If we believe that “all white” was illegal and morally wrong – is “exclusively black” equally self-indulgent? Are we repeating the same mistakes by having “black only” magazines and colleges in the 21th Century?
According to the US Census Bureau (2008), blacks represent ~12.8% of the population. Given this fact, it is not likely or probable that we – the people of color – are likely to dominate or flood every market or community. However, it is undeniable that our presence has a significant impact when we allow the beauty of the presence of God within us to shine.
I was somewhat appauled by some of the responses to Essence Magazine decision to hire a non African American as its new fashion director. We, of all people, should know the repercussions of being denied jobs, housing, financing opportunities and a host of other possessions simply because our skin clearly denotes we have been blessed by the sun.
Whether it is fashion, food, or fun, African Americans have a niche for redefining and branding our unique style. There’s nothing in the world that could compare to the way we do “hair” or how we wear the threads. For decades, fashion designers, fashion buyers, automobile designers and home builders have been dominated by non African Americans. This has never stopped nor hindered us in any fashion – we simply made it our own. There’s nothing wrong with being unique, every race has its own unique customs and traditions. To embrace, appreciate and respect them all - moves us closer to world peace.
Sidebar: Did we not embrace Farrah Fawcett’s feathered hair style; we were cutting, bouncing and flowing with Farrah.
Whether it is Baby Phat or Apple Bottom, I see youth of every creed and color embracing the brands and style. If other races are open to embrace our brands, designers and creations – should we not rejoice? This is progress and not the time for exclusivity.
Therefore, to be “exclusively black” can be a detriment to our race and society as a whole. We, the people of color, must learn to maintain our integrity and embrace change. We cannot continue to allow the mistreatment and anger of our past to determine the outcome or future endeavors. We must hold fast to the Golden Rule – treat others like we want to be treated. Therefore, I commend Essence Magazine for standing by its decision to hire the person they believed could honor the mission and brand. This is truly a display of holding to the dream that we are judged based upon the content of our character and not the hue of our skin.
If we truly believe in our uniqueness, talent, creativity - why would we deny sharing these precious gifts to the rest of the world?
In closing, allow love to rule in your heart and govern every decision.
I’m also reminded of why I love Vertikal Magazine, simple because it is okay to celebrate our culture but we also realize that diversity is the key to building a stronger community.
This is a situation close to my heart and any decent human being.
NO MESSAGE IS THAT IMPORTANT...BELIEVE THAT!!!!!
A day after talk show queen Oprah Winfrey focused on the dangers of texting while driving, two members of the Georgia House of Representatives introduced bills that would ban the practice.
“Don’t tempt fate,” said Rep. Amos Amerson (R-Dahlonega), quoting Winfrey. “That text or call can wait.”
Amerson and Rep. Allen Peake (R-Bibb County) introduced similar bills that will likely merge. Under Peake’s bill, HB 938, anyone found guilty of writing, sending or reading a text message while driving would be fined $50 to $100 and have two points placed on his driver's license. Amerson’s bill would set the fine at $300.
“Texting while driving is a rising problem among teenagers and adults and a leading cause of traffic accidents,” Peake said. “When someone texts while driving they are endangering their own lives, as well as all other drivers and pedestrians they may pass. This legislation saves lives.”
Both Peake and Amerson said they know from their own experience. Amerson said that the grandson of one of his constituents recently died in a head-on collision. When police checked his cellphone, they found he had sent six text messages between the time he got in his car and the accident.
Peake said he “used to text like crazy,” once passing a driver who got his legislative license plate and later called to complain.
“I was a terrible example to the state and to my three kids. I had to make changes before I hurt myself or someone else,” Peake said. “I can remember driving three or four miles and having no idea what I had just done because of texting.”
Kevin W. Bakewell, senior vice president of the AAA Auto Club South, tried to put that in context: Someone driving 70 mph, he travels 100 feet per second. While writing just a three-second text message, a driver can go the length of a football field without looking at the road.
“And that is scary,” Bakewell said, adding that the ban on texting is AAA’s top legislative priority. “There is no instance where taking your hands off the wheel, where taking your mind and eyes off the road, is safe. The sooner this becomes a law, the better.”
If either bill passes, Georgia would join 19 other states -- including North Carolina and Tennessee -- in banning texting while driving.
Over on the Senate side, Bill Heath (R-Bremen) has introduced a bill, SB 306, that would allow drivers to freely use Bluetooth-type devices.
Heath said that across the state, some drivers have been ticketed for using Bluetooth devices by officers who were following an old code that banned the practice except for motorcycle riders.
UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—today announced that the nation’s largest minority scholarship program, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program(GMS), has awarded good-through-graduation college scholarships to this year’s cohort of 1,000 students. The Class of 2010 Gates Millennium Scholars represents 45 states, the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories: American Samoa, Federated States of Micronesia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The scholarships can be used to pursue degrees in any undergraduate major at the college or university of the recipients’ choice. For the full press release and a list of the 1,000 Scholars alphabetically by last name, by home state or by the high school's city and state, please click here and select news.
Students are eligible to be considered for a GMS scholarship if they:
• Are African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander American, or Hispanic American • Are a citizen/legal permanent resident or nationals of the United States • Have attained a cumulative GPA of 3.3 on an unweighted 4.0 scale or have earned a GED • Will enroll for the first time at a U.S. located, accredited* college or university (with the exception of students concurrently pursuing a high school diploma) in the fall of 2011 as a full-time, degree-seeking, first-year student. First-time college enrollees can also be GED recipients. • Have demonstrated leadership abilities through participation in community service, extracurricular or other activities • Meet the Federal Pell Grant* eligibility criteria; and • Have all three forms (Nominee Personal Information Form completed by the student, Nominator Form completed by an educator familiar with the student’s academic record and a Recommender Form completed by a person familiar with the student’s leadership and community service) submitted by the deadline.
Gates Millennium Scholars Program
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS), established in 1999, was initially funded by a $1 billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
The goal of GMS is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for outstanding minority students with significant financial need to reach their highest potential by:
Reducing financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need;
Increasing the representation of these target groups in the disciplines of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health and the sciences, where these groups are severely underrepresented;
Developing a diversified cadre of future leaders for America by facilitating successful completion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees; and
Providing seamless support from undergraduate through doctoral programs, for students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars entering target disciplines.
The GMS Scholarship Award Provides:
Support for the cost of education by covering unmet need and self-help;
Renewable awards for Gates Millennium Scholars maintaining satisfactory academic progress;
Graduate school funding for continuing Gates Millennium Scholars in the areas of computer science, education, engineering, library science, mathematics, public health or science;
Leadership development programs with distinctive personal, academic and professional growth opportunities.
Program Accomplishment:
Funded more than 13,000 Gates Millennium Scholars since the inception of the program
Obtained a 79.9% graduation rate in five years*
Supported Gates Millennium Scholars enrolled in more than 1,500 colleges and universities
Supported Gates Millennium Scholars representing 50 states and five outlying areas
Graduated over 5,000 Gates Millennium Scholars since the program's inception
Five year retention rate of 87.7%*
*Reflects cohorts 1 through 4
Administration:
UNCF—the United Negro College Fund—administers the Gates Millennium Scholars Program (GMS). To reach, coordinate and support the constituent groups, UNCF has partnered with the American Indian Graduate Center Scholars, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund to assist in implementing the program.
The GMS Advisory Council has six members: six members from higher education and one member representing the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Advisory Council members include:
Dr. Gilberto Cardenas, Assistant Provost, Institute of Latino Studies at University of Notre Dame
Dr. David Chang, former Chancellor, Polytechnic University
Youlonda Copeland-Morgan, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management, Financial Aid Service, Syracuse University
Dr. Shaun R. Harper, Assistant Professor, Higher Education Management, University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Carmen D. Lopez, Executive Director, College Horizons Inc.
Margaret Daniels Tyler, Senior Program Officer, Education, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The GMS program is more than just a scholarship. The GMS program offers Gates Millennium Scholars with ACademic Empowerment (ACE) services to encourage academic excellence; mentoring services for academic and personal development; and an online resource center that provides internship, fellowship and scholarship information.
Stay tuned here for future Gates Millennium Scholars initiatives.
Memorial Day is a day in which we actively remember those military service members who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It is also a time to remember and reflect on our ancestors, relatives, and friends. There are numerous ways to celebrate the day. Most visit cemeteries in order to place flags and flowers on the graves of loved ones. But how did this tradition start?
Before President Barack Obama was able to get the Health Care Bill passed recently, a conservative senator stated that the issue of health care reform would be President Obama’s Waterloo: it would break him. The senator was referring to the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 in which the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, was defeated by a coalition of European nations. The Battle of Waterloo ended Bonaparte’s rule as emperor. After the battle, he was sent into exile and died six years later.
However, if it were not for Waterloo, we wouldn’t have a Memorial Day to celebrate. No, I’m not talking about the Battle of Waterloo. I’m talking about the city, Waterloo, New York.
In 1865, a man by the name of Henry C. Welles thought it a good idea to honor the Civil War veterans who had died. Up to that point, only the Civil War vets who were alive were honored. Welles told his friends and associate that he thought it would be a good idea to place flowers on the graves of the patriotic dead.
Nothing happened.
A year later, with the help of veteran’s and local citizenry support, Welles and a deeply patriotic General by the name of John B. Murray held three ceremonies in honor the war dead. Eventually, the town of Waterloo joined with other towns in holding the observance on May 30 of every year. Today, the holiday is held on the last Monday in May, but the town of Waterloo has been officially recognized as the town that started a local event that eventually evolved into a national holiday. So whether you only recognize the day as time off from work, or take time to honor those who have fought and died, it is important to understand the origin of this national holiday.
