Ben Carson's campaign in crisis

CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson reports that Ben Carson's presidential campaign is in crisis as the GOP candidate's polls slip.

Remarks by the President at Every Student Succeeds Act Signing Ceremony

THE PRESIDENT:  Welcome to the White House.  First of all, I want to thank Antonio for being such an outstanding role model.  Back in 2011 -- when he was much shorter -- (laughter) -- I visited Kenmore Middle School and saw firsthand their great work helping students like Antonio achieve their potential.  And that’s why we’re here today.  

This is an early Christmas present. After more than 10 years, members of Congress from both parties have come together to revise our national education law.  A Christmas miracle:  A bipartisan bill signing right here.  (Laughter and applause.)  So I was telling Lamar we should do this more often.  (Laughter.)  I love it when we’re signing bipartisan bills.  Today, I’m proud to sign a law that’s going to make sure that every student is prepared to succeed in the 21st century.  

The goals of No Child Left Behind, the predecessor of this law, were the right ones:  High standards.  Accountability.  Closing the achievement gap.  Making sure that every child was learning, not just some.  But in practice, it often fell short.  It didn’t always consider the specific needs of each community.  It led to too much testing during classroom time.  It often forced schools and school districts into cookie-cutter reforms that didn’t always produce the kinds of results that we wanted to see.  And that’s okay -- sometimes reform efforts require you try something, it doesn’t work, you learn some lessons, and you make modifications.    

So my administration, when we came into office, tried some different things.  We tried to lead a Race to the Top.  That’s why we acted to give states that were willing to embrace reforms -- that they helped to formulate -- more flexibility in how to improve student achievement.  They were receiving waivers from some of the requirements of No Child Left Behind.  But the truth is that could only do so much.  And that’s why, for years, I have called on Congress to come together and get a bipartisan effort to fix No Child Left Behind.  

It took a lot of time; it required a lot of work.  But thanks to the tireless efforts of many of the people on this stage and some people who are in attendance here today, we finally reached that deal.  

There are some people that I especially want to thank.  First of all, Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray on the Senate side, and Representatives John Kline and Bobby Scott on the House side, as well as their dedicated staffs.  This would not have happened without them.  (Applause.)  

And I just want to point out that it’s not as if there weren’t some significant ideological differences on some of these issues.  (Laughter.)  No, there were, but I think this is really a good example of how bipartisanship can work.  People did not agree on everything at the outset, but they were willing to listen to each other in a civil, constructive way, and to work through these issues, compromise where necessary, while still keeping their eye on the ball.  And I think it’s really a testament of the four leaders of the respective committees that they set that kind of tone.  And that’s something that we don’t always see here in Washington.  There wasn’t a lot of grandstanding, not a lot of posturing -- just a lot of really good, hard work.  So I just want to, again, thank them for the outstanding work that they did.  (Applause.)

I also want to thank my outgoing Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.  Arne has dedicated his life to the cause of education -- and sometimes in the nicest possible way, he has gotten on people’s nerves because he has pushed them and prodded them and tried to make sure that we set high expectations and that we are holding ourselves accountable for children’s performance -- or the school’s performance and how they were delivering for our kids.  And had he not been, I believe, as tenacious as he was, I think that we would not have as good of a product as we do here today.  And so I could not be prouder of Arne Duncan.  And I want acknowledge him.  (Applause.)

We are going to miss Arne Duncan a lot.  Fortunately, in addition to some great staff that he assembled that is going to be staying on, we also have a great replacement for Arne in Dr. John King, who is going to be doing outstanding work helping to implement this.  (Applause.)   

In addition, obviously we’ve had some outstanding advocates. We’ve got our teachers unions, we’ve got our civil rights organizations, we’ve got philanthropies -- all of who -- community groups -- who have been active and involved, and the governors organizations and school districts have also been involved, the superintendants.  So we want to thank all them for their contributions.  All the stakeholders have really buckled down to make this day possible.  

And the law comes at an important moment.  Over the past seven years, the good news is that our students have made real strides.  We’ve seen states raise academic expectations for all students.  That means that we’re in a better position to    out-teach and out-compete other nations at a time when knowledge is really the single-biggest determinant of economic performance. High school graduation rates have reached an all-time high; dropout rates have hit historic lows.  The number of high schools so bad they’re called “dropout factories” has been cut almost in half.  We’re training tens of thousands of outstanding math and science teachers.  More students are graduating from college than ever before, and more than a million additional black and Hispanic students are now going to college.  

So there is some real good work that’s been done, a foundation to build from.  But we’re here because we all know that there’s a lot more work to be done.  As wonderful as Antonio’s school is, as wonderful as a learning experience is as a lot of our young people are receiving, we know that there are other schools that just aren’t hitting the mark yet.  And in today’s economy, a high-quality education is a prerequisite for success.  

We’re going to have to have our young people master not just the basics but also become critical thinkers and creative problem solvers.  And our competitive advantage depends on whether our kids are prepared to seize the opportunities for tomorrow.  So we need to build on the momentum that has already been established. We’ve got to learn what works and do more of that, and we’ve got to get rid of the stuff that doesn’t work.   And that’s exactly what the Every Student Succeeds Act does.  

First, this law focuses on a national goal of ensuring that all of our students graduate prepared for college and future careers.  It builds on the reforms that have helped us make so much progress already, holding everybody to high standards for teaching and learning, empowering states and school districts to develop their own strategies for improvement, dedicating resources to our most vulnerable children.  And this law requires states to invest in helping students and schools improve, and focusing on the lowest-performing schools and closing those big achievement gaps.

Second, this bill makes long-overdue fixes to the last education law, replacing the one-size-fits-all approach to reform with a commitment to provide every student with a well-rounded education.  It creates real partnerships between the states, which will have new flexibility to tailor their improvement plans, and the federal government, which will have the oversight to make sure that the plans are sound.

It helps states and districts reduce unnecessary standardized tests -- something we talked about a couple of months ago, because what we want to do is to get rid of unnecessary standardized tests so that more teachers can spend time engaging in student learning while, at the same time, making sure that parents and teachers have clear information on their children’s academic performance.

Number three, we know that the early years can make a huge difference in a child’s life, so this law lays the foundation to expand access to high-quality preschools, and it creates incentives for innovative approaches to learning and for supporting great teachers.  

And finally, this bill upholds the core value that animated the original Elementary and Secondary Education Act signed by President Lyndon Johnson -- the value that says education, the key to economic opportunity, is a civil right.  With this bill, we reaffirm that fundamental American ideal that every child, regardless of race, income, background, the zip code where they live, deserves the chance to make out of their lives what they will.

So this is a big step in the right direction, a true bipartisan effort, a reminder of what can be done when people enter into these issues in a spirit of listening and compromise. But, of course, now the hard work begins.  Laws are only as good as the implementation.  And that means that we’re going to have to be engaging with the schools and communities all across the country, educators, school leaders, families, students, elected officials, community leaders, philanthropies -- all to make the promise of this law reality.

And, by the way, it’s going to take students like Antonio.  He’s doing his part.  He’s taking advanced classes to get a head start on high school credits.  He plays the violin.  He plays sports.  He volunteers.  He owns one share of stock in Tesla.  (Laughter.)  So he’s clearly going places.  I’d invest in him if I could.  But one of the reasons Antonio is thriving is he’s got great teachers and a great principal at Kenmore.  They saw that spark in him, and, like all great educators, they’re helping him to harness his energy and his curiosity and his talents.  

And that’s what we want every single child in America to have.  We just want to give them a chance.  And so many of them are full of that same talent and drive, but we let them slip through the cracks, or we’re not creative enough in thinking about how they can be engaged, or they just don’t have the resources that they need in the classroom, or they fell behind early because they didn’t get the support that they needed given the tough circumstances they were born into.

And we want to make sure that through this piece of legislation, with our hard work, with our focus, with our discipline, with our passion, with our commitment, that every kid is given the same opportunities that Antonio is getting.  I want this not just because it’s good for the students themselves, not just because it’s good for the communities involved, not only because it’s good for our economy, but because it really goes to the essence of what we are about as Americans.  

There was a time I think when upward mobility was the hallmark of America.  We’ve slipped on that front compared to other countries.  And some of it is because where we used to be so far ahead of other countries in investing in education for every child, now on some indicators, we’ve been lagging behind.  Hopefully, this is going to get us back out front.

There’s nothing more essential to living up to the ideals of this nation than making sure every child is able to achieve their God-given potential.  And I could not be prouder of the people on this stage and those of you in the audience who helped us take just one step closer to that reality.

So with that, let me sign this bill.  (Applause.)  

(The bill is signed.)

Richmond woman goes missing with 2-year-old

Andrea Watkins-Simmons, 35, of Richmond Virgina was reported missing on Nov. 25, according to Richmond Police. The woman was seen as recently as Thursday, police believe. She has her step-daughter, Ariellisa Simmons, in her custody and police believe they are together.

Watkins-Simmons is black, 5' 3" tall and approximately 150 pounds.

Police ask anyone with information on the to call Crime Stoppers at (804) 780-1000.

Bernie Sanders targets African Americans with new radio ad

Democrat Bernie Sanders has released a new radio ad targeting the African American community. The ad focuses on issues of interest to African Americans such as institutional racism, healthcare, education, mass incarceration, education, and jobs. Listen to the ad below:

Supreme Court divided on affirmative action

Many African Americans are paying attention to pressing issues in the black community, what's going on in Chicago, problems with education, housing, gun violence, access to healthy foods etc. Others are paying more attention to nonsense like Empire or "Whatever Housewives of Where Ever". Mo matter what you are paying attention to you had better take some time to look into a affirmative action case that the US Supreme Court is hearing right now. This is a case that could have huge ramifications for African Americans and other minorities. George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com.

Case comes at a time when students across the country are showing signs of racial unrest.

Supreme Court justices appeared divided Wednesday about the future of a program at the University of Texas that takes race into consideration as one factor of admissions.

The hearing, which was at times tense and went over the originally allotted one hour time frame, revealed some of the same fissures that bothered the justices when the case was heard for the first time in 2012. The three liberal justices on the bench appeared largely supportive of the plan. The conservatives, led with passionate questions from Justices Samuel Alito and Antonin Scalia were at times sharply critical of arguments made by a lawyer for the University.


Justice Anthony Kennedy, who could be a key swing vote in the highly anticipated case, suggested at one point the case should be sent back to a lower court to give the school an opportunity to present more evidence about the plan. Kennedy lamented that even though the court sent the case back to the lower court three years ago it felt like, "we're just arguing the same case." Later in the arguments, however, Kennedy seemed to pull back a bit from the idea that a remand might be necessary.

Supporters of affirmative action in higher education are fearful that the court might issue a broad ruling in the case that will curtail a public university's ability to consider race in order to produce a more diverse student body.

Read more: Supreme Court divided on affirmative action

HBCU football teams to make history in inaugural Celebration Bowl

Two HBCU football teams will make history in the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl which will pit the SWAC champion, Alcorn State (9-3) against the MEAC champion, North Carolina A&T Aggies (9-2). The winner will be the ultimate HBCU champion! The game will be played at the Georgia Dome on December 19th and will air on ABC at noon Eastern Time.

December 19th marks the ultimate face-off in HBCU HISTORY! Get your tix for the Air Force Reserve #CelebrationBowl today...

Posted by Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl on Tuesday, December 8, 2015

9 Christmas gift ideas for black children.

Here are nine gift ideas for black children. The list includes toys for both boys and children's books.

____________________________________________________

GIRLS

BOYS

BOOKS

African American Film Critics Association: Best Film, Straight Outta Compton

The AAFCA (African American Film Critics Association) honors excellence in cinema by creating awareness for films with universal appeal to black communities, while emphasizing films about the black experience and those produced written, directed and starring performers of African descent. It will hold its awards ceremony February 10 in Hollywood.

Here’s the full list of winners:

Best Picture
Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Director
Ryan Coogler,Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Ensemble
Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Actor
Will Smith, Concussion (Sony)

Best Actress
Teyonah Parris, Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)

Best Supporting Actor
Jason Mitchell – Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)

Best Supporting Actress
Tessa Thompson, Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Independent Film
Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)

Best Screenplay
Rick Famuyiwa – Dope (Open Road Films)

Breakout Performance
Michael B. Jordan, Creed (Warner Bros.)

Best Animation
The Peanuts Movie (20thCentury Fox)

Best Documentary
A Ballerina’s Tale (Sundance Selects)

Best Song
“See You Again”, Furious 7 (Atlantic Records)

Best TV Comedy
Black-ish (ABC)

Best TV Drama
How to Get Away with Murder (ABC)

Best Cable/New Media TV Show
Survivor’s Remorse (Starz)

AAFCA Top Ten Films of 2015 in order of distinction:

1. Straight Outta Compton (Universal Pictures)
2. Creed (Warner Bros.)
3. Mad Max: Fury Road (Warner Bros.)
4. Beasts of No Nation (Netflix)
5. The Martian (20th Century Fox)
6. 3-1/2 Minutes/Dope (HBO/Open Road Films)
7. Chi-Raq (Roadside Attractions/Amazon Studios)
8. Carol (Weinstein Co.)
9. The Big Short (Paramount Pictures)
10. The Danish Girl (Focus Features)

Ava DuVernay Barbie Doll Sells Out

The Ava DuVernay Barbie doll has sold out on Mattel's website minutes after it first went on sale.

The Selma director's doll was met with particular excitement, with her twitter followers clamoring for Mattel to make the doll — which comes with a director's chair with her name on it — available to the public.

Mattel heard them, and DuVernay announced the sale of the Ava Barbie Sunday, tweeting, "Tomorrow this Ava Barbie goes on sale for Christmas because enough folks asked Mattel to do so." She added in another Tweet that all proceeds will be donated to Witness and Color of Change charities.

Mattel confirmed in a Dec. 6 Tweet that the dolls would be available for purchase Dec. 7 and that they would be providing further information about where to purchase them. At 10 a.m. PT, Mattel announced Monday, the dolls will go on sale at TheBarbieCollection.com

But they didn't last long, with DuVernay tweeting at 10:26 a.m. PT: "Sold out on Barbie collection, I'm told. More available at Amazon. What the hell is going on? #bananas #nuts #whoa"

Ava Barbie was indeed (briefly) available at Amazon — for pre-order. Selling for $65, the online retailer announced the doll would be released Jan. 1.

But even pre-order availability was short-lived, with Amazon selling out almost as quickly as Mattel had.

[SOURCE]

University professors uncover new sci fi story by W.E.B. Du Bois

If you’re an avid reader of science fiction by big name authors like Ben Bova, Robert Heinlein, and Ursula Le Guin, you may have heard that the earliest African-American writer in the genre is Samuel Delaney. He was an early one who has definitely made a big contribution to the genre. However, there was one who predated him by several decades. Because he was more known for his non-fiction on race issues of his time, most people would not think W.E.B. Du Bois wrote science fiction among other fiction genres. Scholars have already known about W.E.B. Du Bois’ science fiction that often served as social criticism especially in light of technology. One of these stories is “The Comet”. But two university professors opened a Du Bois scholar’s version of a “Christmas gift” earlier this year but news media started reporting on it only since the beginning of the month. The “gift”: a short story by Du Bois entitled “The Princess Steel” that may be his earliest science fiction work to date.

Britt Rusert, professor of African-American literature at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Adrienne Brown who is a University of Chicago professor discovered Du Bois’ “The Princess Steel” in an archives box packed with short fiction of various genres, including science fiction, states a Slate.com article. According to “io9”’s Charlie Jane Anders, the story was originally titled “The Megascope: A Tale of Tales”. Rusert and Brown “have dated [it] to 1908 and 1910—much earlier than any of Du Bois’ other speculative fiction,” explains Slate.com.

According to Slate, the story involves a black sociologist who looks into the past with a device called a “megascope”. Through the megascope, he sees a mythic society where an African princess, called the Princess Steel, is imprisoned by an imperial character known as “The Lord of the Golden Way”. He steals the princess’s silver hair that he discovers to be made of steel and uses it to establish a global-wide mill industry. Slate says the story is an important link in Afrofuturism, a social criticism movement against racism and poverty that often uses science fiction by black storytellers as a tool to teach about these issues.

[SOURCE]

Corrections officers indicted in death of Nimala Henry

This case may not be as well known as Sandra Bland's but it's just as tragic. Nimala Henry was also found dead in her cell in after being unable to make bail. George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com

A federal grand jury indicted four Louisiana corrections officers Thursday, charging them with violating the civil rights of inmate Nimali Henry, who died in prison last year after her medical needs were allegedly ignored. The indictment says the officers from St. Bernard Parish Prison in Chalmette, Louisiana, knew Henry, 19, had serious medical conditions but failed to provide her with necessary help, resulting in her death.

Capt. Andre Dominick, Cpl. Timothy Williams, Deputy Debra Becnel and Deputy Lisa Vaccarella are each charged with violating civil rights and making false statements to the FBI. The maximum penalties are life in prison for the civil rights charge and five years in prison for each false statement.

Henry was arrested in March 2014 on minor charges and held in jail after her family could not pay her $25,000 bond. She was arrested for disturbing the peace, simple battery and unauthorized entry after a domestic dispute. Henry, who was mother to a then-4-month-old daughter, was found lying facedown and unresponsive in her cell 10 days after her arrest, after suffering a blood clot leading to her death.

[SOURCE]

Creed’s’ Ryan Coogler in Talks to Direct ‘Black Panther’

“Creed” helmer Ryan Coogler is in talks to direct Marvel’s “Black Panther,” sources confirm for Variety.

Kevin Feige is producing the film which stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, the prince of the African nation of Wakanda, who must take over the mantel after his father’s murder.

Joe Robert Cole is penning the script.

This marks the second time the studio has approached Coogler about directing the film and at the time he didn’t feel it was the right fit for him and returned to finish post-production on “Creed.” With “Creed” now behind him, Coogler had a change of heart and took the studio up on the offer of directing the film.

[SOURCE]

Police Tear Down Minneapolis Black Lives Matter Protest Camp

Minneapolis police began removing Black Lives Matter protesters from the 4th Precinct around 4 a.m. Thursday morning, using bulldozers and buckets of water to break up the demonstrators that had been camped out there since the shooting death of Jamar Clark on Nov. 15.

NAACP sues Alabama over state's voter identification law

A civil rights group in Alabama targeted the state's voter identification law in a federal lawsuit filed on Wednesday, saying the requirement that a photo ID be shown at the polls in order to vote discriminated against minorities.

The lawsuit, filed by the Alabama State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Greater Birmingham Ministries, asked for a permanent injunction to stop the law, which took effect last year.

The lawsuit contended the law had disenfranchised some 280,000 voters and threatened hundreds of thousands more.

A disproportionate number of those voters are black and Hispanic, the lawsuit said.

Read more: NAACP sues Alabama over state's voter identification law

President Obama wards the Medal of Freedom to Katherine Johnson

President Obama bestowed the Medal of Freedom to Johnson, a NASA mathematician who calculated and verified the travel trajectories that took the first Americans to space.

In his speech to the Congressional Black Caucus in September 2015, President Obama noted, “Black women have been a part of every great movement in American history—even if they weren’t always given a voice.” Most will think of this in the context of the civil rights movement, where black women helped plan the March on Washington, but were largely absent from the program, or perhaps even in the fight for women’s rights, from suffrage to the feminist movement. Very few, however, may know the role that women, particularly women of color, have played as innovators and leaders in the domains of science and technology.

On November 24th, President Obama bestowed the Medal of Freedom, the Nation’s highest civilian honor, to Katherine Johnson—a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) mathematician who exhibited exceptional technical leadership, calculating and verifying trajectories that took the first Americans to space and to the moon.

Johnson’s recognition by President Obama marks a proud moment in American history because until recently, Johnson’s critical technical contributions to the space race were largely unknown to the world. The contributions and leadership of countless scientific and technical women and people of color who have been tremendous innovators have been left out of American history books, unfortunately. That’s why the Obama Administration is deeply committed to illuminating the great work and “untold history” of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), as well as also shining a light on the great potential of all of America’s children to lead the world as the next generation of discoverers, inventors, and high-tech entrepreneurs.

In addition, a feature film is in the works to share Katherine Johnson’s story, along with the other three black women that were crucial to the success of the NASA space missions of the 50s and 60s. It is truly an exciting time—there is momentum building where a number of organizations seek to harness the power of media and storytelling to incite change, specifically in the STEM inclusion domain. Popular entertainment media (e.g. television and film) can influence the public’s perceptions towards STEM by shaping, cultivating, or reinforcing the “cultural meanings” of STEM fields and careers. Currently, STEM men outpace STEM women 5 to 1 in family films. Entertainment media can, therefore, play a dichotomous role—it can either reinforce biases and stereotypes that discourage girls and minorities from pursuing STEM careers, or it can help to paint pictures of the inclusive STEM workforce the Nation aspires to achieve.

A number of exciting developments seek to change not only the way history has been written, but also help shape the future of who constitutes America’s STEM workforce. In 2014, the White House unveiled the Untold History of Women in Science and Technology site where female leaders from across the Administration share stories of their personal STEM ‘sheroes.’ Earlier this year, Wikipedia, which is among the leading online educational resources, launched a Year of Science initiative that aims to not only improve the quality of science articles on Wikipedia, but also expand Wikipedia’s representation of women scientists. Earlier this year, OSTP held an “Edit-A-Thon” during Black History Month to help source and share inspiring stories of African Americans who made important contributions in STEM.

Role models play an important role in shaping the future aspirations of youth and adults alike—they can help students envision themselves as STEM professionals, enhance perception of STEM careers, and boost confidence in studying STEM subjects. Katherine Johnson’s recognition by President Obama along with the plans to share her story mark a proud moment in American history—she is a role model that we are excited for the world to know.

[SOURCE]

SPIKE LEE, OTHERS CALL FOR NATIONAL ANTI-GUN VIOLENCE INITIATIVE

Film director Spike Lee, the director of ChiRaq a movie about gun violence in Chicago and the Reverend Al Sharpton are part of a major new national push to end gun violence. Lew cites the murder of a 9-year-old boy, TyShawn Lee in Chicago as an example of how severe the epidemic has become.

During the press conference Lee pointed out you can't be vocal after Laquann McDonald was shot 16 times by a Chicago police officer and silent after 9-year old Tyshawn Lee was killed.

"Tyshawn Lee is led to an alley and executed," he said. "It's not an either/or situation. It has to be both." Watch Spike Lee and others discuss this initiative below.

Caught in a lie: Trump cancels press conference with black pastors

While the meeting with several black pastors will still take place on Monday, the press conference in which Trump told everybody 100 black pastors will endorse him will not.

The endorsement claim prompted many of the pastors to issue angry denials from those involved who said they had agreed to listen Trump's positions on key issues. Others said they had declined the invitation altogether.

Getting the endorsement of the 100 black church leaders would have shown that he can reach beyond his his base . Unfortunately, he he lied to the pastors about his intentions. Several complained their names had been given to the media even though they declined the invitation.

On Sunday afternoon, Mr Trump announced on Twitter that Monday's meeting would not include a press conference.

Will be meeting on Monday at Trump Tower with a large group of African American Pastors. Many I know-wonderful people! Not a press event.

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 29, 2015

Black pastors to Trump: No endorsement.

UPDATE: TRUMP CANCELS PRESS CONFERENCE WITH BLACK PASTORS

It appears that the Trump Campaign has been caught in a lie. A meeting has been scheduled between Trump and 100 black clergy on Monday November 30, 2015 . The meeting was described by the campaign in a press release as, "a coalition of 100 African American Evangelical pastors and religious leaders who will endorse the GOP frontrunner after a private meeting at Trump Tower."

Several members of a group of prominent African American ministers have stated they aren't even going to the meeting and are making clear that they have made no commitments to endorse Donald Trump.

President Obama statement on Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood shooting

President Obama has released a statement regarding Friday's mass shooting at a Colorado Springs branch of Planned Parenthood, which left three dead and nine injured. Read that statement below.

The last thing Americans should have to do, over the holidays or any day, is comfort the families of people killed by gun violence -- people who woke up in the morning and bid their loved ones goodbye with no idea it would be for the last time.

And yet, two days after Thanksgiving, that’s what we are forced to do again.

We don’t yet know what this particular gunman’s so-called motive was for shooting twelve people, or for terrorizing an entire community, when he opened fire with an assault weapon and took hostages at a Planned Parenthood center in Colorado. What we do know is that he killed a cop in the line of duty, along with two of the citizens that police officer was trying to protect. We know that law enforcement saved lives, as so many of them do every day, all across America. And we know that more Americans and their families had fear forced upon them.

This is not normal. We can’t let it become normal. If we truly care about this -- if we’re going to offer up our thoughts and prayers again, for God knows how many times, with a truly clean conscience -- then we have to do something about the easy accessibility of weapons of war on our streets to people who have no business wielding them. Period. Enough is enough.

May God bless Officer Garrett Swasey and the Americans he tried to save -- and may He grant the rest of us the courage to do the same thing.

As many African-American see it, there are 2 Ben Carsons

Ayauna King-Baker loved Ben Carson's "Gifted Hands" memoir so much that she made her daughter Shaliya read it. So when Carson showed up in town to sign copies of his new book, King-Baker dragged the giggly 13-year-old along to the bookstore so they could both meet him.

To King-Baker, Carson's "up-by-your bootstraps" life story makes him a genuine celebrity worth emulating in the African-American community. But she's also a Pompano Beach Democrat watching Carson rise in the Republican presidential polls.

For King-Baker and many other African-Americans, the vast majority of whom are Democrats, there are two Carsons: One is a genius doctor and inspirational speaker and writer who talks of limitless horizons; the other is a White House candidate who pushes conservative politics and wishes to "de-emphasize race."

How they reconcile the two may help determine whether Republicans can dent the solid support Democrats have enjoyed in the black community for decades.

Read more: As many African-American see it, there are 2 Ben Carsons