According to a press release sent to ABC News:

Bobbi Kristina was transported from the hotel at 10:26 a.m. local time to Cedars-Sinai Hospital and was “awake and alert” at the time.

That song used to always give me a lift. Houston’s voice sounded rich and soulful. The beat was perfect. Houston was singing about the type of day we all love to have.

One of those days
When the sun is shining bright
And my life is going right
And the simple things are not wasted

One of those days
When you’re cruising in your car
And you’re out to see the stars
And it’s warm outside and beautiful

And then Houston’s signature song “I Will Always Love You” came on. There was no DJ talking or a commercial. It just faded from one song to another– the same way the music flowed when the news of Michael Jackson’s death shocked the world. I turned to my wife and told her to check her iPhone.

I was pretty sure Houston was dead.

SEE ALSO:

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston Clashes With ‘X-Factor’ Contestant

My wife dismissed me as the skeptical, always thinking about the worst case scenario journalist that I can be but she checked her phone anyway.

“OH MY GOD!” she yelled.

The news reports of Whitney’s death that my wife read off of her phone focused on her admitted drug abuse and her difficult marriage to Bobby Brown. It was sad to read about the life difficulties of someone who was blessed with a voice that probably made hundreds of millions of people smile over the last three decades. If Michael Jackson is the “King of Pop,” Houston certainly was its “Queen.”

But despite her difficulties, it was hard to get Houston’s “One of Those Days” out of my head. It wasn’t even her best song but I still remembered it all these years later. Before I knew she had died, her voice had lifted my spirits. That’s why we need to take some time to think about what Houston added to this world and not completely focus on the very public struggles that she went through.

Her troubles are fair game and an accurate representation of the things that happened in her life. As a woman who sold over 50 million albums in the United States and used the media attention to her benefit, reporting about her struggles is expected. It’s safe to say that her troubles should be used as a cautionary tale for others. Houston acknowledged her troubles in a 2002 interview with Diane Sawyer and a 2009 interview with Oprah Winfrey.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told  Sawyer.

“I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself,” she told Winfrey about her drug use.

But think about it. When you die, would you want the people you leave behind to highlight the low points in your life? No. And guess what? They probably won’t.

“The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said in a statement.

The reverend’s sentiments are spot on. It’s certainly worth noting all the amazing things Houston did in her life and career, including being a mom, winning six Grammys and acting in several movies. She was one of the world’s best selling artists for more than a decade and was also considered one of its most beautiful women.

Her voice was unquestionably enchanting. When I got home I listened to a clip of her singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl in 1991. The rendition gives you goosebumps. She was smiling and waving her arms in the air. She crushed the song. Some thought it was pre-recorded, but it was so good that it was released as a single.

Other superstar versions of the song popped up alongside Houston’s. Everyone from Beyonce to Mariah Carey have performed the national anthem during sporting events. They were all good, but Houston’s version was still the best. She turned out the Super Bowl by singing the national anthem.

For Houston, that must have been “One of Those Days.” And thinking about all the joy her music has brought to the world, we have to make sure those  “simple things are not wasted.”

SEE ALSO:

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The Greatest Love: 8 Ways To Feel Good About YOU

SEE ALSO:

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston Clashes With ‘X-Factor’ Contestant

Here are five things that all of us can learn from the amazing life and tragic death of the great Whitney Houston:

1)      Never assume you’re always going to be on top: Even when you’re out kicking butt, taking names and making money hand-over-fist, things can always start heading south.  When we get on top of the world, we sometimes think that the good times will never stop and that the future is going to be just as shiny as the present.  I am willing to guess that in the 1980s, when Houston was the most popular singer in the United States, she never would have guessed that she’d go out in this way.   Success can make us complacent.

2)      Who you choose to spend your life with is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make: I’m not sure if the chicken or the egg came first when it comes to how Whitney and Bobby ruined each other’s lives.  Some say Bobby turned her into the person she became, but others are saying that Whitney was already that woman when Bobby met her.  What we do know, however, is that they were not good for each other and likely enabled the poor choices of their partner.  The lesson?  Think carefully about who you choose to date or marry, for this can literally determine how you go to your grave.

3)      Say no, no, no to drugs and perhaps even alcohol: As a college professor, I’ve seen drugs and alcohol ruin countless lives over the years.  It’s painful to watch incoming freshmen become influenced by the excitement of campus parties that may put them into an early grave or rehab center later on down the road.   There is nothing good about illegal (or many legal) drugs, and I argue that even the liquor bottle can be left to the side.  Anything that alters your brain chemistry, makes you feel like you’ve been poisoned the next day and causes you to do things that you aren’t going to remember is not good for your body, mind, soul or your life.  Find your happiness elsewhere.

4)      Think about how our actions impact our children: I don’t know much about little Bobbi Christina, the daughter of Bobby and Whitney.  But when I read stories about Bobbi getting into trouble at an early age, my heart weeps for this poor child.  It could not have been easy for her to grow up watching her parents do things that made people shake their heads and I hope that we are not witnessing an intergenerational pattern of poor choices.  We should all realize that we are passing a lot of ideas, choices and habits onto our children, and they may not always be good.

5)      It’s never too late for a comeback: When Whitney died, she was on her way back.  Like a phoenix rising slowly (and a bit clumsily) from the ashes, Whitney had committed herself to becoming the woman that she could have been.   As the female musical Mike Tyson, Houston saw the greatness that she took for granted and was working to make things right again.  Unfortunately, time ran out and I speculate that Whitney’s poor choices of the past played a role in her death.  Either way, she went out of the world loved and missed by millions, in large part because we saw her confronting her struggle head-on.  We were saving all our love for Whitney’s comeback and she almost got there at the end.

God bless you Whitney Houston.  May the Pearly Gates light up on your arrival.  With yourself, Etta James, Don Cornelius and Michael Jackson all making sweet music in the afterlife, I have no doubt that heaven is going to have one heck of a party.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

SEE ALSO:

Whitney Houston: “I’m Not Broke!”

The Greatest Love: 8 Ways To Feel Good About YOU

By now you have all learned of the unspeakably tragic news of our beloved Whitney’s passing. I don’t have to mask my emotion in front of a room full of so many dear friends. I am personally devastated by the loss of someone who has meant so much to me for so many years.

Whitney was so full of life. She was so looking forward to tonight even though she wasn’t scheduled to perform. She loved music and she loved this night that celebrates music.

My heart goes out to her daughter Bobbi Christina, to her mother Cissy, to all of her relatives and to so many of you here tonight, her extended family who loved and cherished her and her spirit.

Whitney was a beautiful person and a talent beyond compare. She graced this stage with her regal presence and gave so many memorable performances here over the years. Simply put, Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on.

I ask that you join me in a moment of silence as we dedicate this evening to Whitney.

SEE ALSO:

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Top 5 Whitney Houston Performances

]]> http://newsone.com/nation/black-history-month/newsonestaff9/clive-davis-releases-statement-on-whitney-houstons-death/feed/ 9 http://newsone.com/nation/black-history-month/ashleytribula/whitney-houston-interrupts-pre-grammy-red-carpet-interview-video/ http://newsone.com/nation/black-history-month/ashleytribula/whitney-houston-interrupts-pre-grammy-red-carpet-interview-video/#comments Sun, 12 Feb 2012 06:18:17 +0000 Ashley Trybula http://newsone.com/?p=1868775 From Journalist Terron Austin of KissRichmond.com - During a recent interview on the red carpet at Kelly Price's pre-Grammy show in Los Angeles, CA (Kelly Price & Friends: Unplugged - "For the... Read more..]]> From Journalist Terron Austin of KissRichmond.com – During a recent interview on the red carpet at Kelly Price’s pre-Grammy show in Los Angeles, CA (Kelly Price & Friends: Unplugged – “For the Love of R&B”), Adrian Anderson (formerly of gospel music’s Trinitee 5:7) is briefly interrupted by R&B legend Whitney Houston. Sadly this is one of the last appearances by the superstar before her untimely death on Saturday, Feb. 11, 2012.

WATCH VIDEO HERE.

FULL COVERAGE OF WHITNEY’S LAST MOMENTS:
Whitney Houston’s Last 24 Hours [PHOTOS]

Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview [VIDEO]

Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview [VIDEO]

Whitney Houston Dead At 48

But, in the interim, NewsOne has put together some of Whitney’s best and worst moments. Let’s kick it off with some of her better times!

Super Bowl XXV National Anthem 1991
Perhaps the best rendition of the National Anthem ever. Nuff said!

The Bodyguard (1990s Interracial Romance)
Interracial relationships depicted on the big screen are either so hyper-exaggerated or poorly performed that the essence of how two people from different races can see past societal ignorance to find love in each other is often missed. But Whitney’s performance in “The Bodyguard” was right on point and paved the way for more sophisticated films on interracial romance to follow. Though few have yet to match it, here is a scene from the film below.

And here is Whitney during her not-so-best moments….

Diane Sawyer Interview
“Crack is whack!” Need we say more?

Australian 2010 Performance
When you pay more than $150 to see someone sing, you want a show! But when Whitney sang in Australia in 2010, she was a disaster! And the folks who paid top dollar to see her said as much….

Read below for public reactions:

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Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa: “Her music inspired millions and the power of her voice was hard to match in its depth and crystalline beauty.”

Cory Booker: “RIP Whitney Houston, a Legend and great American artist. And always, one of Newark’s and New Jersey’s treasured daughters.”

Rev. Al Sharpton: “I am stunned at the passing of Whitney Houston whom I have known since the late 1980′s. I have known her mother, the great gospel singer Cissy, and her aunt Dionne Warwick, down through the years, and the world is saddened by this great loss. Tomorrow Morning at Second Baptist Church in Los Angeles I will call for a national prayer for her family and the memory of Whitney Houston. The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird.”

Quincy Jones: ”I am absolutely heartbroken at the news of Whitney’s passing.  Ashford & Simpson first made me aware of Whitney when she was just sixteen, and I always regretted not having had the opportunity to work with her.  She was a true original and a talent beyond compare.  I will miss her terribly.”

Mariah Carey: “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. My heartfelt condolences to Whitney’s family and to all her millions of fans throughout the world. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Filmmaker Spike Lee: “God Bless The Dead. Whitney Houston R.I.P. She Was Only 48 Years Young.”

Sherri Shepherd: “Praying for Whitney Houston’s family. Especially her daughter Bobbi Kristina Whitney I hope you found the peace in Heaven that you could never seem to find down here. RIP Ms. Houston “where do broken hearts go” and “#WhitneyHouston dead at 48 … I can’t believe it… I’m sitting here absolutely in shock… hard to breathe right now #senseless #death”

Russell Simmons: “R.I.P. Whitney Houston, really can’t believe this.”

Katy Perry: “So devastating. We will always love you Whitney, R.I.P.”

Mariah Carey: “Heartbroken and in tears over the shocking death of my friend, the incomparable Ms. Whitney Houston. She will never be forgotten as one of the greatest voices to ever grace the earth.”

Neil Portnow, president and CEO of the Recording Academy: “A light has been dimmed in our music community today, and we extend our deepest condolences to her family, friends, fans and all who have been touched by her beautiful voice.”

Smokey Robinson: “I’ve know Whitney since she was a little girl and I loved her. She was like family to me. I will miss her.”

Aretha Franklin: “I just can’t talk about it now. It’s so stunning and unbelievable. I couldn’t believe what I was reading coming across the TV screen. My heart goes out to Cissy (Houston’s mother), her daughter Bobbi Kris, her family and Bobby (Brown).”

Check out the video here. Courtesy of KissRichmond.com

MORE WHITNEY:

Whitney Houston Dead At 48

Whitney Houston’s Final Performance [VIDEO]

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In the case of Whitney, there are countless songs we can go to when we think of her. (And, thanks to YouTube, videos)

So the NewsOne team has put together a list of Whitney Houston’s top songs. Let’s all take joy in this beautiful woman’s greatness!

1) I Will Always Love You

2) I’m Your Baby Tonight

3) Greatest Love Of All

4) My Love Is Your Love

5) Exhale (Shoop)

6) All The Man I Need

7) I’m Every Woman

8) I Wanna Dance With Somebody

9) It’s Not Right But It’s OK

10) I Have Nothing

11) You Give Good Love

‪

View video here.

View footage and photos of Whitney Houston and others at Kelly Price & Friends Unplugged: For the Love of R&B Red Carpet here.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the  cause and the location of her death were unclear. She was 48.

Read also: Whitney Houston Dead At 48

Read Also: Can Bobbi Kristina Sing Like Her Mother Whitney? [VIDEO]

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RELATED: Whitney Houston Dead At 48

1) Whitney Houston, born on August 9, 1963, came from music business royalty. Her mother, Cissy Houston, was a backup singer for the likes of Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Luther Vandross and Aretha Franklin. Whitney’s cousin, Dionne Warwick, is an internationally recognized singing star. Whitney’s Godmother is Aretha Franklin. [Source: Wikipedia]

2) Houston is the most awarded female recording artist of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Houston’s awards include: 2 Emmy Awards, 6 Grammy Awards, 30 Billboard Music Awards, 22 American Music Awards. [Source: Wikipedia]

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Whitney Houston’s Best And Worst Moments

Public Reaction To Whitney’s Death

3) Houston is the only artist to chart seven consecutive #1 Billboard Hot 100 hits (“Saving All My Love for You”, “How Will I Know”, “Greatest Love of All”, “I Wanna Dance with Somebody”, “Didn’t We Almost Have It All”, “So Emotional”, and “Where Do Broken Hearts Go”). [Source: Wikipedia]

4) Houston’s 1985 debut album, “Whitney Houston,” became the best-selling debut album by a female act at the time of its release. [Source: Wikipedia]

5) In 1978, at the age of 15, Houston sang background vocals on Chaka Khan’s hit single “I’m Every Woman,” which she ironically later re-recorded and turned into an even bigger hit on “The Bodyguard” soundtrack album. [Source: Wikipedia]

6) Before she was a recording artist, Whitney Houston was one of the most in-demand teen models of all time. She was the first Black woman to appear on the cover of Seventeen magazine. She also appeared in the pages of Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Young Miss, and a Canada Dry ginger ale TV commercial.[Source: Wikipedia]

RELATED:

Whitney Houston’s Last Red Carpet Interview

Our Favorite Whitney Houston Songs

7) Whitney Houston was a stalwart supporter the anti-apartheid movement and Nelson Mandela. During her days as a model, Houston refused to work with any agencies who did business with South Africa. In 1988, Houston performed a set at Wembley Stadium in London to celebrate  Nelson Mandela’s 70th birthday, who was still in prison at the time.[Source: Wikipedia]

8) Houston was actually booed at the 1989 Soul Train Music Awards, because many Black fans at the time believed that she had “sold out” with her crossover success. When Houston’s name was called for nomination, audible jeers could be heard in the audience. Houston later defended herself: “If you’re gonna have a long career, there’s a certain way to do it, and I did it that way. I’m not ashamed of it.”[Source: Wikipedia]

9) Before she married R&B singer Bobby Brown in 1992, Whitney Houston dated  football star Randall Cunningham and actor Eddie Murphy. [Source: Wikipedia]

10) Whitney Houston’s international smash, “I Will Always Love You,” was actually a remake of a Dolly Parton song. [Source: Wikipedia]

11) Whitney Houston’s 2002 conversation with Diane Sawyer was the highest-rated television interview in history. [Source: Wikipedia]

12) Whitney Houston gave conflicting statements about her crack use. In the 2002 Sawyer interview, Whitney denied using the drug, saying:  “First of all, let’s get one thing straight. Crack is cheap. I make too much money to ever smoke crack. Let’s get that straight. Okay? We don’t do crack. We don’t do that. Crack is wack.” But in her next televised interview, with Oprah in 2009, Houston admitted using drugs with former husband Bobby Brown, telling Oprah that she “laced marijuana with rock cocaine.” [Source: Wikipedia]

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Whitney Houston: “I’m Not Broke!”

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UPDATE: 12:33 P.M. EST

TMZ is reporting that Whitney Houston was found in the bathtub of a Beverly Hills hotel yesterday with her face underwater:

According to our sources, her stylist, hairdresser and two bodyguards were among the people in the room at the time. We’re told they became worried about Whitney because she had been in the bathroom for over an hour and it was time to start getting ready for the Clive Davis party.

Our sources say they began to knock on the door and there was no answer. We’re told the hairdresser, who is female, went in to check on Whitney. She immediately screamed and, according to our sources, one of the bodyguards came running in and pulled her out of the tub.

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UPDATE: 9:50 A.M. EST

According to Beverly Hills police officers, various prescription drugs — and no sign of illegal ones — were present in Whitney’s room on the fourth floor of the Beverly Hilton hotel and she could have possibly drowned in the bathtub. EMTs on the scene said that her body had already been removed from the water so an autopsy will be needed to determine exact cause of death, reports TMZ.

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UPDATE: 9:29 A.M. EST

Whitney Houston’s body was removed from the Beverly Hilton Hotel early Sunday morning, reports ABC. Bobby Kristina came to see her mother before her body was taken to the morgue for autopsy.

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UPDATE: 1:00 A.M. EST

@ peoplemag : Clive Davis opens w/ tribute and moment of silence: “#Whitney would have wanted the music to go on and her family asked that we carry on”

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UPDATE: 12:54 A.M. EST

Beverly Hilton hotel employees tell TMZ that Whitney Houston was found dead in the bathtub of her room.

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UPDATE: 12: 37 A.M. EST

CNN is reporting that fans have gathered outside of the Beverly Hilton Hotel singing Whitney Houston songs.

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UPDATE: 12: 13 A.M. EST

Jennifer Hudson and Chaka Khan will perform a tribute at Sunday’s Grammy Awards in honor of Whitney Houston, reports the New York Post.

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UPDATE: 12:05 A.M. EST

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that Houston’s behavior was erratic in the hours preceding her death:

The visibly bloated singer displayed erratic behavior throughout the afternoon — flailing her hands frenetically as she spoke to Brandy and Monica, skipping around the ballroom in a child-like fashion and wandering aimlessly about the lobby. It was mentioned by a Grammy staffer that security personnel received calls of the singer doing handstands by the pool.

After leaving rehearsals, Houston returned to the ballroom — with her teenage daughter Bobbi Kristina in tow — as camera crews set up for interviews. The singer smelled of alcohol and cigarettes. A Grammy staffer said that during the interviews with Brandy, Monica and Clive, Houston was dancing just off camera to make the singers and Davis laugh. Grammy personnel expressed concern that she’d be caught on camera, and that reporters would write about her behavior.

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UPDATE: 11:55 P.M. EST

Bobby Brown pays tribute to Whitney before his concert with New Edition in Southhaven, Mississippi:

“First of all, I want to tell you that I love you all. Second, I would like to say, I love you Whitney. The hardest thing for me to do is to come on this stage.”

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UPDATE: 11:00 P.M. EST

Clive Davis has decided to move forward with his annual Grammy party and concert at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, according to TMZ. Davis is not yet in attendance. He is reportedly at his home surrounded by family and friends.

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UPDATE: 10:50 EST P.M.

From Global Grind.com:

Bobby Brown is distraught and “in and out of crying fits” … after getting the news that Whitney Houston is dead – but his New Edition band mates are by his side trying to console him.

New Edition has a concert tonight in Mississippi — and believe it or not sources close to the group tell TMZ … not only will New Edition go on as scheduled, but as of now Bobby is also planning to perform.

We’re told Bobby is going to try to get through the entire show.

Bobby and Whitney had an infamously tumultuous 15 year marriage.

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UPDATE 10:10 P.M. EST

Whitney Houston’s friend and mentor, Clive Davis, has cancelled his annual pre-Grammy party after learning of the super-star’s tragic death. “He’s not having it anymore,” Davis’ label confirmed to Just Jared. “It’s been canceled. Very unfortunate.”

Houston was expected to be in attendance tonight at the party of the man who kick-started her career. She performed at last year’s event, where she sang “Walk On By”, “I Say A Little Prayer For You” and “That’s What Friends Are For”.

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UPDATE: 9:18 P.M. EST

According to CNN, Whitney Houston, 48, was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. (6:55 p.m. ET) at the Beverly Hilton despite resuscitation efforts, a police spokesman said:

Beverly Hills Police Lt. Mark Rosen said there were “no obvious signs of criminal intent” and that the cause of her death is being investigated.

Houston’s bodyguard found her body, said Courtney Barnes, publicist for hip-hop artist Ray J, who was dating the pop diva.

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UPDATE: 8:57 P.M EST

According to various media sources, including MSNBC, singer Ray J, allegedly found Houston dead at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. It is unclear at this time if her long-time friend and mentor, Clive Davis, will move forward with his annual pre-Grammy Awards concert and dinner that was scheduled for Saturday night.

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Whitney Houston, who reigned as pop music’s queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.

Publicist Kristen Foster said Saturday that the singer had died, but the cause and the location of her death were unknown.

SEE ALSO:

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Whitney Houston

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Whitney Houston: “I’m Not Broke!”

The Greatest Love: 8 Ways To Feel Good About YOU

At her peak, Houston the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world’s best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like “The Bodyguard” and “Waiting to Exhale.”

She had the he perfect voice, and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

“The biggest devil is me. I’m either my best friend or my worst enemy,” Houston told ABC’s Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

SEE ALSO:

12 Things You Didn’t Know About Whitney Houston

Whitney Houston Clashes With ‘X-Factor’ Contestant

Whitney Houston: “I’m Not Broke!”

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

“The time that I first saw her singing in her mother’s act in a club … it was such a stunning impact,” Davis told “Good Morning America.”

“To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine,” he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with “Whitney Houston,” which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. “Saving All My Love for You” brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. “How Will I Know,” “You Give Good Love” and “The Greatest Love of All” also became hit singles.

Another multi-platinum album, “Whitney,” came out in 1987 and included hits like “Where Do Broken Hearts Go” and “I Wanna Dance With Somebody.”

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The New York Times wrote that Houston “possesses one of her generation’s most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity.”

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the “Soul Train Awards” in 1989.

“Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?” she told Katie Couric in 1996. “You’re not black enough for them. I don’t know. You’re not R&B enough. You’re very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them.”

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop’s pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

“When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place,” she told Rolling Stone in 1993. “You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that’s their image. It’s part of them, it’s not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody’s angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy.”

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America’s sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with “The Bodyguard.” Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton’s “I Will Always Love You,” which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy’s record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the “Bodyguard” soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with “Waiting to Exhale” and “The Preacher’s Wife.” Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, “My Love Is Your Love,” in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.”

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time “The Preacher’s Wife” was released, “(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. … I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. … I wasn’t happy by that point in time. I was losing myself.”

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown’s reality show, “Being Bobby Brown,” was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared “crack is whack,” was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album “I Look To You.” The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on “Good Morning America” went awry as Houston’s voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

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One thing I love about “our” people is that we like to keep things simple: Since the Obama presidency began, there has been a “stop snitching” code enforced on anyone who has the audacity to ask the White House to do a better job.  Tough love is not allowed, only a coddling, protective voice of unconditional, relentless support.  This support must be granted with a perpetual hope that the White House bureaucrats will do the right thing.   We don’t give our agenda to the White House, the White House gives their agenda to us.

The new code of black politics in America is that anytime one critiques the White House, about anything, for any reason, they are automatically reduced to being a hater. If Yvette Carnell writes an article critiquing Al Sharpton’s cozy relationship with Obama, she must be doing so because she’s jealous of Sharpton. When Cornel West speaks of poverty, which he’s done for the last 30 years, he must be “hatin on Obama cause he’s flossing” in the White House.  Even if you voted for Obama, you obviously did so because you hated him and are jealous of his “presidential swag.”  You just don’t want to see a black man succeed.

The next time my doctor tells me that I need to lower my cholesterol, I’m going to tell him that he’s just a hater and then maybe he’ll shut up. In fact, anyone who ever criticizes anything that I ever say must be doing so because they’re just mad and want to get what I got. I should have used that argument with my mama when she told me that my grades weren’t good enough in elementary school: “Mama, you’re just hater and mad because I didn’t give you tickets to my inaugural birthday party.”  That would have set her butt straight.

The fact of the matter is that the Obama presidency belongs to all of us, and not just those determined to be unconditional cheerleaders.  Those who voted for the president deserve respect, even if they choose to use their democratic voice.  The antiquated and awkward notion that supporting a politician means that you should sit to the side and just hope for the best is clearly an invention that came out of some pimp-in-the-pulpit dictatorship.  President Obama is not Pastor Jackson with the collection plate; he is a candidate elected for the people, by the people and beholden to accountability that must come directly from the people.

Martin Luther King said that when it comes to politics, ‎”I feel someone must remain in the position of non-alignment, so that he can look objectively at both parties and be the conscience of both—not the servant or master of either.”  The translation is that giving too much loyalty, too easily is a flawed way to use you democratic power.  Even if you give a politician your support, you are supposed to evaluate their choices critically and ensure that the politician is doing work on behalf of those whom you care about.

Dr. King wasn’t the only politician who would have been considered to be a “hater” by Obama cheerleaders today.  Another black public figure of the past, WEB Dubois, actually said that he refused to vote until a politician earned his support by advocating policy that clearly pursued racial equality in America.  So, black people do not have to think in lockstep, we don’t all have to see the world in the  same way, and your decision to use your voice doesn’t mean that you’re somehow jealous of those in power.

Maybe one day we can elevate the discussion…..Black politics should not be discussed like a hip hop music video. Defending your points with sound logic, reason, research and facts is far more valid than presuming that anyone who disagrees with you is only doing so because they are jealous.  All that’s just silly and it’s time for our community to grow up.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here.

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The former Massachusetts governor is favored as the Republican presidential nominee by 38 percent of the 3,408 respondents. Rivals Rick Santorum drew 31 percent, and Newt Gingrich was favored by 15 percent. All three candidates addressed the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington on Friday.

Romney had encouraged students to attend the convention, and 44 percent of them participated in the poll.

Texas Rep. Ron Paul had 12 percent. He won the straw poll in the previous two years. Paul did not attend the conference to campaign in Maine.

GOP pollster Tony Fabrizio said the poll was held online for the first time this year and produced the second highest turnout in the conference’s history.

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As previously reported by Newsone, Leiba, who usually takes the bus home from her South Broward High School or makes the 25 minute walk by herself, called her mother, Sharon Leiba, for a ride on Wednesday, February 1.  When her mother told her that she could not leave work immediately, Naketa decided to walk home — she never made it.

Her mother told NBCMiami that her last conversation with Naketa was unusual:

I called at about 4:20, and she said ‘Oh, mom, I’m on the way,’And when I heard ‘on the way,’ I heard a crackle or something and then her phone went dead.”

Volunteers and police searched far and wide for the teen, with her family insisting that she was not the type of girl to run away. Naketa’s father, Michael Leiba, who said that he hadn’t been able to eat or sleep since his daughter disappeared, told CBS Miami that the circumstances in which Neketa was found do not lean to her having run away:

There’s no evidence, where are the phone records to show that she was corresponding with that friend. There’s no evidence to show that she was with that friend. She was found in a home with no lights. An 18-year old kid, I don’t know how she pays her bills. So there’s no evidence that she ran away.”

CBSMiami reports that Neketa gave a sworn statement that she ran away, and had not been coerced or held against her will.

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Already a Billboard chart-topper, featured on her father’s emotional song, “Glory,” in honor of her “magic” birth after Beyonce suffered a miscarriage, her parents are eager to share their gift with the world:

“We welcome you to share in our joy,” read a hand-written note on HelloBlueIvyCarter.tumblr.com. “Thank you for respecting our privacy during this beautiful time in our lives.” — The Carter Family

See below for pictures of Blue Ivy!

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Obama’s compromise means ultimately that women would still get birth control without having to pay for it, no matter where they work. The president insisted he had stuck by that driving principle even in switching his approach, and the White House vehemently rejected any characterization that Obama had retreated under pressure.

Yet there was no doubt that Obama had found himself in an untenable position. He needed to walk back fast and find another route to his goal.

The controversy over contraception and religious liberty was overshadowing his agenda, threatening to alienate key voters and giving ammunition to the Republicans running for his job. It was a mess that knocked the White House off its message and vision for a second term.

Leaders from opposite sides of the divisive debate said they supported the outcome – or at least suggested they probably could live with it. Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan, the head of the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops and a fierce critic of the original rule covering hospitals and other employers, said the bishops were reserving judgment but that Obama’s move was a good first step.

Conceding he wanted a resolution, Obama ordered advisers to find a middle ground in days, not within a year as had been the plan before the uproar. He said he spoke as a Christian who cherishes religious freedom and as a president unwilling to give up on free contraceptive care.

“I’ve been confident from the start that we could work out a sensible approach here, just as I promised,” Obama said. “I understand some folks in Washington may want to treat this as another political wedge issue, but it shouldn’t be. I certainly never saw it that way.”

Under the new plan, religious employers such as charities, universities and hospitals will not have to offer contraception and will not have to refer their employees to places that provide it. If an employer opts out of the requirement, its insurance company must provide birth control for free in a separate arrangement with workers who want it.

“Very pleased,” was how Sister Carol Keehan, president of the Catholic Health Association, reacted in a statement distributed by the White House. Her trade group represents Catholic hospitals that had fought against the birth control requirement, and Keehan said the new arrangement addresses the concerns it had.

Planned Parenthood, a prominent women’s health organization, said Obama had reaffirmed his commitment to birth control coverage. The group’s president, Cecile Richards, added, though, that it would be monitoring for “rigorous, fair and consistent” enforcement so women get the promised coverage.

Before announcing his decision to reporters, Obama telephoned Keehan, Richards and Dolan.

At the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, many shrugged and said the rewrite did not change anything.

“It’s an accounting trick,” said Mike Gonzales of the Heritage Foundation. “Do they think people are stupid?”

The debate within the White House was intense even before the Jan. 20 decision was announced to exempt only churches and other houses of worships from the requirement that employers must cover free contraception. Other religious organizations were given an extra year to comply, but that concession didn’t do enough.

First in a rumble, and then in a roar, critics formed a movement to overturn what they considered to be an egregious violation. Bishops assailed the policy in Sunday Masses and Republican leaders in Congress pledged to push a legislative repeal.

The White House seemed to be caught flatfooted.

“The past three weeks have witnessed a remarkable unity of Americans from all religions, or none at all, worried about the erosion of religious freedom and government intrusion into issues of faith and morals,” said Dolan, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The turmoil, in turn, prompted advocates from other sides to get vocal in the battle for public opinion. They defended the rights of women and the need for preventive health care, including contraception, to be provided without fee for people of all faiths, no matter where they work.

Officials said Obama has the power under his health law to compel insurance companies to provide free contraception coverage directly to workers.

The health insurance industry voiced concern that putting the burden on them could set a precedent of shifting cost its way. The insurance companies will weigh in later as Obama’s new policy undergoes review, said Robert Zirkelbach, spokesman for the America’s Health Insurance Plans trade group.

Administration officials say providing birth control won’t cost insurers any more in the long run, because it’s less expensive than the costs of maternal care and delivery. But insurers say they’ll have to pay drug companies for pills and doctors for prescriptions, so it won’t be free to them. The costs probably will be passed on to policy holders, as is happening already with other requirements of the health care law, such as allowing young adults to stay under their parents’ coverage until age 26.

By keeping free contraception for employers at religious workplaces – but providing a different way to do it – Obama was able to assert he had found “a solution that works for everyone.” Unclear was why the White House had not come up with the idea in the first place.

While Obama in 2008 won the total Catholic vote, 54 percent to Sen. John McCain’s 45 percent, he lost the white Catholic vote, 52 percent to 47 percent, according to exit polls. Once reliably Democratic, Catholics are now swing voters, with white Catholics making up the majority of the group.

The Rev. Joel C. Hunter, a moderate evangelical leader and a spiritual adviser to the president, said he thinks Obama responded quickly enough to heal the rifts with many of his religious allies. “I think it’s simple enough that most people will say, `Oh good, we can get to other things now,’” said Hunter.

Yet the change just led to more criticism from some of Obama’s opponents.

Texas Republican Rep. Kevin Brady said the revamped rule marked a “full scale retreat by a disconnected president who now knows that Washington shouldn’t force American to abandon their religious convictions.”

A spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner said that that initial response indicated church leaders were not yet convinced the mandate respected religious freedom. Boehner has said he believes the original measure violates First Amendment rights, and his office said Friday that he would seek legislation.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., an ardent support of the original measure, offered a restrained response. Focusing on the benefits of health care, she said: “I appreciate the president’s unifying approach.”

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Here’s an excerpt of the story:

Over two years, neighbors logged hundreds of records about the goings-on around 9210 Lane St., then handed the stack to police.

Alkazoff was sentenced in December to at least three years in prison.

“The switch got flipped,” said Detroit Police Sgt. Brandon Cole, a lifelong resident of the neighborhood. “It went from a dirty secret to a drive-through, and people were leaving because of the drug dealing.”

To learn more on how this Detroit neighborhood fought off a drug dealing thug, go to the Detroit Free Press.

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Sklarek was 85 years of age.

Born in Harlem to Trinidadian parents, Sklarek was the first Black woman to be licensed as an architect, after getting certified in New York in 1954 and again in California in 1964. Sklarek was also the first Black woman to be elected Fellow of the American Institute of Architects in 1980.

Her other accomplishments include being the first African-American woman to have her own architectural firm. Siegel, Sklarek, Diamond was once the largest female-owned architectural firm in the United States and also boasted a mostly female staff.

Facing discrimination and racism, Sklarek kept a low profile and opted to let her work speak for herself. Moving to California in 1960 to join architectural firm Gruen and Associates, she rose to the rank of director despite odds that faced her daily. After starting her firm in 1985, Sklarek joined the Jon Jerde Partnership, a design architecture and urban planning firm, before retiring in 1991.

Sklarek is survived by her husband, Dr. Cornelius Welch; son David Merrick Fairweather; and three grandchildren.

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Ulugbek Kodirov entered the plea during a hearing in Birmingham before U.S. District Judge Abdul K. Kallon, an Obama appointee.

Defense attorney Lance Bell said the 22-year-old Kodirov avoided a potential life sentence by pleading guilty. He faces up to 30 years in prison, though Bell expected Kodirov to receive about half that. The judge also told Kodirov that he will face deportation once he’s released from prison.

Kodirov pleaded guilty to three counts: Threatening to kill the president, possessing an automatic weapon, and providing material support to terrorists. Four other charges were dropped as part of the deal.

The plea agreement says that in July 2011 Kodirov began communicating with a person known as “the Emir.” Kodirov said the person was a member of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, which has been designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department. The agreement does not reveal the identity of “the Emir” or say whether the government believes he actually is an Uzbek terrorist.

The Emir “asked Kodirov if there was anything Kodirov could do about President Obama since Kodirov was closer geographically to the president than the Emir.”

Kodirov and the person discussed possible ways to kill Obama, including from long distance using a sniper rifle.

The agreement says Kodirov became disheartened when he realized how expensive sniper rifles are and realized he lacked the skill to pull off the shot. Kodirov then decided he could shoot the president from a closer distance in public.

“Kodirov said that he did not care if he got shot and killed, as long as he killed President Obama,” according to the plea deal.

Kodirov then struck up a friendship with another person in Birmingham who spoke Uzbek, and the two often attended Mosque together. The two often looked at jihadist websites and videos on Kodirov’s laptop, the agreement says.

On July 11, after the two went to a mosque in Birmingham to pray, Kodirov asked his friend to buy a gun for him so he could kill Obama.

Kodirov told the person he “knew this was what he was supposed to do for Islam,” the plea agreement says.

Kodirov, who once worked at a suburban shopping mall, has been held without bond since he was arrested in July.

He was accused of making four separate threats against Obama within a five-day period when he was meeting either with a witness who went to police or an undercover officer.

A complaint said Kodirov contacted an unidentified person trying to buy weapons in early July, and that person became a confidential source for the government. Accompanied by the witness, Kodirov purchased a Sendra M115A1 automatic rifle from an undercover agent at a Birmingham-area motel on July 13, when authorities said the final threat was made against the president. The agent also gave Kodirov four hand grenades with the powder removed.

Authorities say Kodirov was in the country illegally because he obtained a student visa but never enrolled in school.

Uzbekistan is located in central Asia and was once part of the former Soviet Union. It is slightly larger than California and the vast majority of its population is Muslim. Islamic terrorists have been linked to sporadic violence in the country for more than a decade, according to the State Department.

Richardson stopped the bus when she smelled smoke and escorted the students to safety before the bus burnt into flames.

WSCOTV reports:

“I was just doing my job,” said the 37-year-old bus driver, a day after her bus caught fire.

Richardson was able to evacuate the bus and lead six children from Chantilly Montessori School to safety.

“I feel like the kids were heroes,” Richardson said

Read More At WSCOTV

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And see our Black History GAME CHANGERS for 2012 HERE!

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With other billboards asking, “Is White Skin Really Fair Skin?” many of Duluth’s White residents were reportedly angered by the displays, complaining they are being indiscriminately upbraided for racism.

According to the Star Tribute:

Hundreds of the city’s white residents have complained that the campaign’s kick-off images and messages are offensive. The campaign, they say, blames all racism on whites and implies that white people aren’t smart enough to recognize racism.

One resident, Phil Pierson, was so upset by the Un-Fair Campaign’s placards that he formed the “Stop Racist Unfair Campaign” on Facebook, with more than 425 people becoming members almost immediately.

You can’t open a discussion on race and hope to see it move in a positive direction when you raise the topic by stereotyping an entire race, Pierson said. It spreads animosity and hate, teaches a new generation to point fingers and [focuses] on the color of our skin instead of the idea that we’re all human.

And Pierson — and the hundreds of White Duluth residents — aren’t alone. A number of white supremacist groups and racists are said to now be sending “hateful messages and e-mails from all over the world” to both the campaign and Mayor Don Ness, who is said to be one of the campaign’s sponsors.

I became kind of a lightning rod for groups outside our community, said Ness, who was accused in messages from as far away as Scotland of inviting “white genocide” and being a “traitor” to his race. It was disappointing to see the level of hate and ugliness, he said.

Members of the Un-Fair Campaign say they started the organization because of the local issues in their community. Duluth is said to be 90 percent White, making multi-racial contact hard to come by.

Ellen O’Neill, a YWCA director and campaign sponsor, adds:

“It’s possible to never interact with a person of color here,” O’Neill said. “It makes the problem more invisible.”

More to the point, the majority of the Black and American Indian populations not only have obscene high school graduation rates at 25 and 34 percent, respectively, they also have poverty rates of 67 percent and 56 percent, respectively.

The Un-Fair Campaign and its supporters feel as though this discrepancy in wealth and education is the effects of institutional racism and have organized meetings and workshops, such as “Cracking the White Shell,” to help put an end to this injustice.

To see the backlash residents and campaign members have received isn’t surprising, but what is surprising is the taking up of this endeavor at all. We live in such a racially polarized society, that oftentimes, the simple acknowledgement of racial injustice seems, dare I say it, radical.

But then to go a step further and actually look to bring awareness to this issue shows a courage that is in line with Dr. Martin L. King Jr.’s ethos that all people are capable of calling out injustice even when it is uncomfortable,  disadvantageous, and inconvenient to do so.

While many — if not most — would like to see this nation as strictly Black and White, news events such as this remind us that we aren’t just one-dimensional products of our society. In fact, each and everyone of us has the potential to be much more dynamic and powerful in our complexity.

An African American technician walked away after the pun which was clearly intended to reference the n-word judging by the following lyrics. The n-word or k-word as they would have you believe comes at 1:50 in the video.

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Sil Lai makes it clear she is not against marriage; she simply doesn’t believe in the pop culture norms regularly depicted on TV that recklessly “drive far too many of us down the isle.”

It’s true that less and less of us are seeing Clair and Cliff Huxtable’s marriage as a desired or even possible way of life.  Couples are shacking up. Engaging in open marriages. Registering as domestic partners. Choosing not to have children or having them outside of wedlock.  Married, but living in different cities. This openness allows us to take a more individualistic approach to love, affording greater forms of personal expression within our relationships.  As varied as our lifestyles are today, it is unreasonable to expect everyone to fit into the traditional marriage construct.

Though Sil Lai outlines the reasons why traditional marriage is being pushed into irrelevance by pop culture  foolishness, she does give her take on how the original sense of matrimony can be reclaimed:

If we are to combat the rise in divorces, there has to be a shift in what it means to be married.  The reality is this: unless a marriage is based upon a spiritual connection it’s just a legally enforced domestic partnership in which you share space, bills and bodily fluids.

Do you agree with Sil Lai? Check out the full article at Ebony.com and give us (and Sil Lai) your thoughts!

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The Zanesville Times Recorder reports that 40-year-old Jamial Bayly is scheduled for a video arraignment Thursday in Cambridge Municipal Court.

Guernsey County Sheriff Michael McCauley says deputies went to the Cambridge home Sunday after getting a tip from family members.

The sheriff says the father acknowledged putting the boy in the dryer earlier in the day. Deputies didn’t see any visible injuries on him. McCauley says he doesn’t know how long the boy had been in the dryer.

The sheriff says the boy was released to his mother, who wasn’t home when deputies arrived.

Cambridge Municipal Court records don’t list an attorney for Bayly.

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In addition to the settlement each of the firefighters were also awarded between $20,000 and $30,000 for emotionless damages,

Buffalo 12 reports:

A State Supreme Court judge has ordered the Buffalo Fire Department and City of Buffalo to pay more than $2.5 million dollars to 12 firefighters in a discrimination case.

The firefighters awards were based on how far their promotions would have taken them.

Read More At Buffalo 12

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The Marine Corps has said it does not plan any discipline because there was no malicious intent. The Marines mistakenly believed the “SS” in the shape of white lightning bolts on the blue flag were a nod to sniper scouts – not members of Adolf Hitler’s special unit that murdered millions of Jews, gypsies and others, said Maj. Gabrielle Chapin, a spokeswoman at Camp Pendleton, Calif.

The Marines are no longer with Charlie Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, out of the base north of San Diego, and Chapin said she did not know if they had left the Corps.

Military officials learned of the photograph in November and investigated immediately. It later surfaced on a blog of a military weapons company.

In the September 2010 photo taken in the Sangin district of Helmand province, Marines with guns pose in front of an American flag above a dark blue flag with the “SS” letters.

Rabbi Marvin Hier, founder of Los Angeles’ Simon Wiesenthal Center, said he does not believe it was an innocent mistake and insisted the American public has a right to know what happened.

His organization – one of the largest international Jewish human rights groups with more than 400,000 members – is demanding Obama and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta launch another investigation and discipline those involved.

“That 70 years after the United States Armed Forces helped liberate Europe from Nazi Germany, to learn that a unit of the United States Marine Corps serving in Afghanistan adopted the SS insignia alongside the Stars and Stripes, desecrates the memory of some 200,000 Americans who gave up their lives to defend freedom against that infamous symbol,” he said in a statement.

The Corps has used the incident as a training tool to talk to troops about what symbols are acceptable, Chapin said.

“I don’t believe that the Marines involved would have ever used any type of symbol associated with the Nazi Germany military criminal organization that committed mass atrocities in WWII,” Chapin said. “It’s not within who we are as Marines.”

Hier said it clearly shows more training about the Holocaust and the SS unit is needed.

It was the second time this year that photos have surfaced showing Marines acting improperly and forcing the Corps to deal with the fallout. Last month, the Pentagon scrambled to contain the damage after an Internet video purportedly showed Marines urinating on Taliban corpses – an act that appears to violate international laws of warfare and further strains U.S.-Afghan relations. Panetta called Afghan President Hamid Karzai to offer assurances of an investigation, and the top Marine general promised an internal probe as well as a criminal one.

Those Marines, like the ones in front of the flag, fought in former Taliban strongholds in Helmand province. They are based at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Mikey Weinstein of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, headquartered in Albuquerque, N.M., said the scandals hurt U.S. military missions. His organization sent a letter to the head of the Marine Corps, Gen. James Amos, and Panetta on Thursday calling on them to “condemn this stomach-turning display without equivocation or delay and severely punish all of those responsible.”

His organization released another photo showing a Marine and his rifle with the “SS” logo. According to the Marine Corps Times, embedded electronic information in the image shows that it was released by the Corps in 2004 and taken at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine Palms, Calif. Two Marines in it were with a scout sniper platoon.

The newspaper said that suggests the practice is more widespread and that the logo’s use is meant to signify “scout sniper,” a position exclusive to the Corps. The Army has scouts and snipers, but considers the positions to be separate.

Weinstein said more needs to be done to stop the use of the logo.

“This shameful display of SS `lightning bolts’ by U.S. service personnel enrages our regional allies, emboldens the extremist Islamist forces with whom we are contending, and eviscerates good order, morale, and discipline within the U.S. Marine Corps,” said Weinstein, who founded the advocacy group that calls attention to violations by the military in regards to respecting people of all beliefs.

Thanks to the Internet, the public throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have witnessed inappropriate behavior by troops photographed or recorded on video in acts ranging from criminal to simply stupid.

Outrage spread instantly in 2004 over the release of photos taken by a group of U.S. military police abusing inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. They showed, among other graphic images, troops grinning and posing beside naked detainees stacked in a pyramid. In 2008, a Marine was kicked out of the service after being videotaped throwing a puppy off a cliff while on patrol in Iraq and joking as the animal yelped.

Master Gunnery Sgt. Mark Oliva, a Camp Pendleton spokesman, said he did not know where the “SS” flag came from but it was likely the property of one of the Marines in the photograph.

“With this getting so much attention, I’m pretty sure every commander is going to be taking a closer look at their Marines and making sure they meet the highest standards of discipline,” Oliva said.

The photograph appeared on the blog for a military weapons company called Knight’s Armament in Titusville, Fla. The company did not respond to emails or phone messages left by The Associated Press seeking comment.

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————————-

La’Shanda Holmes

Age: 26

Place of Residence: Los Angeles, Calif.

Why she is a local hero: Holmes overcame early adversity in her life to become the first Black female helicopter pilot in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Holmes’ early life was difficult to say the least: Her mother committed suicide when she was 2, and after abuse occurred in the foster home where she lived, Holmes was separated from her sibling. Afterward, Holmes bounced through the foster care system until she found stability at 17 with the people she still calls her “parents.”

Once Holmes graduated high school at the top of her class, she attended Spelman College. It was there that she became interested in the Coast Guard while volunteering at a career fair. The Coast Guard helped pay her way through college with their pre-commissioning program, and while she was working on a Coast Guard cutter, the seed of becoming a pilot began to sprout in her mind.

“I was used to people telling me what I couldn’t do. We moved around a lot, and I think it fueled my ambition to live better and work harder. It just gave me more motivation to succeed,” Holmes told the Coast Guard’s blog.

The first time she was out over the water in a helicopter, Holmes knew she was hooked.

“We did hovering and flying low over the water. I was like a little kid. It was like nothing I had ever done or seen before. It was awesome,” she said. “Everyone in the aviation community was so close. There was a real sense of camaraderie that I wanted to be a part of.”

The culmination of her years of hard work were realized when she received her wings at graduation. Pinning her was Lt. Jeanine Menze, the Coast Guard’s first Black aviator.

“It was a really emotional experience. Both of our eyes were watering and she asked me, ‘Are you ready for this?’ I can’t think of a more awesome moment in my life,” says Holmes.

The people in Holmes’ life have no doubt she will succeed.

“I knew she would be successful. She had already overcome far greater challenges than flight school. I had the opportunity to do a familiarization flight with her, and where most folks might get a little frustrated, she drank it all in. She was eager to improve and I had no doubts she would do well,” says Coast Guard Commander Mark Murray.

Holmes knows that being the first is special. She is aware that her accomplishments will inspire countless young people coming up behind her. Now, Holmes is stationed in Los Angeles, where she will sometimes fly dangerous missions to protect this country.

“I know I’m the first, but nothing has sunk in yet. People may have expectations, but for me, mainly, it is about taking on responsibility and knowing I have something to prove [as a pilot]. I just want to keep flying well and working hard to make my community, family, and sisters proud of me,” says Holmes.

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Obama was expected to make the announcement at the White House Friday.

The shift is aimed at containing the political firestorm that erupted after Obama announced in January that religious-affiliated employers had to cover birth control as preventative care for women. Churches and houses of worship were exempt, but all other affiliated organizations were ordered to comply by Aug. 2013.

Republican leaders and religious groups, especially Roman Catholics, responded with intense outrage, saying the requirement would force them to violate church teachings and long-held beliefs against contraception.

The issue also pushed social issues to the forefront in an election year that had been dominated by the economy. Abortion, contraception and any of the requirements of Obama’s health care overhaul law have the potential to galvanize the Republicans’ conservative base, critical to voter turnout in the presidential and congressional races.

Republicans vowed to reverse the president’s policy, with House Speaker John Boehner accusing the administration of violating First Amendment rights and undermining some of the country’s most vital institutions, such as Catholic charities, schools and hospitals.

The measure also sparked an internal debate at the White House. Vice President Joe Biden, then-chief of staff Bill Daley and deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough, all Catholics, raised concerns about how the administration proceeded on the policy. On the other side, senior White House advisers Nancy-Ann DeParle, Pete Rouse and David Plouffe argued for the need to ensure coverage for all without exception, as a matter of women’s health and fairness.

The person with knowledge of Obama’s decision requested anonymity in order to speak in advance of the official announcement.

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First lady Michelle Obama and Pentagon officials planned to announce the effort Thursday during a visit to Little Rock Air Force Base in Arkansas, where the military has been experimenting with the idea through a pilot program designed to improve the quality and variety of foods served on base.

It’s not just about giving members of the armed services a more svelte profile.

“The Department of Defense considers obesity not only a national problem, but a national security issue,” said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. “About a quarter of entry-level candidates are too overweight to actually either enter the military or sustain themselves through the first enlistment.”

The Pentagon spends an estimated $4.5 billion a year on food services, and $1.1 billion a year on medical care related to excess weight and obesity.

Check out the rest of the story at theGrio.

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But one thing most people either chose not to accept or simply did not want to accept was the fact that Don Cornelius was dealing with serious internal issues; so much so that he took his own life. No matter what the root cause, poor mental health is a dangerous issue that people unfortunately do not address – especially in our community. And yet it continues to destroy the lives of those suffering from it (and of their loved ones).

Because mental health and depression are such significant and critical issues, it’s only right to enlist the expertise of someone qualified to speak on the subject. That’s why, this week, I’m honored to have Terrie Williams, clinical therapist and veteran public relations counselor give us her words of wisdom:

We are all mourning the loss this week of Soul Train creator and cultural icon, Don Cornelius.  An American success story, Don left us with a 35-year history lesson in business acumen, cultural exportation, and community uplift.  That’s all good. We should take some time to measure and celebrate Don’s legacy.  That’s easy.  What’s not easy is to discuss how and why he died.  Yes, he hid his demons well. But clearly they were there because this 75-year old icon with a body of work most of us will never achieve chose to end his own life with a gunshot to the head.

By all accounts, Don was a very private man. True to form, he didn’t leave a note so we don’t know what moved him to end his life. What we do know is that we did not have to lose Don this way. This silence about depression is now killing us.  It is real. It is deadly. And, it does not discriminate. According to the World Health Organizations, by the year 2020, depression will be the second leading cause of death behind heart disease for everyone.

As a veteran public relations counselor and clinical therapist who manages her own depression, I know for sure we all need to learn to identify its symptoms – what it looks like, sounds like and feels like — and get help for those that need it. We must take care of our mental health… and get a “check-up from the neck up.”

My heartfelt love and prayers go out to Don’s family, friends.

Terrie M. Williams is the author of Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting and the co-founder of The Stay Strong Foundation.  You can follow her at twitter.com/terriewilliams or visit http://www.storiesthatheal.samhsa.gov or www.thestaystrongfoundation.org.

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For decades, the United States has gradually shifted from creating goods to providing services. Fifty years ago, a third of U.S. jobs were in manufacturing. Now they account for just 9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. A manufacturing renaissance is being preached both from the White House, on the GOP campaign trail and in Super Bowl commercials.

Economists suggest plans to help boost manufacturing jobs may make more political sense than economic sense.

Obama’s prescription for a manufacturing comeback will be fleshed out in the new budget he submits on Monday. He is proposing tax incentives to companies that move their overseas operations back to the United States, along with tax penalties for those that don’t, more training and additional education.

But few of his ideas are likely to be enacted in this highly-charged election year.

Since the recession officially ended nearly 2 1/2 years ago, manufacturing production has increased 15 percent, helped by the replacement of aging equipment and software and strong demand from foreign markets. But Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke told Congress this week that the rebound might not last: “More recently, the pace of growth in business investment has slowed, likely reflecting concerns about both the domestic outlook and developments in Europe.”

There are political overtones to Obama’s State of the Union appeal for “an economy that’s built to last, an economy built on American manufacturing.” Polls show support for the president has slipped in Rust Belt battleground states he won in 2008.

Helping manufacturers recover is also being talked up by Republican presidential contenders, who all blame Obama’s policies for contributing to the decline.

Former Sen. Rick Santorum wants to eliminate the U.S. corporate tax completely for manufacturers, saying it would help put “men and women in this country who built this country back to work.” Mitt Romney’s get-tough rhetoric on China appears to be winning attention from workers and former workers in industries that have lost jobs to China. The former Massachusetts governor promises “to make America a more attractive place for manufacturers to invest.” Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says we “badly need to rebuild our manufacturing base,” promoting job creation in the defense, energy and space industries.

This heavy attention on manufacturing may be misplaced, economists suggest.

“The vast majority of jobs in the future are going to be created in the service sector, not the manufacturing sector,” said Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist for the consulting firm IHS Global Insight. He said he thought it was “a bit misleading” to focus so much on manufacturing.

“I’m not sure why manufacturing rather than any other industry warrants tax incentives,” Gault added.

Obama’s plan would:

- Prevent U.S. companies from deducting moving expenses when they shift production overseas, while offering a 20 percent moving-expense tax credit for businesses returning to the U.S.

- Establish a new trade enforcement unit.

- Modify a tax credit for domestic production to make it apply more narrowly to manufacturing.

- Extend $5 billion in new tax credits for clean-energy companies.

- Reduce the nominal maximum 35 percent corporate tax, most likely taking it down to the high 20s. He also may propose a minimum tax on overseas profits.

Obama also has called for a minimum 30 percent tax rate on annual incomes of more than $1 million. Business interests claim it could harm small and medium-sized manufacturers who file tax returns as individuals.

Obama’s sharp focus on reviving manufacturing isn’t shared by all Democrats.

“Let’s not fool ourselves. We’re not going to have the kind of manufacturing-based economy we had 30 or 40 years ago,” says Robert Reich, labor secretary under President Bill Clinton. And Christina Romer, who headed the president’s Council of Economic Advisers from 2009-2010, says it is wrong to suggest that producing “real things” is more important than “services.”

“American consumers value health care and haircuts as much as washing machines and hair dryers. Our earnings from exporting architectural plans for a building in Shanghai are as real as those from exporting cars to Canada,” she wrote.

Jay Timmons, president of the National Association of Manufacturers, said his organization agrees with Obama in part, that “manufacturers are poised for a renaissance.”

“The good news is everybody is talking about manufacturing today. Even on the Super Bowl, you saw ad after ad referring to the promise and the potential of manufacturing in America,” he said. The bad news? It is still “20 percent more expensive to manufacture in the United States than it is anywhere else in the world,” Timmons said. Obama supporters argue his proposals would help make U.S. factories more competitive.

One much-discussed Super Bowl ad was a Chrysler spot featuring actor Clint Eastwood that celebrates Detroit, suggesting it was near collapse until the residents “all pulled together.” Eastwood implores the nation to do the same. Some Republicans called the spot a valentine to Obama’s auto bailout. Eastwood insists it was apolitical.

Despite the job losses, the U.S. remains an exporting powerhouse, right behind No. 1 China and vying with Germany for the No. 2 rank. U.S. factories have steadily become more advanced and automated, requiring only a fraction of the workers previously needed.

Yet, China is beginning to take some market share from the U.S. in exporting advanced products and equipment, said a report by the U.S. Business and Industry Council, which represents mainly family-owned companies.

“These findings demolish the still-widespread view that Chinese economic competition can be safely downplayed because it’s largely confined to cheap consumer goods,” council official Alan Tonelson said.

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Dorian Ford, 19, is now charged with a Class 4 felony of filing a false crime report.
DuPage County sheriff’s officials said they received a report of the alleged kidnapping at about 7 p.m. Tuesday. Family members reported they’d received a call telling them them that Ford, of the 10s600 block of Ivy Lane, had been kidnapped.

The caller demanded $1,000, police said.

Responding officers later found Ford. They said he told them he’d been kidnapped and hit over the head. After investigating, it was revealed that Ford had not been kidnapped or harmed and that he allegedly made the phone call, report and ransom demand himself.

Go to theGrio for more on this story!

I can count on one hand how many non-black men I’ve dated inside the United States.

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But now that I’m living abroad, I might need your fingers, Clutchettes. After studying abroad in Europe, and now, living in Brasil, I’ve had the opportunity to explore my options as a single woman. In my adult years, I’ve never been closed off to dating non-black men in the United States. But I also have not been pro-active in being open to those experiences. Thanks to the romantic aura of wanderlust, plus some all-shades-of-beautiful men, it seems like living outside of America has officially made me an equal opportunity dater.

“I’ve dated interracially for years now and it’s just not a big deal for me. I find men of all colors, creeds, and walks of life attractive, and don’t limit myself to Oneika Raymond dating one particular race,” says avid traveler . “I am currently dating a white European guy, but before that was involved with a black man from the Caribbean. That being said, I have seen a lot more interracial couples outside of North America, particularly in London, where I live. I’ve seen way more black girl/white guy pairings here than anywhere else I’ve ever traveled.”

I have to admit. I found my experiences studying abroad in London to be the same, and in several other parts of Europe. Black women are enjoying relationships with men of many hues. And it seems like our interracial dating prospects are far more open. It’s one thing to be sought after as purely an exotic representation of black beauty and potential sexual commodity. But it’s another thing to be admired for our physical exquisiteness, multifaceted cultures, powerful intellect, and unique personalities. Black women are being loved as multidimensional human beings abroad and by more than just our brothas.

For the rest of this story, go to theGrio.

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“It’s a sign of the end times,” said Reverend Kyev Tatum of Harmony Missionary Baptist Church in Texas. “People will turn from the truth and the Bible says this is going to happen.”

What’s happening is that the African Americans for Humanism group is directly targeting African-Americans who may be questioning their religious beliefs with a series of billboards posted in predominantly black areas across the country. The Stiefel Freethought Foundation provided substantial financial support for the campaign.

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Some believe it’s a direct attack on African-American Christians, a claim the AAH national director Debbie Goddard refutes.

Check out the rest of the story at theGrio.

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As previously reported on NewsOne, when Komen implemented criteria that bars them from providing grants to organizations that are under investigation by local, state or federal authorities, Planned Parenthood came under intense scrutiny.

Since the organization is the focus of an inquiry spearheaded by Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla.), in efforts to determine if public money was illegally spent on funding abortions, the life-saving partnership between the bastions of women’s health was nullified by Komen. However, in the wake of explosive controversy and negative attention that the foundation obviously wasn’t expecting, they quietly back-pedaled on their decision.

In a surprising twist, conservative Karen Handel, who lost a gubernatorial race in Georgia in 2010 running on a strict anti-abortion and anti-Planned Parenthood platform, resigned from her position as Komen’s vice-president — after being there less than a year — when her conservative political affiliation was deemed the reason for the sudden break with Planned Parenthood.

Leger paints a vivid picture of the struggles women of color go through to receive adequate healthcare and her mistrust in Komen’s sincerity as it pertains to future grants being provided to Planned Parenthood.

There are women who cannot afford to see a doctor when they are extremely sick, let alone for preventative care like a mammogram.

For women of color, the breast cancer stats are still dire. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than any other race. Latinas are more likely to have large, late-stage tumors. And women of color are more likely to not have adequate health care coverage than white women.

And that’s where Planned Parenthood comes in. In many communities across the country, they are the only source of health care for women, serving almost 3 million women, men, and young people annually. They provide preventative care and yes, reproductive care. That’s really what this is all about, isn’t it?

Komen claims that they pulled their funding because of the “investigation” going on in Congresshat is complete malarkey. The right-wing in Congress has been fighting to take away Planned Parenthood’s funding for years because a mere 3 percent of the services they provide are abortions.

Maybe Komen was spooked by the pink-bible outrage that happened when conservative religious leaders found out that Komen gives money to Planned Parenthood. Forget the fact that no federal money goes toward providing abortions, and of course the Komen money never went toward that.

Read more at The Grio.

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In addition to the alleged sexual assault, Clark is being held for violation of oath by a public officer, according to Gwinnett sheriff’s Lt. Sean Smith, who confirmed that allegations that Clark “engaged in sexual activity with an inmate while in custody at the jail”  are being investigated and that the deputy has been placed on administrative leave:

“Authorities secured enough evidence, along with witness statements, to secure warrants for Clark’s arrest,” Smith said.

Clark has since resigned from the department and is being housed in a separate facility “for safety and security reasons,” reports the AJC.

This is not the first time that a sheriff’s deputy has allegedly been caught with his pants down.

In August of last year, Mason Chibnick, a veteran sheriff’s deputy at Paul Rein Detention Facility in Pompano, FL, was accused of overseeing an “orgy-like” atmosphere, which included women dancing topless and performing sex acts on each other. According to the Orlanda Sentinel, it was found through an internal investigation that Chibnick, “violated the code of ethics, failed to use good judgment and engaged in conduct unbecoming of a BSO employee.”

In addition to the strip club environment that flourished under his watch, he also sent a photo of his penis — next to a toothbrush — to an inmate’s sister, tracked down one former inmate on Facebook and was allegedly seen walking into a closet with another.

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A lawyer for First Student Inc. argued Thursday that the flag was not political speech protected by the U.S. Constitution, but merely a private expression of Webber’s “redneck” lifestyle.

The flag is emblazoned with the word “redneck.”

The company says they fired Webber for insubordination after the Phoenix-Talent School District told them the flag violated a policy prohibiting symbols that express racism or white supremacy.

Webber’s lawyer argued that even as an expression of lifestyle, the flag amounts to protected speech.

Magistrate Judge Mark Clarke didn’t say when he would make a decision.

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