By Earl Ofari Hutchinson - Senate Majority leader Harry Reid apologized profusely for his unguarded quip that Obama’s light skin and non-Negro dialect stood him well with him and by implication other whites. President Obama graciously accepted his apology and applauded him as a supporter and friend. But the embattled leader spoke the awful truth that millions did give Obama a racial pass. The pass did not win the White House for him; money, timing, a skillful campaign, and most importantly Bush blunders and GOP disgrace ultimately tipped the White House his way. But Obama’s racial pass made a difference, maybe a crucial difference. Read Earl Ofari Hutchinson's full editorial here.
AP is reporting that 59-year-old soul singer, Teddy Pendergrass, died Wednesday at Bryn Mawr Hospital in PA. Read the full story here: http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9557397.
Wyclef Jean Haiti earthquake: Singer leads charge to help through Yele Haiti charity - and Twitter
Hip Hop artist Wyclef Jean is urging people to donate $5 to his Haitian charity, Yéle Haiti, by texting "YELE" to 501501. (The donation will be automatically charged to your cellphone bill.) His is one of many Haiti earthquake relief efforts underway.
By Matt Clark Staff writer / Christian Science Monitor
Platinum-selling Hip Hop artist Wyclef Jean - a native son of Haiti - is leading the charge to help his beleaguered homeland ... through Twitter.
Mr. Jean's platform of choice seems to be Twitter, where the former Fugees star is urging people to donate $5 to his Haitian charity, Yéle Haiti, by texting "YELE" to 501501. (The donation will be automatically charged to your cellphone bill.)
"I cannot stress enough what a human disaster this is, and idle hands will only make this tragedy worse," said Jean in a statement. "We must act now... Haiti needs your prayers and support." Read the full story here
Brian Wagner, Voice of America (listen here MP3)
As rescue operations accelerated to help victims of the earthquake in Haiti, correspondent Brian Wagner flew into Port-au-Prince Wednesday to begin covering the story for VOA. He did not have to travel far to give a detailed account of the devastation, which damaged the city's airport. Here are his first impressions of the severe impact of the earthquake:
Our small plane landed in Port-au-Prince shortly before twilight. Getting into Haiti has been extremely difficult because there has been a lot of confusion about whether the airport here in Port-Au-Prince is operational.
Several people told us that only planes carrying humanitarian aid, doctors, supplies or journalists were allowed to enter the country. Read the full story here.
Watch the story here
Eunice W. Johnson, 1916-2010: Widow of Johnson Publishing founder gave Ebony magazine its name By Trevor Jensen, Tribune reporter January 5, 2010Eunice W. Johnson gave Ebony magazine its name and for almost 50 years produced an influential traveling fashion show that brought haute couture to African-Americans while raising millions of dollars for charity.
The widow of Johnson Publishing Co. founder John H. Johnson, Mrs. Johnson, 93, died of renal failure Sunday, Jan. 3, in her Chicago home, according to a company spokeswoman.
A close business partner of her husband's since the beginning of Johnson Publishing in 1942, Mrs. Johnson remained the company's secretary-treasurer at the time of her death and for years wrote a monthly fashion feature for Ebony magazine.
Johnson Publishing's flagship, conceived as an African-American version of Life magazine and published since 1945, was named by Mrs. Johnson to reflect the mystique of fine black ebony wood, said Wendy Parks of Johnson Publishing. Read the full story here
|
