YourBlackScholar: January 2008

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Black Student Scholarships

200 Free Scholarships For Minorities

Someone forwarded this list of scholarships for black students over to us via email. So we are sharing this with you.

1) Ron Brown Scholarships
http://www.RonBrown.org
2) FastWEB Scholarship Search
http://www.fastweb.com/
3) United Negro College Fund Scholarships
http://www.uncf.org/scholarships/uncfscholarship.asp
4) Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarships
http://www.jackierobinson.org/
5) Intel Science Talent Search
http://www.sciserv.org/sts
6) Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/
7) FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to
Financial Aid (scholarships)
http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/
8) United Negro College Fund
http://www.un cf.org/
9) Gates Millennium Scholarships (Annual)
http://www.gmsp.org/(hmrfvje1fdxdi0nwbrpmbd45)/default.aspx
10) McDonald's Scholarships (Annual)
http://www.mcdonaldsnymetro.com/
11) Broke Scholars Scholarships
http://scholarships.brokescholar.com/
12) National Society of Black Engineers Scholarships
http://www.nsbe.org/programs/
13) National Merit Scholarships
http://www.nationalmerit.org/
14) College Board Scholarship Search
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp
15) Black Excel Scholarship Gateways
http://www.BlackExcel.org

16) FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov
17) LULAC - National Scholastic Achievement Awards
http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/GetScholar?page=10177
18) Scholarship & Financial Aid Help
http://www.blackexcel.org/fin-sch.htm
19) NAACP Scholarships
http://www.naacp.org/departments/education/scholarship_index.html
20) Paralegal Scholaships
http://www.paralegals.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=13
21) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing
http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html
22) Black Alliance for Educational Options Scholarships
http://www.baeo.org/options/privatelyfinanced.jsp
23) Siemens Foundation Competition
http://www.siemens-foundation.org/
24) College Board Scholarship Search
http://cbweb10p.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/fundfind01.html
25) International Students Scholarships & Aid Help
http://www.iefa.org/
26) Historically Black College & University Scholarships
http://www.iesabroad.org/info/hbcu.htm
27) Guaranteed Scholarships
http://www.guaranteed-scholarships.com/
28) Hope Scholarships and Lifetime Learning Credits
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/PPI/HOPE/index.html
29) Presidential Freedom Scholarships
http://www.nationalservice.org/scholarships
30) Sports Scholarships and Internships
http://www.ncaa.org/abo ut/scholarships.html
31) Student Video Scholarships
http://www.christophers.org/vidcon2k.html
32) Student Inventors Scholarships
http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
33) Decca Scholarships
http://www.deca.org/scholarships/
34) Black Student Fund
http://www.blackstudentfund.org/programs/FinAid/financial_aid.htm
35) Scholarships Pathways
http://scholarshipssite.blogspot.com/
36) Private Scholarships For Seniors
http://www.phs.d211.org/stsvc/college/scholarships.asp
37) ScienceNet Scholarship Listing
http://www.sciencenet.emory.edu/undergrad/scholarships.html
38) Chela Education Financing 揋ateway to Success Scholarship?/SPAN>
http://www.loans4students.org
39) Princeton Review Scholaahips & Aid
http://www.princetonrev iew.com/college/finance
40) American Legion Scholarships
http://www.legion.org
41) Free Scholaaship Search
http://www.srnexpress.com
42) 2005 Holocaust Remembrance Essay Contest
http://www.holocaust.hklaw.com
43) Horace Mann Scholarship Program
http://www.horacemann.com/scholarship
44) Ayn Rand Institute
http://www.aynrand.org/contests
45) The David and Dovetta Wilson Scholarship Fund?/SPAN>
http://www.wilsonfund.org
46) Congressional Hispanic Scholarships
http://www.chciyouth.org
47) Nursing Scholarships
http://www.blackexcel.org/nursing-scholarships.html
48) College-Bound High School Seniors - Scholarships http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar13.html
49) AFROTC High School Scholarships
http://www.afrotc.com/
50) Minority Scholarships
http://www.free-4u.com/minority.htm
51) Scholarships for Minority Accounting Students
http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/mini/smas.htm
52) The Elks National Foundation Scholarships
http://www.elks.org/enf/scholars/ourscholarships.cfm
53) Art Deadlines and Scholarships
http://www.xensei.com/users/adl/
54) Journalism Grants
http://www.mccormicktribune.org/journalism/grantslist.htm
55) African American Scholarships
http://www.littleafrica.com/scholarship/
<>56) Marine Corps Scholarships
http://www.marine-scholars.org/
57) Research for Women & Minorities Underrepresented in the Sciences
http://www.research.att.com/academic/urp.html
58) Tylenol Scholarships
http://scholarship.tylenol.com/
59) Undergraduate Scholarships (Health)
http://ugsp.info.nih.gov/InfoUGSP.htm
60) STATE FARM INSURANCE Hispanic Scholarships
& nbsp; http://www.statefarm.com/foundati/hispanic.htm
61) National Scholarships at All Levels
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/
62) Burger King Scholars (Annual Awards)
http://www.bk.com/CompanyInfo/community/BKscholars/index.aspx
63) Ambassadorial Scholarships
http://www.rotary.org/foundation/educational/amb_scho/
64) Baptist Scholarships
http://www.free-4u.com/baptist_scholarships.htm
65) Methodist Scholarships
http://www.free-4u.com/methodist_scholarships.htm
66) Project Excellence Scholarships
http://www.project-excellence.com
67) Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarships
http://www.aasa.org/Discover.htm
68) United States National Peace Essay Contest
http://www.usip.org/ed/npec/index.shtml
69) Gateway to 10 Free Scholarship Searches
http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm
70) Accounting Scholarships
http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/edu/jlcs.htm
71) Americorps
http://www.cns.gov/
72) Sports Scholarships and Internships
http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
73) 100 Minority Scholarship Gateways
http://www.blackexcel.org/100minority.htm
74) Awards and Scholarships
http://www-hl.syr.edu/cas-pages/ScholarshipsAvailable.htm
75) American Chemical Society Scholarships
http://www.cnetweb.org/american_chemical_society_scholarships.htm
76) Sallie Mae Grants and Scholarships
http://www.salliemae.com/parent_answer/decide/explore_alternatives/grants.html
77) Scholarships List and Search
http://www.adventuresineducation.org/sbase/
78) New York State Scholarships for Academic Excellence
http://www.hesc.com/bulletin.nsf/0/7E4A6245D908330685256DB0006B3A30
79) Hispanic Scholarship Fund
http://www.hsf. net/
80) Scholarship Research Center: US NEWS
http://12.47.197.196/usnews/
81) Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide Online
http://fp2.adhost.com/collegeplan/scholarship/default.asp
82) College Net Scholarship Search
http://mach25.collegenet.com/cgi-bin/M25/index
83) Scholarships For Hispanics
http://www.scholarshipsforhispanics.org/
84) NATIONAL FEDERATION OF THE BLIND SCHOLARSHIPS
http://www.nfb.org/services/schlprg02.htm

85) Actuary Scholarships for Minority Students
http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/
86) Astronaut Scholarship Foundation
http://www.astronautscholarship.org/
87) ELA Foundation Scholarships (disabled)
http://www.ela.org/scholarships/scholarships.html
88) Indian Health Service Scholarships
http://www.ihs.gov/JobsCareerDevelop/DHPS/SP/spTOC.asp
89) Minority Undergraduate Fellows Program
http://www.naspa.org/resources/mufp/
90) Third Wave Foundation Scholarships
http://www.thirdwavefoundation.org/programs/scholarships.html
91) College Connection Scholarships
http://www.collegescholarships.com/
92) Super College Scholarships
http://www.supercollege.com
93) Indian Students
http://www.gurgaonscoop.com/story/2005/3/14/195141/137
94) Comprehensive Recourse List (All cultures)
http://www.globalvision.org/educate/connected/sect4e.html
95) Scholarship Data base (Alphabetical Listing)
http://www.campuscareercenter.com/scholarships/scholarships.asp
96) Music Scholarships
http://www.newenglandconservatory.edu/financeYourEducation/musicscholarships.html
97) Navy Scholarship Lists
http://www.odu.edu/ao/hrnrotc/scholarship/scholarships.htm
98) National Assoc. of Black Journalists Scholarships (NABJ) http://www.nabj.org/programs/scholarships/index.html
99) Science and Engineering Student Scholarships
http://www.bell-labs.com/fellowships/
100) The Roothbert Fund Scholarships
http://www.roothbertfund.org/scholarships.php
101) Gateway to 10 Free Scholarship Searches
< href="http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm" target="_blank">http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm
102) Federal Scholarships and Aid
http://www.fedmoney.org/
103) International Students Help and Scholarships
http://www.iefa.org/
104) NACME Scholarship Program
http://www.nacme.org/scholarships/
105) Black Excel Scholarship Gateway
http://www.blackexcel.org/link4.htm
106) Peterson's Aid and Scholarships Help
http://www.petersons.com/finaid/
107) Alpha Kappa Alpha Scholarships
http://www.akaeaf.org/scholarships.htm
108) Coveted National Scholarships
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/
109) 25 Scholarship Gateways from Black Excel
http://www.blackexcel.org/25scholarships.htm
110) Martin Luther King Scholarships
; http://www.sanantonio.gov/mlk/?res=1024&ver=true
111) Financial Aid Research Center
http://www.theoldschool.org/
112) Art and Writing Awards
http://www.artandwriting.org
113) Wells Fargo Scholarships
http://www.wellsfargo.com/collegesteps
114) Princeton Review Internships
http://www.princetonreview.com/c te/search/internshipAdvSearch.asp
115) Chicana/Latina Foundation
http://www.chicanalatina.org/scholarship.html
116) NCAA Scholarships and Internships
http://www.ncaa.org/about/scholarships.html
117) Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
http://www.chci.org/
118) Morris K. Udall Foundation Scholarships
http://www.udall.gov/p_scholarship.asp
119) A Better Chance Scholarships
http://www.abetterchance.org/ReferralOrgs&Resources/res-coll_native_schol1.htm
120) Asian American Journalist Association
http://www.aaja.org/
121) American Assoc. of University Women
http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/index.cfm

122) Scholarships by State
http://www.schoolsintheusa.com/scholarships.cfm
123) State Agencies of Higher Education
&nb sp; http://collegeapps.about.com/od/stateagencies/
124) Engineering School Scholarships
http://www.engineeringedu.com/scholars.html
125) Scholarship News
< face="Arial">http://www.free-4u.com/
126) Scholarships and Fellowships List (Graduate Level)
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3gradinf.htm
127) Orphan Foundation of America
http://www.orphan.o rg/
128) September 11th Scholarship Funds
http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2001/ARScholarshipFundsDetailed110701.html
129) Discover Card Tribute Award Scholarships
http://www.aasa.org/a wards_and_scholarships/Discover/index.htm
130) American Fire Sprinkler Scholarship Contest
http://www.afsascholarship.org/
131) Mensa Scholarship Essay Scholarship
http://merf.us.mensa.org/scholarships/zipfinder.php
132) Chess Scholarships
http://www.successchess.com/WeibelChess/Scholarships.html
133) Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund (Activist)
http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~alliance/academic/scholarships.html
134) Federal Student Aid Portal
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
135) Daughters of the American Revolution Scholarships
http://www.dar.org/natsociety/edout_scholar.cfm#general
136) Fridell Memorial Scholarship (Dale E.)
http://www.straightforwardmedia.com/fridell/
137) Alger Association Scholarships (Horatio)
http://www.horatioalger.org/scholarships
138) Collegiate Inventors Competition
http://www.invent.org/collegiate/
139) Alphabetical Index to Scholarships and Aid
http://www.window.state.tx.us/scholars/aid/faidalpha.html
140) National Security Scholarships Programs
http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/nsephome.htm
141) Institutes of Health Scholarship Programs
http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/nsephome.htm
142) Adventures in Education
http://adventuresineducation.org/

143) Union Plus Scholarship Database
http://www.aflcio.org/familyfunresources/collegecosts/scholar.cfm
144) Verizon Scholarship Program
http://foundation.verizon.com/06011.shtml
145) Michigan Community Scholarships (over 100)
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/privcomm.htm
146) College View's Scholarship Search
http://www.collegeview.com/financial_aid/schol_directory/
147) College Xpress Scholarship Search
http://apps.absolutelyscholarships.com/exec/scholarship
148) Scholarships on the Net (1500 Links)
http://whatsonthe.net/scholarmks.htm
149) Scholarships, Prizes, and Honors (Cal based)
http://students.berkeley.edu/fao/Scholarships/default.htm
150) Cola-Coca Art & Film Scholarships
http://www.youthdevelopment.coca-cola.com/art_refreshing.html
151) Art School Scholarships
http://www.straightforwardmedia.com/art/scholarship-guidephp
152) Bowling Scholarships
http://www.bowlingmembership.com/PDF/smart_colleges.pdf
153) Red Cross Presidential Intern Program
http://www.redcross.org/images/pdfs/PIP_Fact_Sheet.pdf
154) Congressional Black Caucus Scholarships
http://www.cbcfinc.org/Leadership%20Education/Scholarships/index.html
155) Microsoft Scholarships
http://www.microsoft.com/college/ss_overview.mspx
156) Scholarship of The Month
http://www.collegescholarships.com/sc holarships.html
157) Fellowship Database (Graduate)
http://cuinfo.cornell.edu/Student/GRFN/
158) Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf
http://www.agbell.org
1 59) APS Minorities Scholarship Program (Physics)
http://www.aps.org/educ/com/index.html
160) The Minority/Disadvantaged Scholarship Program (architecture)
http://www.archfoundation.org
161) Music For The Blind
http://www.NFMC-music.org
162) War Memorial Fund
http://www.usjaycees.org
163) Engineering Awards and Scholarships
&nbs p; http://www.iee.org/EduCareers/Awards/UG/index.cfm
164) Undergraduate Awards for Women
http://www.biochem.northwestern.edu/resfunds/undergrad.women.pdf
165) Civil Air Patrol Scholarships
http://level2.cap.gov/index.cfm?nodeID=5589
166) Various College scholarships List
http://www.parktudor.pvt.k12.in.us/scholarships2.htm
167) Typical Scholarship Opportunities
http://www.esu3.org/districts/bellevue/curriculum/east/jsheridan/counseling/ScholarshipFiles/main_list.htm#st
168) AXA ACHIEVEMENT SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.axa-achievement.com
169) FEDERAL EMPLOYEE EDUCATION FUND
http://www.feea.org/scholarships.shtml
170) PRUDENTIAL SPIRIT OF COMMUNITY AWARD
http://www.prudential.com/spirit for more information.
171) Undesignated Scholarships (Engineering)
http://students.sae.org/awdscholar/scholarships/undesignated/
172) WAL*MART COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP
http://www.walmartfoundation.org
173) Scholarships for Minori ty accounting Students
http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/mini/smas.htm
174) Actuarial Scholarships for Minority Students
http://www.beanactuary.org/minority/scholarship.cfm
175) Minority Scholarships (All levels)
http://scholarships.fatomei.com/scholar3.html
176) Findaid: Minority Scholarships
http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/minority.phtml
177) Library Scholarships
http://www.ala.org/ala/lita/litaresources/litascholarships/litascholarships.htm
178) Study Abroad Scholarships
http://www.iesabroad.org/minorityFinancialAid.do
179) Native American & Other Scholarships
http://www.abetterchance.org/ReferralOrgs&Resources/res-coll_native_schol1.htm
180) Sports Figures Scholarships
http://sportsfigures.espn.com/sportsfigures/stu_sportsfigurechal_1.jsp
181) Scholarship Scams
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship/
182) Students of Color Scholarships
http://www.financialaid4you.com/index.php/scholarships
183) USA Access Education Scholarships
http://www.usafunds.org/planning/access_to_education_scholarship/index.html
184) Fellowships and Scholarships
http://www.sacnas.org/fellow.html
185) Dow Jones Scholarship and Program Listings
& nbsp; http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com/fund/cg_js_min_scholarships.asp
186) Ernest Hemingway Awards Scholarships
http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com/fund/cg_gen_scholarships.asp
187) Minority Journalism Internships http://djnewspaperfund.dowjones.com/fund/cg_min_internships.asp
188) Hispanic/Latino Scholarships
http://www.elmhurst.edu/~bio/arriola/Hablamos/scholarships.html
189) General Scholarships
&nb sp; http://www.hccfl.edu/scholarship/general.html
190) Jewish Scholarships
http://www.free-4u.com/jewish.htm
191) Scholarship Opportunities (graduate)
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/finaid/external-finaid.shtml
192) Ford Foundation Fellowships for Minorities
http://national-academies.org/fellowships
193) Scholarships in Many Areas
http://www.meredith.edu/finaid/outsideaid.htm
194) League Foundation: Alternative Lifestyles Scholarships
http://www.league-att.org/foundation/
195) Datatel Scholarships
http://www.datatel.com/global/schola rships/applicants.cfm
196) Alpha Kappa Alpha Awards
http://www.akaeaf.org/
197) National Black Police Assoc. Scholarships
http://www.blackpolice.org/
198) Elks Most Valuable Stude nt Scholarship
http://www.elks.org
199) National Back Nurses' Assoc. Scholarships
http://www.nbna.org
200) Scholarships Based on Ethnicity
http://www.college.ucla.edu/UP/SRC/ethnic.htm

Aborigines Get Apology, African Americans Still Waiting

The Australian government has decided to do for Aborigines something that the U.S. Government has yet to do for African-Americans: apologize for wrong-doings of the past. The Australian government is set to issue its first formal apology to the Aborigines as its first item of business for the new parliament on February 13.

This marks an historic occasion for the country, as it works to progress beyond wounds of the past. The apology is to be issued to the "stolen generation", consisting of those Aborigines who were taken away from their families on the idea that their race was "doomed".

The issue has divided Australians for a very long time, but Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has finally pushed the issue forward.

"The apology will be made on behalf of the Australian government and does not attribute guilt to the current generation of Australian people," Macklin said in a statement.

In spite of the apology, Rudd has refused to pay compensation, nor hold the Australian government accountable for the actions of the past. Michael Mansell, an activist in the country, has argued that the government should create an $882 million dollar fund to pay compensation for government wrong doing toward Aborigines.

Aborigines make up less than 5% of the Australian population. They are far more likely to be arrested, imprisoned, unemployed and illiterate. Also, there is a 17 year life expectancy gap between Aborigines and other Australians.

The apology has brought a comparison to African-Americans, who suffer from many of the same problems. Social dilemmas for African-Americans have been linked to 400 years of slavery in the US, for which the American government refuses to apologize.

Christine King of the Stolen Generations Alliance had a great deal to say about the developments in Australia.

"Older people thought they would never live to see this day," King said. "It's very emotional for me and it's very important."

From 1910 through the 1970s, roughly 100,000 Aboriginal children of mixed blood were stolen from their parents due to state and federal laws that said that their race was doomed and that taking the children would be the humane thing to do. The same thing happened to people of color during slavery, when their families were divided and sold to white owners across the country.

An inquiry into the family separations of Aboriginal children showed that the children suffered long-term psychological damage from losing their parents. A government inquiry in Australia argued that the government should apologize to the families and compensate them. But the Prime Minister at the time, John Howard, refused to do either, stating that this government should not be held accountable for policies of the past. The same has been said by U.S. Government Officials as it pertains to slavery.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Obama v. Clinton is Modern Douglass v. Anthony

By Syreeta L. McNeal, CPA, JD

White male representatives of the thirteen colonies undoubtedly compromised to indicate either explicitly or implicitly in the original United States (U. S.) Constitution that blacks were three fifth’s (3/5) of a person and women were considered property in 1791. Many abolitionists and feminists worked to change this political impact in later years. Two key figures of the respective movement are Abolitionist Frederick Douglass and Feminist Susan B. Anthony.

Both Douglass and Anthony were close friends before the American Civil War beginning in 1861. Douglass performed the eulogy of Anthony’s father in November 1862. However, during the years of 1865 to 1870, Douglass split from many feminists over the issue of passage of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments of the U. S. Constitution. [Note: Fourteenth Amendment, passed in 1868, gives citizens due process and equal protection under the law regardless of race, ethnicity, and natural origin. Fifteenth Amendment, passed in 1870, gives citizens the right to vote regardless of race, ethnicity, and natural origin.]

Anthony and other feminists refused to support the Fifteenth Amendment because it excluded women from the basic right to vote. Douglass, on the other hand, believed with many abolitionists that it was important to secure the rights of African-American males before working to achieve the rights of women. Their argument was both public and private, and there was resentment and hurt on both sides.

Now, we have Obama, the first African-American male, striving to become president of the U.S. He is definitely a neophyte to the political game, but has charisma and a sense of hope to encourage more of the younger generation to participate in the political process which is always a good thing. Also, we have Clinton, the first woman to strive for the highest office in the U. S. She has the experience and factual basis to help bring about change that can be beneficial to all Americans, not just Black America. Both have legitimate chances especially with wins in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada.

But, what seems to be appearing under the surface is this classic debate between Douglass and Anthony. I do believe most African-American men would rather see another African-American male assume the helm of Presidency in the U. S. to prove that they are equal to their white male counterparts. However, as an African-American woman, I do feel compelled to see a seasoned woman who has more experience in the political arena than her counterpart and has a track record to get well needed programs for all Americans such as jobs creation with health benefits, lowering the economic gap between black/brown and white Americans, improved FEMA program so that Katrina responses will be minimized, credibility with Israel and Palestine to bring peace in the Middle East as achieved during her husband’s presidency, and bring our troops out of harms way in Iraq in a way that still keeps us ready for the potential terrorist threat to our national security.

So, it is amazing that the Obama v. Clinton campaign of 2008 is taking on the same shape as Douglass v. Anthony from 1865 to 1870. I know the Nineteenth Amendment, passed in 1920, gave women the right to vote under law. But, wouldn’t it be something if Douglass and Anthony realized that if they were able to include women in the Fifteenth Amendment for the right to vote in 1870, that they would have a powerful coalition to trump the real culprit to their power: white men who want to continue to treat them as either three fifth’s (3/5) of a person or property.

I hope both Obama and Clinton realize that their coalition of both respective interests, instead of division in those interests, will be more beneficial to all America in the long run to end the tyrannical reign of Bush and the Republican regime. However, after watching CNN’s January 21, 2008 Democratic debate on the holiday commemorating Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, I have a feeling it will probably not come to fruition at least in the next couple of days.

Monday, January 21, 2008

making our votes count

Cornel West once said, "You can't lead the people if you don't love the people. You can't save the people if you don't serve the people." No two men embodied this love ethic more than Brothers Malcolm and Martin. And as our nation commemorates Rev. King's birthday it is only right that we take time out to reflect on our hard won rights. Paid in blood and paid in full. The night has been long, but we made it to the other side, we saw the rays of a bright new sun.

On my last day on the job as a student-teacher at a NYC public high school, I decided to throw off the kid gloves. I came out swinging. I was trying to engage them in some conversation over the 2008 election - aka, the most important Presidential race of our generation. Who were they down with and why? But the kids were more interested in talking about which member of the senior class wore the freshest gear and had on the most expensive high end kicks (although most were from the same working class neighorhoods. We'll leave the conversation on conspicuous consumption for another time). The kids for the most part did not care and had no intension of getting involved in civic issues. There are probably one hundred good reasons for this type of pervasive apathy. Endemic poverty, miseducation, the forsaken promise of the battle for equal rights are but a few. We know this, but it is my prayer that we do not let this golden opportunity pass us by. If we don't inspire a new generation of educated voters we are not only then we are in effect taking the future out of our hands.

We have the chance to light a fire within a whole generation. We demand change, because it is ours to have. It is our right and our legacy.

Rest in power Brother Martin.

Rest in power Brother Malcolm.

In Honor of Black History Month

In honor of Black Scholars,

I am submitting this to all of you, in honor of our collective ancestry, a notice about my new book entitled, "It's All Gumbo to Me: Examining Our World through the metaphor of Gumbo."

This is the beginning of a life's work that attempts to record and detail the impact of our human interactions in this world. I wanted to join the ranks of so many of you who have produced scholarly work to make life better for all people, but especially those in African American communities. Below is a description of the work and how it can be obtained.

I have been blessed to give a keynote address at the National Black Graduate Student Association in March in chilly Chicago where I will be discussing this topic to that audience. I am trusting that some of you who read this blog will be there so we can meet and build stronger bonds of brotherly care. Cheers to all!

About the Title. This book focuses on multiple layers of the culture of the United States. It is a text that addresses cultural phenomena through the metaphor of Gumbo, a southern cuisine developed by African slaves. It’s All Gumbo to me is ideal for students, educators, and interested persons studying cultural diversity, humanities, multicultural education,counseling, psychology and African American Studies. This book brings together key cultural dimensions of the American fabric synthesized through the metaphor of Gumbo.

This is a multi-volume set that addresses a variety of social concerns.
The initial edition contains:

• A detailed Author’s preface that lays the foundation for American culture and how the metaphor of Gumbo is to be used.

• Six original essays concerning key cultural phenomena impacting American society.

• A new and fresh look at American society from an established and emerging
academic leader in the field of Counselor Education.

• An Epilogue that makes a link to the next book in the series.

It’s All Gumbo to Me is designed to be read and enjoyed all
around the world to assist concerned individuals to positively impact their communities.

Excerpts from the book:

“The gumbo pot and its contents serve as a
means to understand the need to create communities
through grass roots activities so people
can better relate to themselves, others and the
world around them.”

“Hope is made up of burying our past baggage,
leaning on something that you may not be able
to see, preparing the self & preparing others, and
being altruistic.”

“We live in a society that has, what I have called,
Contradictory Rules of Engagement. Contradictory
Rules of Engagement refers to the Inequitable impact of our nation’s ideology on
people of color, women and the poor.”

Online Sales at www.lulu.com.
Type in the title in the Search Window,
Then select your purchase option:

1. Download the book to your
Computer for $15.00.
2. Order the hard copy book
for $22.01.

Binding: 6”x9” Paperback, perfect
binding, 40 pages of comprehensive
content.

Publication Date: 1/20/2008
Release Date: 1/25/2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

A Time of Reflection

Brothers and Sisters,

I am writing this on the eve of the Observance of Dr. King's Holiday. Every year I take time out to teach my daughters about the movement that placed Dr. King at the forefront of a people's quest for freedom.

I grew up, as many of us did, learning about Dr. King and his service to a people yearning to be treated as full citizens inside of a nation that claimed to be the example of freedom for the world.

I was born in February 1967. Dr. King's life ended the next year. I wish I could have heard him in real life. I visited the Lorraine Motel many years ago with my daughter when she was about 7 years old. If you have never visited that landmark, you may want to visit it soon.

The tour was self directed, but you also had the ability to have a guided tour. I chose to walk with my daughter and explain what we were viewing as a moment to bond and build a relationship with my daughter. The museum was quite interesting. When my daughter and I happened upon a burnt out bus, she inquired why would an old bus be in a museum. I began to tell her why the bus was burned in the first place. She gave me a look of confusion that only a young girl could who did not have the context of that time in our nation.

We happened by a replica of a jail cell. We went in the jail cell and sat on the iron beds. She asked why are we sitting in here? I explained that many, many times in Dr. King's life and in the lives of others the jail cell was a meeting place as much as it was a place for "the bad guys". I began to explain that Dr. King and many people, men and women, were arrested for trying to make a difference in the lives of people who were not being treated fairly and that often times large groups of people were put in prison for the smallest of reasons. She gave me the same look she gave me while looking at the burnt bus. I stated to her that one of Dr. King's most famous letters was written from a jail cell. I also told her that a jail cell, when occupied for justice, is more a place of triumph than it is a place of shame and degredation (Dr. King taught me that lesson).

The tour ends with a view of the rooms Dr. King and his people were staying in before he was assasinated. The rooms are said to be left in the condition they were in at the time of the killing. Mahalia Jackson (at least at the time of my visit) was singing in the background. At this time, I was not talking to my daughter, I was working very hard to hold back the tears. I was always emotional over this event, but seeing the room-the plates, coffee cups, bed turned back-and looking out at the spot on the balcony AND hearing Mahalia sing was a bit too much. I was glad my daughter did not ask me a question at that time, nothing would have come out.

I encourage all of us to pick up a speech and read it, pick up a book of Dr. King's life and read it, or find someone who kinda knows about the man and the movement and speak to them about it. I encourage all of us to re-engage in the study of what it meant to speak out when death could have been the result of our words and actions.

On the eve of Dr. King's observance, let us endeavor to re-educate ourselves and educate others of the cost of freedom....

Until the next time,

Cyrus Marcellus Ellis

A Time of Reflection

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

You Think Barack Obama's Emergence is unrelated to the Noose incidents?

by Syreeta McNeil - CPA, JD

On or about May 2, 2007, it was reported by news outlets that Senator Barack Obama announced he would seek the 2008 Democratic nomination for President of the United States. It is amazing that reporters stated that Obama’s announcement invoked the memory of President Abraham Lincoln as he made his announcement in Springfield, Illinois. It is kind of ironic the comparison of Senator Obama to President Lincoln. President Lincoln’s election compelled the Confederacy to break from the Union in 1861 and eventually led to the assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865 (just five (5) days after the end of the American Civil War), but I will get into that a little bit later.

Now since Senator Obama’s announcement, we have had a string of incidents that invoke a very dark period in America’s history. The following list of incidents is not complete but illustrative of this essay’s purpose:

A 6-inch string tied as a noose was found in an African-American cadet's sea bag in July 2007
A white female civil rights instructor found a small noose in her office at the academy in New London, Connecticut in August 2007
Nooses hung under a perceived “white only” tree at Jena, LA High School on or about September 1, 2007
A noose was discovered at the University of Maryland in a tree near a building that houses several black campus groups in September 2007
A noose appeared in the locker room of the Hempstead, N.Y., police department, which recently touted its efforts to recruit minorities on or about September 29, 2007
A noose was seen hanging on a utility pole at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama on or about October 2, 2007
A noose hangs outside a Columbia University professor's office on in New York on or about October 9, 2007
Nooses hung before a tolerance rally at Cal State Fullerton on or about November 7, 2007
Ms. Kelly Tighman’s, who is a native of Myrtle Beach, SC, comments that we should “lynch him (Tiger Wood’s) in a back alley” on the Golf Channel broadcast on Friday, January 4, 2008

Some Americans and international viewers think the mention of “lynching” or placement of “hangman nooses” are jokes and no big deal. Even supporters of Obama state that his platform is not about race and it should not be an issue. However, below is a little history that might shed light on the recent talk of lynching and emergence of hangman nooses. I believe it is not a coincidence, but is a historical message that has reared its ugly head again.

Excerpt from MSN Encarta Encyclopedia on “lynching” states the following:
Lynching, hanging or other types of executions, in punishment of a presumed criminal offense, carried out by self-appointed commissions or mobs, without due process of law. The term lynching is generally believed to be derived from the name of a Virginia justice of the peace, Charles Lynch, who ordered extralegal punishment for Tory acts during the American Revolution (1775-1783). Frontier settlements in the United States often lacked established law enforcement agencies and, instead, exercised summary justice through vigilantes. Western pioneers punished murder, rape, horse thievery, and other capital crimes by resorting to lynching.
Even before the American Civil War (1861-1865), many lynchings took place in Southern states. The violence was usually directed at members of the abolitionist movement or others who worked to end the system of slavery. After the war lynching became a method of terrorism against black people in the South. During the period of Reconstruction, the Ku Klux Klan used lynching to intimidate freed blacks who were voting and assuming political power in many parts of the South.

As illustrated by the historical text on lynching, the use of lynching and hangman nooses signifies opposition to black progress in voting and assuming political power. Hence, I believe opponents of black political progress are trying to intimidate those who support Obama becoming the first black president of the U.S. Some people ask why I would make that assertion. Well, if you do not know, history can and often does repeat itself. That is what is happening with the recent occurrences of these symbols of racial hatred.

Another illustration to support my assertion is that two prominent presidents, President Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States from 1861 to 1865) and President John F. Kennedy (35th President of the United States from 1961 to 1963) suffered horrible deaths at the hands of agents or locations associated with the Confederate South. Both presidents, just happened to be white, sought to implement change of political status for African-Americans in key points of each of their respective terms.

President Lincoln initiated the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 to free slaves confined in the Confederate South. The Confederate South rejected this legislation for two years until the end of the American Civil War in 1865. Also, the Confederate South, signaled their displeasure of this promising legislation to blacks by having their agent, John Wilkes Booth, assassinate President Lincoln on April 14, 1865 (five (5) days after the end of the American Civil War).

Similar to President Lincoln, President Kennedy made a speech on the evening of June 11, 1963 after sending Alabama National Guardsmen to help two African-American students attend classes at the University of Alabama even-though Alabama Governor George Wallace threatened to prevent it. In President Kennedy’s speech, he informed the American public that he would request Congress to pass laws to give blacks equal access to jobs, public accommodations, voting, and education under federal law. What later became known as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Voting Rights Act of 1965 did not pass under President Kennedy’s presidency. Unfortunately, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, TX on November 22, 1963, roughly four (4) months later after this speech to work to bring legislation to better blacks’ lives in America.

Now, we have Obama, a black man, who many perceive has a legitimate shot to attain the highest office of the executive branch in America in the upcoming 2008 presidential election. Is this truly a coincidence of the recent occurrence of talks of lynching and emergence of hangman nooses? Or are the supporters of the Confederate South trying to send supporters of Obama a message as they had done to President Lincoln and President Kennedy? Black America, are you really ready to see what consequences can emerge with the growing possibility of Obama reaching the pinnacle of the oval office in America in 2008?

If you are, my advice to you is TO BRACE YOURSELF, because supporters of the Confederate South and its methodology are going to make it very difficult or even impossible for that dream of an Obama Presidency in 2008 to be a SUSTAINABLE reality.

You Think Barack Obama's Emergence is unrelated to the Noose incidents?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Only Struggle Breeds Success, Nothing Less

Dr. Alduan Tartt - YourBlackWorld.com

WOW, there certainly is a market for selling hope and prosperity? Have you seen how many motivational products are on the market these days: “The Science of Self-Discipline, The 4 hour Work Week, Lead the Field, etc.? Isn’t it great that we only have to wait “45 Days to Get Rich” and that we can, “Have the Life of Our Dreams in 90 Days”? In fact, did you know that it is possible to “Achieve a Whole New You in 7 Days”? It certainly appears that society is getting a whole lot smarter because we have miraculously figured out how to obtain riches, live the life of our dreams, and transform our lives in record time. Imagine, our parents, mentors, and ancestors had to struggle and endure for decades to get the same results. One has to think, if they knew what we knew they could have retired earlier and endured far less suffering.

If you’re like me, you have gotten caught up in the hype too. In 2007, I purchased motivational CD’s, tapes, DVD’s, workbooks, and even attended workshops and boot camps to improve my life, get rich, and find my true calling in record numbers. I sincerely cherish my expansive library of motivational products because they have significantly influenced and added value to my life in unimaginable ways. Being a motivational speaker myself, I even got caught up in creating products that would transform people’s lives in record time too. However, there was one thing that kept getting in my way: THEY DIDN’T WORK IN 7 DAYS.

I didn’t “Earn a Million Dollars as a Speaker in One Year”. I didn’t even earn a hundred thousand dollars! It’s taken me years to “transform my life” and I’m sure I’m still transforming. As for my dream life, I had some revelations about that too. I realized through daily prayer and relationship with God that I already was living my dream life and didn’t know it. In fact, when I began to reflect I became upset because I remember vividly that I struggled, lost direction, and got distracted from my true calling chasing “A Million Dollar Lifestyle in a Week”. I began to think that my cherished arsenal of motivational products was a fraud but then something told me to listen again.

When I went back and listened I realized that, almost to an author, I had missed one very integral, salient, and redundant point: Struggle is necessary for success and we only have limited control over when it comes. How did I miss that and why wasn’t struggle emphasized more in the titles? Was I duped, sold false hope, or outright lied to? I mean a 4-hour work week clearly implied that I can have more with less time. How was it possible that I had less money than what I had before I purchased these products when I was adding 5-10 hours per week just to listen to the tapes and CD’s? I mean, I was really mad but then I came to peace with myself.

To be real, I wasn’t duped. The authors told me the truth and I bought the PR and marketing hook, line, and sinker for one reason: I wanted a short cut. I certainly didn’t mind skipping struggle, losing money, or working for the rest of my life. I realized that I had gotten caught up in the hype. We’re living in a microwave society that wants and expects everything NOW! We watch reality TV shows, MTV, and VH1 and see everyday people transform into stars, in what appears, overnight and we want the same thing. I mean, it’s OK for children to think that Peter Pan can fly, Santa Clause can fit down chimneys, and WCW wrestlers really fight each other but what about adults? We’re grown and we know better, don’t we?

Television, radio, and those damned infomercials (my weakness) are so powerful. Even as adults, we forget that television is contrived, scripted, and fantastical which means that the extraordinary is the norm in Hollywood. What we forget is what is edited out, fast forwarded, or outright skipped. However, I’ll admit that I did turn the channel when the spokesmen kept it real about struggle, patience, and self-discipline. I didn’t want to hear that. Instead I bought what I wanted them to sell me: Instant Results! As a society, we now expect instant gratification, boundless energy, success, wealth, and prosperity without having to work for it. We desire the results now and could do without having to struggle, persist, or depend on God for it.

In retrospect, I’m glad that things didn’t work out for me in record time. Had I been so lucky, I most certainly would have traveled the world encouraging others to do the same while I openly and naively challenged their belief system if things didn’t work out for them in 7 days. Now that I struggle, I can better identify and appreciate the exhausting journey of obstacles, trials, and tribulations that we all must endure in order to be successful. Rome was not built overnight and neither were Les Brown, Oprah Winfrey, or Jay-Z for that matter. Certainly none of my heroes, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, or Nelson Mandela learned how to be leaders from listening to motivation tapes and CD’s. Instead they all followed their dream, worked hard, struggled, endured, and prospered…and in that order!

Who are we to take short cuts? The moral here is that no matter how much we get mesmerized by instant success productions in a microwave society; there remains one tried and true formula for success: Belief, patience, persistence, and hard work- Notice that no specified time was included. God knows what we need, what we can handle, and has the ultimate time table for our success.

Remember that struggle is part of the process, builds endurance, faith, stamina, and ALWAYS precedes success. So, don’t give up on your dreams because you did not achieve your dreams in 7 days. Remember that the harvest takes time and fruit can be long-bearing. Keep stringing together 7 days of hard work, persistence, and faith in God and watch what happens over six months, one year, and two years! Besides, success stories without conflict don’t sell very well and ultimately rob you of your testimony to encourage others. Embrace and enjoy the journey.

Dr. Tartt is a licensed psychologist, power life coach, and motivational speaker in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He is available to speak on a variety of topics and enjoys coaching and supporting believers on their walk with faith towards a better tomorrow. He can be contacted at www.drtartt.com or 1-877-377-4002.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

a new first

During every Black History Month celebration of my childhood, we were always provided lists of "black firsts"; the first African-American Supreme Court Justice -Thurgood Marshall, the first African American woman to venture into space-Mae Jameson, and the first African American to win a Nobel Peace Prize- Dr. Ralph Bunche. This list goes on and on, and hopefully on Super Tuesday we will be talking about another black first - the first African American Democratic Presidential candidate.
However, another Senator is trying to make history as well; Hillary Clinton is vying to be America's first woman president. While Jamaica, Pakistan, Liberia and Chile have all embraced female leadership, we have lagged behind. The United States remains as mysgonistic as it is racist, and both have an uphill battle ahead of them. But it cannot be denied that our country is in store for some seismic changes, as people co-sign on the prospect of having either an African American or a woman as Presidents.But as all politics are personal and these two candidates are being pitted against each other as both of their camps court the woman and the black vote respectively. Women ralled around Sen. Clinton in her surprising win over Sen. Obama in the New Hampshire primary, although the polls showed Obama leading with a 10-12 percentage point lead ( we won't go into how polls don't effectively account for racial prejudice just yet). And in the upcoming South Carolina primary, where African Americans make up 50% of the Democratic base, the Obamia enthusiasts are out in full force, billing their boy as the embodiment of "the Dream" of our ancestors and MLK.This proud moment in our nation's history, in which we have the opportunity to look at ourselves differently, has been marred by a little bit of "who has it worse" type mudslinging.
Read Gloria Steinem's New York Times op ed peice in which she argues that, "Gender is probably the most restricting force in American life..." Ms. Steinem has seemingly forgotten the restivive forces of race and socio-economic status. She has also forgotten how race and gender intersect, leaving black women to contend with the crushing realities of instituionalized racism and sexism. Perhaps Alice Walker should pay Steinem a visit and remind her of the tenents of womanism. Even if Sister Walker does hammer home the need for feminist theory to be more inclusive of women of color, to honor our contributions and to recognize our struggles, interests of the feminist and civil rights movements have not always converged and in many ways have shut black women out.
So what is the woman of color to do? The same thing as every other concerned citizen. Educate herself on the issues and come to an educated decision on who she will be voting for come Primary Day.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Is Hillary Clinton Giving Lyndon Johnson More Credit than Martin Luther King?

Hillary Clinton has drawn a tremendous amount of criticism for remarks she recently made about the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. During an interview on Fox News, a network that has been frozen out by Senator Barack Obama, Clinton was accused of giving President Lyndon B. Johnson more credit for advancing Civil Rights than Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I would point to the fact that Dr. King's dream began to be realized when President Lyndon Johnson passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, when he was able to get through Congress something that President Kennedy was hopeful to do, the president before had not even tried, but it took a president to get it done,” she said, in response to a question about how her dismissive attitude toward Obama’s “false hopes” would have applied to the civil rights movement. “That dream became a reality, the power of that dream became real in peoples lives because we had a president who said we are going to do it, and actually got it accomplished.”

Clinton's statements were a double-whammy to comments made by her husband, Bill Clinton. Mr. Clinton referred to the Obama campaign as "The biggest fairytale I've ever seen."

Many have considered the comments by the Clintons to be degrading and reflective of the fact that the Clintons feel that black people cannot have their dreams realized without the permission of white leaders.

Rep. Jim Clyburn, the most powerful black congressional leader in America, issued a statment expressing his disappointment with Sen. Clinton's words. Also, Donna Brazile, a prominent Democratic strategist, also expressed disappointment.

"For him to go after Obama using 'fairy tale', calling him a kid, is an insult," she said. "As an African-American, I find his words and his tone very depressing."

The Clintons have been working overtime to engage in damage control, doing radio interviews, including one with Rev. Al Sharpton. But the damage appears to be done, as many have begun to question the Clinton commitment to African-Amercans.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Stedman Left out of Oprah's Will

The National Enquire, MSNBC and other media outlets are reporting that mega mogul Oprah Winfrey is not leaving any of her $2 billion dollar fortune to long-time boyfriend Stedman Graham. Instead, Winfrey has left the funds to the three adopted children, whom she has yet to adopt. She also mentions several charities that are set to recieve donations upon her passing.

Winfrey mentions that she wants to adopt the children and raise them on her own, and doesn't mention Stedman helping her to do that. Some question Winfrey's age and whether or not a woman in her 50s should adopt 3 young children and try to raise them alone.

Stedman has amassed a small fortune of his own from writing and speaking. Oprah leaving Stedman out of her will has fueled speculation that their long relationship may be in jeopardy.

Hillary Clinton and the Crocodile Tears

What's with all the crying Hillary? I am not sure when the last time was that I saw Hillary Clinton crying over anything, especially not losing a primary in a meaningless state where less than 5% of the voters even show up.

Yes, crying was a political tactic and yes it worked. But this is a serious setback for women trying to get into the Whitehouse.

If we get attacked by another country, is she going to cry then? Maybe if our enemies see our President in tears, they won't bomb us to death.

What if Obama had cried, what would we think of him? We would probably send him a box of kleenex and tampons and tell him to go back to Chicago.

Hillary, this stuff has got to stop. You have to win the election fairly like everyone else. By playing the gender card in such a sad and desperate fashion, you set women back 100 years. You should have been crying when your husband was screwing around, then maybe we would believe you.

Monday, January 7, 2008

first family?

Far be it for me to endorse any candidate, given that I lack any political experience or expertise. But if Chuck Norris can go out on a limb for Huckabee, and if Magic Johnson is stumping for Hillary, then I think I have just as much right to get on the Obama bandwagon and ask you along.

Its a new day in America, and Sen. Obama's recent win in Iowa and strong showing in the polls leading up to the New Hampshire primary have many dreaming of the day when we have a black family in the White House, as the face of the United States.

However, no amount of commentary by pundits and foes alike can convince anyone of backing any candidate. It is up to us, the uphold the legacy of our ancestors who fought to give us the right to the franchise. So educate yourselves read up on the candidates and decide who you believe will be the best leader to see us into the next four years and beyond.

In the meantime, dare to believe in the Obama momentum. I know that somewhere Fredrick Douglass and Shirley Chisholm, the first black presidential candidates are happy.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Obama Leads Clinton In New Hampshire

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton has lost even more ground to Barack Obama, as the win in Iowa has pushed him further into the lead. Obama has, according to the latest USAToday/Gallup Poll, surged to a 13 point lead ahead of Clinton in New Hampshire, the next state in which they are scheduled to go head-to-head.

"New Hampshire always has this insurgency bias," says Joe Keefe, a former state Democratic chairman who supports Obama. "The voters decide they're going to upset the conventional wisdom and, given the opportunity, they will change the page of history."

Hillary Clinton aides say they have what it takes to keep moving forward, no matter what happens in New Hampshire. "President Clinton lost the first five states" in 1992, notes Mark Penn, Hillary Clinton's chief strategist, "and he not only won the nomination but the presidency."

In December, Democrats in New Hampshire said with a 47% - 26% differential that Hillary had the best chance of winning in November. Now, that difference has shrunk to 45% - 34%.

"After Iowa, electability comes down to this: Winners win and losers lose, and that's about it," says Dante Scala, a political scientist at the University of New Hampshire.

Obama and Clinton both have the same support among Democrats, but Obama leads 2- 1 among independents. Female voters in the state are split, but Obama leads with males 2 - 1. Surprisingly, Obama lead handily among females in the Iowa primary.

Saturday, January 5, 2008

100 Black Men of America Partners with Hispanic Groups to Hold Democratic Debate

100 Black Men of America, Inc. and The Nevada Democratic Party, along with the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, IMPACTO and the College of Southern Nevada have partnered to hold a Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas.This marks the second debate held in Las Vegas. Nevada holds the distinction of being the second state in our nation to hold a presidential caucus, and Nevada will be the first state in the west to host early presidential voting.

The January 15, 2008 debate will be telecast live by MSNBC and comes just four days before Nevada's January caucus - January 19th, which is positioned between the Iowa caucus and the New Hampshire primary."There are many issues our organization want the candidates to address in the upcoming debate. We are extremely interested to hear perspectives on critical issues impacting the lives of African Americans and Hispanics, which coincide with the areas of focus that impact the 100 Black Men and our 106 chapters," said Albert E. Dotson, Jr. Esq., Chairman, 100 Black Men of America, Inc."Basic quality of life issues must be discussed such as providing quality education to all students; providing support for programs that reduce the gap in health disparities between Black Americans and other groups; creating economic empowerment programs to help the underemployed and the unemployed care for their families and achieve financial independence; and supporting mentoring programs that allow Black children, specifically Black boys, to experience nurturing relationships that activates them to model appropriate social, professional and self-esteem enhancing behaviors.

"The 100 Black Men understand the significant role this debate will have on upcoming contests and felt it critical their organization participate and give a voice to so many who remain voiceless."Creating self-sustaining communities through economic empowerment initiatives, access to quality education, as well as eliminating the health care disparities that negatively impact black and brown people are just a few of the common issues facing African Americans and Hispanics," stated John Hammond, CEO, 100 Black Men of America, Inc. "These issues are nonpartisan and we would also welcome an opportunity to discuss the exact same issues with the Republican candidates."

Chapter presidents from across the nation have been invited to offer questions and attend the debate. Members from the Collegiate 100, the organizations mentoring program for college students, will also be in attendance. The organization is also planning to use the MSNBC live telecast as part of their January mentoring session to educate younger Mentees and to also engage their families on the issues and on becoming actively involved in the political process.

"The 100 continues to believe that men with a pure idea of educating and empowering youth can change a world," said Dotson, "Our reach is far and ever-growing, yet lasting and sustaining. Our services are universal and global, yet locally relevant and specific. With a passion for helping young people and a drive for education, our commitment remains clear and our response unwavering."

The debate will take place at the Cashman Center, located at 850 North Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89101 and will be telecast live from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. The 100 Black Men urges all concerned citizens not attending the debate in person to tune in on January 15, 2008 to view the live broadcast. Visit http://www.100blackmen.org/ for more information on the programs and initiatives of 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

"The deadline to submit ticket requests for The Nevada Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate is noon on Wednesday, January 9th. The Nevada Democratic Party will hold a lottery for a limited number of tickets the afternoon of Wednesday, January 9th and notify recipients on Thursday, January 10th. Ticket requests must be submitted in writing through www.januarydebate.com/tickets. "Nevadans also can submit suggested questions for the debate at http://www.januarydebate.com/.

Friday, January 4, 2008

DNA Test Frees Dallas Man~by Donisha Adams

Charles Chatman left a Dallas courtroom Thursday, with his arms raised in victory. The 42-year-old man was released after spending 26 years in prison for rape that DNA tests proved he did not commit.

“I’m bitter. I’m angry,” Chatman said. He continued: “But I’m not angry or bitter to the point where I want to hurt anyone or get revenge.”

Chatman said that his race proved to be a factor in his conviction, noting that there was one black member of the jury.

In 1981, Chatman was arrested for aggravated sexual assault after a woman pointed him out in a lineup as the man who raped her. He was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Although Chatman lived five houses from the victim, he said that he did not know her.

“I was convicted because a black man committed a crime against a white woman,” Chatman said. He continued: “And I was available.”

This case made Chatman the 15th Dallas County inmate since 2001 to be exonerated by DNA testing.

Sexism in Civil Rights

Many Black "leaders" decry the lack of massive support when calls go out for community action. They wonder why outrage is not spontaneous and ubiquitous. Black leaders actually vocalize their wonder when the masses go about their business as if nothing is going on.

What most Black leaders miss are these facts: the leaders are Black men, the issues revolve around Black males, those expected to engage in community action are Black women, and issues related to the well-being of Black women and children are ignored.
Under normal circumstances, male leadership stands for the well-being of the entire community- men, women and children. In the Black community, male leadership are generally concerned only with themselves, and other males. The well-being of women and children, in the community and the home, do not seem to be of paramount concern. The low rates of stable marriages among Blacks, and the doubling of Black children in single-parent families (from 35% in the 1960's to 70% at the beginning of the 21st century) are two examples of the absence of "operational unity" in the Black community.

During the Civil Rights Movement, with Black men in leadership roles, Black women and children were the backbone. Rosa Parks' courageous defiance was the spark of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black children were at the center of integrating Little Rock High School. Black male leadership strategically used Black children as fodder for water cannons, dogs and filling jail cells during Civil Rights marches. What did Black women and children get for their efforts? Dismissed.

Years of sustained action culminated with the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom which led to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the National Voting Rights Act in 1965. The March on Washington was organized by A. Phillip Randolph (international president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), Whitney Young (president of the National Urban League), Roy Wilkins (president of the NAACP), James Farmer (president of the Congress of Racial Equality), John Lewis (president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and Bayard Rustin (organizer of the first Freedom Rides).

Black women played the central role in a wide variety of Civil Rights organizations and actions, including Daisy Bates (president of Little Rock NAACP who recruited the Little Rock 9), Pauli Murray (lawyer and feminist who had staged the first sit-in at a Washington restaurant during World War II), Dorothy Height (president of the National Council of Negro Women), Diane Nash (student leader and organizer of the Freedom Riders in the South), Jo Ann Robinson (college teacher who worked with a group of middle-class Black women to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott), Ella Baker (acting director of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference, advisor for Black college students who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and Rosa Parks (long time activist and catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott). Despite the sacrifices of these and other Black women, the organizers of the March on Washington refused to let even one Black woman speak.

Black women thought the Civil Rights Movement included our well-being, in spite of Black men marching with large placards tied to their torsos declaring in huge black lettering, "I AM A MAN." Black women thought we were included when we got arrested at protest marches side by side with Black men. It was our children who were strategically used as human targets for water hoses. But when Stokely Carmichael (who appropriated the term "Black Power_" from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.) was asked the role of the Black woman in the movement, he slipped up and honestly (from his point of view) retorted, "On her back."

Popular culture was sometimes not much better. A classic Parliament Funkadelic line: "Stupid Jill forgot her pill, and now they have a son," as if Jack, who had no concern for the well-being of Jill or his son, was not responsible for the situation he created. Blaxploitation movies glorified "pimpin" and being a "playa" at the expense of Black women, nurtured children and stable families. Gangsta rap is no better when it tells the world Black women ain't nothin' but hos, not wives.
Last season's Survivor: Cook Island graphically illustrated how casually Black female opinion is dismissed. The 16 participants were divided into 4 teams- Black, white, Asian and Latino. The Black team members, Sekou, Nathan, Sephanie and Sundra were asked to make a decision. Without thinking, Sekou grabbed Nathan's shoulder, stepped forward and conferred for a decision. Left out of the team process, Stephanie and Sundra looked at Sekou like he was stupid. Later, it was no surprise that Sekou was voted out. Sekou's analysis of the vote was that the team made a mistake by voting him, their leader, out. It never occurred to Sekou that a true leader takes into account the gifts and opinions all team members bring, including Black women.

In spite of this and other increasingly public and private indignities, our love for Black men has kept hope alive.

For decades, Black women have been the backbone of community action. Interestingly, when many of these same women (who are members of any number of community groups) ask for development of community action around issues related to the well-being of Black women and children, they are told they are being "divisive". Many Black women, not wanting to be "divisive", have dropped their inquiries and calls for action. This has been going on for years.

Who are really the "divisive" ones? When Black male leadership chooses "Black issues", why are they (with few exceptions) limited to support for Black male challenges with the criminal justice system? Could it be that addressing the well-being of Black women and children would require Black men to look at and amend their selfish male privilege instead of myopically focusing on white racism? The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is not racism or police brutality. The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is the behavior and attitudes of Black men. Consider, for example, the large numbers of Black children on welfare and the family and community instability attendant with Black women begging for food stamps to feed Black men's children as if it is a glamorous lifestyle. Why has no Black male leader called for a rally at the welfare center demanding that Black men get their children off welfare? Why has no Black male leader held a march in support of children who feel threatened when they are sexually harassed while walking to school?

There are a few glimmers of hope. Tamika Mallory has led the National Action Network's Decency Initiative in challenging denigrating lyrics in Hip-Hop. Girls For Gender Equity, under the leadership of JoAnn Smith, gives young teens tools to deal with street sexual harassment. Kevin Powell has been hosting monthly men's meetings after his successful Black and Male in America conference. Byron Hurt produced Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a documentary look at misogyny in popular Black music. Taharka Robinson recently organized a march against domestic violence.

In the meantime, Black women need to speak up, even at the risk of being called "divisive" by "divisive" male leadership. The survival of the Black community is at stake.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Congo Troubles Come from Fight for Resources

by
Maurice Carney, Executive Director, FOTC
Carrie Crawford, Chair, FOTC
info@friendsofthecongo.org

Over the past few months a lot of ink has flowed in mainstream publications about the situation in the Congo. In almost all of the articles, the underlying reason for the crisis in the Congo - the scramble for Congo's spectacular natural wealth- has been consistently omitted or underplayed. The front-page article in Thursday, December 13, 2007 New York Times entitled "After Clashes, Fear of War on Congo's Edge" by Lydia Polgreen is no exception. Not only were there key omissions, but also, a glaring factual error said volumes about the manner in which mainstream media covers Congo.

The error claimed that the 2006 Congolese elections "produced Congo's first democratically chosen government." Why is this inaccuracy so egregious even though to the casual reader it may seem like a minor oversight? Well, it obfuscates a narrative that is central in explaining why the crisis exists in the Congo and continues to date. Contrary to the New York Times front-page report, Congo's first democratic elections occurred in 1960 and led to the formation of the first post-independence government with Patrice Emery Lumumba as its prime minister. Within months of Lumumba's ascendancy to power, the West, mainly Belgium and the United States, induced their Congolese puppets to assassinate Patrice Lumumba who believed that the vast mineral wealth of the Congo should be used to benefit the Congolese people.1 Belgium apologized in 2002 for the assassination of Congo's first elected leader. However, it was not sufficient to assassinate Lumumba, the West then installed and sustained one of the main culprits in Lumumba's assassination, the brutal dictator Joseph Desire Mobutu, whom the West maintained in power for over 30 years. Whenever the Congolese people rose up to overthrow him, the West led by the United States rushed in to crush the aspirations of the people.

The current crisis is the latest eruption of the West's 120-year history of controlling Congo's enormous natural wealth at the expense of the Congolese people. Although there is a UN force in the Congo and the West spent $500 million to organize elections, they systematically sidelined the democratic forces in the country while providing Joseph Kabila with unconditional support.2 The pro-democracy forces called for national reconciliation and inclusion following the 1996 – 2002 war. They argued for a process that would lead to stability and justice for the people. However, it became quickly evident that the primary goal of the West who had never supported democracy in the Congo was to put in place a "reliable" person and a legal apparatus that would ratify the looting of the Congo by multi-national corporations. A 2007 ICG report states, "the U.S., Canada, South Africa and Belgium took the lead in seeking to control strategic reserves of copper, cobalt and other minerals and restrict China's access." 3The same report goes on to say that the focus on economic interests by Western diplomatic corps who supposedly was in the Congo to shepherd a democratic process was revealed with " the U.S. ambassador's public celebration of Phelps-Dodge's acquisition of the Tenke-Fungurume concessions in Katanga in August 2005 and the grandiose June 2006 ceremony in Kolwezi marking the reopening of the Kamoto mine, attended by Belgian, EU, Canadian, French, Angolan and even UN representatives."4

The $500 million investment in assuring Kabila's ascendancy to power was the beginning of the pay off for the West's investment. It is for this reason that many Congolese surmised that Kabila was summoned to Washington in October 2007 because he may have strayed from the game plan when he signed a $5 billion deal with China. Even as Kabila ventured to Washington, he first had to stop in Phoenix, Arizona to visit Tim Snider (recently replaced by Richard Adkerson,) CEO of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, formerly Phelps-Dodge, inheritors of what Global Witness called the world's richest copper mine, Tenke Fungurume. Global Witness also goes on to note that the deal is so odious that it resulted in Congo owning only 17.5% of its own resources and being in such position that it may even not get any profits from the deal.5 Nonetheless, the United States government agency, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has provided risk insurance for a $1 billion investment project by Freeport-McMoRan.

If there were any questions as to where the United States government stood on the review of mining contracts undertaken by the Congolese government, the risk insurance provided to Freeport-McMoRan should put all speculation to rest. In part due to pressure from civil society and international human rights groups, the Congolese government began reluctantly, in early 2007, a review of the mining contracts. The review process is finished but the Congolese government has yet to publish the results. The world has already got a glimpse of the significance of decisions made by Congo's leaders regarding mining deals in their country. In early November, a Congolese newspaper published what it claims to be the findings of the report, which called for renegotiation of the majority of the contracts and an outright cancellation of others. The result was the decline, on Exchanges from London to Toronto, of the stock prices of mining companies with interests in the Congo. Billions of dollars have been raised on the world Stock Exchanges to invest in mining operations in the Congo.

As a result of the high stakes in Congo's resources, the Congolese people are fighting against enormous odds. The die is literally being set now for a continued impoverishment of Congolese for several generations. The odious contracts will be in place for 30 to 40 years and will be backed by international law. The World Bank established the Mining and Forestry guidelines in the Congo as early as 2002. These guidelines were fixed on a neo-liberal model, which calls for the selling off of the country's wealth to private interests. Both codes facilitated and legalized the fleecing of the Congo. The World Bank has come under withering critique from groups like Greenpeace for allowing the Congo rainforest (known as the second lung of the earth) to be sold off to logging companies. Greenpeace International, Africa Forest Campaign Co-ordinator, Stephan van Praet said "These contracts are a shameful relic of colonial times. Millions of hectares of the Congo rainforest have been traded away by local communities to the logging industry for gifts like salt, machetes and crates of beer while logging companies and their taxes do next to nothing for local development."6

The Congolese landscape is replete with spectacular modern day heist backed by international institutions such as the World Bank and western governments, mainly the United States, England and Belgium, all at the expense of the tens of thousands of raped and brutalized Congolese women and millions of corpses.

As humanitarian groups seek resources to care for the sexually violated and brutalized women and children of the Congo, they should start with those companies that are lined up to purloin billions from Congo's wealth while 80 percent of Congolese live on less than 30 cents per day. Coexisting with the orgy of rapes and killing is what one corporate magnate calls a party. Gerhard Kemp of the Rand Merchant Bank, of Johannesburg, SA is quoted saying "The Congo is so rich in mineral wealth, you can't just ignore it. You don't want to be the last guy at this party."7

We may look at what is taking place in the Congo and cringe or cover our eyes but the unsightly picture that is often left out or obfuscated, especially by the mainstream media, is the significant role of the corporations that provide us with our cell phones, game consoles, lap tops and other modern technological devices which benefit from Congo's woes.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, and Glamour Magazine, all have published reports of atrocities in the Congo in recent months but none get to the crux of the issue and almost all obfuscate the problem instead of adding clarity that may lead to prescriptions that will benefit the people of the Congo and result in a lasting resolution of the crisis. The central issue is only touched upon tangentially or in passing.

We cannot genuinely weep for the Congo or lament the rapes and killings, yet remain silent about those profiting from the atrocities. Corporate pilfering influences everything that happens in dramatic ways in the Congo. The conflict resulting in brutal rapes and ghastly killings are inextricably linked to the looting of the Congo. Noble laureate Wangari Maathai is instructive in this case when she says, "These wars when you look at them, they are all about resources and who is going to control them."8

In the end, not only will the Congolese people have to endure enormous suffering from the wounds of war and instability but when things finally settle down, they will come to realize that not only their women have been brutally violated due to a climate of impunity but the entire country would have been raped of its wealth.

By only telling the part of the tragedy and savagery in the Congo that is consistent with our preconceived notion of the "savage," "depraved" African, the leading media institutions of the west are complicit in one of the most well documented resource heist of the 20th century and which persists at the dawn of the 21st century. We can hear the echoes of Joseph Conrad's "the horror, the horror."

A lot of the blame for the persistent climate of conflict is often laid on the Hutu militia who fled Rwanda in 1994 pursuant to the genocide in that country. In fact this is just a part of the story, which does not give a complete picture. It is instructive to note that, for all intents and purposes, Rwanda controlled the east of the Congo from 1996 – 2002, a period in which they claimed to be in hot pursuit of the Hutu genocidaires known as the Interhamwe. However during that period, Rwanda's most noted military clash was with Uganda inside the Congo. The source of the clash was over who would control vast diamond concessions in Kinsangi hundreds of miles away from where the dreaded Hutu genocidaires were situated. Hence, although the Hutu presence in the Congo is an issue, it falls far short of explaining the source of the violence and crimes in the Congo.

Rebel leader Laurent Nkunda and his rebel forces, currently the source of the bulk of the unrest and suffering in the East of the country and who for all intents and purposes is a proxy of Rwanda, are using the Hutu argument as a justification for the havoc they are wreaking on the Congolese people. This argument was not sustainable when made by Rwanda itself and is even less convincing when made now by its proxy Nkunda. Instead of pledging military advisers to Kabila, the United States has a golden opportunity to play a constructive role, mainly by placing pressure on Rwanda to stop its support of Nkunda and disabuse itself of any notion of invading Congo for a third time. The whole idea of Rwanda "pledging restraint" is preposterous. The path to peace in the East of the Congo starts in Kigali.

Key Sources of the Conflict:
1. Clients of the West such as Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda who serve as lifelines for rebel groups in the Congo
2. Congolese elites who serve as sycophants for western interests while using militia to terrorize the Congolese people
3. Western Governments
4. Multilateral institutions such as the World Bank who set the legal framework for the looting of the Congo's wealth
5. Multi-national corporations who are to quick to super-exploit the Congo all in the name of business and at the expense of the people

Constructive International Engagement:
1. Pressure Rwanda to stop supporting its rebel proxies in the Congo
2. Encourage Rwanda to create democratic space for the Hutu to return
3. Promote reconciliation and justice in the Congo
4. Call for and support the genuine inclusion of the democratic forces in the Congo
5. Support a democratic process and not just power elites who are too quick to mortgage the country's wealth and the future of the sons and daughters of the Congo to mining and forestry multi-nationals

Should the global community play a constructive role in the Congo, the Congolese people will take care of the rest and produce leaders who represent their interests by bringing reconciliation, justice and prosperity to this vital country in the heart of Africa.

Notes:
1. Ludo De Witte's The Assassination of Lumumba
2. International Crisis Group, Congo Consolidating the Peace, Africa Report No. 128, July 5, 2007
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Global Witness, "Digging in Corruption: Fraud, Abuse and Exploitation in Katanga's Copper and Cobalt Mines," July 2006, p. 36-37
6. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/
releases/congo-report
7. Global Witness, "Digging in Corruption: Fraud, Abuse and Exploitation in Katanga's Copper and Cobalt Mines," July 2006, p. 34
8. Interview, Democracy Now with Amy Goodman http://www.democracynow.org/2007/10/1/
unbowed_nobel_peace_laureate_wangari_maathai

--
Become a Friend of the Congo
Ph: 1-888-584-6510
http://friendsofthecongo.org/action/index.php

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

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Thursday, January 24, 2008

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Monday, January 21, 2008

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Sunday, January 20, 2008

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

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You Think Barack Obama's Emergence is unrelated to the Noose incidents?

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

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Sunday, January 13, 2008

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

Is Hillary Clinton Giving Lyndon Johnson More Credit than Martin Luther King?

Thursday, January 10, 2008

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Monday, January 7, 2008

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Sunday, January 6, 2008

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Saturday, January 5, 2008

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Friday, January 4, 2008

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Thursday, January 3, 2008

Congo Troubles Come from Fight for Resources

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