Julie McCown was researching Jupiter Hammon – The first known African American writer to be published in the United States – when she stumbled on a previously unknown poem, dating back to 1786.
Epic Records has announced they will be going to “great efforts” to pull a leaked song that features a Lil Wayne lyric that references Emmett Till. Are you satisfied with Epic’s response? Should Lil Wayne address the outcry over these lyrics?
Now is the time to speak out. Hadiya’s murder is serving as our modern day Emmett Till with an open casket funeral exposing the senseless violence and brutality that has claimed far too many young people’s lives in this country.
Another former LAPD officer has released his own manifesto. Former officer Joe Jones, who is also black, released a statement that echoes Christopher Dormer’s claim of racism within the LAPD. Although Jones does not support Dormer’s tactics, he says he understands:
One year ago, the incomparable Whitney Houston passed away. Without question, among the finest vocalists ever. Her talent was undeniable, and she is still beloved and missed by fans across the globe. Rest in peace, Whitney.
Every week, the Black Youth Project collects the top news stories about black youth from across the country. This week: “Incarceration is not only answer to urban youth violence,” “Chicago gets ‘F’ for efforts to stop youth violence,” and more!
As this blog’s resident skeptic, it’s difficult not to conjecture aloud about what decisions were made after the FLOTUS and company attended Hadiya Pendleton’s funeral. Who knows if any of them came back with a “Barack, it’s bad. You can’t keep ignoring them” so compelling that the POTUS actually stopped reading this month’s Ebony and paid attention. […]
The search for Christopher Dorner, a former LAPD office and member of the US Armed Forces who had allegedly killed three people, continues. Dorner feels that he was wrongfully terminated from the LAPD in 2008 for reporting another officer’s brutality against a disabled suspect.
Washington Post columnist Rahiel Tesfamariam’s latest column examines Chicago’s gun violence crisis, and the need for President Obama to take a more active role in addressing that crisis. We agree; sign our petition at http://Change.org/BarackComeHome
“Anger is a grief of distortions between peers, and its object is change…I cannot hide my anger to spare your guilt, nor hurt feelings, nor answering anger; for to do so insults and trivializes all our efforts. Guilt is not a response to anger; it is a response to one’s own action or lack of […]
Michelle Obama’s plan to attend Hadiya’s funeral is a wonderful gesture. But it does not address the systemic issues contributing to gun violence in Chicago. Mr. President! Come home! We need your voice and leadership!
A new article in the New York Daily News delves deeper into the Black Youth Project’s petition to President Obama, asking that President Obama make a speech addressing gun violence in the Windy City. Sign the petition at http://Change.org/BarackComeHome