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University of California, San Diego Honors Sojourner Truth with Life-Size Bronze Statue

By goodblacknews on February 19, 2015

Sojourner Truth Statue at UCSD
The University of California, San Diego, recently unveiled a new life-size bronze sculpture of Sojourner Truth. Born into slavery, Sojourner Truth became a leading abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights.
The statue, displayed on the campus of Marshall College, is the work of local artist Manuelita Brown, a graduate of the University of California, San Diego. Brown stated that “Sojourner Truth serves as a drum major for social justice, equity and voting rights. It is my hope that the brilliant students and graduates of UC San Diego will be reminded each day as they walk past her of what they can accomplish with a superior education.”
At the ceremony unveiling the new sculpture, Pradeep K. Khosla, chancellor of the University of California San Diego noted that “centrally located, hundreds of campus and local community members will pass by Sojourner Truth each day. Her presence will serve to start conversations about who she was and what she stood for, a reminder of her influence and the need to continually address racial and gender equality.”
According to the latest U.S. Department of Education figures, Blacks make up only 1 percent of the undergraduate student body at the University of California, San Diego. Under state law, race cannot be considered in admissions decisions at the university.
article via jbhe.com

"Empire" Hits New High with 6th Week of Growth and over 13 Million Viewers

By goodblacknews on February 19, 2015
Empire Ratings Fox
According to Variety.com, primetime television has never seen a ratings growth story like Fox’s smash hit drama “Empire,” which continued to defy the odds on Wednesday night by drawing a series-high audience for a sixth consecutive week.
In its 7th week of airing, “Empire” moved above the 13-million mark in total viewers for the first time (13.02 million).  As a result, it gained week to week by a big 8% in the 18-49 demographic and 9% in total viewers; and vs. its premiere on Jan. 7, it’s up 37% in 18-49 and 32% in total viewers.
Since debuting with 9.9 million viewers on Jan. 7, “Empire” has grown with each week in total viewers: 10.32 million, 11.07 million, 11.35 million, 11.47 million, 11.96 million and now roughly 12.9 million. In 18-49, it has set highs with five of its six episodes following its premiere, which did a 3.8 rating/11 share: 4.0/12, 4.4/13, 4.3/13, 4.6/14, 4.8/15 and now 5.2/15.
Compared to its premiere, last night’s “Empire” was up 34% in adults 18-49, 55% in adults 18-34 and 30% in total viewers.
Additionally, in social media tracking, last night’s “Empire” episode generated a whopping 615,461 tweets on Twitter during its on-air broadcast. (By comparison, AMC’s “The Walking Dead” drew 243,986 on Sunday.
article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson (follow @lakinhutcherson)

Bronx Native Lt. Col Merryl Tengesdal Becomes 1st Black Female U-2 Pilot in History

By goodblacknews on February 18, 2015

Lt. Col. Merryl Tengesdal stands in front of a U-2 Feb. 9, 2015, at Beale Air Force Base, Calif. Tengesdal is the only black female U-2 pilot in history. Tengesdal is the 9th Reconnaissance Wing inspector general and a U-2 pilot. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Bobby Cummings)
Lt. Col Merryl Tengesdal, a Bronx native, has become the first African-American female to ever pilot the U-2 — an ultra-high altitude reconnaissance aircraft used for intelligence gathering and can fly up to altitudes of 70,000 feet.
According to an article by the United States Air Force, “As a child she imagined flying amongst the stars, thousands of miles above the earth’s surface, and today Lt. Col. Merryl Tengesdal is one of eight female pilots to ever fly the U-2 and the only black female pilot during the aircraft’s history.”
The article also goes on to say that she has been recommended for promotion to colonel as well.
“I have seen the curvature of the earth,” Tengesdal said. “I have seen sights most people will never see. Flying at more than 70,000 feet is really beautiful and peaceful. I enjoy the quiet, hearing myself breathing, and the hum of the engine. I never take it for granted.”
Aug. 1, 2015, will mark the 60th anniversary of the U-2; making it one of the few aircraft to operate in the U.S. Air Force for more than 50 years.  The U-2 first flew in 1955, in the same year the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott and the Civil Rights Movement began, setting the stage for desegregation.
“The Air Force has always been on the forefront of breaking aviation and racial barriers,” Tengesdal said. “I am extremely proud of being the first black female U-2 pilot in history.”
The U-2 provides high-altitude intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance in direct support of national objectives. The aircraft enables the capture of imagery and delivers intelligence to decision makers worldwide.
These missions are often at altitudes equivalent to approximately 13 miles.  Pilots are required to wear full pressure suits during flight, similar to those astronauts wear. According to many aviation experts, limited visibility caused by the required helmets, along with the U-2’s bicycle landing gear, makes it arguably the most difficult aircraft to land.
“Every aircraft I’ve flown has something unique,” Tengesdal said. “The U-2 is no exception. I enjoy the challenge of landing on two wheels.”
Tengesdal is no stranger to challenges. The colonel acknowledged that during her childhood, there were many opportunities for her to stray down the wrong path.
“Drugs and alcohol were prevalent in my hometown, but I was influenced to pursue other aspirations,” she said.
With guidance from her mother and teachers, she excelled in high school, particularly in math and science. After high school, she attended the University of New Haven in Connecticut and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in electrical engineering. Afterward, she attended Officer Candidate School in the Navy, commissioned as an ensign in September 1994, and attended flight training shortly after.

OPINION: Racebent "Frozen" Fan Art Reminds Us That Representation Matters

By goodblacknews on February 17, 2015

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One Tumblr artist struck a nerve when she re-imagined the main characters from “Frozen” as Black girls. Here’s why haters need to find their chill.
Earlier this week, I saw some “Frozen” fan art from Brazilian artist Juliajm15 that gave me all of the warm fuzzies. It depicted the sisters Queen Elsa and Princess Anna as young Black women in remixed scenes. Julia didn’t just dip the original characters in chocolate, either! She gave her recreations afro-centric features and gloriously curly hair. Not only that, but that art style was so close to Disney’s traditional animation that it looked like concept art for film. It. Was. Everything!
When Buzzfeed posted the pieces online, it pointed to the “absolutely stunning” pics as an example of racebending. For those unfamiliar with the word “racebending,” it’s a term born of the egregious white‑washing in M.Night Shyamalan’s “The Last Airbender.” It was based on Nickelodeon’s hit cartoon “Avatar: The Last Airbender,” and the main characters that were obviously meant to be Brown and Asian were played by Caucasian actors. Shocker: all of the villains were Brown people. It’s not that M.Night couldn’t cast Asian actors that would better resemble the characters on the TV show, though, because he had plenty of them running through the background.
tumblr_njkzgpXhj81rqsahko2_500Anyway, many from the digital community have put the idea of racebending on its head by creating ethnic versions of their favorite characters from books, film and TV. It’s a fairly common practice among online artists. Julia, in particular, has gone on a run of re-doing Disney heroines with an Indian version of Rapunzel and a Latina incarnation of Merida from “Brave.” Her work is flaw-free. Go check it out. You will live for her human version of Nala.
It’s all for fun, but some Disnephiles are not feeling her vision. There are grown people having full-on conniptions over someone drawing the characters as Black. The problem for them, supposedly, is that her art is not accurate to the fable’s Scandanavian origins. There will be privilege-laced arguments–nasty little flame wars–all to defend the idea that the characters should remain as originally created…which is White. To that, I say, “Girl, bye.” God forbid anyone should use their creativity to imagine the beloved characters as an under-represented segment of society.
Julia’s not suggesting that Disney should re-do the movies to include Black people. She’s creating a reflection of herself (and many little girls that love Disney movies) that is missing from the cultural landscape in a fun little project. People want to see a piece of themselves in the art that they enjoy. In an odd way, it’s a form of validation that people who look like you matter, and that you can be an important part of a larger narrative. And in the case of Disney films, there has not been a great track record of having Black characters in their feature animation films. It took Disney 72 yeas to put a Black princess on screen. When we finally did get one with “The Princess And The Frog,” they turned her into an animal for a majority of the film. I love the movie, but WTF! That’s only after having two movies set in Africa with not one Black character in them (“The Lion King” and “Tarzan”).
However, this is not just a problem limited to Disney. It is still a huge surprise when people of color (whether Black, Asian or Latino) are present in the main cast of anything. Whenever a new project is announced, I find myself looking to see if there are any Black characters in the cast. Not that the lack of having a Black person on the cast will keep me from seeing the project, but there is still a twinge of disappointment when I do watch.

Tonight's CNN Special "Witnessed: The Assassination of Malcolm X" Hopes to Answer What Really Happened in Audubon Ballroom

By goodblacknews on February 17, 2015
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Almost 50 years ago, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, more popularly known as Malcolm X, who had risen to prominence as one of the most outspoken and public faces of the Nation of Islam, was gunned down inside the Audubon Ballroom in New York. And ever since his death Feb. 21, 1965, there has been speculation as to who had the civil rights leader murdered.
Some have argued that the government was complicit in his death; others have argued his public feud with NOI leader Elijah Muhammad may have led to his assassination. On Tuesday at 9 p.m., CNN premieres Witnessed: The Assassination of Malcolm X, a special report which asks some of those who were there when the shooting occurred—Earl Grant, former radio reporter Gene Simpson, Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasah Shabazz and Peter Bailey, an associate of Malcolm’s—to share their memories.
“We failed him, I tried to help him,” photographer and friend Grant cries, when describing the horrifying day inside the Audubon Ballroom, and “describes the chaotic moments after the shooting.” Grant takes viewers inside his private photo collection, sharing never-before-seen images of the civil rights icon.
Zaheer Ali, who served as project manager of the Malcolm X Project at Columbia University, leads an online experience at cnn.com that delves into the unanswered questions surrounding the assassination. Bailey describes Malcolm’s plan to expose injustices against black Americans before he was gunned down, and Simpson, who was in the front row of the Audubon Ballroom when Malcolm took the stage, discusses the first time he interviewed the civil rights leader.
article by Stephen A. Crockett Jr. via theroot.com

Reduced To Her Knees, Marathoner Hyvon Ngetich Refuses to Stop, Finishes Race In a Crawl (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on February 17, 2015

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After showing herself to be in the elite class of female runners at the Austin Marathon, Kenyan Hyvon Ngetich hit the wall — hard. She didn’t win, despite leading for most of the day. But the way Ngetich finished the race is being celebrated, because she did it by crawling, refusing to quit.
Her fortitude paid off: Even though she crept to the finish line, Ngetich finished third, with a time of 3:04:02.68.
As the crowd realized what was happening in front of them — that the race’s former leader was refusing to be put in a wheelchair that organizers brought out onto the course, and she was insisting on finishing under her own power — they cheered her on.
“Running, always, you have to keep going, going,” Ngetich told local TV station KEYE after the race. She said that she doesn’t recall the final 2 kilometers of the marathon or crossing the finish line.

http://youtu.be/T6UG9PaABc8

Ngetich accomplished her feat Saturday. But her story is still making headlines today and being cited as an inspiration, as more and more people discuss the elite runner who finished a marathon on all fours.
“I’ve seen athletes wobble and fall; I’ve seen athletes crawl across the finish line,” Austin Marathon Race Director Jon Conley told CBS News Monday. “But that story of her going 26 miles, and then crawling the last 450 feet or so — never seen anything like it.”
The women’s winner was Cynthia Jerop, who finished in 2:54:21.78. Ngetich finished some 10 minutes later — and just three seconds shy of second place. But after her display of will, Conley and the Austin Marathon adjusted Ngetich’s prize money to equal that of the second-place finisher.
article by Bill Chappell via npr.org

Talib Kweli’s Action Support Committee Raises Over $100,000 For Ferguson Activists

By lorilakinhutcherson on February 17, 2015

Talib Kweli Rare Portraits Gravitas
In the wake of former officer Darren Wilson’s shooting of Ferguson, Missouri teen Michael Brown that left Brown dead and Wilson a free man, dozens of protestors and organizers took to the Missouri streets. Some were pepper sprayed and even arrested, and in the midst of the unrest, hip hop artist and activist Talib Kweli helped establish a The Action Support Committee. The Committee aimed to raise $25,000 and disperse the money in the form of grants to those in need. Kweli addressed the Committee’s goals via the following written statement:

These are young men and women who have put their lives on hold to stand up for all of our freedoms. The overly militarized police force in Ferguson has attempted to criminalize them by harassing and throwing them in jail for exercising their right to peaceful protest. We hope these funds help to empower.

Led by Kweli, Donna Dragotta, and Autumn Marie, the Committee’s GoFundMe campaign surpassed the $25,000 goal and raised $112,052 before the fundraising campaign ended in January. The first $48,800 funding phase will be distributed as follows:
Jail & Bail Fund ($35,000), Artists as Tutors ($2,000), Revolutionary Reading Program ($2,000), Tech Impact Initiative ($2,000), Latino youth leadership program Juventud Raza Unida ($2,000), The Transitional Housing Program ($2,000) and Bereavement Fund ($3,800).
Additional funds are scheduled to be distributed to the Action Support Committee’s Revolution School and programs “committed to sustaining the recent momentum of social justice organizing.”
article by Omar Burgess via elev8.hellobeautiful.com

REVIEW: BET's "The Book of Negroes" Miniseries is a Compelling Look at a Slave's Journey

By goodblacknews on February 16, 2015
As a handsome period miniseries, “The Book of Negroes,” which premieres tonight on BET and continues through Wednesday, is a first for a network whose original offerings have often seemed something less than ambitious. That the miniseries is Canadian-made, based on a novel by African Canadian author Lawrence Hill, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jamaican-born Canadian director Clement Virgo, is noteworthy but does not diminish the moment. What would PBS be without the BBC?

The series’ provenance does mean that, as a story of slavery and escape from slavery, it differs in substance and theme from American tellings. The road here, which begins in Mali in 1761 and ends in London in 1807, runs through snowy Nova Scotia (by way of South Carolina, New York and Sierra Leone); in its recounting of the American Revolution, from the black (and Commonwealth) perspective, the British are better than villains and the colonists not quite heroes.
“The Book of Negroes,” which refers to a historical ledger of colonial African Americans granted freedom by the British for their help in the war, is itself a paean to names, words, storytelling and literacy, as containers of the past, organizers of the present and keys to the future. Its heroine is Aminata Diallo (Aunjanue Ellis, “The Help”), the bright, independent child of bright, independent parents; she has been trained as a midwife but dreams of being a jeli, or griot, an oral historian of her people.

The first hour, which follows Aminata from Mali to South Carolina, is the series’ most original and compelling. It’s powered by a deep, serious and at surprising times sweet performance by Shailyn Pierre-Dixon, now 11, who plays the young Aminata. The scenes in which she is captured and hustled on her way, through one strange experience after another, toward American slavery, have a sharp-focus dreaminess to them, a kind of horrible beauty. With little exposition, seen as they are from the point of view of one lacking words or context, they feel less played than lived through.
As the series progresses and history moves more swiftly by, its points are made more explicitly; the ironies float on the surface. (Colonial white Americans describe themselves as “slaves” to the British.) For some characters, the story arcs, whether of sin and redemption or of just desserts finally served, are fairly mathematical — sometimes at the expense of an emotional payoff. The story stays novel enough, nevertheless, and the understated tone of the production and performances keep the drama grounded. Hill and Virgo catch the ordinariness even in the awfulness — the creepy dailiness of the business of slavery, and the capability of those who profit from it to regard themselves just and even tender people. In the same way, to the opposite effects, they allow their protagonists daily lives and love; they are not victims all the time.
At the same time, “The Book of Negroes” is an adventure story, a straight-up classic romance. Lyriq Bent plays Chekura, Aminata’s longtime love interest.
The heroine’s fearless and clever character, the self-knowledge and self-possession her tormentors lack, and her gift for survival are fixed from first to last. She is sometimes thwarted but never altered. If this makes “The Book of Negroes” less psychologically complex than it otherwise might be, there are real pleasures and comforts to be had from it.
“The most capable woman I’ve ever seen,” New York innkeeper Sam Fraunces (Cuba Gooding Jr.), of Fraunces Tavern fame, calls her. (There is an old tradition, without much scholarly support, that Fraunces, who was nicknamed Black Sam, was of African descent; in any case, Hill goes with it.) Aminata holds on to her name; she trades slap for slap; no one can tell her what to do. She asks George Washington (a bit of an officious boob in this rendering), “Do you think the Negro will one day have his freedom like you Americans?”
“I’m afraid the general must be on his way,” his flack responds.
review by Robert Lloyd via latimes.com

Five Fun Apps to Upgrade Your Black History Knowledge

By goodblacknews on February 15, 2015

blackHistoryApps
(Image: BlackInvestors.com)

If there is one thing we should know, it’s that Black History is made every day. For example, Madame C.J. Walker, who created specialized hair products for African-American hair, paved the way for many women such as Lisa Price, founder of Carol’s Daughter, to start their own haircare companies. Frank Greene, considered one of the first black technologists, cleared the path for future innovators like Chinedu Echeruo, the Founder of Hopstop.com and Tripology.com.  And without a doubt, knowledge of your history can empower you to forge successfully into the future.

If you’re looking to learn more about history or discover other African Americans making their mark on the world, check out this list of Black History apps for your smartphone or tablet.Black Inventors Match Game: Celebrate African American inventors with best friends Myles and Ayesha as you learn who earned patents for everyday items such as the doorknob, the traffic light and lemon squeezer. Then test your IQ with a matching game. (Available for Android and iOS)

  • Then and Now Series: Black History: The Then and Now Series apps shed light on facts about different cultures. In the Black History edition, you can learn about 100 different people through biographies, images and links to video or music. Print or email the bios to share the knowledge with friends. (Available for iOS)
  • More Than a Mapp: Explore an interactive map and bring black history close to home—literally. Set your location, and nearby historically significant sites will illuminate on the map. Check out related links, photos and videos. Know of a significant location not shown? Send it in, wait for verification and create your own pinpoint for all to see and learn. (Available for Android and iOS)
  • Black History Quiz: Test your knowledge of important black figures with multiple-choice questions. If you don’t know an answer, learn as you go—you won’t be able to move onto the next question until you get it right. (Available for Android and via the Amazon App Store)
  • The Root: Update your perspective with The Root, an inclusionary news source that features writing by prominent African American writers. In addition to political, social, cultural and racial commentary, tune in to podcasts and view slideshows for an interactive, visual news experience. (Available for Android and iOS)

article by Kandia Johnson via blackenterprise.com

Marie Holmes, 26 Year-Old Mother of Four, Wins $188 Million of Powerball Jackpot

By goodblacknews on February 13, 2015
holmes

Marie Holmes (pictured) is one very lucky lady. The mother of four just happened to be one of Wednesday’s huge Powerball winners, and will share the $564 million jackpot. Holmes’ reported cut from the mega winnings will be a not-too-shabby $188 million before taxes, according to WGN-TV.

The 26-year-old Wilmington, North Carolina woman, who has a special needs child with cerebral palsy, is still reeling from the news. “I don’t think it’s really hit me,” she said. “I guess when it hits my account is when it’s really going to hit me, but I’m thankful that I can bless my kids with something that I didn’t have.”

Holmes, who does not regularly purchase lottery tickets, said she was struggling before her win.  Upon seeing that her numbers matched the winning Powerball drawing ones, Holmes thought she was going to have a heart attack and screamed so loudly, she scared her children, one boy and three girls.
So what will the young mom do with all of the money?  “First I ‘m going to pay my tithes because I wouldn’t have none of it if it wasn’t for God.  After that I’m going to set up accounts for my kids,” she told WGN-TV.   “And when we figure out where we’re going to live, I’m going to buy a house for me and my kids, then make sure my family is all good.”
Holmes, whose uncle actually sold her the winning ticket, was unemployed and looking for a job.  She is only too glad that now she no longer has to depend on anyone financially. “I don’t have to worry about the word struggle no more and neither do they (her children).”
Does Holmes have any trepidation with regards to how her entire life will now drastically change?
“I am ready for it, ready to embrace the change!  I am very grateful for what is about to happen to my family,” she told WGN-TV.  “Everything is all for them.  My kids can go to college, all on me, and they don’t have to worry about nothing.  My granddaddy, my daddy, my sisters, they don’t have to worry about nothing, we made it.”
article by Ruth-Manuel Logan via newsone.com