OJ found GUILTY!!!

Sat, 4 Oct 2008 07:20:07 -0400

The jury’s decision came 13 years to the day of his “not guilty” verdict in the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman murder trial. God don’t like ugly...or foolishness. [LATimes]

Tough times, tough choices

Wed, 1 Oct 2008 06:37:03 -0400

These are tough economic times, especially for African-Americans, for whom the unemployment rate is more than 10%. Alarmingly, rather than belt-tightening, the response has been to spend more. In many poor neighborhoods, one is likely to notice satellite dishes and expensive new cars.

According to Target Market, a company that tracks black consumer spending, blacks spend a significant amount of their income on depreciable products. In 2002, the year the economy nose-dived, we spent $22.9 billion on clothes, $3.2 billion on electronics and $11.6 billion on furniture to put into homes that, in many cases, were rented.

Among our favorite purchases are cars and liquor. Blacks make up only 12% of the U.S. population, yet account for 30% of the country's Scotch consumption. Detroit, which is 80% black, is the world's No. 1 market for Cognac. So impressed was Lincoln with the $46.7 billion that blacks spent on cars that the automaker commissioned Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the entertainment and fashion mogul, to design a limited edition Navigator replete with six plasma screens, three DVD players and a Sony PlayStation 2.

The only area where blacks seem to be cutting back on spending is books; total purchases have gone from a high of $356 million in 2000 to $303 million in 2002.

This shortsighted behavior, motivated by a desire for instant gratification and social acceptance, comes at the expense of our future.

The National Urban League's "State of Black America 2004" report found that fewer than 50% of black families owned their homes compared with more than 70% of whites.

According to published reports, the Ariel Mutual Funds Charles Schwab 2003 Black Investor Survey found that when comparing households where blacks and whites had roughly the same household incomes, whites saved nearly 20% more each month for retirement, and 30% of African-Americans earning $100,000 a year had less than $5,000 in retirement savings. While 79% of whites invest in the stock market, only 61% of African-Americans do.

Certainly, higher rates of unemployment, income disparity and credit discrimination are financial impediments to the economic vitality of blacks, but so are our consumer tastes.

By finding the courage to change our spending habits, we might be surprised at how far the $631 billion we now earn might take us.

Spike Lee should do the right thing

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 06:31:38 -0400

Spike Lee knows how to do the race thing. It’s the muse through which he’s captured racism from nearly every angle and in the process achieved fame, fortune and a formidable body of work. In his documentaries, “4 Little Girls” and “When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,” he presented a panorama of atrocities that racism wrought.

In his dramas, “Jungle Fever” and “Bamboozled” he zoomed in on the fragility of the black psyche as a result of centuries of racial oppression. I believe him to be at his best when spotlighting the honesty and heroism exhibited in the darkest hours by historical figures like Malcolm X. Lee has such an opportunity in his upcoming “Miracle at St. Anna,” which chronicles the story of four members of the all-black 92nd Buffalo Soldier Division who were stationed in Tuscany, Italy during World War II. So far, he’s chosen to demonstrate how the cry of racism can be self-serving.

Fittingly, it all began at a promotional event where Lee criticized Clint Eastwood to reporters at the Cannes film festival. "He did two films about Iwo Jima [“Flags of Our Fathers” and “Letters from Iwo Jima”] back to back and there was not one black soldier in both of those films…Many veterans, African-Americans, who survived that war are upset at Clint Eastwood. In his vision of Iwo Jima, Negro soldiers did not exist. Simple as that. I have a different version." We bet you do, Spike.
Eastwood seemed more than a little annoyed when he responded in the British newspaper the Guardian, "Has he ever studied history? [African-American soldiers] didn't raise the flag."

On this point, it is Eastwood who needs the history lesson. Joe Rosenthal’s iconic photo of servicemen planting the United States flag on Mt. Surbachi was actually the second placement. Black soldiers were present at the first installation. Perhaps Eastwood was aware of this fact and made the artistic decision not to include the first attempt. Then again, perhaps like so many Americans, Eastwood was unaware of what minorities had contributed: 1 million African Americans served in World War II and an estimated 700 participated in the battle at Iwo Jima.

Either way, Eastwood is entitled to his artistic freedom. Besides, Lee has been guilty of the same thing. He chose not to include the Japanese-American activist, Yuri Kochiyama, in his version of Malcolm X, even though Malcolm died in her arms after being shot at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem.

Lee, forgetting that he himself has been accused of stereotyping and anti-Semitism and enjoying being center stage in a controversy went even further, insinuating with the comment “The man is not my father and we're not on a plantation either” that Eastwood was a racist. Here it is Lee who reinvents history.

Eastwood has been a friend to black actors. He cast Academy Award Winner, Forrest Whitaker as legendary jazz saxophonist, Charlie Parker in the movie “Bird” and directed Morgan Freeman’s Oscar winning performance in “Million Dollar Baby.” In real life Eastwood is married to a woman of black and Japanese descent who was adopted by a Hispanic family. So while not Lee’s father, Eastwood does in fact have children of color.

After collecting a stack of headlines over the hullabaloo, Lee said he was going to take the “high road.” I’d say he did just the opposite, and while I don’t share Eastwood’s sentiment that Lee should "shut his face." I do wish the usually prolific filmmaker would take his own advice and “Do The Right Thing.”

Obama proves there is no black monolith

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 21:49:31 -0400

This week the Democratic National Convention officially nominates Barack Obama for President of the United States. Many have cited this as evidence of racial progress, particularly among whites in America, but just as significantly, the political ascension of a biracial candidate who wavers on Affirmative Action and calls Hawaii and its two percent black population home, provides proof that the black community is no longer a monolith. Evidence on this latter point has been mounting for some time.

In a recent NPR/Pew Research Center poll of African Americans in response to the question, "Have the values of middle-class and poor blacks become more similar or more different?" 61 percent said "more different." 37 percent thought it no longer appropriate to think of black people as a single race.

Far from being homogeneous, a motley crowd of high profile blacks showcase our complexity: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice ice skated as a child and is a classically trained pianist; supermodel, Naomi Campbell throws temper tantrums that recall the antics of Joan Crawford; golfer, Tiger Woods is today’s most poplar athlete; entertainers, Will Smith and Oprah Winfrey topped Forbes Magazine’s “Highest Paid” lists this year; and because of a confluence of skin tone, persona and mainstream popularity, the biracial identity of Maria Carey, Nicole Richie, Soledad O’Brian, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Derek Jeter is an afterthought if thought of at all.

Even those who appear to fit stereotypes prove unique. Has-been-rapper turned reality TV star Flavor Flav and legendary stylist, Andre Leon Tally are both dark skinned and flamboyant. The former was first known for his socially conscious lyrics, but now entertains by way of humiliation—his and his paramours. The latter is a highly regarded editor at Vogue Magazine and known as much for his intellect as for his red capes.

Say goodbye to the black oracle, that distinguished ambassador who in the past could be relied upon to ascertain the collective view of the black race. Jesse Jackson may have desired to neuter Barack Obama, but the Reverend only succeeded in reducing his influence to that of a garden gnome. The same could be said of Al Sharpton whose perm, pitch perfect James Brown impression and poor choice of victim selection (see Twana Brawley and the Duke rape accuser) undermine his credibility. Even Obama hasn’t found universal agreement in the black community—he has been criticized by hecklers in Florida and the talk show host, Tavis Smiley for not speaking more assertively on issues impacting blacks.

Within our institutions, the demographics are shifting. The NAACP, Urban League and National Council of Negro Women have grown frail. Urban cities are increasingly gentrified. And in the year that would have marked Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s 60th anniversary from Morehouse College, the historically black institution graduated its first white valedictorian, Joshua Packwood. The Washington Post has reported that in recent decades the number of white students at these campuses has risen 65 percent, from 21,000 to nearly 35,000.

No, blacks can no longer be pigeonholed, even when our views appear paradoxical. In the NPR/Pew poll, over 50 percent of those surveyed believed hip-hop, though ubiquitous, to be detrimental to Black America, and while two-thirds of blacks said discrimination was commonly encountered when applying for jobs, 53 percent responded that, "blacks who can't get ahead are mostly responsible for their own condition."
The old staid opinions no longer ring true, and that’s a good thing. In this moment we have the opportunity to see each other anew.

Where there’s Snoop, there’s marijuana

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 21:44:28 -0400

September is National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Recovery Month, a good time for Calvin Broadus (aka Snoop Dogg) to evaluate his relationship with marijuana. In October 2002, a few months after pleading no contest to possession of marijuana in Oberlin Municipal Court, Snoop said he was done lighting up. To the contrary, these days, where there’s Snoop, there’s marijuana.

Recently he’s had a string of run-ins with the law, culminating in his no contest plea to gun and marijuana possession charges in April of 2007. He received a three-year suspended sentence and five years’ probation with 800 hours of community service. So I suppose he was “lucky” no drugs were on him when heading to a concert in Dallas earlier this summer, two people on his tour bus were booked on marijuana possession charges.
Is it any wonder the rapper was banned from entering Australia after failing a “character test?” A bonified pothead, Broadus has been a High Times Magazine Stony Award winner, a guest star on the TV show, Weeds, and an enthusiastic promoter of the drug in songs like, “Smoke Weed Everyday.”

Currently he stars in the reality show, “Fatherhood,” and there’s talk that he’s a budding children’s book author, but frankly, through his music, he’s already had too much influence on our youth.

If you think there’s more drug glorification in today’s rap music, it is not a figment of your imagination. A study authored by Denise Herd at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Public Health examined the lyrics from 341 of the most popular rap songs - as determined by Billboard and Gavin music rating services - from 1979 to 1997 and found that illegal drug use in rap music is significantly greater than it was two decades ago.
In 1979 the Sugar Hill Gang released the drug-free, mainstream hit, "Rapper's Delight." Between then and 1984, only 11 percent of rap songs contained drug references. In the early 1990s, the percentage jumped to 45 percent, increasing to 69 percent between 1994 and 1997.

Here’s another troubling trend. While early rap songs like "Night of the Living Baseheads" by Public Enemy depicted the destructiveness of cocaine and its freebase version, crack, in the 1990’s Snoop Dogg led the shift to glamorizing weed and marijuana-stuffed cigars called "blunts.”
This movement has continued into the 21st Century. Dr. Brian Primack of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Medicine, found that of Billboard's 279 most popular songs in 2005, 77 percent of the rap songs portrayed substance use, often alluding to peer pressure, wealth and sex.

According to Herd, black youth have similar or lower rates of drug and alcohol abuse compared to their white peers; however, as rap music’s influence continues to increase, there is reason to worry that their use might accelerate. Consider findings in "Images of Sexual Stereotypes in Rap Videos and the Health of African-American Female Adolescents" published in the Journal of Women's Health.

Researchers surveyed 522 African-American girls aged 14 to 18 who were asked how often they watched rap videos, questioned about their sex lives and asked to provide a urine sample for a marijuana screening. They conclude that girls who spent more time watching rap music videos were more likely to binge drink, have sex with multiple partners, and test positive for marijuana.

This trend needs to go the way of Snoop’s 2001 tour—“Up in Smoke.”

Declare Yourself

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 13:13:21 -0400

My friend, Heidi, over at DivaBug has some interesting commentary on voter registration ads. It seems some folks are getting a little kinky (and I don’t mean naps) with their endorsements. [DivaBugs]

This short story contest could make you...

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 07:50:14 -0400

Or break you...Lit sensation Zadie Smith, a bi-racial Brit with several bestsellers and big-money prizes under her belt, decided to share the luv last year by establishing an international writing competition. After reading (and rereading) all of the entries, the author and her accomplished judges decided no one was good enough to receive the award. Find the background of last year’s disaster here. Here’s what I said to a friend when I first heard about this:

I read her explanation and found it rather smug not to mention unrealistic: “we also welcome all those whose literary sympathies lie with rimbaud or capote, with irving rosenthal or proust...ballard or bellows...”

PA-LEEEZZZEEE! Are writers of that caliber discovered every year? We're lucky if we get one or two a decade. Why then dangle an "annual" prize if you know what the odds are? A better idea I think would be to offer the prize to the best of that year's bunch then in the first year that you actually have a "genius" bump up the ante and announce that in addition to a winner, you'd like to award a "super prize" that you suspect will only be given a few times a decade.

Another thing that bugs me about this is that having been fortunate enough to have an editor in the Max Perkins tradition, I know it is the rare writer whose work doesn't improve substantially with the aid of a good editor. Zadie herself should recognize that from her own experience for while White Teeth was the work of one who hinted at genius, it was way too long and could have stood a more firm editorial hand. On Beauty was much better due I'm sure to both her maturity as a writer and a better editor.

Have you ever read Zadie's short stories? I've read two and both were unremarkable. I say this not as a slight to her, but to point out that one well written but unamazing short story is not proof that one lacks talent. My heart just bleeds for those 10 short listers who were notified and no doubt went a bragging to their friends only to be shot down in a most embarrassing manner. "Over 800" sounds like a great many entrants. I wonder how many will attempt this feat next year. Wouldn't it be a shame if rather than encouraging good work, this committee has ultimately dissuaded people from even trying?

Well, time heals all literary wounds (hopefully), so for you brave souls itching to be discovered, here’s your chance.[Willesden]

Here’s some media swirl

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 22:37:01 -0400

Blackburn beat the Barracuda in the Miss Alaska pageant and now backs Obama--YES WE CAN! [CNN]

I think Newt was the uppity one. [MSNBC/YouTube]

Elisabeth Hasselbeck is also Two-Face. [YouTube]

Everyone is saying that Sarah Palin is smart, but this interview suggests otherwise.[CharlieRose].

An interesting radio discussion of Palin’s media coverage.[NPR/Diane Rehm Show]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

Who cares if SP called Obama “Sambo”?

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 09:40:12 -0400

Code words are in full effect this month! Shortly after Labor Day, Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn Westmoreland referred to Senator Obama as “uppity.” [TheHill]

That same day, retired Air Force Major General and GOP congressional candidate, Rick Goddard used the racially tinged word while referring to black MSNBC reporter, Ron Allen’s interview with Newt Gingrich. [AJC]

Now a column (probably as fake as the photoshopped picture above) is claiming Palin upon hearing that Obama had secured the nomination said, "So Sambo beat the bitch." It made me wonder: Since only in the most extreme of cases (See David Duke) do whites reject racist candidates, what strategies can black politicians employ to combat the majority culture's apathy? I'm not suggesting that white people (or other racial groups for that matter) are won over by racists or racial remarks. I'm merely trying to consider what, if any, good it does to harp on slurs when white people, particularly those on the fence, don’t seem to feel our pain on the issue. In fact, we risk turning them off. [LA Progressive]

We shouldn’t need to play the race card to deal with the Barracuda. Ann Kilkenny, Wasilla Democrat and self-appointed chief Palin critic, gives a damning account of Palin’s policies. [Politico]

I’m really curious about this, so for the first time, I’m opening the blog up to comments. Please share your thoughts.

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

Rev. Wright’s jump off?

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 20:49:25 -0400

37-year-old church secretary, Elizabeth Payne, is claiming a recent affair with Obama’s 67 year old former pastor devastated her life--she lost her job and her 64 year old husband. So many things about this story are curious, but the question I most want answered? Why is this woman using Michael Jackson’s makeup artist?[NYPost]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

BTW is still schooling us

Tue, 9 Sep 2008 09:54:30 -0400

The website BookerRising is a gathering spot for black moderates and conservatives. I was just over there listening to the only known recording of Booker T. Washington. Some might take issue with his “if you can’t beat them, join them,” attitude regarding white segregationist, but his prescient words are as relevant today as they ever were. Find a taste of the speech below: Listen here.

Ignorant and inexperienced, it is not strange that in the first years of our new life we began at the top instead of the bottom, that a seat in Congress or the state legislature was more sought than real estate or industrial skill, that the political convention of some teaching had more attraction than starting a dairy farm or a stockyard.

Am I the only one who finds it troubling that the Obamas, with FOUR...count them, FOUR Ivy League degrees between them, were living check to check in a tiny condo just a few years ago? We negroes are still being mis-educated I tell you!

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

These opposites ring true

Mon, 8 Sep 2008 12:39:20 -0400

It takes a foreign newspaper to remind the Dems who founded this country--Rednecks.[FinancialTimes]

Meanwhile, a pillar of America’s intellectual society wonders if John McCain is a dumba$$.[TheEconomist]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

The Black Snob was robbed

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 10:57:36 -0400

Danielle’s BlackSnob was given the BlackWeblogAward for her series on black conservatives. It’s important to note that it ran months before the AP, NPR and other media picked up on the theme at the Republican Convention. Danielle shouldn’t complain. She also won the award for Best Writing in a Blog and will probably find herself employed by a mainstream outlet sometime soon. TheBlackSnob should remember that ideas aren’t copyrightable. Besides, she’s got enough to share. Her ‘Secret Council of American Negroes most wanted list,” is a motley crew (Andrew Young, Bob Johnson and Tiffany Pollard among them) of folks who have shamed us that had me SMH and LMAO! [BlackSnob]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

What if Sarah pulls a Sandra?

Sun, 7 Sep 2008 08:54:23 -0400

Everyone (okay, mostly women) have their panties in a bunch regarding concerns that Sarah Palin, as the mother of young children, may not be “ready to lead.” Feminists are screaming, “double standard,” but for real, ya’ll, Dicks aren’t like us. Consider John Edwards and Sandra Day O’Connor. Only a man would move forward with a presidential run (and affair) while his wife struggled with terminal cancer and young tots. Only a woman would resign while holding the most powerful vote on the Supreme Court to care for a spouse who was happy, well cared for and, with no memory of her, romancing another woman in his nursing facility. (Every time a ruling like the one permitting handguns in DC comes down, I curse her--I’m only half kidding). Yes, O’Connor’s decision was honorable, but the dirty little secret of leadership is that a good bit of self-centeredness is needed. An arrogant, Thurgood Marshall showed scant respect for The Court during his last years, sleeping through cases before rendering his lefty vote, but we love him for it! In poor health for much of his last two decades on the court, Marshall didn’t resign until he was nearly incapacitated (if only he could have held on for one more year...)

Sure, Palin reinforced her barracuda image by returning to work days after delivering a baby suffering from Downs Syndrome, but I find THAT a lot stranger than Obama having a Kenyan father.

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

McCain as Two Face

Sat, 6 Sep 2008 07:05:35 -0400

Sarah Barracuda and Square McCain showed us how to make a dollar out of fifteen cents. Seems it takes smoke, mirrors and a whole lot of lies. While the mainstream media has been slow to point out the inconsistencies and hypocrisy of their speeches, The Daily Show and a few diligent reporters have pulled back the curtain.

Palin was quick to recount Obama talking “about folks one way in Scranton and another way in San Francisco,” but she failed to mention that McCain calls women and people of color one thing in public and another when at his regular DC watering hole. I wonder if those old white men moderating the debates would ever ask BigMc if he’s ever used the words spic, dyke and nigger. [Journal-ism]

And let me just say, THANK GOD FOR THE DAILY SHOW! While the Republicans and their media cohorts insisted that a preggers Bailey was not a reflection of poor parenting and that criticism of Palin was sexist, Jon Stewart chides, “but that ain’t what you said before!” [TheDailyShow]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

“White in America” never to be telecasted

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 09:11:08 -0400

A 2008 Black Blog Award was just handed out to the folks over at wearerespectablenegroes for their inner-restin’ twist on CNN’s “Black in America” series. Black folks’ ills impact a much higher percentage of our population, but these highlights do give one something to think about [Negroes]:

• A Plague Upon the Land: White Men, Workplace Violence, School Shootings, Hate Crimes, and Dead Wives

• School is No Longer a Place for Just the ABC's: Female Teachers Are Preying Upon Their Male Students

• What are White Women to do? White Men, Down-low Culture, Cruising, Sex Cults, and to Catch a Predator

• No End in Sight: The Methamphetamine Plague that is Destroying White Communities

• White Teenagers: Out of Control and at Risk

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

Sarah Palin is used to losing to black folks

Fri, 5 Sep 2008 07:55:05 -0400

Meet Maryline Blackburn, Miss Alaska 1984. With no record to the contrary, we’ll assume Sarah Barracuda was a gracious loser. [BlackAmericaWeb]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

2008 Black Weblog Awards

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 10:29:23 -0400

Nearly 10,000 folks offered nominations for this years awards. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be taking a gander at the winners and sharing with you what they have to offer. For a look at the complete list of winners, click here. [BlogAwards]

To be the first to read new posts, send Email.

Would Jesus be a mayor or city organizer?

Thu, 4 Sep 2008 07:45:12 -0400

Sarah Barracuda mocked the holy hell out of Obama for being a community organizer while she was reining over 9,000. I wonder which gig Jesus would do... Palin can at least find solace in knowing that JC was down with unwed pregnancy.

Duke rape accuser is multitalented

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:38:17 -0400

Crystal Mangum is more than just a ho. Chick graduated with honors from North Carolina Central University (that factoid is way stranger than Morehouse having its first white valedictorian). And proving she can indeed string together a succession of nouns and verbs (no wait, she’s got a co-author), Mangum has penned a bootstrap or rather G-string story. There is the potential here for some really creative promotion. [WTVD]

That’s like asking, “Is Obama our mule?”

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 22:58:11 -0400

Trends! They have to end sometime. Well, this week’s New York Times cover seems to suggest that black politics has gone the way of the Jheri Curl.[NYTimes]

Dirty, Don? or Dirty Don? The Court Decides

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 14:05:27 -0400

That Don King got dissed by the court system isn’t really news, but it is kinda funny. This story actually offers us a two-for. See next post.[LAW]

Attorney Willie Gary’s got a sex tape???

Fri, 1 Aug 2008 13:58:38 -0400

Say it ain’t so, counselor! Esteemed member of the bar and premiere party thrower, was ordered to turn over sex tapes in a civil case for which he’s being charged with raping a secretary. These days most assistants don’t even like to get the boss coffee.[LAW]. Is it me, or is Mr. Gary nearly as short as the other Gary?

Jesse’s coming with the switchblade

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:53:26 -0400

Bill Cosby was preaching in Baltimore and not to be outdone by a younger, hotter presidential candidate, he gives the crowd a mouthful about deadbeat dads.[WBAL]

Political Correctness gone wild

Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:35:13 -0400

Dallas City Councilman demands apology for white colleague’s use of term “black hole.” [DMN]

Funny? Yes. Satire? Not so much.

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:37:08 -0400

The New Yorker doesn’t get it wrong often, and when they do they...they don’t admit it. No worries. Journal-ism’s Richard Prince is happy to explain their err. [TellMeMore]

Jesse Jackson’s ban on N-Word lifted

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 07:22:57 -0400

A brief history of Jesse Jackson and the N-Word.
In 2006, Jesse Jackson called for a ban on the use of the N-Word. [CBC2Chi]
Then in 2007 Jackson along with the NAACP held a mock funeral for the N-Word. See my video mocking the event here.
Now FOX News gives us two tantalizing N words from Jackson. [HuffPo]

The Tom Joyner Morning Show needs me!!!

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 07:41:59 -0400

As many of you know, Tavis Smiley is leaving the Tom Joyner Morning Show and a campaign is underway to find his replacement. Nominating me takes literally one minute. Just click on the link below and cut and paste the statement I've provided below. Please encourage your network to nominate me as well. Thank you in advance!

Tom Joyner Morning Show Nomination link: http://www.blackamericaweb.com/commentator/

Nominee's name: Yolanda Young
Nominee's email: yolanda@yolandayoung.com

NOMINATION STATEMENT:
Yolanda Young writes columns for USA Today and recently won a national award for her video commentaries, which feature provocative topics like “Does having a black wife make Obama black enough?” and “Consider my mouth your next sexual partner. The Howard University and Georgetown Law graduate’s opinions do not always “toe the line,” so count on an added dimension of edginess when Young is in the house.” The frequent talk show guest and NPR contributor is, however, acutely aware of the racism and double standard treatment to which our community is subjected and does not hesitate to urge folks to “Stand Up!” If selected, Young’s humor and down-to-earth delivery would complement the Tom Joyner Morning Show. Her videos, columns and radio spots are available at www.yolandayoung.com.

“YES WE CAN” & “God damn America” ringtones

Mon, 12 May 2008 08:52:34 -0400

For your listening pleasure, Slate.com, is offering ringtones of Hillary laughing, Barack’s “Yes we can!” and Rev. Wright’s, “God damn America.” Enjoy [Slate.com]

Meet ‘The Guy Who Got Where He Is Only B/C He’s Black’

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:29:35 -0400

Colson Whitehead hits it out the park with this tongue-in-cheek editorial on how silly it is for people to assume that any black person, particularly a black man, can get anywhere in this world--namely the ‘top’--solely because of the color of his skin. [NYTimes]