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Posts published by “goodblacknews”

Obama To Sign into Law the Child Protection Act of 2012

By goodblacknews on December 7, 2012
President Obama (Saul Loeb/Getty Images)

Today, President Barack Obama will sign H.R. 6063, the Child Protection Act of 2012, in the Oval Office, a bill aimed at protecting victims of child pornography, sexual abuse and trafficking.

By reaching across their respective aisles, Texas legislators have been instrumental is the passage of the soon-to-be-signed new federal law.  During a late night legislative session on Monday, Nov. 26, the United States Senate passed the Child Protection Act of 2012, introduced by Texas Senator John Cornyn and Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut. Additionally, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Lamar Smith sponsored the Act’s counterpart – HR 6063 – in the House of Representatives. Smith’s colleagues passed the bill by voice vote in August.  

LeBron James Named Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012

LeBron James has taken his talents to the cover of Sports Illustrated as the magazine’s newly-crowned 2012 Sportsman of the Year.

“He was the most dominant athlete this year – MVP of the NBA regular season, MVP of the NBA playoffs, led the Heat to the NBA championship and Team USA to the gold medal in London,” Paul Fichtenbaum, Editor of Time Inc.’s Sports Group tells People.com.

At just 27, the eight-time NBA All-Star and former all-time leading scorer of the Cleveland Cavaliers joins such past Sportsman of the Year athletes as teammate Dwayne Wade, Brett Favre, Michael Phelps, Derek Jeter and Drew Brees.

“The intangibles [James] brought to the court were significant in leading his teams to victory. He was a selfless player, doing whatever it took to will the Heat and Team USA, making all of his teammates better,” Fichtenbaum says.

In addition to his on-the-court accolades, his off-court charitable endeavors also contributed to his new title. The basketball player – who is dad to LeBron Jr., 8, and Bryce, 5, with finacée Savannah Brinson – established a program to benefit children in Akron, Ohio.

Fichtenbaum says: “The program he built and developed in [the] Akron school district for young kids had a profound effect on children who ordinarily might fall through the cracks of an educational system,” he says. “He didn’t just lend his name to a cause, he was directly involved.”

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2012/12/lebron-james-is-sports-illustrateds-sportsman-of-the-year/#ZKeM5uudHPsh0fZG.99

Richest Black Woman In The World is Oil Mogul Folorunsho Alakija

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012

folorunsho alakijaFolorunsho Alakija on the November 2012 cover of Geneieve magazine in a dress by Iconic Invanity.

Oprah Winfrey is no longer the richest black woman in the world.  The new leading lady is oil baroness Folorunsho Alakija from Nigeria. While drilling oil has reportedly made the 61-year-old owner of FAMFA Oil Limited a very rich woman — she is estimated to be worth at least $3.2 billion — Alakija started her ascent to financial supremacy in fashion.

Born into a wealthy family, Alakija studied fashion design in England back in the ’80s and soon after founded the Nigerian clothing label Supreme Stitches. Her one-of-a-kind creations were worn by the who’s who of African society, quickly making her the premier fashion designer in the West African country. In fact, she has been called one of the “pioneers of Nigerian fashion” and stays connected to the industry through the Fashion Designers Association of Nigeria (FDAN).  The well-heeled businesswoman and philanthropist made the switch to oil in 1993 and the rest is history. Ventures Africa reports that Alakija owns at least $100 million in real estate and a $46 million private jet.

article by Julee Wilson via huffingtonpost.com

Exhibit to Explore History of African-Americans in Medicine During Civil War

By goodblacknews on December 6, 2012
(File Photo)Some may not know how much of a part African-Americans played in the Civil War, but the National Library of Medicine has produced a free, traveling exhibit to shed light on their work in the health field during that time.  “Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries” explores black Americans’ contributions as nurses, surgeons and hospital staff during the war.

According to the National Library of Medicine, for African-Americans, the Civil War was “a fight for freedom and a chance for full participation in American society.”  “Their participation challenged the prescribed notions of both race and gender and pushed the boundaries of the role of blacks in America,” the site reads.

Rare Black Images From Ebony Magazine Finally Available To Public

By goodblacknews on December 3, 2012

Eartha Kitt (left); Dizzy Gillespie (Ebony Collection)

You’ve heard the expression “a picture is worth a thousand words.” Photos have the ability to tell complex stories, convey important information and elicit emotional responses from viewers who may know nothing of the subject matter. One frame can change the world. Think of the iconic photographs that have come to symbolize a movement, a way of being or a slice of life.

Joe Rosenthal’s “Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima“; Moneta Sleet Jr.’s “Deep Sorrow,” featuring Coretta Scott King at the funeral of Martin Luther King Jr.; James Van Der Zee’s photo of black nationalist and pan-Africanist Marcus Garvey; Elizabeth “Tex” Williams’ war photographs; Art Kane’s “A Great Day in Harlem“; Gordon Parks’ “American Gothic“; Carrie Mae Weems’ “Kitchen Table Series“; and Jean Moutoussamy-Ashe’s photo book, Daddy and Me, featuring images of her late husband, tennis legend and civil rights activist Arthur Ashe, with their daughter, Camera. 

Photos offer us a peek into unknown worlds and, in some cases, worlds we know all too well. Chronicling our lives and society, they capture history and the profound experiences of a complex world. The Johnson Publishing Co.’s Ebony Collection, now available to the public for the first time, does just that. This historic photo archive offers 2,000 photos taken over the last 70 years, documenting the rich and layered black experience in the United States.

Author and TV Show Host Raven Magwood To Graduate Clemson at 19

By goodblacknews on December 3, 2012

Clemson senior Raven Magwood attends classes during the week and spends most of her weekends traveling the country to speak and promote her latest book, 'The 7 Practices of Exceptional Student Athletes.'

Clemson senior Raven Magwood attends classes during the week and spends most of her weekends traveling the country to speak and promote her latest book, ‘The 7 Practices of Exceptional Student Athletes.’

Three D’s, one girl and a long list of accomplishments and ambitions. Clemson senior Raven Magwood believes that dedication, determination and discipline are the sources to her success. She holds a calm and quiet demeanor in the classroom, but that just barely taps the surface of who this young woman is and what she has done in only 19 years.

This Greenville native’s notoriety began on a gymnastics mat. It took six strenuous hours of practice per day to win the 2004 USAIGC (United States Association of Independent Gymnastics Clubs, Inc.) Championship at age 11. By 12, she had published her first book and entered high school. Raven was always looking for more of a challenge, so she took college courses and graduated early.  At 16, she followed in her parents’ footsteps to Clemson University, although she had received letters from many Ivy League schools. She began pre-med, but a conversation with her mother altered that.

Three African-American Women Win Rhodes Scholarships

By goodblacknews on December 3, 2012

(L to R) Joy A. Buolamwini, Rhiana E. Gunn-Wright, and Nina M. Yancy

The Rhodes Scholarships, considered by many to be the most prestigious awards given to U.S. college students, were created in 1902 by the will of Cecil Rhodes, an industrialist who made a vast fortune in colonial Africa. Each year, 32 Americans are named Rhodes Scholars. The scholarships provide funds for two or three years of graduate study at Oxford University in Britain. Rhodes Scholars from the United States join students from 14 other jurisdictions including Australia, southern Africa, Kenya, India, and Canada. All told, about 80 Rhodes Scholars worldwide are selected each year for study at Oxford.  In 1978 Karen Stevenson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was the first African-American woman selected as a Rhodes Scholar. This year, three African American women were among the this year’s group of Rhodes Scholars.  

Joy A. Buolamwini is a graduate of the Georgia Institute of Technology, where she majored in computer science. She is currently working at the Carter Center in Atlanta. She has founded or co-founded three businesses. She plans on a degree in African studies at Oxford.

Rhiana E. Gunn-Wright is a 2011 graduate of Yale University. She holds a bachelor’s degree in African-American studies and women’s, gender, and sexuality studies. She has been working at Women’s Policy Research in Washington, D.C.  Her plan is to obtain a master’s degree in comparative social policy at Oxford.

Nina M. Yancy is a senior at Harvard University where she majors in social studies. Yancy grew up in the Dallas area but her family recently moved to Chicago. Yancy has had internships at CNN, the Center for American Political Studies and in the British House of Commons. She is a member of the Harvard Ballet Company. She plans on pursuing a master’s degree in global health science as a Rhodes Scholar.

Gospel & Preachers Hall to be Added to R&B Music Hall of Fame Museum

By goodblacknews on December 3, 2012

Aretha

The Robinson Global Sports & Entertainment Group announced its plans to build the Gospel Music and Preachers Hall of Fame Museum (Gospel Hall) as an addition to the existing R&B Music Hall of Fame Museum (R&B Hall) project.

“What makes this Gospel Hall unique is that we also honor the preachers alongside with the gospel music to celebrate their significant influence in the history of the black church. We envision the combination of these museums to be one of the top musical entertainment attraction in the country, bringing visitors from everywhere.” says LaMont “ShowBoat” Robinson, Developer and Founder of the project.

Beginning September 2013, the Gospel Hall will hold an induction ceremony annually to honor preachers and music legends who have contributed significantly to the history of gospel music such as the founder of the Church of God In Christ Bishop Charles Harrison Mason in Memphis, TN and Reverend T.D. Jakes of the Potter’s House in Dallas TX, Father of Black gospel music Thomas A. Dorsey and the gospel music icon Kirk Franklin.

The public is invited to visit www.gospelmusicpreachershofm.com to vote for their favorite pastor and gospel singer starting January 3, 2013 and for more information about the Gospel Hall. Groundbreaking is scheduled to take place in the summer of 2013 in Cleveland, Ohio.

Read more at http://www.eurweb.com/2012/11/gospel-preachers-hall-to-be-added-to-rb-music-hall/#wsLE6ytQ7KzJ3Oix.99

Pan African Designs Adorn Leatherworker Shaka Camera’s Hand-Tooled Bags at the KPFA Crafts Fair

By goodblacknews on December 2, 2012

Shaka Camera of Oakland has been a leather worker for over 43 years, specializing in hand stitched and hand tooled leather bags. His designs are earthy with a sophisticated touch – his bags practical yet unusual. Shaka’s pouches, purses, bags, even computer cases are embellished with beads, shells, silver and bronze acquired from his multiple trips to Africa.

Radiating from Burkina Faso in West Africa, where he has family, he collects beautiful objects for his finished work from the Baoule, Tuareg and Dogon people. The Tuareg of the Saharan interior of North Africa are well known for their fine silver jewelry.

Shaka may incorporate Tuareg crosses and cowry shells with other adornments in what he calls a “mixed Pan-African” esthetic. The Tuareg cross translates into a protective symbol and cowry shells, which were used for centuries as a currency in Africa, represent wealth, new growth and abundance. Carrying a bag with such adornments may have value beyond its beauty!

Shaka, whose company is Bogolani Designs, will show his work at the 42nd annual KPFA Crafts Fair on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8 and 9, at the Concourse in San Francisco. His wife of 12 years, Amatula, will share his booth with her original clothing designs made with hand-woven fibers.

Read more at: Pan African designs adorn leatherworker Shaka Camera’s hand tooled bags at the KPFA Crafts Fair | San Francisco Bay View.

Haiti’s Rony Delgarde Forms Charity To Collect Paint for Third World Projects

By goodblacknews on December 2, 2012
Rony Delgarde, Founder of Global Paint For Charity
Rony Delgarde, Founder of Global Paint For Charity

Rony Delgarde immigrated to the United States from Haiti with only $5 and a Bible. The first thing he saw when he landed at Miami International Airport were all the colorfully-painted buildings.  “People paint their house yellow, white, red, blue and I said, ‘Wow, there’s so much paint in this country!'” Delgarde says.” I said, ‘When I get money in this country, I’m going to buy paint and take paint back home.'”

From that idea, Global Paint for Charity was born. Delgarde, who is 38 and works as a health care consultant, states the mission: “to recycle leftover paint from businesses and residents, processes it and then donate it to vulnerable families in developing countries all around the world.”