Did The White House Force Shirley Sherrod Out?

Shirley Sherrod, a federal agriculture official states that she was forced by the White House to resign her position after video surfaced of a speech she gave to the NAACP stating that she didn't give her full support to a white couple she was assisting to save their farm from forclosure. The initial video, which was heavily edited didn't allow her to tell the entire story that she ultimately helped the couple save their farm. The couple, Eloise and Roger Spooner state that Sherrod kept them out of bankruptcy and is a friend for life according to a story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Obviously there can't be double standards when it comes to race based remarks by public officials. However, if the White House forced the resignation of Ms. Sherrod, it may have been a bit hasty. Sherrod is obviously not going away quietly as she was on CNN aggressively defending herself yesterday. In her defense, the NAACP which initially chastised the remarks, backed off and apologized to Sherrod after viewing the entire speech. Perhaps Sherrod ultimately would've lost her job, but she never had a chance to defend herself, which just doesn't seem fair.

Brooklyn Bloodshed!

The New York Post reports on 3 people shot dead in a 24 period in Brooklyn, including 15 year-old Tyquan Jamison who was shot in the chest by a bullet intended for his friend. Jamison was shot at 3:30 a.m. so the first question has to be why is a 15 year-old doing out at 3:30 in the morning. This whole story about the 3 people murdered in what has been 6 shootings total is a complete tragedy, but unfortunately a sign of the times.

The-Dream's Drama!

Reports surfaced last week that music producer The-Dream and his wife Christina Milian's marriage was on the rocks after pictures hit the net with him in the Caribbean with another woman. The-Dream took too his personal website to address the rumors, stating:

"I've cried about this for months, after interviews, after prayer and I've tried to take my own life at a point because of the failure that was looming."

The-Dream, who is one of the hottest producers in the business, is at a crossroads as a solo artist as his latest solo effort "Love King" has tanked. Hopefully he can regain some normalcy in his personal life.

Scottie Pippen Returns To Bulls!

Future NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen will be returning to the Chicago Bulls in the role of team ambassador, specifically meeting with fans and sponsors while also making community related a appearances according to the Chicago Tribune. Pippen, who will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame next month, has an ultimate goal of moving into coaching, so the new position is a good starting point.

Usher "There Goes My Baby"

Usher just released a video for his hit "There Goes My Baby" from his platinum CD "Raymond v. Raymond." Good to see Mr. Raymond back in good form musically and visually. A great song goes a long way towards resurrecting a potentially floundering musical career.

Diversity Job Fair Struggling Into Charlotte!

We often hear about the struggling economy, but when you read that the economy has lost 8 million jobs in less than 3 years, it only confirms the reality. The once thriving Diversity Job Fair heads into Charlotte today with the city's Unemployment Rate at 11.1%. There was a time that the fair would have has many as 40 employers on hand recruiting potential employees, that employer number today is closer to 20. Jim Carter, who runs the Kennesaw, GA company tells the Charlotte Observer that he once had a database of about 1800 contacts, that number is down to 892. Reading an article of this nature, clearly highlights the rough economic climate.

Raleigh Woman Arrested For Trying To Sell 2 Month-Old Baby!

Sharri Butler of Raleigh, NC was arrested yesterday and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile for attempting to sell her 2 month-old child according to the Charlotte Observer. Butler is only 22 years old herself and attributed attempting to sell her baby to "a crazy baby father." Crazy story!

R.I.P. Walter Hawkins!

Gospel singer Walter Hawkins lost his battle with pancreatic cancer yesterday, succumbing at the age of 61. Prayers go out to the family.

Miami Here I Come!

I personally applaud LeBron James for doing what he felt was best for himself in deciding to join the Miami Heat along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. While he may not have handled everything perfectly, he's 25 years old and wielding his power while he has it. As he stated, business is business and he's handling his business. Good luck and much success in Miami, Mr. James.

Stick A Fork In Vick!

We can effectively stick a fork in the football career of Michael Vick. Vick's been in the news for the last 2 weeks involving the infamous White Party that Vick hosted in Virginia Beach and his former friend and co-defendant Quanis Phillips was shot. Phillips has refused to cooperate with authorities so the case has been closed, but prosecutors did report yesterday that Vick was involved in some sort of altercation prior to the shooting.

The altercation if it indeed did happened coupled with the shooting will allow the Eagles to eventually cut Vick, who is their back up quarterback. This will effectively end Vick's career in the NFL leading him to become a journeyman player floating from minor league to minor league. The Eagles gave Vick a chance to resurrect his career, but ultimately Vick couldn't make the decision that would keep him out of potential trouble.

King James Going To Miami?

The world hasn't been turned on it's axis awaiting the LeBron James announcement of where he's going to play next season on ESPN tonight, but it almost feels like we've all been had by the media uproar and with the 6 teams that met with James last week to put on a dog and pony show for him and his peeps. Stephen A. Smith called this weeks ago and was dogged out by everyone who had an opinion, when he stated that James would be joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami as members of the Miami Heat.

Now most media outlets are stating just what Stephen A. reported on citing reliable sources. If James is indeed going to the Heat to form a new "Big 3" more power to him. It's just interesting that the anointed one, who is no doubt a great player, wouldn't keep the announcement more low key if he is indeed leaving. James will be criticized regardless of what decision he's going to make, but for him the proof of his greatness will be winning championships, not holding the media hostage on your next decision.

John Crowder Couldn't Escape The Streets!

While the sports world is mesmerized by Tiger's divorce, and where King James is going to be signing, the story of Baltimore's John Crowder always brings everything back into perspective about how rough it is for many talented teens to escape the lure of their surroundings. The Baltimore Sun reports on the sad story of the 17 year-old John Crowder being found bleeding in a Northeast Baltimore yard Monday morning ultimately dying of gunshot wounds.

Crowder was a nationally ranked high school basketball player whose mother died when he was 2, his father wasn't around and he already had had 2 brothers shot and a best friend murdered. It's probable that his murder may not be solved (I hope I'm wrong) and that he will become another murder statistic. I know that stations such as ESPN need ratings and it's more noteworthy to see which vehicle LeBron James is riding in to his next free agent meeting, but the story of James Crowder is a tragedy that deserves more that just a footnote in the local newspaper.

Purple Drank Quietly Destroying Lives!

The "Purple Drank" is a mixture of prescription strength cough syrup containing codeine, mixed with a soft drink such as 7Up and pieces of Jolly Rancher candy. It's been prevalent in the hip-hop community for years popularized by such artists as Lil Wayne and Three 6 Mafia. ESPN ran a segment recently highlighting it's impact on the athletic community, and with former #1 NFL draft pick JaMarcus Russell being arrested this week for possession of a controlled substance, the Purple Drank phenomenon now as a new audience.

Russell's career is likely over, and while he was clearly a bust after receiving a signing bonus of over $30 million, it's not out of the question to suspect that Purple Drank contributed to his demise. Just what we need, another vice to derail our community.

Teen Calls Police on Crackhead Mom!

The Philadelphia Daily News reports on a disturbing but all too true story of a 13 year-old boy calling the police on his 45 year-old mother who was smoking crack in his presence. The mother physically abused her son for calling the police and verbally abused the teen upon her arrest. Crack is definitely whack, and hopefully the teen, who has been placed with a relative will get a shot at a normal upbringing without dealing with the perils of a parent who is addicted to drugs.

Can Damon Evans Survive DUI and Having Female Friend In Car!

This is a story that won't get national attention, but Damon Evans the University of Georgia Athletic Director is fighting for his job after being stopped Wednesday night and charged with DUI in metro Atlanta. Evans, who is married, also had "a female friend" in the car with him. He oversees one of the most prominent athletic departments in the country, but it's very possible that he may not keep his job because of this transgression.

I may be wrong on this one, but my sense it that Evans probably will not survive. He was a major advocate of no drinking and driving on campus, and just the charge reduces his credibility to zero. All of this, and we haven't even addressed the female friend issue. It's very possible that he drank away a half million dollar a year paying job.

Marcus Vick May Have Been Involved In Club Shooting!

The Michael Vick club shooting story has new revelations by the day. The latest twist is that Vick's brother Marcus Vick may have been involved somehow in the shooting. Now to be fair this is just speculation, but it's already known that Marcus and Michael Vick did not leave in the same car and that Michael left prior to the shooting.

The primary question regarding all things Michael Vick is whether this is enough to get him banished from the N.F.L. under an assumed zero tolerance policy. Unfortunately for Vick, that's going to be commissioner Roger Goodell's decision.

Is Wooing Of King James Justified?

LeBron James is just a few hours away from becoming an unrestricted free agent and able to negotiate with any team in the N.B.A.. The fascinating thing about the wooing of the 2 time MVP is that while James is undoubtedly a great player, he is heading into his 8th season in the league and has yet to win a championship. Yes it can be argued that he hasn't had the supporting cast of Kobe Bean Bryant, but his mental toughness justifiably came into question this year when his team the Cleveland Cavaliers lost in the playoffs to the Boston Celtics after having the league's best record.

It has to asked whether LeBron James is as tough as fellow peers Bryant and Dwyane Wade, who also has a championship. If LeBron James wants to have the legacy of a Bryant he needs to stay with his current team and ultimately lead them to the promised land. He has an owner that is willing to spend money, and he needs to trust management to make the right decisions as well as his teammates. A one man band cannot win a championship, just as Kobe.

A Slow Drip On Michael Vick Party Story!

The Michael Vick birthday party story seems to bring new revelations everyday, which may not be a good thing for Mr. Vick. When the story first broke about the 30th birthday party held in Virginia Beach last week, Vick's former friend and co-defendant in his dog fighting conviction Quanis Phillips apparently showed up, confronted Vick and possibly threw cake at Vick. The fact that Phillips was shot outside the nightclub after the altercation is where the story gets sketchy.

Vick states that he had left the club at the time of the shooting, however, in this New York Post story it states that according to witnesses the shooting occurred within 5 minutes of the alleged altercation. As part of Vick's parole, Vick is not allowed to associate with any of his co-defendants. This story is like a slow drip which may not be good for Mr. Vick. If he was at the party at the time of the shooting and he's lying about his account it could be the end of his football career.

Welcome Back El DeBarge!

As usual the quality of the BET Awards held last night in Los Angeles was in the eye of the beholder. There were some very good performances and bewildering ones all in the span of over 3 hours. I won't comment on the Michael Jackson tribute since everyone thinks that Chris Brown did M.J. proud. I was glad to see El DeBarge resurface in a national television performance with a medley of his hits.

El had had a well chronicled drug and legal issues, but Rick Ross stated on the after party that he was ready to record with falsetto voiced singer. I'm not sure how relevant DeBarge's music can be in today's music climate, but the old music still sounds so so good.

Elin Getting $750 Million!

Reports are circulating that Tiger Woods and his wife Elin are close to signing divorce papers with Elin walking away with $750 million. All I can say is Wow! If she's truly walking away with that much loot, then Tiger is worth far more than the $1 billion that's been estimated.

Michael Jackson's Death, 1 Year Later!

Everyone remembers where they were when news spread that Michael Jackson died one year ago today. One year later, tribute and specials will abound in the name of the pop icon. The sad part of the story is that everyone who can is still trying to make money in the name of Michael Jackson. The money that is being generated through Jackson's estate is all legitimate money authorized in the name of the his estate's executors, however, the unauthorized documentaries, and lawsuits scream of exploitation which is not any different from when Jackson was living. I even understand the family continuing to make accusations against Dr. Conrad Murray, but the legal system will handle Murray in due time.

Today is a day to simply celebrate the greatness that was Michael Jackson's talent.

Kwame Kilpatrick Indicted on 19 Counts By Feds Including Tax Evasion!

The bad news continues for former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, as yesterday he was indicted on 19 counts of fraud and tax evasion for allegedly using money from his non profit organization the Kilpatrick Civic Fund for personal expenses including golf lessons to college tuition for relatives. Kilpatrick is accused by prosecutors of not reporting $640,000 in taxable income while mayor if Detroit.

These indictments could keep Kilpatrick, who is already serving jail time for the issues related to the text messaging scandal in jail for a very very long time. The Detroit Free Press reports all of the sordid details of the indictments for a man who essentially has lost everything because of the enticements of power.

Does McChrystal Have To Go?

President Obama now has to deal with another public relations and administration nightmare after his top commander in Afghanistan Army General Stanley McChrystal made disparaging comments in a Rolling Stones Magazine article about the president and his staff including V.P. Joe Biden. McChrystal is scheduled to meet with the president today to discuss the situation and reports are that he's already offered his resignation. McChrystal aide, Duncan Boothby has already resigned over the furor as he's the one who apparently arranged the article.

The war in Afghanistan has been plagued with problems, but President Obama may not have a choice but to fire McChrystal simply for insubordination. If he doesn't fire him, he will look weak, but that could come at a cost if the person replacing McChrystal doesn't have success in Afghanistan.

Why Do Cities Try To Minimize Murder Rates?

I find it amazing that after the city of Baltimore just finished a weekend rash of shootings, with 3 dead and 8 injured that the Police Commissioner Frederick H. Bealefeld III understandably has asked for calm within the city, but to rationalize that murder rates are down and that's a reason for celebration is ridiculous. The Baltimore Sun reports that homicides are down 14 percent from previous year levels, and that the city has been aggressive with removing illegal guns off of the streets, but one murder is just one murder too many, and justifying a result with statistics is a weak way to justify effective leadership. .

Will Rahm Be Gone By The End of The Year?

There is heavy speculation that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel may be gone by the end of the year according to the Telegraph.co.uk. Factors that may lead to Emanuel's exit range from conflicting styles with President Obama's inner circle, to running for mayor if his home town in Chicago. If Emanuel does exit, the president will have concluded the usual growing pains of a first term administration. The wear and tear of the job is wearing on President Obama, but if he can get through this year without any additional hiccups, things should begin to smooth out for him.