BV Black Spin

Michael Jackson's Physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, Pleads Not Guilty

Boyce Watkins, PhD — 2010-02-08T20:23:00+00:00

According to the Associated Press, Dr. Conrad Murray, Physician for the late Michael Jackson, appeared in court to face a charge of involuntary manslaughter. The charge stemmed from Jackson's death in 2009. Murray was arraigned in a hearing at the Los Angeles courthouse.

Dr. Murray had his bail set at $75,000, which is three times greater than the bail usually set for similar crimes. He wasn't handcuffed, but taken into custody by police in order to be booked. Dr. Murray must give up his passport, which only allows him to travel within the United States. Prosecutors were seeking bail of $300,000, but the judge, Keith L. Schwartz, rejected the amount. Dr. Murray faces up to four years in jail if convicted.

Ed Chernoff, Dr. Murray's lawyer, said that the doctor will not be speaking to the media. "He's going to go home," Chernoff said. "He's going to go back to his family. He's going to go back to his patients."

Many members of Jackson's family were present during the hearing. Their comment to the press was quite simple: "We need justice," stated their father, Joe Jackson.

"This charge is a slap on the wrist," Brian Oxman, Joe Jackson's lawyer, told People Magazine. "There's great disappointment here. [Dr. Conrad Murray] should've been charged with a higher degree of responsibility. What he did was reckless. It was a disregard for human life."

When it comes to the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray for the death of Michael Jackson, the bottom line is this:

1) Let's hear the facts before passing judgment: It's easy for America to assume that the black doctor is somehow incompetent. I find it quite ironic that while the doctors for Michael Jackson and Donda West (mother of Kanye West) have been paraded to the public, the doctors of Heath Ledger and Anna Nicole Smith have not been equally demonized. This is not to defend Dr. Murray as a reliable physician. It is to make us all wonder if there might be a double standard.

2) Yes, Michael Jackson has some accountability in all of this: Although Dr. Murray may likely have violated his fiduciary responsibility to help save and protect Michael Jackson, Jackson's decision to chase the drugs at any cost may have played a significant role in his loss of life. Reports are that Jackson refused help from his family when they tried to intervene, so similar to Richard Pryor, Michael went to a place where no one else would be able to meet him. Based on the path that Michael appears to have traveled with his personal choices, it seems that his death was almost inevitable.

3) Yes, I do want to see Dr. Conrad Murray prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law: Some would argue that possibly serving four years in jail would be a light sentence for what Dr. Murray is alleged to have done. I agree. Also, many conversations I've had with physicians confirms that his actions may have been quite negligent. I am hopeful that after this trial is said and done, Dr. Murray's experience will send a clear message to any physician who considers neglecting his/her responsibility to protect the patient.

Call me a weirdo, but I can't help but wonder if Dr. Murray's trial is going to put black professionals in a bad light. The image of the incompetent black doctor or lawyer is one that we are consistently trying to shake, but one that the media loves to reproduce. If only doctors of other races could be thrust into equally public embarrassments; it might spread the shadow of shame a bit more equitably.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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Black and Missing: Have You Seen This Person?

Jeff Mays — 2010-02-08T16:55:00+00:00

Filed under: News

Rochelle Denise Battle

Case Type: Endangered
Date of Birth: Sep 05, 1992
Missing Date: Mar 06, 2009
Age Now: 17
Missing City: Baltimore
Missing State: Maryland
Gender: Female
Race: Black
Complexion: Dark
Height: 5-3
Weight: 170
Hair Color: Black
Hair Length: Medium
Eye Color: Brown
Location Last Seen: She was last seen on March 6, 2009.
Circumstances of Disappearance: Unknown
Last Seen Wearing: Brown hooded sweatshirt, blue jeans, and brown boots.
Identifying Marks or Characteristics: Tattoo on her right forearm.

If you have information regarding the whereabouts of Rochelle Denise Battle, please contact the Black and Missing Foundation's tip line.

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N.Y. Gov. Paterson May Resign Over Affairs

Paul Shepard — 2010-02-08T14:26:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama

Rumors are swirling that New York's first black governor, David Paterson, may be forced to resign for the same reason he took the office from his predecessor: a sex scandal.

Several websites, including Business Insider and Cityfile New York, are reporting that the New York Times is preparing a profile on Gov. Paterson that will expose alleged drunken sex parties held by Paterson.

Spokespeople for Paterson acknowledge the Times story is coming out, but they don't believe it contains any new bombshells.

Under normal circumstances, reporting on rumors such as the type around Paterson, would be considered out-of-bounds.

But the circumstances are far from normal when it comes to the embattled New York governor who has to suffer the embarrassment of having President Barack Obama ask him not to run for reelection because he is so unpopular with voters.

Even if Paterson were to run for office, he would represent the longest of longshots for reelection.

Polls show him far behind New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who is expected to seek the Democratic nomination for governor. And though he hasn't announced he is officially running, Cuomo, the former U.S. Housing and Urban Development director under former President Bill Clinton, has been openly courting the base of Paterson's crumbling support, black elected officials and clergy.

Paterson, the son of longtime city deal maker and politician Basil Paterson, is New York's first black governor and America's second legally blind governor.

He took over the governor's mansion, after the-then Governor Elliot Spitzer was forced to resign after being caught hiring a hooker in a Washington D.C., hotel.

But Paterson raised eyebrows when just one day after taking office, Paterson and his wife, Portia, acknowledged they both had cheated on each other during their marriage.

Paterson has been buffeted by negative press since he first took office and his approval ratings are so low that President Obama asked Paterson not to seek reelection, fearing that the politically important governor's mansion will fall in to Republican hands.

The state is facing its worst financial crisis since the 1970s.

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NBC's Fried Chicken "Controversy" is a Wee Bit Silly

Boyce Watkins, PhD — 2010-02-08T14:14:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights

Much respect to those who feel that the recent NBC fried chicken Black History Month controversy is legitimate, but I must say that perhaps we should dig deeper before going off the deep end. I am not one to say that television networks can't be racist and insensitive. I've stated on many occasions that Black History Month has been commercialized worse than Christmas, and that most of us don't commemorate the month in the way we probably should. The attack on NBC's fried chicken menu, though, was both over the top and a wee bit silly. Let me tell you why:

1) The cook was black and only serving food that she likes: I saw the video of the poor woman who chose to serve the fried chicken. She has been traumatized by the national publicity that her little decision has created. We should stop beating up on this poor lady and let her explain that her fried chicken is not an evil plot to undermine the world's quest for racial justice.

2) NBC didn't authorize the cook to put the menu up, so should they be held responsible? The last I checked, the cook didn't check with the president of NBC to see if she could serve fried chicken that day. If that is the case, then why are we acting as though this was some kind of networkwide decision? Sure the network is responsible for what happens within its walls, but give me a break.

3) Is this the only thing that NBC is doing to commemorate Black History Month? OK, if serving chicken and black eyed peas is the only way that NBC is celebrating Black History Month, then we would have a serious problem. But not only was this menu NOT part of their celebration (they had no idea that the cook was choosing to make this food), but the network has a long list of other activities that go far beyond fried chicken.

If we want to challenge networks for their systemic lack of diversity in key decision-making positions, I get it. If we want to hold them accountable for their perpetuation of black stereotypes, I get that too. But to kick someone in the butt because their black cook wants to serve fried chicken? That's just way too much. Let's chill out on that one.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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Emergency Vaccinations For Haitian Quake Survivors

Paul Shepard — 2010-02-08T13:04:00+00:00

Filed under: News

International health organizations will start an emergency campaign to provide vaccinations against communicable diseases for 140,000 earthquake survivors in Haiti.

A coalition of health agencies, made up by the International Red Cross, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the Haitian Health Ministry, will begin vaccinating nearly 2,000 this week in the capital of Port-au-Prince.

With sanitation in the city totally compromised, the threat of spreading diseases, such as measles, diphtheria and tetanus, has posed a major concern for quake victims and aid workers.

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Cop Not Charged for Shooting Unarmed Elderly Black Man

Boyce Watkins, PhD — 2010-02-08T12:36:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights

A total of 12 witnesses all said that he was unarmed. In spite of this, a 73-year-old black man in Homer, La., was shot in a case that has sparked a great deal of racial tension in the area. What is most intriguing is that the grand jury refused to indict the police officer involved.

A grand jury gave a "no true bill" ruling in the case of Bernard Monroe, the senior citizen who was shot by officer Tim Cox. The ruling implies that the case will not go to trial, and the group rejected from consideration all charges, including murder, manslaughter and negligent homicide.

In this tiny town of 3,800, many citizens were outraged last February when Bernard Monroe, a man who was left voiceless by cancer, was shot by a police officer. The police have stated that Monroe was armed during the shooting, but witnesses are telling a different story.

The grand jury heard 20 witnesses over a two-day period, according to Kurt Wall, director of the Criminal Division of the State Attorney General's office. The local prosecutor recused himself, causing the Attorney General to step in.

"We believe it was a full, complete, accurate and thorough presentation conducted at a neutral site. We respect the grand jury's decision," Wall told the media.

The situation has not yet come to an end. The Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) is now stepping in to investigate the case. Also, the local chapter of the NAACP is angered by what has happened to Mr. Monroe.

"I am so disappointed," said the Rev. Willie Young Sr. "When you have 12 witnesses that say the man did not have a gun, and he was gunned down by police, what are you supposed to believe? We are left with the belief that police in Homer have a license to kill."

According to reports, Bernard Monroe was shot by Officer Cox on February 20, after Cox and another officer were chasing Monroe's son through the house. They eventually shocked his son with a stun gun in the yard. Bernard Monroe was in the yard with several family members at a cookout when the incident took place.

When it comes to the Bernard Monroe shooting the bottom line is this:

1) We cannot jump to judgment in this case: The FBI has come in to investigate. I am hopeful that after due process has occurred, we can get to the bottom of this incident. The Rev. Al Sharpton, however, has already held a march in the area, and in spite of what some may think about Rev. Sharpton's involvement, I am well aware that he does a thorough investigation himself before deciding to intervene in police-shooting incidents. There appears to be evidence that this shooting may have been an abuse of police authority.

2) If police did abuse their authority, this is reflective of a problem that is far too common: All across the country, many citizens are afraid of the police. It should not be the case that in a supposedly free society, we must be fearful of another human being arbitrarily applying his wrath on to those who disagree with him. I've seen cops go overboard on multiple occasions for no good reason, and the day of the rogue police officer must come to an end.

3) Let's hope this is not a case of dirty small town justice: When my team worked on the case of Heather Ellis, the college student who faced 15 years in prison in an incident that stemmed from her cutting a line at a Walmart, I learned a great deal about how things happen in small towns behind closed doors. Nowhere is this more true than in the South, where people are consistently arrested for crimes they did not commit. One case that comes to mind is that of Rodney Stanberry, a man for whom there is very little evidence to support the years he has spent serving time for a murder conviction. Another is the case of Jamie and Gladis Scott, two sisters who have served a number of years for a crime that many believe they did not commit. What is most sad about this reality is that the justice system still does not work in favor of black people, especially if they are poor. Additionally, this system is destroying black families everywhere.

I call on organizations, such as The National Black Law Students Association, to get to the forefront of these issues and use their legal expertise to systematically confront these issues and bring long-awaited justice to the African-American community. If they don't step up to the plate on these issues, then no one can. We've got to work together to make this situation right.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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S. African Polygamist President Jacob Zuma Admits to Being a 'Babydaddy'

Ruth Manuel-Logan — 2010-02-08T11:50:00+00:00

South African President Jacob Zuma, a polygamist leader, has publicly admitted to having an extramarital affair that produced a child last November.

Although the marathon adulterer has had countless affairs, President Zuma's lifestyle has been put under the microscope as of late by those who frown at his hearty appetite for women. The Zulu president has defended his polygamous lifestyle to a fare-thee-well and has blasted those critics who think he is behaving irresponsibly.

Political analysts and the South African media have banded together and are rallying against President Zuma's latest "responsible act": the birth of his 20th child with another woman while still married. In a country of 50 million, and where HIV/AIDS runs rampant-5.7 million victims, the highest in the world-many of Zuma's critics fear that his casual attitude about marriage might spill over in to the way he runs the country.

A Business Day newspaper editorial stated, "If the president is unable to respect social boundaries, such as those created through marriage, how can he be trusted to respect the boundaries erected in terms of the national constitution's checks and balances?" the paper asked. The Johannesburg Star newspaper echoed Business Day but added: "His rampant libido has made South Africa a laughingstock of the world."

President Zuma has been lauded for turning around AIDS policies after former President Thabo Mbeki and his outlandish policies were blamed for hundreds of thousands of premature deaths. Yet President Zuma's critics are still also quick to point out, that he might be undermining his own AIDS policy by behaving in such a cavalier manner as head of state. Many still remember the time when, on trial for rape - a charge of which he was eventually acquitted - President Zuma admitted to having unprotected sex with a woman he knew to be HIV-positive. According to published reports, the 67-year-old president made mention of the fact that he showered to clean himself of the disease. Later, President Zuma "cleaned up" his statement by saying that he showered after sex, not after being exposed to HIV.

President Zuma currently has three wives and is engaged to another woman.

Brian Sokutu, a spokesman for President Zuma's African National Congress Party, told The Associated Press that the president's relationship with a fifth woman was not adulterous because he is a polygamist, who may have been intending to marry the woman. But Sokutu said he could not comment on whether a marriage was imminent. "There is something called courtship," Sokutu said. "What that means is that before you do officially get married there is the courting period. And during that period anything can happen."

In his public admission, where he names the mother of his child, 39-year-old Sonono Khoza, Zuma has confessed to paying the woman an 'inhlawulo,' which is a payment that is traditionally made by the man when an affair results in a child. President Zuma has made it very clear that the monies he has given to his child's mother is by no means an admission of any wrongdoing on his part. He has also referred to his latest drama as "intensely personal" and asked that the press be respectful of his privacy.

Meanwhile, Sokutu is keeping hope alive and does not think President Zuma's admission will end in a political fallout, "We're happy that he has come out and spoken out on this thing," Sokutu said. "He's not denying anything. We think it's a sign of honesty and hopefully this is going to give clarity to the South African public."

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U.S. Military to Offer Morning After Pill to Females in Armed Forces

Ruth Manuel-Logan — 2010-02-08T10:28:00+00:00

Filed under: News

The now, forward-thinking, U.S. military is planning on covering all of its bases throughout the world by offering emergency contraception, better known as the morning after pill or Plan B (levonorgestrel), to its female soldiers.

According to U.S. Defense Department spokesperson Cynthia Smith, the decision to distribute Plan B was reached last November by an independent advisory panel of medical doctors and pharmacists. The gathering of health care experts agreed that military bases should keep a supply of the 2006 FDA-approved contraception drug for those who require it. Although many military hospitals already keep a supply of Plan B, the new policy will mandate that the drug will become a stocked item in every medical facility, including in Iran and Afghanistan bases.

Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, praised the U.S. Pentagon and the shift from the resistance of the Bush administration to provide emergency contraception to military women when the issue was debated, then overruled, back in 2002. Keenan expects that the decision to provide Plan B would affect some 350,000 women in the U.S. Armed Forces. "We applaud the medical experts for standing up for military women," said Keenan.

The decision to approve the drug on U.S. military bases globally, comes on the heels of a U.S. Commander in Iraq and his attempt to enforce a clause in his code of conduct that would have made getting pregnant while deployed there, or impregnating a woman in the military, a punishable offense. The U.S. Armed Forces' current policy, regarding a female military personnel's pregnancy, is that she would immediately be removed and sent back to the United States.

Anti-abortion groups have been rallying against the controversial drug since it was approved, comparing it to a surgical abortion. Pro-choice advocates argue, that Plan B does not cause an abortion but rather significantly decreases a woman's pregnancy chances if taken after intercourse.

As to when the policy regarding Plan B will actually go into effect, Smith cannot state at this time.

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Mitch Landrieu - New Mayor of New Orleans

Carmen Dixon — 2010-02-08T09:45:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics

Mitch Landrieu scored a decisive victory on Saturday to become the new mayor of New Orleans. Landrieu replaces term-limited Ray Nagin, who defeated Landrieu four years ago in the wake of the Katrina fiasco. Landrieu beat 10 opponents to become the first white mayor of this predominantly black city since his father, Moon Landrieu, left the post in 1979.

At the time, the mayoral election in 2002 was marked by a strong racial component. Many of the black residents of New Orleans feared that their influence on the city's future would be marginalized since so many were displaced in the Katrina aftermath. Landrieu sees his victory as a turn of that page.

Landrieu said his commanding victory - he had more than 66 percent of the total - was a sign voters decided to "strike a blow for unity."Political observers attributed Landrieu's strength in part to "buyer's remorse" - voters unhappy with the city's lack of progress under Nagin deciding to give Landrieu a chance. "This time, I'm voting for Mitch Landrieu," a black woman says at the end of the often-seen Landrieu television commercial.

Landrieu supporters said they trusted his politically prominent family and had confidence in him. "I certainly don't want another Ray Nagin - a businessman," said Charlotte Ford, a 76-year-old semi-retiree and registered Republican. "They balk instead of finding out what works, how the system works." Source: Move over Ray Nagin, New Orleans has a new mayor

Landrieu's Saturday victory was eclipsed by the New Orleans Saints Superbowl appearance.

Victory came in an election that had competed for attention with the New Orleans Saints' first-ever appearance in the Super Bowl and the first big weekend of Carnival season parades. (Landrieu's) victory party was a nod to both: the ballroom of a the Roosevelt hotel - recently reopened after a post-Katrina restoration - was festooned with Saints-themed black and gold balloons. A roving brass band played Mardi Gras tunes, and he prefaced his victory speech by leading the crowd in the Saints' "Who Dat" cheer. Source: Move over Ray Nagin, New Orleans has a new mayor

With a new mayor and a thrilling Superbowl win, just maybe New Orleans is in for a hard-earned spell of good luck.

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News Blast: Gary Coleman to Appear in Court, Jackson Doctor to Receive Manslaughter Charge

Abena Agyeman-Fisher — 2010-02-08T09:41:00+00:00

Filed under: News

Gary Coleman to Appear in Court
Former actor Gary Coleman, 41, is set to appear in court today in Santaquin, Utah. The court date was a provision of his $1,725 bail, which was paid by a fan. Originally, Coleman failed to appear in court for a prior domestic violence charge and was picked up by police, who had a warrant for his arrest, on Jan. 24. [ABC News]

Jackson Doctor to Receive Manslaughter Charge
Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's former doctor, is expected to be charged with involuntary manslaughter on Monday. For about a week, Murray has made it clear that he is willing to surrender to authorities, but negotiations about whether he should be handcuffed has delayed the charge. Murray is charged with Jackson's death after allegedly administering a number of sedatives to the singer. [Washington Post]

Gov. Paterson Fights Rumors, Unpopularity in Re-Election Bid
New York Governor David Paterson met with lawmakers to discuss his re-election campaign over the weekend. The rumors that have bubbled up about his past affairs and drug use, coupled with his pervasive unpopularity, have made his proposed full-term bid quite precarious. [NY Times]

More News Blasts

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Haitian Lawyer for Americans Charged With Kidnapping Fired for Bribes

Carmen Dixon — 2010-02-08T09:05:00+00:00

Filed under: News

The story of the 10 Baptists from Idaho accused of child kidnapping in Haiti reveals yet another corrupt chapter. This time, Edwin Coq, the Haitian lawyer for the Americans, has been fired for trying to bribe the missionaries out of jail.

The Haitian lawyer, Edwin Coq, denied the allegation. He said the $60,000 he requested from the Americans' families was his fee.

Jorge Puello, the attorney in the neighboring Dominican Republic retained by relatives of the 10 American missionaries after their arrest last week, told the Associated Press that he fired Coq on Friday night. He had hired Coq to represent the detainees at Haitian legal proceedings.

Coq orchestrated "some kind of extortion with government officials" that would have led to the release of nine of the 10 missionaries, Puello charged. Source: Haitian lawyer for jailed US missionaries fired, Associated Press

"He had some people inside the court that asked him for money, and he was part of this scheme," Puello said. Coq denied the requested $60,000 payment amounted to a bribe.

"I have worked for 10 people for four days working all hours," he said. "Look at what hour I'm working now, responding to these calls. I have the right to this money." On Friday, Coq had told the AP that he was working for no fee. Source: Haitian lawyer for jailed US missionaries fired, Associated Press

Edwin Coq spoke out last week stating that group leader, Laura Silsby deceived the others into believing that papers were in order for the children to be transported. My problem with that blanket excuse for the other nine Americans involved is that they stood by silently although they knew that many of the children were not orphans. And I wonder if they knew that no orphanage even existed and the kids were to be taken to a hotel.

NBC news is reporting that the missionaries are now reaching out to the media for help:

NBC News reported Saturday that there are divisions within the jailed group. It said some of the missionaries handed an NBC producer a note through bars of their holding cell earlier in the day that listed the names of all of them but Silsby and her former nanny and partner in the orphanage, Charisa Coulter.

"We only came as volunteers. We had nothing to do with any documents and have been lied to," NBC quoted the note as saying. "Please we fear our lives." Source: Haitian lawyer for jailed US missionaries fired, Associated Press

Are the 10 simply misunderstood "do-gooders" on a mission that got out of control? Or could they be more accurately characterized as arrogant Americans, swooping in to break up real-life families in zealous pursuit of some fantasy vision of giving desperately poor children a better life? What do YOU think?

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Next Word Up For Burial: "Hating"

Jam Donaldson — 2010-02-05T15:46:00+00:00

Although a marvel of linguistics and a true ode to black folk's creative genius when it comes to language, the terms "hating" or "hatin'" has turned on us. We have now become a community essentially unable to criticize each other. I mean, it doesn't matter how justified the criticism, it can be blown off ever so easily by the phrase "stop hatin.'" Now, for sure, we've all heard women who said, "Beyonce ain't all that" or guys who will proclaim "Kobe Bryant really isn't that good." OK, now THEY're hating.

But, generally, nowadays you really can't give a piece of honest advice about the most basic things without being dismissed as a hater. The concept has become our own worst enemy. We don't listen to advice, we don't take fashion tips, we don't take breath mints, we don't seem to believe that anyone could possibly have anything worthwhile to contribute to our lives because, of course, whatever they say, if we don't like it, they must be hating.

Have we lost our ability to take criticism? Has it become easier to believe someone is hating on you as opposed to you really may be too fat for that freakum dress? Is it easier to believe someone is hating on you, as opposed to, at 35, you really may be too old to have the "Invented Sex" ring tone? Taken to its logical conclusion, our belief that everyone is hating on us all the time can lead to us never improving and continuing our bad decisions and bad behavior. Believe me, more often than not, people really aren't hating.

Your best friend is not hating on you: it's just that maybe a $700/mo. car payment at 22 percent APR really isn't a good idea. Your boss isn't hating on you: maybe being late every other day really is unprofessional. Your sister isn't hating on you: by 8, maybe your son really should know how to read.

So let's stop with, what I call, the "hating write-off." It's stifling our growth. Believe it or not, most people are trying to help you not make a bad decision. It could be about your man, your woman, your money, your style, your hair, your breath, your housekeeping, but there is value in listening. There is value in humility and the knowledge that you really don't know it all, and you really may not have it all together. Maybe you really are obnoxious and talk too loud, maybe you do need to lose a few pounds, maybe your weave is a mess, maybe you really are too old to dress like that, maybe your kids ARE bad - that's life. But how will you ever do better if you ignore all criticism with a blanket hating write-off?

Our lives should be a constant quest to improve. Lord knows there's always something we could be doing better. And there's no greater gift than friends and family who are willing to help you along your journey with guidance or advice. So the next time you feel someone is hating on you, just stop and think for a moment-are they REALLY hating? Or could it be that a 50-year-old man maybe, just maybe, shouldn't be wearing cornrows....?

Peace people.

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Help to Save Jennifer Jones Austin

Jeff Mays — 2010-02-05T15:39:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Race and Civil Rights

Now is your chance to be a hero.

Jennifer Jones Austin, a 41-year-old wife and Mother of two, ages 12 and 7, from Brooklyn, N.Y., has leukemia and is in need of a bone marrow transplant. African Americans are severely underrepresented on the bone marrow donor registry list, so now you have a great reason to sign up.

Austin is an executive for the United Way. Doctors have said that a marrow transplant is her best chance for survival. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments to help keep her alive long enough for a donor to be found, but chemotherapy is taxing on the body and Austin was on a ventilator just a few months ago.

To help African Americans, get on to the list, donor drives are being held around the country. Even if you aren't a match for Austin, you could save someone else's life.

"I pray a lot and try to think positive about what can be, and hope and pray for a good outcome for myself and for others. I look at it where everyone has their burdens and this is mine. I just pray that I get through it," Austin said.

Austin's case is reminiscent of the adorable Jasmina Anema, the 6-year-old who died recently after battling leukemia. She captured this country's heart when she asked to meet President Barack Obama.

Like Anema, Austin, who has spent her career helping others, is now in need of help

"I wake up a lot at different hours of the night, and sometimes, I have a hard time sleeping, just worrying about tomorrow and what's to come," Austin, 41, told Bronx Boro News.

The chances of African Americans finding a donor are almost half that of Caucasians. Only about 7 percent, or 600,000 of the 8 million registered marrow donors, are African American. Because the marrow needs to match the recipient's marrow, chances of a match increase when the donor is of the same ethnicity as the recipient. African Americans also have a more diverse tissue type that is harder to match.

The process of becoming part of the registry is as simple as swabbing your cheek for a sample, so what excuse do we really have for not signing up? Go to Bethematch.org, and they will send out a kit that you can mail back in.

The donation process, for more than 70 percent of people, only involves the painless procedure of donating plasma. Actual marrow donations are performed comfortably under anesthesia.

Austin and her family have conducted over 70 drives since December. This is going a long way to adding more African Americans to the donor list. Last year, more than 50,000 African Americans joined the national bone marrow registry and nearly 8,000 donated cord blood units.

That's good, but we can do better. I suggest that we seek to triple those numbers in 2010. Latinos, who are also underrepresented on the marrow registry, should step up as well. If you are between the ages of 18 and 60 and in relatively good health, there's not a good reason for joining.

This, after all, is about saving ourselves.

"The drives being done here and across the country give me joy," said Austin. "Just seeing other people come together and giving their time and giving physically - it gives me a lot of joy and it gives me the sense that I have a greater purpose."

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Even African Nations Giving to Haitian Relief

Paul Shepard — 2010-02-05T15:25:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights

When it comes to giving on the global scale, African nations are usually on the receiving end of international largess, but the harrowing images from earthquake-ravaged Haiti have several African nations pledging financial support for the relief effort.

While the pledge offers of $2.5 million from the Democratic Republic of Congo and $3 million from Ghana are a drop in the bucket compared to pledges made by the United States and most European nations, the pledges represent the first time in recent memory that African countries have pooled their meager financial resources to help a country outside of their continent.

Aside from the individual country pledges, a campaign called "Africa for Haiti" has been started online.

Other African countries that have pledged support, include Equatorial Guinea ($2 million), Namibia and Gabon ($1 million each), Sierra Leone ($100,000), and Senegal, which has pledged $1 million and land to any Haitian emigre.

To my thinking, the size of the pledge isn't as important as the notion among African leaders that they can help bring positive change to those who are worse off than they are. Sitting with a hand outstretched, looking for the next concert by Bono or U.N.-sponsored food program to provide for the people is no way to run a nation.

Now it is up to the leaders to get that message to their people. Word of the Haitian pledges brought angry rioting among the masses in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

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Is 'Precious' a Black Classic or Dirty Laundry?

Madison J. Gray — 2010-02-05T11:36:00+00:00

Filed under: News

As was expected, director Lee Daniels' "Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire," garnered Academy Award nominations in every category it could, led by the powerful performances of comedienne Mo'Nique and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe, who take us in to a world of urban strife, grief (and eventually) fractured triumph.

But as enjoyable as many agree the film was, there's another school of thought I keep hearing about from those uncomfortable with yet another movie about "po' black people," a perspective that expounds the frustration with black folks "showin' their teeth." Many argue that "Precious" does little more than further perpetuate negative stereotypes about lower income blacks, particularly black women.

And it's a great discussion to have. I mean, once a generation, there's always the Negro intelligentsia argument over a particular piece of film or television, featuring black folk, that it doesn't show us in the best light. In the '50s, it was "Amos and Andy," in the '70s it was "Good Times," and now after the turn of the century, it's "Precious."

But my question is this: who anointed a Black Knights of Standards and Practices to determine what is suitable for black consumption?

When I was a kid, many parents did not let their children watch "Good Times." Their feeling was that our children didn't need yet another image of poor, downtrodden black people who couldn't catch a break. Truth is, at least some of the cast and writers of that show felt the same way. That continued the debate, which had been going on at least since the days of W.E.B. DuBois, on what our image is supposed to be.

During the Harlem Renaissance, black folk seemed to try to assimilate in to a dignified western look and speech pattern, as was the rest of the world in those days. As our art became wildly popular during the '40s and '50s through the spread of jazz and bebop music, we identified with it and society identified it with us. By the '70s, the Black Identity movement had caused us to cast off earlier preconceptions of what blackness is and for the first time in our history we had a thirst to determine our own image: black people created by black people was an important social construct. (Both Nina Simone and Lena Horne were drop dead gorgeous).

So as I sat in a friend's home watching "Precious," the debate emerged about whether Daniels' work does more harm than good. My response was: Define harm and define good. There's no avoiding the reality of the movie's subject matter. It was strong, unforgiving, abrasive and nowhere near as graphic as the book from which it is adapted.

Second, since when is dysfunction an exclusively black thing? Any social worker will tell you the abuses seen in "Precious" cross the racial and economic spectrum. Sexual abuse and child neglect can easily be found in a white, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, South Asian or Middle Eastern homes, just like it can be found in a black home. The statistics would shock you.

Third, let's not act like there are no movies based on white characters that depict the same thing. The 2003 film "Monster" earned actress Charlize Theron a Best Actress Oscar for her performance in a role far more savage than Mo'Nique's.

Is there an overabundance of movies that portray us in a poor light? Do we not get enough media that places us in a positive perspective? Perhaps, but that is dictated by how we spend our money. I remember the 1997 release of two films targeted at black audiences. The acclaimed date flick "Love Jones," with Larenz Tate and Nia Long made about $3 million on its opening weekend. Conversely the goofy film "Booty Call," with Jamie Foxx and Vivica A. Fox came out the same month and made $8 million its opening weekend.

That indicates that if we spend our money on so-called "positive movies," they will get made. If we spend our money on violence and sex, that's what will get made. So far "Precious" has grossed $45 million at the box office. At least some of that is from the black dollar.

I never thought Tyler Perry's movies were cinematic masterpieces, but as a businessman, he has proven that black people will spend their money on things other than the "Booty Calls" of the world, if you package it right. He has made about $390 million with his films alone. Madea might be ghetto, but she certainly ain't 'hood.

Lee Daniels is the first black director to have a film nominated for Best Picture. He is only the second black director nominated for an Oscar at all, the first being John Singleton for 1991's "Boyz 'N The Hood." That film, as thoughtful and well-made as it was, exhibited the worst in stereotypes of black males, but not before grossing $57 million.

Now I'll admit, there's no telling how much of the black dollar gets spent on these films, but we spend $2.8 billion on entertainment and leisure, according to Target Market News. That means some of this money we spend goes to the very things we complain about.

What's my point? Daniels has said that he did not make "Precious" particularly for white audiences. He knew to whom he was speaking, and he is not an unintelligent man. The film was not adapted so that urban poverty could be sugarcoated; that would have been a worse insult. He also doesn't pretend to offer solutions either, because a film shouldn't. All "Precious" does is tell the story of real people living real lives the way the rest of us do every day.

No, I didn't grow up in a household like "Precious," but I know girls who did. We all have at least a little dysfunction within one or two degrees of separation of ourselves. If we want solutions to the types of issues portrayed in the movie, then it takes looking at ourselves in the mirror - realistically - then choosing to do better.

Hiding from our dirty laundry rather than actually cleaning it will not help at all.

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Holder Takes "Credit" for Civilian Bomber Charge

Paul Shepard — 2010-02-05T11:17:00+00:00

Filed under: News, Politics

Attorney General Eric Holder is taking the credit for charging the Christmas terror bomber suspect in civilian court as opposed to a military court, a decision that has drawn criticism from some in Congress.

Holder added that he heard no objections from other government intelligence agencies when he informed them of his decision to charge Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab in a civilian court.

Congressional Republicans are accusing the Obama Administration with botching the arrest and early prosecution of Abdulmutallab. They say the civil charges cost interrogators the chance to question the suspect and learn important information about his terrorist contacts abroad.

Holder, however, seems to have history on his side in making the decision to send the would-be terrorist to civilian courts.

The Bush Administration used the criminal court system to prosecute another failed airline terrorist, attempted shoe bomber Richard Reid, and hundreds of other individuals on terrorism-related charges, Holder said.

Holder added that reading the Nigerian his Miranda rights didn't stop interrogators from getting important information from the suspect. Republicans argue Abdulmutallab should have been declared an "enemy combatant" and should not have had Miranda rights, which include the right not to speak without advice of counsel, read to him.

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Canadian Restaurant Will Allow Sex in Bathrooms Over Valentine's Weekend

Ruth Manuel-Logan — 2010-02-05T11:08:00+00:00

Filed under: News

Mildred's Temple Kitchen, a chic eatery in Toronto, Canada, is serving their customers a lil' extra sumthin,' sumthin' over the upcoming Valentine's weekend. The restaurant will allow their customers to eat, then sex it up in the unisex bathrooms.

For those patrons who are interested in spicing up their love lives, the bathrooms will be open for sexual romps from February 12 to 15.

According to some customers who frequent the sexually uninhibited establishment, the owners rather welcome the free-to-be mores. One customer remembers attending a wedding at Mildred's, going to the bathroom and spotting a copy of the sexual positions text book "Kama Sutra."

Chef and co-owner Donna Dooher (no pun intended) mentions how her customers spend a tad bit more time in the bathrooms during the lunchtime work week than need be. "We're just taking it to the next level on Valentine's weekend."

There are four bathrooms at the restaurant, and when one is occupied, an outside overhead light comes on.

Dooher affirms that while her customers should not expect to be supplied with condoms, French maids will be working the stalls to keep things spic 'n span and in order.

And no, the restaurant owners are not breaking ANY laws! The Toronto Public Health Food Safety Program states that as long as couples are not having sex in the kitchen and the bathrooms are kept clean, they have no choice but to give the promotion the green light.

A meal, dessert, followed by more dessert...decisions, decisions....

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News Blast: Laura Silsby Blamed for Illegal Transport of Children, Ohio to Lead in Executions for 2010

Abena Agyeman-Fisher — 2010-02-05T09:27:00+00:00

Filed under: News

Laura Silsby Blamed for Illegal Transport of Children
Defendant Attorney Edwin Coq is blaming Baptist missionary leader Laura Silsby (pictured above) for the botched attempt to transport 33 children out of Haiti. Coq says that the other nine missionaries were unaware of the laws and the paperwork needed to pull off such a task, but that Silsby was fully aware and led the entire group astray. [Washington Post]

Unemployment Report to Be Released on Friday
Today the job loss report for January will be released, and it is expected that the number of jobs shed during the first month of the year will be even worse than previous months. While 2010 is expected to generate 1 to 2 million jobs, analysts say it will be at least three to four years before employment is back on track. [ABC News]

U.S. Committed to Recovering Americans from Haiti
The United States is committed to finding each person lost due to the earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12. One place that had the highest number of Americans is the Hotel Montana, which is said to have been flattened like a pancake in the quake. The roof of the building is only inches from the ground. While 21 people were extricated from the building shortly after the quake, 28 people were removed posthumously. Investigators still have many more bodies to remove. At least 100 bodies have still not been claimed from the hotel. In all, 4,000 Americans haven't been located. [Boston Herald]

Ohio to Lead in Executions for 2010
Ohio is set to become the leader in lethal injection executions this year. They have already executed three inmates for the year and are scheduled to execute nine more. Ohio is also the first state to employ the one-dose lethal injection; previously, it was using the three-dose injection but stopped due to complaints that the process was too painful and inhumane. [MSNBC]

More News Blasts

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No Ruling in Obama Aunt Asylum Hearing

Carmen Dixon — 2010-02-05T03:15:00+00:00

Filed under: News, President Obama

President Barack Obama's aunt Zeituni Onyango testified for about two-and-a-half hours during the closed proceedings in U.S. Immigration Court. There are few details about her testimony available, but no ruling was made in her case. "The hearing went well. She was very honest. She was very to the point," her lawyer, Margaret Wong, said afterward.

Wong said Onyango is hopeful the judge will rule in her favor, because "she really wants to stay in America."

Two doctors also testified in support of the case her lawyer said includes medical reasons to stay in the U.S. Wong declined afterward to discuss specifics before a judge's decision.

"This is America. Justice will be done and the truth will come out," Wong said.
The 57-year-old Onyango arrived in a wheelchair Thursday, a cane across her lap. She used the cane to walk to a waiting car afterward. In a November interview with The Associated Press, she said she is disabled and learning to walk again after being paralyzed from Guillain-Barre syndrome, an autoimmune disorder. Source: Asylum hearing for Obama aunt ends with no ruling, Associated Press

No word on when Judge Leonard Shapiro will rule. The Attorneys have 30 days to file written closing briefs, and the hearing may be continued on May 25 if there is no decision prior to that date. President Obama continues to stay removed from Onyango's case.

At the White House, press secretary Robert Gibbs said that the first family is not helping pay Onyango's legal fees and that the president has not spoken to her since he learned of her immigration status just days before the November 2008 elections.

"We would continue to say that everybody in this country should and must follow the law," Gibbs said. "We have not been involved at all in that hearing."

Wong also said the president has not become involved in Onyango's hearing. Asked Thursday if Obama had submitted a letter on behalf of his aunt, the attorney replied "absolutely not. Source: Associated Press

I know Onyango broke the law, but it's still kinda sad that President Obama can't even send a letter in support of a woman who helped to raise his siblings.

What do YOU think?

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Americans in Haiti Charged with Kidnapping: Planned to take Kids to Hotel

Carmen Dixon — 2010-02-05T01:50:00+00:00

Filed under: News

So now we find out that there never was an orphanage in the Dominican Republic and Laura Silsby (above, giving thumbs up), the leader of this New Life Children's Refuge, faces a number of legal cases back at home in Idaho. Silsby and her nine cohorts have been charged with kidnapping by a Haitian magistrate.

The Americans, most members of two Idaho churches, said they were rescuing abandoned children and orphans from a nation that UNICEF says had 380,000 even before the catastrophic Jan. 12 quake.

But at least two-thirds of the children, who range in age from 2 to 12, have parents who gave them away because they said the Americans promised the children a better life.

The investigating judge, who interviewed the missionaries Tuesday and Wednesday, found sufficient evidence to charge them for trying to take the children across the border in to the Dominican Republic on Jan. 29 without documentation, (defense attorney for the Americans) Edwin Coq said.

Each was charged with one count of kidnapping, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years in prison, and one of criminal association, punishable by three to nine years. Coq said the case would be assigned a judge and a verdict could take three months. Source: 10 Americans charged in Haiti with kidnapping, Associated Press

According to press accounts, there is testimony that Laura Silsby was explicitly told that certain documents were needed before transporting the children out of Haiti. Further, Silsby lied about the children being orphans and Silsby lied about there being an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. Silsby had negotiated to rent hotel rooms to house the children and the adults tending to them.

The Dominican consul in Haiti, Carlos Castillo, told the AP on Thursday that the day the Americans departed for the border, Silsby visited him and said he had a document from Dominican migration officials authorizing her to extract the children from Haiti.

Castillo said he warned Silsby that if she lacked adoption papers signed by the appropriate Haitian officials her mission would be considered child trafficking. "We were very specific," he said.

Back home in Idaho, Silsby faces questions about her business practices. As many as nine unpaid wage claims by employees of PersonalShopper.com, the online shopping business she founded and for which she is listed as CEO. One of those claims alleges the company owes the employee more than $22,000.

A Roman Catholic official in the Dominican Republic, meanwhile, told the AP that Silsby had agreed to rent 45 rooms at a former hotel owned by the Church in Cabarete, a northern beach resort.

Silsby agreed to rent the rooms for $7,000 a month and solicited a list of required repairs, said Jose Hidalgo, the real estate agent who brokered the deal. Source: 10 Americans charged in Haiti with kidnapping, Associated Press

Hmmm...could it be that Laura Silsby needed to raise some cash to deal with the legal claims against her and jumped at the chance to take advantage of some poor Haitian children and their parents to get paid - i.e. raise donations? That's how I see it. We'll soon see if Silsby proves me wrong.

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