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Posts published in “Family”

Read MLK’s Love Letter To Coretta Scott King

By goodblacknews on February 14, 2014

coretta-and-dr-king-6
We all know Martin Luther King Jr. was quite the speaker but, apparently, he was also something of a poet. On this Valentine’s Day, take a look back in time at his and Coretta Scott King’s incredible love story through a love letter he wrote her in the summer of 1952, a year before they were married. From Stanford University’s Martin Luther King, Jr., Papers Project:

Dearest,
Fortunately, I am in a better mood today. your letter was sweet and refreshing to my heart, which had well-nigh grown cold toward you. Of course I have become convinced in the last few days that my love for you is based on such a solid foundation that the stormy winds of anger cannot blow it assunder. Love is such a dynamic force isn’t it? It is the most inexplicable and yet the most beautiful force in life. O how joyous it is [to?] be in it.
Darling I miss you so much. In fact, much to much for my own good. I never realized that you were such an intimate part of my life. My life without you is like a year without a spring time which comes to give illumination and heat to the atmosphere which has been saturated by the dark cold breeze of winter. Can you imagine the frustration that a King without a throne would face? Such would be my frustration if I in my little kinghood could not reign at the throne of Coretta. O excuse my darling. I didn’t mean to go off on such a poetical and romantic flight. But how else can we express the deep emotions of life other than in poetry. Isn’t love to ineffable to be grasped by the cold calculating heads of intellect?
Read more.

article via newsone.com

First Lady Michelle Obama's Valentines Day Message to the President on Instagram

By goodblacknews on February 14, 2014

Michelle Obama Sends Valentines Day Message to the President Obama on InstagramHappy Valentine’s Day from America’s first couple!  The Oval Office is decidedly more heart-shaped today as Michelle Obama posted a Valentine’s Day message to her husband on Instagram.   “Hey Barack, I’ll always be your valentine! #HappyValentinesDay,” she wrote, next to three photos of herself and the president laughing and embracing.
The president and first lady are famously affectionate with each other year-round. But this year, they’re actually not planning anything major for Valentine’s Day – mostly because Michelle’s 50th birthday celebrations last month were so extensive.
“He celebrated me so well – he did a great job,” Michelle told Ryan Seacrest on his radio show this week. “I had a great couple of weeks, so I think we’re going to low-key it for Valentine’s Day. It feels like we just finished celebrating my birthday so I think we’ll low-key it.”

article by Tim Nudd via people.com

Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon Team with Scholastic to Create A Holiday Children’s Book for 2014

By goodblacknews on January 26, 2014
The “Queen of Christmas,” known for her best-selling holiday digital single “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” makes it no secret that she loves the holidays, and is preparing to release the couple’s first book in fall 2014 — just in time for the holiday season.
The celebrity couple have paired up with children’s book heavyweight Scholastic Press to publish the festive picture book, Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas. The book, which is a spin on the classic Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” will feature the couple’s twins Moroccan “Roc” Cannon and Monroe “Roe” Cannon. The illustrations will be handled by New York Times best-selling artist AG Ford.
The Carey-Cannon clan say they are “excited to work with the Scholastic team on our Roc and Roe picture book and we can’t wait until this holiday season. ”
“It’s been such a fun and collaborative process and we are thrilled to be working with Nick Cannon and Mariah Carey on this exciting project. Roc and Roe’s Twelve Days of Christmas is the perfect book to read with your little ones—an adorable spin on a classic tale, sprinkled with humor and heart,” said Ken Geist, VP and editorial director for Scholastic Press Picture Books.
This will be the first book for both Carey and Cannon, but knowing her love for Christmas this may not be her last festive collaboration. In the meantime, Carey is preparing her new album The Art of Letting Go to be released this spring. Cannon serves as the host of America’s Got Talent.
article by M.L. Ward via uptownmagazine.com

'She's My Champion': LeBron James Writes Tribute to his Single Mom

By goodblacknews on January 12, 2014

Maria Shriver will launch Monday on TODAY #DoingItAll, a series aimed at helping women overcome challenges described in “The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink,” published in partnership with Center for American Progress. LeBron James wrote the following essay for The Shriver Report. 

LeBron James on America's Single Mother
Photo courtesy of LeBron James / The Shriver Report

Gloria James raised her only child and future NBA phenomenon alone after becoming pregnant at 16. LeBron says it is her love and devotion that made it possible for him to pursue his dreams.
I am honored to participate in a project that is trying to help single mothers who are struggling to make a living and raise their kids, because that perfectly describes my mother when I was growing up. You think LeBron James is a champion? Gloria James is a champion too. She’s my champion.
My mother really struggled. She had me, her only child, when she was just 16 years old. She was on her own, so we lived in her mom’s great big house in Akron, Ohio. But on Christmas Day when I was 3 years old, my grandmother suddenly died of a heart attack, and everything changed. With my mom being so young and lacking any support and the skills and education necessary to get ahead, it was really hard for us.
We lost the house. We moved around from place to place—a dozen times in three years. It was scary. It was catch as catch can, scraping to get by. My mom worked anywhere and everywhere, trying to make ends meet. But through all of that, I knew one thing for sure: I had my mother to blanket me and to give me security. She was my mother, my father, my everything. She put me first. I knew that no matter what happened, nothing and nobody was more important to her than I was. I went without a lot of things, but never for one second did I feel unimportant or unloved.

The Newfound Success of Obamacare – More Than 6 Million Americans Covered So Far

By goodblacknews on January 1, 2014

ObamaCare-SuccessThe Obama administration announced on Tuesday that more than 6 million Americans have obtained health insurance through the new health care law, a major achievement for the president and his team, which has been sharply criticized for a sloppy rollout of “Obamacare” that included a website that barely functioned for weeks.
In the last three months, according to the administration, about 2.1 million Americans have enrolled in private health care plans through the law. Another 3.9 million have been determined eligible for either Medicaid or the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, both of which were expanded under the Affordable Care Act.
These numbers vindicated the administration, which had predicted that the struggles of October, when Americans across the country complained about the website, would not permanently harm the health care program. Only 106,000 Americans enrolled in private plans in October, far below expectations, but more than 1 million did in December. Administration officials had predicted enrollment would surge in December, as that was the deadline for purchasing insurance that would start by Jan 1.

Many African Americans Celebrate Kwanzaa Dec. 26 – Jan.1

By goodblacknews on December 24, 2013

unnamedLOS ANGELES — The seven-day festival of Kwanzaa will begin December 26.  It is a time when African Americans highlight their heritage.
Maulana Karenga, a black activist and African Studies professor, created Kwanzaa in 1966, to – as he said – “give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history.” Each day is dedicated to a different principle, and a candle is lit each night.  At a recent festival at the California African American Museum, Babe Evans explained the principles behind the upcoming holiday to a group of children.  The first is unity.  “Umoja.  It means a time to think about your ancestors, to think about the struggles that people have been through, so that you can now have a life that is much more open,” said Evans.
Kwanzaa is based on African themes.  Its principles are stated in the Swahili language, and the name Kwanzaa comes from a phrase meaning first fruits of the harvest.  “The second day, because it’s a seven-day ceremony, is Kujichagulia, and that means self-determination,” said Evans.  Collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith.  These round out the seven principles of Kwanzaa.
Gift-giving is a part of the holiday, but actor Jeffrey Anderson-Gunter says the celebration has not become commercialized, like Christmas.  “In Kwanzaa, we make our gifts.  All the kids will make something and give to each other, and then we have an abundance of food that’s shared,” said Anderson-Gunter.  In many African-American homes, Kwanzaa is celebrated along with Christmas. Writer Marsha Bullock, whose family is Christian, says that’s what her family does.  “We do Christmas, and then Kwanzaa starts directly the day after, so we do that too.  And then of course, my favorite part is the celebration where you get to eat everything,” said Bullock.
The festival will end January 1st with a feast with friends and family.
article via voanews.com

Special African-American Santa Holds Court At Macy’s in NYC

By goodblacknews on December 24, 2013
Macy's Special Santa
Crowds in the know come to see a special African-American Santa at Macy’s in Herald Square. (Credit: CBS 2)

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — Crowds in the know have been drawn to Macy’s to see the “special Santa,” an African-American Santa Claus tucked away in Santaland at the Macy’s flagship store in Herald Square.  As CBS 2’s Tracee Carrasco reported, the special Santa only appears by request. But he was the sole reason Elizabeth Kittles and her family made the trip from the Bronx Monday night.  “I could have gone anywhere,” Kittles said, “but I came right here to Macy’s because I knew they had an African-American Santa.”

When they reach the front of the line, parents must ask to see the special Santa. But Kittles said he is like a secret Santa to many.  “There was plenty of African-American families that didn’t know, and when I did tell them, one guy said, ‘They have a black Santa?’ (I said), ‘Yeah they do,’” Kittles said.  Kittles, who has been bringing her sons to see the special Santa at Macy’s for 10 years now, wishes the store would make sure more families know.
“An elf just told me as I was going through Santaland,” Kittles said. “It’s great that they have that option, but it would be great if they put it out there either on the visitors’ website or when they advertise when Santaland is open.”  Other parents who spoke to CBS 2 did not know about the special Santa either, but agreed with Kittles.  “I think it would mean a lot to some people; would make a difference for some people,” said Danielle Moriello of Linden, N.J. “It doesn’t matter what color he is.”
“It wouldn’t confuse the kids at all,” added Rafael Mendoza of Washington Heights. “It’s just the way you raise them up.” CBS 2 reached out to Macy’s for a comment about their special Santa. They responded, “Santa is all things to all who believe.”
article via newyork.cbslocal.com

Survey Finds Black Fathers are as Involved with Their Kids as Men of Other Races

By goodblacknews on December 22, 2013
On weekdays, Bryan August-Jones wakes before sunrise in his home in Watts. He gets his three sons dressed, then takes them to the baby sitter and to school. On weekends, they go on bike rides and out to eat. (Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times / December 19, 2013)
On weekdays, Bryan August-Jones wakes before sunrise in his home in Watts. He gets his three sons dressed, then takes them to the baby sitter and to school. On weekends, they go on bike rides and out to eat. (Mark Boster, Los Angeles Times / December 19, 2013)

Defying enduring stereotypes about black fatherhood, a federal survey of American parents shows that by most measures, black fathers who live with their children are just as involved as other dads who live with their kids — or more so.  For instance, among fathers who lived with young children, 70% of black dads said they bathed, diapered or dressed those kids every day, compared with 60% of white fathers and 45% of Latino fathers, according to a report released Friday by the National Center for Health Statistics.
Nearly 35% of black fathers who lived with their young children said they read to them daily, compared with 30% of white dads and 22% of Latino dads. The report was based on a federal survey that included more than 3,900 fathers between 2006 and 2010 — a trove of data seen as the gold standard for studying fatherhood in the United States. In many cases, the differences between black fathers and those of other races were not statistically significant, researchers said.
The findings echo earlier studies that counter simple stereotypes characterizing black fathers as missing in action. When it comes to fathers who live with their kids, “blacks look a lot like everyone else,” said Gretchen Livingston, a senior researcher at the Pew Research Center who has previously studied the topic. And in light of the negative stereotypes about black fathers, “that is a story in itself.”
In Watts, Bryan August-Jones battles the stereotype daily. Every weekday, he wakes his three sons before sunrise, gets them dressed, then ferries them to the baby sitter and to school. On weekends, he takes them bicycling or to Red Lobster, which his youngest son — “a little fancy guy” — prefers over McDonalds.  His Latina mother-in-law and her family think black men cannot be good fathers, but “I prove them wrong all the time,” August-Jones said.

First Lady Michelle Obama Helps Explain Obamacare Benefits For Parents

By goodblacknews on December 21, 2013

michelle obama obamacare
As the holidays approach, the Obama administration has drummed up its efforts to educate the public on the benefits of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Through press calls, a strong push in social media, and other methods, the Health Department has been dedicated in demystifying the the ACA and encouraging the use of the Health Insurance Marketplace. First Lady Michelle Obama (pictured left) adds to this new push by offering a heartfelt editorial for Babble on the importance of the Affordable Care Act for parents.

Late one night about 12 years ago, our baby daughter Sasha woke up sick. When we took her to our pediatrician the next morning, he took one look at her and sent us straight to the emergency room. He was worried that Sasha might have meningitis – and he was right, wrote the First Lady.
But we were lucky. While our finances weren’t exactly in great shape back then – we were still struggling to pay off our student loans and pay down our mortgage – we had health insurance. So during the three long days Sasha spent in the hospital, our only worry was about her health because we knew the bills would be covered. And fortunately, while her care must have been terribly expensive, it didn’t come anywhere near triggering her lifetime insurance caps.

The emphasis of the piece was the Affordable Care Act’s elimination of insurance cap limits set by companies and the now-illegal practice of denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions. In times past before the historic passing of the bill, families struggled to keep up with expensive premiums as a result of health conditions, such as asthma, cancer, or diabetes.
Additionally, the children of these working families remained on their parents’ coverage but eventually faced the looming specter of aging out. As the First Lady notes in her piece, the Affordable Care Act provides many safeguards against the detrimental insurance practices of the past. Now children can remain on their parents’ coverage until the age of 26.
Pre-existing conditions adding to higher costs are now a thing of the past, and there are no longer cap limits on insurance. Uninsured families can now visit HealthCare.gov and choose from a list of affordable plans; they may even qualify for assistance for the monthly premiums. Read First Lady Michelle Obama’s special op-ed here.
article by D.L. Chandler via newsone.com

Black Santa Brings Spirit and Cheer at South Los Angeles Mall

By goodblacknews on December 17, 2013

Jahleel Logan, 3, poses with Santa, a.k.a. Langston Patterson, 77, of Rudolph Holiday Photo, at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Dec. 7, 2013. Patterson has been Santa at the Plaza since 2004, with African American families coming at specific times of the day, just to visit him. "I just don't want him to think that all greatness comes from a different race," said Logan's godmother, Arlene Graves, 45. "There are Santa Clauses his color doing good work too." (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
Jahleel Logan, 3, poses with Santa, a.k.a. Langston Patterson, 77, at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, Dec. 7, 2013. Patterson has been Santa at the Plaza since 2004, with African American families coming at specifically just to visit him. “I just don’t want him to think that all greatness comes from a different race,” said Logan’s godmother, Arlene Graves, 45. “There are Santa Clauses his color doing good work too.” (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

Dressed in a red Santa suit, white beard and rimless glasses balanced on his nose, Langston Patterson sits on a velvet couch and waits for his adoring fans.  Some call first to make sure he will be there. They come from Palmdale, Thousand Oaks and San Bernardino, driving past many shopping malls with Santas, but none that look like him.  For nearly a decade, Patterson has been the main attraction at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza during Christmastime: a rare black Santa Claus in a sea of white ones.

The mall, located in the heart of black Los Angeles, is one of the few in the country with a black Santa Claus. Some say Patterson is the only black shopping-mall Santa Claus in the Los Angeles area.  As visitors approached him on a recent afternoon, it was hard to tell who was more excited: the youngsters or the adults. The parents are the most loyal. They return with grandchildren, passing on a family tradition with a deep personal meaning.
“We need our kids to understand that good things happen in chocolate skin,” said Til Prince, 50, of Palmdale, watching her granddaughter, niece and her niece’s son pose with Patterson. “We are often bombarded with the opposite. We’re not trying to exclude anybody, but [instead] celebrate our chocolate skin.”