"State Of The Black Union 2009"

The 10th Annual "State of the Black Union" symposium, moderated by Tavis Smiley will be held tomorrow in Los Angeles and broadcast live on C-SPAN beginning at 11 a.m. Eastern time. Stephanie Robinson, who now provides commentary on the Tom Joyner Morning Show on Thursdays is expected to be a panelist.

It will be interesting to see how "our folks" think black people are doing in this extreme time of need for all of us. More importantly, does anyone really have any solutions.

R.I.P. Norm Van Lier and Johnny "Red" Kerr

Yesterday was a very rough day for the Chicago Bulls basketball family. Former Bull Norm Van Lier died of a heart attack yesterday at the age of 61, and later in the evening former Bull Johhny "Red" Kerr died after a long battle with prostate cancer at the age of 76.

Van Lier played 7 seasons with the Bulls, was a 3 time All-Star and is considered one of the greatest defensive guards of all time. Van Lier was loved and admired as indicated by this article from the Chicago Sun-Times. Prayers go out to the families of Van Lier and Kerr.

Never Follow The Best!

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal's response to President Barack Obama's State of the Union speech is being panned by conservatives and liberals alike according to the The Times-Picayune. Juan Williams called the response, "simplistic, almost childish." Following one of the best orators of our time is not always a good idea, Governor Jindal.

MJ Moves On!

Basketball legend Michael Jordan has purchased a new home in Miami with new girlfriend, Cuban model Yvette Prieto according to the Chicago Tribune.

The Forgotten World!

A 15 or 16 year-old boy shot 5 rounds from a 9mm pistol shooting his intended victim Jerome Sims as he waited in his mother's car while she was picking up his sister from a learning center in West Philadelphia yesterday according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

This is a world that seemingly is getting ignored by our new President. I know that spending over $600 billion over an extending period of time for health care is important, but 15 year-olds with 9mm pistols shooting 12 year-olds in the middle of the day should take on some type of priority for someone.

"NewBos: The Rise Of America's New Black Overclass"

CNBC will telecast "NewBos: "The Rise of America's New Black Overclass" tomorrow at 9 p.m.. The program, hosted by Lee Hawkins (pictured above with Bob Johnson) will profile black men who have already made it in business, sports or entertainment. Bob Johnson, Bryan and Ronald Williams(who founded Cash Money Records), Kirk Franklin, and LeBron James are some of the men being profiled regarding "making it" from a financial standpoint.

The New York Daily News reports on the show's focus on how these men made it, and fight hard to keep what they've earned. LeBron James explains in the show why he hired young black men to handle his marketing, and based on television commercials, it hasn't hurt "King James" at all from a financial standpoint.

State Of The Union!

President of the United States, Barack Obama gave his first State of the Union address last night. The President gave a very convincing speech of optimism during our current storm in the country as expected. Here's hoping that the stimulus package that was recently passed will convince small business owners and major corporations that all is not lost, and that they can begin to put people back to work.

Our President's speech of optimism is fine, but the reality is that businesses are still hemorrhaging jobs and negatively impacting the lives of many workers by changing compensation plans, cutting hours or simply laying people off. I'm just not sure if the recently enacted stimulus package will have a short term impact on this occurrence. The bottom line for any business is profit, and if expenses continue to increase, then employees will continue to be in peril.

I've Had Enough!

Donovan McNabb has spent 10 years in Philadelphia, led them to 5 NFC Championship games and a Super Bowl appearance. He's never truly been appreciated, and it appears now that McNabb has had enough, and may be looking for a smooth way out despite still having 2 years remaining on his contract. According to Michael Smith of ESPN.com McNabb has informed the Eagles that unless they upgrade the team, that he's not interested in a contract extension, and may request a trade.

I applaud McNabb for using the little leverage that he has as arguably the most important player on the team. He's been lambasted in the "City of Brotherly Love" for not coming up big in tight situations, but the one season that he had a Pro Bowl caliber receiver, he took the team to the Super Bowl.

Bad Daddy!

Willie Scott Jr. shot his 4 year-old daughter Sania's mother 10 times while she watched in horror in a North Philadelphia parking lot on Saturday night. Scott Jr. shot LaRosa Gonzalez, while she was sitting in her vehicle with Sania and the 16 year-old daughter of a friend according to the Philadelphia Daily News. He had been stalking Gonzalez since she had left him about 10 days ago.

A 4 year-old child loses 2 parents with one fatal decision. When will the madness stop!

Madea Does $41.1 Million!

Tyler Perry's "Madea Goes To Jail" set the box office ablaze this weekend, raking in an estimated $41.1 million dollars according to Box Office Mojo. Tyler still has the magic touch.

Carlita Kilpatrick Speaks!

Carlita Kilpatrick, wife of former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick gave an exclusive interview to the Dallas Morning News, and states that "I'm ready to start anew" in the Dallas suburb of Southlake. She states that her son's have settled into school, and that she's also found refuge at The Potter's House church. She's also started taking classes at the Art Institute of Dallas to pursue her passion of interior design.

It's good to see that Mrs. Kilpatrick is settling in and moving on with her life. She's been what has to be be a very mentally draining ordeal with her husband. She deserves some peace at this point.