How does the fear of black men in America affect society.

NPR's Michel Martin examines how the fear of black men plays out in America. She talks with two African-American men about how that fear affects their lives. Listen to that interview below.

Black Churches Cut Ties With Presbyterian USA After Same-Sex Marriage Approval

The National Black Church Initiative (NBCI), a faith-based coalition of 34,000 churches comprised of 15 denominations and 15.7 million African-Americans, has broken its fellowship with Presbyterian Church USA (PCUSA) following its recent vote to approve same-sex marriage.

Read more: 34,000 Black Churches Break Ties With Presbyterian Church USA

National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) Hosts 41st Annual Convention in Anaheim

The 2015 NSBE Technical Professionals Conference (TPC) was recently hosted in Southern California on March 25–29, 2015, at the Anaheim Marriott and Convention Center as part of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) 41st Annual Convention. The annual convention convened over 7,000 participants and this year's convention theme is “Innovation & Excellence: Reimagining Your Future”.

The Technical Professionals Conference packed more than 12 events into the conference including executive roundtables, career panels, industry workshops, networking sessions and premier special events. Conference highlights included the TPC Executive Roundtable series featuring a dynamic lineup of 18 executive leaders covering a variety of global topics and the “Comcast NBCUniversal Experience” a special event powered by Comcast NBCUniversal featuring a showcase of media, technology and creative content. NSBE also partnered with global security company, Northrop Grumman, who hosted two signature luncheons and an executive breakfast featuring fireside chats with several top-level executives from the corporation. Lastly, the conference closed out with an evening extravaganza entitled “Empire Saturday” presented by Fox Networks with custom footage and branded items from the hit television show along with a few special surprises.

“The conference is a chance for NSBE members and industry professionals to network, explore opportunities, gain professional development, support future STEM leaders and learn best practices from successful executives,” Amilcar Aaron, TPC Conference Chair said.

The NSBE Professionals have engaged a strong roster of participating conference partners including Accenture, Campbell Soup Company, Cargill, Caterpillar, Cummins, Dell, Eaton, Electronic Arts, FBI, Georgia-Pacific, IBM, Kelley School of Business, L-3 Communications, Lenovo, Lockheed Martin, Qualcomm, RWJF New Connections, San Diego Gas & Electric, Southern California Gas Co., Starbucks, United Technologies Corporation and US Marines.

“This conference would simply not be possible without the support of these local, national and global companies,” Aaron said. “We truly value our partner relationships and really appreciate their commitment to recruiting diverse talent, sharing their expertise and supporting the NSBE mission.”

About NSBE: The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is owned and managed by its members. With more than 30,000 members around the world, NSBE is one of the largest student-governed organizations based in the United States. NSBE’s mission is "to increase the number of culturally responsible Black engineers who excel academically, succeed professionally and positively impact the community." The organization is dedicated to the academic and professional success of African-American engineering students and professionals. NSBE is governed by an executive board of college students and engineering professionals and is operated by a professional staff at its World Headquarters, located in Alexandria, Va.

Black Women March to Senate Leader’s Office in Protest Over Loretta Lynch

[ SOURCE] About 20 prominent black women arrived at the ornate office suites of McConnell Thursday morning, asking to meet with him—even if for only a few minutes in the hallway—over the delay in confirming Attorney General-designate Loretta Lynch. They were told McConnell was too busy. The women did meet with McConnell's chief of staff for about 20 minutes.

The group that arrived at his door included Williams-Skinner; attorney Barbara Arnwine, president of the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights; Melanie Campbell, president of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation; Sheila Tyson, a city councilwoman from Birmingham, Ala.; and Marcia Dyson, CEO of the Women's Global Initiative.

They asserted that the treatment of Lynch was a double standard rarely if ever applied to any other nominee for attorney general. Lynch, a career prosecutor who earned a degree from Harvard Law in 1984, has already been confirmed by the Senate twice before. If confirmed currently, Lynch would be the first African-American female attorney general of the 82 individuals who have been confirmed over 225 years.

Lynch has now waited longer for confirmation than any other attorney general nominee in 31 years, and longer than the last five nominees combined. The average wait time for an attorney general nominee is 18 days. Lynch, who has nominated by President Barack Obama Nov. 8, has now waited 138 days.

Jesse Jackson Jr. released from prison, hopes for a second chance.

Former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr. was released from a federal prison camp in Alabama early Thursday, 3/26/2015. He says he hopes for a second chance although he can't hold public office again.

The Walking Dead executive producer disscuses deaths of black characters

In a written interview at Variety.com Gale Anne Hurd, the executive producer of The Walking Dead discussed the deaths of black characters. She had a very interesting answer. I don't know if it will make some fans happy but it seems like an honest answer.

Here's the interview excerpt:

VARIETY: There’s been some controversy this season over the deaths of three significant black male characters (Lawrence Gilliard Jr. as Bob, Chad L. Coleman as Tyreese and Tyler James Williams as Noah). Was there any debate about that in the writers room or after the reaction on social media?

GALE ANN HURD: We have to go with the story. It’s really important to cast the best actors. Two of those characters were white in the comics. They could’ve been any ethnicity. Our casting calls are completely open and we always go with the best actor. Would African American actors want to be told, “We’re not casting you, because in the storyline we’re going to kill you off?” That’s how we have to look at it. We want the best actor and then we have to stick to the storyline that was crafted months before we even cast the roles.

So, do you like that answer?

Morris Brown College emerging from bankruptcy

The beleaguered Morris Brown College is in the process of emerging from three years of bankruptcy and $30 million of debt, according to Anne Aaronson, the Philadelphia-based lawyer with Dilworth Paxson LLP, who has represented the historically black Atlanta college in bankruptcy court.

"The court confirmed the college's plan of reorganization on Wednesday," Aaronson told Creative Loafing via email today. "We anticipate an order being entered shortly. Afterwards we will begin making distributions and file a notice of effective date, signaling the school's emergence from the chapter 11 process."

Once completed, this will bring an end an arduous process that involved proposed and rejected land deals before one was finally struck last year. Morris Brown sold 26 acres of property and buildings for approximately $14.7 million to the city's economic development arm, Invest Atlanta, and Friendship Baptist Church, one of two historic black churches sold to the city and demolished for the construction of the future Atlanta Falcons stadium.

Read more: Morris Brown College emerging from bankruptcy

Black Swimmers Make History At NCAA Championship

African-American swimmers took the top three finishes in a single event at the Women's Division 1 NCAA Championship this weekend, a feat recognized by the national governing body of swimming in the United States with a celebratory tweet.

History @NCAA Swim Championships 100 free as @simone_manuel @LiaNeal @nathindss became first African-Americans to earn 1-2-3 #sportforall

— USA Swimming (@USASwimming) March 22, 2015

Freshman phenom Simone Manuel of Stanford set an NCAA, American, U.S. Open, Championship and Pool record when she clocked a time of 46.09 in the women's 100 yard freestyle.

Manuel's Stanford teammate Lia Neal came in second place with a time of 47.13. (Fans may recall that Neal won a bronze medal in the 4x100 free relay at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.)

The University of Florida's Natalie Hinds swam a time of 47.24. Hinds reset her own-school record in the event during competition.

6 points Stephen A. Smith should keep in mind when discussing blacks voting republican.

Stephen A. Smith made news for his receding hairline, naw just joking. Mr. Smith made news for his suggestion that in one election African American should vote republican. He believes and probably correctly so that the democrats take the black vote for granted, and they should be made to earn the black vote. No argument with him there. But from I heard Mr. Smith said he was asking African Americans to vote for people that they don't know.

Mr. Smith also stated that, “A vast majority of black Americans look at the Republican Party as the enemy.” He says that democrats have successfully painted republicans as such. That may be true, but I have a few points that Mr. Smith might want to keep in mind.

* If black voters did vote republican the republicans would repay them by enacting policies on education, housing, and healthcare that would be detrimental to many African Americans.

* As an elected official at the local level, I know there is one thing you MUST do if you want someone's vote. ASK FOR IT. Republicans don't come to black communities to ask, so why would anyone vote for them.

* For some reason, republicans still regard outreach to African Americans as "catering to a specific group", although when it comes to Hispanics they think differently.

* Democrats may have painted republicans as the "enemy", but that's the republicans fault for letting someone else paint their narrative and CHOOSING not to be there to refute that narrative.

* Optics. The republicans constantly do things that infuriate African Americans such as with the Loretta Lynch situation, always choosing the police side in the shootings of young black men, voter suppresion, finding new and inventive ways to attack the President of the United States, etc.

* It's not the job of black voters to for even just one election to reach out to the Republican Party, it should be the other way around.

I understand the intended point behind Mr. Smith's suggestion and thinks he has good intentions but I just don't think it's necessary to vote republican to get democrats to step up their game. Maybe African Americans just need to flirt with republicans (yes, I know that means we have to find one in our neighborhoods first but work with me here) I also don't think that Mr. Smith looked at the ramifications of such a vote. Of course that's just my humble opinion.

George L. Cook III, AfricanAmericanReports.com Email Mr. Cook

Read the 2015 State of Black America Report.

CLICK HERE TOREAD THE 2022 STATE OF BLACK AMERICA REPORT

March 19, 2015 (New York, NY) Today, the National Urban League releases its 39th edition of the State of Black America® – “Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs + Justice,” which underscores the urgency of each of these areas in America’s quest for full equality. The world watched throughout 2014 as justice was challenged on every front – from the accountability of law enforcement for misconduct and the continual assault on voting rights, to widening economic gaps and partisan education debates more rooted in political agendas than in putting our children first. Simply put, the state of Black America is in crisis, and the State of Black America® report findings provide a sobering, but necessary, look at critical issues that need to be addressed – now.

As the National Urban League continues to press the case for closing growing divides in economic and education opportunity, this year’s State of Black America® presents the 2015 Equality Index™, one of the most critical and respected quantitative tools for tracking racial equality in America – now in its 11th edition for the Black-White Index and its sixth year for the Hispanic-White Index. For the first time, the Equality Index™ includes a special feature on state-level K-12 education, documenting the extent of Black-White and Hispanic-White achievement gaps in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The State Education Equality Index™ also includes supporting data on factors that contribute to narrowing or widening these gaps, including teacher quality, pre-school and course enrollment, and student status and risk factors such as poverty. For the second year, the Equality Index™ also features rankings of U.S. cities from most-to-least equal via the Black-White Index (70 cities) and Hispanic-White Index (72 cities) – again providing a revealing look at local dynamics beneath national trends.

“The 2015 State of Black America® – ‘Save Our Cities: Education, Jobs + Justice’ – and its corresponding Equality Index™ findings are a clarion call that a more comprehensive, inclusive and on-the-ground recovery is necessary to ensure a healthy future for our nation and that we cannot expect to successfully move forward when we are leaving so many behind,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “Few times in a nation’s history is its collective conscience shocked and awakened across racial, economic, generational and even ideological lines as ours has been over the past year. We are in that moment, and as long as justice is challenged on any front, we will keep pushing on every front.”

Through thought-provoking articles from Morial and a stellar line-up of contributors, the 2015 State of Black America® offers insightful solutions across critical areas including job creation, transportation, education, city revitalization, criminal justice, entrepreneurship and media images. Contributing authors include: Washington, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser; Film/Television Producer Debra Martin Chase; Attorney Benjamin Crump; U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx; Gary, IN Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson; NEA President Lily Eskelsen García; Radio One, Inc. President and CEO/TV One Chairman and CEO Alfred Liggins; Sacramento, CA Mayor/U.S. Conference of Mayors President Mayor Kevin Johnson; W.K. Kellogg Foundation President and CEO La June Montgomery Tabron; and “The Three Doctors” (Dr. Sampson Davis, Dr. Rameck Hunt and Dr. George Jenkins).

For the first time in its history, the State of Black America® is being presented in an all-digital edition that will offer a multimedia and social experience providing more interaction with readers, enhanced searchability, and year-round updates. The full suite of 2015 State of Black America® offerings includes an e-book, featuring full data sets and analysis for each Equality Index™, full ranking lists, and complete articles; a seven-part Web Series, sponsored by AT&T, that gathers some of the nation’s leading influencers for discussions around the State of Black America® theme, topics and report content; and a new website – www.stateofblackamerica.org – which will serve as the digital hub for visitors to access select data and report findings, the Web Series, press materials, infographics and charts, e-book purchase information, and year-round updates featuring new contributors.

READ THE 2015 STATE OF BLACK AMERICA REPORT-PDF.

Georgia State coach takes funny shot at President Obama after winning NCAA Tournament game

Yesterday Cinderella had her moment when underdog and 14th seeded Georgia State (I'm assuming it's in the state of Georgia, the US one not the Russian one) beat 3rd seeded Baylor 57-56. During the locker room celebration Georgia State coach, Ron Hunter got at President Obama for doing what everyone except maybe Georgia State players and coaches did. That would be picking Baylor to win the game. Check out his funny comments below:

Shouldn't police officers live in the communities they police?

Let me preface this by stating that this not an anti-cop piece and that I believe that by and large most cops are decent people. That being said an article in a local. paper stoked my interest today. The article was about the city of Newark NJ wanting rookie cops to live in the city during the first five years of their employment. The city believes that this would lead to better policing as the cops would better know the community and vice versa. I don't see how it could hurt as far as community relations go.

Newark's police director Eugene Venable made the following statement.

"If they live in the city, they now belong to that neighborhood and are part of the city. They are not just coming in from other towns," he said. "There's an allegiance to the community they serve which involves more than just collecting a paycheck."

The police union is of course against this proposed change. Many simply don't want to live in Newark. Now if I were cynical I would worry about a police force that doesn't want to live in a town/city they police if they are, as they claim doing a good job cleaning up crime. I expected the usual argument about how such a policy would effect recruitment but one argument against such a policy surprised me.

In the article Fraternal Order Police president James Stewart made the following statement as a reason why such a policy should not be established.

"You talk about the community. Right now the community hates us. Everything you see on social media. Everything you see in the media. The community hates the police," Stewart told the state Assembly Judiciary Committee. "And you want to put us right in the middle of that with our families? I think it's outrageous."

Now there may be good reasons to be against a residency requirement but I don't think that is one. I wish someone could have questioned Stewart as to why the community hates them so much and what the police are doing about that, but it was not the time or place for that. I was just wondering what cops are doing to people that they would be scared to live around those same people?

Now I think cops should live in the communities they police so they have more skin in the game. What do you think?

Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

As its freshman season ends Wednesday night, Fox's hip-hop family drama Empire has emerged as that rarest of birds in the broadcast TV industry: a show where the viewership is always going up.

When the series debuted Jan. 7, it drew a respectable 9.8 million viewers, according to the Nielsen company. But then the show about a family-run music empire achieved something few others have ever managed: It increased its audience every week, growing to 14.9 million viewers on March 4.

Anchored by powerful performances from Oscar nominees Taraji P. Henson and Terrence Howard, Empire features unapologetically black characters operating in a mostly black world. So it shouldn't be surprising that, among the show's average 11.6 million viewers per week, Nielsen says 7.5 million of them are African-American.

But that's where the other controversy about Empire emerges. Because some critics say the show has earned its success by trafficking in "badly written dialogue and ham-fisted stereotypes."

Pundit Boyce Watkins denounced the "ghetto-fied hood drama" as "coonery" he refused to support. One commentary on GlobalSocial Media News Service asked, "Do we need to go back to the times when 'pimps, whores, drug dealers and gangsters' were glorified?"

Still, much as I like to call out stereotyping in media, I think these critics are off base. Empire is much more than a collection of horrifying black stereotypes, and it moves further away from such narrow characterizations with every episode.

To understand why this is so, you have to look at how stereotypes are typically deployed in today's TV shows and how Empire plays with them — along with other nonwhite-centered series such as ABC's Fresh Off the Boat and Black-ish.

The biggest backlash centers on Henson's character, Cookie Lyon, an in-your-face matriarch who spent 17 years in prison. She took the rap for a drug deal gone bad so that her husband, Howard's drug dealer-turned-hip-hop mogul named Lucious Lyon, could build his career and their company, Empire Entertainment.

For some, Cookie is the embodiment of all the stereotypes black women face on TV. Dressed flamboyantly with floor-length furs, color-coded nails and eyelashes big as manhole covers, she's quick to anger and ready to throw down at a moment's notice — beating her youngest adult son with a broom when he disrespects her, while lovingly using the three-letter F-word to refer to her gay son.

Read more here: Does Fox's 'Empire' Break Or Bolster Black Stereotypes?

Hampton beats Manhattan to win opening round NCAA Tournament game.

16th seeded MEAC champion Hampton and 16th seeded MAAC champions Manhattan played in the first game of the NCAA Tournament (the play-in game or a First Four game if you prefer) with Hampton coming out on top 74-64.

The Hampton Pirates were led by senior Quinton Chievous who scored 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds. Junior Reginald Johnson chipped in with 15 points.

With the win Hampton moves to 17-17 and gets to play the #1 overall seeded Kentucky Wildcats March 19 in the next round. This is Hampton's second ever win in the NCAA Tournament. They had better enjoy it because they want be getting that third win against Kentucky.

Some black leaders say Lynch's race playing role in nomination delay

Loretta Lynch's nearly stalled attorney general nomination is becoming rallying cry for liberals who say Republicans are purposefully delaying a vote.

Some black leaders suggested Tuesday Lynch's race could be playing a role in the delay of her confirmation.

President Barack Obama nominated Lynch, who would be the first African-American woman to lead the Justice Department, in November.

"Never ever did we expect that it would take four months in order to get this done. So then one must wonder, what are the reasons? I think race certainly can be considered as a major factor in the reason for this delay, but it's also the irrationality of the new Republicans," said Rep. G.K. Butterfield, D-North Carolina, head of the Congressional Black Caucus, on a conference call Tuesday. Butterfield said the GOP has been influenced by its "extreme Tea Party right wing."

Read more: Some black leaders say Lynch's race playing role in delay

Parents’ racism keeps little girl from birthday party

Racism wont die because of parents like this. A young white girl wrote her friend a letter explaining her parents wouldn't let her go to her friends birthday party because she’s black. Because of this a little child was put in the position of actually having to write in that same letter that she is not racist. The sad part is that her parents are probably always crying about African Americans playing the race card and also denying that racism even exist. SMH.

50 years later, Selma has yet to overcome

50 years ago a march in Selma, Ala. changed the course of history.

But since then the people of Selma have been forgotten.

60 percent of the children in Selma live under the poverty line. That figure is 20 percent in La Crosse.

The unemployment rate is double the national average at 13.8 percent, more than double La Crosse's unemployment rate.

The public high school is 99 percent African American while the private K-12 school, Morgan Academy is almost entirely white.

Just under 20,000 live in Selma, yet the murder rate is 5 times the national average.

Read more: 50 years later, Selma has yet to overcome

Suspect Arrested in Connection with Ferguson Cop Shooting

[SOURCE] Police have arrested a suspect in connection with the shooting of two officers in Ferguson last week, St. Louis County Police announced Sunday afternoon. The suspect’s name is Jeffrey Williams, 20. Williams has admitted to firing the shots that struck the police officers, though authorities said it was unclear whether he was aiming for the officers. Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said that Williams had fired from a car, possibly as part of a dispute with other people, though he said that there was as of yet no confirmation of the existence of the separate dispute. Williams’ weapon was recovered and matched the shell casings found at the scene.

Sen. McConnell holding vote on Loretta Lynch confirmation hostage.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said on CNN's State of the Union that he would put off any consideration of Attorney General nominee Loretta Lynch to force a vote on a human trafficking bill that Democrats will likely reject over an abortion provision. In essence he is holding voting on her confirmation hostage until Democrats meet his demands. Watch his comments below:

Philadelphia police renaming valor medal for slain officer, Robert Wilson III

In his final, courageous moments, Officer Robert Wilson III took on two armed robbers and gave his life to save those around him — an act so noble that Philadelphia's police department will rename its valor medal in his honor, police Commissioner Charles Ramsey said Saturday.

Ramsey recounted Wilson's heroism during the slain officer's funeral, telling thousands of mourners it was the greatest act of bravery he has seen in his 46-year law enforcement career.

"Robert redefined what valor means, in my mind," Ramsey said.

Read more: Philadelphia police renaming valor medal for slain officer