Your Black World: FOX News Compares Rev. Wright To David Duke

FOX News's Greta Van Susteren - the Journalism equivalent of Gov. Sarah Palin - made an insinuation a couple of nights ago that, at the very least, compares Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright to a man who has openly advocated for the lynching and castration of Black people. In an attempt to ask former president Bill Clinton a "tough question" (perhaps Fair & Balanced), the FOX News tabloid queen took time out from her Caylee Anthony marathon stalk-fest to query:

“What is the difference between an association with someone like David Duke and someone like Reverend Wright?”

Bill Clinton, unable to comprehend the effrontery and packaged acidic stupidity, paused for a few seconds before attempting to answer the question. David Duke, as most are aware, is a Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, who made headlines last year when he arose in defense of the nooses hung on the infamous tree in Jena, La. Most human beings would find it immensely difficult to stomach such insinuation by FOX News; but coming from a network which, on Friday Sept. 18, 2008, found it refreshing to suggest that "loaning to minorities and risky folks is a disaster," nothing, even such as morally-repugnant as Susteren's statement, should come off as shocking. FOX News = The High Cost Of Low Standards. A leopard indeed, does not change it's spots:

Your Black News: Simpson Trial Witness Admits to Taking Money

LAS VEGAS — The man who set up the hotel-room confrontation that led to armed robbery charges against O. J. Simpson testified Monday that he had received at least $210,000 from several news organizations, including ABC News, in exchange for interviews, photographs and parts of an audio recording he had secretly made of the events.The witness, Thomas Riccio, a collectibles auctioneer whose recordings of the September 2007 meeting are a major piece of evidence in Mr. Simpson’s trial, listed for the jury the fees he said he had collected in the days after Mr. Simpson and five other men entered a room at the Palace Station Hotel and Casino, argued with two other collectibles dealers and left with an estimated $100,000 in sports memorabilia from Mr. Simpson’s celebrated football career and those of other professional athletes.

Those fees included $150,000 from the celebrity gossip Web site TMZ.com for excerpts of Mr. Riccio’s audio recording, as well as $15,000 from ABC News and $25,000 from the syndicated television show “Entertainment Tonight” for what Mr. Riccio said were interviews about the confrontation.

But spokesmen for ABC News and “Entertainment Tonight” said the payments were not for interviews but for other materials. A spokeswoman for TMZ.com said the Web site does not comment about how it acquires material.

Continued

My New Book: Black American Money

I should begin by saying that I am not a Finance Professor who happens to be Black. Rather, I am a Black man who happens to be a finance Professor. The goal of this work was not to create yet another book analyzing money to the nth degree, discussing stocks, bonds, charts and portfolios. I see money as a tool for the enhancement of life and the liberation of a people. I also see money as part of a nexus of critical issues that drive the world in which we live.

So, this book is not going to be about money throughout. It does not contain a long list of nuts and bolts financial advice. It is a discussion, by a Black social commentator who cares about his people, who also happens to be an educator and a Financial expert. So, imagine a person who is an expert at cooking steak, chicken and carrots, but insists upon making sure the plate has a little bit of each. I have never been one dimensional in my analysis, because linear, limited thinking is how one consistently misses the big picture.

In this book, you are going to get first hand analysis of how money plays a role in critical Black issues and leadership, from The State of the Black Union to Civil Rights. I will openly and honestly share my behind-the-scenes experiences with CNN, FOX, ESPN and other networks. You will hear about academia, as I take you for a quick trip into the ivory tower for a discussion of how economic incentives impact the value systems of today’s “Blackademics”. The trip will be long and broad, and won’t just focus on money. Rather, the focus is on capital of all types, not just financial capital.

Money, like any other powerful object, can either be incredibly constructive or horrifically destructive. It can ruin families or make people strong. It can liberate, enslave and do everything in between. You can improve the lives of those you love or ruin your relationships with loved ones. Money can do many amazing things in a capitalist society. Therefore, understanding money, embracing the power of money and controlling the power of money is clearly, without question, an undeniably meaningful part of the movement toward equal rights.

This was an introduction to the forthcoming book "Black American Money", written by Dr. Boyce Watkins. For more information, please visit www.BoyceWatkins.com.

Your Black World: Your Black World Speaks With Older Sister Of Troy Davis

Interview with older sister of Death Row Inmate, Troy Davis, by Tolu Olorunda.


If it was up to the Chatham County Sheriff’s Department and the Georgia Board of Pardons and Paroles, Troy Davis would, at this moment, be an after-thought. As a matter of fact, he would have been executed as early as July 17, 2007. But due to the effervescent work of the international coalition of supporters, family and friends, who insist his innocence, Troy Davis is still believed to have a fighting chance at not only clemency, but exoneration. Since his conviction in 1991, Davis has remained on Georgia’s Death Row. The case of Troy Davis is one which has rallied international support and garnered national attention. None other than President Jimmy Carter and former Sen. Bob Barr are among that diverse group of supporters who seek clemency for Troy Davis. As Carter and Barr see it, “proper level of fairness and accuracy required for the ultimate punishment has not been met in Davis’ case.” Troy Davis is also fortunate to have a sister such as Martina Correia. Martina, a cancer survivor, has worked tirelessly, night and day, for the opportunity to witness, someday, her brother walk free again. I had the honor of speaking with Martina on the case of her brother, which, as she describes it, “is transcending across continent-lines.”

Thanks for being with us, Martina. Can you start by telling us - what you can - about Troy Davis -- before the incident in 1989?

Before the incident, Troy was a young junior coach for the police athletic league; he did things in the community, always helping out little kids and people that had problems. If there was any problem, he would try to solve it. He used to line up the kids in his league, and buy them Ice-Cream and other snacks. But Troy spent most of his time at home, because I had a sister who was paralyzed from the neck-down, and Troy went to night school and worked. When my mother was working during the day, Troy took care of my sister. When he worked, he pretty much gave my mom his entire paycheck – eating hotdogs and soda for lunch. That’s the kind of person that he was.

What was it that took place on that fateful day in 1989?

In 1989, Troy was actually preparing to go back to Atlanta because he had been waiting on a delay-entry program into the army corp. His vehicle was broken down, so he decided to work on a construction site to get the money to fix his car. That specific day, some of his friends talked him into going downtown to play some pool, and when they got there, an altercation took place between a homeless man and a drug dealer. When my brother heard about the incident – doing his normal “Troy-Davis-Batman” thing – he and a 16-year old were walking up the street to try to intervene. When they got to the scene, they saw the drug-dealer pistol-whipping the homeless man. The drug dealer then turned his gun on Troy and the 16-year old with him; so Troy and the 16-year old took off running. At that time, the girlfriend of the homeless man ran into the station, asking for help; so a police officer came outside yelling to the person in the parking lot, who then shot and killed him. The drug dealer then ran away, threw his gun away, and changed his clothes. 15 hours later, the drug dealer showed up at the police station with a lawyer, saying that Troy had committed the crime.

What about the fact that most of the witnesses who initially accused Troy of being the murderer have recanted their stories, except for one – who is believed to be the actual killer?

There were 9 eye-witnesses used against Troy. Seven of them later stated that they either had either lied or were forced/coerced by the police to testify against Troy. One of them couldn’t read or write, so he signed a statement that the police should type for him. A couple witnesses were on parole or probation; a couple of them were 15 or 16-year olds. They were interrogated for 6 or 7 hours without any attorney or parents. The homeless man was refused medical treatment until he falsely admitted that Troy did it. The 8^th witness who did not recant his testimony said that the only thing he knew was that the shooter was left-handed, and Troy is right handed. The 9^th witness is, of course, they guy believed to be the actual shooter. 9 additional witnesses, who have not been heard in court, also came forward and said the drug dealer was the shooter. They either saw the murder first-hand, or he bragged about it to them. And one of the people who saw the murder first-hand was his actual nephew, who signed an affidavit against him.

What has the road been like since 1991, when the jury found Troy guilty?

When Troy was convicted in 1991, Newt Gingrich funded a resource center. So Georgia is the only death penalty state where you do not have to have a lawyer for post-conviction appeal, and they actually held that first heinous hearing in the prison. From 1991-1996, Troy had no attorney. You had one attorney from the resource center trying to handle 90 death-penalty cases, and the only time they could do anything was when something was filed. In 1996, when we got a lawyer, and some money - with witnesses coming forth and recanting their stories - President Clinton signed into law the Anti-Terrorist and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA) -- which said that one has one year from conviction to prove innocence. President Clinton made it retroactive 10 years, which was against International Human Rights Law. So when Troy’s lawyers started coming forward with affidavits and filing claims of innocence, the court said “you should have brought that in 1992.” Well, the law wasn’t even in effect until 1996. So we got entrapped by a legal technicality, and that’s what we’ve been fighting. The witnesses who claim Troy is innocent came before the parole board and were told by the District Attorney, that if they changed their story they would go to jail and face perjury. Even though they still face perjury now, they came forth and testified. Three of the five members of the parole board are police officers themselves; two are former prosecutors. The parole board rules in secrecy, and are completely unaccountable.

When is the slated execution date for Troy Davis?

It is Tuesday, September 23^rd at 7:00 PM.

What kind of activities would you be involved in, leading up to September 23rd?

We would be holding rallies and diverse events in Georgia and beyond. Rev. Al Sharpton and Pastor Warner from Ebenezer Baptist church just held a successful press conference for Troy.

What kind of help have you been offered, with regards to your fight against the execution of your brother?

We’ve had national and international support; people have been faxing and calling the parole board – asking for reconsideration. President Jimmy Carter and Former Sen. Bob Barr have come forward saying it is not right that innocent people are executed. Over 380,000 faxes have come in so far, and they are still trying to flex their muscle.

You are battling cancer, Martina, and were honored alongside Nancy Pelosi last year. How are you doing right now?

I was diagnosed with Advanced Metastatic Breast Cancer in 2001, and was given 6 months. I take chemo on a weekly basis, and I have for 71/2 years. I asked God to allow me to fight for my brother and see him walk free; so I’m still battling. I do a lot of work in my community. I am the Executive director of the Savannah coalition of The National Black Leadership Initiative on Cancer (NBLIC). Since the doctors suggest that I don’t go back to work, I volunteer all my time. Within the last 3 years, I have gotten close to 50 National and State awards for my work on cancer, but that’s not why I do it. I do it because inadequate healthcare, or no healthcare at all, is a Human Rights issue, and I’m a Human-Rights defender. I don’t get paid for what I do, but I try to make a difference so that my battle would lead to a better life for my child, and other children coming up behind me.

You have been visiting Troy recently. What is his state of mind?

It’s amazing, because Troy says that he’s in a secret place with God, and that nothing they can do can harm him. The only thing they can do is take his physical form. Troy has received over 50,000 letters within the last year, and when we left him today, he was talking about footprints, and how this is the moment when God is carrying him. He said he’s not bothered about Monday or Tuesday, but rather walking out of jail a free man.

It’s a little bit strange that you just said that, because when Stanley “Tookie” Williams was about to be executed, he mentioned the kind of peace that Troy seems to be experiencing. But also, we have precedents with the cases of Mumia Abu Jamal and Kenneth Foster. Do you have hope that his life would be speared, and possibly exonerated?

Of course I have hope. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be fighting as hard as I am in exposing the system for what it is. I got a call yesterday from some gentlemen on San Quentin Death Row. They were calling because they wanted to say a prayer for Troy. They said that Troy’s case is making room for them. Troy’s case is transcending across continent-lines. I was in France, and every Wednesday, they had three tables set up downtown for Tookie Williams, Mumia, and Troy. I’m confident that we would win, and no matter what happens on the 23^rd, we would win; and my brother understands that. No matter what happens, I wouldn’t be deterred in my fight against the death-penalty.

What can the general public do to avert this injustice?

We want people to go to TroyAnthonyDavis.org, and sign the online petition. They can also text the word “TROY” to 90999. We also need as many people as possible to call the Governor’s office and the parole board all day on Monday, asking them to reconsider. Call your Senators to speak forward. CNN and Nightly News have, for a while, wanted to put together a story on Troy, but the jail is not permitting him to conduct any interviews. We need people to flood CNN with calls, urging them to do the story regardless. We need people to start saying, “I AM TROY DAVIS.” Faith without work is dead, so we need work to be done. Don’t wait until Troy becomes your brother, cousin, nephew, father or even, you. What we tell people is that, you have to do something.

For more on the case of Troy Davis, visit:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?lang=e&id=ENGAMR510232007

http://www.amnestyusa.org/uploads/file/TroyDavisfactsandtimeline.pdf

http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/call-to-action.html

http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/1265/t/5820/campaign.jsp?campaign_KEY=23774

This interview was conducted by Tolu Olorunda, Staff Writer for YourBlackWorld.com

Your Black Politics: Barack Obama: Black Rage On The Auction Block

By: Tolu Olorunda

Staff Writer – YourBlackWorld.com

In an interview with Sen. Obama last week, primetime news anchor, Keith Olbermann, asked the Democratic Presidential Nominee a question that seemed, at the very least, troubling in its framing. “... Maybe the most compelling moment of your acceptance speech in Denver was that one strongly voiced word, “enough,” Olbermann said. Known for his neo-liberalist philosophies, the MSNBC ratings king proceeded to query the Illinois Senator if he had ever “thought of using on the campaign trail and in your speaking engagements, more exclamation points.” And then, in a striking tone, Olbermann inquired, “Have you thought of getting angrier”? At this point, to avoid paying critical deference to Olbermann’s uninformed suggestion, Obama chuckled and skillfully diverted attention to Sen. McCain’s woeful record on reform.

Media Mogul, Arianna Huffington, also displayed a similar longing for Black Rage in a Huffington Post column titled, “Enough!: Why Obama Should Release His Righteous Rage.” Built upon the premise of Black prophetic anger, Huffington all but scolded Obama for acting civically and gregariously in his pursuit of the White House. To Arianna Huffington, and those who think like her, Sen. Obama cannot clinch the 270 electoral votes if he remains “analytical,” “thoughtful” and “composed.” She wrote,

“Obama has demonstrated a laudatory levelheadedness - the ability to keep his head while those around him were losing theirs - over the long haul of the '08 campaign, always presenting a cool and unruffled image. And it has served him well… Being likeable is obviously a good thing in politics… But the last seven-plus years demand more than a detached analysis - and certainly more than a beaming smile. They demand indignation. Outrage. Fury… As a leader fighting for fundamental change in this country, Obama has to be willing to show us that kind of righteous anger… Obama clearly has it in him. We saw a flash of it in Denver when he announced: "Enough!"

What most surprises the curious mind is how Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright was, earlier this year, demonized and castigated by the exact same White neo-liberals for his prophetic anger and candid criticism. Black Rage seems to only yield acceptance when commodifiable. In her 2002 critically acclaimed book, Rock My Soul, astute scholar and cultural critic, bell hooks, bore witness to this tragedy, saying, “Anger has rapidly become the only acceptable emotion for black people to express, so normative that it is often seen as synonymous with blackness by black and non-black people alike.”

While media elites like Olbermann, Huffington and Rachel Maddow desired – so desperately – to be entertained by the manifestation of “Barack Obama in Black Rage,” others craved to see the ever-collected Senator flip out and confirm their historically racist presuppositions of Black men. The “Black Rage Syndrome” had subjected many White Americans to gripping suspense as they anticipated the fulfillment of their 19-month long dream: Barack Obama losing his cool and acting a fool. No doubt, white pundits, like Chris Matthews, experienced the “thrill up their leg” shoot even further, as Obama blurted out “I don’t care what they say about me, but I love this country too much to let them take over another election with lies and phony outrage and swift boat politics. Enough is enough!” To them, Barack Obama had dispelled the notion that Black Men could exceed traditional limitations within the parameters of White Supremacy with a poised, controlled and endearing demeanor. As Comedian, Cedric the Entertainer, once comparably remarked, of Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, the White, passive “Barry Durham” had left the building, and the Black, angry “Barack Obama” had taken over.

To understand the context of Sen. Obama’s outburst last Thursday, one must put into full context the issue at hand. Sen. John McCain, the war-mongering and Orwellian presidential candidate, performed in a way that made trick-master, Karl Rove, admit was “one step too far and sort of attributing to Obama things that are, you know, beyond the 100-percent-truth test.” By now, most are aware of the “lipstick on a pig” kerfuffle, which put to bed the claim that the 2008 U.S. Presidential race will center on issues affecting everyday citizens. In the midst of the mainstream media’s self-congratulation for highlighting the McCain Campaign’s overt hypocrisy, little dedication was paid to the racial element that gives John McCain ample leverage to lampoon Sen. Obama for daring criticize a White man’s policies. Many media watchdogs rapidly pointed out the absurdity of accusing an opponent for maligning a running mate whose name wasn’t mentioned in the same breath, but none would go far enough to speak out courageously against the introduction of “Jim Crowism” into the presidential race.

What the mainstream press failed to explore, was the explicit incorporation of the southern strategy in John McCain’s demand that Barack Obama apologize for insulting a White Woman. Luckily for Sen. Obama, this isn’t 1955. In the face of strident criticism from conservative proponents such as Bill O’Reilly and Mike Huckabee, the McCain campaign remained insistent on the call for Sen. Obama to make amends for his statement. In a September 12th appearance on The View, following censure from the co-hosts for his manipulatory tactics, Sen. McCain stubbornly refused to concede, adding that Sen. Obama “chooses his words very carefully,” and so therefore, “he shouldn't have said it.” Unless one willingly declines to accept reality, Sen. John McCain - who is admittedly part of the “White, Christian Male Power Structure” - is openly reminding Sen. Obama of the cultural boundaries of American politics. How else to explain the McCain campaign characterizing Barack Obama as “disrespectful,” for rightfully pointing out that Gov. Sarah Palin has consistently spewed lies and half-truths about her record as Mayor and Governor. Sen. Obama was spot on in condemning the phony outrage of the newly-born feminists who were nowhere to be found when their good ole’ pal Clarence Thomas was unbridled in his thrashing of Anita Hill in 1991.

In an effort to successfully portray Sen. Obama as the stereotypical “Black Beast,” the McCain Campaign borrowed a page from the Hillary Clinton playbook. In the McCain ad, titled “Disrespectful,” the footage shamelessly alters Sen. Obama’s imagery, and through cosmetic distortion, darkens his skin tone. This tactic, used prior to the political birth of John McCain, plays right into the occupied minds of White Females, who awaited the final nail in the coffin to justify the perverse decision of voting for a ticket which would exercise dominion over their personal lives, and deny them the God-given right to infallible control over their bodies. Another scheme, unmentioned by the adolescent media, is the McCain campaign’s diabolic usage of coded words to define Sen. Obama. In the stump speeches following her acceptance of the GOP V.P. nomination, Sarah Palin has employed a curious phrase to characterize Sen. Obama. “Our Opponent,” as she describes him, is neither in favor of the collective good or the prosperity of the U.S. With Obama’s Muslim heritage and the fabricated report suggesting he was schooled in a Madrassa, the portrayal of Obama as an opponent of America’s interest would only stoke the infantile 10% U.S. population who believe Obama is a Muslim, and Islam represents the core of inhumanity.

Having walked through the valley of the shadow of White supremacy, Sen. Obama should be commended for his outright candor and composition. But I also believe that if the fulfillment of a Black president can only come at the reception of rabid and morally repugnant assaults upon Barack Obama - and inversely the Black Community - Sen. Obama must speak vociferously against the evil force of White supremacy which has - with the help of John McCain - shown itself to be at the root of the 2008 presidential race. If the Illinois Senator is too timid (or sophisticated) to answer the clarion call, his progressive supporters must pick up that baton and run with it. If not, the 2008-2012 Presidency will bear the fruits of the poisoned tree.

Reposted From Black Commentator

Your Black World: President Hugo Chavez Wants U.S. Ambassador Out

President Hugo Chavez the U.S. ambassador has 72 hours to leave Venezuela and that he's recalling his ambassador from Washington.

Chavez said Thursday night that he is asking U.S. Ambassador Patrick Duddy to leave in part to show solidarity with Bolivian President Evo Morales, who expelled Washington's envoy in La Paz.

"They're trying to do here what they were doing in Bolivia," Chavez said.

"That's enough ... from you, Yankees," he said, using an expletive.

The socialist leader said Venezuela's ambassador to Washington, Bernardo Alvarez, would return to the U.S. "when there's a new government in the United States."

The move by Chavez brings relations with Washington to a new low and raises questions about whether the diplomatic clash could eventually hurt trade. Venezuela is a major oil supplier to the United States, which is the country's No. 1 client.

Chavez announced the decision during a televised speech, hours after saying his government had detained a group of alleged conspirators in a plot to overthrow him.

Chavez accused the group of current and former military officers of trying to assassinate him with backing from the United States...

Continued

Your Black World: Barack Obama To Appear On Lynching Advocate, Bill O’Reilly’s Show

Despite the vigorous pressure from the left, and Obama’s own decision not to appear on FOX News - leaving Bill in a pitiful cycle of empty threats to the Obama Campaign - the Illinois Senator is now said to be in preparation for an appearance on the loud-mouthed talk-show on Thursday. This comes as a curious development, following yesterday’s report that Barack Obama attended a secret meeting with NewsCorp Bosses, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes. Sen. Obama’s appearance on FOX News would be a full-range shot to the heart of integrity, as it would lend credence to a Network which has vociferously attacked Black America, and reproduced vicious lies about the Senator and his wife. Many would recall O’reilly’s comments earlier this year, proclaiming to be all-but-willing to lynch the possible next first lady of The U.S., on the condition that substantive proof is given that she feels a certain way about her country. O’reilly has also, in the past, blamed the victims of Hurricane Katrina for their demise, publicly expressed shock at the idea of Black people acting civically at an Harlem Restaurant, and claimed inner-city kids are innately incivil. Bill O’Reilly’s protege, Sean Hannity, has also had a few highlights at his gig at FOX News. Hannity has openly, aided and abetted known white supremacists, claimed Abner Louima lied about his story, and supported a man who aimed to “abort every black baby.” In addition to that, President of Fox News Channel, Roger Ailes, once joked of Barack Obama as a terrorist, noting, “And it is true that Barack Obama is on the move. I don’t know if it’s true that President Bush called Musharraf and said, ‘Why can’t we catch this guy?’” Hopefully, Sen. Obama is aware of these well-documented facts before he makes the mistake that could turn his campaign upside down:

Before Senator John McCain delivers his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention on Thursday, Senator Barack Obama will make a marquee appearance of his own.

Call it counter-intuitive. He will appear on “The O’Reilly Factor” on Fox News Channel.

For Mr. Obama, it will be the first time in his presidential candidacy that he’s on Bill O’Reilly’s prime-time program. The appearance is intended to put Mr. Obama before a conservative audience, one week after drawing 40 million TV viewers at his own acceptance speech.

Mr. Obama has had a strained history with the network, which is owned by Rupert Murdoch. Is this a sign of burying the hatchet or simply politically smart programming? Stay tuned.

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