The verdict is out and the courts in Georgia have found no foul play in the death of teenage football phenom Billy Joe Johnson. A grand jury has determined that Johnson had accidentally shot and killed himself with his 12-gauge shotgun during a Dec. 8 traffic stop. Full Story
This date marks the birth of Bob Marley in 1945. Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley in rural Rhoden Hall in the Parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. His mother was a Jamaican teenager and his father a middle-aged captain in the West Indian regiment of the British Army. The rest like they say is history.
If you follow the blog on the regular, then you know I have nothing but the utmost respect for Mr. Marley. Through his music he was able to get his message of peace, love, and righteousness out to the word. The often misrepresented Marley, never let what others said about him or his lifestyle affect the way he lived his vibrant life. His message will forever continue to live on through his music. He is the definition of a artivist.
On this date in 1820 the Mayflower of Liberia set sail. This was the first organized Black emigration back to Africa. It began when 86 free Blacks left New York Harbor aboard the ship the Elizabeth, which was called the Mayflower of Liberia.
The importance of School Daze can't be stated enough. It gave the world a glimpse of what Black College life was and some would say still is. The issues that the movie touched on were as relevant then as they are now in today's society. This movie about homecoming weekend at a HBCU was able to capture the importance of a black college experience while still questioning its purpose and relevance in this day and time. From the problems in South Africa to shade issues here in the black community, Spike Lee used each issue to reach a different nerve. I just hope there are still the Dap's out there on these campuses trying to lift the political awareness of their fellow classmates and faculty. YEBies WAKE UP!!!!!!!
On this day in 1913 Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama. She would go on to know as the "Mother of the modern-day civil rights movement" for here role in the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. As the story goes, Parks refused to give her seat up to a white passenger and was arrested and taken to jail for her actions. This caused a year long boycott known as the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was lead by a young baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr.
Sidney Poitier was the first black actor to win the Oscar for his role in Lilies of the Fields in 1963. He is considered by most to be one of the greatest actors of all time. He has acted in and directed a tremendous amount of films. He started his career on the stage acting in plays. Poitier used that as a launching pad and was able to be seen for movies. His personal character along with his acting ability was able to withstand all the hate he received because of his race. He has acted in and directed a tremendous amount of films for the big screen as well as television. A couple months ago I was watching Guess who's coming to dinnerand it hit me that this movie was the beginning story of Barak Obama.
In April 1997, Poitier was appointed as ambassador of the Bahamas to Japan, a position he currently holds. He is also the ambassador of the Bahamas to UNESCO. During the period of 1998 to 2003, he served as a Member of the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company.
Serena Williams recently won her tenth Grand Slam Title after pounding Dinara Safina 6-0, 6-3 in the Australian Open Finals. The victory launched her back into the #1 overall rankings for women’s tennis. Venus and Serena Williams also won the doubles title as well.
The Fayetteville, North Carolina native J. Cole is a rapper you need to add to you iPod asap. I started listen to him because a friend of mines who went to NC A&T gave me his cd. It had some of his stuff on it but I didn't get to hear much of the cd because it was super scratched. So I did what everybody does now; I googled him and then checked him out on Myspace. Dude grew on me fast to say the least. Then I saw his "Dollar And A Dream2" at 2db and it was a wrap. That instantly became my anthem in so many ways. Like any good fan I started passing that track out to anybody who would listen. Each time I would get the same responses back, "Who did that dollar and a dream track?" or "That mix was tough, but that dollar and a dream joint goes so hard". At that point I knew it wasn't just me that felt the realness of that song.
Cole has already done a mixtape with DJ On Point titled "The Come Up" and is currently working on new material.
On this date in 1956 Autherine J. Lucy became the first black student to attend the University of Alabama. She was walked to school by the National Guard. She was expelled three days later "for her own safety" in response to threats from a mob.
Molefi K Asante, Jr. (born November 3, 1982) is an African-American professor, author, filmmaker, and activist. Born in Harare, Zimbabwe shortly after the Liberation Struggle, he is the son of scholar Molefi Kete Asante and choreographer Kariamu Welsh. He has been described by the Philadelphia Inquirer as "a rare, remarkable talent that brings to mind the great artists of the Harlem Renaissance."
He studied film and literature at the University of London,School of Oriental and African Studies, earned a B.A. in Africana Studies and English from Lafayette College, and an M.F.A. in Screenwriting from UCLA School of Theater Film and Television.
In 2002, Asante, Jr.,'s first collection of poems, Like Water Running Off My Back, was published and won the Academy of American Poets Jean Corrie Prize for its title poem. Pulitzer Prize Winning Playwright Charles Fuller hailed the book as "remarkable" and proclaimed Asante a leader of a new generation of African-American writers. In October 2005, Asante's second collection of poems, Beautiful. And Ugly Too was published to critical acclaim. The Los Angeles Times called Beautiful. And Ugly Too "a thought-provoking journey down the lonely road of wisdom and whiplash." Asante's third book, It's Bigger than Hip-Hop, is non-fiction piece that was released in 2008.
Congrats to Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers on winning Super Bowl 43. Tomlin instantly became YEB of the week last night as he became the youngest to coach and win a Super Bowl. Coach Tomlin also beacme the second black coach ever to ever win this title game after former Colts coach Tony Dungy became the first in Super Bowl 41.
This date marks the birth of Bob Marley in 1945. Bob Marley was born Robert Nesta Marley in rural Rhoden Hall in the Parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. His mother was a Jamaican teenager and his father a middle-aged captain in the West Indian regiment of the British Army. The rest like they say is history.
The importance of School Daze can't be stated enough. It gave the world a glimpse of what Black College life was and some would say still is. The issues that the movie touched on were as relevant then as they are now in today's society. This movie about homecoming weekend at a HBCU was able to capture the importance of a black college experience while still questioning its purpose and relevance in this day and time. From the problems in South Africa to shade issues here in the black community, Spike Lee used each issue to reach a different nerve. I just hope there are still the Dap's out there on these campuses trying to lift the political awareness of their fellow classmates and faculty. YEBies WAKE UP!!!!!!!
The Fayetteville, North Carolina native J. Cole is a rapper you need to add to you iPod asap. I started listen to him because a friend of mines who went to NC A&T gave me his cd. It had some of his stuff on it but I didn't get to hear much of the cd because it was super scratched. So I did what everybody does now; I googled him and then checked him out on Myspace. Dude grew on me fast to say the least. Then I saw his "Dollar And A Dream2" at 2db and it was a wrap. That instantly became my anthem in so many ways. Like any good fan I started passing that track out to anybody who would listen. Each time I would get the same responses back, "Who did that dollar and a dream track?" or "That mix was tough, but that dollar and a dream joint goes so hard". At that point I knew it wasn't just me that felt the realness of that song.
