Lend Your Help & Donate to These Organizations to Help in the Haiti Disaster Relief

Doctors without borders

The Red Cross

Care

Yele Haiti

Thanks to Divalocity

Limited Edition Superbly Restorative Body Lotion

Best known for her eccentric style and cerebral music, is an award winning American soul singer and songwriter, whose sound – a connection of soul, hip hop and jazz – can’t be contained to a single genre. The Texas native, who prides herself on being a “mother first,” is a touring artist, teacher, community activist, holistic healer, vegan, recycler, and conscious spirit. Committed to children, Badu gives back to her hometown through Beautiful Love Incoprorated Non Profit Development (B.L.I.N.D), a charity organization she created to provide community driven development for inner-city youth. Badu’s Kiehl’s label, created in collaborated with famed artist and poster designer EMEK, depicts the artist in an idealistic environmental sanctuary where beauty, peace, nature and music intersect.

Kiehl’s Connection: The Limited Edition Label Art series of Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion will donate 100% of net Kiehl’s proceeds
to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

Source: Chic Chocolate

Men Rape South African Lesbians to “Cure Them” ??

The partially clothed body of Eudy Simelane, former star of South Africa's acclaimed Banyana Banyana national female football squad, was found in a creek in a park in Kwa Thema, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. Simelane had been gang-raped and brutally beaten before being stabbed 25 times in the face, chest and legs. As well as being one of South Africa's best-known female footballers, Simelane was a voracious equality rights campaigner and one of the first women to live openly as a lesbian in Kwa Thema. Continue reading here

Click here to watch video

Nominate someone you know who should be a BBPA Harry Jerome Award winner

It's that time of year again when we all take a moment to think about someone in the community who personifies excellence and is the perfect candidate for a BBPA Harry Jerome Award.

I'm a bit late on posting this but you still have time left to nominate someone. Click here to download nomination forms and click here to read nomination information.

The deadline: January 9, 2009 For nomination details or ticket information, visit our website at http://www.bbpa.org/

Henry ("Harry") Winston Jerome (September 30, 1940 – December 7, 1982) was a Canadian track and field runner. He was the grandson of John Howard, a railway porter who represented Canada in the 1912 Summer Olympics. He competed in college for Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon. He competed for Canada in the 1960, 1964, and 1968 Summer Olympics, winning 100 metre bronze in 1964. He also won the gold in the 1966 British Empire and Commonwealth Games and the 1967 Pan American Games. During his career, Jerome set a total seven world records, including running the 100 metres in 10.2, 10.1 and finally 10.0 seconds successively, despite suffering an injury so severe at the Perth Commonwealth Games in 1962 that doctors initially believed he would never walk again.

In 1970 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2001 he was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame. The annual Harry Jerome Awards, the national awards dinner for Canada's black community organized by the Black Business and Professionals Association (BBPA), is named after him.
Harry Jerome died of a brain aneurysm in December 1982, at the age of only 42. source

BLACK DADDIES CLUB presents: HOUSEWARMING: HOLIDAY DRIVE

We are into our second week of this initiative.

You can get involved by: (1) Making a donation (Min. of $25), (2) Helping spreading the word, (3) Fathers come out with your child to the event, (4) Male and Females Volunteers needed.

We would like to thank those that have sent in gift cards already, but we need more people from the community to get involved.


Breaking Cycles and Stereotypes:

Black Daddies Club (BDC) is a community initiative aimed at improving the image of black fathers in society. The goal of our organization is to break down certain stereotypes and replace them with positive ones regarding the role of the black father. Examples of community-based programming BDC currently runs are monthly forums which allow community members a chance to speak out and high school mentorship programs which provide youth living in at-risk neighbourhoods positive opportunities to develop role models.


With the holiday season quickly approaching, BDC feels that it is imperative to give back to those in need. We have decided to align with York Town Shelter for Women (http://www.yorktownfamilyservices.com/) located in Toronto to provide aid for its members. BDC presents Housewarming: Holiday Drive will be an event aimed at providing the shelter's women with the basic necessities to get them back on their feet. According to the shelter's coordinator, poverty is the one challenge these women face when they go out on their own. BDC hopes to provide these women with an extra push and support to succeed on their own.


We are asking you, the community, to help us make this event a success. We're asking that you purchase gift cards for the following stores: Wal-Mart, Zellers, Metro, No Frills, Food Basics, The Bay, Home Depot, Rona and/or Lowes. With these gift cards women will be able to buy their own necessities to make their transition from shelter to independent living a smooth one. Make this event a family oriented one! Get your children involved in deciding what store to buy the gift cards from or even better; ask that they use their allowance to help out. This event will help to teach that valuable lesson that the holidays are not only about receiving, but also about giving. We ask that the gift cards be of a minimum of $25. Collaborating with friends and family to purchase a gift card to help a woman in need will make an excellent holiday memory. Please get involved.


BDC presents Housewarming: Holiday Drive will take place on Sunday, December 21, 2008 at the YMCA downtown (Grosvenor Street, College/Yonge). We invite all of you, the BDC members, fathers and their children especially, to come out and take part in the event. We will be gift wrapping, preparing homemade holiday cards and arts and crafts to be given to the women. A representative of York Town Shelter for Women will then be presented with these items and gifts. To respect the privacy and personal safety of the women in the shelter we will not be personally delivering the donations.


It is a harsh reality that many of these women in the shelter have been in negative circumstances with men. We at BDC feel that Housewarming: Holiday Drive will help to paint a more positive image of men in some of these women's eyes, allowing them to trust and feel safe again.


Please help make this event a successful one! Stay tuned for more information or contact the following if you have questions:


Brandon Hay , Rehema Vuo

brandon@brandonhay.com rehemavuo@live.ca

Founder, BDC Publicist, BDC

416 951 6075 416 910 2682

Girls of Latitude - Premier on MTV

Expolore Haiti, Sudan and Colombia with MTV hosts

Girls of Latitude is a 30-minute documentary that explores the issue of gender discrimination through the eyes of three young girls in the developing world and three Canadian women from MTV. The film travels to Haiti, Colombia and Sudan and profiles the stories of young people who are overcoming great obstacles to inspire change in their communities. Issues explored in this documentary include forced early marriages; the trampling of the rights of children in conflict with the law; and the trauma and destruction caused by gang warfare and violence.

Date: Thursday, November 13, 2008
Time: 9:30pm - 10:00pm
Location: MTV Canada (check your tv guide for the right channel in your city)

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

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

Jay Z received U.N Leadership Award

Jay Z received the Global Leadership award for his work with water in Africa.

Click here to watch video clip of Jay Z presents "Water for Life"

Fashion Cares Volunteer Recruitment Process‏

If you live in Toronto and your interested in volunteering for Fashion Cares Read details below.

Thank you all for your patience in waiting for information about volunteering for Fashion Cares 2008.

This email contains important information about the volunteer recruitment process and the placement of volunteers.

About Fashion Cares 2008 - the event

Date: Sunday November 1, 2008
Location: MetroToronto Convention Centre
Theme: Fashion Cares presents Fashion sCares

This year we’re putting the fashion back in Fashion Cares with a spectacle that will blow you away: imagine Halloween meets Haute Couture meets Paris is Burning and you’ve got an idea of where we’re going. It’s very exciting!

There have been many positive changes made to the event this year. These changes have come about in an effort to bring Fashion Cares back to its roots ... an intimate community event.. To that end there have been two major changes that have been implemented that have an impact on volunteers.

Firstly. the decision has been made to discontinue the Boutique. Secondly, the event has been downsized, by reducing the number of Gala and General Admission tickets. In so doing, the volunteer requirements for Fashion Cares has reduced significantly.

Volunteer Recruitment Process

In trying to develop a volunteer recruitment process that was fair and equitable to all volunteers - long term and new - it has been decided that all volunteers must register through the website....www.fashioncares.com. - and complete the volunteer application form. Volunteer placement will be on a first come, first served basis.

The volunteer application form currently appearing on the website is a word document. You have several options in how you want to complete it

1) complete the application online then send by selecting from the menu - File - Send to - Mail Recipient as Attachment
2) print the form, and fax to me at 416.340.7558 to Attention: Jim Billing
3) print the form, scan and email to me at jbilling@actoronto.com as an attachment

If you experience any difficulty in completing the Volunteer Application Form please contact me at 416.340.8484

Submitting an application does not guarantee that you secured a volunteer position. All successful candidates will receive a confirmation email with details regarding their volunteer assignment.

Thank you

Jim Billing
development volunteer coordinator
399 Church Street, 4th floor
Toronto ON M5B 2J6
phone: 416.340.8484 ext 255
fax: 416.340.7558
www.actoronto.org


Fashion Cares 2008 - Saturday, November 1, 2008
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
www.fashioncares.com

" Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive" ... Dalai Lama

Matt Damon, Wyclef Jean Visit Haiti city in Ruins

Cries of adulation — and hunger — followed Haitian-born singer Wyclef Jean and actor Matt Damon as they toured flood-ravaged Gonaives on Sunday to call attention to widespread suffering in the marooned city.

Tropical Storm Hanna and Hurricane Ike submerged the Haitian city and cut off roadways. Where waters have receded, streets remain a stinking mud bath and homes are carpeted with muck and encrusted pots, pans and laundry.

"I'm speechless, I can't believe it," said Damon, looking down from a U.N. helicopter at people living on the rooftops of flooded homes.

The four-hour visit passed in a blur of stenches, colors and noise. A man on a bicycle tried to keep up with Damon and Jean's truck, shouting, "I love you, Wyclef." Jean raised his hand, but couldn't smile back.

"It's inhumane. I wish there was a word in the dictionary. No human should be living like this," said Jean, who became famous through his Grammy-winning band, The Fugees, and later emerged as a solo artist. continue reading

Cullen Jones Plans Diversity Tour, Gets Clean for TV

Olympic swimmer and gold medalist Cullen Jones is soaking up his fame and celebrity right now, but he still has his eyes focused on working in the Black community.

Jones is gearing up to launch his Diversity Tour, a tour that heads to major urban cities where he will try to get more Black children into the swimming pool not only for fun, but to save lives. According to studies, more than half of African-American children can't swim and nine African-American children drown every day. continue reading

Actress encourages young women to take flight through her Take Wings Foundation

By Kenya N. Byrd
Terri J. Vaughn celebrated her Take Wings Foundation’s Sixth Annual Angels Awards Benefit gala with family and friends at the Westin St. Francis in San Francisco on August, 16, 2008, proving that she has adopted the idea of paying it forward not only as a mantra, but as a lifestyle.Hollywood divas Terri J. Vaughn, founder of Take Wings Foundation, and Essence Atkins share a sisterly bond at the Sixth Annual Angels Benefit gala in San Francisco. source

Break the Silence on Domestic Violence‏

Girlfriend, buddy, pal, whatever you call a friend, she is always there to support you. In fact, from global research, we have found that a victim of domestic violence is more likely to confide in a friend than family, police or support groups.
All proceeds from our Stop Violence in the Home Shea Lip Care Stick Duo go to the Canadian Women's Foundation, which provides support and services to women and children affected by domestic violence. It's a small thing that makes a big difference.
Learn more about commitment The Body Shop® has made to end domestic violence. A friend knows that violence isn't love. If you think a friend is affected by domestic violence, find out how you can help at www.stopviolenceinthehome.com.

source

Race and Racism in South America: Quechua Indians

Aymara and Quechua Indians make up the majority of Bolivia's population.


But it was not until two and a half years ago that an Aymara Indian, Evo Morales, was sworn in as the country's president.


Despite that historic event, the nation's indigenous peoples continue to face serious obstacles to equality.

source: Kiki

CNN Presents: Black in America

Each segment will focus on the struggles and stereotypes of the black community and how its relates to two particular themes: The Black Woman and Family, and The Black Man. Tune in to watch frank and honest dialogue on the plights of our community and its impact on the nation.

CNN Presents: Black in America

The Black Woman & Family; premieres Wednesday, July 23, 9 p.m. ET.

The Black Man; premieres Thursday, July 24, 9 p.m. ET.

For more information about Black in America please visit www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america

Source

Speaking up versus talking down

Article by Lola Adesioye

The comments made by civil rights leader Jesse Jackson - uttered off-air before the start of an interview on Fox News - reveal a deep division that exists amongst black leaders who attempt to find solutions for resolving social problems within the African-American community.

Good common sense advice, one might think. However, it's advice that sits uncomfortably with some African Americans. There are those, particularly those who grew up in a segregated America and whose life experiences have been shaped by the fight for civil rights like Jesse Jackson, who believe that white American society is to blame for the problems facing black America: that institutional racism and structural inequalities are the root of the social ills that disproportionately and negatively affect African Americans. No doubt there is some truth to this: systematic inequalities within American society have had and still have a negative impact upon African American lives. continue reading

Interview with Michelle & Obama's Children

source

Civil RIghts Icon Dies

Justice Revius O. Ortique, a seminal civil rights figure and the first African American elected to the Louisiana Supreme Court, died Sunday following a stroke a week earlier. He was 84 years old.

The New Orleans native and World War II veteran earned his bachelor’s degree from Dillard University, a master’s from the University of Indiana and his law degree from Southern University in 1956, according to HistoryMakers.com.

Ortique began his own private law practice in 1956, working on any type of case but focusing primarily on estate cases. His practice became one of the largest estate practices in the State of Louisiana. As the President of the Community Relations Council, Ortique served as "chief negotiator" for the peaceful desegregation of lunch counters, hotels and other public facilities in New Orleans.

Between 1965 and 1967, Ortique served as the president of the National Bar Association. In 1970, after the National Guard shot to death four students and wounded four others who were protesting the war in Southeast Asia, then-President Richard Nixon appointed Ortique to the President's Commission on Campus Unrest. Four years later, Nixon named Ortique to the newly created Legal Services Corporation, designed to guarantee equal access to the criminal justice system by providing legal assistance to poor defendants. source

A birthday celebration!

Nelson Mandela only turns 90 on 18 July, but the celebrations have already started. The year-long occasion will be marked by events ranging from exhibitions, dialogues, book launches and 46664 concerts to the sixth annual Nelson Mandela Lecture.

While Mandela traditionally celebrates his actual birthday with his family in the Eastern Cape, major international events are planned every year in the run-up to the day and after.

"Our focus is on 'a celebration of ideas', and while there will be shows and musical events, they too are aimed assisting our ongoing work in social justice work started by Madiba and the perpetuation of his ideals of freedom, non-racism and gender equality," the Nelson Mandela Foundation said in a recent statement. source