UNCF ‘An Evening of Stars’ 2015

Actor Anthony Anderson hosted the United Negro College Fund 36th annual ‘An Evening of Stars’. Anderson, who knows the struggle of finding funding for school attended Howard University on a partial scholarship until his junior year in 1991.

“We’re here to help alleviate the burden off their shoulders,” Anderson said. “Students won’t have to worry about their next meal, or pay for next semester or housing. The only thing they have to do is open a book and study.”

The United Negro College Fund to donated scholarships to commendable students who are pursuing higher education.

More than $500,000 in grants were all in all given to 20 students by Anderson, Usher and Toni Braxton, Pharrell Williams, Kevin Hart, Big Sean and Los Angeles Clipper Chris Paul. The scholarships on the show were financed by the celebs aside from two that were matched by the UNCF.

Hart, Paul, Williams and Usher made prerecorded appearances, surprising each of their beneficiaries with a scholarship. Big Sean likewise performed his single “One Man Can Change the World” with the Miles College Choir amid the show, which was taped in early April.

Scholarship beneficiaries were chosen from diverse criteria, running from their GPA status and how they communicated the requirement for monetary aid.

For more information check out here or Fox News

Another Fatal Encounter Between Black Men & Police: Freddie Gray

Baltimore 25-year-old Freddie Gray died on of a severe spinal injury after police captured him. Gray, who was halted April 12 after a foot interest through a few several housing complexes , ought to have gotten medicinal attention at the scene of his arrest, said Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. A witness said the man was hollering and showed he was experiencing breathing issues. 

Examiners are attempting to take in more about Gray’s condition at each of the three stops the van made on some way or another to a police headquarters.

At the first stop, Gray was put in leg irons. The driver ceased a second time “to deal with Mr. Gray and the facts of that interaction are under investigation ,” Davis said. The van ceased once again to include a second detainee.

Batts told columnists that at the third stop an officer saw Gray on the floor of the van, requesting a doctor. The officer and the van driver lifted him up and put him on the seat, the comissioner said.

At the point when the van landed at the Western District station, police required an emergency vehicle, said Davis, who is responsible for the examination.

Gray was captured after police discovered what they said was a switchblade on him. A lawyer for Gray’s family has said the blade was a folding knife of lawful size. 

The police say Gray didn’t avoid capture and that officers didn’t us force, which is by all accounts for the most part authenticated by feature shot by onlookers. Gray appears to yell in agony, and his leg appears to be harmed as officers drag him to a police van.

Gray likewise had asthma and asked for his inhaler, yet didn’t get it. Yet its not the leg or the asthma that slaughtered him. Rather, it was a grave damage to his spinal string. Dark’s family said he was dealt with for three cracked vertebrae and a pulverized voice box.

In the height of his funeral April 19th, Citizens of Baltimore want answers. Protesters began to rally in the streets. The rallies made a turn when a small group of protestors began rioting, looting and committing arson. 

Gray’s twin sister deplored the violence.

“My family wants to say, ‘Can y’all please, please stop the violence,’ “ Fredericka Gray said Saturday night. “Freddie Gray would not want this.”

For more information check out CNN or the NY Times.

photocredit: Google Images, Chip Somodevilla-Getty Images, and ABC

Boko Haram latest Massacre in Nigeria

Boko Haram activists opened fire on northern Nigerian towns, leaving bodies scattered all over and up to 2,000 individuals dead. Amid the assault that began January 3, several shooters seized the town of Baga and neighboring towns, and a multinational army installation.

Assaults began at first light of January 3rd and proceeded all through a weekend ago, as indicated by occupants. Despite the fact that nearby authorities gave clashing losses of life, they conceded to the gigantic number of fatalities.More than 2,000 individuals were slaughtered in assaults on 16 towns.

Who is Boko Haram?

Nigeria’s activist Islamist bunch Boko Haram – which has created havoc in Africa’s most crowded nation through a wave of bombings, deaths and snatchings – is battling to oust the administration and make an Islamic state. Boko Haram advances a variant of Islam which makes it “haram”, or taboo, for Muslims to join in any political or social movement connected with Western culture.

Boko Haram views the Nigerian state as being controlled by non-believers, even though the nation had a Muslim president – and it has developed its military crusade by focusing on neighboring states.

Boko Haram has posed a threat to northern Nigeria frequently since 2009, assaulting police, schools, churches and civilians, and bombarding government structures. It has likewise abducted students, including more than 200 schoolgirls who were abducted in April and still remain missing.

photo credit: Google Images

The Oscar’s Dreadlock Controversy

The 18 year-old former Disney star, Zendaya Coleman rocked a beautiful VIvienne Westwood ivory gown on the red carpet for the 2015 Oscars. The actress chose to sport waist length faux-locs. Fashion Police’s correspondent Giuliana Rancic found herself in the hot seat when she stated: “I feel like she smells like patchouli oil or weed.” on television.

Rancic was under scrutiny for her offensive and stereotypical comment. Many on social media criticized the host for being racially offensive. Also, the topic of black women’s hair in society resurfaced once again. Rancic claimed she was referencing her ‘bohemian chic look” and not race.

Coleman however responded indirectly to Rancic via Instagram.

Coleman decided to give Rancic some insight of the many successful African American who rock dreadlocks and the harsh criticism the black community endures just from the curl pattern of their hair.

Rancic issued an apology via twitter but also on E! News. She said, “This incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of cliches and stereotypes, how much damage they can do, and that I am responsible, as we all are, to not perpetuate them further. People are offended, including Zendaya, and that is not okay. Therefore, I want to say to Zendaya, and anyone else out there that I have hurt, that I am so, so sincerely sorry.” 

Coleman later took to Instagram in accepting the apology. Read her full statement which was posted via Instagram below.

Instagram | @zendaya

Instagram photo by Zendaya * Feb 25, 2015 at 7:22pm UTC

For more information view Huffington Post

Kenyan Students Massacred by Somali Terrorists

photo credit: Google

On April 2nd 147 Kenyan students were killed at Garissa University College. The Somali based terror group Al-Sabaab, an affiliate of Al Qaeda claimed responsibility. The Thursday attack by al-Shabaab militants slaughtered 147 individuals, including 142 students, three security officers and two college security faculty. The attack left 104 individuals harmed, incorporating 19 who are in critical condition. According to Interior Minister Joseph Nkaissery.

The attackers separated students by religion, allowing Muslims to leave and keeping an obscure number of Christians hostage, Agence France-Presse reported. At one point, the gunmen protrolled a building where 360 students lived, Inside Minister Joseph Nkaissery said.

Kenyan security strengths moved in and slaughtered four gunmen.

Students said Kenya’s army eventually encompassed the campus yet didn’t overcome Shabab or convey an end to the killings. A crack police squad, the General Administration Unit, didn’t arrive until about 4:30 p.m., 11 hours after the attack, according to Kenyan media reports. The police finished the attack 30 minutes later.

Angry students and their parents question why the Garissa campus was left so inadequately guarded, especially after late, broadly circulated knowledge warnings of an impending attack on a college. Understudies from a neighboring teachers school in Garissa were sent home Tuesday, two days prior to the attack, because of the uncertain security situation.

For more information go to CNN

Cultural Appropiation and Pop Culture

Amandla Stenberg, 16 year old actress, Rue in the phenom Hunger Games  is stirring controversy after her video on culture appropriation went viral on the social media site Tumblr.  The school project was entitled: “Don’t cash crop on my cornrows: A crash discourse on Black culture.”

Stenberg tries to distinguish appropriation and admiration for black culture in the media. She states:

“The line between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange is always going to be blurred. But here’s the thing: Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high fashion, cool or funny when the privileged take it for themselves. Appropriation occurs when the appropriator is not aware of the deep significance of the culture that they are partaking in. Hip-hop stems from a black struggle. It stems from jazz and blues, styles of music that African-Americans created to retain humanity in the face of adversity, which itself stems from songs used during slavery to communicate and survive. On a smaller scale but in a similar vein, braids and cornrows are not merely stylistic. They are necessary to keep black hair neat.”

Stenberg even references high end magazines like Marie Clare call cornrows a “new urban hairstyle” on Kendall Jenner. However, on Wiki’s How they have black men in cornrows deemed as gangsters.

She defines appropriation as: “Appropriation occurs when a style leads to racist generalizations or stereotypes where it originated, but is deemed as high fashion, cool, or funny when the privileged take it for themselves,”

Stenberg calls out Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Macklemore and Taylor Swift as an example of celebrities partaking in culture appropriation.

Amandla Stenberg concludes her video with the statement: “What would America be like if we loved black people as much as black culture?”

For more information read NBC

“Bloody Sunday” Video Blog

The Prevalence of Colorism in Black America

https://soundcloud.com/erica-rawlins/the-prevalence-of-colorism

photo credit: ebony.com

Crabs in a Barrel Syndrome. Fact or Myth?

Crabs in a barrel syndrome is defined as early as the 20^th century by Filipino feminist and activist Ninotchka Rosca. This mentality is ultimately described as one person prospering in a specific community or ethnic group, but jealousy and self-loathing bring a specific person back to the level of the impoverished community.

The analogy of crabs can possibly represent many aspects of The African American community. Chronicles of Harriet states the mentality diminishes the importance, or negate the efforts, of any member who achieve success beyond others, out of envy, self-hate or competitiveness. A prime example is American Olympic gold medalist, Gabby Douglas. Despite making history at the London 2012 receiving two gold medals; social media viewers rant how ‘unkept’ her hair specifically her edges are. Something so minor and meticulous has become the focus from the African American community opposed to her accomplishments.

Black America has produced many public figures across multiple industries yet there is always something to marginalize their success.

photo credit: Google Images