Body of Top Model Pulled From River

PARIS (Feb. 29) - The body of Katoucha Niane, one of the first African women to attain international stardom as a model and a vocal opponent of female genital mutilation, was found in the Seine River, police said Friday. Known simply as Katoucha, the former top model for Yves Saint Laurent and other top designers was found Thursday near the Garigliano bridge in Paris, judicial police in Paris said.

An autopsy showed no signs of foul play, pointing to the possibility that the 47-year-old may have fallen accidentally into the river, they said.

She had been missing since January and was last seen returning home from a party. She lived in a houseboat near Paris' Alexandre III bridge, and her handbag was later found on the boat.

The Guinean-born model told The Associated Press in 1994 that she ran away to Europe at 17 aiming to be a model. Her big break came when Jules-Francois Crahay, then the designer at Lanvin, spotted her in a line-up. The label hired her as a fitting model. Her first catwalk modeling was for Thierry Mugler at the start of the 1980s.

After quitting the runway, she turned to speaking out actively against female circumcision, describing her own experience at age 9 in a book, "Katoucha, In My Flesh," which was published last year. Continue reading

The Roots "75 Bars (Black’s Reconstruction)"

Rihanna, Kanye West, Vivica A. Fox @ Paris Fashion Week

Sights of Africa They Never Show on Tv

Fasilides was proclaimed Emperor in 1630 during a revolt led by Sersa Krestos, but did not actually reach the throne until his father abdicated in 1632. Fasilides immediately acted to restore the power of the traditional Ethiopian Orthodox Church.He sent for a new abuna from the Patriarch of Alexandria, restoring the ancient relationship that had been allowed to lapse. He confiscated the lands of the Jesuits at Dankaz and elsewhere in the empire, and relegated them to Fremona. When he heard that the Portuguese bombarded Mombasa, Fasilides assumed that Alfonso Mendez, the Roman Catholic prelate, was behind the act, and banished the remaining Jesuits from his lands. Mendez and most of his followers made their way back to Goa, being robbed or imprisoned several times on the way. In 1665, he ordered the "Books of the Franks" -- the remaining religious writings of the Catholics -- burnt. continue reading

Pete Rock “Till I Retire/ Best Believe” (Feat. Redman)

News Updates: Feb 29/08

Kenyans have been celebrating the power-sharing deal to end the country’s two-month political crisis

Obama surges past Clinton in Democratic race

Outcry in SA over" racist " video

Lawmakers to push for U.S apology for slavery

Ashanti "The Way That I Love You"

Quote of The Day

"The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. "

~Author Unknown

Africa: Brazilian Artist to Hold Exhibition At Africa University

Brazilian fine artist Casimiro Gomes de Oliveira Junior's works will be on display at the fourth annual arts and culture festival at the Africa University beginning today.

Besides the exhibition, at least four Brazilian films will be screened as part of the Brazilian Embassy's contribution to the two-day festival. Daisy Zambuko, the Press officer, said the embassy would participate in at least four activities at the festival. "We have an exhibition of works by artist Casimiro Gomes de Oliveira Junior. Brazilian Ambassador Dr Raul de Taunay will also hold a workshop for the students while Zimbabwe Warriors coach Valinhos will take the opportunity to talk about his soccer experiences to students attending the festival," she said. continue reading

News Updates: Feb 28/08

Kenya's opposition calls off street protest

Somalia: Impunity "The Root Cause of Crisis"

Africa: Violence against women must stop now

Origin of The Oscar

The oscar winner award statue is actually based on the ancient egyptian god Ptah (pronounced "taw") who in the Memphite theology was the master craftsman that brought forth everything in existence. Ptah was the primal deity, the first of all the gods, creator of the world and all that is in it. He is said to have sculpted the gods, and created all living things. Egyptian art depicts Ptah as a tall bearded man with a tightly fitting cap and ornate garments, and he is shown holding the "was" scepter, the symbol of the divine, and a symbol for life, stability, and power that is combined together in the Ankh. It is interesting how little known the Egyptian inspiration for the Oscar statue award trophy truly is.

Nicole Richie's Baby!

PEOPLE has your first look at Nicole Richie and her daughter Harlow, born Jan. 11 in L.A. Richie, 26, and her boyfriend Joel Madden, 28, open up to PEOPLE about how parenthood has changed their lives – and the happy couple pose for an exclusive family photo album with their daughter (the latest issue of PEOPLE is on newsstands Friday). Says Richie of life with Harlow: "She gives life a whole new meaning and a whole new purpose." www.people.com

He’s Black and We’re Proud

By Michael Dawson
How Obama, of all people, is benefitting from a resurgent black nationalism.

Feb. 27, 2008 -- It is supremely ironic that Barack Obama, the candidate who seeks to bury race as an issue in this campaign season, owes his overwhelming support among blacks to the continued power of black nationalism. For a century and a half, black nationalism has provided the main ideological challenge to the liberal, social democratic sensibilities that have always dominated black politics.

It is likely that Senator Obama's support among African Americans would have remained divided without the continued ideological influence of black nationalism.

First, we need some definitions. To start, let's define black nationalism. Black nationalism is the political ideology which takes race as the fundamental dividing line in the U.S. Black nationalists believe that the first political, cultural, economic, and/or social priority is for black people to come together. Further, Black nationalism calls for various degrees of political, economic, cultural and/or social separation from white people. Race becomes a primary determinant for making political judgments. continue reading

Attention Oprah Store Shoppers!

Just like Disney and NBC before her, Oprah is opening up her own store for Oprah-themed merchandise. It's going to be in Chicago, naturally, adjacent to Harpo Studios where she currently films her show.

The store is supposed to draw the Oprah audiences inside after they view a taping, but it will inevitably become a draw for just about anyone as Oprah is both the Queen of the World and the High Empress of Chicago.

Items available in the store will be pretty much the same stuff you can find in the Oprah Boutique on her website, such as the Oprah iPod cover, African crafts, clothing, DVDs, and the baby gear. It would actually be neat if the store would also feature some of her "favorite things" that she lists in each edition of her magazine. www.tvsquad.com

News Updates

Day in court reduces Paultre-Bell to tears

Israel to deport illegal immigrants from Africa

Hip-Hop summit action goes down in New York City

Mariah Carey “Touch My Body”

Im not a fan of Mariah Carey but check out her new video

Charlotte E. Ray

Charlotte E. Ray (January 13, 1850 – January 4, 1911) was the first black woman lawyer. Ray was born in New York City where her father the Reverend Charles Bennett Ray was a prominent abolitionist. During her childhood she attended the Institution for the Education of Colored Youth in Washington, D.C. which was one of the few schools African American women could attend. In 1869 she was both a teacher and a student at Howard University, she studied law, specialising in commercial law, and graduated in 1872 and was the first woman to graduate from the Howard Law School.
Ray was admitted to the District of Columbia Bar in 1872. Soon after her admission to the bar, she was forced to give up her practice, and by 1879 had returned to New York where she worked as a teacher. After 1895 Ray seems to have been active in the National Association of Colored Women.
Charlotte was a well-known abolitionist. She attended at Howard University. She studied law, because she wanted to be a lawyer. In February 1872, she received her law degree from Howard University. She was the first black woman in the USA to attain that goal. She opened her own law practice. Then she closed it, because it was not going so well. In 1895 she became active in the National Women's Suffrage Association. In 1897 she moved to Woodside, Long Island where she died at age of 60 in 1911.Poet H. Cordelia Ray was her sister.

On This Day in Our History Feb 27/08

The Dominican Republic gained its independence on this date in 1844.

John Willis Menard, the first Black elected to Congress, presented his case for having been denied the Louisiana Second Congressional District seat on this date in 1869. In doing so, Menard became the first Black to speak on the floor of the House.

Charlotte E. Ray, the first Black woman lawyer, graduated from Howard University on this date in 1872.

W. B. Purvis, inventor, patented the Hand Stamp, which can be found at almost any business, on this date in 1883. Patent # 273,149.

Marian Anderson, famous contralto opera singer, was born in Philadelphia, PA, on this date in 1902.

Charlayne Alberta Hunter-Gault was born in Due West, SC, on this date in 1942. Hunter-Gault and Hamilton E. Holmes, were the first Blacks to integrate Georgia University. Hunter-Gault later became a highly regarded journalist/correspondent with PBS.

Debi Thomas, figure skater, became the first Black American to win a medal (Bronze) at the Winter Olympics on this date in 1988.

Estelle "American Boy" Music Video!

ESTELLE FT KANYE WEST - AMERICAN BOY
by djfelino

Check out this new music video by Estelle featuring Kanye West.

Black Love: Why Men Don't Communicate

It seems like we are constantly being pressured into talking about our feelings with our women. When we don't exude the enthusiastic desire to discuss every intricate detail of our minds and our feelings, they get mad at us.

Don't be so shocked ladies, but guys do actually talk, and not just about sports. Most women think their man is the strong, silent type (or maybe the oblivious, silent type), and they wonder why he doesn't share his feelings.

But here's the truth: Men do want to open up, about their hopes, their fears, and their passions. Yet put him alone in a room with you, and he often turns into a sphinx. Why can't he take his eyes off the TV and talk about the state of the relationship, or the finances, or, heck, the backyard landscaping? Why in the world can't he just summarize his day for 10 minutes?

In fact, one in five women say that they typically fight about a man's lack of verbal interaction and 30 percent of men say their failure to communicate is the source of major conflict in the relationship. Why is it this way?

Here's one answer: Because even men who have feelings to share don't always feel comfortable sharing them with their partner. These are some of the reasons why some men often prefer to zip it, rather than delivering the goods: Continue reading

News Updates: Feb 27/08

Clinton, Obama clash over campaign tactics in debate

Annan to hold crisis talks with Kenyan Leaders

Powerful S.Africa union sacks pro- Mbeki leader

Jay Z's New Video " I know"

Relationship 101: How to Let the Love Inside

1. Don't rush into saying "I love you!" Take the time to realize what it is that you're saying, that it means something. Unless you can feel like this is a promise, that you will feel like this for the rest of your life, then don't say it!


2. Make sure you trust, admire, and respect the person you are with. Can you see being with him or her forever? Can you really talk to each other? About anything? Can you be honest with and support each other? Do you have meaningful conversations? Do you mean something to each other? Is the relationship exclusive, serious, long-term, mature, meaningful, loving, trustful, truthful, respectful, and so on? If the answer is yes, then you may be heading towards love.


3. Take the physical aspect of the relationship slowly as well. This will give you time to develop other aspects of your relationship. Like the verbal, psychological, mental, emotional, affectionate, and other kinds of intimacy / closeness that has nothing to do with the physical stuff.


4. Don't let your life completely revolve around them. Your partner will find it sexy that you have other priorities. It's a sign of self-respect.



~~Tips~~


1. Trust your instincts.
2. Make time for each other.
3. Spend time apart as well.
4. Connect/bond - on a deeper level (than physical, etc.) with one another - let there be time for the emotional, psychological, mental, and verbal (etc.) intimacy or closeness to grow, expand, and develop (etc).

Jill Scott talks about bra problems

NEW YORK - Although Jill Scott loves her curves, her ample bustline has caused her plenty of pain.

"I have large breasts," Scott told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I've been blessed with them, and I need something that can support (them)."

She's had bras custom-made, and has even worn two at a time — "a bra for lift, and one for shape," the 35-year-old Grammy-winning singer/actress said. But still no relief.

Now Scott believes she's found a solution for herself — and millions of other voluptuous women — with her "Butterfly" bra for plus-size store Ashley Stewart.

The bra, which Ashley Stewart says is "inspired" by Scott, puts additional fabric and support on the back of the garment rather than on the shoulder straps, which can cut into the skin.

"I got tired of the hurting shoulders — that's not nice," said Scott, who starred in last fall's hit film "Why Did I Get Married?" She is touring to promote her latest album, "The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3."

There was a time, Scott said, when she considered breast reduction but decided against it, fearing the surgery would be painful.

"Besides, I really enjoy my breasts," she said. "They've been with me for a long time — without being too graphic, we've had fun!"

On the Net:

Jill Scott:

http://www.jillscott.com

Ashley Stewart:

http://www.ashleystewart.com

New Amerykah & Discipline in Stores Today

On This Day in Our History Feb 26/08

Wyatt Outlaw, leader of the Alamance County, NC, Union League, was killed by lynching on this date in 1870.

Theodore "Tiger" Flowers, defeated Harry Greb and became the first Black World Middleweight Boxing Champion on this date in 1926.

Antoine "Fats" Domino, famed singer, was born New Orleans, LA, on this date in 1928. "Ain't That a Shame" and "Blueberry Hill" are two of his best-known songs.

The Green Pastures opened at Mansfield Theater on this date in 1930. The play, written by Marc Connelly, starred Richard B. Harrison as "De Lawd" and ran 557 shows.

Jimmie Lee Jackson, civil rights activist, died of injuries inflicted by police officers in Marion, AL, on this date in 1965. Jackson was shot eight days earlier while defending his mother as their group was attacked while leaving a voting-rights meeting.

News Updates: Feb 26/08

Rice urges China to use influence on North Korea

Study finds immigrants commit less California crime

Obama faces parodies, questions about his promise in Democratic race

Kenya crisis talks resume under protest threat

Quote of The Day

"Love is like a baby: it needs to be treated tenderly."

Debbie Allen

Born: January 16, 1950 Occupation: dancer
Debbie Allen was born in Houston, Texas, where her father, Andrew Allen, was a dentist and her mother, Vivian Ayers Allen, was a Pulitzer Prize-nominated writer. Her sister, Phylicia Rashad, became well known for her role as Claire Huxtable on the television series THE COSBY SHOW. As a child, Allen tried to take ballet classes at the Houston Foundation for Ballet, but she was rejected for reasons her mother thought were discriminatory. Allen began learning dance by studying privately with a former dancer from the Ballet Russes and later by moving with her family to Mexico City where she danced with the Ballet Nacional de Mexico. Allen reauditioned for the Houston Foundation for Ballet in 1964, and this time was admitted on a full scholarship and became the company's first black dancer. After high school, Allen hoped to attend North Carolina School of Arts, but when she was rejected she decided to pursue a B.A. at Howard University (1971) with a concentration in classical Greek literature, speech, and theater. During her college years, she continued to dance with students at the university and with choreographer Michael Malone's dance troupe. After graduating in 1971, Allen relocated to New York City where she would develop her talents as a dancer, actress, and singer in her appearances on Broadway, and eventually in television shows and movies. continue reading

Tune In Tonight: Raisin In The Sun . 8pm

Diddy In Raisin In The Sun 2008
by RealTalkNYnet

Diddy’s Acting is Commanding and Fierce

Sean Combs (the artist sometimes known as Diddy) is getting high marks for his acting in the ABC special, A Raisin in the Sun.

Says the New York Times about the TV special, “There are no mediocre performances here… That Mr. Combs makes his desires seem like more than empty materialism must come in some part from the fact that he has been hungry at the same table… The play’s most poignant speech is his, and he delivers it with all of the dignified vengeance it demands, showing us that one of the great advantages of money is the power it provides to tell the wrong people off… Mr. Combs commanding and fierce.”

Read the full review of A Raisin in the Sun at www.nytimes.com

The Last Day of Sean Bell's Life

The city doesn’t get to choose the settings of its historic crucibles. A dark street in Bensonhurst, 1989. A bustling intersection in Crown Heights, 1991. A police-station bathroom in Flatbush, 1997. In Sean Bell’s case, the stage was set at a wood-paneled afterthought of a strip joint in Jamaica, Queens, in the early hours of Saturday, November 25, 2006.

Club Kalua had opened three years earlier, just another cut-rate market for vice, on a quiet side street around the corner from the Jamaica Long Island Rail Road station. Pimps and hookers cruise the front door, lit by the fluorescent glow from the JFK AirTrain terminal down the block. Inside, the girls don’t offer lap dances so much as just plop onto your lap and demand drinks. Hookers pay the bouncers for the right to waitress and meet johns there; some of the girls are said to be as young as 13. The tricks take place in cars, or in a cheap hotel a block away, or right there on 94th Avenue. Getting customers drunk seems to be club policy. White laser-printed notices are taped to the walls: MUST HAVE DRINK ALL THE TIME. Drunk johns mean more tips for the bartenders (whom the hookers are also paying off) and less of a chance that the johns turn out to be undercover cops. continue reading

News Updates: Feb 25/08

Clinton, Obama sharpen their attacks

State of the Union Not Relevant to most

Nigeria faces the prospect of a quite revolution

Mya: Broadway Debut could be good look

80th Annual Oscar Awards

Mary J Blige Just Fine Remix w/ Lil Mama

Raul Castro named Cuban president

Raul Castro has been unanimously selected to succeed his brother Fidel as leader by Cuba's National Assembly.

Raul was widely expected to be chosen for the post and his name was the only one put before the communist deputies.

Fidel Castro, 81, stepped down after nearly half a century in charge. He had been out of the public eye since July 2006 when he had major surgery.

Raul, 76, has in effect been president since and the National Assembly vote was seen as formalising his position.

Continue reading

Ummm, ah.. I Dunno

Dear heavenly father, please help Lil Kim realize that she does not need to look like a barbie doll in order to be pretty. I loved how LiL Kim looked when she first came out back in the 90's with Junior Mafia, but when she went under the knife, it just went all wrong. Lil Kim, I still love your music but from a sista to a sista, embrace your own beauty.

Amen.

NYPD Trio Set for Trial in Groom's Death

NEW YORK -- On the night before his wedding, Sean Bell went to a strip club for a bachelor party and was killed by police on his way out. The three police officers indicted in the shooting go on trial Monday in a case that has sparked protests and debate over excessive force and police conduct in New York. continue reading

Who Are Music's Richest Women

10. Mariah Carey with $13 million

9. Dixie Chicks with $18 million

8. Faith Hill with $19 million

7. Christina Aguilera with $20 million

6. Gwen Stefani with $26 million

5. Beyonce with $27 million

4. Shakira with $38 million

3. Celine Dion with $45 million

2. Barbra Streisand with $60 million

1. Madonna with $72 million

Forbes ranked the artists based on grosses from June 2006 - June 2007

Ebony ,Essence & Black Enterprise Pre-Oscar Party's

News Updates: Feb 23/08

Obama takes heat for skipping State of the Black Union

Chinese loan to fund Zimbabwe farm equipment purchases

P.Diddy wants to become a full time movie star

Trafficking: A very modern slavery

Sights of Africa They Never Show on Tv

Kintampo Falls, Ghana

The Kintampo archeological site in Ghana dates back to 2500-1400 BCE and is one of the earliest known sites for the cultivation of the cowpea. Evidence of polished stone axes, stone beads, buildings of stone, domestic pots, ceramic sculptures of humans and animals indicate that Kintampo was established by practitioners of both pastoralism and horticulture.

The Kintampo people lived in villages composed of rectangular wattle and daub structures (the historical shape and material of Akan buildings) at Netereso, overlooking the White Volta, 50 km west of Tamale, in a settlement covering about 750 square metres.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kintampo

Shirley Chisholm

Shirley Chisholm (Nov. 30, 1924 - Jan. 1, 2005) was the first African-American woman elected to the US Congress. Shirley Anita St. Hill was born in Brooklyn, New York. After being a teacher and serving as a New York state assemblywoman, Chisolm was elected as a Democrat to the House of Representatives. She served in Congress for seven terms, from January 3, 1969, until January 3, 1983. In 1972, Chisholm was the first African-American woman to run for a major-party presidential nomination. During her long political career, she fought for the rights of women and minorities.

Quote of The Day

"When opulence & extravagance are a necessity instead of righteousness & truth. society will be governed by greed & injustice."

Ivory Coast's 'big-bottom' craze ??

A national dance craze in Ivory Coast has spawned a black market in treatments claiming to increase one’s bottom size.

By John James
BBC News, Abidjan

The dance in question has been inspired by DJ Mix and DJ Eloh’s hit song Bobaraba, which means “big bottom” in the local Djoula language. When it plays you can be guaranteed that the dance floor will be packed with people shaking their derrieres.

Even Ivorian footballers have adopted the moves and could be seen wiggling their bottoms in a curious on-pitch dance after each goal scored during the just-ended Africa Nations Cup.

However, doctors have warned of the possible dangers of some of the concoctions on sale.
While the dance has been embraced by both sexes, DJ Mix says it was inspired by women.
“We made it as a tribute to women, because African women are defined by the shape of their bottoms,” he says.

“Move your bottom, jump, you see, it’s alive.” Kady Meite, one of his dancers, says the song is a message for women. “There are women today with large bottoms who are embarrassed, so it’s to say don’t be ashamed - be comfortable,” she says. The message seems to have been taken on board - so much so that some women are now going in search of a “bobaraba”. continue reading

Jennifer Lopez & Marc Anthony Welcome Twins!

It's double the baby joy for Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony: They're the proud new parents of twins, a boy and a girl, Lopez's manager tells PEOPLE exclusively.

The babies were born early Friday in Long Island, N.Y. The girl was born at 12:12 a.m. and weighed 5 lbs. 7 oz., and the boy followed at 12:23 a.m., weighing 6 lbs.

"Jennifer and Marc are delighted, thrilled and over the moon," Lopez's manager Simon Fields tells PEOPLE exclusively. People.com

News Updates: Feb 22/08

Obama escapes Clinton debate unscathed

Kenya peace talks hit snags on critical day

Tavis Smiley catches hell for Barack bashing

An isle of beauty - Unless your gay

Ten Commandments for Being a Black Man.

1. Always say "I do" to a Black woman.

2. Take care of your offspring.

3. Always love and respect your Black people - educate yourself on your Black history.

4. Attend an HBCU & get a degree.

5. Take care of your Mother & Father when they get older.

6. Have safe sex at all times.

7. Never act differently around other folks than you would around your own people. Be yourself at all times.

8. Never disrespect a Black woman (take Bitches & Hoes out of your terminology).

9. Never enlist into the U.S Army.

10. Never sell or buy drugs.

In Memory of Malcolm X - May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965

Malcolm X was one of the most fiery and controversial people of the 20th century.

Born Malcolm Little in Omaha, Nebraska on May 19, 1925, Malcolm was the son of a Baptist minister, who was an avid supporter of Marcus Garvey's Universal Negro Improvement Association. While living in Omaha, the family was often harassed — at one point the family's house was set afire. In 1929 the family moved to Lansing, Michigan. While in Michigan, Malcolm's father was killed; his body severed in two by a streetcar and his head smashed. In his autobiography, written with Alex Haley, Malcolm asserted that his father may have been killed by members of the Ku Klux Klan. His mother, stricken by the death of her husband and the demands of providing for the family, was committed to a mental institution. continue reading

On This Day in Our History Feb 21/08

Lemuel Haynes, Revolutionary War Veteran and the first Black minister to serve for a white congregation, became the first Black person to receive an honorary degree (Master of Arts) from a white college (Middlebury College) on this date in 1804.

Nina Simone, entertainer known as the "High Priestess of Soul," was born in Tryon, NC, on this date in 1933. Simone recorded the highly acclaimed "I Love You Porgy" in 1959.

Barbara Jordan, lawyer, educator, Congresswoman, and the first Black person to give the keynote address at a national political convention, was born in Houston, TX, on this date in 1936.

Civil rights activist, Julian Bond, was elected Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors on this date in 1998.

Janet Jackson: Vibe Magazine Cover

Africa’s first ladies unite to fight for peace on the continent

Wives of African heads of state or their representatives have formed a conflict-resolution group in a bid to support initiatives to restore and strengthen peace on the continent.

The African Network of Women Peace Negotiators was created on 15 February in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, at the sixth conference of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, known by its French acronym MIPREDA, which was launched in 1997 in Nigeria to advocate for peace, stability and harmony in Africa.

"Brazzaville will be the starting point of action of women for peace on the continent," said the first lady of Chad, Hinda Déby Itno. The Chadian capital, N'djamena, came under heavy attack in early February by rebels bent on toppling the government of President Idriss Déby. Continue reading

Maroon photo exhibition being launched at Museum in Docklands

A stunning display of photographs of the self-governing Maroon community in Jamaica will go on show today until 31 August, as part of the London, Sugar & Slavery gallery’s exhibition at Museum in Docklands.

The display of over 50 photographs in a montage and a short film draws attention to the forgotten story of the Maroons who refused to be enslaved, survived in remote parts of the Caribbean islands and helped destabilise the plantation system. Even today they live in close communities independent from the government. continue reading

News Updates: Feb 21/08

Click links to read full article

Bush in Liberia to show support for Africa ally

Afro Latinos tangled in Colombia, Venezuela Political web

Clinton sharpens message in attack on Obama

The Dandy’s Progress

André Benjamin has already nailed a few careers (musician, actor), but what he’d really like to do is impress Beau Brummell with his new clothing line.

André Benjamin (a.k.a. André 3000) likes short shorts. Short basketball shorts, that is, the kind players wore back in the seventies, the kind that end perilously high up the thigh, the kind that Kobe Bryant recently said made him feel “violated” after the Lakers played a half in throwback uniforms. Benjamin pulls off the look with some flair in Semi-Pro, the latest sports-themed comedy to roll off Will Ferrell’s assembly line. He plays the inventor of the alley-oop, and “by the time we started filming, the shorts were like a second skin to me,” he says. “It seems like you can cut through the air a little bit better in them.” continue reading

Brit Awards

Kelly Rowland and Rihanna at the Brit Awards last night. Today is also Rihanna's birthday..Happy Birthday!!!!

America's Next Top Model Tonight 8pm

Don't miss the premiere of America's Next Top Model Cycle 10 tonight at 8pm.

Whites Become The Minority By 2050

WASHINGTON -- Non-Hispanic whites will become a minority in the United States by 2050, with immigrants and their children driving 82 percent of U.S. population growth in coming years, a new study says.

The U.S. population will grow to 438 million in 2050 from 296 million in 2005 if current population trends continue, the Pew Research Center study found.

Non-Hispanic whites would account for 47 percent of the total in 2050, it concluded.

By that time, one in every five Americans will be a foreign-born immigrant, compared to one in eight in 2005.

"Of the 117 million people added to the population in this period due to the effect of new immigration, 67 million will be the immigrants themselves and 50 million will be their U.S.-born children or grandchildren," the study said.

While the white population, with its lower fertility rate, ages, the Latino population, the nation's largest minority, will triple in size. Latinos will be responsible for 60 percent of the population growth until 2050.

They will account for 29 percent of the population, or 128 million in 2050, up from 14 percent now, the study said.

"The number of whites will increase, but only by 4 percent," said D'Vera Cohn, one of the report's authors.

The Asian population will almost double in percentage terms, from 5 to 9 percent, while blacks will remain around 13 percent of the total, the report said.

At the same time, the elderly population will more than double as the baby boom generation retires. The number of children and working-age people will grow more slowly.

Almost half of the new immigrants arriving the country will be from Latin American countries, said the other author of the study, Jeffrey S. Passel from the Pew Hispanic Center.

Link

On This Day in Our History Feb 20/08

The North Carolina General Assembly incorporated the town of Princeville, NC, on this date in 1885. Princeville is the oldest Black incorporated town in the United States.

Frederick Augusta Douglass, orator and activist, died in Washington, DC, on this date in 1895. Douglass was a leading Black spokesman for almost 50 years.

Sydney Poitier, actor and "Academy Award" winner for his performance in Lilies of the Field, was born in Miami, FL, on this date in 1924.

John Hope, President of Atlanta University, died on this date in 1936.

Nancy Wilson, pop and jazz singer, was born in Chillicothe, OH, on this date in 1937.

Jean Baptist Pointe Du Sable, trader, fur trapper, and founder of Chicago, IL, was commemorated on a U.S. postage stamp on this date in 1987.

Kweisi Mfume, Congressional Black Caucus Chairman, was named Executive Director of the NAACP on this date in 1996.

News Updates: Feb 20/08

Obama wins Wisconsin and Hawaii, pressure on Clinton

Castro exit sets stage for stable Cuba succession

Kenya's Nobel winner Maathai receives death threats

Bush says doesn't see China as competitor in Africa

BHF MAGAZINE

BHF Magazine is an exciting and dynamic new African Lifestyle Magazine . With a boldness and edge, the likes of which has never been seen before, this quarterly publication is the brainchild of visionary entrepreneurial power couple Geoffrey and Jennifer Olisa. Our mission is simple. To shatter the narrow view of AFRICANS that exists today by looking through the lens of the lives of modern Africans. We will introduce to the world our fashion, art and vibrant culture. JOIN THE MOVEMENT!!! OUR TIME HAS COME TO CLAIM OUR PLACE OF EXCELLENCE AND ELEGANCE!!! BECOME A PART OF THE BHF FAMILY TODAY!!!

Check out this fabulous online magazine at http://bhfmagazine.com/

Talib Kweli “Hostile Gospel Part 1 (Deliver Us)

News Updates: Feb 19/08

Click links to read full article

Victim ID'ed in house party shooting death R.I.P Tristan.

Fidel Castro retires

Obama and Clinton square off in Wisconsin

Bush commemorates Rwandan genocide victims

Picture of The Day

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