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Taraji Discusses 'The Karate Kid'

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The Latest

Dr. Dre's Lawsuit Against Death Row Records Gets Scrapped

• Dr. Dre's lawsuit against Death Row Records hit a major wall this week, when the judge threw out ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 11th 2010 9:14PM | Comments (0)

Love Analytix: Breaking Down Lyfe Jennings' 'Statistics'

• Lyfe Jennings is on a mission to educate women and deliver a message in his newest single, ... Read More
• By Shirea L. Carroll on Jun 11th 2010 8:45PM | Comments (0)

Notable/Quotable: Diddy On His Bout With Insomnia

• "I was proud of working 18 hours a day and sleeping three hours a night. It's something now that ... Read More
• By Brennan Williams on Jun 11th 2010 8:07PM | Comments (1)

Gary Coleman: Told Wife that All She Cares about is Money

• The death of Gary Coleman was sad for anyone who grew up watching him. It was not only sad to see ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 11th 2010 7:42PM | Comments (1)

Around the Web -- American Apparel's Bigotry, LeBron James Mixtape + More

• Former American Apparel employees exposed CEO Dov Charney's bigoted hiring policies saying that ... Read More
• By Journey Ade on Jun 11th 2010 7:00PM | Comments (1)

South Carolina Senate Candidate Planted to Split the Black Vote?

• When I first saw the Democratic candidate for the Senate in South Carolina, Alvin Greene, I didn't ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 11th 2010 6:11PM | Comments (7)

Does Donnis' 'Invitation' Make The Grade?

• Getting a spot on XXL's coveted "Freshman 10" cover is both a gift and a curse (word to Hov). ... Read More
• By Amanda Bassa on Jun 11th 2010 6:00PM | Comments (1)

AMC Shutters Magic Johnson's First Theater

• Shed a tear for basketball great, Earvin "Magic" Johnson. His very first movie theatre, Magic ... Read More
• By Mashaun D. Simon on Jun 11th 2010 5:30PM | Comments (1)

The Age of the Hoochie Mama is Over

The age of the Hoochie Mama is over

by Dr. Boyce Watkins | TheLoop21 in Culture & Society

It's time for hip hop, and its audience, to grow up.

read more

More Black News - June 11, 2010

 

15-Year-Old Beaten By Police in Indianapolis

Taraji Discusses 'The Karate Kid'

Photo Credit: Getty Image AP John Shearer, Getty Images

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• Gary Coleman's Ex Wife Shannon Price Files Papers to Get Claim Over Entire Estate

  10:31 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Shannon Price, the ex-wife of Gary Coleman, is certainly keeping herself busy these days, trying desperately to muscle in on Coleman's estate. Price, who was recently embroiled in everything from orchestrating death shots of Coleman to sell to ... Read More

• Angelique Kidjo Kicks Off World Cup with Curtis Mayfield Classic

  10:10 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Newswire

  Yesterday, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and activist Angelique Kidjo performed hr rendition of the 1970 Curtis Mayfield classic 'Move On Up' at the kick-off celebration for the 2010 FIFA World Cup at Orlando Stadium in Soweto/Johannesburg, ... Read More

• Curtis Flowers begins Unprecedented Sixth Trial for Same 1996 Murders

  9:45 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  For the first time in United States history, Mississippian Curtis Flowers is being tried for a sixth time for the same murders. Flowers faced a jury of eleven whites and one black yesterday as opening statements were presented. The trial got underway ... Read More

• Celtics Defeat Lakers, 96-89, To Even Series

  9:23 AMJun 11

  Source: BV on Sports

  BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics put the NBA Finals back on serve with a 96-89 victory over the Lakers last night, evening the best-of-seven series at 2-2. It now makes the Finals a best-of-three series with two of those games in Los Angeles. Game 5 is ... Read More

• Brandon Johnson: 15-Year-Old Boy Beaten by Police in Indianapolis

  1:25 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Black Spin

  Indianapolis Police Chief Paul Ciesielski called for the firing of a white officer who's been charged with repeatedly striking a 15-year-old biracial boy in the face during an arrest. The attacks allegedly occurred after the boy had been subdued by ... Read More

• Whitney Houston: Continuing To Disappoint Fans Overseas As Speculation Over Weight Gain Ensues

  12:12 AMJun 11

  Source: BV Newswire

  There's little chance that Whitney Houston's European fans will always love her after her current world tour wraps. As many news outlets have reported, what was supposed to be a comeback tour for 'The Bodyguard' actress has turned into a mess of ... Read More

• O.J. Simpson Fights to Get a New Trial in Nevada

  11:58 PMJun 10

  Source: BV Black Spin

  O.J. Simpson's attorneys are planning to try to convince a group of Nevada judges to overturn his 2007 conviction of a hotel room robbery this week. They worry about time, since they are only going to have a few minutes to make their case. "We only ... Read More

• Oscar Grant Trial Has No Black Jurors

  6:58 PMJun 10

  Source: BV Black Spin

  On New Year's Day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, Calif. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years-old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone ... Read More

Teenage Boy Gets Beaten by Police

The Latest

Brandon Johnson: 15-Year Old Boy Beaten by Police in Indianapolis

• Indianapolis Police Chief Paul Ciesielski called for the firing of a white officer who's been ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 11th 2010 1:25AM | Comments (1)

OJ Simpson Fights to Get a New Trial in Nevada

• OJ Simpson's attorneys are planning to try to convince a group of Nevada judges to overturn his ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 10th 2010 11:58PM | Comments (0)

Oscar Grant Trial Has No Black Jurors

• On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 10th 2010 6:58PM | Comments (8)

How To Fight Like A Celebrity!

• From the Urban Daily: Have you ever noticed that celebrities always have beef, but never actually ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on Jun 10th 2010 5:50PM | Comments (1)

Around the Web -- Jay-Z in Rolling Stone, Drake Was Rihanna's 'Pawn'? + More

• In his third Rolling Stone cover article, Jay-Z speaks on aging gracefully in a youth-oriented ... Read More
• By Journey Ade on Jun 10th 2010 5:45PM | Comments (2)

No Black Jurors Chosen in Oscar Grant Case

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

On New Year's day of 2009, Oscar Grant was shot in Oakland, California. The shooter was a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) officer by the name of Johannes Mehserle. Grant was 22-years old at the time of his death, and the shooting was captured by cell phone cameras and disseminated throughout the Internet. Adding insult to injury, the Grant family just found that there will be no African American jurors in the trial of grant's shooter.

Jack Bryson, whose sons were with Grant the night he was killed, was angry about the jury selection.

"This is like a slap in the face," Bryson told The Associated Press. "This case came all the way to Los Angeles after the judge in Alameda County said they couldn't get a fair and impartial jury there.
"This is the best you can do, and you did this in two days. We could've stayed back in Oakland for this."

Click to read

Talib Kweli, Slim Thug, Marc Lamont Hill and Black Women

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

A note to Slim Thug: You probably just need to be quiet for a while. It's not to say thatyour comments about black women were outside your rights to freedom of speech, but if you keep dissing the audience most likely to go out and buy your records, you are probably going to end up in the same poorhouse as MC Hammer. Don't get me wrong, black men love your music (at least I do), but the bottom line is that brothers don't buy albums, books, or anything else put up for sale. But when black women turn on you, it's a wrap son. Settle down and go back to the studio; it's good for your financial health.
I wrote yesterday about the comments made by Slim Thug regarding how he perceives white women to be a better dating choice than black women, as well asColumbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill'sresponse to Slim Thug's words. It seems that the debate has taken a life of it's own, now that rapper Talib Kweli has joined the conversation. In a recent essay he wrote for Vibe Magazine, Talib Kweli was ever the diplomatic artist, as he showed respect for Slim Thug, but also expressed his own concerns for his colleague's remarks about black women:

Click to read.

To read more about the debate regarding Slim Thug’s comments about black women, click here.

The Globe Magazine Set to Publish Gary Coleman Pictures

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

There has been a great deal of public speculation of the role that Shannon Price,Gary Coleman's ex-wife, played in the actor's death. To make matters worse, some are wondering how The Globe Magazine got a hold of pictures of a dying Gary Coleman that are set to be released on Friday. Todd Bridges, who co-starred with Gary Coleman on the popular sit-com, "Diff'rent Strokes," was allowed to see the photos in advance of their being published. Bridges was not happy.

"It's horrible. It's absolutely horrible. And I hope that whoever is responsible for this, and the people that are involved in this, people that are in the pictures, I hope they burn in hell," said Bridges, when appearing to discuss the issue on Entertainment Tonight.
What was most shocking was that even TMZ, a place known for the dirtiest of dirty celebrity gossip, refused to publish the photos. The Globe Magazine apparently has no such standard. A representative of Shannon Price has stated that Shannon is "very hurt by the pictures getting out there." But the problem for Price is that she is actually in the pictures that were taken.

 

Click to read

African American News - June 9, 2010

 

22-Year Old Pretending to be HS Student Faces 6 Felonies

• Have you ever fantasized about going back to high school and doing all the things you wish you'd ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 12:59PM | Comments (0)

Eminem's 'Recovery' Proves More Than Celebrity Rehab

• During Eminem's personal journey to sobriety, his fans braced themselves for its effects on his ... Read More
• By Amanda Bassa on Jun 9th 2010 12:00PM | Comments (0)

Dee Dee Myers: Obama Can't Get Angry Because He's Black

• Dee Dee Myers, former Press Secretary for the Clinton Administration, was in hot water recently ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 11:38AM | Comments (2)

BLACK MUSIC MONTH: 7 Pop/Rap CDs You Must Revisit

• We continue to salute Black Music Month by recognizing seven CDs in the pop, rap and rock genres by ... Read More
• By Jawn Murray on Jun 9th 2010 11:30AM | Comments (1)

Rihanna's Hair Stylist Explains Her New 'Matador Red' 'Do

• Master chameleon Rihanna surprised everyone by showing up with a bright red bowl-cut at Madrid's ... Read More
• By Katie Hintz-Zambrano on Jun 9th 2010 11:00AM | Comments (0)

Rihanna Sparkles, Jada Shines, Revamps & The Ultimate Dress - Around the Web

• Rihanna glitters on the cover of Elle RiRi talks black women and fashion (StyleList) Jade shines, ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on Jun 9th 2010 10:55AM | Comments (0)

FBI Says Texas Man Called Al-Qaida His 'Brothers'

• It appears that one of the biggest threats to U.S. security in the coming years may be homegrown ... Read More
• By Jeff Mays on Jun 9th 2010 10:53AM | Comments (0)

Rampage Jackson, UFC Fighter, Justifies 'Gay' Comments

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson recently lost his anticipated fight against Rashad Evans last month, but ... Read More
• By Quibian Salazar-Moreno on Jun 9th 2010 10:33AM | Comments (0)

DA: No DNA Evidence Found on 7-Year-Old Who Was Gang Raped

• New Jersey prosecutors stated in court documents Tuesday that there was no DNA evidence of ... Read More
• By Ruth Manuel-Logan on Jun 9th 2010 10:13AM | Comments (3)

Marc Lamont Hill Responds to Slim Thug's Take on Black Women

• When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug (pictured above), written by ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 9th 2010 8:57AM | Comments (8)

Peace, Confidence and Bliss

• Your Affirmative Prayer for Wednesday, June 9, 2010: My awareness of my unity with Spirit ... Read More
• By Barry Johnson on Jun 9th 2010 12:34AM | Comments (5)

BP Using Massive PR and Internet Strategies to Deal with Spill

• If you are like President Barack Obama, who says that he's looking for "whose ass to kick" over the ... Read More
• By Boyce Watkins, PhD on Jun 8th 2010 10:55PM | Comments (2)

Eve: Lets Guard Down on VH1's 'Behind the Music'

• Eve Jihan Jeffers, who is most commonly known in the world of entertainment simply as Eve, isn't a ... Read More
• By Bridget Bland on Jun 8th 2010 7:26PM | Comments (0)

 

 

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Your News: Rapper Slim Thug Gets Public Lashing by Black Scholar

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

When I recently read the open letter to the rapper Slim Thug(pictured above), written by Columbia Professor Marc Lamont Hill (pictured below), I was concerned. I love "Slim Thugger" and his musical brilliance, but putting him in an intellectual toe-to-toe with one of the most brilliant young scholars in America is like puttingLennox Lewis in a boxing match with Beyonce. Marc is my boy, and incredibly sharp, and I would encourage him to pick on someone his own intellectual size. Simultaneously, I encourage Slim Thug to quietly walk away and shut up. He needs to stay in the booth and use his intellect for something other than ridiculous social commentary.
But Slim Thug asked for his public butt whooping, after engaging in one of the most feeble and misguided critiques of the African-American woman that I’ve heard in quite a while. Even for a rapper, he sounded as if he needed to be educated on what black women are all about. Here are Slim’s words, "straight out of the negro’s mouth":

Click to read

Killer of Black Students Gets 30 years to life

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, The Institute for Black Public Policy

Nearly three years ago, two black college students and a friend were murdered in a schoolyard in Newark, NJ. Monday, a jury returned guilty verdicts for three of the murders and one attempted murder after deliberating for less than a day.
Rodolfo Godinez, a 26-year old gang member and native of Nicaragua, was convicted of all charges against him, including multiple counts of robbery, weapons possession and conspiracy. He can get up to 30 years to life for each murder count, and the sentences can be given out consecutively.
"This man will never see the light of day," said Robert D. Laurino, the acting Essex County prosecutor.
Sentencing for Godinez is set for July 8. His lawyer, Roy Greenman, said,"Obviously, there will be an appeal on a number of grounds," but he declined to state the grounds on which he'd be filing.
The prosecution did not assert that Godinez was the one who hacked at the victims with a machete or shot each of them execution-style, in the back of the head. He was argued, however, to be the one who summoned the other gang members to the schoolyard on the night when the murders took place. The murders were particularly chilling because all four of the victims were "good kids" with no criminal history and educational plans for the future.

Click to read

 

Find more black news at:

Your Black World

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Black Political Blog

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Tiger's Wife ASking for $750M

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, AOL Black Voices

Elin Nordegren, the wife of golf superstar Tiger Woods, is either one hell of a negotiator or has lost her ever-loving mind. Reports are now stating that Elin is asking for $750 million dollars from Woods as part of their divorce settlement. Additionally, she wants full custody of the kids and will not agree to a confidentiality clause.
The confidentiality clause would prevent her from ever writing a book or doing interviews about the break-up. Sources say that the divorce negotiations "have turned extremely testy" and that the couple is no longer speaking. Elin has spent most of her time away from Tiger lately. She took the kids to Sweden while he was playing golf in a tournament and Tiger is allegedly hanging out with a blonde in Florida. It seems that since the car crash that occurred last November, Tiger Woods' perfect life is slowly starting to unravel.

 

Click to read

Obama Assassination Used as Example in HS Class

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University

A teacher in Alabama apparently takes his geometry lessons a little too seriously. A high school math teacher was teaching his students about angles and used the assassination of President Barack Obama as his teaching example.
The Secret Service was alerted and the teacher was questioned by federal agents. He was not taken in to custody or charged with a crime.
"We did not find a credible threat," said Roy Sex ton, special agent in charge of Birmingham's Secret Service office. As far as the Secret Service is concerned, we looked in to it, we talked to the gentleman and we have closed our investigation."
The teacher was explaining the use of angles by describing where you would stand if you wanted to aim and shoot Obama.

 

Click to read

Elena Kagan's Sexuality Questioned

Elena Kagan's supporters don't do her or gay Americans any favors by publicly expressing their views on her sexual orientation. Whether or not a future justice is a heterosexual or homosexual is irrelevant to questions about fitness to serve on the Supreme Court. That there are some bigoted Americans who would make sexual orientation an issue is no reason to grant them any legitimacy, which occurs when their perverse and offensive interests are addressed. The proper response is to treat the question of sexual orientation as the non-issue that it is and place the burden on the bigots to make their case in the public square… if they dare.

 

Click to read

Matt Lauer and Whitney Houston's Sister?

from AOL Black Voices

Popular 'Today' show host Matt Lauer and his wife of 12 years, Annette, have split. Word on the street is that when Lauer was in Vancouver covering the Winter Olympics, he allegedly "bumped Uggs" with Whitney Houston's half-sister, Alexis Houston.

Houston, who also dabbles in music as a singer/songwriter/producer, met Lauer on the set of his show back in 2007. She accompanied Dionne Warwick, who had sung one of her hits for a segment on marriage. Reportedly, Warwick and the show's producers had some friction before the segment aired, and Houston squashed it. Lauer was apparently impressed with how Houston handled her cousin, sources toldHollyscoop.

Click to read

Did Lawrence Taylor Have Sex with that Woman?

Lawrence Taylor Didn't Have Sex with Teen: Source

• A source is telling the New York Post that the teen prostitute who allegedly got together with ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 15th 2010 3:35PM | Comments (0)

Why LeBron James Will and Should Leave Cleveland

• I love the city of Cleveland. I also feel bad for the city, since there isn't much to cheer for ... Read More
• By Dr. Boyce Watkins, PhD on May 15th 2010 10:29AM | Comments (5)

5 Ways African-Americans Can Use Technology for Empowerment

• From Politic365 - "1. Immerse yourself within the flow of information. Identify a few news websites ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (2)

Black Women Speak Out About SCOTUS Appointment

• From Politic 365: The announcement of Elena Kagan could not really be called a surprise, since the ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (6)

Lena Horne and the Hollywood Shuffle

• From The Root: Long before her recent death at 92, Lena Horne had become a recluse, living alone ... Read More
• By Lucette Jefferson on May 15th 2010 6:00AM | Comments (1)

Beyonce: 'Single Ladies' Dance Causes Uproar Amongst Parents

• Beyonce's 2008 hit 'Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)' spawned a string of video remakes that had ... Read More
• By Brennan Williams on May 14th 2010 6:24PM | Comments (29)