Wednesday, September 23, 2009 |
Officer Thomas Strain, a white police officer in the 35th District of Philadelphia, was put on desk duty this month because he came to work with cornrows. According to reports, Strain was ordered to get a haircut because the braids violated department standards yet dozens of black officers wear cornrows.
Police policy requires officers to have “clean, properly trimmed and combed hair” that doesn’t prevent them from wearing their uniform hat “in a military-manner”. Although Strain was told to get a haircut, he was not formally disciplined.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 |
Check out the new video from Drake (featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne and Eminem) for “Forever” from More Than a Game, which follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball and journey to fame.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009 |
President Barack Obama walks toward Marine One with Vice President Joseph Biden’s wife, Jill, prior to their departure from the White House on Monday.
The two traveled to New York, where Mrs. Biden introduced the President at Hudson Valley Community College where he spoke about the economy. The President is also in town for the United Nations General Assembly before heading to Pittsburgh for the G-20 Summit on Thursday. Check out photos below.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009 |
Guess who spoke at the United Nations Tuesday morning (aside from Pres. Obama). Hint: He is an Oscar-nominated actor who became a father earlier this year.
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Tuesday, September 22, 2009 |
On Monday, President Barack Obama sat down with David Letterman on the Late Show to discuss topics including race, the economy and, of course, health care reform.
When asked whether the reaction to his health care plan is driven by racism, the President replied, “First of all, I think it’s important to realize that I was actually black before the election.”
President Obama said he expects unemployment will be a “big problem” for at least another year, but he said the economy will rebound even stronger.
This was the President’s sixth appearance on Letterman’s show, but the first time for a sitting president.
Monday, September 21, 2009 |
The five children of Mesac Damas — Michzach, 9, Marven, 6, Maven, 5, Megan, 3 and 11-month-old Morgan — are seen in a photo taken from Mesac’s Hi5 page. The five children and Mesac’s wife, Guerline, were found dead in their North Naples apartment Saturday night.
Collier County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Damas left Miami International Airport on a flight bound for Haiti about 10 a.m. on Friday. He is considered “a person of interest” but not a “suspect” at this point. A family member became worried after they hadn’t heard from anyone in the home and asked authorities to do a welfare check on Friday. Their knocks went unanswered, but nothing indicated anything was wrong.
On Saturday morning, the family member filed a missing persons report, and authorities requested from property management a key to the house and authorization to enter. When they did, they discovered the bodies of 32-year-old Guerline and her five children.
“I can tell you that in no uncertain terms this is the most horrific and violent event this community has ever experienced. This is the worst of the worst,” Collier County Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said at a news conference on Sunday. Foren Dieu said police told him his sister and her children all suffered slit throats.
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Thursday, September 17, 2009 |
Following the release of a video featuring actress Maia Campbell (best known from In the House with LL Cool J and Debbie Allen) shouting obscenities in an incoherent state, the internet began buzzing.
However, much of what was reported was that she was a prostitute with a drug problem, failing to mention her mental state…like many in the black community who suffer in silence when it comes to mental illness.
Maia has a co-occurring disorder after being diagnosed with bipolar disorder/manic depression and a substance abuse problem, which has symptoms similar to schizophrenia. According to a recent statement issued by her stepfather and grandmother, Maia “is in treatment and in a facility” getting the help she needs.
But there are so many in our communities who fail to do so.
We tend to rely on family, religious or social communities for emotional support, rather than turning to health care professionals. Because of this, mental health issues may be perceived as a failure of our faith. But there is no reason we can’t utilize all of our connections to deal with such things.
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