Black History Month

In 1926, Carter G. Woodson began the celebration of Negro Achievement Week which was to be celebrated the second week in February to coincide with the birth dates of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. The week-long celebration was eventually extended to the entire month. In 2010, we celebrate black history month many different ways. You may see many programs on campus, different organizations showing their formal recognition, large corporations showcasing to the world their interest in black history month, and provocative facebook statuses challenging the norm of black history month.

Its a Small World After All

With the increased production of new, cutting edge technologies, the world is getting smaller. Today, one could have a better relationship with someone on the other side of the world than with his or her own next door neighbor.

Morehouse Whiz Kid is Causing a Stir: 13-Year-Old Dominates College

Morehouse Whiz Kid is Causing a Stir: 13-Year-Old Dominates College

MLK

At my part time job I work as a collector at bank talking to people who overdraft on their deposit accounts. When they call in or we call them we usually come to an agreement on a specific date when they plan to make a deposit. So working over the three day weekend I spoke to so many people who said they will come in the bank on Monday January 18, 2009. To my surprise when I informed them that we wouldn't be open that day most responded with questions asking why. After their questions, I had to tell them that we're observing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. When they heard it some responded with a simple "oh" or "let's make it Tuesday then" however some replied with "Well what's that have to do with the bank" or "Ok, so why are you closing." The more customers I spoke with the more frustrated I got. I don't think it was the fact that they still wanted the bank to be open but more so the fact that they didn't know what day it was.

It's Hard to get Wasted on Jail Juice Boxes...

Gucci Mane, featured on countless hits by The Black Eyed Peas, Plies, Mariah Carey, and 50 Cent was sentenced to one year in jail yesterday in an Atlanta federal court. His upcoming album The State vs. Radric Davis slated for a December 8th release is almost prophetic in nature as he will no longer don the icy chains and Gucci hats; his Fulton County jail inmate jumpsuit should fit just fine.

Good Hair

So over the weekend I took some time out of my busy schedule to go catch a flick. I had been wanting to see Chris Rock's movie Good Hair since I heard that it was coming out. Being a conscious individual I thought that the documentary would shed some light on the industry of African American hair care. I won't ruin the movie for you if you haven't seen it but it is definitely enlightening. Chris Rock took a historical perspective and a cultural context exploring nearly every facet of the business and culture from hair care manufacturing plants to barbershops to Korean-owned hair stores. The notion that majority of black hair care companies and businesses are dominated by Korean and Caucasians is addressed in addition to many other factors where Ujamaa is not practiced.

Two steps backward

Recently, in the midst of the healthcare debate, persistent economic woes, and wars in the Middle East, an interesting story has made its way to the forefront of popular news media. The story is from Hammond, Louisiana where justice of the peace Keith Bardwell refused to grant marriage rights to Beth Humphrey and Terence McKay because they are an interracial couple.

Hammond is a small town located in southeastern Louisiana close to the Gulf of Mexico. The racial profile of Hammond is dominated by blacks (45%) and whites (52%). Despite the roughly balanced demographics of the community, the residue of racial bias still lingers in the judiciary. The incident has sparked nationwide outrage; America has been shocked by the blatant defiance of legal precedence and racism of such a prominent public official.

Stereotypical Standards?

There has been a buzz across college campuses and news media outlets for the last few days about Dear Old Morehouse College's new dress code for its 2,700 students, noting that "getting back to the legacy" of Morehouse is the driving force behind the college's new dress code.

To Support or Not to Support…Why is that a Question?

Recently college athletes have used eyeblack or eyewear as one of the few means of expression. Ohio State starting quarterback Terrelle Pryor received much criticism for his support of Michael Vick when he had the words “Mika” and “Vick” on them. The former, the sister of Pryor, the latter a former quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons who served eighteen months for his role in dog fighting. Most players put the area or zip codes of their hometowns, or biblical passages on their eyewear, but for some reason “all hell has broken loose.” The adverse reactions to such innocent comments have created a media circus. Thus, I raise the question when does a college athlete have the space to be socially and/or politically conscious.

Obama, Healthcare, and Race…Oh My!

As national media outlets cover the town hall forums on universal health coverage, there appears to be great hostility amongst American citizens, especially Whites, towards President Barack Obama’s proposed reform. Disruptions, arguments, and fights have been commonplace as the debates continue. Obama has even been compared to Adolf Hitler. What is all this hoopla over?