Attorney Gen. Holder Calls America "A Nation Of Cowards"

Attorney General Eric Holder, brought the race topic back to the table in light of it being Black History month. 

He spoke confidently about the race relation issues that still reside within our country and I applaud General Holder for revisiting this issue, because unless we deal with the problem at hand with hopes of finding a resolution there will never be closure; minorities want closure.

We want the government to take accountability for what racism has done to whole races of people. We want a formal binding apology for slavery, we want proper acknowledgement for all achievements, we want more minority based history museums, we want reparations (which can come in many forms not just cash), and we want to give our ancestors the resurrection they deserve so they know that their deaths were not in vain. If this is done, I believe we'll be able to move on. Of course no one will ever forget the past, but at least we can begin to heal and start anew.

On the day time talk show 'The View', actor Laurence Fishburne said it best when he stated, "With racism comes shame. When people are ashamed of something, many times they're in denial and it's hard for them to come to terms with their shameful ways."

Well said sir.

2009 LA

Listen to Attorney Gen. Holder's words below

Paul Robeson (1898-1976)

Paul Robeson (seen above) was a star athlete, scholar, singer, actor, law school graduate, social activist and author. But he didn't stop there, Robeson was also Valedictorian of his class at Rutgers University, an All-American in football, and a Letterman in three other varsity sports. 

His class labeled him as a leader to lead the Black race in America, and he became the most prominent and respected African American man of the 1930's and 1940's from his academic achievements, acting, and singing.

Robeson at one point devoted himself entirely to singing, and became an international star. He sought to break barriers of ignorance by learning more then twenty languages, and was an outspoken advocate against racism.

Because Robeson supported Soviet Russia and admired their egalitarian ideals, he was blacklisted and denounced by mainstream America. Today, Paul Robeson is remembered as a prodigy, overachiever, and as a man who wore many hats.

I'm still trying to figure out how he had time to accomplish all this and learn over twenty languages!

2009 LA

Ex-Ku Klux Klan Member Apologizes to Congressman John Lewis for Beating Him Up

Two days ago, ex-Ku Klux Klan member Elwin Wilson of Rock Hill, decided to reach out to Democratic Congressman John Lewis whom he beat up at a bus station over 50 years ago.

Mr. Lewis being the humble man he is forgave Mr. Wilson, for his hateful actions back then. Lewis went on to say, "love should have the capacity to love" and that "love is much stronger then hate." 

I agree.

2009 LA

Watch the video footage below of the apology.

Blacks Still Pushing For Government Slavery Apology

Talks of an apology for the horrific act of slavery has made its way back to the surface. 

Last year during the summer of 2008 The White House, decided to give a formal apology for slavery from the 1870's - 1965, although slavery has existed since the early 1500's.

In 2007 this same issue was brought up in The White House, but President George W. Bush, chose not to entertain this topic. Then out of nowhere, The House decided to have a vote on a slavery apology. I guess since a black person is running for the presidency, it'd make sense to bring it up as to not look too racist? 

Unfortunately, the vote was carried out in a fashion that was unusual for votes to be carried out in The White House. The vote was passed on a voice vote and not in written format, and the resolution was non-binding meaning that the vote can be overturned at any time. 

This way of voting seemed odd to me, especially since it isn't the traditional way of voting. 

This was the first time a branch of the federal government EVER apologized for slavery, so you'd think they'd  want it to be a binding agreement so that it can't be overturned.

I didn't accept the fake apology last year and I never will until it's documented properly, made a binding agreement, and well overdue reparations are distributed. Hopefully, President-Elect Obama will make those necessary changes.

Several states have already jumped on the bandwagon issuing and documenting formal apologies for the act of slavery: Florida, Alabama, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey and Virginia. 

Two days ago the Chairman of Georgia's Black Caucus, Rep. Al Williams, re-introduced a resolution in a letter asking for the state of Georgia's official apology. And back in 2007, Mr. Williams tried sending a letter to the Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue, asking for an apology. 

Governor Perdue simply responded, "Those of us in public office today, I think we’re called to live our lives and inspire our citizens to live their lives so that our children and grandchildren have nothing to apologize for." 

What Gov. Perdue said had absolutely NOTHING to do with an apology for slavery. His response was an awful cop out, and to this day he still refuses to join the other six states with a formal apology.

Records from the 19th century at the University of Georgia, prove that Georgia owned and sold slaves so why doesn't Perdue acknowledge this fact? But what can you expect from a state that still hangs the confederate flag high for all to see? Maybe Perdue is scared that the more states to apologize -- than sooner or later reparations won't be to far behind?

2009 LA

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In memory of our Honorable Prince of Peace, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This week lets take off our hats and open our hearts to a TRUE AMERICAN HERO.

Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

2009 PoLiTik

San Jose Students Tour 'Civil Rights' Landmark On The Way To Inauguration

A group of students from San Jose, California, are heading towards Washington D.C. for the inauguration of President-Elect Barack Obama. In their travels, the students have decided to stop off and visit different Civil Rights Landmarks in different States.  

(Emmet Till seen above-l with mother and seen-r dead)

The students first visit was to Money, Mississippi, where in 1955 a fourteen year old boy by the name of Emmett Till was brutally murdered by the hands of white men simply because he whistled at a white woman in a grocery store. 

 (Bryant grocery store seen-r)

The young teenager was taken from his uncle's home in the middle of the night and dragged to a barn. At the barn is where Emmet Till was wrapped in barb wire, his genitals was chopped off along with other parts of his body; he was shot in the head and then thrown into the river.

Fortunately, Till's body was found and returned to his mother. The Mississippi police officers were found to be apart of the murder, and they made the decision that Till's body wouldn't be viewed in order to cover up what was done to him. But Till's mother made sure she had an open casket funeral in order to show the community and the world, what was done to her baby. 

Reading the stories and looking at the pictures, I was completely mortified. The two white men that murdered Emmet Till were acquitted of all charges, even though there were strong witnesses that testified about what they heard and saw. Because the witnesses were black people, their voices weren't heard by the racist court.

(J.W. Milam seen-l and Roy Bryant seen-r who murdered Emmet Till were acquitted, while laughing with their wives in the courthouse)

As I listened to the San Jose students talk about their visit to the courthouse where the two men were acquitted, the church where Emmett Till's funeral was, and Bryant Grocery store where Till whistled at the woman; I cried. My tears were from the pain of the past, and as I saw a picture of Emmett Till before he was mangled beyond recognition I softly uttered the words, "Your death was not in vain. Thank you, Jesus."

Who would have known that having a black president would ignite such a curiosity within the youth to back track the foot prints of history, bringing to light all the injustices that took place in this country.

The Bryant Grocery store will be bought by a Civil Rights Organization, and used as a teaching tool for the Civil Rights Movement. The San Jose students will also stop off at the motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated.

This is an amazing moment in time and I extend my sincere gratitude to these students for their bravery, and for producing such a documentary that'll teach children for years to come about American history.

2009 LA

Pastors and the Churches They Steal From

This past week many pastors have been busted on fraud charges. Apparently, innocent church-goers who voluntarily tithe, are being used for the pastors' personal means.

Originally, people didn't  tithe to worship as church was free for all who came to praise the Lord. Then restrictions within churches began surfacing and as a result, certain church leaders began acting as God themselves. 

God says come as you are, then it changed to come with your wallet, come dressed up and by the way if you're gay -- don't come at all.

In 1785, our first President George Washington, disagreed with a bill commenting that "Making people pay towards the support of the religion which they profess to adapt is impolitic". 

Washington felt that passing such a measure which should have never been proposed, would have disturbed public tranquility. 

So what initiated churches to begin taking cash from its constituents, in order to praise their religion of choice? 

I've been told the generated funds usually go towards the upkeep and bills of the church. But if pastors are constantly siphoning tithes from the church, how are the church bills being paid? Is there money coming from some other organization that we aren't aware of? 

Are churches exempt from filing taxes on the money they receive, so that the IRS can't track the amount of money being brought in?  

The only businesses I can think of that are exempt from paying taxes are non-profits, and non-profits are not allowed to take money from people unless it's through fundraising. 

Non-profits usually receive assistance from the government, so if the government is paying the church's bills does that mean that the civilian donations are up for grabs?

How can a pastor steal from God's people? Does this not stay on their conscience? 

I guess the devil will hide anywhere even in the pulpit, but how do we stop corrupt pastors from entering the ministry? 

Maybe we'll never be able to, but there should definitely be oversight to enforce strict rules and regulations don't you agree?

2009 LA

Were We Tricked?

In 1852, Frank W. Woolworth was the original USA based chain of five and dime stores. Woolworth was much like a Walmart, because the products ranged from bedroom sheets to electronics. I have fond memories shopping with my mother at Woolworth as a little girl.

(The Greensboro Four seen above)

February 1, 1960 in Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American students sat at a 'White's only' lunch counter in a Woolworth department store. The students were from North Carolina’s Agricultural and Technical College: Ezell Blair Jr., Franklin McCain, Joseph McNeil, and David Richmond. 

The four men ordered food but received no service, so they remained sitting at the lunch counter until the store closed. Students began coming everyday to protest at the lunch counter -- in which the count amounted to 300 hundred protesters by the 5th day. Woolworth still wouldn't integrate; some students were even arrested and charged with trespassing. 

The arrests fueled more protests and caused a snowball effect, as students launched boycotts at segregated lunch counters across the city. 

Store revenue fell sharply and store owners were ultimately forced to give in. Six months later those same four students returned to that same lunch counter and was served food. 

These courageous acts led to the integration of many stores before the Civil Rights Act was signed into law. In 1933, an eight foot section of the lunch counter from Woolworth was moved to the Smithsonian Institution to forever mark this moment in history.

Racial tension between Black people and the Woolworth department store was even more evident, which in turn triggered a massive boycott. 

As a little girl, I remembered that the Woolworth department store suddenly disappeared and I didn't know where it went or what happened to it, all I knew was that the store in which I had become accustomed to had vanished. 

Over time I found out what happened to Woolworth, would you like to know?

Since revenue sharply declined due to poor sales as a result of the boycott, in order to get and keep the black dollar something had to be done. Woolworth decided to re-invent themselves and changed their name to Venator Group; their name was then changed to Footlocker which we all know to be a major department store today.

Woolworth decided to change its focus to athletic clothing, and even started an athletic retailer mail-order catalogue titled, East Bay. 

Altogether, there are 596 Woolworth stores worldwide and all of them are now under one corporate entity. And although the Woolworth name has been masked in America, there are plenty overseas in New Zealand, South Africa, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Canada, and Mexico City doing very well in profit. 

Were we tricked?

Woolworth had gone out of business in America, due to its racist attitude and the owners knew if they continued with this name they'd lose more money. 

So now we're tricked into thinking that Footlocker is a totally different store, but it's really all the same. Same people, same store, and probably the same racist agenda.

Now that I am aware of these changes will this stop me from shopping at Footlocker? 

Without a blink of an eye the first word that comes to mind is, absolutely!

2008 LA