The recent decision to move the criminal trial of Johannes Mehserle – the former BART officer who shot and killed Oscar Grant on New Years Day – to Los Angeles has once again thrust the city to the forefront of controversy involving police abuse and murder.
RACE/SOCIETY
I got a lot of whuppings as a child. A lot of whuppings.
I like Salma Hayek as an actress. I respect her work and I think she’s one of the most beautiful women in the world.
During the month of February we celebrate the accomplishments of many important African-Americans. This month America will recognize black contributions in civil and social issues, the sciences and the arts, sports and the political sphere.
Ok, so Miley Cyrus has apologized for the racially-offensive snapshot she took with a bunch of her white friends. After lashing out at critics last week, the 16-year-old Disney Channel and pop music star now realizes that using your fingers to slant your eyelids is indeed a painful insult to Asian people. On [...]
A Black Man is President, so what are we going to do about it?
As Barack Obama assumes his role as the 44th President of the United States, huge expectations loom ahead for his barrier-breaking administration. With the economy in shambles, the global ecosystem on the verge of collapse and our military actively [...]
The announcement by National Public Radio that it plans to cut its only African-American themed show “New & Notes” in 2009 came both as a shock and a huge disappointment. Shock because on the eve of America swearing in its first ever Black president, you’d think that NPR would see the relevance in [...]
So for years I’ve been reading in the newspapers and watching on TV and reading on the internet how race relations are great and it’s not as bad as it used to be. I have strongly disagreed every time I would see such a report knowing that I am a dark-skinned black man living in [...]
To my Same Gender Loving/ lesbian and gay sistahs and brothas: you need to hollah at me.
You don’t have to tell me who you are: I already know. You are my parents, my siblings, my children, my grandbabies.
I know where you live – right next door. I know where you work [...]
OBAMA KILLS STEREOTYPES
A recent Los Angeles Times article asked if having Barack Obama in the White House would change negative stereotypes about black men. Well, I don’t think it will change a thing. Anyone who is prejudiced enough to believe that the majority of black men are dangerous, unintelligent, lazy, immoral and predisposed [...]