The Savvy Sista

Activist Kevin Powell speaks on offensive remarks made by Too Short (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:57:00 +0000

Remember when I first reported the story about the shocking 'Fatherly Advice' rapper Too Short gave to young boys about young girls? Remember I said it would be really nice if some of the men would jump on this cause and take the rapper to task? Well, it looks like we've found a man willing to grab the proverbially baton and run with it. That man is activist Kevin Powell; who, after a past history of violence towards women, has made it his life's mission to bring attention to and stop this sick pathology that has taken root in our society.

Kevin sat down for an interview with HLN's Richelle Carey to discuss the offensive remarks made by Too Short. He invokes the name of the late, great C. Delores Tucker and how all the things she spoke about in the 90's are proving to be true. He also called for the firing of XXL's editor-in-chirf, Vanessa Satten.

Commentary: Open Letter to Triumphant Scientifically Attractive Marriageable Single Black Women

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 23:44:00 +0000

By: Ama Yawson

Dear Triumphant Scientifically Attractive Marriageable Single Black Woman,

Sweet kisses? Tender caresses? Inspiring words? Early morning love-making sessions with the person who has promised to love and support you through poverty and wealth, sickness and health as long as you both shall live?

Yes, yes, and more yes. That is exactly what you deserve if your heart so desires.

So to the extent that the negative media surrounding black women's beauty and relationship prospects, or what Ariana Proehl refers to as the "Tragic Scientifically Unattractive Unmarriageable Single Black Woman Narrative," has led you to consider giving up on love for one millisecond, I pray that you will reconsider.

Yes, I understand that during the past two years the media has been throwing spears in your direction. Pop singer John Mayer proclaimed that his white supremacist penis won't allow him to date or mate with a black woman. Our own black brother NFL player, Albert Haynesworth exclaimed that he can't remember the last time he dated a black woman. Quack scientist Satoshi Kanazawa published an article with "scientific evidence" that black women were less attractive than other women. Countless academics continue to pontificate on the African-American marriage decline while citing black male incarceration rates and high-school drop-out rates to explain the dearth of eligible black men to marry you. It is enough to make you vomit, lose hope and decide to solely focus on other things such as community or political activism.

But I have a question for you.

When have you ever allowed the stereotypes, negative statistics or euro-centric notions of beauty heralded by the mass media to define you or circumscribe your aspirations?

Regardless of how many times the self-denying and sexless Aunt Jemima greets you in the supermarket with her Kool-Aid smile, you continue to take time to attend to your own needs while enjoying your vibrant sexuality on your own terms. No matter how many scantily-clad sexually-insatiable jezebels are gyrating on your television screen you understand the sanctity of your womb and share your body accordingly. Another sitcom featuring an angry black woman-sapphire with her hand on her hips and eyes rolling has never prevented you from seeing yourself as the complex, loving, vulnerable, sensitive and fully-human woman that you are. Finally, regardless of how many pale, blonde-haired and blue-eyed women appear on the cover of Vogue and Glamour you still believe that Lauryn Hill and Naomi Campbell are among the most stunning women on the planet and you continue to turn heads each day with your flawless brown skin and radiant smile.

Perhaps Maya Angelou said it best when she told us, "You may write me down in history with your bitter, twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt, but still, like dust, I rise." Sister, just as you have risen to achieve every other academic, career or social goal that you have set for yourself, you may also achieve your dream of a attaining a life partner with whom you can share the joys, sorrows, victories and trials of life. The secret is that your ability to find a suitable mate actually has less to do with black male incarceration rates and high-school drop-out rates and more to do your individual approach to love. When you decide to envision the kind and quality of love that you want and make an effort to be open to a partner who can give you that love -- regardless of that person's race, color, occupation or other demographic statistics -- you are getting to love's essence and the universe responds by revealing abundant possibilities.

So go ahead and be your intelligent, beautiful, phenomenal self as you continue to do the important work of nurturing and affirming yourself and others, achieving your career goals, and fully participating in community and political activism. But please continue to believe in love. Despite the media hype, the vast majority of black men are interested in black women and there are more non-black men in America open to relationships with black women than there are black women. Love is out there for you if you are ready to get to love's essence.

Whitney Houston's funeral will air live on the internet

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:42:00 +0000

NEW YORK — They won’t be there in person, but singer Whitney Houston’s millions of fans worldwide will be able to share in her homecoming service Saturday as they watch her private funeral on the Internet.

It will provide a much-needed connection for fans who have lacked a formal place to eulogize Houston, one of the world’s best-selling artists who died in Beverly Hills, Calif., on Saturday at the age of 48.

Some have gathered and placed flowers outside the Newark, N.J., church where the funeral will be held by invitation-only at the request of Houston’s family, who wish to maintain some privacy. Others have stopped by the funeral home. But many have longed to share more fully in commemorating the superstar’s life, and have shown their grief in one of the few ways available to them – by buying her music.

Houston’s funeral will be at New Hope Baptist Church, where she sang as a child. Her eulogy will be given by gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Grammy Award winner and longtime family friend. Afterward, Houston will be buried in Fair View Cemetery in Westfield, N.J., according to her death certificate. Her father, John Russell Houston Jr., was buried there in 2003.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, investigators for the coroner’s office have subpoenaed records from the singer’s doctors and pharmacies who dispensed medication found in the hotel room where she died.

Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter said such inquiries are routine in virtually all death investigations.

Investigators have not said what medications they have recovered from Houston’s room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. The singer was found underwater in a bathtub by a member of her staff hours before she planned to attend a chic pre-Grammy gala. Police have said there were no signs of foul play and Winter said there were no signs of trauma on her body when an autopsy was conducted on Sunday.

It will be weeks before toxicology results reveal the medications and quantities, if any, that were in Houston’s system when she died. The Grammy winner’s history of substance abuse has added to the speculation that her death may have been caused by prescription drugs.

In a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey, Houston talked about how she was deeply shaken by the death of singer Michael Jackson. Jackson died at age 51 that year from an overdose of the anesthetic propofol.

Houston recalled taping a show celebrating Jackson’s 30th anniversary celebration in 2001. Both stars were strikingly thin.

“I was getting scared,” she told Winfrey. “I was looking at myself going, `No, I don’t want this to be like this. This can’t happen. Not both of us.’”

Like Jackson, Houston was on the verge of a career comeback before her death on Feb. 11. And, like Jackson, sales of her recordings have soared since her passing as fans try to recapture her glory days in the 1980s and 1990s. Old recordings have been propelled to the top of sales charts on iTunes and Amazon.com.

Houston’s publicist, Kristen Foster, announced Wednesday that The Associated Press will be allowed a camera at Saturday’s funeral in Newark. The AP will stream the service on http://livestream.com/aplive . The event also will be available to broadcasters via satellite.

Author examines The Lies, Distortions, and Personal Attacks On President Obama (Video)

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:31:00 +0000

In the new book 'The Obama Hate Machine: The Lies, Distortions and Personal Attacks On the President — And Who Is Behind Them', author and radio personality Bill Press examines the concerted effort that has been formed to destroy the President through personal attacks. Bill also identifies whose behind these attacks---FOX News and the Koch brothers. Many are well aware of FOX News agenda against the President but not a lot of people are aware of the Koch brothers.

Bill is the host of the syndicated Bill Press radio show, also heard on Sirius XM Radio.

BET Greenlights ‘Single Black Female’ Pilot From Mara Brock Akil And Salim Akil

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:18:00 +0000

Salim and Mara Brock Akil are defintiely on a roll. They just got the greenlight for another pilot to be shot on BET. The new show is a drama entitled, 'Single Black Female', and it will chronicle the work and family life of a Black woman who is the host of a popular Atlanta-based talk show.

This could make for an interesting show, but let's just hope it displays the quality of 'The Game' circa its CW days because what they've done to that show is a travesty.

Whitney Houston: New Jersey defends decision to lower flags for the fallen singer

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:47:00 +0000

(EW) New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is strongly defending his decision to have flags lowered to half-staff Saturday for the late singer Whitney Houston amid criticism partly related to her history of substance abuse. Christie says he rejects the idea the New Jersey native “forfeited the good things that she did in her life” because of her substance abuse struggles.

The Republican governor said Wednesday disparaging emails and other messages have been coming into his office. He says critics are wrongly accusing him of treating Houston better than fallen soldiers. He has ordered flags flown at half-staff for all 31 fallen New Jersey soldiers and every fallen police officer during his time in office.

And You Wonder What's Wrong with the Kids....

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:28:00 +0000

Rapper Too Short sat down with XXL magazine for an interview in which the rapper called himself delivering some 'Fatherly Advice'. What ensued is some of the most sexist, exploitative nonsense I've heard in a very long time.

People wondered how middle and high school kids can gang rape 11 year old girls or how a Dunbar Village attack could transpire, but if you listen to Too Short's advice you can see exactly how something like that could happen. The fact that Too Short was even given a platform to say such nonsense is the biggest offense of all.

Here's how TheGrio is reporting the story:

XXL magazine teamed up with rapper Too Short recently to give "fatherly advice" that involved teaching middle-school-aged boys how to "turn girls out." Calling it a process of "mind manipulation," the aging rapper advised boys to digitally stimulate girls to get "whatever [they] want." While the video has been removed from the XXL site, the fact that it was published at all is still drawing outrage.

"When you get to late middle school, early high school and you start feeling a certain way about the girls... I'm gonna tell you a couple tricks," Too Short said in the video. "A lot of the boys are going to be running around trying to get kisses from the girls... We're going way past that. I'm taking you to the hole."

Then, the 45-year-old rapper, whose real name is Todd Anthony Shaw, asks women off camera to "cover their ears" to avoid being offended. Short then describes a scenario in graphic detail. "You push her up against the wall," he continued. "You take your finger and put a little spit on it and you stick your finger in her underwear and you rub it on there and watch what happens."

It's one thing for women to call Too Short out, but I'm curious to see if any men are going to call him out. That is what it's going to take to change the mindframe of these men. Other men have to call these fools out.

Video: Wendy Williams comments on Whitney Houston's passing

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:11:00 +0000

To say that Wendy Williams and Whitney Houston had a tumultous relationship would be putting it mildly. The two ladies have had some interesting clashes going back to Wendy's days in radio. But regardless of all that, you could tell Wendy was a fan.

Wendy gave a very emotionally charged commentary on Whitney's passing. She brought me to tears in her discussion of her connection to Whitney. The two had a lot of common from where they're from to their battle with substance abuse.

Whitney Houston really was everybody's 'homegirl in their head'. She was family and those tears Wendy is crying is how you cry over the loss of one of your family members.

Racial epitaphs and banana suits mar Pittsburgh high school basketball game; School officials deny behavior

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 13:35:00 +0000

I'm still waiting on that post-racial, Kumbaya moment the election of the first black President was supposed to usher in. I'm serious, I'm still waiting.

Here is what transpired at a Pittsburgh area high school basketball game that further confirms we are never going to get to the age of post-racial:

Athletic tensions between two Pittsburgh-area high schools — one largely white, the other predominantly black — have boiled over into accusations of racism that some say is being swept under the rug.

Two students at Brentwood High School are accused of dressing in banana suits at a game and, along with other students, taunting players at Monessen High, according to Monessen parents and a school administrator.

The costumed Brentwood students were thrown out of Friday’s game after they ran past the Monessen fan section, “causing agitation and disruption,’’ Brentwood’s district superintendent, Ronald Dufalla, said in a statement Wednesday. A third student “was removed to avoid a potential problem’’ that Dufalla wouldn’t specify.

But Dufalla also said he has reviewed game tapes and talked to school officials, and has “seen no other activity that confirms the allegations made.’’ The two students in banana suits, he said, have done that at previous games “without incident.’’

“The high school students are emulating college students they have seen on television who wear costumes during the collegiate contests,’’ Dufalla said in email Wednesday to The Associated Press. “No high school team, Monessen or otherwise, or their fans are being singled out. This is just something the students do.’’

Parents said they heard slurs from Brentwood students including “monkeys’’ and “cotton pickers.’’ source

First, let me just say kudos to the kids from Monessen for keeping their cool because had an incident like this happen at the high school I went to that thing would have turned into an all out riot.

As someone who has lived in Pittsburgh for the past seven years, I can tell you everything they are saying about Brentwood is true. When I first moved here I quickly learned of Brentwood's reputation after I tried to go to a "Sally's" beauty supply store in the area. It was at that store that I was told we don't sell products for your 'type' of hair and they didn't make any apology about it. Now you can try to say they were just being honest, but the way the lady said it made me feel a certain type of way. Trust me, if you've experienced white supremacy and racism you know exactly what I'm talking about.

The fact that the school officials are trying to defend the behavior doesn't surprise me either. It is the epitome of white supremacy behavior. Of course the superintendant would see nothing wrong with students wearing banana suits and calling black kids 'monkeys' and 'cotton-pickers' (seriously...cotton-pickers? Like what year is this anyway?). He probably thought it was innocent childhood fun.

As someone who was born and raised in the south, we were indoctrinated to believe that racism only exists in the south. But I'm here to let you know that is the biggest fallacy. The most racist people I've ever encountered have been up north. I promise you I'll take a redneck down south then these cowards up north. At least with the redneck down south you know where you stand.

New ad campaign focuses on 'White Privilege' and racism

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 04:56:00 +0000

There's a new ad campaign that is causing quite a stir. The ads are by an organization called Un-Fair which was started in Duluth, Mn.

The intention of the campaign is to focus on racism and to get white people to see how they benefit from the notion of 'white privilege' just for being the color that they are.

Of course, there are a lot of people who are shocked and offended by the campaign, but the organizers said that their plan is to start a dialogue.

Of course the only people not familiar with the idea of white privilege would be white people. The vast majority of people of color have a clear understanding of it. Maybe this campaign will shock some into striking up a dialogue but honestly I don't see that being the case. The American public hates anything that makes them feel uncomfortable and there is no subject more uncomfortable than race.

Besides, I would love to see a similiar campaign go up in black communities with sayings such as, "She's pretty to be a dark skinned girl' or 'black girls hair don't grow.' You know all the things that deal with our immense safe hatred for ourselves.

Yes racism is an issue but in the black and other nonwhite communities, self hatred reigns supreme. If you need evidence of this just look at the skin bleaching epidemic taking place in Jamaica.

Visit unfaircampaign.org to learn about the organization that's trying to start a dialogue about race in this country.

Oprah to honor Whitney Houston with special on OWN

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:45:00 +0000

Huffington Post - Oprah announced on Monday that her cable network, OWN, will air special programming to honor the late Whitney Houston.

Set to air Thursday night during prime time, OWN will broadcast a two-hour special title, "Remembering Whitney: The Oprah Interview." As the title indicates, the special will be a re-air of Oprah's 2009 interview with Houston.

In what was widely believed to be the mark Houston's comeback after years in a dysfunctional marriage and excessive drug use, the superstar sat down with Oprah and gave one of the most candid interviews of her career. Houston opened up about her "drug of choice" and detailed how her mother, Cissy Houston, brought police to Houston's home to stage an intervention.

Following the news of Houston's death, Oprah tweeted about her admiration for the music icon. "To me Whitney was THE VOICE. We got to hear a part of God every time she sang. Heart is heavy, spirit grateful for the GIFT of her," Oprah wrote.

Death of Whitney Houston: Not a lot of Pills in the hotel room

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:58:00 +0000

The speculation continues into the death of megastar Whitney Houston. Reports are now surfacing about the prescription bottles that were found in her hotel room.

Here is how TMZ is reporting the developing story:

(TMZ) Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... multiple prescription drug bottles were found in the Beverly Hills hotel room where Whitney Houston died ... but we're told there were NOT a lot of pills at the scene.

Among the prescriptions ... ibuprofen (painkiller), Xanax (anti-depressant), Midol (for menstrual cramps), amoxicillin (for treating bacterial infections) ... and more.

We're told the amoxicillin was prescribed recently because Whitney had been suffering from a sore throat.

We're told some of the prescriptions were old ... some issued in 2011 ... but some of the bottles were from 2012. We're told the pill bottles that were recovered at the scene did not contain a lot of pills.

Sources tell us ... some of the prescriptions were filled at the infamous Mickey Fine pharmacy in Beverly Hills ... where Michael Jackson had numerous prescriptions filled for Demerol and other drugs.

Law enforcement sources tell us ... it's possible Whitney suffered a heart attack caused by an adverse reaction to her medication, but it is simply too early to make an official call on the cause of death.

Video: Jennifer Hudson delivers emotionally charged tribute to Whitney Houston

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:41:00 +0000

I have to admit I'm kind of shocked by the mixed reaction people are giving Jennifer Hudson when it comes to her tribute to Whitney on last night's Grammys. I thought she did a fairly decent job given the circumstances.

You can't honestly expect her to sound like Whitney when it comes to singing 'I Will Always Love You'. No one can match Whitney when it comes to singing that song, but honestly Jennifer did a lovely job. I even liked the Whitney Houston wig she had on.

Good Music Prevails: Adele sweeps the Grammys

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:23:00 +0000

It looks like blue-eyed soul is coming to the rescue of the music industry. We can debate the state of the music industry all day, but you have to admit that Adele was definitely the best thing that happened this past year. She's an artist whose very reminiscent of artists of yesteryear. Her songs actually have lyrics that tell a story and aren't just this bubble gum pop that we're use to hearing on the radio.

Maybe it's just me, but I think it's really sad that it took a white girl from Britain to remind us of Soul. That's not to disparage artists like Jill Scott and Ledisi because the truth of the matter is the machine that is the music industry will not let these artists crossover the way Adele did. But I cannot blame Adele for that. The woman had a fantastic ablum and she was rewarded accordingly last night at the Grammys.

It was a Grammys that was marred by the death of the greatest vocalist that ever lived, but yet it was a vocalist that took home the biggest prizes.

Adele is a pure vocalist who sings the song. She doesn't over-sang nor does she do a hundred million runs. She just sings the melody and it comes out brilliantly.

Here's the Grammys she won:

Album of the Year
Best Pop Vocal Album
Record of the Year
Song of the Year
Best Short Form Music Video
Best Pop Solo Performance

R.I.P. Whitney Houston: Bobbi Kristina rushed to the hospital

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Los Angeles (CNN) -- As the world was grieving and looking for answers in the death of Whitney Houston, Houston's 18-year-old daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was taken to a Los Angeles hospital, police said.

Beverly Hills police said Sunday the teen was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center at about 11:15 a.m. Her condition was not thought to be life-threatening, authorities said.

No further information was immediately available.

Bobbi Kristina Brown was born in 1993, during Houston's marriage to R&B singer Bobby Brown, which ended in divorce in 2007.

The 18-year-old daughter of music royalty became publicly known during the mid-2000s reality show "Being Bobby Brown" where she frequently appeared alongside her parents and often had a front-row seat to their marital fireworks.

Whitney Houston once said of her one and only child, "She encourages me and inspires me. When I look at her eyes and I see myself, I go, 'Okay. I can do this. I can do this.'"

Mother and daughter even performed together on national TV in 2009, when the two sang "Your Love Is My Love" in Central Park on ABC's "Good Morning America."

Bobbi Kristina Brown proved she could do it on her own when she posted a video on Twitter of her singing Adele's "Someone Like You" last September. So far the video has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube.

Bobbi Kristina Brown has previously given insight into her relationship with her mother, stating on Twitter, "I love my family so much ... I'm so thankful for (my mother). Thank you so much lord for blessing me with an Phenomenal family and incredibly phenomenal mother."

Touching Tribute: Dubai Foundations Synchronized to Whitney's 'I Will Always Love You'

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Now this was a beautiful tribute to the fallen icon. Very touching.

Whitney Houston Final Performance with Kelly Price

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 02:29:00 +0000

Whitney Houston appeared two nights ago at Kelly Price's showcase. It was at the showcase that she performed, 'Jesus Loves Me'.

Whitney Houston: Rest in Peace to the VOICE

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:54:00 +0000

Hands down Whitney Houston is my all-time favorite singer. I've never made a secret of that. I'm just speechless right now. They say that death comes in three and usually the third is the biggest one. We lost Etta James, Don Cornelius, and now Whitney.

I can't believe she is gone, but I want to remember her for the wonderful talent she was. Heaven has the best choir ever.

Many people today don't realize or understand just how phenomenal of a singer Whitney was. I thought I would just share some of her most spectacular moments as a performer.

I Will Always Love You

Star Spangled Banner

I have Nothing

Medley at the American Music Awards

Greatest Love of All

Singing Gospel

All the Man That I Need

OMG!!!!: Whitney Houston Dead at Age 48

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 01:20:00 +0000

I don't know what to say right now. CNN is reporting that mega-singer Whitney Houston is DEAD. I'm speechless!!!

Update 1:
Reports are saying that Ray J. was with her and he was the one who found her dead.

Update 2:
There are a lot of discrepancies that are coming out as to who found or did not find Whitney. Ray J.'s publicist is saying that he was not the one to find her. Whitney's publicists also confirmed this information.

Update 3:
At 3:55pm PST Whitney Houston was pronounced dead at the Beverly Hilton hotel.

Awwww....: The first pics of Blue Ivy Carter revealed

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:49:00 +0000

(Reuters) - Rapper Jay-Z and wife Beyonce unveiled highly-anticipated pictures of their new baby daughter Blue Ivy Carter on Friday, opting to post intimate family shots on social networking site Tumblr rather than selling them to the highest bidder.

"We welcome you to share in our joy. Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives," "The Carter family" posted on microblogging site Tumblr.

The couple posted five photos which show the newborn, already sporting a head of long black hair, being cuddled by her proud parents and capturing intimate moments of family life.

Baby Blue Ivy, born on January 7 in New York, has been shielded from the public by Jay-Z and Beyonce until now. The couple shunned the popular celebrity choice to unveil their offspring in lucrative magazine deals and opted to make the pictures available at no cost on the Internet.

Quote of the Day: Maya Angelou on black people's use of the N-Word

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:16:00 +0000

Dr. Maya Angelou sat down with TheGrio website to discuss her upmcoming specials on BET. During the interview, the controversy surrounding her disappointed in rapper's Common use of the N-word in a song they collaborated on came up. It was during this discussion that Dr. Angelou dropped a powerful nugget of wisdom.

I know people say, 'I can use it [the N-word] because I don't mean any harm,' but the truth is, if you have poison and you bought it in a vile from the pharmacy and it has a little picture on it of skull and bones, you can take that content and pour it into Bavarian crystal, but it's still poison, it doesn't matter where it comes from.

Obama waives Ten States from 'No Child Left Behind' Law

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:58:00 +0000

WASHINGTON (AP) — It could be the beginning of the end for No Child Left Behind.

The goal was lofty: Get all children up to par in math and reading by 2014. But the nation isn't getting there, and now some states are getting out.

In a sign of what's to come, President Barack Obama on Thursday freed 10 states from some of the landmark law's toughest requirements. Those states, which had to commit to their own, federally approved plans, will now be free, for example, to judge students with methods other than test scores. They also will be able to factor in subjects beyond reading and math.

"We can combine greater freedom with greater accountability," Obama said from the White House. Plenty more states are bound to take him up on the offer.

While many educators and many governors celebrated, congressional Republicans accused Obama of executive overreach, and education and civil rights groups questioned if schools would be getting a pass on aggressively helping poor and minority children — the kids the 2002 law was primarily designed to help.

The first 10 states to be declared free from the education law are Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The only state that applied for the flexibility and did not get it, New Mexico, is working with the administration to get approval.

Twenty-eight other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico have signaled that they, too, plan to flee the law in favor of their own plans.

The government's action on Thursday was a tacit acknowledgement that the law's main goal, getting all students up to speed in reading and math by 2014, is not within reach.

The states excused from following the law no longer have to meet that deadline. Instead, they had to put forward plans showing they will prepare children for college and careers, set new targets for improving achievement among all students, reward the best performing schools and focus help on the ones doing the worst.

Obama said he was acting because Congress had failed to update the law despite widespread agreement it needed to be fixed.

"We've offered every state the same deal," Obama said. "If you're willing to set higher, more honest standards than the ones that were set by No Child Left Behind, then we're going to give you the flexibility to meet those standards."

The executive action by Obama is one of his most prominent in an ongoing campaign to act on his own where Congress is rebuffing him.

No Child Left Behind was one of President George W. Bush's most touted domestic accomplishments, and was passed with widespread bipartisan support in Congress. It has been up for renewal since 2007. But lawmakers have been stymied for years by competing priorities, disagreements over how much of a federal role there should be in schools and, in the recent Congress, partisan gridlock.

The law requires annual testing, and districts were forced to keep a closer eye on how students of all races were performing — not just relying on collective averages. Schools that didn't meet requirements for two years or longer faced increasingly harsher consequences, including busing children to higher-performing schools, offering tutoring and replacing staff.

Over the years, the law became increasingly unpopular, itself blamed for many ills in schools. Teachers and parents complained it led to "teaching to the test." Parents didn't like the stigma of sending their kids to a school labeled a failure when requirements weren't met. States, districts and schools said the law was too rigid and that they could do a better job coming up with strategies to turn around poor performance.

A common complaint was that the 2014 deadline was simply unrealistic.

As the deadline approaches, more schools are failing to meet requirements under the law, with nearly half not doing so last year, according to the Center on Education Policy. Center officials said that's because some states today have harder tests or have high numbers of immigrant and low-income children, but it's also because the law requires states to raise the bar each year for how many children must pass.

The current law requires schools to use standardized tests in math and reading to determine student progress. The waivers announced Thursday do not excuse states from those requirements but instead give them the freedom to use science, social studies and other subjects in their measures of student progress.

The 10 states also now can include scores on college admission exams and other tests in their calculation of how schools are performing. They can be excused from penalties included in the federal law but had to come up with their own set of sanctions for low-performing schools.

For example, Georgia will replace the law's pass-or-fail with a five-star rating system and will use end-of-course tests and Advanced Placement performance in its measure of students.

In Oklahoma, schools are to be taken over by the state if they consistently fail to meet standards.

Kentucky — the first state to formally ask the federal government to be excused from some requirements when Gov. Steve Beshear sent a letter to Washington last summer — will use ACT college-entrance exams and other assessments by that company in its measures.

The schools still have to focus on the subgroups of students outlined in the federal law, such as English language learners and students with disabilities.

Not everyone applauded Thursday's announcement.

While No Child Left Behind isn't perfect, said Jeanne Allen, president of the Center for Education Reform, it's thrown a valuable spotlight on problem schools. She said giving districts and states more flexibility "without firm consequence" is not reform.

"If school district power were the answer to our education woes, our nation would be soaring high above the rest of the world in achievement. It is not, and it will not, until our leaders — just as the people they serve — face both rewards and sanctions for the education systems they govern," Allen said.

Nancy Zirkin, executive vice president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, said, "Our coalition will continue to play an active role in holding all 10 of these states and the Department of Education accountable for our children."

But some educators also said Obama's plan gives states flexibility with more clear and attainable goals.

Gene Wilhoit, executive director of the Council of Chief State School Officers, said under the waiver plan states essentially have a contractual relationship with the federal government to deliver on the approved plan.

"I think there is a legitimate concern or fear out there on the part of people that by giving these waivers, states might be 'let off the hook' in terms of accountability, and I think what you'll find is just the opposite," Wilhoit said. "They have raised the standards. They have put in place much more focused attention to the lowest performing, they have put in place professional development activities that didn't exist prior, and they are holding those schools much more accountable."

In Colorado, Bridget Cole, a 4th grade teacher who was eating an egg salad sandwich with a group of student on a field trip to the Colorado state Capitol, said she was relieved to hear the news out of the White House.

"No Child Left Behind never changed how I taught. I know what my kids need. It's
easier for me to see where my kids need to be rather than pay attention to what the federal government tells me my kids need to be," Cole said.

While the president's action marks a change in education policy in America, the reach is limited. The populous states of Pennsylvania, Texas and California are among those that have not said they will seek waivers, although they could still do so.

Some states might wait to see if Obama wins re-election November, said Jeffrey Henig, professor of political science and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Others might bet the administration "won't be in a position to strongly clamp down on them for failure to meet progress goals that the administration has indirectly indicated it admits are unrealistic," Henig said.

Education Secretary Arne Duncan said states without waivers will be held to the standards of No Child Left Behind because "it's the law of the land."

Until now, the issue of education has stayed largely out of the presidential race.

But Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., ranking member of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over education, said Obama was using education as a "political poker chip."

"This action clearly politicizes education policy, which historically has been a bipartisan issue," Enzi said. "It is time for the president to work with Congress on important issues like this instead of acting unilaterally."

And when Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., the chairman of the House Education and the Workforce Committee, released new legislation Thursday that would rewrite No Child Left Behind, it included a provision that prohibits the education secretary from coercing states into adopting specific academic standards in exchange for a waiver.

Duncan maintained this week that the administration "desperately" wants Congress to fix the law.

In an election year in a divided Congress, action on Capitol Hill appears unlikely.

Roland Martin shares thoughts on Twitter controversy, will meet with Gay advocacy group

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:34:00 +0000

Suspended CNN pundit, Roland Martin, took to his website to address the controversy that led to his suspension from the news network.

Here is what he wrote:

Based on several tweets I made on my Twitter feed on Super Bowl Sunday yesterday, I have been accused by members of the LGBT community of being supportive of violence against gays and lesbians and bullying.

That is furthest from the truth, and I sincerely regret any offense my words have caused.

I have consistently said on television, radio, and in print, that I am steadfast against bullying. As I wrote on CNN.com, as well as said on the nationally-syndicated Dr. Phil Show, I believe parents and schools need to take an active role in ending this epidemic that afflicts kids nationwide, gay or not.

In fact, I was bullied in school, and watched another middle schooler pulled a knife on my father when he boarded our school bus and came to the defense of me and my brother. My position has been unequivocal on this issue, and will remain so.

When we witness violence in this country against someone because they are gay, or being beaten because they are Black, that speaks to a vicious cycle that seems to be never ending.

My joking about smacking someone, whether it was in response to a commercial or food they prepare for a Super Bowl party or wearing an opposing team’s jersey, was stated in jest. It was not meant literally, and in no way would I ever condone someone doing such a thing.

As I said repeatedly, I often make jokes about soccer in the U.S., and my crack about David Beckham’s commercial was related to that and not to anyone’s sexuality. To those who construed my comment as being anti-gay or homophobic or advancing violence, I’m truly sorry. I can certainly understand how someone could come to a different conclusion than the one I meant.

I’m disheartened that my words would embolden prejudice. While public debate over social issues is healthy, no matter which side someone takes, there is no room for debate as to whether we need to be respectful of others.

As someone who has spoken out forcefully against bigotry against African Americans and other minorities, as well as sexism against women, I fully understand how a group who has been unfairly treated would be offended by such comments, and, again, I am sorry for any offense my remarks caused.

But my focus has been steadfast and resolute in being a strong voice against such issues. My conviction has always been to speak progressively on issues confronting this country, and I will continue to do so.

Martin, who is also a regular commentator on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, address the controversy this morning as well. He said that a meeting was being set up between him and gay advocacy group, GLAAD.

Al Sharpton responds to Dr. Cornel West's Criticism of Dr. Melissa Harris-Perry and him

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:06:00 +0000

Now you had to know that Rev. Al Sharpton wasn't going to take criticism of him from Dr. Cornel West lying down. Sharpton came out with guns blazing and he had a few choice words for the good professor as well as some advice for his MSNBC colleague, Melissa Harris-Perry.

Via TheGrio:

In an interview with theGrio, Rev. Sharpton responded sternly to the assertion that he and Dr. Harris-Perry were somehow rewarded for their support of the Obama administration with shows on MSNBC. "Rewarded by who?," Sharpton says. "I don't know if having access to the Obama administration means that one is rewarded... All of these conspiracy theorists need to check facts more clearly."

Sharpton also posed this rhetorical question, "[w]ho rewarded Tavis Smiley with his show?... Tavis can have a show [and] that's fine. But if Dr. [Harris] Perry [and] I have a show all of a sudden it's some kind of a conspiracy theory?... black people are not that stupid."

Sharpton added that many prominent civil rights leaders of the past have had access to presidents:

This whole thing that I'm too close to the White House for a civil rights leader. Frederick Douglass had access to Abe Lincoln. Booker T. Washington had access to Teddy Roosevelt and Martin Luther King had access to John Kennedy to the degree that Kennedy told him the FBI was trying to do some things to Bayard Rustin and Jack Odell's reputation. Andrew Young worked as the ambassador for Jimmy Carter. Jesse Jackson worked as an envoy for Bill Clinton. They need to study civil rights history. I don't work for Obama. And every president has had civil rights leaders with access so now we get to the black president and there is a different set of rules. He shouldn't have civil rights leaders he relates to. I think it's surprising that scholars are not doing their scholarly inquiry here.

Sharpton also finds West's scathing critique of President Obama "personal."

We are not arguing about issues here, we're arguing about personality. I supported President Obama in 2008. And I support him now not because I got some reward but because we won the election. That's what I supported him to do. He's doing many of the things that I supported him for. Some of the things he can't do because of being blocked. So how do you support somebody in the election, they win, and all of a sudden you're against them? It's almost like they have this psychological positioning that they have to always be outsiders rather than saying that the goals are to be achieved whether you do it outside, inside, or [a] combination... I'm oriented toward achieving goals for the people, not worrying about how I'm positioned.

In a defense of Cornel West, Dr. Boyce Watkins wrote for NewsOne, "Since Harris-Perry and her friends had no legitimate defense to the critiques of Dr. West, they presumed that it would be easier to simply discredit him. You see, if you kill the messenger, you never have to deal with the message itself... Harris-Perry allowed herself to be used by the liberal establishment and their media channels to paint Professor West as irrelevant, petty, and ignorant in his critiques."

Sharpton responded to Watkins' comment by saying, "Cornel has a right to disagree with the president, but why does he have to go out and disparage everyone who disagrees with him? Boyce Watkins has the right to support Cornel, but why does everybody that disagrees with him have to be all of these other things?"

Melissa Harris-Perry has declined to comment in response to the remarks from West and Watkins.

In direct response to the harsh words for his MSNBC colleague Dr. Harris-Perry, Sharpton concluded, "Melissa Harris-Perry I think is an extremely gifted and important part of the social-political dialogue going on in this country. As a black woman who has shown some real insight... I'm proud that my daughters look up to her."

Sharpton says that West calling everyone names and then acting like he's immune from critique is "arrogant" and "disingenuous."

Sharpton's advice to Dr. Harris-Perry, whose new weekend show premieres February 18th?

"Don't look back. Keep going forward....and let the haters, be haters."

Good Read: How the GOP Is Resegregating the South

noreply@blogger.com (TheSavvySista) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 23:42:00 +0000

(The Nation) - North Carolina State Senator Eric Mansfield was born in 1964, a year before the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which guaranteed the right to vote for African-Americans. He grew up in Columbus, Georgia, and moved to North Carolina when he was stationed at Fort Bragg. He became an Army doctor, opening a practice in Fayetteville after leaving the service. Mansfield says he was always “very cynical about politics” but decided to run for office in 2010 after being inspired by Barack Obama’s presidential run.

He ran a grassroots campaign in the Obama mold, easily winning the election with 67 percent of the vote. He represented a compact section of northwest Fayetteville that included Fort Bragg and the most populous areas of the city. It was a socioeconomically diverse district, comprising white and black and rich and poor sections of the city. Though his district had a black voting age population (BVAP) of 45 percent, Mansfield, who is African-American, lives in an old, affluent part of town that he estimates is 90 percent white. Many of his neighbors are also his patients.

But after the 2010 census and North Carolina’s once-per-decade redistricting process—which Republicans control by virtue of winning the state’s General Assembly for the first time since the McKinley administration—Mansfield’s district looks radically different. It resembles a fat squid, its large head in an adjoining rural county with little in common with Mansfield’s previously urban district, and its long tentacles reaching exclusively into the black neighborhoods of Fayetteville. The BVAP has increased from 45 to 51 percent, as white voters were surgically removed from the district and placed in a neighboring Senate district represented by a white Republican whom GOP leaders want to protect in 2012. Mansfield’s own street was divided in half, and he no longer represents most of the people in his neighborhood. His new district spans 350 square miles, roughly the distance from Fayetteville to Atlanta. Thirty-three voting precincts in his district have been divided to accommodate the influx of new black voters. “My district has never elected a nonminority state senator, even though minorities were never more than 45 percent of the vote,” Mansfield says. “I didn’t need the help. I was doing OK.”

Mansfield’s district is emblematic of how the redistricting process has changed the political complexion of North Carolina, as Republicans attempt to turn this racially integrated swing state into a GOP bastion, with white Republicans in the majority and black Democrats in the minority for the next decade. “We’re having the same conversations we had forty years ago in the South, that black people can only represent black people and white people can only represent white people,” says Mansfield. “I’d hope that in 2012 we’d have grown better than that.” Before this year, for example, there were no Senate districts with a BVAP of 50 percent or higher. Now there are nine. A lawsuit filed by the NAACP and other advocacy groups calls the redistricting maps “an intentional and cynical use of race that exceeds what is required to ensure fairness to previously disenfranchised racial minority voters.”

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