The Audacity of Oprah

The Audacity of Oprah: "I say all this because I'm intrigued by the brouhaha attending Oprah Winfrey's decision to endorse Barack Obama's candidacy. The Internet is positively foaming at her decision to campaign for him. Celebrities--from Toby Keith to Sammy Davis Jr., from Barbra Streisand to Jon Bon Jovi--have always stumped for candidates, but a lot of people seem to feel that Oprah is different. She's not a background singer; she is no mere decorative backdrop. Oprah can turn a book into a bestseller!, fume the blogs. When she lends her magic touch, it's somehow complicated or even unfair. I suspect that some of the controversy comes from those who like Obama and don't relate to Oprah's television persona, or vice versa. But it's interesting to contemplate: what does it mean that some people are so concerned about whether this particular celebrity ought to express herself in the political realm?"

afro presencia: New Stem Cells Reverse Sickle Cell Anemia in Mice

afro presencia: "'Scientists have succeeded in using cells virtually identical to embryonic stem cells to 'correct' sickle cell anemia in mice,' Amanda Gardner reports in the Washington Post. By using a new technique that takes skin cells and grows them so that they can be used in place of stem cells, scientists at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research 'have cured sickle cell anemia in mice by rewinding their skin cells to an embryonic state and manipulating them to create healthy, genetically matched replacement tissue,' adds Karen Kaplan in the Los Angeles Times."

Black women missing, who would know?

MISSING BLACK WOMEN, who would know??????
By George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

I'm sure by now most of you may have heard of the case of Latasha Norman a Jackson State University student who was recently reported missing and found dead.

You are also probably aware of the lack of media attention the case got. What's especially galling in the case of Latasha Norman is that she was everything a parent could ask for.

She was a college student, active in the church, and working a job. She was the type of daughter any parent would want and if she had been white we would have inundated with stories about her constantly. Hell they may have put up a statue by now.

But that of course is not the case. Latasha Norman was black and could barely get five minutes of air time. Natalee Holloway who did not deserve whatever happened to her was out partying, drinking, and having sex with a guy she just met and two years later she can still be the #1 news story on cable news. Not only does she still get air time but there are panels of legal "experts" discussing her case ,TWO YEARS LATER!

There is the case of Emily Sander a young white women better known as Zoey Zane. Zoey Zane was her porn name. Sadly she went missing and was later found dead. She led a life that sadly may have lead to her death and set a bad example for young girls but she still got more coverage than Latasha Norman.

What kind of message are we sending when one girl who is doing everything society ask of her and can't get coverage for her case and another who was doing things we don't want minors to do can dominate the news headlines?

There are more current cases of missing black women:

Denise Hart of Schenectady NY

Elmora Charles of Tucson Arizona.

Celcila Engrums- Fayetteville NC

Sadly there are many more and to find out more and I would suggest an excellent blog on this subject Black & Missing but not Forgotten. You can check it out at:

blackandmissing.blogspot.com/

It's obvious that the main stream media is not going to cover these cases with the attention they deserve. I think it's time we ask black radio, newspapers, web sites, television , and magazines to step up and aggressively cover these cases. We have to help our OWN! No one else is going to do it.

George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

Little girl shot 6 times saving mother's life

In a remarkable story of unconditional love and sacrifice 7 year old Alexis Goggins leapt in front of her mother as a former boy friend shot at her to protect her. Little Alexis was hit 6 times. She saved her mothers life and thankfully she too will be alright and has suffered no permanent damage. Read about this remarkable young lady and were you can make a donation for her by clicking the link below:

http://www.letstalkhonestly.com/blacknewsblackviews.html

Missing Person Alert: Karyn McConnell-Hancock

Search Continues For Missing Pregnant Ohio Woman

Authorities in Toledo are continuing their search for a missing pregnant woman.

Karyn McConnell-Hancock, 35, was last seen Wednesday morning leaving her Toledo law office.
The mystery is deepening as to the missing woman's whereabouts, reported NewsChannel5's Autumn Ziemba.

The Toledo police, the FBI, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol are all now involved in the case. The National Crime Information Center is also putting out a nationwide alert to law enforcement agencies about the disappearance.

The former Toledo councilwoman is six months pregnant. She was reported missing by her husband.

She was driving a black 2005 Chrysler 300 with Ohio plate number DIA-6410.
According to Toledo police, McConnell-Hancock's husband told authorities that his wife had a client who had been acting aggressive toward her and that she had been receiving suspicious phone calls.

More on Mrs. McConnell-Hancock:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=3969645&page=1

4 Ethiopian immigrants put in separate classroom - Israel News, Ynetnews

4 Ethiopian immigrants put in separate classroom - Israel News, Ynetnews: "In a move more reminiscent of apartheid era South Africa than modern day Israel, four Ethiopian students at the Lamerchav Elementary School in Petah Tikva were segregated in a separate classroom because they were 'not observant enough'. Shocked father states: ‘We are being discriminated against for being black and powerless’"

Video shows group of black teens attacking white rider on 'A' train

Video shows group of black teens attacking white rider on 'A' train: "It's either a sickening subway attack - or a sickening 4-minute, 18-second hoax. Either way, a videotaped beating of a white man by black teenagers on the A train sparked a citywide search for the alleged suspects and victim Wednesday night after the shocking footage hit the Internet."

Brother Outsider

WireTap Magazine - Brother Outsider

Bayard Rustin is not a household American name. There are no national memorials dedicated in his honor and no national holidays preserving his legacy. Even his tiny hometown of West Chester, Pa., was split over a proposal to rename the town high school after him, even though as a student he set state records in track and football that remain to this day. Like many unsung heroes of the storied Civil Rights Movement, such as Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hammer and Robert Williams , among others, Bayard Rustin's legacy was left in the shadows, only to be discovered decades later by eager historians.

But unlike many of those unsung freedom fighters, Rustin's removal from the public eye was deliberate. He was openly gay in an era when homosexuality was widely considered a perversion, at best. He faced societal intolerance from both inside and outside of the movement. The Civil Rights Movement used slogans of morality and piety to help galvanize millions worldwide, and Rustin's unapologetic attitude often put him at odds with conservative leaders in the movement. In the most heated political moments, Rustin was criticized by white conservatives for his political beliefs and often abandoned by civil rights activists who saw him as a threat to potential gains for the movement.

Rustin is perhaps best known as a man behind the scenes who organized the 1963 March on Washington. Yet he was also one of the main strategists behind the Civil Rights Movement and often tutored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Ghandian protest techniques of civil disobedience. He began as a student activist in the Communist Party in the 1930s and helped lay the groundwork for the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s that would capture the world's attention.

News for 12-4-2007

From Rachel's Tavern:

Two Cases; Two Fatal Shootings. What Do You Think?

Two cases in which two men shot two intruders in two different localities. Both are racially charged incidents for the past two months.

From Ann's blog, Beautiful Also Are The Souls of My Black Sisters:

Protesters Clash Over Pasadena Man Who Shot Suspected Burglars

Angel Doe Revisited: Raysate Knight's Story

This is a case where the stepfather kills his stepdaughter over nothing. The case also highlights the lack of concern regarding children of Color in America.

» Run Cynthia Run - By ¡Para Justicia y Libertad!

» Run Cynthia Run - By ¡Para Justicia y Libertad!: "Just when the Democratic Party rid themselves of their black torn on their side. Think again. Bwahahahaha. She is back and will really be a torn on their side. Former Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney has taken the necessary steps to run for President of the United States as a Green candidate against the Democratic and Republican nominees next year. On October 22, 2007, Ms. McKinney registered with the Federal Election Commission as a presidential candidate."

Clarice Orsini

Clarice Orsini By S. Botticelli


Clarice Orsini of Rome married Lorenzo the Magnificent Medici in 1469. Her marriage was not one of love. It's more about the social and political ambition of the Medici family. She's the mother of ill-fated heir Lorenzo Medici who was exiled by Savonarola's goverment. She's also the mother of Pope Leo X.

I liked the Botticelli painting of Clarice Orsini Medici. It's a reflection of the times when Florentine women had few rights and were subject of various sumptuary laws which curbed extravagance in clothing and accesories(jewelry included). The above painting shows her dress in sombre colors and almost no jewelry except a plain necklace and a wedding ring.

Remembering Shawna Hawk, Latasha Norman and the Recent Victims of Violence

Shawna Hawk 1972-1993



Latasha Norman, R.I.P.

Today, Miss Shawna Denise Hawk would have turned 35 years old. Instead she was murdered on February 19, 1993. A victim of the sadistic serial killer who is still on death row after he was convicted in 1997 of nine murders of young Black women in Charlotte between 1992 and 1994. Miss Shawna would have been married with children and an accomplished professional woman today.

What I'm writing about today is the epidemic of violence against Black women in the past two weeks. The latest in the war against Black women is Latasha Norman of Greenville Mississippi.

Like Shawna, Latasha was an upstanding college student. Miss Norman attended Jackson State University in Jackson, MS and was on her way to success until her ex-boyfriend, who was stalking her for awhile after the breakup, murdered her last month. Her case didn't merited attention outside of Jackson where she was first reported missing in mid-November.

Her case drew national attention while she was missing for more than two weeks, especially after Hinds County Sheriff and Jackson Police Chief Malcolm McMillin scolded the media for, in essence, ignoring Norman because she is black.

Miss Norman was described by family and friends as a beautiful, accomplished student and a good all-American girl.

Another accomplished young woman, Stepha Henry, is still missing since April of this year. She was last seen at a club in Miami in mid-April. Although her story was nationwide, even meriting two pages in People magazine, the case wasn't as big as Natalee Holloway, the Alabama teen who was missing in 2005. The public is still obsessed about her since her disappearance.

Last month, they found Teresa Bunn's body in a dumpster in Chicago. She was one of two women killed in the same manner. Also remember Nailah Franklin, a young Chicago professional who was missing for a few days until her body was discovered in October. Fortunately, the local news covered it. Unfortunately, it wasn't national news.

Latoyia Figueroa's disappearance didn't register until her family and bloggers protested against the oversaturated coverage of missing pretty middle class white women at the expense of all other women by mainstream media.

Meghan Williams, Theresa Bunn, and the young Haitian women who was gang-violated by several men at Dunbar Village deserve our sympathy and help. We shouldn't ignore nor treat these ladies with less dignity and respect we accord to women of other races and cultures.

Miss Shawna would have been alive years ago had the police and society in general been up to their jobs in 1993. May God be with the family of Latasha Norman as they grieve the loss of their daughter, sister, friend and collegue.

May Latasha Norman, Latoyia Figueroa, Theresa Bunn, Shawna Hawk, Caroline Love, Vanessa Mack, Olamide Adeyooye, Cynteria Phillips, Michelle Stinson, Tynesha Stewart, Cherica Adams, Audrey Spain, Debra Slaughter, Betty Jean Baucom, Nixzmary Brown, Sherrice Iverson, Brandi Henderson, Valencia Jumper, Aaliyah, Tashanda Bethea, Jessie Davis, Nailah Franklin, Elisa Izquierdo, Tamika Huston, the three New Jersey College Students, Reyna Marroquin, and Imette St. Guillen rest in peace. They will always be remembered by those who care the most.