New AfroSpear Member: Derrick's Window

Derrick Anthony is the newest blogger-applicant approved for membership into the AfroSpear. His blog, Derrick's Window (BBR #1166), went live in August 2008. He sought out the AfroSpear because of its focus on "...the continuing education and sharing of views of people black and otherwise...oh and world peace! :)".

When asked what his blog will add to the AfroSpear flavor, he wrote, "Can there ever be another voice as they are all unique? I got questions and opinions and life experience that Im bringing to the table."

The AfroSpear requires that a current Member must nominate any new blogger-applicant. Deborah (My Brown Eyed View) is the nominating member for Derrick Anthony. She writes:

"I have read Derrick's Window off and on for the past few months. I first learned about his blog through our mutual membership at Urban Blogger. I read his information and visited the site. I have read his posts from time to time. I also know his work from being a member of We OpEd. I think that Afrospear needs as many diverse voices as we can get. Derrick not only is open about being a Gay Black Male, he writes about issues that are of importance to us as black people. He also shares his perspectives of culture from his viewpoint. I believe that as we continue to grow as a group there is room for all different types of voices in our struggle."

I look forward to reading the insights from this young brother over the coming weeks and months!

Wordless Wednesday: Bear Hug

Police Demonize the Teenager Killed by Taser Torture

Robert Mitchell is the 16-year old youngster who was killed with tasers from Warren police officers. Everyone is waiting on the autopsy results to understand the cause of death. However the police couldn't wait to let the public know that Mitchell had marijuana in his system.

Warren -- Toxicology testing conducted on a Detroit teen who died shortly after being shocked with a Taser by Warren police showed marijuana in his system at the time of his death, police said today.

The final autopsy report for 16-year-old Robert Mitchell is still pending with the Macomb County Medical Examiner's office.

Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said at this point, it is unknown if the drugs found in the teen's system played a role in his death.

Police allege that on April 10, the Detroit Kettering High School sophomore bailed out of the Dodge Stratus he was riding in during a traffic stop for an expired license plate on Eight Mile near Schoenherr. Police say he discarded his jacket before leading officers on a half-block chase to a home on Pelkey.

He was stunned one time for resisting when officers attempted to pat him down.

Mitchell's family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city of Warren April 20.

My perspective is simple. The young man didn't deserve the death penalty for running or "discarding his jacket". The police don't have the right to electrocute a teenager for these things.

What say u?

Village Interview: Eddie Griffin (Eddie Griffin, BASG)

This is a continuation of our Village Interview series. Today, we are pleased to invite you for a seat under our baobob tree to read interview with Eddie Griffin, an active blogger in the afrosphere. His blog is known as Eddie G. Griffin (BASG). BASG is acronym for Black Accused Support Group.

Eddie Griffin, ex-Black Panther, ex-convict, Blackosphere advocate for the accused, Christian community organizer, and author of 'Breaking Men's Minds: Behavior Control and Human Experimentation at the Federal Prison in Marion (IL)'. I encourage you to visit his blog to best enjoy his honest, candid and insightful analysis of current events. I hope you enjoy this blogger interview!

Q1. What were you like when you were younger?

Youth is like a deep, deep sleep. You wake up and hardly remember what it felt like to be young. I guess you can say I was a romanticist, in love with life and every young woman I could put my hands on. For a brief period, I was Mr. Popular, with a reputation everywhere I went. I was too popular for my own good, so I gained a gangster pimp image, and later a Black, gun-toting revolutionary… seems like to me, on a suicide mission.

Q2. Name a famous historical figure, living or deceased, you would like to meet and tell us why.

I am not a hero worshipper. But I see in myself some of the influence of people who helped shaped my life. I would have loved to meet Angela Davis. Her book 'Soledad Brother' converted me to the revolution. I fell in love with her face on the FBI Most Wanted poster. If a sweet sister like this could be branded as an outlaw, then I realized that I was on the wrong side of the law.

After being exonerated, Angela Davis went to work on behalf of other prisoners, after the death of George Jackson, the original 'Soledad Brother'. She took up the cause of a band of politically conscious prisoners and named them the “Marion Brothers”, of whom I am one of the three set free by President Jimmy Carter.

Without her, I would still be in Leavenworth until the year 2022.

Q3. Name a person in your community who is relatively unknown to the rest of the world, who you believe is significant in some way, and that you would like the rest of the world to know more about.

My protégé, Junichi Lockett, Jr., is an unknown, and has yet to 'make his bones'. But he is a young man full of potential and determination. He was a proven leader among his college peers, serving as the university’s NAACP president and being awarded Man of the Year recognition.

He has finished a manuscript on militaristic determinism as used in goal achievements. I like his thinking and work in the trenches, as an elementary school teacher. He studies my writings for inspiration and insight.

Q4. What are two items in your 'bucket list' ... things you want to do or accomplish before you kick the bucket?

I would love to see the day all my kids and grandkids march across the stage upon high school graduation, ready to move on up to the next level in life.

Q5. Describe your first experience on the Internet?

I started in the telephone dial-up connection system on a 486 computer. Every time the phone range, the Internet crashed, until the age of the Pentium, when I routed my telephone calls through my computer.

Q6. Tell us about your current blogging career and how you got into it.

Before I started blogging, I wrote essays and commentaries and mass emailed them to about 1,000 local and national readers. One of my commentaries about the ordeal of Shaquanda Cotton attracted the attention of Francis Holland, who set up a blogsite for Black Accused Support Group (BASG), which I have operated for two years.

Q7. Who are the two bloggers you read the most and why? Include their links and tell us why we should subscribe to their feeds.

I read Electronic Village because of the diverse range of commentary on various causes. I read Dallas South Blog because Shawn is right next door in Dallas, and he is a go-to source for local issues.

Q8. Where are you taking your blog over the next 2-3 years?

Since the election of Barack Obama, I see the opportunity for a 4-8 years window in which I have a better chance to be heard, as a voice in the Black community. This, for me, is an intense problem-solving period, rather than a period of activist protesting. Having been subjected to the status quo successive regimes in U.S. government for 62 years, I now get a sense of being able to participate in government, rather than casting my vote and going back and sitting down, until the next.

Q9. What is your 'killer post' over the past year ... the post you are most proud of?

I have score some direct hits on my blog: Shaquanda Cotton, Jena 6, and others. But the campaign that stands above all others was the campaign to save the life of Kenneth Foster, six hours from the execution chamber in Texas.

Q10. What is your 'biggest noise post' over the past year ... the one that you took the most heat over from your readers?

The 2008 political campaign generated more traffic and more controversy than anything else. I went with two dark horses: Barack Obama for President and Wendy Davis for Texas State Senate. These were the only two campaigns where I had to pour out all my energies.

---

Villagers, I look forward to meeting Eddie Griffin in person. I am blessed to interact with him regularly via email. He is a remarkable man. I collect his Internet quotes. Some of my favorites:

• You can't cram an elephant down a gnat's throat.


• Some of us kill everything that moves. While others, like myself, are sharpshooters, knocking off one target at a time.


• The more you dig, the more you uncover. The more problems you solve, the more problems you discover.


• You build trust by living a transparent life, above reproach and condemnation, with integrity and justice for all.


• Straighten out history and people will get a clear view of how we got here.


• We are lenient with our white folks. We give 'em a little head start. When they get too far out of line, we reign them in.

Please take a moment to share your thoughts on this blogger interview or on Eddie Griffin.

Let's Hope that Obama Can Put 'Em Out of Business

There are over 43 million Americans under the age of 65 who don't have health insurance coverage. Almost 9% of the children under 18 don't have health insurance. I hope that the Obama administration is able to make a difference.




What are your thoughts on the health insurance crisis in America?

Happy Mother's Day ... HOOAH!

President's Weekly Address: 'Credit Card Reform'

I'm feelin' our president in this week's message. I think that I have singlehandedly paid for most of the dayum bank bailouts with the interest and other trick payments on my credit cards over the past few years. This week the President recaps a busy week, from strides on fiscal discipline, to financial stability, to cracking down on tax havens and tax breaks for shifting jobs overseas. For his next big step, he calls for a credit card reform bill:

"Americans know that they have a responsibility to live within their means and pay what they owe. But they also have a right to not get ripped off by the sudden rate hikes, unfair penalties, and hidden fees that have become all-too common in our credit card industry."

What are your thoughts on the issues raised by Obama in this week's message?

Congressional Black Caucus Wants 2nd Black Justice on Supreme Court

I want the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to be relevant. I want them to hold congressional hearings on taser torture in America.

What I want doesn't much matter.
Instead of doing these good works, we learn that the CBC leadership is "launching a campaign to persuade President Obama to appoint one of their members," Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA), to replace Justice David Souter on the Supreme Court.

The CBC and Rep. Bobby Scott are tone-deaf. They should be working with the Congressional Hispanic Council to support the idea of a woman or a Hispanic candidate as the next Supreme Court justice. This isn't the right time to advocate for a 2nd Black justice. We've never had a Hispanic judge in over 200 years ... and we've only had two women justices on the court. Obama needs to deal with either or both of those issues with this selection.

Just my thought ... what say u?

Fire Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis

I have always been a little suspect of Bank of America since they were outed as a major supporter of apartheid in South Africa. Bank of America disappointed me in other organizations with their unwillingness to be a consistent supporter of career advancement for African Americans in the technology industry. As such, it doesn't surprise me to learn that the corporate culture is influenced by the arrogance of its leader, CEO Ken Lewis.

The following video, narrated by former Labor Secretary Robert Reich, gives compelling reasons for CEO Ken Lewis to be fired.



CEO Ken Lewis works for us now. Tens of billions of our taxpayer dollars went toward bailing out Bank of America, but what have we received in return? More predatory lending, billions wasted on exorbitant salaries and executive bonuses, and corporate lobbying against Employee Free Choice. Methinks it is time for Ken Lewis to be gone.

What say u?

Scholarships Available for Blogging While Brown Conference

Villagers are encouraged to apply for scholarships that would cover full registration for the 2nd annual Blogging While Brown Conference.

Those who do not currently blog are encouraged to apply as the scholarship also covers the cost of registration for the pre-conference boot camp. Pass it along to your network, activists, parents, entrepreneurs and anyone else that would benefit from mastering original digital content creation (Gina's new word).

This is a great opportunity. I hope to see many villagers in attendance!

Old School Friday: Soul Train

The theme for this week is Soul Train! Soul Train is a television show that I watched back in the day. My cousin, Chris, was a dancer on the show when it was taped in Hollywood. He was the star of our family for many years based on his appearances on Soul Train.

Many of y'all don't remember the original Soul Train. That was when the line was couples only and brother and sisters came down it together. As I got older it seems that the Soul Train line took on a new solo dancer look where they alternated the cameras from brothers to sisters.



Soul Train was on in the days when you had to be in front of your set. You couldn't tape the show for later consumption. The Soul Train line would come on at about 40 minutes after the hour. Sometimes, I would switch away from other shows to make sure that I saw the line.

I was in college in the 1980s ... it was the time of Miami Vice. I remember watching Soul Train on Saturday morning and trying to mimic the moves at the club on Saturday night. Did y'all know that Rosie Perez was a Soul Train dancer back in the day?





Of course, the other great thing about the show were the performances by the greatest musical acts of our times. Some of the performers knew how to lip-synch and some didn't! I wonder if any of them ever performed live on Soul Train?




I never watched the show very much after Don Cornelius left it. I understand that original programming for the show ended in 2006 ... after 35 years of production. Nowadays they have the Soul Train Music Awards and the 'Best of Soul Train'.

What is your favorite Soul Train memory?

Ida Ljungqvist is First-Ever African Playmate of the Year

When is the last time that you looked at Playboy magazine? I have to admit that I don't recall seeing one for at least the past 20 years. I may have to head out to a bookstand to see if I can find a current issue. It turns out that Hugh Hefner and his crew selected a women from Africa as Playmate of the Year for the first time in a half-century.

Ida Ljungqvist, last year's Miss March, is now the 2009 Playmate of the Year. This 27-year old beauty wins over $100,000 in cash and prizes.

I wonder if Sis. Ljungqvist ~lurks~ here as a villager?

[NOTE: Drumbeats from TransGriot correctly note that the first Black Playmate of the Year was Renee Tennison (Miss November 1989).]

Bloggers Roundup on the Radio: Vanessa Byers and Wayne Hicks

Shawn P. Williams (Dallas South Blog, BBR #87) hosts a remarkable online radio show each week on BlogTalkRadio. One of the segments on his show is 'Bloggers Roundup'. Vanessa Byers (Vanessa Unplugged, BBR #293) and I were guests on Shawn's show last week. We talked about President Obama's first 100 days and the H1N1 flu.

Listen to us if you have time or inclination.

Sarah Palin's Popularity Plummets in Alaska

Gov. Sarah Palin (R-AK) continues to lose popularity within her own state. Villagers may recall the protests that we posted about last year. Now we learn in new Hays Research polling that Palin's positive rating dropped from 86% a year ago to 54% today.

(Th)ink by Keith Knight: Swine Flu

(Th)ink is an editorial cartoon written and drawnby cartoonist Keith Knight (the K Chronicles).

Michael Steele Loses Fight with RNC Enemies

Michael Steele's descent into irrelevance continues. It appears that MC Mike lost a major battle with rebel members of the Republican National Committee (RNC). These RNC rebels forced RNC Chairman Michael Steele to sign a "secret pact agreeing to controls and restraints on how he spends" party funds and contracts. The power grab that Steele bemoaned last week is now official.

I think it may be time to take bets on how long Steele will remain on board as RNC chairman. I'm starting to think that he won't last thru July 4th weekend. What say u?

Will Barack Obama Take Us to the Moon?

I just checked the NASA website. No decision yet on a new NASA administrator. I'm still holding out hope that Obama will appoint Charles Bolden. In the meantime, I see that Obama ordered a comprehensive review of NASA's plans to return astronauts to the moon. Expected to last 60 to 90 days, the independent review will examine designs for the launch and exploration vehicles proposed for use by the Constellation program and the timeframe for flying lunar missions. [SOURCE]

I'm a science fiction fan. So, I hope that we resume our space program. We can't get to infinity and beyond if we don't get back to the moon.

What say u?

Tenaha Texas 'Driving While Black' Story Goes Mainstream

Villagers learned what it meant to be 'Driving While Black ... Tenaha Texas Style' back in March 2009. I'm glad to see that the story made it to the mainstream media this week. Here is report from Anderson Cooper that played on CNN.




This is little more than domestic terrorism. Three million dollars going to the chamber of commerce, popcorn machines, local churches and dirty cops, taken illegally from drivers, mostly Black, who were threatened with arrest, child confiscation and more.

Only in America!

Ding Hui is the Jackie Robinson of Chinese Volleyball

A 19-year-old volleyball player from the eastern city of Hangzhou has become the first Black athlete to be called up to represent China, triggering fierce curiosity among his compatriots. Read more.

Wordless Wednesday: Food Fight