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Philip O. Coleman, 38, was arrested around 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012, for beating his 69-year-old mother, injuring her head and legs, police said in a statement. Coleman "became combative" and spit blood on the faces of an officer and a supervisor, police said.
On Thursday, officers were taking Coleman from the 5th District station to court when "he again became combative" and a Taser was used "to gain control of the subject," police said. Coleman was then taken to Roseland Community Hospital where he became physically aggressive. A Taser was used again to gain control. Once admitted, he was given a sedative and later died.
I encourage all 'villagers' to find a way to support Black Male Mentoring Month in January 2013.
Perhaps you can help influence those schools, faith organizations, community organizations, fraternities and sororities in your sphere of influence to create and manage mentoring programs during January 2013 for young Black men. You can find ways to help at the National Cares Mentoring Movement or Mentoring USA. You will find a number of leaders in the mentoring movement at either of those websites.
Many of pulling together events for Black Male Mentoring Day -- January 19, 2013 -- which also happens to be the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Please call the Black Star Project at 773.285-9600 to get an organizing kit to create a mentoring program in your community or your city.
The choice is ours ... either strong, positive Black men will mentor Black boys or somebody else will and we probably won't like the results!
Villagers, I created this blog in order to inform and uplift people of African descent. Too often we are bombarded with negative images of what it means to be Black in America and throughout the diaspora. My hope is that the Electronic Village provides an outlet for us to share some self-love, self-respect and self-determination. I am hopeful that you will become engaged through your village voice to share your thoughts on the posts that we provide each day.
While the Nguzo Saba are commonly linked to the yearly Kwanzaa celebration, they have year-round applicability. I'm sharing these seven principles in the hopes that we can refer to them often over the coming weeks and months.
UMOJA (00-MOE-JAH) UNITY - The first principle is a commitment to the idea of togetherness. This principle is a foundation; for without unity, neither the family nor the community can survive. National African American unity begins with the family. Open discussions of family problems and their probable solutions are very important.
KUJICHAGULIA (CO-GEE-CHA-GOO-LEE-AH) SELF-DETERMINATION - The second principle is a commitment to building our lives in our own images and interests. If we, as a people, are to achieve our goals we must take the responsibility for that achievement upon ourselves, for self-determination is the essence of freedom. This day calls for a reaffirmation of our commitment to struggle for all people of African descent, particularly those of us here in America, to build a more meaningful and fulfilling life.
UJIMA (00-GEE-MA) COLLECTIVE WORK AND RESPONSIBILITY - The third principle encourages self-criticism and personal evaluation, as it relates to the common good of the family/community. Without collective work and struggle, progress is impossible. The family and the community must accept the reality that we are collectively responsible for our failures, as well as our victories and achievements. Discussions concerning each family member's responsibility prove helpful in defining and achieving family goals.
UJAMAA (00-JAH-MAH) COOPERATIVE ECONOMICS - Out of the fundamental concepts of "African Communal Living" comes the fourth principle of Kwanzaa. In a community or family, wealth and resources should be shared. On the national level, cooperative economics can help African Americans take physical control of their own destinies. On this day, ideas should be shared and discussed for cooperative economic efforts to provide for needs as related to housing, education, food, day care, health, transportation and other goods and services.
NIA (NEE-AH) PURPOSE - The fifth day of Kwanzaa is a day for reviewing our purpose for living. Each family member should examine his/her ability to put his/her skill or talent to use In the service of the family and community at large. Take time to reflect on your expectations from life: discuss your desires and hopes with family and friends. On this day you should try to determine if this purpose will eventually result in positive achievements for family and community.
KUUMBA (KOO-M-BAH) CREATIVITY - The sixth principle of the Nguzo Saba relates to building and developing our creative potential. It involves both aesthetic and material creations. It is essential that creativity be encouraged in all aspects of African American culture. It is through new ideas that we achieve higher levels of living and a greater appreciation for life. Each family member should find creative things to do throughout the year that will enhance the family as a whole. On this day, poetry reading, songfests, dance exhibitions and the like, can aid in promoting the importance of Kuumba.
IMANI (E-MAH-NE) FAITH - The seventh principle is belief in ourselves as individuals and as a people. Further, it is a commitment to the development of the family and the national African American community. African America's goal of freedom rests significantly on our belief in our own ability and right to control our own destiny. Without Imani (faith), there is no possibility of victory.
Villagers, we will discuss each of these seven principles throughout the coming year. Perhaps you can begin the discussion by sharing your village voice on the Nguzo Saba. What say u?Which principle(s) are particularly meaningful in your life?
The tragedy that began with the unwarranted taser-killing of Brian Cardell in June 2009 has come to an end from a legal perspective. The family of Brian Cardall has settled its wrongful death lawsuit against the officer, police chief and the city.
Documents filed in U.S. District Court state only that the parties entered into a “mutual general settlement agreement and release of all claims,” without disclosing terms of the settlement.
President Obama urges Congress to meet its deadlines and responsibilities, protect the middle class from an income tax hike, and lay the groundwork for future progress on more economic growth and deficit reduction. [Transcript / Video]
Do you think that Congress will find a way to reach an agreement? Or are we going to go 'over the cliff'?
If you were creating a Mount Rushmore focused on Black male actors ... it is unlikely that Malik Yoba would be on it. On the other hand, I'm fairly certain that Denzel Washington would have his face carved in stone on that mountain. Don't you agree?
Malik hasn't been doing much work over the years. I'm glad that he has a chance to stretch himself with an upcoming role as Martin Luther King Jr. on a BET movie. However, I'm disappointed that he answered a question about Denzel's acting talents by saying:
"No matter how many movies Denzel Washington does, he’s still Denzel in every movie – except for the times he played Malcolm X and Rubin ‘Hurricane’ Carter. Those were the roles where he got a chance to stretch a little more. I want to be more like Forest Whitaker in Last King of Scotland. I want to stretch a little more, that’s what I want to do. So playing Martin, I had no fear. It was like here’s a real opportunity to do something. I’m still thrilled about it and I can’t wait to see the finished film."
I guess I should appreciate Malik for being candid in his response. I just don't happen to agree with him. Denzel has been playing a wide variety of roles in his movies. The only common denominator is that bad-ass walk of his. Denzel manages to get a couple of shots in every movie that show him simply walking ... because he has the coolest walk in the history of the cinema.
On another note ... who would be the other three Black male actors on Mount Rushmore in your opinion?
President Barack Obama is the first president since FDR to win back-to-back elections with over 50% of the nationwide vote. Yet, he is still the recipient of racism and disrespect from a growing number of idiots. Case in point? Some idiot in Kentucky put a life-sized mannequin in his front yard of President Obama holding a slice of watermelon. [SOURCE]
"The way I look at it, it's freedom of speech," said Danny Hafley. "I don't know how other people will take it."
Hafley bought the Obama mask on sale after Halloween and put up the display around the time of November's presidential election. The mannequin, dressed in a grey suit, clip-on tie and blue-collared shirt, stands out near the road in front of Hafley's house.
I was disappointed to learn that his neighbors didn't appear to mind having the racist display on their block ... all except one neighbor:
"If he wants to place it someplace else that would be fine," said the neighbor. "We don't have Black people in this community but I'm sure they travel this road like everybody else does. They could be offended. I don't agree with it."
When will Americans rise up and let their neighbors, co-workers and online friends know that these types of racially-based displays are simply unacceptable?
To come together to build and maintain our communities.
None of us walks alone. Especially in the Black community. We need to realize that we stand on the shoulders of others. Celebrating the Nguza Sabo principle, 'ujima', gives us a chance to reflect on those that helped us reach our current platform. We can pay homage to our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, mentors, colleagues or others that came into our lives. Nubians in America should also lift up in praise those African Americans that came ... some were lost ... so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today.
In other words villagers ... let's be proud of our accomplishments. We earned the right to be proud. However, let's also remember that our accomplishments may never have happened without the help of others struggling before us. Now, we must pay it forward. We must reach back, down or across to others to help them on their journey.
Those are my thoughts about Ujima. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when the Ujima comes to mind?
This was also another song that was great as a slow-jam do end the party. I'm sure that there are some ol' school brothers who used to dream of sharing this song in the background when they were with their lady late at night!
The proof is in the pudding. I've never heard from Rene Moore since the group split up. However, Angela Winbush broke out in 1987 with a #1 ballad called, "Angel"
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
The second principle in the Nguzo Saba calls for us to spend less time worried about what 'THEY' are thinking and more time focused on our own decisions. We can't waste our time trying to live up to the expectations of others. We must value the importance of our own personal goals. How are we living up to our own inner compass of what is right and wrong ... our own values ... our own dreams.
I plan to spend more in 2012 focused on setting and exceeding my own financial, family, physical and spiritual goals. I intend for 2012 to be a year in which I live my dreams. No more sitting back and waiting for others ... it is time for me to take control of my situation fully and completely.
I hope that other villagers are considering what the concept of 'kujichagulia' or self-determination means to them.
Here is an affirmation for today that we can all use -- 'On this day, I will take five minutes and visualize that I have accomplished one of my goals.'
I was in a sold-out theatre on Christmas Day to see 'Django Unchained', starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Let me just say that this was the best movie that I've seen in many, many years. The diverse crowd in the theater loved it ... we cheered, we laughed and we were shocked. The movie brings it all together in subtle and not-so-subtle ways!
I straight-up recommend this movie for all 'villagers'. It is worth paying retail at the theatre instead of waiting to see it on Netflix or Red Box.
As an aside ... I think that Spike Lee is wrong. There is no need to boycott this flick. I'm told that the N-Word is used over 110 times. I was concerned about that factoid before I saw the movie. During and after the movie it dawned on me that if the N-Word was used at all ... it was used appropriately. You simply didn't think that the word was used gratuitously. The bigger concern may have been the graphic violence in the movie. In any case the dialogue in the script was appropriate for the time and place in history.
Samuel L. Jackson had some of the best lines in the movie. Like his role in 'Pulp Fiction' ... he wasn't on the screen very much, but his facial expressions and his talking parts were truly memorable and OUTSTANDING! He reminded me of the grumpy old Black man in the cartoon series, 'Boondocks'.
Kerry Washington is probably my favorite actress nowadays. She is making her mark in a current television series called, 'Scandal'. She has a cameo appearance in 'Django' ... and she plays it well. My only caution to Kerry is to be careful not to take on the same roles that LisaGay Hamilton used to play for most of the past decade. Y'all know what I'm talking about...
Anytime you can get Jamie, Kerry, Samuel and Leo in a movie together ... it is bound to be great! Go see the movie and tell me what you think!
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
You live long enough and you begin to realize that you cannot have an impact on your community, nation and race until you first have an impact on your family. It is through the good you do with your parents, siblings, spouse, children, nieces, nephews and cousins that you leave your mark on the world. The pebble that you drop in the lake called family will begin to flow out in concentric circles that will grow larger and larger over time.
Make yourself and your family stronger ... you make our community and our nation stronger. Am I doing enough to make ourselves stronger mentally, physically, financially and spiritually?
The past is gone. Our ability to changes things for the better begins today. What can I do to make myself better mentally? physically? financially? spiritually? These are questions that I will ask myself today as I meditate on the meaning of 'umoja' in my life. I will find ways each day to improve myself and my family ... even my blogging family ... so that we might be stronger as a community and as a nation. Each one, reach one.
Harambee!
Care to share your thoughts on the concept of Umoja, the first principle shared in the Nguzo Saba?
The Internet and Twitter informed us that legendary soul singer Teena Marie was dead on this date in 2010 at the age of 54.
Teena Marie was a remarkable singer who amazed me when I was in college. I listened and loved her songs like 'Deja Vu' ... however, I didn't realize until much later that she was white. Her voice was such a soulful one ... and her remarkable duets like 'Fire and Desire' with Rick James were a staple at how of the house parties in basements and in the clubs.
I don't recall the song ... it was probably 'Square Biz' ... but, I remember seeing her on a video singing a song that I liked ... and she had on these HORRIBLE bell-bottoms. It took me awhile to digest her look versus what I had imagined from listening to her on the radio or from her albums (which never had her picture on them back in the day).
However, at the end of the day -- her soulful talent could not be denied. She remains one of my favorite singers. One of the songs that displayed her full-range of talents was a ditty called 'Cassanova Brown'.
Born Marie Christine Brockert, Teena Marie released 13 studio albums, six of which went platinum on the Rhythm & Blues chart. Two of her albums went platinum, and six altogether were gold.
Teena Marie could straight-out sing...
What are your thoughts or remembrances of Teena Marie?
OURstory must be shared at all times of the year, not just in February. I think it is important that our young people challenge themselves in K-12 with science and math classes. Perhaps it will help if this blog shares examples of African American role models who used their knowledge of science and math to create exciting futures for themselves.
For example, Did you know that a young brother named Michael Anderson was born December 25, 1959, in Plattsburgh, New York. He graduated from Cheney High School in Cheney, Washington in 1977. He received a bachelor of science degree in physics/astronomy from University of Washington in 1981. Later he earned a master of science degree in physics from Creighton University.
He successfully got a job with NASA in December 1994. Anderson flew for over 593 hours in space. One of his spaces flight was in January 1988 on the Shuttle Endeavor.
The seven member crew, David Brown, Laurel Clark, Michael Anderson, Ilan Ramon, Rick Husband, Kalpana Chawla and William McCool died on February 1, 2003 when Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart during reentry.
It was later determined that a piece of foam broke free and struck the shuttles wing during launch, damaging the thermal heat tiles which protect the shuttle from extreme temperatures during reentry into the atmosphere.
Michael Anderson was a hero. He was a role model for all of us. May he rest in peace.
81-year old Eartha Kitt passed away on this date in 2008. She was an international superstar who performed in over 100 countries and sang songs in 10 different languages.
She performed on stage, film and television for six decades. I was introduced to Eartha Kitt when she played the role of 'Catwoman' in the weekly 'Batman' television series. There weren't many Black actresses on television back in the day. I'm hard pressed to think of anyone besides 'Julia' and one of the teachers in 'Room 222' ... and most villagers don't remember either one of those shows.
My kids are too young to realize that they were listening to Eartha Kitt whenever they watched the movie or cartoon series, 'The Emperor's New Groove'. She played the role of the villain, Yzma, in that show.
Later, I saw Eartha Kitt in a Eddie Murphy-Halle Berry film called 'Boomerang'. Admittedly, she scared me a little bit in that movie. I'm sad to learn of her death. It's fitting that she went to the other side on December 25th. After all, one of her most popular hits was 'Santa Baby'.
Mitt Romney is quickly turning out to be one of the worst presidential candidates in the history of the United States. It is also looking more and more like Mitt Romney and his family suffer from a serious case of 'white privilege'. They thought that they deserved to be living in the White House ... and it appears that they were truly stunned when President Barack Obama won the 2012 presidential election.
Now the Romney family is making excuses for the loss. One of the Romney sons, Tagg, tells us that his dad wasn't interested in winning the presidential campaign. [SOURCE]
"He wanted to be president less than anyone I’ve met in my life. He had no desire to ... run," said Tagg — who worked with his mother to persuade Mitt to run for President of the United States. "If he could have found someone else to take his place ... he would have been ecstatic to step aside. He is a very private person who loves his family deeply and wants to be with them, but he has deep faith in God and he loves his country, but he doesn’t love the attention."
Mitt Romney does have his millions of dollars hidden in those off-shore bank accounts to comfort him ... so there is no need to feel sorry for the guy. Hopefully, his wife, Ann, has stopped crying over the loss ... and she can help the guy comb his hair in the morning!
In this week’s address, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, and thank our brave troops and their families for their service. The President and First Lady ask the American people to visit JoiningForces.gov to find ways to honor and support our veterans and military families, and say that we must all come together, as we always do, to care for each other during this holiday season. [Transcript / Video]
The Electronic Village endorses this message from the President and First Family. Merry Christmas, Happy Kwanzaa and Happy New Year!
Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department (CMPD) doesn't have much luck when it comes to taser lawsuits. They were on the losing side of a $10 million lawsuit in the case of 17-year old Darryl Turner, who died in 2008 after a CMPD officer electrocuted him with extensive use of a taser.
Fast forward to July 2011. Again a CMPD police officer got a little overzealous in their efforts to apprehend 21-year old La'Reko Williams. The officer, Michael Forbes, used excessive, deadly force by electrocuting Williams twice with his taser gun.
His parents filed a lawsuit in federal court earlier this week against the city of Charlotte, police and Taser International. The lawsuit calls Tasers potentially deadly weapons and says that CMPD officers should only use them when a confrontation calls for deadly force.
The lawsuit says Williams, who stood about 5 feet, 6 inches and weighed about 145 pounds, was unarmed and presented no threat to the officer. Williams was shocked twice in the chest, suffered cardiac arrest and died within minutes.
After Williams died, police suspended their use of Tasers for six months as they investigated the safety of the weapons. In September 2011, the City Council approved $1.83 million to buy new Tasers.
The new Tasers, which police use today, still shoot out 50,000 volts of electricity to incapacitate suspects, but have features designed to prevent officers from injuring or killing suspects. Most importantly, they automatically cut off after five seconds, even if the officer continues pulling the trigger. Police determined that people who were shocked have died when an officer held down the Taser trigger for too long, and said the new Tasers are safer.
This lawsuit may have ramifications beyond the city limits of Charlotte.
My favorite female athlete of all times is Florence Griffith-Joyner ... or Flo-Jo. Flo-Jo was born in Los Angeles on this date in 1959.
She was a dominant track star in the 1980s. In fact, the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul Korea is forever imprinted in my mind as the Games of Flo-Jo. In the 1988 Seoul Games, she won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes and in the 400-meter relay. For these accomplishments, she received the Jesse Owens Award, given to the year's top track and field athlete, and the Sullivan Award, given to the year's most outstanding amateur athlete.
Only us villagers from a certain generation can remember her flashy one-legged uniforms as well as her long and extravagantly painted fingernails. Check out this video to gain an appreciation of this powerful female athlete:
Flo-Jo retired from track in 1989 to devote more time to endorsement activities, modeling, writing, and coaching her husband. President Bill Clinton appointed Griffith-Joyner co-chairperson of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 1993.
Some, like Marion Jones, tried to emulate her without success. Florence Griffith-Joyner died of an apparent heart seizure in 1998.
Do you remember Flo-Jo? What female athlete do you think can challenge her as the greatest of all times?
Ossie Davis was born on this date in 1917. He was an African American actor, writer, producer, director, and a "giant of civil rights." It is hard to think of Ossie Davis without thinking of his wife, Ruby Dee. The two of them demonstrated the power of a committed love between a married couple.
Raiford Chatman Davis (his birth name) was the oldest of five children born to Laura Cooper and Kince Davis in Cogden, GA. He picked up his nickname others mistook his mother's articulation of his initials, "R.C” as "Ossie." He headed for Howard University, where he studied under drama critic Alain LeRoy Locke, the first Black Rhodes Scholar. Davis began his career as a writer and an actor with the Rose McClendon Players in Harlem in 1939.
Davis and Ruby Dee were married in 1948, and are the parents of three children. In 1961, Davis wrote and starred in the critically acclaimed “Purlie Victorious.”
He wrote and directed many films, including “Cotton Comes to Harlem” (1970) and “Countdown at Kusini” (co-produced with his wife, Ruby Dee, 1976), the first American feature film to be shot entirely in Africa by Black professionals.
Davis wrote a number of books and received many honors and citations, including the Hall of Fame Award for Outstanding Artistic Achievement in 1989; the Theater Hall of Fame in 1994; the U.S. National Medal for the Arts in 1995; the New York Urban League Frederick Douglass Award; the NAACP Image Award and more. Dee and Davis were joint Kennedy Center honorees in December. They were cited not only for their "theatrical and film achievement," but because they opened "many a door previously shut tight to African American artists and planted the seed for the flowering of America's multicultural humanity."
Davis and Dee were eloquent voices and fundraisers for civil rights issues from the McCarthy era in the 1950s. They were blacklisted because of their activities, and well into the 1980s and '90s, Davis continued as a spokesman for numerous causes of equality.
Ossie Davis was found dead on February 4, 2005, in his hotel room in Miami Beach, FL, at the age of 87.
I enjoyed watching Ossie Davis whenever I could. I thought that he was great in two Spike Lee movies, 'Get on the Bus' and 'Do The Right Thing'. However, my most powerful memory of Ossie Davis comes from somthing that I heard many years after the fact ... his eulogy at the funeral of Malcolm X.
Villagers -- what is your favorite memory of Ossie Davis?
I see that South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley chose Rep. Tim Scott to replace Jim DeMint in the Senate. The nation’s second Indian-American governor appointed the only African American who will be serving in the Senate come 2013.
I don't agree with Tea Party politics or politicians ... but, I have to admit that I ain't mad at either Nikki Haley or Tim Scott. The two of them made history today! Tim Scott is the first Black senator from the South since Reconstruction.
Scott burst onto the national scene in 2010, when he defeated Paul Thurmond in a runoff election for the Republican nomination in the state’s 1st Congressional District. When he won his seat in Congress that November, Scott made history, becoming the first black congressional Republican from the Deep South since Reconstruction. I encourage all 'villagers' to give him the benefit of the doubt. Take a moment to learn more about Tim Scott. From all I can see he will represent the citizens of South Carolina much better then Sen. Roland Burris represented the state of Illinois. Anyhow, I 'spose that he and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) are going to become good buddies, huh?!
President Obama traveled to Newtown, CT to meet with the families of those who were lost in Friday's tragic shooting, and to thank first responders for their work.
In the evening, the President spoke at an interfaith vigil for families of the victims, and all families from Sandy Hook Elementary School. He offered the love and prayers of a nation grieving alongside Newtown.
Full transcript of President Obama’s remarks at a Dec. 16 prayer vigil for victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
OBAMA: Thank you.
Thank you, Governor. To all the families, first responders, to the community of Newtown, clergy, guests, scripture tells us, “Do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, inwardly, we are being renewed day by day.
“For light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all, so we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
“For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven not built by human hands.”
We gather here in memory of 20 beautiful children and six remarkable adults. They lost their lives in a school that could have been any school in a quiet town full of good and decent people that could be any town in America.
Here in Newtown, I come to offer the love and prayers of a nation. I am very mindful that mere words cannot match the depths of your sorrow, nor can they heal your wounded hearts.
I can only hope it helps for you to know that you’re not alone in your grief, that our world, too, has been torn apart, that all across this land of ours, we have wept with you. We’ve pulled our children tight.
And you must know that whatever measure of comfort we can provide, we will provide. Whatever portion of sadness that we can share with you to ease this heavy load, we will gladly bear it. Newtown, you are not alone.
As these difficult days have unfolded, you’ve also inspired us with stories of strength and resolve and sacrifice. We know that when danger arrived in the halls of Sandy Hook Elementary, the school’s staff did not flinch. They did not hesitate.
Dawn Hocksprung and Mary Sherlach, Vicki Soto, Lauren Russeau, Rachel Davino and Anne Marie Murphy, they responded as we all hope we might respond in such terrifying circumstances, with courage and with love, giving their lives to protect the children in their care.
We know that there were other teachers who barricaded themselves inside classrooms and kept steady through it all and reassured their students by saying, “Wait for the good guys, they are coming. Show me your smile.”
And we know that good guys came, the first responders who raced to the scene helping to guide those in harm’s way to safety and comfort those in need, holding at bay their own shock and their own trauma, because they had a job to do and others needed them more.
And then there were the scenes of the schoolchildren helping one another, holding each other, dutifully following instructions in the way that young children sometimes do, one child even trying to encourage a grownup by saying, “I know karate, so it’s OK; I’ll lead the way out.”
As a community, you’ve inspired us, Newtown. In the face of indescribable violence, in the face of unconscionable evil, you’ve looked out for each other. You’ve cared for one another. And you’ve loved one another. This is how Newtown will be remembered, and with time and God’s grace, that love will see you through.
But we as a nation, we are left with some hard questions. You know, someone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside of your body all the time, walking around.
With their very first cry, this most precious, vital part of ourselves, our child, is suddenly exposed to the world, to possible mishap or malice, and every parent knows there’s nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm. And yet we also know that with that child’s very first step and each step after that, they are separating from us, that we won’t -- that we can’t always be there for them.
They will suffer sickness and setbacks and broken hearts and disappointments, and we learn that our most important job is to give them what they need to become self-reliant and capable and resilient, ready to face the world without fear. And we know we can’t do this by ourselves.
It comes as a shock at a certain point where you realize no matter how much you love these kids, you can’t do it by yourself, that this job of keeping our children safe and teaching them well is something we can only do together, with the help of friends and neighbors, the help of a community and the help of a nation.
And in that way we come to realize that we bear responsibility for every child, because we’re counting on everybody else to help look after ours, that we’re all parents, that they are all our children.
This is our first task, caring for our children. It’s our first job. If we don’t get that right, we don’t get anything right. That’s how, as a society, we will be judged.
And by that measure, can we truly say, as a nation, that we’re meeting our obligations?
Can we honestly say that we’re doing enough to keep our children, all of them, safe from harm?
Can we claim, as a nation, that we’re all together there, letting them know they are loved and teaching them to love in return?
Can we say that we’re truly doing enough to give all the children of this country the chance they deserve to live out their lives in happiness and with purpose?
I’ve been reflecting on this the last few days, and if we’re honest with ourselves, the answer’s no. We’re not doing enough. And we will have to change. Since I’ve been president, this is the fourth time we have come together to comfort a grieving community torn apart by mass shootings, fourth time we’ve hugged survivors, the fourth time we’ve consoled the families of victims.
And in between, there have been an endless series of deadly shootings across the country, almost daily reports of victims, many of them children, in small towns and in big cities all across America, victims whose -- much of the time their only fault was being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
We can’t tolerate this anymore. These tragedies must end. And to end them, we must change.
We will be told that the causes of such violence are complex, and that is true. No single law, no set of laws can eliminate evil from the world or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society, but that can’t be an excuse for inaction. Surely we can do better than this.
If there’s even one step we can take to save another child or another parent or another town from the grief that’s visited Tucson and Aurora and Oak Creek and Newtown and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.
In the coming weeks, I’ll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have? We can’t accept events like this as routine.
Are we really prepared to say that we’re powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?
Are we prepared to say that such violence visited on our children year after year after year is somehow the price of our freedom?
You know, all the world’s religions, so many of them represented here today, start with a simple question.
Why are we here? What gives our life meaning? What gives our acts purpose?
We know our time on this Earth is fleeting. We know that we will each have our share of pleasure and pain, that even after we chase after some earthly goal, whether it’s wealth or power or fame or just simple comfort, we will, in some fashion, fall short of what we had hoped. We know that, no matter how good our intentions, we’ll all stumble sometimes in some way.
We’ll make mistakes, we’ll experience hardships and even when we’re trying to do the right thing, we know that much of our time will be spent groping through the darkness, so often unable to discern God’s heavenly plans.
There’s only one thing we can be sure of, and that is the love that we have for our children, for our families, for each other. The warmth of a small child’s embrace, that is true.
The memories we have of them, the joy that they bring, the wonder we see through their eyes, that fierce and boundless love we feel for them, a love that takes us out of ourselves and binds us to something larger, we know that’s what matters.
We know we’re always doing right when we’re taking care of them, when we’re teaching them well, when we’re showing acts of kindness. We don’t go wrong when we do that.
That’s what we can be sure of, and that’s what you, the people of Newtown, have reminded us. That’s how you’ve inspired us. You remind us what matters. And that’s what should drive us forward in everything we do for as long as God sees fit to keep us on this Earth.
“Let the little children come to me,” Jesus said, “and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”
For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory. May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in His heavenly place. May He grace those we still have with His holy comfort, and may He bless and watch over this community and the United States of America.
The President says the nation’s thoughts and prayers are with those who lost a loved one during Friday’s tragic shooting in Newtown, CT. [Video / Transcript]
The 6th Annual Blogging While Brown Conference will be in New York City, June 21-22, 2013.
Registration for the conference opens January 1, 2013.
If you would like to be a speaker at the conference, the Call for Ideas will open on January 15th and will likely close on February 1st.
Conference Location: Conference keynotes, workshops and panels will take place at The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
515 Malcolm X Boulevard
New York, NY 10037-1801
Tentative Conference Schedule: The pre-conference business of blogging session will open on Friday morning and end on Friday afternoon. Blogging While Brown events will begin Friday evening and go all day on Saturday. Typically, there is an informal Sunday brunch for people waiting to catch their flights home. There will likely be informal social events on Thursday evening as well.
I believe in the Nguzo Saba, especially the Umoja (unity) principle. Umoja calls for us to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
One of the best examples of 'umoja' in American history is the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad, a vast network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and to Canada. This network was not run by any single organization or person. It effectively moved hundreds of slaves northward each year -- according to one estimate, the South lost 100,000 slaves between 1810 and 1850.
An organized system to assist runaway slaves seems to have begun towards the end of the 18th century. In 1786 George Washington complained about how one of his runaway slaves was helped by a "society of Quakers, formed for such purposes." The system grew, and around 1831 it was dubbed "The Underground Railroad," after the then emerging steam railroads. The system even used terms used in railroading: the homes and businesses where fugitives would rest and eat were called "stations" and "depots" and were run by "stationmasters," those who contributed money or goods were "stockholders," and the "conductor" was responsible for moving fugitives from one station to the next.
For the slave, running away to the North was anything but easy. After the initial escape for a slaveholde, the fugitives would move at night. They would generally travel between 10 and 20 miles to the next station, where they would rest and eat, hiding in barns and other out-of-the-way places. While they waited, a message would be sent to the next station to alert its stationmaster.
The Underground Railroad had many notable participants, including John Fairfield in Ohio, the son of a slaveholding family, who made many daring rescues, Levi Coffin, a Quaker who assisted more than 3,000 slaves, and Harriet Tubman, who made 19 trips into the South and escorted over 300 slaves to freedom.
Ohio was crucial to the Underground Railroad saga. It has been estimated that 40,000 runaway slaves escaped to Canadian freedom through Ohio. A secret and successful network of over 700 safehouses and “depots” waited for those fugitives fortunate enough to make it to—and across—the Ohio River.
Although a “free state,” a designation indicating only that its residents could not own slaves, Ohio was a distinctly dangerous host to the escapees. Bounty hunters criss-crossed the state. Pro-slavery factions existed in many villages and cities. The Ohio Black Laws rewarded those who turned in or reported runaways. Lake Erie was a formidable obstacle to attaining Canadian freedom. Vigilante groups scoured the state, targeting all African-Americans. Law officers were aggressive, particularly following the passage of the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
Also, the Cincinnati Museum Center hosted a world-class exhibit, America I AM: The African American Imprint in 2010. The Center for African American Decorative Arts lent them a book simply entitled The Underground Railroad to be displayed in the Underground Railroad gallery at the America I AM exhibit. In 1852, a group of Philadelphia abolitionists formed a General Vigilance Committee to assist escaped slaves along the Underground Railroad. William Still was part of this group and kept detailed records of the runaway slaves he encountered. First published in 1872, this book is used to this day in genealogy searches. Many of the stories include references to Cincinnati and the Ohio River.
What are your thoughts about the Underground Railroad?
On this date in 1933, Flip Wilson was born. He was an African American entertainer and the most visible Black comedian of the early 1970s.
He was born in Jersey City, N.J., the tenth of 24 children. Clerow Wilson (his given name) was a troublesome and troubled child in his youth. His family was extremely poor, he ran away from several reform schools, and was ultimately raised in foster homes. His comedic talents first surfaced while he was serving in the Air Force overseas. While in the Pacific, Wilson entertained his buddies with preposterous routines. Upon his return to civilian life he had to settle for a day job as a bellhop along with part-time showmanship.
Opportunity found him in 1959 when a Miami businessman sponsored him for one year for $50 per week, enabling him to concentrate on the work he loved. For the next five years, Flip Wilson appeared regularly at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. The Tonight Show was his next stop. in 1965, he began a series of nationwide appearances, followed by long-term contracts and a number of hit records. With "The Flip Wilson Show" in the early 1970s, he became the first African American to have a weekly prime-time television show under his own name.
I remember watching Flip Wilson when I was a kid. The two catch phrases that stick with me are: "What you see is what you get!" and "The devil made me do it!" Could Tyler Perry have been successful with Madea without Flip Wilson's portrayal of Geraldine?
Wilson died November 25, 1998 at the age of 64. Rest in peace Mr. Wilson!
Elizabeth Edwards has died of cancer on this date in 2010 at the age of 61. She was surrounded on her deathbed by friends and family, including her estranged husband, John Edwards.
From all accounts she was a strong woman and a powerful advocate for her husband when he ran for political office. There was a time when I thought that she would be in the White House. I voted for her husband whenever he was on the ballot. He wasn't on the ballot when the 2008 Democratic Primary was held in my state.
She was a strong advocate for health care reform. And she battled cancer for a number of years. The shame of it all was that her personal triumphs were overshadowed in the end by the gigantic ego and irresponsible behavior of her husband. Anyhow, I join with other villagers in saying 'Rest in Peace' to Elizabeth Edwards.
Blacks In Technology recently announced the launch of its new website -- BIT Tech Digest. BIT Tech Digest is the first online technology driven publication featuring articles written entirely by minority technology experts. The new site reflects Blacks In Technology’s continued effort and mission to increase the visibility of the Black technologist by establishing effective communication among Black people in the field to help drive individual growth, development and long-term success in the technology industry.
Greg Greenlee
The BIT Tech Digest features content focused on a variety of technology topics including networking, virtualization, software design and development and professional advancement. The BIT Tech Digest will also highlight technology news and information about today’s minority tech entrepreneurs, businesses and organizations.
Greg Greenlee, founder of the Blacks In Technology community site and the BIT Tech Digest, believes the site will change the perception of how today’s engineers and technologists are visualized by providing an outlet for Blacks and other minority technology professionals and enthusiasts to share their expertise and experience.
You can follow BIT Tech Digest on Twitter: @BITTechDigest
If you’d like more information about the BIT Tech Digest or are interested in sharing your knowledge with the community please contact Greg at info@bitdigest.net.
I told y'all that the Mount Joy Borough Police screwed up big-time when they tasered 61-year old Robert Neill back on November 6, 2010. It appears that the Mount Joy Borough Council agreed with me. They approved a $900,000 settlement to the Neill family. [SOURCE]
Neill was tased 15 times by former police Officer Tyson Woods. The pre-judicial electrocution lasted two seconds to 28 seconds - 119 seconds total - during a 10-minute span.
The lawsuit claimed police used excessive force and failed to use or enforce appropriate-use-of-force policies. There was no alcohol or illicit drugs in Neill's system, according to a toxicology screening.
Mount Joy Mayor Mary Ginder notified Woods on April 2, 2012, that he was being fired for violating the police department's use-of-force policy.
A few more $1 million pay-outs should change things when it comes to taser deaths in America, huh?
The Institute for Responsible Citizenship is now accepting applications for its two programs. The Washington "core" program welcomes twelve (12) of America’s best and brightest African American male sophomores to Washington for an intensive two-summer experience that includes high-level internships, rigorous academic work, and exposure to some of the nation’s most prominent institutions and individuals.
The Youth Scholar Academy enables talented college students who aspire to careers in teaching to operate a summer enrichment program for high school boys. High-achieving college sophomores are encouraged to apply.
Young entrepreneurs take note: as the next post describes, jumping into the education space may be one of the smartest decisions in today’s market. Guest bloggerEmma Collins builds on prior posts about IT business opportunities by walking through some of the most important features of the so-called “edupreneurial” landscape and highlighting a couple of new ventures worth paying attention to. Ms. Collins is on staff with MBAOnline, a web magazine for students considering Internet-based education. More information about the MBAOnline's 2012 ranking report, which was just recently published, is available from Emma’s main site.
The Rise of Edupreneurs and the MBA’s
Infiltration of the Education Market
There was a time not so long ago when education was pretty straightforward. States regulated schools, and students learned according to set curricula; in college, the lecture-lab-exam format was all but universal. The advent of the Internet really has done a lot to shake that up. So-called “disruptive” education technology, whether promoted by large corporations or small businesses and innovators known as “edupreneurs,” has radically changed the landscape for better or worse. Classes are offered online. Apps make it easier than ever before to take notes, manage student debt, and communicate with teachers and professors. Elementary and high school classrooms are increasingly relying on digital technology. That infiltration is on the horizon is not disputed; the lingering question, though, is to what end.
Bringing Education to the Digital Space
Many of the earliest education technology entrepreneurs were corporations. Their main goal was to find ways of using the Internet to turn the hunger for knowledge into palpable profits. Early pioneers in this space—University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, and Capella University among them—received a lot of praise for making higher ed more approachable, not to mention cheaper, than it had ever been before.
As so often happens with such things, though, the market was soon flooded with imitators. The rise of “diploma mills” and illegitimate institutions tarnished the reputation of online schools in a hurry. “There is nothing wrong with schools providing a service and making money from it. And there are a number of for-profit colleges that provide a valuable education and much-needed opportunity to their students. But there are too many for-profit colleges that pressure students to enroll and make promises they cannot keep,” the Chicago Tribune said after evaluating some of the problems of modern online learning.
New Ventures and Market Need for Fresh Ideas
Online universities are still thriving, but are usually only appropriate for a limited sector of society. As technology has improved, however, so has innovators’ creativity and interest in finding new “ins” to the education space. Though it may seem somewhat contradictory, the education market is actually a big one for growth right now. On the surface, there remains a lot of suffering when it comes to budget constraints and international assessment ratings. In many respects, though, these flaws work as a sort of “bait” for crafty innovators.
Unlike for-profit corporations, many rising ventures have been created with the primary goal of actually improving things. “Many of these business owners pair a desire to prosper financially with a genuine sense of mission,” TIME magazine reported in a 2012 survey of new edtech ventures. “They aim to ‘disrupt’ education in productive ways, to introduce tools that will transform the way we learn just as other technologies have transformed the way we work, the way we communicate and the way we entertain ourselves.”
Looking Forward: Promising Ideas for the Future
Some of the newest start-ups aim to remedy defined gaps or existing problems in education. Tioki is one of these. This company uses an online platform to give schoolteachers a uniform and highly visible platform through which they can market themselves and look for competitive work. The site is free for credentialed educators to join, and offers not only an interactive jobs board but also a real-time network of other educators that can be mined for advice, coaching tips, and job leads. Tioki was founded by tech entrepreneurs Brian Martinez and Mandela Schumacher-Hodge, both of whom hold advanced degrees in business and management.
There is also a lot of promise in ventures that look to do something entirely new, like Codeacademy. The academy is free to any interested Internet user, and essentially promises to teach the basics of computer coding and network management through a series of self-paced video lectures and tutorials. It was founded in New York by Zach Sims and Ryan Bubinski, self-described hackers looking for a way of turning their passion into a useful skill for others.
The entrepreneurial side of education seems to be growing every day. While there remains some skepticism when it comes to the longevity or overall value of many of the newest services out there, there is little doubt that changes are coming. According to most reports, we are now only at the beginning of the wave—which sets things up for an interesting future indeed.
