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Good Black News

Black Voter Turnout Rate in 2012 Surpasses Whites for First Time in History

By goodblacknews on April 29, 2013
In this photo taken April 23, 2013, Lauren Howie, 27, poses outside the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In this photo taken April 23, 2013, Lauren Howie, 27, poses outside the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. In this photo taken April 23, 2013, Lauren Howie, 27, poses outside the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)
In this photo taken April 23, 2013, Lauren Howie, 27, poses outside the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

WASHINGTON (AP) — America’s blacks voted at a higher rate than other minority groups in 2012 and by most measures surpassed the white turnout for the first time, reflecting a deeply polarized presidential election in which blacks strongly supported Barack Obama while many whites stayed home.

Had people voted last November at the same rates they did in 2004, when black turnout was below its current historic levels, Republican Mitt Romney would have won narrowly, according to an analysis conducted for The Associated Press.
Census data and exit polling show that whites and blacks will remain the two largest racial groups of eligible voters for the next decade. Last year’s heavy black turnout came despite concerns about the effect of new voter-identification laws on minority voting, outweighed by the desire to re-elect the first black president.

AMC's 'Mad Men' Tackles Race Relations, Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.

By goodblacknews on April 29, 2013

Calling it a day: Joan sends Don's secretary home for the day
Calling it a day: Joan sends Don’s secretary home for the day

AMC’s Emmy Award-winning drama series Mad Men, about advertising executives in the 1960s, though critically-acclaimed, has often taken flak in its six seasons for not acknowledging or dealing with the racial tensions of the times.  This season, which takes place during the tumultuous year of 1968, has already devoted more airtime to its most prominent African-American character, Dawn, the lead character Don Draper’s secretary.  And last night, in an episode titled “The Flood,” the show recreated perhaps the most historic moment in the civil rights struggle — the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
The show’s characters learn of King’s death over the radio and in an advertising awards show crowd.  Meanwhile, panic spreads as rioting takes hold in major cities across the country.  Vintage Walter Cronkite reports play as police and ambulance sirens blare.  In one scene, a character is upbraided for lamenting the loss of TV advertising profits in the wake of MLK’s death.  In another, a black character calls out rioters for not living up to King’s example.  Additionally, the African-American secretaries are all suddenly treated with kid gloves by their white supervisors — aware that the civil right’s leader’s death is perceived as a blow to the fight against racial prejudice.
To read more about this Mad Men episode, check out the links below:

article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson; additional reporting by Lesa Lakin
 

Jason Collins Comes Out as Gay NBA player

By goodblacknews on April 29, 2013


NBA center Jason Collins has become the first athlete in a major American team sport to come out as gay during his playing career.  In a personal essay set to publish in Sports Illustrated, Collins begins, “I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.
“I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport,” he continues. “But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different.’ If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.”
Previously, Collins wore No. 98 in honor of Matthew Shepard, a student at Wyoming who was tortured and murdered just outside of Laramie, Wyo., in October of 1998. During the trial, reports indicated that Sheppard was targeted because he was a gay man.

Texting Becomes a Health Tool in Kenya

By goodblacknews on April 29, 2013

Red Cross volunteer uses mobile phone RAMP survey to gather health information in rural Kenya. (Credit: IFRC)

Mobile phone use in Africa has spread far, wide and fast. By the end of last year, it was estimated that 70 percent of the population would have a mobile phone. Now, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies says it’s using the technology to save lives.In Kenya, the IFRC has developed the Rapid Mobile Phone-based survey, otherwise known as RAMP. It allows the medical aid group to learn a lot about the health of people in remote, rural communities in very little time.  Jason Peat, the senior health officer for malaria, says the idea for the survey came from IFRC volunteers.
“There are volunteers using those mobile phones to communicate. They’re doing it two ways. They’re using them as a regular phone, but more often than not we see them use the phones to send text messages back and forth because they’re a very inexpensive way to communicate. Red Cross volunteers and other community health workers at a very local level were already figuring out a way to manage activities, to manage programs and not just health programs, but all programs using mobile phones,” he said.

Obama to Name Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx as Secretary of Transportation

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013
5/7/12 – Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx greets President Barack Obama as he arrives at Charlotte Douglas International Airport. TODD SUMLIN

WASHINGTON President Barack Obama Monday will nominate mayor Anthony Foxx to be Secretary of Transportation, a White House official said Sunday on the condition of anonymity. The nomination of Foxx, who hosted last year’s Democratic National Convention, would make him the only African-American selected for a Cabinet opening in Obama’s second term.
As mayor of Charlotte, what it called one of America’s most vibrant cities, the White House said Foxx has the firsthand knowledge needed to create jobs and compete in a globe economy. The White House praised Foxx’s ability to integrate local, state and federal resources to meet transportation challenges.
Federal officials cited his work on the Charlotte streetcar project to bring a streetcar line through the center of the city, expanding Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and extending the city’s light rail system north to UNC Charlotte.
Some of Foxx’s accomplishments that the White House has praised have been questioned closer to home, however.
The mayor is fighting an effort to shift control of Charlotte-Douglas from the city to an independent authority – a move Foxx has been stridently against. Local business leaders and some legislators have said they are worried the city has been meddling in airport affairs, a charge Foxx has denied.
The streetcar project, which Foxx is launching with a $25 million federal grant, is in limbo. The mayor has been unable to convince City Council members to approve expanding the 1.5-mile line currently under construction, and the streetcar has been the cause of a nearly year-long impasse over the city passing a nearly $1 billion capital budget.
Foxx, who has called Obama a friend, was elected mayor in 2009. He was re-elected in November 2011 with nearly 70 percent of the vote. He also is a lawyer for Charlotte hybrid bus maker DesignLine.

WWII's African-American Paratroopers, the "Triple Nickles," Lauded in New Book

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013

Award-winning author Tanya Lee Stone is clear about why she’s written her new nonfiction book, “Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers” (Candlewick Press, $24.99).  “I want to help the Triple Nickles become as well-known as the Tuskegee Airmen,” Stone says.
The Tuskegee Airmen, the first African-American pilots in the U.S. military, are now an integral part of the history of World War II. Far fewer people, however, have heard of the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion — nicknamed the “Triple Nickles” — and the unit’s pioneering efforts to open up paratrooper jobs during World War II.
In her meticulously researched, well-written book, Stone tells the story of how the 555th was established in 1943 — a unit with black soldiers and black officers, the first-ever black U.S. paratroopers.
The unit’s nickname was a nod to the Buffalo Soldiers, as the African-American regiments in the U.S. Civil War and later were called. The “Triple Nickles” name also connects to the buffalo image that was stamped on American nickels for many years.
It took Stone 10 years, working off and on, to write “Courage Has No Color.” It was definitely worth the wait, as Stone movingly portrays the inspiring courage, determination and persistence displayed by African-American servicemen in the face of overwhelming racial prejudice in the U.S. military. It’s a story that Stone strongly believes should be much better known than it is.  “These men are almost not with us anymore,” Stone says, noting that many of the Triple Nickles are in their 90s.

President Obama's Top Correspondents' Dinner Jokes

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013

[brightcove vid=2333627135001&exp3=1409164951001&surl=http://c.brightcove.com/services&pubid=1155968404&pk=AQ~~,AAAAAETmrZQ~,EVFEM4AKJdRjek0MS21pRzf_GTDAM-xj&w=486&h=412]
obama-white-house-correspondents-dinner-32813-575hcOn Saturday night, President Obama took the White House Correspondents’ Dinner podium, Politico rounded up his best barbs, including his note of the Republicans’ attempt to attract more minorities. Their efforts, he joked, could start with him. Watch video above for more.

Diggy Simmons Talks About His Graduation Plans, Why Education Is Important

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013


If you know anything about the Simmons household it’s this; yes, they are all talented and musically inclined, but education comes FIRST.
That’s why the non-profit organization, Get Schooled, is collaborating with rapper Diggy Simmons to engage and inspire the youth to help them excel in school and imporve graduation rates.
And – speaking of graduation – guess who is about to walk across that stage?
So we had to get the details straight from Diggy about his plans after high school, why he thinks education is important, and of course, if there are any graduation parties.
We caught him right after he played Celebrity Principal for the day at Baltimore’s New Era Academy with the Get Schooled foundation. Here’s what he had to say.
How did the title “Principal Diggy” sound to you?
It was incredible. I don’t know if they ever did anything like this but I was happy I got to be a part of it and we answered questions and we were just talking about school and the importance of education, and I’m just so happy for them. The fact that they have perfect attendance and I got to come here for that and just the fact that I can do that and I can be a part was just a real big deal for me.
What are you’re favorite subjects or subject?
My favorite is English. I’ve always liked English. English is dope.

So you like to read?
Yea. I like a lot of the books that I get. I just like writing – like creative writing- and that’s where it lead into why I love writing music so much. I’ve liked history a lot too this year. I’ve taken a liking to it.
Another month you’re graduating high school. How’s that feel?
Yes, yes, yep! It’s a good feeling man. I mean, just from starting school all the way up ’till now it’s like I’ve really done it and I’m really doing it and I’m happy that I have people around me who care. And through them caring and letting me know the importance, it made me care and know the importance and that has carried into me being a young adult and wanting the best for myself.

Nail Art Fun With Nails By Regina & Emily B

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LENrVQeUt14&w=560&h=315]
The demand for nail art is at an all time high.  The designs are out of control and creativity is flowing through the tiny brushes that will bring all ten of your fingers to life. Stiletto nails, Swarovski crystals, glitter and 3D designs. You name it, it’s nail-possible.  I’ve been following Regina Rodriguez for quite some time now.  Emily B from Love & Hip Hop is a loyal customer and Emily’s nails are always a topic of discussion, so naturally I wanted to know a little more about the woman behind the magic, Regina. The 24-year-old Newport, VA sweetheart has been mastering her talent and bringing big smiles to hundreds of women who’ve gotten the opportunity to experience a private nail visit. Her Instagram following is an impressive 148k and growing.

What better way to get a look at her art then to get it on my own hands? I invited Regina to host a mini-manicure night from my home.  Check out my nail tutorial video with Regina Rodriguez in the comfort of my living space in the video above, and some of her work in the photo.
article by Mashonda Tifrere for Global Grind Staff

Cicely Tyson and Vanessa Williams Return to Broadway in 'The Trip To Bountiful'

By goodblacknews on April 28, 2013

trip-to-bountifulAfter three weeks of previews, the Broadway production of Horton Foote’s The Trip to Bountiful starring Emmy winner Cicely Tyson, Academy Award winner Cuba Gooding Jr., Emmy Award nominee Vanessa Williams and Tony Award nominee Condola Rashad, opened on Tuesday at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre to several rave reviews (see below). Directed by Michael Wilson and produced by Nelle Nugent, the 14-week limited engagement will end on June 30, so if you’re interested, get your tickets by clicking here.
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article by Lori Lakin Hutcherson