Actress Regina King Speaks Up on Racial Inequality in Hollywood

Since the Emmy ceremony, I have been going back and forth about whether or not I should compose this letter. I try hard in my daily life not to engage in uncomfortable situations regarding race. But sometimes it's very difficult to find other reasons that better explain why certain events play out the way they do. It is impossible for me to ignore the published statistics regarding the number of people of color mentioned, celebrated or honored in the history of the televised Emmys. Up to and including this year, there have been only 53 non-white actorsnominated for Emmys out of nearly 1,000 possible nominations in the top four acting categories for drama and comedy.

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Explaining Money to Kids – Why This is Very Important

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University 

Given that our children are likely our greatest expense and greatest love, perhaps it might be helpful to discuss how we teach them about money.  If you raise your kids to be financially responsible, they can be assets to you during retirement.  If they are taught about money in the wrong way, they become horrible economic liabilities that leave you riddled with guilt.  So, although I don’t claim to know everything about child rearing, I thought I’d share some guidelines you might want to consider when it comes to teaching your kids about money.

 

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Dr. Julianne Malveaux: Obama Disappoints Black Women with the Kagan Nomination

I was among the many who were disappointed that President Barack Obama did not nominate an African American woman to be an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. After all, there are six white men, two women, one Latina and one white, and a nominal African American man on the Court.  Why not an African American woman?
The Black Women's Roundtable, led by Melanie Campbell, was so disappointed that they shared their concerns with the President in a letter that spoke both to the contributions African American women have made and the qualifications of a few good women that President Obama should have considered before nominating Ms. Kagan to the nation's highest court.

I won't even speak on what I perceive as some of the shortcomings of the Kagan nomination.  The Solicitor General has earned the support of some colleagues that I fully respect, such as Harvard Professor Charles Ogletree.  At the same time, we have to pause at the fact that her definition of diversity is ideological diversity, not racial and ethnic diversity, and that she seemed to make Harvard a more welcome place for conservatives, if not for African American faculty.

 

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The Bodyguard Part 2: Matt Lauer and Whitney Houston's Sister?

from AOL Black Voices

Popular 'Today' show host Matt Lauer and his wife of 12 years, Annette, have split. Word on the street is that when Lauer was in Vancouver covering the Winter Olympics, he allegedly "bumped Uggs" with Whitney Houston's half-sister, Alexis Houston.

Houston, who also dabbles in music as a singer/songwriter/producer, met Lauer on the set of his show back in 2007. She accompanied Dionne Warwick, who had sung one of her hits for a segment on marriage. Reportedly, Warwick and the show's producers had some friction before the segment aired, and Houston squashed it. Lauer was apparently impressed with how Houston handled her cousin, sources toldHollyscoop.

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News: Two girls rob a bank

Police in Ohio are searching for two brazen girls, believed to be as young as 12 and 14, who robbed a bank in a Cincinnati suburb and escaped a police dragnet that included a helicopter and dogs.

Ohio police are looking for two girls suspected of robbing a bank.

The baby faced bank robbers, one believed to be 12 years old and the other 14 or 15, entered the 1st National Bank in Symmes Township, "walked up to the bank teller, and gave the teller a note demanding money," Steve Barnett, spokesman for the Hamilton County Sherriff's Office, said in a statement.

 

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Shocking News: Teacher Cuts off a Child’s Hair

Lamya Cammon, 7, was sitting quietly in her first grade class absentmindedly twirling her braids. The little girl's teacher, whose name is being withheld, grew tired of seeing the little girl play with her dozen or so braids, so she called Lamya up to the front of the classroom.

The first graders watched in disbelief as their teacher took out a large pair of scissors and cut off one of Lamya's braids. Amid the snickers of her students, the Milwaukee teacher threw the braid in the garbage, sent the crying youngster back to her seat, then said, "Now what you gonna go home and tell your momma?"

Lamya claims that she was not twirling her hair loudly nor was she being disruptive. When the child told her mother, Helen Cunningham, what had happened, she immediately went to the school to confront the teacher.

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Your Black Love: Towanna Freeman on Domestic Violence

Dr. Towanna Freeman 

One in every four women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime, women 20 to 24 are at the greatest risk, and most cases of domestic abuse are never reported to the police. Victims of domestic abuse often feel as though no one will believe them, or they think they have nowhere to go for help. Domestic abuse is a pattern of behaviors used to control and dominate someone.  Domestic abuse comes in many forms; the most common includes criminal behavior such as physical assault, sexual abuse, and stalking, as well as noncriminal behavior including emotional and psychological abuse.  An abuser can be a spouse, former spouse, or any other person who is a present or former household member.

The following are a few red flags that should be taken seriously:  jealousy, isolation, threats of violence, verbal abuse, controlling behavior, does not respect privacy, and disrespects others.  If someone you know demonstrates one or more of these characteristics on a consistent basis, he or she has the potential of being an abuser.  Often these red flags are not obvious at the start of any relationship, but if you see these characteristics get out of the relationship and seek help immediately. Here are some steps you can take to help a friend experiencing domestic abuse:

1. Tell your friend, “I see what is going on.”

2. Tell your friend, “Abuse is not their fault and it is not normal.”

3. Tell your friend, “You deserve a healthy non-violent relationship.”

4. Tell your friend, “The number to the National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-7233.”

5. Ask your friend, “How can I help support you?”

Everyone has the power to prevent domestic abuse not just those who are directly affected.  The proactive actions of a bystander in the prevention of domestic abuse send a powerful message to both the victim and the abuser. 

To report domestic abuse or learn about prevention and services call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233. Help is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Dr. Towanna Freeman: Protecting your Children from Sexual Abuse

Dr. Towanna Freeman, a leading youth advocate, was asked about the case of the 12-year old pregnant girl who was kidnapped by her father.  When asked how people can protect their children, Dr. Freeman had this to say:

Sexual abuse can absolutely devastate a person’s life.  No matter how small the act, it can take a lifetime to reverse the damages.  Here are five easy steps you can take to protect your family and loved ones from sexual abuse.

1. Have open discussion about what is healthy sexual behavior and what is abusive sexual behavior.

2. Let children know they can come to you if they are not comfortable being around a particular adult or older child.

3. Talk openly and often about inappropriate sexual behavior that you see on television or hear about in the media.

4. Inform other adults or older children who spend time around or supervise the children that if the child does not want a hug or kiss, then a simple handshake is perfectly acceptable.

5. Finally, educate yourself to recognize warning signs that a child may have been sexually abused.

 

Life Coach, Management Consultant, Inspirational Speaker and Author. Principal consultant of Towanna Freeman & Associates and founder of the Young Women’s Empowerment Network, Towanna Freeman is a proven leader in developing and implementing successful leadership, teambuilding and strategic change initiatives in major corporations. Her particular expertise is in shaping corporate strategy and developing quantitative and qualitative measures of bottom-line benefits. To reach Towanna for speaking or media appearances, please call (901) 413-0203.

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Climbing the Corporate Ladder with a Mentor

by Fenorris Pearson, CEO – Global Consumer Innovation, Inc. 

Even when I was a Vice President at Dell Computers, one of the most cutting edge companies on the planet, our problems remained the same. The variables changed, but the bottom line always came down to figuring out how to sell to one customer at a time. Reaching this critical objective becomes more complex as technology changes and the world becomes more advanced. As complacent as we’ve gotten with new technology and global opportunities, this much has become clear: what got you here won’t get you there. In fact, what positioned you here, might not even keep you here…

…At least, not without a sponsor.

These days competition isn’t just stiff, it’s rigid. You need every advantage you’ve got, particularly if you’re a recent grad, female or minority. Think hard work, an MBA and a well-rounded resume will get you to the top? Think again; that might be what got you here, but to get there – the proverbial corner office or CEO’s chair – you’ll need more than just a spotless resume and a 4.0 GPA; you’ll need a sponsor.

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Your Black Love: 11 Reasons He Dumped You

I was flipping through a Women's Health recently (I admit it), and I noticed an interesting poll. Women cited the following as the most common breakup reasons:

When I was little, it drove me crazy when my parents supported "no" with "because I said so." I always wanted a reason. I'm not sure if knowing why always helps, but perhaps if you know common reasons guys break up with girls, you'll at least be able to see it coming. So, here are mine:

I Got Bored: I've read many different hypotheses on attention span, but my favorite is (Wikipedia):

"Continuous attention span, or the amount of time a human can focus on an object without any lapse at all, is very brief and may be as short as 8 seconds. After this amount of time, it is likely that an individual's eyes will shift focus, or that a stray thought will briefly enter consciousness."

 

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Nicole Spence on Freaky Stuff

by Nicole Spence , Your Black World 

 
Hey guys,
I know I'm late but Let's get busy( in my Aresenio Hall voice! Lol),
I have an interesting Dear Nicole letter read below:
the other night while getting some head from my girl she tried something new and stuck a finger in my azz and i nutted like i never before and it felt really good but i don't want her to think I'm gay or something how do i tell her i really liked that shit damm why did it feel so good? i need to know because if felt so fucking good but i'm no fag is that acceptable? thanks
Wow!! My first reaction is that you're not gay! But Let's be clear if a man that I'm seeing asked me to put a finger in his booty, I would immediately think his ass was gay!!
I mean that's just a hell of a request!
But you didn't ask for it, your girlfriend just tried something new and it turns out you dig it! It's actually kinda cool, that you guys are delving into uncharted territory like that. Sounds freaky but she is teaching you about your body. So that's cool! And I don't think you have to tell her how much you liked it, I'm sure she can tell by your reaction! Shooot if she likes to "Rep her city" as much as I do, she'll be doing that shit again and again for that same explosive reaction! Congrats!!

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What if Your Man Goes Limp on the Job?

by Nicole Spence , Your Black World 

So a good friend of mine recently started digging in the crates, and began messing with an old flame!
These 2 dated years ago pretty heavy actually, ish happened and they parted ways. But now he's back! The sex that she remembers was pretty fiery! Although she does recall having to initiate some of their sexual encounters. But it was still pretty Calente!
He's about 8years older than her, so she was looking forward to the whole " daddy" experience. Unfortunately things "down south" haven't been quite the way she remembers, while talking over Patron shots, she asked me if she should give him the ol Heave hoe!
Here's the skinny!

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Dr Boyce Watkins Wonders What BET Was Thinking when they referred to Black Women as “Skanks”

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

Your Black World, Syracuse University, AOL Black Voices, TheGrio.com 

During the BET Awards, Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx did a skit called "Skank Robbers," which you can watch below. Some have argued that the video goes over the top, producing stereotypical images of black women to the point of being offensive. Referring to them as "skanks" was enough to draw the ire of many African Americans, but there was also a point in the video in which the narrator says, "From the producers of 'Planet of the Apes'."

This video leads to the following questions as it pertains to BET:1) Who's making the decisions? I'd love to see what thought process goes into deciding to make R. Kelly your keynote performer right after he is accused of creating child pornography, or having Lil Wayne sing about wanting to have sex with every girl in the world while underage girls are dancing on stage. I don't hate BET, and I've done a great deal of work with them in the past, but I would like very much for them to explain to the public exactly how they operate.

 

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Nicole Spence: All About Swingers and Sex Clubs

by Nicole Spence

So I was on the way to school talking on the phone with one of my girlfriends. I brought up a previous conversation that I had with my friend Jack. Just recently Jack invited me to go with him to check out this Sex club in Brooklyn. Jack knows damn well that I won’t be partaking in any of the reckless behavior, but we both figured it would be juicy material for me to write about, if I wasn’t such a damn fraidy cat, and I actually had the balls to enter such a place. 
The crazy shit is nasty people are everywhere, as I’m walking and chit chatting to my surprise this clean cut black guy over hears my conversation. As I attempt to cross the street he stops me. Now I’m thinking “ Oh you want my number?” But No! He tells me “ I didn’t mean to over hear your conversation, but I did. My girlfriend and I are looking for a new Sex club, can you tell me the name of the one you were just speaking about?” Get the fuck outta here! You swing? He begins to ask if I’m apart of the “community” I say, "No" followed by a very loud weird laugh. Lol 

 

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FIERCE Women: Tyra Banks on Modeling