BYP MORNING NEWSFLASH
September 26, 2011

 

President Obama spoke passionately at the Congressional Black Caucus awards dinner this past Saturday, and he had a few choice words for the leaders of his most important voting bloc. According to BlackVoices:

“’Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,’ he said, his voice rising as applause and cheers mounted. ‘Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’. Stop cryin’. We are going to press on. We have work to do.’”

Asked for her reaction to the speech, Rep. Maxine Waters said she found the speech “curious,” and wondered if Obama would address Latinos or Gays with such blunt language.

Relations between President Obama and the CBC have clearly devolved into frenemies status over the past few weeks. What do you think; has Obama failed Black America, or should our leaders kiss and make up, and rally for the American Job’s Bill?

Wangari Maathai, the first African woman recipient of the Nobel Prize, has died after a long battle with cancer. Raised in rural Kenya, Maathai became famous for her environmental activism; she launched the Green Belt Movement, and for 30 years “she mobilized poor women to plant 30 million trees.” Eventually, her work evolved to attack political oppression, advocating for peace, justice and democracy in Kenya.

Do yourself a favor and check out this article oN the life and legacy of Wangari Maathai.

Meanwhile, in sunny California, campus Republicans at UC Berkeley are launching a racist bake sale to get attention…and to “dramatize” what they see as the unfair influence of race and national origin on the college admissions process.

Want a cupcake? That’ll be $2.00 if you’re white, $1.50 if you’re Asian, $1.00 if you’re Latino, and just $0.75 if your Black.

Congratulations on making headlines with ignorance, guys!

The blogosphere has been up in arms over news that Odd Future’s first signee to their record label is an ignorant, jheri curl-wearing, untalented rapper named Young N*gga. The announcement was flanked by a press release from their management:

“While our original intent was not to sign anyone to the label, we simply could not pass up the opportunity to sign somebody this talented. Young N*gga embodies the DIY ethic and persona of Odd Future along with a commercial appeal that transcends demographics.”

Now either these blogs are complicit in a prank, or their just throwin’ stories up on their homepages these days, because Young N*gga is obviously Tyler, the Creator in a wig. This is a joke. And a fairly good one at that.

Get a sense of humor, and Check out Young N*gga’s “new single” below

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_-6Zd2EVL0

 

And in incredibly disheartening news, legendary funk/soul pioneer Sly Stone is apparently living out of a van in L.A. after having completely squandered his millions through drug use, financial mismanagement and general excess.

The New York Times writes:

“He lays his head inside a white camper van ironically stamped with the words “Pleasure Way” on the side. The van is parked on a residential street in Crenshaw, the rough Los Angeles neighborhood where “Boyz n the Hood” was set. A retired couple makes sure he eats once a day, and Stone showers at their house. The couple’s son serves as his assistant and driver”

This is very sad news. In case you didn’t know, Sly & the Family Stone’s remarkable late 60’s-early 70’s run of hit albums resulted in some of the most impactful and influential music of the 20th century. Countless artists would not exist without their work, including such disparate acts as OutKast, Prince and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Check out Sly & the Family Stone’s classic Woodstock performance of “I Wanna Take You Higher” below, and let’s hope that Mr. Stone can get himself back on his feet.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ig-6f0g55c