Teen who filmed McKinney pool party takedown video speaks out

The teen boy who recorded the now-infamous McKinney pool party take down by Cpl. Eric Casebolt video spoke to a local television station Monday. Watch that interview below.

CHARLES BARKLEY ANNOUNCES A $1 MILLION PLEDGE TO MOREHOUSE COLLEGE

[SOURCE] Basketball legend, Charles Barkley recently announced his intention to make a $1,000,000 gift to Morehouse College. In that same announcement he pledged similar support to Auburn University (his Alma Mater) and the Wounded Warrior project.

The gift to Morehouse will benefit the College’s burgeoning Journalism and Sports Program (JSP) that was initiated in 2007. Since its inception, this program has sent 31 of its students into the media workforce, while an additional 15 have earned master’s degrees in journalism or related fields, including six at Columbia University.

Currently, nearly 65% of professional football players and 80% of professional basketball players are black; yet only 6% of newspaper sports journalists are African American. In response to this phenomenon, JSP was conceived by veteran filmmaker and Morehouse alumnus Spike Lee and his friend, the late Ralph Wiley, one of the nation’s first African American sports columnists.

JSP’s Director, Ron Thomas, joyfully reacted to this surprise announcement. “We aim to produce the media’s next generation of image makers, from columnists to digital specialists, covering a wide variety of news and marketing positions,” said Thomas. “Charles Barkley has always been very generous to students in our Journalism and Sports Program on a personal level. I am thrilled that Charles has greatly extended his generosity by donating $1 million to address our growing needs.”

Morehouse President, John S. Wilson, Jr. offered a similar response. “We are profoundly grateful for this contribution, said Wilson. “ Beyond its immediate impact, we hope that it will catalyze additional strategic investments in this impressive program.”

Barkley made the announcement during a conference call for the American Century Championship’s celebrity golf tournament in Lake Tahoe earlier this week. Full details of the gift are being still being worked out between Morehouse and Barkley.

How #unconventionalblackbeauty celebrates people like me

Before laying my head to rest last night, Black Twitter blessed me with something magical. Scrolling through my timeline, I noticed the hashtag #unconventionalblackbeauty, featuring photos of beautiful black faces. Not much different from #blackoutday, an online movement that celebrated black beauty, right?

Wrong.

The difference here was this was an honest discourse about how we define beauty within the black community. And I was so here for it.

In less than 24 hours, the hashtag has received a cosign from artist Talib Kweli and timelines exploded with photos of women and men with full lips, broad noses and kinky hair posing with pride. Because truthfully and ironically, a lot of times when we praise black beauty, we celebrate the features closest to Eurocentric ones.

Read more at How #unconventionalblackbeauty celebrates people like me

Tamir Rice Police Shooting Case Handed Over to Prosecutors

The investigation into the shooting death of Tamir Rice by Cleveland police officers has been handed over to prosecutors, who expect to convene a grand jury soon.

A source confirmed the move to ABC News and said that the grand jury will decide whether either of the police officers should stand trial for the 12-year-old's death last November. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Clifford Pinkney has since reiterated the transfer of the findings of their investigation to the prosecutor's office.

Read more: Tamir Rice Police Shooting Case Handed Over to Prosecutors

Sen. Booker wants police departments to track shootings after Ferguson and Baltimore

Police departments would be required to report to the Justice Department any time law enforcement officers are involved in shootings or are the victims of an attack leading to serious injury or death under legislation introduced Tuesday by U.S. Sen. Cory Booker.

The legislation was introduced in response to a series of killings of unarmed black men by police officers in cities such as Ferguson, Mo., and Baltimore, as well as a spate of attacks on police officers, such as the murders of Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu of New York City, who were shot and killed while sitting their patrol car in Brooklyn in December.

"Our legislation is vital to ensuring we have the data required to make good decisions and implement reform measures that are balanced, objective, and protect the lives of police officers and the public," said Booker (D-N.J.), who introduced the bill with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

Under the bill, states would be required to report the gender, race, ethnicity, and age of each person shot, injured, or killed; when the shooting occurred; the number of officers and civilians involved; whether the civilian was armed; and what force was used.

Read more: Booker wants police departments to track shootings after Ferguson and Baltimore

Report: Black drivers 75 percent more likely to be stopped in Missouri

An annual report released by Attorney General Chris Koster finds that in 2014, black drivers were 75 percent more likely than white drivers to be stopped for traffic violations in the state of Missouri.

Missouri requires all municipalities to submit traffic stop data to the state, including a driver's race.

Last year's annual report found black drivers were 66 percent more likely to be pulled over on Missouri's roads. This year's report shows the largest racial disparity since the state began collecting data in 2000. That year the disparity was 31 percent.

Read more: Report: Black drivers 75 percent more likely to be stopped

Recipients of donations from Prince's 'Rally 4 Peace' concert announced

Proceeds from Prince’s “Rally 4 Peace” last month at Royal Farms Arena — the surprise concert announced in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death and the unrest that followed — will be donated to the NAACP’s Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO) and the city’s YouthWorks and OneBaltimore programs, according to a press release sent by Prince's publicist and first obtained by the Baltimore Sun on Monday afternoon.

The amount of money to be donated was not disclosed. Emails and calls have been made to Prince’s publicist and officials from each organization asking for specific donation figures.

The NAACP ACT-SO is “a yearlong achievement program designed to recruit, stimulate, and encourage high academic and cultural achievement among African-American high school students,” according to its website.

Read more: Recipients of donations from Prince's 'Rally 4 Peace' concert announced

Are Black Voters Ready For Hillary Clinton?

Hillary Clinton will need black voters if she wants to win the Democratic nomination and the presidency next year. But African American voters were a major reason she lost the early nominating state of South Carolina to Barack Obama by nearly 30 points in 2008.

She's trying to make up for it this time around.

Cleveland Police also killed Tanisha Anderson

We have all seen the horrifying video of what Cleveland Police did to Tamir Rice , but how many of us have heard the story of Tanisha Anderson who was killed by the Cleveland Police back in November 2014?

A 37-year-old schizophrenic woman died after police slammed her to the pavement outside her family's home, her brother said.

Tanisha Anderson was pronounced dead at Cleveland Clinic early Thursday after an altercation with officers nearly two hours earlier on the 1300 block of Ansel Road.

They killed my sister," her 40-year-old brother Joell Anderson said with welling eyes in his living room Thursday night. "I watched it."

Officers were called to the home after a family member reported that Anderson was disturbing the peace.

Patrolmen had lengthy discussions with Tanisha Anderson and members of her family. Everyone agreed she should undergo an evaluation at St. Vincent Charity Medical Center, police said.

The official police account of what happened next is at odds with what several members of Tanisha Anderson's family said they witnessed.

Read more: Cleveland woman with mental illness died after police used takedown move, brother says

Lebron James statement on Brelo verdict

Lebron James is asking for peaceful protest in the wake of the Michael Brelo verdict in Cleveland. Read his comments below.

"Violence is not the answer, and it's all about trying to find a solution," he said. "In any case, anything that goes on in our world, the only people we should be worried about is the families that's lost loved ones. You can't get them back. You can never get them back. We should worry about the families and how they're doing and things of that nature."

"Sports in general, no matter what city it is, something that's going through a city that's very dramatic, traumatizing or anything of that case, I think sports is one of the biggest healers in helping a city out," James said.

"Sports just does something to people, either if you're a player, if you're a fan, if you just have something that has anything to do with that city, you just feel a certain way about rooting for a team that you love that can get your mind off some of the hardships that may be going on throughout your life or in that particular time period. It just does that."

Statement by Marcia a Fudge on Michael Brelo Verdict

The decision of Judge John P. O’Donnell to acquit Officer Michael Brelo is a stunning setback on the road to justice for Timothy Russell, Malissa Williams and the people of Cleveland. The verdict is another chilling reminder of a broken relationship between the Cleveland Police Department and the community it serves. Today we have been told — yet again — our lives have no value.”

Permanent Michael Brown Memorial Planned at Shooting Site

The makeshift mid-street memorial that marked where Michael Brown was fatally shot by a police officer last summer was cleared out Wednesday — what would have been his 19th birthday — amid plans to install a permanent plaque in his memory nearby.

Read more: Permanent Michael Brown Memorial Planned at Shooting Site

Janet Jackson announces new album and tour

Janet Jackson has announced both a new album and a new tour. (Please let Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis be producing!) Hear her announcement below.

Obama To Posthumously Award “Harlem Hellfighters” With Medal Of Honor

President Obama to Award the Medal of Honor

WASHINGTON, DC – On June 2, 2015, President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor to Army Sergeant William Shemin and to Army Private Henry Johnson for conspicuous gallantry during World War I. 

Sergeant William Shemin will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions while serving as a member of Company G, 2nd Battalion, 47th Infantry Regiment, 4th Division, American Expeditionary Forces.  Sergeant Shemin distinguished himself during combat operations in the vicinity of the Vesle River, Bazoches, France, on August 7-9, 1918. 

Sergeant Shemin entered the Army on October 2, 1917. He was assigned as a rifleman to Company G, 47th Infantry Regiment, which moved from Syracuse, New York to Camp Greene, North Carolina, joining the 4th Infantry Division. The Division arrived in France in May, 1918. 

While serving as a rifleman from August 7-9, 1918, Sergeant Shemin left the cover of his platoon’s trench and crossed open space, repeatedly exposing himself to heavy machine gun and rifle fire to rescue the wounded. After officers and senior non-commissioned officers had become casualties, Shemin took command of the platoon and displayed great initiative under fire, until he was wounded, August 9.

Ms. Elsie Shemin-Roth of Webster Grove, Missouri, will join the President at the White House to accept the Medal of Honor on her father’s behalf.

Private Henry Johnson will receive the Medal of Honor posthumously for his actions while serving as a member of Company C, 369th Infantry Regiment, 93rd Division, American Expeditionary Forces. Then-Private Johnson distinguished himself during combat operations in the vicinity of the Tourbe and Aisne Rivers, northwest of Saint Menehoul, France, on May 15, 1918.

Private Johnson entered the Army on June 5, 1917. He was assigned to Company C, 15th New York (Colored) Infantry Regiment, an all-black National Guard unit that would later become the 369th Infantry Regiment. The Regiment was ordered into battle in 1918, and Private Johnson and his unit were brigaded with a French Army colonial unit in front-line combat. 

While on night sentry duty on May 15, 1918, Private Johnson and a fellow Soldier received a surprise attack by a German raiding party consisting of at least 12 soldiers. While under intense enemy fire and despite receiving significant wounds, Johnson mounted a brave retaliation resulting in several enemy casualties. When his fellow soldier was badly wounded, Private Johnson prevented him from being taken prisoner by German forces.  Private Johnson exposed himself to grave danger by advancing from his position to engage an enemy soldier in hand-to-hand combat. Displaying great courage, Private Johnson held back the enemy force until they retreated.

Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson, New York National Guard, will join the President at the White House to accept the Medal of Honor on Private Johnson’s behalf.

TANK, a new African American action hero

Ever wondered where all the African American heroes are in books, television, and movies? Where's our James Bond, Jack Bauer, or Jason Bourne? Well, here's the answer to that question, Greg Dunlap BKA Tank.

I'm writing this post announce the release of my latest Kindle book featuring a new African American hero, TANK: Street Justice! While some may consider it Urban Fiction because of the setting I look at it as a action/adventure story. Our hero is no Boy Scout and has his demons to fight but even he knows when things have gone too far. Check it out, it starts off as a typical urban tale but the ending takes the story somewhere you never expected and launches an entire new series. BUY TANK HERE

George L. Cook III

Here is a trailer for the book

There are some lines even thugs shouldn't cross.

When a little girl is accidentally gunned down by thugs one man, a former Army Ranger makes a promise to her mother to bring those thugs to justice. Tank is about to roll!

Buy the book

School director fired after racial graduation comment

The private school principal who gained national attention for a racially charged comment she made during a graduation ceremony has been fired, but still owns the school and will likely reap any financial benefit from it.

Could Ava DuVernay direct Marvel's Black Panther movie

A Black Panther movie starring Chadwick Boseman as the titular hero is set for a July 6, 2018 release. Recent rumors according to The Wrap have Marvel looking at Selma director Ava DuVernay to direct the movie.

[SOURCE] Marvel has had discussions with DuVernay about taking the reins of one of its marquee comic book properties and while the studio is considering other directors, there is mutual interest in having her join the MCU.

Insiders told TheWrap that Marvel is intent on hiring an African-American director for “Black Panther” and a female filmmaker for “Captain Marvel.” DuVernay’s hiring would make her Marvel’s first African-American and first female director, which would no doubt double as a public relations boon for the company.

Black Unemployment Rate Hits Seven Year Low

The unemployment rate for black Americans fell below 10 percent in April, for the first time since the economic downfall in 2008.

During the recession, black unemployment had peaked at 16.8 percent in March 2010, while unemployment for whites was almost half that rate. This past April, the unemployment rate for African Americans dipped into the single digits category at 9.6 percent. While the latest data shows signs of improvement, it’s clear that an employment gap still exist between races. Despite the national unemployment rate falling to 5.4 percent, blacks in states like Illinois, Michigan, California and Pennsylvania face unemployment rates above 12 percent.

Read more: Black Unemployment Rate Hits Seven Year Low

Prince releases new protest song, BALTIMORE.

Prince has released a new protest song entitled BALTIMORE in support of Freddie Gray, Michael Brown, the protesters, and the people of Baltimore. Check out the track below.

Negrotown by Key & Peele

Check out Key and Peele's already classic skit titled Negrotown, that tackles the issue of police abuse many African American men face in a funny and thought provoking. WARNING: Video does contain adult language.