SHAQ LOSES ANOTHER BADGE OVER KOBE RAP: Va. sheriff seeks return of hardware given for his work with Internet Crimes task force.

*Hip Hop was under attack in cyberspace late last week by racists who hacked into the sites of AllHipHop.com and SOHH.com and swapped out the usual rap-related articles with fake headlines and racial slurs.
According to MTV.com, the hackers also swiped personal information about workers at SOHH.com.
Both Web sites were first infiltrated early last week through its forum pages, and both were forced to shut down temporarily on Friday. Taking credit for the crime is a party identifying itself as "Anonymous."
"AllHipHop and SOHH, two pioneering Web sites that have been in the industry for over 10 years, are appalled by the unprovoked racist attacks of these cyber terrorists," said AllHipHop co-founders Chuck Creekmur and Greg Watkings in a statement released late Friday. "With all the social strides that we have seen for several years, it is sad to see that this sort of blatant, hateful racism still exists in 2008 — a time of tremendous possibility. Together, AllHipHop and SOHH are committed to relentlessly pursuing these attackers, using every resource available, to ensure the capture of these criminals and prevention of repeat offenses."
SOHH CEO Felicia Palmer, the personal victim of derogatory comments by the hackers, said in a statement: "It appears that hackers are specifically targeting Black, Hispanic, Asian and Jewish youth who ascribe to hip-hop culture. Other websites, including AllHipHop and DatPiff[.com's] forums have also been compromised or threatened this week. ... Also, as this is an international issue, it is being addressed by the FBI and the Strategic Alliance Cyber Crime Working Group."

SHAQ LOSES ANOTHER BADGE OVER KOBE RAP: Va. sheriff seeks return of hardware given for his work with Internet Crimes task force.

*Shaquille O'Neal has lost his second police badge in two days due to his recent profanity-laced freestyle rap that dissed Kobe Bryant.
One day after a sheriff in Arizona requested the return of Shaq's special deputy's badge, a sheriff in Bedford County, Virginia followed suit, requesting that the Phoenix Suns star turn in the badge he was given for tracking Internet crimes against children.
Also, Shaq's image will no longer be used to promote Operation Blue Ridge Thunder, the unit that he worked with to investigate Internet predators.
The NBA star served as a reserve deputy for the Bedford County sheriff's department from 2004 through the end of 2007.

RADIO ONE FINANCES 'BLACK AMERICA' STUDY: Research touted as most comprehensive in U.S.

*One of the largest-ever studies of black America was completed recently and presented as "the most detailed snap shot of African American life in the United States today."
Sponsored by Radio One, Inc., the survey from Chapel Hill-based research firm Yankelovich identified eleven specific segments within black America today, ranging from Connected Black Teens, Digital Networkers and Black Onliners at the younger end, to Faith Fulfills, Broadcast Blacks and Boomer Blacks at the older end.
The study found that 70 percent of African Americans already have a plan for their future; 54 percent were optimistic about their future and 60 percent believe "things are getting better for me."
Blacks, according to the survey, are divided pretty evenly on how they liked to be described, with 42 percent (who are more likely to be affluent) preferring to be called "Black" and 44 percent preferring "African American."
The poll research just underscores that African Americans are not a monolithic group inclined to think alike or have the same opinions and beliefs. The analysis identifies differences in black America regarding everything from what it means to be black today, perceptions about African American history and expectations for the future of blacks, to consumer trends, media preferences and confidence in key institutions (such as the church, government, financial services companies and the media).
For instance, among the Connected Black Teens segment, 25 percent are saving to start a business. Yet, among Digital Networkers, the majority of whom are in their 20s, 45 percent are already saving for retirement.
"While people are less inclined these days to think that all Blacks are the same, they really do not understand the diversity within the African American community," said TV One head honcho, Cathy Hughes. "Blacks share many commonalities regardless of age, income and geography, but there are also differences -- that suggest a new understanding of the past and a more optimistic sense of the future. We're confident that black Americans -- and all Americans -- will find the results of the survey useful and in some cases surprising, given perceptions about Black life that are still pervasive in our country."
The study released the following data:
• The average household of those surveyed has three people in it, half of whom live in a single family home, one-third in apartments, one-third in the suburbs and half in cities.
• Among 29 to 74 year-olds, one-third are married. 61 percent of Black Americans are parents, five percent of 13 to 17 year-olds are parents, and half of all parents are single parents.
• From an educational and economic standpoint, 34 percent of those surveyed who are 18 or older have some college or a two-year degree, 21 percent have a BA or higher, 40 percent have an annual income under $25,000 (20 percent of whom are retired), and one-third more than $50,000.
• The digital divide has faded. 68 percent of those surveyed are online (compared to 71 percent of all Americans), and two-thirds of them shop online. Among black teens, over 90 percent are online. Blacks who live in the south are least likely to be online (63 percent).
• Black identity remains strong across all age and economic groups. While 56 percent of those surveyed have "all" or "almost" all black friends, only 30 percent said they prefer being around people of the same race.
• Black solidarity too is strong across all groups, with 88 percent saying they have enormous respect for the opinions of their elders (84 percent among teens). While 71 percent overall said they believe blacks need to stick together to achieve gains for their community, only 54 percent of teens concurred.
• Discrimination remains a very real part of black life in America. While 24 percent said they had been personally discriminated against in the past three months, 82 percent said they believe it is "important for parents to prepare their children for prejudice." 67 percent overall said they believe the history of slavery is a key way in which blacks are different from other groups, but one-third also say that too much emphasis is put on the oppression of Blacks.
• Media highlights include: 84 percent of households have cable, 81 percent of those surveyed watch black TV channels weekly, 87 percent listen to radio in a typical week (only 16 percent listen to Satellite radio), 64 percent watch news or news magazines and 50 percent watch court shows (compared to 41 percent for sports and 46 percent for entertainment)
• Blacks are not satisfied with how they are portrayed by the media. Only 29 percent agree that the mainstream media portrays blacks in a positive light -- compared to 50 percent who do not relate to the way blacks are portrayed on most black TV shows. Two-thirds believe there should be more television shows that focus on blacks. Forty percent think black TV is reinforcing a negative stereotype of blacks.
For more information about the Black America Today study, please visit http://www.blackamericastudy.com/.

Uh Oh! WILL & JADA OPEN PRIVATE SCHOOL: But with Scientology overtones!!

*Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, have founded a new private school called the New Village Academy that's scheduled to open in September.
However, because the school, located in Thousand Oaks, Calif., will use an instructional system developed by Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard, called "Study Techology," it's already become become controversial.
To set the record straight, the couple insists they are not Scientologists, and the academy's director says the facility has no religious affiliation. *side-eye*
"We are a secular school, and just like all nonreligious independent schools, faculty and staff do not promote their own religions at school or pass on the beliefs of their particular faith to children," New Village Academy director Jacqueline Olivier told the Los Angeles Times.
Oliver said some of the school's staffers are Scientologists, Muslim, Christian or Jewish.
In addition to reading and math, the school offers classes on yoga, robotics and etiquette.

Don't get me started in on this one. These folks is not foolin' me.

Muisc 360: MARVIN WINANS JR. MAKES SOLO CD DEBUT: Newest addition to the Winans dynasty releases 'Image of a Man.'

The solo debut CD of Marvin Winans Jr. titled, “Images of a Man,” will be in stores September 20, 2008. The album will be released on his M2 Entertainment label.
Winans Jr. got his start in the Gospel music industry as a member of Phase 2. Their first CD “We Got Next,” debuted at number one on Billboard’s Gospel Chart in 1999 and sold over 300,000 units.
Winans Jr. founded M2 Entertainment in 2000 and has produced for a number of artists, including his famous mom, Vickie Winans. “Image of a Man,” has 14 songs and features the production skills of Rodney Jerkins, Noel “Detail” Fisher (Akon), and David Garcia.
The first single is “You Never Let Me Down,” produced by Rodney Jerkins and has a Caribbean feel to it. Also on the album is “Believe” produced by Fred Jerkins (Alicia Keys) and Lashawn Daniels (Destiny’s Child).
Visit http://www.marvinjr.com/ for more information.

Oh No! Exclusive: No ice at the North Pole!

It seems unthinkable, but for the first time in human history, ice is on course to disappear entirely from the North Pole this year.
The disappearance of the Arctic sea ice, making it possible to reach the Pole sailing in a boat through open water, would be one of the most dramatic – and worrying – examples of the impact of global warming on the planet. Scientists say the ice at 90 degrees north may well have melted away by the summer.
"From the viewpoint of science, the North Pole is just another point on the globe, but symbolically it is hugely important. There is supposed to be ice at the North Pole, not open water," said Mark Serreze of the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre in Colorado.
If it happens, it raises the prospect of the Arctic nations being able to exploit the valuable oil and mineral deposits below these a bed which have until now been impossible to extract because of the thick sea ice above.
Seasoned polar scientists believe the chances of a totally ice-free North Pole this summer are greater than 50:50 because the normally thick ice formed over many years at the Pole has been blown away and replaced by huge swathes of thinner ice formed over a single year.
This one-year ice is highly vulnerable to melting during the summer months and satellite data coming in over recent weeks shows that the rate of melting is faster than last year, when there was an all-time record loss of summer sea ice at the Arctic.
"The issue is that, for the first time that I am aware of, the North Pole is covered with extensive first-year ice – ice that formed last autumn and winter. I'd say it's even-odds whether the North Pole melts out," said Dr Serreze.
Each summer the sea ice melts before reforming again during the long Arctic winter but the loss of sea ice last year was so extensive that much of the Arctic Ocean became open water, with the water-ice boundary coming just 700 miles away from the North Pole.

WAIT THERE'S MORE! CLICK HERE!

Countdown of the Ultimate Foolywang Term! Bye Bye Bush!!

Can't get this man out fast enough for me!!

Today's Foolywang? Al Gore?

Former Vice President Al “I created the internet” Gore was spotted chillin with some of his….fans…recently... Um...why? We're just sayin'....

BARACK OBAMA COVERS ROLLING STONE

Barack Obama is covering Rolling Stone magazine for the second time. The Democratic Presidential nominee reveals that he has ‘eclectic tastes’ in music as he takes the magazine through what he has on his iPod.
The politician says he is a fan of Bob Dylan, Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow and hip-hop star Jay-Z. Obama also says he is a fan of the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and jazz greats like Miles Davis and John Coltrane. He also said he has been thrilled to get support from musicians such as Bruce Springsteen and Dylan.
Rolling Stone doesn’t post the full article online, but they definitely have some snippets.

Barack! What amount that Marvin Sapp, Israel & New Breed and Gospel stuff like that? GOTB Brutha! We're just sayin'!

Music 360: DMX ARRESTED AGAIN

DMX has been arrested yet again – this time in Miami for driving without a valid driver’s license.
The Police got the 37-year-old on an arrest warrant at about 1:30 p.m. Monday and brought him to Turner Guilford Correctional Center where bail was set at $500.
This latest arrest is his third since early May, when he was taken into custody for driving 114 miles per hour on an Arizona freeway back in January. Three days later, he was charged with suspicion of drug possession and animal cruelty after his home in Arizona was raided by police.

POLITICAL ROUNDUP: OBAMA DROPS SEAL

Following days of scrutiny from the media and others, Sen. Barack Obama has stopped using a presidential-looking seal.
Obama spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “It was a one-time seal for a one-time use.”
The media slammed Obama for the seal, which includes an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch with the phrase “Vero Possumus” above it, a Latin phrase loosely translated as “Yes, we can”. Several journalists called it dumb, bizarre and arrogant.
The McCain campaign called the seal “laughable, ridiculous, preposterous and revealing–all at the same time.”
It looks like Obama may be using the real thing soon. The latest Newsweek poll shows him with a 15-point lead over Republican presidential nominee John McCain.

Fashion: First Lady Style! Michelle Obama makes $148 frock a fashion smash!

Print dress she wore on ‘The View’ sells out; designer is ‘very surprised’! Donna Ricco has been a successful fashion designer for a long time — but it took Michelle Obama to make her famous.

On Wednesday, the wife of Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama took a turn as co-host of TV talkfest “The View.” When the show’s audience saw her breezy, black-and-white, high-waisted print dress designed by Ricco, they had to have it. Virtually overnight, the dress all but sold out at the White House/Black Market boutiques that sell it for an affordable $148.

“I’m very happy. I’m very surprised. I had no idea she would be wearing this dress,” Ricco told TODAY’s Meredith Vieira Friday in New York. “But it’s sort of a natural happening for me, because I’ve been designing dresses a long time. We ship a lot of dresses to the stores, and I’m happy that Michelle chose this dress to wear on ‘The View.’ ”

You can dress like Ms. Obama too at: http://www.donnaricco.com

Music 360: Trey Songz’s New Look!

Well we must give props to Trey Songz for ditching the "tired cornrow braids look" and baggy hip-hopish clothing, and opting for a clean cut polished up image! So do we love the look? Now, if he would just clean up that life and start sangin' Gospel, then he might be alright!! We're just sayin'...

Cause and Effect: Shaq gets slapped by sheriff for rap about Bryant

In this Jan. 5, 2006 file photo, Shaquille O'Neal is "sworn in" as a special deputy captain with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office by Sheriff Joe Arpaiol in Phoenix, Ariz. O'Neal will lose his special deputy's badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant. Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center's use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice.

For every action , there is an equal and opposite reaction! When you go shooting off at the mouth there will be reprocutions!! "The tongue is the littlest member, but oh what a might fire it kindeleth", as Shaq found out....

PHOENIX (AP)—Shaquille O’Neal will lose his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant.
Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year.
“I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.”
Shaq was seen in a video posted on the celebrity news and gossip Web site TMZ.com rapping that “Kobe couldn’t do without me.” O’Neal skewers the Lakers’ star, with whom he won three straight NBA titles from 2000-2002 while with Los Angeles, for not being able to win a championship without him.
“I was freestyling. That’s all. It was all done in fun. Nothing serious whatsoever,” O’Neal told ESPN.com Monday. A call to the Suns on Tuesday seeking comment from O’Neal was referred to his public relations firm, which didn’t immediately respond.
Arpaio, who describes himself as “America’s Toughest Sheriff” and is best known for feeding jail inmates green bologna, clothing them in pink underwear, and making them work on chain gangs, said he didn’t expect his actions would teach Shaq a lesson. But he hoped he learns that as a role model who wants to someday be a full-time sheriff, he needs to know his words matter.
“Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t think that either conduct should be out there publicly, even if media wasn’t there,” Arpaio said.
O’Neal previously served as a reserve officer with the Miami Beach Police Department while playing for the Miami Heat. He also volunteered with the Tempe Police Department after being traded to the Suns in February.

POLITICAL ROUNDUP: OBAMA REINTRODUCES HIMSELF

Sen. Barack Obama is transitioning into general-election mode, buying air time in 18 states, launching a website to combat misinformation and creating a new ad mentioning the “country I love”.
According to Monday’s Washington Post:
Obama ‘has moved aggressively to shape his campaign and offered a clear road map for the kind of candidate he is likely to become in the months ahead: an ambitious gamer of the electoral map, a ruthless fundraiser and a scrupulous manager of his own biography in the face of persistent concerns about how he is perceived. Obama’s early maneuvers suggest a clear understanding within the campaign of his strengths and weaknesses.’”
Rasmussen Reports show him leading John McCain seven percentage points.

Don Imus once again brings race to airwaves!

NEW YORK (AP)—Don Imus has once again injected race into his radio show.
During an on-air conversation Monday about the arrests of suspended Dallas Cowboys cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones, Imus asked, “What color is he?”
Told by sports announcer Warner Wolf that Jones is “African-American,” Imus responded: “There you go. Now we know.”
Civil rights leader Al Sharpton issued a statement calling the exchange disturbing “because it plays into stereotypes.” He says his National Action Network was still deciding how to respond.
Imus was fired from his previous show last year after he made a racially charged comment about the Rutgers women’s basketball team.
Representatives for Imus and WABC Radio haven’t returned calls.

CLINTON OFFERS PRAISE FOR OBAMA’S ENERGY PLAN

At the U.S. Conference of Mayors on Sunday, former President Bill Clinton said he preferred the energy policy of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama over that of Republican rival Sen. John McCain.
“I favor Senator Obama’s position, which is to go to 80 percent reduction in greenhouse gasses over Senator McCain’s position, which is to go to 70 percent. But that’s light years ahead of where Republicans have been,” he said.
It was his first public appearance since his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, ended her presidential campaign and endorsed Obama. She and Obama are scheduled to campaign together later this week.
Her husband, however, has yet to endorse Obama. When asked by journalists when he might do so, Clinton smiled and shook hands with spectators without acknowledging the question.

Music 360: Amy Winehouse Diagnosed With Deadly Disease

Last week Amy Winehouse was hospitalized last week after fainting in her home. Then it was rumored she was diagnosed with having tuberculosis, but she tested negative for TB, proving those rumors false. Well I am sad to report that Amy has been diagnosed with emphysema! Amy’s father Mitch, and her publicist Chris Goodman have went to press to report on Amy’s condition. Mitch Winehouse told a London newspaper:

“The doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs it won’t just ruin her voice, it will kill her. With smoking the crack cocaine and the cigarettes her lungs are all gunked up. There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She’s got 70 percent lung capacity.”

Today's Foolywang:Teen ‘pregnancy pact’ has 17 girls expecting?!!

Many moms-to-be at Mass. high school are aged under-16

MSNBC News Services

updated 2:41 a.m. CT, Fri., June. 20, 2008

BOSTON - An investigation has been launched into an apparent teenage “pregnancy pact” that has at least 17 high-school girls expecting babies, four times more than last year, including many aged 16 or younger.

A high school health clinic in the city of Gloucester, Mass., became suspicious after seeing a surge in girls seeking pregnancy tests. Local officials said Thursday nearly half of those who became pregnant appear to have entered into a pact to have their babies together over the year.

“Some girls seemed more upset when they weren’t pregnant than when they were,” Gloucester High School principal Joseph Sullivan told Time magazine, which broke news of the pact on its Web site.

Some of the girls reacted to the news they were pregnant with high fives and plans for baby showers, Sullivan said. One of the fathers “is a 24-year-old homeless guy,” Sullivan told the magazine. Others were boys in the school.

 Full Article

Politics:Barack’s BounceThe latest NEWSWEEK Poll shows the Democrat with a 15-point lead over McCain.

Barack finally has his bounce. For weeks many political experts and pollsters have been wondering why the race between Democrat Barack Obama andRepublican John McCain had stayed so tight, even after the Illinois senator wrested the nomination from Hillary Clinton. With numbers consistently showing rock-bottom approval ratings for President Bush and a large majority of Americans unhappy with the country's direction, the opposing-party candidate should, in the normal course, have attracted more disaffected voters. Now it looks as if Obama is doing just that. A new NEWSWEEK Poll shows that he has a substantial double-digit lead, 51 percent to 36 percent, over McCain among 

READ THE REST HERE

STATE OF THE RACE: HARD TIMES @ DOUGLASS HIGH

Check out this clip for the new HBO documentary “Hard Times At Douglass High: A No Child Left Behind Report Card”, which is set to premiere on Monday, June 23rd. The documentary follows students and teachers at Baltimore’s Frederick Douglass High School, once full of successful alumni including Supreme Court justice Thurgood Marshall. The film raises awareness to the debate over the No Child Left Behind Act, focusing on the brutal inequalities of American minority education:

“Douglass principal Isabelle Grant oversees a staff of teachers that is two-thirds non-certified, while many are substitutes unqualified to teach their subject areas. Threatened with sanctions, or even closing, unless student scores improve in annual standardized tests, the faculty tries to find workable solutions to chronic problems of attendance, lateness and apathy among students, many of whom come from poor backgrounds and broken homes, and lack the most basic reading and math skills.

Check out clips of the film HERE and be sure to catch it on HBO when it premieres Monday…

Body Double? Which One is Kirk Franklin..Which One is Plies?

EVER NOTICED THAT RAPPER PLIES LOOKS JUST LIKE A THUGGED OUT VERSION OF GOSPEL SINGER KIRK FRANKLIN?? We're just sayin'....

Politics: McCain: I 'Didn't Love America' Until Held Prisoner (VIDEO)

Republicans have hammered Michelle Obama for her remarks in February that she was proud of America "for the first time in my adult life." Tonight, however, Dan Abrams showed footage he uncovered of a Fox News interview with John McCain on March 13, 2008, in which McCain said, "I didn't really love America until I was deprived of her company."

Abrams thinks McCain's comments could undermine the "right wing's steady attacks against Michelle Obama."

TO SLANG OR NOT TO SLANG!

Lately I have been listening to the way folks around me speak, and I really think people could use a “slang” make-over. Yeah, yeah……. We all know about "Little Foxes" slang and alla that stuff where you're sustituting curse words (which I think is bad for Believers) but I'm not really talking about those overt violations. I'm taking about day to day "lingo". We all know that some folks simply shouldn’t use slang. Just the other day for the 3rd time, I had to let several of my colleagues of another color, know that “da bomb!” is dead and could they PLEASE stop saying it. No I am not the racial-word regulator but come on! These are the same people who had to be told when to retire “get jiggy with it”. Clearly slang does come in Black or White, but there are some people that should just know the boundaries to it ALL. I don’t think that one is not “Black enough” because they don’t use a lot of so-called “Black slang” either. If your white and you grew up in the hood, your just the white kid that lives in the hood. Same thing with Blacks in the ‘burbs., but I will save my thoughts on that for another day. My colleagues say “da bomb” and “jiggy” and 1994 type stuff cause they think they are connecting with the “urban” (see: BLACK) students. I know all certain aspects of our culture are being emulated worldwide, but there are just somethings I don’t want to hear coming out of my boss’s mouth. Again some people should simply not be allowed to say some things. Bosses, Preachers, Dentists, Grandparents, etc, should NOT be saying things like:

1. “She’s a hater!” ALL HUMANS MUST RETIRE THIS WORD IMMEDIATELY

2. “That’s my bust-it baby” or "jump -off" - so,so,so,so,so stupid….NOBODY should be saying that actually.

3. “Baby daddy/mama” or any variation thereof - I hate hearing this and now white folk is using it! Just the other day I showed ya'll a post on this blog about Fox News calling Michelle Obama, Obama's Baby Mama!!!??

There are really just so many. What do you think? What do you hate to hear “certain” people say?

VOTE! REGISTER NOW! CHECK THIS VOTE VIDEO OUT!

Obama To Offer Hillary The VP Position If…

Political rumors are a trip. MSNBC reports that Obama is trying to offer Clinton the VP position only if She promises not to take the offer. She’s thinking about doing it only if Obama promises not to choose another female for the VP job.

Today's Foolywang: Another Offensive Obama T-Shirt

The website Zazzle via Toiletees have a whole page devouted to anti Obama Shirts. This one in particular is super offensive with Obama’s face on Tupac’s body with an Uzi pointed at him. Why don’t people understand that you can not joke like this. The other shirts which poke fun at him using cocaine fine fair game. But all presidents used drugs before. But this one is entirely too far. Other shirts which says there goes the neighborhood just use racial stereotypes to drive a wedge into race relations and doesn’t help the advancement of this nation. Please send your e-mails to this website and demand that they take down these shirts.

1-888-8ZAZZLE (1-888-892-9953) (US)
Or (408) 983-2800

I just got off the phone with the company who basically told me that there was nothing they can do about the issue. Regardless of how offensive it may be.

Black History Spotlight: CLARA LUPER: FIRST "SIT-IN" PROTEST!

Clara Luper started the civil rights battle in Oklahoma and in 1958 she led the first “sit-in” in the United States and succeeded in integrating public facilities in Oklahoma. In august when Obama accepts the nomination for president it would be the 50th anniversary of the nations first sit in. How fitting, Luper recently said “It was my daughter Marilyn’s idea,” as she sat in her eastside home with her son Calvin. Calvin Luper was 12 years old. His sister Marilyn was a year younger. Portwood Williams Jr. was 15. Donda West — mother of Kanye West — was barely 5. There were 11 other children as well.

It was the first and longest sit-in protest of the civil rights movement. Momentum grew quickly. Two days later, the children numbered 34. Days later, there were 66 youths involved. Within weeks, that eating establishment was successfully desegregated.

For the next three years, the group expanded to numerous others throughout the state’s capital city. Source
It all started when she took the kids to perform a play ironically called Brother President: The Story of Dr. Martin Luther King, in NY. On there way up the bus driver took the northern route showing the kids integrated cities and towns. On the way home they stopped at placed that practiced segregation. They started seeing signs for COLORED ONLY and the hunger pains of a long ride kicked in.

Calvin Luper said. “Then Marilyn suggested that she go into Katz Drug Store and order a Coca-Cola.

“We had no idea it was going to go national. All we were thinking about at the time was a hamburger and a Coca-Cola.”
It is these stories of young people who didn’t know any better, who were just fed up that changed a world. 5 dollar gas, 4 dollar milk, and pay checks that are too small to pay all of your bills. The time for change is now. I believe Obama is the candidate for this change. I am trying to raise 2008 dollars for his campaign if you can donate anything, a dollar, 5 dollars or ten dollars it will be greatly appreciated. thanks.

VOTE FOR OBAMA

The War Is Still Going On: And Our Young Adults Are Still Dying & Getting Injured

When JFK said “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” I can’t believe he intended for the young African-American man pictured above to have to go through all of what he went through.
Sgt. Merlin German was hit with a road side bomb in Iraq which burned over 97% of his body when he was only 19, and required him to undergo over 100 surgeries and procedures. He would have to learn to live with the stranger staring back at him in the mirror. I could only imagine the strength it must take to be able to smile, laugh and joke after going through all of that in 3 years.
It’s a pain that never stops, a pain that is both physical and emotional. And as fact after fact, come out that this war was wrong, and nothing more than Bush’s way of stealing a country oil, I’m sure the pain could be unbearable. Sadly, when it seemed he would defy impossible odds, Sgt. Merlin German lost his last battle this spring — an unexpected final chapter in a story many imagined would have a happy ending.
MSNBC has a wonderful article on him, the miracle marine. This man could be your brother, your son, or your boyfriend. I take this picture as a reminder that he won’t get to read one of my cinderella blogs, He won’t get to hear the new Lil Wayne album or experience what it’s like to ride that new roller coaster the closest six flags unveiled this summer.
So the least we can do is pay attention, pay attention as this administration is trying to do the exact same thing again to Iran that it did to Iraq. This our current president has lied to us time after time again. That numerous whites have spewed racial slurs and ideologies and most blacks have turned a blind eye to it. The least we can do is pay attention to more that what happens in our own community, when our kids are dying in this war too.

POLITICS: OBAMA GIVES SPEECH ON FATHERHOOD

Democratic Presidential hopeful Barack Obama celebrated Father’s Day by speaking at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago, Illinois on Sunday. Barack shared his own story, both as the child of an absent father and as father of two daughters, and recognized the role and responsibility of fathers. (Keep reading to view full video and link to transcript).
Pictured: His wife, Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia listening at the event.

TOP PRODUCER OF BLACK GRADUATES!

Florida A&M University was ranked the top producer of black bachelor degree holders in a recent report by Diverse Issues in Higher Education magazine.
The report ranked the university by the number of graduates during the school year. As the largest historically black university, FAMU had 1,256 graduates in the 2006-2007 year.
FAMU President James Ammons said the recognition “validates the valued role FAMU plays in American and global higher education. This announcement … speaks volumes concerning FAMU’s unique contributions to the nation and the international community at large.”

The Assassination of Barack Obama: Freedom of expression or racism?

The Assassination of Barack Obama: Freedom of expression or racism? A controversial art exhibit was raided and shut down before it could be viewed in NYC yesterday.According to the NY Times blog: Cityroom, Boston-born performance artist, Yazmany Arboleda, tried to set up a provocative art exhibition in a vacant storefront on West 40th Street in Midtown Manhattan with the title, 'The Assassination of Hillary Clinton/The Assassination of Barack Obama'.The artist thought his racist views were protected under the Constitution because he was expressing himself through his art. Wrong.Not 30 minutes after Arboleda set up the gallery across the street from the New York Times building, police, feds and secret service swooped in to shut the art exhibit down. While police covered the offensive storefront window with brown paper, Arboleda was led away in handcuffs to be 'interrogated'.Arboleda, 27, learned the hard way that freedom has its limits. Later, in an interview, he said: 'It's art. It's not supposed to be harmful. It's about character assassination — about how Obama and Hillary have been portrayed by the media.' He added, 'It's about the media.'

SNOOP DOGG’S WIFE ARRESTED FOR DUI

According to reports, the wife of rapper Snoop Dogg has been arrested for driving under the influence. Shante Broadus was stopped by police in Fullerton, California, at about 12.15am. She was released with a citation as there is no bail needed for DUI arrests in Fullerton.

Snoop - real name Calvin Broadus - and Shante are high school sweethearts and just wrapped up the first season of their reality show ‘Snoop Dogg’s Fatherhood’ earlier this year.

JUSTICE: R. KELLY ACQUITTED ON ALL COUNTS

R&B superstar R. Kelly was pictured smiling as he left the Cook County Criminal Court Building on Friday. The singer was acquitted on all counts at his child pornography trial earlier today.

The verdict came six years after he was first charged with videotaping himself having sex with a 13 year old girl. Both Kelly and the now 23-year-old alleged victim had denied they were the ones appearing on the tape, which was played for the jury at the beginning and end of the trial. Kelly was facing a maximum 15 years in prison.

Health: OBESE BLACK MOTHERS PUT NEWBORNS AT RISK: But study finds obesity has no affect on babies from white mothers.

*A study led by the University of South Florida sheds new light on obesity’s role in the black-white gap in infant mortality, reports sciencedaily.com.
While maternal obesity appears to have no impact on the early survival of infants born to white women, the situation is different for black women, researchers report in the June 2008 issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Infants of obese black mothers had a higher risk of death in the first 27 days following birth than newborns of obese white mothers, the researchers found. Furthermore, this black disadvantage in neonatal infant mortality widened with an increase in the body mass index (BMI).
The black-white disparity in infant mortality persisted even when the researchers adjusted for certain obesity-associated medical complications more prevalent in black women — high blood pressure, diabetes and preeclampsia.
“This further confirms our findings that high BMI is an independent risk factor for neonatal mortality among blacks but not whites,” said the study’s lead author Hamisu Salihu, MD, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology at the USF College of Public Health.
The researchers also controlled for the amount of prenatal care received since another possible explanation for the black-white disparity may be that obese white women have better access to prenatal care than black women. Their results suggested otherwise, but Dr. Salihu cautions that more study is needed.
“We cannot dismiss access to care as a factor because the quantity of prenatal care does not take into account the quality of care received,” he said.
Dr. Salihu suggests that differences in the way fat is distributed in white and black women may play a role in their newborns’ survival. Studies have shown that fat tucked deep inside the waistline may be worse for adults’ health than fat padding the rest of the body.
“If we can understand more about the potential association between fat distribution in mothers and likelihood of death in their babies, we might have an avenue for prevention and narrowing the persistent black-white gap in infant mortality,” he said.
The latest study builds on another published last year by Dr. Salihu and colleagues, which reported that the risk for obesity-associated stillbirth was 50 percent greater among blacks than whites.
The researchers analyzed more than 1.4 million births recorded from Missouri’s vital records database, covering the period 1978 through 1997.

Obama supporters say Idaho radio host made racist comments

RUPERT, Idaho — An alleged racial slur against Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama has sparked criticism against a southern Idaho radio station, with some in the community calling for the show to be canceled.
Obama supporters allege a conservative talk show host on Rupert, Idaho-based KBAR AM this week referred to the Illinois senator as the "black Negroid Barack Hussein Obama."

Others also say a guest on Zeb Bell's show called Obama's mother "trailer trash" who has a fixation on black men.
Obama's mother is white. His father is from Kenya.
Bell, who has hosted his show on KBAR since 2000, denied making any racist comments but acknowledged a friend and guest, Frosty Wooldridge, did make inappropriate remarks on the air Monday.

FOX NEWS Apologizes For Calling Michelle Obama - OBAMA'S BABY MAMA

Well, the post I put up Wednesday night about the Fox News chyron that referred to Michelle Obama as "Obama's baby mama" has gotten a lot of attention from bloggers and the media. (More attention than I expected, frankly, not that I'm complaining.) Now, Fox News has responded to the outrage it has heard about the description.
The network released a short statement from its senior vice president of programming, Bill Shine. It reads, "A producer on the program exercised poor judgment in using this chyron during the segment."
Both the Politico's Michael Calderone and Mediabistro's TVNewser blog report that Fox staffers were disturbed by what happened. "A Fox staffer said that others internally were bothered" by the description, Calderone says, while TVNewser says, "TVNewser hears higher ups were furious, while tipsters say the producer was attempting to be 'cute' by referencing the movie of the same title."
A Fox spokeswoman did not respond to our requests for comment.

THE R KELLY TRIAL IS OVER ... NOW THE JURY DELIBERATES

CHICAGO (AP) — Prosecutors wrapped up their child pornography case Thursday against R. Kelly the same way they began it a month ago: by playing for jurors the entire graphic sex tape at the center of the trial.

Defense attorneys stood on their argument that the man having sex with an underage girl in the video is not the R&B singer — and that the girl isn't who prosecutors say she is, either.

Jurors began deliberating Thursday afternoon and continued until about 6 p.m. The nine-man, three-woman panel was told to return first thing Friday morning and was immediately sequestered, with the explicit scenes in question fresh in their minds.

Earlier in the day, the 27-minute film played on a monitor just outside the jury's box — the lights switched off and the blinds pulled across courtroom windows — as Assistant State's Attorney Robert Heilengoetter read through sections of the 14-count indictment that accuses Kelly of videotaping himself having sex with an underage girl.

Kelly has pleaded not guilty and both he and the alleged victim, now 23, deny being on the tape. Neither testified at trial. But as the video played Thursday, Heilengoetter told jurors the man on the tape is Kelly and that he controlled the encounter.

"There, listen to his directions," Heilengoetter said. He is "directing her to dance, where to stand, when to stop urinating," he said.

At one point in the video, entered into evidence as "People's Exhibit No. 1," the female dances and urinates on the floor — the man out of view. Back in view, he has sex with her. In one scene near the end of the video, alluded to in one count of the indictment, the man urinates on the female.

Defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. adamantly denied the 41-year-old superstar was featured in the film. And he called the woman seen on the tape a "professional prostitute" — not the alleged victim who prosecutors said was as young as 13 when the encounter occurred.

Adam insisted that if jurors were to believe prosecutors' arguments and convict Kelly, they'd also condemn the girl they allege to be on the video.

"In order to (find Kelly guilty), and I apologize for saying this, but you are going to have to call her 14 times, individually and collectively, a whore," Adam told the jurors.

Kelly sat across the room from jurors at the defense table in a gray pinstripe suit, his hands folded in front of him and his brown shoes tucked under his chair. As the sex tape played, he appeared tense, keeping his eyes on the monitor, his mouth drawn tight and his brow furrowed.

"The one person who is responsible is sitting right here," Assistant State's Attorney Shauna Boliker said, pointing at Kelly and describing the tape as "vile and disgusting."

"What you know now is that this is not a whodunit, but a he-did-it," she said.

Jurors, who got the case and deliberated for about three hours Thursday afternoon, had seen the entirety of the tape just after opening arguments more than a month ago and viewed excerpts during the weeks of testimony. They watched again Thursday without the visible signs of apparent shock from the first time.

Not long into deliberations, jurors sent a note to the judge asking for a transcript of the entire trial, or at least the testimony from Lisa Van Allen. The 27-year-old had testified that she engaged in several three-way sexual encounters with Kelly and the alleged victim. A defense witness had testified that he believed Van Allen and her fiance wanted to extort money from Kelly.

Judge Vincent Gaughan sent a note back to the jury saying the transcripts weren't yet available and to "please continue to deliberate," which they did until they adjourned.

While jurors took meticulous notes during testimony, most rarely paused to take notes Thursday. But they appeared rapt as they listened to Adam's animated and impassioned closing. His face frequently turning red and his voice occasionally approaching a yell, Adam pounded his index finger and fist on the jury box railing and referred to a defense argument that a mole on Kelly's back proved he simply can't be the man in the video.

After displaying a freeze frame of the man's back in video — with no apparent mole — Adam walked over to the defense table and placed his hand on Kelly's shoulder.

"The truth be told, there is no mole ... that means one thing," Adam said.

Then pausing and lowering his voice: "It ain't him. And if it ain't him, you can't convict."

Over seven days presenting their case, prosecutors called 22 witnesses, including several childhood friends of the alleged victim and four of her relatives who identified her as the female on the video. Some said she had referred to Kelly as her "godfather."

In just two days, the Grammy winner's lawyers called 12 witnesses. They included three relatives of the alleged victim who testified they did not recognize her as the female on the tape.

Adam also told jurors that even the alleged victim's family members who testified for prosecutors could not have been sure it was really her.

"Any solid man in that family, any solid woman in that family would have gone over there and broken his legs, would have gone over there and beat the crap out of him" if they believed she and Kelly were on the tape, Adam said.

The family also would have gotten an order of protection against Kelly, but none of that happened, he said.

But one prosecutor, Heilengoetter, had argued the alleged victim's relatives were angry, citing testimony during which an aunt who was a one-time artistic collaborator with Kelly described how she introduced the singer to the alleged victim when the girl was around 12 or 13 years old.

"You can imagine the betrayal that she felt toward the defendant," Heilengoetter said. "This person that she introduced to her 12-year-old niece ... You could feel her outrage, couldn't you?"

The other prosecutor, Boliker, later took the defense to task for suggesting conspiracies and extortion plots somehow account for the sex tape.

"All this innuendo and speculation is just that," she said.

Today's Foolywang: IGNORANCE GONE WILD!

With evil running rampant, why do we continue to do this to our children? It's not funny, it's a crying shame!

OH NO THEY DIDN'T!!! COMPANY MAKES HIGH HEELED SHOES FOR TODDLERS!!!

No words....

OBAMA GETS WITH CHRISTIAN LEADERS: Views and differences aired in private meeting.

Barack Obama discussed Darfur, the Iraq war, gay rights, abortion and other issues Tuesday with Christian leaders, including conservatives who have been criticized for praising the Democratic presidential candidate.

Bishop T.D. Jakes, who heads a Dallas megachurch, said Obama took questions, listened to participants and discussed his "personal journey of faith."


The discussion "went absolutely everywhere," Jakes told The Associated Press, and "just about every Christian stripe was represented in that room."


Jakes, who does not endorse candidates and said he also hopes to meet with Republican presidential candidate John McCain, said some participants clearly have political differences with Obama.


The senator's support for abortion rights and gay rights, among other issues, draws opposition from religious conservatives. Some conservatives have criticized Jakes for praising Obama.


For MORE, go HERE.

Gospel Music Spotlight: THE EVOLUTION OF MONIQUE WALKER: Voice behind Love Fellowship Crusade Choir releases first solo project

With a new sound, Monique Walker is ready to share it with the world with her debut project, “My Genesis.”
The CD is set for release in July, 2008 on Anointed Sounds Recordings.
She shares how trusting and believing in God will heal the broken places and give you a “Crazy Praise.”
Walker has a distinct voice and has been featured on various projects spanning more than two decades and is considered to be amongst the most commanding in the Gospel music industry.
She is best known as one of the leading voices of the Grammy Award winning Love Fellowship Crusade Choir where she ministered such powerful and unforgettable songs as “Let the Glory,” “Try Christ” and the all time favorite “Second Chance,” a tearful testimony to the goodness and unmerited favor of God.
“This project is so important to me because it was used as a tool for the Holy Spirit to remind me of who I am in Christ Jesus. There were times in my life when I felt like everything I thought I knew was being tested…and it was…but one thing I have learned is it’s not until you put your whole trust in God to bring you through those tests that you truly find out who you are and what you are made of,” Monique said.
The first single, “Crazy Praise,” is in heavy rotation on radio stations across the country as well as abroad and is receiving accolades across the board.
“My Genesis,” was produced by Grammy and Stellar Award winning producers Steven Ford, Kevin Bond, Fred Jerkins and Grammy and Stellar Award nominee Cedric Thompson.
For more, visit http://www.moniquewalker.net/.

Sound Bytes: King in VH1's 'Rehab'

Millions will be able to watch Rodney King try to kick his substance abuse habit on VH1's second season of "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew." The show follows real-life experiences of celebrity patients undergoing detox and treatment at an L.A. rehab under the supervision of Dr. Drew Pinsky. Joining King will be returnee Jeff Conaway, Sean Stewart (Sons of Hollywood), Amber Smith (model/actress), Nikki McKibbon (American Idol), Steven Adler (Guns N' Roses), Tawny Kitaen (Actress) and Gary Busey, who is 13 years sober from his cocaine addiction. Eight new one-hour episodes are slated to begin in October. Can we just get along??

Music 360: ASHANTI'S BLOODY ALBUM PROMOTION BACKFIRES: Site allowing fans to personalize a fake murder spree removed amid protests.

*Ashanti's record label Universal Music Group has taken down a controversial Web site amid protests and outrage over its use of a fake killing spree to promote her new album, "The Declaration."
As EUR previously reported, visitors to the website TheWayThatILoveYou.com were able to personalize a news report about the murders and send a "Gotchagram" e-card/video to folks with the target's name listed as the killer's latest victim.
Parents and religious groups protested outside of her record company Tuesday and threatened to disrupt her scheduled performance of the National Anthem at Game 5 of the NBA finals at LA's Staples Center. As a result, Universal shut down the gotcha-grams and removed the Web site altogether.
The drama started several months ago with the video for her single "The Way That I Love You," which depicts Ashanti as a spurned lover appearing to exact revenge on her cheating boyfriend by stabbing him to death. The clip's images of blood-spattered walls were included in the Gotchagram e-card promotion on TheWayThatILoveYou.com.
Visitors to the former site were greeted by a fake news headline from the UCN, the Universal Crime Network, which reported that, "police are investigating a recent wave of violence in New Jersey. The police commissioner has hinted that there may be a tie between the recent attacks and the music video for Universal/Motown recording artist Ashanti's single 'The Way That I Love You.'
A fake news story on the site ended with the warning that police fear the prime suspect in the alleged string of killings, Victoria Jackson, "may be planning to open a big can of whoop-a**. Authorities have already expressed apprehension at the pending release of Ashanti's album, The Declaration, on June 3rd, fearful that the power of the album will lead to more violence. Only time will tell."
Fans accessing the site were immediately greeted by a large, blood-soaked knife, carving out a box at the top of the page. A menu popped up that let users send the Gotchagram to a friend or enemy. After putting in your name, the name of your friend and their "crime," a menu titled "Your Victim's Crime" dropped down with such options as "sleeping around," "suspected sleeping around," "playing you like a fool" and "breaking your heart."
The next drop-down menu, for "Weapon of Choice," featured options such as "boot," "knife," "can," "sledgehammer," "rolling pin" and "guillotine." Once the information was typed in, a customized UCN news report was generated featuring the victim's name splattered in blood on a wall, the weapon of choice, the sender's name in a fake newspaper headline and a reference to their home state. The clip ends with a plug for the album and a cartoonish voice stating: "Ashanti and Universal Music Group do not encourage or condone violence of any kind. This is for parody purposes only."
Najee Ali of Project Islamic Hope joined more than two dozen concerned parents and religious leaders outside of LA's Universal/Motown offices Tuesday in calling for the Web site to be taken down. Former radio veteran and BET staffer Paul Porter of the nonpartisan media justice think tank Industry Ears, said the video came to his attention on Monday, and he immediately called Ali.
"I questioned not only the content of the video, but also why Universal/Motown would support this effort," Porter said. "The real shock is that Ashanti is squeaky-clean ... and the song has nothing to do with murdering someone, so the video is definitely constructed for shock value, and we feel there's enough violence in our inner cities without you picking your weapon of choice."
A statement released Tuesday through Ashanti's personal publicist, Michelle Huff, stressed that "the Web site that Mr. Porter is referring to is not controlled by Ashanti nor is it her creative work. We respect what Mr. Porter is working to accomplish with his organization. But it is important to point out that Ashanti's history of creative expression does not glorify violence at all."
Unsatisfied with the response, Porter released a statement Wednesday announcing plans to disrupt Ashanti's performance of the National Anthem before the Los Angeles Lakers meet the Boston Celtics for Game 5. That's when Universal Motown president Sylvia Rhone responded to Porter with a one-sentence e-mail that read: "The sight is down, I took it down this morning."
The official statement from Universal was sent out a short time afterward: It said: "Following discussions with Ashanti, we have jointly decided to remove the TheWayThatILoveYou.com website that hosts the Gotchagram. Ashanti and her music have always been about self-empowerment and addressing the issues that are most meaningful to her. We stand by our artist and her creative choices."

Oh No They Didn't! IN NEW POLL OBAMA LEADS MCCAIN: Plus, Fox News calls Michelle 'Obama's Baby Mama'

*In a poll released Wednesday by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, Barack Obama begins his presidential race against John McCain as the front-runner.

However, the poll says that given the GOP's unpopularity amongst the voting public, Obama's lead is not that large.

"Sen. Obama leads Sen. McCain by 47% to 41%, a spread that is twice the edge he had in the previous poll, in late April. Still, that lead is significantly smaller than the Democratic Party's 16-point advantage, 51% to 35%, when voters are asked, without candidates' names, which party they want to win the White House," the Journal reports of the poll's findings.

The Journal's report went on to say ...
"The record unpopularity of President Bush and the Republican Party, combined with economic worries among voters and a broad desire for change, would normally make this "the single best year for an Obama-type candidacy, and the single worst year for a McCain-type candidacy," says Democratic pollster Peter Hart, who conducts the Journal/NBC poll with Republican Neil Newhouse.

"But Sen. Obama continues to do poorly among white male voters, according to the poll. More ominous is his weakness among white suburban women, who generally are open to Democratic candidates and whose votes could be decisive. While Sen. Obama has a slight lead among white women generally, a plurality of suburbanites prefer Sen. McCain.

"Some good news for the likely Democratic nominee: Despite suggestions during the nomination contest that many Hispanics and Hillary Clinton supporters wouldn't support him, the poll shows both groups overwhelmingly do."

*In other Obama news, the Fox News Channel has done it again. Salon.com is reporting that despite the fact that Michelle Obama is the Democratic presidential nominee's legal wife, and not some jump off with his kids, the channel is calling Michelle Obama, "Obama's Baby Mama." See the titling at the bottom of the screen shot below:




The verbiage was used yesterday at the bottom of the screen in which Republican mouthpiece Michelle Malkin was interviewed in a segement about conservative attacks against Michelle Obama:

OPRAH’S BIG SLIDE

Oprah Winfrey backed presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama some time ago, but some are suggesting that the decision to do so cost her.

According to Nielsen Media Research, the average audience for The Oprah Winfrey Show has fallen nearly seven percent this year.

Additionally, Oprah’s Big Give, a philanthropic reality show created and produced by Oprah on ABC, started out as one of the top television programs when it premiered earlier this year, but lost nearly one-third of its audience forcing ABC not to renew it for a second season.


TIME Magazine, however, suggests a different reason why Oprah’s been sliding. After all, Oprah’s television show has been declining for three years, long before she publicly endorsed Obama.

According to the article:

Oprah is perhaps the closest thing America has to a secular religious figure: “The secret to Oprah the goddess was how deftly she balanced her New Testament and Old Testament sides. The friendly New Testament Oprah was benevolent and beneficient, bestowing gifts to the multitudes; in her case Pontiacs, designer shoes and other Oprah’s Favorite Things rather than loaves and fishes. She loved you unconditionally and boosted your self-esteem. She helped you help yourself. But there was a little Old Testament Oprah too: she passed judgment, advocated causes, told you you needed to get right.”

Despite Oprah’s decline, Mosnar Communications, a luxury public relations and global marketing firm, recently announced that the Oprah Winfrey brand is the most sought after and trusted media influence.

The article states, “The key to bringing her ratings back up may be returning to her show’s theme that people need improvement, but that they, not Oprah, are the final key to their own self-perfection. People love it when you give them Pontiacs. But they still want to do the driving themselves.”