Press "Enter" to skip to content

Posts published in “U.S.”

Father, Son to Graduate Morehouse College Together

By goodblacknews on May 17, 2013
(Photo courtesy of NBC Atlanta)
Dorian Joyner Jr. and Dorian Joyner Sr., Both Members of the 2013 Graduating Class of Morehouse College (Photo courtesy of NBC Atlanta)

ATLANTA — This weekend will be a busy one for Dorian Joyner, Sr. Sunday morning, he will watch his oldest son graduate from Morehouse College.  Joyner will have a front row seat for commencement.  After all, he will be a fellow graduate himself.
Joyner started his Morehouse journey back in 1984, but never finished. Three years ago, he decided it was time to come back. By then his son, Dorian Joyner, Jr. was already a freshman.  When the younger Joyner heard his father was coming back to Morehouse, he admits, it was a shock at first.
“I said, ‘oh, you’re coming back to visit some of your friends?’” he remembered. “And [Dorian Senior] said ‘no, I’m coming back to be a student.’ I said – can you repeat that?”  While most kids come to college to get away from their parents, Dorian Junior says he never felt like he was under his father’s thumb.
“We used to have a support system. Sometimes he would come to my room to ask about a problem or a class or a professor to take,” he said.  Daddy Dorian, who allows his son to call him by his first name on campus, said the two have their own friends and schedules, so their paths rarely intersect.  But after three years of learning from and pushing each other, the two have a bond that goes deeper that father and son.
article by Blayne Alexander via thegrio.com

President Obama, First Lady Address Graduates at HBCUs

By goodblacknews on May 17, 2013
First lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement speech during the Bowie State University graduation ceremony at the Comcast Center on the campus of the University of Maryland May 17, 2013 in College Park, Maryland. Obama received and Honorary Doctor of Laws degree before addressing the 600 graduates of Maryland's oldest historically black university and one of the ten oldest in the country. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
First lady Michelle Obama delivers the commencement speech during the Bowie State University graduation ceremony at the Comcast Center on the campus of the University of Maryland May 17, 2013 in College Park, Maryland. Obama received and Honorary Doctor of Laws degree before addressing the 600 graduates of Maryland’s oldest historically black university and one of the ten oldest in the country. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Graduation season is under way and students and their families are joined by a few special guests as they celebrate their achievement.  Among them: President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, who are addressing students at several of the nation’s historically black colleges and universities at graduation ceremonies this year.
On Sunday, the president will make his way to Atlanta, Georgia to address the graduating class at Morehouse College — a landmark all-male school that once enrolled civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King at the age of 15.
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack and senior adviser to the president Valerie Jarrett are also participating in commencement exercises at HBCUs.  So far, Secretary Vilsack has addressed graduates at Tuskegee University, where he also received an honorary degree. Meanwhile, Mrs. Obama  delivered a speech at Bowie State University on Friday.
Aside from President Obama’s highly-anticipated arrival at Morehouse College in the coming days, Jarrett and Secretary Duncanare were expected to participate in commencement services at Clark Atlanta University and Morgan State University this weekend.
article by Lilly Workneh via thegrio.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr. Named Sports Illustrated's Top-Earning American Athlete in 2013

By goodblacknews on May 16, 2013
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, poses for photos with his father, Floyd Mayeather Sr. after defeating Robert Guerrero by unanimous decision in a WBC welterweight title fight, Saturday, May 4, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)
Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, poses for photos with his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. after defeating Robert Guerrero by unanimous decision in a WBC welterweight title fight, Saturday, May 4, 2013, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Floyd Mayweather Jr. tops Sports Illustrated’s list of highest-earning American athletes for the second consecutive year, according to Sports Illustrated.  The welterweight boxer is projected to make a minimum of $90 million this year, but could potentially earn as much as $128 million.  The list, entitled “The Fortunate 50,” combines salary, endorsements, and winnings to determine an athlete’s yearly earnings.  This year four out of the top five athletes on the list are African-American.  
Number two on the list, LeBron James, is set to make roughly $56.5 million in 2013, and NFL quarterback Drew Brees is ranked at number three, with anticipated earnings of $47.8 million.  Rounding out the top five are Los Angeles Laker Kobe Bryant, taking home an estimated $46.8 million, and professional golfer Tiger Woods, earning about $40.8 million.  
Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose broke into the top 10 this year for the first time.  Despite sitting out the 2012-2013 NBA season, Rose lands at No. 7 on the list. With several major endorsement deals, including Adidas and Powerade, Rose is expected to make $33 million this year.  Click here to view the whole Sport’s Illustrated “Fortunate 50″ list.
article by Carrie Healey via thegrio.com

Basquiat Painting Fetches Record $48.8 Million in NY

By goodblacknews on May 16, 2013
Jean-Michel Basquiat's painting titled "Dustheads" sold for $48.8 million at a May 15 auction. (Image courtesy of AP/NBC New York)
Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting titled “Dustheads” sold for $48.8 million at a May 15 auction. (Image courtesy of AP/NBC New York)

Jean-Michel Basquiat’s painting titled “Dustheads” sold for $48.8 million yesterday at Christie’s at a sale of postwar and contemporary art in New York, setting a new auction record for Basquiat.  His “Untitled,” a painting of a black fisherman, held the previous record when it sold for $26.4 million last November.  Also breaking world auction prices for artists were works by Roy Lichtenstein and Jackson Pollock.

Lichtenstein’s “Woman with Flowered Hat” fetched $56 million. A classic example of pop art, the 1963 painting is based on Pablo Picasso’s portrait of his lover Dora Maar.  An important drip painting by Pollock, “Number 19,” realized a record $58.3 million.  Christie’s says Wednesday’s auction brought in $495 million, the highest total at any art auction.

article via nbcnewyork.com

Dr. Dre, Jimmy Iovine Donate $70M for New Arts and Technology Center at USC

By goodblacknews on May 15, 2013
Music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine, left, and hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre at a Grammy Party in Los Angeles. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California, the school announced Tuesday, May 14. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP, file)
Music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine, left, and hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre at a Grammy Party in Los Angeles. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California, the school announced Tuesday, May 14. (Photo by Todd Williamson/Invision/AP, file)
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Hip-hop mogul Dr. Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, and music industry entrepreneur Jimmy Iovine have donated a combined $70 million to create a new institute at the University of Southern California, the school announced Tuesday night.
The huge gift from the two who have been music business partners in the past will be used to create the Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy for Arts, Technology and the Business of Innovation.
The academy will provide a special four-year program for undergraduates whose interests span several fields from marketing to computer science to visual design and other arts. It will include one-on-one faculty mentoring with professors from programs around the university and interaction with entertainment industry luminaries.

5-Year-Old Nathaniel Dancy Jr. Uses ABCs to Save Dad's Life

By goodblacknews on May 15, 2013

Nathaniel Dancy jrA 5-year-old Newark, NJ boy became a hero after he used quick thinking and A-B-C skills to save his father’s life last week. 
The two were driving home from buying Nathaniel Dancy Jr. school shoes when Nathaniel Sr. suffered an aneurysm and stroke, making him violently ill, according to a report by New York’s NBC Channel 4 News.  He was able to pull the car over, but then got out of the car, vomited, and became paralyzed by a seizure. That’s when Nathaniel Jr., who is in kindergarten, sprang into action, grabbing his dad’s phone and calling his grandmother.
“He said, ‘Come and help me and my daddy. We’re in trouble,’” Susan Hardy-Blackman told NBC New York. She asked him where they were, and, though her grandson was unable to read the sign on the store they were in front of, he spelled it for her: F-U-R-N-I-T-U-R-E. But she was still confused. And that prompted the young boy to be persistent well beyond his years.
“He said, ‘Grandma, use your active listening skills,’” she said. “‘Listen to the words that are coming out of my mouth.’” He gave her another clue, that they’d just gone through a tunnel, and Hardy-Blackman was able to go to them, where they were parked in front of a furniture store, and send an ambulance there, too. 
Brett Baker, director of operations at Nathaniel’s North Star Academy, told Yahoo! Shine that young Nathaniel is “a very caring individual,” and that he was proud to know the school’s emphasis of core values “really helped him seize the moment, as it were.”  Doctors say that Nathaniel Sr., who remains hospitalized, is lucky to be alive.
article by Beth Greenfield via shine.yahoo.com

Wet Seal to Settle Pennsylvania Race Discrimination Suit for $7.5 Million

By goodblacknews on May 14, 2013
Wet Seal

From Clutch Magazine:
Wet Seal has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle a class action discrimination case that originated when three African-American store workers from Delaware County filed a complaint last year claiming Wet Seal, Inc. fired them because they didn’t fit the store’s image. Of that total amount, $5.58 million will go to current and former managers who are African-American.
In 2009, Nicole Cogdell, a manager at Wet Seal’s King of Prussia store, pulled together her team to welcome visiting corporate staff. Cogdell said she overheard an executive vice president tell a district manager during the visit that Cogdell “wasn’t the right fit for the store” and that the vice president “wanted someone with blonde hair and blue eyes.”
Cogdell was fired days later and was told by her district manager that she was fired for being African-American.  In one email, an executive wrote: “Store Teams – need diversification African American dominate – huge issue.”  Cogdell issued a statement through the NACCP Legal Defense and Educational Fund.  “Being targeted for termination from a job I loved because of my race was a nightmare,’ Cogdell said in the statement.
Read the rest of this story on Clutch Magazine.

DAR in Norwalk Makes History with 1st African-American Regent Autier Allen-Craft

By goodblacknews on May 11, 2013

NORWALK, Conn. — Autier Allen-Craft, the first African-American member of the Daughters of the American Revolution in Connecticut, was inducted last week as regent of Norwalk-Village Green Chapter, according to a statement from the group.
“There are many African-American women who are not aware that they have Patriot ancestors,” Allen-Craft said. “An estimated 5,000 black soldiers fought on the patriot side during the Revolutionary War. Their female ancestors are entitled to become members of the CTDAR. My goal is to assist African-Americans, as well as any other resident of Norwalk who believes she is a descendant, become a member.”
As the new regent, Allen-Craft said she is looking forward to growing the chapter’s membership.
“Our registrar will help compile the research material and submit the required paperwork needed to become members of the Norwalk-Village Green Chapter of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. We welcome all inquiries.”
Allen-Craft is the second African-American to become a regent in Connecticut. Also, at the 120th annual state conference in Hartford on March 23, she was elected to the position of the South Western District director for the state of Connecticut.
For the past two years, Allen-Craft has been vice regent  for the Norwalk-Village Green Chapter, working with Pat Rubino, the outgoing regent.  
The Norwalk-Village Green Chapter was organized on Dec. 16, 1892. The society is made up of women who can trace their lineage back to one or more of the Revolutionary patriots. In keeping with a focus on history, education and patriotism, the local chapter was responsible for erecting many of the historical markers and monuments commemorating the history of Norwalk.
Allen-Craft’s two children, Jaylen and Aren Craft, belong to the Captain Stephen Betts Society of the Children of the American Revolution. They are the first African-American members in the state of Connecticut.

Michelle Obama, Prince Harry Honor Military Families at the White House

By goodblacknews on May 10, 2013
Michelle Obama and Prince Harry
WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 09: HRH Prince Harry (L), stands with first lady Michelle Obama during an event to honor military families at the White House on May 9, 2013 in Washington, DC. Prince Harry will be undertaking engagements on behalf of charities with which the Prince is closely associated on behalf also of HM Government, with a central theme of supporting injured service personnel from the UK and US forces. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
First Lady Michelle Obama played hostess to a royal on Thursday, as Britain’s Prince Harry dropped by to kick off a weeklong visit to the U.S.  The soldier-prince and Mrs. Obama hosted a pre-Mother’s Day tea for a group of military moms and their kids, with the prince even chipping in as the kids made gift bags for their mothers.

After that, Harry headed off to the Russell Senate Office Building, where he was treated like a rock star by a crowd of about 500 screaming onlookers (mostly women and girls).  Back home, Harry serves as a co-pilot gunner in the British Army, and has served in Afghanistan. Championing military families has been one of Mrs. Obama’s signature causes, along with Dr. Jill Biden, her partner in the Joining Forces initiative.
article via thegrio.com

Charles Ramsey, Rescuer of Amanda Berry, Recounts his Heroic Day to CNN's Anderson Cooper

By goodblacknews on May 8, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5elloa4kOc&w=560&h=315]
Charles Ramsey
On Monday, Charles Ramsey became a national hero.  Ramsey is the next door neighbor to the three Castro brothers, who allegedly held three women captive in a Cleveland home for more than a decade.  Ramsey says shortly after he’d returned home from McDonald’s on Monday, he heard “a girl going nuts” at the Castro house.

It was Amanda Berry. But Ramsey didn’t know who she was. He’d lived next door to the Castro brothers and barbequed with Ariel Castor in the back yard. But he’d never seen this young woman before.   “She said help me get out,” he says. “I figured it was a domestic violence dispute,” he told The Associated Press. The door would only open a crack, so he told her to kick out the screen.  “She comes out with a little girl and says ‘Call 911.’