Anyone who has ever set foot on a historically black college or university campus knows that there is something called stepping, the form of percussive dance where the entire body is used to produce intricate rhythms and sounds comprised of a mixture of rapid footsteps, spoken word, rhyme, hand claps, syncopation and synchronization. Stepping is [...]
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March 9, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: African-American, Attitude, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, History, Music, Opinion, Social Issues
 5 comments March 6, 2010
Posted by Kaye in: African-American, Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Heroes, History, Minorities, The Writer's Corner
4 comments Celebrating a People One Month a Year Now that February has come and, won’t come back for another year, I find myself reflecting on “Black History Month”. We all know the reason for and the meaning of celebrating the accomplishment of African Americans during the month of February. We all should know, by now, that Black [...] March 4, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Accountability, African-American, Attitude, Children, Commentary, Education, Family, Freedom
18 comments My youngest sister does not remember her first taste of prejudice but I do. It was an incident that shaped my understanding of race for many years to come. She was barely three years old so I must have been about 10, my other sister 7. My mother had taken her three girls to Rich’s [...] March 2, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: African-American, Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Freelance Author, Journalism, Life Experiences, Minorities, The Writer's Corner
15 comments Western perspective is not culture by Tyree Harris Sitting in my race, class and ethnic groups course, twiddling my thumbs and trying to follow my professor, I couldn’t help but feel disconnected. There he went, speaking of tolerance, what it means to be prejudiced and how it’s easy to stereotype other races — but this is probably [...] March 1, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Attitude, Education, Faith, Family, Freedom, History
3 comments I am the descendant of slaves and white slave owners. I did not melt into the pot that is America. The pot melted into me. Back in the later 50s and early 60s no one I knew wanted to admit to that. To be a descendant of a slave meant you were less than a [...] February 25, 2010
Posted by Tyree Harris in: Accountability, African-American, Attitude, Commentary, Creative Writing, Current Events, Freelance Author, Journalism, Minorities
3 comments A Call For Help Goes Unanswered. by Tyree Harris When Portland State student Brenda Johnson, who asked that her real name be withheld, traded in her old BlackBerry for a new BlackBerry Storm from a man named Robert she met on Craigslist, she was thrilled. After she made the trade, she called a friend to see if it [...] February 10, 2010
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Commentary, Current Events, Democracy, Democrat, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner
Leave a comment First of all it would be very difficult to elect an African American President in America today. There would have to be some sort of cataclysmic event like a massive meltdown of or economic system that would cause people to lurch violently left. But let’s just say that happened and an African American were elected. [...] February 2, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Commentary, Current Events, Faith, Family, Foreign Affairs, Freedom, Religion
4 comments They said God sent them to Haiti to save the children. Even behind bars after being stopped at the border of neighboring Dominican Republic with 33 children and no permission to take them they claimed they were doing the right thing. At this time Haiti is flooded with people helping from all over the world. [...] February 1, 2010
Posted by stuartaken in: African-American, Book Review, Books, Creative Writing, Fiction, Foreign Affairs, Humor
Leave a comment Kachi A. Ozumba’s story of corruption, judicial incompetence and prevailing injustice in Nigeria is lightened by the humour he mixes with the pathos. Zuba, the naive and honest victim, moves from initial complacent trust in the legal system through amazement, disbelief and despair to a realisation that he cannot expect the judicial authorities to treat [...] February 1, 2010
When I was in high school, a million years ago according to my children, we had Negro History Week. A speaker would come to our school to reflect on the progress of the black race. Often they would talk about people we knew from the limited black history allowed in schools. Most of the time [...] January 12, 2010
Posted by Alan Caruba in: African-American, Commentary, Current Events, Opinion, Politics
Leave a comment Race and Politics in America By Alan Caruba Politics in America has always been about race. It began with the writing of the Constitution and the compromises made by the Founding Fathers in order to keep the southern states in the fold. It can be found in the very first Article that makes reference to the “respective numbers, [...] January 11, 2010
Senator Harry Reid’s words that have eclipsed the news of late are not so much racism as how most of America feels about race. His stating that Barack Obama would not have been considered electable for president had he not been light skin and void of Negro dialect is something African Americans have dealt with [...] January 7, 2010
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Commentary, Current Events, Latino & Hispanic, Women's Rights
3 comments When the report came out that blacks were now a minority in Harlem I couldn’t deny it. Everyday the area I live in becomes more integrated and international. When we moved in over 25 years ago no one gave a damn about the neighborhood. Unfortunately the more whites that moved uptown to Harlem the better [...] December 31, 2009
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Faith, Family, Freedom, History, Religion
One comment This evening while most of us are preparing to ring in the New Year with a glass of bubbly some in the African American community will spend the hours before the change of years in church. Although people of many faiths spend the last night of the old year praying in the new Night Watch [...] November 25, 2009
Our First Lady Michelle Obama looked like new world glamour at the first state dinner of her husband’s administration. While there will be some to detract from the moment or those who will find fault with her wardrobe choice let me tell you how an African American girl from Georgia feels being able to witness [...] November 16, 2009
As a college student eager to explore the world outside the South I spent many winter breaks in New York City. My first was with my roommate Kaye who lived in Queens. I got to see a few of the sights and only visited Harlem once when we went to [...] November 8, 2009
Posted by Tim Roux in: African-American, China, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Relations, History, Homeland Security, Islam, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Military, Morality, Politics, Religion, Republican, Sociology, Terrorism, Women's Rights
6 comments In Britain it is now a criminal offence to make any statement which might incite racial hatred. So, if you go around saying that all Irishmen are stupid or all Welshmen are thieves, then you may well find yourself helping the police with their enquiries and facing a sharp fine or even a term of [...] November 6, 2009
The invitation came via the Internet as most things do these days and I almost choked when I saw that it was for the 40th year reunion of my high school graduating class. I hadn’t felt old before I opened that I email but once [...] November 3, 2009
Word started to seep into the crevices of the Internet last month about a young woman of color going to jail for 15 years for cutting line at a Missouri Wal Mart.. For a while it was hush hush but [...] October 14, 2009
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Family, Heroes, Inspiration & Motivation
One comment She is the fourth of seven children of a single mother who prided herself on being able to get any man she wanted and wanted to pass that singular ability on to her daughters. This daughter says she grew up troubled- one year she and her older siblings were all [...] October 13, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Commentary, Comments & Discussion, Current Events, Politics, Sports
2 comments The St. Louis Rams. Ok. Rush wants them. Why not? He’s got the bucks. He wants to do what rich men do when they become very rich–they buy professional sport teams. So he has the right. Absolutely. As Bill O’Reilly said on his show last night, he has right to buy any team he wants [...] October 9, 2009
When Barack Obama was elected President of the United States Maya Angelo said American had finally grown up. A nation that couldn’t accept people of color in schools, in the workplace, in prestigious jobs finally understood that one’s skin had nothing to do with one’s ability. Two weeks after he took the oath of office [...] October 6, 2009
Autumn has finally come to New York. The mornings are chilly and the nights are colder. It is the season when one pulls out a warm top to cover that cotton shirt. For the older fashionista it may be something leather, and of course being New York, it will be black. Sometimes I believe New [...] September 16, 2009
Posted by Alan Caruba in: Accountability, African-American, Business, Cap and Trade, Congress, Current Events, Democracy, Economic Crisis, Energy, Environmental Issues, Global Warming, Governance, Healthcare, Opinion, The Economy
2 comments “Technically” We’re Out of a Recession I cannot tell you how relieved I was to hear Ben Bernake, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, announce that the United States is “technically” out of the recession. I spent much of the day waiting for my phone to ring with offers of work. Chairman Bernake did add [...] September 16, 2009
On the evening of September 15, 2009, following a meeting at New York’s 30th Precinct, members of a community group hoping to work with the police to create Neighborhood Watches were stopped by two women as they handed out flyers about the Hamilton Heights rapist and informed that they knew the suspect and where he lived. Days [...] September 11, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: African-American, Democracy, Freedom, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Minorities, Social Classes, Social Issues
Leave a comment 2nd e-mail from the person that filed the complaint. As parents it is our responsibility to make sure our son is safe and doesn’t do thinks like pull down [...] September 11, 2009
During the 19th century and (in some cases) for a few centuries before, the Great Powers (as they were known then) raped Africa – seized the land, seized the mineral wealth, seized the people, and had a fair go with any women left standing as well. Can we agree on that? No? It was all subject to [...] September 10, 2009
I have finally had enough of the bashing of our new president. Everyone has a right to like or dislike him protocol dictates that if you don’t respect the man respect the office. And you do not shout out in the middle of a Presidential speech “You’re a liar” no matter how much you dislike or [...] September 4, 2009
Posted by dacipha in: Accountability, African-American, Attitude, Cancer, Diet, General Topics, Habit Change, Health & Fitness, Medical, Opinion, Uncategorized, Weight loss, Wellness
Leave a comment You must have heard the song, “Just a spoon full of sugar helps the medicine go down in a most delightful way!” I can clearly hear Julie Andrews sing this as ‘Mary Poppins’. But I want to tell you about something else that might not go down so delightful but it will act as a [...] September 4, 2009
When you have been black as long as I have you work extremely hard at not looking at everything through “are they being racist” colored glasses. I could complain that previous First Lady’s were always addressed in the press by the formal title “Mrs.” while the current first lady is usually called Michelle Obama. I [...] September 3, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: African-American, Current Events, Democracy, Latino & Hispanic, Legal, Minorities, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Social Issues
Leave a comment The first e-mail that my wife wrote: August 28, 2009
Posted by dacipha in: African-American, Attitude, Habit Change, Inspiration & Motivation, Motivation, Opinion, Religion, Spirituality, Uncategorized
5 comments “It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.” – Claude M. Bristol Smooches, Ladies and Gentlemen! Today I would like to discuss affirmations. Just the fact that you are on this website means that you are seeking to improve your physical appearance. The [...] August 25, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: Accountability, African-American, China, Democracy, Freedom, Legal, Minorities, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, Uncategorized
One comment My wife grew up in China during Mao’s Cultural Revolution (it is estimated that thirty-eight million died because of Mao’s policies). When she was a teenager, she was sent to a labor camp. She arrived in the United States in 1984 at twenty-eight. At the time, she did [...] August 22, 2009
If there is honor among thieves then there is hubris among criminals of color in the community where I live. The distrust of ‘the man’ has created a situation for those more upwardly mobile of any color living in this racial and economically diverse area. It has come to light that those who know about [...] August 21, 2009
Posted by dacipha in: African-American, Attitude, Education, Family, Health & Fitness, Inspiration & Motivation, Latino & Hispanic, Mental Health, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Weight loss, Wellness, Women's Perspective, Working Women
Leave a comment Smooches, my beautiful ladies! Please understand that I am not the fitness connoisseur. I speak as a concerned woman. This article is to encourage you to be the beautiful woman that God has called you to be. My desire is for you to be emotionally, mentally, spiritually, socially, physically and financially whole. It is very [...] August 18, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: African-American, Democracy, Education, Freedom, Governance, Latino & Hispanic, Minorities, Morality, Opinion, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues
Leave a comment Each post will be less than 700 words. During America’s Civil Rights era, laws were enacted with the intent to correct wrongs in America. I strongly agree that it [...] August 14, 2009
Posted by DocNosferatu in: African-American, Creative Writing, Minorities, Poetry, Social Issues
Leave a comment This is my personal take on the incident involving a certain professor Henry Louis Gates and officer James Crowley (et. al.) and whether this was truly a racial profiling incident. Personaly, I think Gates was looking for some attention and he got just that, with even the President weighing in on this, and then the Beer [...] August 2, 2009
Posted by Lloyd Lofthouse in: African-American, Attitude, Communications, Current Events, Democracy, Freedom, Journalism, Morality, Motivation, Opinion, Politics, Republican
3 comments Last Friday, I drove to the airport and on that drive, I listened to a discussion on this topic. After I heard all the “facts” in detail, clearly, this issue is racial and driven by a political agenda from the idealistic, far right that cannot stand anybody that does not [...] August 2, 2009
There are still people out there who do not beleive that racism still exists. I have lots to say to them but not today. Today perhaps they should watch HBO’s Prom Night in Mississippi.This is a special about a town in Mississippi where the actor Morgan Freeman resides and their sigular high school’s duel prom system. Since [...] July 29, 2009
Yes, I am a fan of Michael Jackson! And yes, I know that Michael was very controversial. But why can’t the world just let him rest in peace. The King of Pop has been gone for over a month and the news concerning his private endeavors has not decreased! July 24, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: Accountability, African-American, Current Events, Minorities, Opinion, Social Issues
Leave a comment President Obama and the “stupid” police by William Hazelgrove Police are in an uproar. The President called them stupid. Was it stupid for the cop to arrest the black professor from Harvard in his home.? Probably not stupid just more of the same old same old. The police say this officer is stellar. He is fair. Maybe [...] July 24, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Current Events, Minorities, Opinion, Social Issues
Leave a comment Guilty Until Proven Innocent–Our Police State July 21, 2009
One of the reasons I take pleasure in writing here is the title: speak without interruption. You as the reader/viewer have the right not to read this, not to like this, and not to post a response. But I can write about a myriad of things that mean a great deal to me and at the [...] July 19, 2009
Most people do not think of Harlem, New York City, as a center of literary promise. Even those familiar with the Harlem Renaissance can not usually fathom it as a present day place rich in culture that contains any kind of literature. But Saturday was the street fair portion of the annual Harlem Book and for two long [...] July 3, 2009
There are things I remember about United States history because my parents pointed them out to me when I was old enough to notice there was something lacking in the experience of being an American for people of my hue. While politicians of color were few and far between when I was in high school [...] June 26, 2009
He’s not there. Thats all we know. Rehearsing for the 50 shows he was going to do in London he worked himself probably to death. Cardiac arrest took away the self proclaimed King of Pop. You want to cry because he’s gone but you also want to cry because his life was so sad and so strange. [...] June 14, 2009
When I asked my youngest daughter what race should would chose to be she looked at me like I was crazy. “I’d stick with what I am. Black American. Which is everything that America can be.” In my bakcgorund I know of white great great great grandfathers, native American great great grandmothers and slave ancestors from the [...] June 7, 2009
My father drove bombs across the Alps during World War II. This is but one of the many stories I remember from the lessons he taught me about that war. When President Obama spoke on D-Day about those we honor I thought about all the times my father talked about the war as if it was [...] June 3, 2009
If you reside in Harlem and your skin color is that of a brown paper bag or darker than you know Representative Charlie Rangel had a point when he spoke on the ‘friendly fire’ death of police Officer Omar Edwards. “Whether it’s me, whether it’s the attorney general, or indeed, whether it’s the President of [...] May 31, 2009
It is not easy to break old habits. Ask anyone who has tried to diet or stop smoking. Those are habits that usually must end in order to save one’s life. But what about habits that come with culture? What about the habits of racism and blaming everything on black people? How do you stop that? In the [...] May 19, 2009
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: Accountability, African-American, Attitude, Business, Habit Change, Inspiration & Motivation, Latino & Hispanic, Minorities, Motivation, Social Issues
Leave a comment Imagine growing up in a privileged environment where your skin color, your ancestry, your hair texture was never a part of how you made friends and influenced people. You were at the top of your class because you were the best, not because of affirmative action or the fact that your father made the most [...] May 5, 2009
Perhaps it hasn’t made the news everywhere because it may not be considered that important, but Saturday, May 9, 2009 is National Train Day. As one of those people who loves to travel by rail I was innudated with emails about the day and its events. It was probably not as publicized as it should [...] April 30, 2009
The area of Harlem where I reside is quite gentrified as well as economically and culturally diverse. I live between 2 lawyers, there are 3 doctors on the block, a Rockette, several television news producers and a couple of cops. The cultures I come across every day on this one block are African American, African [...] March 27, 2009
Shortly after graduating from college I loaned my copy of John Hope Franklin’s “From Slavery to Freedom; A History of African Americans” to an undergraduate friend. I assumed the purpose was a paper on African American history but later learned he just wanted to read the book. Having an acquaintance [...] March 22, 2009
Posted by Antonio de la Vega in: African-American, Geopolitical Events, Humor, Journalism, Latino & Hispanic, Native American, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Classes, Sports, Uncategorized, Women's Rights
Leave a comment Prudencia, timidez, lentitud pueden ser los motores que impulsen a “Hablar sin interrupción”. Durante la próxima visita del presidente Obama a México, espero que estas tres “virtudes” sostengan al diálogo y proyecten no ya nada más dos países o dos gobiernos, sino dos grupos [...] March 9, 2009
Today is the 50th birthday of the Barbie doll and she has changed ever so slightly. When I first laid eyes on her as an excited little ‘colored’ girl, as we were called back then, she had the same disproportionate body, the sexy cow eyes and hair the texture of soft cotton. She was a [...] February 28, 2009
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Creative Writing, Inspiration & Motivation, Uncategorized
One comment Bent Over for a Very Long Time by Minnette Coleman
Another Black History Month comes to an end and there are those still surprised that racism is alive and well. Each year articles are written and [...] February 25, 2009
The options are on the table for the recently released Indianapolis Colt Wide Receiver, Marvin [...] February 23, 2009
History That Must be Told by Minnette Coleman Imagine sneaking around the house at the tender age of 8 looking for your Christmas presents and discovering a box of history. Barely 9 years after the passing of the Anti-Lynching laws I crawled under my parents bed to find not another Creole doll from New Orleans as [...] February 18, 2009
The New York Post cartoon comparing the author of the stimulus package to a dead chimp like the one killed in Connecticut the other day has already caused a furor. Al Sharpton has replied reminding those who know the history of race in this country how often blacks have been compared to monkeys, chimps and [...] February 17, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Current Events, General Topics, Governance, Politics, Social Aspects, Social Classes, The Pundit's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment President Obama does not like the White House. It is easy February 9, 2009
Posted by Minnette Coleman in: African-American, Inspiration & Motivation, Politics, Social Issues, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment In 1976 when President Gerald Ford changed Negro History Week to Black History Month there was barely a show of gratitude amongst my friends. Dr. Carter G. Woodson founded the Association of African American Life and History creating the first Negro History Weekin 1926 making it the second week in February appropriately situated between the birthdays [...] January 22, 2009
Posted by Shaun Gallagher in: African-American, Education, Entertainment, Politics, Sports, The Writer's Corner
Leave a comment In appreciation of President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration; I would like to look back at the path that was paved, in the athletic field, in order for this momentous event to be had. While leaders like Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King are very important to the fight against oppression, many athletes have had intricate [...] January 20, 2009
Posted by Bill Hazelgrove in: African-American, Entertainment, Fiction, General Topics, Politics, Social Classes, Social Issues, The Pundit's Corner, The Writer's Corner, Uncategorized
Leave a comment We could despair that there are still people who call him the “messiah” and make jokes with the N word. That there are men who sit in basements in suburbs all over America and turn off the television when he comes on and mutter about the “the anointed one.” Or that there are vast areas [...] |
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Don't be colorblind--be aware.
Don’t be colorblind–be aware.
by Tyree Harris
In a nation that drowns itself in political correctness and shudders in fear of any racial discussion, the notion of “colorblindness” has been our sure-fire way of not seeming racist or to disregard the racial and class tensions that mean so much to our society.
People who identify as “colorblind” claim [...]