on the black hand side

Rep. John Lewis Switches Support to Barack Obama --- for real this time.

According to today's Atlanta Journal Constitution, Rep. John Lewis has officially switched his support from Hillary Clinton to Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Lewis' constituents basically forced his hand. It has been very difficult for him to get anything done without feeling their wrath. Earlier reports of Lewis' switch to Obama were later denied.

Does this signal an abandonment of the support the Clinton camp expected from the traditional black leadership? 

20 Questions with AJ

Name: AJ

Blog:    Over Analyze It

This week's Blogger in the spotlight is "sometimes funny, sometimes serious but always real". Her blog is a great read with news, biting commentary or whatever is on her mind. Here's more about AJ and as only she can say "let's break this down"!

1.   When did you start blogging?  In July of 2007.

2.   Why did you become a blogger?   I'm a bit of a news junkie and thought I'd use my a blog as a tool to express my thoughts on news events and social issues involving the African-American community. I later decided to launch another blog, Black And Blended to discuss my experiences in a blended family.

3.   What do you hope to accomplish through your blog?  To reach out and connect with like minded people and share experiences and information.

4.   Which blogging platform do you use?   Wordpress

5.   Mac or PC?   PC

6.   How many hours per day do you spend on your blog?   About an hour

7.   How frequently do you post to your blog?   Normally I post every weekday.

8.   How many hours per day do you spend reading other blogs?   Approximately 2 plus hours a day/night.

9.   What's your best blogging experience?   My best experience was my post about my impulsive and successful attempt to contact my bio-dad after 25 plus years and my subsequent feelings of uneasiness. My readers were very inquisitive and supportive and because of a very special reader's advice, I've actually sustained contact with my father and he is flying out to visit me and my family next month.

10.  What's your worst blogging experience?   I've not really had a bad experience. I've had a few rude comments appear, but other than that, it's been cool.

11.  Why do you think there are not more black bloggers?   I don't think many blacks realize what a great medium we have available to us to share thoughts, organize, exchange information and interact with other blacks across the globe. I think once people become more aware of the power of blogging we will see an increase in black bloggers.

12.  How would you go about increasing the number of black bloggers?   Target those that enjoy reading and writing and introduce them to the world of blogging. Perhaps even beginning with a contest.

13.  What's your favorite color?   Olive Green

14.  What's the last book that you read?   The Parodox of Choice

15.  Who's your favorite author?   John Grisham, Max Lucado

16.  What's your favorite type of music?   R&B (oldies), Jazz, Gospel

17.  What famous person, living or dead, would you like to have a conversation with?   Cece Winans

18. Who are three of your favorite bloggers?   I have many favorites – although these are the ones I visit most often.

Chol8te Diaries

Opinionatedblackwoman

Hicktownpress

19.  What one piece of advice would you give to new bloggers?   Take time and compare the available blogging platforms.

20.  What don't we know about you that we should know?   I have HORRIBLE insomnia which is one reason I spend so much time on the internet.

AJ, thanks for a great interview!

Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones Declares Loyalty to Hillary Clinton; Will Not Change Support to Obama

The Ninth State of the Black Union (SOBU) in New Orleans was more talk with some action of significance through the introduction of a documentary on New Orleanians and their right to return home. There was also an introduction of a major black history exhibit that will travel throughout the United States. That's all well and good but sponsorship by Wal-Mart is a bit distasteful to me. Not the sponsorship part but the Wal-Mart part. I'll leave for another post so you'll know where I'm coming from on that issue.

The first panel included a couple of the usual folks: Rev. Michael Eric Dyson and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Ohio Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones was also on the panel and let everyone know that she'd pledged her support to presidential candidate Senator Hillary Clinton and she would remain loyal to her. She went on to say, and I'm paraphrasing, at the end of the day we have only our word.

There were other attempts to justify the actions of Tavis Smiley and the black politicians who do not publicly endorse Barack Obama. Maybe it's just me but I'm not drinking that Kool-Aid. The fact of the matter is, Tavis Smiley didn't catch hell because he demanded accountability from our next President of the United States; he caught hell because of the way he dissed Barack Obama. To suggest anything else is not accurate and let's stop dancing around the truth.

Secondly, to have a woman in the prestigious and powerful position in which Congresswoman Tubbs Jones finds herself in and hear her say what she said about loyalty to Hillary Clinton and the way she said it just struck me the wrong way. And then in the next breath speak of only having your word in the end was ridiculous. We know that politicians on any given day find a way to change their minds. Give me a break.

Tubbs Jones has the right to vote the way she wants and I admire her boldness in standing strong in her position. She also has the right to deal with the consequences of her actions with her constituents who put her in office. I truly believe Hillary Clinton would not be so loyal as to possibly tank her career in support of Tubbs Jones.

People, let us agree that we can disagree; but do not attempt a Kumbaya moment without dealing with reality honestly, openly and accurately. Let our conversations not be shrouded in self-serving juxtapositioning of versions of the truth; this moment, if never ever in the history of the United States, let this election be about the collective.

In the spirit of demanding accountability, let it be known that black voters are expected to forget that many of their elected officials voted against the will of the people. It is expected that black voters will allow themselves to be taken advantage of yet again.

As I write this, this year's SOBU continues. I do pray that the movement of change that Obama's campaign has so effectively put in play has motivated black folks to remain active in politics and will move some folk out of the way who are not accountable to the people.

Obama’s security weakness

I saw this post over on Over Analyze It. I knew it was just a matter time before we would hear something like this. Obama has made such progress that someone obviously thinks it's time to inject fear into the equation. I've had some black people tell me that they are going to vote for Hillary because they don't want Barack to be assassinated. Personally, I think that's a cop out. If you want to vote for Hillary, vote for Hillary, don't make an excuse.

Black People Can ‘Hang Ten’

Chances are if you've heard of the stretch of Santa Monica Beach known as "The Ink Well", you may also know the name Nicolas "Nick" Rolando Gabaldon, Jr. Who is he? He is believed to be the first black surfer in California and possibly the first in all of the United States. Yeah, surfing is not just for white guys.

Several months ago I'd seen an article in either Essence or Ebony; I really don't remember which one, about black surfers. I thought it was really cool. I'd previously written about a young African surfer who was breaking all sorts of surfing records but back to Gabaldon.

He was born to Nicolas and Cecelia Gabladon on February 23, 1927. He was of a few blacks who attended Santa Monica High in the 1940s. He is described as tall and handsome. Gabaldon first learned to surf by borrowing the board of a Caucasian lifeguard in the area.

Of African-American and Latino descent, Gabaldon and other blacks were restricted to the 200 foot roped area of the Ink Well. After segregation ended, he would travel several miles to surf the perfect waves of Malibu.

Nick enlisted in the Navy after graduation and fought in the latter part of World War II. He enrolled in Santa Monica College and continued to hone his surfing skills.

Gabaldon met an untimely death as he rode a 10 ft. wave, crashed into Malibu Pier and died on June 6, 1951.

Today, the legend of Gabaldon and other pioneering black surfers such as Frank Edwards, Stanley Washington and Walter "Tiger" Daniels live on and are preserved by organizations such as the Black Surfing Association. Black surfers such as Rhonda Harper who spearheaded the establishment of the latest memorial for Nick Gabaldon and Ink Well Beach, the Caribbean Surf Network and South African professional surfer Kwezi Qika are blazing new trails to expose more blacks to surfing.

 

For information check out these sites:

Where are the black surfers?

Black Surfers Bring It Back Home

Ocean Size

Legendary Surfer: Sharon Schaffer

 

A shout out to Matt from "A Bowl of Stupid" who inspired this post. He promised me surfing lessons while he was living on Miami Beach but later he quit his lawyer gig and decided to do some world traveling. Now he's on the other side of the world fighting dengue fever, viral infections, rugged terrain and all sorts of craziness. But, dude is being true to himself and that can't be wrong. Anyhoo, this Bud's for you.

20 Questions with DarkBrotha

Name: DarkBrotha

Blog: DarkBrotha.com

I actually met this young brother over on Yahoo 360. He's since moved on to do his own blogging thing with DarkBrotha.com. Now he's another one of those folks that posts the truth rather than post to boost ratings. That's my personal preference and I hope you'll enjoy this week's Blogger in the Spotlight…darkbrotha.

1.       When did you start blogging?

A little more than two years. I started on Yahoo 360, then went on my own later.

2.       Why did you become a blogger?

I love the internet. I love reading what people have to say. Getting different takes on stories and ideas.

3.       What do you hope to accomplish through your blog?

Just to meet diverse people who either agree or disagree with me on various topics.  That's really it.

4.       Which blogging platform do you use?

Wordpress

5.       Mac or PC?

PC.  Although I am curious about those MAC's

6.       How many hours per day do you spend on your blog?

Depends. I can go a couple days without doing anything to it. Then spend a couple hours trying to add something to it. It varies.

7.       How frequently do you post to your blog?

I try to post something at least every other day.

8.       How many hours per day do you spend reading other blogs?

About an hour.

9.       What's your best blogging experience?

When someone sends me an email telling me they like my blog, or the way it looks and I have never spoken to them, or met them before.  That's happened a couple times. It's just when someone takes the time to say they like or appreciate something you do when they don't have to take the time to do so.

10.   What's your worst blogging experience?

I was running my other blog and I was messing around with it and lost everything.  I totally messed the code up and the blog was blank. Needless to say I was heated.

11.   Why do you think there are not more black bloggers?

Because a lot of black people aren't on the net to communicate with others. They may go online and buy stuff or download stuff, but not to talk and interact.

12.   How would you go about increasing the number of black bloggers?

To be honest, I would much rather spend time on increasing the number of blacks that want to go to college or improve their finances.  Increasing the number of black bloggers is not on the top of my list.  Let's just get them on the internet first, then go from there.

13.   What's your favorite color?

Navy Blue

14.   What's the last book that you read?

"Just Say No"  by Omar Tyree

15.   Who's your favorite author?

John Grisham, Donald Goines & Carl Weber.

16.   What's your favorite type of music?

Anything that sounds good. I don't have a favorite. I fell out of love with Hip Hop around '99.

17.   What famous person, living or dead, would you like to have a conversation with?

Malcolm X

18.   Who are three of your favorite bloggers?

Marvalus(Opinionated Black Woman), Invisible Woman (Invisible Cinema) , Lady Shay (The Skirkle)
I have more than 3 though.

19.   What one piece of advice would you give to new bloggers?

Respond to people who take the time to comment on your posts.  People don't have to care what you say, but when they take the time to do so, respond back or thank them.

20.  What don't we know about you that we should know?

That I have another blog besides Darkbrotha.com

I just want to say thank you Vanessa for coming to darkbrotha.com and giving me the opportunity to be a part of yours.

Aww. Thanks, darkbrotha.

Of Black Folks and Backlash: Tavis Smiley’s On-Air BF

Wow, Tavis Smiley's on-air criticism of Senator Barack Obama has landed him under the dog house with black folks, many of them his listeners and viewers. Who would've thought it would come to this? Now, I don't agree with many of Tavis' statements about Obama but there's definitely no need for folks to go so far as harassing Tavis' family and even sending death threats. Messing with Tavis' mama? Come on, black people.

I've admired and respected Smiley's work for the people for many years. I've found his commentary thought-provoking and always on the side of positive. But if the truth be told, Tavis Smiley's public beat-down and backlash surrounding Obama is not a surprise; this has been brewing for a few weeks.

Let me be clear that the backlash is due to the Barack Obama haterade sprinkled throughout his talks. He's been off-base and not respecting the big picture. Tavis has come off as egotistical and selfish. I don't think that's the real Tavis Smiley but when he delivered his February 12^th commentary it came off just like a BF (bitch fit).

When Tavis' on-air invitation of the presidential candidates ended with a threat of putting those on blast that didn't call him; that just doesn't cut it. When one of those individuals that doesn't respond is Barack Obama, you are really setting yourself up for fighting a movement and that's not a wise move.

During Tom Joyner and Sybil Wilkes' interview with Senator Obama, Tavis' comments and invitation to appear at the State of the Black Union (SOBU) came up. Obama gave a humorous but classy response to the issue. Personally, I think it was a tad insulting for Tom and Sybil to ask the Senator to call Tavis. Obama is running for president of the United States of America and the race is tight. Obama has a lot of ground to cover; it would be a tremendous miscalculation for Obama to forget that and not respond accordingly.

Whether Obama's people attempted to contact Smiley's people has been debated. One thing is certain; Michelle Obama will not be accepted as a surrogate speaker. It looks like Hillary Clinton will have the SOBU stage alone as a presidential candidate. We'll see how this plays out and what affect this drama will have on the SOBU weekend. Surely, there will be some tension but let's hope that will not get in the way of assistance to be provided to the people of New Orleans.

While Tavis Smiley is a free black man capable of thinking for himself and making up his own mind; let's hope he takes some time to reflect upon this situation he finds himself in. My mama always says that everything happens for a reason and there's always a lesson to be learned. Let's hope that Tavis has learned from this situation and so too, have each and every one of us.

Barack Obama: From Dream to Reality

Here is a powerful video. While Barack Obama's campaign is the subject of the video, its message is really bigger than that. What's your reaction?

20 Questions with Wayne Hicks Better Known As Villager

Villager / Wayne Hicks

Blogs: Electronic Village, Cincinnati Business Incubator, BDPA Foundation and Proud Black Voter

He is the leader of a 'growing village that seeks to uplift your spirits'. He invites you to take a seat under his baobob tree if you like the flow. Wayne Hicks, better known as Villager to those in his digital community, the Electronic Village, is a true Renaissance man.

Not only is Wayne a successful businessman, he is a leader in several organizations and a significant player in the online blogging community. Think you know Villager? Get to know a little more about him here.

1. 1. When did you start blogging? – My first post was on January 13, 2007.

2. Why did you become a blogger? – Mainly because creating a blog is free-of-charge! I have been active with the Electronic Village concept since the days of bulletin board systems. I operated an Electronic Village BBS using a 2400-baud modem back in the day. Blogs seemed like a logical extension of the concept.

3. What do you hope to accomplish through your blog? – My main purpose is to provide information that is uplifting for people of African descent. Too often, the information that we receive is negative and deflating. I am hopeful that the Electronic Village blog will bring positive and uplifting information to those that take time to read it. I have similar hopes in the education & technology arena with my second blog à BDPA Education & Technology Foundation

4. Which blogging platform do you use? - Blogger

5. Mac or PC? PC … a Hewlett-Packard laptop is what I use for my business, my blog and my personal information.

6. How many hours per day do you spend on your blog? – Perhaps 45-60 minutes per day.

7. How frequently do you post to your blog? – Daily. I try to add a new post each day. I rotate my Village Heroes, Village Movie, Village Book and Village Quote on a regular basis as well. My goal is to increase the number of subscribers to the Electronic Village. We are currently hovering around 200 subscribers. I'm hopeful to have 1,000 subscribers by the end of the year.

8. How many hours per day do you spend reading other blogs? – Perhaps 45-60 minutes per day as well. In fact, my iGoogle home page provides me with updated headlines on about two-dozen of my favorite blogs.

9. What's your best blogging experience? – In September 2007 I created the Villager's Black Blog Rankings. I thought it was important for us to identify and recognize the creative and influential Black-owned & operated blogs. I had no idea what I was unleashing when I first published a list of the Top 75 Black blogs back then. We are currently up over 780 Black blogs in the ranking and it is very rewarding to see the wide variety of blog topics and talent out there. Vanessa, one day I hope that your 20 Question interviews include those Black bloggers in the Top Ten!

10. What's your worst blogging experience? – A few months ago I shared a post that provided a number of tips on marketing our blogs. My post was inspired by something I had read earlier in the year. I gave credit and a link to the original post, however, I took a lot of heat from folks who felt that my post bordered on plagiarism. I was proud to have shared marketing tips to bloggers who were trying to move up the list on Villager's Black Blog Rankings, however, it saddened me to see that my intention was blurred with false accusations.

11. Why do you think there are not more Black bloggers? – Actually, I'm discovering the number of Black bloggers is much larger than many of us realize. I'm tracking 780 and I'm certain that there are thousands more that I simply haven't come across yet. In any case, if there are fewer Black bloggers than our numbers in the population would suggest … it is likely because blog technology is not widely known or discussed with African Americans. We still rely in remarkable numbers on the mainstream media to get our information. My mom doesn't have cable television at home. Is she unusual? Or is she still one of many Black family households that relay on ABC, NBC and CBS to give them news? One outstanding aspect of Black bloggers is that we are bringing information, like Jena 6 or taser deaths, that are not being reported in the mainstream media. I hope that the number of Black blogs will continue to increase over the coming weeks and months.

12. How would you go about increasing the number of black bloggers? – One excellent opportunity is the upcoming Blogging While Brown conference that takes place in Atlanta later this year. This is an opportunity for us to get the word out to non-bloggers about what we're doing and how they can get engaged. Second, I hope that we can encourage Black organizations like NAACP, Urban League, BDPA and others to create blogs to engage in interactive discussions with their memberships and communities.

13. What's your favorite color? – Purple [not as a result of the fraternity … but in homage to my favorite basketball team from my youth in Los Angeles]

14. What's the last book that you read? – Start Late, Finish Rich by David Bach

15. Who's your favorite author? – Octavia Butler and Robert Heinlein are probably my favorite authors. Both have passed away now. My favorite living author is Walter Mosely.

16. What's your favorite type of music? – I was a radio DJ many moons ago during my college career. I was known as the Wizard of Soul & Mind. My favorite type of music is soul music. I guess youngsters nowadays know it as rhythm & blues.

17. What famous person, living or dead, would you like to have a conversation with? – Warren Buffett. I currently operate two non-profits. One is a small business incubator (Cincinnati Business Incubator, www.cbincubator.org) and the other is a education & technology foundation (BETF, www.betf.org). I would love to make a pitch to Mr. Buffett for donation to both of them!

18. Who are three of your favorite bloggers? – Mes Deux Cents has become my favorite blogger. She has great music, photos and commentary. Field Negro is one of my favorites because of his no-holds-barred commentary. His daily blog observations are humorous and powerful as it relates to the Black community. He also commands wonderful comments on each of his posts. In many respects, I want to model my Electronic Village like what Field creates over on his blog. Finally, Danielle over at Modern Musings (www.modernmusings.com) remains one of my favorites. Danielle's politics are more radical than mine in many ways, however, I admire the strength of her convictions. She is one of the Original Villagers, people that frequented by blog in the early days. I learned a lot from her blogging style. She recently made the move from Blogger to her own domain. That is a move that I hope to make later this calendar year.

19. What one piece of advice would you give to new bloggers? Pam Spaulding is one of the top Black bloggers in the world. She recently told me that her key to success was finding her "authentic voice". I think that is good advice. I also think that it is critically important for a blogger to provide quality content. There is no substitute for quality content provided on a regular basis. That is the surest path to having a successful blog.

20. What don't we know about you that we should know?- I was a child contestant on 'Kids Say the Darndest Things' segment of The Art Linkletter Show back in the day!

Great interview, Villager! Thanks!

Next week: Dark Brotha

Howard offers accelerated Master’s degree program

Are you ready to influence the lives of hundreds of young people?  Are you ready to make a difference in your community?  Are you "Ready to Teach"?

Howard University has been awarded a multi-million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Education to recruit, train and certify people that are interested in becoming teachers.  They are looking for candidates who would like to teach English, Mathematics, Reading, Science or Special Education in Chicago (IL); Clayton County (GA); Houston (TX); Prince George's County (MD); or Washington (DC).  The best part -no experience or background in education is required!  

The Ready to Teach program (RtT) is ACTIVELY recruiting candidates for the 2008-2009 Cohort.  Through this program you can earn a Master's of Arts in teaching Degree and get your teaching certification in one short year!  RtT even provides scholarships and financial assistance to its candidates.  The program is geared towards African-American males, but everyone is encouraged to apply.  Hurry, the application deadline is March 3, 2008!!!

For admissions requirements and more information please visit the website at www.readytoteach.org, or feel free to contact Trenile Tillman at ttillman@howard.edu. 

Inquiries:
Trenile Tillman
Program Assistant
Howard University
School of Education
Ready to Teach Program
202-806-6500 (phone) 202-518-1166 (fax)