Wednesday, June 27, 2012

General Baker Presented With Political Leadership Award

Original story posted August 19, 2009

General Thurbert Baker, Georgia attorney, has left his footprint in history as the National Bar Association presented him with its first annual Barack Obama Political Leadership Award during its 84th annual meeting that was held in San Diego, California.

Baker was also awarded for his prestige as he was recognized for his achievements as a public servant as well as an elected official.

The award was given to Baker by Rodney G. Moore who was the former president of the NBA as well as the current president, Mavis Theassa Thompson.

Along with the award, Baker has etched himself in time as he is Georgia's first

original story posted August 19, 2009

Funerals are a sad enough occasion, but it is tragic when certain mishaps go on. In South Philadelphia, a funeral was suppose to take place Tuesday for Kenneth Monroe Roberts, but the family would come to realize the fact that the body inside the casket was not Roberts and had been mixed up with another man.

Roberts was 80-years-old and was an army veteran. His funeral was set to take place at Tindley Temple United Methodist Church on South Broad Street.

The horrifying part to the story is that the funeral home tried to assure the family that the body was actually their loved one, although anyone should easily be able to recognize someone that they've known for a lifetime.

"They kept trying to tell us that it was him and I knew it wasn't him

original story posted August 13, 2009

Donte Stallworth, who recently served 30 days for DUI Manslaughter, was suspended indefinitely from the NFL and now will not be receiving pay for the 2009 season. The call was made as the league stated that the player violated the NFL's personal conduct policy and its substance abuse policy.

His case stems back to March 14 when he hit and killed a man, Mario Reyes, with his car as he was driving under the influence in Miami. In terms of his return to the field, the league has stated that he should be reinstated in February 2010 after the Super Bowl.

Stallworth should be content with the suspension as the manslaughter case has caught some convicts with 10 years. His punishment may not be over, however, as NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell

original story posted August 11, 2009

Eunice Kennedy Shriver, sister of President John Kennedy and the founder or the Special Olympics died today. Shirver was 88.

Born in Brookline, Massachusetts on July 10, 1921, Shriver took her chance to stand out from her siblings John, Robert and Edward Kennedy by establishing the Special Olympics which started in the confines of her backyard back in 1962. What began in the back of the house branched out and exploded into an event that has 3.1 million participants comprised of people with mental disabilities and has created 228 programs in 170 nations, according to the Special Olympics. The first event officially launched in Chicago in 1968.

Shriver has been known for helping the unfortunate outside of this event as she was an advocate for

original story posted August 10, 2009

Most people in jail try to tell the tale that they were wrongfully imprisoned and they are actually innocent of their crime. To the outside eye, most of the time it comes off as bull, but there are certain instances where men, especially Black men, are raped by the system and thrown into the system unjustly.

Another man was freed from his sentence after spending 23 years in prison for a charge of kidnapping and rape. DNA testing has proved to be more effect than Maury telling a man that the baby is not his as the results provided an opening that would give doubt that the man committed the crime and was released on bond Friday.

Ernest Sonnier, 46, has spent half of his life behind the prison walls after he was convicted of

original story posted August 6, 2009

Ladies and gentleman, if anyone was unaware or under a rock, it must be stated to the people of America that the country is in a recession. For those seniors turning their tassels and celebrating the fact that they have finally graduated college, it might have been the wrong time to enter the real world folks.

A little piece of knowledge to keep embedded in the young minds that recently graduated is the fact that they are about to face the highest unemployment rate in 25 years. This transition in the country heavily impacts the generation of tomorrow as they will be challenged by record student loan debt, expensive health insurance costs and an average of $4,100 in credit card debt.

Trust and believe that mommy and daddy will definitely be taking the pacifier away and cutting that umbilical cord for good once those bills start to roll in. All those times of saying “I can't wait till

original story posted August 5, 2009

Tuesday, Damario Ware, 20, turned himself into the Fulton County District Attorney's office, according to police spokesman Officer James Polite. Ware is being charged with the shooting death of boxer Vernon Forrest and will appear in court today.

Ware is one of four suspects that Police are currently after in the murder of Vernon Forrest. Surveillance tapes obtained from an apartment building have aided authorities in trying to solve the case. Ware has been deemed as the person responsible for the robbery, but they are still on the hunt for the shooter.

Forrest, 38, was gunned down July 25, while at a

Black Workers Yell Racism at Philly Transfer Station

original story posted August 3, 2009

Philadelphia is the stage where two Black employees have stated that were victims of harassment, humiliation and discrimination by their supervisor for decades while working for a waste transfer plant. These acts have resulted in the workers acquiring a lawyer and filing a lawsuit against the city.

Compensation for the suit for the workers, Gibson Trowery and Leslie Young, had stated that not only do they seek something for monetary damages, but they are also pushing that their superintendent be relieved of his position and dismissed from the job.

The superintendent that is under fire for being so harsh towards the colored skin is John Gill of the Northwest Transfer Station. Spanning back to 1996, Black workers were apparent of the fact that their superintendent had some type of favoritism towards the white workers

original story Posted August 4, 2009

Another racially-driven act resulted in a house being set aflame as a man admitted that he set the home of a woman ablaze because she had Black visitors.

Occurring in Charleston, West Virginia, Daryl Lee Fierce, 71, pleaded guilty in April to charges of civil rights violations when he decided to use the element of fire as a means of intimidation, but was absent from his sentencing hearing in federal court last Thursday. Fierce was on the verge of facing 10 years in prison along with a possible $250,000 fine.

Further investigation found Fierce with a gunshot wound to the abdomen at a motel

original story posted July 30, 2009

A resolution was approved by Congress on Wednesday that is urging to give a pardon to Jack Johnson for being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for having romantic ties with a Caucasian woman. To school young thundercats out there that are unaware, Johnson was the first Black heavyweight boxing champion.

In 1913, Johnson was the victim as he was convicted of violating the Mann Act, an act that made it illegal to transport women across state boundary lines for immoral purposes. Upon conviction, Johnson fled the country for an unknown amount of time but made an agreement, years later, to return to the U.S. and serve a jail sentence that would last for 10 months.

The resolution has stated that Johnson, although his life has passed, should receive a pardon due to the fact that his reputation

original story posted march 30, 2010

Riding on the train established through the features on Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. 2, Method Man, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have always been the most prominent figures within the Wu Tang camp.

Since the beginning stages of the Clan, these three have essentially stood beyond most of their other members, maybe outside of GZA.

With the train wreck that came from 8 Diagrams, there has been a void in regards to the future of the W, but these three rappers are willing to carry the flag high with their collaborative effort Wu Massacre.

From the jump, the rappers look to rekindle the magic from their rookie years with

original story posted July 31, 2009

Presented by President Barack Obama, civil rights leader Joseph Echols Lowery will be awarded with the Medal of Freedom which is America's grandest award that can be awarded to a civilian. The announcement was made Thursday amongst a list of 16 others that were chosen to receive such grand recognition this year. August 12 will be when the medal is presented to Lowery at the White House.

Lowery can place his name amongst other great leaders in America that have received such an accolade with people like Martin Luther King, Jr., former President Jimmy Carter and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young.

Obama and Lowery have crossed paths before as they met back in 2007 in Selma at the 42nd anniversary of the “Bloody

original story posted december 07, 2009

When 2003 came so did the infectious sound that was “Grindin” from the rap duo known as the Clipse. Not since Raekwon has an artist been able to weave such intricate coke tales, and Virginia bred two rappers that

From the success of Lord Willin’, shady business within the record labels put a halt onto their second offering. Having to wait until 2006 to release the follow up Hell Hath No Fury, the brothers were evidently upset with their situation and made a transition to a darker sound which reverberated their particular opinion.

Now with the third offering, Til The Casket Drops, the two come together again to feed their sound to the masses. Life has left them with bruises and scars physically, emotionally and mentally and this album serves as an outlet to celebrate crossing the finish line, but being aware of

original story posted July 29, 2009

Michael Bullard and Richard Armstrong have been convicted on charges of a federal hate crime as well as conspiracy and face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison each. The crime is related to an incident in July 2008 where they assaulted an African-American man.

According to District Attorney's Office, the men were convicted last Wednesday by a jury in Boise, Idaho. The third suspect, James Whitewater, who was also involved in the incident last year, chose the route of pleading guilty before the trial commenced and even testified against the other defendants. According to Deputy U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson, the lead prosecutor, Whitewater fully snitched on his co-horts and gave a detailed description of

original story posted march 19, 2010

While his Wu Tang brethen Method Man and Raekwon returned to create sequels to their 90s albums Blackout! and Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Ghost pushes the envelope forward and takes a sidestep to his usual formula.

Generally known for weaving intricate street tales, the Staten Island native has also shown his admiration for the opposite sex and his overall love for women. Maybe coming as a result of growing older, the rapper takes a mature approach in presenting his latest.

“Do Over” shows the rapper feeling the after effects of living a negative life and how it has affected his significant other. Finally returning to reality to what he has put her through

original story posted July 29, 2009

In Mobile, Alabama, a man was pepper sprayed and tasered by police after they were unsuccessful in trying to make him voluntarily come out of the restroom of a Dollar General store last Friday, according to authorities. The kicker is the fact that the man had his own problems as he was deaf and mentally disabled.

Antonio Love, 37, the man in the bathroom, had to be moved out of the restroom by authorities with force as he was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and failure to obey a police officer. After police came to the realization that Love was actually disabled, but still proceeded to take him into custody and jail, the incident has been placed under investigation according to Police Department spokesman Christopher Levy. He added that the police that placed him in custody had found

original story posted July 29, 2009

Randy Ray Richardson was sentenced on Monday to serve two years in prison with the charges being stealing the house of a dying woman. Richardson is a former Multnomah County, Oregon prosecutor.

The background spans all the way back to August 2006 when Richardson along with Eric Joe Penn persuaded a woman to sign over her North Portland house over to Penn weeks before she died. The woman, Margaret Patton, 73, was on medication and was also dealing with brain cancer when they had her sign over her $224,500 home.

Patton's home would be recovered by family, but her granddaughter reported that many special items

original story posted July 30, 2009

This can be ranked as the fail of the day and maybe even the fail of the week. Fox News Channel commentator Glenn Beck has stated that he believes that President Barack Obama is a racist. Yes, a president that is half Black and White is a racist according to Beck.

On Tuesday, Beck was featured on the morning show, “Fox & Friends,” where he stated that the case of Henry Louis Gates Jr. exposed Obama's internal issue with the White population. By calling the actions of the authorities ignorant, Beck felt as though Obama was showing signs of his internal mentality. In the interview he stated clearly that Obama has, “a deep-seated hatred for White people or the White culture.”

Although he acknowledged that most of Obama's administration is composed of White faces, he responded by saying that he doesn't not like White people, he just has

original story posted July 27, 2009

As Michael Vick continues to be hounded for his actions that landed him behind prison, he can find an unlikely friend in Terrell Owens who has defended the former Falcons quarterback since being released from prison.

The former Cowboy, Eagle and even 49er is usually known for going against his teammates which is evident from the three teams just listed that he was not able to leave from on good terms.

Owens has stated that Vick deserves to have a second chance and wants him to be reinstated. He added that it would only serve as throwing dirt in a wound by making him remain on suspension. After a camp practice Sunday with the Bills, Owens cited NFL commissioner Roger Goodell's treatment of Vick as being unfair to the player. Owens has even taken it a step further by trying to

original story posted July 22, 2009

New Orleans former city technology chief was fired from City Hall, according to a spokesman for Mayor Ray Nagin. The former chief named Anthony Jones was responsible for overseeing the crime camera program of the city.

This would serve as the final nail in the coffin for Jones who was already serving a 120-day suspension that started March 18. The suspension was a result of Jones filing false invoices to hide the fact that the camera program was showing a steep increase in the costs. Along with this, he intentionally violated contract requirements and accepted plane tickets to an out-of-state conference from a contractor that earned millions on the camera project.

These reports can be credited to recent audits that went on to discover that

Original story posted august 10, 2009

Written on paper, this looks to be the ultimate offering for fans. Four MCs that have all proven themselves to be formidable lyricists have joined forces on a single project. Everything on paper doesn’t always translate once the work is put in and the material begins to come together.

Slaughterhouse, however, is a movement that has continued to stick with each release they have dropped starting from Halfway House and giving birth to gems such as “Move On” and “Fight Club” and have left listeners salivating uncontrollably. It has been a while since four rappers were all on the same level in terms of talent and it may seem that the piece has been found as to what the game has been missing.

In interviews building up to the release of their album, it has been strongly affirmed that this album was not made for

original story posted September 09, 2009

14 years ago, while New York had a tight headlock on rap, Wu Tang’s own Raekwon blew everything in the game out of the water with his debut release Only Built 4 Cuban Linx. Dubbed The Purple Tape, the album has been deemed a classic in all standards when it came to Mafia rap. The slower production and the use of horns and strings played the album out like the soundtrack for an Italian Mafia flick.

The only problem with delivering a classic right out the gate is making sure the following project is able to live up to its predecessor.

Unfortunately for Rae, two albums in the form of Immobilarity and The Lex Diamond Story couldn’t hold a candle to what he was able to build in 1995. It seemed as though the rapper might have dug himself far too deep, but what better way to top something than

original story posted march 08, 2010

Since cutting his braids prior to Release Therapy, Disturbing the Peace leader Ludacris has looked to establish himself as a lyricist, feeling that he has been underestimated since he first debuted back in 2000.

Showing his lyrical abilities in Theatre of The Mind, along with countless verse stealing performances on other rapper’s records, Luda looks to pit his skills against the opposite gender with Battle Of The Sexes.

With Shawna being subbed out for the season, the rapper reached out to other female rappers to give them a chance, as the population in Hip-Hop is close to zero, to show and prove themselves in a genre dominated by men.

Opening in true Luda fashion

original story posted July 23, 2009

Ruled Wednesday by a New York judge, the city has been informally charged with discriminating against minorities when it comes to hiring firefighters. As it stands now, the department's work force is comprised of a mere 10% of Blacks and Hispanics.

There was an agreement across the board between U.S. District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis and the Department of Justice citing that these minority workers were unjustly blackballed during firefighter recruitment exams. The delegation was also joined by a group of Black firefighters that felt a sense of inequality during these exams in 1999 and 2002.

Garaufis stated that the exams were used by the city in order to

Black Man Dressed In KKK Outfit At City Council Meeting

Original story posted July 17, 2009

A man entered a City Council meeting dressed in a white robe and hood which resembled the suit of a Ku Klux Klan member on Wednesday. Upon request he refused to remove his attire before stepping up to speak.

The person behind the mask was African American male Michael Hunt and this would mark the second day that he arrived to the meeting in the apparel. Hunt had submitted a card in order to speak during the standard public comment period and was called to the podium by the presiding officer, Dennis Zine.

Zine asked Hunt to remove the hood before speaking and told him that he could not be heard by the council, but he refused and stated that his First Amendment rights allowed him to

original story posted July 17, 2009

Retired astronaut and Marines general Charles Bolden, 62, was confirmed by the Senate on Wednesday as the administrator of NASA as the space agency celebrates the anniversary of when man first stepped on the moon. This will also mark the first time that an African American was chief of the U.S. space agency.

He will be the 12th NASA administrator since the agency was initially established in 1958 and will take the position that was held by engineer and scientist Michael Griffin prior to Bolden.

Veteran aerospace businesswoman Lori Garver will assume the role as deputy administrator. Garver, 48, was the lead civil space policy advisor to President Obama's presidential campaign. Prior to this she served as associate administrator from 1998 to 2001.

News of the confirmation of Bolden was announced shortly after the launch of

original story posted July 20, 2009

To settle lawsuits made by African American workers, Eastman Kodak Co. has agreed to pay $21.4 million. The two suits stem from allegations of race discrimination as it pertained to pay and promotion.

Currently the settlement must be given the final approval by a judge to end the pending lawsuits against the company. Although the settlement was made, Kodak still holds that the company has committed nothing wrong.

Kodak spokesman Christopher has stated that the company has reached an agreement with the workers to not publicly discuss the settlement awaiting approval and it is a representation of a resolution of mutual interest.

The first suit stretches back to

original story posted July 20, 2009

Former NFL player Travis Henry was sentences to three years in prison last Wednesday on charges of financing a drug ring that circulated cocaine between Colorado and Montana. Henry formerly played as a running back for the Denver Broncos.

His initial sentencing could have seen Henry behind bars for 10 years to life as well as having to forfeit $4 million in fines. The fine was waived by the judge because Henry would not be able to afford the proposed amount.

Last October Henry was arrested by federal drug agents and he pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to

original story posted October 22, 2009

“The stuff I'm doing makes the mixtapes sound wack.”

J. Cole's rise in the Hip-Hop industry has been chronicled through his mixtape series. With “The Come Up,” the North Carolina native put his foot in the door and threw his voice in the air to see if it would carry and it must have worked as he caught the attention of Jay-Z.

Most recently he dropped “The Warm Up” which showcased a glimpse of things to come now that he was back behind Roc Nation. The tape also sparked one of his favorite verses to date on the track “The Badness.”

Before stepping up to the stage in Seattle, Cole was able to have a sit down during an interview and speak more about having the dream fulfilled when he joined forces with Hov.

“I think every up and coming rapper is usually like

original story posted July 21, 2009

The Bay State Banner, Boston, Massachusetts' only Black-owned newspaper, will be taking necessary measures to ensure that the weekly publication does not suffer the fate of many other print businesses that have been shut down.

This publication has served as a vital source for news for the African American community that resides in Boston as its contents are generally geared towards the interest of that particular group. The focus provides coverage on the social, political and economic condition of African American people. It is an independent newspaper that initially surfaced in 1965 by Melvin B. Miller.

According to a recent audit, The Banner has a print circulation of nearly 34,000 and has a readership close to 150,000.

The recession has continued to rear its ugly head and took its toll on The Bay State Banner. As advertising revenue was starting

original story posted October 27, 2009

Since Plies flooded the airwaves with his sex-driven lyrics on tracks such as “Becky” and “Bust It Baby”, the rapper has come off as being more than rated R as he has dubbed himself the realist. Being the realist, he has been one not to bite his tongue and say things exactly how he feels.

As a replacement for Gucci Mane this weekend at FAMU, however, the rapper showed that he is aware of that fact of timing and that there is a time and place for everything.

It was reported that before performing “Bust It Baby,” the rapper saw a fan that looked to be too young to be hearing those particular lyrics. As a result, the rapper gave the girl $1,000 from his pocket and asked her to leave and have her parents

original story posted July 21, 2009

On Monday, the Atlanta City Council voted to buy and complete a collection of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s papers by using city bonds. Pulling funds from a $40 million tax allocation bond directed to the Center for Civil and Human Rights (CCHR), it will pay off the remaining $11.5 million that is owed for the papers. These papers were originally purchased from King's family three years ago for $32 million.

These documents from King will serve as one of the main attractions for the museum which is presumed to open its doors sometime in 2012. Financial projections have shown $125 million in relation to the actual cost in the entire project. Up to now, $50 million has been paid for.

Doug Shipman, executive director of the center, has stated that he wants to begin construction

original story posted October 27, 2009

“If it all makes dollars, it can make sense.”

As anticipation has shown a sharp incline for the third return of Styles P, Jadakiss and Sheek Louch as a group, the question has remained as to where they would finalize their business in regards to distribution with Louch and P on E1 and Kiss on Def Jam.

The foundation of music was essentially shaken when word started to float that the three were considering linking back up with Diddy, whom had originally brought them into the game in Bad Boy.

Diddy recently expressed wanting to come together again if there was

original story posted October 28, 2009

Swizz Beatz is a producer that has found a way to reinvent himself on numerous occasions and keep himself from sinking in Hip-Hop. With his most recent work for Chris Brown on “I Can Transform Ya” to Jay-Z's “On to the Next One,” it's clear that Swizzy still has it.

The likes of Russell Simmons have taken notice to the producer and his presence by honoring the Ruff Ryder alum along with the Foundation For Ethnic Understanding Tuesday night.

Swizzy received the award mainly due to the fact that he is Muslim. Although that may sound very blatant, the honor by the foundation is meant to strengthen relations with

original story posted July 14, 2009

Police have reported that they may have found the body of Eridania Rodriguez, 46, a cleaning woman who had vanished without a trace days prior.

Her body was found Saturday stuffed inside an air conditioning duct in a utility room located on the 12th floor at a Manhattan skyscraper, according to Police Department spokesman Paul Browne. Rodriguez was also bound and gagged with a gold crucifix taped to her mouth.

Rodriguez had disappeared last Tuesday and police were unable to pick up any signs of where the woman was as they searched the 26-story building from top to bottom for numerous days.

Police were tipped off

original story posted July 15, 2009

A case was recently closed of a serial killer that left a county in South Carolina in fear, but now another case has opened its doors.

Police are now investigating a North Carolina country road in an attempt to figure out if the area has become a dumping ground for the victims of a killer.

Spanning back to May 2005, an area near Seven Bridges Road outside Rocky Mount, North Carolina has turned into a burial as five women have been found

original story posted October 29, 2009

The release of Relapse solidified two things as it related to Marshall Mathers. For one, Slim Shady was back and two, the fact that he had returned to his viciousness of horror-core rap. If the visual for “3 a.m.” wasn't a hint, Eminem clearly has the mind of a maniac.

With this, it would only make sense that Marshall would use his talents in other areas where his scary lyrics can be transformed and developed even more. Reports have stated that the Detroit rapper is currently in the process of releasing a series of horror films that will be entitled, Shady Talez.

Although his publicist, Dennis Donnehy, has stated that everything is currently just in discussion, details have added that the films will pay respects to cult classics such as

original story posted July 15, 2009

With the sharp rise of police brutality and misconduct that has been occurring, the NAACP has found a way to utilize technology to report such instances and take necessary steps forward in ceasing this ongoing epidemic.

A survey in January composed of U.S. emergency physicians showed that 97.8 % believed that excessive force by police officers was used on patients that were brought in beaten.

A program called the “rapid response system” was launched Monday where people are able to use their cell phones to report incidents that involve misbehavior from police

original story posted October 29, 2009

Mackmaine: URGENT!!!! DA OFFICIAL MTV NO CEILINGS will be released in 2days wit more songs!!! It will be released on a brand new young money site!!!.

The Internet went crazy after searching through the web and noticing that Lil Wayne's latest mixtape, No Ceilings, was available for download. Slated to drop on Halloween, what's really a release from Weezy if it doesn't leak a little early?

Ringing in at 17 cuts, with interludes included, the latest doesn't come off the way it was originally promised with no features. His latest, fortunately, was Auto-Tune free. Weezy does what he does as he went in on popular songs such as

original story posted July 16, 2009

Frank Hatley, having spent a year in jail for falling back in child support payments, was finally released from his sentence on Wednesday. The twist to the matter is the fact that Hatley actually doesn't have any children.

With aid from the Southern Center for Human Rights, Hatley was released from the Cook County jail in south Georgia after his hearing. Last June, Hatley was imprisoned by the court for failing to make necessary payments to support his alleged son.

His attorney, Sarah Geraghty, filed a motion for the release of his client stating that he is a hard-working man that has showed his commitment to paying what was owed to the court even using

original story posted October 29, 2009

"I'll take my lumps for a lot of things that, in retrospect, were a little indulgent. Life happens. I don't regret any of it."

A lifestyle of lavish spending takes its toll overtime as a person has to dig deeper into their pockets to find cash. After awhile, a person will pull out empty pockets as popular Hip-Hop clothing line businessman Marc Ecko had been forced to give up his enterprise.

Initial reports came in September and were made official Tuesday when Ecko signed over a 51 percent interest in the Marc Ecko brand to

original story posted July 16, 2009

Located in Dallas, Texas, the HBCU Paul Quinn College has lost its accreditation and is on the brink of closing its door permanently after holding it down for the past 137 years.

For those that don't know, the HBCU was the school featured in the biographical film The Great Debaters with Denzel Washington in 2007.

To those that are unaware, when a school loses accreditation, students are still able to attend the university or college. In Texas, however, although this point is still intact, the schools are unable to award diplomas to the students and they cannot receive federal or state financial aid.

This school of higher learning enrolls close to 440 students and credits itself with being

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