Peace Finally Comes to Kenya?

From the New York Times:

"Kenya's rival leaders broke their tense standoff on Thursday, agreeing to share power in a deal that may end the violence that has engulfed this nation but could be the beginning of a long and difficult political relationship."

Read more here.

Geoffrey Bennett

12:46 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink

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Report: 1 in 100 Americans in Prison

iStockphoto.com

When I saw this headline -- 1 in 100 Adults Now in Prison -- I just knew there would be bad news for black folks, too. And sure enough:

"While one in 30 men between the ages of 20 and 34 is behind bars, for black males in that age group the figure is one in nine."

A Baltimore lawmaker quoted in the article said the spike has to do with the incarceration of "mainly low-level drug users or drug dealers" who should be put "into treatment, which is far less expensive and much more effective."

What do you think about this report? And what can be down to curb the trend?

[Our panel of reporters will be tackling this story in today's roundtable. Check back at 4PM ET for a link to the audio.]

Geoffrey Bennett

12:30 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink

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Black Troopers Say Written Exam is Unfair

A group of black Connecticut state troopers has filed a lawsuit against the state, claiming discrimination against potential black officers. At issue: what constitutes a passing grade on the required written exam.

"The troopers say a passing grade on the exam traditionally has been a 65 percent or higher, but that [Commissioner John] Danaher has decided to accept candidates who score 85 percent or higher."

Here's what the group's lawyer has to say:

"John R. Williams, the lawyer for the black troopers coalition ... called the situation 'defacto racism' because he believes that by picking applicants with higher scores, the system is 'racially exclusionary.' '(Danaher) knows that his people have decided that a passing score is 65 and knows that if you limit it only to those who score 86 or above, you cut out the vast majority of the qualified African American applicants,' Williams said."

Read the full article here. What do you make of Williams' argument: the higher the score, the more racially exclusionary? Isn't that point in itself racist, if not self-defeating?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:02 PM ET | 02-29-2008 | permalink

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From Lead Belly To Led Zeppelin

On today's show, we examine the family tree of rock 'n' roll; tracing Led Zeppelin's amp-busting anthems to their roots in the blues of the American South. Each of Jimmy Page's guitar riffs or Robert Plant's soulful wails is an homage to the great blues musicians from Biloxi to Nashville.

But sometimes seeing is believing.

So check out these videos of the real thing.

Do you think the blues is dead? Is there a modern equivalent? What other black musicians do you think are underrated or forgotten about? If you could go back in time and catch any artist's performance, whose would it be?

Lead Belly (You may also remember his song re-envisioned by Nirvana for MTV Unplugged in 1994.)

Led Zeppelin's "How Many More Times"

Muddy Waters "Got My Mojo Workin'"

Drew Tewksbury

6:28 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink

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Black or African American?

This from an op-ed in today's New York Times: "It's time to retire the term African-American and go back to black."

"It's hard to understand why black Americans ever tried to use the term African-American to exclude people. The black American community's social and political power derives from its inclusiveness. Everyone who identifies as black has traditionally been welcomed, no matter their skin color or date of arrival. ... I've never minded not knowing who my ancestors are beyond a few generations."

This refrain is nothing new -- but the writer's reasoning, which echoes what Farai wrote earlier about the rise of black ethnics, puts in a different light.

What do you think? What do you prefer to be called?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:19 PM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink

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Caught On Tape: S. African Students on the Attack

A video depicting the abuse of five elderly black cleaners has sparked protests at a South African university.

The video shows four students from a white-only, male dorm at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein forcing the cleaners to partake in humiliating activities, including kneeling and eating food that had been urinated upon.

According to The Independent from the U.K.:

"The video was shot after the university announced a new integration policy on accommodation for its 18,500 students, ending the practice of black and white students living in separate digs."

It has been almost 14 years since the "official" end of apartheid, but what do you think needs to be done to mend the social divide between South African whites and blacks?

Do you think that these actions of a few college kids are indicative of a larger trend in South Africa? What about segregation (either institutional or social) on American college campuses?

Drew Tewksbury

11:58 AM ET | 02-28-2008 | permalink

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'Gang Leader for a Day'

Sudhir Venkatesh

Courtesy Penguin Press HC

Today we spoke with Sudhir Venkatesh. As a sociology student in Chicago, he went to the projects with a questionnaire that said, among other things, how does it feel to be black and poor?

The men he met laughed at him ... and detained him in a hallway while they cut drug deals. Out of that inauspicious start came the riveting book about his years studying (and befriending) dealers, Gang Leader for a Day.

The book has caused a lot of controversy. A blog called Marginal Revolution gave the book a thumbs down because they felt Venkatesh was encouraging or at least condoning the drug dealing.

The author of the bestseller Freakonomics wrote a rave review of the book.

Take a listen to our interview. Do you think Venkatesh was condoning dealing, doing good research ... or a little bit of both?

Farai Chideya

4:43 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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Black and Ethnic

I gave a speech the other day in Iowa. One topic that came up was pride: ethnic pride, among black folks ... and whether that pride can actually be divisive.

A Haitian-American freshman said that Haitians were better than black Americans because they had kicked the French out of their homeland. (Read more about the fascinating rebellion led by Toussaint L'Overture. Danny Glover -- whose film company is called L'Overture Films -- is working on a film version of the revolution.)

I asked her friend, a black American woman, how she felt about the first woman's comment. The second student said she was hurt in some ways, but she understood. "Our pride gets in the way," she said. "Black people are proud people; and Haitians are proud people. And we should be proud of each other, but sometimes our pride gets in the way."

Inter-ethnic issues are increasingly big in the black community ... Take a gander at an article by one of our contributors, Meri Danquah. Recently, someone went off on her about Barack Obama not being black enough and then how haughty Africans are. She writes:

"I bit my lip and listened to his diatribe against African immigrants. Surely, I thought, he's forgotten who he's talking to. That didn't come as much of a surprise. I find that a lot of people forget I'm an immigrant; more precisely, an African immigrant."

I was raised to take pride in everyone else's pride. My mother took us to dance at the Greek festival and go to the Irish festival. Everyone's joy was our joy.

But too often the opposite happens. You see street fights breaking out between people of different ethnic groups on the edges of festivals, and any spark can light a fire ... not just something as big as Rodney King, but smaller misunderstandings.

Which brings me back to the big picture. What we're seeing now is the rise of the black ethnic ... you know how, in some circles, Irish, Italians, Armenians and other folks are considered "ethnic" whites.

Now we're seeing the rise of black ethnics: Haitian-Americans, Jamaican-Americans, Nigerian-Americans, and so on and so on.

If you're black American or ANOTHER ethnicity and black, what do you make of how we do (or don't) get along? Are we even the same?

It's a question that's come up a lot in this presidential race. Will it transform America?

Farai Chideya

4:15 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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John Lewis Switching Support from Clinton to Obama

Rep. John Lewis -- who had previously endorsed Hillary Clinton -- says he is now switching his support to Barack Obama.

"Lewis told [WSB TV's Monica] Pearson he was switching his support because his district voted for Obama and he believes Americans are looking for a great change. He also said he had not spoken to Clinton or Obama about his decision."

Read the rest. Lewis' early endorsement turned out to be a political risk. It resulted in him picking up opposition to his congressional seat for the first time in nearly 10 years.

Flashback: John Lewis, More CBC Members Shifting to Obama?

(This is the final Obama-related post of the day ... promise.)

Geoffrey Bennett

2:40 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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Obama & Farrakhan: What to Do?

Political analyst and social issues commentator Earl Ofari Hutchinson has this to say about Barack Obama's reaction to Louis Farrakhan's support -- an issue raised during last night's MSNBC Democratic debate:

"But, if Obama doesn't blast Farrakhan as an anti-white hate monger that could raise questioning eyebrows with many white voters. He can't afford that. He's far exceeded the predictions of many who questioned whether whites would vote for an African-American for president. They have and he has even done what was thought to be even more implausible and that's net considerable backing from white males. They have been rock solid backers of GOP presidents going back to Ronald Reagan. Obama got their support with his open-ended message of change and unity. Farrakhan, then, is the absolute last thing that Obama needs now that he's on a roll with so many diverse voters."

What do you think? How should he handle the so-called "Farrakhan dilemma?"

More Analysis:
National Review: Obama and the Farrakhan Trap
Haaretz.com: A Promise No Jewish Liberal Can Ignore

In case you missed the debate, you can watch it here:

[We'll post video of the specific Farrakhan back-and-forth when it becomes available.]

We're also talking about this on today's bloggers' roundtable. Check back at 4PM ET for a link to the audio.

Geoffrey Bennett

12:39 PM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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King of Pop Faces Neverland Foreclosure

An aerial view of the Neverland Valley Ranch of singer Michael Jackson June 25, 2001 in Santa Ynez, CA.

Jason Kirk, Getty Images

Michael Jackson's Neverland Valley Ranch -- the sprawling estate, the train, merry-go-rounds, ferris wheels, and animal enclosures (minus the animals) -- may hit the auction block unless the King of Pop can come up with $25 million in three weeks.

That might be tough -- as Fox News reports, MJ doesn't seem keen on returning to work -- he isn't touring and didn't do much publicity for the latest "Thriller" rerelease (which is tanking in sales).

Michael hasn't called Neverland home since being acquitted on child molestation charges back in 2005. But what's inside remains unclear. The new owner might happen upon a heap of valuable memorabilia if it's sold "as is." Check out the auction notice (PDF).

How much would you pay to buy Mike's pad? And if you owned Neverland, what would you do with it?

Update: Neverland has been saved! Just in case you were worried, Jackson's attorney L. Londell McMillan has assured us: "Neverland and MJ are fine."

Wait. Did he just call him MJ?

Geoffrey Bennett

11:52 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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Kenyan Town Protests Obama Somali Photo

Since their native son -- Barack Obama -- has a shot at becoming president, Kenyans are watching our election process more closely than ever. (Obama's late father was from Kenya.)

CNN recently aired this take on it:

And now -- in response to the photo flap involving a leaked picture of Obama dressed in traditional Somali garb -- Kenyans are hitting the streets on Friday, demonstrating in support.

"The controversy made headlines in Kenya, where many people already support the Democratic front-runner in the way the Irish idolized U.S. President John F. Kennedy in the 1960s -- as one of their own who succeeded beyond their wildest dreams. ... Wajir residents planned to demonstrate in the town after Friday prayers to show their support for Obama."

Reuters has the rest.

Geoffrey Bennett

11:40 AM ET | 02-27-2008 | permalink

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An Apology to Black Women for Gay America ...

Speak Your Mind is back! This week, we have a submission from blogger and News & Notes contributor Jasmyne Cannick. She writes about the "serious race issues still at play in gay America."

Courtesy Jasmyne Cannick

At this year's State of the Black Union, Dick Gregory apologized to President Bill Clinton on behalf of Blacks for our role in allowing Clinton to believe that he was Black.

In that same spirit, I feel compelled to apologize to Charles Knipp on behalf of gays for allowing him to think that he's one of the Black women that he unsuccessfully tries to emulate. I also want to apologize to Black women on behalf of gay America for Charles Knipp.

Knipp's latest cry for help involved (Note: Graphic Image) superimposing my head on some other Black woman's naked body and then tactlessly posting it on his website for my continuing to expose his constant mockery of the Black woman.

Continue reading "An Apology to Black Women for Gay America ..." »

Geoffrey Bennett

1:09 PM ET | 02-26-2008 | permalink

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How Do You Describe Your Religious Identity?

One of the largest polls ever conducted about Americans' view of religion shows that the "country increasingly exploring different faith identities and ways of worship."

"More than 40 percent of respondents told pollsters that they had changed their religious affiliation since childhood. Experts say the growth of religious minorities, American mobility and intermarriage are key factors in the churn documented in the Religious Landscape Survey."

According to the study, the Catholic Church lost the most followers of all faith groups. [Read more about the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey.]

How do you describe your religious identity? How has it changed over the years and why?

Geoffrey Bennett

12:27 PM ET | 02-26-2008 | permalink

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Clinton, Obama Face Off in Cleveland

Democratic presidential hopefuls Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton debate at the University of Texas on February 21, 2008.

Ben Sklar, Getty Images

Tonight, Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama will debate for the final time before the crucial March 4th primaries -- and quite possibly for the last time ever.

Ohio and Texas are seen as states Clinton must win next Tuesday in order to keep her campaign afloat. But polls show Barack Obama closing (and, in some cases, surpassing) her lead.

MSNBC, which will carry tonight's debate, says it's her final chance to blunt Obama's momentum. To that end, the New York Times says to expect a fight. What do you think will happen at tonight's debate? What will be the tone?

Related Links:
Poll: Obama More Likely to Beat McCain
Pieces of Texas Turn Primary Into a Puzzle
Clinton Campaign Starts 5-Point Attack on Obama
Re-Emerging, Dodd Joins Team Obama
Obama Stiffs, Stifles National Press

Geoffrey Bennett

12:01 PM ET | 02-26-2008 | permalink

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An Ivy League Education at an Affordable Price

The main entrance of Widener Library at Harvard University.

iStockphoto.com

Thanks to Ama for suggesting we take another look at this story:

"Please highlight the Stanford, Yale and Harvard tuition story. The word needs to get out that a great education can be had at those institutions without mortgaging your future."

Last week, Stanford University announced it would waive tuition for students from families that make less than $100,000 a year. It follows similar announcements from Harvard and Yale.

It's not like these wealthy institutions can't afford to be charitable; Harvard, for instance, boasts an endowment of $34.6 billion.

For all the talk about the importance diversity, socioeconomic diversity is often overlooked at some of the nation's top-rated colleges and universities.

But the now unseen consequences may soon be felt at the nation's historically blacks colleges and universities, as top talent -- who may have considered attending a Howard, Spelman or Morehouse for financial reasons -- instead choose to attend a Dartmouth, Yale, or Harvard.

So two questions: what will be the impact of these tuition reductions/waivers, and how can HBCUs remain viable options for the nation's top students?

UPDATE (2/26/08): Brown Ends Tuition for Lower-Income

Geoffrey Bennett

3:44 PM ET | 02-25-2008 | permalink

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Whoopi Goldberg Snubbed by Oscars?

If you watched last night's three-hour Oscar snore fest, you may have noticed -- like I did -- a glaring omission: Whoopi Goldberg was not shown in a montage featuring former Oscar hosts. (Whoopi twice hosted the show.)

Apparently, Whoopi was watching, too. Here's what happened on The View today:

(This would be the second time Whoopi was served an Oscar diss. Halle Berry -- in her acceptance speech upon winning an award for best actress in 2002 -- forgot to mention Whoopi alongside other pioneering black actresses.)

Geoffrey Bennett

1:15 PM ET | 02-25-2008 | permalink

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Obama Photo at Center of Latest Political Dust-Up

A photo shows Sen. Barack Obama dressed as a Somali Elder, reportedly taken while he was visiting Kenya in 2006.

c/o Drudge Report

Just one week before the make-or-break March 4th Democratic primaries, a photo has surfaced showing Sen. Barack Obama dressed as a Somali Elder -- reportedly taken while the senator was on an extended tour of Africa in 2006.

Rivals have sought to undermine Obama's presidential bid by spreading rumors that he secretly follows the Islamic faith. (Obama, whose Kenyan father was Muslim, says he is a Christian. Listen to our interview.)

In response to the photo's release, Obama's campaign said the following:

"On the very day that Senator Clinton is giving a speech about restoring respect for America in the world, her campaign has engaged in the most shameful, offensive fear-mongering we've seen from either party in this election. This is part of a disturbing pattern that led her county chairs to resign in Iowa, her campaign chairman to resign in New Hampshire, and it's exactly the kind of divisive politics that turns away Americans of all parties and diminishes respect for America in the world."

And from Sen. Clinton's camp:

"Enough. If Barack Obama's campaign wants to suggest that a photo of him wearing traditional Somali clothing is divisive, they should be ashamed. Hillary Clinton has worn the traditional clothing of countries she has visited and had those photos published widely. This is nothing more than an obvious and transparent attempt to distract from the serious issues confronting our country today and to attempt to create the very divisions they claim to decry. We will not be distracted."

So ... is that an implicit admission that they released the photo? What do you think? And how will this impact the campaigning heading into next week?

And for good measure, here's the Drudge Report post that started it all. We'll tackle this issue in today's bloggers' roundtable.

Geoffrey Bennett

12:33 PM ET | 02-25-2008 | permalink

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Why Journalists Hate Multimedia ...

Over the course of the coming months you'll notice us experimenting with multimedia ... and I do say "experimenting." I'll leave you in suspense about what's coming up (in part because we here at Team N&N are in suspense ... we're still planning it).

But I thought I'd share this funny blog post about why some journalists are miffed that they have to do this newfangled multimedia thing ... or that their bosses don't support it.

It is funny, but as blogger Mark Luckie notes, some of the language is NSFW (Not Safe for Work) because we salty journalists tend to curse a bit. Some of us. If that doesn't turn you off, enjoy.

Farai Chideya

12:52 AM ET | 02-25-2008 | permalink

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Big Ol' Ball of Accusations

What's in a word? Well, that's the key to this whole election row over whether Barack Obama stole Deval Patrick's words ... and now, whether Hillary Clinton has taken some liberties of her own.

Let's go to the tape. This is part of Thursday's debate:

Here's a previous story on Obama:

And a new vid about Hil:

As a friend of mine who forwarded me one of the videos said, "It's going to get nasty from here out." That's politics. We'll see how heavy the attacks and counterattacks fly.

Farai Chideya

4:16 PM ET | 02-22-2008 | permalink

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President Bush Jaunts Across Africa

President George W. Bush shares a laugh with local musicians in Ghana.

Jim Watson, AFP/Getty Images

When an American president is about to leave office, he typically packs up the presidential slippers, clears the penned-on mustache off the Nixon portraits, and makes a good-will trip to Africa. President Bush is now traversing the continent making quick stops in Tanzania, Rwanda, and Ghana.

Today, he concludes his tour in Liberia. The New York Times presents an interesting piece about the nation whose creation came out of the repatriation of American slaves in 1820:

It has been 30 years since a sitting president of the United States has visited this West African nation, and in the decades since, rebel generals with nicknames like Butt Naked laid waste to this seaside country, raping and plundering, and a brutal warlord named Charles G. Taylor campaigned for the presidency under the slogan, "He killed my ma, he killed my pa, but I will vote for him anyway." Now Mr. Taylor is gone, pushed out in 2003 after more than a decade of civil war, and Liberia is taking tender steps toward recovery under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the first woman to be democratically elected president in modern Africa. On Thursday, Air Force One touched down at the airport near Monrovia, and a sitting president of the United States -- George W. Bush -- stepped onto Liberian soil once again.

How will Bush's legacy in Africa be remembered? What kind of relationship should America have with Liberia? Do you think these trips make lasting political change, or are they just photo ops?

If you're more interested in some visuals, check out the astute photographic coverage by Stereohyped.

Drew Tewksbury

6:54 PM ET | 02-21-2008 | permalink

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Michelle Obama on American Pride

Michelle Obama speaks during a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Joshua Lott, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 19, 2007
Talk About It:
Chicago Sun-Times: Michelle: I've Always Been Proud of U.S. -- "I understood exactly what Michelle Obama meant when she expressed a renewed pride in America. Look at what's happening. Her husband, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, has racked up delegates from coast to coast -- not as a symbolic African-American candidate, but as a candidate who is being enthusiastically supported by people from diverse ethnic backgrounds, income brackets, educational levels and geographic locations."

We talked about this a bit on yesterday's bloggers' roundtable ... what do you think Michelle Obama meant?

Election 2008:
New York Times: McCain Denies Aides' Statements About Lobbyist

L.A. Times: Michelle Obama in Spotlight's Glare

Washington Post: As Crucial Tests Loom, Clinton Hits Harder

Houston Chronicle: Huckabee Promises to Keep Fighting

Nation:
New York Times: Race Matters Less in Politics of South

Business Wire: Many Black, Latino Families Could Fall out of Middle Class

Boston Globe: Soaring Prices Threaten Economy

Reuters: Stanford Waives Tuition if Income Under $100,000

AP: 9/11 Victims' Children Help N.O. Recover

Chicago Tribune: Inside the World of War Profiteers

World:
Miami Herald: Hugo Chavez: 'Men Like Fidel Never Retire'

L.A. Times: Kenya's Youths at Center of Violence

PR Newswire: BET Networks Announces the Launch of BET in the UK

Health & Science:
Medical News Today: Postpartum Depression More Likely In Blacks

U.S. News: DNA Findings Reveal Genetic History of Humans

Geoffrey Bennett

11:54 AM ET | 02-21-2008 | permalink

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Political Lists ... and Celeb-Pol Journalism

The cover of the inaugural issue of George (Oct/Nov 1995), featuring supermodel Cindy Crawford dressed as George Washington.

George Magazine

It's time when everybody is sending out political lists. How useful are they? Depends on what you want to know.

I typed "political lists" into -- what else -- Google, and I got this in the top hits:

The Book of Political Lists... by George magazine.

Does anyone (besides me?) remember George? It was this snarky / hip / political / celeb magazine that may have been ahead of its time. After all, it could do well in the age of the Will.i.am viral video.

If you're under the age of 30 or simply didn't buy into the George hype, here's a refresher.

Meanwhile, enjoy this list that Mom sent me....

Youngest U.S. Presidents
(By age upon taking office)

Rank -- President -- Years -- Days
1. Theodore Roosevelt -- 42 -- 322
2. John F. Kennedy -- 43 -- 236
3. Bill Clinton -- 46 -- 154
4. Ulysses S. Grant -- 46 -- 236
5. Grover Cleveland -- 47 -- 351
6. Franklin Pierce -- 48 -- 101
7. James Garfield -- 49 -- 105
8. James K. Polk -- 49 -- 122
9. Millard Fillmore -- 50 -- 184
10. Chester A. Arthur -- 50 -- 350

Note: Roosevelt was sworn in after the assassination of William McKinley in 1901, making Kennedy the youngest president actually voted to the office. At 69, Ronald Reagan was the oldest president to take office.

Farai Chideya

7:45 PM ET | 02-20-2008 | permalink

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Billboard Charts to King of Pop: 'Beat It'

Michael Jackson photographed with Marcel Marceau in 2004.

Getty Images

The 25th anniversary edition of Michael Jackson's Thriller sold 166,000 copies in its first week of release, but Billboard has not listed the King of Pop in their top 200, Variety reports.

The new edition of the old classic hit the charts at No. 1 in France, No. 2 in Germany, Australia, Holland, Norway and Switzerland, and No. 3 in the U.K, according to Variety.

Yet, Billboard says that the album is actually classified as a catalog release, so it is not eligible to rank on the top 200 chart.

Do you think this fair? What do you think of this re-release (take a listen)? What were you doing when Thriller was released the first time, and more importantly ... what were you wearing?

Drew Tewksbury

7:24 PM ET | 02-20-2008 | permalink

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'SNL' Looks for Their Own Obama

Look-alikes? Actor Keenan Thompson, (left), and Sen. Barack Obama, (right)

Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 19, 2007
Talk About It:
New York Post: Barack-Alike: 'SNL' Casting Comic to Play Obama -- "Like many voters, the producers of 'Saturday Night Live' are hoping to find Barack Obama. The difference is, 'SNL' will have its own Obama by Saturday, when the show returns to the air after three months of writers' strike-induced downtime, whereas voters could be waiting much longer. ... Keenan Thompson -- the only black cast member of 'SNL' -- had been believed to be the favorite for the job, but Michaels says the show has been holding auditions for the part."

This article highlights another issue we discussed in a recent News & Notes editorial meeting: how comedians and political cartoonists deal with issues of racism and sexism when trying to capture Obama and Clinton.

A reporter for Kentucky's Courier-Journal posed that question to a number of cartoonists. Check out their responses.

So ... a couple questions: which comedian do you think could best portray Obama? And what "rules" or special sensitivities, if any, should they observe?

Election 2008:
New York Times: Obama Extends Winning Streak to 10

Newsday: McCain Claims He's GOP Nominee after Wisconsin Win

Nation:
The Detroit News: Kilpatrick Recall Effort Launched

Hartford Courant: Black Official Says He's Gay

New York Times: Higher Education Gap May Slow Economic Mobility

World:
AP: Fighting Traps Thousands of Darfurians

AP: China Extends Ban on Foreign Cartoons

Washington Post: Raul Castro, Leader With a Freer Hand

TIME: Musharraf Refuses to Step Down

Op-Ed:
Rachel Sklar: Why Obama's Lifted Words Matter

Maureen Dowd: To Catch a Thief

Geoffrey Bennett

10:44 AM ET | 02-20-2008 | permalink

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Castro Steps Down; What's Next?

An elderly man rests in front of a poster of Cuban ailing president Fidel Castro in Havana.

Adalberto Roque, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 19, 2007
Talk About It:
Miami Herald: Castro's Stepping Down May Mean Economic Change -- "Although Raul has been ruling Cuba for the 19 months that Castro has been ailing, Cuba watchers say he's had his hands tied with the looming presence of his brother. And with Tuesday's announcement that Cuba's 81-year-old leader was stepping down after nearly 50 years in office, Raul could use the opportunity to enact economic reforms that Cubans so desperately crave."

Plus: Who Is Raul Castro?
More: Candidates to Cuba: Release Prisoners

What will Castro's resignation mean for Cuba's future? What impact, if any, will a freer Cuba have on neighboring Haiti?

Election 2008:
New York Times: Democrats Make Populist Appeals Before Contests

Boston Globe: Clinton's Struggle Vexes Feminists

Washington Post: Obama Wave Stuns Clinton's Black Supporters

Nation:
Baltimore Sun: A Moving Exhibition of Black History

AP: Beef Industry, Animal Rights Groups Duel

The AJC: NCAA Encourages A.D.s to Widen Coaching Searches

L.A. Times: Supreme Court Rejects Wiretap Suit

World:
AFP: Bush Leaves Rwanda for Ghana

Chicago Tribune: Musharraf Foes Celebrate in Pakistan

New York Times: Rice, in Nairobi, Offers Incentives to End Violence

Geoffrey Bennett

12:37 PM ET | 02-19-2008 | permalink

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Mystery Meat: A Real Horror Story

If you're watching the news today, you've probably seen videos of sore- and scab-covered cows, that can't even walk, being forklifted into the slaughterhouse. The video was shot by The Humane Society.

In response, the U.S. Department of Agriculture recalled 143 million pounds of beef.

The catch: most of it has already been eaten.

Here's a MSNBC video on the story, by the way.

No one knows if these sick animals produced tainted beef. (There's the irony: the animals we kill have to be healthy enough ... to kill.)

Before the Cattlemen's Association starts sending me e-mails: I just went out for bul go ki this weekend in Koreatown. I personally eat meat. My sister and several friends are vegetarians. We all make our own moral choices as adults.

But not everyone has equal choices, particularly if you're a kid ... a kid on the school lunch program.

Much of this suspect beef was used in school lunches. According to an article on the unfolding recall, "Grand Rapids [Michigan] Public Schools must throw out 10 tons of hamburger, while the Ann Arbor Public Schools has about 200 pounds of quarantined beef." Plenty of school kids have already eaten the mystery meat.

And school lunch programs haven't had a great track record of serving top-quality food. An article in the environmental magazine Grist calls the school lunch situation "grim."

The Federal Government's own accountability arm, the GAO, has a different critique: whether the nutritional value of school lunches encourages obesity.

(You can pull up the GAO report here. It downloads as a PDF file.)

Kids on free and reduced lunches are going to bear the brunt of federal decision-making about keeping food healthy and safe. In the school we visited as part of our piece on South Carolina's "Corridor of Shame," more than 90 percent of kids qualified for free or reduced lunches.

The kids of poor people and working poor people are much less likely to get the option to eat free range organic. And in the stratification of American society, perhaps there's a new group: the food-choice-poor, people whose incomes or locations (in neighborhoods without grocery stores, for example) make it much more likely that they'll eat whatever is served up in the school cafeteria or sold at the local bodega.

As the story of the suspect beef unfolds, hopefully we'll take a deeper look at what kids are being served ... and whether the government is serving them well.

Farai Chideya

7:22 PM ET | 02-18-2008 | permalink

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On President's Day: Who Is the Best?

Mt. Rushmore

iStockphoto.com

News Headlines: Feb. 18, 2007

Talk About It:
Newsweek: New Discoveries About Abe Lincoln -- "Jean Harvey Baker, a pioneer of women's and political-cultural history, made us see Mary Lincoln more clearly. David Herbert Donald shifted his sharp pen from novelist Thomas Wolfe to Lincoln and won two Pulitzer Prizes. Doris Kearns Goodwin has made us see anew the workings of a 'team of rivals' known as a cabinet. Allen Guelzo places Lincoln into an intellectual and religious context better than anybody in the old days of slow-ball and Bible-thump. ... Books are hardly the only 'new thing' about Lincoln."

As we observe President's Day ... who would you consider the nation's best president? Why?

Election 2008:
L.A. Times: Obama Seeks to Turn Tables in Ohio and Texas

The Swamp: Did Obama Plagiarize? Clinton Team Says Yes

AP: Obama and Edwards Meet in NC

New York Times: Former President Bush Backs McCain

Nation:
AFP: Beef Taken Off the Menu After Largest U.S. Recall

TIME: How to Make Great Teachers

Reuters: More Advanced Cancer Seen in Uninsured Americans

World:
Reuters: Unpopular at Home, Bush Basks in African Praise

New York Times: Rice Brings Incentives to End Kenya Violence

Washington Post: Polls Close, Counting Begins in Pakistan Elections

Op-Ed:
Washington Post: The Dumbing Of America

Boston Globe: Black Man vs. White Woman

Stanley Fish: When 'Identity Politics' Is Rational

Geoffrey Bennett

11:41 AM ET | 02-18-2008 | permalink

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It's Hard Out Here for a Superdelegate

Rep. James Clyburn delivers remarks to the Building and Construction Trade Department, AFL-CIO, during its 2007 Legislative Conference.

Mannie Garcia, AFP/Getty Images

I'm only being a bit tongue in cheek.

Democratic-party superdelgates make up a fifth of the votes needed to decide whether Senator Obama or Senator Clinton gets the top seat on the Democratic ticket. As we spoke about earlier this week with Donna Brazile, that is turning off even some superdelegates.

Plus, our political booker pulled up this example of someone who might be having a little TOO much trouble choosing. Here's part of an article today from the Associated Press:

Sarah Swisher, a superdelegate and member of the SEIU from Iowa City, had committed to Edwards. After he quit the race, she switched to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, but she changed her mind again after her union endorsed Obama. "That will be kind of cool," Swisher said. "I will have supported all three."

Today we spoke with Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the House Majority Whip.

He told us that he's willing to vote against his constituents -- that is, to use his vote as a superdelegate for Hillary Clinton. He is STILL making up his mind though, and we asked him if people were calling for his vote (YES) and what they were saying. Here's what he said:

Oh, they remind me of what the voters did in my congressional district and wanting to know whether or not I'm ready to reflect the will of my congressional district to further Obama's interests, and there's some people who want to know that to see whether or not I've got enough guts to vote the other way. And I can tell you, I do have enough guts to vote the other way if I thought that was in the necessary... that was in the interest of nationalizing our party. And I think that's what my voters would want me to do.

You know, a lot of things can change after the primary. I don't know why people keep dealing with that. Next week, something might jump out that's serious and even that will cause some of the people to rethink how they cast their votes on February the 5th. We already have people who are superdelegates who are now rethinking their commitments that they made two and three months ago because the circumstances have changed.

Rep. Clyburn also said, "This is a very, very unusual election year. And nobody could have anticipated any of what has happened."

... including the idea that BLACK elected representatives would be torn between backing a black man and a white woman in the race for the White House.

Farai Chideya

4:39 PM ET | 02-15-2008 | permalink

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John Lewis, More CBC Members Shifting to Obama?

Sen. Barack Obama, Rep. John Lewis (D-GA), Sen. Hillary Clinton and her husband, former president Bill Clinton, march with a crowd to the Edmund Pettus Bridge in March 2007.

Scott Olson, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 15, 2007

Talk About It:
New York Times: John Lewis, a Clinton Ally, Tilts to Obama -- "Representative John Lewis, an elder statesman from the civil rights era and one of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's most prominent black supporters, said Thursday night that he planned to cast his vote as a superdelegate for Senator Barack Obama in hopes of preventing a fight at the Democratic convention."

Lewis' staffers say he isn't changing his endorsement of Clinton; but reports indicate he will cast his superdelegate vote for Obama. Some say it could lead to a larger defection of CBC Clinton supporters to Obama's camp:

Mr. Lewis, who carries great influence among other members of Congress, disclosed his decision in an interview in which he said that as a superdelegate he could "never, ever do anything to reverse the action" of the voters of his district, who overwhelmingly supported Mr. Obama. Representative David Scott of Georgia, who was among the first to defect, said he, too, would not go against the will of voters in his district.

Do you think Lewis made the decision based on the overwhelming support of Obama among his constituents? Or is it because the civil rights activist doesn't want to be on the "wrong side of history" if Obama gets the nomination? What will be the larger impact of this?

UPDATE: Lewis' Office: Report "Is Not Accurate"

Lewis' office says he is not dropping his support of Hillary Clinton -- as we mentioned above. His office, however, has not yet clarified the reporting about how he will cast his vote as a superdelegate.

Election 2008:
L.A. Times: The Man Behind Obama's Message

AP: Former President Bush Set to Endorse McCain

Washington Post: Clinton May Regret Turning Back on Caucus States

Nation:
Chicago Sun-Times: 5 Students Killed in NIU Campus Shooting

Boston Globe: FEMA Trailers Found Toxic

AP: Bush to Leave Today on Trip to Africa

World:
New York Times: Signs in Kenya of a Land Redrawn by Ethnicity

Washington Post: China Reacts Defensively To Spielberg Resignation

People:
Philadelphia Inquirer: Meet Milton Street, Tax Resister

The AJC: Bynum, Weeks Willing to Reconcile?

Health & Science:
L.A. Times: New Life for African AIDS Patients

Reuters: Pepper May Help Disfiguring Skin Condition: Study

Arts & Culture:
E! News: CW Splits with Girlfriends

AP: Beyonce's Dad Weighs in on 'Queen' Flap

Geoffrey Bennett

11:13 AM ET | 02-15-2008 | permalink

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Tavis to Michelle Obama: Thanks, But No Thanks

Michelle Obama, (left), and Tavis Smiley, (right)

Getty Images

Radio host Tavis Smiley says Michelle Obama is persona non grata at his State of the Black Union being held next week. Smiley initially invited Barack Obama to attend the symposium; but Barack, who is busy campaigning, regretfully declined and offered to send his wife, Michelle in his place.

Here's an excerpt of Barack Obama's letter to Smiley:

In the final stretch, I will be on the campaign trail everyday in states like Ohio, Texas and Wisconsin talking directly with voters about the causes that are at the heart of my campaign and the State of the Black Union forum such as affordable healthcare, housing, economic opportunity, civil rights and foreign policy. I am committed to touching every voter, and working to earn their vote.

That is why with regret, I am not able to attend the forum. I understand that you have declined the campaign's request to have Michelle Obama speak on my behalf. I ask that you reconsider. Michelle is a powerful voice for the type of real change America is hungry for. No one knows my record or my passion for leading America in a new direction more than Michelle Obama.

According to this letter -- and radio host and columnist Roland Martin -- Tavis turned down the offer of having Michelle attend. Read more of Roland's take on it, and listen to Michelle Obama talk to radio host Michael Baisden about this issue.

Should Barack Obama attend this event? Or is Tavis Smiley being irrational?

Geoffrey Bennett

7:56 PM ET | 02-14-2008 | permalink

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Behind the Scenes of the Film Industry

Yesterday we had on three black filmmakers who are making power moves in Hollywood: Rob Hardy, founder of Rainforest Films, a film production and distribution company based in Atlanta; D'Angela Proctor Steed, co-founder of Momentum Entertainment, a distributor that also owns Strange Fruit Films; and Jeff Clanagan, CEO of Code Black Entertainment.

Today we bring you two of the jazz greats ... both men who have reshaped the movie score. New Orleans' Terrence Blanchard has used everything from jazz horns to bagpipes to Arabic percussion in painting landscapes for a series of Spike Lee movies. And Stanley Clarke has worked with director John Singleton, among others.

Blanchard says that Spike Lee uses music as "another character" in his films. In other words, the sounds are not just window dressing; they are integral to the storytelling.

If you have a favorite score (music composed directly for the film) or soundtrack (songs included IN a film), holla!

Farai Chideya

3:47 PM ET | 02-14-2008 | permalink

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At Issue: Biotech Crops and Pesticide Use

iStockphoto.com

News Headlines: Feb. 14, 2007

Talk About It:
Washington Post: 2 Reports At Odds On Biotech Crops -- "Dueling reports released yesterday [about genetically engineered crops] -- one by a consortium largely funded by the biotech industry and the other by a pair of environmental and consumer groups -- came to two different conclusions."

Which report are you inclined to believe? How do you think genetically modified crops will affect the developing world? Will these crops solve the global hunger crisis or will they hurt local organic farmers, who can't compete with transnational companies?

Election 2008:
Reuters: Clinton Leading Obama in Ohio, Pennsylvania: Poll

Chicago Tribune: House GOP Makes Peace with McCain

Boston Globe: Gaining Speed, Obama Shifts Gears

New York Times: Michelle Obama Takes to the Trail

Nation:
Boston Globe: Lawmakers Urged to Form Panel to Study Black Men

New York Times: Fed Chief Sees Economic Rebound Later in Year

Washington Post: On Capitol Hill, Clemens Denies Steroid Use

World:
New York Times: Opposition: Mbeki Fails to Ease Zimbabwe Crisis

AP: S. Africa Wants to Speed Land Distribution to Black Farmers

Reuters: Kenya Crisis Talks Adjourn, Rice Expected

Miami Herald: U.S. Judge Freezes $300M in Venezuela Oil Cash

Op-Ed:
Maureen Dowd: A Flawed Feminist Test

Geoffrey Bennett

11:42 AM ET | 02-14-2008 | permalink

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Aretha "The Queen" is Not Pleased

Singer Tina Turner performs with Beyonce at the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles.

Robyn Beck, AFP/Getty Images

(Taking a break from all this political rigmarole ...) As mentioned in our headlines today, Aretha Franklin is crying foul over Beyonce's introduction of Tina Turner, as the two took the stage at Sunday night's Grammy Awards.

Beyonce introduced Turner as "the Queen." (Perhaps she forgot -- or didn't care -- that Aretha's been holding onto the "Queen of Soul" title with a death grip.)

"I am not sure of whose toes I may have stepped on or whose ego I may have bruised between the Grammy writers and Beyonce," Franklin said in a statement issued by her publicist. "However, I dismissed it as a cheap shot for controversy."

Read the rest, watch the performance, and tell us: who is the real queen?

Geoffrey Bennett

5:22 PM ET | 02-13-2008 | permalink

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Sharpton: Seating Fla., Mich. Delegates an 'Injustice'

Rev. Al Sharpton photographed in New York City.

Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 13, 2007

Talk About It:
AP: Sharpton: Don't Seat Fla., Mich. -- "Seating delegates from Florida and Michigan at the Democratic National Convention would be a grave injustice, the Rev. Al Sharpton said Wednesday in a break with prominent civil rights leaders. NAACP chairman Julian Bond also wrote Dean recently, taking the opposite position. Bond said failure to seat the delegates would disenfranchise minority voters in Florida and Michigan."

Read Sharpton's letter. Which argument -- Sharpton's or Bond's -- is more compelling?

Related: Brazile: I'll Quit DNC Position Over Superdelegates

Related: Debate Intensifies Over Superdelegates

Election 2008:
Washington Post: Obama Extends Streak | McCain Sweeps Potomac

AP: Clinton Hopes for Texas Rebound

AP: Clinton Ex-Campaign Manager Backs Obama

Nation:
AP: Bush: Nooses 'Deeply Offensive'

Wall Street Journal: D-Day for Clemens, McNamee in Baseball Case

L.A. Times: Hollywood Writers Strike Ends

Philadelphia Inquirer: Phila.'s 'Most Wanted' Found Teaching School

World:
AFP: Mugabe Challenger Vows to Heal Zimbabwe Wounds

BBC News: Africa War Zones' 'Rape Epidemic'

Arts & Culture:
AP: Aretha Franklin Slams Beyonce Grammy Intro

Press Association: Spielberg Praised for Games Protest

Op-Ed:
Clarence Page: First-Timer At Voting Booth Learns the Truth

Ron Fournier: Chickens Come Home to Roost

Geoffrey Bennett

11:42 AM ET | 02-13-2008 | permalink

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Spielberg Pulls Out of Olympics Over Darfur

Director/producer Steven Spielberg accepts the lifetime achievement award at the Visual Effects Awards.

Marsaili McGrath, Getty Images for VES

Famed director Steven Spielberg has ended his relationship with the Beijing Olympic Games over China's ties to Sudan.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to formally announce the end of my involvement as one of the overseas artistic advisors to the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympic Games."

China wields significant influence over Sudan because of its investment in Sudanese oil fields. Many have called for the Chinese government to do more to bring an end to the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Spielberg continues:

"With this in mind, I find that my conscience will not allow me to continue with business as usual. At this point, my time and energy must be spent not on Olympic ceremonies, but on doing all I can to help bring an end to the unspeakable crimes against humanity that continue to be committed in Darfur. Sudan's government bears the bulk of the responsibility for these on-going crimes but the international community, and particularly China, should be doing more to end the continuing human suffering there. China's economic, military and diplomatic ties to the government of Sudan continue to provide it with the opportunity and obligation to press for change."

Read the rest of his statement. What do you think about Spielberg's announcement? Should others -- including some athletes -- follow suit?

Geoffrey Bennett

4:51 PM ET | 02-12-2008 | permalink

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The Potomac Primaries ... And Voting as Committment

Today, Democratic voters in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. -- which hog the mid-Atlantic coastline -- go to the polls.

With Senators Obama and Clinton in a near tie, what happens today will probably leave them ... in a near tie. Tomorrow, Senator Obama might be a hair up. (Today, Senator Clinton is.)

My mother and much of my family lives in Maryland, and my mother is driving her neighbor to the polls. I can't remember a time when my family didn't vote. It doesn't mean they were always happy about the choices at hand, but they always showed up to state their preference.

One of the biggest choices that citizens face is whether or not to go vote at all. Some people feel politically disenfranchised because no politician reflects their views. Other folks are cynical about whether or not politicians live up to their promises. If this election is like past ones, a hundred million people could simply watch as other folks choose their president.

The highly-watched, highly-contested race could actually push some of these armchair citizens to get out and vote. We'll see in nine months.

Farai Chideya

12:45 PM ET | 02-12-2008 | permalink

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Race Revelations in Obama's Bid for the White House

Supporters listen to Barack Obama speak during a rally in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mark Wilson, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 12, 2007

Talk About It:
New York Times: Seeking Unity, Obama Feels Pull of Racial Divide -- "Glimpses inside the Obama campaign show, though, that while the senator had hoped his colorblind style of politics would lift the country above historic racial tensions, from Day 1 his bid for the presidency has been pulled into the thick of them. While his speeches focus on unifying voters, his campaign has learned the hard way that courting a divided electorate requires reaching out group by group."

For all the talk about how the Obama campaign has negotiated race (both his and that of his supporters), this article in today's Times lays it all out, including his initial reaction to Rep. John Lewis' endorsement of Hillary Clinton.

"He told John [Lewis] that that he felt like a father was stabbing him in the back," an aide to Mr. Obama said. "Barack sees himself as an extension of the civil rights movement, and so it hurt him deeply when a leader of that movement told him he wasn't ready."

Take a read and share your thoughts.

Election 2008:
New York Times: For Clinton, Bid Hinges on Texas and Ohio

Chicago Tribune: Ron Paul Says He Won't Back McCain

AP: Huckabee Brushes Off Calls to Bow Out

AFP: Obama Fever Catches on Among Women

New York Post: Latino Superdelegate Slams Clinton

Nation:
AP: Bush Administration Announces Foreclosure Aid Program

Boston Globe: Illegal Workers Targeted in R.I.

Detroit Free Press: Council Demanding Kilpatrick 'Secret' Docs

New York Times: Making Rich Tales of Diaspora Take Flight

Houston Chronicle: GM Posts Biggest Annual US Auto Loss

World:
AP: Kenyan Politicians Discuss Power-Sharing

AP: Mexican Prez Decries Anti-Immigrant Tone

New York Times: Chad's Leader Survives, but Dissidents' Peril Grows

People:
AP: Appeals Court Upholds Ronald Isley's Sentence

L.A. Times: Jackson's Masterpiece Still a 'Thriller'

Geoffrey Bennett

12:35 PM ET | 02-12-2008 | permalink

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Preserving Historic Black Neighborhoods

News Headlines: Feb. 11, 2007

Talk About It:

AP: Subdivisions Built for Blacks Preserved -- "Some of the early black homeowner neighborhoods around the country are trying to win historic recognition before their place in the history of homeownership fades. The residents want to be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which would make them eligible for federal tax credits or grants for historic preservation. ... Persuading black property owners to seek the designation can sometimes be difficult because some equate preservation with gentrification or higher taxes."

What's the best way to address this issue? How should such neighborhoods be preserved or maintained? How is this playing out where you live?

Election 2008:
New York Sun: Clinton's Last Stand? | Needs Virginia Victory

Huffington Post: John Edwards Endorsement Talks Underway

AP: Bush Says McCain Needs to Woo GOP

Wall Street Journal: Michelle Obama Solidifies Her Role in the Election

Nation:
New York Times: In 2020, 1 in 7 People in U.S. May Be Foreign-Born

CNN: U.S. to Seek Death Penalty for 6 Gitmo Detainees

Salt Lake Tribune: Film Inspires Black Utahns to Reflect on Racism

World:
New York Times: Kenya's Middle Class Feeling Sting of Violence

Philadelphia Inquirer: Healing the Horror of Sierra Leone

Arts & Culture:
Billboard: Winehouse, West Win Big at Grammys | Off-Camera Moments

The AJC: Tyler Perry Builds 30-Acre Studio

Op-Ed:
Marian Wright Edelman: Making Sure Children Know Their History

Frank Rich: Next Up for the Democrats: Civil War

Geoffrey Bennett

11:37 AM ET | 02-11-2008 | permalink

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Blog Bloggity Blog (On the Road)

iStockphoto.com

So I'm sitting here in the Portland, Maine, airport after having given a speech at Bowdoin College on "new media" (which is really just media, or maybe the OLD new media) -- specifically the way social networking changes how we live, work and love.

We discussed everything from the erosion of privacy (and why that isn't always a tragic thing) to how we make decisions between having a lot of "friends" in the social networking world or having a few in the tangible world. (I have stopped calling it the "real world" because isn't the online world real if you interact with it emotionally and intellectually?)

I used a live media connection and big screen and had one of the students (with his wireless-enabled computer) "Friend" me live on Facebook. That's how we started, and I zipped through a mix of my-life-in-technology and intellectual discussion and outright provocation through sites ranging from BurningMan.com (ask -- or don't ask -- my co-workers about how I've threatened to bring a fire spinner to a company retreat) to CreativeCommons.org.

Oh, by the way, Chelsea Clinton is coming to stump on campus later for her mom. If I had known I would have stayed longer. But apparently it all gelled in the last 24 hours, well after I'd booked my flight.

We are going to have a great blogger's roundtable on Monday ... I will leave you in suspense.

One of the folks has come on our roundtable in the past is Rob Fields of the blog Bold as Love, which is about black rock.

So, he did an article this week on the musician Stew (formerly of the band The Negro Problem) and how his coming-of-age-black-bohemian rock opera, Passing Strange, is going to Broadway.

We covered Passing Strange on News & Notes when it was off-Broadway ... it was silly, relaxed, deep and fun.

That's my kind of on-the-job fun.

Farai Chideya

6:09 PM ET | 02- 8-2008 | permalink

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Obama, Clinton Set Sights on Potomac Votes

Hillary Clinton confers with Barack Obama during a break in the Democratic presidential debate on June 3, 2007.

C.J. Gunther, AFP/Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 8, 2007

Talk About It:
New American Media: Nation's Eyes Now on Potomac Primaries -- "With Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Obama (D-Ill.) coming out of the avalanche of votes on Super Tuesday near even, all eyes have turned to the 'Potomac Primaries,' the Feb. 12 primary elections in Virginia, Maryland and Washington, D.C."

How do you think Clinton and Obama will fare in this next round of primaries? What will be the fallout if the Democratic contest ends in a brokered convention?

Related: Jozen Cummings: Politics As Food

Election 2008:
Washington Post: Romney Out, McCain Looks Ahead

Politico: Gloves Off: The Dem Plan to Hit McCain

ABC News: Passing the Torch: Kennedy's Touch on Obama's Words

Washington Post: Democrats Wrangle Over Fund-Raising, Debates

Nation:
AP: Bush, Congress Hit Bottom in AP Poll

Washington Post: Detroit Mayor Approved Coverup of Texts

Miami Herald: City Official: Hold Firms Liable for Community's Woes

Seattle Times: Bringing AIDS Awareness to the Black Community

The Tennessean: Georgians Want Access to Tenn. Water

The AJC: Controversial House of Prayer Leader, Members Face Trial

World:
L.A. Times: Scotland Yard: Blast, Not Gunfire, Killed Bhutto

New York Times: U.S. Intensifies Efforts to End Conflict in Kenya

AFP: Kenya Foes Agree Political Settlement Needed: Annan

Reuters: Sudan Planes, Militia Attack Darfur Towns

Op-Ed:
Peggy Noonan: Can Mrs. Clinton Lose?

Doug Kendall: Avoiding a Convention Train Wreck

Geoffrey Bennett

12:03 PM ET | 02- 8-2008 | permalink

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The Presidential Race Begins Today

In one sense, with Mitt Romney dropping out of the Republican race, the real presidential race begins today.

Before, the candidates didn't know whether to criticize the other people in their party or the folks in the other party.

But today, as Sen. John McCain made a key (self-satisfied?) speech to both supporters and people who booed him, he attacked Sens. Obama and Clinton ... mainly on the topic of the war. It's clear what platform this staunch supporter of continuing the war in Iraq is putting front and center. It's also clear that for him, the primary is over, and it's time to turn the fire on the Dems.

Will Sens. Clinton and Obama follow his lead and start attacking him? Or will they still have to focus on the neck-and-neck primary competition? Either way, the race between the two major parties is ON.

On a related note: Oh, the cable watching. I am doing so much of it during elex 2008.

Keith Olbermann on MSNBC ... I don't usually watch him but I am right now and he is going APE-BLEEP on the other cable channels.

"Lou Dobbs, today's worst person in the world!" he proclaimed, horror-movie music under his voice. (He was riding CNN's Dobbs for criticizing the Anti-Defamation League.)

He also calls Fox News "Fix News."

(He was critiquing them for running screen text under John McCain that said "D-AZ"... the Democrat from Arizona instead of what should have been "R-AZ." I guess Olbermann's point is that they are anti-McCain because he is not conservative enough. Or maybe he was saying they wanted to fool Democrats into voting for McCain? I am fuzzy on THAT one.)

Farai Chideya

8:49 PM ET | 02- 7-2008 | permalink

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Hate Crime Guilty Plea in W. Virginia Torture Case

A photo of West Virginia's capitol building.

iStockphoto.com

From the AP: A white West Virginia woman who authorities say held a black woman captive for days last summer pleaded guilty Thursday to kidnapping and torture.

Karen Burton faces up to 30 years in prison for taking part in Megan Williams' kidnapping, as well as inflicting physical and sexual assaults.

She is the third of seven people who were allegedly involved with the attack, but she is the only one charged with a hate crime.

Although the other defendants shouted racial slurs at Williams, authorities say that Burton shouted the racial slurs as she stabbed Williams in the ankle.

Do you think this ruling is fair? What is the difference between hate speech and hate crimes?

Drew Tewksbury

5:18 PM ET | 02- 7-2008 | permalink

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Newspaper Reporter Counts Murders One at a Time

The idea was simple but ambitious.

L.A. Times staff writer Jill Leovy set out to record every L.A. County homicide for a year on the newspaper's Homicide Blog.

This week, she reflected on her year of telling the stories of Los Angeles' unheard victims:

"This newspaper typically covers about 10% of the homicides in Los Angeles County each year. They are often the most sensational or shocking: a baby hit by a stray bullet, or a celebrity murder. But for the last year, the paper's Website, latimes.com, has recorded every homicide. It was my idea. I reported on crime for the paper, and I wanted readers to see all the killings -- roughly 1,000 violent deaths each year, mostly of young Latinos and, most disproportionately, of young black men."

Leovy faced the glaring truths masked in the haze of media statistics: Los Angeles has natural disaster of violence every year.

The Homicide Blog isn't the first technological reaction to grieving. (In photography's infancy, books of the dead cataloged photos of the deceased with the hopes that they would live on as images.) It is, however, the first attempt to create a digital tombstone, an infinite epitaph, and, as Leovy states, "an unlimited space for sorrow."

But take a look at the Homicide Blog for yourself. How do you feel about the numbers? Should other cities start similar blogs? What about the racial break down -- do you think that is necessary?

Could the Homicide Map reinforce the invisible boundaries of perceived "good" and "bad" neighborhoods?

Drew Tewksbury

12:37 PM ET | 02- 7-2008 | permalink

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Crisis Facing Black Retirees?

iStockphoto.com

News Headlines: Feb. 7, 2007

Talk About It:
Mellody Hobson: The Looming Retirement Crisis in the African-American Community -- "After struggling so long to join the middle class and fulfill the American dream, millions of African-Americans are at risk of falling behind in their golden years. Ten years of research on the saving and investing habits of African-Americans and Whites who earn at least $50,000 annually show that median savings for Blacks is just $48,000 compared to $100,000 for Whites."

What's the best way to address this issue, as Hobson describes it?

Election 2008:
CNN: GOP Sources: Romney to Suspend Campaign

Newsweek: Will Gore Play a Role?

New York Times: McCain to Reconcile With Conservatives?

AFP: Democratic Dead-Heat 'Not Good News' Says Dean

The AJC: White Males Look Like Dem Swing Vote

Chicago Tribune: Clinton to Obama: C'mon, Let's Have More Debates

Nation:
AP: 'Jena 6' Defendant Facing Assault Charge in Texas

AP: Judge Called Black Lawyers 'the Supremes'

CNN: Halloween Photos Could Derail Government Official

MSNBC: Bridge Inspector Confesses to Faking Paperwork

New York Times: Wal-Mart Will Expand In-Store Medical Clinics

World:
New York Times: Fighting in Chad's Capital Ebbs; Problems Loom

Reuters: Algeria Says It Killed Rebel Leader, Seized Gang

Reuters: Somali Refugee Students Yearn for School

People:
USA Today: Blige, Jay-Z Team Up for 26 Shows

Reuters: Phoenix Acquire O'Neal from Miami

Billboard: Beyonce, Tina Turner To Duet At Grammys

Op-Ed:
Joe Klein: Inspiration vs. Substance

Geoffrey Bennett

11:36 AM ET | 02- 7-2008 | permalink

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I Cancel Your Vote!

iStockphoto.com

God bless their little hearts.

Apparently in Florida a rash of people tried to vote yesterday ... 'cause their primary WAS yesterday ... until the state officials moved it earlier ... which meant the people who showed up yesterday had nothing to vote for and had spent their gas money to get to the polls, and I'm sure they were all riled up.

Watch a l'il video here.

That's one way of canceling the vote.

Another, much more humorous to me, is how I interacted with my cousin the other day.

He called me up as a political expert and asked me to break down the pros and cons of various candidates for him. He also asked about some ballot initiatives.

I told him who/what I was voting for and then gave plenty of information on why the other alternatives were good too.

After 20 minutes on the phone, he said: "Thanks for the information. I'm going to go the other way on both issues. I'm canceling your vote."

We had a good laugh at that one, and now my motto is "I cancel your vote!" done in the same cadence as "I'm crushing your head!" (Yes, Kids in the Hall still rule.)

Continue reading "I Cancel Your Vote!" »

Farai Chideya

7:27 PM ET | 02- 6-2008 | permalink

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Today's Blogger's Roundtable: What's in a Name?

On today's bloggers roundtable, our panel -- including Lauren Williams, Desmond Burton, and Jozen Cummings -- talked about the surprises of Super Tuesday, the importance of celebrity political endorsements, the role of race and gender in the election, and the controversial police shooting of a mother and her 1-year-old child in Ohio.

Toward the end of the conversation, blogger Desmond Burton said the following about that case:

Burton: ... In looking at that story, I saw pit bulls being mentioned; drug dealing; stereotypical, underclass Afrocentric names -- those kind of things. No one really wants to talk about it. I feel that we have to speak honestly about what is actually happening with some of our underclass black folk ...

Farai Chideya: Don't tell me you are blaming Afrocentric names.

Burton: ... If we're going to talk about LaKiesha, TryKiesha, LoKiesha, there's a constant theme we're seeing with these kind of stories. I think that we're going to have to really be honest about what's happening with some of these communities.

Listen to the full segment to hear the comment in context. We ran out of time to address the issue, but feel free to continue it here -- or debate any of the other topics brought up today.

Geoffrey Bennett

4:47 PM ET | 02- 6-2008 | permalink

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Movies, TV Useful in Teaching About Black History?

NActor Ben Vereen and actress Olivia Cole, leaving for Tennessee after they have been released from slavery in the television drama, Roots.

Evening Standard/Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 6, 2007

Talk About It:
Sacramento Bee: Can Movies Teach Us About African-American History? -- "The answer to the question: Can movies or television teach us anything useful about African-American history? It's a qualified yes. Some movies and TV series have succeeded in getting the story right, or at least better."

This is a question worth exploring -- since we are in the midst of Black History Month and as News & Notes focuses on blacks in film during our month-long series.

What films do you think have most honestly and fairly portrayed African-American life?

Election 2008:
Politico: Obama Claims Delegate Lead

Boston Globe: Latinos Show Clout, Boost Clinton

AP: McCain Aiming for GOP Unity

Nation:
AP: Tornadoes Rip Through South, Killing 48

Originator Times: Black Church Tries to Prevent Foreclosures

Times and Democrat: 'Prevention is Power' on Black HIV/AIDS Day

World:
New York Times: Chad's Capital Eerily Quiet as Rebellion Falters

AP: Kenya Opposition Threatens New Rallies

Toronto Star: Effort to Stop Afrocentric School Fails

Op-Ed:
Dawn Turner Trice: What Is This Race Teaching Our Girls?

Politico: 'Old Harlem Lives'

Geoffrey Bennett

12:07 PM ET | 02- 6-2008 | permalink

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Mo'Bama, Mo'Hillary ... and a Whole Lotta McCain

So I'm signing off from politics-watchers central. Plenty of the races have been called tonight, including Clinton in California and, surprise surprise, New York; Obama in Alaska(!) and, duh, Illinois; McCain in New York and, yeppers, Arizona; Huckabee in Georgia and Alabama; and Romney in Minnesota and, double duh, Utah.

It ain't over 'til it's over but I'm over for now. I'm-a find out the rest tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in my class we did a really fun live blogging exercise. Live blogging is the equivalent of time trials, when you have to get out as much information as fast as you can and stay up on the news.

In class, each of us (including me) did timed blog posts while watching results come in. Some lasted a mere minute; some lasted ten. We also had to do them in in different styles. (This is on a non-public student learning blog, BTW, so you can't see it.)

We did a pretty good job, I think. I even found and embedded a photo into one of my posts in the alotted time (she said, blowing knuckles proudly).

It was just fun and exuberant to watch the returns come in and test our skills. It reminds me that blogging doesn't have to be some long or even spell-checked compendium.

I can come in here, hit up a couple of quickies (no untoward puns intended) and hop back out ... and let you do the talking, too. (By the way, this is a great time to submit a "Speak Your Mind" essay to us -- here's where to drop us a line -- because folks are speaking VOLUMES.)

Meanwhile, this parody of live blogging cracked me up. Thank you Wonkette. (Remember this is a PARODY and was posted well before the actual results.)

California Liveblogging: No Sleep 'Til Guam

Hello friends of the West! Our polls just closed. It's time to hear Chris Matthews and Wolf Blitzer tell us about our new presidents of the Bear Republic of California. WHO WILL WIN???? Let's do the liveblogging, if Hillary will ever shut up over in New York City. Obama has Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Utah, Illinois, etc. Hillary got Tennessee, New Jersey, New York, etc., who cares, it's Californication Time!

11:02 PM -- Mitt Romney won all seven GOP voters in North Dakota!
11:08 PM -- No projections? WTF?
11:09 PM -- Oh great, the real contest comes now, when we're all so sleepy (or drunk).
11:11 PM -- Mitt Romney will win Minnesota. Suck it, Al Franken!
11:12 PM -- Lou Dobbs is completely orange now. He bathes in TANG.
11:12 PM -- Dobbs also appears to be high as a kite.
11:25 PM -- Back to MSNBC: Tim Russert grumbly suggests that the Obamamentum didn't work.
11:26 PM -- But is it so sad to win 10 states?
11:34 PM -- Romney is far enough behind in California to suggest that at least a few California Republicans don't want to back a complete loser.

The "Internets." Love 'em, loathe 'em, or just talk back. Everyone else is.

Farai Chideya

1:29 AM ET | 02- 6-2008 | permalink

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Prime Political (and Web) Time

So, I'm in a basement a floor underneath Dan Rather, on the campus of the University of Southern California Annenberg. I'm not here FOR Dan Rather, and the odd thing is that he's broadcasting his high-definition television show, but you can't actually see it on the Web.

I could walk up a couple floors and peer down from the balcony, but that's not why I'm here. I'm teaching my first class ever -- on multimedia journalism -- and it's a real kick.

The Web game has changed a lot since I started a site (on the campaign trail no less) called PopandPolitics. The programs used to create Web pages have changed; the ease of using basic programs like Blogger have changed; and the complexity of options on the Web have changed. Teaching a class like this is an education for me as well as my students.

And so is learning about journalism and multimedia on an election night during one of the most highly contested and controversial elections of our lifetime.

In the past, I would have been on television analyzing the news. I miss the juice of that experience, but I also like not having to dress up and wear makeup. But back to the point.

I get to take a step back and look at how various news organizations are tracking politics on a night like this.

The Drudge Report, which broke the story about the blue dress, is still a text-based site that has been breaking early (and unconfirmed) election results.

If you go to a site like NPR's, you'll see constantly updated stories with links to audio (of course) plus text and other media.

If you go to The Washington Post, you'll see the folks there throwing up a lot of maps and graphics and charts, in addition to their other work.

If you go to CNN, you'll see plenty of streaming video.

Most news organizations have their specialties and on a night like this -- mega mega primary night -- you get to click around the Web and see what's what. In addition to every other aspect of what's unfolding tonight, being a part of online history is a kick.

Of course, on our bloggers roundtable we get to see people who are putting their own, opinionated stamp on politics ... and they'll be on with our analysts tomorrow once we see what proof is in this political pudding.

Farai Chideya

10:05 PM ET | 02- 5-2008 | permalink

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Open Thread: Super Tuesday

(From left to right) Sens. Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, John McCain and former Mass. governor Mitt Romney photographed at CNN debates.

Getty Images

So Super Tuesday is finally here! Almost half the country is headed to the voting booth.

This is your space to weigh in on the latest polls, share stories from your polling places, and react to the latest returns.

Related: Super Tuesday's Origins

Delegate Breakdown: Dems | GOP

More: NPR Special Coverage

Geoffrey Bennett

11:19 AM ET | 02- 5-2008 | permalink

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An Abandonment of Old Guard Black Politics?

Newark Mayor Cory Booker stumps for Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in Jersey City, N.J.

Spencer Platt, Getty Images

News Headlines: Feb. 4, 2007

Talk About It:
Baltimore Sun: A New Type of African-American Politician -- "A generation ago, most African-American political candidates pursued elected office as an extension of civil rights activism. Today, a new crop has emerged: post-civil rights, change-chanting candidates who defy conventional racial and political categories."

Said a person quote in the article: "The old racial regime we knew in the 1950s and '60s has fallen apart." What do you think will replace it? And how?

Election 2008:
New York Times: Michelle, Maria, Caroline and Oprah Campaign in California | Watch Video

Washington Post: GOP Senators Reassess Views About McCain

CNN: National Super Tuesday Poll Shows Dramatic Democratic Shift

Nation:
Newsweek: Back from Iraq, GIs Ask 'Where's the Respect?'

AP: Bush Unveils $3.1 Trillion Spending Plan

New York Daily News: Giants Stun Patriots to Win Super Bowl

World:
National Geographic: The Lost History of Black Pharaohs

AP: Fighting Resumes in Chad's Capital

AFP: Quakes Kill at Least 40 in Congo and Rwanda

People:
L.A. Times: Lovie Yancey, Founder of Fatburger Chain, Dies at 96

AP: Judge: Vick to Keep $20M Signing Bonus

Op-Ed:
Will.I.Am: Why I Recorded 'Yes We Can' | Watch Video

Clarence Page: Candidates Meet at Borders

Geoffrey Bennett

11:43 AM ET | 02- 4-2008 | permalink

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Open Thread: Oprah, Wesley, Tom, or Your Pick ...

iStockphoto.com

Some late breaking news, heading into the weekend: Oprah is set to appear in California on Sunday in support of Barack Obama; Wesley Snipes ducked federal tax prosecution; Exxon posted a record $41 billion in profits; and some are wondering if Tom Brady is the best QB to ever play the game.

Here's your space to weigh in on that, throw in a few issues we missed, or start a conversation of your own.

Geoffrey Bennett

6:52 PM ET | 02- 1-2008 | permalink

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What Films Rock Your World?

Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in a scene from The Shawshank Redemption.

Warner Bros. Films

Today we kicked off a series on black people in the film industry and depictions of African-American life in film. We talked about everything from To Kill a Mockingbird to the new Ice-Cube-n-Katt-Williams church caper.

I won't go into my L O N G theories about what film does to us and for us, but instead: movies! My favorites!

Okay, one theory/belief: I don't think movies have to be by or directly about the black experience to influence how you navigate the world (if you're black) or how you see the world. So many films (and books, etc.) are allegories for what it means to be human ... and how you treat "otherness."

So, let's make this the equivalent of Desert Island Discs.

If I had to pick five movies to watch over and over again in some post-apocalyptic scenario where I had a solar-powered DVD player, these would keep me in good standing:

Star Wars
Daughters of the Dust
The Shawshank Redemption
Hud
Hi De Ho

That list is based on nostalgia; inspiration; fantasy; eye candy; and comfort.

Runners up on my list:
Snow White (I am not kidding ... I love the animation ... and it's an irony that I was raised to appreciate both the animation and the sociological/racial subtext)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Scarface
Eve's Bayou
Do The Right Thing
Blade Runner
Dirty Harry
Stormy Weather
Silence of the Lambs
Carne Tremula (English: Live Flesh)
Seven
City of God
Tsotsi
Lord of the Rings
Die Hard
Crooklyn
Hero
Roots (okay, it's a TV series, but...)
Forbidden Zone
Shaft
Foxy Brown
Tender Mercies
Cool Hand Luke
Idlewild
Belly

Lord, I could go on.

In any case, how we live and how we dream are tied to what we see and whether we see ourselves in it. That's how I'll leave it for now, but I'd love to hear what movies have your hearts, ears, and eyes.

Farai Chideya

6:29 PM ET | 02- 1-2008 | permalink

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Has Black History Month Run Its Course?

iStockphoto.com

News Headlines: Feb 1, 2007

Talk About It:
Flashback: Black History Month Matters -- "Some critics contend Black History Month is irrelevant because it has degenerated into a shallow ritual. But that problem is one of execution not design. If treated seriously, the monthly observation could conceivably trigger more concern for the accuracy of traditional school curricula."

It's Feb. 1 -- the first day of Black History Month -- and time to rekindle the old debate about whether it is necessary or relevant. Have we entered a post-racial period where such observances seem gratuitous? Or do you agree with the writer above? And from an education standpoint, what is the best way to approach Black History Month to keep it from devolving into warmed over lessons about Harriet Tubman and George Washington Carver?

Election 2008:
L.A. Times: Clinton, Obama Gently Debate Iraq in Hollywood

MSNBC: MoveOn, CA SEIU to Endorse Obama

Press Release: Black Conservatives Urge Huckabee to Stay in Race

AP: Clinton Holds Edge Among Key Hispanics

Nation:
AP: Detroit Mayor: Scandal Hurts City Image

AFP: US Economy Loses Jobs for First Time Since 2003

New York Times: In Court Ruling on Floods, More Pain for NOLA

Philadelphia Inquirer: Four Dead in 24 Hours in Philadelphia

World:
AP: Mob Kills Kenyan Police Officer

New York Times: Nets and New Drug Make Inroads Against Malaria

Boston Globe: Alarmed African Leaders Urge Action on Kenya

TIME: At Least 68 Dead in Baghdad Bombs

Op-Ed:
Politico: Michelle O: Suited to Be Jackie's Successor

Geoffrey Bennett

11:48 AM ET | 02- 1-2008 | permalink

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