In Memory Latasha Norman

Latasha Norman

Latasha Norman Funeral

Service held for slain student
Overflow crowd told to express forgiveness
Richard Lake

Those who knew Latasha Norman and those who did not squeezed themselves into the aisles and onto the stairways of Rose E. McCoy Auditorium Monday to hear this:

No one should have to leave as she did, allegedly at the hands of a man.

She will leave at Jackson State University, where she was a junior accounting major, a legacy that will make a difference.

And the right thing to do now, with her gone and the man accused of killing her charged with murder, is to forgive.

These messages came from some who spoke at the campus memorial service for the 20-year-old Greenville native - 20 days after she went missing and four days after her body was found.

Her ex-boyfriend, fellow JSU student Stanley Cole, 24, also of Greenville, was charged with her death on Thursday. Her body was found in a wooded area in northwest Jackson.

Norman's pastor, the Rev. John Evans of Cathedral AME Zion Church in Jackson, fired up a crowd of students, faculty and family members on Monday. There were so many people in the 1,500-seat auditorium that they lined the walls and spilled out the doorways.

Evans urged them to forgive the person who killed her, which gave her uncle pause.
"God will handle all of that," the uncle, Matthew Norman, said after the service. "He will handle it. We're going to leave it in the hands of God."

The service took on an unusual tone, with frank talk about domestic violence - not just from clergy but also from university officials.

Norman had dated Cole for two to three years before breaking up several months ago, according to friends and family. In addition to the murder charge, Cole has been accused of assaulting her in October.

He was in Pearl Municipal Court to make an initial appearance on the assault charge when he was arrested. He is now being held without bond in the Hinds County Detention Center.

JSU President Ronald Mason spoke of what an intelligent woman Norman was said to be. He called what happened to her "nonsensical violence."

"Latasha's death was a case of a social ill in this country: relationship violence," Mason said. Police, however, have not provided a motive for her death nor discussed the circumstances leading up to her disappearance.

Mason implored any woman who suffered abuse to "get the help that you need."
"Get out now," he said. If you don't, "It will lead to you getting hurt - or worse."

Mason announced that the university's center for social and clinical counseling would be renamed after Norman.

The announcement was paired with a similar one by Glenda Glover, the dean of JSU's College of Business, that the university would establish a symposium on domestic violence in Norman's name.

"If even one is saved, then her death will not have been in vain," Mason said.
Lafreda Lockridge, 22, a friend of Norman's from Greenville, described Norman as "destined to be somebody."

It was Evans who delivered the message loudest. He urged young women who are being abused to put an immediate stop to it.

"That ain't love. That's slavery. Yes, it is. That's slavery. I thought we got out of that," he said.

Link:

The Latasha Norman Memorial

P a l e s t i n e F r e e V o i c e©: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job

P a l e s t i n e F r e e V o i c e©: Intel Agencies Know 9/11 An Inside Job

Man who set up Operation Gladio tells Italy's largest newspaper "attacks were run by CIA and Mossad".

Paul Joseph Watson - Prison Planet Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Former Italian President and the man who revealed the existence of Operation Gladio Francesco Cossiga has gone public on 9/11, telling Italy's most respected newspaper that the attacks were run by the CIA and Mossad and that this was common knowledge amongst global intelligence agencies.Cossiga was elected President of the Italian Senate in July 1983 before winning a landslide 1985 election to become President of the country in 1985.

Cossiga gained respect from opposition parties as one of a rare breed - an honest politician - and led the country for seven years until April 1992.Cossiga's tendency to be outspoken upset the Italian political establishment and he was forced to resign after revealing the existence of, and his part in setting up, Operation Gladio - a rogue intelligence network under NATO auspices that carried out bombings across Europe in the 60's, 70's and 80's.

Gladio's specialty was to carry out what they coined "false flag operations," terror attacks that were blamed on their domestic and geopolitical opposition.Cossiga's revelations contributed to an Italian parliamentary investigation of Gladio in 2000, during which evidence was unearthed that the attacks were being overseen by the U.S. intelligence apparatus.In March 2001, Gladio agent Vincenzo Vinciguerra stated, in sworn testimony, "You had to attack civilians, the people, women, children, innocent people, unknown people far removed from any political game.

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.