Why aren’t Black men keeping up academically?? Black Men Are Less Likely To Graduate From A Four-Year College Via Black Journal reports: The federal government should require all colleges to create early-alert systems that flag students with low test scores, missing assignments, or spotty attendance. That would be one way, according to a report released on Tuesday, to curb the alarming number of minority men who drop out of college . The report, “ Advancing the Success of Boys and Men of Color in Education ,” is the result of brainstorming by diversity researchers at seven higher-education institutions. It is aimed at building on the momentum of My Brother’s Keeper, the Obama administration’s effort to improve education and career outcomes for young minority men. Black men lag behind their peers in other races when it comes to graduating from both two- and four-year colleges, according to federal statistics that track their completion through 2009 and 2012, respectively. Only a third of black male students graduated from four-year colleges within six years, compared with 45 percent of Hispanic men, 57 percent of white men, and 64 percent of Asian men. For two-year colleges, the percentages who received a certificate or degree or who transferred to a four-year college over six years were 32 for black, 30 for Latino, 40 for white, and 43 for Asian men. But minority men aren’t the only ones who would benefit from the changes the group is proposing. “We tried to provide recommendations that get at issues for boys and men of color but also address equity gaps for other disadvantaged groups,” J. Luke Wood, co-director of the Minority Male Community College Collaborative at San Diego State University, said in an interview. His center was joined in the report by similar groups at Morehouse College, Ohio State University, the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of Pennsylvania, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison. Discuss…
Why do Black women have a higher obesity demographic than any other ethnicity in America ??? Study Shows Black Women Are More Likely To Be Obese Despite anti-immigration propaganda, the most recent U.S. census revealed that 77 percent of the American population classifies themselves as white. Although black people only make up 13 percent of the nation’s population, black women have a higher obesity demographic than any other group. Via Medical Daily reports: In order to understand the female black community’s perception of weight, health, and beauty, researchers investigated, and what they found is truly eye-opening. In a study led by Elizabeth Lynch from Rush University in Illinois, a team of researchers recruited the help of 69 black women. According to a recent press release, although the women involved all shared similar economic backgrounds, lifestyles, and ages, they had various body sizes ranging from underweight to obese. Researchers purposely used such a range in order to determine whether black women’s perception of weight was based on their own body size or on shared cultural beliefs. Results, published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior, showed that regardless of their weight all women involved in the study agreed over which figures in the Body Image Scale were overweight, obese, and too fat. Although most agreed that figures six through nine were overweight, few went onto agree that these overweight figures were also too fat. The majority did, however, classify figures eight and nine as obese and too fat. Rather than outright ask the women if they viewed their own bodies as healthy or overweight, the researchers asked the women to match their own figures with the images they had previously categorized. This is where the experiment got interesting. In total, 56 percent of overweight women (BMI 25 or greater) and 40 percent of obese women (BMI 30 or greater) did not classify their own bodies as overweight, obese, or too fat. Astonishingly, only 30 percent of the women who were medically categorized as obese actually viewed their figures as too fat. In fact, it seemed that the generally accepted overweight BMI numbers in the black female participants (BMI of 35) was 10 figures over that accepted by doctors. In an interesting coincidence, it was observed that those are the exact figures recent studies have shown to be the point when weight begins to threaten lifespan. This coincidence may be explained by Lynch’s observation that weight loss in the black community is more driven by the desire to be healthy and stay off medicine than lose pounds. While the exact figures of black women with eating disorders are unknown, studies have shown that these disorders are somewhat rare among black females, Psychology Today reported. According to Lynch, black and white women generally have differing views on weight and beauty. “Research suggests that for white women the concept of beauty is heavily influenced by body size, and body size is also linked tightly to self-esteem. For black women, though, beauty is defined less by body size, and it’s defined more in terms of things like personal style,” Lynch explained in a podcast provided by The Journal of Nutrition, Education, and Behavior. In layman’s terms, Lynch explained that, based on her studies, it seems to be easier for black women to be “big and beautiful” than it is for women belonging to other ethnic backgrounds. While the idea of body confidence and the low numbers of black females with eating disorders may be something noteworthy, there is a point where this body acceptance begins to endanger one’s health. “The fact that women felt that overweight body sizes were not too fat suggests that being told they are overweight, even by a physician, may not be sufficient motivation for them to attempt weight loss,” Lynch explained in the press release. Instead, ethnically sensitive diet programs may prove more effective in bringing about real weight loss results in black women. Lynch suggests using visual aids rather than terms and numbers to explain obesity and future weight loss goals. This would erase any misunderstanding between doctors and patients and perhaps help the patient better understand the severity of their health issue. Discuss….
We’re mourning the death of another black leader . George Holmes Executive Director And CEO Of Congress of Racial Equality Dead At 63 George Holmes, who can be seen in the photo above on the left, being arrested alongside Al Sharpton as they protested fare hikes in NYC back in 1984, has passed away. According to NY Daily News reports: Civil rights activist George Holmes has died, his family announced Friday. He was 63. Holmes, who died Aug. 16 of undisclosed causes, served as executive director and CEO of the Congress of Racial Equality. Born in Roxbury, Mass., Holmes was raised in Harlem and liked to joke that he attended college at U.C.L.A. — University on the Corner of Lenox Ave. His activism began in the early 60s when he entered Brooklyn Tech, one of the city’s elite high schools. It had 47 black students, and no black teachers or black scholastic clubs — until Holmes founded one. He worked at Macy’s, Bank of New York and the Postal Service before joining CORE in 1974. Holmes is survived by his wife of 26 years, Donna, children Louanna Rosado and Dakar Holmes, siblings Joy Copeland, Larry Holmes, Marie Wynne and France Barron, grandchildren Parris Hill, Xiamara Rosado and Sierra Rosado and a host of nieces and nephews and other family. For information about funeral services, please call (347) 509-6577. We are sad to learn of Holmes’ death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family at this time. It seems kind of odd that it took almost three weeks to announce his death. Wonder what that’s about. AP Images
WHY is a 9-year-old learning to use an automatic assault weapon in the first place? 9-Year-Old Girl Accidentally Kills Gun Instructor During Lesson Even in a supervised environment, guns probably don’t belong in the hands of children . A 9-year-old recently ended up killing her gun instructor when the kick-back from an Uzi set to automatic mode proved to be overwhelming for her. Via NBCnews : A shooting range instructor in Arizona was accidentally shot and killed by a 9-year-old girl who was learning how to shoot an Uzi, authorities said on Tuesday. Charles Vacca, 39, was teaching the girl how to use the automatic weapon on Monday morning at the Last Stop outdoor shooting range in White Hills, Arizona, when she pulled the trigger and the kickback caused the gun to lurch over her head, investigators said. Vacca was hit by a stray bullet and airlifted to University Medical Center in Las Vegas, where he was pronounced dead late Monday. The girl was at the range with her parents at the time, but their names were not released. Sam Scarmardo, the manager for the Last Stop’s shooting range, told NBC News that “the establish practice at most shooting ranges is 8 years old and up with parental supervision.” He said Vacca was a “great guy, with a great sense of humor” and called him “very conscientious and very professional.” Scarmardo said that the range has never had a similar incident in over a decade of being open — “not even a scratch.” “I just ask everybody to pray for Charlie, and pray for the client, she’s going to have a hard time,” said Scarmardo. Ronald Scott, a Phoenix-based firearms safety expert, said most instructors usually have their hands on guns when children are firing high-powered weapons. “You can’t give a 9-year-old an Uzi and expect her to control it,” Scott told the Associated Press. What a sad accident. That poor little girl is going to have to find a way to cope with taking a life. Mojave County Sheriff’s Department
Nothing shared on social media stays private for long… UAB Student Kicked Out Of Sorority After Racist Snapchat A University of Alabama sorority girl got kicked out of her chapter after sharing with her Snapchat friends just how excited she was that no Black women had joined her Greek-letter organization on the last rush. Via HuffPost : A University of Alabama student was removed from her sorority this week for sending a racist Snapchat photo bragging that no black women were accepted to her Greek house. The executive headquarters for the Chi Omega Fraternity confirmed Tuesday the woman who sent the image is no longer a member of the UA chapter. Rumors circulated online that the Snap was Photoshopped; Chi Omega spokeswoman Whitney Plumpton told The Huffington Post the image being passed around (visible below) is “not the original Snapchat image,” although the original did contain the slur used in the altered version. The Snap, captioned “Chi O got “NO n*ggas!!!!!” over a selfie, was allegedly sent on bid day, which was Saturday. The women’s faces are blurred in the photo circulating online. The University of Alabama Greek system is under increased scrutiny this year, following the national attention in 2013 when sorority members began going public about how black women were systematically blocked from joining traditionally white houses, largely due to alumnae influence. Eventually, black women did begin joining the sororities, including a handful at Chi Omega. The university hosted its largest sorority rush in history this year, and offered bids to 21 black women, according to the Associated Press. Plumpton confirmed Tuesday that the original image did have the slur included, and refocused attention to the statement the national organization sent out on Monday: “What was expressed is absolutely reprehensible and completely inconsistent with Chi Omega’s values and policies,” the national organization said in the statement. “Chi Omega took swift disciplinary action in accordance with the organization’s policies and procedures. The woman who took the photo is no longer a member of the chapter.” Kicking her out doesn’t change what she and her little friends think…or who they do and don’t want joining their chapter. This likely speaks to a larger attitude within the Greek organization on that campus. We wonder how welcome the handful of Black members they do have truly are…
Raymond Burse, interim president of Kentucky State University, elected to have his salary decreased from $349,869 to $259,745 in order to boost the paychecks of…
Did we need a study to tell us the obvious? Study Finds Hispanic Actors Get Few Roles In Film And Television African Americans may have it pretty tough in Hollywood , and even worse overseas . However, an even larger minority population in the US is far more poorly represented in media. Despite the explosive success of a handful of Hispanic stars, a new study has found that under 5% of speaking roles in American cinema go to Latino actors and actresses. Via NYDailyNews : Hollywood has been on a five-year siesta when it comes to casting more Hispanic actors and actresses in major films, a new study found. Overall, Hispanic actors accounted for only 4.9% of speaking roles in the top 100 grossing movies of 2013, the survey by the University of Southern California’s Annenberg school said. That’s the same level recorded in 2008, even though the country’s Hispanic population has surged in recent years. Latinas, meanwhile, are more likely than women of any other ethnicity to appear partially or totally naked on the silver screen. The findings make Latinos the most marginalized group among American moviegoers because they represent 16% of the U.S. population and purchase a quarter of all movie tickets, the researchers said. “Sadly, I’m not surprised. This has been a constant for some time now,” Brooklyn-bred actor Esai Morales told the Daily News on Monday. The Annenberg study found that about 74% of the actors in the top movies last year were white, compared with a U.S. population that’s 63% non-Hispanic white. About 14% of the characters examined were black, compared with America’s 13% black population, the study found. But nearly a fifth of all films in the sample did not have a single black speaking role, and half had a smaller percentage than the population, suggesting a few movies with predominantly black casts skewed the results. Indeed, the study found that while 2013 included many top-grossing films with black directors and predominantly black casts — including Lee Daniels’ “The Butler,” Steve McQueen’s “12 Years a Slave,” and Tyler Perry’s “A Madea Christmas” — there has been “no meaningful change” in the frequency of any racial or ethnic group in popular films between 2007 and 2013. Morales, 51, said the Tyler Perry model of making hit movies outside of mainstream Hollywood isn’t even an option for Hispanic directors and actors. “The African American experience is a unifying tale. No one was left out of that shared history with slavery. But when you see stories about Cesar Chavez or the Cuban Revolution, some Latinos feel left out. We’re not a homogenous community,” he said. America’s demographics are constantly changing…our entertainment will have to catch up one of these days.
Sad, sad, sad … 3-Year-Old Girl Killed In Philadelphia During Shootout Via NBCPhiladelphia A 3-year-old girl, shot as she was sitting on a porch, has died after a man opened fire along a Philadelphia street following an argument. Three others were also hit by gunfire. Gunshots rang out around 9:40 p.m. on Friday along the 1500 block of S. Etting Street near 27th Street in the Grays Ferry section of the city, police said. Philadelphia Police Capt. Michael Gormley said two men began arguing along the block when one pulled out a gun and started firing. A stray bullet hit the girl in the left side of her chest, Gormley said. Witnesses tell NBC10.com that the girl was getting her hair done when she was struck. Family and friends say the girl did not live at the home and that her mother was around the corner at the time of the shooting. Officers arriving on the scene put her in a patrol car and rushed her to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, officials said. But despite trauma doctor’s efforts, she was pronounced dead at 10:21 p.m. Sadly enough, this little girl was not the only victim of this shooting… Three other people were also hit by the gunfire, police said. The other man involved in the argument was shot in the head. He was rushed by officers to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, police said. He remains there in critical condition. A 21-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman who police say were bystanders, were also struck. The man was struck in the leg. He was taken to HUP where he is currently in stable condition. The woman was struck in the arm. She was also taken to HUP where she was treated and released. Witnesses say the shooter fled the scene on his bicycle. Police took a person of interest into custody near the scene, but have not identified him as a suspect. Prayers go out to the family of the young girl who lost her life, as well as those injured in this senseless shooting. Image via Shutterstock
