Keepingitreal

Madagascar's ticking HIV time bomb

The lights of the bars in Fort Dauphin stay bright long after the rest of the countryside around has darkened. Mineworkers and other foreign contractors mingle with local people to drink and dance in this remote part of Madagascar. Sure, there's prostitution here," says one South African mineworker, sitting at a table with three young Malagasy women. "With lots of single men away from their families, it's bound to happen." Francesca, who works at one of the bars, is anxious about her health. "I've had relationships with foreigners, but only for love. I am worried about sexually transmitted diseases," she says, talking over the loud music. Recent government figures suggest Francesca may be right to be concerned. According to the Ministry of Health, 30% of sexually active adults in Fort Dauphin could have syphilis. The symptoms of syphilis include genital lesions, which increase the risk of HIV transmission between sexual partners. "Syphilis in itself is not a serious thing but if we don't control levels of syphilis in Fort Dauphin then we'll get into real problems with HIV," says Fenosoa Ratsimanetrimanana, head of Madagascar's National Committee to Fight HIV/Aids. Although syphilis can be easily treated in as little as three days, Mr Ratsimanetrimanana says that the disease could allow HIV finally to gain a foothold on the Indian Ocean island. For this reason, the government has decided to declare a state of emergency in the town. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Congress Sends Security Bill to Bush

WASHINGTON (AP) - Congress sent President Bush legislation Friday to intensify anti-terror efforts in the U.S., shifting money to high-risk states and cities and expanding screening of air and sea cargo to stave off future Sept. 11-style attacks. The measure carries out major recommendations of the independent 9/11 Commission. The bill, passed by the House on a 371-40 vote, ranks among the top accomplishments of the six-month-old Democratic Congress. The Senate approved the measure late Thursday by 85-8, and the White House said the president would sign the bill. Six years after the Sept. 11 attacks and three years after the 9/11 Commission made its recommendations, "Congress is finally embracing what the 9/11 families have been saying all along," said Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss. "It takes a willingness to do things a different way."The bill elevates the importance of risk factors in determining which states and cities get federal security funds - that would mean more money for such cities as New York and Washington - and also puts money into a new program to assure that security officials at every level can communicate with each other.It would require screening of all cargo on passenger planes within three years and sets a five-year goal of scanning all container ships for nuclear devices before they leave foreign ports. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Chairman Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., who steered the legislation through the Senate with Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said it would "make our nation stronger, our cities and towns more secure and our families safer."SOURCE OF THIS STORY

BET’s ‘Hot Ghetto Mess’ doesn’t become ‘Better’

"Hot Ghetto Mess" just got messier. Executives at BET had hoped that Wednesday night's premiere of the controversial series, inspired by the Hot Ghetto Mess website that highlights images of blacks in outrageous, often degrading situations and clothing, would defuse some of the uproar surrounding the show, which has been shadowed by reports of advertiser withdrawals and protests from bloggers who feared it would perpetuate negative African American images. The network was more than pleased with the viewer turnout. The series drew more than 800,000 viewers at 10:30 p.m. But instead of calming the storm of controversy, the debut added more fuel to the fire. BET had announced earlier this week that the show's original name, "Hot Ghetto Mess: We Got to Do Better," would be chopped to "We Got to Do Better," scrapping the hot-button title and putting more focus of the series' intended mission of social commentary and satire. But that change was not reflected on the air. Though promos and on-air guides listed the series as "We Got to Do Better," host Charlie Murphy greeted viewers with "Welcome to 'Hot Ghetto Mess.' " He repeated that title several times during the half-hour show. In addition, the episode contained no disclaimers or announcements that the show was no longer formally called "Hot Ghetto Mess." The failure of BET to implement the promised title change puts a harsher spotlight on its difficulties with the series during a period when the network is trying to focus attention on a diverse and ambitious slate of programming designed to erase some of the channel's historic stigma. The network has long been criticized for airing raunchy rap videos and scantily clad women. BET Entertainment President Reginald Hudlin has expressed frustration that the uproar over "Hot Ghetto Mess" was attracting more media attention than some of its new shows, such as the reality series "Baldwin Hills" and the religion-flavored "Meet the Faith." "Hot Ghetto Mess" will continue to be the show's on-air title, the network said Thursday. The initial order of six episodes had been completed before the decision to change the name was made, and Murphy, a comedian who is on tour, was unavailable for re-shoots. "In terms of the title, we didn't have time to make the necessary changes," BET spokesperson Jeanine Liburd said. "But we did make adjustments in our marketing efforts and in our listings for the series." Liburd acknowledged that the first episode could have included a disclaimer informing viewers that the show's title had formally been changed. The episode contained mostly slapstick and comic clips of blacks -- and some white -- engaged in untoward behavior. There were also several man-on-the-street interviews, with questions such as "Who's richer, Jay-Z or Bill Gates?" and "How many blacks are there on the Supreme Court?" Gina McCauley, creator of the What About Our Daughters blog that had protested the series before it aired, based on the website that inspired it, said she was not won over when she finally saw it: "I just cannot believe that BET would risk a $100-million slate of original programming to put on what was just a poorly put-together, unoriginal show." She said that the clips on the premiere had been endlessly recycled on YouTube and other websites and that the man-on-the-street segments were a rip-off of the "Jaywalking" spots on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno." Source: L.A. TIMES

City's HIV epidemic said to be over

Speaking at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation gala in May, the agency's executive director did not mince words. Two sentences into his speech that night, Mark Cloutier made a startling announcement. "The HIV epidemic is over. Yes. The HIV epidemic in San Francisco is over," said Cloutier, according to a copy of his prepared remarks. Instead, Cloutier and other health officials now consider HIV to be endemic in the city, meaning it is a disease that persists in the community without substantially increasing or decreasing over time. "It is not an epidemic anymore, not when you are getting a slow down of incidences," said John Newmeyer, an epidemiologist at the Haight-Ashbury Free Clinic. "I don't have any concerns about dropping epidemic. It is something we have worked for for a long time."Designating HIV as endemic could have wide-ranging consequences for how San Francisco addresses not only preventing HIV infections but also cares for those people living with HIV and AIDS. The push to adopt such a change comes as community members host a town hall forum tonight (Thursday, July 26), the first of numerous meetings scheduled over the next six months, to kick off a public debate on how the city should adapt its now 26-year-old system of AIDS care. A parallel discussion is taking place at the HIV Prevention Planning Council, which is updating the city's 2004 HIV Prevention Plan. As part of its discussions, the council is considering whether to drop epidemic for endemic in the plan, which sets out guidelines for how the health department and AIDS agencies reduce HIV rates. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Former trans prisoner's trial opens

Alexis Giraldo, the recently paroled transgender prisoner who is suing the state for failing to protect her from sexual assault while she was incarcerated, took the stand last week in a San Francisco courtroom and described in detail the alleged rapes that she endured. Giraldo, 30, a Puerto Rican transgender woman, alleges in the lawsuit against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation that two inmates with whom she shared cells between January and March 2006 repeatedly raped her. According to the lawsuit, which was filed earlier this year, Giraldo informed multiple prison officials during February and March 2006 that she was being raped daily, beaten, and held "hostage" by her second cellmate. Giraldo, according to the lawsuit, did not report the alleged sexual assaults perpetrated by her first cellmate.The lawsuit claims Giraldo suffered emotional distress and claims violation of the state constitution. Giraldo was paroled July 13, just before her trial started. She had been serving a sentence for shoplifting and a parole violation. Last week, the jury of nine men and three women in Superior Court heard her story. "I'm scared and frustrated this happened to me," Giraldo told the court as she huddled and slouched forward on the stand, answering questions about the events that took place during January and February 2006 while she was at Old Folsom State Prison. Several times during her testimony, Giraldo broke down in tears, halting the progress of the trial as she struggled to compose herself, said Alexander Lee, director of the Transgender, Gender Variant, and Intersexed Justice Project. Lee assisted with preserving evidence in Giraldo's case and is expected to take the stand later this week. On July 20, during cross-examination, Giraldo was more composed, yet dabbing at her eyes with a tissue as she answered the deputy attorneys's general questions about the box cutter used to cut her neck and the continued anal bleeding that finally led corrections officers to take her to the University of California, Davis for a medical examination and a rape kit two weeks after the final incident. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

LEE HAYES: THE MESSIAH

It was a quarter to midnight when Jazz McKinney had stepped out of his car, locked the door, and kept his keys splayed between his fingers in case he needed to defend himself from some brute lurking in the shadows. An unusual vibe, which permeated the night air, unnerved him, but he dismissed his intuition as simple paranoia and pressed on. quick lightning flash moved across the sky, followed by a low rumble of thunder. He took a moment to scan the area and when he was satisfied that no one was around, he walked with speed toward the structure. Trepidation was his traveling partner as he moved briskly forward. During these midnight meetings, a sense of fear stimulated his desire. He walked with due speed, continuing to look around for other people, including the police, who often cruised the area on the fringes of the city. He couldn’t imagine having to explain to the police why he was lurking near the abandoned church at such a late hour. As he neared his destination, a decrepit, gnarled wooden sign pointed toward the church like old crooked fingers guiding him to the path of salvation. When Jazz was close enough, he paused for an instant and looked up at the structure. From his distance, he could read the letters above the doors: “Olive Branch Baptist Church. All are Welcome. As he moved closer to the chained fence, which protected the deserted edifice, the warning in his heart grew, but he would not yield to that feeling. An ominous presence rode the stiff night air, as if some unseen force skulked around from all sides. Partially excited and terrified, Jazz pressed deeper into the night. The fear of being caught while meeting a stranger to do whatever deeds men who meet in the dark of night did is what Jazz was counting on to multiply the force of his orgasm threefold. As he scurried across the vacant parking lot, he heard a slight rumbling behind him, which sent a cold shiver up his spine, in spite of the evening’s balmy temperature. He stopped, spun on his heels, and exhaled in relief as he saw an old soda can rolling across the lot in the gentle breeze. He resumed his march toward ecstasy. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

2ND ANNUAL 2007 CLIK HONORS EVENTS TO BE HELD IN ATLANTA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Clik Magazine / (404) 885-6067

Monday, July 23, 2007      [email protected] / www.clikhonors.com

2^ND ANNUAL 2007 CLIK HONORS EVENTS TO BE HELD IN ATLANTA THANKSGIVING DAY WEEKEND ANNOUNCED

Awards To Honor Black Gay Achievements

ATLANTA — Today CLIK HONORS INC., and CLIK Magazine (CLIK), the Nation’s leading magazine for Black same gender loving people announced that the second annual 2007 Clik Honors Awards will be held at The Hyatt Regency International Ballroom in Atlanta Georgia, Saturday November 24^th, 2007 Riding of a huge, successful debut in 2006, the event, according to event producer Dwight Powell, “promises to be the talk of the town, and must attend event offered to the Black gay, lesbian, and transgender community”. Clik Honors Incorporated is a non-profit Georgia organization. The Organization celebrates and recognizes individuals, businesses, and organizations who through their everyday lives, talents, causes, and campaigns, have paved the way for the enhancement of Black Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender (BGLBT) communities locally and nationwide. The Clik Honors, first held November 25th, 2006 was the first of its kind for the Black gay community and was deemed a huge success by community and opinion leaders. Under one roof, The Clik Honors was able to bring together actors, authors, activists, politicians, film directors and produces, musicians, promoters and other professionals all in one place, all at the same time celebrating Black gay achievements. Tentative Schedule: Thanksgiving Weekend Friday November 23rd Clik Honors VIP & Jump-off Party / Event Locations TBA Saturday November 24^th / Clik Honors Awards Day Line-up & Hyatt Regency International Ballroom - Red Carpet Event With Celebrity Hosts - VIP Meet & Greet Reception / - Awards Dinner (New event) - Awards Presentation & Show - Champaign Toast - After Party  Sunday November 25^th / Clik Honors Sunday Brunch - Location TBA  Colors Theme: Black with a touch of Blue Details about nominations, rules and regulations, hotel accommodations, and all other event details can be found at the events official website www.clikhonors.com

Jasmyne Cannick Re-Visited.

By Frank León Roberts
This morning Los Angeles "activist" Jasmine Cannick responded to my post yesterday which expressed frustration at her flippant references to Devin Wiley "dropping dead." Not surprisingly, my post was met with a host of accusations and slanderous comments. Though i'm already bored of this game, i'll go ahead and the take the time to respond---again. First off, these accusations of me “selling out” are truly amusing. In other words, trust me, if I wanted to sell out, I woulda aimed a little higher, no shade. With all due respect, Flavaworks doesn’t have the power or money to “buy me out.” The New York Times, The Daily News, The San Francisco Chronicle—maybe. Flavalife Magazine? Uh, no. Other than a free trip to a few balls (all of which I could have easily had “taken care of” by house members) I’ve gained absolutely nothing but criticisms and a few pissed-off readers. You people kill me. I’ve done the exact opposite of selling out. Let’s be real here: It would have been so much easier for me to just jump on the anti-Flavaworks bandwagon; yell at Phillip Bleicher for being white, join hands with Keith and Jasmine and make Gay Black America proud. That would have been a much easier route. I would have never had to deal with these nagging criticisms. However, unlike some of you, I refuse to be a slave to public opinion. Which brings me to Jasmine Cannick. Jasmine, I know you’re reading this: I’m just wondering at what point did Phil Bleicher’s whiteness start to bother you—before or after you collected your last check from him? Clearly Phil Bleicher is as white now as he was back in August when you were paid to write for Flavalife Magazine. I’m trying to gain clarity as to when his whiteness started to “appall” you? Did the “modern day slavery,” begin before or after you stopped collecting checks? It amazes me how people refuse to consider the fact that maybe, just maybe, the black porn stars at Flavaworks are no more "exploited" working then Jasmyne was she while she worked for the company. Clearly I am a "race man"---I talk about race all day, everyday. But that does not mean that I will throw around "race cards" just because its adds a salacious, scandalous element to their argument. Jasmine, can you explain to me whether or not the “modern day slavery” was at work when you contributed to the following issues of Flavalife Magazine: September and October 2005 ,January and February 2006 ,March and April 2006 , May and June 2006, July and August 2006

‘Ghetto Bus Tour’ glorifies Chicago’s projects

The yellow school bus rumbles through vacant lots and past demolished buildings, full of people who have paid $20 for a tour of what was once among the most dangerous areas of this or any other city in the United States. But for the woman with the microphone, this “Ghetto Bus Tour” isn’t just another way to make a buck from tourists. It’s the last gasp in her crusade to tell a different story about Chicago’s notorious housing projects, something other than well-known tales about gang violence so fierce that residents slept in their bathtubs to avoid bullets. “I want you to see what I see,” says Beauty Turner, after leading the group off the bus to a weedy lot where the Robert Taylor Homes once stood. “To hear the voices of the voiceless.” Turner, a former Robert Taylor Homes resident, has been one of the most vocal critics of the Chicago Housing Authority’s $1.6 billion “Plan for Transformation,” which since the late 1990s has demolished 50 of the 53 public housing high-rises and replaced them with mixed-income housing. Officials paint a different pictureCity officials have heralded the plan. But Turner believes the city that once left residents to be victimized by violent drug-dealing gangs is now pushing those same people from their homes without giving them all a place to go. “I have people becoming homeless behind this plan, people that’s living on top of each other with relatives,” said Turner, who has given informal tours for years before the community newspaper she works for began renting the bus in January. “For some it has improved their conditions, but for the multitude of many it has not.” Chicago Housing Authority officials say Turner glosses over the failures of public housing. They say the 25,000 units being built or rehabbed are enough for the number of people whose buildings were demolished. “She is running out of bad things to show people,” housing authority spokesman Bryan Zises said. “She is taking a circuitous route so she doesn’t have to drive by the new stuff,” including, he adds, Turner’s own home in one of the new mixed-income communities. On the tours, Turner highlights strong, black women like herself who raised their children in the projects. Distrust runs deepTurner takes the group by the home of one such woman, 63-year-old Carol Wallace. When the group makes its way into the dreary looking low-slung building that has not been rehabbed, Wallace tells of her suspicions that she and a lot of people like her are going to be left out of the “Plan for Transformation.” SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Black Homes Away From Home

July 20, 2007--When Hakikah Taalibah Shamsiden, Coordinator of Women's Ministry at St. Paul’s Community Baptist Church in Brooklyn, New York wanted to get away for a quiet vacation, she didn't head to a hotel. Instead, she booked a room at a black-owned Bed & Breakfast (B&B). Her B&B of choice: Akwaaba by the Sea (www.akwaaba.com; 866-inn-dulj; if calling from New York City 718-455-5958) in Cape May, NJ. A B&B is a private residence with rooms for guests whose paid accommodations include breakfast. There is a wide range of B&Bs available, from quaint country inns to sleek, urban dwellings. The owners and/or innkeepers usually reside at the B&B, which can make for a very personalized experience.
That's what Shamsiden found when her stay at Akwaaba by the Sea, one of five B&Bs (Akwaaba Mansion, Brooklyn, NY; Akwaaba at Buttonwood Manor, Cape May; Akwaaba D.C.; Akwaaba in the Bayou, New Orleans) owned by husband and wife team Glenn Pogue and Monique Greenwood. "Breakfast was served and prepared by Monique. The rooms were cleaned daily and were immaculate," says Shamsiden of her stay.
Besides the Akwaaba collection, there are a number of other African American owned inns. Here are 10 of the best throughout the country: SOURCE OF THIS STORY AND SEE THE LIST

REGGAE NIGHT T.V. COMMERCIAL

Club Rimshot goes beyond nightlife

Club Rimshot is for African American gay men and their friends who enjoy nightlife but also want to expand their horizons with movies and literary events. It's the brainchild of Joe Hawkins. We first met Hawkins while covering Club Rumor in Hayward. Club Rumor is no more, but Rimshot carries on, as it has for 12 years. Their website, www.clubrimshot.com, has been around for 10 of those years. We recently talked to Hawkins and his friend Mark Davis at Luka's, Telegraph and Grand in Oakland. They were about to leave for the first Blatino Oasis in Palm Springs, which they expect to be an annual event. Palm Springs until recently has had the reputation of a town where older LGBTs, mostly Caucasian, go to retire. Blatino Oasis, which was run in partnership with Helios Resort, was poised to attract gay African Americans, Latinos, and their admirers. Porn star Tiger Tyson, from New York's Pitbull Productions, was the central attraction. Events were to take place at Helios, Dale's Lost Highway Restaurant, and Oasis Nightclub. Featured disc jockeys included Soul Nubian of Oakland and DJ Diaz of San Francisco.Hawkins is looking forward to the Black Lesbian Gay Film Festival, August 16-19 at the Parkway Theatre. This year's theme is Encore Tribute to the Classics. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Wendy Gets the Scoop from Laurie Ann...

Laurie Ann Gibson went on Wendy Williams to talk about the [dum dum dum]...fight! Plus she divulges what she feels about Mike Bivins. I know there was tension in the group of judges..Plus her pilot, who she dated and missed the gaydar, and the "gotcha gotcha!"

If you need a refresher on the incident...click here! SOURCE OF THIS STORY

LISTEN TO THE INTERVIEW


Plus...Listen to what Michael Bivins had to say!

SHEMAR MOORE: He May be Swinging but he's "Not Gay"

Or at least that what he says. And hey, why shouldn't we believe him? Yeah, there were some very eye-popping photos of the beefy former 'Young & The Restless' star "frolicking" nude on what was reported as a gay beach in Hawaii a few weeks ago, but that doesn't mean anything. If you got the goods, why not flaunt it? Moore, who stars as Detective Derrick Morgan on the CBS hit series 'Criminal Minds,' said that he and his galpals just happened upon a nude beach, and "as far as [he knew], that was a unisex beach." Hmmm, I think all beaches are unisex -- whether gay or straight. Ha. He tells the new issue of 'In Touch' magazine: "I went on vacation with two girlfriends of mine who, interestingly enough, got cut out of the pictures ... We took off our clothes and jumped in the water. I've been trying to skinny dip since I was a teenager. I'm just grateful that the water was warm!" Luckily for the thrill seekers it was warm -- because the tall, tanned and teasing biracial brother gave beach combers more than a mouthful. Making the transition from the sudsy clean lifestyle of a daytime star to prime time celebrity (he starred in the films 'The Seat Filler,' and 'Diary of a Mad Black Woman') hasn't been easy street for the former fashion model. Last month, he was sentenced to 36 months probation, fined around $1400 and was ordered to do community service -- stemming from two misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence. Not sure if the "nude" pics have a connection to the spate of "not-so-good-media-attention" but Moore insisted to the tabloid that, "people find it interesting to try to make me gay; I'm not gay." Okay, now you heard it from the horse's (pun intended) mouth. Now leave the brother alone. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

Scene in brief: Aretha Franklin set to perform during Black Gay Pride

Aretha Franklin, the legendary singer known as the Queen of Soul, appears Sept. 1 at Chastain Park as part of Atlanta’s annual Black Gay Pride celebration. The performance is a joint effort between In the Life Atlanta, the organization that plans the official festival events, and the Montreux Jazz Festival.In the Life spokesman Anare V. Holmes says that the event raises the caliber of offerings to the festival’s attendees. “To have [Aretha] be a part of our Pride celebration is a testament to the kind of rebirth and renewal that In the Life Atlanta is really going through,” Holmes says. “It solidifies our reputation as not only the official organizer of the Black Pride celebrations, but as one of the leading and largest Pride celebrations in the country.”Holmes is excited about the prospect of Franklin’s association with Black Gay Pride.“Aretha will always deliver,” he says. “We are so grateful to be witnessing history. [She is] a living legend and an American icon.”Also planned for Black Gay Pride is a film festival to be opened with a talk by Jonathan Plummer, the now out ex-husband of author Terry McMillan, as well as workshops, performances and the traditional march to the capital. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

DL Chronicles on Here TV

A response to Keith Boykin and Jasmyne Cannick

By Frank León Roberts --- There is an appropriate time for everything. I am very disappointed that Keith Boykin and Jasymine Cannick have decided to launch a personal attack on the President of Flavaworks, just days after the company's Vice President (Devin Wiley) has died. I have said it once, and I'll say it again: these on-high condemations of Phillip Bleicher on the sole basis on his whiteness are misleading. The black heterosexual and homosexual pornography industries are both overwhelminghy run, marketed, and organized by white men. This doesnt make it right---however we need to acknowledge and contextualize Bleicher's relationship to the market he is situated within. Are we launching campaigns against the white executives that control black music and hip hop? If we are going to attack Phillip Bleicher for being white, we need to attack the larger trends of the industry rather than singling out one company in particular. At this point it seems like black commentators are jumping on the anti-Flavaworks bandwagon without any real familiarity with the larger trends of the black pornography industry. This tendency to want to intrepret a white man owning a black company as an example of "modern slavery" (a phrase that has been thrown around several times in this on-going Flavaworks debate) is perhaps appealing, but its misinformed and rather naive. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The bottom line is this debate should not be taking place right now. The friends and family of Devin Wiley are in a time of deep mourning (especially his mother) and this is not the time for them to have to deal with a backlash against the company he worked for. These debates could have waited. Period. I am not convinced that yet another discussion over the race of Flavawork's CEO needed to take place right now, less than five days after Devin died suddenly. There was no new information that emerged that made it necessary for us to bring this back up again. I find it quite ironic that we can highlight the race of Phillip Bleicher as a way of suggesting that the black gay community is being "disrespected," yet we can completely disrespect and disregard the life of a black gay man who is no longer with us. It is an absolute outrage that Jasmyne Cannick's blog makes a sarcastic and trivializing reference to Devin "dropping dead." Are you fucking kidding me? HOW DARE YOU. I am more outraged by this comment than ANYTHING else. When did "going public" mean that you had to throw ethics and sensitivity out of the window? I dont give a dam how anyone feels about Flavaworks, to refer to someone's passing as "dropping dead" is outrageously uncouth. Would we trivialize the death of Rashawn Brazell or Michael Sandy? Sakia Gunn? Would we refer to these losses as instances of people "dropping dead"? Why then have we decided thats its ok to refer to Devin's death in this manner? Whats further---regardless of our personal opinions, the fact remains that Devin Wiley did in fact enjoy and willfully chose to work for Flavaworks. Sometimes in our rush to be "activists," we obscure the realities of those on the ground---the very people we purport to "advocate" for. Devin Wiley died on Saturday. His life and death should not be overshadowed by discussions over the race of the man he worked with. Whats next, will these black gay "activists," decide to crash Devin's memorial service with picket signs? As leaders, its important for us not to let our tendencies to want to speak up and be vocal hurt the very people we claim to represent politically. Like I said---this could have and should have waited.

Racism isn't going away

A few years ago, when working for the Daily Telegraph, I travelled to Leeds on a story about a teenage computer geek who hacked into the Pentagon computer network. Knowing that our subject once worked as a paperboy, a photographer and I wandered into a newsagent's close to his home, hoping for some insights. None sprang forth, but we passed a few amiable minutes with the owner, a smiling, ruddy-faced man, and then left. Ten minutes later I was called by the news editor in London, who was laughing so much he could barely speak. "We've just had a call from a bloke who said these two guys came into his shop claiming to be from the Daily Telegraph, but he said he knew they couldn't be because one of them was black and the other one was half-caste," he told me. "He was calling to warn us." We should, perhaps, have done other things but instead we returned to the shop, part amused, part irritated. "By the way, I am black," I told the owner as we left the shop. "But you are wrong about him," I said, pointing to my colleague. "That's a suntan. He's just spent two weeks in Spain. " These things rarely happen to me these days. Perhaps it's a result of living in London. Maybe I have been fortunate. But new research on black attitudes to racism suggests that for all the advances in race relations, many feel their lives are blighted by stereotyping and discrimination. In what is billed as the most comprehensive survey of black opinion in 20 years, the Voice newspaper depicts communities of African-Caribbean and African origin as transparently aggrieved by the feeling that their pigmentation determines how they are viewed and ultimately how they will fare in life. SOURCE OF THIS STORY

BET’s Web-based ‘Hot Ghetto Mess’ defended by channel

By LYNN ELBER AP Television Writer BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.—"Hot Ghetto Mess," a BET series that's provoked criticism and sent advertisers fleeing before it's even aired, will prove detractors wrong, BET entertainment head Reginald Hudlin said. "It's unfortunate that people are making an erroneous presumption based on absolutely zero information," Hudlin told a meeting Sunday of the Television Critics Association. "Hot Ghetto Mess," debuting July 25, combines viewer-submitted home videos and BET-produced man-on-the-street interviews that the channel said are intended to challenge and inspire "viewers to improve themselves and their communities." The six-episode series is hosted by comedian Charlie Murphy ("Chappelle's Show"). It's based on a Web site that features photos of men and women, mostly black, with extreme hairstyles and clothing typically linked to hip-hop fashion. At least two companies, State Farm Insurance Cos. and Home Depot, asked BET to drop their ads from the series' debut. Sponsors had yet to see the show, Hudlin said Sunday. Observers including What About Our Daughters, a blog and audio podcast that focuses on how black women are depicted in popular culture, have accused the site and the show of demeaning blacks. Hotghettomess.com was created by Jam Donaldson, 34, a black lawyer from Washington, D.C., who's also an executive producer on the BET program. On her site, Donaldson calls for a "new era of self-examination." The show builds on the Web site's effort to take "a hard look at some dysfunctional elements of our community," Hudlin said. "The intent of the show is no different than what Bill Cosby is doing as he's going across the country and lecturing as he talks about the problems of the (black) community that we need to address," he said. "Hot Ghetto Mess" approaches its goal in a lively way that will engage BET's young audience, Hudlin said. Donaldson told reporters that the series has "exceeded my expectations." "Everyone that sees the show will be pleasantly surprised. ... I think they will learn something. There's black history. We go to the community and ask what their opinion of some of these images are," she said. "The show is so much more than the name," Donaldson said. She started the site because of "images of black dysfunction" that were being distributed on the Internet without any discussion of the need for change. With shows like "Hot Ghetto Mess" and "Hip-Hop vs. America," Hudlin said, BET is trying to be part of the solution. "At the end of the day, the most responsible thing we can do is create a dialogue about those things," he told The Associated Press. Source

Oprah Winfrey to raise money for Obama

By DEANNA BELLANDI, Associated Press Writer (AP) — Forget the girl of YouTube videos. The real Obama girl is doing her part for the candidate. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey plans to hold a Sept. 8 fundraiser for Democratic hopeful Barack Obama at her palatial estate near Santa Barbara, Calif., according to campaign spokesman Dan Pfeiffer. Obama has raised more than $58 million for his White House bid. Forbes magazine estimates that Winfrey, the Chicago-based host who boasts a lot more, including a magazine, is worth $1.5 billion. Obama already enjoys the support of Hollywood moguls like David Geffen and Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Winfrey's fundraiser is another chance for him to tap into money in California, which was his top donor state from April through June with a total take of $4.2 million. Winfrey is a well-known fan of Obama, calling him "my favorite guy" and "my choice" on CNN's "Larry King Live" last year before he announced he would run for president. Recently, one of the more popular YouTube videos is Amber Lee Ettinger, aka Obama Girl, in a racy performance titled, "I Got A Crush On Obama." Yet, when Obama appeared on Oprah's show last year, Winfrey asked him if he would announce a presidential bid on her program. "I don't think I could say no to you," Obama replied. "Oprah, you're my girl." Source: Yahoo News