(Mashable) — Google plans to create 20 special channels on its YouTube site, and will spend $100 million to create original programming to populate them, according to sources who talked with the Wall Street Journal. Like Netflix announced last month, Google wants to create its own streaming video programs, however, according to the WSJ sources, […]
The Root: We Can’t Afford To Not Fix Justice System
By Benjamin Todd Jealous and Lateefah Simon (NPR.com) – Reforming the nation’s criminal-justice system is one of the most urgent civil rights issues of our time. One shocking fact illustrates why: More African-American men are entangled in the criminal-justice system today than were enslaved in 1850. How did we get here? The rise in America’s […]
Donna Brazile tapped as interim DNC chair
By Jennifer Epstein – Donna Brazile, a former adviser to President Bill Clinton and Al Gore, will fill in as interim chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee until Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz of Florida can be officially elected to the post. Brazile, the committee’s vice chairwoman, will take the reins for the next two weeks, […]
Obama Approval Slips Among Blacks, Hispanics in March
Princeton, NJ (Gallup.com) – Though majorities of blacks (85%) and Hispanics (54%) continue to approve of the job Barack Obama is doing as president, his ratings among these groups slipped in March and have set or tied new lows. His approval rating among whites, at 39%, remains above where it was in the latter part […]
Congressional Budget Crisis
By Chuck Hobbs, Esquire – Whether you support or despise the loose coalition of groups collectively known as the Tea Party, you have to admit that, if nothing else, the rise of this movement has coincided with a greater awareness of politics and the practicality of decisions made by political leaders. When considering the looming […]
New Study Discloses 62 Percent Drop in Home Mortgages to Minorities
By Kenneth J. Cooper (America’s Wire) -Since the housing market collapsed, mortgage lending to African-Americans and Hispanics has plunged precipitously—by more than 60 percent, according to a new study of loan information that banks submit to the federal government. Together, African-Americans and Hispanics were able to borrow 62 percent less to buy or refinance homes […]
Budget-Conscious States Rethink Food Stamp Ban for Drug Felons
By Marjorie Valbrun (America’s Wire)- WASHINGTON—When the landmark welfare reform law was enacted in 1996, the political rallying cry was “ending welfare as we know it.” Today, a move is underway to rescind some of the law’s punitive measures, such as provisions that permit states to deny welfare benefits and food stamps to people convicted […]
MLK III and Andrew Young Co-found TV Network Targeting African-American Audiences
Atlanta (April 4, 2011) — The nation’s first-ever over-the-air broadcast television network designed exclusively for African-American audiences will launch this fall, it was announced today. The new network will be called Bounce TV (http://bouncetv.com) and will target African Americans primarily between the ages of 25-54 with a programming mix of theatrical motion pictures, live sporting […]
Unemployment down, Black unemployment up
By Julianne Malveaux – More than 200,000 jobs were created last month, 216,000 to be exact. Coming after the February lift of more than 200,000 jobs, there are those who are saying that economic recovery is around the corner. I don’t know what corner they are standing on, but the African-American corner took a hit […]