Tag Archives: race matters

Up In Smoke: New Study Claims Black People Living In Racially Segregated Areas Are More Likely To Die From Lung Cancer

All black everything is bad news for your lungs according to a new study… New Study Shows Connection Between Lung Cancer And Racial Segregation A new study focusing on health and health care statistics has found that lung cancer is significantly more prominent in African-Americans living in racially segregated areas of the country.  Other similar studies have found that the cause behind this growing epidemic in black communities may be the lack of access to health care. via Think Progress African-Americans living in highly segregated counties are at significantly elevated risk of dying from lung cancer, according to the results from a new study. According to New York Times reports, a study published in JAMA Surgery finds that black Americans in highly segregated areas are 20 percent more likely to die from the disease compared to those who live in the least segregated regions. While the JAMA report doesn’t delve into the causes behind the mortality rate disparity, other studies on American segregation have found that, in highly segregated locales, a larger minority population corresponded with significantly less access to surgical and emergency medical care. That data alone is not conclusive, but it does suggest that stratified access to health care remains an enormous hindrance to public health — particularly for people of color. Access to sufficient health care resources is vital for treating and preventing disease in any community, so this needs to change ASAP.   Do you notice a higher rate of lung cancer in your community relative to those outside of where you live? Image via Shutterstock

The rest is here:
Up In Smoke: New Study Claims Black People Living In Racially Segregated Areas Are More Likely To Die From Lung Cancer

No Isht Sherlock! Jodie Foster Reveals She’s Gay During Golden Globes Acceptance Speech

Jodie Foster reached a career milestone last night. Make that two. In addition to winning recognition from the Hollywood Foreign Press in the form of the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement, the 50-year-old actress acknowledged her same-sex-lovin’ status for the first time ever in public! Via US Weekly reports : Jodie Foster stole the show at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday Jan. 13. The actress and director, 50, accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award for Lifetime Achievement — and in her emotional, funny, wild speech, Foster finally, publicly acknowledged that she’s gay. “I have a sudden urge to say something i’ve never really been able to say in public,” Foster (clad in custom Armani) said, clutching her award. “A declaration that I’m a little nervous about, but, you know, loud and proud.” Teasing the audience, Foster continued . . . “I am . . . single!” As the crowd laughed, she added. “Yes I am, I’m kidding. I’m not really kidding, but kind of.” The resolutely private Oscar winner explained of her private romantic life: “i did my coming out a thousand years ago back in the stone age, in those quaint days when a fragile young girl would open up to trusted friends and family . . . Now I’m told every celebrity is expected [to share] the details of their private life with a reality show.” Joked Foster: “I’m not Honey Boo Boo child! That’s not me. It never was and it never will be. Don’t be sad . . . my reality show would be so boring!” The mother of two, who has been working as an actress since early childhood, said: “Seriously, if you had been public figure for the time you were a toddler. If you had to fight for a life that felt real and honest and normal and against all odds. . . Then maybe you too would value privacy against everything else . . Some day in the future, people will look back and remember how beautiful it once was. I have given everything up there…that’s reality show enough.” As stars (including close friend Mel Gibson) looked on tearfully, the Accused star then acknowledged her former female partner: “There is no way i could ever stand here without acknowledging one of the deepest loves of my life, my heroic co-parent, expert in love, my soul sister in life…Sydney Bernard.” She also thanked her sons with Bernard, who looked on from the audience, Charlie, 14, and Kit, 11. “I am so proud of our modern family,” calling her boys “my reasons to breathe.” Foster thanked her ailing mother, not present for the moment: “I love you, I love you, I love you. I hope that if I say this three times, it will magically perfectly enter into your your soul, you were a great mom.” Implying a retirement of sorts, she added: “I may never be up on this stage again, on any stage for that matter.” Backstage, Foster clarified to reporters that she has no plans to retire from acting. After all these years, it must come as a relief to just let it all hang out, riiiiight?

Read more from the original source:
No Isht Sherlock! Jodie Foster Reveals She’s Gay During Golden Globes Acceptance Speech

Quote Of The Day: Jimmie “JJ” Walker Says ‘Black People Need To Stop Complaining’

Jimmie Walker , who is best known for his role on “Good Times” spoke to NPR on various topics including black folks in the entertainment industry. Via EurWeb: Former “Good Time’s” star, Jimmie Walker, chatted with NPR’s Michele Martin recently to discuss his position on why major studios would rather avoid black films. According to him, the community protests too frequently about the stereotypes projected on film. But he argues that some of the stereotypes that some argue appear bad, aren’t necessarily negative. “What happens is, it also is reflective in black TV shows and movies, that you’re not gonna get anymore of those because of the constant complaining, moaning and groaning… The point is to make money,” he said. “And therefore, the networks themselves have actually stopped doing any ethnic shows, because they don’t want the aggravation… What has happened is that any minority character you see on a show now is always the police commissioner, the head of the hospital, the school superintendent. Those kinds of people don’t invoke followers. The people who are going to get attention are the wacky guys… who eventually become stars… You’ll never see a black Will Ferrell, You’ll never see a black Adam Sandler, because black people aren’t allowed to play those kind of roles.” CHeck out the entire interview at NPR.org: WENN

Here is the original post:
Quote Of The Day: Jimmie “JJ” Walker Says ‘Black People Need To Stop Complaining’

Race Matters: Colin Powell Puts Shady GOP On Blast For Racism..“There’s A Dark Vein Of Intolerance”

Colin Powell took a moment this morning to call out those shady Republicans who are blatantly racist azzholes… According to Think Progress: On Sunday, during an appearance on Meet The Press, Colin Powell condemned the GOP’s “dark vein of intolerance” and the party’s repeated use of racial code words to oppose President Obama and rally white conservative voters. Without mentioning names, Powell singled out former Mitt Romney surrogate and New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu for calling Obama “lazy” and Sarah Palin, who, Powell charged, used slavery-era terms to describe Obama: POWELL: There’s also a dark — a dark vein of intolerance in some parts of the party. What do I mean by that? I mean by that that they still sort of look down on minorities. How can I evidence that? When I see a former governor say that the President is “shuckin’ and jivin’,” that’s racial era slave term. When I see another former governor after the president’s first debate where he didn’t do very well, says that the president was lazy. He didn’t say he was slow. He was tired. He didn’t do well. He said he was lazy. Now, it may not mean anything to most Americans, but to those of us who are African Americans, the second word is shiftless and then there’s a third word that goes along with that. The birther, the whole birther movement. Why do senior Republican leaders tolerate this kind of discussion within the party? He’s absolutely correct…Discuss. WENN

Read the rest here:
Race Matters: Colin Powell Puts Shady GOP On Blast For Racism..“There’s A Dark Vein Of Intolerance”

SMH: NRA Lover Ted Nugent Calls Gun Owners The ‘New Rosa Parks’!?!?

This washed-up, racist rocker needs to have a seat! Via MSNBC : Ted Nugent is known for making controversial and even threatening statements, and now he’s comparing gun owners to the civil rights icon Rosa Parks. In an interview with WorldNetDaily, Nugent said, “There will come a time when the gun owners of America, the law-abiding gun owners of America, will be the Rosa Parks and we will sit down on the front seat of the bus, case closed.” Rosa Parks became known as the “first lady of civil rights” and “mother of the freedom movement” after she refused to move to the back of the bus in Montgomery, Al., in 1955—a nonviolent act of protest against segregation after centuries of oppression. Nugent invoked Parks’ name in response to a question about gun confiscation plans allegedly being concocted by the White House gun violence task force. Only one elected official, a Democratic lawmaker in Iowa, has actually proposed such a plan, but that hasn’t stopped the right from suggesting the White House has plans to confiscate guns from law-abiding owners. Nugent openly pontificated on the right-wing rumor of federally-mandated gun seizure. suggesting that “the heroes of the law enforcement” would rise up against it. “I do believe that there are enough soulless sheep within our government who would act on such an illegal order, but I believe the powers that be at the local, state, and regional law enforcement would halt such an illegal, anti-American order,” he said. The gun-loving hunter also took on the media for its reaction to the Newtown school shooting. “The media and the government is hell-bent on convincing that water is dry and we should all reconsider our conclusions about the dampness of H20,” he said. “These people are out of their cotton-picking minds, and they scare Americans who are committed to logic, truth and common-sense, and real solutions instead of the insanity that I witness from our government and media.” Nugent has had more than his share of harsh words for President Obama dating back to his days as a Senator. Last year Nugent said if the president were re-elected he would “either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” He’s also suggested that the president should be thrown in jail. What an insult to Mrs. Parks name…SMH. Images via tumblr

View post:
SMH: NRA Lover Ted Nugent Calls Gun Owners The ‘New Rosa Parks’!?!?

The Hood Life: Study Shows Teachers With Low Ratings More Likely To Teach At Poor Schools With Higher Numbers Of Hispanic And Black Students

We keep trying to tell you that race matters ! Black and Latino students in NYC who attend poverty stricken schools are more likely to end up with teachers who have received unsatisfactory ratings. Via NYPost reports : Teachers who received bad performance ratings in the past school year were likelier to be teaching in high-poverty schools, or in schools with high percentages of black, Hispanic or low-achieving students, a new analysis found. The StudentsFirstNY report on the 3.2 percent of teachers were rated “unsatisfactory” — known as a “U-rating” — for the 2011-12 school year found large differences in how they were distributed throughout the school system. The analysis found that students in high-poverty schools were at least three times more likely to be taught by a U-rated teacher than were students in low-poverty schools. “An ineffective teacher in any classroom is a failure of the system at the expense of students,” said StudentsFirstNY Executive Director Micah Lasher, a former legislative liaison for Mayor Bloomberg. “A concentration of ineffective teachers serving specific student populations is an injustice.” Among the group’s eight recommendations, including having the city and teachers’ union reach a deal on a new teacher evaluation system by next week’s Jan. 17 deadline, are financial incentives for good teachers who stay in high-needs schools. Failing to reach a deal by the deadline would cost the city at least $250 million in state education aid. StudentsFirstNY also calls for a cap on the number of ineffective teachers who are allowed to remain at one school from year to year. The city currently does have at least two programs that offers incentives for teachers who agree to work in high needs schools – one that offers recruitment and tuition reimbursements, and the other that offers $15,000 in housing support in return for a 3-year commitment. The teachers’ union has also said that high concentrations of U-rated teachers can be caused by other factors — such as antagonism between a principal and his or her teachers. A 2011 investigation by the Department of Education found that the current principal at Fordham HS for the Arts – where 20 percent of teachers received a U-rating in 2011-12 – tried to force out teachers she didn’t like by giving them bad ratings without actually having observed their teaching. So the good news is not all these teachers are really as bad as it looks, but the bad news is enough of them earned their bad ratings for us to be fairly certain that our kids are not receiving the same quality of education that white students in more affluent schools are getting? Yeah… This doesn’t seem like a newsflash, but this needs to be fixed quickly. We wouldn’t be surprised if they discovered the same kind of inequalities in cities like Chicago where youth violence is rampant either. We need to be concerned about who is teaching our kids! Shutterstock

Read more from the original source:
The Hood Life: Study Shows Teachers With Low Ratings More Likely To Teach At Poor Schools With Higher Numbers Of Hispanic And Black Students

Don’t Let The Do’ Knob Hit Ya: ESPN Decides NOT To Renew Rob “Black Hate” Parker’s Contract In Light Of “Cornball Brotha” Comments About RG3!

When keepin’ it “real” goes wrong… ESPN Will Not Renew Rob Parker’s Comments Via ESPN ESPN will not renew its contract with commentator Rob Parker, who was suspended last month following remarks he made on “First Take” in which he questioned Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III’s “blackness.” “Rob Parker’s contract expired at year’s end. Evaluating our needs and his work, including his recent RG III comments, we decided not to renew his deal,” an ESPN spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. During a Dec. 13 episode of “First Take” on ESPN2, Parker was discussing Griffin’s answer to a question about Griffin’s role as an African-American quarterback. In questioning Griffin’s “blackness,” Parker cited that Griffin has a white fiancée and is rumored to be Republican. Among his comments, Parker, who is black, said: “Is he a brother or a cornball brother?” Parker later issued an apology on his Twitter account. A day later, on Dec. 20, ESPN announced he was suspended for 30 days. Smooth move Rob, apparently ESPN would rather you and your ugly suits stay away from their airwaves before you embarrass them any further, sayonara sucka. Image via ESPN

Go here to read the rest:
Don’t Let The Do’ Knob Hit Ya: ESPN Decides NOT To Renew Rob “Black Hate” Parker’s Contract In Light Of “Cornball Brotha” Comments About RG3!

Where Are My Parents? 17-Year-Old Racist Alabama Teen Planned Hate Crime Bombings At His High School

Adam Lanza inspired an Alabama teen to plot out a hate crime against his black classmates and a faculty member. Fortunately he was caught in time. Via WTVM reports : Police say 17-year-old Derek Shrout is a self-proclaimed white su******ist who wanted to commit hate crimes at Russell County high school with homemade explosives. Had his book of plans not been carelessly left where a teacher could find it, the sheriff says no one may have discovered the plot until it was too late. “The journal contained several plans that looked like potential terrorist attacks, and attacks of violence and danger on the school. And in particular, there were six students specifically named, and one teacher,” said Russell County sheriff, Heath Taylor. After the teacher who found his journal notified authorities, police searched his home and found dozens of tobacco containers filled with shrapnel and holes drilled for fuses. Investigators say Shrout was a step away from turning them into live grenades. “These bombs are potential; they’re not complete. So we don’t want to indicate that he was ready to do something. It could have been a day later, potentially,” said Taylor. Police say they don’t believe his parents had any idea this was happening. Newsleader Nine contacted Shrout’s mother at his Fort Mitchell home but she did not want to make a statement. When Shrout was interrogated by authorities, his explanation to them was that he had written a work of fiction and he never meant to carry out the plans in real life. The sheriff disagrees. “It was obvious that he had put a lot of thought into this. It was obvious to us that there was more than just writing a story in a journal and it being fictitious,” said Taylor. Officials say the earliest entries in the journal were written three days after the massacre in Sandy Hook, Connecticut. They believe Shrout learned to make the explosives through internet research. Shrout is currently in the Russell County Jail, charged as an adult. He will be in court Monday to face a felony charge of attempted assault.

Here is the original post:
Where Are My Parents? 17-Year-Old Racist Alabama Teen Planned Hate Crime Bombings At His High School

Lawsuits: Designer Tory Burch’s Company Is Being Sued By Black, Bi-Sexual Ex-Employee For Racial And Sexual Discrimination!

Guess we won’t be seeing some of you ladies in those little flats anymore huh? Designer Tory Burch Sued For Racial And Sexual Discrimination According to TMZ reports : A black, bisexual woman has sued her former employer — the company run by high-end fashion designer Tory Burch — claiming her manager and co-workers put a big fat target on her head because of her race and bisexuality. Jessica Jones filed the lawsuit, claiming she worked at the billionaire designer’s flagship store in Bev Hills from July 2011 to July 2012 — and during that time, Jones claims she was called everything from a “disgusting” homosexual to a “n***er.” In the docs, Jones says her manager and co-workers treated her like dirt, telling customers and clients not to work with Jones because she was gay. Jones says her manager referred to Jones’ girlfriend as “that thing that comes to visit her at work.” On her lunch breaks, Jones says her manager would regularly ask if Jones was getting fried chicken. Jones claims she was eventually forced to resign because of the treatment she received. Jones is suing Burch’s company — as well as her manager and others — for unspecified damages. Burch was not accused of wrongdoing herself in the the lawsuit and she is not named as a defendant. This isn’t a good look Tory, you need to do a better job screening some of these folks that you hire to represent your brand. Image via PurseBlog

Read more here:
Lawsuits: Designer Tory Burch’s Company Is Being Sued By Black, Bi-Sexual Ex-Employee For Racial And Sexual Discrimination!

Race Matters: Woman Charged For Committing NYC Subway Hate Crime Killing Because She “Hates Hindus And Muslims”

SMH. According to ABC News: A woman who allegedly told New York City police she pushed a man onto the subway tracks because she hated Hindus and Muslims has been charged with murder as a hate crime. Erica Menendez, 31, allegedly told police that she “pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I’ve been beating them up.” Menendez was taken into custody this morning after a two-day search, and when detectives were interviewing her she allegedly made the statements implicating herself in Thursday night’s subway-platform death. “The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter’s worst nightmare — being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train,” Queen District Attorney Richard A. Brown said. “The victim was allegedly shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself. Beyond that, the hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant’s actions can never be tolerated by a civilized society.” Menendez was due to be arraigned this evening. She could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted of the second degree murder charge. On Thursday night, a woman shoved a man from a subway platform at Queens Boulevard, and the man was crushed beneath an oncoming train. Police had searched the area for her after the incident. The victim was Sunando Sen, identified by several media outlets as a graphic designer and Indian immigrant who opened a print shop, Amsterdam Copy, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Sen was struck by the No. 7 train after the unidentified woman allegedly pushed him from the northbound platform at 40th Street and Queens Boulevard at 8:04 p.m. on Thursday. Witnesses told police they had seen the woman mubling to herself, pacing along the platform. She gave Sen little time to react, witnesses said. “Witnesses said she was walking back and forth on the platform, talking to herself, before taking a seat alone on a wooden bench near the north end of the platform. When the train pulled into the station, the suspect rose from the bench and pushed the man, who was standing with his back to her, onto the tracks into the path of the train,” NYPD Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne said earlier today. “The victim appeared not to notice her, according to witnesses.” Wow. What’s with people and these subway killings these days ?!

Read the original post:
Race Matters: Woman Charged For Committing NYC Subway Hate Crime Killing Because She “Hates Hindus And Muslims”