Desirée Rogers & Valerie Jarrett Cover Capitol File Magazine

A Day in the Life of DESIRÉE ROGERS

Jarrett and Rogers look to the future and what they can do to improve the lives of Americans, they also reflect on where they've been and what life lessons they can tap into to keep them on course. They are both extremely accomplished women—Rogers is a well-known socialite and business executive in Chicago, where she ran Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas before becoming an executive at Allstate Financial last year; Jarrett is a former chief of staff for Mayor Richard Daley in Chicago and president and CEO of the Habitat Company as well as a longtime mentor to the Obamas—and can pull from their aspirations and achievements for their new roles. "I have had a list for my life, but I think I'm right there at that cusp. I feel like everything I've done up until this point has prepared me for the work I'm doing now," Rogers says.

A Day in the Life of VALERIE JARRETT

Jarrett was born in Shiraz, Iran, where her father worked as a pathologist and geneticist and ran a hospital for children to jump-start healthcare efforts in developing countries. Her family lived in Iran until she was five, then spent a year in London before settling in Chicago when she was six. Jarrett has a rich family history: Her great-grandfather was the first African American to graduate from MIT; her grandfather was the first African American to head the Chicago Housing Authority; and her father was the first African-American resident at St. Luke's Hospital. With this legacy came some wonderful opportunities for Jarrett, as well as a sense of responsibility that has created a desire to perform public service.

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Definitions We Should All Know

Nationality: the status of belonging to a particular nation, whether by birth or naturalization: the nationality of an immigrant.

Jus soli: (Latin for "right of the soil" or, somewhat figuratively, "right of the territory"), or birthright citizenship, is a right by which nationality or citizenship can be recognised to any individual born in the territory of the related state.

Jus sanguinis: (Latin: right of blood) is a social policy by which nationality or citizenship is not determined by place of birth, but by having an ancestor who is a national or citizen of the state. It contrasts with jus soli (Latin for "right of soil").

Nationality law: is the branch of law concerned with the questions of nationality and citizenship, and how these statuses are transmitted, acquired, or lost.
By custom, states have the right to determine who its nationals are. Such determinations are usually made by custom, statutory law, or case law (precedent), or some combination.

Article 15 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states:

1.Everyone has the right to a nationality.

2.No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

Ethnicity: 1. ethnic traits, background, allegiance, or association.

We Are Not a Monolithic Group of People

On a daily basis I am going to post information on all the different ethnic groups that are classified as "black people". Most who know me personally know that I do not like the term "black". Now don't get confused , me not liking the term black has nothing to do with my skin complexion, nothing to do with the texture of my hair , or my ancestry. I am proud of all of those characteristics.

Here are several reasons why I dislike the term "black"

1. It is a misnomer: a misapplied or inappropriate name or designation. 2. an error in naming a person or thing.

2. Denationalization: to remove (an industry or the like) from government ownership or control. 2.to deprive of national status, attachments, or characteristics.

3. It creates an illusion that we are all suppose to act, look, think, talk the same and or share the same culture, faith, history, lifestyles, values etc.

Lisa over at Black Women Blow the trumpet has written a great article called THE MYTH OF BLACK MONOCULTURALISM .

Dawn Okoro

Dawn Okoro (b. in 1980, in Houston), is an artist who paints figurative art works inspired by fashion and popular culture.

Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States and internationally, and has also been commissioned by celebrities.

Click here to view her website.

Zanana Akande

Zanana L. Akande (born 1937 in Toronto, Ontario) is a former Canadian politician. She was the first black woman elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, and the first black woman to serve as a cabinet minister in Canada.

Before entering politics Akande was a teacher and school principal, and she returned to being a principal after leaving politics. She holds Bachelor of Arts and Master of Education degrees from the University of Toronto, and was also educated at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education. She has long been a member of the Federation of Women Teachers Associations of Ontario.source

World Environment Day 2009

World Environment Day (WED) was established by the UN General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment.

Commemorated yearly on 5 June, WED is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action. The day's agenda is to:

Give a human face to environmental issues;
Empower people to become active agents of sustainable and equitable development;
Promote an understanding that communities are pivotal to changing attitudes towards environmental issues;

Advocate partnership which will ensure all nations and peoples enjoy a safer and more prosperous future.

The theme for WED 2009 is 'Your Planet Needs You-UNite to Combat Climate Change'. It reflects the urgency for nations to agree on a new deal at the crucial climate convention meeting in Copenhagen some 180 days later in the year, and the links with overcoming poverty and improved management of forests.

This year’s host is Mexico which reflects the growing role of the Latin American country in the fight against climate change, including its growing participation in the carbon markets.
Mexico is also a leading partner in UNEP's Billion Tree Campaign. The country, with the support of its President and people, has spearheaded the pledging and planting of some 25 per cent of the trees under the campaign. Accounting for around 1.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, the country is demonstrating its commitment to climate change on several fronts.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon states that the WED celebration will “further underline Mexico's determination to manage natural resources and deal with the most demanding challenge of the 21st century – climate change.”source

Quote of The Day

"Our daughters can contribute just as much to society as our sons, and our common prosperity will be advanced by allowing all humanity – men and women – to reach their full potential"

Obama

Beyonce Covers Forbes

Beyonce Knowles is a perfectionist. That's how she rakes in $87 million a year.

On a crisp Thursday evening in late April a Cadillac Escalade barrels down a cross street in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, coming to a halt before the School of Visual Arts. Four-and-a-half-inch heels emerge, then the rest of Beyoncé Knowles, wearing a crowd-delighting, hip-hugging, black-sequined Balmain dress. Read full interview here.