Raven Symone has the right to self identify however she chooses

In an interview with Oprah former Cosby kid Raven Symone, set black twitter and other social media ablaze when she said that she didn't want to be called anything but American. Unsurprisingly black people went crazy! There was the usual responses of her being self hating or being in denial. To put it simply a lot of hate was thrown her way.

In my opinion that hate thrown her way was unwarranted for one simple reason. Raven Symone has the right to self identify however she chooses. The same way that those of us that self identify as African American or black have the right to do that also. I wonder how many realize that but questioning her right to call herself nothing but American, they are being as intolerant and ignorant as those who have a problem with black people African American? You know those idiots on Facebook and Twitter who believe that someone self identifying as African American is somehow racist.

You can't ask one group of people who are ignorant or racist not to question how you self identify and then turn around and exhibit the same behavior yourself. That's the height of hypocrisy.

Just because a former Cosby Kid doesn't want to be called black or African American in no way invalidates or minimizes those that wish to self identify by those terms. She has made a choice and that's that. People need to get over that. With issues like the death of Michael Brown, lack of quality education, financial inequities, etc I think that there are much more important things to worry about.

If you prefer the term African American then use it and leave Raven Symone alone, she is not hurting you.

George Cook AfricanAmericanReports.com, proud African American.

Black Lady Describes How Speaking Properly Shouldn't Be Viewed As "Talking White"

A young black woman posted a video on LiveLeak in which she explained why talking properly should not be viewed as "talking white." She makes a whole lot of sense and her message should be heard by all. Listen to her message below:

Genetic Breast Cancer More Common In African Americans

The BRCA (BReast CAncer Susceptibility Gene) was highlighted in the media when Angelina Jolie revealed she had a prophylactic double mastectomy after testing positive for this gene. Women with the BRCA gene have a higher risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer than the general population. BRCA is responsible for 5-7% of breast cancers and about 10% of ovarian cancers.

Recently, a study found that African-American women with breast cancer are more likely than women in the general population to have genetic mutations linked to their disease, and some of those mutations extend beyond the common BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. In fact, 1 in 5 black women in this study had a BRCA mutation.

This new data can explain why black women have higher rates of breast cancer at young ages, more aggressive forms of breast cancer, and a worse chance of survival. Studies also reveal that African American women are less likely to be referred for genetic counseling even if they meet the criteria.

To better understand genetic breast cancer and your risk, here are the answers to some of the most asked questions:

Read more: Genetic Breast Cancer More Common In African Americans

3,200 new registered voters in Ferguson!

[SOURCEOne response to Ferguson unrest from area leaders has been telling people to register to vote, and it appears they have listened.

Ferguson has seen thousands register to vote in the weeks since Michael Brown was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.

About 3,200 Ferguson residents have registered with the St. Louis County Board of Elections since Aug. 11, out of a population of about 21,000. Board of Elections director Rita Heard Days says that’s unprecedented in a non-presidential election year.

“It’s a huge number,” Heard Days says. “Unfortunately, the record it says that there [were] so many people in the Ferguson area that were not registered, so, I’m happy to see the number’s increased.”

Appeals court suspends part of new North Carolina voting law

Parts of North Carolina's new voting law, considered one of the toughest in the nation, were set aside for next month's elections because they were likely to disenfranchise black voters, a federal appeals court panel ruled Wednesday.

In a 2-1 ruling, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals suspended provisions of the Republican-backed law that would have eliminated same-day registration during early voting and voided ballots cast on Nov. 4 outside of a person's assigned precinct.

"Whether the number is 30 or 30,000, surely some North Carolina minority voters will be disproportionately adversely affected in the upcoming election," wrote Judge James Wynn, a former North Carolina Supreme Court justice. "Once the election occurs, there can be no do-over and no redress. The injury to these voters is real and completely irreparable if nothing is done to enjoin this law."

Read more: Appeals court suspends part of new North Carolina voting law