My very own Muncie, Indiana is hit by another cross-burning incident. Who could have guessed?:
The discovery of a burned cross in Mary Pointer's back yard marks the second such hate crime in Muncie in about as many years.
Pointer, who is black and lives in the McKinley neighborhood near Central High School, said she does not know why she was targeted.
"I cried because I know I've never done anything to deserve this," Pointer said Tuesday. "It just really hurt."
Family members discovered the cross -- about 4 feet tall and made of scrap wood -- smoking in the backyard Friday afternoon while Pointer was at work.
Pointer lives with her daughter and four grandchildren and said the incident has left her scared for the safety of her family and suspicious of every bump and creak in the night.
Friday's cross burning is the second since March 2006, when Kyle Shroyer and Kyle Milbourn, both 22, burned an 8-foot cross in the yard of a home in which a white woman and her three biracial children lived.
Both men were convicted in federal court in Indianapolis of hate crimes.
Milbourn received a 10-year prison sentence, and Shroyer received a 15-month sentence.
Pointer filed a report with the Muncie Police Department on Friday afternoon.
The responding uniform officer phoned Sgt. Mike Engle of the detectives division for advice.
Engle said he told the officer to make a thorough report.
Because there was little evidence at the scene, Engle said someone would likely have to come forward with information before the investigation could continue.
That was how the 2006 burning was solved, Engle said.
If police received more information, the case would be forwarded to the FBI, Engle said.
Pointer's neighbor, Donna Patterson, who is white, said she also felt threatened by the cross burning.
Patterson was born and raised in the neighborhood and said she can't remember anything like the cross burning happening.
"It's a big concern," she said.
Pointer said she has witnessed racism in her job at the Muncie Housing Authority, where whites sometimes refuse to deal with her because of her skin color...
Not even the tragedies of Sean Bell, Amadou Diallo or Abner Louima were requisite enough to prevent this unconcealed case of extreme-enforcement of the law... Something must change, if police officers are unabashed in wielding batons as they please. It is pathetic to fathom this Black-On Black-crime -- executed by those who swore on a Holy Book to prevent it:
NEWARK — After lecturing a federal prosecutor for adhering “heartlessly” to a cold version of bureaucratic justice, a federal judge on Tuesday sentenced former Mayor Sharpe James of Newark to 27 months in prison for failing to disclose his romantic relationship with a woman whom he helped to get a lucrative deal on some city-owned land.
Former Newark Mayor Sharpe James entered the federal courthouse in Newark, N.J., to be sentenced on corruption charges on Monday. United States District Judge William Martini also ordered Mr. James to pay a $100,000 fine.
Mr. James’s former mistress, Tamika Riley, was sentenced to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay $27,000 in restitution to the city.
In an angry and frustrated outburst from the bench, Judge Martini, who upheld the convictions of Mr. James and Ms. Riley last week, lashed out at the prosecutors from the United States attorney’s office in a remarkable admission. “Now I’m trying to talk about what happened here — what really happened,” he said.
Senator McCain, who has - in the past - intensively criticized Senator Obama for the latter's assertion that an Obama administration might involve an increase in taxes, is now drawing scorn for recent statements in which he hints at an higher payroll tax for Social Security:
Republican presidential candidate John McCain's signal that he may be open to a higher payroll tax for Social Security, despite previous vows not to raise taxes of any kind, is drawing sharp rebukes from conservatives.
McCain's shift has come in stages, catching some Republicans by surprise. Speaking with reporters on his campaign bus on July 9, he cited a need to shore up Social Security. "I cannot tell you what I would do, except to put everything on the table," he said.
He went a step farther Sunday on ABC's "This Week," in response to a question about payroll tax increases.
"There is nothing that's off the table. I have my positions, and I'll articulate them. But nothing's off the table," McCain said. "I don't want tax increases. But that doesn't mean that anything is off the table."
That comment drew a strong response this week from the Club for Growth, a Washington anti-tax group. McCain's comments, the group said in a letter to the Arizona senator, are "shocking because you have been adamant in your opposition to raising taxes under any circumstances."
Indeed, McCain frequently has promised not to raise taxes.
At a July 7 town-hall meeting in Denver, he said voters faced a stark choice between him and Democrat Barack Obama.
"Sen. Obama will raise your taxes," McCain said. "I won't."
In a March 16 interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, McCain said he would cut taxes where possible, and not raise them.
"Do you mean none?" Hannity asked.
"None," McCain replied.
Both candidates have said Social Security's funding formula needs to be changed to ensure the program's long-term viability. Obama has called for imposing a new payroll tax on incomes above $250,000. Currently, only incomes up to $102,000 are subject to the 12.4 percent payroll tax, which employers and employees split evenly.
When Obama announced his plan June 13, McCain's top economic adviser, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, told reporters that as president McCain would not consider a payroll tax increase "under any imagineable circumstance."
McCain has made no specific proposals for Social Security, refusing to rule in or out anything to strengthen the benefit program for retirees and the disabled. Both candidates have said that, if elected, they would try to work out details with Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
As a cautious reminder, watch George H.W. Bush's infamous "Read My Lips: No New Taxes" stunt from 1988; upon which, once elected, he proceeded to reverse his aforementioned pledge:
Jesse Jackson never rapped, "I rap divine, God, check the prognosis, is it real or showbiz/ My window faces shootouts, drug overdoses/... My intellect prevails from a hanging cross with nails/ I reinforce the frail, with lyrics that's real/ Word to Christ, a disciple of streets, trifle on beats/ I decipher prophecies through a mic and say peace" and then a few years later, make a song entitled "Oochie Wally," upon which he expressed some of the most misogynistic lyrics ever scripted.
Jesse Jackson never reminisced on his childhood, by saying "When I was 12, I went to hell for snuffing Jesus."
Jesse Jackson never once forgot his lines (or lyrics) at a live show, and claim that weed (ganja, licky licky, cannabis, hash, Mary Jane... whatever) was the operative factor in his amnesia.
Jesse Jackson was never accused (true of falsified) of punching the mother of his baby, after an intense argument.
Jesse Jackson never, ever, ever made a song with Lil' John.
Jesse Jackson was, and is the first African-American to be a contender in a presidential election.
Jesse Jackson is an accomplished and monumental civil-rights activist, who has fought aggressively for the recognition of Black suffering and pain.
Jesse Jackson formulated the RainbowPUSH coalition, which has remained a staple in the quest for Social Change and Economic Justice for Black People.
Jesse Jackson has been on the forefront of the fight against malicious co-oporations which preyed upon innocent Black and Brown families -- ergo facilitating the recent mortgage meltdown. In a Democracy Now! appearance before his march on Wall Street, he noted "what was a scheme became a scam."
Finally - as Dave Chappelle once remarked with regard to his defiance in accepting the incrimination of Michael Jackson, saying "he made thriller;" - I cannot bypass the man, who, in 1984, gave a rousing "David and Goliath" speech, in which he equated the chances and choices of the innocent David, against the seemingly unconquerable Goliath, with the negro experience in America.
Lastly, while it must be said that the 'more experienced aisle of leadership' is in better shape to move Black America forward, any form of condescension toward the younger generation must also be unequivocally censured -- as the vigor, talent, fortitude and fecklessness of the youth has been an irreducible contribution in our collective struggle for taxation with representation.
Three white teens were charged Friday in what officials said was an epithet-filled fatal beating of an illegal Mexican immigrant in a small northeast Pennsylvania coal town. Brandon J. Piekarsky, 16, and Colin J. Walsh, 17, were charged as adults with homicide and ethnic intimidation in the July 12 attack on Luis Ramirez.
A third teen, Derrick M. Donchak, 18, was charged with aggravated assault, ethnic intimidation and other offenses. All are from Shenandoah, where the attack occurred.
Additional charges are expected in the case that has roiled Shenandoah, a small, economically depressed town where police have reported friction between whites and a growing Hispanic population.
The suspects played football at Shenandoah Valley High School; Donchak, now enrolled at Bloomsburg University, was the quarterback last season.
"As a result of this crime, a young man has lost his life. Many other lives have been devastated, and the borough of Shenandoah has been filled with tensions between many ethnic groups," Schuylkill County District Attorney James Goodman said.
"Now that the criminal charges have been filed, we must let this case be handled in the criminal justice system," he said.
According to a police affidavit, the defendants and three 17-year-olds encountered Ramirez, 25, and a teenage girl in a park the night of July 12.
The youths goaded Ramirez and the girl, saying, "You should get out of this neighborhood" and "Get your Mexican boyfriend out of here," documents said. After Ramirez and the girl began walking away, someone yelled an ethnic slur at him, court documents said. He responded, "What's your problem?"
A fight ensued, during which police said Walsh punched Ramirez in the face. The victim fell and hit his head on the street, leaving him unconscious, after which Piekarsky kicked him in the head, police said.
All three suspects used ethnic slurs during the fight, which ended with Ramirez in convulsions and foaming at the mouth, authorities said. The attackers fled the scene; Ramirez underwent surgery but died July 14 of head injuries...
Luis Ramirez, a twenty-five-year-old Mexican immigrant, was beaten to death last week by a group of teenagers in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania. He was walking home last Saturday night when six white high school students brutally beat him while yelling racial slurs... Watch the Democracy Now! Interview:http://i1.democracynow.org/2008/7/24/friend_of_mexican_immigrant_beaten_to
In the 21st Century world of race-neutrality and color-blindness, it is hard to imagine that a record-breaking 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist, who unequivocally won a fight, is informed that she indeed lost -- the fact that a video evidence that documents her victory exists, notwithstanding. Nia Abdallah is the 2004 US Silver Medalist in Taekwondo. She is also the first woman from the United States to earn a medal in this sport since it became an official Olympic sport. In a qualifying match for the 2008 Olympics, Nia fought Diana Lopez - a fellow Olympian - and is believed to have won by a stretch. Upon the announcement of the result and the purported victor, the crowd can be heard booing in dissapointment and disbelief, as Diana Lopez is awarded the victory. In light of this, Nia is now fighting three fights; one against her athletic opponents, one against the political administration that governs the US Olympics Committee, and one against the big-name networks who have persistently refused to tell her story. The "We Support Nia" campaign is urging everyone to "contact the US Olympic Committee Ombudsman (john.ruger@usoc.org or 888-Athlete... ESPN, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX" and to "implore your local media, and your congressmen to force the US Olympic Committee to review this decision and right this wrong." In solidarity, I urge everyone reading to join in this struggle against the arm of injustice.
Nas joined a throng of protesters at the Fox News building in Manhattan this afternoon to deliver over 600,000 petitions demanding that the network stop racist smearing against African-Americans and democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama.
As SOHH previously reported, Nas partnered with grassroots organizations ColorofChange.org and MoveOn.org to put an end to what they call Fox’s “racist propaganda.”
“I’m here today to stand with the ColorofChange.org,” Nas said as he read from a prepared speech. “Over 600,000 people of every color across the country are demanding that Fox stop their racist attacks on the Obama family and on black America.”
“We already know that Fox is not a news network,” he continued. “They are a propaganda machine but their racist attacks have gone way too far. Calling Michele Obama ‘Barack’s baby momma?’ Tell me is that acceptable to you? Is that racist?” he asked the crowd.
Nas also referenced the network’s portrayal of the fist bump that Barack and Michelle Obama shared as a “terrorist fist jab” and Fox anchor Bill O’Reilly’s call for a “lynching party” for the woman who may become First Lady.
“Fox poisons this country every time they air racist propaganda and try to call it news,” said the Queensbridge rapper. “This should outrage every American that Fox uses hateful language to talk about the person who may be the first black president.”
According to Nas the Obamas aren’t the only victims of Fox News. He also blames the network for attacking, black leaders, black institutions, ordinary black people and of course hip-hop artists...
A Black man named, Baron "Scooter" Pikes is said to have been tasered 9 times in the span of 14 minutes by a White Police Officer, in the Louisiana town of Winnfield. This town is said to be brewing with racial tension as a result of this incident. With Winnfield being just 40 miles from the unforgettable Jena, La. and Baron Pikes reported to be a first cousin of Mychal Bell, many are shocked as to the irony of the bizarre conncection between the Jena and Winnfield cases. Many Louisiana residents are outraged at the excessive usage of the taser, and what ultimately led up to the unwarranted death. It is however openly perceived as just another case of normalized police-brutality.
By now, most are familiar with the much publicized CNN Documentary "Black in America." A truckload of anticipation has been rallied up, in preparation for its premier on Wednesday, July 23, 2008. CNN - with as much hubris as a mega network can muster - has openly bragged of their award-winning history, and probably feel entitled to a Nobel peace prize at the launch of this - as described - "Special Report." To some, what CNN is doing is magnanimous and worthy of adulation, while to others, this 'experiment' might be a sheer opportunistic stunt, glamorized as an investigation into the "disturbing statistics" of Black Life in America. Whether one is supportive or oppositive of the motion, one thing can be amicably agreed upon: CNN is at best, ill-equipped to tender a truthful, un-embedded and solution-rendering report that exposes the malicious forms of surveillance, subjugation and devaluation that have contributed greatly to the moral decrepitude of the Black community, family and individual. CNN promises to - with the help of this expose - enlighten "all of America" to know what it fully means to be "Black in America." Unfortunately, I'm not buying it. It is with this understanding that I hope to outline why CNN is engaging in quid pro quo.
The two-part report is purported to cover every breadth and depth of the Black experience in America. The first airing is expected to focus squarely on "The Black Woman & Family." While this might seem conventional, the inquiring mind is left to wonder why CNN would engage in such risky and reprehensible conduct, as to divide a family - as was done in the age of legal enslavement - and insinuate a division between Black Male and Black Female. It is widely recorded and noted, that two-thirds of the children born into Black Homes today, are single parented. Nevertheless, it does appeal to one's sense of apprehension that "the most trusted name in news," saw no wrongdoing in assuming - through its untamable ego - that it could forego the Rebekah Levine Coley study, in which the Boston Univ. Professor points out how - more than any other ethnicity or race - Black Fathers without residency in the home, are more likely to sustain regular contact with their kids. In addition to its coded symbolism of Black disunity, "the best political team on television" was also unabashed in propagating the supremely-refuted lie (Katrina helped out), that the burdens of the Black community are "not just a black problem" but an "American problem." This facade of idiocy has, in the past, been subjected to interrogation and unveiled to be nothing other than a neo-liberal fantasy. As the Texas Cowboy once remarked, "we've heard this foolish delusion before."
While my aforementioned complaints will be perceived, by some, as a mixture of ideological differences fused with paranoia, it is noteworthy to recall that not only is CNN unreliable in matters of truth-telling, but it's reputation as a liberal enterprise has never been invalidated. When in 2000, the Dutch periodical, Trouw, reported of CIA Agents stationed in the CNN Newsroom, it was a surprise only to those who we're oblivious to the long-held belief systems of Media watchdogs. The report confirmed the appalling, stating how CNN had "employed military specialists in 'psychological operations' (psyops)." A general with the U.S. Army Information Service corroborated the account saying, "they worked as regular employees of CNN. Conceivably, they would have worked on stories during the Kosovo war. They helped in the production of news.'' The general elaborated, mentioning that the operatives had worked in close contact with CNN for at least a couple of weeks in favor of getting "to know the company and to broaden their horizons." With such a record, how ensured are we, that the international news network will be unadulterated in telling our story in its entirety -- without distortion or misrepresentation? Indeed, there is no guarantee.
In my judgment, CNN is not only a station rife with mendacity, but a corporation that has dug deeper into the well of hypocrisy than any other News network. CNN has preached sanctity and piety while simultaneously employing and endorsing - in the past and present - known misogynists and bigots. Political contributors for CNN include Alex Castellanos, who once complimented Sen. Hillary Clinton as a "White bitch" - later apologized but noted that "some women, by the way, are named that and it's accurate" and William Bennett who - following the Iowa Caucus on January 3 - pontificated that Barack Obama is acceptable to white voters because "he has taught the black community you don't have to act like Jesse Jackson; you don't have to act like Al Sharpton." Sadly enough, CNN's political contributors are only the tip of the ice berg compared to its well-paid talk show hosts, pundits and anchors.
A well known talking head on "CNN Headline News," is conservative talk/radio show host, Glenn Beck. Beck built a successful career for himself, through the traditional route of bemoaning the very thought of a world with the existence of leftists and liberals. In recent times, he has made headlines for his not only controversial view-points, but his often, vitriolic remarks. In November 2006, while interviewing the Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison, Beck in a self-amusing tone, questioned Ellison's patriotism, and hinted at Islam being a license for terroristic sensibilities. Beck as usual, felt undaunted when he said "sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies. And I know you're not. I'm not accusing you of being an enemy, but that's the way I feel, and I think a lot of Americans will feel that way." Following the 'pat on the hand' remediation from CNN, Beck was of course giving a get-out-of-jail-free-card to resume his mission of lending support to fellow shock-jocks who had openly expressed their disdain for black womanhood. On May 14, 2007, at a CNN's American Morning appearance, Beck defended disgraced radio host, Don Imus and decried the "leftist witch hunt" that attempted to hold Imus's feet to the fire -- following his unremarkable comments about the beautiful Rutgers female basketball team.
Another staple at CNN is Lou Dobbs -- most famous for his invective-laden rants about Mexican immigrants and the Mexican community at large. He has built a hall of fame career, from his unique brand of cursing the ground that Mexicans walk on. His endless list of acidic commentary on Mexican immigration has garnered him the 'golden boy' status over at CNN. As the second most watched show on CNN, nothing he says can ever be deemed 'crossing the line.' Dobbs has claimed numerous "facts" that correspond with his anti-immigration stance, but many of those very facts have been dispelled and often times unraveled as fabrications. He once claimed that an "invasion of illegal aliens" was bringing "highly contagious diseases" to America, "decades after those diseases had been eradicated" here; stating that more than 7,000 new cases of leprosy had been reported in the previous three years. His made-up myth was debunked when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that new cases of leprosy, which totaled only 398 from 2002 to 2004, had been declining in the United States since 1988.On December 4, 2007, at an appearance on Democracy Now! - the brilliant and incisive daily show - Lou Dobbs was confronted by the hosts, Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez, and questioned as to the regular feature of white supremacist hate groups - and its members - on "Lou Dobbs Tonight." An issue of concern was a U.S. map highlighting the seven Southwestern states that Mexico supposedly covets and calls Aztlan. The map, on May 23, 2006, was used as a prop-up on his nightly CNN show. The map's source was listed as "Council of Conservative Citizens;" a group which has in the past, described blacks as "a retrograde species of humanity." Not to be outdone by a White Supremacist group, Lou Dobbs in a discussion with CNN's Wolf Blitzer, in March 2008, responded to Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice's assessment, that America has a "birth defect" on race. His perspective was that America is the most diverse nation in the world, and so therefore, racial prejudice is a thing of the past. He remarked, "We’ve got to be able to talk about it (race) and I can guarantee you this, not asingleoneofthesecottonpic-." Upon a moment's notice of his near-utterance of the word "cotton picking," he refrained himself, and instead suggested that "ridiculous politicians" should not be the moderators "on the issue of race" but "we have to have a far better discussion than that." CNN, subsequently, in a cowardly fashion, eliminated the cotton picking element from the published transcript. CNN neither released an apology nor a statement on the issue.
It is also imperative to remind CNN that it once provided a platform, between 1982 and 1999 to a man - described by Journalist, Tavis Smiley as a "Racial Arsonist" - named Pat Buchanan. Pat Buchanan's long history of anti-Black and anti-civil rights rhetoric is long and winded. In a radio interview in 2000, Buchanan claimed baselessly that Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King was "one of the most divisive men." Buchanan, who once called Sen. Obama "exotic," in 2007, opined that the Illinois Senator is "not what you would expect from a black guy from the South Side of Chicago." Buchanan was also one of the staunchest defenders of fired shock jock, Don Imus. In a debate with Georgetown Professor, Michael Eric Dyson, Buchanan inferred that Imus was "more a victim of hatred than a perpetrator of hatred." In Buchanan's mind, the Rutgers Basketball teammates weren't victims because they got to appear on Oprah and have simultaneously become the "most famous basketball team in history." Buchanan is also widely known for antagonizing Sen. Obama's March 18, 2008 "race speech." In a column entitled, "A Brief for Whitey," Buchanan, with the authority of a fool, suggested that "no people anywhere has done more to lift up blacks than white Americans." To hear Buchanan tell it, the funnels of "Pell grants, student loans, legal services, Medicaid, Earned Income Tax Credits and poverty programs" have done more than enough to "bring the African-American community into the mainstream;" Buchanan ended, "we hear the grievances. Where is the gratitude?" Pat Buchanan is also credited for making the assertion that only white males died in the battles of Gettysburg and Normandy; with nearly 2000 African Americans accounted to have fought at the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy, it is inconceivable that none was made a casualty. Pat Buchanan in his latest gaffe, appeared on a political radio show to promote his latest book. With the show's slogans being, a need to "represent a philosophy that is pro-White" and "revive the White birthrate above replacement level fertility and beyond to grow the percentage of Whites in the world relative to other races,” one is prompted to wonder what CNN was thinking in the hiring of this fellow. Alas! The magic word appears: RATINGS! In light of this, the question must be raised: Is CNN attempting to cash in on the present unrest of the Black Community, or do they have a sincere interest in being harbingers of solutions to the many problems that inflict terror upon Black folks?
In the course of this article, I have attempted to cast my burden upon the waters of suspicion. In the fight for administering the vaccination that deracinates those ailments which have incessantly plagued the Black Community, I'm not convinced that CNN is a contender. If at all any News Network is replete with such competence, PBS would most assuredly lead the pack. Taking that into consideration, I humbly suggest that the politics of sheer-opportunism must be radically denounced and furthermore repudiated. CNN cannot - and is not prepared to - save Black America.
The 1968 Mexico City Olympics are best described and remembered in one photograph: Two black men, one gets the gold medal, the other the bronze, and both stand with a black fist raised in the air and their heads bowed. The picture sparked tons of controversy in a country divided and time period where tension between Black and white soared high.
Forty years later at the 2008 ESPN “ESPY Awards” the two men- Tommie Smith and John Carlos received the Arthur Ashe Award and the truth about their famous picture was revealed in a short video shown at the awards.
Now, a new international movie- written, directed and produced by Matt Norman (nephew of Peter Norman, the 200m Olympic Silver Medalist pictured with Tommie Smith and John Carlos)- is coming out called “Salute” that ventures into the experience of the 1968 Olympics and the stories of all of the people involved after the historic event:
RELEASE FROM NABJ.ORG- NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF BLACK JOURNALISTS
Senator Barack Obama to speak at Unity Democratic Presidential hopeful to participate in live event on CNN
CHICAGO — Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama will appear in front of thousands of journalists next week at the UNITY: Journalists of Color quadrennial convention in Chicago.
Sen. Obama, the apparent Democratic presidential nominee, will appear on stage Sunday morning, July 27. This will likely be his first national appearance after returning from his international trip to Europe and the Middle East. Sen. Obama has accepted the invitation that UNITY also extended to Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.
“We are pleased that our UNITY colleagues will have the chance to hear from Sen. Obama and be among the first to question him upon his return from his overseas trip,” said Karen Lincoln Michel, UNITY president. “We hope that in this historic campaign, Sen. McCain, whose presence is equally important, will also address our audience – the kind of audience that reflects the growing diversity in America.”
The event was originally planned for Thursday, July 24, but had to change because of scheduling conflicts from the campaigns.
UNITY – an alliance representing the nearly 10,000 members of the Asian American Journalists Association, the National Association of Black Journalists, the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and the Native American Journalists Association – will host a dynamic lineup of events, speakers, workshops and discussions focusing on issues and changes happening in the media industry nationwide and globally.
The event will be broadcast live on CNN, and may be repeated throughout the weekend, and will involve journalists of color from both CNN, partner TIME Magazine and the four alliance associations.
“We are honored to have Senator Obama join us at UNITY, especially considering his international schedule,” said Bryan Monroe, UNITY convention chair and vice president and editorial director, Ebony and Jet magazines in Chicago. “It reaffirms the importance and respect of journalists of color in this year’s election process.”
Unity has also been working with Sen. McCain’s campaign, but has yet been unable to secure his commitment to the presidential forum. (more) “We have had other Republican and Democratic presidential candidates address our organizations – including President George W. Bush and Sen. John Kerry at UNITY in 2004 – and hope Sen. McCain will join Sen. Obama and choose to continue that tradition,” said Onica N. Makwakwa, UNITY executive director.
The fourth quadrennial convention, which is themed “A New Journalism for a Changing World,” is expected to draw thousands of journalists during the five-day event and Career Expo to be held July 23-27 at McCormick Place West.
Anybody that reads YourBlackWorld has probably stopped by the gossip section to read up on the lives of celebrities. It is a guilty pleasure for some people, but for Ebony Garris, it is a regular day at work.
Garris is the writer of YourBlackGossip, and under the name Lady Drama, she keeps us all informed about what is going on with our favorite Hollywood hipsters. But this talented talker is not just the writer for YBG, Garris keeps the gossip coming in to AllHipHop.com as a rumor-assistant, and she also writes columns for Hood and Urban Magazines.
Lady Drama always had a love for gossiping. Growing up she looked up to and regularly listened to Wendy Williams, while harnessing her talent for writing. Garris has been a gossip professional for three years, but has been a writer for six, and continues to flourish at both. The name Lady Drama just came to her one night, and from then on her career as gossip diva extraordinaire set its own path to success.
So does Lady Drama, queen of gossip at YBW, read gossip sites too? Yep! She admits being well acquainted with sites like TMZ.com, Bossip.com and Concreteloop.com. She’s not a huge fan of MediaTakeOut.com, and when asked why she explained that the site is not very honest. Lady Drama takes pride in her work, saying, “I say how I feel and I’m very honest about it…[MediaTakeOut.com] likes to bring celebrities down…that’s not what I do.”
How does one find the material to create a gossip site? Lady Drama tells about how at first a gossip guru must do a lot of research. Googling names and looking up court dates are only two of the tactics that kept her busy collecting material. But as success of the site grew, Lady Drama fans began sending in their tips, sightings and rumors.
The regular Gossip Girl admits that the best thing about her job is being able to know everybody else’s business while they know nothing about her! She laughs, “Everybody gossips, why not get paid for it!” Although Lady Drama keeps current and informed 24/7 with the lives involved in the world of entertainment, she thinks of the name as her alter ego. Ebony Garris is calm and cool, and Lady Drama is always in tune with Hollywood and the latest buzz.
Our own Lady Drama has tons of plans for the future, including an appearance on the Wendy Williams Show this Tuesday. On July 22nd, if you’re in the New York, Dallas, Detroit or Los Angeles areas, tune into Fox 5 at 10am to catch Lady Drama introduce the show! The opportunity to meet her idol came when she got a call from the producers of the show a couple days after requesting audience tickets.
In addition to that, Garris is currently working on a book that she would like to have out by next summer! As she is finishing up her book, print publication is also her focus. In the future, she plans to do more magazines, columns, newspapers and websites. Garris would like for Lady Drama to continue to succeed and become well known, and with the way she’s going now, that is sure to happen soon!
