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Good Black News

Lower 9th Ward Passes Test During Hurricane Isaac

By goodblacknews on September 25, 2012
Gloria Guy enjoys her new “Brad Pitt” house  after being rescued from her rooftop during Hurricane Katrina. “I’m glad I stayed,” she says. “I’m tired of running.”

NEW ORLEANS — Seven years ago, as floodwaters in the wake of Hurricane Katrina rushed into her living room and swallowed cars, homes and friends around her, Gloria Guy spent 9 1/2 hours on the roof of her Lower 9th Ward home until a neighbor with a boat took her to higher ground.

Gloria Guy enjoys her new “Brad Pitt” house and new neighborhood after being rescued from her rooftop during Hurricane Katrina. “I’m glad I stayed,” she says. “I’m tired of running.”  Last week, Guy mostly napped and chatted with family members inside her newly built home on the same lot where Katrina’s floods nearly took her life as Hurricane Isaac wailed and moaned outside but failed to deliver any damage.

Man Wrongly Convicted Can Sue Los Angeles Police Department, Federal Court Panel Rules

By goodblacknews on September 25, 2012
Ex-inmate can sue LAPD, panel rules

Harold C. Hall, a Los Angeles man who spent 19 years in prison for murders he did not commit, will be able to sue the LAPD, a panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Monday. (Los Angeles Times)

A Los Angeles man who spent 19 years in prison for murders he did not commit will be able to sue the LAPD, a panel of the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled Monday.  Harold C. Hall should be permitted to amend his complaint against the city to allege that officers coerced his confession, which the court said was made as a result of “desperation, fear and fatigue,” in possible violation of the 5th Amendment.

Obama Leads Romney Among NASCAR Fans By Seven Points

By goodblacknews on September 25, 2012
President Barack Obama and Nascar Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart pose for a photo during a visit by the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the White House on April 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart to honor his championship season. (Photo by Ned Dishman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

President Barack Obama and Nascar Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart pose for a photo during a visit by the 2011 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers to the White House on April 17, 2012 in Washington, DC. President Obama hosted the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart to honor his championship season. (Photo by Ned Dishman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

President Barack Obama’s recent lead in the polls has extended to some unexpected corners of the electorate. According to a new Zogby poll, the president is beating Republican Mitt Romney by 7 points with NASCAR fans. The Huffington Post has more:

Harlem School of the Arts Gets $5 Million From Herb Alpert

By goodblacknews on September 25, 2012
A dance class at the school in 2011.A dance class at the school in 2011. (Béatrice de Géa for The New York Times)

The Harlem School of the Arts, a community arts school that has faced major financial hurdles in the last few years, has received a grant of more than $5 million from the Herb Alpert Foundation that will allow the school to retire its debt, restore its endowment and create a scholarship program for needy students.

A Review Of Suzan-Lori Parks-Directed Production of “Topdog/Underdog”

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012
Brandon J. Dirden, left, and Jason Dirden in “Topdog/Underdog.” The actors are brothers both in real life and in the play, in Red Bank. (T. Charles Erickson)

There is a gunshot in “Topdog/Underdog,” the shining first production of Two River Theater Company’s 2012-13 season.  Maybe you don’t expect it because of all the comedy. Maybe you do expect it because the gun has been too visible onstage not to play an important role. I was pretty sure I knew what lay ahead, but it was still a shock. Cheers to Jason Dirden, the shooter, and to Suzan-Lori Parks, the playwright, who also directed.

A Review Of Suzan-Lori Parks-Directed Production of "Topdog/Underdog"

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012
Brandon J. Dirden, left, and Jason Dirden in “Topdog/Underdog.” The actors are brothers both in real life and in the play, in Red Bank. (T. Charles Erickson)
There is a gunshot in “Topdog/Underdog,” the shining first production of Two River Theater Company’s 2012-13 season.  Maybe you don’t expect it because of all the comedy. Maybe you do expect it because the gun has been too visible onstage not to play an important role. I was pretty sure I knew what lay ahead, but it was still a shock. Cheers to Jason Dirden, the shooter, and to Suzan-Lori Parks, the playwright, who also directed.

Drummer Jamison Ross Wins 25th Annual Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012
Jamison Ross drums his way to victory in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition. (Evelyn Hockstein for The New York Times)

WASHINGTON — Jamison Ross sauntered onstage at the National Museum of Natural History here on Saturday with the solicitous gleam of a casino floor manager, his bulky frame encased in a suit and his face bearing a wide-open smile. Graciously, he initiated a round of applause for his fellow hopefuls in the 25th-annualThelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, and another for the event’s unflappable house band. Then he sat down, picked up a pair of brushes and counted off “Bye Bye Blues,” an uncomplicated song recorded by dozens of American entertainers from the 1930s on.

GBN Quote Of The Day

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012

“You can’t lead the people if you don’t love the people. You can’t save the people if you don’t serve the people.”
–Cornel West, educator, author, activist

Defy Ventures Helps Ex-Criminals Develop Start-Ups

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012

Defy Ventures helped Maliki Cottrell, who served time for carrying a gun without a permit, build a trash-hauling business.  (Victor J. Blue for The New York Times)

As a heroin dealer in Rhode Island, Jose Vasquez made $2,000 a day. He said he had a way with his customers. He took his best clients out for dinner and bought them presents on their birthdays.

“Everyone sells drugs, right?” said Mr. Vasquez, who was arrested in 2009. “So you got to find a way to differentiate yourself.”  Since his release last year, Mr. Vasquez, 26, has found that some of his skills as a drug dealer were transferable to a more legitimate pursuit; he opened a personal concierge service, Happy Vida, which runs errands for busy New York professionals.
Mr. Vasquez is a member of the inaugural class of Defy Ventures, a nonprofit organization that offers a one-year entrepreneurial training and mentorship program to people with criminal backgrounds. On Saturday, Defy held its first sales exposition, and Mr. Vasquez and nine of his classmates presented their start-ups. Guests and about 70 Defy students were asked to vote for the best sales pitch. Mr. Vasquez’s business received the most votes and won a $500 prize.

Russell Simmons Encourages The Urban Arts Community With His Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation

By goodblacknews on September 24, 2012
Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons

Hip-hop mogul Russell Simmons attends the after party for the Gucci, Cinema Society & the Film Foundation screening of ‘La Dolce Vita’ at the Top of The Standard Hotel on June 1, 2011 in New York City. (Photo by Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images)

Known around the globe as a hip-hop pioneer, Russell Simmons’ passion for breaking new talent, particularly among urban youth, is well-documented and well-respected.  What largely flies under the radar, though, is his patronage of the arts in all forms, from the turntable to the easel, and his belief in the transformative effect that exposure to culture and having artistic outlets can have on the lives of urban youth.