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

President Obama statement on Laquan McDonald video

President Obama has released the following statement on the disturbing video of Laquan McDonald being shot and on the peaceful demonstrations in his hometown of Chicago.

Like many Americans, I was deeply disturbed by the footage of the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. This...

Posted by President Obama on Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Should African Americans celebrate Thanksgiving

Today is Thanksgiving and it's supposed to be a day of thanks and arguing with family members you hope not to see again until next year. After reading post on social media about black people and the appropriateness of us celebrating the holiday I did a online search on the topic. I found several post and articles and I read a recent and interesting article at Ebony.com on the topic by by Vann R. Newkirk II and Kymone Freeman. This paragraph stood out to me.

...To celebrate Thanksgiving requires a bit of contortion from those of us who try to be socially conscious. The image of Pilgrims eating peacefully with American Indians at a shared harvest feast presents a faulty view of the founding of this country—one typically framed as though there was a willing hand off between Native and White. This obscures the history of violence and oppression, and it also manages to both legitimize and whitewash our country’s terrible actions toward its indigenous people. As a Black American who works every day to hold our country accountable for its rampant racial inequality that is a continuum of centuries of racism, terrorism, and genocide, Thanksgiving is truly a tough holiday to process.

So based on your beliefs and life experiences do you believe that African Americans should celebrate Thanksgiving?

Two arrested in shooting attack on #BlackLivesMatter protesters

Police have arrested two men they have been seeking in connection with the shooting of five protesters the Black Lives Matter encampment Monday night.

Minneapolis police said they arrested a 23-year-old white man in Bloomington at 11:20 a.m. Tuesday. A second shooting suspect arrested in south Minneapolis at 12:05 p.m. has been released after questioning.

About 2:30 p.m., two men turned themselves in, police said, saying they were white, one age 26 and another age 21. They were being interviewed by investigators, officials added.

Authorities are weighing whether to treat the shooting of five people protesting near the Minneapolis Police Department’s Fourth Precinct station Monday night as a hate crime, sources familiar with the investigation said Tuesday morning.

The victims, all black men — ages 19 through 43 — were taken to hospitals with noncritical injuries, according to police.

Read more: 3 in custody, 1 released in 4th Precinct shooting; march to downtown ends

Video of Laquan McDonald's shooting

WARNING: Graphic Video, viewer discretion is advised. Chicago Police released dashcam video that shows a police officer shooting 17-year-old Laquan Mcdonald in 2014. Watch the tragic and disturbing video below.