Read more love tips in our African American Love Blog
1. He's extra helpful.
If your guy shows a sudden interest in doing dishes or picking out sheets at Bed, Bath & Beyond, he may be trying to prove he's husband material. "Before he pops the question, he'll subconsciously seek out ways to show off his domestic side," says Tamsen Fadal, co-author of Why Hasn't He Proposed? "He wants to make sure you see him as a partner who pulls his weight."
In the past several weeks, there have been numerous incidents involving the police and Black people, that have resulted in serious injury and death on both sides. This includes several recent incidents in Oakland, California; in Seattle, a 15-year old girl brutally beaten for being mouthy and kicking a shoe; an off-duty Black New York police officer being gunned down by a white officer; and other incidents in places around the country.
These are some of the most recent and extreme examples of a problem that, in one form or another, spans the length of U.S. history. The reality is that police forces, in varying forms, have been traditionally used as a tool to preserve and promote white supremacy, and to keep Blacks (particularly those in impoverished communities) "in their place". The idea of "protecting and serving" as it relates to policing, had as its root and initial goal the same objective as most other laws and statutes enacted in this country: To protect the interests of property-owning white males. There are few areas in the United States(if any) where the police in some form or fashion have not actively participated in violating the rights of Black people, utilizing any methods deemed necessary, including murder. Although some things have changed, it is naive (to say the least) to think that the legacy upon which the idea of policing was built in this country(white supremacy and Black oppression) has been erased from its method of operation.
Click to read more on Your Black Attorneys
www.blackbloggers.wordpress.com
" I have faced execution and the torment of saying goodbye to my family three times in the last two years and I may experience that trauma yet again; I would not wish this on my worst enemy and to know I am innocent only compounds the injustice I am facing."- Troy Davis, from Georgia's death row, on facing a fourth possible execution date.
For those who are unaware, Troy Davis has been on Georgia's death row for about 18 years, after being convicted of murdering police officer Mark McPhail(Mr. Davis has maintained his innocence from the very beginning).
It would take pages to give all of the details of Troy Davis' case, however I will say that there was no physical evidence found(including a murder weapon) connecting Troy Davis to the killing of Officer McPhail; he was convicted largely on the basis of inconsistent and often contradictory eyewitness testimony. The vast majority of those prosecution eyewitnesses have since recanted or changed their testimony implicating Mr. Davis, and one of those who hasn't is Sylvester Coles, the main alternative suspect presented by the defense during Troy Davis' trial. In addition, there have been multiple allegations of police coercion and the usage of unethical interrogation techniques.
(For additional information on Troy Davis' case, or to get information on how to act, check out www.amnestyusa.org/death-penalty/troy-davis and http://www.troyanthonydavis.org/.).
Seems like Rihanna may not be as well liked by her neighbors as she is by the rest of the world, According to sources Rihanna is being sued by her neighbor for trespassing issues with Rihanna's guests that she had which disturbed their peace lol! Read the details below:
We just got hold of a lawsuit filed against Rihanna today.
Christian
Moeller is suing over some property, claiming Rihanna has been trampling all over his property.
Moeller is a professor of design and media art at UCLA. Moeller has created spaces for the W Hotel in Hollywood.
Here’s what happened. Rihanna rents a home owned by Stephen Yacobian, whose house is next door to Moeller’s. Moeller gave Yacobian an easement — the right to drive cars on a portion of Moeller’s property.
But two years ago, Yacobian renovated the property and the easement wasn’t really being used. To make matters a lot worse, since Rihanna moved in she’s been allowing cars to drive on Moeller’s lawn to get to her driveway… and the suit claims sometimes the cars just sit there on the lawn.
So Moeller wants the easement eliminated. As for Rihanna, Moeller is suing her for allowing people and cars to trespass on his property.
Very minor issue that I'm sure will be resolved by the time I hit publish on this entry!
Dr Boyce Watkins – Syracuse University: Black Scholars Coalition
I recall giving a speech at a university in Upstate New York. We were talking about wealth building for the Black community and how Black folks can remove themselves from the underbelly of American capitalism. I'd heard this school had a reputation for strong liberalism and I was looking forward to addressing the audience. A young white female in the back of the room raised her hand to ask me a question. She said "How can you support a system that enslaves people?"
The woman was clearly offended by my mere presence as a financial expert and apparent supporter of capitalism. I could immediately tell, that no matter what my answer was, she was going to hate me and wish death upon my children. She didn't realize that I am not just a Finance Professor, but also a closet socialist in many contexts. While I am not one who wants to live in a socialist society, I do understand that capitalism and socialism must balance one another in any society that alleges to embrace human compassion.
How did you become a finance expert? What inspired you to pursue this goal?
When I was on Wall Street making great money I felt empty, because I was not an effective contributor to my community. I knew that finance was my passion, but I also knew that sitting in a cubicle making money only for the sake of self-empowerment was not my purpose.
Like too many families in America, many people in my family were not financially literate. My passion was to change that. In addition, I was always getting asked personal finance questions from peers who knew I was a stock trader. But trading is different from personal finance. To address these questions, I began to study personal finance and started a Yahoo group called MakingMoneyWork, which provided tips and strategies to over 200 members through weekly newsletters.
by Dr Boyce Watkins
Kentucky State University is an HBCU which lies next to my heart. My sister, who just finished medical school, spent her undergraduate career there, so I was kept in the loop when the world seemed to flip on its head regarding who the students chose to hold the title of Miss Kentucky State University. As you can see, she's not exactly what one would expect an HBCU Homecoming Queen to look like, but Elisabeth Martin's skin color likely reflects one of the many faces that define Historically Black colleges in the new millennium. So, while I was personally dismayed that Kentucky State University (along with many HBCUs around the nation) seems to be forgetting about the importance of having African American faculty, the truth is that we are in an era in which one needs to determine what it means to be an HBCU.
Personally, I love the fact that the students at Kentucky State chose Elisabeth Martin as their homecoming queen. Martin, a 21-year old International Studies major, won the crown by a landslide, dominating the competition. It has been her race, however, that has sent shock waves through the Kentucky State University community. But Martin takes the heat in stride and carries herself with a grace and class that should make the campus proud. The fact that the students love her so much is verified by her love for the campus and commitment to school spirit. She has also handled the national media attention like a true queen should.
AOL Black Voices had the chance to catch up with Elisabeth Martin:
