Your Black Politics

Dr. Boyce and Roland Martin Discuss Poverty, Race and the State of the Union

2012-01-24T11:01:00.001-05:00

Who Gets Food Stamps?

2012-01-23T12:49:00.001-05:00

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux – President, Bennett College for Women

Newt Gingrich is playing racial politics and he is playing to win. First he says that black children should get jobs as janitors (why not suggest they get the same consulting contract he did at Freddie Mac - I'm with Mitt Romney here, what did Gingrich tell Freddie Mac that was worth more than a million dollars). Then he says that he wants to tell the NAACP that we should demand jobs, not food stamps. He so bristles at Fox commentator Juan Williams that he gets a standing O in South Carolina. And he has repeatedly described President Barack Obama as a "food stamp" President. It's race baiting, pure and simple, and few have called him on it.

The true food stamp story goes something like this. In 2006 just 26.5 million Americans received food stamps. By 2011 the number had spiked to more than 45 million people. This has been the result of the Great Recession that has left at least 13 million people officially unemployed for an average of 40 weeks. Those are the official numbers, but they may be twice as high when we consider the people who have part time work and want full time work and those who have dropped out of the labor market because it costs too much to look for work. President Obama is not a food stamps president; he is a president who inherited an economic crisis. Newt is being extremely disingenuous and extraordinarily racist in his food stamps rap.

While about 14 percent of all of us - one in seven - gets food stamps, in some states the number is as high as one in five. In South Carolina, for example, poverty is greater than it is in the nation and 18.2 percent of South Carolinians get food stamps. The number in Maine is 18.6 percent, in Louisiana 19.2 percent, in Michigan 19.7 percent, in Oregon 20.1 percent, and in Mississippi 20.7 percent. Given the racial dynamics in South Carolina, did Newt decide to show out in a state where there is more poverty than elsewhere, and when the racial resentments (remember I said Confederate flag waving) don't need much fuel to turn to fire. He got a standing O by pandering to racial stereotypes. And that pandering may well have propelled him into victory.

Newt has managed to paint food stamps as a black program, partly by describing our president as a "food stamps" president, and partly by putting food stamps in context with the NAACP. But Mr. Gingrich, often touted for his intelligence, must be bright enough to know that most food stamp recipients are not African American. Indeed, according to the Associated Press, 49 percent of food stamp recipients are white, 26 percent are African American, and 20 percent are Hispanic. Indeed, some of the folks who gave Newt a standing O are food stamp recipients, but they chose to bond with Newt's racially coded messages instead of their own economic reality.

Poverty has a different face than it has ever had before. People who used to have big jobs and fancy cars are now struggling to make ends meet. People who always struggled are now strangling. More than 2 million families have doubled up in the past year because they needed a family lifeline to save their lives and their worlds. More than 40 percent of African American children live in poverty. Newt Gingrich would blame the poor for their situation, but the economy that President Obama inherited is an economy that has thrust people into despair. Food stamps are a lifeline for many. How dare candidate Gringrich attack President Obama for providing relief to 45 million Americans!

Most food stamp recipients are people who used to work, and they would, frankly, rather be working than receiving assistance. But they have downsized their lifestyles, their dreams, and their expectations. They are waiting for the job market to roar back. Half of the 45 million are white, and some of them stood to applaud Gingrich. Do they really think that a man who disdains the poor will provide them with a lifeline? Do they really believe that a man who is selling wolf tickets to the NAACP is really concerned with the well being of the least and the left out. The poverty that too many Americans experience is repugnant. The extent to which politicians trivialize such poverty is character revealing. Who will put American back to work? Who will alleviate poverty?

Yvette Carnell: Justice Clarence Thomas Doesn’t Care If Your Attorney Runs Out on You

2012-01-22T16:07:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce: Eddie Long's Little Boys Keep On Speaking Out

2012-01-21T11:54:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce & Yvette: What if Newt Gingrich Were a Black Man?

2012-01-20T23:55:00.001-05:00

Pres. Obama Sings Al Green for Black Audience

2012-01-20T14:44:00.001-05:00

Newt Gingrich's Wife Says He Wanted an Open Marriage

2012-01-19T18:00:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell: Lessons in Tokenism from Juan Williams

2012-01-19T15:43:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce: Why Michelle Would Have Made an Even Better First Black President

2012-01-19T11:29:00.001-05:00

Arianna Huffington says Michelle Obama Doesn't Understand Poverty

2012-01-18T23:36:00.001-05:00

Pres. Obama Shoots Down the SOPA Bill

2012-01-18T23:23:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce: Why We Might Want to Listen to Tavis and Cornel on Poverty

2012-01-17T20:50:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell: What Would the First Lady Want for Her 48th Birthday?

2012-01-17T11:48:00.001-05:00

Julianne Malveaux: What's the State of "The Dream?"

2012-01-17T11:27:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell: Republican Debates Continue to be Racist

2012-01-17T10:27:00.001-05:00

Kirsten West Savali On The L.A. Batchelor Pad Discussing Slavery In Math Equations (AUDIO)

2012-01-14T21:45:00.001-05:00

By: Kirsten West Savali, Your Black World

Thursday, January 12, I had the distinct honor of conversing with two extremely intelligent brothers, Tony McClean and Micheal Ingram, on their LA Batchelor Pad radio show. The initial topic of conversation was my recent article concerning the so-called educators in Gwinnett County, Georgia using slavery in math equations; but, as what generally happens when like-minds gather in a provocative brain-storm, we touched on a wide range of important issues affecting Black America, specifically the African-American community.

Listen in as we address slavery, the "Angry Black Woman" myth, reparations, complacency and assimilation in the African-American community, among other topics.

Senior Editor of Your Black World Discusses Slavery in Math Equations on LA Batcherlor Pad

Michelle Obama Tired of Being Labeled an "Angry Black Woman"

2012-01-11T09:17:00.001-05:00

George Lucas Says that Black Movies Have a Hard Time Being Funded

2012-01-10T21:26:00.001-05:00

George Lucas made an appearance on The Daily Show last night and said what most black people in Hollywood have been saying for years: It’s hard to get funding for black movies because they’re, well – black. It’s not because black scripts are poorly written that they are difficult to fund, but because there’s no role in an all black script for a white lead.

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Herman Cain Speaks Against Santorum's Racist Remark

2012-01-10T10:54:00.001-05:00

Dr. Christopher Emdin: 5 Messages from the "Slavery Math Problems"

2012-01-10T10:50:00.001-05:00

Harry Belafonte’s Anti-Obama Rant Allegedly Censored from Tavis Smiley/Cornel West Radio Show

2012-01-09T21:07:00.001-05:00

While no one seems to know who did what, there is an accusation that the words of Harry Belafonte about President Obama were censored on the national distribution of the Smiley & West radio show. It is not alleged that Tavis Smiley or Cornel West played any role in the censorship, but it is being alleged that the segment was snipped down, with many of Belafonte’s remarks being chopped out of the segment.

Here is a quote of what Belafonte said about Obama and the audio is below:

HARRY BELAFONTE: When I think of Barack Obama and I think about all that is at stake here I’ve really long since left talking about how many terms he will be as a president. My question is what legacy will he leave having had the opportunity to serve under such hugely dramatic circumstances and boggled the mind and boggled people’s thinking and had such a huge impact on the universal state of things.

And how could he have had such a splendid opportunity to do more than most presidents would have ever been able to do and he let that opportunity slip away from him. And I am very cautious of the fact of those who thinks that he has some hidden agenda and that if only he could be given a second term for us to see the new light new things will be revealed. A new efforts will be made to take us to a place other than where we have been and where we languish.

I just don’t trust that. I don’t think that a safe way an accurate way to look at the scenario. I think if there was the kind of moral compass serving Barack Obama in the way we had all hoped, the moral force would have helped him make choices. The absence of that force in his equations the absence of that barometer to guide him when he has to make these decision which are hugely complicated, especially from the political perspective. He should have come to the table with things that I think would have helped us in this moment of crisis.

Pres. Obama’s Chief of Staff Resigns

2012-01-09T18:14:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

As President Obama prepares for the election year ahead, the White House is getting a changing of the guard. William Daley is stepping out as the president’s chief of staff and being replaced by Budget Director Jack Lew.

Daley turned in his letter of resignation in a private meeting last week, stating that he was ready to return to Chicago. The president made the announcement at a press briefing at the White House.

"There's no question I will deeply miss having Bill at my side here at the White House," Obama said. "But Chicago is only a phone call away."

President Obama also admitted that he asked for suggestions on a good replacement for Daley.

"He told me there was one clear choice," Obama said, "and I believe he's right."
The change of command is set to take place at the end of this month, as Daley will prepare the team for the president’s State of the Union Address.

Insiders say that the president was surprised by Daley’s resignation. He asked Daley to take 24 hours to think it over. He did just that and then reiterated his final decision.

“I have been honored to be a small part of your administration,” Daley said in a letter to President Obama. “It is time for me to go back to the city I love.”

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Congress, The White House, Cut Heating Assistance to Over a Million Homes Last Year

2012-01-09T16:40:00.001-05:00

Racist? Image of Michelle Obama Based on Marie Antoinette

2012-01-09T10:33:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce and Yvette: What do Tavis Smiley and Pat Buchanan Have in Common?

2012-01-09T10:15:00.001-05:00

Tavis Smiley and Pat Buchanan have both paid a huge price for their words.

Julianne Malveaux: Once Again, Everyone Gains While Black Folks Lose

2012-01-09T10:12:00.001-05:00

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux – Bennett College for Women

The unemployment rate is falling for the third month in a row, and in December about 200,000 private sector jobs were created. The monthly unemployment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated that unemployment has declined by six tenths of a percentage point since August. Already, some economists are saying we can expect another decline next month.

I am surprised, however, at the very tepid language that the Employment Situation report uses to describe the increase in African American unemployment. A rise of .3 percent among African Americans, the second rise in as many months, is described as having "changed little". It has changed enough so that while some are celebrating gains, African Americans are losing. Indeed, the African American unemployment rate increased from 15.5 to 15.8 percent.

Black women, it turns out, are losing more than most. While the unemployment rate for adult African American women, at 13.9 percent, is still lower than the male rate of 15.7 percent, African American men gained jobs this year, while African American women lost them. Why? Nearly one in four (23%) African American women works for government, and federal, state, and local governments are releasing workers, not hiring them. And while some governments will attempt to get the economy moving by creating construction and redevelopment opportunities for men, teachers, nurses and social workers, mostly women, are walking on eggshells in fear of job losses. Even when we know that smaller classroom size gives a better yield in terms of educational results, school districts are being forced to shoehorn another student or two into already-crowded classrooms because of cost issues.

The data that comes from the Employment Situation report is, probably much lower than the reality of African American unemployment. When we include those marginally attached to the labor force (stopped looking, etc.), as well as those part time workers that want full time work, the unemployment rate for the total population is not 8.5 percent, but 15.2 percent. And the estimate of the African American unemployment rate would be not 15.8 percent, but a whopping 28.3 percent. More facts - though the number of officially unemployed people is dropping, it is still high enough with 13.1 million actively looking for word and not finding it. And the average person has been out of work for 40.8 weeks, six weeks longer than a year ago. The headlines blaze optimism, the reality is different.

Add to this a recent report that says that the wealth gap between Congress and their constituents is growing. In 1984, the average member of Congress had wealth of $280,000, excluding home equity. In the twenty years since 1984, Congressional wealth grew by two and a half times, to $725,000. Again, this doesn't include home equity. In contrast, the median wealth of an American family actually dropped slightly to around $20,500, again, not including home equity. It is very likely that when home equity is added, the gap is even larger.

This wealth gap perhaps explains why Congressional representatives are more interested in tax cuts than in creating jobs. It explains, perhaps, why Republicans so resisted President Obama's plan to extend the Social Security tax cut and also to extend unemployment rate insurance. Congress is operating in their own self-interest, they aren't thinking about their jobless and economically challenged constituents.

If these members of Congress got calls from bill collectors, lived with less money than month, had to deny their children a new pair of shoes or an after-school trip because of dollars, or actually had to visit a grocery store on a budget, they might have not so hesitated before they eventually capitulated to President Obama's determination. Still the growing wealth gap perhaps explains why so few are alarmed at some of the unemployment rate data.

To be sure, it is exciting to see unemployment rates drop, even slightly. It suggests that some of the Obama policies are working. But someone has to explain why these policies aren't working for African Americans, especially for African American women. If this trend continues, the Obama Administration will have to consider targeting some relief to those who aren't benefitting from the unemployment downturn. Some analysts, myself included, have been advocating programs targeted toward the inner city, toward service employment, toward unemployed youth, for quite some time. The unemployment rate gap, the fact that there are clear winners, and also clear losers in the current changes, make targeted employment programs far more imperative.

Yvette Carnell: A Black Man Asks Gingrich Why He's Using Blacks as a Punching Bag

2012-01-09T09:50:00.001-05:00

Watch the Throne: 15-Year Old Surgeon Sets the Standard for What Black Men Can Surely Become

2012-01-08T18:07:00.001-05:00

Tony Hansberry has a bright future as a surgeon. But there should be thousands more black men like him.

Dr. Boyce: MSNBC Suspends Pat Buchanan - That's the Least They Can Do

2012-01-08T16:21:00.001-05:00

New Book Details Frustrations Obamas Have with Advisers, Public Life

2012-01-07T13:52:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

A new book is describing some interesting behind-the-scenes interactions between first lady Michelle Obama and her aides. The book says that Mrs. Obama is a force on policy issues and opinions, putting her into direct conflict with many of the president’s advisers. The book also says that Mrs. Obama was regularly frustrated with the challenges and constraints of a first lady’s life.

Jodi Kantor of the New York Times is publishing a book this week called “The Obamas,” which says that Mrs. Obama often fought with Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and Robert Gibbs, the former press secretary for the president.

The book is based on interviews with 30 current and former aides, but there is no interview with either Mr. or Mrs. Obama. Kantor says that when the president’s healthcare initiative appeared to be falling apart, Mrs. Obama stated that she was unhappy with the way the White House was handling its strategy.

Kantor also says that Mrs. Obama "made it clear that she thought her husband needed a new team, according to her aides."

The book also says that Gibbs was angry with Mrs. Obama after she said to the French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy that living in the White House was “hell.” Gibbs then cursed Mrs. Obama when adviser Valerie Jarrett told him that the first lady was concerned about the way Gibbs was responding to the public relations flap over Mrs. Obama’s remark.

The White House is not responding favorably to the book, stating that it is an “over-dramatization of old news.”

"The emotions, thoughts and private moments described in the book, though often seemingly ascribed to the president and first lady, reflect little more than the author's own thoughts," White House spokesman Eric Schultz said. "These secondhand accounts are staples of every administration in modern political history and often exaggerated."

The book says that the Obamas are sometimes frustrated by not being able to live freely and that President Obama often gets angry over how the press covers him. The book also goes on to describe the Obamas as devoted parents.

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Is It OK to Question Christianity?

2012-01-06T23:10:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell, Dr. Boyce Watkins and Pastor Mika Edmondson discuss the issue.

The Girl Who Was Accidentally Deported Has Arrived Back in the US

2012-01-06T21:37:00.001-05:00

Jakadrien Turner's Colombian adventure is over.

Yvette Carnell: What ‘Cain’s Solutions Revolution’ Tells Us About Herman Cain

2012-01-06T11:17:00.001-05:00

Dr. Boyce: Unemployment Data Improves, but Keeps Getting Worse for Black People

2012-01-06T11:10:00.001-05:00

Black unemployment continues to worsen, even as America cheers for the latest economic data.

Newt Gingrich Plans to Tell Black People to Stop Asking for Welfare Checks

2012-01-05T14:14:00.001-05:00

Newt Gingrich plans to tell the NAACP that black people should ask for paychecks instead of welfare checks.

Was the Mistakenly Deported Team Actually a Victim or Did She Compound the Lie?

2012-01-05T09:42:00.001-05:00

Was Jakadrien Turner really a victim or is there something more to her story? One legal mind says that there probably is.

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Should Black People Vote for Ron Paul?

2012-01-04T12:17:00.000-05:00

Click here to watch the video:

Yvette Carnell: President Obama Says He Kept His Campaign Promises - I Disagree

2012-01-04T11:09:00.001-05:00

A Black Church Gets Ownership of a KKK Store

2012-01-04T09:21:00.001-05:00

How Obama is the Winner in the Iowa Caucuses

2012-01-04T08:42:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports.

Analysts are saying that President Obama is the winner in the Iowa caucuses Tuesday night. Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum went down to the wire in a heated battle, with Romney barely emerging with his front-runner status in tact.

The fact that Romney had to work so hard to defeat Santorum is a reminder of how difficult it is going to be for him to win over his conservative base. This is good news for President Obama, who has long expected to be challenged by Romney in the 2012 presidential election.

"Democratic heavyweights are quietly celebrating tonight," David Gergen, a former adviser to two Republican and two Democratic presidents, told Reuters. "They see the presumed (Republican) nominee, Mitt Romney, unable to close the deal and a Republican electorate not only uncertain, but lacking great enthusiasm."

Gergen also said that while the Republicans fight it out, the Obama campaign has time to prepare its message for the public.

Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry were also-rans in the caucuses. This is a big shift from just two weeks ago, when Gingrich appeared to be able to challenge Romney as the front-runner. An independent group in support of Romney put out damaging television ads that hurt the Gingrich campaign’s public image.

Romney is expected to win in New Hampshire, but Gingrich is heavily favored in South Carolina and Florida. Some believe that Rick Perry is considering leaving the campaign altogether.

The big threat now is Rick Santorum. Santorum, who wasn’t expected to be a significant contender in the election, is now positioned to raise money and appeal to the public as an anti-Romney conservative. Santorum made news last week when he characterized African Americans as welfare recipients.

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Is This Police Officer Planting Drugs in a Suspect's Car?

2012-01-03T19:33:00.001-05:00

Click to watch

Mitt Romney Compares President Obama to Kim Kardashian

2012-01-03T19:25:00.001-05:00

Rick Santorum Defines Black People as Welfare Recipients

2012-01-03T09:47:00.001-05:00

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Your Black World

While campaigning in Sioux City, Iowa, Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum thought that he would use black people as one of his stage props. Speaking to a mostly-white audience, Santorum said that he doesn’t want to "make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money."

What was most interesting about Santorum’s remark is that the person didn’t even ask him about black people. The question was about foreign influence on the U.S. economy, which led Santorum to discuss entitlements.

"It just keeps expanding - I was in Indianola a few months ago and I was talking to someone who works in the department of public welfare here, and she told me that the state of Iowa is going to get fined if they don't sign up more people under the Medicaid program," Santorum said. "They're just pushing harder and harder to get more and more of you dependent upon them so they can get your vote. That's what the bottom line is."

He then said: "I don't want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money."

Santorum’s point was that by creating jobs, he could help people to better provide for their families. Not a bad point to make. But why did he decide to bring black people into the room when almost none of us were present at the forum?

The original question asked of Santorum was "how do we get off this crazy train? We've got so much foreign influence in this country now," adding "where do we go from here?"

Santorum should realize that in the state of Iowa, 84 percent of the people on food stamps are white and only 9 percent are black. So, perhaps it might have made more sense for him to challenge the overwhelming dependence of white Iowans on the welfare system.

What is Rick Santorum? It’s very simple: He’s a self-righteous white male born and raised in West Virginia during the 1950s and 60s. Does that make him a racist? I’m not sure. But I do know that nearly every African American in Berkeley County, West Virginia during the 1960s was likely to be treated as a second-class citizen.

So, while Santorum may have been able to rise above the racist roots that defined his upbringing, the truth is that apples typically don’t fall free from the original tree. Santorum’s stereotypical remarks about African Americans reflect the thinking of a white male who was brought into the world believing that he is better than the rest of us. He believes that the best thing he can do for black people is to help us overcome all the things that make us inferior.

The thinking that leads Rick Santorum to make ridiculous remarks like the one above is not necessarily built on racial discrimination. Rather, it’s built on white supremacy, which can be very different. Santorum’s racial perceptions are no different from the scores of whites who’ve traveled to African countries to civilize “the savages.”

The best lesson for Rick Santorum? Before you can help us or work with us, you first have to learn to respect us. Respect doesn’t mean telling us to think like you. It might also mean admitting that some of your thinking is flawed and incorrect. The problem for Rick, however, is that white supremacist, self-righteousness thinking precludes his ability to admit that he’s wrong. In fact, it’s the reason that Rick will never take a look at this article. After all, I’m just a black man with an opinion and everyone told him that what I think doesn’t matter.

There’s not much else to say beyond that.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

FAMU's Board Puts Together a Plan to Stop Hazing on Campus

2012-01-03T09:21:00.001-05:00

The death of Robert Champion has led FAMU's Board of Trustees to act.

Dr. Boyce: Has Christianity Become a "Get Out of Jail Free" Card for Black Folks?

2012-01-03T08:54:00.001-05:00

Click Here to watch video.

Flashback: Watch Santorum Defend 'Remarkable' Obama Comments To Rev. Al Sharpton on Hannity Show (VIDEO)

2012-01-02T21:04:00.001-05:00

By: Kirsten West Savali, Your Black World

Since his race-tinged attack of President Barack Obama’s neutral stance on reproductive issues has come back to bite him in his red elephant trunk, we at Your Black World felt it was only fair to publish GOP presidential candidate, Rick Santorum’s defending arguments.

The former Pennsylvania senator appeared on Fox News on January 24, 2011 to defend his controversial comparison of fetuses and black people. Joining civil rights activist and host of MSNBC's PoliticsNation, Rev. Al Sharpton on the network's Sean Hannity Show, he attempted to clarify his stance by doing the old Republican shuffle:

Evade. Attack. Retreat.

With an unusually passive Sean Hannity moderating the debate, Santorum contended that finding it "remarkable" that President Obama is pro-choice has nothing to do with his race (despite saying just that with all the self-righteous indignation he could muster), but everything to do with Obama's legal background.

"My comment was that [Obama] should be sensitive, more so than probably most people, as a civil rights and constitutional lawyer... to how we define people in the constitution," Santorum backpedaled.

He must have forgotten who he was debating.

"You did not say that President Obama as a constitutional lawyer or a civil rights lawyer should be sensitive. You said as a black man, which brought race in," Sharpton sharply corrected.

Kirsten West Savali: Rick Santorum: It's 'Remarkable' That You're Such A Hypocrite

2012-01-02T17:51:00.001-05:00

By: Kirsten West Savali, Your Black World

President Barack Obama's policies do not reflect his gratitude to the U.S. government for considering him human, and former Republican Senator Rick Santorum has decided to put him in his place.

In an interview with CNS News, the senator voiced his absolute disbelief that Obama would dare support a woman's right to choose abortion ... considering he's a black man:

"The question is, and this is what Barack Obama didn't want to answer - is that human life is a person under the constitution?" the GOP presidential candidate said. "And Barack Obama says, 'No.' Well, if that human life is not a person, then I find it almost remarkable for a black man to say, 'Now we are going to decide who are people and who are not people.'"

It's amazing how racist people expose themselves when they attempt to be intelligent.

More than the obvious ignorance of his statement, the underlying condescending and prejudicial tone reveals Santorum's sense of superiority and blatant disregard for African-American life.

While there will continue to be contentious debates on the viability of life in the womb and when exactly it should be recognized, there has never been any reason other than bigotry to suggest that black people in America are less than human.

Let's combat fallacy with fact.

John P. Holdren, President Obama's advisor for Science and Technology, substantiates his pro-choice stance with the following statement:

"To a biologist, the question of when life begins for a human child is almost meaningless," Holdren argues. "To most biologists, an embryo (unborn child during the first two or three months of development) or a fetus is no more a complete human being than a blueprint is a building."

Many fetal neurologists assert that the fetal brain does not even develop until late in the third trimester, yet Santorum wants to equivocate terminating the products of conception with the murder and dehumanization of black people in America since this nation's inception?

Furthermore, if one is to delve in to Santorum's voting record and documented philosophies, his self-righteous pro-life stance is astoundingly hypocritical:

This is man who said to Catholic Online in 2002, that the "cultural liberalism" prevalent in Boston made pedophilic priests victims of their environment.

This is a man who lobbied for Robinson Township's Ronald Reagan Atrium I nursing home to remain open after failing federal inspections. The Atrium's nursing home operator was later convicted of fraud, after patients' families testified that subpar care led to the senior citizens facing broken bones, dehydration and sitting in their own fecal matter.

Santorum also proposed a $250,000 cap for victims of medical malpractice, even though his wife sought substantially more than that after alleging that her chiropractor treated her negligently.

He has voted against an increase in college financial assistance, expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation and health care coverage for people with pre-existing conditions.

Yet, he voted yes on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers, yes on loosening license and background checks at gun shows, yes on killing restrictions on violent videos to minors and yes on maintaining a law that allowed guns to be sold without trigger locks.

This delusional man has absolutely no concept of what "pro-life" actually means.

His Republican Party is attempting to eliminate every single public policy that financially assists those historically marginalized in this country, yet he pretends to care about life?

In his speech to the 2009 graduating class of Notre Dame, President Obama made his stance on abortion crystal clear:

"...let's work together to reduce the number of women seeking abortions by reducing unintended pregnancies, and making adoption more available and providing care and support for women who do carry their child to term. Let's honor the conscience of those who disagree with abortion, and draft a sensible conscience clause, and make sure that all of our health care policies are grounded in clear ethics and sound science, as well as respect for the equality of women."

This stands in stark contrast to Santorum, who in his 2005 book, "It Takes a Family," concludes that "privacy," "neutrality" and "free expression" are not terms found in the Constitution, but instead are pure "philosophical abstractions."

While abortion is a potentially painful choice, it should always be a private one. The internal battles a woman faces when making the decision oftentime haunt her for the rest of her life.

In this desolate society, choosing abortion does not always mean that a woman does not love her unborn child, but it can easily be a testament of just how much she does. We must learn that our personal code of ethics, no matter how honorable, or in Santorum's case, hypocritical, should not dictate national policy.

A woman's body in the United States of America, cannot, and should not, be legislated.

Even a "black man" knows that, Mr. Santorum.

Julianne Malveaux: Let the Games Begin

2012-01-02T17:23:00.001-05:00

Most Americans have been enjoying the holiday haze since House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) folded and allowed the two-month extension of unemployment insurance and the Social Security tax cut, and other key matters. Indeed, if the French take the month of August off by law, we almost do the same in the period between Christmas and New Year. Except for retail establishments that support the great American pastime - shopping - few businesses got substantive work done in the last week.

Now that Kwanzaa and New Year's Day have past, the games will begin again. The House of Representatives is back January 17, and the Senate returns on January 23. House Republicans will be hell-bent on finding ways to pay for the legislation passed on December 22, and Boehner, whose humiliating concession to President Obama had to irk him, will probably be ready to rumble when he returns to Washington.

In the time between now and January 17, people ought to be writing, calling, and visiting members of Congress in their home offices, urging them to minimize cuts to things like education. If we need to make budget cuts, perhaps those cuts can be concentrated on our defense budget. Indeed, as the Occupy Movement is reorganizing itself (I hear they plan to Occupy the Rose Bowl), perhaps they could target key offices, including Boehner's, for a demonstration. While I've been critical about what I call "Occupy outcomes", I salute the organization for reminding us of the income inequality that riddles our nation and has gotten worse, not better, in recent years. To begin the occupation on Wall Street, and to spread out to hundreds of cities all over the world, was a brilliant, headline-grabbing move. Now, perhaps, our friends can get more practical and Occupy some congressional home office to remind some of these tone-deaf folk what many of their constituents are thinking and feeling.

Congress will have less than six weeks to decide if the two-month tax cut will be extended through the rest of the year. Given their penchant for taking deadlines to the last minute, and refusing to compromise with President Obama, we are likely to find ourselves in the same position on February 20 as we were on December 20, at an impasse. The brinkmanship is getting old, yet we can expect nothing else unless a few House Republicans change their minds about the way this matter will be handled when Congress reconvenes. Otherwise, and most likely, let the games begin.

The games may have new rules this time around. President Obama is rising in approval polls, while Congress is falling. The public is fed up by the obstructionism that seems to dictate almost every interaction between the White House and Capitol Hill. Congress seems to exist in a Washington bubble, disconnected from the rest of the world. Recent data about the number of Congressional millionaires - many are part of the one percent - suggest that our legislators don't share our concerns about the cost of groceries, gasoline, or health insurance. It is virtually impossible for an ordinary person to be elected to Congress, because ordinary people don't usually have the finances to fund a campaign. The Obama campaign proved to be an exception, with frequent Internet requests for small amounts of money -- $5 or even $3. Wealthy legislators need not employ those tactics. Their campaigns are either self or lobby financed.

Occupy's momentum suggests, perhaps, that the Occupy movement, if organized, can be a significant political force. Could there be an Occupy candidate, or two, in key 2012 political races? 'Could the street heat turn into the kind of Congressional heat that would give another perspective to these frequent impasses? WE expect to see all kinds of games in the first six weeks of this legislative session. But the games desperately need new players.

The official games begin January 17 or so. But some of us need to start playing now by reminding our vacationing Congressional leaders, of both parties, what is at stake with continuing high unemployment and increasing poverty. Don't let Congress come back to Washington without hearing from you. These high-stake games affect the economic status of most of the 99 percent.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC and the Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc.

Last Word Productions, Inc. is a multimedia production company that serves as a vehicle for the work and products of Dr. Julianne Malveaux. For the last 15 years the company has centered its efforts on Dr. Malveaux's public speaking appearances, her work as a broadcast and print journalist, and also as an author. Currently, Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College For Women in Greensboro, North Carolina and author of Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History.

Dr. Boyce: Couple Who Died Fighting for Civil Rights Deserves to be Honored

2011-12-30T13:48:00.001-05:00

Harry and Henriette Moore were the first couple to die in the struggle for Civil Rights.

Kwame Kilpatrick Sues SkyTel for $25M Over Text Messages

2011-12-30T10:53:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

Former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has sued SkyTel, Inc for $25 million over text messages provided by the company during his corruption scandal. The demand was made in federal court this month and includes $14 million in statutory damages, $7 million in punitive damages, $3 million in actual damages, and another $1 million for emotional distress.

The numbers give Kwame about $1,000 for each text message that the company released to the public.

SkyTel is seeking to block jurors from hearing about negotiations that have taken place behind closed doors. The case is set for trial on January 30. If Kilpatrick can win the case, he will have a chance to pay the $860,000 in restitution he owes the city of Detroit.

Kilpatrick has been criticized for making minimal payments of just $160 per month toward his restitution, while he is renting a home worth $372,000 in Texas. Back in 2008, Kilpatrick pleaded guilty of obstruction of justice in a scandal that crippled the city of Detroit, which was already struggling financially.

The text messages consisted of those sent to his former Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty, with whom Kilpatrick was having an affair. Kilpatrick argues that Skytel violated federal law by releasing the text messages.

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Yvette Carnell: Why Stanley Crouch is Wrong about Black People and Soul Food

2011-12-29T14:53:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell explains why Stanley Crouch's approach to the soul food issue is sad and just a wee bit igorant.

Could FAMU End Up Losing It's Accreditation?

2011-12-29T13:13:00.001-05:00

A Holy War Brewing in Nigeria: Islamic School Attacked by Terrorists

2011-12-28T10:31:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

Homemade explosives were tossed inside an Islamic school in Nigeria this week, the latest in a string of attacks that are related to religious belief. This attack was in the Nigeria Southern Delta region, a predominantly Christian community. In the attack, 50 children had gathered for a class, and six children were injured.

These attacks are just a few days after Islamic militants bombed several churches across the country. The attacks were on Christmas day and 39 people died this week alone.

Experts aren’t yet saying that the most recent attacks represent retaliation. But many are increasingly concerned.

“Sapele just seems like the most unlikely place for a retaliatory attack to take place,” criminologist Innocent Chukwuma said. “But if it is, this would play right into Boko Haram, which has been looking to escalate the conflict to make the country ungovernable.”

Nigeria is divided into the mostly Muslim northern region and the mostly Christian south. But the divides continue, as 800 people have been killed in the north in recent post-election violence after a Christian was elected president.

In the “middle belt,” where both sides come together, police say that a Christian couple and their one-year old child were killed on Tuesday.

Investigation Finds That Ron Paul Lied About Racist Newsletters

2011-12-27T15:35:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports:

Newsletters that were signed and distributed under the name of Libertarian candidate, Representative Ron Paul (R-Texas), have been wreaking havoc for his presidential bid — a bid that has suddenly gained momentum in the face of the crumbling GOP field.

In the newsletters, he claims that Black people in Watts are “animals,” and specifically, Black men in Washington D.C. are “criminals” or “semi- criminals,” among other objectionable rhetoric.

He has continued to adamantly deny all knowledge of the content of the newsletters to the press, blaming the bigoted material on his “lack of editorial oversight.” He walked off the set of a CNN interview after being questioned about them, saying angrily: “I didn’t write them. I disavow them. That’s it.”

Well, surprise, surprise…

When Paul was vying to reclaim his seat in Congress in 1996 against Lefty Morris, he had an entirely different explanation. In an exclusive expose, Huffington Post Black Voices has uncovered old newspaper clips where Paul makes it very clear that the statements are, in fact, his own — they were merely “taken out of context.”

The Dallas Morning News — May 22, 1996:

Dr. Paul denied suggestions that he was a racist and said he was not evoking stereotypes when he wrote the columns. He said they should be read and quoted in their entirety to avoid misrepresentation.Dr. Paul also took exception to the comments of Mr. Bledsoe, saying that the voters in the 14th District and the people who know him best would be the final judges of his character.
“If someone challenges your character and takes the interpretation of the NAACP as proof of a man’s character, what kind of a world do you live in?” Dr. Paul asked.
In the interview, he did not deny he made the statement about the swiftness of black men.
“If you try to catch someone that has stolen a purse from you, there is no chance to catch them,” Dr. Paul said.

Austin American-Statesman — May 23, 1996

“Dr. Paul is being quoted out of context,” [Paul's spokesman, Michael] Sullivan said. “It’s like picking up ‘War and Peace’ and reading the fourth paragraph on page 481 and thinking you can understand what’s going on.”"You have to understand what he is writing. Democrats in Texas are trying to stir things up by using half quotes to impugn his character,” Sullivan said. “His writings are intellectual. He assumes people will do their own research, get their own statistics, think for themselves and make informed judgments.”

Austin American-Statesman — July 25, 1996

Morris distributed Paul’s article to reporters at a Capitol news conference. It was not the first time. Morris has been scrutinizing Paul’s writings and sharing his findings with reporters. In May, he released an article in which Paul described a majority of black men in Washington, D.C., as ”semi-criminal or entirely criminal.”Morris, a Bee Cave lawyer, once again called on Paul to release back copies of the newsletter he has published for more than a decade. Paul, a Surfside obstetrician, has refused.
He said he has written ”thousands of items” during the past 20 years and that releasing these materials would be impractical. Paul said releasing all those writings would be like asking Morris to ”provide documents for every lawsuit he has been involved in during his lengthy legal career.”

Paul was in the news yesterday responding to his unsettling support among neo-Nazis and other racists. While he rejected their views, he did not reject their support, saying: “They’re endorsing what I do or say, not vice versa. I’ll go to anybody I can convert … to look at liberty the way I do.”

Though African-Americans have continued to support Ron Paul, even defending his newsletters as “not as important” as his views on the “War on Drugs” and decreased military spending, it will be interesting to see how his fledgling support is affected by these revelations.

Yvette Carnell: The Blackest TV Ads of 2011

2011-12-27T14:51:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell lays out the race to the bottom as she counts down the blackest television ads of 2011.

Woman Who Sent Fake WMDs and Anti-Semitic Monkey to Politician is Shot Dead by Police

2011-12-26T18:35:00.001-05:00

Jameela Barnette seemed to be very upset with the Jewish community when she died.

President Obama's Approval Rating Shoots Up in Latest Poll

2011-12-26T18:11:00.001-05:00

To All Black Leaders: Why You Need a Leadership Coach

2011-12-26T11:32:00.001-05:00

If you are a black leader on any level, you probably need a leadership coach.

Julianne Malveaux Gives Credit to President Obama for His Recent Victory

2011-12-26T10:41:00.000-05:00

by Dr. Julianne Malveaux – President, Bennett College for Women

I had an elderly relative who used to say, "We have to give due where due is due". Of course she meant "credit where credit is due", but she was so old and so engaging, that instead of ever correcting her, I often imitated her mangled remark. I thought of her last week when President Obama, standing firm, backed House Speaker John Boehner (R-xxx) into a corner and essentially forced his hand in extending tax cuts and unemployment insurance for two more months. Boehner and his Tea Party colleagues were insisting on a one-year deal, but the Senate had passed a two month deal because they could only identify enough funds to pay for two months of extension. Senate Democrats and Republicans had agreed to come back and find money for the rest of the year, but the House drew a hard line that they eventually had to soften. Bottom line - President Obama went to Hawaii to celebrate Christmas with a victory under his belt. House Speaker John Boehner went home with a lump of coal in his stocking.

I am not gloating on the President's behalf. When folks come back in January, there will be a rough row to hoe. Boehner is probably angry, and he is certainly embarrassed, and that won't incent him to compromise as Congress grapples with ways to keep the extension alive. At the same time, so many are so critical of President Obama that I want to pause to give due where due is due. In other words, all of the people who have talked about ways he has betrayed the working class should just stop for a minute and say, "he pulled this one through".

The stakes were high. 160 million people would have seen their January paychecks drop. For some $40 or so might not make much of a difference. For others, it is a matter of survival. Additionally, some whose unemployment benefits were expiring wouldn't see a check at all come February. Now, they are protected, at least for a couple of months. President Obama was right to stand firm. And he ought to be celebrated for it.

Too often, to be sure, our President has seemed to choose compromise over principle. With so many Americans out of work, and with us not quite out of the woods on the recession (we desperately need people to spend money to make our economy hum), this time he simply stuck to principle. It's a good thing, and it is something to celebrate. As the stalemate between Congress and the President went on, we say the American people saying the same thing. President Obama's approval ratings began to tick up, while Congress had an approval rating of something under 10 percent.

The visuals were also telling. Congressional Republicans ran out of Washington like rats leaving a sinking ship. They were going home for Christmas, resolution or not. They left Boehner and a handful of aides to try to work something out. There was an interesting pictorial contrast - at the beginning of last week, there stood Boehner, surrounded by a coterie of Congressional representatives, sounding and seeming firm and saying they would not compromise. At the end of the week, there was Boehner, all alone at the mike, surrounded by no one, conceding to President Obama.

While Republicans were racing home, President Obama said he would not leave Washington until there was a deal. He sent his family to Hawaii ahead of him. He hunkered down. And he won.

To be sure, this is a small victory. There ought not be dancing in the streets, nor firecrackers at dawn. But it is an opportunity to give due where due is due, to hope that President Obama's New Year's resolution is "more of the same". Despite the data that suggest that we are creating more jobs, and the data that suggest that recovery is around the corner, the reality is that millions are stuck in the economic periphery and even two months of relief will help them. Now, the challenge will be to make these extension last a full year.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC and the Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc.

The Media Ruins the Christmas Surprise for Sasha and Malia

2011-12-24T21:23:00.001-05:00

Fox News Calls Pres. Obama "a Skinny Ghetto Crackhead"

2011-12-23T13:57:00.001-05:00

Brent Bozell of Fox News felt the need to compare Pres. Obama to a "Skinny Ghetto Crackhead." Wow.

Dr. Boyce: What I'd Like to Get Black People for Christmas

2011-12-23T10:35:00.001-05:00

Sources Say Michelle Obama Wanted the $4 Million Hawaiian Vacation; Barack Wanted Something Local

2011-12-22T15:13:00.001-05:00

It seems that Michelle and Barack are not in agreement about how to spend their family vacation.

Matt Damon: "A President with some balls would have been better"

2011-12-22T13:52:00.001-05:00

Matt Damon seems to think that President Obama has no balls.

Dr. Boyce - New Study Shows that Black Men Don't Benefit from Mentorship in the Same Way as Whites

2011-12-22T10:03:00.001-05:00

A new study says that black men don't benefit from having mentors in the same way that whites do.

Republican Congressman Says that Michelle Obama "Has a Large Posterior"

2011-12-22T09:18:00.001-05:00

Jim Sensenbrenner has been scoping out Michelle Obama's backside.

Mitt Romney Says He Would Deport Pres. Obama's Uncle

2011-12-22T08:37:00.001-05:00

Ron Paul Walks Out Of Interview After “Racist” Questions

2011-12-22T01:27:00.001-05:00

Your Black Politics reports:

If Dr. Ron Paul is going to remain in the big leagues, he might want to develop a tougher skin. When he was an irrelevant third-party Libertarian candidate, no one cared enough to dig up his dirt; now poised to run as a Republican candidate in what is a wide-open field -- if we ignore Newt Gingrich, the mud-slinging is thicker than George W. Bush’s skull.

Making the media rounds lately, are some newsletters from the 80s and 90s in which someone, allegedly Paul, made extremely racially inflammatory comments, including referring to African-Americans as “animals.” Consistently refuting the claims, Paul says that he did not conduct oversight over written views that were going out under his name, and has continued to remind potential voters that his politics over the years have in no way reflected the views expressed in the controversial newsletters.

When CNN’s Gloria Borger asked Paul about the racist newsletters , he again denied knowledge of them, responding:

“Why don’t you go back and look at what I said yesterday on CNN and what I’ve said for 20 something years. 22 years ago? I didn’t write them, I disavow them, That’s it.”

After continued to hurl questions at him, even asking him about the reports that he made millions from the distribution of the newsletters in 1993, Paul held firm":

“I was still practicing medicine,” Paul responded. “That’s probably why I wasn’t a very good publisher, I had to make a living…. I’d like to see that money. I never read that stuff. I was probably aware of it ten years after it was written and it’s been going on 20 years that people have pestered me about this and CNN does it every single time. So when are you going to wear yourself out?”

We have to give Borger an ‘E’ for effort though, because she would not let the man off the hook; but then Paul decided that he had had enough.

He simply took off his microphone and walked away.

When Borger talked to CNN’s Wolf Blitzer, master of the “Dougie” and beat-boxing” after taking lessons from Hip-Hop legend Doug E. Fresh, she basically said that Paul would have to get over himself:

“I did have to ask them. He clearly thinks its irrelevant.” Borger explained to Blitzer. “He thinks it’s been asked and answered…It’s clearly a question he’d rather not be asked.”

Get Your Hands Out Of My Pockets: Republicans Reject Extension Of Payroll Tax Cuts

2011-12-21T01:15:00.001-05:00

Your Black Politics reports:

The Republicans are at it again.

By refusing to extend payroll tax cuts for millions of working-class Americans, workers will most likely receive a smaller pay-check.

After President Barack Obama supported the Senate’s decision to extend the tax-cuts for at least two months, the House dismissed the move as “bad policy,” instead opting for a full-year extension.

Accused by Obama of placing party above policy, the GOP will be pitching that idea to an empty room, because the Democratic-led Senate, already adjourned for the holidays, refuse to come back and consider their plan.

The bill includes:

“Money for unemployment benefits, would have kept in place a tax cut passed last year that reduces the payroll tax for Americans from 6.2 percent to 4.2 percent of their income. The tax cut saves about $1000 each year for the average American family,” reports Newsone.com

The current tax-rate will increase to 6.2 percent on January first --- this translates to an average of $40 in lost wages for the average American family.

"Just today, one House Republican referred to this debate as 'high-stakes poker.' He's right about the high-stakes, but he's dead wrong about the poker. This is not a game," said White House senior adviser David Plouffe in an e-mail to Obama supporters. "We know better -- $40 has tangible benefits for millions of families. Can you help us prove that point?"

At a press conference after the vote, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio.) did the old Beltway Shuffle in an attempt to divert attention away from his party’s stall tactics:

"Now, it's up to the president to show real leadership. He said that he won't leave town for the holidays until this bill is done. The next step is clear: I think President Obama needs to call on Senate Democrats to go back into session, move to go to conference, and to sit down and resolve this bill as quickly as possible," said Boehner.

In a surprise White House briefing appearance---with a sign counting down the hours until GOP maneuvering caused the tax increase in stark relief behind him---President Obama made it very clear exactly what his next move is --- keeping the Republicans on the defensive:

"Let's be clear: Right now, the bipartisan compromise that was reached on Saturday is the only viable way to prevent a tax hike on Jan. 1," said the president.

Your move, Boehner.

Dr. Boyce: How the Obama Presidency Has Transformed Black Political Thinking

2011-12-20T18:57:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell: JC Watts' Endorsement of Newt Gingrich is Horrible Political Calculus

2011-12-20T17:17:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell from Your Black World does an interesting breakdown of the political shenanigans of Black Republican JC Watts.

Dr. Boyce: President of Republican Group Says "Black President Snorts Crack" on Twitter

2011-12-20T10:15:00.001-05:00

Cassie Wright, head of the College Republicans at The University of Texas seems to think that being black means that you snort crack.

Mrs. Botswana Speaks Out about Black Women Being Left out of the 2011 Mrs. Universe Pageant

2011-12-19T22:44:00.001-05:00

The 2010 - 2011 Mrs. Botswana, Nomalanga Mhlauli-Moses, writes about the exclusion of black women from the lists of finalists and judges at the 2011 Mrs. University pageant.

Click to read more

Yvette Carnell: Why Eric Holder Shouldn't Be Playing the Race Card

2011-12-19T19:56:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell from Your Black World explains why Eric Holder shouldn't be playing the race card.

Obama Family Vacation is the Most Expensive in History

2011-12-19T11:23:00.001-05:00

AG Eric Holder Describes Attacks on He and Obama: “We’re Both African American”

2011-12-19T10:02:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

The New York Times has an interview out on Attorney General Eric Holder. Holder has been the subject of numerous calls by the Right Wing for him to be impeached over a failed program to track guns being shipped to Mexico for drug violence.

Some have described Holder as a “partisan lightning rod” due to his position on illegal immigration. Holder says that conservatives on the right are attacking he and President Obama with “gotcha games” that are typically used in Washington.

He also said that part of the reason that he is taking hits for President Obama is because they are both African American.

Of that group of critics, Mr. Holder said he believed that a few — the “more extreme segment” — were motivated by animus against Mr. Obama and that he served as a stand-in for him. “This is a way to get at the president because of the way I can be identified with him,” he said, “both due to the nature of our relationship and, you know, the fact that we’re both African-American.”

Holder describes these “hyperpartisan” attacks against the Justice Department as part of the reason that Washington is experiencing so many challenges today. You can also expect that he is going to be subject to numerous attacks for his comments.

Marine Asks First Lady To Corps Ball And She Says Yes…If Her Husband Agrees

2011-12-18T23:53:00.001-05:00

Your Black Politics reports:

While passing out gifts for the U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots, Lance Cpl. Aaron Leeks, 20, soldiered up and asked the First Lady of the United States to accompany to the Marine Corps Ball. Meeks said that, besides being gorgeous, he admires the work that Mrs. Obama does with the military. He spotted Michelle leaning over a toy bin sorting through hundreds of toys and quickly made his move.

When asked about the FLOTUS’s response, Meeks revealed:

"She said she'd love to go,” said Meeks. “Actually, she said I'd need to speak to her husband, too, but she said she'd love to."

Meeks, who will deployed to Afghanistan in January, plans to return next year to attend the Ball.

When asked by reporters at the White House had President Barack Obama given his wife permission to attend the Marine Corps Ball, Press Secretary Jay Carney said that he wasn’t even sure if the president was aware of the invitation.

Let Michelle go have some fun Barack!

California Politician, Tea Partier Calls for the Assassination of President Obama and His Children

2011-12-18T22:37:00.001-05:00

Jules Manson, a darling of the Tea Party, made a Facebook post that might lead some to think that he needs to be checked for drugs. On his wall, Manson said the following:

“Assassinate the fucken nigger and his monkey children.” Below is a screenshot of the post that was taken by some of his Facebook friends before he could have it removed:

Manson is a libertarian Tea Party member and strong supporter of Ron Paul. Manson followed up his post by stating that his use of the word “nigger” doesn’t make him a racist. Also, his entire page was eventually removed after so many users complained to Facebook administrators and the FBI.

Manson ran for office in California but was defeated badly. Should the words of one loser of a politician matter on the national scene? You be the judge.

Allen West Compares President Obama To Nazi Minister of Propaganda

2011-12-17T03:17:00.001-05:00

Your Black Politics reports:

When asked his interpretation of a recent Pew poll that shows that 40 percent of Americans blame the state of the economy on Republicans, Rep. Allen West, never afraid to make incendiary comments, said that the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, would be proud of the Democrats, especially, President Barack Obama:

“…let’s be very honest,” said West. “You have the president, who has an incredible megaphone and a platform, and he has people all across this country believing that the only people on Capitol Hill are House Republicans. He’s not talking anything about his controlled Senate. So, it’s a great propaganda machine. And I have to give him kudos for being able to leverage that.”

“If Joseph Goebbels was around, he’d be very proud of the Democrat Party, because they have an incredible propaganda machine,” West continued speaking with reporters during House votes Thursday afternoon. “Let’s be honest, you know, some of the people in the media are complicit with this and enabling them to get that type of message out.”

According to the Pew poll, 40 percent of Americans believe the 112th Congress has accomplished less than other congresses --- and blame Republicans for the problems. Fifty-three percent believe Republicans held “more extreme” policy positions than Democrats, and believe that Democrats are more willing to cross the aisle and work with conservatives to get the job done.

Refusing to back down from his comparison of Obama to a man spinning the truth to further the murderous agenda of a terrorist regime, West said that he was prepared for the backlash that his statement would cause:

“Once again, you guys will take whatever I say, and you will spin it to try to demonize me and demagogue me,” West told reporters. “What I’m talking about is a person that was the minister of propaganda, and I’m talking about propaganda. I’ll be prepared to wake up tomorrow and you guys make up some crazy story; whatever.”

FAMU Band Member's Death Ruled to be a Homicide

2011-12-16T19:34:00.001-05:00

The death of FAMU band member Robert Champion is getting more interesting. Now that the case has been ruled a homicide, someone could be going to prison.

FAMU Students Protest Governor's Mansion Over Recommended Suspension of Their President

2011-12-16T10:04:00.001-05:00

After the hazing death of Robert Champion at Florida A&M University, the governor of the state of Florida is getting some backlash from students.

The Obamas Release a New Family Portrait

2011-12-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

The Obama family released the latest family portrait to the public. As you can see, the girls are growing up fast, and the father is graying by the second. The stress of the White House can overwhelm some, but the Obamas are still looking good as America’s Family.

The photograph was taken by Pete Souza of the Chicago Tribune. The family had just returned from church when the picture was taken, according to the White House. The last family portrait was taken in 2009 in the Green Room. For some reason, they keep leaving the dog out.

Malia is now 13 and Sasha is 10. The family doesn’t let the girls onto Facebook and their favorite TV show is “Modern Family.”

Nida Khan: What If Newt Gingrich Were a Black Man?

2011-12-15T21:18:00.001-05:00

Nida Khan asks whether America would respond to Newt Gingrich in the same way if he were a black man....what do you think?

Question: Should Black Women Walk Away from "Think Like a Man" The Movie?

2011-12-14T10:36:00.001-05:00

Black women, like writer Kirsten West-Savali, say that African Americans should walk away from the new Steve Harvey film, "Think Like a Man." What do you think?

Tea Party Portrays President Obama as a Mixed-Race Skunk on Racist Website

2011-12-12T13:09:00.001-05:00

President Obama is being portrayed as a "half-white, half black and stinky" skunk in a racist new website by the Tea Party

Republicans Make It Clear that They Are Out of Touch with American Citizens

2011-12-12T11:40:00.001-05:00

by Julianne Malveaux, President – Bennett College for Women

If you needed evidence that Republicans are out of touch with America, look no further than recent exchanges among candidates. Mitt Romney bet Rick Perry ten thousand dollars over something in his book. I understand that Mr. Romney is disturbed that Mr. Perry has taken some of his work out of context, but a ten thousand dollar bet! Give me a break. With the average American household surviving on about $50,000 a year, that ten grand represents nearly three months living expenses for the average family. Could Romney have figured out a way to make his point with Perry without thumbing his nose at the rest of us.

On a roll, Romney also took on now-frontrunner Newt Gingrich for making more than a million dollars in a contract with Freddie Mac. He thinks Newt ought to return the money. I want to know what Newt was doing for the mortgage company that made him worth $1.6 million. And it just goes to show how differently Newt lives than the rest of us do. Of course, that point was made when he dropped a cool half million dollars at Tiffany's.

There is a yawning gulf between the economic status of these Presidential candidates and the rest of us. Even the Obamas were still paying off student loans when elected in 2008! No wonder these folks don't want to tax the wealthy - they are the wealthy.

The Tea Party populists talk about the "little people", but not many little people make ten thousand dollar bets or earn millions of dollars consulting for mortgage companies. It's enough to make you chuckle in dismay at how out of touch these people are.

Meanwhile, although the unemployment rate has dropped, there are still more than 14 million people officially out of work. Out of touch Republicans who refuse to pass legislation to put people back to work. The concerns of such ordinary working people are a concern that certainly Mr. Romney has never had to experience. No wonder he can run around making five-figure bets.

Whenever the wealth of some Republicans is raised, others talk about "class warfare" and suggest that economic envy is at the root of talk of taxing the wealthy more. But folks like Bill Gates, Sr. say the wealthy should be taxed more, not less. Romney and Gingrich are using their wealth to finance their campaigns, and so I guess they need every nickel they can scrounge together.

Maybe this seems a little mean-spirited, but the audacity of a wealthy candidate to make a five figure bet has just flabbergasted me! It reminds me of Marie Antoinette, who probably never said, "let them eat cake", but was beheaded for her free spending ways. I'm not suggesting beheading as punishment for Romney or Gingrich, but the French Revolution raises interesting parallels to the present time. The Occupy movement speaks to the deep economic frustration that so many people are experiencing, but there are probably more people who went shopping the day after Thanksgiving than occupied anything, even for a minute.

That's why Romney's bizarre behavior won't even raise eyebrows in some circles. Romney may be out of touch with America, but sometimes I think that we, too, are out of touch for electing people who have essentially told all of Americans who can't afford bread that they, too, can eat cake.

Dr. Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, NC and the Founder & Thought Leader of Last Word Productions, Inc.

Sasha and Malia Have Right Wing Stalkers

2011-12-11T19:23:00.001-05:00

Your Black World reports

It appears that there is no rest for President Obama’s daughters. Everything they do, what they wear and where they go is constantly scrutinized by people in the right wing who have a vendetta against their father.
Glenn Beck’s website, TheBlaze.com, picked up this story from WUSA News that criticized the Obama daughters for eating Asian food on the anniversary of Pearl Harbor. The article and the readers don't hesitate to continue the heated string of Right Wing attacks on the president's family, referring to them as being nothing short of traitorous and unAmerican.

This comes out at the same time that aTea Party group in Kansas put a message on their website referring to President as a skunk because he is "half-white, half-black and everything he does stinks." Part of the article and some of the reader comments are below:

WASHINGTON (WUSA) — What are President Obama’s kids eating at school on Pearl Harbor day? Japanese food and other Asian items.
Sidwell Friends School’s website shows the menu for Wednesday December 7th, 2011, the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor Day, as an Asian food day.
Snip
MS/US
Asian Mushroom Soup
Oriental Noodle Salad
Classic Spinach Salad
Teriyaki Marinated Chicken Strips
Szechuan Tofu & Veggies
Garlic Roasted Edamame
Vegetable Fried Rice
Fortune Cookies

The readers on Beck’s site attacked the Obamas for being unAmerican and went after them in every conceivable way:

####
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 4:36pm
It just keeps getting worse. If we continue the way we are going we will ,in a short time, have no identity of our own as Americans. Why would a school honor the country that caused such devastation and loss of life to the United States of America. I would remove my children from that school immediately!
#######
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 4:35pm
this is sad. leave it up to Obama. God Bless America & our Troops past & present.
####
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 1:22pm
Don’t you people know that we all need to get a little more “uppity” a little more “in their face”?
Damn, get with the program.
Our prez never misses a beat on these egregious faux pas.
##########
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 1:36pm
(Those are some smugly a$s-ed First Rug Rats, BTW)
My Gradpa called them J*A*P*S untill the day he died. He would die all over again to think that the uppity snobs that pass for our First Family were sending their rats to a snooty PRIVATE school (first of all) that would DARE serve “J*A*P” food on the single worst day in our history until 9/11 (which, thankfully he did not live to see).
####
Posted on December 7, 2011 at 2:00pm
God bless Grandpa’s soul (capitalization intentional with respect). At least his legacy lives on in you and yours!
Those ARE some nappy-headed bi+ches though. Gotta love that First Amendment (second one is quite excellent as well).
By the way, God bless Grandpa’s soul!

Player Told to Cut Off His Dreadlocks or Else

2011-12-11T13:25:00.001-05:00

Jose Reyes must chop em off or lose his $106 million dollar contract.

Dr. Boyce: Did You Know that Newt Gingrich's Middle Name is "Leroy?" No Kidding

2011-12-11T10:52:00.001-05:00

Wow, who would have thought that the first president with the middle name "Leroy" would actually be a white guy?

Sara Bartman: The Original Video Vixen - How We Learned to Objectify Black Women

2011-12-10T21:14:00.001-05:00

You ever wonder where the concept of the video vixen comes from? This video about Sara Bartman, the original video vixen, reminds us of the tradition of objectifying black women and their bodies.

Click to read More on YourBlackWoman.com

Open Letter to President Obama from a Political Scientist not a Political Operative

2011-12-10T19:48:00.001-05:00

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III

Dear Mr. President,

It was truly a pleasure listening to your economic speech this past Wednesday in Osawatomie, Kansas. You were clear, strong, and on point. The values of hard work do pay off; responsibility should be rewarded; and American workers have and still can produce the best products on Earth. “Made in America” should still mean something.

You are correct in pointing out that, “there are some who seem to be suffering from a kind of collective amnesia.” Last year, the day after the Senate passed sweeping reforms to regulate the financial industry, Speaker Boehner (R-OH) called for a moratorium on new federal regulations. "I think having a moratorium on new Federal regulations is a great idea," Boehner said.

Boehner, Cantor, McConnell and other conservatives also claim to be speaking on behalf of “the American people” in their opposition to increased regulation, choosing to ignore polls such as NBC/WSJ’s poll showing “65% said they wanted more regulation for the oil industry (versus 16% who want less); 57% want more regulation for Wall Street firms (compared with 15% who want less); 53% want more regulation for big corporations (versus 21% who want less); and 52% want more regulation for the health-care industry (compared with 27% who want less).”

Your analysis of free-market economics was right on point. The historical references you used to support your arguments were incredibly compelling. “But Roosevelt also knew that the free market has never been a free license to take whatever you want from whoever you can. It only works when there are rules of the road to ensure that competition is fair, open, and honest.”

Had you chosen to, you could have also referenced the fact that even the “Economic Sage” Alan Greenspan had to finally admit that he was wrong and had put too much faith in the power of self-correcting free markets. During a Congressional hearing in 2008 Greenspan said, “Those of us who have looked to the self-interest of lending institutions to protect shareholders’ equity, myself included, are in a state of shocked disbelief…”

Mr. President, you correctly highlighted the ridiculous, time-tested, and failed conservative argument that, ““The market will take care of everything,” they tell us. If we just cut more regulations and cut more taxes -- especially for the wealthy -- our economy will grow stronger.” You should have pointed out the fact that this has also been part of the conservative “starve the beast” fiscal political strategy since 1980. By creating or increasing existing budget deficits via tax cuts they create a narrative supporting future reductions in the size of government. Economist Paul Krugman summarized the strategy in February 2010: "Rather than proposing unpopular spending cuts, Republicans would push through popular tax cuts, with the deliberate intention of worsening the government’s fiscal position. Spending cuts could then be sold as a necessity rather than a choice, the only way to eliminate an unsustainable budget deficit. They break unions and balance the budget by cutting or eliminating social programs that benefit the poor, working and middle-class’ in America.”

Mr. President, you asked the Senate to allow former Attorney General of Ohio Richard Cordray to protect “…everyday Americans from being taken advantage of by mortgage lenders, payday lenders or debt collectors.” The day after your speech, Republicans in the Senate blocked the vote on your nominee Richard Cordray as director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. They did not block Cordray’s appointment because they didn’t think that he was qualified. They blocked him because they are against the CFPB further regulating business, even if it is to the benefit of the consumer.

Mr. President, during your joint press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, you clearly stated that any Republican effort to try to force approval of the Keystone pipeline project by attaching a rider for a payroll cut extension bill would fail. You said, “…any effort to try to tie Keystone to the payroll tax cut I will reject…So it shouldn’t be held hostage for any other issues that they may be concerned about.” As has been typical since they took over the House, Republicans rebuked you by linking a payroll-tax cut to approval of the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Mr. President, your predecessor President Clinton once said, "When people are insecure, they'd rather have somebody who is strong and wrong than someone who's weak and right," Now is the time for you to continue being strong and right. As you stated, the payroll tax cut “shouldn’t be held hostage.” Continue to call out Boehner, Kyle, Cantor, McConnell and the rest as the political terrorists that they are.

Take this speech right into their districts and talk directly with their constituents. In October the unemployment rate in Kentucky was 9.6%, Alabama was 9.3%, Ohio was 9%, and South Carolina was 10.5%. Ask the residents in those states how they feel about the payroll tax cut and an extension to unemployment benefits. Ask them if they’ve benefitted from “Obama Care” and how they feel about cuts to Medicare. As USA Today reports “more than 2.65 million Medicare recipients have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions this year and more than 24 million people, or about half of those with traditional Medicare, have gone in for a free annual physical or other screening exam since the rules changed this year.”

Will you win South Carolina, Alabama, and Kentucky? Probably not, but taking these issues right into their districts would resonate and reverberate across this country. If you held town hall meetings with them and said, “I know you don’t like me and that’s fine. You don’t have to, but you deserve to have the facts. An informed democracy is a powerful democracy. As your President, I represent you and here’s the reality that you must come to grips with. I’m here to talk and to listen. Conservative opposition to me is hurting you and here’s why.” If American’s saw you standing up to those people and holding your ground, that would truly be a game changer.

Mr. President, it was a great idea to follow in the footsteps of President Teddy Roosevelt this past week in Kansas but don’t lose sight of his cousin President Franklin Roosevelt who said in 1936, “We had to struggle with the old enemies of peace--business and financial monopoly, speculation, reckless banking, class antagonism, sectionalism, war profiteering. They had begun to consider the Government of the United States as a mere appendage to their own affairs. We know now that Government by organized money is just as dangerous as Government by organized mob. Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me--and I welcome their hatred... The very employers and politicians and publishers who talk most loudly of class antagonism and the destruction of the American system now undermine that system by this attempt to coerce the votes of the wage earners of this country.”

Mr. President, that’s strong and right!

© 2011 InfoWave Communications, LLC. Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/Host of the call-in talk radio program "Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon," on Sirius/XM 128. He teaches at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Go to Dr. Leon’s Prescription on Facebook or email: wjl3us@yahoo.com. www.twitter.com/drwleon

Basketball Team Suspended for Chanting the N-Word Before Every Game

2011-12-10T19:18:00.001-05:00

Tyra Batts was suspended from her basketball team for speaking out against the team's tradition of yelling the "n-word" before every game. Now, the entire team has been suspended.

Kirsten West Savali and Jesse Lee Peterson Debate Abortion, Margaret Sanger and Planned Parenthood

2011-12-10T19:02:00.001-05:00

Kirsten West Savali from Your Black World debates with Jesse Lee Peterson about the legacy of Margaret Sanger and abortion.

Staying Cheerful During the Holidays, Even If You are Unemployed

2011-12-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

Is Obama a True Liberal On Reproductive Rights? Also, Should Men Have Any Say in the Process Whatsoever?

2011-12-10T11:35:00.001-05:00

Yvette Carnell and Dr. Boyce Watkins discuss President Obama's recent decision not to support the sale of the Plan B pill over the counter to women under the age of 17. They also allow Yvette Carnell to respond to the recent article by Deborrah Cooper, who says that men should have no say in the reproductive process after conception.

Principal Resigns After Suspending Boy for Saying His Teacher Was "Cute"

2011-12-09T12:21:00.001-05:00

The little boy got his justice. You should not be suspended for saying that you think your teacher's cute.