Jennifer Hudson “Spotlight”

Paranoia, Race Relations and the Election

Jackson, author of "Race Paranoia," outlines a new paradigm in race relations.

He distinguishes race, racism and racial paranoia.

Race is a social construct; previously non-white groups have become white. In this new political landscape, race has been "pushed so below the surface that we think it no longer matters."

Jackson argues that straight-up racists have also been pushed out of sight:

Archie Bunker is dead. No one is a self-proclaimed racist. That's not the game you want to play. That's progress but it also means that we're living in a world where we have to talk about race when there are no explicit racists.

Jackson said racial paranoia is real. It is fueled by politically correct racial interaction, residential segregation and segregated social networks. "We are not privy to what's going on in other communities." He added:Barack Obama has to walk an interesting tightrope between the candidate who doesn't want to talk about race and the candidate who's going to get the country to talk about race. His candidacy demonstrates that schizophrenia – putting out fires on one end and lighting them on the other end. source

Bet Awards 2008 Red Carpet & Performance

Mary McLeod Bethune

Mary McLeod Bethune, founder-president of Bethune-Cookman College, named director of Negro Affairs of the National Youth Administration. She was the first Black woman to receive a major appointment from the federal government. She educator held the post until January 1, 1944. For bio click here

Angie Stone's single 'Baby' featuring Betty Wright.

Jill Scott: Officially Engaged To Young Drummer

On June 20, neo-soul diva Jill Scott celebrated her Carnegie Hall debut with a special announcement of her new engagement to young drummer Lil' John Roberts.

While she began to sing a tear-filled intro to her signature song 'He Loves Me (Lyzel In E Flat),' the blond-striped coiffed musician emerged with a bouquet of yellow roses and kissed the double-Grammy Award winner after whispering sweet sentiments in her left air. 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

Check out the Obama Mega Post over @ Racialicious

"Many said Obama’s lambasting of the stereotypical black father was over the top. I don’t really agree with that. He thankfully did note that half of black households do indeed have a Dad present. Again, not great, but certainly not the dire 70% picture many people usually correlate with the unfortunate percentage of out of wedlock births. And while he did lay it on Black fathers who aren’t active, he did praise the men (especially Michelle’s father) who do indeed sacrifice and put in work. And given the occasion (duh, check the holiday) I think such a speech was timely and appropriate, not pandering. What did you want him to talk about, burning bushes and whales? Sheesh." read full story here