WNBA Having Financial Problems

by Dr Boyce Watkins

My beautiful daughter Carmen just helped her school win its first state championship. She is the shortest person on team, the quickest and the scrappiest - both a lady and a monster when she has to be. As I sat in the stands cheering like a lunatic, I noticed that there weren't enough parents cheering along with me. The stadium was half empty, and most of the people cheering in the stands were women and children. I wondered how these young women felt, knowing that while their stands were only partially full, the boy's game (which they lost) had been sold out.

I couldn't quite figure out why we don't support women's sport the way we should: The fundamentals of the WNBA are better than the men, and the women are incredibly talented and competitive. But after some long reflection on the disparity of support, I gave myself the answer to my own question.

When planning our trip to New York City. I said to Carmen, "How would you like to see a Knicks game?" Her eyes brightened like Times Square and she shook her head up and down so hard I thought she was going to break her neck in the process. I then realized my mistake: While it was quite natural for me to think about inviting my daughter to a Knicks game, I didn't think for one second to invite her to see the New York Liberty, the women's team in the city.

Click to read.

Black Health Articles from TheGrio

Dr Icilma Fergus

 

• Michael Jackson and the truth about cardiac arrest

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  2:10 PM on 06/26/2009

  Michael Jackson is dead at 50 from cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest simply means that the heart has stopped pumping, which results in cessation of blood flow and oxygen to the organs and tissues. The body cannot be sustained without this,...

  > MORE

• New anti-smoking bill will save African American lives

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  8:39 AM on 06/26/2009

  The new anti-smoking bill marks a monumental achievement in the fight against tobacco companies in the United States. It is geared towards protecting family and children and empowers the FDA to regulate the tobacco companies more stringently. The bill aims...

  > MORE

• 

  Universal health care a need not a want

  By Dr Icilma Fergus

  7:47 AM on 06/16/2009

  2009 marks a very extraordinary and exciting time in the United States of America. For the time in history we are under the leadership of an African American president. His background is not one of a privileged and wealthy individual...

  > MORE

Lady Drama Loves Michael Jackson

In this episode of Your Black Gossip with Lady Drama, Lady Drama talks about the legacy of the great Michael Jackson.  She also talks about the latest with Usher and Tameka, as well as the craziness of Kim Kardashian doing an R&B CD.  

Click here to watch the episode!

www.yourblackgossip.com

Your Black News: President Obama Says Nothing about Jackson’s Death

Al Sharpton said it best: "Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color. Way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama, Michael did with music what they later did in sports, in politics and in television."

If there is such a thing as 'post-racial', Jackson was probably the first and most visible international post-racial figure that this country has ever produced. He made history uniting not only Americans, but the world through his music, much in the same way Obama has done with his campaign.

It's surprising therefore, that a day after the news of Michael Jackson's death and with the nation deep in mourning, President Obama has not personally acknowledged a man who helped paved the way for his election.

Although the president released a brief statement through his press secretary Robert Gibbs on Friday afternoon, much was left unsaid. He was characteristically cautious, aiming to strike a political balance when he called Michael Jackson a "spectacular performer" whose life was "sad and tragic."

 

Click to read.

Your Black Woman: Nicole Spence Talks Continuous Love

by Nicole Spence

I chuckle as I write this, because I've wondered the same thing about me “Is my sex drive too damn high?" Any who this story isn't directly about me today.

Last week I got together for food and Patron shots with a very good girlfriend of mine, I just love her she's highly successful very pretty. We got to talking about men and relationships pretty recklessly due to the patron shots and a little pinch of fed up ness! This is when she tells me “Nicole I need it everyday, at least 3times a day!" Shut up!! You too I scream!! I thought something was wrong with me??!! Lmao. She explained that most men tell her that, they have never had this much sex in their life! Accuse her of being a Nympho! I was loving every minute of this hot steamy conversation of her sex demands i.e. You better give it to me in the morning too, what you think this is buddy??!!

Selfish me was happy to know that I have a fellow sista in the struggle, and cheered her on exclaiming that There Ain't Nothing Wrong with that shooooot, he needs to get with the program!
4 shots and a few fresh texts later as we "nymphs" tried to arrange our late night trysts, we asked each other again, is something wrong with the frequency and intensity in which we want to be satisfied ??
My answer is Hell No! Why shouldn't women be comfortable with expressing their sexuality, their desires, and fantasies! Men please don't' feel threatened by your woman's sex drive being higher than yours; there is nothing wrong or abnormal about her! Yup we want it in the morning, the afternoon, and if we could bounce out of work during lunch to get a quickie at spot random location we would! Its a beautiful thing when you and your mate speak the same sex language, because there is nothing weaker in my opinion than a man that tells you "No baby not tonight"!

www.nicolespence.me

Dr Boyce Watkins: Why Wendy Will Dominate on TV

by Dr Boyce Watkins

 

The first time I appeared on "The Wendy Williams Experience," I was admittedly a wee bit concerned. I didn't know as much as I should have about Wendy, but I did know that she was ferocious. I was being invited on her show to talk about Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, 50 Cent and Ice Cube. There was a beef between hip hop and the Oprah crowd, and Wendy seemed to feel that I could be a good referee.

I didn't mind standing in the middle of this conversation, because I have respect for both sides of the fence. Hip hop is one of the most powerful creative art forms in the history of the world, but it also possesses tremendous problems, primarily due to the impact of selective commercialization within the context of socially irresponsible corporate models. Oprah, on the other hand, is one of the most amazing and prolific public figures I've ever seen. But she is also not without her issues as it pertains to dealing with black men. I respect all sides, but I am not afraid to critique all sides when necessary.

In my first appearance on Wendy's show, I met her incredibly efficient producer,Nicole Spence. I was sad to see Wendy and Nicole fall out, because I honestly feel that they needed each other. But I digress. Before the show, Nicole told me, point blank: "The interview is going to last for at least 20 minutes. It will only be longer if Wendy likes you."

Okey-dokey then. Either we would hit it off nicely or she would put the hook around my neck like the Apollo Theatre. Wendy is not polite enough to care if she hurts your feelings, so I knew she would only keep talking to me if I could give her good commentary. In front of 11 million listeners, we were going to be feeling each other out. The pressure was on, but I respond well to pressure and confront all challenges head on. In fact, I almost always win.

Click to read.

Most Black Women Would Not Have Dated Barack Obama

America has fallen for the Obamas. The history, the high glamour, the PDAs on the White House lawn. It’s a universal picture of love. But for many successful black women, with college degrees, ambitious careers and five-year plans, that enchantment has become something of an obsession.

Those of us hoping to find suitable mates in a dating landscape that is, statistically speaking, pretty grave, are absolutely giddy about the very existence of the first family and especially about the possibility that we could find our own Barack.

We’d give up three hair appointments in a row, our designer puppies and that annual tropical vacation with our best grad-school friends to meet a man like him. Brilliant. Confident. Best smile ever. So into his wife. On the cover of April’s issue of Washingtonian magazine, he appears shirtless to illustrate the publication’s No. 2 reason to love D.C. (“Our new neighbor is hot!”) But if we’d first encountered him the way Michelle did, as a regular guy, under the glow of office lights instead of the spotlight, would he have made our lists at all?

In footage that plays when the networks mention how our cool, young, black president shot hoops with his staff and friends on Election Day, Obama is close to gawky in a simple gray T-shirt tucked in just a bit too tightly. Between plays, you notice tapered pants pulled up a little too high. A slightly skinny build. In those few frames, he’s not the hottest guy on the court, let alone in the country. When he appeared as a presidential candidate on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, my initial swoon as he stepped on stage was short-lived. He playfully hip-bumped the host in an overly bouncy dance routine that embarrassed me into looking away. Suddenly, I was watching my boss get down at the company Christmas party or a friend’s dad grooving to Earth, Wind and Fire at her wedding. Not bad. Endearing, even. But “swagga” did not spring to mind. Sure, Obama is a dad and a boss to many . . . but I get the impression he’s been dancing like that his whole life.

Click to read.

Your Black News Update: Michael Jackson Rushed to Hospital with a Heart Attack

TMZ is reporting that Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital with a heart attack.  We wish the king of pop a quick recovery.

Your Black News: Rihanna’s Reaction to Chris’ Deal

“Rihanna was told about the plea deal at 12noon and had no objection. Rihanna believes that this is a fair and just resolution of this case. She would like to thank from the bottom of her heart the district attorney’s office and LAPD that showed her only courtesy and compassion….Its inappropriate suffice it to say that now there is a stay away order in effect, I’m sure Chris will abide by that order.”

 

www.yourblackgossip.wordpress.com

www.yourblackworld.com

www.yourblacknews.blogspot.com

Black News: Celebrity Spending Habits: Out of Control

According to BlackAmericaWeb.com, Kelis claims she cannot live on her average monthly income of $21,616 -- money she has earned herself through her own means. Her solution to this problem? Why, hit up her ex for money as they go through divorce proceedings. As proof of her need for additional funds, the funky pop star has listed her monthly expenses as $80,831, including:
$14,861... Mortgage
$3,500... Nanny
$15,000... Entertainment, gifts and vacations
$20,000... Strollers, cribs and other baby supplies
$175... Having the "baby rug dry cleaned"

Click to read.

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Be careful: HIV is on the rise

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

ATLANTA (AP) - A new Internet data map offers a first-of-its-kind, county-level look at HIV cases in the U.S. and finds the infection rates tend to be highest in the South.

The highest numbers of HIV cases are in population centers like New York and California. However, many of the areas with the highest rates of HIV _ that is, the highest proportion of people with the AIDS-causing virus _ are in the South, according to the data map, which has information for more than 90 percent of the nation's counties and Washington, D.C.

HIV infection rates are higher in African-American communities, and high minority populations in the South help explain the finding. While that's not surprising, the high rates seen throughout states like Georgia and South Carolina were, said Gary Puckrein, president of the National Minority Quality Forum, the nonprofit research organization that put the map together.

Of 48 counties with the highest prevalence rates for HIV that had not yet progressed to AIDS, 25 were in Georgia, according to the map. Those were counties in which more than 0.7 percent of the population was infected with HIV.

 

Click to read.

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Your Black News: Tameka Foster Needs to Learn to Use Twitter

If there's a 'Twitter for Dummies' book available, someone may want to get a copy toUsher Raymond's soon-to-be ex-wife, Tameka Foster.

On Wednesday, Foster performed a notorious Twitter snafu when she inadvertently posted a message to Star Jones on her public page instead of sending it as a private direct message.

"@starjonesesq my lawyer= horrible. Need the name/number of a good one in Atlanta," Foster submitted to the former co-host of 'The View.'

Recognizing her mistake -- and the fact that she just told the world what she really thinks of her divorce attorney, Randall M. Kessler -- the 40-year-old mother of five then posted another Tweet asking, "Please delete this...it was a DM mistake. Not for ppl to see. I'm sorry."

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Nas Gets a Surprise on Father’s Day! Haha

"Milkshake" singer Kelis has filed new documents in a Los Angeles court, asking her estranged husband, Nas, to pay spousal support and child support for their baby on the way.

Kelis, who is expecting a baby boy on July 21, claims in her court filing obtained by Access Hollywood, that she has "run out of money" and that her rap star husband "is refusing to pay for most of my expenses."

In her declaration to the court, the singer revealed she spent the money she made as a singer-songwriter in part while she attended culinary school in 2008 and on her bills.

Kelis is asking Nas to foot the bill for a host of supplies related to the child she is carrying including $20,000 "towards the cost of purchasing strollers, cribs and other baby supplies" for the couple's two residences – an apartment in Manhattan and a home in Los Angeles.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: nas and kelis divorce,black celebrity gossip

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A Fourth of All South African Men admit to Rape

South Africans received a horrifying measure of just how bad their country's rape crisis is with the release this week of a study in which more than a quarter of men admitted to having raped, and 46% of those said that they had raped more than once.

The study, conducted by South Africa's Medical Research Council, reveals a deeply rooted culture of violence against women, in which men rape in order to feel powerful, and do so with impunity, believing that their superiority entitles them to vent their frustrations on women and children. The men most likely to rape, the researchers found, were not the poorest, but those who had attained some level of education and income.

Click to read.

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Lady Drama: Letoya Luckett Stands Up to Matthew Knowles

From Lady Drama at YourBlackGossip.

Letoya shut down the rumors about her not being able to perform at the BET awards because of Matthew Knowles! Read the details:

In case you haven’t heard the beef, there’s rumors claiming Matthew Knowles is trying to get Letoya pulled out the BET Awards because Beyonce is set to perform. Shots fired!!! So during an interview with WPGC’s DJ Flexx, she was asked to address the rumors…

Dj Flexx: “Let’s just say that it’s true, how does it make you feel that Matthew would go so hard at you to get you off the show?”

LeToya: “It saddens me a little. Because our situation happened close to 10 years ago, and I think as we all know Bey is a very very very talented artist, and I think that we both have our own lanes and fanbase, and I don’t see why I would have to be one of the ones picked out of the entire crew of females that will be hitting the stage that night. I don’t know… I’m gonna try and word this right… I just don’t understand why I’m picked outta that group because there are so many other female artists performin’ that night and I think we all deserve to have a chance at that stage. Everybody works hard and we all have something different to offer, from Keyshia to Keri to Bey, everybody is different in their own ways so it saddens me if that’s true, and I hope that’s not the case but I’ll be there regardless”.

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Santita Jackson: The Disrespect of Black Fathers Across America: Why it needs to stop

by Santita Jackson

To paraphrase Caesar, as he stood over the gallant Marc Antony, I come not to bury our Fathers, but to praise them, on this "Father's Day." Now, more than ever before, it is time to tell the truth about African American fathers.

I think of my own my father, who in my worst moments always made me feel as if I were the best thing that ever happened to him. He said it. I felt it.

I arrived in my parents' lives when they were college coeds and, although little more than children themselves, they made the very adult sacrifice and decision to marry and have me as well as my two brothers who arrived less than two years later. Still a student our father waited tables, stood in the food line at our church---in short, he did all that he could to provide for his growing family. And he and Mother took us everywhere.
I can recall one morning, before my father stepped into the pulpit to preach, being beckoned from my seat to sit with him and, as he scribbled the final touches on his sermon, he leaned over and said, "I love you, Sandy Boogie." I smiled as he kissed me and waited for...well, something else. I could not wait to get back to my seat as I was mortified to be before the entire congregation. I looked at him and said, rather quizzically, "Daddy, is that all you wanted to tell me?" His reply, as he smiled was, "Baby, saying 'I love you' says an awful lot." I nearly cried, having felt ashamed of my own insensitivity, and he simply smiled, kissed me again and had the usher lead me back to my seat.

His expression, even in that most public of venues was no surprise---it was a given in my life. My experience, though, is not unique. It has been replicated countless times in the African American community. Yet, every day we are fed a laundry list of the shortcomings of African American men; rarely, however, do we tell the society, or each other, of their triumphs.

We are told from the loftiest perches and the lowliest assignations that they must "Step up!" and "take up their responsibilities as men." All the while these critics ignore the myriad ways in which they must and do swim upstream against the strongest of currents. Currents which threaten and, too often, do sweep them into the undertow of our society. By ignoring their reality we turn our backs on a history, which has treated them with contempt. They are incarcerated more frequently, fight longer odds and live shorter lives; and yet and still, they remain strong, willing to love, survive and thrive. And so, on this "Father's Day", I'd like to expound upon their triumphs and contextualize their struggles. Any discussion which does neither, fails us all.

 

Click to read.

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Legal Issues in the Salon Beat Down

by Dr Boyce Watkins

OK, don't lie. You know that when you heard about the woman being beaten in the beauty salon in Oakland, you clicked on the link faster than Eminem's neck snapped when he had Bruno's behind in his face. You were curious, yet disturbed by the incident, as was nearly everyone else in America.

But one thing that black attorneys such as Christopher Metzler noticed during this incident were the legal implications of attacking someone in public, in broad daylight, videotaping the incident and then bragging about it on the radio. Now that the Oakland Police Department has taken notice, the women responsible for the attack are going to have some serious problems.

Click to read.

Beating Victim in Salon Won’t Testify

 

Cavenia Bryant has been arrested for her involvement in the Oakland beauty shop beating posted on You Tube. “We’re close on bringing them in. We don’t want to scare them by releasing the names publicly,” said Jeff Thomason, Public Information Officer for the Oakland Police Department.

The May 5 assault took place around 5:50 p.m., but the victim, Melissa Seals, didn’t call the Oakland Police Department until around 7 p.m., Thomason reported. Officers responded and took Seals’ statement: six women entered her Oakland hair salon as Seals cut a customer’s hair, they locked the door from the inside, then two of the women proceeded to beat Seals for several minutes. Three other women watched the attack and a fourth videotaped the beating.
After giving her statement to the responding officers Seals declined to press charges or identify any of the women involved in the attack, according to OPD records. Seals’ refused to press charges for the misdemeanor assault; the officers were obligated by department policy to take a report and close the case without further investigation.

 

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: oakland salon beating,black news headlines,african american news

Lady Drama: Oh Hayell Naw!

 

A Belgian woman is suing her tattoo artist, claiming that she asked for 3 stars on her face and then went to sleep.  She woke up with 56 stars!  I hope she wins, cause she’s making Mike Tyson’s shit look intelligent!

 

www.YourBlackGossip.com

Technorati Tags: black celebrity gossip

Lady Drama: Jackass of the Year: Donte Stallworth

 

Donte Stallworth of the Cleveland Browns killed a pedestrian while driving drunk.  Please explain how he only gets 30 days in jail?  Shit, I need to go kill somebody in Cleveland!

I wonder if his light sentence is going to bring his victim back to life?  Oh yeah, that person’s dead for good, but Donte will be back to normal in 30 days.  If that were Donte’s mother, or child who was hit, would he be happy with a 30 day sentence?

 

From YourBlackGossip.com and www.yourblackcelebrities.blogspot.com.

 

Technorati Tags: donte stallworth,black celebrity gossip

Hammer rises from the Ashes

Stanley Burrell, who is best known as rapper MC Hammer, has suffered his fair share of ups and downs. Although his sophomore album, 'Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em,' made history as the first hip-hop album to reach diamond status, selling over 10 million units and affording the Oakland-born superstar his own cartoon and even his own "Hammer pants," Burrell filed for bankruptcy and his career suffered greatly.

Click to read.

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Technorati Tags: black news,black celebrity gossip

Lady Drama: Once a cheater….

Yes, that’s his REAL wife in the picture above

 

The Black Celebrity scoop on Kobe Bryant

Listen to the lyrics from the rapper Trina:

 

This n*gga thinkin’ I’m sweatin’ his Rolex watch
You need more than that, to get in my thighs
A car that’s fly, maybe a house in the sky

I know you wanna beat it up right quick
And I was the first b*tch Kobe cheated on his wife with…

 

 

There are also reports that Kobe has a new jump off, Carla DiBello.  Read what a Laker insider has to say:

“She sits court-side at the Laker games and travels to all the road games… the weird thing is Kobe Bryant flips the bill and buys her presents. Okay, maybe not so weird… I know she is banging him out. **Update…from within Laker camp… …Friends and family are not allowed to go to Orlando for the series, but Kobe got special approval from both Phil Jackson and Dr. Buss to let Carla DiBello come. They have been seeing each other ever since Kobe got back from China. There is no way that Carla can explain why she is court side taking cell phone pics of Kobe. This girl will never be able to hide all of her scandalous activity. She was in Orlando at the game last night (no friends and family allowed). That is probably why Kobe played like sh*t. He single handedly lost the game.”

Damn Kobe, ain’t you learned from the incident 6 years ago?

Technorati Tags: kobe bryant,black celebrity gossip

Black Money: Retirement is Changing for Baby Boomers

From our Black Money Blog.  For more black wealth advice, please click here.

They grew up during a time of cultural change, and now are being forced to redefine retirement at midlife.

The 77 million Americans in the Baby Boom generation face an economic storm: The Wall Street meltdown trampled their retirement nest eggs more than any other group. After losing jobs during what they thought would be some of their peak earning years, many are struggling to get back into the workforce. Health care costs are rising, and declining home values mean they might not be able to count on home equity to guarantee an easier retirement.

SAVE EARLY: Tips for building a solid retirement plan

"This generation will be sobered by their experience," says John Coyne, president of Brinker Capital, an investment management firm. "They may not have as extravagant a vision of retirement as they did last July."

The confluence of events has an even bigger impact on a subset of the Baby Boomers known to analysts as the Sandwich Generation. Those Boomers are putting money toward their children's college education and their aging parents' long-term care, as well as their own retirement savings.

 

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Technorati Tags: black money,black wealth,african american money,african american wealth

Beyonce’s Daddy has a problem with Letoya Luckett

Beyonce commentary from Lady Drama at YourBl ackGossip.com.

Looks like Matthew is up to his snake tendencies again, this time he's coming for BET who has Letoya performing at the BET awards as well. According to my sources Matthew isn't feeling Letoya and Beyonce sharing a stage and has given BET an ultimatum! Read the juice for more info:

Word on the street is…Mathew Knowles is threatening to pull Beyonce from the lineup of performers if BET allows Letoya Luckett to perform at the awards in ANY capacity. Letoya’s management is fighting very hard to make her performance concrete, but who do you think the execs will side with..Letoya or Bey? The chick’s at a slight deficit here.

Technorati Tags: mathew knowles,beyonce knowles,black celebrity gossip

Black News: Can you handcuff a woman while giving birth?

Former Chicago inmates Simone Jackson and Danielle Bryant are seeking to file a class action lawsuit against the Cook County Sheriff's Department. Both claim they were forced to give birth while shackled and handcuffed to the hospital bed.

Jackson said, "It's dehumanizing. It's degrading. It's immoral." Jackson and three other former Cook County inmates described how they felt when they gave birth while imprisoned.

"I couldn't have family there," Bryant said. "Nobody to support me, help me. The nurses were in and out. All I had was the police officer."

Jackson and Bryant were being held on theft charges when they went into labor and were transferred to Chicago's Stroger Hospital to give birth.

Bryant's restraints were removed right before the actual birth. But Jackson says her restraints never came off.

"It is not even feasible to run when you are actually going to have a baby," Jackson said. "There is no way to do that."

Click to read.

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Technorati Tags: black news,black celebrity gossip

Rev. Al Subject to Lawsuit for allegedly not paying a Giant Hotel Bill

Kaczmarek/AP

Rev. Al Sharpton's non-profit civil rights group National Action Network is being sued by the Peabody Hotel in Memphis.

Southern hospitality only goes so far.

A grand Memphis hotel slapped theRev. Al Sharpton's group with an $88,000 suit charging the nonprofit didn't pay bills from its national convention.

The famed Peabody Hotel is suing the National Action Network for $70,300 and $17,000 in attorney's costs and other fees, stemming from the April 2008 conference.

A complaint filed by the hotel in Shelby County Circuit Court did not clarify whether the charges relate to an unpaid final tab or other charges, according to the Memphis Daily News. The contract between Peabody and the National Action Network included a clause that the group would be charged for space it booked but didn't use, the newspaper reported.

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Technorati Tags: al sharpton,black news,black politics

Black Politics: Congressman William Jefferson Now on Trial

Prosecutors say a Louisiana congressman was more than $60,000 in debt during the time he is accused of concocting a series of bribery schemes.

Opening statements started Tuesday in the trial of William Jefferson, a Democrat who represented parts of New Orleans. Federal agents found $90,000 in cash in his freezer, and he is charged with soliciting bribes, money laundering and other crimes.

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Technorati Tags: congressman william jefferson,black news,black politics,african american news

Keri Hilson Demands Respect in the Industry

Keri Hilson covers the June 2009 magazine cover of 944 Magazine:

“In any industry, as a woman, you have to demand respect, because it’s not something you are given on a silver platter,” stated Keri Hilson.

Technorati Tags: keri hilson,black celebrity gossip

Porn Star Speaks Against the Industry and HIV Testing

Stefano Paltera / For The Times

Darren James vividly remembers the 2004 phone call that changed his life. He hopes that by getting his story out, the porn industry will be moved to require condom use to protect the health of its stars.

Porn production shut down for a month after Darren James tested positive in 2004, changing his life. Now he hopes he can protect others by telling his story.

By Rong-Gong Lin II
June 15, 2009

Darren James saw the news flash on his TV screen last week: A porn actress had tested positive for HIV. James, 45, felt a moment of shock, then sadness.
"I feel really bad for this girl," he said. "One thing I can say, I just wish her well. It's the worst thing to get that call."

• 

  Porn stars at L.A. convention defend HIV...

• 

  From the archives: Porn Actors'...

• From the archives: See No Evil

• More porn HIV cases disclosed

• Contact the reporter with your experiences

It's the call James got in 2004 when the well-liked porn star known for his courteous nature on set found himself at the center of an HIV outbreak in the San Fernando Valley's multibillion-dollar porn industry. His diagnosis, and the spread of the virus to three actresses he had worked with, shut down porn production for a month.
He had tested HIV negative just days before performing on screen.
"I predicted it would happen again," he said late last week in an interview at his attorney's Woodland Hills office, his second since his name became public five years ago.

James, dressed in trim black slacks and a fitted black T-shirt that showed off his muscular frame, said he decided to speak out now because he hoped his story would spur the porn industry to require condoms, rarely used in straight porn films.

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Technorati Tags: black health,african american health,black news,african american news

Maxwell Comes Back after 8 years

www.yourblackgossip.blogspot.com

After an eight-year hiatus, Maxwell is back with his long-awaited offering 'BLACKsummers'night,' due July 7, and The BoomBox is the only place to hear every track off the new album. Beginning today, and lasting for the next eight days, we're hosting an exclusive 'BLACKsummers'night' album preview. Each day we'll roll out a track from Maxwell's fourth studio album, including lyrics. Enjoy!

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: maxwell,black celebrity gossip

Actor Denzel Washington Had a Heroin Addiction

 

When Denzel Washington was 20 years old, he was having a tough time. A college dropout who'd come back from a heroin addiction that started when he was just 14, Denzel had lost his way. But one afternoon, while at his mother's beauty shop in Mount Vernon, New York, Denzel was shocked back onto the right track. There, one of his mother's customers wrote this prophecy on a piece of paper: "That boy is going to speak to millions of people."
Clearly, the woman known in the community as "the Prophetess" knew what she was talking about. Denzel has gone on to make more than 35 films, including his latest, "The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3." See what other surprising facts we've uncovered about the Oscar-winning actor.

Click to read.

Technorati Tags: denzel washington,black celebrities

Dr Boyce Watkins: Preparing for the Retirement Crisis: America’s Perfect Storm

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Finance Professor at Syracuse University

www.TheGrio.com

I hate to be the bearer of bad news. But then again, it must not bother me very much, since I am going to give you a big pile of bad news right now. Given that I earned a Masters Degree in the "morbid science" of statistics, I figured I would start the day by fulfilling my occupational expectation.

The first piece of bad news is that you are going to die. One day, your heart will stop beating and the 2.5 billion breaths you'll take during your lifetime will come to an end. Hopefully, it won't be painful, but I can't guarantee that. The truth is, however, that death might not be the worst part of it all.

The toughest news is that before you die, you are likely going to experience a long, slow period of physical and psychological decline called "old age". In conjunction with this decline, you are going to see your financial resources dwindle as quickly as the muscles in your body. Not only will the scale of your resources decline, but your expenses will likely mount as you go to one doctor's visit after another, all with the hope of delaying the inevitable. That period of life is called "retirement", and most Americans are not financially prepared for it.

Now that you are sufficiently depressed (there's no point in lying to you, I'm not very good at that), I will give you some facts to chew on. I also hope that in light of these realities, you will engage in something that the rest of America is not doing: preparing for retirement. While retirement planning has always been important in the past, it has never been more important than it is for you right now. The Perfect Economic Storm is coming, one in which all the scary clouds merge together into one big ball of fiscal devastation that can only be created by God himself. When your financial meteorologist (me) gives you that information, it's your decision to get your family prepared. Let's break down the components of the storm, shall we?

 

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Does Michelle Obama Look Like a Gorilla? A Congressman Thinks so

GOP activist Rusty DePass is in hot water over comments about First Lady Michelle Obama.

Would you accept the apology from Rusty DePass after he likened First Lady Michelle Obama to an escaped gorilla?

Yes. He seemed sincere and contrite.

No. His comments were racist and unforgivable, and his explanation didn't make any sense.

A prominent South Carolina Republican killed his Facebook page Sunday after being caught likening the First Lady to an escaped gorilla.

Commenting on a report posted to Facebook about a gorilla escape at a zoo in Columbia, S.C., Friday, longtime GOP activist Rusty DePass wrote, "I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors - probably harmless."

Busted by South Carolina political blogger Will Folks on his FITNEWS blog, DePass told WIS-TV in Columbia, "I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone. The comment was clearly in jest."

Then he added, "The comment was hers, not mine," claiming Michelle Obama made a recent remark about humans descending from apes. The Daily News could find no such comment.

"'Humor' like this is nothing new for South Carolina Republicans - even as the party claims to be focusing on 'outreach' efforts to minorities," said Folks, a former gubernatorial spokesman and widely read blogger. "The fact that Palmetto [State] Republicans don't get that this is a serious problem for them baffles us."

Click to read more.

Visit www.YourBlackPolitics.Blogspot.com for Black Political News.

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Black Celebrity News: Madonna Adopts an African Child

BLANTYRE, Malawi – Madonna can get "Mercy," Malawi's highest court ruled Friday. The court overruled a lower court, saying the pop star can adopt 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James.
"I am ecstatic," Madonna said in a statement in which she also thanked the court. "My family and I look forward to sharing our lives with her."

Madonna's lawyer Alan Chinula said he would now arrange a passport for Chifundo, which could take several days, and was awaiting word from Madonna on travel plans for the girl.

James Kambewa, a man who claims to be the little girl's father, told CBS news "I'm crying. I need my baby. I don't know where I can find any help," the network said.

But Peter Baneti, an uncle, said the family welcomed Friday's ruling.
"We hope Mercy will be joining Madonna soon," he said by phone from his village just outside Blantyre.

Read More celebrity gossip here.

Read more.

 

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Monique’s Open Marriage

"We're saying that if by some chance that you hear scandal and you hear that Mo'Nique slept with another man, it won't be a need for a press conference because I'm going to say, 'Why are y'all tripping off that? Because that's what she did. Did she sleep with that man in you?' That's not a deal breaker for myself ... We are logical enough to understand that things like this do happen."

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Genma Holmes: Smiley and Wells Fargo: Partners in Deception?

by Genma Holmes

This is the third in a series of posts about Tavis Smiley and Wells Fargo, sponsor of the State of the Black Union (SOTBU). Everyone is in uproar about Wells Fargo employees calling loans to black mortgage holders “ghetto loans” and the disdain they showed for the customers they made the most profit from. But the media, especially black media, has been very silent about the role Tavis Smiley played in helping stack this ill fated deck of cards that has plagued the black community in several major cities.

When Mr. Smiley first partnered with Wells Fargo in 2005, he was a TEACHER of economic empowerment and assembled seminars around the country as the keynote speaker for wealth building. Press releases filled every major news outlet inbox and black newspapers were infected with faxes stating Mr. Smiley’s desire to teach the principles of home ownership as the key for breaking the cycle of poverty in the African American community. All this knowledge was given at no charge to trusting black folks. This was the golden ticket to obtaining the elusive piece of the pie via Mr. Smiley’s recommendations. Surely the intentions of all involved were pure and Mr. Smiley had vetted Wells Fargo thoroughly. Or so we thought. My granddaddy would say often, “Be wise when someone wants to give you something for free, there will be a price to pay later.”

Here’s what Mr. Smiley and Wells Fargo said in 2005 according to a widely circulated press release:

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage Joins With Tavis Smiley to Offer Free Wealth Building Strategies Seminar in Washington, DC Tavis Smiley and a Host of Financial Experts Share Information About Building Generational Wealth and Family Financial Security

WASHINGTON, Aug. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, the nation's leading originator of home loans to ethnic minority customers, has joined forces with talk show host and author, Tavis Smiley; and several financial affairs experts to provide free Wealth Building Strategies Seminars in eight cities across the country, including Washington, D.C. Additional seminars featuring other popular panelists also will be offered in 12 more cities, nationwide.

Click to read more on the African American Money Blog

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Lady Drama: Eddie Murphy Tries Again

Eddie Murphy is getting ready fro his next film.  Let’s hope it doesn’t flop like the last few have!  Eddie, have you lost your touch?

 

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Black Money Expert Explains How to Not Lose your home

Black finance expert Ryan Mack brings us advice from a place of real heart to help hard-working Americans deal with the mortgage mess. With his warm brand of personal finance advice, Mack's strongest words to the community are: "If you are having problems paying your mortgage DO NOT WALK AWAY FROM YOUR HOME!" In part one of our two-part interview, learn more about how we got into this housing crisis, how it has affected the general economy and what you should do now to protect your home.
How did you become a finance expert? What inspired you to pursue this goal?
When I was on Wall Street making great money I felt empty, because I was not an effective contributor to my community. I knew that finance was my passion, but I also knew that sitting in a cubicle making money only for the sake of self-empowerment was not my purpose.
Like too many families in America, many people in my family were not financially literate. My passion was to change that. In addition, I was always getting asked personal finance questions from peers who knew I was a stock trader. But trading is different from personal finance. To address these questions, I began to study personal finance and started a Yahoo group called MakingMoneyWork, which provided tips and strategies to over 200 members through weekly newsletters.

Click to read more on the African American Money blog.

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Black Money: Job Losses Decline a little bit

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The number of Americans filing for initial unemployment insurance fell more than expected last week, but ongoing claims ticked higher, according to government data released Thursday.

There were 601,000 initial jobless claims filed in the week ended June 6, down 24,000 from 625,000 the previous week, the Labor Department said.

Economists expected 615,000 new claims, according to a consensus survey by Briefing.com.

Click to read more on African American Money.

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Lady Drama: Woman’s Public Beating Takes over the Net

 

From Lady Drama at www.YourBlackGossip.com. 

Click here to watch a woman get beat down something terrible in a beauty salon!  This video is all over the net and after seeing it, all you’ll be able to say is “hayell nawwwwww!”

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Black News: White HBCU Homecoming Queen Handles Drama like a Queen

by Dr Boyce Watkins

Kentucky State University is an HBCU which lies next to my heart. My sister, who just finished medical school, spent her undergraduate career there, so I was kept in the loop when the world seemed to flip on its head regarding who the students chose to hold the title of Miss Kentucky State University. As you can see, she's not exactly what one would expect an HBCU Homecoming Queen to look like, but Elisabeth Martin's skin color likely reflects one of the many faces that define Historically Black colleges in the new millennium. So, while I was personally dismayed that Kentucky State University (along with many HBCUs around the nation) seems to be forgetting about the importance of having African American faculty, the truth is that we are in an era in which one needs to determine what it means to be an HBCU.

Personally, I love the fact that the students at Kentucky State chose Elisabeth Martin as their homecoming queen. Martin, a 21-year old International Studies major, won the crown by a landslide, dominating the competition. It has been her race, however, that has sent shock waves through the Kentucky State University community. But Martin takes the heat in stride and carries herself with a grace and class that should make the campus proud. The fact that the students love her so much is verified by her love for the campus and commitment to school spirit. She has also handled the national media attention like a true queen should.

AOL Black Voices had the chance to catch up with Elisabeth Martin:

Click to read.

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Black Beauty: Did you know that Tyra once looked different?

Did you ever know that Tyra Banks got a nose job?

 

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Jeremiah Wright Has interesting words for the president

Jeremiah Wright says that the Jews won’t let him talk to Obama.  Click the image to watch.

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Dr. Boyce Watkins: Wells Fargo Racism Accusations: Why they are disturbing

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

www.BoyceWatkins.com

Tavis Smiley needs to have a conversation with one of his primary sponsors, Wells Fargo. This week, it was announced that Wells Fargo is being sued by the city of Baltimore for egregiously racist predatory lending practices in the black community. The company has been accused by some former loan officers of targeting subprime, low quality loans to black neighborhoods, leading to a dramatic economic collapse for the black community of Baltimore.

The statistical evidence is daunting. Half of all the properties foreclosed by Wells Fargo are vacant and 71% of those properties are in black neighborhoods. Wells Fargo's African American borrowers with incomes greater than $68,000 per year were 8 times more likely to hold subprime loans than white borrowers with the same income.

Click to read.

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Rapper Queen Latifah to Host the BET Awards After Party

The party won't stop after the BET Awards are over, and Queen Latifah (Lah-TEE'-fah) will be around to make sure of it.

The entertainer is hosting the network's post-awards televised bash, which will air after the live show June 28.

Beyonce (bee-AHN'-say) and T.I. are the top nominees for the BET Awards with five each. The show will be hosted by another nominee — Jamie Foxx.

Beyonce and Foxx are also set to perform along with acts like Maxwell and Ne-Yo (NEE-yo).

Black News: Lady Drama Questions Beyonce’s Marriage

In the latest episode of “YourBlackGossip with Lady Drama”, Lady Drama breaks down Bobby Brown’s latest stunt, why in the world Beyonce would want to be Jay Z and why Kelis has just lost her damn mind.

Click here to watch!

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Breaking News: White Supremacist Shoots Up a Museum

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A lone gunman wounded a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum on Wednesday before being injured by return fire, according to police and a museum statement.

Police cars mass outside the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington after a shooting there on Wednesday.

The suspect was identified as James von Brunn, an 88-year-old white supremacist from Maryland, two law enforcement officials told CNN.

Gunfire at the entrance of the museum wounded at least two people Wednesday, emergency officials said.

A private security guard and the shooting suspect were wounded, according to officials of the Washington police.

Sgt. David Schlosser, a spokesman for U.S. Park Police, told reporters a man armed with a "long gun" entered the museum at 12:50 p.m. and fired at a security officer, and both were wounded in the exchange of gunfire.

"My understanding is that two other security officers at the museum returned gunfire at the man that had entered the museum," Schlosser said.

 

Click to read.