Services announced for slain Hudson family members

A private memorial service for Jennifer Hudson's slain mother, brother and nephew will be held Monday morning.

An announcement will be made Friday on whether a public service will be held, according to Hudson Funeral Home, which is handling the arrangements.

The private service will be held at the Apostolic Church of God, 6320 S. Dorchester. It is for invited guests only.

Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29, were shot and killed Friday morning at their Englewood home. Julian King, the 7-year-old son of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia, was found dead Monday morning in Jason Hudson's SUV, which was taken from the home.

Julia Hudson's estranged husband, William Balfour, 27, has been named a person of interest in the slayings. He is being jailed on a probation violation. He has not been charged in the shootings.
Source

Jennifer Hudson and her sister, Julia Hudson, established a foundation to benefit families of slain victims.

The Hudson-King Foundation for Families of Slain Victims will provide basic needs such as food and shelter as well as grief counseling for victims of crime, according to the Jennifer’s publicist. Here is the contact information for the new charity:
Hudson-King Foundationc/o Abrams Garfinkel Margolis Bergson, LLPAttention: William L. Abrams, Esq.237 W. 35th St. 4th FloorNew York, NY 10001

Soure: theybf.com

Saptosa Foster

In 2003 Saptosa Foster partnered with a colleague to form the 135th Street Agency, a strategic communications company specializing in the urban business professional and urban youth consumer. Since graduating cum laude from Spelman College in 1998, Foster worked briefly as an analyst at Accenture Consulting, but moved to New York to pursue a career as a freelance writer. She started as a fact-checker for magazines including Seventeen and Rolling Stone. In addition to several Web sites and underground publications, Saptosa has written for Honey, Vibe and other publications and has interviewed artists including Nas, Nelly, Ludacris and Jill Scott. Source

Keyshia Cole ‘Playa Cardz Right’ (Feat. Tupac)

Quote of The Day

"The greatest stock market you can invest in is yourself.Finding this truth is better than finding a gold mine."

Be Bold Be Red: Stop the Violence Against Women of Color

Document The Silence

News Updates: October 30, 2008

Thousands flee rebel fighting in Congo

Violence forces Haitians to flee Dominican Republic

Obama infomercials tops primetop network ratings

Gun found during probe of Hudson Killings

Usher ‘Hush’

Quote of The Day

"Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of."
~ Benjamin Franklin, 18th century US statesman, writer and scientist
Do you value every moment?
Or, do you fritter away precious time and energy on stuff you know is a waste?
Don’t torture your soul. Channel your energy into your growth and rest and truly meaningful activities. (Pretty please, of course. :))

Amazing World Experience

Air Canada's Amazing World Experience: Your chance to win a trip in Executive First to four continents and 100, 000 Bonus Aeroplan Miles. Enter now.

6 More Days

With 6 more days left till the Presidential Election in the USA. Let me know your thoughts and predictions.

Question 1. If a Obama wins how do you feel America, and people around the World would feel and or react.?

Question 2. What changes do you think he will really bring about?

Question 3. What if Obama doesn't win, and McCain takes office.

Out of Africa: Ghana Invites Blacks Back to the Continent

The haunting interior of the Elmina slave castle here in Ghana is a porthole 500 years into the past. It stands empty today but once contained hundreds of bodies stuffed inside 10-by-13-foot cells, shackled at the wrists and ankles. For more than 400 years, millions of Africans were pushed through the forbidding “door of no return” and shipped from places like this to the Americas. A new project in Ghana, however, is now beckoning their scattered descendants back home.

In August, the Joseph Project held a momentous healing ceremony that saw leaders of African tribes asking forgiveness for their part in the slave trade and emphasizing a need for closure and unity among all Blacks. “The spirit of our ancestors are not developed because of the disconnect between people in the Diaspora,” Katstriku says, referring to the belief that ancestral spirits cannot find peace if they have unfinished business. “It doesn’t matter where you are. Whether you’ve made your home in the U.K. or the U.S., you still have the blood of Africa in you.” Continue reading Source

Quote of The Day

“The spirit of our ancestors are not developed because of the disconnect between people in the Diaspora,”

Gabrielle Union's Fight for a Cure

Actress Gabrielle Union recently traveled to Ghana, Africa, as part of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure's mission delegation to advocate for the Ghana Breast Cancer Alliance and symposium. Ghana is a country where many women either don't receive medical help until it's too late or believe breast cancer is the end of life as they know it. Read Gabrielle's personal story of her travels abroad and find out how the disease has affected her life. Plus, see exclusive photos of her trip. source

Thurgood Marshall Gala at The Sheraton Hotel NYC

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Thurgood Marshall College fund

Thurgood Marshall (July 2, 1908 – January 24, 1993) was an American jurist and the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. Before becoming a judge, he was a lawyer who was best remembered for his high success rate in arguing before the Supreme Court and for the victory in Brown v. Board of Education. More info here

Herbs That Heal

Female druggists squeeze animal skin filled with herbs. Egyptians used this method in making herbal medicine.


GOLDEN SEAL ROOT- This kills many disease causing organisms e.g. bacteria, yeasts, fungi and parasites and also helps to boost the immune system by toning the blood and enhancing spleen activity. Golden seal helps everything from cystitis to respiratory infections.


RED RASPBERRY- Connected to female health, including pregnancy.


DADELION- To treat liver, gallbladder, kidney and joint problems.

PRIMROSE OIL (EVENING)- It helps achieving desired blood pressure readings and helps maintain a healthy circulatory system.

DONG QUAI (ANGELICA SINESIS)- This is known as the female ginseng. It is used during the menstrual cycle.

ASTRAGALUS- Primary herb for strengthening the immune system, and helping the body to maintain it's health.

Assassination plot against Obama foiled

A nightmare scenario that has haunted Americans since Barack Obama became a presidential candidate has been foiled by federal agents who say white supremacists planned to assassinate the Democratic nominee and kill dozens of black students in a would-be Tennessee mass murder.
In court records unsealed Monday, officials for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said they disrupted plans by two young neo-Nazi skinheads to rob a gun store and target a high school attended predominantly by African-Americans. Continue reading

Breaking News: Reports say child's body found in Hudson case

The Cook County medical examiner's office is investigating reports on Monday of a child's body found in an SUV in Chicago, a spokesperson for the office told CNN.

The Chicago Tribune -- citing the medical examiner's office -- reported that the body of a boy was found Monday morning in a white SUV connected with Julian King, the missing nephew of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson.
Police issued an Amber Alert for Julian, 7, who has been missing since Hudson's mother and brother were found dead in their home Friday
They also asked people to look out for a 1994 white Chevrolet Suburban with Illinois license plate X584859.
Julian is described as being 4-feet-11 and 130 pounds. He was wearing a striped brown polo shirt and khaki pants when last seen, authorities said in the Amber Alert. Continue reading

Jennifer Hudson offers $100,000 reward for safe return of missing nephew

Jennifer Hudson and her family offered a $100,000 reward Sunday for the safe return of her missing nephew, as investigators looked for forensic evidence near the home where her mother and brother were found shot to death.

Mourners dressed in their Sunday best milled outside the childhood home of the singer and Oscar-winning actress, along with investigators seeking clues to the whereabouts of seven-year-old Julian King, the son of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia.
In a statement Sunday evening from publicist Lisa Kasteler, Jennifer Hudson appealed to the public for its help, offering the reward and asking that any information be given to Chicago police.

"Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian," the statement said.
Chicago police ramped up search efforts for Julian around the Englewood neighbourhood where Hudson grew up, and transferred custody of a "person of interest" in the killings to state authorities.

"Detectives are working 24 hours on this case," said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. "There's a lot of forensic evidence. We have to work the evidence and try and solve this case.
"Most importantly, we want to find the child." Continue reading

Who Worked it Better LOL

Single Man vs Beyonce

Update: Tekenya Wooten Found

The Durham Police Department has been actively trying to locate Tekenya Wooten since she was last reported missing from the group home where she resides. It is clear that she left on her own accord. The investigation of this runaway is continuing with any and all leads being fully followed. We have enlisted the help of our community partners in an effort to locate Ms. Wooten, to include the Bus System and Mall/Shopping Centers security. Available information and photograph has been forwarded to all media outlets in the area. Although this case does not meet the criteria for an Amber Alert (http://www.amberalert.gov/guidelines.htm), the Durham Police Department is very concerned about her welfare.

Click here to read full article
Source: Whataboutourdaughters.com

Amber Alert: Julian King

Suspect in picture above.
Julian King, 7 years old picture above

Victim - Julian King is a 7 year old black male with black eyes and brown hair, He is 4'11" and 130 lbs, He was last seen wearing a brown polo shirt with stripes and khaki pants.

Suspect - William Balfour is a 27 year old black male with black, braided hair and brown eyes, He is 5'8" and 150 lbs, Vehicle - white 1994 Chevrolet Suburban with Illinois plates X584859, It has a left front headlight hanging out that is scratched all along its left side, They could also be travelling in a teal/green 4-door Chrysler Concord with temporary tags 332K823. Anyone with information is urged to dial 911 immediately Authorities search for Hudson's nephew.

How to Tie a Gele (Head Wrap)

Traditional African HeadWear worn in Nigeria.

Source Pictures
Other Links:
Tignon

Breaking News: Jennifer Hudson's Mother and Brother Fatally Shot

The mother and brother of Academy Award winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson have been fatally shot at a home on the city's South Side, according to news reports.

CBS2 in Chicago reports:
The mother of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was reportedly found dead in a South Side home.
Two adults were found fatally shot at a home at 70th Street and Yale Avenue at 3 p.m. Friday, authorities said. Willie Davis, the pastor of the Hudson family's church, Progressive Baptist, confirmed that 57-year-old Darnell Hudson Donnerson was one of the victims.
The other victim was a man, the Chicago Fire Department said.
The shooting is believed to be domestic.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office has been notified of the deaths of two people from a home at the address, but additional information is unavailable.
TMZ has also confirmed the death of Darnell, pictured here with her daughter Jennifer at the Governor's Ball following the 2007 Academy Awards, and Jennifer's brother. According to the website:

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Jennifer Hudson's mother was one of two victims shot and killed in Chicago earlier today.
A neighbor tells TMZ the other victim was Jennifer's brother Jason. A cousin who lived nearby discovered the bodies.
We're told the two bodies were found dead on the scene at 2:44 PM. When the fire department arrived and discovered the bodies, police were brought in and the home was declared a crime scene.
A call to Hudson's rep was not immediately returned.
WABC in New York reports that Jennifer is on a plane en route to Chicago. Jennifer, 27, is the youngest of three children. Her brother Jason reportedly was a mechanic and her sister Julia is a school bus driver. Their father Samuel Simpson, who died, was a bus driver.
Since announcing her engagement to David "Punk" Otunga last month, the singer/actress has been busy promoting her movie, "The Secret Life of Bees," which opened a week ago, and her self-titled debut album.
Our prayers go out to Jennifer and her family.
More details to come.

Source & Essence.com

Other links: Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother killed: reports

Missing: Tekenya Wooten, Age 12 and Pregnant

Article from Womanist Musings

To qualify for an amber alert the following conditions must be met:
1) Risk of serious bodily injury or death
2) sufficient physical description
3) 17 or younger
4) Reasonable belief that an abduction occurred.

Tekenya Wooten has been classified as a runaway; and therefore she will not be listed as an amber alert. Even if she personally did not meet the criteria, concern for her unborn child alone should have raised the threat level. I suspect that her exclusion has more to do with race and class than any factors specific to her status as a missing person.
Just three days before she went missing Cole Puffinburger was abducted from his home and the media, perhaps drawn to the drug connection ran continual coverage and updates. The Puffinburger name has become known internationally and yet Tekenya has barely been covered by print news, never mind appearing on any of the large news networks.
Missing black children are continually ignored by police departments and the media. When a child is in a group home with no adult to speak for them the chances that they will become noticed reduce considerably. Being a resident of a group home means that Wooten was a ward of the state and clearly big brother has decided that it would be easier if she simply disappeared into the forgotten mass of humanity. Since the state has custody and the state represents the people we all have a responsibility to speak on Tekenya's behalf. A missing 12 year old pregnant child is an emergency.
Durham PD -Cheif Jose Lopez, Sr. of the Durham Police Department 919- 560-4322 jose.lopez@durhamnc.gov
Durham City Manager- Thomas Bonfield (919)560-4222 tom.bonfield@durhamnc.gov
Mayor of Durham (919) 560-4333 ext. 269 Bill.Bell@durhamnc.gov
Durham Child Protective Services (919) 560-8424 ( This is run by Durham COUNTY)
Spread the word however you can. This child needs to be found. Blog about it, write e-mails, make phone calls, talk to friends. We are all that Tekenya has and we owe her more than what we have done.
H/T Delilah Delilah and What About Our Daughters (awesome work Gina)

Source

Miscegenagtion and Racism: The Afro-Mexican in Colonial Mexico

Most students of Mexican history would be surprised to know that an extensive Black population, which will be referred to as Afro-Mexican, existed during the colonial period. However, Afro-Mexicans, both slave and free at one time outnumbered the current domination Mestizo population and the Whites. Mexico had an extensive Black population, which eventually assimilated into the dominant majority Mestizo population by the eighteenth century. This paper will concentrate on the factors that caused the decline of the Afro-Mexican population in Mexico during the colonial period, from the sixteenth century to the eighteenth century. It will not focus of the Afro-Mexican population, slave or free, but only explain their disappearance. Although the Afro-Mexicans were an extensive dominant population during the colonial period, by the eighteenth century, they became a negligible population that the Indians, Whites and Mestizos supplanted. What accounted form their demographic decline in colonial society. The prevalent mestijaze ethos and pernicious racism caused the Afro-Mexican gradual population decline in colonial Mexican society.

Nobody knows when the first African slaves came to Mexico, or New Spain as it was called, but their numbers grew in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. 1501 marked the earliest date of the Black slaves arriving in the Americas from Spain. Blacks served as companions, servants, auxiliaries to the Spanish explorers and conquistadors.1 Not till 1519, when Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec empire did Blacks come to New Spain. Cortes brought two slaves with him, Juan Cortes and Juan Garrido.2 Hernan Cortes was the first Spaniard to introduce Blacks to the region.3 Though most Blacks that came to New Spain were slaves, some arrived as free men. A few plagued active roles in the Conquest of 1519.4 Cortes, himself, used Black slaves not only in the Conquest but also on his plantations. Continue reading article here

Girlfriends Welcome Aboard!‏

Planning your annual girlfriend getaway? Pack your bags and let Amtrak take you and your closest friends to one of more than 500 destinations while you share great laughs, old stories, and bright dreams. Relax in comfortable coach seats, enjoy a meal in the dining car, or kick off your heels in the lounge and catch up. Leave the hassles of driving behind and let Amtrak be the choice whenever your girl-talk needs a change of scenery. Make your plans today!

Kids ages 2 – 5 ride half off.
Click here to make your reservations.

Source

Origins of Rapso

What is Rapso?
There is a popular myth that rapso is the fusion of American rap music with soca, hence the name rapso. Sounds plausible, but not true. Rapso is a unique style of street poetry from Trinidad and Tobago that originated in the 1970's. Rapso was created to relate to the everyday experiences of everyday people. The late Lancelot Layne is the man responsible for this genre.

Origin of Rapso
During the 1970's Trinidad and Tobago experienced much political and social unrest. The 1970's saw the rise of the Black Power Movement and a corresponding pro-African sentiment. Trade unions also began to take a stand. This is the environment that gave birth to rapso. Some of the first rapso songs were chanted on the picket lines.
Lancelot Layne's 1970 hit Blow Away was the first rapso recording. Layne is also well remembered for his 1971 recording Get off the Radio. In 1976, Cheryl Byron was the first rapso artist to perform in a calypso tent. At the time, she was scoffed at "whoever heard of poetry in a calypso tent?" Today Cheryl Byron is recognized as the Mother of Rapso.

Brother Resistance
Born Roy Lewis in Port of Spain, Trinidad, the man known today as Brother Resistance is one of the founding elders of rapso. Renowned as one of the most important contemporary Caribbean poets, Brother Resistance began writing poetry as a schoolboy. Everyday he and a group of friends would write poetry and exchange it among themselves. He later went on to join the church choir, but still did not realize that he would become a singer. For a time, he worked as a disc jockey and adopted Resistance as his DJ moniker.
In 1980, Brother Resistance and his Network Riddum Band released their debut album, Busting Out. It was the Network Riddum Band that coined the term rapso. Since then Brother Resistance, also known as Lutalo Makossa Masimba, has gone on to become one of the Trinidad's best known rapso performers. He has written a book, Rapso Explosion, and along with Karega Mandela and Brother Book, was instrumental in establishing a day of celebration for rapso in Trinidad and Tobago. Some of Brother Resistance's more memorable songs include Tonight is De Night, Ring De Bell, Mother Earth, and Handclapping Song.

Rise of Rapso
The 1990's gave birth to a new generation of young rapso artists. Combining the positive messages of rapso with dance rhythms, artists such as 3 Canal, Kindred and Black Lyrics have done much to popularize rapso music.

Source

Quote of The Day

“Only an insane person would want to integrate or assimilate with their historical, physical, psychological and spiritual enemy that terrorizes them to the very core of their existence.”-

Sadiki Bakari

Looks of The Day

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Hoopster's still in the paint

"Mark Stoddart is a former basketball player turned designer who, after the sudden death of a friend, has devoted himself to his art. He is putting together a show entitled 40 at 40, featuring portraits of legendary black athletes and musicians. He is about to turn 40. "

They packed into a tiny church that day in Malvern for Shawn (Blu) Rose's funeral, the old and the young, the good and the bad, all looking to pay homage to a youth worker who died suddenly of a brain aneurysm at 27, but had a positive impact that resonates to this day.
It certainly resonates in his friend Mark Stoddart, who was in the church that day in 2005. "Everybody gave respect to this guy," said Stoddart. "It's almost like he passed in a short time but he's done so much because he's touched so many people."
Inspired by Rose's death, Stoddart is trying to make his own impact on society by combining three of his life-long loves: sports, music and painting.
Last year, he put his career as a commercial graphic designer on hold to launch 40@40, a project to create 40 paintings of significant black musicians and athletes before his 40th birthday next August. With just over nine months to go, about 30 paintings are complete.
Some of the fruits of his labour to date can be seen starting Saturday at The Sport Gallery in the Distillery District as part of Homage: Celebrating the Journey. The art show will feature paintings of such legends as Satchel Paige, Jim Brown, Fergie Jenkins, Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell and Tommie Smith. Continue reading

Serena & Venus in Harper's Bazaar

Venus and Serena are working these outifts out on the court!!

November issue of Harpar's

source

Biazo: A true Taste of Africa

Biazo is a contemporary African restaurant serving traditional African food. We are one of the few cosmopolitan African restaurants in London and we place an emphasis on our authentic African cuisine using only the freshest offerings from the African continent. Our menu brings Africa to London, giving people the chance to try something different from the usual Friday night takeaways.
If you have never sampled African food before, you will find a true taste of Africa in our menu such as the flame grilled suya (a tasty serving of spicy barbequed beef/goat cooked in local herbs and spices), the popular jollof rice, a mainstay rice dish in Nigeria, Senegal and Gambia, deliciously cooked in onions, tomatoes and pepper sauces or the Edikang-Ikong, a vegetable stew made with a blend of Pumpkin leaves and water leaves combined with traditional African spices.

For more info on the fabolous restaurant click here

Spiritual and Cultural Tour of Ghana!

The Committee for the Preservation of Traditional African Culture and Healing Practices Presents a Conference and Tour in Ghana, West Africa January 7-20, 2009 entitled, “The Preservation of African Traditional Culture and Indigenous Sacred Science: A Historical Imperative”. The conference, tour and presentation will be sponsored by Traditional Healers and Practitioners from Africa and America. Some of the topics that will be discussed during this event include:
The Case for Preserving Indigenous Sacred Science
Traditional African Herbal Medicine in Holistic Health and Wellness
Incorporating African Spirituality into Psychology and Social Work
The Role of Traditional African Spirituality in Mental Health and Wellness
The Importance of the Extended Family
Protocols and Taboos for Priests
Restorative Justice
Discovering your Roots—African Genealogy
Actual Case Studies
Participants may be eligible for Continuing Education Credits (CEUs).
The tour fee is $3,800 and includes roundtrip airfare from BWI, Dulles or JFK Airport, deluxe accomodations, and an invalueable• 3-day Spiritual/Ancestral Background Inquiry & Instruction.

For more details, download the flyer. Source

HOMAGE: CELEBRATING THE JOURNEY Art Exhibit Launches Wed Oct 22‏

Wed Oct 22 - Wed Nov 26
IMAGES OF LEGENDARY ATHLETES FROM 'THE SPORT COLLECTION'
COME TO LIFE IN PAINTINGS BY ACCLAIMED ARTIST MARK STODDART

The SPORT Gallery, North America's only gallery devoted entirely to sport is the exclusive representative of one of the world's largest and most significant collections of 20th century sports photography. Acclaimed local artist Mark Stoddart has joined with The Sport Gallery to create a ground-breaking series of paintings that pay homage to several icons of sport.

After a visit to The Sport Gallery, Stoddart was captivated by the vivid colour photography included in the widely acclaimed SPORT Collection which inspired him to paint the Homage series. Mark states "My paintings depict the stories of iconic black athletes who broke colour barriers and came to stand as symbols of American and Canadian culture. The history of the black athlete in sports in many ways mirrors the social history of blacks in North America."

The first paintings in this stunning collection of acrylic on canvas will be unveiled by The Sport Gallery in Toronto's Historic Distillery District at the launch of an exhibition entitled Homage: Celebrating the Journey.

Exhibit Launch - Wed Oct 22

THE SPORT GALLERY - Building 5, Suite 240
The Distillery
55 Mill Street
Time: 6 pm - 8 pm

For more details, contact Mark Stoddart at: mark.stoddart@kurupt.com / 416-727-6247 or Jim O'Leary at: jjoleary@sportmediagroup.com / 416-861-8514 x227

Salute Exceptional Women at the 2008 Black Girls Rock! Awards‏

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! INC.presents
The 3rd Annual 2008 Black Girls Rock! Awards honoring exceptional women of color for their outstanding achievements and distinguishing career marks. Regina King and Taraji P. Henson will host this year's ceremony honoring Pam Grier, Iman, Estelle, Erykah Badu, April Holmes, Bethann Hardison and many more.

Use promotional code ESSENCE and get 10% off the ticket price!

To purchase tickets, visit www.blackgirlsrockinc.com/awards

Quote of The Day

"The only way to total freedom is do your own, support your own, buy from your own, create with your own, marry your own, and live and die protecting your own."

from Brownsugar28

Canadians Re-elect Harper!!

Stephen Harper's Conservatives won a stronger minority mandate Tuesday night as Canadian voters entrusted the prime minister with the levers of government in tough economic times - but not a blank cheque. Continue reading

Canada elects record number of women

Q-Tip ‘Move

Saving Our Daughters

A new book has Black men stepping up to the plate to keep young girls safe. Six male entertainers who have contributed to “Saving Our Daughters: From a Man’s Point of View,” a collection of personal stories that address several issues impacting young girls and single mothers today. One of those issues is domestic violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime. continue reading

Pequot War

In 1637, long-standing tensions between the Puritan English of Connecticut and Massachusetts Bay colonies and the Pequot escalated into open warfare. The Mohegan and the Narragansett sided with the English. Perhaps 1,500 Pequot were killed in battles or hunted down. Others were captured and distributed as slaves or household servants. A few escaped to be absorbed by the Mohawk or the Niantic on Long Island. Eventually, some would try to return to their traditional lands, while family groups of "friendly" Pequots stayed. Of those enslaved, most were awarded to the allied tribes, but many were also sold to plantations in the West Indies. The Mohegan in particular treated their Pequot hostages so severely that colonial officials of Connecticut Colony eventually removed them. Two reservations were established by 1683. While both of their land bases were exceedingly reduced by what would eventually became the state of Connecticut, they continue to exist to the present. More info click here

Abolish Columbus Day

I personally do not celebrate Thanksgiving in Canada nor do acknowledge Columbus Day in the USA. I think everyone should take the time to truly learn the meaning behind both of these days that are celebrated in Canada and in the USA.

Articles to read:

Columbus Day

Why we should abolish Columbus Day

West African First Ladies to Join Fight Against Female Circumcision

First ladies from seven west African countries gather here Monday for a conference on ways to end female circumcision, a widespread practise in the region despite efforts to end it.

The three-day meeting will "discuss transboundary practices of circumcision in the region to better fight against the scourge," presidential spokesman Saidou Ouedraogo said.

First ladies from the west African countries of Benin, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Mali, Niger, Togo and Burkina Faso are due to participate, he said.

Female circumcision, or female genital mutilation (FGM), is common in some 30 African countries despite major awareness-raising campaigns and ever-tougher laws against the practise.

Burkina Faso is a case in point. Nearly half the country's women are circumcised according to a national committee on the issue.

The tradition continues despite new legislation stipulating prison sentences against FGM practitioners and their accomplices. Source

Encyclopedia Africana

Inspired by the dream of the late African American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois and assisted by an eminent advisory board led by Nigerian Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Harvard professors Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., have created the first scholarly encyclopedia that takes as its scope the entire history of Africa and the African Diaspora. A landmark in reference publishing, Africana is an incomparable one-volume encyclopedia of the black world-a vital resource for families, students, and educators everywhere. For more info click here