Mr Superboy's excellent video on the Central Park Five
I was just 18 years old when this happened. The 1980s/early nineties were a period of racial polarization. Bush Sr. pushed the Willie Horton ad to the public, then he called the Civil Rights bill as "a quota bill". Next, the Bensonhurst murder where Yusef Hawkins was shot because racists thought he was seeing a white girl, Charles Stuart lied to the public regarding the murder of his wife. That coward got so many innocent Black men abused and railroaded by the Boston police, notorious for its racism. When his story didn't add up and his own brother was about to turn him in for the murder of his wife, he cowardly took his life. WS republican David Duke was flexing his political might in Louisiana. There was a war against Black men in America. We need to take this seriously.
The media made a big deal out of the boys who were falsely accused of rape, while the actual guy by the name of Mathias Reyes was out there serially raping and murdering women during this time. Also, there was a Black woman who was raped, beaten, thrown into the elevator shaft to be left for dead in Harlem. No persons of interest and almost no media coverage whatsoever. We are conditioned to value certain races of women, while disregarding the lives of Black and brown women as victims.
See the continuation of the stories of the now-exonerated men known as the Central Park 5: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana and Korey Wise. When They See Us is based on a true story that gripped the country in 1989. The four part limited series by Ava DuVernay chronicles the notorious case of five teenagers of color, labeled the Central Park Five, who were convicted of a rape they did not commit. Watch their rise to triumph on May 31st, only on Netflix.
Multiple reports confirmed that Ciara Wilson is pregnant.
Ciara is a pop singer who is married to Russell Wilson, the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Two sources close to the pair confirm to E! that the couple is excited to be parents. "Russell would like to have two to three children. They like a big family." The junk food media was on rumor control for the most part, but now they can safely confirm that the singer is expecting their first child together.
The couple married in July and were keeping the baby news under wraps.
Ciara could conceal her bump when she was spotted by the junk food media.
The good news outshines the bad. The feud between the pop singer and her ex is ongoing.
Ciara is the mother of Future (Nayvadius) Zahir Winburn, the son of rapper Future. Ciara was once engaged to the rapper. He was carrying baggage and his ex-girls and baby mamas warned Ciara that he would treat her like a THOT (that hoe over there).
The rapper was being hit for being a negligent parent. He is the father of five children. My second cousin India J had a child with him.
Future was facing a defamation lawsuit from Ciara. It was dropped by Ciara after she said that "she doesn't want his 'dirty' money."
Future often went to social media to express his thoughts on her. "That bitch got control problems."
While the defamation lawsuit is off the table, the child support isn't. Future is going to be owing up $25K a month for his son and probably all his siblings. The judge is also considering Ciara's request to have Future reprimanded for painting her in a "false light".
Future is the most sought after rapper. He's been on a winning streak since he's released three albums within the two years. He's working his new album due out later this year. The single "How It Feel" was a direct diss at Ciara and Russell Wilson.
Ciara landed a modeling gig at IMG and is working on a new album.
While in federal time out in Indiana, the Gucci Mane decided that he had to straighten up.
He managed to lose 50 lbs while being in time out. The 36-year old rapper was getting some mad props from his girlfriend Keyshia Ka'ior.
The rapper escaped a 20 year bid for having weapons while under disability and binging out on the snow and booze. He managed to get a four year bid with 10 years in house.
He decided to cut out the drugs and booze. He also said that the burgers, fries and shakes are out of his squad.
The rapper released First Day Out Tha Feds on Thursday and the single was streamed over 2.5 million times.
Gucci promising that he'll release a mixtape soon.
It's noted that Gucci Mane (Radric Davis) did kill a person in 2005. Guwop escaped a murder charge after he was attacked at his home and claimed self-defense when he shot a man. His violation for having a weapon while under disability was a condition of that charge being dropped.
The Million Man March turns 20. The Nation of Islam's Honorable Louis Farrakhan and many speakers appear at the National Mall to discuss the issues facing Black America.
The Million Man March returns to Washington. This will celebrate 20 years since the first march upon the National Mall.
Justice or Else: The 20th Anniversary of the Million Man March: Justice or Else, sometimes abridged as Justice or Else or stylized as Justice or Else!, is a movement and a march in Washington D.C. that is part of the Black Lives Matter activist movement. Louis Farrakhan announced his "Justice or Else" event commemorates the 20th anniversary of the October 16, 1995 Million Man March.
Minister Louis Farrakhan will headline the event. It will outline a lot of things. One in particular is the Black male inside out. I managed to hear the speech and I strongly agree with the premise of the minister.
One thing that caught me was the instructions. His instructions are basically keep fighting for justice and ignore the noise. The noise (i.e. that annoying conservative agitator, David Clarke, Jr., O'Loofus and that network) will take his speech out of context and make it seem like he's calling for the death of White America. He doesn't call for any death of human beings. He said that arrogant America will be condemned by God. He said that the rich will continue to push the poor into fighting one another.
He said that Black men should keep BITCH out of their mouths.
He said that Black men should learn that killing one another doesn't bring strength. It brings weakness and it's a plan.
He slammed former Ferguson officer Darren Wilson for being a part of the system of corrupt lawmen who take joy in the pain and sorrow of Black America.
I wish I would have went tot the March. I would love to find my place in the world.
The doo wop group The Sha Na Na's have been a dominant force in the late 1960s to now.
A member of the group who has ties to my community passed away over the weekend. World News Today send our condolences to the family of Dennis Greene.
Born as Frederick Greene, he was an American singer who was a member of Sha Na Na who were formed in 1969 at Columbia University in New York as the Columbia Kingsmen. The name change to Sha Na Na occurred because of another group with a similar name, which was known for the song Louie Louie.
The Sha Na Na
The television show Sha Na Na aired from 1978 to 1981. Greene choreographed most of the moves for the show, on which he was known simply as Denny. Denny was portrayed in the series as the most intelligent member of Sha Na Na. He sang lead in the song "Tears on My Pillow" when he appeared with Sha Na Na in the movie Grease, in 1978.
He was born in New York City and took up studies in legal affairs. On the sidelines he was the principle member of the group.
Greene graduated from Yale Law School, he worked as Vice President of Production and Features at Columbia Pictures. Following that, he was President at Lenox/Greene films. He has taught at Florida A&M University and the University of Oregon, as well as being a visiting professor at several other universities including Ohio State University, Seton Hall University, and the University of Connecticut.
Greene also served on the board of directors for the Society of American Law Teachers and is listed in Who's Who Among African-Americans.
From December 2007 until his death, Greene was a Professor of Law at the University of Dayton School of Law, teaching classes such as Torts, Entertainment Law, and Constitutional Law.
Greene died in Columbus, Ohio on September 5, 2015.
Broadway is mourning the death of a famed entertainer. Kyle Jean-Baptiste died yesterday after falling from a four story fire escape at his mother's home.
World News Today send our condolences to the family of Kyle Jean-Baptiste.
CNN reports that Kyle Jean-Baptiste, who made history as the first African-American to play the lead role Les Misérables.
Earlier that evening he had attended a concert at 54 Below by friend and classmate Andrew Kotzen.
The evening before, Jean-Baptiste had participated in his closing performance of Les Misérables. He was aged 21.
Jean-Baptiste was asked to join the Broadway cast in May, one day after graduating with a degree in music theater from Baldwin Wallace University in Ohio, according to Cleveland.com.
His alma mater, Baldwin Wallace University, posted on Facebook that they were "incredibly saddened by the loss" of one of their own.
The Les Misérables production released a statement saying, 'The entire LES MISERABLES family is shocked and devastated by the sudden and tragic loss of Kyle, a remarkable young talent and tremendous person who made magic - and history - in his Broadway debut. We send our deepest condolences to his family and ask that you respect their privacy in this unimaginably difficult time."
Other Broadway stars and entertainers tweeted their condolences, including Kristin Chenoweth, Debra Messing, Josh Groban, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Ansel Elgort and Lin-Manuel Miranda.
City leaders have formally closed streets near the state capitol.
There will be a heavy presence of law enforcement to prevent potential rioting.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), presidential candidate along with Republican Gov. Nikki Haley, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC), Rep. Mark Sanford (R-SC) and Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC) will be there for the final lowering of the Confederate flag.
This is a part of not only South Carolina's state history it's going to be a part of American history.
State lawmakers passed a resolution. This resolution calls for the removal of the Confederate flag in the wake of the White terrorist killing nine innocent church goers. One being state senator Clementa Pickney.
Haley immediately signed this into law.
Now at 10 am, the people of South Carolina see the flag lowered and placed in a museum for Confederate soldiers.
Cosby was one of the best American TV dads. Now the embattled entertainer admits he's drugged women and raped women.
The devastating news about entertainer Bill Cosby comes out. It's true that the famed comedian drugged nearly three dozen women and had sex with them. This news was broken by the AP and the junk food media is reporting it.
I just finished listening to Michelle Miller of CBS do a report on it. She almost teared up in her report.
Bill Cosby admitted in 2005 that he got quaaludes with the intent of giving them to young women he wanted to have sex with, and that he gave the sedative to at least one woman and "other people," according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press.
That woman and a second woman testified in the same case that they knowingly took quaaludes from him, according to the unsealed documents.
The AP had gone to court to compel the release of the documents from the deposition in a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by former Temple University employee Andrea Constand — the first of a cascade of sexual abuse lawsuits against him. Cosby's lawyers had objected on the grounds that it would embarrass their client.
Cosby settled that lawsuit under confidential terms in 2006. His lawyers in the Philadelphia case did not immediately return phone calls Monday. Constand consented to be identified but did not want to comment, her lawyer said Monday.
Cosby, 77, has been accused by more than three dozen women of sexual misconduct, including allegations by many that he drugged and raped them in incidents dating back more than four decades. Cosby has never been criminally charged, and most of the accusations are barred by statutes of limitations.
Cosby, giving sworn testimony in the lawsuit accusing him of sexual assaulting Constand at his home in Pennsylvania in 2005, said he got seven quaalude prescriptions in the 1970s. The lawyer for Constand asked if he had kept the sedatives through the 1990s — after they were banned — but was frustrated by objections from Cosby's lawyer.
"When you got the quaaludes, was it in your mind that you were going to use these quaaludes for young women that you wanted to have sex with?" lawyer Dolores M. Troiani asked.
"Yes," Cosby answered on Sept. 29, 2005.
Cosby's legacy is like Ghost Dad.
"Did you ever give any of these young women the quaaludes without their knowledge?"
Cosby's lawyer again objected, leading Troiani to petition the federal judge to force Cosby to cooperate.
Cosby later said he gave Constand three half-pills of Benadryl, although Troiani in the documents voices doubt that was the drug involved. The two other women who testified on Constand's behalf said they had knowingly been given quaaludes.
Three of the women accusing Cosby of sexually assaulting them have a defamation lawsuit pending against him in Massachusetts. They allege that he defamed them when his agents said their accusations were untrue. Cosby is trying to get their case thrown out before discovery.
Cosby had fought the AP's efforts to unseal the testimony, with his lawyer arguing the deposition could reveal details of Cosby's marriage, sex life and prescription drug use.
"It would be terribly embarrassing for this material to come out," lawyer George M. Gowen III argued in June. He said the public should not have access to what Cosby was forced to say as he answered questions under oath from the accuser's lawyer nearly a decade ago.
"Frankly ... it would embarrass him, (and) it would also prejudice him in eyes of the jury pool in Massachusetts," Gowen said.
U.S. District Judge Eduardo Robreno asked last month why Cosby was fighting the release of his sworn testimony, given that the accusations in the Temple woman's lawsuit were already in the public eye.
"Why would he be embarrassed by his own version of the facts?" Robreno said.
Cosby resigned in December from the board of trustees at Temple, where he was the popular face of the Philadelphia school in advertisements, fundraising campaigns and commencement speeches.
That's 36 to 40 women who claim that Cosby had claimed that the entertainer had drugged them and had sex with them. A handful of them are suing him.
Each of these lawsuits are aimed at the entertainer.
The statue of limitations may have stopped the law from cuffing him, There's going to be state laws eventually passed in his honor.
Here's what's worse in this whole ordeal. His name will be forever sealed in this. We'll still give him props for his charity, his entertainment legacy and his thoughts on Black America. But are you willing to see all that's given, are you willing to forgive him?
Cosby admitted to taking advantage of women. I don't think Cosby will recover from this controversy.
Most of the ones who accused him are White women. Automatically doomed.
His lifetime of work from movies, sitcoms, animation and comedy have now collapsed. His marriage is probably doomed and no one wants to associate with him anymore.
Cosby's charitable work will now be questioned. Cosby's doctrines on family values are ignored. His public speaking tours are gone.
NBC cancelled all ties to Cosby last year after he kept denying it. At the time he was facing less than 10 women. Now he's bottomed up towards 40 women claiming that he's raped them.
Albert Evans, a former New York City Ballet principal dancer and one of the most prominent African Americans in classical dance, has died at the age of 46.
We here at World News Today send our condolences to the family of Albert Evans.
Evans died at Mount Sinai, Monday night following a bout with an illness.
Evans was one of the only two African-American dancers in the New York City Ballet. The first dancer was Arthur Mitchell.
As a principal dancer, Evans maintained a huge variety of roles in the Ballet repertoire.
From classical to modern, from George Blaanchie to Jerome Robbins to Christopher Wheeldon, Evans had rose through the ranks. He joined the New York Ballet in 1988.
He became a soloist in 1991 and then a principal in 1995.
New York City Ballet Company lost a great iconic figure in classical dance.
Evans retired in 2010 with an emotional farewell performance, and has been serving as a ballet master for the company until his passing.
There's an outpouring of grief for the lost of a legendary dancer.
"The entire New York City Ballet family is heartbroken by the loss of our beloved friend and college Albert Evans," said Peter Martins, the company's ballet master and chief. released in a statement.
"Kind, warm, generous, and always a joy to be with, Albert is quite simply irreplaceable".
Miles Morales looked up to Peter Parker as a hero. Now he takes on the role as Spider-Man, the world's greatest superhero.
Marvel Productions, a division of Disney Entertainment, Inc has revamped the image of America's favorite wall crawler. The images that are displayed may shake up a timed tradition of Stan Lee and Steve Ditko's famous superhero.
Peter Parker is the Spectacular Spider-Man. He was introduced in 1969 and became a face of New York and comic book legend.
Peter Parker became an unlikely superhero after being bitten by a radioactive spider. He wanted to be professional wrestler. So in order to make a little bit of money, he would create this image and call it Spider-Man. After winning a title, he was stiffed of payments by a crooked promoter.
A man robbed the promoter and Parker didn't want no part of it. It was discovered later that his uncle and mentor Ben Parker was murdered by the robber. Parker as Spider-Man went to the area to where the robber was held up.
Peter Parker with Miles Morales.
Spider-Man decided to handle business. He would corner the robber. The robber would tried to shot at the wall crawler but Spider-Man's reactionary powers prevented it.
Spider-Man wanted to murder the robber but had second thoughts on it. He remembered his uncle's words of wisdom. "With great power comes great responsibility!"
Spider-Man would become a crime-fighter. He would take on an paid internship with a newspaper called The Daily Bugle. While he worked at the Bugle, he would attend Empire State University and learn how to master his powers.
Peter Parker would find love, empathy, anger, and death. He would meet his first love Gwen Stacy.
He would learn of her death. He would marry Mary Jane Watson. He would have a family.
During his time, he would take on his greatest foes from The Green Goblin to Doctor Octopus. From the Sandman to Venom, Spider-Man fought them all.
In a series that is slated to premiere in the fall, Peter Parker would die.
And his death sparked a young teen to take the mantle.
Now the torch is passed on to Miles Morales.
Cue the conservative outrage. The new Spider-Man will be released in the fall. It will feature a biracial teen (Black and Hispanic decent) who becomes the wall crawling superhero.
The concept of a black Spider-Man was first discussed a few months before the 2008 election.
When Barack Obama became the President of the United States, Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Axel Alonso describes the catalyst. Miles was introduced in 2011. He is the son of an African American father and Puerto Rican mother,
Spidey meets Spidey. Peter Parker travels the multiverse to find allies in the Secret Wars. He stumbles upon 13-year old Miles Morales. Morales tells Spider-Man about his future and how he wanted to continue the legacy.
This new Spider-Man was considered a possible part of the 2008-09 "Ultimatum" story arc that restructured much of the Ultimate Marvel universe, but those early thoughts were abandoned because the story for that character had not yet been developed.
Bendis said thoughts about the character were further reinforced by African American actor Donald Glover's appearance wearing Spider-Man pajamas in "Anthropology 101", the second season premiere of the television comedy series Community. This was a reference to an unsuccessful online campaign that attempted to secure an audition for the lead role in the 2012 film The Amazing Spider-Man. Bendis said of Glover, "I saw him in the costume and thought, 'I would like to read that book.' So I was glad I was writing that book."
Okay, comic book fans, what are you thoughts on Miles Morales being the new Spider-Man?
I am guessing I'm going to be single for a while. I am not upset about it. I am actually happy. I am happy that a great burden was lifted from me. I had to get rid of the problems that plagued me for the last few months.
I have grown more resentful towards people. I am going to be really honest with you. I am not as easy going as I used to be. I am reclusive and remote. I don't often like big groups and I am putting on an act of "being nice" when dealing with people I seldom tolerate.
I figured that my worse fears came true.
My biggest fear in life is rejection and failure. Today, I feel like I've been a failure. I am a failure in relationships. Not because I'm not the right guy. But I figured that I am the "NICE GUY". The doormat. The sap. The sucker. The guy who doesn't ask for much but end up with women who too much of a burden.
I am the guy who going to be single for the rest of my days.
I've dated Black and White women for most of my life. Maybe it's me.... I don't know!
I want more than just being friends.
So why do I continue getting the ones who end up being total disasters?
When I posted Valentine's Day: An Honest Opinion, I mentioned that I was dating a woman who lied about being pregnant. I was devastated by the lies and deception. I gave up a lot to settle down. I seriously felt robbed of my cool relaxed and patient nature.
It was hard but I had to kick her to the curb. I can't trust a person who would deceive me. Especially when it comes to children.
Her name was Jessica. And she managed to hurt me by hiding her pregnancy and lying. I've forgiven her but I don't want nothing to do with her.
You hear the other say they're not like other ones you've dated. I just pretend to listen and act like I care. The moment that ask me, "do me a favor?"
I promise that I will run for the door.
She will realize that when the next person comes into her life will take advantage of her just like she done to me. She will realize that the man she loves is a cheater and user. Something she claim she never was.
A few days later, I met a woman on another social media website for dating. The website is called POF.com. The website is second to OkCupid in the match making industry.
I was cautious about this. The first response from this woman was "come over and party". I was a bit reluctant to head over, but I did. It was early in the morning and I went over. This woman introduced herself as Jennifer, but preferred to be called Jen.
Jen was a 39 year old woman who worked at a specialty restaurant that serves platters such as Bourbon chicken. I was a frequent regular at the location in the city. It would move from its location to be closer to the university. She openly boasted that she was a "spoiled" woman and wanted her man to do everything without question. No problem there. I was willing to do anything for her if I was to get something in return.
So a few hours of talking, we would embrace. Then we ha sex. Yeah, I normally wouldn't have sex with a woman on the first date, but I wanted to repel the memory of Jessica.
But what comes a shocker to me, she admits to me that she's addicted to crack cocaine.
As usual, I normally try to accept people for who they are. I told her that "as long as you don't get me involved in this, I have no problems with you!"
That was a big mistake.
Dating a person who is addicted to drugs can prove to be more of a burden than a woman lying about not being pregnant.
For the next five weeks, I would often come by and spend the night with her. She would ask for money just to do an errand run. I should have known better. She was trying to get dope. She promised that she got me back. According to her, the word was good.
Well I gave her money. And with more money and on top of that alcohol. I was feeding her addiction.
I come to find out that she's relapse after numerous failures in her life. She was the mother of three. Her oldest was given up for adoption and she had fears that her two younger children would be taken away if the law found out she was addicted to drugs. She would tell me that she's trying to quit. And she was hoping to quit so she can get her life back together.
I accepted that. I told her that I hope the best for her and pray that she can overcome her addiction to crack.
But that turned out to be wrong. In the weeks ahead, she would involuntarily get involve with friends, family members and dope boys. Each of these people were involved in drugs or sold drugs.
I was starting to be concerned about her. One day she frantically called saying that a family member stole her vehicle. That caused her to relapse even further into the crack addiction.
A few days without her truck led her to having a nervous breakdown. She would drink heavily, smoke 3 packs of cigarettes a day and become more combative.
See being a crack addict makes you restless, combative, paranoid, and reckless.
I found her truck near my neighborhood. Her family member is a drug addict and prostitute. She would steal vehicles and head over to her pimp or a dope boy for shelter.
A few nights of driving her truck after it was stolen was short lived. She would be busted by the law for being caught leaving a known dope spot. She was arrested that night and spend a few nights in the county lock up. The vehicle was impounded.
She would temporarily lose her job. She was depressed and she was saying that it was over. She would end the crack addiction. Wrong.
It caused her to go even further down the hole. She would lie to get a hit. I would take her to work.
I was called one morning and she asked if she could see me. I agreed. She said that she's getting ready to meet me. But asked her why! She knew that I don't want to be associated with dope boys.
She would make up some excuse saying that it's not going to be long. You won't be caught. I'm just going to do this only one time.
I said no. I am not going to drive you to get dope. She goes combative and threatens to end all ties with me. So we argue for a hour and she said leave her alone.
I should have just done that. I could just erase all my troubles and move forward.
But I felt that I was "owed" for all the things rendered during the time I've spent with her. So I tried to reconcile. At first, I thought everything was cool. Alas, it was a bust.
A few days of reconciliation didn't last long. I was called over to her house. She said that she was lonely. So I decide to head over in the dense fog to her home. I go to her home and see her in a daze.
She was drinking Fireball whiskey and all doped up. She had marijuana, some powerful dope and that strong whiskey. The ingredients for belligerent nutcase.
She was extremely paranoid and volatile. She even threaten me with a bat. She told me to get out the house and said that she was "scared" of me.
Again, I never threaten her. I never hit her. I never did anything wrong to her. After she feel asleep, I left.
Before I've left, I wished her well. A few days later, she would text me.
"I just hope you would never do anything that may hurt me or my children," Jennifer said.
I respond back:
"In the beginning, I was not going to respond. After you went off on me, I rather just leave and never look back. Your children are cool. I never would harm children or animals. I didn't do anything wrong to yo. I never stole property or destroyed things. "
Jennifer needs psychological help. She can't find happiness (at least from me) if you're still binging on alcohol and dope.
If there was a God, he wouldn't never put me into these peoples lives.
Someone told me that I had a heart. I was told that I have a big heart but that seems to be my passive beliefs in helping others.
I mean I am going to warn all singles! Don't believe the hype!
You can't find love online. No, let me stop. You can find love. But it's best to be very cautious about those online. Even though it may be fun and it gets you an opportunity to meet interesting people, the negatives outweigh the positives. It's dangerous and could led to more heartbreak. So I am just saying, use your head.
Know who you're dealing with with before you jump into romance or marriage.
I'm going to have patience and a whole lot of mistrust towards people nowadays.
People can't keep their word when they deliver on their promises. That goes for online dating.
I am struggling for success. I will hopefully find love someday. I hope the right person will be there. And of course, the race of the woman isn't a problem for me. I have no bias against women of color, transgender women, bisexual or independent women. If you're interesting, let's talk and move things forward.
I am not looking for much. I am looking for women who have independent minds. I don't have problem dating women with children. I don't have no problem traveling to meet a woman (as long as she has a means of transportation) to connect with me.
Well I do have a bias.
I don't like women who have no jobs, no money and no car. Also I will not date women who are pregnant and its not my child. I will not date anyone who is a drug abuser. I will never date tomboys, spoiled brats, and divas. Lastly, I will never date a woman who is obsessive phone caller.
Why do I end up dating these failures?
I don't have no problems dating any woman of color or nationality. Race shouldn't be a matter at least with me!
Not saying that all women are bad. I am just saying that the ones who are often looking for the "good guys" are the ones who got more issues than me.
These two were terrible. I wish them well on finding the right guy. Believe me, the next guy would probably head for the hills once he gets to know them.
Comedy Central's Key & Peele do a comedy sketch with comedian Natasha Leggaro. They are talking about White women dating and having sex with Black men.
This weekend marks the death of America's favorite baseball player. Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks has passed away. We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Ernie Banks.
Banks was a Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop and first baseman for 19 seasons, 1953 through 1971. He spent his entire MLB career with the Chicago Cubs. He was a National League (NL) All-Star for 11 seasons, playing in 14 All-Star Games.
Banks was born and raised in Dallas. He entered Negro league baseball in 1950, playing for the Kansas City Monarchs. He served in the US military for two years and returned to the Monarchs before beginning his major league career in September 1953. He made his first MLB All-Star Game appearance in 1955. Banks received back-to-back National League Most Valuable Player awards in 1958 and 1959. He hit .313 with 47 home runs (HR) and 129 runs batted in (RBI) in 1958. The next season he hit .304 with 45 HR and 143 RBI in 1959.
During the 1961 season, Banks was transferred to left field followed by a final position change to first base. Cubs manager Leo Durocher became frustrated with Banks in the mid-1960s, saying that the slugger's performance was faltering, but he felt that he was unable to remove Banks from the lineup due to the star's popularity among Cubs fans. Banks was a player-coach from 1967 through 1971. In 1970, he hit his 500th career home run. In 1972, he joined the Cubs coaching staff after his retirement as a player.
Banks was active in the Chicago community during and after his tenure with the Cubs. He founded a charitable organization, became the first black Ford Motor Company dealer in the United States, and made an unsuccessful bid for a local political office. He was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1977. In 1999, he was named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. In 2013, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contribution to sports. Banks lived in the Los Angeles area.
Banks married his first wife Mollye Ector in 1953. He had proposed to her in a letter from Germany and they married when he returned to the US. He filed for divorce two years later. The couple briefly reconciled in early 1959. By that summer, they agreed on a divorce settlement that would pay $65,000 to Ector in lieu of alimony.
Shortly thereafter, Banks eloped with Eloyce Johnson. Within a year, the couple had twin sons. They had a daughter four years after that.
Banks ran for alderman in Chicago in 1962. He lost the election and later said, "People knew me only as a baseball player. They didn't think I qualified as a government official and no matter what I did I couldn't change my image... What I learned, was that it was going to be hard for me to disengage myself from my baseball life and I would have to compensate for it after my playing days were over."
Ector filed suit against Ernie in 1963 for failing to make payments on a life insurance policy as agreed upon in their divorce settlement.
Played for 19 seasons with the Chicago Cubs, Ernie Banks. He appears with Hank Aaron.
In 1966, Banks worked for Seaway National Bank in the offseason and enrolled in a banking correspondence course. He also bought into several business ventures during his playing career, including a gas station. Though he had been paid modestly in comparison to other baseball stars, Banks had taken the advice of Wrigley and invested much of his earnings. He later spent time working for an insurance company and for New World Van Lines. Banks began building assets that would be worth an estimated $4 million by the time he was 55 years old.
Banks and Bob Nelson became the first black owners of a U.S. Ford Motor Company dealership in 1967. Nelson had been the first non-white commissioned officer in the United States Army Air Forces during World War II; he operated an import car dealership before the venture with Banks.
Banks was appointed to the board of directors of the Chicago Transit Authority in 1969.
On a trip to Europe, Banks was able to visit the Pope, who presented him with a medal that became a proud possession.
President Barack Obama and Ernie Banks. The president and First Lady Michelle Obama both send their condolences to the family of Ernie Banks.
Banks was divorced from Eloyce in 1981. She received several valuable items from his playing career as part of their divorce settlement, including his 500th home run ball. She sold the items not long after the divorce. In 1984, he married a woman named Marjorie. In 1993, Marjorie was part of a group that met with MLB executives about race relations in baseball after allegations of racial slurs surfaced against Cincinnati Reds owner Marge Schott.
Banks married Liz Ellzey in 1997 and Hank Aaron served as his best man.
In late 2008, Banks and Ellzey adopted an infant daughter.
Banks's nephew, Bob Johnson, was a major league catcher and first baseman for the Texas Rangers between 1981 and 1983. His great nephew, Acie Law, is a professional basketball player who attended Texas A&M University before playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Experiment goes wrong. Love website OKCupid angers supporters with its social test.
Online dating is kind of like high school. It's nothing but drama. Even though you may never have met the partner, that person probably knows a person that knows you.
You may have worked with this person. You may have seen this person once in your life. You may have never seen this person whether at school, a social gathering, or even online. However, you joining a social networking website that offers you a chance to date a partner.
I am single. I work two jobs. I am not looking for a relationship (for now). I am only looking for dating and hanging out. I am willing to date any woman. I am into girly girls. I am not into tomboys or obsessive phone/text messaging types. I don't normally be on the phone and I tend to be a reclusive person at times.
I keep a very small circle of friends and acquaintances. Nothing personal, but once you have a weakness, you let your guard down, everyone comes after it. Then of course, the high school mentality kicks in.
He said and she said. That's not the "real" you. Or my personal favorite, you're a nice person, but I just think of us as "friends" and nothing serious.
Been there, done that.
Interracial marriage is on the rise.
Now I have a profiles for Facebook, Blackplanet, POF (Plenty of Fish), Badoo, AYI (Are You Interested), Tagged, and OKCupid. Each opportunity a woman would see my profile and find interest in me.
OKCupid is one of the country's most popular social networking website for relationships. It's free to sign up but if you want stronger access you have to shelve out some dollars.
OKCupid gotten into some trouble this month. To finish out the month, here's a heartbreaker.
The New York Times reports that the users of OKCupid, one of the web’s most popular dating sites, that provide a window into how the company chase romantic partners in the digital age.
At the same time, the results offer yet another example of how websites like OKCupid are sometimes used as social science laboratories — often without telling their subjects.
In June, Facebook disclosed that it had tested to see if emotions were contagious, deliberately manipulating the emotional content of the news feeds for 700,000 people. After the disclosure led to an uproar by users, privacy regulators in Europe began looking into whether the social network had broken any local laws.
Despite the bad publicity faced by Facebook, OKCupid on Monday published results of three experiments it recently conducted on users. In one test, it obscured profile pictures. In another, the site hid profile text to see how it affected personality ratings. And in a third, it told some hopeful daters that they were a better or worse potential match with someone than the company’s software actually determined.
“If you use the Internet, you’re the subject of hundreds of experiments at any given time, on every site,” Christian Rudder, president of OKCupid, wrote on the company’s blog. “That’s how websites work.”
LGBT couples were pleased that the OKCupid CEO put a ban on Firefox. The Firefox co-founder supported California's Proposition 8 ban.
The research found that if an OKCupid user was told that another user had a high compatibility score instead of a low one — the numbers are based on a mathematical formula created by the company — the user was slightly more likely to reach out with a message. Those who believed they were corresponding with a good match were almost twice as likely to send at least four messages compared with people who were told they were a low match.
The test also illustrates how easy it is for a website to manipulate users without their knowing. The small number of users who received changed compatibility scores, some to 90 percent from 30 percent, were not told about the change before the experiment began. After the test ended, OKCupid sent emails revealing the true compatibility scores.
“I understand that that experimentation is part of the process,” said Zaz Harris, 37, a user of the site from Redwood City, Calif. “But I do think that experiment is a lot more invasive than the others because it could affect outcomes in a meaningful way.”
Love is not an experiment.
She added: “I would probably never see someone that the site said was a 30 percent match when we were actually 90 percent, so that is not cool, really.”
Ms. Harris said, however, that her expectations for online dating were low regardless of percentages displayed. If the experiment was short-lived and produced better matchmaking, she said, “It’s not that big a deal.”
OKCupid’s user agreement says that when a person signs up for the site, personal data may be used in research and analysis.
“We told users something that wasn’t true. I’m definitely not hiding from that fact,” said Mr. Rudder, OKCupid’s president. But he said the tests were done to determine how people can get the most from the site. “People come to us because they want the website to work, and we want the website to work.”
The New York Times added that in the other two experiments described on Monday, OKCupid said users were more likely to equate “looks” with “personality,” even in profiles that featured attractive photos and little if any substantive profile information.
And, it said, when the site obscured all profile photos one day, users engaged in more meaningful conversations, exchanged more contact details and responded to first messages more often. They got to know each other. But when pictures were reintroduced on the site, many of those conversations stopped cold.
“It was like we’d turned on the bright lights at the bar at midnight,” Mr. Rudder wrote.
But while appearance matters as a rule, there seem to be exceptions. When people went on truly blind dates that they set up using a companion app with no photos, their enjoyment of the dates was less influenced by looks.
In other words, maybe love can be blind, if you let it be.
Like with Facebook, the internet is a tool to connecting with people. But it's also a tool to driving wedges between families and friends. It's a damn shame that our social networks would disrespect our privacy.
Michael Sam kisses his boyfriend and the world reacts.
The NFL has signed openly gay player Michael Sam to the St. Louis Rams (NFC).
He made history that day.
There was a moment where Sam would kiss his boyfriend after he got the news.
Some thought of the kiss as a victory for LGBT in the sports industry. Others thought of it as disgusting and a terrible day for football.
The (AFC) Miami Dolphins player Don Jones is being benched after he made an inappropriate tweets in spite of the Donald Sterling scandal and the scandal involving his former teammate Richie Incognito was sacked after taunting Jonathan Martin.
Don Jones was fined and benched after he posted nasty comments on the reaction from Michael Sam.
Don Jones made an inappropriate tweet following the draft of Michael Sam, allegedly deeming it "horrible" and was promptly fined by the NFL and suspended from team activities. He was then required to undergo training related to workplace harassment.
The 23-year old safety was fined a reasonable amount of money for that.
The Associated Press reports that Jones had apologized for his comments Sunday and described them as inappropriate. The Dolphins said Jones has been excused from all team activities until he completes training related to his comments.
"We were disappointed to read Don's tweets," coach Joe Philbin said in a statement. "They were inappropriate and unacceptable, and we regret the negative impact these comments had on such an important weekend for the NFL. We met with Don today about respect, discrimination and judgment. These comments are not consistent with the values and standards of our program."
The Dolphins reacted swiftly to Jones' comments in the wake of the team's bullying scandal last year, which embarrassed the NFL and prompted a nationwide debate about workplace harassment.
Jones said he regretted that his tweets took away from Sam's "draft moment."
Sam and Jones will face each other eventually.
"I remember last year when I was drafted in the seventh round, and all of the emotions and happiness I felt when I received the call that gave me an opportunity to play for an NFL team, and I wish him all the best in his NFL career," Jones said in a statement. "I am committed to represent the values of the Miami Dolphins organization, and appreciate the opportunity I have been given to do so going forward."
Jones' agent, Chris Martin, could not be reached Sunday for comment.
Jones had protected his Twitter page after I guess he got his share of death threats and responses from those who were offended by his tweets.
Michael Hall known as Mic Lansky and Korwyn Moore both dodged a lengthy iron college stay. Both men were found not guilty in the deaths of two men.
Dayton men were found not guilty in murder back in 2013. The Heat nightclub was closed late last year after the suburb of Huber Heights pulled the plug on the liquor license of the establishment.
The Heat was a spot for hip-hop entertainers and was known for its continuous calls for public disturbances.
Michael Hall and Korwyn Moore were found not guilty in the murders of Charles Bell III and Michael's brother Keenan. Hall is a known Midwest rapper. Hall goes by the name of Mic Lansky.
According to witnesses, there was a fight at the club and it poured outside. All of sudden, gunfire. Two men were hit. One dead on the scene. Another died at the hospital. And one was injured but survived.
The nightclub owner gave up her fight to keep her establishment in Huber Heights. She vows to open up another location in the future.
Huber Heights police and Dayton police along with FBI were looking into how this occurred. The club had security, cameras and also a shoddy history.
The club owner Jessica Kennedy managed to fight off Huber Heights in the beginning. Her establishment lost their liquor license earlier that year. She turned her nightclub into a teen club in which alcohol wasn't a part of the club. For the time being, she would fight the suburb in the state court.
The state decided to allow her to continue to serve alcohol.
Only few weeks later this event would occur.
You know the knot heads of the community continue to push all "us Black folk" down. They just can't keep their egos outside. It's apparent even in a suburban nightclub where security was at its highest, guns are plentiful.
Of course this incident spooks the sleepy residents of Huber Heights. Many think that if they want this type of drama, they'll move to Dayton.
I hear this stuff especially from conservative minded individuals who believe the Black men are "natural born criminals". Despite all the changes to keep patrons safe, that shooting killed two men and leaving one injured.
It doomed the nightclub. After November, the Heat was officially closed.
Dayton Daily News reports that the jury of 10 women and two men deliberated for about an hour and a half late Tuesday afternoon and resumed at 8:30 this morning before reaching a verdict just after 1 p.m. There were 10 Montgomery County Sheriff's Deputies in the courtroom for security reasons.
Korwyn hasn't escaped the iron college yet. He's probably going to get five years in the iron college for having a weapon under disability.
Sad that Charles Bell III's family won't get justice. They watch as two men who have criminal history be free to continue their reign of hate and terror upon the Black community.
Yeah, I said Black community. These guys aren't WHITE EXTREMISTS!
These guys are Black and they're more of these individuals out there killing Blacks.
Alright now. A 26-year old Georgia man will no longer have to live his mama. He finally got enough money to move out. By chance, a day of cleaning out his room yielded him a winning Powerball ticket for a cool million.
Gregory Jerrett happened to buy a Powerball ticket a month back. During its $424 million jackpot in January, he decided to buy him one. He must have heard that the winner came from California and he decided to throw it aside knowing he didn't win the huge jackpot. Well I guess cleaning out his closet netted him a payday.
He used his siblings birthdays as the numbers.
He tells his mom. They carefully verify the winning ticket and had a moment of embrace.
“She verified it, and at that point, we hugged.” Jarrett told the junk food media.
With taxes he will collect at least $735,000 in winnings.
In most states, the Powerball and Mega Millions are played. In 43 states with the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands, the two multi-state lotteries are often played when the prizes reaches over $200 million respectively.
The Mega Millions is once again rising to record setting amounts. So I am guessing by game time it will be over $700 million by draw time.
Are you game?
I know that your risk is 1:345. So that means the odds of winning is one in 345 million.
If you're not aware of the game, it's pretty simple. The Mega Millions is a multi-state game that covers 45 states including the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The cost of playing a Mega Million ticket is $1. The ticket comes with a Multiplier (except in California).
The jackpot starts at $15 million.
The drawings are on Tuesday and Friday night at 10:59pm EST.
The game cost only $1 per unit. You must pick five numbers from 1 to 75. When you're done, you get the opportunity to pick a Mega Ball. Out of 15 numbers, you will have to pick one Mega Ball number. The jackpot results are a match of 5 White Balls + 1 Megaball. A player can win $1 million (if you score 5 out of 5 without the Megaball).
You're allowed five lines per unit you're playing one single drawing ticket at $5 per unit. So basically you're playing $1 per line. Add the multiplier and its one per line with multiplier so it would be $2 per unit. So at five lines per unit and with multiplier its $10 per unit.
The game in states that are participating included a multiplier. The multiplier is a function that allows the player to increase their wins by a special X ball. The multiplier is (1X), (2X), (3X), (4X) and (5X).
Powerball is played in 43 states including The District of Columbia and the Virgin Islands.
The cost of playing a Powerball ticket is $2. The ticket comes with the Power Play (except in California).
The Nation's Largest Multi-State Lottery.
The Power Play cost $1 dollar. There is a set prize amount for Power Play addition. You can earn up to $1 million or $2 million upon the Power Play (if you score 5 out of 5 without the Powerball).
There are five Powerball numbers. From 1 to 59, you must pick the numbers. When you're done you have an opportunity to pick a Powerball. The Powerball number is out of 35. The jackpot results in a win of 5 White Balls + 1 Powerball.
The Power Play was reestablished as a multiplier. The function allows the player to increase their odds by the special X ball. The multiplier is (1X), (2X), (3X), (4X), and (5X).
The drawings are on Wednesday and Saturday night at 10:59pm EST.
The Powerball jackpot usually starts at $40 million.
Okay, I know there are some who are novice and never had an experience at playing.
The Mega Millions and Powerball tickets that are played cannot be canceled.
Be careful when making a bet decision.
Of course you have to be over 18 years old to play a Mega Millions or Powerball ticket.
All results for Mega Millions and Powerball are for the state that you've purchased your ticket from.
The impact of being a millionaire comes with a price. You could blow money fast in a few years. Believe me there have been many Americans who lavish in luxury only to be broke in less than 10 years.
The rules of winning the lottery.
Best advice for all who win the lottery, is keep a cool head. Let's cover the 10 things about winning the lottery according to me. You can use this advice if you want to!
The first thing you do is write your name down on the back of the winning ticket. Say if you lose the jackpot ticket! If you have forgotten to sign the ticket and it gets lost, then it's your word against the winner's.
Second, make sure you cancel out your Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or any other social networking website your on. That's the next thing that happens when you're a winner.
Third, you cancel your phone number and limit your email intake. Obviously you'll be swamped with phone numbers and well wishers asking if you're willing to shelve out a little cash.
Fourth, hire a qualified lottery attorney. Make sure you have a qualified attorney who specializes in handling large sums of money. Don't assume every attorney is well respected in handling your financial earnings.
Fifth, don't quit a job until you are sure you've won the lottery. Don't rush to judgment about being a lottery winner. Sometimes a person who wins the lottery never expects it to happen so don't sit around the house hoping the day will come you'll be the millionaire.
Sixth, pay off debts to college loans, house, billings, and credit cards.
Seventh, invest your money in a trust fund if you have children or family members you can trust if you should die.
Eighth, have fun with your earnings. Don't blow it on things that obviously will attract negative attention.
Ninth, be humble. Cause money will change a person when they're rich.
Lastly, The Have-Nots Will Always Try To Make You Feel Guilty About Winning. Ignore Them And Be Happy About Your Success.
Back in the days I was a huge wrestling fan. There was a wrestler known as Viscera, a huge Black wrestler who came from the depths of Hell.
He was best known for his appearances with the World Wrestling Federation/World Wrestling Entertainment (WWF/WWE) in the 1990s and mid-2000s under the ring names Mabel, Viscera and Big Daddy V, where he held the WWF Hardcore Championship and WWF World Tag Team Championship, and was the 1995 King of the Ring.
Born as Nelson Frazier, Jr, Viscera would return to the WWF – by then renamed World Wrestling Entertainment – in September 2004, surprise attacking former Ministry of Darkness leader, The Undertaker, with fellow former Ministry member Gangrel, at the command of former Ministry Acolyte, John "Bradshaw" Layfield.
After two weeks on SmackDown!, he was moved to the Raw brand.
In his first three months on the Raw brand, Viscera mainly wrestled on Raw's sister show Heat, only making sporadic appearances on Raw.
His first major storyline there started in April 2005, when he aligned with Trish Stratus as part of her feud with Lita and her husband, Kane. While working together, Viscera and Stratus appeared in a segment in which he attempted to seduce her, only to be rebuffed. Stratus implied he would first need to "take care" of Kane.
That segment began a gimmick change for Viscera, who transformed into "The World's Largest Love Machine". After losing to Kane at Backlash 2005, he injured Stratus with his Big Splash finishing move, angry about her constant belittling of him, turning face in the process.
Viscera began wrestling in pajamas and making overtly sexual gestures in the ring. He became smitten with Raw ring announcer Lilian Garcia and tried different tactics to seduce her every week. At Vengeance in June, Garcia finally reciprocated, proposing to him in the center of the ring, only to be turned down and left crying in the ring when The Godfather arrived with many of his prostitutes to show Viscera what he would be leaving behind if he got married.
Viscera then teamed with the like-minded "ladies man", Val Venis, to form V–Squared. They teamed together for nearly nine months, mainly on Heat. They challenged for the World Tag Team Championship on a few occasions, but never held the title.
When Venis was sidelined with a legitimate injury in April 2006, Viscera returned to singles wrestling. He attempted to reconcile with Garcia, but was interrupted and attacked by Umaga during his proposal.
Two weeks later, when Garcia was legitimately and accidentally knocked from the ring apron by Charlie Haas and sprained her wrist, the incident was worked into a storyline of Haas and Viscera fighting over Garcia.
After Lillian declared she wanted to be just friends, Haas seemingly raked Viscera in the eye, with Viscera feigning to accidentally Samoan slam Lillian. After, both men laughed about the incident, in the process of turning Viscera heel once again. The team split up when Haas reunited with Shelton Benjamin to reform The World's Greatest Tag Team.
On June 17, 2007, Viscera was sent from the Raw brand to ECW in the supplemental section of WWE's draft. Three weeks later, he debuted on ECW on SyFy, repackaged as Big Daddy V, a "hired muscle" character in the employ of Matt Striker, arriving just in time to help Striker in his rivalry with The Boogeyman.
After disposing of The Boogeyman, Big Daddy V defeated Tommy Dreamer in the ECW brand's Elimination Chase to become the number one contender for the ECW Championship at No Mercy.
There, he lost to CM Punk by disqualification, when Striker interfered in the match. He then feuded with SmackDown's Kane. He participated in the No Way Out Elimination Chamber match, but was eliminated early.
He wrestled his last WWE match on March 11, 2008, for an episode of ECW on SyFy, losing to CM Punk in a Money in the Bank qualifier. In the 2008 WWE Supplemental Draft, he was drafted to the SmackDown brand. Frazier was released from his WWE contract on August 8, 2008, before ever wrestling for SmackDown.
On February 18, 2014, it was reported that Frazier had died following a heart attack, just four days after turning 43.
We here at Journal de la Reyna send our condolences to the family of Nelson Fraizer, Jr.
Maroon 5 frontman and reality star Adam Levine makes the cover of People Magazine's Most Sexiest Man. But you notice that men of color haven't been nominated since 1996.
I hate pop culture. I hate tabloids. I hate People Magazine.
I hate hearing about celebrities getting married.
I hate hearing about actresses or women in the news getting pregnant.
I hate hearing about actors going from lover to lover.
I hate hearing about actresses showing off their new hairstyles.
I hate hearing about celebrities who make their "coming out" parties a tabloid event.
I hate hearing about celebrities and their personal drug problems.
I hate hearing about celebrities making their love lives the public's business.
I don't care about this stuff.
When I picked up a People Magazine, I usually check out the magazine for some of the attention grabbing stories. Usually I pick it up when it talks about a hot teacher or an attractive actress who caught my eye.
But one thing I've often ignored was the Sexiest Man covers. I didn't care for them. I am not interested in these magazine covers of flaunting men. But as they continue to release another year of the most Sexiest Man, I happen to see more White men and not men of color on the front page.
Today, I will address this! Look at this list from Wikipedia:
The only person of color to be nominated for the Sexiest Man in People was Denzel Washington in 1996.
That's over 17 years ago.
No, I don't disqualify Adam Levine for his cover. He's a very talented singer, producer and reality star.
But the point of the matter is simple: Why hasn't People Magazine put a man of color as The Sexiest Man?
Is there's something I'm missing here?
This was covered by The Daily Beast just last year.
Tricia Romano wrote that People Magazine for the last five years ignored people of color for the Sexiest Man Alive cover. There has been an African-American president (who, if he were a Hollywood hunk, should surely have topped the list), it seems preposterous that no other men of color have been picked as the winner. In 2008, square-jawed Aussie, Hugh Jackman took the top honor. In 2009, Johnny Depp and his rotting teeth were selected for a second time. Last year, nobody’s favorite, Bradley Cooper, walked away (shirtless) with the crown. And the year before, perhaps in anticipation of the release of Green Lantern (which bombed), Ryan Reynolds was bestowed this dubious honor. Call it the Sexiest Milquetoast Man Alive.
Where are the Blair Underwoods, the Taye Diggses, the Morris Chestnuts? The Terrence Howards, the Jesse Williamses, the Idris Elbas?
Well, they are inside, scattered throughout like chocolate sprinkles on a vanilla ice cream cone. And if you believe People magazine’s official line, it is what’s inside that counts.
A representative for the magazine wrote, in part, via email: “People Magazine is sensitive to representing people of color in its pages; our Sexiest Man Alive issue is no exception. Every section in this year’s issue includes a diverse group of men.”
How diverse? In recent years, men like LL Cool J, Eddie Cibrian, Usher, Drake, Vin Diesel, John Cho, and Mario Lopez have been featured.
Brett R. Johnson, associate editor of the website The Root wasn't surprised by the magazine’s stance. “That response is expected,” he wrote via email. “They can’t come out and say black men don’t sell magazine covers.”
Though there are some sports celebrities, like David Beckham, most of the picks skew toward Hollywood. There are very few music celebrities—and then, those picks tend toward teen dreams like Justin Bieber or the Jonas Brothers. If the magazine featured more men from sports and music—they might have had a choice of a few more men of color big enough to push cover stand sales. Kanye West, Kobe Bryant, or Michael Jordan during their primes would have been fine cover stars.
A rep for People explained: "The cover subject is chosen solely on the following criteria: Is he hot at the moment? Is he sexy? Is his career on fire this year?"
Or to put it more clearly: there are no men of color to put on the cover because there are no leading men of color, save Washington and Will Smith.
“They’re pretty much the only black men who Hollywood deems worthy of being able to carry a big-budget movie as its lead,” said Johnson. “Other top black actors such as Samuel L. Jackson, Morgan Freeman, and Laurence Fishburne do consistently great work but they’re rarely regarded as get-the-girl-type leading men—or perhaps more likely they just don’t fit People’s definition of sexy.”
I see that at least Halle Berry, Jennifer Lopez and Beyonce were covered in People's Most Beautiful Woman issues. I'm just wondering if Kerry Washington is going to be on there?
What's your opinion on the matter?
Beyonce appears on Sony Music Group.
Adam Levine appears on A&M Octone Records/Interscope Records.
