Oh,my goodness! This little kid is absolutely adorable & extremely intelligent. Damon Weaver is a 10 yr-old budding black journalist on a serious quest to interview President Barack Obama.This is a prime example of what I was just talking about in my last post.Damon Weaver is one of the many black youths out there who got inspired by the fact that we have the first black president in history.This makes the whole political arena more interesting & attainable to young black boys & girls.No longer can we,as black people,disassociate ourselves with politics by claiming that the president won't do shit for the black community anyway.This is not a faux black president,like Bill Clinton. Barack Obama is truly the first black president. For the first time, black folks can see some of themselves in the first family. That's exciting!
Since Obama will be our first black president ever, it has prompted some leading black magazines to make some changes. Here's more on that from Politico:
"Barack Obama’s election as president is prompting major changes in the nation’s black press, ushering in a series of firsts that editors say will reshape print, Internet, radio and television coverage aimed at African-American audiences.
Essence, the top-selling magazine among black women, will have a full-time White House reporter for the first time. Ebony magazine will add a White House reporter, either full time or as needed. Its sister publication, Jet magazine, will have a weekly two-page Washington report in every issue."(END OF EXCERPT) Read the rest here:http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1208/16894.html
That's really great that there will be more African-American reporters covering White House affairs.It will inevitably lead to more blacks becoming involved & concerned with politics.Because some of the issues that concern African-Americans the most may finally receive the national attention that they deserve.Black Press USA did a nice article on just what some of those problems are.It discussed the stories that they covered that dealt with HIV/AIDS,hate crimes,black incarceration,homicide rate in urban communities,etc... Here's the link:http://www.blackpressusa.com/News/Article.asp?SID=3&Title=Hot+Stories&NewsID=17386
A Muslim family was discussing where to sit on the plane when they found themselves being removed by federal authorities. After 9/11,it was hard for a black man with a turban to enter this country. Just ask the various Jamaican artists who were under suspicion & refused entry into this country after the terror attack.Some of that fear has subsided, but it still lingers. Here's more on this incident from CNN:
"A Muslim family removed from an airliner Thursday after passengers became concerned about their conversation say AirTran officials refused to rebook them, even after FBI investigators cleared them of wrongdoing.
Atif Irfan said federal authorities removed eight members of his extended family and a friend after passengers heard them discussing the safest place to sit and misconstrued the nature of the conversation.
Irfan, a U.S. citizen and tax attorney, said he was "impressed with the professionalism" of the FBI agents who questioned him, but said he felt mistreated when the airline refused to book the family for a later flight.
AirTran Airways late Thursday said they acted properly and that the family was offered full refunds and can fly with AirTran again.
"AirTran Airways complied with all TSA, law enforcement and Homeland Security directives and had no discretion in the matter," the company said in a prepared statement.
Family members said FBI agents tried to work it out with the airline, but to no avail.
"The FBI agents actually cleared our names," said Inayet Sahin, Irfan's sister-in-law. "They went on our behalf and spoke to the airlines and said, 'There is no suspicious activity here. They are clear. Please let them get on a flight so they can go on their vacation,' and they still refused."
"The airline told us that we can't fly their airline," Irfan said."(END OF EXCERPT)Read the entire article here:http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/01/01/family.grounded/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
This video is of a Senate Judiciary Hearing where Farhana Khera, of muslimadvocates.org, talks about how the rights of Muslims have been violated here in the U.S. You must watch if you've never seen it.
