Your Black News: african american news headlines

Showing posts with label african american news headlines. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Assumptions about Improvement Programs

The daily news frequently includes negative information about black Americans. Articles report black on black violence, poverty, inadequate educational achievement, high incarceration rates, high school dropout rates, etc. Anyone that reads Your Black World knows this. These same news articles discuss different programs designed to do something positive about these problems. There seems to be a consensus among article authors and readers-that-comment, that these programs are the way to go.

This article, and others that follow, question the assumptions being made about these programs and the problems they are supposed to overcome. These articles are not designed to report but provide information to get readers to think about their assumptions and comment on them. Readers’ comments are more important than what I write. The information I provide is designed to question underlying assumptions being made about improvement programs. The information provided is designed to help readers think critically and participate in an online dialogue with other readers and me. We all want effective programs that truly help black Americans, but successful programs have to be based on valid assumptions otherwise they will not achieve desired outcomes.

I am a retired business/organizational consultant. Frequently when ask to consult with a large corporation that was in serious trouble, managers and employees always said they thought they were already doing all the right things. My most common work involved getting them to examine their assumptions about why they were doing what they were doing, nearly all of which was obviously not working. If I were not there, they would have continued to “do the same old same old” until they had to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Please allow an example of an underlying assumption that many think is true. But first I want to say that people often find the truth of this matter quite upsetting. In today’s world of political correctness we have to understand that people often find the truth to be inflammatory, regarding many matters. To get at the truth we sometimes must discuss issues that many find uncomfortable. But, if we don’t discuss them, we don’t get at the real issues and the result is we support programs that do not work.

My example follows: If a violent criminal has broken into your home and is attacking one of your loved ones and you dial 911, do the police have a duty to come to your aid? Do police have a duty to provide individuals protection from criminal harm? The answer to these questions is a clear “no.” If anyone doubts this “no,” read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia. I do not need to read the site to know that this is true. I lived in South Central Los Angles for some years and I was there in the smoke and flames of the Rodney King riots. The various police departments in the area pulled all officers off the street during the time when more than 50 people were murdered. And they could legally do this because police have no duty to provide protection for individual citizens. If you want to read more about these issues you can read some of the books by Dr. Gary Kleck, criminology professor at Florida State University at Tallahassee - even if the police decide to come, they will not arrive in time to save your loved one’s life.

In summary, the daily news frequently includes negative information about black Americans and programs that are supposed to overcome these problems. Have you ever really thought about the assumptions these programs are based upon? Are the programs focused on the real problems or are they only attempting to address the symptoms of the real problems? Chasing the symptoms of problems without addressing the real issues may do nothing to help the people involved. And we seriously do want effective programs that improve the lot of black Americans.

What do think about all this? Your comments are more important that what I write. I hope many readers will join in this discussion so that we can better understand the truth and do something positive about our improvement opportunities. Joseph L. Bass, Ed.D.

Friday, September 3, 2010

African American Athletes, Hip Hop and Handguns: What Up with That?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action

Shaun Rogers, a Defensive Tackle for the Cleveland Browns, was fined $400,000 by the league for violating its personal conduct policy. Rogers was caught carrying a loaded gun inside an airport. The fine represents approximately 1/17th of his $6.9 million salary.
Some would say that Rogers got off easy, since it would have been no surprise to see him either suspended or sent to jail. The player was caught carrying a loaded semi-automatic handgun in his carry-on bag at Hopkins International Airport. There's no indication regarding whether or not he realized that TSA agents actually have the ability to see inside of someone's luggage with their x-ray machine. It's hard to imagine what he might have been thinking.

Click to read.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

African American News from TheGrio - 6/10/10

Ex-Memphis mayor runs against white rep on race

By theGrio

11:15 AM on 06/10/2010

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Willie Herenton tried to stir up his low-key congressional campaign Wednesday by claiming again that his race is a good reason to send him to Washington...

> MORE
New jobless claims dip for third straight week

By theGrio

10:03 AM on 06/10/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - At the same time, the tally of laid-off workers continuing to claim jobless benefits fell by the largest amount in almost a year...

> MORE
Will BP go bankrupt? Shares plunge on spill fallout

By theGrio

9:06 AM on 06/10/2010

LONDON (AP) - The share price falls in London and New York have wiped out around half the company's market value since the spill began with an April 20 rig explosion in the Gulf...

> MORE
School fires teacher for having child out of wedlock

By theGrio

9:00 AM on 06/10/2010

VIDEO - A former teacher claims she was fired after admitting that she conceived a child several weeks before marrying the baby's father...

> MORE
Obama to meet families of 11 killed in oil spill

By theGrio

8:25 AM on 06/10/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Spokesman Robert Gibbs said Obama also wants to hear the families' thoughts on changes the government can make to ensure that future deepwater oil drilling is safe...

> MORE
SC Dems urge surprise Senate candidate to quit

By theGrio

9:46 PM on 06/09/2010

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Court records show Alvin Greene was arrested in November and charged with showing obscene Internet photos to a University of South Carolina student...

> MORE
Clinton: Iran sanctions a victory for Obama

By theGrio

4:40 PM on 06/09/2010

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Iran's decision to turn its back to White House overtures convinced the world of the need for sanctions, she said...

> MORE
Student's prank leads to 'molester' label in yearbook

By theGrio

4:14 PM on 06/09/2010

VIDEO - A senior with access to this year's yearbook reportedly changed the last name of a younger student, we've chosen not to identify to instead read 'molester'...

> MORE

Sunday, February 28, 2010

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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Your African American News from TheGrio – 2/14/10

Frank Thomas announces retirement from baseball after 19 seasons

By theGrio

2:43 PM on 02/12/2010

CHICAGO (AP) - Frank Thomas has announced his retirement following a 19-season career in which he hit 521 homers and won two American League MVP awards with the Chicago White Sox...

> MORE
Tennessee diver becomes first black national champion

By theGrio

2:29 PM on 02/12/2010

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Michael Wright, a 22-year-old senior at Tennessee, won the title Monday at the USA Diving Winter National Championships...

> MORE
Holder may abandon civilian trial for 9/11 mastermind

By theGrio

1:14 PM on 02/12/2010

WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Eric Holder is leaving open the possibility of trying professed Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed before a military commission...

> MORE
Jamie Foxx delivers music, instruments to kids

By theGrio

10:20 AM on 02/12/2010

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Jamie Foxx wanted to entertain a group of musically inclined high school students with a few bars from his Grammy winning hit, "Blame It"...

> MORE
Haitians hold day of mourning on quake anniversary

By theGrio

9:19 AM on 02/12/2010

PORT-AU-PRINCE(AP) - In many of the outdoor camps, trucks with loudspeakers blast evangelical music while missionaries talk to families under tarps...

> MORE
Army discharging single mom who refused deployment

By theGrio

8:12 AM on 02/12/2010

SAVANNAH, Georgia (AP) - Spc. Alexis Hutchinson, an Army cook stationed at Hunter Army Airfield in Savannah, was arrested in November after skipping her unit's deployment flight...

> MORE
Bill Clinton hospitalized; undergoes heart surgery

By theGrio

3:26 PM on 02/11/2010

NEW YORK (AP) - Former President Bill Clinton had two stents inserted Thursday to prop open a clogged heart artery...

> MORE
Holyfield's wife says boxer hit her several times

By theGrio

2:40 PM on 02/11/2010

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) - Evander Holyfield's wife claims the boxing great hit her after an argument. She now has a temporary protective order against him...

> MORE
Haiti's differing death counts add to confusion

By theGrio

10:16 AM on 02/11/2010

TITANYEN, Haiti (AP) - Wildly conflicting death tolls from Haitian officials have raised suspicions that no one really knows how many people died in the Jan. 12 earthquake...

> MORE
Caught on tape: High school soccer brawl

By theGrio

9:58 AM on 02/11/2010

VIDEO - Mississippi's two top 6-A soccer teams went head to head in a championship match that ended in a vicious attack on a player...

> MORE
Bus tunnel beating spurs criticism of 'observe and report' security

By theGrio

9:42 AM on 02/11/2010

VIDEO - Three unarmed security guards were following orders last month when they stood by without intervening as a 15-year-old girl was badly beaten...

> MORE
South Africans celebrate 20 years of change

By Robert G. Thompson

9:23 AM on 02/11/2010

JOHANNESBURG - The meaning of Mandela's release doesn't only resonate with South Africans of color. It hits home to white South Africans as well...

> MORE

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

CA National Guard Has First Female Leader

The first black woman to head the National Guard in any state has taken charge in California.

Brigadier General Mary Kight (kite) was sworn in Tuesday by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger at a former Air Force base outside Sacramento.

She is also the first woman to lead the 21,000 members of the state's Army and Air National Guard.

Click to read.

Monday, February 1, 2010

News: President Obama Presented as a Pimp in Tea Party Poster

A tea party group in Houston has been passing around a picture of President Obama as a pimp. TeaParty.org, founded by Dale Robertson sent out an email with the subject line: “Obama Pimpin Obama-Care, One Last Time!.” Robertson was also shown holding up a sign calling taxpayers “Niggars.”

Monday, January 25, 2010

African American News: Teen Violinist Beaten By Cops

PITTSBURGH – The photos taken by Jordan Miles’ mother show his face covered with raw, red bruises, his cheek and lip swollen, his right eye swollen shut. A bald spot mars the long black dreadlocks where the 18-year-old violist says police tore them from his head.

Now, 10 days after plainclothes officers stopped him on a street and arrested him after a struggle that they say revealed a soda bottle under his coat, not the gun they suspected, his right eye is still slightly swollen and bloodshot. His head is shaved. The three white officers who arrested him have been reassigned. And his mother says she is considering a lawsuit.

“I feel that my son was racially profiled,” Terez Miles said. “It’s a rough neighborhood; it was after dark. … They assumed he was up to no good because he’s black. My son, he knows nothing about the streets at all. He’s had a very sheltered life, he’s very quiet, he doesn’t know police officers sit in cars and stalk people like that.”

A judge continued the case until Feb. 18 after the officers failed to appear at a hearing Thursday, Miles’ attorney, Kerrington Lewis, said. The police department is saying little as it investigates, and isn’t releasing the officers’ names.

Click to read.

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Black News: Pat Robertson’s Racist Comments About Haiti

Pat Robertson, the evangelical Christian who once suggested God was punishing Americans with Hurricane Katrina, says a "pact to the devil" brought on the devastating earthquake in Haiti.

Officials fear more than 100,000 people have died as a result of Tuesday's 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Haiti.

Robertson, the host of the "700 Club," blamed the tragedy on something that "happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it."

The Haitians "were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever," Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. "And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, 'We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.' True story. And so, the devil said, 'OK, it's a deal.' "

Native Haitians defeated French colonists in 1804 and declared independence.

"You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other." Robertson has previously linked natural disasters and terrorist attacks to legalized abortion in the United States. Soon after Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast, killing more than 1,800 and wreaking unprecedented devastation on New Orleans, Louisiana, Robertson weighed in with his own theory.

Click to read

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Black News: Eric Holder Says Black Fathers are Irresponsible

by Elliot Millner, J.D. – Your Black World

Attorney General Eric Holderrecently spoke at a Black church in Queens, NY, and during his speech he gave Black fathers another talking to, stating that:
"It should simply be unacceptable for a man to have a child and then not play an integral part in the raising and nurturing of the child."
Sounds good on face value. Who doesn't think that any man who has a child should play a vital role in that child's growth and development? A.G. Holder is 100% right on that point, and I have no disagreement with him whatsoever.
However lets look beyond the truthfulness of the words. When communicating, there are many other factors to consider other than what is being said. So, let's consider the question: If a person is truly concerned about promoting the increased participation of Black father's in their children's lives, what would that person do? Seemingly, a person sincere about achieving that goal would go speak to the people most in need of that talk, in this case Black fathers who were not being responsible for the children they had helped bring into the world. Although I'm sure it may have been some people in Memorial Presbyterian Church who were being negligent in their parental duties, I doubt that A.G. Holder's message applied to the majority of them.

Click to read.