BAYARD RUSTIN (1912-1987) was one of the most influential civil rights activists who maintained a low profile, reserving the spotlight for other prominent figures, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and A. Philip Randolph.
Born March 17, 1910, Rustin was one of twelve children raised by his grandparents in West Chester, Pennsylvania. Rustin’s life-long commitment to nonviolence began with his Quaker upbringing and the influence of his grandmother, a member of the Society of Friends and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). NAACP leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois and James Weldon Johnson were frequent guests in the Rustin home. With these influences in his early life, Rustin campaigned against racially discriminatory Jim Crow laws in his youth.
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On Wednesday, President Obama and Vice President Biden met with Sec. of Defense Robert Gates and the Joint Chiefs of Staff to get what the White House called a “comprehensive view of the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and the impact on our forces”.
The administration plans to decrease troop deployment in Iraq and focus on the fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda in Afghanistan. Gates wants to put Obama “in front of all the people that are involved in these decisions and all the people that are involved in committing the lives of men and women in our uniform so that the president can get all this advice in an unvarnished way,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.
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Guess who was spotted running errands in Los Angeles earlier this week? Hint: He is a singer and former actor.
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According to Sam over at TheGrapeJuice.net, Music World has confirmed reports that singer Kelly Rowland has split with her manager Mathew Knowles. They both released statements:
MATTHEW KNOWLES
“After a very positive meeting between Kelly Rowland and myself, we have amicably agreed to end our professional relationship. My company, Music World, will continue to manage Destiny’s Child as a group. As an artist Kelly has incredible talent and I only wish her the best. We will always be family first and foremost, and as a dad I only have love for Kelly.”
KELLY ROWLAND
“Mathew Knowles has been a positive influence in my career. I have had great success under his guidance — both as a member of Destiny’s Child and with my solo projects. Although we have decided to part ways professionally, the Knowles family and the entire Music World Entertainment team will always be my family.”
No word on who her new manager will be. But rumors from a couple months back mentioned American Idol’s Simon Fuller and his company, 19 Entertainment.
( Photo: GETTY IMAGES )
