A local CBS-affiliated network in San Francisco reported that a study conducted by Harvard doctors and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention finds that nearly 30 percent of youth in inner-cities are affected by “hood disease.” The term is used to describe a complex form of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that affects young people who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods where they are repeatedly exposed to trauma. A…


April V. Taylor It seems many people have taken offense to Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison choosing to leave her papers as part of the permanent library collection of Princeton University, where she taught at for nearly two decades. Those who have taken offense feel as though the papers should have been left to HBCU Howard University, where Morrison graduated from and also taught such influential Black leaders as Stokley Carmichael….

April V. Taylor In a surprising turn of events during an event keynoted by Dr. Cornel West, a group of young activists who have been on the front lines in Ferguson, Missouri protested a speech given by NAACP President Cornell William Brooks at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis. Activist and journalist Rosa Clemente describes what happened as follows, at “a gathering of over 3,000 people…at some point the young people…

April V. Taylor As protesters gathered at Michael Brown’s memorial Saturday night, the mood was solemn. Protesters chanted as they waited for Brown’s mother, Leslie McSpadden, siblings and other family members to arrive. As they pulled onto Canfield Drive, protesters asked media to respect her as they swarmed her car. As she emerged, she was clearly emotional and overwhelmed by the large crowd of hundreds of people from all over…

[View the story “Hundreds March On Ferguson Police Department, Deliver Casket To Them” on Storify]

During a press conference last week, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon made a statement regarding the protests and police aggression that followed the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri on August 9th. Echoing words that have been used numerous times over the last six decades to protest police brutality and racial apartheid perpetuated by government entities, Nixon stated, “This is a test. The eyes of the…

If people were not aware that the mainstream media presents a biased view of current events, the events that unfolded in Ferguson after Michael Brown’s death have revealed the bias to the masses. Many of the images of protesters and the portrayal of the type of community Ferguson is have not told the whole story. During my visit to Ferguson, I have witnessed multiple things that the mainstream media has…

As an activist who works to pursue equality at every juncture, there was an instinctual pull for me to travel to Ferguson, Missouri where unarmed teen Michael Brown was gunned down by a Ferguson police officer during what witnesses say was him surrendering. I needed to come to bear witness to the historical, divisive, and unprecedented events that have been unfolding and to work to ensure that no more mothers…

Movie Review: Hidden Colors 3 a smash hit must see! By: Dr. Samori Swygert The ground breaking documentary series, Hidden Colors, debuted its’ 3rd installment (Hidden Colors 3: The Rules of Racism) last night (6/26/2014) in select theaters across the country. Hidden Colors 3 was a masterful production, and I consider it to be mandatory viewing. I fervently believe that our youth need to see this, and its’ prior series….

In this video, Dr. Boyce Watkins talks about the state of black athletes and why many of them are similar to KFC Chickens or cattle who are bred and raised for one purpose. Do you agree? Do too many athletes live in a state o bliss without the intellectual tools to be productive members of the black community? [leadplayer_vid id=”52B124DE067E1″]

(L) Chef Mike Valli (R) Madam Prezident By: Madam Prezident Most young men Chef Mike Valli’s age are finishing college, looking for a job that will lead to a long time career. I guess it’s safe to say that Chef Mike Valli isn’t most men. While his peers are trying to figure out life, he’s already developed a passion for “flyness” and food. Amongst young people, One of the hardest…

By: Madam Prezident 70% of African American women are unmarried. Although that’s a large amount of unmarried black folk—it’s a harsh reality. Being an African American woman currently on the dating scene, I noticed a few mistakes that we as women make when meeting someone new. These mistakes are the top 4 things that keep us single. 1) Clingy Stop being clingy—if you are the clingy type, then stop….

By: Kamara Taylor It’s amazing to me how individuals are perceived and judged on different criteria. As African Americans are still working diligently to assimilate into a country that we were unwillingly brought into, our skin tone is no longer a good enough factor to expand our possibilities of growth academically and in the workforce. When compared to my peers and colleagues, my hair is considered a “better” grade…

It’s hard to find a financial advisor you can trust because they get a nice commission when you roll your 401k and investments over to them and many of them seem to be unfazed when you try to reach them to inquire on why your investments are losing value. So how can you tell if you’re choosing the correct financial advisor? Well, hopefully you ask for recommendations from financially-stable relatives…

Montel Williams received noteriety for his late 1980s tour, Mountain Get Out of My Way, that motivated teenagers to overcome obstacles, and he was rewarded with his own talk show, The Montel Williams Show, that ran from 1991 to 2008. But now Montel is contributing to the demise of so many Americans by endorsing “bad credit loans” from Money Mutual in which consumers can borrow as much as $1,000 as…