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01-16-07 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
'DREAMGIRLS' IS GOLDEN: Hudson, Murphy and picture itself win 'Globes'; Whitaker gets one, too.
*If you've already seen it, you can't be surprised at the wins for "Dreamgirls" at last night's Golden Globes Awards.
The acting honors (and congrats) for the flick went out to Eddie Murphy and big screen newcomer Jennifer Hudson.
Murphy took the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and Hudson snagged the statuette for Best Supporting Actress at the 64th annual Golden Globes. The two star in the musical “Dreamgirls.”
Of course we'd be on the late freight if we didn't acknowledge that "Dreamgirls" itself won the Golden Globe's Musical or Comedy motion picture category
Additionally, Forest Whitaker took best actor as Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in "The Last King of Scotland."
With this win, Murphy has finally received a major film honor after 25 years in the business. The actor had been nominated for a Globe honor three times before. On the other hand, “Dreamgirls” marks Hudson’s film debut.
"I had always dreamed, but I never ever dreamed this big,” former “American Idol” finalist Hudson said. “This goes far beyond anything I could have ever imagined," said supporting-actress winner Hudson, who dedicated her award to Florence Ballard, one of the singers from the Supremes on which "Dreamgirls" is based.
"Wow. I'll be damned," said Murphy, upon accepting his award.
With the Golden Globes considered the runner-up to the Academy Awards, the Oscar buzz is only getting louder for the young starlet.
As Hollywood's second-biggest film honors, the Globes are something of a dress rehearsal for the Oscars, whose nominations come out Jan. 23. The Oscar ceremony will be on Feb. 25. Nominations for the Oscars closed Saturday, so the outcome of the Globes cannot affect who gets nominated.
The diss of the evening came from Justin Timberlake, who, in accepting the Best Original Song award on behalf of Prince for His Royal Baddness' "Song of the Heart" from "Happy Feet" (even though Prince himself can be seen sitting in the audience later in the show), bent his knees to speak UP into the microphone, as if to feign being the height of the Minneapolis superstar.
See MORE photos from the Golden Globes at Nikki Dorsett's Players, Haters & Imitators blog HERE.
The complete list of winners at Monday's 64th annual Golden Globes presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in Beverly Hills:
MOTION PICTURES
Picture, Drama: _"Babel"
Actress, Drama: Helen Mirren, "The Queen"
Actor, Drama: Forest Whitaker, "The Last King of Scotland"
Picture, Musical or Comedy: "Dreamgirls"
Actress, Musical or Comedy: Meryl Streep, "The Devil Wears Prada"
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Sacha Baron Cohen, "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"
Supporting Actress: Jennifer Hudson, "Dreamgirls"
Supporting Actor: Eddie Murphy, "Dreamgirls"
Director: Martin Scorsese, "The Departed"
Movie Screenplay: Peter Morgan, "The Queen"
Foreign Language: "Letters From Iwo Jima," USA/Japan
Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, "The Painted Veil"
Original Song: "The Song of the Heart" from "Happy Feet"
Animated Film: "Cars"
TELEVISION
Series, Drama: "Grey's Anatomy," ABC
Actress, Drama: Kyra Sedgwick, "The Closer"
Actor, Drama: Hugh Laurie, "House"
Series, Musical or Comedy: "Ugly Betty," ABC
Actress, Musical or Comedy: America Ferrera, "Ugly Betty"
Actor, Musical or Comedy: Alec Baldwin, "30 Rock"
Miniseries or movie: "Elizabeth I," HBO
Actress, Miniseries or Movie: Helen Mirren, "Elizabeth I"
Actor, Miniseries or Movie: Bill Nighy, "Gideon's Daughter"
Supporting Actress, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Emily Blunt, "Gideon's Daughter"
Supporting Actor, Series, Miniseries or Movie: Jeremy Irons, "Elizabeth I"
SPECIAL AWARD
Cecil B. DeMille Award: Warren Beatty
JAMES BROWNLAND? MAN’S-WORLD?: Brown’s family looking to open up his home as a Graceland-land like museum.
*The children of late R&B legend James Brown have plans to turn his former South Carolina residence into a museum and build a mausoleum on the site for his body. The home would become much like Graceland, the home of the late Elvis Presley, and would create an attraction of Brown fans and followers.
According to reports, the family plans to contact the Elvis Presley Enterprises to discuss its plans and consult with the Presley family on turning the estate into a visitor’s center. Jack Soden, CEO of Elvis Presley Enterprises said it's not unusual for family members of deceased entertainers to contact the Presley estate for such advice. Graceland opens to more than 600,000 visitors each year and generates millions in revenues.
GUNFIRE FOLLOWS FIGHT OVER JAMES BROWN'S HEIGHT: Plus, Godfather's kids want to turn his home into museum.
*The children of James Brown are hoping to turn his home in Beech, S.C. into a museum a la Elvis Presley's Graceland, while gunfire erupted between two friends in Atlanta over an argument about the Godfather of Soul's height.
Brown's children say they have spoken with several close friends and the singer's trustees to open a museum for tourists at their father's home, as well as a mausoleum to hold his body, said Debri Opri, an attorney for Brown.
The group hopes to consult with the family of Elvis Presley to discuss how they developed Graceland, Opri said.
Meanwhile, in Atlanta, a dispute between two men over how tall Brown stood resulted in one of the men being shot twice and the other charged with
assault.
Dan Gulley Jr. was charged with allegedly shooting David James Brooks Jr. in the abdomen. Brooks was rushed to the hospital following the shootout, where his condition is not thought to be serious, reports Launch.
Gully, who reportedly confessed to the crime, is said to be in custody at Escambia County Jail.
James Brown, who died on Christmas Day of heart failure, was reportedly 5'6' tall, although he regularly wore heels.
PAULA ABDUL REALITY SHOW COMING TO BRAVO: Plus, was singer drunk during TV interview? You be the judge.
*In the absence of "Being Bobby Brown," the Bravo network has come up with another reality show surrounding an entertainer famous for being a bit loopy.
Sometime later this year, Bravo will debut "Hey Paula," featuring cameras shadowing former dancer/choreographer/singer Paula Abdul.
According to Bravo President Lauren Zalaznick, the series will follow Abdul as she films a sixth season of Fox's "American Idol," works as an executive producer on "Bratz: The Movie" and develops her own perfume and cosmetics line.
"It fits the Bravo mandate to show what's going on in the culture of the moment," Zalaznick said of the show, adding that "an intimate glimpse at the real woman behind the headlines" will also be highlighted.
Meanwhile, a video of Abdul looking and sounding crazy during a TV interview popped up on the Internet Thursday and caused her to cancel media interviews the following day.
Folks at YouTube's Web site speculated that she was high and/or drunk during a satellite interview with Seattle's Fox news affiliate Q13. On Friday, Abdul pulled out of all media interviews to plug the upcoming sixth season of "American Idol," but her publicist denied that she was under the influence of any drugs or alcohol - or even medication.
"She was exhausted. This was at the end of three days of press (interviews and appearances), and she has had cameras following her around for a reality TV show too," said Ballard, referring to the upcoming Bravo series."She was sitting in a room with just a camera and a mic on, and the controllers dropped the sound twice, which is why she rolled her eyes."
Ballard said the cancellation of her Friday interviews was due to a sore throat after sitting in the chilly studio on Thursday.
"She never drinks. I have known Paula Abdul since she was 13, and I have never seen her drink ever in my life. ... And no, she is not on any kind of medication," he said. "She was a little tired."
See the video of Abdul's interview on Q13 Fox News here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eeAQu9I0wfM
'DREAMGIRLS' WINS FOUR AWARDS FROM B'CAST CRITICS: Hudson, Murphy pick up supporting actor trophies; 'Listen' awarded best song.
*Friday proved to be another banner day for the film "Dreamgirls,"
earning four awards from the Broadcast Film Critics Association during its 12th Annual Critics Choice Awards, held at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy each won awards for their supporting roles of Effie White and James Thunder Early, while the film's soundtrack and song "Listen," sung by Beyonce, were also winners in their respective categories.
"Wow, I'm not used to this," Hudson said in her acceptance speech.
"I'm a little nervous. Let's just say thank God for Effie, for bringing Effie into my life. When you recognize me, you recognize a brilliant man by the name of ("Dreamgirls" director) Bill Condon."
Meanwhile, Forest Whitaker collected another best actor award for his role as Idi Amin in the "Last King of Scotland," while Helen Mirren was crowned best actress for her work in Miramax's "The Queen."
The best picture honor went to Martin Scorsese's "The Departed," 20th Century Fox's "Borat" won for best comedy, Al Gore's global warming expose "An Inconvenient Truth" won the best documentary feature category, and "Elizabeth I" won for best telefilm.
Best family film went to Paramount's "Charlotte's Web," and "Little Miss Sunshine" swept the best young actor and actress awards, with the prizes going to Abigail Breslin and Paul Dano.
PHILLY'S WHAT-AM SILENCED FOR GOOD: Famed 'Voice of the African-American'
community is shut down.
*The historic WHAT-AM in Philadelphia - nicknamed the city's "voice of the African-American community" - has shut down after more than 81 years of broadcasting.
According to the Associated Press, the station's on-air talent, office workers and sales staff were told Thursday that their jobs had been terminated.
"It's a huge loss for the community," said Thaddeus Mathis of Temple University's Center for African-American Research and Public Policy. "For some people, this is their only way to find out what's happening."
The station, among the first in the country to hire black on-air personalities, will play a feed of blues music until upgrades are completed, said new owner Tom Kelly of Marconi Broadcasting Co.
Marconi of suburban Havertown bought WHAT for $5 million in November from Inner City Broadcasting Corp, based in New York City. Kelly owns a company that performs market research for radio stations. WHAT was ranked 29th out of 30 in listenership for the most recent ratings period.
While the station was not Philly's sole black talk radio station, it had a fiercely-loyal following who tuned in everyday to hear their favorite hosts, AP reports.
"People may not fully appreciate the loss until after it's gone for a while," Mathis said. "It filled a vital role, and it's not clear who is going to fill it."
SNOOP, SPIKE TV TEAM FOR DOCUMENTARY: Rapper to make a show on youth crime and prison.
*Snoop Dogg has joined forces with documentary director Gabriel London, Oscar nominated filmmaker Jonathan Stack and Spike TV to make a candid show about youth crime and prison entitled "Bigg Snoop Dogg's Youth
Authority: California," set to air tomorrow night (Jan. 16) at 11 p.m.
According to a press release, Snoop came up with the idea in an effort to help troubled kids and offer a way out of gang life. Snoop himself is a product of California's notorious "Youth Authority," which in recent years has come under court order for abusing and failing to rehabilitate youth.
In "Bigg Snoop Dogg's Youth Authority: California," Snoop Dogg tells of his own life experiences with gang life and dealing drugs. The show interweaves Snoop's past stories and experiences from over a decade ago, with trials and tribulations of youth today, who remain caught in the streets-to-prison cycle.
Snoop's reasons for creating the show are explained while the rapper is driving through his old Long Beach neighborhood. "Can we have peace?
That's what I am feeling like as I get older. I feel like I gotta go back and do it because there's a youngster out there -- and I can help him," says Snoop.
During one touching moment in the program Snoop meets a 12 year old who they call "Lil' Tookie," named after famous Crip founder, Stanley "Tookie" Williams. Lil' Tookie who has a talent for dancing (or "krumping") is shown getting embraced by Snoop, who encourages him to stay on the right path.
He asks Lil' Tookie if he has ever been to jail. Once the youngster shakes his head no, Snoop says, "You're too cool for jail. Jail ain't for cool people, I went to jail, it ain't for me. Since you've never been, don't go. That's my advice to you."
SPORTS BITS: Tyson indicted; Strahan's prenup; T.O.'s surgery; Kidd's wife; Blake wins; Nifong gone; Tiger honored.
*Former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson has been indicted for drug possession and driving under the influence of drugs by an Arizona grand jury, authorities said on Friday. The 40-year-old faces two counts each of felony drug possession and misdemeanor driving under the influence following a Dec. 29 arrest in Scottsdale, Arizona. As previously reported, Thomas wants prison time for the former boxer, who has a long record of legal troubles. If convicted, Tyson faces more than seven years behind bars.
*New York Giants football player Michael Strahan was ordered to pay
$15.3 million to his ex-wife Jean Strahan as part of their prenuptial agreement, reports AP. The agreement stated that Jean was entitled to half of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married. Michael Strahan claimed that he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year. State Superior Court Judge James Convery disagreed, ruling that "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds." In addition to the $15.3 million, Convery awarded Jean Strahan hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support.
*Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens had surgery in Miami to address a torn tendon in his right ring finger suffered during a September loss to the Washington Redskins. "The doctor is very optimistic," Owens told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. "I am happy I had the surgery. I am happy with the news he gave me that I will return to 100 percent."
*The wife of New Jersey Nets star Jason Kidd has filed a domestic-violence restraining order against her husband on the heels of his accusations that she had physically and emotionally abused him. "There was a lot, a lot of physical violence," Joumana Kidd's attorney, Raoul Felder, said in Saturday's New York Post. On Monday night, police served Joumana Kidd with a restraining order obtained by her husband. On Tuesday, the 33-year-old NBA star filed for divorce from his wife of 10 years, citing "extreme cruelty" and saying that he was an abused spouse.
*Tennis star James Blake won his second straight title at the Sydney International Saturday with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-1 win over Carlos Moya. The victory marks Blake's sixth title in the last year. Only Roger Federer has more victories in that span with 12. Moya and Blake will face off again Tuesday in the first round of the Australian Open.
*North Carolina District Attorney Mike Nifong has requested that he have himself removed from prosecuting the Duke lacrosse sexual assault investigation, ABC News first reported Friday afternoon. A source close to the investigation said Nifong sent a letter to North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper asking his office to assume responsibility of the case.
Three Duke lacrosse players, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, were indicted in 2006 on charges of rape, sexual assault, and kidnapping after a lacrosse team party on the night of March 13. Rape charges were dropped in December after the accuser could not recall key details of the alleged attack.
*The Golf Writers Association of America gave Tiger Woods its Charlie Bartlett Award Wednesday for his work with the Tiger Woods Foundation, which has reached about 10 million young people and given out more than $30 million in grants. "I'm proud of the work my foundation has accomplished, and I'm honored the GWAA has chosen to celebrate the 10 million young lives we've changed for the better," Woods said. "Receiving the Charlie Bartlett Award is a great honor, and I'm grateful for this support and recognition."
The award, named after the first secretary of the GWAA, is given to a professional golfer for unselfish contributions to the betterment of society. Woods will be honored at the GWAA annual dinner April 4 in Augusta, Ga.
EVENT CALENDAR: AJ Johnson tapped by 'Soft & Beautiful'; Barden celebrates hotel ownership; Babyface at Sundance; Black Enterprise's Legacy Awards.
*Soft & Beautiful hair care products has recruited actress and fitness expert A.J. Johnson and life coach and best selling author Valorie Burton as spokespersons for their Soft & Beautiful with Curves Healthy Resolutions campaign with national fitness chain Curves. The two experts will join forces with Pro-Line Beauty and Hair Care Consultant Roslyn Baker to form the Soft & Beautiful Beauty Experts. The team will offer advice on wellness "from hair to toe" and from the inside out, in by-line articles, on the Soft & Beautiful Web site, in interviews across the country and finally at a world-record-setting fitness and beauty event for women in the Chicago, Illinois area on January 20, 2007. For more information, go to http://www.proline-intl.com or call 1.866.919.hair (4247).
*Five years and five casinos later, Don H. Barden, the first and only African American to own a casino in America's gaming capital - Las Vegas, is gearing up for his annual anniversary celebration to commemorate five years of successful ownership of the Fitzgeralds Casino Hotel. The four-day weekend taking place February 22-25, 2007, will consist of several festivities including an education celebration for local elementary students featuring an outstanding youth panel of history makers and achievers, a press conference, a meet and greet reception, Don H. Barden Achievement Awards, a Gospel Brunch, the Taste and Sounds of Soul featuring local and national entertainment performing on the Fremont Street stage, along with showcasing African American restaurants in Las Vegas, which has attracted nearly 30,000 attendees. Ashford and Simpson will headline the anniversary concert. For details regarding the celebration call 800-274-5825 or visit www.fitzgeralds.com.
*Music will take center stage at this year's Sundance Film Festival with Where Music Meets Film, a four-night acoustic showcase hosted by multi-Grammy Award winner Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds, bringing together many of today's most exciting recording artists before an intimate audience of celebrated filmmakers. The sessions, presented by ZonePerfect, will take place in Park City, UT January 24-27 during the 2007 Sundance Film Festival and will air in high-definition as a one-hour primetime special directed by Michael McNamara (VH1's Behind the Music) on the WE cable network later this spring. The four-night event will feature stripped-down performances from artists including Babyface, Joan Osborne, Jonny Lang, Keb' Mo', Sean Lennon, Lindsey Buckingham, Shelby Lynne, Shawn Colvin, Daniel Powter and Marc Broussard, and will feature several surprise performances by yet to be announced special guests.
*Four African American women trailblazers will be honored by Black Enterprise during the Women of Power Legacy Awards on Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2007. The award ceremony will kick off the company's 2nd annual Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, a four-day leadership conference designed especially for women of color. The Summit will take place at the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, through Saturday, February 10.
Black Enterprise board member and former general manager Barbara Graves will host the awards dinner, and CNN correspondent Valerie Morris will serve as mistress of ceremonies. The recipients of the 2007 Women of Power Legacy Award are Suzanne de Passe, chairman & CEO, de Passe Entertainment; Judith Jamison, artistic director, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; Ruth Simmons, president, Brown University; and Faye Wattleton, president, Center for the Advancement of Women. For more information on the Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm, visit www.blackenterprise.com/wps or call 800-209-7229.
OJ DENIES POSSIBILITIES OF A CONFESSION: 1994 murder accounts recounted in mag article.
*Embattled football great O.J. Simpson is defending his unpublished book, ‘If I Did It,’ saying that the chapter that hypothesizes how he would have killed his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman, was created from a ghostwriter’s research and that it is not a confession of sorts.
"I'm saying it's a fictional creation," Simpson said in a telephone interview according to the Associated Press. "It has so many [factual] holes in it that anybody who knew anything about it would know that I didn't write it."
The comments were sparked in part because of a story in Newsweek paraphrasing the chapter, called "The Night in Question." The magazine’s account of the murders, which it claimed comes from an anonymous source, describes Simpson as being angry with his wife and snuck into her Brentwood, CA home through a back gate, carrying a knife to scare her. There, when he confronted Goldman, Nicole rushed at him, fell, and accidentally hit her head on the ground. Goldman and Simpson got into an altercation and "then something went horribly wrong, and I know what happened, but I can't tell you exactly how,"
Newsweek quotes Simpson as writing. The article doesn’t include any description or details of the actual killing, but describes that Simpson was drenched with blood, with Nicole and Goldman dead.
Simpson was acquitted of the 1994 murders of his ex-wife and Goldman after a year-long trial. A civil jury later held him liable for the killings. Simpson has always maintained his innocence.
WE REMEMBER: Jazz greats Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker
The jazz world took a double whammy over the weekend as Alice Coltrane and Michael Brecker passed away. Both were among my favorites, and like many of others, I'll miss them and the major contributions they've made to the art form.
Alice Coltrane was already an accomplished bop pianist when she married John Coltrane in 1965, having played under luminaries such as Barry Harris, Stan Getz, Terry Gibbs and Yusef Lateef. She served as John's pianist in his final year and a half, replacing McCoy Tyner in 1966.
Along with former bandmate Pharoah Sanders, she has done the most to carry and even expand JC's vision of spiritual, free-form, Eastern mysticism music that sometimes went well beyond the normal boundaries of what was widely held as being "jazz". She didn't just stick with the piano, but also organ and later, synthesizers. She could also play a mean harp. 1970's Ptah the El Daoud was an early post-John high point for her, which demonstrated that the modal form of jazz championed by her late husband was not quite yet exhausted for ideas.
After a 26 year hiatus, Coltrane's 2004 release Translinear Light was a triumphant return for her and showed she didn't lose a single bit of her creative fire. It was a fitting coda to a career that perhaps unfairly got seen too much in her late husband's shadow.
Alice died of respiratory failure at age 69.
Michael Brecker possessed both an unsurpassed technique and an easily recognizable signature sound on the tenor saxophone. His style became a big influence to legions of sax players that followed him, but few of these have approached his level of playing.
Michael worked many years in relative obscurity since the late- sixties as a session player in very diverse settings. His exhaustive list of session dates included such big-time artists as Aerosmith, Luther Allison, Chet Baker, Blue Oyster Cult, Cameo, Eric Clapton, James Brown, Pat Metheny, Horace Silver and Yoko Ono. He also served co-lead with trumpet-playing brother Randy for the pioneering jazz- funk outfit The Brecker Brothers, and was a key member in the early fusion band Dreams as well as the eighties fusion supergroup Steps Ahead.
When Brecker finally went solo with his self-titled album in 1986, he revealed amazing depth as a composer and the music he crafted for his own records were mostly a very challenging and creative form of fusion deeply rooted in bop. His solo works were also often the best showcases for some head-shaking saxophone performances; the solo that serves as the introduction to "Syzygy" on his self-titled album is nothing short of astonishing.
Always looking for new challenges, this seven-time Grammy award winner later experimented with blending bluegrass with jazz, leading an organ quartet and putting his own mark on ballads. His third outing Now You See It, Now You Don't is my personal favorite, as he tackled some of his most interesting material on that album.
Tragically, Brecker was diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome
(MDS) back in 2005, a form of pre-leukemia. An experimental stem cell operation was unsuccessful and doctors were unable to find a suitable bone marrow donor.
Michael was 57 when he died on January 13 from complications of leukemia. Rest in peace, Alice and Michael. And thanks for some great music.
ITTY BITTY BITS:
Yo-Yo and Lyte team up; ‘Giant’ honors for McClurkin
*Legendary hip-hop heroines Yo-Yo and MC Lyte are teaming up for The Day Dream Project, inviting 20 young girls who’d written winning essays to come out for a night at the theater for the play “13.”
The project is part of the Let Your Light Shine Youth Foundation, founded by the raptresses, who launched the essay contest titled “If I Ruled the World.” The essay contest is one out of four annual components of the project launched a year ago.
The 20 winners were chauffeured by limo party bus to dinner and the theater and were awarded gift bags. For more on the foundation, log onto www.letyourlightshineyouthfoundation.com.
*Grammy Award-winning gospel great Donnie McClurkin is receiving another tribute. The gospel maestro will be honored as a “gospel giant: at the upcoming Trumpet Awards on January 22.
"It's really surreal. Gospel giants to me are like James Cleveland, Edwin and Walter Hawkins and The Winans. I'm just a minister," McClurkin told JET magazine. "I'm just a singer who does what God calls me to do.”
THE BRIDGE: Who’s Your Daddy, Part 2
The Consequences of Absentee Fathers.
By Darryl James
Yesterday’s single-mother household had support from the village consisting of their own fathers, uncles, brothers and other family members.
Today, more single mothers are disconnected from extended family members and typically from their own fathers, which means that if the fathers of their children are not on the scene, there more than likely will be no male figure in the children’s lives.
There are very few cases of men simply fathering children and willfully shirking parental obligations.
Studies show that even among men who use fatherhood to “express their manhood,” there is a desire to remain involved in the lives of the resulting offspring.
Yet, the overwhelming concept of the Absentee Father is of a man who “donates his DNA,” and abandons the child along with all responsibilities.
The notion of Black fathers abandoning their children is typically the stereotype that many Americans are comfortable with. And this comfort generally comes without any attention to research.
For example, how many people with that comfort would remain comfortable with the fact that there are actually a growing number of single parent households headed by Black fathers?
However, the fact remains that the overwhelming majority of children in single parent households are being raised by mothers, frequently in the absence of a father or father figure.
There are a number of reasons why fathers are absent from their children’s lives, even though the one that garners the most focus is the man being a proverbial “Deadbeat Dad,” the father who willfully neglects to pay his financial obligations.
Some fathers may be absent because they were unprepared for fatherhood and are often unwilling, but have little say once the woman is pregnant. Some fathers may be absent because the mother may not actually know who impregnated her, and other fathers may be absent because their assigned financial responsibility is far above their financial capability.
While society seeks to imprison men who fail to pay child support, few focus on the fact that 70% of fathers who are in arrears on child support earn $10,000 a year or less.
In short, the majority of men who are being prosecuted for failure to pay often can not pay.
And, even if there are attempts to be involved, including sharing the care of the child, purchasing groceries, diapers or other necessities, those attempts are discounted if the assigned financial responsibilities are unmet.
The net result when a father is unable to pay, is that he will probably disappear from the child’s life, after either running from the financial burden that he can not carry, or after being jailed for being unable to shoulder the financial burden.
These are the two most prominent results when Daddy can not pay, and while a great portion of society is comfortable with these results, there are some dire consequences of not having fathers in the lives of children.
There are a handful of pieces written about the consequences of absentee fathers, but generally the focus is on the male child. However, there are some very serious issues faced by fatherless females today, which stem from low self-esteem and very poor socialization with positive male role models in their lives as young girls.
These issues include fleeting and unstable love relationships with men, early experimentation with sex, increased out of wedlock childbirth and lower self-esteem. These issues must be addressed.
Increased absentee fathers result in increased poverty for the children. Fifty-one percent of the children raised by unmarried mothers are raised in poverty, while only seven percent of children in a marriage are poor. Even marriage after the child is born decreases poverty for the child by more than half.
That poverty, which typically includes Welfare dependence, has that dependence sustained through the child’s minority years in 50% of the cases, while children in married households are only on Welfare 3% of the time until adulthood. Again, marriage after the child is born decreases Welfare dependence by more than half, while divorce will only increase Welfare dependence to 13%.
Children raised in single parent homes are more likely to have retarded cognitive development, lower educational achievement, increased behavioral problems, lower impulse control and increased emotional disturbances. Those children are also more likely to engage in criminal activity.
A summary from the National Institute of Child Health and Development found that inner city Black male children in households at or below poverty with little or no fatherhood involvement had lower mental development and decreased cognitive development. They also were more prone to difficulties with self control, impulse control and Attention Deficit Disorder.
Project TALENT, a federal survey, found that children born outside of marriage were more likely to become unwed parents themselves.
Those children have a higher likelihood of becoming single parents because they are experiencing earlier sexual activity and few, if any models of parenting partnerships and/or marriage. They are also more likely to end up on Welfare as single parents.
According to The National Health Interview Survey of Child Health, children of unwed parents have greater behavioral and emotional problems than children of married parents.
A 1988 study by the University of Illinois showed that a boy’s educational achievements are diminished the longer he spends in a single parent home.
In 1988, a study of eleven thousand people showed a dramatic association between rates of violent crime and children from single parent households between the ages of 12 and 20. The study underscored the fact that neither poverty alone, nor race alone can be associated with high crime rates.
And, data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, reveals that young Black men raised in homes lead by a single mother are twice as likely to engage in criminal activities as those from two parent homes.
Society at large and the Black community in specific would do well to understand the importance of the father’s role in child rearing, focusing on more important aspects such as time spent on a regular basis than simple assignment of financial responsibility.
Even if all the fathers pay, who will be there to provide male role models for the children?
Am I making excuses for Absentee Fathers?
Not hardly.
What I am doing is underscoring the very real fact that focusing on financial child support has done little to increase the quality of life for the throngs of young boys and girls who are growing up without male influence.
More men have been jailed for child support, but that has not resulted in more men in the lives of those children or even more non-welfare support for the children, which means, quite frankly, that the Child Support Industry has failed.
Absentee fathers are not the only deadbeats.
Next Week: Who’s a Deadbeat?
Darryl James is an award-winning author who is now a filmmaker. His first mini-movie, “Crack,” was released in March of this year. James’ latest book, “Bridging The Black Gender Gap,” is the basis of his lectures and seminars. Previous installments of this column can now be viewed at www.bridgecolumn.com. James can be reached at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
BETWEEN THE LINES: King's Unfinished Fight: Rightness, Justice and a 'Poor People's Campaign'
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*The celebration of the federal King holiday brings about a whole host of conflicts and convolutions.
This year was no different. The only man to have a federal holiday named in his honor in the 20th century (that wasn't a President), the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. lost his life in a perpetual struggle to bring about freedom, justice and equality to the masses of people in this country.
The fight for social justice in America very quickly turned to a recognition of the economic disparities that subjugated Blacks and others in a way that compromised their freedom and quality of life.
King's last commitment to the struggle (besides ending the Vietnam war) was to eradicate poverty in the most affluent nation in the history of the world. King did not believe it was right that one would speak out on social injustice, but remain silent on the questions of the war and poverty.
Dr. King's sense of rightness was based on his sense of justice. King knew that the right to stand for right couldn't be a relative engagement. Right had to be right because in its rightness, justice would be evident.
The fight for economic justice today has become a relative engagement. Forty years later, we see greater disparities in wages and wealth than when King was living. Those who claim to support King's legacy need to finish King's last fight, ending poverty. We need another Poor People's Campaign.
The days leading up to the King holiday, every year, are filled with events that romanticize the period that was the most volatile (outside of the Civil War) in the nation's history. It is supposed to be a period of retrospection, a period of rededication to the life and principles of Dr. King. But most times it is an engagement in relativism of how people and certain groups try to fit their relative rightness into the King paradigm.
In the same day, I was on a conference call with people trying to plan an honest dialogue between the African American and Latino communities without addressing the impact the immigrant influx has on the undermining of work and wages in the black community. That evening, I was on a panel where the topic was supposed to be, "King: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," but quickly evolved into a debate as to whether gay's rights are civil rights. In both instances relative logic was being used to advocate for human injustices that conflict with social standards. While social and economic discriminations are real within both populations, to frame them in the King paradigm is a reach for both, and not prevalent to the extent of race and gender discrimination in America for which civil rights were constructed.
The poverty question came up in both dialogues and while a sub-context in both conversations, the realities of economic subjugation were evidenced in both arguments as impacting both populations. The poverty question is a justice question, not a circumstantial "rightness" question like gay and immigration rights where folk can hide sexuality or citizenship or disclose it selectively when they want to pursue the rights, privileges and benefits of citizenship and marriage. Blacks are always black, women are always women, and the poor always poor. The difference between the fight for right and justice is that what is right may not always be just, but what is just is always right. The post-King society has lost sight of this, and the relativity of rightness has taken over society, where justice is nowhere to be found. Everybody is right and nobody is wrong anymore. That's why President Bush can still believe he's right to send 21,000 additional troops to Iraq and spend hundreds of million more dollars in the face of overwhelming public opposition. Yet, the poverty question can't be raised in any realm of American society without the ideologues twisting the issue.
King understood this relationship between unbridled militarism and unaddressed poverty. At the same time King was speaking out against the war, he was planning a campaign to address poverty. In what would end up being King's last fight, a Poor People's Campaign was planned to coincide with the 1968 Presidential Election and major party conventions to highlight the issue of economic injustice in America. The campaign was informally launched as King went to Memphis, Tennessee to show solidarity with striking sanitation workers whose fight was not only about livable wages but dignity in their effort to make an honest living. The mantra of the strike was simply, I Am A Man. While King didn't live to see the Poor People's campaign, and Resurrection City went forth in a largely symbolic measure, the question of poverty went ignored and unaddressed for the remainder of the 20th Century. Now the poverty question is back on the front burner of the nation's conscience, and like war, is being dealt with in a relative manner. It is right to speak of eradicating poverty, but little is being done about poverty in a way that brings the poor any real justice. In the meantime, America is doing more to bring about democracy in Iraq than it is doing to bring about democracy in the urban cities of America. With the money we've spent in Iraq, most of the social ills of the top 50 urban cities in America could have been addressed in a significant way. It is not right, nor is it just to continue to ignore poverty in the way America does.
During this last King week, a young labor leader out of Los Angeles, Tyrone Freeman, president of one of the largest SEIU locals, is calling another Poor Peoples Campaign, to make poverty a campaign issue in the upcoming 2008 presidential election. In Los Angeles, forty percent of the nation's second largest city live at or below the poverty line, making them eligible for pubic assistance. But there is no assistance to be found, and nobody has the integrity to address the question. We need another Poor People's Campaign to refocus this nation on decent wages and a livable quality of life for all.
This generation needs to finish King's unfinished fight on the eradication of poverty in America. The most fitting tribute to King and American society would be to return justice to the question of what is right in our society,
and move away from relativism.
Anthony Asadullah Samad is a national columnist, managing director of the Urban Issues Forum (www.urbanissuesforum.com) and author of the upcoming book, Saving The Race: Empowerment Through Wisdom. He can be reached at www.AnthonySamad.com
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Minimum Wage Woes
*Sometimes I wish that people who make six figure incomes would trade places with people who make minimum wage for sixty days so they could see how hard it is to make ends meet. Something tells me rich people already know how tough it is and they just don’t care.
Some might ask why should they care? They’ve got the gold. And he who’s got the gold makes the rules.
America was built on free slave labor. Since the Emancipation Proclamation put an end to that, American business owners have spent the last 140 years trying to figure out how to pay workers as little in compensation as possible. Therein lies the minimum wage. So, even if it’s raised to $7.25/hour that still won’t be enough. That’s the bad news.
But the same rules rich people use to get rich, minimum wage earners can use to keep more of their money. They must learn the rules of the game. That’s the good news.
Rule number one: Business ownership is the American way. Whether it’s a product or a service, you’ve got to sell something that people are willing to buy. The part-time business income will supplement the money from your full-time job.
If all you do is work a job – which is helping somebody else build their business – half of your wages will go to pay taxes. The other half will go to pay bills. You’ll never have enough left over.
That leads me to rule number tw Even if you don’t earn a lot of money from sells in your business, the IRS will allow you as a business owner to write off on your taxes things like gas and mileage on your car, restaurant meals and out-of-town trips. That means the money you spend on everyday expenses comes back to you in a bigger tax return. Don’t take my word for it and don’t ask know-it-all Joe. Go to http://www.irs.gov and look at the Schedule C tax form.
Most of the legal loopholes used by business owners to keep their money can be found in the IRS tax code. You can use the same loopholes if you have a business. Even if you earn a six-figure income on a job, the IRS legally will take up to thirty-nine percent of your money in income taxes. The more you make the more they take.
You don’t have to have a storefront office. You can start in your garage or the spare room in your house. You just need a legal hustle, a good tax advisor and the determination to make it happen.
Just as dogs bark and babies cry, nature dictates that most rich people only care about rich people stuff. No matter how many times Congress raises the minimum wage, nobody’s going to legislate you out of poverty. Poverty starts as a state of mind.
Until you get the courage to step out of your minimum wage box, your options always will seem hopeless. Until you become more educated about money and start to legally reclaim the money you already make, but give away in taxes, making an extra two dollars an hour is pointless.
Love, peace and hair grease.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance writer living in the Washington, DC metro area. For questions or comments she can be reached at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com.
COLLEGE ZONE: Getting Your Teacher to Be Your Advocate
By Regina Thomas
*Have you ever noticed that some students, usually those referred to as Teacher’s Pets, seem to have the unwavering support and admiration of their teachers. Here’s a dirty little secret, “Teachers are People Too” and they are willing to go the extra mile for those students they “like” versus the ones they… well you get the picture.
The life of a teacher can be characterized as an exercise in holding a conversation with a schizophrenic on a daily basis. Imagine if you will a person with 150 different personalities, each one requiring something different and unique. Sometimes the personality is wild and crazy. Other times it is laidback with a let’s chill attitude. However, the one personality I enjoy the most is the studious neurotic who stresses over the smallest details. No matter which personality I encounter, I love them all and look forward to exercising my mental fortitude, stamina and comic genius to deal with whatever comes my way in the classroom I use to call home 5 days a week. Follow these basics tips and you will have your teacher eating out of your hand or at least your plate.
Tip #1: Teachers Are People Too
For those academic soldiers who walk through the doors of a school building each and every day, we salute your dedication to your student’s success and know that the profession is often a labor of love. To those students who sit in our classrooms, start developing the habit of putting yourself in your Teacher’s shoes. Small things such as a small thank you, good attitude and honest behavior go a long way in endearing your teacher to you. Try this on for size, “Thank you Mr. or Mrs. X that was a great lesson today”.
Tip #2: “My Teacher Doesn’t Like Me!”
We’ve all heard students complain that their teacher must hate them due to some reason or another. Teachers are professionals and should never make personal attacks or take unnecessary actions against a student. Many times the teacher is unaware that a student feels neglected or ignored. Share your feelings and concerns with your teacher. Avoid accusing the teacher. Instead begin the conversation with “I would like to participate in your class more. Do you have any advice on how I can be more involved during class?” You’d be surprised at how many brownie points you’ll get just by showing your teacher you are willing to partner with them in helping you achieve your personal and academic goals.
Tip #3: Asking for Extra Help
One of the biggest frustrations of a teacher is giving a test and having half of the class fail because they did not understand the material. Avoid being one of the students who do not make the grade by nipping your confusion on a particular concept, subject or assignment in the bud. Many teachers willingly offer after-school or lunch time tutorial help for students who are struggling in their classes. It is your responsibility to take advantage of these services. Complaints that you didn’t get a good grade on the test because the material was too difficult may fall on deaf ears if you haven’t taken the extra step of asking for help. A simple discussion with your teacher to let him or her know that you are having problems grasping the material will usually yield a helping hand.
Tip #4: Be on Time
Showing up to class late is a sure fire way to get points taken off your grade. Since the passing period between classes is usually 10 minutes or less use your time wisely to get from one class to another. It is fine to say hello to your peers as you go from one class to the next; we all know that the high school years can be a very social time in your life. However, being social should not prevent you from making it to class on time. If a class is located on the other end of the campus consider power-walking to the class. Not only will you make it to class on-time, you will also get your cardiovascular heart rate going.
Tip #5: Disputing a Grade
Keeping in mind that Teachers Are People Too also means remembering the fact that they are not above making mistakes. During the course of grading papers usually at 12 midnight, miscalculations can occur. Getting your teacher to give you those extra points without escalating the issue is all about your approach. Simply point out the error to the teacher in a non-confrontational manner. Teachers often complain that students immediately go on the offensive when attempting to make a point. Calm and cool is the best way to approach any situation. Not only do you get better results, it demonstrates your ability to show your maturity and is another step toward strengthening the student/teacher partnership.
Partnerships are based on creating relationships of give and take. Students who begin building a strong partnership with their teachers now will find it much easier to approach them for help when the college application season rolls around.
Each week I’ll write about college-centric topics that are informative, witty, inspirational and above all intended to give you “The Edge”. Until then…Carpe Diem!
Regina Thomas is the founder of College Admissions Counselors; a private, one-on-one admissions coaching service that assists high school students and working professionals with the college application process. She has a Master of Education Degree from Harvard University and a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the University of California, Berkeley. Regina is happy to answer your college related questions. Send your inquiries to regina@yourcollegeworld.com.
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