"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.

Rihanna Resurfaces!

Rihanna resurfaced for the first time in weeks on her 21st birthday, yesterday. Her father tells US Weekly that the photo that surfaced yesterday was "disturbing." He goes on to say, "It's good and it's bad to see the picture because there's other people who were thinking differently, that [Rihanna's injuries] may not be that bad, just a little spank or a little thing."

To be so young, and to have to deal with disturbing real life issues hopefully will benefit Rihanna in her future decisions regarding men. Thanks to the New York Post for the article.

Another Snub For Dixon!

Embattled Baltimore Mayor, Sheila Dixon was uninvited by the U.S. Conference of Mayors yesterday for a scheduled meeting of 70 mayors at the White House today according to the Baltimore Sun. Dixon, who made comments earlier this week that she felt snubbed by President Barack Obama when she wasn't acknowledged in a speech is obviously not making friends in Washington. The White House is not commenting.

New York Post Offers Apology!

The New York Post issued an policy regarding the controversial cartoon that was published in the paper this week depicting police shooting a chimpanzee in an effort to have someone else write the next stimulus bill. The Post issued the following apology:

It was meant to mock an ineptly written federal stimulus bill.
"Period.
"But it has been taken as something else - as a depiction of President Obama, as a thinly veiled expression of racism.
"This most certainly was not its intent; to those who were offended by the image, we apologize.
"However, there are some in the media and in public life who have had differences with The Post in the past - and they see the incident as an opportunity for payback.
"To them, no apology is due.
"Sometimes a cartoon is just a cartoon - even as the opportunists seek to make it something else."

The Rev. Al Sharpton led protesters, who picketed outside the paper yesterday. Sharpton is not fully accepting the paper's apology.

"They made what could have been a noble gesture ignoble by trying to attack people at the same time they're trying to apologize to them. It's not opportunistic to say 'I've been offended.' This makes it hard to take them seriously."
"They've done a number of cartoons on me over the years, and I've never marched on them. They just don't get it."

This story obviously has more legs than I thought it would have with all of the other issues going on in our country. Hopefully Sharpton will get the result that he's looking for in leading the protest. The depiction a chimp possibly being the first black president is clearly offensive, if that's the intent, but President Barack Obama is a month into his presidency and people are losing their minds over editorial cartoons. The fact that we have a black president means that we've come a long, long way. This probably won't be the worst editorial that we see regarding our new president over the next 4 years, and Sharpton may want to toughen up and get ready for it.

Rihanna Bruised And Battered!

TMZ.com has published the first pictures of a badly beaten Rihanna. Rihanna sustained the injuries allegedly after an altercation with singer Chris Brown. This picture shows the extent of the alleged beating. This story will only become more sordid, and it's probably time for Mr. Brown to do more than simply issue a public statement if he wants any chance at salvaging a once promising career.

Charles Barkley: "It Was Unacceptable"

Charles Barkley granted an interview to TNT co-host Ernie Johnson, which has been posted on NBA.com. As usual, Barkley is brutally honest about his situation, and admits that he may have to do jail time, and undergo alcohol counseling. Below is Barkley's response to one of Ernie's questions:

EJ: When you look back at it now and see that you were almost two times over the legal limit and you got behind the wheel, what do you think?
CB: This is just my bad, no excuses, it was unacceptable. I think that a DUI is unacceptable. That can't happen and I've got to challenge other people, not just celebrities or jocks. You have to really think before getting behind the wheel after you've been drinking. We've discussed this many times on [Inside the NBA] when other [players] have gotten DUIs. I challenge everybody to really think hard before they get behind the wheel after drinking. Nobody thinks they're drunk driving. But for me, getting a DUI is unacceptable.

It will be good to see Charles back for tonight's TNT broadcast, and hopefully he will heed his own words, and make better decisions while drinking in public.

Isaiah Washington Finds His Roots!

The Los Angeles Times reports that actor Isaiah Washington recently became a citizen of Sierra Leone as a result of DNA testing that showed that he had roots in the West African country. Washington has even started a foundation to aid Sierra Leone, contributing nearly $1 million to build a school, restore a hospital and preserve a historic British slave castle on nearby Bunce Island. Good to see that Washington is being recognized for doing something positive, and let's see how much publicity this story receives from a national standpoint.

B-More Mayor "Floored" By Charges And "Bothered By Obama Snub!

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon told a local television station that the charges pending against her for theft and perjury simply aren't true, and that she was bothered when now President Barack Obama failed to recognize her during a nationally televised speech on Jan. 17th during his train ride to Washington, D.C., although he did recognize mayors from Wilmington, Del., and Philadelphia, PA. Hopefully Dixon understands, that our president couldn't afford to be linked with more potentially shady associates. Thanks to the Baltimore Sun for the article.

Luther Campbell Jailed For Failing To Pay Child Support!

Rapper, and former 2 Live Crew front man, Luther Campbell was jailed Tuesday night in Miami-Dade County for allegedly failing to pay child support of $10,223.36 according to the Miami Herald. Campbell most recently appeared on the VH1 reality show, "Luke's Parental Advisory."

T.I.'s Redemption!

Yes, rapper T.I. is being forced to complete 1000 hours of community service as part of his plea agreement on federal gun charges. However, what he's doing with his reality show "T.I.'s Road To Redemption" is commendable and necessary for any young black male headed down the dark side of life. The show's second episode will be broadcast tonight at 9:30 on MTV. Last week's premiere episode focused on T.I. taking a neighborhood drug dealer and exposing him to time in jail and seeing a dead body being prepared by a mortician. The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports on the Powder Springs, GA police department's involvement in the first episode. T.I. still has to do a prison time as part of his sentence, and six episodes remain of this great show.

Reckless Jason!

The Arizona Republic reports that Phoenix Suns guard Jason Richardson was arrested Sunday evening for driving 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his 3 year-old son unrestrained in the back seat of the car. He was booked on counts of endangerment, reckless driving, failure to use a child seat and excessive speed. The 27 year-old guard already has a DUI charge pending against from Dec. 21st of last year. Whatever Richardson's issues are, and he's gradually wasting away a career, hopefully help will come before the spiral that he's in can't be stopped.

Shaq Performs With Jabberwockees During All-Star Game Inroduction!

Ever the showman, Shaquille O'Neal performed with the Jabberwockees during the introductions of last night's NBA All-Star Game in Phoenix. Shaq also went on to earn Co-MVP of the game with his former teammate Kobe Bryant. Shaq now refers to the former teammates, who have feuded in the past as the "legendaries."

Are Black Colleges In Peril?

In 1977, 35% of black students received degrees from historically black colleges. 32 years later, 13% of black students are enrolled at Historically Black Colleges. Many students are simply choosing the diversity of a Harvard or Georgia Tech, while in many cases it's simply coming down to the scholarship money that's available at larger schools. Three HBCU's in the Atlanta area: Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse and Spelman all announced cutbacks to staff in the lat month, which is a direct result of the economic downturn.

HBCU's are are suffering from the pneumonia that hits black establishments during a major economic downturn. I wonder if there's any money in the stimulus package to assist in these times of need. Thanks to the Atlanta Journal Constitution for the article.

Gang Members Give Back In B-More!

"Black" whose real name is Tony Wilson and a long time member of the Bloods street gang. Wilson is now a Youth counselor with the Rose Street Community Center in Baltimore. On this day, he's lambasting youngsters who choose drug dealing and buying $100,000 cars instead of paying rent and even securing drivers licenses and car insurance. Wilson is giving back by attempting to steer youngsters in the right direction, and even assisting them in securing GED's and taking care of the basic necessities of life such as establishing bank accounts.

Rose Street is being subsidized by a $220,000 federal grant and has the complete support of Baltimore's City Hall. Thank to the Baltimore Sun for the article.

Leonard Abess Gives Away $60 Million To Employees After Selling Bank!

Miami Banker, Leonard Abess took $60 million of the sale proceeds after selling Miami-based City National Bancshares last November, and distributed the money to his bank employees. 399 workers on his staff and 72 former employees benefited from the proceeds. Spanish bank Caja Madrid purchased an 83% stake in the company for $927 million. Truly a great story of respecting and caring for employees and sharing the wealth. Thanks to the Miami Herald for the story.