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President Obama Backs Cory Booker for Senate Seat

By goodblacknews on August 23, 2013

images-1Newark Mayor Cory Booker received the presidential stamp of approval yesterday in his campaign for a US Senate seat.

Citing Booker’s “passion” and life’s work “building hope,” President Obama officially endorsed Booker by saying he “will be an important partner in our efforts to reduce gun violence, give every American a fair shot in a global economy, and make our country stronger.”
The endorsement came a day after GOP Gov. Chris Christie, who has worked closely with Booker, endorsed his opponent, Republican Steve Lonegan. The endorsement was awkward given that Christie ran against Lonegan in the 2009 GOP gubernatorial primary.
Obama’s backing was expected, given Booker’s close relationship with the president, which survived the mayor’s criticism last year of the president’s campaign for attacking Mitt Romney’s record at Bain Capital.
Obama is betting on what looks like a sure thing. Booker has a double-digit lead over Lonegan, the former mayor of Bogota, NJ, in the Oct. 16 election.  Booker has been seen as a rising star in national politics since nearly the day he took office as mayor. But he has ruled out a 2016 run for the White House.
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article by Beth Defalco via nypost.com

Black Excellence: Victor J. Glover Makes NASA’s 2013 Astronaut Candidate Class

By goodblacknews on August 23, 2013

Victor Glover becomes NASA astronaut candidate
U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Victor J. Glover just got the opportunity of a lifetime. The California Polytechnic State University grad was selected from a pool of over 6,000 applicants to become one of NASA’s eight new astronaut candidates.  The astronaut trainee program will prepare the candidates for possible missions to low-Earth orbit, an asteroid and Mars by sending them through two years of rigorous technical training at space centers around the globe.
Lt. Commander Glover, who is the only African American in this year’s class, set himself apart from the other applicants by penning a clever limerick.
NASAAstronautCandidates
He explained in a press conference:
“There was a lot of writing involved. The one that stands out the most is, we were asked to compose a tweet, a limerick, or a haiku. I believe I did a limerick, and it goes:
‘Eyes fixed, gazing off into space
My mind in awe of the human race
This is all dizzying to me
Because I gave so much blood and pee
Happy to be here, vice the colonoscopy place.”
In addition to being one of NASA’s perspective astronauts and a F/A-18 pilot, Lt. Commander Glover and his wife Dionna have four daughters–Genesis, 10, Maya, 8, Joia, 6, and Corinne, 5. He is also a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc.
article by Britni Danielle via clutchmagonline.com

Chris Paul Elected President of NBA Players Union

By goodblacknews on August 22, 2013
NBA player Chris Paul attends Movie Premiere 'Let Me Explain' with Kevin Hart during the 2013 BET Experience at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on June 27, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for BET)
NBA player Chris Paul attends Movie Premiere ‘Let Me Explain’ with Kevin Hart during the 2013 BET Experience at Regal Cinemas L.A. Live on June 27, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jesse Grant/Getty Images for BET)

The vote by NBA player representatives came six months after the union fired Billy Hunter as executive director, a position that remains vacant and follows about 18 months of in-fighting and drama that occurred during the negotiations for the latest collective bargaining agreement. Hunter countered with a wrongful-termination lawsuit in May, accusing Fisher of conspiring with NBA officials during the 2011 lockout.
“It’s not about me as president or the first vice president, it’s about the players as a whole,” Paul said in a conference call Wednesday night.  One of Paul’s greatest gifts on the court is an ability to get everyone involved and make his teammates better. Now he’ll try to do the same thing with the union. After the lockout ended and the lawsuits started to take hold, there was a feeling among many players and observers that putting a big name in the big chair would help galvanize the group and get star players interested in participating again.

Antoinette Tuff: The Hero Who Helped Avert Tragedy in Atlanta Elementary School Standoff (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on August 22, 2013

Antoinette TuffDECATUR, Ga. (AP) — The 911 tapes from a frightening standoff and shooting at an Atlanta-area school show how a school employee’s calm demeanor and kind approach helped end the ordeal without any injuries.  Police said Wednesday that school bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff was heroic in how she responded after being taken hostage a day earlier by Michael Brandon Hill, a 20-year-old man with a history of mental health issues. Hill went to the school armed with an AK 47-style rifle and nearly 500 rounds of ammunition, police said.
On a recording of a 911 call released Wednesday, Tuff can be heard relaying messages from Hill to DeKalb County emergency dispatchers before convincing him to surrender. She tells the dispatcher that Hill said he wasn’t there to hurt the children but wanted to talk to an unarmed officer.  “He said, ‘Call the probation office in DeKalb County and let them know what’s going on,’” Tuff is heard telling the dispatcher. “He said he should have just went to the mental hospital instead of doing this, because he’s not on his medication.”
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MelQCClmDD8&w=420&h=315]

Number-One NBA Draft Pick Anthony Bennett Signs with Cleveland Cavaliers

By goodblacknews on August 21, 2013

AP_Anthony_Bennett_NBA_Draft_Basketball_hagl_16x9t_384CLEVELAND — The Cavaliers have signed Anthony Bennett, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, to his guaranteed rookie contract.  Financial terms were not immediately known, but the deal can be worth up to $22.8 million over four years.  Bennett was somewhat of a surprising selection by the Cavaliers, who believe the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder from UNLV can play power forward. He’s recovering from shoulder surgery, but the Toronto native is expected to be ready for the start of training camp. He averaged 16.1 points and 8.1 rebounds as a freshman with the Runnin’ Rebels.
The Cavs also said they have finalized their deals with first-round pick Sergey Karasev, a guard from Russia, and second-round selection Carrick Felix from Arizona State.  Karasev helped lead Russia to the gold medal in the World University Game this summer.
Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press via espn.go.com

The Black Rapunzel: Asha Mandela Has World’s Longest Dredlocks

By goodblacknews on August 21, 2013

world's longest dredlocks
(Source: YouTube)

What does your hair mean to you? For some of us it’s important enough; but for Asha Mandela, the woman with the world’s longest dredlocks, her hair is life itself.  Mandela, 50, began growing her locks out 25 years ago in spiritual quest to change her life. Initially, her family didn’t support her decision but in 2009 when she earned the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest dredlocks and started gaining notoriety, they warmed up to the idea. (Ain’t that the way it goes.)
Since 2009, her hair has gotten even more impressive. Today it’s 55 feet long and weighs 42 pounds. When she goes out in the street Asha has to wear a baby sling on her back just to carry it all.  Being the black Rapunzel might sound like a cool title, but having this much hair comes with its drawbacks. Health side effects actually. Doctors have advised Mandela to cut her hair because it has already lead to a curvature in her spine and could lead to neck spasms in the future.
But cutting it is not an option. Mandela says she and her hair are connected now– not just by the root, but spiritually. She credits the growth of her locks for helping her to overcome cancer, two strokes and two heart attacks. In fact she says, “If I ever gut my hair, I’d really be taking away my life.” So instead, of taking a pair of scissors to her hair, Mandela is going to keep living the life she’s adapted and grown accustomed to, which includes washes once a week, (which can take up to two days to dry), and that baby sling.
Check out Asha and her hair in the video below:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuwCmXh4CD8&w=420&h=315]
article by Veronica Wells via madamenoire.com

Sybrina Fulton Speaks Out Against Stop-And-Frisk Policies (VIDEO)

By goodblacknews on August 19, 2013

Sybrina FultonThe mother of Trayvon Martin spoke out Sunday against the stop-and-frisk police practice in New York City, saying neither police nor civilians have the right to stop someone because of their race.  Critics say the stops target blacks and Hispanics who aren’t doing anything wrong. Earlier this week, a judge told New York City that its policy was racial discrimination. The city plans to appeal.  “You can’t give people the authority, whether civilian or police officers the right to just stop somebody because of the color of their skin,” Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton said on NBC’s Meet the Press.
Over the past decade, New York police have stopped, questioned and sometimes patted down about 5 million people; 87 percent were black or Hispanic. About 10 percent of the stops spur an arrest or summons. Police find weapons a fraction of the time.  New York Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly defended the use of stop and frisk Sunday and said violent crimes would increase if the practice were abandoned.  “The losers in this, if this case is allowed to stand, are people who live in minority communities,” he said on CBS’ Face the Nation.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zGRfLBRQEM&w=420&h=315]Fulton’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, said the stop and frisk policy targeted people by race and noted it was still being used as the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I have a dream” speech approached.  “It actually takes us away from his poignant words of, ‘I dreamed my children would be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin,’” Crump said.  Fulton has said neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman “got away with murder” in the 2012 killing of her son, largely because of Florida’s self-defense law.
Protesters had been occupying part of the Capitol in Tallahassee, calling for an examination of the Florida law since Zimmerman was acquitted last month. Zimmerman claimed self-defense in shooting the 17-year-old Martin during a fight; Martin’s supporters say Zimmerman profiled and followed him because Martin was black.
article by Associated Press via blackamericaweb.com

Website Publishes Top 25 Scholarships for Women in 2013-2014

By goodblacknews on August 19, 2013

female graduatesBillions of dollars in scholarships are available every year to women, and one web site,ScholarshipsOnline.org, is helping women apply for these financial aid opportunities. The web site has recently published the top 25 scholarships available for women and girls in 2013-2014.
Scholarships are monetary gifts awarded to students who demonstrate outstanding academic or athletic ability. Because of increasing expenses for tuition, boarding and books, more and more organizations and corporations are giving away scholarships as a part of their public or community affairs programs.
Federal government agencies, local government agencies, and educational institutions themselves are also giving away millions of dollars in scholarships every year. In total, it is estimated that more than $5 billion in scholarships will be given away this year, and perhaps even more next year.
To view the Top 25 Scholarships Available For Women in 2013-2014, visit:
www.scholarshipsonline.org/p/top-women-scholarships-grants.html
To search hundreds of other 2013-2014 scholarships, visit:
www.ScholarshipsOnline.org
article via eurweb.com
 

'The Butler' Serves Up Box-Office Success at No. 1, Earns $25 Million

By goodblacknews on August 18, 2013

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The butler did it.  Despite a clutch of new films in theaters this weekend, Lee Daniels’ The Butler topped them all, serving up $25 million, according to studio estimates.  The victory came as a surprise to some analysts, who expected summer’s latest superhero flick, Kick-Ass 2, to whip the competition.  But Butler trounced the newcomers among critics, and connected solidly with fans. About 73% of reviewers recommended the movie, while it scored an 81% approval rating among moviegoers, says survey site Rottentomatoes.com. The movie earned an “A” among audiences, says pollsters CinemaScore.
The Forest Whitaker drama also benefited from canny timing, says Box Office Mojo’s Ray Subers, who notes that similar August dramas including Julie & Julia, Eat Pray Love and The Help all enjoyed August debuts above $20 million.  “One of The Butler‘s biggest advantages is its very strong release date,” Subers says. “After a few months of big-budget, male-skewing blockbuster fare, female-skewing adult dramas have consistently done good business” at summer’s close.

Dave Chappelle Returns to Stand-Up, With Stories to Tell

By goodblacknews on August 16, 2013
Dave Chapelle (Andrew Oh for The New York Times)

In 2005, Dave Chappelle was merely the hottest comedian in America. Then he left his job and became a far more singular cultural figure: A renegade to some, a lunatic to others, but most of all, an enigma.  Now he is making a kind of comeback — Mr. Chappelle headlines the Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, a new 15-city tour presented by the Funny or Die Web site that begins Friday in Austin, Tex. — and what makes it particularly exciting is how he’s using his hard-earned mystique to make more daring and personal art.

Mr. Chappelle didn’t just walk away from a $50 million contract and the acclaimed “Chappelle’s Show,” whose second season on Comedy Central stacks up well against the finest years of “SCTV,” “Saturday Night Live” and Monty Python. He did so dramatically, fleeing to Africa and explaining his exit in moral terms: “I want to make sure I’m dancing and not shuffling,” he told Time magazine. Since then, he has been a remote star in an era when comedians have never been more accessible.

Mr. Chappelle hasn’t done any interviews (aside from a radio appearance in 2011) or appeared on podcasts or talk shows. He doesn’t even have a Web site. He joined Twitter last year, then quit after 11 tweets.  But Mr. Chappelle has tiptoed back into the public eye over the last year. While he has stayed away from movies and television, he still drops in pretty often on comedy clubs and occasionally theaters, usually in surprise appearances that generate more rumors of a comeback. Beyond the Oddball Festival, Chris Rock has said Mr. Chappelle may join him on his stand-up tour next year.