"We Keep Marrying Other Species"

Some things have to be seen and head to be believed. [Via Huffington Post.] I’m writing something longer that will incorporate this, but I was so blown away that I wanted to go ahead and post it now. I’ll connect it up to some other things in a bit. Marrying other species? Wait a minute. Other species? [...]

Digest for July 8th through July 9th

Here are some of the people writing about some of the stuff I wish I had time to write about, for July 8th through July 9th: It takes real effort to be this awful, redux - Steve King's lone voice of madness - Hannity makes a habit of distorting quotes to smear progressives - [...]

Equality in D.C.

I don’t have time to write this up in the kind of detail I would like, and I’m sure somebody somewhere has probably covered all the bases. (For what it’s worth, I did my bit here. The Washington Blade has local coverage about the opposition, and new D.C. “resident” Henry Jackson’s dishonest attempt to claim [...]

Digest for July 6th through July 8th

Here are some of the people writing about some of the stuff I wish I had time to write about, for July 6th through July 8th: Sarah in Wonderland - Iraq Still Facing the Abyss - Republicans: A Threat to the Republic? - Sarah Palin: A Starter, Not a Finisher - McNamara: Brightness Cloaked in Hubris [...]

It’s More Than Madoff

I scoffed when Bernie Madoff,through his  lawyers, asked for a twelve year sentence in his fraud case. What some people think they can get away with pales only in comparison to what some people are actually allowed to get away with — especially when the opportunity to hold them accountable and prevent further damage from [...]

Sunday Open Thread

Good Morning. As you spend this weekend with family and friends, don’t forget JJP. Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too. And always, have a peaceful day.

Goodbye Ghana

The Obamas at Cape Coast Castle

President Obama’s Speech to the Parliament of Ghana

Part 1 Part 2

Evening Open Thread

It might be hot where you are…just remember..winter is just around the bend. Good Evening. Drop those links. Engage in debate. Give us trivia and gossip too. And continue to have a peaceful day.

CNN's Black In America 2

Sounds like CNN will make Black in America 2 better than the first one. Check out the report on this inner city school, in which the principal says, every graduating senior goes to college. So, what's their secret weapon? Tune in to CNN's Black In America 2 special and find out. I sure will.

Link:

Check out how on Chicago's Southside, life expectancy for Black men is 8 years less than the
national average. Can barber shops help? Hmm...

Link:

This should be pretty interesting...

Boston's Black Newspaper, Bay State Banner Suspends Publication

Media outlets, and trade publications from across the region and around America are reporting about my hometown newspaper.

It's interesting to note that one of the white newspapers, is finding the need to harass the Banner staff.

Boston Phoenix reporter Adam Reilly says:

A few minutes ago, I reported that, according to Bay State Banner publisher Melvin Miller, the Bay State Banner is just ceasing publication, not going out of business.

Now a Banner advertiser forwards a recent message from Sandra Casagrand, the Banner's VP/marketing and Miller's wife. Here it is:

I’m really sorry to report but the Banner is not publishing after this week’s paper. We cannot remain in business in this economic climate and will continue to look for new owners/investors while we are closed so at some point it can reopen and continue on its mission. Until then, there is no Banner. Real bummer – and sorry for the inconvenience. [emph. added]

Based on this, I'd say, I guess Boston like the rest of this country is not the post-racial community Barack Obama visions. The Boston Phoenix reporter Adam Reilly needs to get a life, and allow the Bay State Banner to do what it needs to do.

I salute Melvin Miller and his team, they have done a remarkable job over the years for all people in the Boston/NewEngland area.

Again, I saluate Melvin Miller and his team. It's too bad The Boston Phoenix and others don't know how to do the same thing.

Palin Wants Michael Steele's Job,

AAPP: It's unfortunate that Michael Steele can't smell the coffee. Even as Politico.com reports on how Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele said he would love to see Palin become more engaged in national politics. well connected Republican sources report that Palin would love to have Steele's job in order to rebuild her creds within the party. Micheal Steeles comments that he is“very excited about the opportunity to have Sarah Palin freed up now to engage across the country to help, you know, reorient the party and grow it.” may be an omen say some party leaders who wish to remain annonymous.

But then again, Steele is no dummy, Steele has already taken Palin 2012 'off the table' as reported by Politico's Ben Smith:

Buried a bit in Fox's interview:

"Not having talked to the governor, I take 2012 off the table right now simply because given everything she's going through personally, dealing with the financial mess that all these ludicrous investigations have put her and Todd in, at the moment, I think she's trying to focus on getting her house in order, her personal house in order," Steele told Fox. News.

Bigot Bill O'Reilly Likens Michael Jackson to O.J. Simpson

• Jackson’s "incredible selfishness, spending hundreds of millions of dollars on himself while singing ‘We Are The World’" should make anyone nauseous.
• Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson and other African-Americans are shamelessly “playing the race card” by claiming Jackson as one of their own in death.
• “If (Jackson) were a white guy,” his behavior would never be tolerated.
• “You don’t become an African-American icon” if you bleach your skin.

There is more this Bill O'Reilly bigot had to say:



It appears to me that color aroused bigotry and ignorance is reaching critical mass in America. From Black kids getting kicked out of Philadelphia pool because of their color to the ignorance involving former Marion Barry the news involving blacks is getting more bizzare.

Federal Ban on Needle Exchange and Barack Obama

According to Amerblog the Obama/White House Web site pledge to support repeal of the federal ban on needle exchange? It appears to be gone.



That is why:

A group of 26 AIDS activists chained themselves to each other in the Capitol Rotunda on Thursday morning, startling visitors, shutting down the landmark area and prompting their arrest by Capitol Police.

The group, which was protesting President Barack Obama’s failure to get rid of a ban on funding needle exchange programs, arrived at the Rotunda around 10 a.m.

Candidate Obama said he would help overturn the ban on needle exchange. President Obama reversed himself and banned federal funding for needle exchanges in his budget this year. Get this, 1. Obama promised to lift the ban. 2. The White House Web site reaffirmed the president's commitment to lifting the ban. 3. The White House Web site no longer reaffirms his commitment to lifting the ban. 4. The president now refuses to lift the ban. 5. The president actually affirmatively makes things worse by administratively supporting defending the ban. 6. The spokesman reiterates the president's support for lifting the ban, some day, once Congress gets around to it. More HERE

What do you think about the ban on needle exchange? is is something President Barack Obama needs to be addressing at this time?

Marion Barry, Ignorance, The City Paper and Bigotry

Now that the Stalking charges against Marion Barry have been dropped a Washington Newspaper, The Washington - City Paper is still degrading former Washington, DC Mayor Marion Barry. But then again, is he degrading himself? Check out the front page of the Washington City Paper.



And they consider themselves a newspaper? Now everyone on the internet, including, the Huffington Post are reporting how Marion Barry threw his girlfriend out of a hotel room for refusing oral sex.

Get this, The Washington City Papers' Web Servers has been under strain after the Marion Sex Barry Tapes emerged.

Local media outlets like WUSA9.com and the Washington Post.com are covering the story. The Salon.com is also reporting on how Marion Barry can't keep his nose clean.

The blog, Wonkette says, Marion Barry's Life Continues To Be Gross Public Joke.

The $420 Billion Dollar Black Church Rip Off - Black Pulpit Pimps

There should be no question that the black community is full of Pulpit Pimps. and it looks like black folks have been giving there hard earned money away to these Pulpit Pimps.

Hat Tip: OregonSistah for the link.



A number of bloggers have been following these Pulpit Pimps for some time. Now we learn from The Harlem World Blog that a LiveSteez Investigative Report on the Black Church shows that Black churches, in aggregate, have collected more than $420 billion in tithes and donations since 1980.

As noted by The Harlem World Blog, with a Senate investigation into the finances of several mega churches underway, the “Prosperity Movement” has been the target of mounting criticism from inside and outside the Black Church. Specifically, the affluent ministries of The Reverend Creflo Dollar, Bishop Eddie Long and others have drawn the attention – and ire – of some clergy and laypeople alike.

Researcher Henry E. Felder’s study of Blacks’ donation habits demonstrated per capita spending of $508 per year in 2009 dollars. Another source, Tyler Media Services, estimated that Black Church revenue approached $17 billion in 2006.

One church, the Reverend Dollar’s World Changers, reported $69 million in 2006 income, according to the Atlanta Journal Constitution. More HERE

AAPP: Has the black community really benefited from the $420 Billion Dollar Black Church Rip Off? Just look around in black communities across America and you decide.

Attorney's Rip Off The Jackson Family - Get Control of Michael Jackson Assets

As reported by CNN, Executors of Jackson's will get control of his assets. Get this, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted control of Jackson's assets to the executors of his will. The executors -- John Branca, Jackson's longtime personal attorney, and John McClain, a music industry executive and longtime friend -- had sought immediate control of the entertainer's assets at a hearing before Judge Mitchell Beckloff. The men said control of the assets would allow them to tend to Jackson's numerous outstanding debts, legal cases and business obligations.
The judge appointed the men special administrators until another hearing on August 3.

He said they will be responsible for protecting the estate from immediate losses.

AAPP: My thought is this. These two attorney's may have conspired with the doctor to kill Michael so that they could take control Michael Jackson assets. Another effort to steal black wealth.

Attorneys for Michael Jackson's mother repeatedly objected to their appointment at Monday's court hearing. Get this, these two con men said, "It's our desire to do everything we can to carry out Michael Jackson's wishes and to maximize the estate," said Howard Weitzman, who spoke after the hearing on behalf of Branca. Weitzman issued a statement later calling the judge's ruling "the correct decision."

The fact of the matter is MJ's mother, Katherine Jackson, had applied to oversee her son's estate, but that was before the 2002 will all of a sudden surfaced. Her attorney, Burt Levitch, expressed concerns about McClain and Branca's financial leadership. oops... there goes more black wealth out of the hands of a black family. Well, lets hope the Jackson's don't allow this to happen.

Was Michael Jackson Killed Like MLK and Malcolm X?

Some people are saying the music of Michael Jackson was becoming too powerful. Michael Jackson may have been killed, Like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. As an example the prison version for Michael Jackson’s music video “They Don’t Really Care About Us” was banned before the video because Michael said ‘jew me sue me’ and ‘kike me, strike me’ and media took off those words.


What do you think?



Michael Jackson-They don't care about us(Prison Version) Don't watch it if you don't like Mj. Songtext: Skinhead,deadhead Everybody gone bad Situation aggravation Everybody allegation in the suite, on the news everybody dogfood Bang bang shot dead Everybodys gone mad All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us Beat me, hate me You can never break me Will me, thrill me You can never kill me Chew me, sue me Everybody do me Kick me kike me Dont you black or white me! All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us Tell me what has become of my life I have a wife and two children who love me I am the victim of police brutality,now Im tired of bein the victim of hate,youre rapin me of my pride Oh for Gods sake I look to heaven to ful- fill its prophecy... Set me free Skinhead,deadhead Everybody gone bad Trepidation,speculation Everybody allagation In the suite on the news Everybody dogfood Black man black male Throw the brother in jail All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us Tell me what has become of my rights Am I ivisible 'cause you ignore me? Your proclamation promised me free liberty now Im tired of bein the victim of shame They're throwinme in a class with a bad name I cant believe this is the land from which I came The government dont wanna see, but if Roosevelt was livin he wouldt let this be, no,no Skinhead,deadhead Everybody gone bad Situation,specultaion Everybody litigarion Beat me,bash me You can never trash me Hit me,kick me You can never get me All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us Some things in life they just dont wanna see But if Martin Luther was livin,he wouldnt let this be no,no Skinhead,deadhead Everybodys gone bad Situation Segregarion Everybody allagation In the suite on the news Everybody dogfood kick me,Kike me Dont you wrong or right me All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us All I wanna say is that They dont really care about us....

Assault on Black Women - Tasered While Black After her toddler Murdered

The Blog Tasered While Black has been following the Tasering of Black folks in America and Canada for some time. This blog and bloggers like Villager at Electronic Village, and Francis Holland at Electrocuted While Black have been been tracking the tasing of black folks for some time as well.



Get this, as reported by ther newspaper NOLA, back in April 2009, The mother of Four Overstreet grew irate with authorities when she arrived at the Monterey Court apartment where the rampage happened before 4 a.m. Saturday. When she got physical, deputies stunned her to bring the situation under control, Col. John Fortunato said.

There is more:

Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Office released the names of two other people killed in the brazen shooting, a teenage mother and her toddler son. An 11-year-old girl who was critically wounded hasn't yet been identified.

The dead mother was 19-year-old Domonique Sterling, Fortunato said. Her 23-month-old son was named Robert Claiborne Jr.

Sterling is said to have been babysitting Four Overstreet and the girl who survived the attack.

The incident happened around 3:43 a.m. in the 900 block of East Monterey Court, Fortunato said.

Authorities believe two unidentified men entered an apartment in the area and "executed" Sterling and baby Robert, he said. Wielding handguns, the men also shot young Four and the 11-year old girl in the home.

Four died at the hospital from a gunshot wound to the head.

Robert was also shot in the head. Sterling was shot in the back, and the 11-year-old suffered multiple gunshot wounds to the body, Fortunato said.

Fortunato said witnesses told authorities that two men dressed in dark clothing kicked in the door and began firing. The teenager was found lying on the floor in the living room, while the two deceased children were found in a rear bedroom. Authorities also located crack cocaine and marijuana in the apartment.

One of the suspects, said to be in his 20s, wore a red bandana over his face, a black baseball cap and a dark hooded sweatshirt. MORE HERE

It's time to have Congressional Taser Hearings into Taser Torture in America. Sign the petition HERE.

Place a Congressional Taser Hearings Widget on your blog.

DID ISRAEL ATTACKS JUSTICE BOAT; KIDNAPS HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS; CONFISCATES MEDICINE, TOYS AND OLIVE TREES

The haters at Fox News are saying - Cynthia Mckinney Does it Again, yet organization, ww.FreeGaza.org reports reports the Israeli Occupation Forces attacked and boarded the Free Gaza Movement boat, the SPIRIT OF HUMANITY, abducting 21 human rights workers from 11 countries, including Noble laureate Mairead Maguire and former U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney (see below for a complete list of passengers). The passengers and crew are being forcibly dragged toward Israel.

AAPP: oops, even the Washington Post is getting into the "Where Are They Now: Cynthia McKinney Strikes Again" dogma. I wonder whey there is so much hate towards former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney? At least the Green Party is following how a fiormer Congresswoman was detained.



“This is an outrageous violation of international law against us. Our boat was not in Israeli waters, and we were on a human rights mission to the Gaza Strip,” said Cynthia McKinney, a former U.S. Congresswoman and presidential candidate. “President Obama just told Israel to let in humanitarian and reconstruction supplies, and that’s exactly what we tried to do. We're asking the international community to demand our release so we can resume our journey.”

According to an International Committee of the Red Cross report released yesterday, the Palestinians living in Gaza are “trapped in despair.” Thousands of Gazans whose homes were destroyed earlier during Israel ’s December/January massacre are still without shelter despite pledges of almost $4.5 billion in aid, because Israel refuses to allow cement and other building material into the Gaza Strip. The report also notes that hospitals are struggling to meet the needs of their patients due to Israel ’s disruption of medical supplies.

“The aid we were carrying is a symbol of hope for the people of Gaza , hope that the sea route would open for them, and they would be able to transport their own materials to begin to reconstruct the schools, hospitals and thousands of homes destroyed during the onslaught of "Cast Lead”. Our mission is a gesture to the people of Gaza that we stand by them and that they are not alone" said fellow passenger Mairead Maguire, winner of a Noble Peace Prize for her work in Northern Ireland .

Just before being kidnapped by Israel , Huwaida Arraf, Free Gaza Movement chairperson and delegation co-coordinator on this voyage, stated that: “No one could possibly believe that our small boat constitutes any sort of threat to Israel . We carry medical and reconstruction supplies, and children’s toys. Our passengers include a Nobel peace prize laureate and a former U.S. congressperson. Our boat was searched and received a security clearance by Cypriot Port Authorities before we departed, and at no time did we ever approach Israeli waters.”

Quitter and Rambler Sarah Palin Stepping Down

I was just watching the "they don't care about us "video by Michael Jackson, then I here about Gov. Palin stepping down as Gov. of Alaska. I guess Fox News must be hiring the rambling Gov.



Yes, in a rambling speech Sarah Palin said she plans to resign as governor of Alaska in a few weeks, KTUU-TV reported Friday. Palin, the Republican vice presidential candidate in 2008, made the announcement at her home Friday morning, the station said. Lt. Gov. Sean Parnell will take over at the end of the month, KTUU reported. More HERE

Get this, 'She didn't take any questions,' in making the announcement in Alaska. 'She did say in her speech that she feels she can be more effective working outside of government'. Get this, Palin said her decision came after much 'prayer and consideration'. She said she did not want to waste time on 'political blood sport' and cited public criticism of her actions and her family since the 2008 campaign.

AAPP: This is so bogus, maybe her daughter is having another baby, or maybe she had an out of marraige relatioship, like so many other Governor's or maybe Palin wants Micheal Steele's job? But, then again, she just don't care about the folks in Alaska, or for that matter, she just don't care about...

Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service announced

The Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service will take place on Tuesday, July 7, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. at STAPLES Center in downtown Los Angeles, California and simulcast inside to Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE across the street. A limited number of free tickets to both venues will be made available for Michael Jackson's fans to attend.

Due to the expected overwhelming demand, the following procedures have been set to accommodate registration for the tickets. Please note that by registering for tickets to attend the Public Memorial Service, it does NOT guarantee the registrant tickets.

The opportunity to register for tickets begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Friday, July 3, 2009 and ends at 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time on Saturday, July 4, 2009.

You can register to receive two tickets, that will be randomly distributed for either STAPLES Center or Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE to attend the Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service. Only one entry per individual will be accepted. Registering to attend the Public Memorial Service is NOT a guarantee of tickets. Two tickets will be issued to each randomly selected attendee. Offer valid to residents of the United States only. More HERE

Diprivan Found In House - Michael Jackson May Have Been Murdered

Law enforcement sources have told ABC News they discovered the powerful sedative propofol in the home where pop icon Michael Jackson's suffered a fatal cardiac arrest last month.

The drug was just one of many among the pharmacopeia found in his Holmby Hills home. Officials have previously said that they believe the star was addicted to a daily dose of the pain medications OxyContin and Demerol and that Jackson was injected with Demerol shortly before his death June 25. More HERE The Powerful sedative found in Michael Jackson's home.

AEG Video of last Michael Jackson Concert - Michael Jackson rehearsal video NEW RELEASE 6 - 23 Staples Center AEG Live "This Is It" concert

Obama Fights For Gay Rights while Blacks Get Ethnic Cleansing of Core Cities

I'm a supporter of both gay and Black rights, but not the type of gay rights that would cause a gay Duke U. official to attempts to sell Black 5-Year-Old Son for Sex.

I just don't get how President Barack Obama is so willing to reassure gays in an outreach to gay rights groups, but he has failed to outreach to his own African American communities across America regarding black ethnic cleansing of core cities in America. The gay community is quick to bemoan the White House and now, as reported by Washington Post writer Richard Shear writes, President Obama opened the doors of the White House to hundreds of gay and lesbian leaders yesterday, continuing his cautious outreach to a constituency that has loudly criticized his efforts on its behalf. I guess the afrospear blogger Asabagna is right to ask the question is Gay the new Black!?

In an event in the East Room marking the 40th anniversary of the riots surrounding New York's Stonewall Inn, where gay patrons rose up against a police raid in Greenwich Village, Obama sought to reassure guests that he had not abandoned the issues important to them. He also drew a parallel between the progress gays and lesbians have made in recent decades and the struggles of black Americans to win equality.

"The truth is, when these folks protested at Stonewall 40 years ago, no one could have imagined that you or, for that matter, I would be standing here today," Obama said, promising to continue to push to overturn several laws that are anathema to gay activists. More HERE

AAPP says: It seems that many gays have forgetten the Bush years and now want to hate on Obama for inaction. It's interesting the President has not opened the doors of the White House to hundreds of the new crop of black leaders and black bloggers who have also been "concerned"of his efforts on its behalf.

As an example many black bloggers and black leaders have been concerned with the up-surge of hate crimes in America, the lack of a Marshall Plan for Black American urban core, and the ethnic cleansing or re-gentrification of black communities across America. I'm concerned like many others about Barack's Charter Schools failed bi-partisan policy. I have also been concerned with the emerging political and domestic terrorism against blacks and jews. The fact of the matter is Black folks think race relations have gotten worse since Obama took office. There are some bloggers who wonder out loud if, after six months, is President Barack Obama good for Black people? Judging from some black bloggers, Obama Gets an "F" from Black Agenda Report.

oops... How dare the Black Agenda Report and other bloggers talk about these issues, we are suppose to let Black rights just slip away... Right? Well at least the hookers are not bowing to gentrification.

BET Tribute and Awards Sucked!

Viacom's BET awards last night really sucked! The nearly four-hour show stunk from the first act of the New Edition butchering up the songs "ABC" and "The Love You Save." The host Jamie Foxx seemed to be off tempo the whole night. Well he did do a good job with a Micheal Jackson song with Ne-Yo.


Michael Jackson's father, Joe Jackson, sat in the front row, as bogus half ass tributes were made with bogus lines like, "This is to you, Michael."

Thank God Janet was present to pay tribute to her brother. Janet Jackson broke her silence about her brother's death, making a dramatic appearance at the close of Sunday night's BET Awards. She said, "To you, Michael is an icon. To us, Michael is family," Janet Jackson said, her face quivering with emotion. "And he will forever live in all of our hearts."Read more: HERE

AAPP: If her and her family were expecting a high-end tribute from BET, they were unfortunately disappointed.

The folks at MTV (also owned by Viacom) also loved the BET program. Surprise!

Jena 6 Are Free!

Finally, true justice for the Jena 6! It's been a long time since our first jena 6 - day of blogging for justice. But, it was was all worth it, the momentum had built for many years. Now, as reported by blogger, Electronic Village: Jena 6 are Free.

Bloggers like Francis L. Holland, Sylvia, Yobachi, Shawn Williams, Bronze Trinity, Pam, Brandon, DP, Vanessa, thin Black Duke, AverageBro, Reidblog and so many afro spear bloggers, should be celebrating a long journey to free these brothers. Let's not forget Howard Witt over at the Chicago Tribune who has written extensively on the Jena 6.

No black-and-white answers
Plea deal arranged for teen in Jena 6
News media win suit to open Jena 6 case
Judge says he'll open Jena trial to public
Questions about Jena case funds
Tribune, other media firms file motion to end Jena trial secrecy
House panel demands answers in Jena case
Jena 6 teen's return to jail draws queries
Jena 6 defendant out of jail
White supremacist backlash builds over Jena case
Jena 6 teen is denied release
Protesters pack racially tense town

For marchers, destination Jena
Blogs help drive Jena protest
Appeals court overturns 'Jena 6' conviction
Part of 'Jena 6' conviction dropped; charges reduced
Louisiana teen guilty in school beating case
Charge reduced in 'Jena 6' case
Racial demons rear heads

Let us not forget the many Bloggers who helped drive Jena protest. Hey, and how about the groups The Color of Change, and The Friends of Justice. Congratulations! There were also newspapers like the Chicago Sun Times who covered the issue too.

JENA, La. —- Five members of the Jena Six pleaded no contest Friday to misdemeanor simple battery and won’t serve jail time, ending a case that thrust a small Louisiana town into the national spotlight and sparked a massive civil rights demonstration.

The five, standing quietly surrounded by their lawyers, were sentenced to seven days unsupervised probation and fined $500. It was a far less severe end to their cases than seemed possible when the six students were initially charged with attempted murder in the 2006 attack on Justin Barker, a white classmate. They became known as the “Jena Six,” after the central Louisiana town where the beating happened.

As part of the deal, one of the attorneys read a statement from the five defendants —- all of whom are black —- in which they said they knew of nothing Barker had done to provoke the attack.

“To be clear, not one of us heard Justin use any slur or say anything that justified Mychal Bell attacking Justin nor did any of us see Justin do anything that would cause Mychal to react,” the statement said.

By pleading no contest, the five do not admit guilt but acknowledge prosecutors had enough evidence for a conviction.

Charges against Carwin Jones, Jesse Ray Beard, Robert Bailey Jr., Bryant Purvis and Theo Shaw had previously been reduced from attempted murder to aggravated second-degree battery.

The only member of the group to serve jail time was Bell, who pleaded guilty in December 2007 to second-degree battery and was sentenced to 18 months. More HERE

AAPP It's not over yet folks. As many of us have pointed out on many ocassions, black folks are getting tasered to death in America.

Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop - Dead at 50

Michael Jackson has died - Call 911... he's not breathing...

Oh My God, as reported by Reuters news service - Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing but whose musical genius was overshadowed by a bizarre lifestyle and sex scandals, died on Thursday. He was 50.

Jackson was pronounced dead at about 2:26 p.m. PDT (5:26 EDT) after arriving at a Los Angeles hospital in full cardiac arrest, said Fred Corral of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. The cause of death was not known and an autopsy would likely take place on Friday, he said.

Jackson's sudden death had been reported earlier by U.S. media, which said he was taken ill at his home and rushed to the hospital by paramedics who found him not breathing when they arrived.

Known as the "King of Pop," for hits that included "Thriller" and "Billie Jean," Jackson's dramatic, one-gloved stage presence and innovative dance moves were imitated by legions of fans around the world.

He transformed music videos and his lifetime record sales tally is believed to be around 750 million, which, added to the 13 Grammy Awards he received, made him one of the most successful entertainers of all time.

But Jackson's belief that "I am Peter Pan in my heart", his preference for the company of children, his friendship with a chimp, his high-pitched voice and numerous plastic surgeries also earned him critics and the nickname "Wacko Jacko."

Jackson, who had lived as a virtual recluse since his acquittal in 2005 on charges of child molestation, had been scheduled to launch a comeback tour from London next month.

Quincy Jones, who helped arrange the music on the album "Thriller" and produced the "Off the Wall" album, told MSNBC: "I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news."

"For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don't have the words. I've lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him."

SOLD-OUT SHOWS

Jackson had been due to start a series of concerts in London on July 13 running until March 2010. The singer had been rehearsing in the Los Angeles area for the past two months. The shows for the 50 London concerts sold out within minutes of going on sale in March. People from Africa and around the world are paying tribute to the King of Pop.

"Rarely has the world received a gift with the magnitude of artistry, talent, and vision as Michael Jackson," said Neil Portnow, president and CEO of The Recording Academy in a statement.

Apology For Slavery?

Cynthia Gordy writes a great article on Essence OnLine regarding the U.S. Senate's bogus apology for slavery.

Photo, Congresswoman Maxine Waters

Cynthia Gordy writes: With a unanimous vote last week, the United States Senate passed a resolution formally apologizing for the enslavement and segregations of African-Americans. The strongly-worded resolution, which comes 144 years after the Civil War and 45 years after the Civil Rights Act, describes "the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws," and states that Congress "apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors." It now moves to the House.

Speaking from the Senate floor about the apology, Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa, who first introduced the resolution, remarked that former presidents have acknowledged slavery. While traveling in Uganda, President Bill Clinton expressed regret for America's role in the slave trade, and President George W. Bush called it "one of the great crimes of history" when he visited Goree Island off the coast of Senegal. "Yet, this Congress has never offered a formal apology for slavery and Jim Crow, and it's long past due," Harkin said. "A national apology by the representative body of the people is a necessary collective response to a past collective injustice."

The resolution ends, though, with a disclaimer saying that it does not support or authorize any claim against the United States. In other words: We're sorry. But that doesn't mean you're going to get anything for it. It's a stipulation that has concerned some African-American lawmakers in the House of Represenatatives.

"I think that was unnecessary as part of the Senate resolution," says Congressman William Lacy Clay, who says he otherwise welcomes the gesture. "But I understand the politics of it. The way they were able to get it voted through the Senate was to have that disclaimer so that anyone, with guilt on their conscience, could not object."

Congresswoman Maxine Waters holds a similar outlook. "There is some discomfort with the disclaimer provision in the Senate resolution," she says, but adds that she's confident that it does not rule out pending reparations efforts, such as Congressman John Conyers's proposal for a commission to study reparation proposals for African-Americans. "In short, this is an apology bill and not a reparations bill."

There is, however, a historic precedent to reparations paid by the U.S. government. The 1988 Congressional apology to Japanese-Americans for internment during World War II, for example, was followed by about $1.6 billion in reparations that were given to victims of internment and their heirs. The government has also paid reparations to some of descendants of Native Americans. So, is an apology to African-Americans without accountability enough? Read More HERE

Let' talk about this issue on AA Political Pundit's Political Slugfest on BlogTalkRadio.

Black Preachers Question Tasering and Killing of Black Man

Another black man dies, as police cover up wrongful death by saying a black man pulled a stolen gun and pointed it after being shocked by a Taser and falling to the ground.

According to the Associated Baptist Press, Black Baptist preachers in Jacksonville, Fla., are calling for an independent investigation into a rash of recent shootings by police.

The call follows the June 15 fatal shooting of 24-year-old Kiko Battle by two-off duty officers who stopped him for questioning while he was walking down the street not far from his home. Local media said it was Jacksonville's eighth police-involved shooting of 2009 and the fifth fatality.

"We just want the killing to stop," Edward Preston, president of Baptist Ministers Conference, said in comments aired on local TV news broadcasts. "There have been too many killings, and it's time to bring it to an end."

Police said Battle was a dangerous felon who pulled a stolen gun and pointed it after being shocked by a Taser and falling to the ground. Afterward they say he got up and started to flee by climbing over a fence.

Battle's grandmother gave a different account. Ruth Sanders, 70, told the Florida Times-Union moments after he left her house she received a call from a neighbor saying her grandson was being shocked.

Sanders said she ran to the corner before shots were fired and could not see Battle because he was lying on the ground. She said she cried out to the officers begging them not to shoot.

Family members told the newspaper there was no reason to shoot Battle nine times after he had already been subdued.

Family members also questioned why police were bothering a young black man walking down the street in his own neighborhood in broad daylight. "It means everyone who was walking in the street was suspicious," said Wallace Eberhart, an uncle. More HERE

Mr. Lucas, I hope you get to Trenton.

"I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing...."

We can't always tip toe around it.

I thought black folks couldn't swim. Why are you Negroes going to the pool in the first place?

The power of the booty.

We didn't even get a chance to miss you.

I have been thinking about a few things today.

What's in a name?

Duke revisited: Or maybe not.

A BLINGNUT RANT.

The Florida State Conference NAACP leads fight to change negative impact of Zero Tolerance Policy on Black and Minority children in the State of Florida

Guest Posted by Leon Russell and Adora Obi Nweze


In 2005 and 2006, the Florida State Conference of the NAACP along with the Advancement Project and the NAACP LDF saw stories about a five year old girl being arrested at her elementary school by the St. Petersburg Police Department

As a result, the organizations became concerned about the issue of juveniles and their treatment by the local school districts.

Together the three organiozations conducted Town Hall meetings in six school districts around the state of Florida. Those districts were Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Duval, Hillsborough, and Pinellas Counties. The results of those meetings were outlined in a document called "Arresting Development".

The findings outlined several issues including the fact Black and Hispanic students were being disproportionately subjected to disciplinary action based on the application of Zero Tolerance policies, which had been created as the result of a state law on the subject. Further, the school district's administration of these policies was directly resulting in a disproportionately high number of Black and Hispanic students being introduced to the Juvenile Justice System. Indirectly, there was a drastic negative impact on graduation rates for Black and Hispanic students statewide because of the negative impact of these policies.

Based on these findings, the State Conference, the Advancement Project, and the NAACP LDF began to work with school districts to modify their policies and to work with the Florida State Legislature to change the law in order to reduce the negative disproportionate impact.

While this work was going on, the Governor named the Blueprint Commission on Juvenile Justice reform and directed the Commission to conduct a series of hearings throughout the state aimed at identifying recommedations for changes to improve the way that Florida's Department of Juvenile Justice deals with children in the system. The Blueprint Commission developed 52 strong recommendations which included the need to modify the application of the State Zero Tolerance policy. The Florida State Conference was represented on the Commission and was involved in crafting the Commission's recommendations.

The NAACP worked with stakeholders such as the Blueprint Commission, State Legislators, and other organizations to bring about specific legislative reform. In April of 2009, the Florida State Legislature adopted a reform bill modifying the Zero Tolerance statute and requiring each school district to develop and implement new policies designed to reduce the number of students suspended, expelled and referred to law enforcement. The intent of the legislation is to eliminate the racial disparities in the application of the policy, reduce the rates of Disproportionate Minority Contact (DMC) with law enforcement, and ultimately to increase the Graduation Rates among Florida Students.

We're off to the Convention!

5 members of the Wichita Branch NAACP and two members of the Wichita Branch Youth Council are heading off to New York for the NAACP Centennial Celebration and Convention. I will be blogging from the convention and I plan to post all of the proposed resolutions and policies just as soon as I get settled.

NAACP At 100: Needed Now More than Ever

by Dr. Ronald Walters
NNPA Columnist
Originally posted 7/8/2009

I admit that, like most of us, I am an NAACP baby. Born in the struggle to desegregate the Dockum Drug Store in Wichita, Kansas in 1958 two years before the Greensboro sit-in, as a leader of the NAACP Youth Council. Over the years, as a political analysts, I have been asked whether the organization “is still relevant.” On its 100th birthday, I am clear that it is still relevant, even though we have a Black president sitting in the White House, because I know that at some point, they will have to use their access to that House to ask President Obama to do something for Black folks.

Whether he responds is a different story, but to be in the position to make the demand is important because in 2009 we are still not yet free. Well, some of us believe that we are free because we have achieved the material trappings of success. But I remember billionaire Bob Johnson wanting to start up an airline only to have mysterious problems and I remember his wife, Sheila, also a billionaire, having problems opening up a spa in hunt country, Virginia. But most of all I remember Michael Jackson in this hour, a heroic but also a tragic figure who eventually became a captive of the success he engendered to the point that it killed him. In all of his success, because of the lack of a normal upbringing and a distorted cultural self-image, even Michael was not free.

In this economic recession, I most often wonder about those who were broke and busted before it began; they are now at the back of the line once again, facing the prospect of having to start the game of life way back behind the newly poor, the newly unemployed, and the newly un-housed. With an unemployment rate approaching 20 percent, many Blacks will have to climb a long way back to achieve economic parity with the rest of the nation.

Then, those in our community who were attracted by subprime mortgages because they didn’t quite have the standard resources are, in many cases, worse off now and will be for some time to come. I worry about the tortuous fight for health care and the fact that Blacks constitute 20 percent of the 47 million uninsured and whether the eventual plan will retain a mandate for employers to insure workers. Moreover, since George Bush didn’t do anything to help close the health care gaps, what will there be in a generalized health care program that has special relevance to blacks.

I also worry about the state of public education for the working class and whether they will be able to obtain jobs in an economy that is growing more technologically sophisticated. We are bailing out on public education with no clear strategy in mind except charter schools that do not serve the masses.

Who will carry the fight to achieve the unfinished business of equality in these and other sectors of American life? Of course, there will be Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson and others who are vitally needed to raise questions that others – sometimes even the NAACP – won’t, or may be late getting to. But there is no substitute in my mind for the fact that over the years the NAACP has built the institutional image and local strength to continue to be a major resource in whatever battles rage.

I mention the locals because I always have to remind journalists who ask the question of relevance – “which NAACP are you talking about?” Many of the questions have come because of problems at the National office, but the work of the organization predominantly takes place in cities and hamlets where leaders, like Kevin Myles of Wichita, Kansas (who has won two consecutive Thalheimer Awards for chapter excellence) create innovative programs that serve youth and maintain challenges to racial discrimination for adults.

This is the place where local citizens cry out for help and although most of the calls, letter and emails never seen by National, this chapter system constitutes the core of the vibrancy and the ser vice of the organization.

The National office is important because it serves politics and policy and many of the problems I have referred to need policy solutions and even when the NAACP may not be the prime sponsor of a measure, legislators check with Hillary Shelton, the organization’s expert on the Hill, to see if the language of a bill makes sense. That office also produces a Report Card that acts as a standard of accountability for votes in the House and Senate on issues that are favorable to African-Americans. It is a useful resource when it comes times for citizens to vote, or for some of us to analyze a political record.

So, I want to send a hearty “Happy Birthday” to the NAACP and cudos to its new President Ben Jealous who is bringing the kind of fire I believed that he would in igniting a new generation of leadership for the organization.

But the “relevance” of the organization is vested in our continued lack of equality and so, we will need the NAACP for a long, long time.

Ronald Walters is Professor Emeritus at the University of Maryland College Park.

The State of California develops a sure-fire plan to eliminate the Academic Achievement Gap -- by Eliminating the Tests!?!?

The folks over at New America Media have reported that the California legislative budget conference committee met on June 16th to look for cost cutting measures. Unbelievably, what they proposed was a measure to suspend the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) as a graduation requirement!

The CAHSEE, which was authorized by Senate Bill 2 in 1999 as part of the state’s public school accountability program, made passing the CAHSEE a requirement for students to graduate from high school. The exam is divided into two sections: language arts (reading and writing) and mathematics. Based on the state’s Academic Content Standards, passing CAHSEE requires 10th grade language skills and mathematics aptitude through Algebra I (now an 8th grade requirement). Sophomores who take the test have eight opportunities to pass both sections; if they pass one section, they do not have to take that section again.

We have stated previously here on the blog that Testing and Measurement are not adequate substitutes for educational reform, yet it is clear that tests like the CAHSEE do provide a measure of accountability that is absolutely essential. And while the economic issues facing the State of California are both grave and complex, clearly, trimming the budget by reducing educational accountability is NOT a good solution. What do YOU think?

NAACP Launches a New-Media National "Rapid Response System" to Help Citizens Report Police Misconduct

The initiative includes a bold new online effort, the NAACP Rapid Response System (RRS); a quick, effective way for citizens to report instances of police misconduct, and to help public safety officials move beyond the “tough on crime” policies that have lost their effectiveness.

The Rapid Response System will be available starting July 6, through the NAACP website (www.naacp.org). The user-friendly online RRS form will allow residents to send instant texts, emails, or video reports of police abuse to the association via cell phone.

Benjamin Jealous, President and CEO of the NAACP, said the initiative is part of a wider Criminal Justice strategy called "Smart and Safe,” that the NAACP will be launching during its Centennial Year.

“Nationwide, more than 26,000 citizen complaints of police officer use of force were filed with state and local law enforcement agencies in 2002. However, because many incidents are not reported, this number does not capture the full magnitude of the problem,” Jealous said.

“Research has shown that there are many barriers to reporting incidents of police misconduct, including intimidation at police departments and a lack of trust in the integrity of the system, among other reasons. This breakdown leads to an absence of public safety and a deterioration of the quality of life in many communities of color. But public safety is a civil and a human right; and so we want a more accurate count of these incidents,” Jealous said.

"We know that most of police officers around the nation are excellent public servants. But the few who violate people's rights are often not held accountable. We hope to improve the relationship between our community and law enforcement officers -- which is the best way to create the trust needed for police to effectively solve crimes," Jealous said.

The Rapid Response System will be demonstrated for attendees at the NAACP Centennial Convention July 11-16th at the New York Hilton. More information on the full Convention schedule is available at www.naacp.org.

The NAACP supports the "Democracy Restoration Act" Voter Re-Enfranchisement for rehabilitated felony offenders

The Issue:
Almost 4 million Americans, or 1 in 50 American adults, are not allowed to vote because they have been convicted of a felony, regardless of the nature or seriousness of the offense. Three fourths of these Americans are no longer in jail. 13% of African American males – 1.4 million – are prohibited from voting.

Furthermore, state laws vary when it comes to defining a felony and in determining if people who are no longer incarcerated can vote. Thus it is possible that in some states, a person can lose their right to vote forever if he or she writes one bad check. Furthermore, the process to regain one’s right to vote in any state is often difficult and cumbersome. Most states require specific gubernatorial action, and in 16 states federal ex-felons need a presidential pardon to regain their voting rights.

The “war on drugs” has had a disproportionate impact on African Americans; between 1985 and 1995, there was a 707% increase in the number of African Americans in state prison for a drug offense, compared to a 306% increase for whites over the same period. Thus African Americans are disproportionately losing their right to vote, even after they have paid their debt to society.

Because voting is such an integral part of being a productive member of American society, the NAACP has worked closely with other like-minded groups to develop legislation that would allow felons who are no longer incarcerated to reintegrate themselves into society and vote in federal elections. Congressman John Conyers (MI) and Senator Russ Feingold (WI) are expected to reintroduce legislation (the “Democracy Restoration Act”) re-enfranchising ex-felony offenders once they are released from prison as early as July. Furthermore, re-enfranchisement for rehabilitated felony offenders may be part of the continuing election reform package also to be considered later in the 111th Congress.

Click HERE for the Action we need you to take

President Obama marks the 45th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act: But safeguarding its protections will require work and not words

"Forty-five years ago today, President Johnson signed into law historic legislation that moved America closer toward fulfilling the dream of our founding – a dream of opportunity, equality, and justice for all. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended legal discrimination, helping grant all Americans equal justice under the law – no matter what their gender or the color of their skin.

"The Civil Rights Act was born during Freedom Summer 1963, but its passage was only possible because generations of Americans of all backgrounds stood up, sat down, and marched in freedom’s cause. Once it was signed into law, a renewed pledge was made to all Americans not to deny any man a seat at a lunch counter, not to deny any woman an opportunity in the workplace, and not to deny any child a chance to make the most of their God-given potential.

"But while the Civil Rights Act opened doors of freedom and opportunity, we know that far too many inequities and barriers remain in the African-American community and across this country. And we must continue to break down these barriers in our laws, our policies, and our hearts so that we can not only fulfill the full promise of the Civil Rights Act, but perfect the union that our founders created two hundred and thirty-three years ago this week."

~ President Barack Obama

As can now be expected, the President has delivered an eloquent and timely statement marking the anniversary of this important event in our history. The passage of the Civil Rights Act was a watershed moment in the struggle for equality and social justice. It was the culmination of countless protest marches, boycotts, demonstrations, rallies, prayers, songs, and dreams. But now we must ask ourselves; 45 years since the passage of the landmark Civil Rights Act, what remains of the promises and protections it once offered?

The protections afforded by the Civil Rights act have been under assault from hostile Judges and Courts, eroded by judicial decisions and interpretations carrying the force of law, and by the radical re-visioning of post-racial delusions.

Activist Judges:
In 1972, just 8 years after Senator Robert Byrd's 15 hour floor speech to prevent the passage of the Act, William Rehnquist was appointed to the Supreme Court. Rehnquist was a former Law Clerk who had fought against equal accommodations in his home city of Phoenix and who would distinguish himself with memorandums arguing against Brown v Board, defending the doctrine of Separate but Equal, referring to the 'search' for discrimination as "pathological", stating that the majority may in fact withhold rights from the minority because the majority ultimately determines the rights of the minority, and claiming that the 14th amendment dealt only with slavery and was in fact misapplied when used to grant basic rights to all citizens. Rehnquist went on to rule against African American and Hispanic litigants in almost every case he heard in his 33 years on the Supreme Court.

Radical Decisions and Legal Interpretations
In 1979, Lilly Ledbetter went to work at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber company in Gadson, Alabama. While she and her male counterparts stared at the same pay, through a process of annual 'merit' increases, a disparity between her rate of compensation and that of her male coworkers appeared and began to grow. By 1998, she was making roughly $6,000 less than the lowest paid man. Ms. Ledbetter filed suit alleging discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act but her claim was ultimately denied by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court took the position that a claim of pay discrimination on the basis of race or gender would have to be filed with the courts within 180 days of the original act (meaning that since she didn't file her claim back in '79, within the 6 months following the first evaluation wherein she was rated lower than her male co-workers, then her statute of limitations had expired and her claim was no longer valid). This despite the fact that the disparities in evaluations continued throughout her career and she continued to be paid at the discriminatory rate. In 2007, Congress introduced the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to restore the intent of the Civil Rights Act and to reinstate the "Paycheck Accrual" interpretation - that each paycheck paid at a discriminatory rate constitutes an act of discrimination each with a fresh statute of limitations. The bill, facing the threat of a Presidential Veto by then President George W. Bush and opposition from Presidential candidate John McCain, was defeated in 2008 through filibuster and cloture. It was reintroduced in the 111th congress and was the first bill signed into law by President Obama.

"Similarly Situated" - the establishment of impossible burdens
In 2000, April Clark filed a claim of discrimination against the US Postal Service. The case (known as Clark v Runyon) was originally found in favor of the USPS then appealed. In the appeal, April Clark waived her right to a jury and the case proceeded as a bench trial. The Judge in this case did not dismiss the claim under summary judgment but went on to rule that April Clark failed to establish a prima facie case of discrimination. In order to establish a prima facie case of racial discrimination, the plaintiff must show that she 1) was a member of a protected group, 2) was meeting the legitimate expectations of her employer, 3) suffered an adverse employment action, and 4) that similarly situated employees, who are not members of the protected group were treated differently. In this case, the Judge ruled that the April Clark had the burden of demonstrating that there were individuals similarly situated in all relevant aspects to her by a preponderance of the evidence. Specifically, the individuals used for comparison had to have dealt with the same supervisor, have been subject to the same standards, and engaged in the same conduct without any mitigating or distinguishing circumstances. And that in this case, there were no employees who were similarly situated.

In 2004, Otha Wheeler filed a claim of discrimination against Aventis Pharmaceuticals. She was terminated after claims that she had inappropriately toughed the genitalia of several male co-workers during 'horseplay'. While this fact was uncontested, Ms. Wheeler later noted that multiple employees engaged in this type of horseplay including one white male co-worker (Joe Harrell) who had touched the breasts and buttocks of several female co-workers and had been known to do so for more than a year, and a white female employee (Toni Conrad) who exposed her breasts to her co-workers while on the job. Mr. Harrell, the male employee who had touched the buttocks and breasts of his female co-workers, was eventually terminated (approximately a year after Otha Wheeler's termination and after Ms Wheeler's initial claim of discrimination). Ms. Conrad, the employee who exposed her breasts to employees while on the job, was only counseled and not terminated. The 8th circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the earlier Courts order granting Summary Judgment. The court ruled that the even though Ms. Conrad, Mr. Harrell, and Ms. Wheeler were all in the same department, with the same supervisors, and all had engaged in inappropriate acts of sexual misconduct, the fact that Mr. Harrell's conduct had been ignored for more than a year until after Ms. Wheeler's claim of discrimination was simply unfortunate timing, and that since Ms. Conrad hadn't actually touched anybody, Ms. Conrad and Ms. Wheeler were not 'similarly situated'.

In 2003, The 8th Circuit Court of appeals heard an appeal in the case of George Philip v the Ford Motor Company. George Philip's original claim of discrimination against Ford was dismissed by an order of summary judgment. Mr. Philip alleged that after 10 years on the job, the plant physician placed him on disability. Ford Motors then elected to place him on a "no work available status" despite the fact that other similarly situated employees throughout the company were allowed to remain or rebid for their positions with any necessary accommodations. As a part of his case, Mr. Philip provided affidavits from the plant Physician, Dr. Zubieda Kahn, and from Nancy Schillinger, a Committeeperson for the United Auto Workers at the Twin Cities Assembly plant. Dr. Kahn testified as to a number of instances of possible disparate treatment by Ford. For example, Kahn testified that Human Resources Manager Jack Halverson had interfered with the medical placement of black employees and that the workers' compensation representative used derogatory language towards a black employee. Dr. Kahn also testified that Ford Company personnel failed to follow her medical recommendations regarding the placement of black employees. Nancy Schillinger's affidavit also suggests that black employees were treated differently. For example, she testified concerning specific instances where two Caucasian employees were treated differently based on race when they sought reclassification to driver-inspector positions (which was the same position that Mr. Philip was denied). The Court's ruling acknowledges that Mr. Philip's claim presented clear evidence of disparate treatment of black and white employees, but it ruled that because the examples cited were of employees with different supervisors or in different departments, they were not 'similarly situated' so his claim of discrimination was denied. The 8th circuit affirmed the earlier court’s ruling granting summary judgment.

The dissenting Judge in this case, Judge Donovan Frank, wrote in his dissent, "The positions of Philip and the white employees offered for comparison were reclassified, and should have been opened for bid and awarded on the basis of seniority. These employees are therefore similarly situated in all relevant respects. Applying the requirements of Runyon to non-disciplinary claims like Philip's places an inappropriate burden on plaintiffs to show similarities irrelevant to their claims."

Ricci v DeStefano - New Haven and the reinterpretation of Rights
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act prohibits discrimination in employment. It also specifically prohibits the creation or implementation of employment standards, qualifications, or tests that by their design result in disparate outcomes among social groups. The reason for this protection is that employers who had discriminated in the past and who wanted to continue to discriminate could simply design tests or create requirements that were not job essential, but were really intended to screen out women or minorities. Things like unnecessary strength requirements to screen out women, or the introduction of culturally biased questions to screen out African Americans and Hispanics, and even the use of prohibitive sexual orientation requirements such as 'Dont ask Dont tell' are the types of non-essential measures that the disparate impact provisions of Title VII are designed to protect against.

Now comes New Haven: A city with documented cases of discriminatory hiring practices; even within its Fire Department. In a city that is 60% minority, they opted to go outside of the City's personnel department and to hire an outside consultant to design a new promotions test for the Fire Department. The result? 45 people took the tests, and while nearly 40% of the test takers were African American or Hispanic, only two of the minorities were eligible for promotion.

Now the outcome alone is not proof of discrimination. The City of New Haven had the option of performing a "validation study". The study had actually been suggested to the City by Fire Union President Pat Egan. A Validation Study is a process during which the test would have been professionally scrutinized to determine if in fact it was composed of job-essential questions. Had the test been validated and shown to be non-discriminatory, New Haven would have been able to promote the Fire Fighters and been protected from any future litigation -- no controversy. Had the test been submitted for validation and found to be invalid or found to be composed of questions or requirements that were not job essential, then the process would have identified those questions that needed to be stricken or changed and they could have reissued the test, again indemnified from litigation. But the City of New Haven elected to skip that step and to simply throw out the test, thus prompting the lawsuit. Skipping that step was an extremely consequential decision, the ramifications of which will be felt far beyond the boundaries of New Haven.

What the Supreme Court did, in essence, is use the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment to trump Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Under Title VII, if an organization or agency enacts a test or qualification for employment that has a disparate impact on a particular group or sub-group, then that test or qualification should be changed. The New Haven ruling basically nullifies that protection by saying that it’s the rights of those who 'pass' the test that should not be abridged. The Supreme Court’s ruling infers that if a Police Department instituted a strength test that no female test takers were able to pass, the disparate impact protections afforded by Title VII should not be controlling. Instead, the rights of the men who DID pass should be upheld on the basis on the disparate treatment protections afforded by the 14th amendment. And that throwing out the test would be an act of discrimination against the men who actually met the unnecessary strength requirement.

Placed in more contemporary terms, it is analogous to saying that eliminating DADT (Don't ask, Don't tell) would constitute an act of discrimination against heterosexual recruits who might then be excluded if forced to compete on a level playing field with a larger applicant pool.

Justice Scalia took it a step further, indicating the direction he hopes the Court will move. Scalia expressed dissapointment that the Supreme Court did not use this case to challenge the validity of the Disparate Impact protections of the Civil Rights Act itself, saying that Title VII’s disparate impact provisions “place a racial thumb on the scales, often requiring employers to evaluate the racial outcomes of their policies, and to make decisions based on (because of) those racial outcomes”. A practice which Justice Scalia calls "Discriminatory"...

More work ahead...
As an activist, and someone who believes in and fights for the establishment of level playing fields, it is troublesome to witness the constant attacks on and the gradual erosion of our Civil Rights protections. Now I know that there are many who argue that with Obama in the Whitehouse, we've reached some new post-racial landscape. But claiming that civil rights laws are no longer needed and therefore should be reversed or circumvented makes no more sense than arguing to repeal the Thirteenth Amendment because legal slavery has ended.What people fail to realize is that Civil Rights protections were not simply put in place as a remedy to past acts of discrimination... These are the legal safeguards put in place to ensure fair treatment and level playing fields for our children and grandchildren. As Justices Scalia, Thomas, and Roberts, along with Judges from the 8th and 10th circuits, and others continue to chip away at our hard-earned gains, it is those yet to come who will suffer; they are the ones who will be left unprotected.

In light of all this, I had an opportunity a few months back, to ask our new National NAACP President Benjamin Jealous a question during a conference call. I asked him if he thought that we as an Organization could return to our Legislative Advocacy roots and work towards the creation and introduction of new legislation (like Ledbetter) that would clarify the intent of civil rights law and protection. He asked if I had any suggestions -- and our team has been working on language ever since. I hope you haven't forgotten that exchange Ben, because I most certainly have not.

And while I am certainly happy to see our new President dutifully observing this significant milestone; it is clear to me that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is in a state of disrepair. Repairing it, and reinstating its protections will require work over words, and leadership over language. And as a former Civil Rights Attorney and Constitutional Law Professor, I am prayerful that our new President decides to take this on...

Sound off: What do you think of the Congressional Resolution apologizing for Slavery?

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Apologizing for the enslavement and racial segregation of African-Americans.

Whereas, during the history of the Nation, the United States has grown into a symbol of democracy and freedom around the world;

Whereas the legacy of African-Americans is interwoven with the very fabric of the democracy and freedom of the United States;

Whereas millions of Africans and their descendants were enslaved in the United States and the 13 American colonies from 1619 through 1865;

Whereas Africans forced into slavery were brutalized, humiliated, dehumanized, and subjected to the indignity of being stripped of their names and heritage;

Whereas many enslaved families were torn apart after family members were sold separately;

Whereas the system of slavery and the visceral racism against people of African descent upon which it depended became enmeshed in the social fabric of the United States;

Whereas slavery was not officially abolished until the ratification of the 13th amendment to the Constitution of the United States in 1865, after the end of the Civil War;

Whereas after emancipation from 246 years of slavery, African-Americans soon saw the fleeting political, social, and economic gains they made during Reconstruction eviscerated by virulent racism, lynchings, disenfranchisement, Black Codes, and racial segregation laws that imposed a rigid system of officially sanctioned racial segregation in virtually all areas of life;

Whereas the system of de jure racial segregation known as ``Jim Crow'', which arose in certain parts of the United States after the Civil War to create separate and unequal societies for Whites and African-Americans, was a direct result of the racism against people of African descent that was engendered by slavery;

Whereas the system of Jim Crow laws officially existed until the 1960s--a century after the official end of slavery in the United States--until Congress took action to end it, but the vestiges of Jim Crow continue to this day;

Whereas African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow laws--long after both systems were formally abolished--through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity and liberty;

Whereas the story of the enslavement and de jure segregation of African-Americans and the dehumanizing atrocities committed against them should not be purged from or minimized in the telling of the history of the United States;

Whereas those African-Americans who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws, and their descendants, exemplify the strength of the human character and provide a model of courage, commitment, and perseverance;

Whereas, on July 8, 2003, during a trip to Goree Island, Senegal, a former slave port, President George W. Bush acknowledged the continuing legacy of slavery in life in the United States and the need to confront that legacy, when he stated that slavery ``was . . . one of the greatest crimes of history . . . The racial bigotry fed by slavery did not end with slavery or with segregation. And many of the issues that still trouble America have roots in the bitter experience of other times. But however long the journey, our destiny is set: liberty and justice for all.'';

Whereas President Bill Clinton also acknowledged the deep-seated problems caused by the continuing legacy of racism against African-Americans that began with slavery, when he initiated a national dialogue about race;

Whereas an apology for centuries of brutal dehumanization and injustices cannot erase the past, but confession of the wrongs committed and a formal apology to African-Americans will help bind the wounds of the Nation that are rooted in slavery and can speed racial healing and reconciliation and help the people of the United States understand the past and honor the history of all people of the United States;

Whereas the legislatures of the Commonwealth of Virginia and the States of Alabama, Florida, Maryland, and North Carolina have taken the lead in adopting resolutions officially expressing appropriate remorse for slavery, and other State legislatures are considering similar resolutions; and

Whereas it is important for the people of the United States, who legally recognized slavery through the Constitution and the laws of the United States, to make a formal apology for slavery and for its successor, Jim Crow, so they can move forward and seek reconciliation, justice, and harmony for all people of the United States:

Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring),

That the sense of the Congress is the following:

(1) Apology for the enslavement and segregation of african-americans. --The Congress--

(A) acknowledges the fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws;

(B) apologizes to African-Americans on behalf of the people of the United States, for the wrongs committed against them and their ancestors who suffered under slavery and Jim Crow laws; and

(C) expresses its recommitment to the principle that all people are created equal and endowed with inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and calls on all people of the United States to work toward eliminating racial prejudices, injustices, and discrimination from our society.

A special ceremony marking final passage will be held in the next couple weeks...

Happy Birthday Justice Marshall: A brief remembrance of the man who ended legalized segregation...

Born in Baltimore, Maryland on July 2, 1908, Thurgood Marshall was the grandson of a slave. His father, William Marshall, instilled in him from youth an appreciation for the United States Constitution and the rule of law. After completing high school in 1925, Thurgood followed his brother, William Aubrey Marshall, at the historically black Lincoln University in Chester County, Pennsylvania. His classmates at Lincoln included a distinguished group of future Black leaders such as the poet and author Langston Hughes, the future President of Ghana, Kwame Nkrumah, and musician Cab Calloway. Just before graduation, he married his first wife, Vivian "Buster" Burey. Their twenty-five year marriage ended with her death from cancer in 1955.

In 1930, he applied to the University of Maryland Law School, but was denied admission because he was Black. This was an event that was to haunt him and direct his future professional life. Thurgood sought admission and was accepted at the Howard University Law School that same year and came under the immediate influence of the dynamic new dean, Charles Hamilton Houston, who instilled in all of his students the desire to apply the tenets of the Constitution to all Americans. Paramount in Houston's outlook was the need to overturn the 1898 Supreme Court ruling, Plessy v. Ferguson which established the legal doctrine called, "separate but equal." Marshall's first major court case came in 1933 when he successfully sued the University of Maryland to admit a young African American Amherst University graduate named Donald Gaines Murray. Applauding Marshall's victory, author H.L. Mencken wrote that the decision of denial by the University of Maryland Law School was "brutal and absurd," and they should not object to the "presence among them of a self-respecting and ambitious young Afro-American well prepared for his studies by four years of hard work in a class A college."

Thurgood Marshall followed his Howard University mentor, Charles Hamilton Houston to New York and later became Chief Counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). During this period, Mr. Marshall was asked by the United Nations and the United Kingdom to help draft the constitutions of the emerging African nations of Ghana and what is now Tanzania. It was felt that the person who so successfully fought for the rights of America's oppressed minority would be the perfect person to ensure the rights of citizens in these two former European colonies. After amassing an impressive record of Supreme Court challenges to state-sponsored discrimination, including the landmark Brown v. Board decision in 1954 (which finally overturned Plessy v Ferguson), President John F. Kennedy appointed Thurgood Marshall to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In this capacity, he wrote over 150 decisions including support for the rights of immigrants, limiting government intrusion in cases involving illegal search and seizure, double jeopardy, and right to privacy issues. Biographers Michael Davis and Hunter Clark note that, "none of his (Marshall's) 98 majority decisions was ever reversed by the Supreme Court." In 1965 President Lyndon Johnson appointed Judge Marshall to the office of U.S. Solicitor General. Before his subsequent nomination to the United States Supreme Court in 1967, Thurgood Marshall won 14 of the 19 cases he argued before the Supreme Court on behalf of the government. Indeed, Thurgood Marshall represented and won more cases before the United States Supreme Court than any other American.

Until his retirement from the highest court in the land, Justice Marshall established a record for supporting the voiceless American. Having honed his skills since the case against the University of Maryland, he developed a profound sensitivity to injustice by way of the crucible of racial discrimination in this country. As an Associate Supreme Court Justice, Thurgood Marshall leaves a legacy that expands that early sensitivity to include all of America's voiceless. Justice Marshall died on January 24, 1993.

New Haven Court Ruling Creates New Legal Standard That Restricts Equal Employment Opportunity

The Supreme Court decision in Ricci v. DeStefano is a step backward from the goal of equal employment opportunity. A narrow majority of the Court created a new legal standard that places additional hurdles in front of employers seeking to fulfill their obligations under this nation's core antidiscrimination law. The NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) is disappointed that five Justices departed from well-established precedents that were properly applied by the courts below.

"The Supreme Court's interpretation imposes new burdens on employers and makes it more difficult to maintain a discrimination-free workplace," said John Payton, LDF President and Director-Counsel.

The four dissenting Justices, who joined an opinion authored by Justice Ginsburg, accurately explained the critical need for robust compliance with federal civil rights laws, especially in fire departments, which have historically and notoriously denied employment to African Americans, other people of color, and women. Justice Ginsburg criticized the majority for telling only half the story and ignoring that "[f]irefighting is a profession in which the legacy of racial discrimination casts an especially long shadow."

Although we have made some progress as a nation, discrimination in firefighting jobs remains a significant problem. Just this year, the U.S. Department of Justice entered into settlement agreements requiring Portsmouth, Virginia and Dayton, Ohio to cease using discriminatory procedures to hire firefighters.

"Faced with the reality of continuing racial exclusion, an employer has a responsibility to abandon unfair employment practices and adopt those that are fair and effective," said John Payton, LDF President and Director-Counsel.

While the Court's ruling unnecessarily invalidates New Haven's actions, the majority opinion does not forbid employers from careful and deliberate efforts to develop employment selection procedures that fairly predict workplace success without fencing out entire groups. The Court's majority recognized that "employers' voluntary compliance efforts . . . are essential to [our civil rights laws] and to Congress's efforts to eradicate workplace discrimination." LDF believes that ultimately, employers will be able to comply with this decision and continue to take vigorous steps to ensure equal opportunity for all workers.

CNN's Black In America 2

Boston's Black Newspaper, Bay State Banner Suspends Publication

Palin Wants Michael Steele's Job,

Bigot Bill O'Reilly Likens Michael Jackson to O.J. Simpson

Federal Ban on Needle Exchange and Barack Obama

Marion Barry, Ignorance, The City Paper and Bigotry

The $420 Billion Dollar Black Church Rip Off - Black Pulpit Pimps

Attorney's Rip Off The Jackson Family - Get Control of Michael Jackson Assets

Was Michael Jackson Killed Like MLK and Malcolm X?

Assault on Black Women - Tasered While Black After her toddler Murdered

DID ISRAEL ATTACKS JUSTICE BOAT; KIDNAPS HUMAN RIGHTS WORKERS; CONFISCATES MEDICINE, TOYS AND OLIVE TREES

Quitter and Rambler Sarah Palin Stepping Down

Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service announced

Diprivan Found In House - Michael Jackson May Have Been Murdered

Obama Fights For Gay Rights while Blacks Get Ethnic Cleansing of Core Cities

BET Tribute and Awards Sucked!

Jena 6 Are Free!

Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop - Dead at 50

Apology For Slavery?

Black Preachers Question Tasering and Killing of Black Man

Malia Obama, President's Daughter, Frees Her African Hair

WaPost Focuses Attention of PA's "Whites-Only" Pool Club

The Rich Must Pay More Taxes if Everyone is to Have a Right to Health Care

Finally! Tax the Rich to Pay for Health Care!

What's the Point in Afghanistan?

To Kill a Mockingbird: The Eric Frimpong Story

sat’day riddymz #15

Congratulations Afro Spear on Your Subscribers!

Whirlwind Finally Has His Day On Court

AU stance on Bashir is blow to Africa not ICC by Nkawzi N. Mhango

Black kids kicked out of Philadelphia pool because of their color

Transformers and racism in a post-racial techno world

The Beginning & End of a Legend

sat’day riddymz #14

Against the Reintroduction of Race Laws in Europe

Canada Day 2009

Online Guest Book for Michael Jackson

sat’day riddymz #13

I Remember Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson: the day the music died

1958 – 2009

Bits and Bytes

Transformers: Racism That Meets The Eye

“Bongo’s death lesson to remaining Thieves-in-Chief” by Nkawzi N. Mhango

1 in 4 South African Men Surveyed Said They Had Raped Someone

VIDEO OF THE DAY: Obama Address To Ghana

Today, U.S. President Barack Obama gave a speech before the Ghanaian Parliament in Accra, Ghana. He laid out his vision for human rights and democracy in Africa’s future, and he described what America’s role in promoting better governance in Africa will be:



You can listen to the full audio of the speech here (note: it takes awhile for the audio to start and there are African speakers before President Obama, so you'll need patience).

News Tidbits

Violated Chicagoland Cemetery Now A Crime Scene: As I've already mentioned, my own family is affected by this scandal of nearly 300 graves at historic Burr Oak Cemetery being destroyed in a grave-resale scheme. The entire cemetery has now been declared a crime scene. The move means family members and the news media will be barred from Burr Oak Cemetery for at least five days (up until now, we were able to access part of it). The authorities have been unable to locate the section devoted to children's graves. The cemetery manager and three gravediggers have been arrested. Two of the defendants are related to a former Cook County employee charged in 1995 with robbing a corpse in the county morgue of money and drugs.

Death Toll From China's Ethnic Riots Hits 184: After communal violence broke out in the western Xinjiang region, in China's worst ethnic violence in decades. The official Xinhua News Agency said 137 of the victims belonged to the dominant Han ethnic group. The rest included 45 men and one woman who were Uighurs (Chinese Muslims), and one man of the Hui Muslim ethnic group. The new figures are disputed by Uighurs, and by exile activist groups.

Honduran Minister Sacked For Obama Slur: Honduras's de facto foreign minister has resigned after calling U.S. President Barack Obama a "little black man". Enrique Ortez Colindres presented his resignation after referring to President Obama as "negrito," which in Spanish is the masculine diminutive word for black. Roberto Micheletti, who took power earlier this month after the military outsted Manuel Zelaya for illegally moving forward with a referendum to extend his power, distanced himself from the comments. "It was an incident in which he gave a scandalous epithet," Mr. Micheletti told reporters.

BOOKERISTA PROFILE: The Ghanaian Center-Right

As regular readers know from op-eds that I regularly post here at Booker Rising, Ghana has a vibrant and growing center-right presence. Ghana's center-right goes back to the days before the country's independence from Britain in 1957. J.B. Danquah (1895-1965, pictured left) - who was a leading figure pushing for independence - proposed "indigenous capitalism", a property-owning democracy and free market system in Ghana akin to Jack Kemp's later promotion of democratic capitalism in USA. He was also a key critic of late President Kwame Nkrumah's socialist policies. Well, until he was thrown in prison for challenging the government, and died there.

Another historical figure popular among the Ghanaian center-right is Kofi Busia (1913-1978, pictured with glasses), who was Prime Minister from 1969-1972 and pushed for a free market economy in Ghana (he was later overthrown in a military coup). In Ghana, the phrase "Danquah-Busia tradition" is virtually synonymous with promoting capitalism and conservatism. From what I've seen over the years, Ghana has a center-right base second to none in sub-Saharan Africa. On the think-tank front, Ghana has Black America's center-right beat!

AfricanLiberty.org
Based in Ghana and an arm of IMANI: Centre for Policy & Education, this libertarian website seeks "to bring African voices for liberty to the wider world and work with African media to disseminate policy ideas for a new century of peace, freedom, and prosperity."

IMANI: Center for Policy & Education
Based in Accra, IMANI was founded in 2004 and is "dedicated to educating society on the benefits of a free economy and fostering public awareness of important policy issues concerning business, government and civil society." Foreign Policy magazine earlier this year named IMANI as Africa's sixth most influential think tank. It is the only African think tank be awarded the John Templeton Prize twice for advancing freedom. The Cato Institute (USA), European Enterprise Institute (Belgium), and the Atlas Economic Research Institute (USA) help underwrite IMANI's training workshops targeting students and buppies in Ghana.

Franklin Cudjoe Twitter Page
Mr. Cudjoe (pictured in maroon), the executive director of IMANI and a libertarian, tweets in addition to his op-eds. It should be interesting to read his thoughts on President Obama's speech in Ghana!

New Patriotic Party
Claiming the mantle as modern standard-bearers for the late Mr. Danquah and Mr. Busia, New Patriotic Party is Ghana's center-right political party. It was formed in 1992. It was the ruling party (under former President John Kufuor) for eight years until last year, when John Atta Mills of the socialist National Democratic Congress beat the NPP's Nana-Akuffo-Addo in a very closely contested runoff (50.23% vs. 49.77%).

Danquah-Busia Memorial Club
No website, but it was this club that gave birth to the New Patriotic Party. The club was founded in 1991, when political parties were banned in Ghana. DBMC also has chapters in the U.S., in areas where there is a sizeable Ghanaian population.

Danquah Institute
This media, research, and policy analysis center was founded last year by Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a former editor-in-chief of The Statesman (Ghana) and a former strategist for the New Patriotic Party. Its mission: "We seek through our work to advance Danquah’s beliefs in individual freedom, rule of law, multi-party democracy, liberal [i.e., classical liberalism - small government - as the rest of the world defines liberalism, not how American liberals define it] economics and equality of opportunity and ensure they inform the actions of the democratically-elected Government of Ghana and governments of other African states."

Private Enterprise Foundation Ghana
The foundation is a membership-based group that advocates for the private sector and the promotion of private enterprise. PEF was founded in 1994 by the Association of Ghana Industries, Ghana National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Ghana Employers Association, and the Federation of Association of Ghanaian Exporters.

Diaspora Link: George Ayittey Twitter Page
Born and raised in Ghana, Mr. Ayittey is an economics professor at American University and the libertarian head of the Free Africa Foundation. He was on C-SPAN this morning discussing President Obama's trip to Ghana and its implications for Africa.

Why Black Folks Don't Want To Be Republicans, Exhibit 26: GOP Candidate Wins Despite Racism Flap

I'm glad that I'm an independent, and that ain't changing anytime soon (unless the Libertarian Party actually gets a pragmatic bone). On Monday, Booker Rising highlighted Audra Shay (pictured), vice chairman of the Young Republicans National Federation and one of the leading candidate to be elected its chairman. She was recently embroiled in a racism controversy due to racist comments posted by someone else on her Facebook page about "[taking] this country back from all these mad c__s…and illegals", where she responded, "You tell 'em Eric! lol". Ms. Shay claims she was responding to the commenter's first post, and didn't see the second post that included that language..... even though the offensive comment was right above her response. Then she kicked folks who pointed out the racism to the curb, while staying cozy with the racist (boy, why does that sound familiar to me?).

Well, today ol' girl was elected as the Young Republicans chair. The 38-year-old Louisiana resident will head the group of up-and-coming Republicans ages 18-40 for two years. In a vote closed to news media coverage, Ms. Shay defeated Rachel Hoff 470-415 to become chair.

"Elections bring a lot of emotion out of people," said Katherine Miller, a 24-year-old delegate from Lexington, Kentucky. "But this controversy really is not the decisive factor for the majority of people voting here. There are so many important issues we are considering. It really has been played up a little bigger than it really is."

Torion Bridges, a 22-year-old Detroit resident who is a friend of Ms. Shay, insists she is not racist. "I was the first one to send a letter to the (Young Republican) national committee to refute what was being said about her," said Mr. Bridges, who is black. "The race card should not be played in this organization. In every family, there are disagreements, but in the end we are all still Republicans. This will eventually pass, and we will all work together for a common goal."

Booker Rising response: Torion, bruh, you need to check your friends because there is no way Audra didn't see that post - it's staring right at her above her post - and yet she didn't challenge it.

VIDEO: George Ayittey Discusses Obama's Visit To Ghana

This morning, George Ayittey, the Ghanaian-born economics professor at American University and libertarian head of the Free Africa Foundation, was on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" to discuss the implications of the Obamas' trip to Ghana for Africa. Watch the video here.

Mr. Ayittey argues that President Obama's change theme won't go down well with many of Africa's strongmen. The professor argues that building up civil society in African countries is key to the continent's progress. He discusses the monopolization of power in Africa, tribal conflict, reducing corruption, and other issues.

Sunday Open Thread

Goodbye Ghana

The Obamas at Cape Coast Castle

President Obama’s Speech to the Parliament of Ghana

Evening Open Thread

The Obamas Visit Cape Coast Slave Castle

More Pictures from Ghana

The President’s Speech in Ghana

President Obama’s Weekly Address

Saturday Open Thread

The Obamas Come to Africa…..

The First Family Arrives in Africa

The First Family’s Overseas Adventures Continue

I’m Crying Bullsh—

Evening Open Thread

The President & First Lady Meet Pope Benedict

Afternoon Open Thread

Pushing for the Public Option

Good Riddance — Burris To Give Up Obama’s Former Senate Seat

Taking the healthcare debate to the Blue Dog Dems