Good News Tuesday: Diamond Abdus-Shakoor

Soulclap to Jennifer Smith Richards for her recent article about a remarkable 9-year old girl that is setting a positive example for our community with her willingness to excel in the world of chess. Here is article published recently in the Columbus Dispatch:

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There are plenty of things to learn from chess, but Diamond Abdus-Shakoor's dad says this is the most important: Win with grace, lose with dignity.

Abdul Abdus-Shakoor says Diamond soaks up everything that chess teaches her. Patience. Humility. Perseverance.

Diamond is very, very good.

She hasn't been beaten yet on her East Columbus Elementary chess team. The 9-year-old plays grown men in coffee houses and often wins. She has won five national titles in her age group since she learned to play about two years ago, including one in Arizona this month. Her dad says she was the only African American girl competing.

"I play her. She beats me," he said. "It's hard to keep her motivated and keep pushing her."

But Abdus-Shakoor is always standing behind her. He trumpets her successes and makes pitches for her on Twitter (Diamond would love to meet Oprah soon! She would like to play Will Smith in a chess match! Check out YouTube!) and e-mails news releases when she rocks at a tournament.





To the single father, there is nothing more important than helping pave the way for Diamond's bright future. He said that is why he does whatever it takes, even when that means asking for donations at gas stations to help fund her trips.

It's one reason he coaches her chess club at East Columbus.

"I get to be wherever my daughter is and help other kids. It's a win-win," he said.

During practice, Diamond gives up her queen before play to handicap herself. At a recent practice, Abdus-Shakoor set up a simultaneous exhibition in which she played 11 students at once.

"If somebody wins, I'll give you $1," he told the students. Diamond took a few seconds at each board and before long had started collecting pieces.

"She can be beat," Abdus-Shakoor told the students. But not that day.

You figure a third-grader with as many trophies as Diamond has would be a hot-dogger. But she has no post-game shuffle and casts no smirks at her fallen opponents. That's part of winning with grace. And maybe that's why the other kids in the club don't resent her for being good. They respect her for it.

"I learn from my mistakes and her mistakes," said fifth-grader Noah Jones-Smith, who has lost only to Diamond during club play.

That's what it's all about, Abdus-Shakoor said.

"Chess is bigger than me and my daughter. It's a window into their world. I'm trying to prepare them for life," he said.

The woman who grew Columbus City Schools' chess program agrees. Students who play learn how to interact with one another, think critically, compete with grace. Even after the district cut funding for chess coaches a few years ago, clubs like the one at Diamond's school lived on.

There are clubs in 77 schools with more than 2,700 students playing. And there have been several children like Diamond.

"Once you get a kid who has won a trophy for the first time, it's exciting. It's fulfilling for everybody on every level that cares about kids in the schools," said Francie Nolan, who started the program in the mid-'80s.

She's gotten to know Diamond and her dad, and thinks Diamond's name is fitting.

"She sparkles," Nolan said.

Other girls and boys in Diamond's club are waiting to shine, too. Abdus-Shakoor wants to take them to a national tournament; there are two big ones in central Ohio this spring, but registration and transportation cost money. He and Nolan say that's the biggest obstacle.

The talent is there. The kids have been waiting patiently and soaking up everything they can from their chess coaches and standout players like Diamond.
"My dad tells me to have fun. He tells me it's just a game," Diamond said. "But it's not just a fun game. It's an excellent game."

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I am very proud of this father and his work with his child. It is no easy thing to teach a young 'un how to play chess when there are so many other faster-paced options available for them. I taught my two youngest the basic moves ... but, we never were able to follow-up with enough time playing the game for them to pick up a love or appreciation for it. This article inspires me to try again!

Are you a chess player?

NOTE: This post is part of an ongoing effort by this blog (and others) to ensure that positive and uplifting news by and for people of African descent is regularly shared with our blog readers. Please let me know if you come across an article or other information about someone or something that you think worthy of our weekly Good News Tuesday blog meme!

Taser Autopsy: Delano Smith (Elkhart, IN)

Elkhart Police Department Cpl. Norm Friend, Officer Bruce Anglemyer, Sgt. James Buchmann, and Officer Michael Price shot 22-year old Delano Smith three times with a taser back in January. The Elkhart, Indiana man died while in their police custody and police tasers contributed to the death.

That was the conclusion of an investigation conducted by the Elkhart County Prosecutor’s Office that found no wrongdoing on the part of police officers. [SOURCE]

Elkhart City Police were called to Smith’s apartment on January 6th of this year by neighbors who heard screaming and other loud noises.

Once there, officers observed some very bizarre behavior. Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill said that Smith had a large wound on his arm and that Smith was biting the wound with his teeth. The investigation further alleges that Smith was dousing his head in a kitchen sink full of water and what appeared to be blood.

Finally, some appliances near the sink appeared to be damaged with exposed electrical wiring. Smith wrapped his mouth around the exposed wires, despite the officer’s requests to stop.

“While it’s very unfortunate that this apparently troubled young man is dead, and while the actions of the officers may have inadvertently contributed to his death,” said Elkhart County Prosecutor Curtis Hill, “The actions taken by police officers to subdue Mr. Smith were reasonable, appropriate, and necessary to prevent his further harm."

An autopsy concluded that the confrontation with police and the restraint that officers used were contributing factors in Smith’s death.

“This was certainly a circumstance that we wanted to take a look at because we have an individual who died while in police custody and following a confrontation with police where the police had engaged in the use of force, albeit one that is clearly intended to be non-lethal,” said Prosecutor Hill.

Villagers, it appears that this was a mentally-ill man who needed help. He didn't need to be electrocuted by invading police officers. The man was not an immediate threat to the police officers. He needed to be hospitalized ... not killed. The police officers appear to have been much too quick to pull their taser guns. Weren't other options available to them?

Again we see that the 'powers that be' are not interested in holding the police accountable for their actions. Unintentionial killings usually result in a manslaughter charge ... however, the usual rules don't apply in Elkhart. The four taser-killing cops go free and Delano Smith's life is deemed irrelevant.

Taser Autopsy: Patrick Burns (Sangamon County)

Sangamon County Coroner Susan Boone says that Patrick Burns died from 'excited delirium' brought on by cocaine use.   Many of us think that Susan Boone isn't a very good coroner.

The family of Patrick Burns doesn't agree. A pathologist hired by the family says he died from a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen due to being hog-tied after he was shot 21 times with Tasers by unidentified Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies. [SOURCE]

Ralston, who performed an autopsy and reviewed medical records, found that oxygen to Burns’ brain was cut off when he was hog-tied and transported stomach-down to Memorial Medical Center.

The incident took place Jan. 23. Burns, under the influence of cocaine and wearing only underwear and a long-sleeved t-shirt, broke into a house near his home, where he beat the woman resident. She managed to get him outside before deputies arrived.

Investigators said he was calm when police arrived but went berserk when deputies tried photographing injuries he apparently received while breaking windows in the woman’s home.

Four unidentified deputies deployed their Tasers to control Burns after he began fighting and screaming in a muddy ditch.

During the inquest, John Yard, an Illinois State Police special agent, testified that Burns was shouting and struggling for the first part of his ambulance ride, but he calmed down by the time he reached the hospital.

Ralston said he wants to listen to audio logs from the ambulance company before finalizing his report. If Burns was hog-tied, prone and quiet for an extended period during the trip to the hospital, that would support the conclusion that he suffered a brain injury due to oxygen deprivation, the doctor said.

Ralston said he also wants to see the Taser barbs and photographs of Burns’ injuries from the barbs to determine how deeply the barbs penetrated. If the barbs went deep, it wouldn’t take much electricity for Taser shocks to have impaired heart function, the doctor said.

Burns had a Taser probe in his chest when he arrived at the hospital, and diagrams prepared by Ralston show he had three other wounds from probes in his chest.

Taser International, manufacturer of the stun gun, last fall issued a bulletin recommending that police not aim Tasers at chests due to what the company said is a low risk of “adverse cardiac event.”

Under questioning by Burns’ relatives while the inquest jury was deliberating, Dr. Jessica Bowman, who performed the autopsy for the coroner’s office, dismissed the idea that Taser shocks could have contributed to Burns’ death. She compared Taser International’s recommendation to a recommended dose of aspirin: Varying from recommendations does not mean any harm will occur, she said.

“This current is very superficial,” Bowman said. “You may not realize how deep your heart is inside you.”

We do not have a death penalty for domestic violence or resisting arrest or refusing to have your photo taken. The Sangamon County police department seemed to think that they are authorized to use their tasers for extra-judicial electrocution whenever the mood strikes.

Obama's Weekly Address: Holy Day (or Holiday) Message

In this week of Easter, Passover, and faithful celebration, the President uses his address to offer his holiday greeting and to call on people of all faiths and nonbelievers to remember our shared spirit of humanity.




This blog joins with the President in wishing a Happy Easter to all villagers!

My favorite Easter memory is from childhood ... my parents used to hide eggs in the backyard and we would look for them. We used hard-boiled eggs and often there was an egg or two that was never discovered for a few weeks ... and it was a rotten mess when we found it!

The other Easter tradition that used to be active in our family was 'new clothes'. We would always get new clothes for Easter Sunday trip to church ... and my father would always take a photo of us with in the yard.

What is your favorite memory of Easter?

Perp Walk Update: Larry Langford Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison

I missed this story last month ... but, I thought it proper to provide closure to the Perp Walk story that we've shared with you in the past.

Former Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his October bribery conviction.

Langford was convicted on 60 federal counts of bribery in a pay-for-play case last year. He was elected mayor in 2007 and was stripped of his office upon his conviction.

What a sad ending to a man's political career and reputation. A cautionary tale for all African Americans that acheive success and think that their shyt no longer stinks.

Taser Death: Albert Valencia (Downey, CA)

It happened again. This time an unidentified Downey Police officer pulled out his taser ... shot 50,000 volts of electricity into 31-year Albert Valencia ... and then called on paramedics to rush Valencia to a local hospital ... where he was pronounced dead on March 20, 2010. [SOURCE]

Unidentified officers were called to an LA Fitness gym at 9 a.m., after "patrons reported a male acting strangely and threatening people inside the gym," said a police spokesman.

"As officers arrived, witnesses pointed out the suspect as he was driving out of the parking lot. (The officers) attempted to make contact with the male, but he fled and a short pursuit ensued," the spokesman related.

The police indicate that Albert Valencia pulled out a knife during the pursuit, which came to an end after he pulled over at in a residential neighborhood about three miles from from the gym.

"(The suspect) fled on foot into a rear yard where a physical altercation between the suspect and the officers occurred," police said said. "A Taser was deployed in an effort to help subdue the suspect."

The dumbest thing that the police said? The cause of death was not yet known.

The cause of death is simple ... the police shot this guy with 50,000 volts from a taser. Evidently the Downey Police Department didn't get the memo ... they are only supposed to use the deadly force of their taser guns when the suspect poses an immediate threat. What threat did this guy pose?

Black Blogging Rock Stars [Video]

It has been fun watching the evolution of Blacks in the afrosphere over the past three years. Some of the Black Blogging Rockstars got together for a panel discussion at recent SXSW conference. Enjoy this video of that panel discussion:





What was your biggest 'learning' from the video?

Will Obama's Urban School Grants Create Opportunities for African American Entrepreneurs?

According to the U.S. Department of Education, President Obama has recently announced $900 million in grants as a part of his 2011 budget to help improve student achievement at 5,000 of the nation's lowest-performing schools. Most, if not all, of the schools are in urban areas.

The budget includes a $100-million program aimed at increasing college-level, dual-credit and other accelerated courses in schools, allowing students to earn a high-school diploma and an associates degree simultaneously.

What does this mean for entrepreneurs of African descent?

This means that local businesses that sell educational services and products can benefit too. The grant money will be allocated in many ways, such as to hire tutors, to buy educational software and materials, to upgrade old technology (computers, etc), to hire local motivational speakers, to hire scholarship experts and college consultants, and more.

The grant money may even be used to hire interior decorators and architects to make the schools look more modern. Do your research, and find out if there are schools in your area that will receive assistance from the grants. If so, find out what the schools' needs are and position yourself to offer relevant services. There will, no doubt, be many contracting and purchasing opportunities in the near future.

Here is a listing of other 2010 business grant opportunities that you might find useful.

Teaser Tuesday: 'Blue Light' by Walter Mosley

Soulclap to Reads4Pleasure for introducing me to Teaser Tuesdays, a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can play along!  Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a random page
3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page either in the comments below or on your own blog (give a link to your blog so we can check it out!)
4. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
5. Share the title & author so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I'm currently reading Blue Light, by Walter Mosley.

"As I said it, I realized that this was the first death of a Blue other than those that died on the first night that light fell ... All the Blues that had lived were healthy, never sick, and somehow had the appearance of agelessness." - Page 62

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT (a.k.a. VILLAGE VOICES) with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Asante sana!

Tune In Tuesday: Zapp featuring Roger Troutman

Roger Troutman and his brothers made up the heart of a remarkable band known as Zapp. The band is still touring today. The Troutman family is from just down the road in Hamilton, Ohio.

I first heard Zapp while I was in college when they came out with a song called More Bounce to the Ounce. As a radio disc jockey we played the heck outta More Bounce. Folks could not get enough of the bass, the beat or Roger's talk box sound.

It will come as know surprise to those who know me that my favorite song by Zapp was a ditty called 'Computer Love'





But the Zapp saga is about more than music. During the height of their popularity, the Troutmans put scores of low-income families into houses they built from the ground up in their hometown of Dayton, Ohio. They maintained a drug-free, hard-working ethic that separated them from many of their peers.

All of that came crashing down on April 25, 1999 when, to everyone's shock, Larry Troutman shot his brother Roger to death, then turned the gun on himself. Suicide rearing its ugly head in the Black community.

The entire story of Zapp is shared in a recent episode of TV One's "Unsung". I encourage all villagers with TV One access to watch this episode. I didn't realize that so many Roger beats were sampled by hip-hop stars like Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, 2Pac and others.

His top individual hit was 'I Want to Be Your Man'




I hope that you enjoyed this week's Tune In Tuesday meme. Please take a moment to share your enduring memory of Roger Troutman and Zapp.

Good News Tuesday: Monica Okon, Space Shuttle Engineer

Soulclap to Ohio State University for publishing the following article on Monica Oken.

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At Ohio State, Monica Okon is a senior majoring in biological engineering.

But this summer at NASA's John Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Okon wore a different hat: project manager. She oversaw the design and creation of a toilet that will work in a space shuttle's zero gravity atmosphere.

"One of the neat things about NASA is we have to look at all aspects of interaction of the astronauts up in space," says Nancy Hall, a NASA research scientist who supervised Okon.

"For example, how do you handle an astronaut going into the bathroom in a reduced gravity environment? If you think of everything floating, you cannot just go in a traditional toilet, so this flexible membrane commode Monica was working on was testing one of these systems to validate some of modeling we have done."

Okon's background made her a good fit to manage the project, Hall says. So Okon oversaw it "from design to creation" -- a task that showed her to apply what she has learned at Ohio State.

"It's my responsibility to make sure that the stuff is done, because if it doesn't get done, then I delay the project," Okon says.



More than 6,000 Ohio State undergrads get college credit for internships or co-ops each year. Students benefit from real-world experience and get a resume boost--and many, like Okon, leave their jobs with a connection to a career mentor.

"I really cherish my relationship with Nancy. I think of her as a true role model. She is a great mentor. She's taught me so much, how to carry yourself in the workplace," Okon says.

"NASA's been great. It's really helped reaffirm my sense of why I wanted to remain an engineer, why I wanted to contribute something to a greater good."

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This blog is committed to sharing good news about people of African descent each and every Tuesday ... we call it Good News Tuesday and I wish that other bloggers would join this weekly meme!

Anyhow, what is your impression of Monica Okon? Do you understand why we included in her our Good News Tuesday meme?

Can We Stop GOP-Inspired Tea Party Violence Before April 19th Second Amendment March?

I see that Republican National Committee chair Michael Steele turned down request from his Democratic Party counterpart, Tim Kaine, to issue a joint statement against the recent violent acts against lawmakers who voted in favor of health care reform. It is another indication that the GOP is intentionally stoking the base emotions of the Tea Party folks.

Here are examples of what the GOP leadership is saying:

Rep. Michele Bachmann: "I want people in Minnesota armed and dangerous ... having a revolution every now and then is a good thing."

Rep. John Boehner: "Take [Democratic Congressman] Steve Driehaus, for example. He may be a dead man. He can't go home to the west side of Cincinnati."

Rep. Steve King: "Let's beat that other side to a pulp! Let's take them out. Let's chase them down."

It is time for us to end the right-wing violence brought to us by the GOP.



I think that we need to squash this nonsense right away. It could be dangerous if it goes on through April 19th.

Villagers will recall that April 19, 1993 was the end of the 51-day siege of the Branch Davidian building outside of Waco TX. 81 people died.

April 19, 1995 was the day that Timothy McVeigh killed 168 people with his bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Tea Party folks are making plans for a gun-toting gathering on April 19, 2010.

Villagers, we need to bring this nonsense to an end. Do you agree?

Sunday Inspirations: Phyllis Hyman

I've been watching a number of the 'Unsung' episodes put together by TV-One over the past 3-4 years. This morning I watched their documentary of Phyllis Hyman. She had a remarkable career, however, she was subject of an 'Unsung' episode because her career never reached the heights that her talent could (should?) have taken her.

Isn't that what many of us think ... don't many of us think that we could (should?) be doing so much more than we've done. Of course, at some level we know that our current station is life is based on the choices and behaviors and actions that we've taken to this point. Perhaps it is best for all of us to take a moment to 'Remember Who We Are':





Phyllis Hyman committed suicide in 1995. I continue to be troubled by the large numbers of African Americans that are committing suicide in this country ... and the issue is rarely, if ever, discussed. I suspect that many villagers know someone personally who has committed suicide. I hope you realize that you're not alone.





Phyllis Hyman (1951-1995) -- May she rest in peace.

Lakeesha Alert * Mitrice Richardson

I still don't understand how the national mainstream media can get worked up over some missing women (or children), usually blondes with blue eyes, while ignoring others -- usually African American. We've seen it with Chioma Gray and Hasanni Campbell.

Now we're seeing it in southern California with Mitrice Richardson.
That is why this blog is calling on all bloggers to re-issue their Lakeesha Alert for missing Mitrice.

It's been more than six months since Mitrice Richardson disappeared after being arrested in Malibu. Her family and friends refuse to give up hope and are asking for help as they launch a new search for the missing woman on Sunday. [SOURCE]

"How could a person just vanish," said Richardson's mother Latice Sutton. "There is no way to move on or in any direction for that matter."

The 24-year-old disappeared September 17. The Cal State Fullerton graduate was arrested at Geoffrey's, a high end restaurant in Malibu, because she did not have the money to pay for her bill. Other diners and restaurant staff said Richardson was acting in bizarre manner.

Richardson was booked at the Lost Hills/Malibu Sheriff's Station. Deputies said Richardson acted normally and passed a sobriety test and had no reason to hold her overnight. She was released at 12:30 a.m. -- Villagers, what right-thinking police officer releases a woman after midnight in a strange area? -- Mitrice didn't have a car, cell phone, identification or money. The police in Malibu didn't contact her family to let them know about the release ... nor did they take her to a bus station or taxi stand. They just let this young lady out in the woods with the wolves. Her family has not heard from her since.

On Sunday, family members and friends will hold an all volunteer search. The volunteer search is from noon to 4 p.m. in six different locations around the Los Angeles area.



If our women and children are going to continue to be ignored ... we're going to need to get more active with our Lakeesha Alerts throughout the afrosphere. Do you agree?

Taser Ruling: Coroner's Jury Has No Idea How Patrick Burns Died

After hearing testimony that Patrick Burns, who died after being Tased 21 times by Sangamon County sheriff’s deputies, died of excited delirium, a coroner’s jury has ruled his cause of death as “undetermined.” [SOURCE]

Villagers may recall that 50-year old Patrick Burns was found by Sangamon County police officers sitting in front of his house wearing his underwear on January 23. They arrested him ... but, not before shooting him up over 20 times with 50,000 volts of electricity.

Sheriff Neil Williamson, who sat through the inquest, said he was surprised that, despite Bowman’s conclusion, the coroner’s jury returned an “undetermined” verdict.

“I was convinced it was cocaine-induced excited delirium,” Williamson said. “I support the deputies 100 percent. We still believe in the use of the Taser.”

Boone praised deputies, saying there could have been more deaths “but for the police officers.”

More deaths? The unarmed guy was sitting on the front lawn in his underwear ... who was he going to kill? The only one who died in this exchange was Burns.

State’s Attorney John Schmidt said his office is reviewing the case. He said he didn’t know whether any charges will be filed or when the review will be complete.

What do you think? Will he file any charges against the unidentified police officers involved in this taser-killing?

Open Letter to Republican Tea Party Members

We had eight years of Bush and Cheney, but now you get mad?

• You didn't get mad when the Supreme Court stopped a legal recount and appointed a President.


• You didn't get mad when Cheney allowed Energy company officials to dictate energy policy.


• You didn't get mad when a covert CIA operative got outed.


• You didn't get mad when the Patriot Act got passed.


• You didn't get mad when we illegally invaded a country that posed no threat to us.


• You didn't get mad when we spent $1 trillion on said illegal war.


• You didn't get mad when over $10 billion dollars (in hard cash) just “disappeared" in Iraq.


• You didn't get mad when you found out we were torturing people.


• You didn't get mad when the government was illegally wiretapping Americans.


• You didn't get mad when they didn't catch Bin Laden.


• You didn't get mad when you saw the horrible conditions at Walter Reed hospital.


• You didn't get mad when they let a major US city drown.


• You didn't get mad when they gave a $1.6 trillion in tax breaks to the rich.


• You didn’t get mad when, using reconciliation; a trillion dollars of our tax dollars were redirected to insurance companies for Medicare Advantage -- which cost more than 20% more for the same services that Medicare provides.


• You didn't get mad when the deficit hit the trillion dollar mark, and our debt hit the thirteen trillion dollar mark.

No, but you did get mad when the government decided that people in America deserved the right to see a doctor if they are sick. Yes, illegal wars, lies, corruption, torture, stealing your tax dollars to make the rich richer, are all okay with you, but helping other Americans... oh hell no!

Black GOP Congressional Candidate Refers to President Obama as 'Buckwheat'

I've always wondered what could possibly drive an African American man or woman to join the Republican Party. As I watch the extremists in the Republican Party fan the flames of racism it makes me wonder what goes through the minds of Black GOPers?

Rep. John Lewis is called the 'n-word' ... Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver is spat on ... President Obama is depicted with Hitler-like mustache and worse in Tea Party signage ... George Lambus and Alan Keyes have demonstrated that they are racially confused ...

... and now we have some self-hating fool, Corey Poitier, jumping on the racist bandwagon in a recent speech to a mostly-white audience:

"Listen up, Buckwheat — this is not how it is done!" Poitier blurted out, obviously in an attempt to win points with the mostly white audience.

Poitier knew what he was doing when he made the comparison of our nation's first African American president with the character in the 1920 'Little Rascal' ... just as others in the GOP know what they are doing as they seek to recreate the environment that existed in our country when Reconstruction was brought down over a century ago.

It is one thing when closet-supremacists like John Boehner, Glen Beck, Rush Limbaugh and others start ranting and rallying the racist fringe elements of the Republican Party ... but for a Blackman to be an agent for this racism is sad and dangerous.

"The press has run amok with this, and turned me into a racist," Poitier told reporters complaining of receiving no media attention prior to his irresponsible comments. He added, "I've never seen Buckwheat as a disparaging character. People love Buckwheat."

Villagers ... do you know anyone that loves Buckwheat?

In another interview, the confused candidate stared down at his own hands to further demonstrate he meant no racial slight.

"This isn't a spray tan," Poitier said of his skin tone. "This is real."

Poitier insists he meant no disrespect to Obama and has publicly apologized to both the president and residents of the congressional district for any misunderstanding.

I imagine that Jesse Lee Peterson is heading down to support Poitier's campaign as you're reading this. I 'spose that Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice are shakin' their head as they see what this Black GOP candidate is doing.

Do you know any Black Republicans? What do you think they are saying about the 'Buckwheat' comment?

Can We Stop GOP Hate? Yes We Can! Even if John Boehner Says 'Hell, No You Can't' [Video]

Last weekend, Tea Party Patriots gathered in the Capitol and showered racist and homophobic abuse on Democratic Congress Members supporting healthcare reform. As I watched the images on my television I was reminded of another time in our history ... Reconstruction. That was a time when Black leaders were taking on leadership roles in Congress. White folks got upset and begin to yell racist insults at the Black leaders. Today, we have a Black man making historic changes in the White House ... and racist insults and threats are being hurled at him and other Black congressional leaders.

One Tea Party protester called the former civil rights leader and current Atlanta Congressman John Lewis the "n-word". John Lewis was spat on and called the n-word when he marched on that bridge in Selma, AL over 50 years ago. Now as a respected member of Congress he has to endure it again.

Another spat on Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, also an African American.

The more things change ... the more they stay the same.

Republican leaders publicly denounced Sunday's ugly scene, but they failed to acknowledge that this is only the latest incident in a pattern of violent rhetoric, racially charged imagery, and paranoid conspiracy theories at Tea Party rallies. Many Tea Partiers aren't simply about dissent -- they use fear and hatred to assault the very legitimacy of our elected leaders. It's the worst America has to offer.

All things rise and fall with leadership. Watch the following video and tell me which leader you want to follow?



John Boehner and his GOP cronies know that this past weekend wasn't an isolated incident.

Villagers remember the rallies held to protest tax day last year, Tea Partiers carried signs that announced "Obama's Plan: White Slavery," "The American Taxpayers are the Jews for Obama's Oven," and "Guns Tomorrow!"

The Republican National Committee had endorsed the rallies, and RNC Chairman Michael Steele encouraged Tea Partiers to send a "virtual tea bag" to President Obama and Democratic Congressional leadership. After reports of the fear-mongering signs surfaced, Steele did nothing to distance his party from the lunatic fringe. He has even gone so far as to say that if he didn't have his current position, he'd be "out there with the tea partiers." Some Republican governors even planned a "Tea Party 2.0" for the following month in an effort to build on the rallies' momentum.

The Tea Party's venomous rhetoric picked up steam over the summer, when angry mobs flooded town hall meetings legislators had organized as sites for rational, civil debate on health care reform. After one meeting in Atlanta, a swastika was painted on the office of Congressman David Scott (D-GA), who had also received a flier addressed to "nigga David Scott." Some protesters showed up at town hall meetings carrying guns, including at least one man who was armed at an event where the President was speaking. Again, Republicans responded to these tactics with silence, doing nothing to denounce them.

Similarly, there was no public outcry from Republican leadership when Mark Williams, a leader of the Tea Party movement, was exposed for having described the President as "an Indonesian Muslim turned welfare thug and a racist in chief" on his blog.

Instead, we see members of the GOP continued to show up to and endorse Tea Party rallies. And as recently as Sunday -- the day that the historic health care bill passed the House -- Republican members of the House riled up the same Tea Party crowd that had earlier harassed their fellow members with hate and bigotry.

It is time to put a stop to the hate. I encourage all villagers to sign the petition recently created by ColorOfChange.org. Do it now!

Taser Death: Mark Morse (Phoenix, AZ)

It happened again. This time an unidentified Arizona Department of Public Safety officer used his taser on an unarmed man who was simply walking down the street. From all accounts, 36-year old Mark Morse was simply a pedestrian in his former home town when he was killed by taser-wielding police officer on February 4. [SOURCE]

The Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals ruling for police to stop using their taser guns without good cause doesn't seem to be resonating with law enforcement officials.

The police tried to justify this killing with a claim that Mr. Morse "became combative" and "took a fighting stance" against the cop while walking down Interstate 17, which prompted the officer to use his Taser for this extra-judicial electrocution.

It all sounds pretty funky to me. What say u?

Wordless Wednesday: Connecticut State Lawmakers Fiddle While Rome Burns