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First Lady Supports Robin Roberts Coming Out As Gay

By goodblacknews on December 31, 2013

Robin Roberts and Michelle Obama
LOS ANGELES — Michelle Obama (pictured) is leading an outpouring of support for Robin Roberts, after the “Good Morning America” news anchor gave her first public acknowledgement of her 10-year, same-sex relationship with massage therapist Amber Laign.
The First Lady wrote Monday on Twitter:

I am so happy for you and Amber! You continue to make us all proud.

In a Facebook post Sunday, Roberts thanked her “longtime girlfriend” for providing encouragement during Roberts’ battle with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood and bone marrow disease.  Many celebs also took to Twitter to send Roberts messages, including Ellen DeGeneres, who tweeted, “Good morning, America! Congratulations.”
Comedian Wanda Sykes wrote, “Go on with your bad self!”
Country singer Chely Wright, who came out in 2010, also expressed support through the social media site.
article via newsone.com

25 Year-Old Contest Winner Mandla Maseko To Become First Black African In Space

By goodblacknews on December 27, 2013

Mandla Maseko
According to The Guardian, Mandla Maseko (pictured) from Mabopane township near Pretoria will be blasted 62 miles into orbit in 2015 after winning space academy competition. Born and raised in a township, Maseko, who is a DJ, has spent his life at the mercy of the heavens. “Once it rains, the lights go out,” the 25-year-old said. “I do know the life of a candle.” But from this humblest of launchpads, Maseko is poised to defy the laws of physical and political gravity by becoming the first black African in space.
The DJ is among 23 young people who saw off 1 million other entrants from around the world to emerge victorious in the Lynx Apollo Space Academy competition. Their prize is to be blasted 62 miles into orbit aboard a Lynx mark II shuttle in 2015. “It’s crazy,” said Maseko, the son of a toolmaker and cleaning supervisor. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I’m envious of myself. “I’m not trying to make this a race thing but us blacks grew up dreaming to a certain stage. You dreamed of being a policeman or a lawyer but you knew you won’t get as far as pilot or astronaut. Then I went to space camp and I thought, I can actually be an astronaut.”
He will be the second South African in space following Mark Shuttleworth, a white entrepreneur and philanthropist who bought a seat on a Russian Soyuz capsule for £12m and spent eight days on board the international space station in 2002.  Maseko’s father, who grew up in such poverty that he got his first pair of shoes when he was 16, was determined that his children would never go hungry. Maseko and his four younger siblings were brought up in a simple brick house with access to electricity and running water. “I don’t remember going to bed without having eaten,” he said. “My dad provided for us. He is my hero, and then Nelson Mandela comes after.”

LeBron James is Named AP Male Athlete of the Year

By goodblacknews on December 26, 2013

LeBron JamesMIAMI (AP) — The only thing that keeps LeBron James up worrying at night is basketball, which simultaneously makes perfect sense and no sense.  On one hand, he’s the game’s best player.  On the other, he’s rarely impressed with himself.  Even after a year like 2013 — when a spectacular wedding, a second NBA championship and a fourth MVP award were among the many highlights enjoyed by the Miami Heat star — he still is, as he puts it, striving for greatness. Or, technically, more greatness, since his enormous list of accomplishments just keeps growing.
James was announced Thursday as The Associated Press’ 2013 male athlete of the year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since 1931. James received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beating Peyton Manning (20) and Jimmie Johnson (7).
“I’m chasing something and it’s bigger than me as a basketball player,” James told the AP. “I believe my calling is much higher than being a basketball player. I can inspire people. Youth is huge to me. If I can get kids to look at me as a role model, as a leader, a superhero … those things mean so much, and that’s what I think I was built for. I was put here for this lovely game of basketball, but I don’t think this is the biggest role that I’m going to have.”
LEBRON DUNK 1: An amazing pass from Wade
LEBRON DUNK 2: Even better catch on this one
Past winners include Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps. Serena Williams was the AP Female Athlete of the Year, announced Wednesday.

After 11 Years in Prison for Murder He Didn't Commit, L.A. Man DeAndre Howard is Free

By goodblacknews on December 22, 2013

first evening as a free man with his niece Briana Brown, 7, step daughters, friends and family at his aunt Valdine Brown's home in Torrance on DECEMBER 21, 2013. He spent a decade behind bars for a fatal shooting in 2002 but after filing appeals was found not guilty by a jury and released Friday evening. ( Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times )
first evening as a free man with his niece Briana Brown, 7, step daughters, friends and family at his aunt Valdine Brown’s home in Torrance on DECEMBER 21, 2013. He spent a decade behind bars for a fatal shooting in 2002 but after filing appeals was found not guilty by a jury and released Friday evening. ( Bob Chamberlin / Los Angeles Times )

DeAndre Howard spent more than a decade in prison for a murder he knew he didn’t commit. After years of fighting for his innocence from behind bars, a federal judge had finally granted him an appeal. Prosecutors, he said, gave him a choice.  He could plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and get out in time for a Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Or he could go back to trial and risk spending the rest of his life in prison.

He chose trial. That felt final. It felt right. “There was no need to compromise your integrity just so you can go free,” he said. “I felt that’s something you have to hold firm to even if your life is on the line.”  On Friday, after 11 years behind bars, Howard, 31, walked out of a courtroom in downtown Los Angeles a free man after a jury acquitted him of murder and attempted murder.
Dressed in a black jumpsuit from county jail, he had trouble finding a pay phone. Someone let him borrow a cellphone. He made several calls to relatives who weren’t expecting his release until several days later. A cousin picked him up at a bus stop near the courthouse.  “I was looking at all the buildings and breathing the nice cold air,” he said. “This was freedom.”

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

Alexis Wilkinson Becomes 1st Black Female President of Harvard Lampoon Magazine

By goodblacknews on December 20, 2013

Wilkinson_AlexisThe Harvard Lampoon, a respected humor magazine founded in 1876 and that serves as a pipeline to major comedy shows, has selected two women that are making a lot of history at the publication.
Alexis Wilkinson and Eleanor Parker represent the first time two women are leading the venerable magazine. Wilkinson is the first African-American president and the first black woman to earn the top job.  Parker, also African-American, will serve as vice president.
Wilkinson told NPR she didn’t set out to make history for the magazine, but along the way realized it was going to happen.  Parker said she thinks their place atop the magazine will make it easier for other women to get involved. They’re “hoping that having two women at the lead of the magazine encourages women on campus to apply and get involved and get excited about writing comedy.”
The moves come as Saturday Night Live has faced criticism for not having any black women in its cast. Recently, it held auditions exclusively for African-American women, and there are reportedly three finalists in the running.  Wilkinson said she paid attention to the conversation because of how important Saturday Night Live was to her growing up.

Ira Curry: Georgia Mega Millions Winner To Claim $173.8 Million

By goodblacknews on December 20, 2013

Ira-Curry
Georgia lottery officials said a Mega Millions winner came forward today to claim her share of the $636 million jackpot.  Ira Curry, of Stone Mountain, Ga., is $318 million richer and is one of two lucky ticket holders who will split the second largest jackpot in the game’s history.  Lottery officials said Curry purchased the ticket in Atlanta at Gateway Newsstand and chose the numbers herself by picking family birthdays and throwing in the lucky number seven.
Georgia Lottery chief executive Debbie Alford said Curry, who has so far stayed out of the spotlight, plans to take the lump sum payout, a cool $123 million after taxes.  A second winning ticket was sold in San Jose, Calif., at Jenny’s Gift Shop, California lottery officials said. That person has not yet come forward.  The winning numbers from Tuesday night’s drawing were: 8, 14, 17, 20, 39; Mega Ball: 7.
The $636 million jackpot grew from a modest $12 million prize in October. Twenty-one winless drawings later, it became the second-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history, according to lottery officials. The record jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions prize in March 2012.  Last October, Mega Millions changed its rules to increase the jackpot by lowering the odds of winning. The chance of winning the jackpot is now about 1 in 259 million. Before the rules changed, the odds were 1 in 176 million.
Mega Millions revamped its game after Powerball ticket prices doubled from $1 to $2 in January 2012, accounting for the swelling jackpots and tons of media attention.  Mega Millions is played in 43 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
article via newsone.com

Florida School Named After KKK Grand Wizard Gets A New Name

By goodblacknews on December 20, 2013

Florida school name change: Members of the audience applaud after a Florida school board votes to change the name of a school named for a confederate general: Members of the audience applaud after the Duval County School Board, in Jacksonville, Fla., voted unanimously on Dec. 16, 2013, to change the name of Nathan B. Forrest High School, named for a Confederate general and honorary Ku Klux Klan leader.
Members of the audience applaud after the Duval County School Board, in Jacksonville, Fla., voted unanimously on Dec. 16, 2013, to change the name of Nathan B. Forrest High School, named for a Confederate general and honorary Ku Klux Klan leader. (AP Photo: The Florida Times-Union, Bob Self)

A major coup has been won by the students at the controversial Nathan B. Forrest High School in Jacksonville, Fla. After 54 years of ignoring the wishes of protestors who argued that the school should not be named after an American Civil War Confederate lieutenant-general and later served as a Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard, the educational facility will now finally be receiving a new moniker, reportsWPTV.
The Duval County School Board voted on Monday, 7-0 that the high school, which has a predominantly Black student body, will choose between the names of “Westside” and “Firestone” in January.  When the high school opened its doors back in 1959 during the middle of the Civil Rights era, district school officials at the time chose to name it after Nathan B. Forrest (pictured), who had also been a slave trader. Under the Confederate lieutenant general’s orders, his troops massacred Black union soldiers at a Tennessee fort. Forrest then went on to serve as the first Grand Wizard of the KKK in 1867.
Under his leadership, he and his dragoons launched a campaign of midnight attacks, which included whipping and killing Black voters and White Republicans to scare them from voting and running for office.
The high school name change was actually spearheaded this go-round by Ty Richmond, a parent who set up a Change.org petition that garnered 162,150 signatures. Many attempts had been made previously to get board members to change the high school’s name but to no avail.

Robin Roberts Reaches New, Long-Term Deal With ABC

By goodblacknews on December 20, 2013
robin roberts abc deal

Good Morning America host Robin Roberts (pictured) has reached a new deal with ABC, according to the New York Post.  Per sources, the deal is worth between $13 and $14 million a year. However, another source closer to ABC says it is “less than $10 million.”  “Over a month ago, they quietly inked a new, long-term, very high seven-figure deal with Robin that will keep [her] at the company for years to come . . . it was a friendly negotiation,” commented a source with inside knowledge. “Robin’s been [at ABC News] for over 20 years . . . and will be a leader there for a very long time to come.”

The source says Roberts appreciated the network’s understanding of her recent medical issues.  In June 2012, Roberts announced on air that she had been diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome, a rare blood disorder. After undergoing a successful bone marrow transplant in September of that year, Roberts took a six month sabbatical from GMA to convalesce. She returned to the show full time after Labor Day weekend.  “She made it clear to her reps that she wanted them to drive a fair deal but didn’t want to create any kind of bidding war,” the source revealed.

Congress Passes Bipartisan Budget Agreement, Avoids Another Shutdown

By goodblacknews on December 18, 2013

The Capital is mirrored in the Capital Reflecting Pool on Capitol Hill in Washington early Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2013. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has sent President Barack Obama a modest, bipartisan budget pact designed to avert another U.S. government shutdown and ease the harshest effects of automatic budget cuts.  Obama’s signature was assured on the measure, which lawmakers in both parties and at opposite ends of the Capitol said they hoped would curb budget brinkmanship and prevent more shutdowns in the near future.  The final vote on the measure was 64-36 in the Senate. The House approved the bill last week.
The product of intensive year-end talks, the measure met the short-term political needs of Republicans, Democrats and the White House.  As a result, there was no suspense about the outcome of the vote in the Senate — only about fallout in the 2014 elections and, more immediately, its impact on future congressional disputes over spending and the nation’s debt limit.
The measure will restore $45 billion, half the amount scheduled to be automatically cut from the 2014 operating budgets of the Pentagon and some domestic agencies, lifting them above $1 trillion. An additional $18 billion for 2015 would provide enough relief to essentially freeze spending at those levels for the year.  The budget deal marks a modest accomplishment for the divided and often dysfunctional Congress.