Slaves Hid African Charms On Colonial Greenhouse

BALTIMORE (AP) — The greenhouse on the Maryland plantation where famed abolitionist Frederick Douglass spent part of his childhood was not as uniquely European as once thought: Its furnace was built by slaves, who hid distinctly African touches within it to ward off bad spirits, researchers said.

A stone pestle to control spirits was concealed in brick ductwork used to heat the orangery — a type of greenhouse used to shield citrus and other trees from chilly winters — and University of Maryland archaeologists found charms buried at the structure’s entrance, said excavation leader Mark Leone. The greenhouse was long considered a mark of European sophistication and was a status symbol of the era. Read More

Mubarak resigns, hands power to military

CAIRO — Egypt's vice president says Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president and handed control to the military.

Car horns were heard around Cairo in celebration after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV on Friday. Read More

African American-Owned Businesses on the Rise

The number of black-owned businesses in the U.S. increased by 60.5% to 1.9 million between 2002 and 2007, more than triple the national rate according to U.S. Census data released Tuesday. The number of businesses across the country increased by 18% in the same amount of time.

Black-owned businesses, which are defined by the government as firms with African-American owners holding a 51% or larger stake in the business, raked in $137 billion in sales and receipts and made up 7.1% of businesses nationwide in 2007, compared to 5.2% in 2002. Read More

We showed you the Money, Now show us the Jobs!

US Stock Market's Bullish Run Continues

The Dow Jones Industrial Average, continues to rally.

US interest rates are low and corporate profits are up. This environment is usually good for the stock market and this time is no different. This daily chart of the US30, which is the Dow Jones Industrial Average, shows a strong uptrend that shows no sign of slowing. Yahoo News On Tuesday February 8, 2011, 8:39 am EST


Well, seems as if USA is open for business once again. Somehow, the so-called socialist, President Barack Obama - as the GOP would have us believe - has helped Wall Street get its groove back.

Now, just after Obama met with the Business Chamber of Commerce last week, urging them to be corporate patriots (and start rehiring), we on Main Street are still waiting for the trickle down.

Granted, the job's indicator is a lagging indicator. But we still would like big business, especially after their life saving bail out, to put that two trillion dollar wind-fall back into the economy and pay the American people dividends.

Tick-tick...the clock is running!

Kids For Cash

What is former President Judge Mark Ciavarella of Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania accused of doing?

As a juvenile court judge, Ciavarella received $2.6 million in kickbacks (he calls the money finders fees) from Robert Powell and Robert Mericle, owners of two private, for-profit juvenile detention facilities in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

For the cash (he already copped a guilty plea that was later withdrawn), he rendered harsh sentences to juveniles as young as ten years old (often lacking legal representation) sending them to juvenile detention centers owned by Powell and Mericle (this ten year old with no previous record was lead out of court in handcuffs and shackles).

This truly unbelievable story reflects the fundamental flaw of corporate - for profit - run prisons, detention centers or jails. The convergence of windfall profits, poverty, poor education, insufficient legal representation, corruption, greed and scarce oversight all lead to predictable disasters - like the above mentioned travesty of justice.

Corporate jails need warm bodies; thus they do not want rehabilitation - they need dysfunctional communities to continue feeding their bottom line. Promoting peaceful and law abiding communities is against their best interests.

Detention centers are a necessary instution in our society. They protect law abiding citizens from criminals. But a correctional institution should be run by those that have a vested interest in crime reduction and not the opposite.

America already has, by far, the largest prison population in the world. To think we would begin the criminalization process with children as young as ten years old is sick. Hopefully, this former judge gets the book thrown at him.

Read Complete Report

Thank you Patrick Henry and Michelle Bachman

Why I write:

When family, friends, acquaintances and former classmates discover I write a political blog, they to a person respond, that's so you. My passion in history, politics and social issues has been present for most of my life. Part of the reason is rooted in the old adage, the apple does not fall far from the tree.

To this day, my most engaging political discussions occur between my parents and me. My parents have always been very politically informed and encouraged my sisters and me to develop our political IQ.

But for me, the passion dramatically lit fire during my fifth grade school year. Throughout my elementary education in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, I was more often than not, the only black student in my class (in practically all white schools). In fifth grade, at that time, American history - including the Revolutionary War - was taught.

Up to that point, my teacher-student role was traditional; the teacher taught and I learned - never challenging the curriculum. However, learning about the quest for freedom by our country's slave owning forefathers struck me as odd and altered my consciousness in ways I did not fully understand at the time

Something fundamentally awakened my soul after hearing Patrick Henry, southern slave owner, demand:

Give Me Liberty, Or Give Me Death

My teacher, to her credit, tried her best to answer the obvious question, how can relatively free men, that owned slaves, chant we want our freedom? Or, how can men actively denying other men freedom, proudly write, All men are created equal. Like I said, my teacher tried but, her answer to me, even at ten years old, sounded like Charlie Brown speak: wamp-wamp-wamp.

My questions would remain dormant in my mind until my first read (age 15) of The Autobiography of Malcolm X. This book literally rocked my soul. Brother Malcolm's presentation of USA history and world events was finally a perspective that made sense to me.

Fast foreward: This is why I write and this is why Michelle Bachman's quote (and other Tea Party utterances):

We also know that the very founders that wrote those documents worked tirelessly until slavery was no more in the United States

has me feeling the fifth grade feeling all over again...wamp-wamp-wamp!

Dr Leonard Jeffries decodes the Tea Party

In this commentary, Dr. Leonard Jeffries provides historical and contemporary context of the political, cultural and economic agenda of the modern day Tea Party.

He who controls the African Mind, controls the African Mines.

Dr. Leonard Jeffries

Hosni Mubarak Responds To Egyptian Demands

CAIRO — Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak will give a speech after at least 1 million people rallied across the country Tuesday clamoring for him to step down, Al Arabiya television said late Tuesday. Read More

Democratic convention goes to Charlotte

Charlotte, N.C., will be the host city of the 2012 Democratic convention, the Democratic National Committee announced Tuesday, sending a signal that President Obama plans to compete aggressively for the Southern state next year..
Read more

RICH VS. WEALTH

In a very hilarious style, Chris Rock describes the difference between being rich and being wealthy.

Shaq is Rich... but the man that signs his check is wealthy...I'm not talking about rich, I'm talking about wealthy. Wealth is empowering. Wealth can uplift communities from poverty...wealth is passed down from generation to generation.

He can be overly simplistic, silly, offensive and stunningly ignorant (News flash Rock, Oprah is indeed wealthy); yet if one can digest the meat and discard the bones, Rock is on to something:

Community Economic Empowerment is Key to Emancipation.

We all have seen - here today, gone tomorrow - rich fortunes evaporate from athletes, Hip-hop stars, actors, lottery winners etc. These nouveau riche far too often buy expensive toys. They want to show bling-bling on MTV cribs. They fail to use their money for wealth building. Hence, a fool and his money are soon parted.

Tom Wheelwright, founder and CEO of Provision, candidly states:

The difference between rich and wealthy is very simple.
It's knowledge. Wealthy people know how to make money. Rich people only have money.

Wisdom + Knowledge = Great Wealth