Waco Police Officers Cleared in Taser-Killing of Rodney Green

The district attorney in Waco, Texas decided not to press charges in the taser-related killing of an unarmed, non-violent 36-year old man. Four Waco police officers (Anita Gomez, D. J. Adams, Daniel Kent and Jason Taylor) were cleared of any responsibility in the 2010 Thanksgiving Day death of Rodney Green ... a man they subdued with taser guns after his car struck a pole.

Police had received a report about a man near the accident scene who was acting strangely. An officer determined that Green was experiencing some type of difficulty.

The first officer on the scene called for back-up. The back-up arrived and the police officers thought that Green was acting strangely. Instead of helping the unarmed and nonviolent man who had just survived a crash with a pole ... the police used a Taser to subdue him.

Another officer arrived and used ankle cuffs to try to restrain Green, who was able to break them almost immediately, police said.

Then Green became unresponsive and the officers called for an ambulance.

A preliminary autopsy report released in February said Green died of "Toxic effects of cocaine and the physiologic stress associated with police struggle compounded by cardiac hypertrophy and asthma." The autopsy also found Green suffered from cardiac hypertrophy, an abnormal enlargement of the heart muscle.

District Attorney Abel Reyna said officers followed department policy, procedure and state law in their attempts to subdue Green. The decision not to indict in the incident ends the investigation.

This appears to be another situation in which an unarmed and nonviolent man was killed by taser-happy police ... with no consequences to the ones who did the killing. The city of Waco should be ashamed.

Are Blacks More Likely Than Whites to Support Causes Online?

Most villagers know that I'm the executive director of the BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF).  BETF has established a number of online fundraisers via social networks in the past few years. As such we were intrigued by a new survey that claims ethnicity is a factor in how people perceive charitable and political causes they encounter on social networks and whether they go on to get involved with those causes.  [SOURCE]

Out of 2,000 participants in the survey, 30 percent of Black adults and 39 percent of Hispanics said they were more likely to support online causes rather than causes they encountered offline; 24 percent of whites said the same.

The study was released by Georgetown University’s Center for Social Impact Communication and Ogilvy PR, a public-relations company.

While most of the survey participants said they believed they could make a difference by supporting a charitable or political cause, African Americans and Hispanics were more optimistic about the effectiveness of using online networks to do so. When asked if tools like Facebook, Twitter, and blogs could help spread the word about a cause, 58 percent of Blacks and 51 percent of Hispanics agreed, compared with 34 percent of whites.

In addition, more Blacks and Hispanics said Facebook and other social-networking sites made it easier to support a cause: 62 percent and 64 percent, respectively, compared with 54 percent of whites.

Whites are also less likely to use Twitter in general. According to a telephone survey of 2,277 adults conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, 25 percent of black and 19 percent of Hispanic Internet users say they use Twitter, compared with just 9 percent of white Internet users. What’s more, one in ten Black Internet users now visit Twitter on a typical day, compared with 3 percent of whites and 5 percent of Hispanics.

Yet despite the emphasis placed on social media, blogs and social networking sites are still second to more traditional information sources like television, newspapers, and personal relationships. Likewise, people were more likely to donate money or talk about a social issue than post it to a blog or Facebook, the Georgetown study found.

“What the study shows us over all is not to put all your eggs into the social-media basket,” says Julie Dixon, deputy director at the Georgetown Center. Instead, organizations should tailor their communications strategy based on the how their audience is likely to engage.

Our hope is that those of you who support the STEM-based programs that BDPA implements on local, regional and national level will find a way to visit and support our online fundraising efforts. Here is where you can find BDPA in various social networks:

1. Click and Pledge: Donor designates how funds are used
2. Crowdrise: BDPA IT Corps
3. Crowdrise: Various local chapter college scholarships
4. Facebook: BDPA Charlotte HSCC program
5. Facebook: BDPA IT Corps
6. Facebook: BDPA Los Angeles HSCC program
7. Facebook: BETF Endowment Fund
8. Facebook: Jesse Bemley Scholarship
9. YourCause.com: Donor designates how funds are used

What is your take on the survey findings?

Wordless Wednesday: NASA Space Shuttle Endeavor Final Landing Back on Earth

Cornel West and Tavis Smiley Stroke Themselves While Discussing Backlash on Obama Critique [VIDEO]

Soulclap to RiPPa for pointing us to this video. This video follows the Truthdig diatribe in which Dr. Cornel West called President Obama a 'Black puppet' and a 'Black mascot'. West also claimed that President Obama as a 'certain fear of free Black men'.  Tavis Smiley decided to use his PBS show to give Dr. Cornel West a chance to dig out from the hole that he dug for himself in the earlier interview with Chris Hedges.

Watch the full episode. See more Tavis Smiley.

Personally, I feel that West and Smiley are still suffering from bad feelings because they aren't in Obama's inner circle. I truly feel that West harbors a grudge because he didn't get an invitation to the 2008 inauguration. The Boston Globe agrees that West went too far. What is your take on Cornell West and Tavis Smiley?

Republican Joe Walsh Plays Race Card: "Obama Was Elected Because He Was Black"

Joe Walsh

It is nice to be reminded that racist politicians don't all reside below the Mason-Dixon line. In fact, not all racist politicians were raised back in the Jim Crow era. If you don't believe me ... just listen to what freshman Republican congressman Joe Walsh (R-IL) had to say about President Barack Obama:

"Why was he elected? Again, it comes back to who he was. He was Black, he was historic. And there's nothing racist about this. It is what it is. If he had been a dynamic, white, state senator elected to Congress he wouldn't have gotten in the game this fast. This is what made him different. That, combined with the fact that your profession, not you, but your profession, was just absolutely compliant. They made up their minds early that they were in love with him. They were in love with him because they thought he was a good liberal guy and they were in love with him because he pushed that magical button: a Black man who was articulate, liberal, the whole white guilt, all of that." [SOURCE]

Yeah, this GOP wing-nut pulled out the race card in this recent interview. I guess it is part of his strategy to get re-elected to Congress. When the Medicare gambit failed ... this guy went to the tried-and-true -- racism.

I imagine that most villagers join with me in hoping that Rep. Walsh is a one-time wonder in Congress. His type of ignorance is not needed in Washington DC.

For Love of Liberty: Tribute to Black Veterans

I encourage all villagers to see 'For Love of Liberty: The Story of America's Black Patriots'.

This 4-hour film honors Black veterans from the American Revolution to our battle against Global Terrorism. African Americans have risked their lives in defense of this nation in the dual effort to preserve freedom for their country while attempting to acquire it for themselves. Though their long struggle has been painful and heroic, their profound sacrifices and enormous contributions are finally recognized.





I take this moment on Memorial Day to remember my brother, US Navy Captain Charles Hicks and my cousin, Rear Admiral Benjamin Hacker.

Is there a Black veteran that you would like to honor by sharing your village voice on our blog?

Psychology Today Issues Apology for Publishing Racist Article by Satoshi Kanazawa

The pressure finally was more than Psychology Today could bear. Psychology Today issued an apology today for publishing a horribly racist and sexist article, written by Satoshi Kanazawa, that claimed that Black women are less attractive than women from other races.

Kaja Perina, Editor-in-Chief of the Magazine, issued this statement:

“Last week, a blog post about race and appearance by Satoshi Kanazawa was published–and promptly removed–from this site. We deeply apologize for the pain and offense that this post caused. Psychology Today’s mission is to inform the public, not to provide a platform for inflammatory and offensive material. Psychology Today does not tolerate racism or prejudice of any sort. The post was not approved by Psychology Today, but we take full responsibility for its publication on our site. We have taken measures to ensure that such an incident does not occur again. Again, we are deeply sorry for the hurt that this post caused.”

It is tiresome to see the continued attacks on Black women. I'm glad that there were many of us in cyberspace that responded strongly to the poor choice that Psychology Today made by publishing this article. I wonder if others will think twice before making another attack on our Black women??

Apple Shows Its iRacist Underbelly to the Black Community

Soulclap to Your Black World for letting us know about the racist behavior of a white manager at a major Apple store in New York. It turns out that two Black men, Nile Charles and Brian Johnston went to the Apple store to purchase some headphones. The transaction should have been quick and simple.

Not so fast...

The manager of the store is an old white guy. The manager allowed his racial prejudices to run wild in his mind ... and he felt comfortable enough within the Apple culture to let his mouth run wild. He approached the two African American customers and let them know that if they were not buying anything or speaking with a Mac specialist then they would need to leave the store.

“And before you say I’m racially discriminating against you, let me stop you. I am discriminating against you.”

The two young men may not recall the Rodney King incident from back in the day ... but, they had the gumption to begin recording the racist nonsense being spewed by this Apple store manager on their cellphones. Their recording shows another Apple employee joining the discussion,

“Now you have to go. If you want to know why, it’s because I said so. CONSIDER ME GOD. You have to go.”

The two young men left the store ... and went directly to their lawyer. They have brought a lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit is working its way through the New York judiciary. In the meantime, the folks at Apple may want to become acquainted with BDPA so that they can become exposed to Black people in some context outside of the courtroom!

Taser Lawsuit: Jamaal Valentine (La Marque, TX)

This blog continues to advocate for an end to the taser torture that we see happening each week in America. Perhaps it will take legal action to get our police officers to make necessary changes in their use of force when it comes to tasers.

If so, then it good to see legal action in response to the 2009 death of a La Marque man reportedly at the hands of police. A lawsuit filed May 16 in federal court alleges the late Jamaal Valentine sought medical attention for an apparent heart attack only to be met, beaten and killed by three La Marque police officers.

It further claims one of the officers used a Taser on Valentine more than once despite his lack of resistance. The city of La Marque, former police chief Richard Price, Taser International and officers Richard Garcia, Forest Gandy and Mike Keleman are defendants in the case.

Recent court documents explain that the decedent began to feel chest pains the evening of May 16, 2009, and went outside to get some air. He thought was he was suffering a heart attack so he flagged down a passing motorist for help.

The driver, Keith Pope, called 911 and subsequently remained with Valentine until emergency responders arrived.

The plaintiffs argue that Garcia, Gandy and Keleman appeared instead of paramedics.  They allegedly drew their weapons on Valentine and instructed him to put his hands behind his back, disregarding his need for medical attention, the suit says.

According to the original petition, the policemen proceeded to punch, Taser and beat the decedent with their flashlights. Valentine was reported to have pleaded for his life to no avail.

The attacks in question left him with a "significant" gash in his scalp and labored breathing. An ambulance finally arrived some 30 minutes after the initial call, however, 20 minutes passed before paramedics lent assistance to Valentine, the plaintiffs say.

The decedent was rushed to a hospital in Houston, but the ambulance was rerouted to Mainland Medical Center in Texas City when he went into cardiac arrest. Valentine was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival.

The suit ultimately accuses the city and Price of failing to properly and thoroughly screen and supervise the officers who allegedly assaulted the decedent.  It blames said officers for intentionally inflicting harm on him while Taser International is faulted for not placing adequate warnings on its products.

Consequently, the Valentine's family seek wrongful death, exemplary and survival damages. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt.

Black Women Are "Less Attractive"? Hell No!

Last week Psychology Today  posted a blog claiming that Black women are "objectively" less beautiful than women of other races. Its author, Satoshi Kanazawa, is notorious for hiding behind pseudoscience to promote discredited racist and sexist ideas.  

Under increasing scrutiny, Psychology Today removed the blog post from their site, but over a week later they still haven't issued an apology.

This blog joins ColorOfChange in demanding that Psychology Today (a)apologize, (b) explain how the blog post got past their editors, and (c) tell us howthey'll make sure nothing like this happens again.


Kanazawa's article is flawed from top to bottom. Using a flawed data-set from an unrelated study of teenagers, he draws the obviously false conclusion that Black women are "objectively" less attractive than women from other racial groups.

Kanazawa has a long history of hiding behind pseudo-science to express racist and sexist views. He once wrote an article asking "Are All Women Essentially Prostitutes?" and another suggesting that the US should have dropped nuclear bombs across the entire Middle East after 9/11 because it would have wiped out Muslim terrorists.

So why does Psychology Today continue to give him a platform? Black women must constantly face both subtle and explicit messages that they are valued less than women of other races -- messages that are especially damaging to Black girls. Now they've served as launching point for yet another attack, this time in the name of science.

To undo the damage it's done, Psychology Today needs to explicitly reject Kanazawa's ideas.  

Please sign the online petition today!

Obama Promises to Bring His Own Beer (BYOB) to Ireland

President Obama will bring his own beer to a pub he's visiting today in the Irish town of Moneygall, "where it is believed his great-great-great grandfather grew up." Because of security concerns, Obama will not drink any beverage provided to him by the pub, but rather a White House home brew, brought along by the Secret Service, IrishCentral reports.

He may not drink the local beer ... but, I gotta believe he is going to chow down on the local fish 'n' chips!

NAACP Upset About Taser-Killing of Marcus Brown (Waterbury, CT)

Marcus Brown

Waterbury (CT) police officer Andy Sanchez killed 26-year old Marcus Brown on May 1. Ordinarily this wouldn't cause much public uproar. Except this time there are some facts and circumstances that may be difficult for the police to explain.

Marcus Brown was a small man -- about 5'6" tall, weighing about 125 pounds -- and he was handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser. Brown, father of two, was at a local hospital where he had come to get help. Sanchez decided that he had cause to open the backdoor of the police cruiser and pump 50,000 volts of electricity into Marcus Brown with his taser ... while Brown was handcuffed.

Brown died. Sanchez was placed on administrative leave.

Connecticut State Conference of NAACP Branches President Scot X. Esdaile announced an independent investigation by attorney Michael Jefferson.





It is hard to see how the Waterbury Police Department is going to weasel their way out of a wrongful death lawsuit and possible criminal charges in this one. What say u?

Mitch Daniels Won't Run for President; He Realizes He Can't Beat Obama

Governor Mitch Daniels (R-IN) is the latest in a growing list of Republican heavyweights who has pulled out of the 2012 presidential campaign. Daniels said in an email to supporters he had decided not to seek the Republican presidential nomination because of family considerations.

"The counsel and encouragement I received from important citizens like you caused me to think very deeply about becoming a national candidate," Daniels said in the email sent by Eric Holcomb, chairman of the Indiana Republican Party and a close adviser to the governor.

"In the end, I was able to resolve every competing consideration but one, but that, the interests and wishes of my family, is the most important consideration of all," he said.

"If I have disappointed you, I will always be sorry."

Daniels is the third GOP candidate to bow out of the race in the past eight days. Businessman Donald Trump as well as former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee said no to the contest during that time frame.  They each gave their reasons for pulling out ... but, I think it is becoming obvious that the Republicans don't think that they can beat Barack Obama in the 2012 presidential election.

I 'spose that two people who read this blog post with a smile are Mitt Romney (current GOP frontrunner) and President Barack Obama. I also imagine that we will begin to hear more stories about Governor Chris Christie (R-NJ). Christie will be getting more pressure to be a late entrant into the presidential race now that Daniels isn't going to run.

What are your thoughts on Daniels decision to pull out of the presidential race?

Weekly Address: Reforming “No Child Left Behind” This Year

President Obama has been strong on reforming the educational system since he came to the White House. He put good people in place at the Department of Education and he made decision to go for excellence ... not just incremental changes ... but, a change in the mindset. I agree with him that our young people need powerful public education if they hope to compete in the future against young people from other places in the world.

Here is what the president had to say on education reform during his weekly address today:







I don't hear the 2012 presidential candidates from the Republican Party talking very much about education. The only thing they seem to say is that the budget needs to be balanced by eliminating the Department of Education. That seems like a losing strategy to me.

What do you see as the future for public education in America?

Taser Death: Allen Kephart (San Bernadino County, CA)

It happened again! Another young man dead as a result of over-aggressive taser use by law enforcement. 43-year old Allen Kephart died after being tased about eight times by San Bernadino Sheriff’s deputies at a Crestline gas station.

Kephart ran through a stop sign.  The cops contend that Mr. Kephart became combative after a traffic stop, thus justifying the taser-killing. But Kephart’s father – himself a volunteer member of the Sheriff’s Rangers – describes his son as peaceful, hard working, church-going soul.

It is hard to see how this isn't another situation of excessive use of force. Can any villager truly claim that this was a reasonable use of force given the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the alleged crime, the threat to public safety and the resistance of the subject.

Old School Friday: Ron Carter, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter

My father enjoyed ol' school jazz. He had hours of reel-to-reel tapes of jazz musicians that he would listen to in his study or in the living room. He never really talked with me about the specific artists that he liked. I have to believe that Miles Davis was on his short list. My dad passed away a few years ago. I listened to this 1963 set by Davis, Herbie Hancock and others that was recorded in Stockholm ... and I thought of my Dad.

I hope you enjoy the vibe as well!

Gates slams African Leaders Over Vaccine Coverage

Microsoft founder Bill Gates says some African countries are failing to deliver life-saving vaccines to children, hampering billion-dollar efforts to save millions of lives and stamp out deadly diseases.

Once you have vaccines invented and manufactured at low cost, and rich donors paying for them, "you have to have developing countries act to take the vaccines and get them out to all the kids."

Gates' message: Technology is only as effective as the leaders delivering it.

"It is tragic when the last delivery piece holds it back. You have some countries, northern Nigeria, or Chad or the DRC (Democratic Republic of Congo) where less than half the kids right now are getting the vaccines," he said, referring to polio immunization in those countries.

Read the full AFP article.

Updated Bell Curve: 'Why Are Black Women Rated Less Physically Attractive Than Other Women?'

We all know that there is racism and prejudice in the world. However, it is very disappointing when folks try to hide their racism and prejudice behind so-called science.

Satoshi Kanazawa is an evolutionary psychologist who decided that it wasn't enough to write a book on beautiful people and their daughters. He felt a need as an Asian man to share his bogus thoughts on the lack of physical beauty by our Nubian sisters in a recent Psychology Today article.

Kanazawa concludes that Black women are less physically attractive than other women because they are fat and have too much testosterone. I didn't make this up. He wrote,

"What accounts for the markedly lower average level of physical attractiveness among Black women? Black women are on average much heavier than nonblack women."

Black women have enough challenges ... it is terrible to see that folks are trying to denigrate them with poot-butt science. I look at my mom, my grandmothers, my sisters, my nieces, my former wives and my two beautiful daughters and my simple response to Mr. Kanazawa?


Phuque Your Science!

That's my opinion. What say u?

Shaletta Porterfield Resigns Miss Wisconsin USA Title After Arrest for Identity Theft

We were sad to learn that one of the few African American beauty queens in the nation ... Shaletta Porterfield, Miss Wisconsin USA ... resigned her position after being charged with three counts of identify fraud. [SOURCE]

Porterfield allegedly faked signatures on advertising contracts while working with a marketing company last year. She is scheduled to go to court on this matter in July.

Wisconsin is one of the least successful states when it comes to the Miss USA pageant. The highest ranking for a Miss Wisconsin in the national pageant occurred in 1974 when Mary Cook was the 2nd runner-up. The state hasn't finished higher than 15th place in over 30 years!

I guess that Shaletta Porterfield was trying to diversify her sources of revenue since it wasn't likely that the whole beauty pageant thing was going to work out for her.  Her replacement as Miss Wisconsin USA is Jordan Marie Morkin.

Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks Talks About Hanging of Frederick Jermaine Carter

Sheriff Banks at crime scene

Remarkable interview with Leflore County Sheriff Ricky Banks about the hanging of Frederick Jermaine Carter. Banks is very open with his opinions and insights about the hanging of Frederick Jermaine Carter. Many of us think that Carter was lynched as part of some type of 'hate crime'. Sheriff Banks insists that Carter committed suicide.





Our thanks to the folks at W.E. A.L.L. B.E. for the investigative reporting that they are doing on the Carter case.

Sunday Inspirations: Heaven Waits For Me (Chandra Currelley-Young)

Chandra Currelley

I guess I should start by saying that I'm not a big fan of Tyler Perry. I admire his entrepreneurial ability ... but, his movies often appear to be unnecessarily harsh against the image of African American men. I've never gone to a Tyler Perry play in my life and I've only attended his movies when others in my life suggested it. Earlier today my younger daughter suggested that the two of us go see Perry's current movie, 'Big Happy Family'.

I took her up on the offer.

The movie had scenes that were funny and other scenes that were tragic and brought a tear to your eye. I can't say that I would recommend the movie to others.


However, the most memorable moment of the film to me was Chandra Currelley-Young. She sang the following song towards the end of the movie and it blew me away.






It is Mother's Day today. I thought of my mother as this song was being played. Anyhow, the song inspired me today. I hope you enjoyed it as well.

---

This blog will continue to seek out Sunday Inspirations, a meme inspired by Sojourner's Place. Sunday Inspirations is just one way to help get us through the week ahead, the trials we may face, and yes, to say 'Thank You Jesus' and testify! I invite you to participate in this weekly meme as your contribution might serve as an inspiration to someone in need.

What is Cuyahoga County Coroner Hiding in the Taser-Killing Case of Rodney Brown?

Rodney Brown

Rodney Brown, 40, was killed by Cleveland police officers when he lost his cool and tried to run after being stopped for a traffic violation back on New Year's Eve.

The coroner later ruled that the death was due to a heart attack and not as a result of the multiple taser shots fired at 50,000 volts each from the police into Brown's body.

Cleveland Police say they couldn't control Rodney Brown and that Brown pulled a knife. Police say that's when they shot tasers at Brown. A short time later, Brown died.


Attorney David Malik is exploring a civil suit for the family, saying Brown's body had 11 puncture marks from taser probes. Malik claims the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office has not released certain police records. [SOURCE]

What are the 'powers-that-be' hiding from us in this taser-related death?

South Carolina GOP Debate Covers Drugs, Obama and the Economy; Herman Cain Declared the Winner

If past political history is any judge ... then the Republican Party will select businessman Herman Cain as their candidate in 2012 to run for the presidency against incumbent Barack Obama. After all, the GOP voters in South Carolina primaries have been right on the GOP presidential candidate in every election since 1980 and the GOP voters in a focus group following last night's South Carolina GOP presidential debate OVERWHELMINGLY indicated that Herman Cain was the winner of the debate.

See for yourself:





It was a surreal event in many respects. There were five candidates on the stage at this debate: Rep. Ron Paul, Herman Cain, former governor Tim Pawlenty, former senator Rick Santorum and former governor Gary Johnson.

Herman Cain

• Ron Paul - Paul is like your crazy uncle at the Thanksgiving dinner. You're never quite sure what he's going to say in front of the kids ... and you're never quite sure if he's right in the head. Last night, Paul made a passionate defense of the need to legalize heroin. His rant seemed to get the largest audience response of the night.
• Herman Cain - The focus group says that he won the debate. I smiled when one of the focus group members noted that Cain was 'articulate'. White folks are still amazed when they see a Black man who knows how to correctly use verbs and adjectives in a sentence. Quite frankly, the best part of last night's debate for Cain was the Fox News focus group afterwards. He was the definite winner in the minds of those 29 folks.
• Tim Pawlenty - He had the highest profile of any participant in last night's debate. I thought that the others might pile on him ... but, Pawlenty managed to hold his own last night. His roughest moment came when he tried to squirm his way out of a question about 'Cap and Trade' legislation in Minnesota. It turns out that he was for it before he was against it.
• Rick Santorum - He is still a cultural warrior. He doesn't have many ideas on any of the economic or foreign police issues ... but, he had a lot to say last night about family values.



Gary Johnson

• Gary Johnson - I need to be honest. I had never seen or heard about Gary Johnson until last night. Who knew that he was a governor in New Mexico? Who knew that he admits to smoking marijuana and feels that marijuana use should be legalized? Who knew that he doesn't care for the reality shows of either Donald Trump or Sarah Palin? Who knew that one of his life goals is to climb the highest mountains on each of the 7 continents? These were all things that we learned during the debate last night!

Did any of you watch the South Carolina GOP debate?

Wordless Wednesday: Obama's Trump Card

Michelle Obama Gets Her Groove On

First Lady Michelle Obama doesn't bother visiting the set of 'Dancing With The Stars' ... instead she simply brings her own boom box and dancing moves with her. I encourage all villagers to take a moment and view the following video:

View more videos at: http://nbcwashington.com.

How can anyone say that they are not proud to have Michelle Obama and her family in the White House?

Corporate Board Census Shows Significant Decline in Seats Held by African Americans

I have served on a number of nonprofit boards in my time. I have not had a chance to serve on a corporate board in my career. It appears that very few people of color are getting the opportunity to serve on corporate boards.

At least that is the conclusion reached in the corporate board census by the Alliance for Board Diversity (ABD).


ABD reported a surprising decline in the combined number of seats for women and people of color on the boards of the nation’s leading corporations. The largest decline was among Blacks. This year’s report found that in the Fortune 100 between 2004 and 2010, African Americans lost over 40 board seats while white men increased their presence on corporate boards, adding over 30.

Overall, women did not see an appreciable increase in their share of board seats. The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), an independent, non-profit corporation founded in 1986, is a founding partner in the Alliance for Board Diversity. ELC members are African American senior executives of Fortune 500 companies and equivalents. Considering the hundreds of board seats that became available during the six year period, ELC sees the combined decrease for all underrepresented groups and the steep decline for Blacks as disconcerting.

“It is troubling groups already severely underrepresented on corporate boards have collectively experienced a decline over the last six years,” ELC president and CEO Arnold W. Donald remarked in his assessment of the available data. "Most business leaders recognize that inclusion and the diversity of thinking that results from it creates real value. Shareholder value for most of the companies listed in the census is being compromised by the lack of board diversity. A decline in any single group of minorities or women is not good, a collective decline is troubling."

The ABD has worked collaboratively for more than six years to encourage corporations to increase the diversity of their boards. Catalyzed by sponsoring companies Altria and Kraft, the ELC has recently begun its own Corporate Board Initiative. ELC identifies and offers development opportunities to its members who are “board ready” and those who are nearly ready to assume the rigors of corporate board responsibilities. The organization has assembled an elite cadre of members prepared for board leadership and has worked with leading search organizations such as Heidrick & Struggles to prepare candidates and match them with opportunities.

Recent U.S. Census data shows that women and men of color comprise 66 percent of the U.S. population. Yet the ABD report indicates that more than 325 of the Fortune 500 have less than 25 percent representation, nearly 100 have less than 10 percent, and 37 companies have no women or minority representation whatsoever.

"Few will debate that inclusion and the diversity of thinking that it brings to business challenges creates real shareholder value," further stated Mr. Donald of ELC. "That's why the decline in the collective presence of underrepresented groups on the boards of America’s largest corporations as reported in this study is more than a little concerning. We at ELC, together with our ABD partners, plan to make a meaningful contribution in helping America's corporations address this missed opportunity."

Do you have any thoughts on why there are so few African Americans on the corporate board of directors? It would seem that Corporate America could do better in the 'age of Obama', don't you think?

Taser Death: Marcus Brown (Waterbury, CT)

Marcus Brown

It happened again! This time a lazy Waterbury (CT) police officer electrocuted 26-year old Marcus Brown with 50,000 volts of electricity from his taser gun. Officer Andy Sanchez, a 3-year veteran, has been placed on administrative duty while state police investigate Brown's death.

Officer Sanchez was called to Saint Mary's Hospital around 12:30am on Sunday, May 1. Sanchez and another unidentified police officer arrived in the lobby of the hospital's emergency room to a report of a man creating a disturbance.


The man, Marcus Brown, was taken into custody and placed in the back of a police cruiser. He was handcuffed and under control of the police. However, it appears that he was disrespectful to Officer Sanchez by kicking the door and window of the police car. Of course, Sanchez valued his car over human life ... so he took out his taser gun and electrocuted Brown.


Brown died right then and there.

Brown didn't have to die. He was handcuffed and not a threat to himself or others. There was no DEADLY FORCE involved. So, why did Sanchez pull his taser? It appears that the taser was simply being used as a HUMAN CATTLE PROD to compel obedience and respect.

The young man was in a hospital. Perhaps he was upset for a medical reason. We'll never know Brown's side of the story because he was killed. He's dead because a police officer was way too quick to reach for a taser gun in order to make his job easier. When will the police learn?

Call Me "Mr. President"

Osama bin Laden is dead. Our president worked with his national security team to run down all the leads and tips until they found the right one. Our president then patiently waited until the time was right ... gave the approval ... and then waited for 40 highly-trained Navy Seals to take care of business. When the Navy Seals were done -- Osama bin Laden was dead.

Watching our president last night as he announced to the nation that the United States had caught and killed bin Laden was amazing.






Am I the only one who feels proud to have voted for our president in the 2008 election? He is the right man for the job. He quietly and persistently plans his work then works his plan. He showed us that he was a man who played 'chess' while his opponents played 'checkers'. Hilary Clinton learned that fact during the 2008 presidential election. The health care reform opponents learned that fact last year. Donald Trump learned that fact last week.

There are many folks who doubt his citizenship ... who doubt his religious veracity ... who doubt his college achievements. I wonder if those folks are regretting their loud-mouth complaints and recognize that Barack Hussein Obama has earned his place in the White House. I wonder if those folks will recognize him as their legitimate leader.

Perhaps it is time for them to call him by his name ... call him "Mr. President".

Taser Death: Jairious McGhee (Tampa FL)

It happened again! This time a Tampa police officer decided that the best way to deal with a young man suffering from viral meningitis was to electrocute him with 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun. [SOURCE]

Doctors told police that Jairious McGhee apparently was suffering from viral meningitis when he was taken to Tampa General Hospital for psychiatric evaluation Saturday, April 2. Viral meningitis is a fairly common disease caused by a number of viruses. Symptoms can include a high fever and severe headache; it's serious but rarely fatal.

Here is how police are spinning the story. They say that a motorist flagged down Officer Greg Preyor about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 2, to report a crazy man was beating on cars.  Preyor approached McGhee, and asked whether he was OK. McGhee had urinated on himself, and had bloodshot eyes and dry lips.

Commonsense tells me that McGhee wasn't 'OK'. However, instead of expressing concern for the health of the unarmed young man ... Officer Preyor decided to escalate the situation.

Police say that McGhee lunged at Preyor and tried to punch the officer, who fired his Taser, striking McGhee in the chest. McGhee remained aggressive, so Preyor pointed his gun at the ground and told him to calm down.

Of course McGhee isn't able to tell his side of the story. He's dead.

The police eventually took McGhee to the Tampa General Hospital. He had a 105-degree temperature when he got to the hospital. He was dead less than 24 hours later.

The police have already done their own internal investigation. They've determined Preyor's deployment of his Taser was appropriate. The police indicate that "the level of force used was entirely determined by the actions of Mr. McGhee."

Jairious McGhee

McGhee's mother doesn't believe he had the disease. She said he appeared healthy hours before the incident.

"He hugged and kissed me and said, 'Mom, I love you. I'll see you when you get back,'" Melody Thompson said.

Thompson disputes the police account. She said her son was smart and energetic. A chef, he hoped to open an international cuisine restaurant.

"He was a loving, kind boy," Thompson said. "He got along with everybody."

Taser Autopsy: Rodney Brown (Cleveland, OH)

I think it is fair to say that most county coroners have a great deal of 'book sense' and very little 'commonsense'.

Commonsense tells me that 40-year old Rodney Brown would have been alive to see the new year if his path hadn't crossed the path of taser-wielding Cleveland police officers on December 31, 2010.

'Book sense' tells the Cuyahoga County coroner's office that 50,000 volts of electricity from a taser gun had nothing to do with Rodney Brown's death. [SOURCE]

Brown died of "cardiopulmonary arrest following physical exertion during law enforcement activity," spokesman Powell Caesar said.

Contributing factors were "hypertensive cardiovascular disease" and "chronic pulmonary disease," Caesar said.

Villagers will recall that unidentified police officers stopped Brown's car near his home for a traffic offense on 12/31/2010. Brown lost his cool and ran from the officers. They caught up to him less than two blocks away ... and they electrocuted him with a taser gun. Brown was rushed to University Hospitals, where he was pronounced dead later that evening.

Brown's family criticized the use of force after a traffic offense. They said he was shocked at least twice. There were no warrants for his arrest.

The city's Use of Deadly Force and Integrity Control teams have not yet completed their investigations.

Am I Not Human? Hole in the Head, A Life Revealed

Sometimes you think that you've lived long enough that nothing can surprise you. It seems that every plot in a movie has been told ... and every element of racism in America has been revealed.

Then you learn about Vertus Hardiman. Vertus Hardiman hid a shocking secret under a wig & beanie for over 80 years. He was experimented on at a county hospital in Indiana during 1927. Vertus was one of ten children, all experimented on with radiation back in the day.

I knew about the Tuskegee experiments on syphilis with unsuspecting Black men. I didn't know about the experiments on radiation with Black children until I saw the following video clip.   WARNING:  The clip starts off in a benign manner ... but, it takes a graphic turn towards the middle.





This feature length documentary tells the story of Vertus Hardiman and nine other young children, attending the same elementary school in Lyles Station Indiana who, in 1927 were severely irradiated during a medical experiment conducted at the local county hospital. The experiment was misrepresented as a newly developed cure for the scalp fungus known as ringworm. In reality the ringworm fungus was merely the lure used to gain access to innocent children whose unsuspecting parents blindly signed permission slips for the treatment.

Vertus was five years old and the youngest. Now after 20 years of friendship with writer/producer Wilbert Smith, through their church choir, Vertus unburdens himself to Wilbert with an incredible story, finally exposing the severe physical complication caused by this shocking medical crime. This crime had severe physical complications for Vertus – namely a harshly irradiated and malformed head, with an actual hole in his skull.

You can learn more about this film and this story here.  Just the idea of this happening in America turns my stomach.   However, it also reinforces the idea that we have to tell OURstory ... and never be limited or misled by HIS-story!

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Roots of Humanity feels that each of us can fight against human rights abuses in the world. We simply need to do something. Protest. Meditate. Pray. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to blog on the 27th of each month. Just share information on behalf of our human siblings in all suffering areas who are either barred from communication by their governments, or lacking in technology to ask: Am I Not Human?

'Freedom' = Owning Your Own Business

In the United States of America lies a large industrial city which is the site of one of the world's largest slave labor camps.

Located in and around the center of this city are community settlements where the slaves live.
Each morning the slaves move herd-like from their quarters into the slave labor camps.

Each one is at his or her station by 7:30 AM. Here they report to their master for the day's duties. And here they remain chained until 5:00 PM when they're released to go home.

The slaves have no choice as to how many hours they must labor. Sometimes they are required to work overtime until their master tells them they may leave and go home.

Each year the slaves are told when to take their vacations, for how long, and when they must return.

They have little choice as to how much money they earn as they are paid not what they are worth, but what the job is worth.

They are allowed very little time for lunch and coffee breaks during the labor hours.

The slaves will remain in their chains in great fear because the master can punish them with the "firing" or "layoff" whip.

It is said that even some of the older slaves who have been good and faithful have felt the sting of the whip.

Day by day, year-by-year, the slaves toil and grow older until the master decides it is time to release them to the retirement camps where they're forced to sit idle and wait for death.
It's a well-known fact that the old slaves who try to keep working are sometimes whipped with a "stop-their-pension" whip.

I know these slave camps exist for I once was a slave. But now I am a free man who lives among the slaves.

The reason I am free is because I am in business for myself as an Entrepreneur.

Yes, I am truly free. I arise in the morning at the hour called for by my schedule. I decide my own hours. I can even sleep in late while the slaves are at work. I can vacation when, where, and for how long I please. I'm free to take my coffee break and lunch when I decide.

And of course, I can decide my own paycheck because I am not a slave.

I can choose to work when and where I please and with whom I please.

I'm free to stay in the city for as long as I want, or to move on to greener pastures if I decide to.  I've seen many slaves sadly pack their belongings to leave their city in search of a new master, but it is always the same.

There is, however, a ray of hope for the slave.

He or she can buy their own freedom.

The cost is not high, yet it seems high to those who do not have the courage to pay the price.

What is the price?

ONE MUST BE WILLING TO BE ONE'S OWN MASTER!

Taser Death: Kevin Campbell (Tallahassee, FL)

It happened again! Police in Florida are getting very active with their taser guns lately. Unidentified Tallahassee police officers electrocuted 39-year old Kevin Darius Campbell on Monday because he was behaving 'erratically' outside of an apartment complex. [SOURCE]

The police say that Campbell was running up and down the steps, in and out of his apartment, before running into a woman's apartment. Officers found Campbell inside the woman's apartment. Police say that Campbell struggled as they tried to detain him.  One of the unidentified police officers pumped 50,000 volts of electricity into him with a taser gun. Of course Campbell isn't around to give his side of the story ... he's dead.

Campbell became unresponsive. He was transported to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead.


Campbell disrespected the police ... resisted arrest ... and now he's dead. Can anybody show me where the penalty for resisting arrest is DEATH?

Good News Tuesday: Titus Thomas, The Future Face of Technology

Titus Thomas

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has given out over 85 Jesse Bemley Scholarships valued at $154,000 since 1999 to talented high school students with a passion for science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) education. We are proud of all of these young men and women.  

Titus Thomas is our next Bemley Scholar.

He is a 3-time participant in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition (HSCC) championships as a member of two chapters (Northern Virginia and Washington DC).  Titus will use his Bemley Scholarship to defray expenses for attending Bowie State University. He shared his thoughts on BDPA with us:

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My name is Titus Thomas and I am a freshman in college. I grew up in Washington D.C. In comparison to others, my life has somewhat been a bed of roses. I have two strict but loving parents, who teach me, care for me and feed me, not just to make me happy, but also to keep me healthy. I grew up with an older brother and an older and younger sister. Because of my parents I am the smart, creative and helpful person I am today. They taught me the difference between right and wrong.

For hobbies I developed the natural desire to play video-games but there was another game that I took interest in that other kids did not, Chess. At times my dad would take me after school to visit my mom at her job. There, I met the man who I have always known as “Mr. Bradley.” He taught me the basics. I used what he taught me to challenge my older brother in a series of chess games, where I was unsuccessful but I did not let that stop me. During middle school, I joined the chess club, where I furthered my skills until I realized that I was the best player in the school.

I attended one of the best schools in Washington D.C. with a clean academic history. I became one of the best chess players in the city at my age and was in the International Baccalaureate program. My dreams have been centered on being a technologist, mechanic, or aerospace engineer, but now I have decided to do something that I always have loved - a computer scientist. Like chess, I have always been a good “techie.” Around school I help teachers with their computer if it is acting up and help my parents and friends do certain things in Microsoft Word. I did not truly understand my passion for computers and technology until I joined the BDPA program where students compete internationally by creating websites using computer coding languages such as Hypertext Markup Language, Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript. Our team placed in fourth in 2008 and third in 2009 and second place in 2010.

Looking back I can say the HSCC program is the reason for where I am and who I am today. I began participating in my first year of high school where I basically sat in each class and goofed off with my friends. Our HSCC coordinator, Mr. Lou Shack, saw that I had much more potential and would always treat me like I would do something great with my life, which I had a bigger purpose than to just, sit around all day doing nothing. So I got my act together next year and placed fourth in the 2008 National HSCC championship with my team.

Each national competition had new surprises and people to meet. From military leaders to the vice president of Wal-Mart, the networking never ended! The four years have gone by very quickly and now that I am in college the HSCC group continues to help guide me. Nothing but good has come from participating to the HSCC program and I would recommend it to any high school student who is interested in using computers.

And now in college I expect to learn as much as I can about computers as well as make good grades so that when I graduate from college, with my bachelors or masters in Computer Science, I can find a good job doing what I love. I also want to be able to return to the HSCC group that helped me get into college and help them in teaching their computer class.

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BETF is very proud of Titus. We hope that you are proud of him as well. You can help us provide scholarships to many more if you have inclination to do so. We need your financial support if we hope to continue handing out these Bemley Scholarships in the future.

In the meantime, we hope you will REPLY or COMMENT on this post with your thoughts about this testimonial from Titus.  Share some BDPA-love with this young man!

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This blog will continue to seek out Good News stories about people of African descent and share them with you each Tuesday. We need to tell the positive and upbeat information about OURstory. We can't depend on others to do it for us. Please pass along any Good News story that comes your way. In the case of bloggers ... we want you to join our Good News parade every Tuesday.