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05-06-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
NEWSWEEK PROBES OPRAH'S BREAK FROM TRINITY: 'A major reason—but by no means the only reason—was the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.'
*Oprah Winfrey was a regular member of Chicago's Trinity United Church of Christ from 1984-1986, and attended periodically into the mid-1990s. "But then she stopped," writes Newsweek's Allison Samuels in the current issue.
"A major reason—but by no means the only reason—was the Rev.
Jeremiah Wright," Samuels continues. "According to two sources, Winfrey was never comfortable with the tone of Wright's more incendiary sermons, which she knew had the power to damage her standing as America's favorite daytime talk-show host."
The magazine comes in the wake of Sen. Barack Obama's recent break from Rev. Wright after clips of his more politically-charged sermons ended up on YouTube and caused havoc within the Democratic candidate's campaign.
"Oprah is a businesswoman, first and foremost," says one longtime friend of Oprah's, according to Samuels. "She's always been aware that her audience is very mainstream, and doing anything to offend them just wouldn't be smart. She's been around black churches all her life, so Reverend Wright's anger-filled message didn't surprise her. But it just wasn't what she was looking for in a church."
And while Winfrey, who has endorsed Obama and campaigned on his behalf, had long understood the perils of a close association with Wright, friends say she was blindsided by the pastor's personal assault on Obama, writes Samuels.
"She felt that Wright would never do anything to hurt a man who looked up to him as a father figure," said her close friend. "She also never thought he'd intentionally hurt someone trying to make history and change the lives of so many people.'
Read the entire article here: http://www.newsweek.com/id/135392
BRIEF BENCH WARRANT ISSUED FOR FOXY BROWN: Rapper missed court date, but her lawyer says it was all a misunderstanding.
*For several hours on Monday, it appeared as if Foxy Brown was headed back to jail after she missed a court appearance and a judge issued a bench warrant for her arrest.
Turns out that the court actually forgot to move her rescheduled hearing from Monday to Thursday and recalled the warrant after realizing the error.
After an eight month stay on Rikers Island, Foxy is facing assault and weapons charges from her alleged Blackberry assault on a Brooklyn neighbor. Her lawyer Laura Dilimetin told TMZ.com that she got the date moved to Thursday, but the court mistakenly left Monday's date on the calendar.
On Thursday, Foxy, 25, will face assault and weapons charges for allegedly throwing her Blackberry cell phone at a woman in her Prospect Heights neighborhood after an argument over the volume of Foxy's car stereo.
The woman suffered swelling in her lip, loose teeth and swelling in her right eye.
Brown, born Inga Marchand, is also due in court on May 8, where she is expected to reach a plea with the State Attorney in Florida on two misdemeanor assault charges stemming from a February 2007 altercation at the Queen Beauty Supply Store in Pembroke Pines, Florida.
VIDEO OF 50 CENT CHAIN SNATCHING HITS WEB: Show in Angola interrupted by actions of rogue audience member.
*Someone in the audience of a 50 Cent concert in Africa really thought he could jump on stage, snatch the rapper's chain and flee without incident. Needless to say, the dude caught a beat down from 50, himself, before he was eventually caught by police.
The chain snatching was filmed by a camera phone and flooded the Internet yesterday after it was posted on YouTube. [View clip here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1W_z33YJ8c&feature=related] The thief's parents saw the footage and quickly turned their son in to authorities.
Bruno Carvalho is now facing criminal charges for his actions, which took place last Wednesday during the annual International Peace Festival (April 30), reports Allhiphop.com.
The video footage, filmed from behind the stage at Cidadela Pavilion in Luanda, shows Carvalho snatching 50's chain before jumping back down into the crowd. Seconds later, the rapper is seen taking off after the thief.
What was not visible on the tape, according to G-Unit insiders, was 50 catching up with the perpetrator, beating him up, and getting his chain back.
PRINCE TO WRITE BOOK ABOUT HIS 02 ARENA GIGS: The 'photographic essay' is due this fall from Atria Books.
*Prince will add "author" to his music and acting resume with the arrival of "21 Nights," a book based on his 21 sold-out concerts last August at London's 02 Arena.
Due this fall from Simon & Schuster imprint Atria Books, the work is described as a "photographic essay" that offers "a rare glimpse into the life, lyrics, and mystique" of the artist.
"Juxtaposing his dueling worlds of music and solitude, it will incorporate Prince's evocative poetry and lyrics to new songs and other selections, and 124 full-color, sumptuous, never-before-published images by celebrated photographer Randee St. Nicholas," Atria announced Monday.
"21 Nights" will also come with a CD of after-hours jams, "Indigo Nights," unavailable from any other outlet, reports the AP.
MEDIA IS DENIED SEALED DOCS FROM R. KELLY CASE: Illinois Supreme Court rules against emergency motion.
*The Illinois Supreme Court has denied an emergency motion from news organizations seeking sealed court records and transcripts related to R.
Kelly's child pornography case.
According to the Associated Press, the court made its decision Monday without offering any comment. The 41-year-old singer's trial is scheduled to begin Friday with jury selection.
The motion – filed by the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times and The Associated Press – requested that the Supreme Court order the Cook County Circuit Court to unseal the records immediately. Judge Vincent Gaughan has said he's trying to protect Kelly's rights and prevent information from influencing prospective jurors.
The artist has pleaded not guilty to charges that he videotaped himself having sex with an underage girl.
RATNER'S ALL-BLACK HEIST FLICK COMING TOGETHER: Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker may co-star with Eddie Murphy.
*Director Brett Ratner's all-black heist movie starring Eddie Murphy finally has a name.
The New York Daily News is reporting that "The Trump Heist" will star Murphy as the leader of a crew of con artists who land jobs at Donald Trump's Trump Tower so they can steal from its residents.
Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle and Chris Tucker are reportedly in consideration to join the cast. Brian Grazer is producing the picture for his Imagine Entertainment shingle.
Meanwhile, Ratner is also scheduled to direct Murphy in the "The Incredible Shrinking Man," while Tucker is due to play Frank Sinatra's valet in Ratner's "Mr. S."
TOM HANKS WANTS OBAMA IN THE WHITE HOUSE: Actor makes video endorsing Illinois senator for president.
*Tom Hanks used his MySpace page (http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks) to post a video of himself endorsing Sen. Barack Obama's quest for the nation's highest office. [Scroll down to view clip.]
"As an official celebrity, I know my endorsement has just made your mind up for you," the 51-year-old actor says in a short video titled,
"Beware: Celebrity Endorsement."
"History with a capital 'H' is going to be made this November, no matter who the president-elect is," he says. "I want Barack Obama to be president of this country, a country that once said people with his skin color were only three-fifths of a human being."
Explaining his decision, the two-time Oscar winner says: "It's because of his character and vision, and the high road he has taken during this campaign. He has the integrity and the inspiration to unify us, as did FDR and Harry Truman and John F. Kennedy and even Ronald Reagan when they ran for the job."
The actor says Obama and Clinton have each "pretended to eat cheese-steak sandwiches and go bowling," "committed gaffes" and distanced themselves from supporters who could damage their campaigns.
But Hanks thinks an Obama presidency could bring about a "seismic shift," and "live up to the great promise once shaped by our founding fathers."
TYLER, OBAMA, MARIAH AMONG TIME'S 'INFLUENTIAL': List of 100 also includes the Dalai Lama and Oprah Winfrey.
*Filmmaker Tyler Perry, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and singer Mariah Carey join the likes of President Bush, the Dalai Lama and Miley Cyrus on Time magazine’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people.
Announced Thursday, the final cut includes nearly 30 celebrities whose appearance was based on votes at the magazine's Web site.
Winfrey was cited alongside fellow "influential" entertainers Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt and Mia Farrow as “heroes and pioneers” for global goodwill.
Others making the list include finance adviser Suze Orman, actor George Clooney, media mogul Rupert Murdoch, Russia’s Vladimir Putin, China’s Hu Jintao, and Obama's fellow presidential nominees Hillary Clinton and John McCain.
REMY MA DESCRIBES PRISON LIFE ON RADIO SHOW: Sirius satellite channel features phone interview from Rikers Island.
*Remy Ma cracked jokes about life as an inmate in New York's Rikers Island prison during an interview with Eminem’s Shade 45 channel on Sirius satellite radio.
“It's nothing. I’m in here chillin’ – eating mad mackerel,” said the rapper, who was convicted in March on four counts of assault and weapon possession for shooting a former friend.
A New York judge delayed sentencing in late April so that Remy's lawyer, Ivan Fisher, would have time to build an argument against the maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. She's due back in court on May 13.
“I’m in the cell 23 hours a day – max security. It’s real crazy over here," she told DJ Kay Slay and his Streetsweeper Radio team. You got certain officers that are extra nice and you got the ones that are extra not nice. I be telling them it’s not my fault that my commissary is more than their salary.”
Remy Ma still says she is innocent of the charges against her. She
stated: “Just because 12 people say something, who weren’t there, does not mean nothing. I’m not even mad at people. I’m mad at money or what lack of it does to people. It's really sad. Ain’t nothing changed, because I’m on the Island…[I'm] still the Queen of NY.”
“Don’t be mistaken about a jury that was not my peers," she continues. "There was no tan [or] dark brown, black – nothing - on that jury. It’s a whole conspiracy against rappers right now so I already knew what it was."
BEYONCE SURPRISES CROWD AT HUBBY'S NY GIG: Singer's appears on stage during quick 'Crazy in Love' segment.
*Beyonce made a surprise appearance at her husband Jay-Z's Heart of the City tour stop Friday night at New York's Madison Square Garden.
In a regular part of the show, the rapper sits in a DJ booth and plays his classic hits to rhyme over, only to cut them all short with a "f**k that s**t." He dismissed his wife's song "Crazy in Love" in the same manner.
But this time, the song kept playing and Beyonce appeared on stage to the song's familiar booty-shake. Before leaving, she walked over to her husband, swirled and gave him a smile.
Once she was safely off stage, Jay-Z laughs and says, "That's some bulls**t right there!"
View the clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jeHHBtPoJiI
KANYE UPSET WITH MEDIA REPORTS OF HOUSTON SNAFU: 'They always try 2 make it seem like everything is about my ego!'
*Kanye West used his Web site to strike back at media reports that characterized his reaction to technical glitches at a Houston gig as him having yet another tantrum.
As previously reported, the rapper was performing Friday at the city's Woodlands Pavilion when side monitors failed to work. He reportedly cursed out the tech folks and left the stage after his repeated requests to shut off the screens were ignored. He returned eventually to finish the show.
West says he lost his cool only out of concern for audience members, who were not getting the full "Glow in the Dark" tour experience due to the broken monitors.
He writes on his Internet page: "We were having a lot of technical issues due 2 the heat. The 2 huge screens on both sides of the stage were glaring bright blue like when your DVD player acts up at home. I asked for them 2 turn the screens off 3 times because it was distracting 2 the show.
The fans were not getting what they paid for. I admit, in my frustration, I did use profanity on the 4th time I asked. I stopped the show 2 go over and check it out myself.
"Unfortunately for certain media outlets, you will never be able 2 'Michael Jackson' me. That means 2 make it seem like everything I do is so weird or out of place… they always try 2 make it seem like everything is about my ego! That joke is getting old.
"At a certain point you have 2 respect that I'm one of the last artists that still cares about the fans having the best time of there lives!"
JAM MASTER JAY DOC OPENS HBFF: 'Two Turntables and a Microphone' explores DJ's unsolved murder.
*The Hollywood Black Film Festival (HBFF) has announced that "Two Turntables and a Microphone," a music documentary about the life and untimely death of Jam Master Jay, will have its world premiere as the event's opening night movie.
Sponsored by One Village Entertainment, the premiere will take place on Tuesday, June 3, at 8 p.m. at the Writers Guild Theater in Beverly Hills with scheduled guests Russell Simmons, Reverend Run, Jay-Z, LL Cool J and 50 Cent.
"This is an amazing time for us," says Brett Dismuke, Vice President of Acquisitions and Urban Programming for Image Entertainment and head of its One Village Entertainment division, the film's distributor. "'Two Turntables and a Microphone' is an outstanding film that not only celebrates the life and career of one of hip-hop's pioneers but it also gives us a history lesson as to how this worldwide phenomenon came about."
Jam Master Jay, whose real name was Jason Mizell, was gunned down in his Queens studio in October 2002. Security tapes of the incident mysteriously disappear, the five witnesses are uncooperative and no one is talking...until now.
"Two Turntables and a Microphone" documents the investigation of the Run DMC DJ's unsolved murder while revealing the history of hip-hop and mainstream rap along the way.
Exclusive, candid interviews with Jay-Z, Russell Simmons, Run DMC, Method Man and more offer insight into Jam Master Jay's life - including information that could finally help police solve the murder.
Opening night tickets can be purchased here:
http://www.hbff.org/signuptoattend.htm.
NEVILLE BROS TAKE STAGE AT N.O. JAZZ FEST: Siblings together for first time since Katrina destroyed their homes.
*The Neville Brothers, who traditionally help close out the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, returned to the stage Sunday for the first time since their homes were wiped out by Hurricane Katrina.
The brothers — Aaron, Art, Cyril and Charles — performed on the festival's biggest stage in front of an immense crowd that appeared delighted to have them back, reports the Associated Press.
"This is a family reunion," festival producer Quint Davis said in introducing them. "This is the family of New Orleans coming together with the first family of our music."
The siblings opened with songs about Mardi Gras and The Wild Tchoupitoulas, a Mardi Gras group that danced onstage with them. Aaron Neville sang his hit "Tell It Like It Is," and later "Amazing Grace." The set wrapped with "Big Chief" to extended cheers.
For the first time since Katrina, the festival returned to a seven-day format stretched over two weekends. Santana, The Radiators, The Pfister Sisters and Snooks Eaglin were also on the bill. Irma Thomas, Marva Wright and Raychell Richard performed a tribute to Mahalia Jackson.
EUR DVD REVIEW: Charlie Wilson's War
DVD Revisits Exploits of Texas Congressman Who Single-Handedly Toppled the Soviet Union
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson (Tom Hanks), who served from 1973 to 1996, is apparently an unsung hero responsible
for toppling the Soviet Union virtually single-handedly.
For it was through his funding of a covert CIA operation in response to the Russian invasion of Afghanistan that the
mujahedeen managed to defend themselves successfully while simultaneously bankrupting the U.S.S.R.
What is ironic is that Wilson, the architect of the operation, was not only a liberal Democrat, but a loose cannon who
didn't let the fact that he was married get in he way of his flagrant boozing and womanizing.
Among his many mistresses was a wealthy socialite named Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), and their lustful liaison was
proof of the age-old maxim that politics makes strange bedfellows, literally and figuratively.
She was a conservative, Christian fundamentalist who pressured her boy-toy to get the CIA to intervene in the conflict
in the name of freedom of religion. What neither of them anticipated, however, was that in the process of sending the Soviets
to defeat they would be creating a new monster, a militarily-equipped radical Islam.
This is the arc of Charlie Wilson's War, a relatively lighthearted romp about a real-life James Bond. The movie was
adapted from the best-selling biography of the same name by legendary director Mike Nichols who had no reservations about
depicting his protagonist's depraved side, such as an occasion when we find Charlie cavorting naked in a hot tub with
coke-snorting strippers.
Unless somebody's taking liberties with the truth here, history will one day confirm that all it took to bring an end
to the Cold War was the valiant efforts of a party animal who knew his way around Washington well-enough to be unburdened by
red tape, bureaucrats or democracy. Charlie Wilson, a real American hero, belatedly revealed.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Rated R for profanity, nudity, sexuality and drug use.
Running time: 102 minutes
Studi Universal Studios Home Entertainment DVD Extras: "The Making of" and "Who Is Charlie Wilson?" featurettes.
EUR DVD REVIEW: First Sunday
DVD Features Cube and Katt in Demeaning Minstrel Show
DVD Review by Kam Williams
*When a movie resuscitates this many offensive African-American stereotypes, you half expect somebody to be passing out
watermelons and barbecuing ribs right in the lobby of the theater.
I had problems with virtually every aspect of First Sunday, starting with its basic premise.
The plot revolves around a couple of petty thieves, Durell (Ice Cube) and LeeJohn (Tracy Morgan), who hatch a plan to
rob a house of worship after overhearing that its congregation had had finally collected enough money to break ground on a
new church.
It's bad enough that these creepy heathens wouldn't hesitate to steal from the Lord, but what's worse are their reasons
for needing the money. Durell is $17,342 behind in child support to his ex, Omunique (Regina Hall).
Meanwhile, LeeJohn is on the run from Rastafarians because of a deal in contraband gone horribly wrong.
First Sunday is a crass minstrel show laced with demeaning dialogue. Most offensive among the characters is Rickey
(Katt Williams), the First Hope Community Church's flamboyant choir director.
This ignoramus blurts out inane non-sequiturs and malapropisms, such as confusing "affecting" with "infecting." While
being held hostage, he behaves cowardly ("This isn't even my church. I just saw this on MySpace."), he feints, and generally
behaves like a buffoon ("I'm gonna need therapy!").
The self-hating antics of co-stars Tracy Morgan and Ice Cube aren't any better as the bumbling burglars. Only if you
like to laugh at the sight of a black man in a dress, at lines about nappy hair ("Your hair looks like an S.O.S. pad!') and
at African-Americans pretending to be mildly retarded, are you apt to find this flick hilarious.
A cringe-inducing, cinematic tribute to the Golden Age of Minstrelsy!
Poor (0 stars)
Rated PG-13 for profanity, sexual humor and drug references.
Running time: 94 minutes
Studi Sony Pictures Home Entertainment DVD Extras: Deleted scenes with optional director's commentary, outtakes reel, gag
reel, director's wrap speech, director's commentary, and cast and crew featurette.
STEVEN IVORY: A Loving Toast to the Mighty Fraternity
*Not a day goes by that we don't consider our circumstance. However, it is during this time every year that we are
truly reminded of our distinction.
I'm not sure if Hallmark makes a card for us.
Therefore, it is with respect and honor that on Mother's Day I offer these words for the motherless.
Our mothers have, either suddenly or finally, experienced the full cycle of this precious, mysterious, blessed wonder
called life: They were born, birthed children and moved on, leaving us here to continue our lives. Some of us have an easier
time than others, but we do so nonetheless.
There is no loss like losing a parent. However, the grief that accompanies the departure of one's mother--that is, a
loving, devoted mother, mama, mom, mommy, mother dear, madea--eclipses all emotional pain.
After all, she is the vessel, the mothership, the very first human being you meet when you come to this planet. The
connection is instant and deep. So is the ache of the loss, in which the motherless find a singular camaraderie.
Only another soul without their mother can fully empathize with the utter yearn and specialized loneliness that becomes
easier to bear but never quite passes. There is the looming sense of being on your own that is never completely quelled by
anyone or thing.
Not much has to be said. The motherless share in silence the definitive definition of the ultimate Bad Day, when life
suddenly seems insurmountable. Endure the pain of losing your mother, and when they drop the nuclear bomb, you will simply
absorb it. I can recall once overhearing two lovers on a bench having a quiet but intense disagreement. Finally, I heard
her solemnly say: "Are you trying to hurt me? You cannot hurt me. I lost my mother, remember? My heart is bullet proof."
I was inducted into the Mighty Fraternity abruptly, dazed and disbelieving, at the age of fifteen. Just as I was
coming into my own as a young man, mama was gone.
With my father having remarried and scarce on the scene, suddenly there was no one to check with, to seek the approval
of or complain to. When a child loses their mother, the departure is all-encompassing. There is emotional confusion. And, a
sense of abandonment. It is the Loss of Losses. Who is going to love me?
Daddy, stepping up to the plate, put aside his marriage and came back to look after me and my two younger brothers
still at home.
And so, this dissertation is also offered in tender, loving gratitude to fathers who do the right thing, to
grandparents, aunts, uncles, brave older siblings and dear family friends; people whose lives have also been transformed by
the loss, and who valiantly step forward to comfort, nurture and guide--raise--motherless children. To try to replace just
one mother, it often takes a village.
But while the motherless lament during this time, Mother's Day is also when we should lift up the spirits of our mothers
in joyous, prideful commemoration.
I remember as a child that whenever one of my drawings made my elementary school's hallway bulletin board, mama would
come to the school and marvel as if standing before a Picasso.
I never learned violin, but it wasn't because mama didn't find a way to get me one. And she praised her third child's
disjointed scribble with a mother's uncanny intuition--moreover, as if she hadn't tirelessly exerted the same doting on my
older brother and sister, and again on two brothers behind me. I owned my mother's proudness in me like a boy wearing a cape
blowing in the wind.
I know my mother is still here. She lives in me. Even so, many years later, there are days when I miss her. Terribly.
But then, that is another distinction of The Mighty Fraternity: all of us, no matter our age or time away from her bosom,
will always be our mother's child.
Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is in stores now or at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com) Respond to
him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM or MYfeedback@eurweb.com
THE BRIDGE: Looking For Daddy
By Darryl James
*In America, far too many people have “Daddy” issues.
There are myriad reasons, even though some people have no idea what their own are.
Some of the nation’s men grow up without knowing how to be men themselves. They need strong models while in their formative years. Without those strong models, issues will arise whenever it is time to man up.
Even into adulthood, many of America’s men hold onto blaming the absentee father, or the father who didn’t do the things they “should” have done.
And, some of the nation’s women grow up without knowing how to interact with men. Humans tend to form their ideas and interactions with the opposite sex based on the first opposite sex relationship, which is the parent of the opposite sex.
Even into adulthood, many of America’s women hold onto blaming the absentee father, or the father who didn’t do the things they “should” have done.
For some adults, the absence of Daddy leaves them with open wounds that they may not know how to heal. Therapy or at least the forgiveness of Daddy would do wonders, but sadly, this nation has created an environment of blame, such that many people manufacture issues with Daddy, even if there is no real basis.
In such an environment of blame, many Americans avoid looking to any source that may have either removed Daddy, or contributed to Daddy’s failure to properly parent children.
But any of us with working brains realize that there are other elements, including the government and some single mothers who contribute to Daddy issues.
We know the all too familiar stories of single mothers who have “adult” conversations with their children about the absentee father, leading to otherwise avoidable resentment and larger Daddy issues.
But we all know that many people have real bases for having Daddy issues.
We know that far too many fathers are absent from the lives of their children.
We also know that many of the fathers who are present are inappropriate.
And, we know that the community father is largely missing in action.
We've all witnessed a young boy gone bad, shaking our heads, wondering where the child's father could be and whether the father's absence could be the cause of the child's difficulties. But we should give that same focus to the difficulties experienced by young Black girls as well.
Our community father is missing in action.
For many young Black boys in previous generations who were growing up without fathers, there were Black fathers in the neighborhoods who were unafraid to tell them what they needed to be doing and standing up to them when they were acting like damned fools. They, along with teachers and coaches, could discipline children without fear of reprisal from a permissive society gone mad.
Our community father was not only in the community and in the schools, but his presence was felt in many fatherless homes.
There were community fathers represented in the politicians, activists, religious icons and average working men who stood as shining examples for all to see and embrace.
If we say that our fathers are not in the homes, then where is our community father today?
Bill Cosby is not our community father. He was once America's favorite father and sent the "lower economic people" the message that he didn't like them very much. Like a deadbeat absentee father, he was not present when the child was growing and struggling, yet he stepped in after the fact to criticize the grown son, while still failing to offer any real assistance to balance the criticizing.
Jesse Jackson is not our community father. A bastard of the Civil Rights Movement, Jackson has no idea what he is supposed to be, and the end result is foolishness and obsolescence.
Neither athlete nor entertainer are community fathers. Magic Johnson has recently been putting in good effort, but he is no Mohammed Ali and Russell Simmons looks silly acting like a community activist after harming and/or ignoring the community for decades.
For some silly Negroes, the white man is the community father.
The mannerisms, speech and elitist thought patterns of racist whites govern these Negroes who may as well call George Bush, Jerry Falwell or the Pope "Daddy." Adopting the thinking of the most racist white man who pretends not to be racist, these deluded Negroes believe they are progressive simply because they are divergent from the masses of Blacks who either recall or still feel a heavy racist boot on their asses. Black sons and daughters of the white community father see no racism and believe that those who call racism out are "whining" and employing excuses for weakness, even though the children of the white community father often move ahead on the backs of generations of "whiners."
Because the Black community father is missing, many of us overcompensate, undercompensate, decompensate or simply fail to grow.
We can see the results of the missing community father when we see today's younger generation enamored with an over-glamorized pimp/thug lifestyle they have never lead.
We see the results when we see women who have had only poor relationships with men, sit in circles with each other to define what a "good" man should be.
And we see those results when we see grown men avoid being too manly, afraid to toe the line because too many people will chastise a man for being a man.
The absentee community father is so elusive that many of us--men and women--have no idea what a man is supposed to be. So we act foolish and accept foolishness, often aligning ourselves with men who are nearly women--not homosexuals, but virtual asexuals--effeminate and retiring, looking for direction and needing to be controlled. These are the men who date strong women and allow themselves to be dominated and controlled, leading to bizarre relationships that can neither be duplicated nor sustained.
White society is also suffering from an abundance of fatherless homes. The difference is that they can still look around and see their community father in the White House, in the boardroom and appearing to be orchestrating all things important in society.
The Black community father is hard to find and many of us pretend that he is even harder to find than he is.
These things having been said, there are still Black fathers in our midst. In addition, there are fathering men among us who are clear about what is best for the women and children in our lives, even if they are not our wives and offspring.
My brothers and my closest friends are community fathers, going out of their way to be good examples of the best of our previous generation no matter what the cost.
Denzel Washington, Chuck D and now, Will Smith are community fathers in entertainment, standing strong and true to beautiful images of Black male strength, no matter what the cost.
Cornell West, Naim Akbar and Michael Eric Dyson are community fathers of intellect, standing strong and true to the beauty of the Black psyche, no matter what the cost.
Barack Obama is one of our shining community fathers in politics.
The millions of Black men who raise children who are not biologically theirs are community fathers, extending the African village by miles.
Brothers, if we expect our manchildren to grow into productive, strong men, we have to show them what that looks like and how to grow into an example we can live out for them.
If we expect our female children of the community to grow unbound beyond the lack of influence from the community father, we have to provide that same example as fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins and community members.
It may not always feel good to be the example, but we have to exist. And it may not always feel good when community fathering is shown to us, but we have to accept it
Part of each man's contribution to community fatherhood is to praise manly behavior and deride bad behavior--even when it appears in our own lives.
Many of us are looking for Daddy.
Some of us search for all our lives.
Really, Daddy isn’t that hard to find.
Darryl James is an award-winning author who is now a filmmaker. He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and this year, will release his first full-length documentary. James appears in the film “What Black Men Think,” an in-depth view of misrepresentations, myths and stereotypes about Black men. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Running Scared Part 1 of 2
*Sticks and stones might break my bones, but words will never hurt me. That’s the mantra I recited in kindergarten when
classmates said mean things to hurt my feelings.
Life is tougher, and so are my feelings. But the words some people spew in the name of traditional American values
prove the tongue can be mightier than the sword, especially when those words are broadcast to millions of people.
Take the recent editorial by MSNBC political commentator Pat Buchanan entitled PJB: A Brief for Whitey. Generally
speaking, it’s vintage Buchanan. Just as dogs bark and babies cry, Buchanan’s angry white man rants are in the natural order
of this life. Just as acknowledging negative behavior in a child only increases it, most times it’s better to ignore it than
to give it oxygen. For Buchanan this not one of those times.
As I wrote in a previous column (see Feb. 19, 2008), some people don’t want to live in a United States where a woman or
Black man is president. This political season will reveal just how far they are willing to go and how much misinformation
they are willing to spread to turn the tide in their favor. Buchanan is one of those people.
The rift between Illinois Senator Barack Obama and his former pastor Jeremiah Wright has given oxygen to the latest
Buchanan rant. The former republican presidential candidate recently criticized Obama and Wright for calling on the white
community to acknowledge the American legacy and recent history of discrimination and to make amends.
Buchanan called the two men ungrateful, saying “America has been the best country on earth for black folks. It was here
that 600,000 black people brought from Africa in slave ships, grew into a community of 40 million, were introduced to
Christian salvation, and reached the greatest levels of freedom and prosperity blacks have ever known.
“Wright ought to go down on his knees and thank God he is an American.”
Aside from Buchanan’s acknowledgement of the existence of slave ships – although he speaks of them as if they were
luxury cruise liners - this statement is a lie.
Slaves weren’t just some Black people waiting at the shore for an eternal voyage. They were (and we are decedents of)
already prosperous African kings and queens who were stolen from their families and their country and shipped as livestock to
a foreign land.
Never mind that the new world, however under-developed it was, already belonged to Native Americans. That’s another
story in itself.
Those so-called Christians raped Africa of its people, its ivory, diamonds, copper, rubber, cocoa and other natural
resources.
To Buchanan and others who think like him: Grateful is not the first, second or third word that comes to mind when
Black folks think of the middle passage. More than 600,000 Africans completed the journey, but untold tens of thousands died
along the way.
If you choose to believe Buchanan’s harangue (read the entire text on his website) about the trillions of dollars spent
on government aid “to bring the African-American community into the mainstream,” one might conclude that American leaders
have reaped what they’ve sewn. All the so-called Christians should be familiar with that phrase. Or you could do your own
research and discover that government aid in the form of welfare, Medicaid, farm subsidies and pork barrel spending is
consumed by more white people than anyone else.
People who are of the same ideology as Buchanan will just as soon gauge out your eyes, blame you for not being able to
see and call you ungrateful when you complain about it.
When Buchanan speaks there are two messages: What he tells you and what he doesn’t tell you, the most important message
being what he didn’t tell you.
Next week I’ll reveal what people like Pat Buchanan don’t want you to know.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Send your questions and comments to
her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com.
Robertson Treatment (America’s Premiere Lifestyle Column) Issue 11, Edition 7: The Many Faces of Laurence Fishburne
*Laurence Fishburne has worn many faces throughout his nearly 35-year career. As an actor his work has been showcased
on the stage, TV and film, which has earned him a reputation among his fans and his peers as a superlative and gifted
performer. With a blend of intelligence with just a hint of avant garde sensibilities, Fishburne has built a diverse body of
roles that range from his debut performance in the film classic “Cornbread, Earl and Me,” to big screen blockbusters like
“The Matrix” trilogy. Returning to the stage this spring in the title role of the Broadway production “Thurgood,” based on
the late Supreme Court Justice and Civil Rights icon, the actor is preparing to tackle one of his most challenging parts to
date. Ebony/jet.com recently spoke with the actor as he prepared for the role.
What inspired you to take on this role?
Well, everything! Growing up what I knew of Thurgood Marshall was of his role on the Supreme Court. He was someone who I
always admired, but I really didn’t know a great deal about him. With this play I portray Marshall talking about his boyhood
experiences on to his appointment to the high court, so I got a chance to learn a lot more about the man than I ever knew
before. For instance, I didn’t know about the role he played in Brown vs. the Board of Education. He started his journey with
a goal of becoming a lawyer and ended up becoming one of the most influential men in American history. The life he led was
very interesting, and I think people will find fascinating.
How have you prepared for this role?
I spent a great deal of time reading everything that I could to find about this man’s life – his upbringing and his adult
life, so that I could understand his motivations for doing things in a certain way. He had deep beliefs and never strayed far
from the core principals he learned as a child in Maryland. I also met and spoke at length with people who knew and worked
with him to really frame how I should present him on stage. One of my mentors was his teacher at Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania, which really reinforced my confidence to play the part convincingly. Overall, I think I came away with a real
connection with Marshall and his sense of purpose.
As an actor how have you managed to build such a diverse body of work?
Well it’s all in the choices you make. What motivates me as an actor is taking on roles that are relevant to my life,
something that challenges me, and says something about the human spirit. I’ve been very deliberate in taking roles that
appeal to me and I have been lucky of course to have good people to help me make decisions that have enhanced my career. I
have also been fortunate to also work with people who are serious about the work that they do.
What do you want to leave people with as they leave the theatre?
My goal is to evoke a sense of Marshall as a man in his professional and private life. I want audiences to leave the theater
feeling invigorated by his life and inspired to follow in his footsteps by living their lives connected to their beliefs. I
want audiences to know that the reason Marshall took on many of the challenges he did with his life is because of his deep
belief in the ideas and principals that America was founded on. Most importantly I hope people recognize the power that they
have to make a difference and become a role model for others much like the Marshall himself.
Thurgood at the Booth Theatre 222 West 45th Street (Between Broadway and 8th Avenue) New York, NY 10036. Previews start April
13th and the limited engagement begins on April 30th.
AUTOMOTIVE SPIN
2008 Taurus X
I felt an immediate connection with the 2008 Taurus X from the moment it entered my driveway. Outfitted with impressive
upgrades, the full-size car delivers a sturdy confidence that will appeal to variety of driving personalities.
Wow Factor: Exterior-wise the Taurus X is not a bling car, but it is thoroughly modern and succeeds in offering comfort and
reliability. However, its most impressive feature is it’s roomy interior that allows drivers to move loads easily or pack the
whole family for a ride.
Ride: Featuring a solid Ford D 3 platform that supports a 3.5-liter V-6 engine and six-speed transmission power train, the
Taurus X handles confidently on a variety of road types. The car’s AWD system delivers added-value that enables solid driving
maneuverability on sharp curves and busy city traffic.
Comfort: The spacious interior of the Taurus is great news for drivers, but this car is also equipped with a superior
suspension system. For added-value, the car is accented with a handsome interior package that includes easy to access
controls and greater rear seat legroom, that will certainly leave your passengers happy.
Spin Control: With a base price starting just at $30,000, the 2008 Taurus X is a good buy. It’s an attractive and practical
car that’s more than capable of handling the various demands of today’s drivers.
Grade: B
Visit www.robertsontreatment.com
All rights reserved, Copyright 2008 Robertson Treatment LLC
TURNER’S TWO CENTS: Hillary doesn't deserve nomination
by Cameron Turner
*Today (Tuesday, May 6) is the big day. The primaries in Indiana and North Carolina will be crucial in determining the
Democratic nominee for President. For Sen. Hillary Clinton, this could be the day that determines whether or not she remains
in the race. Personally, I hope that May 6 will be her last at-bat. Sen. Clinton has run an increasingly dishonorable
campaign which, along with some of her policy ideas, make her the wrong choice for President.
Barack Obama has always worked to bring people together across racial, ethnic, socio-economic and cultural lines. He
continually reaches out to all groups of Americans with a vision of hope that includes everyone. The distortions,
distractions and unfair characterizations of “bitter-gate” and the Rev. Wright affair could not shake the truth that Barack
Obama is a genuine man of the people. His inability to fully connect with white, working class voters has less to do with
him (for he has been sincere and consistent in reaching out) than it does with the reluctance of many within that demographic
to accept a black candidate.
This sad fact is borne out by polls including the “Newsweek” survey showing that 19% of white voters believe America is
not ready to elect an African-American President. According to that same poll, 41% of whites have reservations about voting
for a black candidate. Despite this racism, Barack Obama has run an extraordinarily successful campaign that has inspired
and united unpredictably huge segments of the American family.
Hillary, on the other hand, has sowed the seeds of division. She falsely labeled Obama an “elitist” who was “out of
touch” and “patronizing.” In doing so, Clinton indirectly played on the racist fears of white, working class folks whose
attitudes are reflected in the “Newsweek” study and in exit polls after the Pennsylvania primary. By playing this negative
race card Sen. Clinton did not only insult Barack Obama, she insulted and alienated many black voters who will be vital to
the Democrats in November’s general election
Obama’s commitment to unity and calm, rational problem solving extends to his ideas on foreign policy. Here is another
critical area in which Obama will make a better President than Clinton. Sen. Clinton says she won’t negotiate with Iran
unless that nation dismantles its questionable nuclear program. That’s tantamount to saying she won’t negotiate at all since
Tehran will never agree to such a pre-condition. Sen. Clinton also said she would “totally obliterate” Iran if it attacked
Israel. That’s the kind of bellicose rhetoric we expect from Bush, Cheney et al. But such wild threats have no place in a
Democratic candidate’s mouth because they unnecessarily antagonize our enemies, thereby making the possibility of peace even
more remote.
Barack Obama is the only candidate who can move us toward peace to the Middle East. He knows that strong-but-rational
negotiations with Iran (free of unrealistic conditions and Bush-style saber rattling) are necessary to reducing tension and
solving problems in a way that will prevent a new war. This is what Presidents Nixon and Reagan did through their summit
meetings with China and the Soviet Union.
Finally, there is the issue of judgment. Sen. Clinton voted in favor of the Senate resolution that gave President Bush
the power to decide when and if our nation went to war with Iraq. Make no mistake, this resolution was a cowardly act on the
part of our representatives in Washington. The Senate sold us out by abdicating its Constitutional duty to act as a check on
the power and ambitions of the White House. Sen. Clinton demonstrated weakness, an absence of fortitude and – yes – terrible
judgment by supporting the war powers resolution. This lapse in judgment was far worse than anything Sen. Obama has been
lamely accused of regarding the politically irrelevant Rev. Wright.
Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents. Post yours on the message board or hit me up at
THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!
BETWEEN THE LINES: The Re-Education of Jay Leno Sub head >> A Mother's Day Reminder To Respect Black Women (and all Women)
Anthony Asadullah Samad
*The Jenesse Center is the oldest and most respected domestic violence organization for black women in the city of Los
Angeles.
It's battered women shelters and family protection programming are services of great renown and offer women and
children the opportunity to get new starts in their unstable lives.
Not many groups do "God's work" in the way they do, so it's important to hold them up in high esteem and defend them
against any assaults of esteem of their clients and supporters.
Why? Because domestic violence often begins with verbal assaults on a woman's self-esteem, but evolve into continual
psychological and physical attacks on their persons that do lifelong damage.
So when the Jenesse Center holds its annual fundraiser, it's "Silver Rose" luncheon, the community turns out in masse.
Oscar winning Actress, Halle Berry, has adopted the agency and become its spokesperson, as an extraordinary example of a
woman being able to shine in the aftermath of domestic violence, overcoming her own history of abusive relationships.
The Silver Rose luncheon takes on an air of celebrity as women (and men) of all walks of life come together to
recognize those in the community who do good works and to raise money to sustain the program.
This year, Halle leveraged her Hollywood contacts to the hilt and brought in late night TV host and comedian, Jay Leno,
to conduct a live auction. Leno is respected for his charity work and the community appreciated him being there. And, as with
all comedians, you never know what you're gonna get in terms of what they think is humorous or funny. Comedian/borderline
"crazy" funny-woman, Wanda Sykes was Mistress of Ceremonies, so you kind of expected the unexpected given Sykes' brand of
humor. However, she was quite tame (relatively speaking)-maybe in deference to the occasion, or the cause.
It was Leno who stole the moment-and not for the best thing he could have been known for. Leno was in rare form making
fun of Michael Jackson, and other things black people tend to laugh at. But when the live auction began in the passion of
trying to get more money from a wealthy, well connected female bidder, Leno asked a male bidder, "You're not going to let
that bitch out bid you, are you?" It was a moment that both he and the audience knew was totally inappropriate. If you've
never seen 500 women's face freeze at one moment, it really not a good thing. It's kinda of a glazed "deer in headlights
look" where you can see them thinking.and asking themselves "did he just say what I thought he said" or "did he just call
that woman a .?" That look is usually following with some act of aggression, as the "B" word, even more then the "N" word,
tends to evoke a mad and violent reaction out of most black woman. Jay recognized his mistake immediately (turning beet red
in the process) and tried to play it off (a joke about how he watched "Cheaters" so he knows how black woman "kick ass") but
he was luckier that 500 bidding paddles wasn't thrown at his a** as that's the type of knee-jerk reaction that word provokes.
There is never an "appropriate" time to call a woman a bitch, not even in jest, but to use the word at a domestic violence
fundraiser, where the audience is highly sensitized of acts of verbal and psychological abuse, was even more outrageous.
Women who have been abused know the word as cue that the assault is about to begin, first on their self-esteem, just
before the fisticuffs start flying and their physical person is assaulted. It was tough to sit there and digest this. The
only reason I'm not going bombastic on Jay Leno, is because he was there doing some good and he wasn't trying to be (I don't
believe) vicious in the way Michael Richards was or benignly ignorant in the way Don Imus claimed to be. Jay Leno hangs out
with black people on a regular basis so he understands racial (and religious) sensibilities. In the context of comedy, we
understand that comedy, like tragedy, has no limits. But as he found out a couple weeks ago, all Blacks aren't like Kevin
Eubanks-we don't laugh at everything. So, here is where we begin the re-education of Jay Leno about black people, in general,
and black women in particular. With Mother's Day on the way, we all have a need to reinforce the love that was have for our
mothers, sisters and daughters. What better time to discuss our respect for women, in the context of law number one-never
disrespect-on Mother's Day.
Not even jokingly.
Calling any woman, particularly an abused woman (of any race) a bitch is as cruel as eating in front of a starving
person, hitting a person in handcuffs, giving shoes to a person with no feet or sending a calendar to an innocent man
sentenced to life. You have to be real unconscious to let your mind slip like that. Or real ignorant. It's hard to paint Jay
Leno as ignorant because of the point made earlier, so that leaves him as being unconsciously careless. I'm sure he wouldn't
be as careless if it was his mother, daughter or sister. Let's focus on mothers, beginning with Jay's mother, for a moment.
If another comedian was on stage, and Jay's mother was that woman bidder (knowing how rich and his mother probably are), how
would Jay have felt if that comedian had called his mother, a bitch? Well, let's just say that if he had called my mother a
bitch, there would have been some f*ckin' fighting up in there. In fact, based on some of the women that I knew were in the
audience-had he picked the wrong one, there would have been some f*ckin fighting up in there. So, he was really kinda lucky
that time and space worked in his favor on this particular occasion. Jay Leno must always be conscious of whom he's talking
to, and cautious as to what he talks about if he's going to help disenfranchised people. Jay Leno must re-educate himself if
he's going to play the role of Good Samaritan. He must do it in total sincerity. Then his good works are perceived as real.
His careless mistake (and some women don't think it was a mistake because it came out of his mouth too easy-you know, women
know abusers when they see 'em) at the Jenesse fundraiser gives the impression he was t
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