I Hope The Obama Administration Will Be Diverse!

The Democratic National Convention had a multitude of races there. It was America in a nutshell & it made me proud to be a Democrat. I hope that the when the Obama administration is finally assembled, it will resemble that convention.There should be whites,blacks,american indians,all asians & latinos,etc... My vision may be a bit too grandiose. But, it would be fitting for a black president to have a multicultural administration. There are many more folks out there who voted for change that we could believe in. Here's an excerpt from New America Media:

"For many political activists and advocates, a new administration naturally offers the opportunity to recruit and promote diverse leadership. And this time, with a candidate whose election was sealed with the sizeable support of Latinos, the idea of diversity seems not only attainable. It seems appropriate.

One organized effort is the Talent Bank Project at the Earl Warren Institute for Race, Ethnicity and Diversity at the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. It was funded by a grant from PowerPac, a Bay Area nonprofit, and is being run by former Clinton Administration official Maria Echaveste, a fellow at the Warren Institute.

"We thought it would be important regardless of which administration came in to have a talent book, in a sense, of people of color that could go into a new administration," said Maria Blanco, executive director of the Institute. "We weren't so much thinking about top cabinet positions. There are a lot from that level down that are very important, that matter. But because of the nature of DC, it's an insiders hiring world, which tends to exclude people of color because they aren't in those circles."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the entire article here:
http://news.newamericamedia.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=931bc18d8c825b753d6d59c5195d561d&from=rss

"The Louisiana Lady" Was A Creole Chanteuse

Camille Lucie Nickerson was known as "The Louisiana Lady". She started touring in the United States & France in the 1930's singing Creole folksongs that were indigenous to Louisiana. She was a Creole woman of many achievements who lived from (1888-1982). Camille Nickerson kept the Creole tradition alive by collecting & composing these songs. She was a arranger,pianist,composer,& geniune legend.Here an excerpt about Camille Nickerson from LSU Libraries:

"Although very successful on the concert circuit, she gave up performing to become part of Howard University's music faculty. She remained there from 1926-1962, retiring with the title professor emerita. Her master's thesis, "Afro-Creole Music of Louisiana" highlighted much Creole folk music and the impressive accomplishments made by black American musicians in the field. She was elected President of the National Association of Negro Musicians in 1935."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the rest here:
http://www.lib.lsu.edu/soc/women/lawomen/nickerson.html

Afghan Children Young As 4 Are Working 8-12 Hours A Day!

Young children are suffering physical injuries & inhumane treatment in Afghanistan. The parents are in debt so kids as young as 4 are being forced to work the arrears off. I really cannot believe that these types of stories barely receive mention on the news. We should be hearing about this every single day. While our economy is sinking here in America, many people are feeling despondent & don't know how they can take care of their family. These parents in Afghanistan really are feeling that there children's futures are bleak. I mean,they are working instead of receiving the education that they need. Here's what one of the Afghan parents have to say:

"His father, Khawaja Mohammed, is distressed that he has to send his son to work at all.

"Our house was destroyed. We lost our land and our property. Accommodation here costs between 5,000 to 10,000 Afghanis ($105 - $210). One sack of flour is 3,000 Afghanis ($63).

"We have no other option but to ask the children to work. You saw my child yourself. He is not strong enough to work. You can see his condition. But we don't have any other option."

Tens of billions of dollars in aid have flowed into Afghanistan since the fall of the Taleban in 2001.

But many ordinary Afghans still struggle to make a living; and for now, many parents have little choice but to continue to send their children to work."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the rest here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7738994.stm