2014-08-28

CBCF Announces Two Honorees for Phoenix Awards Dinner - Cathy Hughes and Wade Henderson

Media Mogul Cathy Hughes and Civil Rights Leader Wade Henderson to be honored at 44th Annual Legislative Conference.

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Incorporated (CBCF) announced two honorees for its annual Phoenix Awards Dinner, the culminating event of the 44th Annual Legislative Conference. Radio and Television Personality and Founder of media conglomerate Radio One, Cathy Hughes, and Civil Rights Leader Wade Henderson will be honored at the black-tie awards dinner on September 27 at 6 p.m. at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.

“This year’s honorees are examples of excellence when it comes to advancing entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and eliminating civil and social disparities that many African Americans face,” says A. Shuanise Washington, president and chief executive officer of CBCF. “We look forward to celebrating their accomplishments through these deserving awards.”

Cathy Hughes will be honored with the CBCF’s Chair’s Phoenix Award, which is presented to an individual whose work and accomplishments stand as a role model for African Americans and the African Diaspora. Wade Henderson will receive the CBC Chair’s Phoenix Award, for exhibiting the highest standards of dedication, ability and creativity.

The Phoenix Awards Dinner supports the CBCF’s education, economic development and health and research programs.


Cathy Hughes is the founder and chairperson of Radio One. Inc., the largest African-American owned and operated broadcast company in the nation. It is the first African-American company in radio history to dominate several major markets simultaneously. Cathy Hughes is the first and only African-American woman to chair a publicly held corporation. Hughes also serves on the CBCF’s board of directors.

Wade Henderson is the President and CEO of The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and The Leadership Conference Education Fund. The Leadership Conference aims to promote and protect the civil and human rights of all people.

Past Phoenix Award honorees have included President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, George Edward Foreman, Sr., civil rights activist Reverend Dr. Joseph E. Lowery and U.S. Rep. John Lewis.

Additional honorees and the keynote speaker will be announced in the weeks ahead.

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About ALC
The Annual Legislative Conference is one of the largest public policy conferences in the country focused on issues impacting African Americans and black communities around the world. ALC attracts nearly 9,000 attendees each year and features more than 70 issue forums on education, employment, healthcare, economic empowerment, the African Diaspora, cultural events and more.

Sound via Internet Chat of the Michael Brown's shooting per Witness's Attorney Lopa Blumenthal


The FBI has obtained new audio allegedly recording the exact moment that Darren Wilson began shooting Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The recording captures at least 11 gunshots, six of which we know hit Brown. Perhaps most devastatingly, it features a notable pause between the first seven and the last four shots. What made Wilson stop shooting? And more importantly, why did he start firing again? The audio was captured by a witness who happened to have a video chat open with a friend. The microphone picked up the gunshots while he was having an ordinary conversation.

2014-08-26

Record Industry Mogul Suge Knight was shot 6 times at Pre-VMA party, Comedian Katt Williams was there and speaks out



Katt Williams says he was with Suge Knight when he was shot at the pre-VMA party ... and the comedian maintains Suge was trying to protect someone else when the bullets started flying.

Story and Video by TMZ

Our photographer spotted Katt out in Malibu Monday, where he broke down the shooting of his friend Suge, like this:

-- Suge was not the intended victim and he was merely trying to save someone else ... possibly Chris Brown?
-- Suge's shooting was NOT gang-related because ... has there ever been a gang-related shooting where the other side didn't shoot back?

As for who pulled the trigger, Katt uncorked a rant about "nobody" shooting Suge ... theorizing the shooter might never be caught just like Tupac Shakur, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X's assassins.

In the video above, Katt makes more solid points than not.

Marylands' Anne Arundel County police officers question 'Fraternal Order of Police' donation to legal defense fund of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson

Story by WMAL-TV Baltimore, Md.
Written by Barry Simms

MILLERSVILLE, Md. —Some black police officers in Anne Arundel County expressed shock over a decision by the Fraternal Order of Police to donate to the legal defense fund of a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer Darren Wilson who shot an unarmed Black teen Michael Brown, sparking a firestorm across the country.

In response to that concern, the president of FOP Lodge 70 explained to 11 News why the FOP decided to make that donation.

Some of the officers are asking that the organization step back and reconsider, saying they weren't notified about the donation and think it was wrong to make it.

Calling this a heightened time of sensitivity caused by the shooting death of an unarmed Black teenager Mike Brown by a White officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, some of Anne Arundel County's black police officers are speaking out.

"I police in this county. I've been working in this county for years, and it's very shocking to me that our FOP would give a donation to an inflammatory situation like this. It is just not the time and it is not the place for it," Anne Arundel County police Cpl. Kam Cooke said.

Many of the officers stand in solidarity, wondering why FOP Lodge 70 sent a $1,070 donation to the legal defense fund of Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.

Read more: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/anne-arundel-county-police-officers-question-fop-donation/27722056#!bKoWUq

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/crime/anne-arundel-police-union-donation-to-ferguson-officer-sparks-controversy/2014/08/23/fd435ef8-2af2-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html

http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Anne-Arundel-County-Police-Union-Donates-to-Darren-Wilsons-Online-Defense-Fund-272297081.html

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/55916136#.U_x8hGOZiSo

Al Sharpton delivers the eulogy for Michael Brown


Rev Sharpton comforts the Brown family and sends a message to America.

2014-08-25

Michael Brown's Funeral Live Stream


Drawing of Michael Brown

Live Stream Links:
http://woldcnews.newsone.com/1505575/funeral-for-murdered-teen-mike-brown-at-11am-livestream/

http://www.bet.com/video/news/national/2014/michael-brown-funeral.html

2014-08-24

Radio Veteran Michael Erickson dies of Lung Cancer

While the below links tell of his professional career, it was Michael Erickson that was the Soul of San Francisco State University’s radio station KSFS, as its Program Director in the 1981-1982 school year. SFSU is considered the best College Radio-TV Broadcasting Department in California, with a rare totally student-run on-air college radio station in KSFS.

I enrolled at SFSU in 1981. Coming from a rich broadcast curriculum in the two-year Los Angeles City College - where I ended up Program Director of the LACC campus radio station KLCC - Erickson put me on the air in my first semester at SFSU in September of 1981. It was Erickson that took me under his wing and even walked and drove me around the campus area familiarizing me with the SFSU community. Mike’s passionate yet focused-to-detailed broadcast critiques, propelled my passion to excel in my broadcast craft, which thankfully continues today.

According to a recent employee of Erickson in her testimony in the below third link, Michael was still as passionate about radio today as he was in 1981-82 at SFSU's KSFS.

I just wanted to take the time to thank Michael Erickson for his confidence in me. I miss you greatly, wish his family well in their time of mourning, and rest in peace Michael Erickson.

http://www.allaccess.com/urban/10-questions/archive/5881/10-questions-with-michael-erickson
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/blogs/the-city/Remembering-Michael-Erickson--271892921.html
http://www.urbaninsite.com/?p=35208

LeBron James: The Next Warren Buffett?


Warren Buffett holds up a portrait of LeBron James

Story by Motley Fool

It took Buffett 50 years to hit $700 million. Yet, in his next 33 years, he’d bank an astounding $62.3 billion more wealth.

Buffett grew that wealth through a series of savvy business moves by buying great companies that found huge success in the years after he took a stake in them.

Now, imagine where Buffett might be if he had been worth hundreds of million in his twenties.

That’s exactly the position we find LeBron James. LeBron is only 29, has become an unexpected protégé to Buffett (seriously), and he’s quietly building sport’s most powerful business empire with the help of the Warren Buffett.

Buffett: LeBron James is savvy

While they’re an unlikely duo, sightings of LeBron James and Warren Buffett together are not hard to find. The two dined together (along with Bill Gates!) in Las Vegas and have been spotted golfing in Sun Valley together.

Get this, LeBron even sends his financial statements to Warren Buffett! Here’s an excerpt from an interview with LeBron in Sport Illustrated:

“I sent an e-mail about this to Warren Buffett. I'm a kid from Akron who lived in poverty for a long time, and I sometimes send financial statements to one of the richest guys ever. It's kind of scary. I'm like, 'Why is he talking to me?'”

LeBron doesn’t need to worry why Buffett would spend time advising him, because Buffett has been nothing but glowing in his praise of LeBron. In an interview with NBA TV, Buffett described LeBron as “remarkably mature,” being “plenty smart about financial matters,” and saying “I was impressed with him right from the moment I met him.”

As far as LeBron’s business sense, Buffett continued pouring on the accolades. He said, “LeBron’s not really talkative, he’s savvy,” continuing with, “he talked smarter about business deals than plenty of MBAs I’ve met … when I talked with him first, he was 21 then… He knew a lot more than I did when I was 21.”

Basketball’s first billionaire

So, LeBron has the stamp of approval from one of the world’s wealthiest men ever. But, can a basketball player really become a billionaire?

That’s certainly LeBron’s goal. Just look at what he told the Associated Press:

“In the next 15 or 20 years, I hope I'll be the richest man in the world." LeBroncontinued with, "That's one of my goals. I want to be a billionaire.”

Yet looking at another basketball player - one that LeBron is most often compared to - suggests that billionaire goal is attainable for LeBron. Michael Jordan, who hit the billionaire level within this last year at the age of 50, found the status at a younger age than Buffet did.

How’d Jordan do it? For one, even though he’s been retired for 10 years, he still makes a remarkable amount of money. Last year he made $90 million, higher than any current basketball, football, baseball, or soccer player! Nearly all that money comes from endorsements, where Jordan still mints a small fortune getting a cut of Nike’s “Air Jordan” shoes.

The path to being a billionaire: build businesses!


Yet, Jordan’s jump to the billionaire’s club doesn’t come from his marketing, but instead from one savvy business move. In 2010, Jordan bought a controlling stake in the Charlotte Bobcats for $175 million. Today, the team’s value is estimated at over $600 million. Jordan owns 89.5% of the team.

LeBron James brought in $72 million last year between his salary and endorsements. That’s very impressive as it makes him the third highest paid athlete in the world. With LeBron’s feel-good story of “heading home” to Cleveland, his marketability – and earnings – will only increase in the years to come. Yet, that alone won’t get him to multi-billionaire wealth.

While LeBron parallels some of Jordan's wealth management moves, his maturity and financial smarts that Buffett pinpointed give LeBron a leg up.

LeBron has a game plan for huge wealth, and it’s about much more than basketball. As LeBron’s business manager told CNN way back in 2007:

"It's impossible to get to a billion dollars by endorsement deals. The biggest deals only take you so far. It's how you make money when you're asleep that's going to get you there."

LeBron knows that he’ll only reach his goals through being a smart businessman. He’ll need to keep learning from Warren Buffett.

Avoiding vice—build an empire

Yet, even before LeBron can build his business empire, he needs to be smart about not squandering his money.

An estimated 60% of NBA players are broke within five years of retirement, in spite of the average salary sitting at a whopping $5.15 million a year.

What causes these players to lose such remarkable wealth so fast? Poor money management for one, but also vices like buying expensive cars, and gambling. Jordan has a streak for gambling that’s so famous, whole books have been written on the subject! (Luckily, his $90 million in earnings can cover quite a cold streak)

Yet, once again we can turn to Warren Buffett to describe how – while still enjoying himself – LeBron avoids the vices of many athletes.

“LeBron just has his head screwed on right. If he goes to a casino, he may decide he’ll lose up to $500 – or some number – but, he’ll never do anything silly. And if you never do anything dumb, you’ll do fine in life.”

So, with LeBron being smart about the money he earns, where is he investing that money?

Following Buffett’s lead


He’s actually investing his money – the Buffett way!

Let’s look no further than LeBron's business manager, who said, “[Buffett] always says invest in what you know. LeBron, we invest in what we know, or we don’t get involved.”

Buffett built his business empire through his holding company – Berkshire Hathaway – which is now worth more than $300 billion and controls a number of well-known brands. These brands are centered on industries Buffett easily understands, like insurance (Geico), restaurants (Dairy Queen), and even Candy (See’s Candies).

LeBron has started building his own “mini-Berkshire,” filling it with brands he has a good understanding of. Like Jordan, James has taken a stake in a sports team (Liverpool FC) in a league where team values are rapidly rising.

He has also applied his savvy business instincts to smaller deals. Consider this, after taking a small stake in Beats headphones, LeBron convinced the rest of Team USA’s basketball team to wear the headphones during the Olympics. Thanks in large part to LeBron promoting the brand, Beats took off.

Earlier this year Beats was sold to Apple for a whopping $3 billion. LeBron’s profits from his Beats stake is estimated as the single largest equity payout for a professional athlete in history at 30 million dollars.

Nice move, LeBron.

Not quite Buffett yet

Obviously, LeBron isn’t quite at Warren Buffett's level yet. He’s the world’s best businessman, no one is.

However, LeBron’s stake in Beats shows that he understands his potential value to consumer brands like shoes, clothing, or even headphones, and is smart enough to command ownership (equity) in businesses he’s putting his brand behind.

By the end of this year, its likely LeBron’s fortune will stand at between $300 million and $400 million. Keeping that invested at 7% per year – below the long-term returns of the stock market – and LeBron’s fortune could grow to about $2.7 billion by the time he is 60.

LeBron’s already the world’s best basketball player. With Buffett advising him and a string of business successes behind him, it’s not crazy that his next stop is becoming the world’s wealthiest athlete.

Durbin Sparks Backlash After Praising Prison As Job-Creator

Story by Huffington Post
Written by Saki Knafo

Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has spoken out time and again on the floor of the Capitol in Washington about the injustice of a criminal justice system that has filled America's jails and prisons with more than 2 million people.

But at home with his constituents this week, Durbin praised the imminent arrival of prisoners at a long-dormant facility in a rural corner of the state as key to “the economic future of northern Illinois.”

His words have provoked criticism from some who have long seen Durbin as an important ally in the movement to reform the country’s massive prison system.

“It’s jarring,” said Edwin Yohnka, director of communications and public policy at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. “Senator Durbin played a very pivotal role in readjusting the horrific disparity in powder and crack cocaine sentences and has spoken with great insight about a range of sentencing issues. I hope this doesn’t indicate a change.”

On Twitter, the reactions came fast and furious. “Heartbreaking,” one person tweeted. “We can't get jobs bills or living wages passed, but we can pay to lock people in cages.”

Conservative bloggers also have taken the opportunity to slam Durbin, the Senate Democratic whip, though at least one website seems to have gotten the story wrong. The Daily Caller inaccurately reported on Tuesday that the Obama administration is trying to transfer Guantanamo detainees to the lockup.

Christina Mulka, a spokeswoman for Durbin, argued that the senator's comments are consistent with his efforts to reform the prison system nationwide. The Thomson Correctional Center in Illinois "is not designed to house new prisoners, but existing prisoners that are currently being held in federal maximum security prisons," she said in an email.

The facility will help "alleviate overcrowding in our federal prison system," Mulka added.

Durbin made his controversial remarks during a visit to the prison, alongside Rep. Cheri Bustos (D- Ill.) and other officials. They had gathered to announce the hiring of new warden, Donald Hudson, a 24-year veteran of the federal Bureau of Prisons.

The hiring marks a major step in what Durbin described as “a long, slow journey.” Although construction on the structure ended in 2001, the prison remained empty for years and still operates well under capacity. “The state built the prison and didn’t have any money to operate it,” said Yohnka.

The federal government bought the prison from the state in 2009, and the Obama administration did initially propose holding Guantanamo detainees in the lockup. But Republicans refused to approve funding for the transfers.

Durbin has long condemned the federal prison system in terms not much different from those that have been used to criticize him this week. “Something’s wrong here,” he said in 2012, according to CBS St. Louis. “We are just filling up the prisons,” he said, “and we’ve got to ask ourselves, is this making our country safer?”

In the past, Durbin has addressed the problem with several high-profile pieces of legislation, including the Fair Sentencing Act, a bipartisan bill that reduced the sentencing disparity between crack and powder-cocaine offenses, and last year’s Smarter Sentencing Act, which would give judges more discretion in sentencing nonviolent drug offenders.

Despite these efforts, he has consistently lauded the Thomson prison as a untapped source of jobs for people in his home state. In March, he and Bustos announced that the federal government had set aside $53 million to open the facility.

“This is the news we’ve been waiting for,” Durbin said at the time. “The funding that the Bureau of Prisons reported to Congress today is a significant investment in the economic future of Northern Illinois.”

2014-08-21

Video Shows St. Louis Police Killed Kajieme Powell Then Placed Him In Cuffs

Watch the shooting of Kajieme Powell here for yourself. Warning: The clip is graphic!


Chilling video of the shooting death of an allegedly armed Black man, Kajieme Powell, by St. Louis Police has gone public, showing the officers firing a barrage of shots at the man and then handcuffing him.

Story by News One
Written by By D.L. Chandler

According to Chief Sam Dotson of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Powell, 25, entered a convenience store Tuesday afternoon and walked out of the establishment with unpaid items. The store owner said that Powell then re-entered the store and took pastries from a shelf then left once more. The store owner confronted Powell, but later called police to the scene.

Witnesses nearby saw the incident unfold as police responded to the call. According to accounts from police, Powell was behaving strangely and muttering words to himself. Powell allegedly said to the police, “Shoot me now, kill me now,” while clutching at his waistband for a knife. Powell continued to ignore their commands and was shot a series of times after officers claimed he charged at them with a knife.

From the video, though, Powell doesn’t appear to brandish any weapon. In fact, when he falls to the ground, nothing is seen in his hands, although he did walk toward the officers who immediately pulled out their guns the moment they exited their vehicle. Moments after Powell can be heard indeed saying, “Shoot me then, shoot me then, motherf*cker,” the two officers fire a series of nine shots with three of those occurring as Powell hits the ground. The officers then proceeded to handcuff Powell much to the dismay of onlookers, including Alderman Antonio French.

French spoke with local station KSDK regarding the anger around Powell’s shooting, stressing that it was in no way related to happenings in Ferguson to the north. St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay and Chief Dotson were both addressed by French, who relayed to the alderman that an investigation will be swift and just.

The shooting took place just less than four miles away from Ferguson, where unrest regarding the police shooting death of 18-year-old Michael “Mike” Brown has been ongoing.

Reports earlier stated that Powell was 23 when details were scant. St. Louis authorities said on Tuesday at a news conference that they had the name of the victim.


Police officer appears to threaten journalist in Ferguson, Missouri


Mustafa Hussein of Argus Radio was live-streaming from behind the police line on Sunday when he was confronted by a police officer. In the video, the unidentified officer can be heard shouting: “Get the f— out of here and keep that light off or you’re getting shelled with this.”

Piaget Crenshaw discusses her eyewitness video of the Michael Brown shooting scene in Ferguson, Missouri


In an appearance on CNN, Piaget Crenshaw discussed why she filmed the scene — and why she is only now releasing the video.

2014-08-20

United States of America Attorney General Eric Holder: "A message to the people of Ferguson"


Attorney General of the United States Eric Holder

Since the Aug. 9 shooting death of Michael Brown, the nation and the world have witnessed the unrest that has gripped Ferguson, Mo. At the core of these demonstrations is a demand for answers about the circumstances of this young man’s death and a broader concern about the state of our criminal justice system.

At a time when so much may seem uncertain, the people of Ferguson can have confidence that the Justice Department intends to learn — in a fair and thorough manner — exactly what happened.

Today, I will be in Ferguson to be briefed on the federal civil rights investigation that I have closely monitored since I launched it more than one week ago. I will meet personally with community leaders, FBI investigators and federal prosecutors from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to receive detailed briefings on the status of this case.

The full resources of the Department of Justice have been committed to the investigation into Michael Brown’s death. This inquiry will take time to complete, but we have already taken significant steps. Approximately 40 FBI agents and some of the Civil Rights Division’s most experienced prosecutors have been deployed to lead this process, with the assistance of the United States Attorney in St. Louis. Hundreds of people have already been interviewed in connection with this matter. On Monday, at my direction, a team of federal medical examiners conducted an independent autopsy.

We understand the need for an independent investigation, and we hope that the independence and thoroughness of our investigation will bring some measure of calm to the tensions in Ferguson. In order to begin the healing process, however, we must first see an end to the acts of violence in the streets of Ferguson. Although these acts have been committed by a very small minority — and, in many cases, by individuals from outside Ferguson — they seriously undermine, rather than advance, the cause of justice. And they interrupt the deeper conversation that the legitimate demonstrators are trying to advance.

The Justice Department will defend the right of protesters to peacefully demonstrate and for the media to cover a story that must be told. But violence cannot be condoned. I urge the citizens of Ferguson who have been peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights to join with law enforcement in condemning the actions of looters, vandals and others seeking to inflame tensions and sow discord.

Law enforcement has a role to play in reducing tensions, as well. As the brother of a retired law enforcement officer, I know firsthand that our men and women in uniform perform their duties in the face of tremendous threats and significant personal risk. They put their lives on the line every day, and they often have to make split-second decisions.

At the same time, good law enforcement requires forging bonds of trust between the police and the public. This trust is all-important, but it is also fragile. It requires that force be used in appropriate ways. Enforcement priorities and arrest patterns must not lead to disparate treatment under the law, even if such treatment is unintended. And police forces should reflect the diversity of the communities they serve.

Over the years, we have made significant progress in ensuring that this is the case. But progress is not an endpoint; it is a measure of effort and of commitment. Constructive dialogue should continue — but it must also be converted into concrete action. And it is painfully clear, in cities and circumstances across our great nation, that more progress, more dialogue, and more action is needed.

This is my pledge to the people of Ferguson: Our investigation into this matter will be full, it will be fair, and it will be independent. And beyond the investigation itself, we will work with the police, civil rights leaders, and members of the public to ensure that this tragedy can give rise to new understanding — and robust action — aimed at bridging persistent gaps between law enforcement officials and the communities we serve. Long after the events of Aug. 9 have receded from the headlines, the Justice Department will continue to stand with this community.

As we move forward together, I ask for the public’s cooperation and patience. And I urge anyone with information related to the shooting to contact the FBI by dialing 800-CALL-FBI, option 4.

Eric H. Holder Jr. Attorney General of the United States.

WE WILL NOT GO BACK MARCH FOR JUSTICE!



Join Reverend Al Sharpton, the National Action Network, NAACP, 1199 SEIU, UFT, & The Family of Eric Garner. Join us as we march for JUSTICE in Staten Island, NY. on Saturday, August 23rd, 2014.

11AM - Meet at Bay St. & Victory Blvd. (Site of Eric Garner killing)

12PM - March to Staten Island District Attorney’s Office

1PM - Rally at Richmond TERR. & Hamilton Ave.

Directions: Take the S.I. Ferry OR Get on a Justice Caravan Bus.

Link for more information and to register: http://nationalactionnetwork.net/justicecaravan/

Contact: (877) NAN-HOJ1
www.NationalActionNetwork.net
#WEWILLNOTGOBACK

2014-08-19

Ferguson, Missouri Teenager Michael Brown was Shot at Least Six Times, Pathologists say in Preliminary Autopsy Report


Prof. Shawn L. Parcells, a pathologist assistant, explained the Brown family’s independent preliminary autopsy report that showed at least six bullet wounds in the body of the slain teenager. Publish Date August 18, 2014. Image CreditRoberto Rodriguez/European Pressphoto Agency

Sybrina Fulton's - Mother of the late Trayvon Martin - Letter to Michael Brown's Family

To the Brown Family:

I wish I had a word of automatic comfort but I don’t. I wish I could say that it will be alright on a certain or specific day but I can’t. I wish that all of the pain that I have endured could possibly ease some of yours but it won’t. What I can do for you is what has been done for me: pray for you then share my continuing journey as you begin yours.

I hate that you and your family must join this exclusive yet growing group of parents and relatives who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence. Of particular concern is that so many of these gun violence cases involve children far too young. But Michael is much more than a police/gun violence case; Michael is your son. A son that barely had a chance to live. Our children are our future so whenever any of our children – black, white, brown, yellow, or red – are taken from us unnecessarily, it causes a never-ending pain that is unlike anything I could have imagined experiencing.

Further complicating the pain and loss in this tragedy is the fact that the killer of your son is alive, known, and currently free. In fact, he is on paid administrative leave. Your own feelings will bounce between sorrow and anger. Even when you don’t want to think about it because it is so much to bear, you will be forced to by merely turning on your television or answering your cell phone. You may find yourselves pulled in many different directions by strangers who may be well-wishers or detractors. Your circle will necessarily close tighter because the trust you once, if ever, you had in “the system” and their agents are forever changed. Your lives are forever changed.

However with those changes come new challenges and opportunities. You will experience a swell of support from all corners of the world. Many will express their sympathies and encourage you to keep fighting for Michael. You will also, unfortunately, hear character assassinations about Michael which I am certain you already have. This will incense and insult you. All of this will happen before and continue long after you have had the chance to lay your son to rest.

I know this because I lived and continue to live this. I have devoted my life to the comprehensive missions of The Trayvon Martin Foundation – including providing support to families that have lost a young child to senseless gun violence regardless of race, ethnicity or gender. I will support you and your efforts to seek justice for your Michael and the countless other Michaels & Trayvons of our country. The 20 Sandy Hook children. Jordan Davis. Oscar Grant. Kendrick Johnson. Sean Bell. Hadya Pendleton. The Aurora shooting victims. The list is too numerous to adequately mention them all. According to The Children’s Defense Fund, gun violence is the second leading cause of death for children ages 1-19. That is a horrible fact.

Facts, myths, and flat out lies are already out there in Michael’s case. Theories, regardless of how ridiculous, are being pondered by the pundits. My advice is to surround yourselves with proven and trusted support. Through it all, I never let go of my faith, my family, or my friends. Long after the overwhelming media attention is gone, you will need those three entities to find your ‘new normal.’ Honor your son and his life, not the circumstances of his alleged transgressions. I have always said that Trayvon was not perfect. But no one will ever convince me that my son deserved to be stalked and murdered. No one can convince you that Michael deserved to be executed.

But know this: neither of their lives shall be in vain. The galvanizations of our communities must be continued beyond the tragedies. While we fight injustice, we will also hold ourselves to an appropriate level of intelligent advocacy. If they refuse to hear us, we will make them feel us. Some will mistake that last statement as being negatively provocative. But feeling us means feeling our pain; imagining our plight as parents of slain children. We will no longer be ignored. We will bond, continue our fights for justice, and make them remember our children in an appropriate light. I would hate to think that our lawmakers and leaders would need to lose a child before protecting the rest of them and making the necessary changes NOW…

With Heartfelt Support,

Sybrina D. Fulton
Mother of the late Trayvon Martin

Trayvon Martin's Mom to Michael Brown's: 'Neither of their lives shall be in vain'


"If they refuse to hear us, we will make them feel us," Sybrina Fulton writes in her letter

Story by CNN
Written by Emma Lacey-Bordeaux

In the days since Michael Brown was shot and killed, protests have filled the streets in Ferguson.

But beyond the signs, marchers and tear gas, there's the pain and grief of a family. It's a pain Sybrina Fulton can relate to.

"I wish I had a word of automatic comfort, but I don't," she writes in an open letter to Brown's parents.

Fulton has been there. She, too, lost a son in a shooting death that also triggered protests and outrage.

Her son was Trayvon Martin.

"I hate that you and your family must join this exclusive yet growing group of parents and relatives who have lost loved ones to senseless gun violence" she writes in the letter published in Time magazine. "But Michael is much more than a police/gun violence case; Michael is your son."

Two and a half years ago on Feburary 27, 2012, Fulton's son was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a volunteer neighborhood watch captain. The case quickly drew national attention as weeks went by without formal charges.

President Barrack Obama publicly addressed the case, much like he has in the Brown shooting.

And as we've seen with the Brown shooting, protests in support of Trayvon and his family went nationwide.

Zimmerman was charged on April 11, 1012. Then in July of 2013, he was found not guilty of second degree murder.

In the Brown shooting, a grand jury may begin to hear testimony as early as Wednesday and decide on whether to return an indictment against the police officer who killed him, Darren Wilson.

Claims of character assassination

Meanwhile, key questions in the case remain unanswered and a debate over what we do know plays out in public.

Police have released video of Brown taking part in an alleged convenience store robbery, and a purported friend of the Wilson called into a local radio station claiming that Brown attacked the officer and disobeyed an order to freeze. It's an account that a source with detailed knowledge of the investigation later told CNN matches what Wilson himself has told investigators.

However, both the video and the account of events contrast sharply with what witnesses and family members have said about the incident and Brown's character.

Perhaps in reference to this public debate, Fulton writes the Browns will "hear character assassinations about Michael which I am certain you already have."

She adds, "This will incense and insult you. All of this will happen before and continue long after you have had the chance to lay your son to rest."

"Honor your son and his life, not the circumstances of his alleged transgression," Fulton writes. "I have always said that Trayvon was not perfect. But no one will ever convince me that my son deserved to be stalked and murdered. No one can convince you that Michael deserved to be executed."

Fulton pledges that "neither of their lives shall be in vain" and ends her letter with a fiery call to action. "If they refuse to hear us, we will make them feel us."

"Some will mistake that last statement as being negatively provocative. But feeling us means feeling our pain; imagining our plight as parents of slain children. We will no longer be ignored."


I Am Sybrina Fulton (An Open Love Letter to the Mother of a Lost Son)

2014-08-15

Ferguson police identify officer who fatally shot Michael Brown as Darren Wilson



Ferguson Police Chief release officer's name that shot and killed Michael Brown

Story by Yahoo News
Written by Jason Sickles
Video by ABC News

FERGUSON, Mo. — After withholding his name for nearly a week, the Ferguson Police Department on Friday publicly identified the white patrol officer who recently shot and killed an unarmed black teen.

Chief Thomas Jackson said Darren Wilson was the officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown multiple times following a brief skirmish in which police say the teen tried to take the officer's gun.

The chief provided few details about Wilson other than to say he has been with the department for six years and has no history of disciplinary action.

Wilson has been on administrative leave since the fatal shooting, which has sparked several days of clashes with furious protesters and drawn national attention.

The chief made Friday's announcement after initially declining to the release the name, saying the officer had received numerous death threats.

Chief Jackson declined to take reporters' questions at a news conference.

Instead, the chief told reporters that members of his department would be handing out copies of a police report from the strong-arm robbery of a convenience store that occurred prior to Brown being shot by Wilson. During his prepared remarks, the chief said Wilson first approached Brown because he fit the description of the suspect sought in the store robbery.

"I cannot discuss the investigation about the attempted apprehension of the suspect in the strong-arm robbery," he said. "That goes to the county prosecutor's office."

President Obama speaks about the Michael Brown killing in Ferguson, Missouri


President Obama speaks from the James Brady Briefing Room at the White House on the Michael Brown shooting in Ferguson, Mo., and updates us on the ISIS situation in Iraq.

Read the full statement: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/14/statement-president

2014-08-14

In Ferguson, Missouri, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery gives account of his arrest


President Obama addresses situation in Ferguson, Mo. following Police shooting of 18-year old Michael Brown.(The Washington Post)


Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery was detained by police on Wednesday while reporting on the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., following the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown by police over the weekend. (The Washington Post)

Story by Washington Post
Written by Wesley Lowery
Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-ferguson-washington-post-reporter-wesley-lowery-gives-account-of-his-arrest/2014/08/13/0fe25c0e-2359-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html

FERGUSON, Mo. — For the past week in Ferguson, reporters have been using the McDonald’s a few blocks from the scene of Michael Brown’s shooting as a staging area. Demonstrations have blown up each night nearby. But inside there’s WiFi and outlets, so it’s common for reporters to gather there.

That was the case Wednesday. My phone was just about to die, so as I charged it, I used the time to respond to people on Twitter and do a little bit of a Q&A since I wasn’t out there covering the protests.

As I sat there, many armed officers came in — some who were dressed as normal officers, others who were dressed with more gear.

Initially, both Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post and I were asked for identification. I was wearing my lanyard, but Ryan asked why he had to show his ID. They didn’t press the point, but one added that if we called 911, no one would answer.

Then they walked away. Moments later, the police reemerged, telling us that we had to leave. I pulled my phone out and began recording video.

Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery was detained by police on Wednesday while reporting on the unrest in Ferguson, Mo., following the fatal shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown by police over the weekend. (The Washington Post)
By Wesley Lowery August 14 at 5:58 AM

FERGUSON, Mo. — For the past week in Ferguson, reporters have been using the McDonald’s a few blocks from the scene of Michael Brown’s shooting as a staging area. Demonstrations have blown up each night nearby. But inside there’s WiFi and outlets, so it’s common for reporters to gather there.

That was the case Wednesday. My phone was just about to die, so as I charged it, I used the time to respond to people on Twitter and do a little bit of a Q&A since I wasn’t out there covering the protests.

As I sat there, many armed officers came in — some who were dressed as normal officers, others who were dressed with more gear.

Initially, both Ryan Reilly of the Huffington Post and I were asked for identification. I was wearing my lanyard, but Ryan asked why he had to show his ID. They didn’t press the point, but one added that if we called 911, no one would answer.

Then they walked away. Moments later, the police reemerged, telling us that we had to leave. I pulled my phone out and began recording video.

An officer with a large weapon came up to me and said, “Stop recording.”

I said, “Officer, do I not have the right to record you?”

He backed off but told me to hurry up. So I gathered my notebook and pens with one hand while recording him with the other hand.

As I exited, I saw Ryan to my left, having a similar argument with two officers. I recorded him, too, and that angered the officer. As I made my way toward the door, the officers gave me conflicting information.

One instructed me to exit to my left. As I turned left, another officer emerged, blocking my path.

“Go another way,” he said.

As I turned, my backpack, which was slung over one shoulder, began to slip. I said, “Officers, let me just gather my bag.” As I did, one of them said, “Okay, let’s take him.”


Police used tear gas and smoke bombs to repel crowds who threw Molotov cocktails during another violent night in the wake of the shooting of the unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown. (AP)

Multiple officers grabbed me. I tried to turn my back to them to assist them in arresting me. I dropped the things from my hands.

“My hands are behind my back,” I said. “I’m not resisting. I’m not resisting.” At which point one officer said: “You’re resisting. Stop resisting.”

That was when I was most afraid — more afraid than of the tear gas and rubber bullets.

As they took me into custody, the officers slammed me into a soda machine, at one point setting off the Coke dispenser. They put plastic cuffs on me, then they led me out the door.

I could see Ryan still talking to an officer. I said: “Ryan, tweet that they’re arresting me, tweet that they’re arresting me.”

He didn’t have an opportunity, because he was arrested as well.

The officers led us outside to a police van. Inside, there was a large man sitting on the floor between the two benches. He began screaming: “I can’t breathe! Call a paramedic! Call a paramedic!”

Ryan and I asked the officers if they intended to help the man. They said he was fine. The screaming went on for the 10 to 15 minutes we stood outside the van.

“I’m going to die!” he screamed. “I’m going to die! I can’t breathe! I’m going to die!”

Eventually a police car arrived. A woman — with a collar identifying her as a member of the clergy — sat in the back. Ryan and I crammed in next to her, and we took the three-minute ride to the Ferguson Police Department. The woman sang hymns throughout the ride.

During this time, we asked the officers for badge numbers. We asked to speak to a supervising officer. We asked why we were being detained. We were told: trespassing in a McDonald’s.

“I hope you’re happy with yourself,” one officer told me. And I responded: “This story’s going to get out there. It’s going to be on the front page of The Washington Post tomorrow.”

And he said, “Yeah, well, you’re going to be in my jail cell tonight.”

Once at the station, we were processed, our pockets emptied. No mug shots. They removed our restraints and put us in a holding cell. Ryan was able to get ahold of his dad. I called my mom, but I couldn’t get through. I couldn’t remember any phone numbers.

We were in there for what felt like 10 or 15 minutes. Then the processing officer came in.

“Who’s media?” he asked.

We said we were. And the officer said we were both free to go. We asked to speak to a commanding officer. We asked to see an arrest report. No report, the officer told us, and no, they wouldn’t provide any names.

I asked if there would ever be a report. He came back with a case number and said a report would be available in a week or two.

“The chief thought he was doing you two a favor,” he said.

The Ferguson Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Lowery’s detention.

The following is a statement on the incident from Washington Post Executive Editor Martin D. Baron:

Wesley has briefed us on what occurred, and there was absolutely no justification for his arrest.

He was illegally instructed to stop taking video of officers. Then he followed officers’ instructions to leave a McDonald’s — and after contradictory instructions on how to exit, he was slammed against a soda machine and then handcuffed. That behavior was wholly unwarranted and an assault on the freedom of the press to cover the news. The physical risk to Wesley himself is obvious and outrageous.

After being placed in a holding cell, he was released with no charges and no explanation. He was denied information about the names and badge numbers of those who arrested him.

We are relieved that Wesley is going to be OK. We are appalled by the conduct of police officers involved.

Read more and see photos: Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/in-ferguson-washington-post-reporter-wesley-lowery-gives-account-of-his-arrest/2014/08/13/0fe25c0e-2359-11e4-86ca-6f03cbd15c1a_story.html

2014-08-13

Statement by the President on the Passing of Michael Brown

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 12, 2014

Statement by the President on the Passing of Michael Brown

The death of Michael Brown is heartbreaking, and Michelle and I send our deepest condolences to his family and his community at this very difficult time.

As Attorney General Holder has indicated, the Department of Justice is investigating the situation along with local officials, and they will continue to direct resources to the case as needed.

I know the events of the past few days have prompted strong passions, but as details unfold, I urge everyone in Ferguson, Missouri, and across the country, to remember this young man through reflection and understanding.

We should comfort each other and talk with one another in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds. Along with our prayers, that’s what Michael and his family, and our broader American community, deserve.

2014-08-12

Official: Robin Williams hanged himself with belt

Story by AP

SAN RAFAEL, Calif. - Robin Williams committed suicide by hanging himself with a belt at his San Francisco Bay Area home, sheriff's officials said at the 11am pdt (2pm edt) Sheriff update today.

Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Keith Boyd said Williams' personal assistant found the actor Monday in a bedroom at his Tiburon home. The actor also had superficial cuts on his wrist, and a pocketknife was found nearby.

Boyd said Williams, star of "Good Will Hunting," ''Mrs. Doubtfire," ''Good Morning, Vietnam" and dozens of other films, was seeking treatment for depression. He would not say whether the actor and comedian left a suicide note.

The 63-year-old comedian's wife had last seen him the night before and had left the home that morning thinking he was still asleep. His personal assistant later came to the home and became concerned when he knocked on the door and got no response.

Toxicology test results on whether Williams had any drugs or alcohol in his system are weeks away. Boyd said authorities will continue to investigate his death.

The actor had periodic bouts of substance abuse and depression for years. Just last month, Williams announced he was returning to a 12-step treatment program.

Williams made reference to his substance abuse and depression in his comedy routines, including when he sought treatment in 2006 after a relapse that followed 20 years of sobriety.

Williams joked about that fall off the wagon during a comedy tour, saying: "I went to rehab in wine country to keep my options open."

Likewise, when word spread about his struggles with drugs in the early 1980s, Williams responded with a joke that for a time became a catchphrase for his generation's recreational drug use: "Cocaine is God's way of telling you you are making too much money."

Word that he had killed himself left neighbors in Tiburon equally stunned and grief-stricken. Williams had lived in the quiet, waterfront neighborhood for eight years, according to neighbors.

Noreen Nieder said Williams was a friendly neighbor who always said hello and engaged in small talk. Nieder said she wasn't close to Williams and his family, but she still felt comfortable enough to approach him and ask him about his latest stint in drug and alcohol rehabilitation.

"He was very open about it," Nieder said. "He told me he was doing well."

Fans and friends placed bouquets, candles and personal notes in front of the locked gates of Williams' house.

Link to Robin Williams death announcement story: http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2014/08/robin-williams-dies-in-apparent-suicide.html
Link to ABC KGO-TV News video: https://news.yahoo.com/video/sheriff-robin-williams-found-belt-181639683.html
Sheriff's Press Conference: https://news.yahoo.com/video/marin-county-coroner-holds-news-183500428.html

Statement by the President on Iraq



Martha’s Vineyard, MA
August 11, 2014
5:08pm

President Obama gave an update on the most recent developments in Iraq.

First, the President noted that U.S. forces have "successfully conducted targeted airstrikes to prevent terrorist forces from advancing on the city of Erbil, and to protect American civilians there." He also addressed our ongoing humanitarian efforts to help those who are stranded on Mount Sinjar, adding that we've deployed a USAID Disaster Assistance Response Team to help.

"Some have begun to escape their perch on that mountain," he said, "and we’re working with international partners to develop options to bring them to safety."

The President reiterated that "the only lasting solution is for Iraqis to come together and form an inclusive government," and highlighted important steps Iraq is taking in that effort:

"Last month, the Iraqi people named a new President. Today, President Masum named a new Prime Minister designate, Dr. Haider al-Abadi. Under the Iraqi constitution, this is an important step towards forming a new government that can unite Iraq’s different communities.

Earlier today, Vice President Biden and I called Dr. Abadi to congratulate him and to urge him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible -- one that’s inclusive of all Iraqis, and one that represents all Iraqis. I pledged our support to him, as well as to President Masum and Speaker Jabouri, as they work together to form this government. Meanwhile, I urge all Iraqi political leaders to work peacefully through the political process in the days ahead.

This new Iraqi leadership has a difficult task. It has to regain the confidence of its citizens by governing inclusively and by taking steps to demonstrate its resolve. The United States stands ready to support a government that addresses the needs and grievances of all Iraqi people. We are also ready to work with other countries in the region to deal with the humanitarian crisis and counterterrorism challenge in Iraq. Mobilizing that support will be easier once this new government is in place.

These have been difficult days in Iraq -- a country that has faced so many challenges in its recent history. And I’m sure that there will be difficult days ahead. But just as the United States will remain vigilant against the threat posed to our people by ISIL, we stand ready to partner with Iraq in its fight against these terrorist forces. Without question, that effort will be advanced if Iraqis continue to build on today’s progress, and come together to support a new and inclusive government.


Read full statement: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2014/08/11/statement-president-iraq

American Blacks Missing from U.S.-Africa Business Forum

Commentary By Raynard Jackson

President Obama hosted the first ever U.S.-Africa Business forum last week here in Washington, DC. Leading up to the conference, the U.S. Commerce Department announced:, “On August 5, 2014, Bloomberg Philanthropies and the U.S. Department of Commerce will co-host the first-ever U.S.-Africa Business Forum, a day focused on trade and investment opportunities on the continent. The U.S.-Africa Business Forum will be part of President Obama’s U.S.-Africa Leaders Summit, the first summit of its kind, and the largest event that any U.S. president has ever convened with African heads of state or government.”

I must admit that the various panels consisted of executives who all had a track record of great achievement. Panelists included Americans, Indians, Africans, and women. But, I couldn’t help but notice that there was not one Black American on any of the panels.

Not only has the first Black president continued to ignore his most loyal voting block, the Black community, but by his actions he has made it perfectly clear to African leaders that Black business leaders are totally irrelevant within the U.S.

There was not shortage of Blacks who could have fit the bill: Ken Chenault, CEO of American Express; Dick Parson, former CEO of Time Warner; Dave Steward, CEO of World Wide Technology ($ 6 billion in annual revenue); Junior Bridgeman, owner of 195 Wendys (doing more than $ 500 million in annual revenue); Bob Johnson, CEO of RLJ Holdings, who has already invested money in hotels in Liberia.

There was one panel that had five African presidents: Macky Sall (Senegal), Paul Kagame (Rwanda), Jacob Zuma (South Africa), Jakaya Kikwete ( Tanzania), and Moncef Marzouki (Tunisia). The panel was moderated by Charlie Rose. I guess the White House has never heard of Black interviewers such as Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Michelle Norris, or Gwen Ifill.

The first question Rose asked was about the ebola virus. The presidents seemed to have been quite offended by the question and pushed back that America only views Africa in terms of the negative.

The blame is totally Africa’s fault for the negative portrayal they receive in U.S. media. African presidents come to the U.S. and rarely, if ever, engage with the American media and definitely not with the Black media.

Kagame admitted as much when he told Rose, “We [must be] able to own up to our weaknesses, our mistakes and own up to our solutions and contribute to our solutions. We can’t even tell our story. We even depend on others to tell our stories which leads to distortions.”

When the President of Cameroon landed in the U.S. on his presidential jet at Andrews Air Force Base (where President Obama’s Air Force One Jet is stored), there was a huge story written about his arrival in the Washington Post. No, no it was not on the front page. No, not in the business section, But on the gossip page. There was not one mention of the President’s name. The full page story was all about the president’s wife hair. Yes, you heard right, her hair; and the author of the story was a Black Female.

This is how irrelevant Africa is viewed by the U.S. media. This is what happens when African Presidents and their U.S. based Ambassadors have no meaningful engagement with the media.

African can’t continue to demand to be a player on the world’s stage in the 21 st. century and yet govern and lead with a 20th century mentality. In many ways, having a media strategy is just as important as having a military strategy.

Controlling how you are perceived in the global market place has a direct impact on the investment community throughout the world. One needs to look no further than Equatorial Guinea to prove my point. It is one of the most corrupt countries on the planet; and outside of the oil industry, it’s almost impossible for them to get investment in their country.

I didn’t see or hear one media interview with any of the Presidents during their stay in the U.S. The daily media coverage was focused on all the traffic problems being created by the street closures because of the various Presidential motorcades.

The President spent more time discussing the unemployment rate in Africa than he has the unemployment rate within the Black community here in the U.S. He talked about targeted incentives for investment and job creation on the continent of Africa; but can’t find the time to create opportunities for Blacks here at home.

President Obama even created the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders. According to the White House, “through this initiative, young African leaders are gaining the skills and connections they need to accelerate their own career trajectories and contribute more robustly to strengthening democratic institutions, spurring economic growth, and enhancing peace and security in Africa.”

How about a similar program for Blacks in the U.S.?

Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a Washington, D.C.-based public relations/government affairs firm. He can be reached through his Web site, www.raynardjackson.com. You can also follow him on Twitter @raynard1223.

Robin Williams dies in apparent suicide; actor, comic was 63


Robin Williams (Photo: LA Times)

Story by the Los Angeles Times
Written by Ryan Parker , Steven Zeitchik, Lauren Raab

Robin Williams, a comic and sitcom star in the 1970s who became an Oscar-winning dramatic actor, died Monday at 63 in Marin County. The Marin County Sheriff's Office said he appears to have committed suicide.

The news of the beloved actor’s death rocked the nation. Channels broke into their usual programming to make the announcement, and within minutes, Williams dominated online trending topics. Even President Obama noted his passing.

Along with an Antoine de Saint-Exupéry poem, Williams' daughter, Zelda, tweeted: "I love you. I miss you. I will try to keep looking up."

Williams, hailed as a comic genius, was a star of movies and television for more than three decades. He also suffered from substance abuse problems.

The actor "has been battling severe depression of late," his publicist Mara Buxbaum said. "This is a tragic and sudden loss. The family respectfully asks for their privacy as they grieve during this very difficult time."

Williams was found unresponsive at his home in Tiburon around noon Monday, sheriff’s officials said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Dubbed “the funniest man alive” by Entertainment Weekly in 1997, Williams brought audiences hours of laughter, putting his imaginative spin on characters in film and television. He was lauded for his serious roles as well, winning a best supporting actor Oscar for his performance as Sean Maguire, the therapist who counsels Matt Damon’s math genius in “Good Will Hunting” (1997). He also received nominations for “The Fisher King” (1991), “Dead Poets Society” (1989) and “Good Morning, Vietnam” (1987).

Williams was known for being open about his problems with cocaine and alcohol over the years.

The actor spent time on a Hazelden campus in Oregon in 2006. He later explained that drinking had gradually become a problem again after 20 years of sobriety.

"You're standing at a precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,'" the "Mrs. Doubtfire" star told ABC News in October of that year. "The same voice that goes, 'Just one.' … And the idea of just one for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not the possibility."

This summer, he returned to rehab to "fine-tune" his sobriety.

Born in Chicago in 1951, Williams was accepted into John Houseman’s prestigious acting program at Juilliard along with Christopher Reeve, who became a lifelong friend.

Williams came to Hollywood prominence in the late 1970s with his starring role in “Mork & Mindy,” a spin-off of the then-popular “Happy Days.” Williams played an alien baffled by the ways of Earth, the comedy often resulting from the contrast between how he viewed the world and how the world really worked.


Robin Williams as Mork, in sitcom "Mork and Mindy"

After the show went off the air in 1982, Williams’ reputation for rapid-fire impersonations — not to mention a seemingly bottomless talent for comic improvisation — landed him a number of high-profile stand-up specials as well as numerous film roles. In “Good Morning Vietnam” he played a deejay who ruffled feathers with his truth-spewing, quip-cracking ways.

Although now common, the tear-up-the-script style of improvisation practiced by Williams was unusual in major Hollywood productions, and the actor seemed able to rewrite the rules by sheer force of personality — or, as was frequently the cases where Williams was concerned, personalities. That talent also landed him a gig co-hosting the Oscars in 1986, a turn that further cemented his A-list status.

Williams’ protean comedic skills reached perhaps their apex in “Mrs. Doubtfire” (1993), a cross-dressing comedy in which he played both a crusty older nanny and the divorced father who takes on the character to be closer to his children.

Walt Disney Company chairman Robert Iger said Williams would be remembered for bringing some of the worlds most beloved characters to life.

"He was a true Disney Legend, a beloved member of our family, and he will be sorely missed," Iger said in a statement. "We join Robin’s friends and fans everywhere in mourning, and offer our thoughts and condolences to his family during this difficult time."

A melancholy current ran under Williams’ dramatic roles. He played an unconventional teacher in “Dead Poets Society," a doctor who tended to the mentally troubled in “Awakenings" (1990), a disturbed vagabond in “The Fisher King” and a widowed psychologist in “Good Will Hunting." That last role — in which he famously counseled a hotshot Damon while grappling with his own demons — landed him his first Oscar win.

Further demonstrating his persona-stretching skills, Williams also had well-regarded parts playing presidents — as Dwight Eisenhower in last summer’s hit “Lee Daniels’ The Butler” and as Teddy Roosevelt in the comic franchise “Night At the Museum,” the latter of which he will reprise for the final time when the Ben Stiller film hits theaters this holiday season.

He returned to the small screen after more than 32 years to star in the CBS comedy "The Crazy Ones," which ran for a single season before its cancellation.

At one point during his career, Williams had to fight to be seen by the public as something more than just a funny guy.

"It's hard because people want to know you're a certain thing," he told The Times in 1991. "They still say, 'That's the little manic guy. He's the little adrenaline guy. Oh, yeah, he touches himself. He doesn't do that anymore. But wait a minute. He's the little manic guy who played the really quiet guy and then the really scary guy. Oh, no, wait....' "

Williams' talent for ad-libbing functioned as a gift and a shield.


Robin's most memorable moments (credit: 20 Century Fox)

He was a wonderful guy," Masada added. "I remember John [Belushi] and Robin, both of them always complained to me — no matter where they were people would recognize them. They sold their privacy to the public. They could be in the middle of talking in the street and someone would come up for an autograph.... he [Robin] didn't realize how much he sold his privacy to people."

The sign on the Laugh Factory Monday night in Hollywood read “Robin Williams Rest in Peace. Make God Laugh.” A group of mostly comedians milled about in front of the Comedy Store shortly after the news broke and the marquee there read “RIP Robin Williams.”

U.S. President Barack Obama issued a statement about Williams' passing. "Robin Williams was an airman, a doctor, a genie, a nanny, a president, a professor, a bangarang Peter Pan and everything in between," the President said. "But he was one of a kind. He arrived in our lives as an alien — but he ended up touching every element of the human spirit. He made us laugh. He made us cry. He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most — from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets."

“We have lost one of our most inspired and gifted comic minds, as well as one of this generation’s greatest actors,” said Chris Columbus, who directed Williams in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” and was scheduled to work with him again on “Mrs. Doubtfire 2,” a sequel recently set in motion.

“To watch Robin work was a magical and special privilege,” Columbus said. “His performances were unlike anything any of us had ever seen, they came from some spiritual and otherworldly place.... We were friends for 21 years. Our children grew up together, he inspired us to spend our lives in San Francisco and I loved him like a brother.”

Williams' dramatic turn as the fast-talking genie in the 1992 Disney animated movie “Aladdin” also stood apart, recalled Jeffrey Katzenberg, chief executive of DreamWorks Animation and former chairman of Walt Disney Studios.

“His was truly one of the most brilliant and singular performances in the history of animation,” said Katzenberg, who worked closely with Williams on the hit movie that helped revive Disney’s storied animation studio. “'Aladdin' would not be the classic movie it is without his brilliance.”

At Williams' home on a quiet street that backs onto stunning views of San Francisco Bay, neighbors and strangers began arriving Monday evening to lay flowers at the gate and share remembrances.

Neighbor Kelly Cook, 50, called him "brilliant" as well as "really quiet and private." The upscale neighborhood respected that privacy, and Williams always greeted neighbors with a wave, she said.

An avid cyclist, he was often seen riding the winding Paradise Loop.

Cook's children called him "the funny man" and would greet him as such when he was out walking his pug. He joked easily with them, Cook said, "because they were kids."

Cook's voice cracked Monday as she walked toward Williams' home carrying bright orange gerbera daisies, chosen because "I thought the color would be uplifting."

"It's just so sad when depression takes someone like that," she said.

Megan Thorpe, 25, of Mill Valley brought three red roses.

The nanny had worked all night Sunday and was sleeping when the texts about Williams’ death started pouring in. Thorpe said she fell in love with Williams watching "Aladdin." When she moved to the Bay Area a year ago, one of the first things she did was pay a visit to the "Doubtfire house." She knew she had to pay her respects Monday.

Some celebrities turned to Twitter to mourn him.

"I could not be more stunned by the loss of Robin Williams, mensch, great talent, acting partner, genuine soul," fellow actor-comedian Steve Martin said on Twitter.

"Robin Williams was like no other," actor and director Henry Winkler said. "To watch him create on the spot was a privilege to behold.. Robin you are an angel now !!! REST IN PEACE"

The Marin County Sheriff’s Office is scheduled to hold a news conference on the death investigation at 11 a.m. Tuesday.

Williams is survived by his wife, Susan Schneider; brother McLaurin Smith Williams; children Zachary Williams, Cody Williams and Zelda Rae Williams; and stepsons Casey Armusewicz and Peter Armusewicz.

Read Robin Williams obituary: http://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-robin-williams-20140812-story.html#page=1

2014-08-11

Michael Brown remembered as a 'gentle giant'


Michael Brown with family at the dinner table (photo by friend posted on facebook)

Story by St Louis Post-Dispatch
Written by Elisa Crouch

Michael Brown posted a haunting message on Facebook last week as he prepared to enter a new phase in his life: College.

“If I leave this earth today,” he wrote to a friend, “At least you'll know I care about others more then I cared about myself.”

Brown, 18, died Saturday after a Ferguson police officer shot him multiple times outside an apartment complex. Brown was two days from starting class at Vatterott College. Close friends had been packing up and departing for schools such as Kansas State University and Arkansas Baptist University on sports scholarships.

“Everyone else wanted to be a football player, a basketball player,” said Gerard Fuller, who had known Brown since second grade at Pine Lawn Elementary School. “He wanted to own his own business. He’d say, ‘Let’s make something out of nothing.’”

Brown graduated from high school at the predominately African-American Normandy High School, a high-poverty school in a district that has been at the center of legislative battles and a string of politically charged decisions by the Missouri Board of Education.

Teachers described Brown as a “Gentle Giant,” a student who loomed large and didn’t cause trouble. Friends describe him as a quiet person with a wicked sense of humor, one who loved music and had begun to rap. He fought an uphill battle to graduate.

As a freshman, he was in Junior ROTC. His sophomore year he played football. During his junior year, he attended McCluer High School in the neighboring Ferguson-Florissant district before returning his senior year to Normandy. There, he spent time in a credit recovery program so he could graduate in May.

“We were at graduation, me and him, and we were talking,” said Hershel Johnson, a friend of Brown’s since middle school. “He said he wasn’t going to end up like some people on the streets. He was going to get an education. He was going to make his life a whole a lot better.”

Friends of Brown’s learned about his death shortly after he was shot Saturday afternoon. They saw photos of him lying in the street on Canfield Drive where his body remained for hours. Some joined the crowds of mourners and protesters who had gathered there since the shooting in protest of how Brown had died: Black, unarmed and from multiple gunshots.

At one point, members of the crowd held up their hands, saying, “Don’t shoot me!” as police officers with barking dogs tried to keep order. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the officer’s gun was fired once inside the car during a struggle with Brown, hitting no one, and that the officer then fired multiple times at the 18-year-old as he ran away. Police say Brown tried to take the officer’s gun.

“That doesn’t sound like Michael,” Johnson said. “I know he would never do anything like that. I just don’t believe he’d do anything that would cause this whole situation.”

On May 22, Brown walked across the stage inside Viking Hall, accepting a diploma with 114 other classmates. His gown was green. His sash was red.

In his graduation picture, Brown holds an expression of someone who’d just finished an endurance race. He had voiced relief to a number of friends that day, including Raquan Smith.

“After that was done and people were leaving, I remember seeing him off to the side,” Smith said. “He kind of just came up to me and said, ‘We made it.’”

“‘Yeah man, we made it,’ I told him. It was a breath of fresh air to know someone else shared the struggle in school. And now we were starting a whole new life.”

On Facebook and on Twitter, friends and classmates shared their anger, sadness and disbelief. They had to process the fact that Brown was dead. And they also had to deal with how he died.

“This is a problem,” Smith said. “This is an unfortunate recurring problem. We as a race, we as a community, we as youth need to step up and say, ‘Things need to change.’”

Smith was among the friends who attended a vigil Sunday at the scene of Brown’s death. Bryson Jenkins, a classmate and member of Brown’s extended family, couldn’t be there. He just started as a freshman at Arkansas Baptist University.

“It hurt so bad to get that phone call,” Jenkins said. “He was a sharer. He was a giver. When one of his friends needed something he would give. Mike used to sell candy in middle school. I’d come up to Mike and say, ‘Mike, let me get some Skittles or something.’ I’d offer him a dollar and he’d say, ‘It’s on me.’”

What Richard Nixon Said When He Resigned 40 Years Ago



President Richard Millhouse Nixon resigns as President of the United States forty years ago on August 8, 1974

Story by ABC News
Written by Jordyn Phelps

Forty years ago, Richard Nixon – facing all but certain impeachment amidst the Watergate scandal – announced his decision to resign as president. The Watergate scandal was touched off by the June 17, 1972 break-in of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Through the initial reporting of Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, as well as a formal Congressional investigation, it was learned that Nixon knew about the break-in despite his administration’s attempt to cover the president’s tracks.

This is an excerpted transcript of Nixon’s address to the nation on August 8, 1974:

NIXON: … Because of the Watergate matter I might not have the support of the Congress that I would consider necessary to back the very difficult decisions and carry out the duties of this office in the way the interests of the Nation would require.

I have never been a quitter. To leave office before my term is completed is abhorrent to every instinct in my body. But as President, I must put the interest of America first. America needs a full-time President and a full-time Congress, particularly at this time with problems we face at home and abroad.

To continue to fight through the months ahead for my personal vindication would almost totally absorb the time and attention of both the President and the Congress in a period when our entire focus should be on the great issues of peace abroad and prosperity without inflation at home.

Therefore, I shall resign the Presidency effective at noon tomorrow. Vice President Ford will be sworn in as President at that hour in this office.

Links:
http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/secret-nixon-tapes-shattered-presidency-20030369
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/video/may-17-1973-televised-watergate-hearings-begin-19171632
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/key-legacies-president-richard-nixon-100th-birthday/story?id=18160523
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/video/richard-nixon-says-i-should-have-burned-watergate-tapes-19170415

2014-08-08

President Obama Makes a Statement on the Crisis in Iraq


Last night, President Obama made a statement addressing the current crisis in Iraq. He announced that he authorized two operations in the country: "targeted airstrikes to protect our American personnel, and a humanitarian effort to help save thousands of Iraqi civilians who are trapped on a mountain without food and water and facing almost certain death."

The President detailed the actions that the U.S. is taking, and explained why we must act now. He also made clear that "even as we support Iraqis as they take the fight to these terrorists, American combat troops will not be returning to fight in Iraq."

Civil Rights Act Exhibition Highlights Legal and Legislative Challenges and Victories

NEWS from the LIBRARY of CONGRESS

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” Exhibition Highlights Legal and Legislative Challenges and Victories

Exhibition Opens Sept. 10

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin. It banned discrimination in public accommodations, such as hotels, restaurants, theaters and retail stores. It outlawed segregation in public education. It banned discrimination in employment, and it ended unequal application of voter-registration requirements. The act was a landmark piece of legislation that opened the doors to further progress in the acquisition and protection of civil rights.

The Library of Congress exhibition “The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom,” which opens on Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2014, will highlight the legal and legislative struggles and victories leading to its passage, shedding light on the individuals—both prominent leaders and private citizens—who participated in the decades-long campaign for equality.

Located in the Southwest Gallery on the second level of the Library’s Thomas Jefferson Building, 10 First St. S.E., Washington, D.C., the year-long exhibition will be free and open to the public Monday through Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It closes on Sept. 12, 2015.

The exhibition will feature more than 200 items, including correspondence and documents from civil rights leaders and organizations, photographs, newspapers, legal briefs, drawings and posters. The materials are drawn primarily from the NAACP Records in the Library’s Manuscript Division and its Prints and Photographs Division.

In addition, audio-visual stations throughout the gallery will feature 77 clips showing dramatic events such as protests, sit-ins, boycotts and other public actions against segregation and discrimination. Eyewitness testimony of activists and from participants who helped craft the law will be included. The audio-visual material will be drawn from the Library’s American Folklife Center’s Civil Rights History Project and from the Library’s National Audio-Visual Conservation Center.

The exhibition will include two videos co-produced with HISTORY®. An introductory film narrated by Julian Bond, a political and civil rights leader and professor at American University and the University of Virginia, will focus on the significance of the Civil Rights Act. The second film will explore the impact of the Civil Rights Act and will feature interviews with Taylor Branch, author and historian; U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg; U.S. Rep. John Lewis, a leader in the Civil Rights Movement; and Risa Goluboff, professor of law at the University of Virginia.

“The Civil Rights Act of 1964: A Long Struggle for Freedom” is made possible by a generous grant from Newman’s Own Foundation, with additional support from HISTORY® for both audio-visual and educational outreach.

“By funding this exhibition, we proudly continue Paul Newman’s commitment to the empowerment of individuals,” said Robert H. Forrester, president of Newman’s Own Foundation. “We hope that the strength of the human spirit as reflected in this exhibit will inform people’s understanding of the present and provide inspiration to help create a better world for tomorrow.”

There are six thematic sections in the exhibition: Prologue, Segregation Era, World War II and the Post-War Years, Civil Rights Era, Civil Rights Act of 1964 and The Impact.

Exhibition Highlights


Prologue will provide a historical backdrop for the course of race relations in the United States, from the beginning of the Revolutionary War Era (1775-1783) to the first decade of the 20th century. This section covers participation of African Americans in the Revolutionary War, the founding of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, steps taken to grant newly freed African Americans basic civil and political rights, as well as the actions taken after the end of Reconstruction to roll back those rights. Highlights include a dramatic work based on the testimonies of former slaves, written by Ossie Davis and performed by Davis and his wife, Ruby Dee; Plessy v. Ferguson, the U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld segregation with the concept “separate but equal.”

Segregation Era explores the founding of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) by a group of black and white activists in 1909. The section also examines the escalation of racial violence. Important artifacts include the 9-foot-by-6-foot lynching flag flown at the headquarters of NAACP in New York City whenever an African American was lynched; a recorded autobiography by W. E. B. Du Bois, co-founder of the NAACP, in which he relates the experience that turned him into an activist.

World War II and the Post-War Years delves into civil rights initiatives, minorities in the military and the founding of civil rights organizations from 1940 to 1949. The section will feature the Fair Employment Practices Committee, which President Franklin D. Roosevelt established during this period. Highlights on display include a letter written by Jackie Robinson to his college friend on breaking the color barrier in professional baseball; a recording of Robinson fielding reporters’ questions after his first season in the major leagues; the Bayard Rustin and George M. Houser report on the 1947 Journey of Reconciliation, the first Freedom Ride conducted to test enforcement of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Morgan v. Virginia banning segregation in interstate travel; a photograph of the Journey of Reconciliation participants; and President Harry Truman’s two 1948 executive orders banning discrimination in federal employment and in the armed forces.

The Civil Rights Era focuses on the events and achievements of civil rights leaders and citizen-activists from 1950 to 1963. Pivotal events include the March on Washington, the Mississippi Freedom Summer and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Highlights include U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren’s reading copy of the Brown v. Board of Education opinion; Rosa Parks’ arrest record from the day she refused to give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger; a telegram from Paul Robeson to A. Philip Randolph regarding the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till; an interview with Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth on bombings and beatings he suffered; documentary footage and interviews from numerous sites of protest, including Nashville, Tenn., Albany, Ga., Greenwood, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., Cambridge, Md., Oklahoma City, Okla., Jackson, Miss. and Plaquemine, La.; and speeches by John Lewis and Martin Luther King Jr. written for the March on Washington. Also in this section, a wide variety of civil rights-inspired songs—gospel, folk, jazz, rock and pop—will be heard.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 examines the culmination of efforts from private citizens, organizations, Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, the House and Senate leadership and members of the U.S. Congress. After eight months of congressional debate, the bill passed in the U.S. Senate on June 19, 1964. The House voted to adopt the Senate-passed bill on July 2, and that same day President Johnson signed the bill into law. Highlights include film footage of Oval Office deliberations prior to Kennedy’s national television address on civil rights; a debate about Kennedy’s speech among black leaders, including Malcolm X; video interview with key congressional figures, including Robert W. Kastenmeier, William M. McCulloch, John Lindsay, Emanuel Celler and Howard W. Smith; a televised debate on the bill between Senators Hubert Humphrey and Strom Thurmond; Johnson’s draft remarks delivered when he signed the bill; and a number of letters between NAACP officials Clarence Mitchell and Roy Wilkins concerning the legislative progress of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The Impact section explores how the passage of the act lent the power of the federal government to the ongoing struggle for a more just and inclusive American society. It also looks at the shortcomings of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 from the perspective of many civil rights activists and how further grassroots mobilization, judicial precedent and legislative action were needed to further expand civil rights protection.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution and the largest library in the world, holds more than 158 million items in various languages, disciplines and formats. The Library serves the U.S. Congress and the nation both on-site in its reading rooms on Capitol Hill and through its award-winning website at www.loc.gov.

Kevin Love is a Cavalier and Andrew Wiggins goes to the Wolves



Story by Yahoo Sports
Written by Dan Devine

The last remaining major domino of the NBA offseason is poised to fall, as Yahoo Sports NBA columnist Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday that the Cavs and Minnesota Timberwolves have agreed to terms on a deal that will send All-NBA Second Team power forward Kevin Love to Cleveland in exchange for 2013 No. 1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, 2014 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins and a protected 2015 first-round pick.

The deal can't be formally finalized until Aug. 23 because league rules prohibit the trading of draft picks until 30 days after they sign their deals, so the standard caveat applies — things aren't done until they're done.

Love will pair with fellow offseason acquisition LeBron James and All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving to give the Cavaliers arguably the most talented troika in the NBA, a three-man power trip capable of unleashing offensive onslaughts against even the most tenacious defenses. He will also join shooting guard Dion Waiters, who is already wondering why these bums won't just get out of the way and let him cook.

Read more: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/kevin-love-is-a-cavalier-while-andrew-wiggins-goes-the-wolves--because-lebron-james-gets-what-he-wants-183153111.html