Reported by April Taylor Former Haitian President Leslie Manigat has died at the age of 83. He reportedly died after a long illness that ended with him contracting chikungunya, a mosquito-borne illness. Manigat was born in August 16, 1930 in Port-au-Prince and was one of four children. He grew up in a family of educators and politicians, and in 1958, he went to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs…
William R. Patterson is a renowned executive coach, award-winning lecturer, and national best-selling author. He is the CEO and co-founder of The Baron Solution Group; the company holds business and personal finance workshops in cities across the United States based on the strategies Patterson outlines in his book, “The Baron Son.” The company is a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise. Patterson co-founded and co-authored the company and book with D….
Reported by Andrew Scot Bolsinger According to a North Carolina obituary, the great-aunt of President Barack Obama died last Wednesday. Margaret Payne, age 87, of Chapel Hill died at a retirement community. She was the younger sister of Barack Obama’s grandmother, who played an active parental role for the future president when he was growing up in Hawaii. “Margaret A. Payne is survived by her brother Charles T. Payne and…
Over the weekend South Dakota Republicans passed a resolution calling for President Obama’s impeachment. In the resolution, Republicans referenced the trading of Taliban soldiers in exchange for U.S. soldier Bowe Bergdahl and Obama’s promise that people could keep their health insurance if they liked it as a viοlation of President Obama’s oath. “Therefore, be it resolved that the South Dakota Republican Party calls on our U.S. Representatives to initiate impeachment…
Reported by April V. Taylor Henry Louis Gates Jr. recently wrote an article for the Root where he examined the history of free African-Americans owning slaves. According to his research, free blacks in the United States owned slaves from at least 1654 on through the Civil War. According to African American historian John Hope Franklin, most black slave owners “had some personal interest in their property.” Many were family members…
Angela Davis has left her mark as an activist, teacher, and freedom fighter over the course of many decades. She was born January 26, 1944 in Birmingham, Alabama. Growing up in Alabama, she experienced many painful things as a result of racism, including losing friends in the 1963 bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church. After spending time in Paris studying French, philosophy, and communism, Davis returned to the United…
Reported by April V. Taylor Monday marked the deadline for bids for President Barack Obama’s presidential library with three cities making their appeal. According to reports, Chicago seems to have the strongest appeal considering it is where Obama did the large majority of his political work prior to becoming president, and it is also where he started his family. Honolulu, where Obama was born and raised, and New York, where he went…
On the one hand, Republicans tend to speak of a colorblind America, but on the other, they’re quick to call out minorities as somehow less than authentically American. Talking Points Memo unearthed a video of Republican U.S. Senate candidate from North Carolina, Thom Tillis, complaining that, unlike Hispanics and blacks, “traditional populations” weren’t growing. During the 2012 interview, Tillis discussed minority outreach before veering into a racialized discussion on demographics….
On the issue of foreign affairs, Senator John McCain (R-AZ) has been wrong far more often than he’s been right. While appearing on CNN last week, McCain called for most of Pres. Obama’s national security staff to be fired and for the U.S. to increase its presence in Iraq now that the country has descended into sectarian strife. Given McCain’s track record, Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) can’t understand why the…
Pastor Jamal Bryant has been in the news lately for his remarks on the pulpit recently, but those remarks might appear to be a minor excerpt of a longer message. So, out of fairness to the good pastor, it makes the best sense to put an entire sermon in front of readers so they can decide what he’s all about. In this sermon, Pastor Bryant begins speaking about the kidnapped…
Reported by April Taylor Nearly a decade after hosting one of the most well known block parties in history, Dave Chappelle is set to “wow” audiences again by co-headlining his first ever stand-up at Radio City Music Hall in June. The initial block party took place September 18, 2004 in Brooklyn, New York and featured The Roots, BlackStar, The Fugees, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, and many other musical legends. Now,…
Usher, born Usher Raymond IV, is an R&B singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, and entrepreneur. Usher was born in Dallas, Texas but grew up in Chattanooga, Tennessee. He has been married once and has two sons. Usher’s first experiences with performing include joining a local R&B quintet, NuBeginnings, at age 11. He competed on Star Search at age 13 which landed him an audition with L.A. Reid who…
Reported by April Taylor Yasiin Bey, more famously known as Mos Def, has been barred from re-entering the United States. The only information currently available about the situation is a statement released by the music festival, Together Boston. The official statement reads as follows: “We regret to inform you that due to immigration/legal issues Yasiin Bey is unable to enter back into the United States and his upcoming U.S. tour has…
Reported by Krystle Crossman The 9/11 memorial site in New York City was built to reflect on those who died, those who sprang into action to help others, and the survivors. It is now currently one of the most popular tourist attractions in the city. People go to the memorial to look into the reflecting pools where the tower once stood. They contemplate how fragile life is and how it…
Reported by April Taylor Archaeologists with the United States marines have identified wreckage that they believe to be from a Confederate ship named, “The Planter.” What makes the find of unique significance is that the ship was used in a slave escape. Robert Smalls seized the ship during the Civil War in 1862 and guided it into Union territory, freeing 15 slaves in the process — including seven crewmen, five women,…