"I Saw Daddy Kissing ... Santa Claus"

By D. Kevin McNeir

Another Father's Day is here and for the longest time, even though I am the divorced dad of two great teenagers, I had a hard time "celebrating" this day. First, my own father, who died when I was only 25-years-old, lost his battle with lung cancer only days before Father's Day, 1985. Suffice to say, when the day approached each year, I found myself, instead of being in a celebratory mode because of the gift of my own fatherhood, to avoid any conversation on the topic.

 

You see, my dad, Cleveland Billy McNeir, (yeah, he was from Alabama -- had to be to have a name like that huh?), was my superhero. Growing up in the turbulent 1960s, with Vietnam, assassinations, Civil Rights marches --even a riot in my hometown of Detroit -- there were a lot of time that I was afraid of life, the world and the mean-spirited people who seemed to be in charge.

But my Daddy was always there, ever-present, dealing with the world -- somehow, with grace and strength. He was my Superman, my shelter in the time of storm and the kind of person that I wanted to be like when I grew up. So now, as I approach my fifth decade of life, I ask myself, "what happened?" And the only answer I can give is, "Life." But that's a cop-out and never let it be said that I am one to run away from the truth. The real deal for this writer is that being a Black man seems to have become so much more difficult, so much more of a monumental feat -- especially if you have somehow avoided the common pitfalls that await us -- prison, drug addiction, HIV/AIDS, unemployment ... the list goes on. Then, to add to the complexity of this challenging road, I am an out SGL man. In other words, I love other men. More specifically, at this moment, I love ONE man. And he, like me, is a father. The question is how do you reconcile the quest to be the perfect father with the need to be the perfect lover? How do you spend time with the children and then spend time with your "man?" And why is it so difficult to blend both worlds?

Clearly, as Black men, we are members of a community that is still reluctant to accept homosexuality. In fact, sometimes our people are downright hostile, vicious and cruel when it comes to talking about "the gay lifestyle." Sure, it's okay to do it in the dark, to get down in a discrete manner in an isolated Holiday Inn or to engage in a little fellatio during a business trip far away from home.

Hmmn. Maybe I am stretching things by saying it's okay, but let's be clear -- the DL lifestyle is not a new phenomenon in the hood -- it's just new because now we have begun to talk about it aloud rather than whispering. But it does happen -- more often than some would imagine. So what do I tell my own beloved children? Can I be the man that they need me to be and still be true to "my man?" And how should I introduce my lover? "This is my cousin Mark" or "Hey kids, this is your Cousin Jerry." Lies, lies and more lies. Haven't I earned the right to just be real with who I am and who and what makes me happy? Haven't we Black fathers suffered enough to be able to live outside of the closet and share with our own flesh and blood the hopes we have, the joys we have experienced and the memories that have made us who we are? I suppose that each of us must answer those questions for ourselves. But for me, and particularly as I reflect on this Father's Day, I have decided that as much as I love my two "crumb-snatchers," that it's time to celebrate ME just a little more often. Heck! I know many of us, this is SGL fathers, have not been there all the time for our children, have had to be the reason for their disappointments and their tears, but somehow I wish my own children could understand that I have cried more than they ever could. I have ached for them, wanted to take them in my strong arms and be to them what my father was to me -- Superman. And yet, I realize that we live in a world where kryptonite sits on every corner, seen and unseen. And we often are caught in a struggle to simply survive. So my fellow fathers, I write this essay to encourage you -- to implore you to stay in the battle and to refuse to give up. I love my children more than I love myself. I am sure that most, if not all of you do too. And one day ... perhaps we will find a way to let them know that. Until then, we must remain in battle against those who hate the way we live and love. And, we must sometimes even fight ourselves -- because we are unable to accept the fact that God made us who we are -- Same Gender Lover Black Men -- and that God loves us just as we are. Here's wishing ME a happy father's day. You may have to do the same my brothers. But that's okay. The 'card' is in the mail. Oh, and by the way, if you want to really enjoy yourself, why not go out and kiss your Santa Claus one good time under the mistletoe. I know I'm gonna kiss mine.

By Thomas Beckwith

Father's Day is still significant in my life even though my biological father has been deceased for almost nine years. I feel blessed to have known who my father is and to have the chance to actually interact with him. There are many boys and men in society that weren't given this chance because of different circumstances. As this day approaches each year, I try to remember all the good and bad times I spent with my father. He walked me to school every morning over the railroad tracks. My father never was able to graduate from high school because he had to help my grandmother with the bills, and this was mainly because his father left my grandmother.

 

My father wanted me to succeed in life badly, the passion for me to graduate from high school could be seen within his eyes. Being mediocre in life didn't exist in his vocabulary. He pushed me beyond my limits at times, and I really didn't understand this as a young boy.

In my opinion, I thought that my father was just a mean, verbal, abusive man. Reality is he was just preparing me for the different views within society. He only knew how to show tough unconditional love to his children. Of course, I had the honor of carrying the same exact name as him, which at times in life seem to be the most difficult feat. I use to feel like no matter what I did in life, my father was never satisfied and he always desired more. Suddenly, my world became dismantled at the age of thirteen, and I no longer had the stability of a father in my life. My father died from colon cancer just a week after being diagnosed. The sad thing about my father's death is he knew he didn't have long to live. My father came home after being diagnosed for a few days, and he went to Hospice a few days later. Although, he went to Hospice to try to recover, my father ended up dying the next day after he was admitted.

My father left a clear sincere message with my father for my brothers: " Tell the boys to behave, take care of you, and to make sure they graduate from high school."

This message actually foreshadowed that he was going to die soon, but I was too naïve at the time to realize the situation. I really thought my father was going to recover from the cancer. When he died it felt like my heart split in half, and I was emotionally torn because the matter of the fact was I relied on my father. My father motivated and challenged me in a way that is irreplaceable. We use to always talk about how he would be sitting in the crowd, when I walked across the stage at my high school graduation. However, he never got the opportunity to see me graduate from high school nor did he get to see me earn my Associate of Arts Degree. Moreover, he won't get to see me walk proudly across the stage when I receive my Bachelor's of Arts Degree in English from Virginia Tech, May 2010. In spite of this, his love in spirit will always remain in my heart, and my success so far in life is largely because of him. Reflecting on my father today is more meaningful now, and I have an appreciation for all the things that he taught me.

By Tom Beckwith

Another Father's Day is approaching, and I want to acknowledge all the men that have played a significant role in my life as a father figure. Even after my father suddenly died from cancer almost nine years ago, I still had men in my life that took the responsibility of making sure that I graduated from high school and went to college. These men treated me like their own son, and I am grateful each and everyday on how they impacted my life. They have constantly been there when many people had already given up on me in life.

 

These men saw potential in me that I was unable to recognize, and I became a part of there family. In particular, two of the men in my life went beyond there jobs as administrators to make sure I succeed in life. They did all the things a father should do for their children. They bought me clothes, fed me, gave fatherly advice, reviewed my report cards and several other things to make sure I succeed in life.

My friends' use to joke about me being a community child. Ironically people were always willing to help me in life and some things just don't change; people are still helping me. In my opinion, I was just another African American male struggling to persevere in life. I survived the temptations of selling drugs, being involved in neighborhood brawls, and receiving bad grades. Having dependable cornerstones in my life was helpful, and I shared information with them that I didn't even tell my own mother. I have seen the good and bad times in life. One upon of time I was criticized as being one of the most intellectual people that didn't have any motivation or discipline, and currently people are praising my success in college. My growth as a young African American male is because of these men.

There presence in my life shows how a father figure can make a difference in life. These men have been known as my father, and I have thankful for there involvement in my life. They have seen me play sports, struggle with grades, received my high school diploma, struggle with the temptations of selling drugs, succeed as a student leadership, and once again these men will be sitting in the crowd when I graduate with my Bachelor's of Arts Degree in English next year. Even though, I am a grown man there are times, I still need guidance in my life because I am human and make mistakes in life. My suffrage fathers are usually only a phone call away. There are many community fathers that are living within many different communities across the United States. These are teachers, administrators, mentors, coaches, etc. that have taken the time out to give much needed advice to young men, so they are able be successful in life. In appreciation of these men, I want to wish them a well deserved Happy Father's Day.

Interview with Alice Huffman President of California NAACP

Earlier this month I had the honor and pleasure to speak with Alice Huffman, President of NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) California. In our interview she spoke of the Gay Civil Rights Movement, the Black Civil Rights Movement, HIV/AIDS in the black community, working with Black LGBT Leadership and most importantly the work and relationship with NBJC (National Black Justice Coalition) CEO and Executive Director H. Alexander Robinson.

 

On May 26, 2009 California's Supreme Court upheld the vote to ban gay marriage within its borders. This was a devastating blow to all, not just in the LGBT community but every minority in America. The time for leadership is now, at least Huffman thinks so. Alice Huffman and sister at Robinson-Satorie Wedding

When I specifically brought up the subject of the NBJC under the leadership of Robinson she only spoke of positive things. She emphasizes certain traits that he had when working with community leaders that no other has had, at least not in a long time. When I asked her, what would happen to without strong leadership from strong Black Gay Leadership from Robinson? Huffman replies, "I rely on him heavily…". "…it would be catastrophic"

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By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

In the last few months, since the Rihanna/Chris Brown saga, Ms. Oprah has featured a few of her shows on domestic abuse. She's had media darlings on her show such as Tara Banks discuss personal encounters with this sensitive subject.

Now today, actress, Robin Givens has jumped on the bandwagon to discuss her "abuse" when she was married to former boxing champ, Mike Tyson.

 

It appears that many may have forgotten the triangle relationship that Mr. Tyson experienced as when he married Ms. Givens, it was said that her mother was also a part of this 3 sided affair. The mother and daughter were accused of using the uneducated yet naturally gifted fighter. For a moment, Ms. Givens and mother were the most hated women in the United States. It's interesting that now, since the Rihanna/Chris Brown drama, now the public and Ms. Oprah have embraced the once fallen actress. Within the last few weeks Ms. Oprah has featured about three shows on domestic abuse. On the episode with Ms. Givens, are former domestic abuse men, husbands and boyfriends who are suppose to give an insight on why such animals beat up on women. What I find interesting is that this show (as the others) talk about the abuse towards women. But what about the men who are abused by women, wives, girlfriends even mothers. A man can not call the police and charge that he's getting his ass kicked by his wife or girlfriend. It would become a laughing matter. It would only be fair to focus on the forgotten victims, men who are abused by the opposite sex. And what about the gay men and women who are involved in domestic abuse relationships. Where's the voice of that forgotten helpless person or group of people? It appears that our society has a hard time realizing some men are abused by their partners. This is also a problem within the gay community. Many gay men (and women) endure abuse mentally, physically, emotionally, sexually and spiritually. No different than our straight brothers and sisters. Are the television shows discussing this to educate or shock the viewer? Ms. Oprah informed, "Three women die from domestic abuse everyday". Perhaps with such shows and media interest, the laws will become tougher and the punishment will be more strict, severe and harsh. Hopefully this will happen sooner than later. We don't need to lose another life due to this domestic cancer. You read it here at GBMNews.com

Author J.L. King leads educational crusade to end the fad

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir

A quick cruise around Atlanta's infamous Piedmont Park is one way to spend a sunny Sunday afternoon - especially if you're in the mood for some tantalizing eye candy. Because from stripes to polka dots and rainbows, you'll see brothers and sisters sporting their boxer shorts and even spandex that leave nothing for the imagination.


 

However, the problem, as best-selling author J.L. King sees it, is that the style of sagging pants brings with it a host of mixed messages with the first being is he gay, looking for action and/or attention or is he a straight boy just modeling the latest BET video? And who better to speak on this controversy then the brother who put the "C" in controversy with his eye-opening book about life on the down low? "This all became an issue for me when I was at church a few months ago and a young brother walked up to the altar to give his life to Christ," King said. "His pants were sagging so low that they actually fell down to his knees when he got to the altar. One sister commented "that's a damned shame - that boy's ass out like that and no one is saying anything about it." That comment really hit me and as the father of two sons I have always been on them about making sure they dress appropriately so that they are taken seriously." Prompted by that experience, King says he put together a group of nine black men, the youngest being 17 and had a candid conversation. And what he discovered so moved him that he began to wonder how he could change the sagging behavior pattern that is now so prevalent in the black community. "Most of the guys said they were sagging their pants because it was popular but few knew that the "style" came out of prison as a means of brothers signaling that they were looking for sex," he said. "And then I told them that for gay men like me, they were sending us signals too - I mean I love looking at ass and want to see the pants down even lower. And then, it's not just [gay] men who are looking - women are looking too.

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Katina Parker's Labor of Love Exemplifies the Good in Humankind

ByD. Kevin McNeir, Sr. Correspondent and  Editor

Katina Parker was "living her life like it was golden" in sunny California - a visual artist based out of Los Angeles working with clients that included Hollywood's magical couple, Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, Saul Williams and Cody ChestnuTT.

Her work in film and magazine writing, directing and producing, graphic/web design and photography had garnered her numerous awards and accolades. And if that wasn't enough, she had been mentored by some of the most respected folks in the business, from poets like Maya Angelou and Sonia Sanchez to Emmy-Award winning documentarian Alan Berlin and the veteran director Peter Bonerz.

 

Katina Parker

So, when she found herself out in New Orleans in 2007 with a group of students to produce a podcast she intended to post to the web that would let people know the degree of anguish and despair that remained ever-present in those days following the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina, her plan was to do what she could in the group's one-week stay, helping to rebuild homes, encourage broken spirits and to then return home. But sometimes, as she explained to this writer, "God has other plans for us and our lives." Today Parker is the executive director of New Orleans: A Labor Of Love, an organization she founded, that seeks to serve the needs of people while restoring dignity and hope to those affected by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav. And with a new website that will launch in the coming months and with an even more aggressive list of goals for 2009, Parker says there is no where else she would rather be than "down in the delta."

 
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By Correspondent, Victor Kerney

Los Angeles - For the first time in years, the Black LGBT community marched at the 24th Annual Martin Luther King Day Parade in South Central, Los Angeles.

After the disastrous Prop 8, three LGBT groups: Here To Stay Coalition, National Black Justice Coalition and The Jordan/Rustin Coalition got together and decided it was time to put a face to the LGBT community of color.

 

Yardenna Aaron, founder of Here To Stay Coalition, knew something had to be done. “People needed to see that we are here and we care about our community,” she said. “Our visibility is very important on this historic day.” Once the group was approved to march, they immediately sent information out from their websites, inviting any and everyone to join them for this historic event. Once I saw the invitation, I knew I had to be there. During the parade, we realized the significance of each step we were taking. We were telling the Black community that yes; there is a Los Angeles Black LGBT community. We are just like you and we are not going anywhere. However, as we marched, a few of us became a bit nervous as much as excited. “I realized that I was coming out to my people, and that frighten me and inspired me at the same time,” a fellow marcher stated. The crowd showed nothing but love for us. Thousands of people were able to see and hear us as we walked roughly two miles from Crenshaw to Western Avenue down Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. I can’t tell you how the smiles and cheers just encouraged everyone to move on. Of course there were some people who were not happy to see us, but the interesting part was how the crowd around them responded. Many people chastised the ‘haters’ and quickly turned it around. Many of us were moved by this gesture. This was truly a momentous event. We hope we inspired others to take a stand and possibly join us next year.

NYC's Shabazz Center Hosts Free Victory Party on Obama Inauguration Night

By Charles Gilmore, Jr.

HARLEM, USA, 1/20/2009 - There was something familiar about the location of this victory event. "165th Street & Broadway" - what was it about that intersection that tugged at my memory? I found my answer as soon as I arrived: the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center is located in the building formerly known as the Audubon Ballroom, the place where Malcolm X was assassinated al-most 44 years ago, on February 21, 1965.

 

Walking into the gorgeous lobby of this historic building, I encountered an amazing assortment of people, seemingly from all walks of life, en-joying a sumptuous free buffet provided by the Shabazz Center. At the front of the lobby, a large-screen projector played footage of that mor-ning's inauguration ceremony, and the incredible reality it conveyed: a black man has become President of the United States! It was as if we stood at the corner of History & Hope. Party guests and Shabazz Center staff all seemed to be brimming with pride and a sense of empowerment. Many people felt not just the hope that now things will change for the better, but that with President Bar-ack Obama taking his oath of office, that change has already begun.

We were graciously welcomed by Shabazz Center Executive Director Ms. Dowoti Desir, who invited us to the second-floor ballroom for an informal fashion show of "Obamawear." These audacious, unique gar-ments feature slogans and images from the President's campaign, and reflect the wearer's pride and support. There were also scarves, knit hats, and caps adorned with Obama's name and image. Ms. Desir and others modeled the various items, striding, stalking, or slinking down the "runway" between rows of chairs, to the delight of party guests. Among the non-professional "models" was Ms. Malaak Shabazz, Mal-colm X's youngest daughter. The party continued as a DJ played Be-yonce's "Single Ladies" and other infectious tunes to get people on their feet. It's ironic that tragedy and triumph could occupy the same space, that the ballroom where Malcolm's life was cut short was also the scene of so much joy and pride. A change has come, indeed!

 

Annual Breakfast Highlights Need for Political Activism

By Sr. Correspondent, D. Kevin McNeir

Atlanta - About 150 gay and gay-friendly advocates gathered at Positive Impact (139 Ralph McGill Blvd.) on Monday, January 19 for a community breakfast and forum that highlighted the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and two icons from the annals of LGBT history: Bayard Rustin and Audre Lorde. And while it was for the majority, a moment to celebrate, some commented that King's "dream" has yet to be realized when it comes to those who live there lives, either publically or privately, as SGL (Same Gender Loving) men and women.

"It's important to realize that we are all part of this community despite our individual differences," said Maurice Cook, 40, a community activist and owner of EMI Designs Group. "We have come together in the spirit of Bayard Rustin - the man who really organized Dr. King's famous March on Washington - and we are taking that same energy, commitment, love and passion that he displayed throughout his life as we attempt to see past that which may separate us so we can focus on the gifts we possess that make us unique. The messages and memories of Rustin and Lorde continue to empower us to march, rally and protest in the face of the injustices that confront our community."

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By Ken Horton, Contributing Writer
Edited by Kevin McNeir
Photography by Matt Hennie

Several gay and lesbian organizations and their supporters assembled near Ebenezer Baptist Church on the morning of the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day celebration to protest the appearance of Pastor Rick Warren as keynote speaker of the day's festivities.


 

According to officials from the King Center, the conservative pastor was invited to deliver the keynote address during the Martin Luther King, Jr. Annual Commemorative Service last May -- well before recent controversy regarding Warren erupted. His stop in Atlanta came one day before his delivering the invocation at [then] President-Elect Obama's swearing-in on January 20.
Photo by Matt Hennie
"The selection of Pastor Rick Warren as the keynote speaker in celebration of Dr. King is an insult to the King legacy and all he labored to achieve and must be met in the spirit of non-violent resistance," said Craig Washington, founding member of the Atlanta Black LGBT Coalition and protest organizer. "Warren's controversial and narrow views on the nature of homosexuality, committed gay and lesbian partnerships, and a woman's right to choose combined with his highly influential voice threaten to turn back years of progress in the fight for justice and equality for all people."

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By Thabiti Lewis,  AmeriQuests  forum

"We come from a time when rap used to agitate the mainstream, now it represents the mainstream"
Ice T

[B]lack masculinity [is] defined mainly by an urban aesthetic, a nihilistic attitude, and an aggressive posturing…developed largely as a result of the commodification of hip-hop culture, and the ubiquity of rap music and the ‘videomercials’ that sell it. More specifically, it is the result of the popularity of the urban ‘gangsta’...”

-- Matthew Henry

Art: "Big Smoke" by Charly Palmer

The bad man motif figures prominently in Black American folk culture as a symbol of resistance to racism and white oppression. From Stagolee to Shine this subversive figure has been part of the cultural rituals and symbols of Black American of resistance. At the turn of 20th century these bad men were known to play blues or jazz music and wear zoot suits.

Novelist Ralph Ellison aptly depicted such a figure in his Harlem character Rinehart in his famous novel Invisible Man. Perhaps the most notorious bad men in athletics were the black heavyweight boxing champion Jack Johnson and the Negro League baseball phenomena, Satchel Paige who insisted on playing by their own rules.

In the modern world the dark, abiding, “BAAD” bad blues/jazz presence of Johnson and Paige has been supplanted by the likes of the 1990s Dennis Rodman and Latrell Sprewell, and Terrell Owens, Latrell Sprewell, Allen Iverson, Randy Moss, of this century. Perhaps the “baddest” man of them all is Barry Bonds, currently facing an indictment for alleged perjury.

Indeed, the image is re-conjured in the board rooms of music executives and played out in professional sports, spawning new and improved bad man in the world of music and sports. Unfortunately the cool guise or cool posing central to hip-hop’s core is seized upon and shaped by media, professional sports leagues, and leading sports apparel companies to construct the negative stereotype of bad black men. Sports and other popular media, as well as the marketing companies that feed them, attribute these qualities to narcissism, questionable values, poor sportsmanship, as well as a propensity for crime and violence. This is how 21st century Black men masculinity struts across television screens and popular culture. The basic ideological infrastructure continues to position non-whites via art, literature, cinema, music, and sport culture.

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By Entertainment Correspondent, John Frazier

In Florida, an emotional troubled 19 year old kid committed suicide while others watched him slip away, live on webcam. Before the sad event, viewers egged him on, until he swallowed a full bottled of pills.


 

Abraham was quoted as saying, "I want my life to end.
I am tired of f*cking up everything. I am tired of people always telling me that they do not like me. I am tired of trying to be decent. I hope that someone finds this post and I hope that my parents know that I f*cked up, not them. It is my fault I screwed up my own life. The hate that rages within me, rages not for those I love so dearly or those who have crossed my path. This hate rages full force towards me and only me."
He continued, "I have long forgiven those who've hurt me and can not come to terms to forgive myself for things that I have done to myself, and the things that I've done to hurt those in my life." This was his suicide note. Unfortunately this young man had his own personal demons and this webcam site, Justin.tv. (a body building site), was the last place that he should have been. As he cried for help, the folks at this site who are suppose to be human, encouraged his final act, which was to kill myself. Hours passed as they watched, laughed and chatted as he laid in bed, dying. The number of viewers are to believed to have been close to one thousand watchers. But no matter that number, the fact is that no one did anything.
The viewers watched and the camera's rolled as Abraham slipped away. The camera was still recording, rolling, as viewers watched his final hours. Finally someone felt that perhaps Abe could have been serious about taking his own life, at this point the police were notified but it was too late.
The viewers even watched as the police entered the room to find Abraham dead. How sick is that?

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Experts Call For New Treatment Strategies and Better Access to Care

ATLANTA - Studies Find Dramatic Increase in Suicides among Adolescent African-American Males

A significant increase in mental illness and behavioral problems among adolescent African-American males demonstrates the need for new approaches to treatment and better understanding of the complex challenges facing these youths, according to a policy paper issued by Community Voices: Healthcare for the Underserved, an advocacy group based at Morehouse School of Medicine.

The paper, titled "The Secret Epidemic: Exploring the Mental Health Crisis Affecting Adolescent African-American Males," outlines data indicating that mental health problems are rising among of this at-risk group, their access to treatment facilities is relatively low and treatment strategies must be revamped to address the socioeconomic issues that confront them.
	Art by Chaz Guest
"Our research found that many young black males are treatable, but they are going undiagnosed because of failures in America's health-care system," said Dr. Henrie M. Treadwell, Director of Community Voices, a nonprofit seeking to improve health services and access to health care. "Our entire society feels the impact of this failure. Suicides and homicides have increased for this group, and the residual effect is impacting communities across the country. This problem must be addressed." Dr. Claire Xanthos, a health services research specialist, wrote the paper, which cites studies showing that black males ages 15-19 die from homicide at 46 times the rate of their white counterparts and that from 1980 to 1995, the suicide rate for black adolescents rose from 5.6 to 13 per 100,000 of the population.

Xanthos writes that "these figures should not be surprising since adolescent African-American males in contemporary American society face major challenges to their psychological development and well-being. In addition to dealing with the physical, mental and emotional issues typically experienced during adolescence, adolescent African-American males are confronted with unique social and environmental stressors. They must frequently cope with racism and its associated stressors, including family stressors, educational stressors, and urban stressors."

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By Darryl Fears

The House yesterday apologized to black Americans, more than 140 years after slavery was abolished, for the "fundamental injustice, cruelty, brutality and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow" segregation.

The resolution, which passed on a voice vote late in the day, was sponsored by Rep. Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), a white Jew who represents a majority-black district in Memphis. Cohen tried unsuccessfully to join the Congressional Black Caucus this year.

 

"I hope that this is part of the beginning of a dialogue that this country needs to engage in, concerning what the effects of slavery and Jim Crow have been," Cohen said. "I think we started it and we're going to continue." Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) is considering introducing a companion measure in the Senate, he said. Cohen faces a tough fight against airline lawyer Nikki Tinker, who is black, in the Democratic primary Aug. 7.

His measure was co-sponsored by 42 members of the Congressional Black Caucus, including Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), the House majority whip; Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee; and Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Ways and Means Committee. None of those caucus members has endorsed his reelection bid. A total of 120 lawmakers, including two Republicans, co-sponsored the resolution, Cohen said.

Please express your opinion in the poll below:

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LYNWOOD, Ill. — Be careful if you have saggy pants in the south Chicago suburb of Lynwood. Village leaders have passed an ordinance that would levy $25 fines against anyone showing three inches or more of their underwear in public.

Eugene Williams is the mayor of Lynwood. He says young men walk around town half-dressed, keeping major retailers and economic development away. He calls the new law a hot topic.

The American Civil Liberties Union says the ordinance targets young men of color.

Young adults in the village, like 21-year-old Joe Klomes, say the new law infringes on their personal style. He says leaders should instead spend money on making the area look nicer

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By Chris Stevenson

They lasted longer than Bell-Bottoms (11 years), Zoot Suits (15-20 years) and if they are still being worn, you better believe it's for a reason other than fashion-related. The beginning of sagging pants (AKA "bustin' slack") starts way back with a prohibition of belts in prisons where belts were confiscated to prevent inmates from hanging themselves.

 

(The practice of wearing low-slung, baggy or sagging trousers is thought to have begun in US prisons. Inmates were issued with ill-fitting clothes and denied belts due to fears over use as weapons or suicide aids.)

Southern California gang members are also cited as originators. It goes without saying how this became closely associated with the hip-hop movement especially the "gangsta-rap" culture and since the early '90's has shown no sign of slowing down..

Local governments have begun to take legal action against the fashion. A proposed ban on sagging pants was passed on July 23, 2008  by the  Jasper County Council (North Carolina) on the second of three required readings, despite public concern over its enforceability, philosophical objections about the role of government and several technicalities about the law. The ordinance would ban anyone from wearing their pants more than 3 inches below their hips “and thereby exposing his or her skin or intimate clothing.” It calls for a maximum penalty of $500 and 30 days in jail

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Crack Boys - Pants Sagging (Warning:Language)

 

Okay People Lets get it together this has been a hot topic for years. 

When it comes to the N word there are people of all races that don't like it, even if it has an a on the end. Black people have used it as a term of endearment for each other. But a lot of people say, why put a positive spin on a racial slur?

It is a powerful word and it brings up emotions that range from hate to compassion.

Nigger is a derogatory term used to refer to dark-skinned people, mostly those of Black African ancestry. As an English variant of negro, it was once in common usage, but in recent times, in most contexts, it is considered a racial slur. However, modern variants such as nigga are used as a synonym for "person" in a controversial effort to reclaim the word for general use.

Recently on the view Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Shepherd both justify their use of the "N word" by saying that black people have turned the N word around and use it now as a term of endearment.  Goldberg also goes onto say that we have taken it out of the hands of those people that have used the word against us to now use the word for a different meaning.

The other three ladies Elizabeth Hasselbeck, Barbara Walters and Joy Behar asked questions like, why they cannot use it? does it mean something different if they use it because they are white?

 

Goldberg and Hasselbeck both have very good points.

Goldberg points out that black and white people don't live in the same world. It very different being black in America than being a white person

Hasselbeck also makes a good point when she says how can we have equality when we bring back a word that represents hate and then expect harmony.

What do you think people? Feel free to comment

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By Linda Dahlstrom

Some things aren’t always black and white. Then again, sometimes they are – like the twin sons born July 11 to a German couple.

The first baby that was born, Ryan, has light skin and blue eyes. His brother, Leo, is dark-skinned with brown eyes.

"None of us could believe it," the maternity ward's head doctor, Birgit Weber, told one news source. "Both kids have definitely the same father."

Stephan Gerth is German and white. His wife, Florence Addo-Gerth, is from Ghana and has dark skin.

It was “a real surprise,” Gerth told the German newspaper Die Welt, adding that the most important thing to him isn’t color, but that everyone is healthy.

The odds are one in a million, say doctors, but it can happen with fraternal twins due the genetic soup in our backgrounds. Peter Propping, former director of the Institute for Human Genetics at Bonn University, told Die Welt that the black mother may have had some white ancestors, or that the white father may have had black ones. Very occasionally, the roll of the DNA die may cause the baby of biracial parents to inherit only the genetic coding for one color

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By Sheldon Alberts

Rev. Jesse Jackson insists he is not a jealous man, that he is not envious Barack Obama has made it to the mountaintop of presidential politics, a summit he twice failed to reach.

But listen to his words, listen closely, and the bitterness emerges.

Jackson, a pioneer of the civil-rights movement and a trailblazer for African-American politicians, has spent the better part of two days prostrate in apology, asking forgiveness for advocating in the crudest terms the castration of the presumptive Democratic nominee.

It has been vintage Jackson -- humble, contrite, seeking redemption for his all-too-human mistakes.

"Trash talk, garbage," Jackson said yesterday, evaluating his own remarks.

Always, though, Jackson returns to same theme. Quite simply, he believes Obama is getting all the credit for the work of generations of African-American leaders, himself presumably included.

"He ran the last lap of a 54-year marathon," Jackson told CNN.

"The martyrs and murdered of yesterday make today's events possible."

That Jackson sits in pious judgment of Obama is apparent. He has accused the Illinois Senator of "acting like he's white" for failing last year to fully embrace the cause of the six black teenagers caught up in a racially charged tempest in Jena, La.

His view that Obama has "been talking down to black people" -- by urging young African-American males to take more responsibility for children they father -- reveals a fundamental disagreement over whether society or the individual bears more responsibility for the breakdown of black families.

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