By DENNIS HEVESI
Published: August 20, 2008
Stephanie Tubbs Jones, the first African-American woman elected to the House of Representatives from Ohio and a leader in the fight against predatory lending practices, died Wednesday. She was 58.
Mark Wilson/Getty Images
Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio in 2005.
Related
The Caucus: Ohio Congresswoman Dies (August 20, 2008)
The cause was a ruptured brain aneurysm that Ms. Tubbs Jones suffered Tuesday, Eileen Sheil, a spokeswoman for the Cleveland Clinic, which owns the Huron Hospital in East Cleveland where the congresswoman died, told The Associated Press.
Ms. Tubbs Jones, a Democrat, was in her fifth term as representative of the 11th Congressional District, which includes most of the east side of Cleveland. Two years ago, she was re-elected with 83 percent of the vote. Before her first election to Congress, in 1998, she had been the chief prosecutor for Cuyahoga County in Ohio.
Considered a liberal, Ms. Tubbs Jones was a co-sponsor of legislative efforts to broaden health care coverage for low- and middle-income people and of programs supporting the re-entry of convicts into their communities. She was also the author of legislation requiring certification for mortgage brokers and stiffer penalties for predatory loans.
In June, Ms. Tubbs Jones voted against emergency supplemental financing for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
“I feel it important that we have a plan for a timely redeployment of our troops from Iraq and Afghanistan before we continue funding what has become a seemingly endless war,” she said at the time.
When Congress officially ratified President Bush’s re-election in January 2005, Ms. Tubbs Jones joined Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, in initiating a rare challenge to what has historically been a polite formal ceremony. They were objecting to accepting Ohio’s 20 electoral votes for Mr. Bush, citing voting irregularities in the state.
Instead of holding a courteous joint session to certify the election, lawmakers were forced to retreat to their separate chambers for two hours of debate. In the end, the House voted 267 to 31 against the challenge; in the Senate, the vote was 74 to 1.
Stephanie Tubbs was born in Cleveland on Sept. 10, 1949. She graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 1971 and received her law degree there three years later.
From 1976 to 1979, she was an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor. In 1981, she won election as a Cleveland Municipal Court judge, and 10 years later she was appointed chief prosecutor.
As chief prosecutor, Ms. Tubbs Jones was at the center of a controversy in 1998 when she refused to reopen an investigation into the 1954 murder of the wife of Dr. Sam Sheppard, dismissing new DNA evidence that Dr. Sheppard’s supporters said would have exonerated him.
The case had received nationwide coverage in the 1950s. Dr. Sheppard spent 10 years in prison before the Supreme Court ruled that his trial had been prejudiced by publicity. He was acquitted at a second trial, in 1966, and died in 1970. With the new evidence, Dr. Sheppard’s son was seeking to collect damages on behalf of his father. Ms. Tubbs Jones argued that the new DNA results would be inadmissible because the samples were too old.
Ms. Tubbs Jones’s husband of 27 years, Mervyn L. Jones Sr., died in 2003. She is survived by her son, Mervyn II.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/21/washington/21jones.html?ex=1235016000&en=5fe09d19dd0cf6f0&ei=5087&excamp=GGGNtubbsjones&WT.srch=1&WT.mc_ev=click&WT.mc_id=GN-S-E-GG-NA-S-tubbs_jones
AFROCENTRIC NEWS PORTAL
Until the Lion tells His Own story, the tale of the Hunt will Always Glorify the Hunter.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
ON MLK"DREAM speech anniversary, Obama accepts nomination
On MLK "Dream" speech anniversary, Obama accepts nomination 0f
Locals react to first party nomination of African-American
Thursday, Aug 28 2008, 8:28 pm
Graham Cawthon
SHELBY - On the 35th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech outside the Lincoln Memorial, decorations went up inside the Cleveland County Democratic headquarters.One organizer referred to it as a party. Perhaps a party that the dream King spoke of came true."I've been glued to the tube every night for this thing," said Shelby City Councilman Andrew Hopper.What Hopper referred to was the much bigger party out in Denver, Col. to celebrate Sen. Barack Obama's clinching the Democratic Party's presidential nominee."What an exciting time to vote," said J. Benton Reid, who recalled growing up listening to Walter Cronkite give the Vietnam War body count each night on the news and compared that to the current conflict in Iraq."I'm looking at the hope he creates," Reid said of Obama, the first African-American to be a political party's nominee. "I'm looking for that change that will be created."Many have said, including former Sen. Bob Dole who visited Shelby Thursday, that the election between Obama and Sen. John McCain will be a tight race. Hopper, a military veteran of 33 years,
disagreed.
"There's a lot of things wrong with our current leadership," he said, claiming McCain would be too similar to the current administration. "I don't think it's going to be close."In Denver, former Cleveland County Democratic Party Chair Betsy Wells was on her way to Mile High Stadium Thursday evening to hear Obama's acceptance speech.Once a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Wells said the convention would unify the once divided Democratic Party."We are going to come out of this convention tonight as a unified party," she said. "There's no more Barack Obama delegates, Edwards supporters or Hillary delegates. We will be united behind the Obama-Biden ticket."
http://www.shelbystar.com/news/party_33276___article.html/obama_sen.html
Locals react to first party nomination of African-American
Thursday, Aug 28 2008, 8:28 pm
Graham Cawthon
SHELBY - On the 35th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech outside the Lincoln Memorial, decorations went up inside the Cleveland County Democratic headquarters.One organizer referred to it as a party. Perhaps a party that the dream King spoke of came true."I've been glued to the tube every night for this thing," said Shelby City Councilman Andrew Hopper.What Hopper referred to was the much bigger party out in Denver, Col. to celebrate Sen. Barack Obama's clinching the Democratic Party's presidential nominee."What an exciting time to vote," said J. Benton Reid, who recalled growing up listening to Walter Cronkite give the Vietnam War body count each night on the news and compared that to the current conflict in Iraq."I'm looking at the hope he creates," Reid said of Obama, the first African-American to be a political party's nominee. "I'm looking for that change that will be created."Many have said, including former Sen. Bob Dole who visited Shelby Thursday, that the election between Obama and Sen. John McCain will be a tight race. Hopper, a military veteran of 33 years,
disagreed.
"There's a lot of things wrong with our current leadership," he said, claiming McCain would be too similar to the current administration. "I don't think it's going to be close."In Denver, former Cleveland County Democratic Party Chair Betsy Wells was on her way to Mile High Stadium Thursday evening to hear Obama's acceptance speech.Once a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton, Wells said the convention would unify the once divided Democratic Party."We are going to come out of this convention tonight as a unified party," she said. "There's no more Barack Obama delegates, Edwards supporters or Hillary delegates. We will be united behind the Obama-Biden ticket."
http://www.shelbystar.com/news/party_33276___article.html/obama_sen.html
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
O.J. Simpson's daughter Arnelle in knock-down fight with dad
Wow isn't this a story? Arnelle has got to feel bad after seeing her father wounded.
By NANCY DILLON DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF
Wednesday, August 27th 2008, 3:25 PM
Tamargo/Getty
O.J. Simpson and his daughter, Arnelle, at a party in 2007. She knocked him to the ground Sunday.
Roca/News
O.J.'s girlfriend, Christie Prody, was the source of the bad blood.
Cops rushed to the Florida home of O.J. Simpson after his eldest daughter knocked him to the ground in a brawl over his girlfriend Christie Prody, sources said.
"Arnelle had a fight with Christie over Christie's behavior. That's what started the whole thing," a source told the Daily News.
"Christie has some problems with drinking, and Arnelle got mad. O.J. said 'Don't talk to her like that,' and Arnelle pushed him."
The source said Arnelle, 39, called 911 in a fit of guilt after she toppled the 61-year-old on Sunday, giving him a minor head injury.
The police report does not mention O.J.'s fall, but the National Enquirer, which first reported the row, quoted a source saying O.J. was "cut on the back of his head, blood was coming out the side of his mouth and his lip was cut."
The Enquirer said Arnelle was furious with O.J. for dishing out money to Prody, 32, while his high school sweetheart - Arnelle's mom, Marguerite Whitley - has to work at WalMart to make ends meet.
Arnelle also lashed out at OJ for "ditching" Whitley to marry Nicole Brown Simpson, the Enquirer reported. O.J. was acquitted of Nicole's murder in 1995. Two years later, a civil jury found him "responsible" for the killing.
"It wasn't a big deal," the source said of Sunday's scuffle. "He wasn't all cut up."
The police report says the altercation ended when Arnelle agreed to leave O.J.'s house "in order to let things calm down."
ndillon@nydailynews.com
By NANCY DILLON DAILY NEWS WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF
Wednesday, August 27th 2008, 3:25 PM
Tamargo/Getty
O.J. Simpson and his daughter, Arnelle, at a party in 2007. She knocked him to the ground Sunday.
Roca/News
O.J.'s girlfriend, Christie Prody, was the source of the bad blood.
Cops rushed to the Florida home of O.J. Simpson after his eldest daughter knocked him to the ground in a brawl over his girlfriend Christie Prody, sources said.
"Arnelle had a fight with Christie over Christie's behavior. That's what started the whole thing," a source told the Daily News.
"Christie has some problems with drinking, and Arnelle got mad. O.J. said 'Don't talk to her like that,' and Arnelle pushed him."
The source said Arnelle, 39, called 911 in a fit of guilt after she toppled the 61-year-old on Sunday, giving him a minor head injury.
The police report does not mention O.J.'s fall, but the National Enquirer, which first reported the row, quoted a source saying O.J. was "cut on the back of his head, blood was coming out the side of his mouth and his lip was cut."
The Enquirer said Arnelle was furious with O.J. for dishing out money to Prody, 32, while his high school sweetheart - Arnelle's mom, Marguerite Whitley - has to work at WalMart to make ends meet.
Arnelle also lashed out at OJ for "ditching" Whitley to marry Nicole Brown Simpson, the Enquirer reported. O.J. was acquitted of Nicole's murder in 1995. Two years later, a civil jury found him "responsible" for the killing.
"It wasn't a big deal," the source said of Sunday's scuffle. "He wasn't all cut up."
The police report says the altercation ended when Arnelle agreed to leave O.J.'s house "in order to let things calm down."
ndillon@nydailynews.com
Harvard to scrutinize campus police after complaints from black students, professors
August 26, 2008 04:59 PM
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff
Harvard will launch an examination of the campus police department after complaints that officers have unfairly stopped black students, professors, and other university community members because of their race.In an email to senior university administrators and faculty today, President Drew Gilpin Faust announced the creation of a six-member committee to review the police department's diversity training, community outreach, and recruitment efforts. It will be led by Ralph Martin, former Suffolk County district attorney and managing partner of the Boston office of Bingham McCutchen.
"All of us share an interest in sustaining constructive relations between our campus police and the broader Harvard community, in order to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all faculty, students, staff, and visitors...." Faust wrote in her email. "I am confident that this group's efforts will help the University address this important set of issues in a constructive spirit and forthright manner."
Earlier this month, Faust noted, officers confronted a person using tools to remove a lock from a locked bicycle. The person, whom others familiar with the case have identified as a black Boston high school student working on the Harvard campus this summer, owned the bicycle, and was trying to cut the lock because the key had broken off in the lock.
Black students and faculty also protested after police interrupted a field day on the Radcliffe Quad in spring 2007 sponsored by the Harvard Black Men's Forum and the Association of Black Harvard Women. Police asked whether the black student groups had permission to be there.
And in 2004, police stopped a prominent black Harvard professor as he was walking to his office across Harvard Yard because they mistook him for a robbery suspect.
Harvard to scrutinize campus police after complaints from black students, professors - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff
Harvard will launch an examination of the campus police department after complaints that officers have unfairly stopped black students, professors, and other university community members because of their race.In an email to senior university administrators and faculty today, President Drew Gilpin Faust announced the creation of a six-member committee to review the police department's diversity training, community outreach, and recruitment efforts. It will be led by Ralph Martin, former Suffolk County district attorney and managing partner of the Boston office of Bingham McCutchen.
"All of us share an interest in sustaining constructive relations between our campus police and the broader Harvard community, in order to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all faculty, students, staff, and visitors...." Faust wrote in her email. "I am confident that this group's efforts will help the University address this important set of issues in a constructive spirit and forthright manner."
Earlier this month, Faust noted, officers confronted a person using tools to remove a lock from a locked bicycle. The person, whom others familiar with the case have identified as a black Boston high school student working on the Harvard campus this summer, owned the bicycle, and was trying to cut the lock because the key had broken off in the lock.
Black students and faculty also protested after police interrupted a field day on the Radcliffe Quad in spring 2007 sponsored by the Harvard Black Men's Forum and the Association of Black Harvard Women. Police asked whether the black student groups had permission to be there.
And in 2004, police stopped a prominent black Harvard professor as he was walking to his office across Harvard Yard because they mistook him for a robbery suspect.
Harvard to scrutinize campus police after complaints from black students, professors - Local News Updates - The Boston Globe
CBC Members, Debate Watch to Headline 2008 Annual Legislative Conference
Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Releases Details of Extraordinary Program Conceived Around Conference Theme of "Embracing the Promise, Realizing the Vision"
WASHINGTON, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) is planning what may be the largest organized gathering of people watching a presidential debate as part of the 38th Annual Legislative Conference (ALC), September 24-27, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
CBCF's "Presidential Debate Watch" will enable as many as 2,000 ALC registrants to come together on Friday, September 26, to watch on large screen televisions this year's first general-election debate sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. The presumptive major-party presidential nominees, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Illinois) and Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), will square off at a 90-minute debate focused on foreign policy issues at 9 p.m. (EDT) at the University of Mississippi.
Overall, more than 18,000 people focusing on issues impacting African Americans and the African diaspora attend ALC each year at the convention center. The four-day conference features dozens of policy forums, general sessions, exhibits, a job fair, book signings and networking opportunities. It ends with a star-studded awards dinner and after-dinner gala. Registrants include elected officials, business and industry leaders, celebrities, media, emerging leaders and everyday Americans.
Headlining ALC will once again be the 42 members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). They will lead forums on education, health care, the environment, economic development, criminal justice, housing, transportation and international affairs throughout the conference. On Saturday, September 27, thousands of people will join the CBC and CBCF in honoring the contributions of outstanding individuals for their contributions to the community and the nation at the awards dinner. Actress Holly Robinson Peete and former NFL quarterback Rodney Peete will co-host the dinner.
Other conference highlights will include:
-- Celebration of Leadership for the Visual and Performing Arts. The CBC Spouses will honor "King of the Blues" legend B.B. King; Howard Bingham, Muhammad Ali's longtime photographer, and visual artist Betye Saar at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Wednesday, September 24. The next morning, Thursday, September 25, the CBC Spouses and CBC members will provide food, clothing and health services at a homeless shelter in Northwest Washington.
-- Annual Prayer Breakfast. The Rev. Dr. Floyd H. Flake - president of Wilberforce University in Ohio, a former congressman from Queens, N.Y., and pastor of Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral of New York - will deliver the sermon on September 27. The Rev. Dr. Rudolph W. McKissick Jr., senior pastor of Bethel Baptist Institutional Church in Jacksonville, Fla., will offer musical praise along with gospel singer Maurette Brown Clark.
-- National Town Hall Meeting. The session on September 25 will focus on reasons and solutions concerning the foreclosure crisis and match attendees with financial counselors.
U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown of Florida and Gregory W. Meeks of New York are the honorary co-chairs of ALC '08. They helped to choose the conference theme "Embracing the Promise, Realizing the Vision," to recognize the CBC's role in helping to lead the nation forward, even as the dreams of so many are being realized, yet still envisioning great hopes for the future.
"This year's ALC will offer a clear vision of what the icons of the civil rights movement promised - a nation full of equal opportunities for all of its citizens," said Elsie L. Scott, Ph.D., CBCF's president and chief executive officer. "The conference will be filled with dynamic social and policy content and the Debate Watch sessions are sure to be memorable. Everyone will leave the conference better informed and motivated to make a difference back in their communities."
With its Future Focus Series, CBCF's Center for Policy Analysis and Research (CPAR) will feature members of Congress, academics, policy practitioners and experts who will cover topics of education, affordable housing, economic development and public health, on September 24.
The CBCF Emerging Leaders series is poised to offer multiple sessions connecting the nation's powerbrokers with emerging professionals to discuss strategies for personal and community development throughout the conference. On September 25, the Instant Apprentice Luncheon will give young professionals access to the nation's most powerful leaders in business, nonprofit and government. At the same time, the Newsmaker Luncheon returns for a second year to allow seasoned professionals with similar interests and backgrounds to interact in a semi-informal setting.
"The Annual Legislative Conference is a time for the community to gather from around the country, present our shared issues, brainstorm resolutions and establish an action plan for the coming year," Rep. Brown said. "We look forward to all contributions as we move forward to address the issues that disproportionately impact African Americans and other people of color."
Rep. Meeks, who is also a member of the CBCF Board of Directors said: "This year's participation from our emerging leaders has historical significance as the nation moves forward, realizing the dreams of so many, yet envisioning the visions of the future. We are seeing an exciting new energy and must harness the possibilities."
General, hotel and media registration are open. To register or to get more information about ALC '08 or the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, please visit www.cbcfinc.org or www.alc2008.org or call the ALC Hotline at (202) 263-5708. Proceeds from ALC '08 will help to raise funds for CBCF's research, scholarship, fellowship and internship programs as well as its economic development and public health initiatives.
Anonymous Donor Gives Spelman $17 Million for International Initiatives
Last update: 2:52 p.m. EDT Aug. 26, 2008
ATLANTA, Aug 26, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- To strengthen and expand international programs at Spelman College, an anonymous donor has generously given a $17 million gift to establish the Gordon-Zeto Endowed Fund for International Initiatives.
Named after Nora A. Gordon, C'1888, the first Spelmanite to teach in the Congo, and Flora E. Zeto, C'1915, among the first Congolese to study and graduate from Spelman, the gift will be used to infuse the curriculum, campus environment, and extracurricular offerings with an international component.
"In the context of an increasingly global economy and a world made smaller by technology, it is more important than ever that students, faculty and staff are prepared for active engagement with the international community," said Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., president of Spelman College. "This generous gift will help expand our global emphasis, ensuring that we remain competitive in a 'flat world.' "
Since 2002, the number of Spelman students participating in study abroad programs, has doubled. However, unlike study abroad, there has been no real growth in the international student population at Spelman. Therefore, a scholarship will be established to bring students from Africa to study and graduate from the College.
"The 21st century transformation of the College includes not only sending our students out into the world, but welcoming students from other countries to Spelman," said Tatum. "The addition of students from Africa will serve to further educate and prepare the Spelman community for global engagement."
Other initiatives to be funded by the Gordon-Zeto Endowment include:
-- Gordon-Zeto Dean for International Initiatives to provide senior leadership and oversight of Spelman's international program offerings.
-- Nora Gordon Scholars program to support study abroad opportunities for Pell grant eligible students, with first priority given to those interested in studying in Africa.
-- Gordon-Zeto Fund for Faculty/Student International Travel to support short-term study abroad opportunities for students and faculty.
The fund will also be used to strengthen existing programs. The endowment will help support a faculty position in the "Africans in the Diaspora and the World" first-year seminar program. The gift will provide travel funds for Spelman's Model United Nations team and support for the International Relations program. Allocations will also be made to the Office of Student Activities to support new and existing initiatives with an international focus, and the division of Enrollment Management will receive support for
international recruiting efforts.
SOURCE Spelman College http://www.spelman.edu
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/anonymous-donor-gives-spelman-17/story.aspx?guid=%7B28F9E6A1-5350-4078-8951-3432B4E7A071%7D&dist=hppr
ATLANTA, Aug 26, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- To strengthen and expand international programs at Spelman College, an anonymous donor has generously given a $17 million gift to establish the Gordon-Zeto Endowed Fund for International Initiatives.
Named after Nora A. Gordon, C'1888, the first Spelmanite to teach in the Congo, and Flora E. Zeto, C'1915, among the first Congolese to study and graduate from Spelman, the gift will be used to infuse the curriculum, campus environment, and extracurricular offerings with an international component.
"In the context of an increasingly global economy and a world made smaller by technology, it is more important than ever that students, faculty and staff are prepared for active engagement with the international community," said Beverly Daniel Tatum, Ph.D., president of Spelman College. "This generous gift will help expand our global emphasis, ensuring that we remain competitive in a 'flat world.' "
Since 2002, the number of Spelman students participating in study abroad programs, has doubled. However, unlike study abroad, there has been no real growth in the international student population at Spelman. Therefore, a scholarship will be established to bring students from Africa to study and graduate from the College.
"The 21st century transformation of the College includes not only sending our students out into the world, but welcoming students from other countries to Spelman," said Tatum. "The addition of students from Africa will serve to further educate and prepare the Spelman community for global engagement."
Other initiatives to be funded by the Gordon-Zeto Endowment include:
-- Gordon-Zeto Dean for International Initiatives to provide senior leadership and oversight of Spelman's international program offerings.
-- Nora Gordon Scholars program to support study abroad opportunities for Pell grant eligible students, with first priority given to those interested in studying in Africa.
-- Gordon-Zeto Fund for Faculty/Student International Travel to support short-term study abroad opportunities for students and faculty.
The fund will also be used to strengthen existing programs. The endowment will help support a faculty position in the "Africans in the Diaspora and the World" first-year seminar program. The gift will provide travel funds for Spelman's Model United Nations team and support for the International Relations program. Allocations will also be made to the Office of Student Activities to support new and existing initiatives with an international focus, and the division of Enrollment Management will receive support for
international recruiting efforts.
SOURCE Spelman College http://www.spelman.edu
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/anonymous-donor-gives-spelman-17/story.aspx?guid=%7B28F9E6A1-5350-4078-8951-3432B4E7A071%7D&dist=hppr
Rap star Dr Dre's son found dead
Page last updated at 10:26 GMT, Wednesday, 27 August 2008 11:26 UK
The 20-year-old son of rap star Dr Dre has been found dead at his family's home in Los Angeles.
The body of Andre Young Jr - who was named after his father - was found by his mother.
"Dr Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr," Dr Dre's publicist Lori Earl said in a statement.
The cause of death is not likely to be determined for eight weeks while toxicology tests are carried out, coroner John Kades said.
Dr Dre is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer and record executive.
As the founder of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner of Death Row Records, he has produced songs by artists like Eve, Mary J Blige and Snoop Dogg.
He has also overseen the careers of many rappers including Eminem and 50 Cent.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7583829.stm
The 20-year-old son of rap star Dr Dre has been found dead at his family's home in Los Angeles.
The body of Andre Young Jr - who was named after his father - was found by his mother.
"Dr Dre is mourning the loss of his son Andre Young Jr," Dr Dre's publicist Lori Earl said in a statement.
The cause of death is not likely to be determined for eight weeks while toxicology tests are carried out, coroner John Kades said.
Dr Dre is a Grammy Award-winning rapper, producer and record executive.
As the founder of Aftermath Entertainment and a former co-owner of Death Row Records, he has produced songs by artists like Eve, Mary J Blige and Snoop Dogg.
He has also overseen the careers of many rappers including Eminem and 50 Cent.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7583829.stm
Rap star P Diddy forced to ground his jet as fuel prices are "too high"
Multi-millionaire hip hop music producer Sean Combs, known as P Diddy, has been forced to ground his private jet because of rising fuel prices.
By Lucy Cockcroft Last Updated: 1:51AM BST 27 Aug 2008
Laughing into the camera, Sean Combes aka P Diddy said: Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines Photo: REUTERS
The 38-year-old entrepreneur, a successful US rap star who owns his own record label, clothing and perfume line, has said he will only fly with commercial airlines until the price of oil has come down.
Combs claims that two round-trips between Los Angeles and New York on board his personal jet now costs him around $200,000 (£108,000).
He was so incensed by the situation that he posted footage of himself on video-sharing website YouTube, vowing to abstain from private travel until fuel prices fall.
Titled "Diddy Blog #12 - Gas Prices Are Too High", the clip shows him delivering the message from an airport lounge.
He said: "Gas prices are too ****** ******* high. As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to LA pursuing my acting career.
"Now, if I'm flying back and forth, like, twice in a month that's like $200,000 or $250,000 round trip. **** that. I'm back on American Airlines right now, OK.
Laughing into the camera, he said: "Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines. Look.
"I want to give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters and all my brothers and sisters from all the countries that have oil, if you could all please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it.
"But right now, can you believe it, I am actually flying commercial. That's how high gas prices are ok, so I feel you. Look, I'm at the gate right now.
"This is proof that gas prices are too high, we need to do something about it, so tell whoever the next president is that we need to bring gas back down."
As he boards his flight Combs tells the people around him that he is trying to prove he has been forced to "fly commercial", stating what an unbelievable situation it was before holding up his plane ticket for the camera.
The 2 minute 25 second video, posted on August 24, has been viewed almost 33,000 times.
Combs is said to be worth around $346 million (£188 million) and was featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest People Under 40" list in 2002.
By Lucy Cockcroft Last Updated: 1:51AM BST 27 Aug 2008
Laughing into the camera, Sean Combes aka P Diddy said: Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines Photo: REUTERS
The 38-year-old entrepreneur, a successful US rap star who owns his own record label, clothing and perfume line, has said he will only fly with commercial airlines until the price of oil has come down.
Combs claims that two round-trips between Los Angeles and New York on board his personal jet now costs him around $200,000 (£108,000).
He was so incensed by the situation that he posted footage of himself on video-sharing website YouTube, vowing to abstain from private travel until fuel prices fall.
Titled "Diddy Blog #12 - Gas Prices Are Too High", the clip shows him delivering the message from an airport lounge.
He said: "Gas prices are too ****** ******* high. As you know, I do own my own jet and I have been having flying back and forth to LA pursuing my acting career.
"Now, if I'm flying back and forth, like, twice in a month that's like $200,000 or $250,000 round trip. **** that. I'm back on American Airlines right now, OK.
Laughing into the camera, he said: "Check this out, your boy Diddy right now is on American Airlines. Look.
"I want to give a shout out to all my Saudi Arabian brothers and sisters and all my brothers and sisters from all the countries that have oil, if you could all please send me some oil for my jet I would truly appreciate it.
"But right now, can you believe it, I am actually flying commercial. That's how high gas prices are ok, so I feel you. Look, I'm at the gate right now.
"This is proof that gas prices are too high, we need to do something about it, so tell whoever the next president is that we need to bring gas back down."
As he boards his flight Combs tells the people around him that he is trying to prove he has been forced to "fly commercial", stating what an unbelievable situation it was before holding up his plane ticket for the camera.
The 2 minute 25 second video, posted on August 24, has been viewed almost 33,000 times.
Combs is said to be worth around $346 million (£188 million) and was featured on Fortune magazine's "40 Richest People Under 40" list in 2002.
Black history to be compulsory in schools for first time
Comentary: Good to see other cultures incorporating Black History as a part of their curriculum...it would be ever Greater if the U.S. saw the same significance in incorporated Black History in every school. Especially in the Black Communities.
Learning about black history is to be compulsory in secondary schools for the first time following a review of the national curriculum.
By Graham Tibbetts Last Updated: 12:08AM BST 27 Aug 2008
Olaudah Equiano, a former slave whose autobiography drew attention to the horrors of the trade Photo: GETTY
All pupils aged between 11 and 14 will be taught about the slave trade and the British empire when term begins next month to help them understand modern-day issues such as immigration.
The two subjects, aimed at highlighting the influence of ethnic minorities, will join the two world wars and the Holocaust as periods that must form part of the history syllabus.
Schoolchildren will learn about the roles of William Wilberforce, the MP who campaigned for the abolition of slavery, and Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who drew attention to the horrors of the trade after buying his freedom and writing an autobiography.
They will also be taught about the origins of the empire, with one unit looking at rise and fall of the Mughals in India and the arrival of the British. Another is titled "How was it that, by 1900, Britain controlled nearly a quarter of the world?"
Kevin Brennan, the children's minister, said: "Although we may be ashamed to admit it, the slave trade is an integral part of British history. It is inextricably linked to trade, colonisation, industrialisation and the British Empire.
"It is important that children learn about this and its links to wider world history, such as the American civil rights movement - the repercussions of which are still being felt today. That is why the slave trade will join the British Empire, the two world wars and the Holocaust as compulsory parts of the secondary school history curriculum from this September."
Under the guidelines 25 per cent of the course must cover British history.
There will also be a change of emphasis away from historical dates to learning about themes - such as religion and social issues - which could be relevant to other subjects.
Mick Waters, director of curriculum at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, said the revised history curriculum for pupils in England gives a broader view of the subject.
"Core British history such as both the world wars is present, but it also includes curricular content which provides the opportunity for pupils to explore the social, cultural, religious and ethnic roots of modern society," he said.
"Black history is not just about slavery - it is much broader than that. It is about the contribution that black and Asian people have made throughout history. The benefits are that pupils gain a better appreciation of the multicultural society around them and the contribution they can make."
The change follows a comprehensive overhaul of the secondary curriculum.
According to a Government briefing document one of the aims of the switch is to "put immigration, the Commonwealth and the legacy of the Empire into a clear historical context...This can help pupils prepare for life in a diverse and multi-ethnic society".
However, the decision last year to omit Sir Winston Churchill from the list of figures that must be studied in history angered traditionalists.
Michael Gove, shadow secretary for children, schools and families, said: "Winston Churchill is the towering figure of 20th century British history. His fight against facsism was Britain's finest hour. Our national story can't be told without Churchill at the centre."
A QCA spokesman said teachers were aware that they would be unable to teach the Second World War without mentioning Churchill.
Learning about black history is to be compulsory in secondary schools for the first time following a review of the national curriculum.
By Graham Tibbetts Last Updated: 12:08AM BST 27 Aug 2008
Olaudah Equiano, a former slave whose autobiography drew attention to the horrors of the trade Photo: GETTY
All pupils aged between 11 and 14 will be taught about the slave trade and the British empire when term begins next month to help them understand modern-day issues such as immigration.
The two subjects, aimed at highlighting the influence of ethnic minorities, will join the two world wars and the Holocaust as periods that must form part of the history syllabus.
Schoolchildren will learn about the roles of William Wilberforce, the MP who campaigned for the abolition of slavery, and Olaudah Equiano, a former slave who drew attention to the horrors of the trade after buying his freedom and writing an autobiography.
They will also be taught about the origins of the empire, with one unit looking at rise and fall of the Mughals in India and the arrival of the British. Another is titled "How was it that, by 1900, Britain controlled nearly a quarter of the world?"
Kevin Brennan, the children's minister, said: "Although we may be ashamed to admit it, the slave trade is an integral part of British history. It is inextricably linked to trade, colonisation, industrialisation and the British Empire.
"It is important that children learn about this and its links to wider world history, such as the American civil rights movement - the repercussions of which are still being felt today. That is why the slave trade will join the British Empire, the two world wars and the Holocaust as compulsory parts of the secondary school history curriculum from this September."
Under the guidelines 25 per cent of the course must cover British history.
There will also be a change of emphasis away from historical dates to learning about themes - such as religion and social issues - which could be relevant to other subjects.
Mick Waters, director of curriculum at the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, said the revised history curriculum for pupils in England gives a broader view of the subject.
"Core British history such as both the world wars is present, but it also includes curricular content which provides the opportunity for pupils to explore the social, cultural, religious and ethnic roots of modern society," he said.
"Black history is not just about slavery - it is much broader than that. It is about the contribution that black and Asian people have made throughout history. The benefits are that pupils gain a better appreciation of the multicultural society around them and the contribution they can make."
The change follows a comprehensive overhaul of the secondary curriculum.
According to a Government briefing document one of the aims of the switch is to "put immigration, the Commonwealth and the legacy of the Empire into a clear historical context...This can help pupils prepare for life in a diverse and multi-ethnic society".
However, the decision last year to omit Sir Winston Churchill from the list of figures that must be studied in history angered traditionalists.
Michael Gove, shadow secretary for children, schools and families, said: "Winston Churchill is the towering figure of 20th century British history. His fight against facsism was Britain's finest hour. Our national story can't be told without Churchill at the centre."
A QCA spokesman said teachers were aware that they would be unable to teach the Second World War without mentioning Churchill.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Rev. Al Sharpton, other Prominet Demo break with Unions
Join Choice MovementWritten By: Christin CoynePublished In:
School Reform NewsPublication Date: September 1, 2008Publisher:
The Heartland Institute
Teacher unions and other traditional voices in education may be getting it wrong, the Rev. Al Sharpton has decided.
In the past, the civil rights activist has been known more for his opposition to school choice than for any teamwork with New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, but that changed radically in June when Sharpton joined Klein and a diverse group of fellow free-thinkers from all political stripes to form the Education Equality Project, a group advocating more charter schools and greater accountability.
"We keep going to the old ways that don't work, to protect the political careers of some and the contracts of others at the expense of the children. And the results are the data that we have," Sharpton said at a June 11 press conference.
"And someone has to have the political and the social courage--and I hope this group helps to begin that nationally--to say, 'Wait a minute, the children are suffering,'" Sharpton said.
Civil Rights Issue
Klein noted African-American student achievement lags four years behind that of white students nationwide. Fixing that, he said, may mean Democrats such as Sharpton will have to call on the National Education Association (NEA) and other unions to stop standing in the way of systemic reforms.
"We failed to fix what was so obviously broken in the 1950s and long before that," Klein said. "Today if you're born African-American or Latino in this country, if your parents are poor, you're much more likely to fall behind in a struggling school. You're likely to get much lower scores in math and reading than you need and in other core subjects, and you're much more likely to drop out. And if you do graduate, you're more likely to graduate less prepared for college and for success.
"We need to be clear about this. To me, this is not just an issue of school reform. It's a civil rights issue--indeed, the civil rights issue of our time," Klein said.
Broad, Bipartisan Support
The Education Equality Project's goals include creating accountability in every level of schools, putting effective teachers in classrooms of students with the greatest needs, and expanding parental choice through charter schools.
The effort has garnered unusually broad bipartisan support nationwide. Members include former Democratic National Party Chair and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Roy Romer, DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
"The results [of today's school system] are that over half of [our] young black men are not graduating school--many of them fast-tracked to jail and their lives destroyed. And we don't have the time, because we have our alliances and our old core missions, to speak on their behalf," Sharpton said.
"This group is being formed to give voice to that, to say to those that are bringing about this era of change, whomever that might be, in the White House or in our houses, that we must make a priority this devastating problem, of lack of equal achievement accessibility for young students around this country," Sharpton added.
Klein and Sharpton have already begun their campaign to bring their message to the White House by seeking out both presidential candidates this summer. Members of the Education Equality Project have met with the campaign staffs of the presumptive major-party candidates, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL).
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=23749
School Reform NewsPublication Date: September 1, 2008Publisher:
The Heartland Institute
Teacher unions and other traditional voices in education may be getting it wrong, the Rev. Al Sharpton has decided.
In the past, the civil rights activist has been known more for his opposition to school choice than for any teamwork with New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, but that changed radically in June when Sharpton joined Klein and a diverse group of fellow free-thinkers from all political stripes to form the Education Equality Project, a group advocating more charter schools and greater accountability.
"We keep going to the old ways that don't work, to protect the political careers of some and the contracts of others at the expense of the children. And the results are the data that we have," Sharpton said at a June 11 press conference.
"And someone has to have the political and the social courage--and I hope this group helps to begin that nationally--to say, 'Wait a minute, the children are suffering,'" Sharpton said.
Civil Rights Issue
Klein noted African-American student achievement lags four years behind that of white students nationwide. Fixing that, he said, may mean Democrats such as Sharpton will have to call on the National Education Association (NEA) and other unions to stop standing in the way of systemic reforms.
"We failed to fix what was so obviously broken in the 1950s and long before that," Klein said. "Today if you're born African-American or Latino in this country, if your parents are poor, you're much more likely to fall behind in a struggling school. You're likely to get much lower scores in math and reading than you need and in other core subjects, and you're much more likely to drop out. And if you do graduate, you're more likely to graduate less prepared for college and for success.
"We need to be clear about this. To me, this is not just an issue of school reform. It's a civil rights issue--indeed, the civil rights issue of our time," Klein said.
Broad, Bipartisan Support
The Education Equality Project's goals include creating accountability in every level of schools, putting effective teachers in classrooms of students with the greatest needs, and expanding parental choice through charter schools.
The effort has garnered unusually broad bipartisan support nationwide. Members include former Democratic National Party Chair and Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Roy Romer, DC Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
"The results [of today's school system] are that over half of [our] young black men are not graduating school--many of them fast-tracked to jail and their lives destroyed. And we don't have the time, because we have our alliances and our old core missions, to speak on their behalf," Sharpton said.
"This group is being formed to give voice to that, to say to those that are bringing about this era of change, whomever that might be, in the White House or in our houses, that we must make a priority this devastating problem, of lack of equal achievement accessibility for young students around this country," Sharpton added.
Klein and Sharpton have already begun their campaign to bring their message to the White House by seeking out both presidential candidates this summer. Members of the Education Equality Project have met with the campaign staffs of the presumptive major-party candidates, Sens. John McCain (R-AZ) and Barack Obama (D-IL).
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=23749
Sudan forces surround Dafur camp after raid
Tue 26 Aug 2008, 13:43 GMT
By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces accused of killing dozens of people in a raid on a displaced persons camp in Darfur were massing outside the camp again on Tuesday, rebels and residents said.
Residents of South Darfur's Kalma camp told Reuters they feared government forces were preparing to make a second attempt to enter the settlement after an assault on Monday.
Kalma, home to 90,000 people forced out of their homes by fighting in west Sudan's desert Darfur region since rebellion broke out more than five years ago, has long been a flashpoint.
Sudanese authorities have launched a number of failed attempts to seize arms from the camp in the past, claiming rebels and bandits use it as a base.
Camp residents and Darfur rebels have accused the government of trying to clear the camp to force residents to return to their homes under a government resettlement plan.
Kalma resident Omar Ali Omar Suleiman told Reuters Sudanese police and soldiers had built up their positions around the camp overnight. "They are gathering outside. We think they will try to come in again," he said.
He said 36 people had died and 118 were injured when armed police and soldiers entered the camp early Monday, correcting his earlier statement that 46 people had died.
Aid group Mdecins Sans Frontires said it managed to evacuate 49 people suffering from gunshot wounds to hospital in nearby Nyala, where one died overnight.
Ahmed Abdel Shafie, leader of a rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)faction, said many other casualties were still in the camp.
But the state SUNA news agency quoted a statement from South Darfur state's Security Committee saying the only casualties were five injured police officers and seven injured residents.
SUNA said armed Kalma residents had fired on police when officers moved in to seize weapons after receiving reports that a large cache had been delivered to Kalma.
They were "met with strong resistance from the instigated and mobilized displaced citizens who were incited to put barricades and to move in the streets," SUNA reported.
Police will hold their positions outside the camp until the collection of the "stockpiled weapons" was complete, it added.
FOOD RUNNING OUT
Shafie, of the SLA faction, said government forces had blocked the road out of the camp. "There is no one going in or out. The situation is very bad with the rains, and food is running out. They are surrounding the camp."
He said government agents inside the camp, not residents, had started the fighting. "They infiltrated Kalma to provoke the residents and justify their own atrocities," he said.
The raid came at a highly sensitive time in Darfur after the International Criminal Court moved to indict President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide in the remote western region.
Darfur rebels, who back the ICC move, have accused Khartoum of carrying out a string of attacks and bombings in the region in an attempt to gain territory before negotiations with the new joint U.N.-African Union mediator for Darfur Djibril Bassole.
Bassole on Tuesday told reporters in Khartoum "certain events enormously complicated the task" of searching for peace and security in Darfur, without referring directly to Kalma.
"The main impression I have gained is that the Sudanese want peace," he added, after a meeting with Sudanese presidential advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail on the first full day of his mission in Sudan.
International experts say 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million driven from their homes by the fighting in Darfur. Khartoum puts the death count at 10,000.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN634733.html
By Andrew Heavens
KHARTOUM (Reuters) - Sudanese forces accused of killing dozens of people in a raid on a displaced persons camp in Darfur were massing outside the camp again on Tuesday, rebels and residents said.
Residents of South Darfur's Kalma camp told Reuters they feared government forces were preparing to make a second attempt to enter the settlement after an assault on Monday.
Kalma, home to 90,000 people forced out of their homes by fighting in west Sudan's desert Darfur region since rebellion broke out more than five years ago, has long been a flashpoint.
Sudanese authorities have launched a number of failed attempts to seize arms from the camp in the past, claiming rebels and bandits use it as a base.
Camp residents and Darfur rebels have accused the government of trying to clear the camp to force residents to return to their homes under a government resettlement plan.
Kalma resident Omar Ali Omar Suleiman told Reuters Sudanese police and soldiers had built up their positions around the camp overnight. "They are gathering outside. We think they will try to come in again," he said.
He said 36 people had died and 118 were injured when armed police and soldiers entered the camp early Monday, correcting his earlier statement that 46 people had died.
Aid group Mdecins Sans Frontires said it managed to evacuate 49 people suffering from gunshot wounds to hospital in nearby Nyala, where one died overnight.
Ahmed Abdel Shafie, leader of a rebel Sudan Liberation Army (SLA)faction, said many other casualties were still in the camp.
But the state SUNA news agency quoted a statement from South Darfur state's Security Committee saying the only casualties were five injured police officers and seven injured residents.
SUNA said armed Kalma residents had fired on police when officers moved in to seize weapons after receiving reports that a large cache had been delivered to Kalma.
They were "met with strong resistance from the instigated and mobilized displaced citizens who were incited to put barricades and to move in the streets," SUNA reported.
Police will hold their positions outside the camp until the collection of the "stockpiled weapons" was complete, it added.
FOOD RUNNING OUT
Shafie, of the SLA faction, said government forces had blocked the road out of the camp. "There is no one going in or out. The situation is very bad with the rains, and food is running out. They are surrounding the camp."
He said government agents inside the camp, not residents, had started the fighting. "They infiltrated Kalma to provoke the residents and justify their own atrocities," he said.
The raid came at a highly sensitive time in Darfur after the International Criminal Court moved to indict President Omar Hassan al-Bashir for genocide in the remote western region.
Darfur rebels, who back the ICC move, have accused Khartoum of carrying out a string of attacks and bombings in the region in an attempt to gain territory before negotiations with the new joint U.N.-African Union mediator for Darfur Djibril Bassole.
Bassole on Tuesday told reporters in Khartoum "certain events enormously complicated the task" of searching for peace and security in Darfur, without referring directly to Kalma.
"The main impression I have gained is that the Sudanese want peace," he added, after a meeting with Sudanese presidential advisor Mustafa Osman Ismail on the first full day of his mission in Sudan.
International experts say 200,000 people have been killed and more than 2.5 million driven from their homes by the fighting in Darfur. Khartoum puts the death count at 10,000.
http://africa.reuters.com/top/news/usnBAN634733.html
Hip-hop CD goes to bat for Negro Leagues museum
Hip-hop CD goes to bat for Negro Leagues museum
By Gail Mitchell Sun Aug 24, 10:24 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Kanye West, T-Pain and Akon are among the performers on "True to the Game," a compilation CD of R&B and hip-hop songs that will benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
ADVERTISEMENT
The CD, which will be released October 21 and distributed by Pyramid/Fontana/Universal, is the first project from Stadium Entertainment, a privately financed company that aims to combine music, social consciousness and philanthropy.
A percentage of the proceeds from "True to the Game" will be donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, which will use the proceeds to help fund a $15 million education and research center within the historical landmark building where the Negro Leagues were established in 1920.
The company also has signed a licensing deal with T-Pain's Miami-based Nappy Boy Digital label for the project's first single, "Beam Me Up." The song, featuring T-Pain, Rick Ross and introducing Nappy Boy artist Tay Dizm, is exclusively available digitally through Nappy Boy Digital.
Track selections also include "Make Your Way to the Dance Floor" (Ziggy Nina featuring Chingy), "Around My Way" (Young Cash featuring Akon), "The Pursuit of Happiness" (GLC featuring West), "Knock It Outa Da Park" (Yung Joc) and "Ghetto Love" (Mario).
Stadium plans to release two more compilations and a best-of CD under its agreement with the 18-year-old museum.
Acknowledging only that the museum will receive "a generous percentage," Negro Leagues Baseball Museum director of marketing Bob Kendrick said the Stadium affiliation is "just an extension of our existing licensing arm. It's important for cultural institutions to find nontraditional revenue sources, especially in this difficult economy. But, more important, it's an opportunity for us to give this vital history a new voice through the power of R&B and hip-hop and enlighten a new generation of youth."
Reuters/Billboard
Hip-hop CD goes to bat for Negro Leagues museum - Yahoo! News
By Gail Mitchell Sun Aug 24, 10:24 PM ET
LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Kanye West, T-Pain and Akon are among the performers on "True to the Game," a compilation CD of R&B and hip-hop songs that will benefit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.
ADVERTISEMENT
The CD, which will be released October 21 and distributed by Pyramid/Fontana/Universal, is the first project from Stadium Entertainment, a privately financed company that aims to combine music, social consciousness and philanthropy.
A percentage of the proceeds from "True to the Game" will be donated to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, Missouri, which will use the proceeds to help fund a $15 million education and research center within the historical landmark building where the Negro Leagues were established in 1920.
The company also has signed a licensing deal with T-Pain's Miami-based Nappy Boy Digital label for the project's first single, "Beam Me Up." The song, featuring T-Pain, Rick Ross and introducing Nappy Boy artist Tay Dizm, is exclusively available digitally through Nappy Boy Digital.
Track selections also include "Make Your Way to the Dance Floor" (Ziggy Nina featuring Chingy), "Around My Way" (Young Cash featuring Akon), "The Pursuit of Happiness" (GLC featuring West), "Knock It Outa Da Park" (Yung Joc) and "Ghetto Love" (Mario).
Stadium plans to release two more compilations and a best-of CD under its agreement with the 18-year-old museum.
Acknowledging only that the museum will receive "a generous percentage," Negro Leagues Baseball Museum director of marketing Bob Kendrick said the Stadium affiliation is "just an extension of our existing licensing arm. It's important for cultural institutions to find nontraditional revenue sources, especially in this difficult economy. But, more important, it's an opportunity for us to give this vital history a new voice through the power of R&B and hip-hop and enlighten a new generation of youth."
Reuters/Billboard
Hip-hop CD goes to bat for Negro Leagues museum - Yahoo! News
Michelle Obama takes spotlight - Americas, World - The Independent
Michelle Obama takes spotlight
By Leonard Doyle and David Usborne in Denver Tuesday, 26 August 2008
EPA
Michelle Obama (left) waves to delegates with the couple's children Malia Ann (right) and Natasha
Related Articles
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An Obama family affair in Denver
Kennedy speech electrifies Democratic convention
Two powerful speeches, one by an ailing Senator Edward Kennedy, the other by Michelle Obama, electrified Democrats gathered in Denver last night, as they prepared to formally nominate Barack Obama the party’s presidential candidate on Thursday.
Mrs Obama spoke extensively about her tight knit Chicago family, while emphasising her love of her country – which Republican opponents continue to question. A remarkably spry Senator Kennedy, who is fighting brain cancer, brought the crowd to its feet in a surprise appearance. They waved thousands of signs emblazoned with the name Kennedy as he was introduced by his niece, Caroline Kennedy — the last surviving child of President John F. Kennedy.
Mr Kennedy brought tears to the eyes of many delegates as he promised to be in the Senate in January to welcome a new Democratic president.
"The work begins anew. The hope rises again, and the dream lives on," he said, in lines which recalled his 1980 speech also at the Democratic convention when he failed to win the party's nomination.
As a new generation of leaders took over the helm of the Democratic party, Mrs Obama opened the Convention calling on America to listen "to our hopes instead of our fears," and "to stop doubting and to start dreaming."
She also recognised the achievements of Mrs Clinton, "who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters - and our sons - can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher."
Mrs Obama’s carefully choreographed speech emphasised her own working class roots and those of her husband, and the ideals of public service that have propelled both their careers. Her speech was preceded by the film, 'South Side Girl', describing her early live in the impoverished South Side of Chicago. It was all designed to present a warm and fuzzy image of a woman who has appeared harsh and strident to many Americans.
"I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president," she said, without mentioning that, if elected, he would be the first black president of the United States.
She also sought to humanise Mr Obama, painting him as an everyman - a husband, father, brother and a leader who might overcome the country’s racial divide – in contrast to his image as a remote and even foreign figure to many working class voters.
He is “the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital 10 years ago this summer,” she said and described him “inching along at a snail’s pace, peering anxiously at us in the rear-view mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands.”
The speeches enlivened the crowd, restoring hopes of victory in November, despite a recent negative run of opinion polls and a breakout of bitterness with Hillary Clinton’s defeated faction.
But even as the four-day convention opened there was more evidence of the deep unease among Democratic voters about the choice of Barack Obama as its presidential candidate.
A majority of those who backed Mrs Clinton for the nomination are still not prepared to support the Obama ticket in November's election, according to a new poll.
Behind the scenes there was also an ugly clash between top associates of Mrs Clinton and the Obama camp at the way she was overlooked for the party's vice-presidential nomination. Mrs Clinton's advisers were described by a top Obama supporter as acting like "Japanese soldiers in the South Pacific still fighting after the war is over".
Democratic apparatchiks are now wringing their hands that Mr Obama has yet to close the deal with millions of Democrats who did not support him in the primaries. A Gallup/USA Today poll revealed that only 47 per cent of Clinton supporters will back the Obama ticket, and that another 23 per cent say they may jump ship for the Republican, John McCain, or the independent Ralph Nader before the election.
This is deeply worrying for Senator Obama, who has seen Mr McCain gain steadily in the polls, to a point where they are in a dead heat.
"He has still got to get to the meat-and-potato, blue-collar workers," the veteran Democratic operative Joe Trippi said. "This [week] is a big opportunity for him."
Michelle Obama's soft-focus speech was expected to do little to quell the bickering between the two camps.
Democrat and, of course, I will support whoever the Democrats nominate for anything."
Interesting? Click here to explore further
Michelle Obama takes spotlight - Americas, World - The Independent
By Leonard Doyle and David Usborne in Denver Tuesday, 26 August 2008
EPA
Michelle Obama (left) waves to delegates with the couple's children Malia Ann (right) and Natasha
Related Articles
FBI investigate 'Obama' plot
An Obama family affair in Denver
Kennedy speech electrifies Democratic convention
Two powerful speeches, one by an ailing Senator Edward Kennedy, the other by Michelle Obama, electrified Democrats gathered in Denver last night, as they prepared to formally nominate Barack Obama the party’s presidential candidate on Thursday.
Mrs Obama spoke extensively about her tight knit Chicago family, while emphasising her love of her country – which Republican opponents continue to question. A remarkably spry Senator Kennedy, who is fighting brain cancer, brought the crowd to its feet in a surprise appearance. They waved thousands of signs emblazoned with the name Kennedy as he was introduced by his niece, Caroline Kennedy — the last surviving child of President John F. Kennedy.
Mr Kennedy brought tears to the eyes of many delegates as he promised to be in the Senate in January to welcome a new Democratic president.
"The work begins anew. The hope rises again, and the dream lives on," he said, in lines which recalled his 1980 speech also at the Democratic convention when he failed to win the party's nomination.
As a new generation of leaders took over the helm of the Democratic party, Mrs Obama opened the Convention calling on America to listen "to our hopes instead of our fears," and "to stop doubting and to start dreaming."
She also recognised the achievements of Mrs Clinton, "who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters - and our sons - can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher."
Mrs Obama’s carefully choreographed speech emphasised her own working class roots and those of her husband, and the ideals of public service that have propelled both their careers. Her speech was preceded by the film, 'South Side Girl', describing her early live in the impoverished South Side of Chicago. It was all designed to present a warm and fuzzy image of a woman who has appeared harsh and strident to many Americans.
"I come here as a wife who loves my husband and believes he will be an extraordinary president," she said, without mentioning that, if elected, he would be the first black president of the United States.
She also sought to humanise Mr Obama, painting him as an everyman - a husband, father, brother and a leader who might overcome the country’s racial divide – in contrast to his image as a remote and even foreign figure to many working class voters.
He is “the same man who drove me and our new baby daughter home from the hospital 10 years ago this summer,” she said and described him “inching along at a snail’s pace, peering anxiously at us in the rear-view mirror, feeling the whole weight of her future in his hands.”
The speeches enlivened the crowd, restoring hopes of victory in November, despite a recent negative run of opinion polls and a breakout of bitterness with Hillary Clinton’s defeated faction.
But even as the four-day convention opened there was more evidence of the deep unease among Democratic voters about the choice of Barack Obama as its presidential candidate.
A majority of those who backed Mrs Clinton for the nomination are still not prepared to support the Obama ticket in November's election, according to a new poll.
Behind the scenes there was also an ugly clash between top associates of Mrs Clinton and the Obama camp at the way she was overlooked for the party's vice-presidential nomination. Mrs Clinton's advisers were described by a top Obama supporter as acting like "Japanese soldiers in the South Pacific still fighting after the war is over".
Democratic apparatchiks are now wringing their hands that Mr Obama has yet to close the deal with millions of Democrats who did not support him in the primaries. A Gallup/USA Today poll revealed that only 47 per cent of Clinton supporters will back the Obama ticket, and that another 23 per cent say they may jump ship for the Republican, John McCain, or the independent Ralph Nader before the election.
This is deeply worrying for Senator Obama, who has seen Mr McCain gain steadily in the polls, to a point where they are in a dead heat.
"He has still got to get to the meat-and-potato, blue-collar workers," the veteran Democratic operative Joe Trippi said. "This [week] is a big opportunity for him."
Michelle Obama's soft-focus speech was expected to do little to quell the bickering between the two camps.
Democrat and, of course, I will support whoever the Democrats nominate for anything."
Interesting? Click here to explore further
Michelle Obama takes spotlight - Americas, World - The Independent
Monday, August 25, 2008
Online Directory BlackOwnedNewYork.com Promotes and Empowers Local Black-Owned Businesses
Online Directory BlackOwnedNewYork.com Promotes and Empowers Local Black-Owned Businesses
-- Announcing BlackOwnedNewYork.com, the exclusive online directory and resource center for Black-owned businesses in New York. The business directory allows consumers to connect with local business owners, while the business resources section provides useful tools for business owners. --
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Black Owned NY (BlackOwnedNewYork.com) was created to increase the visibility of local Black-owned businesses in New York, including the 5 boroughs, Long Island, and upstate New York, and to allow for local economic collaboration and support.
"There are over 129,000 Black-owned businesses in New York, and there are many people who want to support Black-owned businesses in their community, but this task can be difficult without a comprehensive local business directory," says website owner, Veronique Topping Knight. "The purpose of the Black Owned NY website is to increase consumers' accessibility to Black-owned businesses in New York, and to make it easier for local business owners and their customers to reach and support each other."
The Black Owned NY Business Directory allows website visitors to find and shop with local Black-owned businesses and gives them access to local news, events, coupons, and job listings. Site visitors can also visit the Video Directory Blog to view the latest online videos showcasing local businesses, events, and entrepreneurs.
In the Business Owner Resources section of the website, business owners will find valuable business tools to help them start, manage, and grow their business including Business Articles/Tips, Business Books, Business Assistance and Loan Information, Business Presentations, Website Templates, Free Business Software, and Minority Business Certification information. Business Owners can also make connections, share resources, and form strategic alliances with other local entrepreneurs on the Black Owned NY Social Network (available at
http://network.blackownednewyork.com).
For more information, visit the Black Owned NY business directory and resource center at www.blackownednewyork.com
CONTACT:Veronique T. KnightBlack Owned NYc/o I-NetUniq Technologies Inc.pr@blackownednewyork.comwww.blackownednewyork.com(516) 285-8647
-- Announcing BlackOwnedNewYork.com, the exclusive online directory and resource center for Black-owned businesses in New York. The business directory allows consumers to connect with local business owners, while the business resources section provides useful tools for business owners. --
New York, NY (BlackNews.com) - Black Owned NY (BlackOwnedNewYork.com) was created to increase the visibility of local Black-owned businesses in New York, including the 5 boroughs, Long Island, and upstate New York, and to allow for local economic collaboration and support.
"There are over 129,000 Black-owned businesses in New York, and there are many people who want to support Black-owned businesses in their community, but this task can be difficult without a comprehensive local business directory," says website owner, Veronique Topping Knight. "The purpose of the Black Owned NY website is to increase consumers' accessibility to Black-owned businesses in New York, and to make it easier for local business owners and their customers to reach and support each other."
The Black Owned NY Business Directory allows website visitors to find and shop with local Black-owned businesses and gives them access to local news, events, coupons, and job listings. Site visitors can also visit the Video Directory Blog to view the latest online videos showcasing local businesses, events, and entrepreneurs.
In the Business Owner Resources section of the website, business owners will find valuable business tools to help them start, manage, and grow their business including Business Articles/Tips, Business Books, Business Assistance and Loan Information, Business Presentations, Website Templates, Free Business Software, and Minority Business Certification information. Business Owners can also make connections, share resources, and form strategic alliances with other local entrepreneurs on the Black Owned NY Social Network (available at
http://network.blackownednewyork.com).
For more information, visit the Black Owned NY business directory and resource center at www.blackownednewyork.com
CONTACT:Veronique T. KnightBlack Owned NYc/o I-NetUniq Technologies Inc.pr@blackownednewyork.comwww.blackownednewyork.com(516) 285-8647
Blacks Debate Civil Rights Risk in Obama’s Rise
Historic as this moment is, it does not signify a major victory in the ongoing, daily battle.”Roderick J. Harrison, Howard University sociologist
WASHINGTON — On the night that Senator Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president, Roderick J. Harrison plans to pop open a bottle of Champagne and sit riveted before the television with his wife and 12-year-old son.
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Mr. Harrison, a demographer who is black, says he expects to feel chills when Mr. Obama becomes the first black presidential candidate to lead a major party ticket. But as the Democratic convention gets under way, Mr. Harrison’s anticipation is tempered by uneasiness as he wonders: Will Mr. Obama’s success further the notion that the long struggle for racial equality has finally been won?
Mr. Obama has received overwhelming support from black voters, many of whom believe he will help bridge the nation’s racial divide. But even as they cheer him on, some black scholars, bloggers and others who closely follow the race worry that Mr. Obama’s historic achievements might make it harder to rally support for policies intended to combat racial discrimination, racial inequities and urban poverty.
They fear that growing numbers of white voters and policy makers will decide that eradicating racial discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity have largely been done.
“I worry that there is a segment of the population that might be harder to reach, average citizens who will say: ‘Come on. We might have a black president, so we must be over it,’ ” said Mr. Harrison, 59, a sociologist at Howard University and a consultant for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies here.
“That is the danger, that we declare victory,” said Mr. Harrison, who fears that poor blacks will increasingly be blamed for their troubles. “Historic as this moment is, it does not signify a major victory in the ongoing, daily battle.”
Such concerns have been percolating in black intellectual circles for months, on talk radio and blogs, in dinner conversations, academic meetings and flurries of e-mail messages crisscrossing the country.
Blacks Debate Civil Rights Risk in Obama’s Rise - NYTimes.com
WASHINGTON — On the night that Senator Barack Obama accepts the Democratic nomination for president, Roderick J. Harrison plans to pop open a bottle of Champagne and sit riveted before the television with his wife and 12-year-old son.
Skip to next paragraph
The Caucus
The latest news from the convention in Denver and around the nation. Join the discussion. Join the discussion.
Times Topics: Democratic Convention
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Share your thoughts on this article.
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Read All Comments (123) »
if (acm.rc) acm.rc.write();
Mr. Harrison, a demographer who is black, says he expects to feel chills when Mr. Obama becomes the first black presidential candidate to lead a major party ticket. But as the Democratic convention gets under way, Mr. Harrison’s anticipation is tempered by uneasiness as he wonders: Will Mr. Obama’s success further the notion that the long struggle for racial equality has finally been won?
Mr. Obama has received overwhelming support from black voters, many of whom believe he will help bridge the nation’s racial divide. But even as they cheer him on, some black scholars, bloggers and others who closely follow the race worry that Mr. Obama’s historic achievements might make it harder to rally support for policies intended to combat racial discrimination, racial inequities and urban poverty.
They fear that growing numbers of white voters and policy makers will decide that eradicating racial discrimination and ensuring equal opportunity have largely been done.
“I worry that there is a segment of the population that might be harder to reach, average citizens who will say: ‘Come on. We might have a black president, so we must be over it,’ ” said Mr. Harrison, 59, a sociologist at Howard University and a consultant for the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies here.
“That is the danger, that we declare victory,” said Mr. Harrison, who fears that poor blacks will increasingly be blamed for their troubles. “Historic as this moment is, it does not signify a major victory in the ongoing, daily battle.”
Such concerns have been percolating in black intellectual circles for months, on talk radio and blogs, in dinner conversations, academic meetings and flurries of e-mail messages crisscrossing the country.
Blacks Debate Civil Rights Risk in Obama’s Rise - NYTimes.com
Obama Promotes Plan for Urban Developement
Obama Promotes Plan For Urban Development
By COREY DADEAugust 25, 2008; Page A4
Barack Obama's campaign plans to relaunch his "urban agenda" Monday in what people close to the strategy say is an effort to assure urban leaders and voters of the Democratic nominee's commitment to cities and minorities without alienating skeptical white voters.
The plan features an increase in the minimum hourly wage, a new White House office focused on metropolitan areas and $60 billion to establish a national bank to finance public-works projects.
The campaign didn't give a total cost for the plan, but the 32-page blueprint that will be released during a meeting of the Democratic Party's African-American caucus includes tens of billions of dollars in annual spending on antipoverty programs, the new federal bank, education efforts and other new initiatives. Obama aides say much of the funding would come from an estimated $200 billion saved from reducing government waste and ending the Iraq war.
By COREY DADEAugust 25, 2008; Page A4
Barack Obama's campaign plans to relaunch his "urban agenda" Monday in what people close to the strategy say is an effort to assure urban leaders and voters of the Democratic nominee's commitment to cities and minorities without alienating skeptical white voters.
The plan features an increase in the minimum hourly wage, a new White House office focused on metropolitan areas and $60 billion to establish a national bank to finance public-works projects.
The campaign didn't give a total cost for the plan, but the 32-page blueprint that will be released during a meeting of the Democratic Party's African-American caucus includes tens of billions of dollars in annual spending on antipoverty programs, the new federal bank, education efforts and other new initiatives. Obama aides say much of the funding would come from an estimated $200 billion saved from reducing government waste and ending the Iraq war.
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