bestiality? [SOURCE]

In his email, federal judge Richard Cebull writes: "Normally I don't send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine."

The forwarded content states: "A little boy said to his mother; 'Mommy, how come I'm Black and you're white?' His mother replied, 'Don't even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!'"

I imagine that we will see more and more of these types of stories as we get closer to the presidential election. Our nation is not post-racial yet. The judge wasn't sorry about sending the email when it went out on February 20th. However, once the email got leaked to the media Cebull realized that he had phuqued up big-time.

"I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended," Cebull said in comments reported by the Great Falls Tribune newspaper.

"The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan," he said. "I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."

If Cebull was willing to share his prejudice and racist opinions so freely within his email to his buddies ... you wonder if that same prejudice and racist attitude has shown up in some of his rulings on the court? Cebull has been a federal judge since being nominated by President George W. Bush back in 2008.

Am I unfair to label this guy as a racist? Perhaps he is just a well-meaning guy who made a mistake, huh? What say u?