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Black News: 20-Month Old Baby Murdered In His Car Seat

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Rashad Walker (Photo Provided)

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

Rashad Walker Jr. was just 20 months old when he died. The young child was killed in the back of his mother's minivan in Syracuse, NY. when he was shot by up to 10 bullets that hit the vehicle at 4:30 pm this past Sunday. The child was asleep at the time, according to the Syracuse Post Standard.
Walker died at 6:45 pm, in the hospital and he was not the intended target. His mother was holding him when paramedics arrived on the scene.
The story of Rashad Walker is clearly one of the most tragic incidents we've read about all year. It takes us back to the police shooting of Aiyana Jones, the 7-year old in Detroit who was shot while sleeping during a police raid. This story is also personal to me because I live in Syracuse, a city that (like so many others) continues to be plagued by gun violence.

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Tiger’s Ex-Girlfriend Gets Treated for Love Addiction

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

I wonder if the goal of anyone who gets involved in a celebrity sex scandal is to try to become famous for something else. It doesn't matter what you're famous for, as long as people know your name. Well, Rachel Uchitel, formerly known as one of Tiger Woods' 10 billion mistresses, has taken on a new role as a public love addict. She is now going to be part of a new show hosted by Dr. Drew Pinsky, in which he addresses the challenges that addicts face. Yes, her addiction to love will be placed right there next to addictions to crack, crystal meth and alcohol. Interesting.
I scoured the web searching for a good, scientific definition of love addiction, but it was tough to find. I did find something on loveaddicts.org with 40 questions to know whether or not you're a love addict. The site was created by a counselor who gives help to those who want it. She even offers a 12-step program to help those who are addicted to love.

 

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Four Loko Taken Off the Shelves: The Bad Side of Capitalism

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

After witnessing the deaths of innocent citizens all across America, the FDA took a second to realize that perhaps the energy drink craze should be regulated a bit more than it has in the past. One of the most interesting drinks on the market is Four Loko, a caffeinated alcoholic beverage that is being gulped by the gallon. The government has forced the removal of the drink from store shelves, reminding us that sometimes, the presence of Big Brother can be a good thing.

Those in the Tea Party who want to see smaller government might want to take a moment of pause to realize that government intervention can be helpful when it comes to protecting citizens in a capitalist society. Many Americans are tempted to buy into the idealistic notion that a completely free society works all the time for everyone, but it is sobering to remember just how harmful unregulated capitalism can be.

 

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PRESIDENT OBAMA PUTS A TWO YEAR PAY FREEZE ON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES

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*This year, the post-Thanksgiving belt tightening isn’t just about too much pumpkin pie: President Obama is proposing a salary freeze for all civilian federal employees over the next two years (military personnel will not be affected).

Asserting that this was a difficult decision, Obama put the freeze into the context of a broader effort to trim government costs across the board, including freezing salaries for all senior White House officials last year, reducing improper government payments by $50 billion by the end of 2012, and putting forward over $1 trillion in deficit reduction into the 2011 budget.

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KANYE RECIEVED A FEW ‘BOOS’ DURING THE MACY’S THANKSGIVING PARADE

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*It looks like Kanye West isn’t America’s favorite person right now considering how he was roundly booed at last Thursday’s 84h Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.

As the rapper made his way down the street atop a float shaped like an apple, spectators jeered at him saying some pretty mean things.

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MONTELL JORDAN IS NOW A MINISTER

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*According to Montell Jordan’s most recent Twitter messages, he has officially given up R&B and will become a licensed minister.

He will become the new worship pastor at Victory World Church in Norcross, Georgia.

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BISHOP EDDIE LONG STILL UPSETTING THE CHURCH

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*Faith-based publication, Gospel Today is getting some negative attention recently from readers for its controversial cover for its Nov/Dec edition.

Bishop Eddie Long graces the magazine’s glossy front cover with an accompanying headline, “Bishop Eddie Long at the Center of the Scandal that Rocked the Church World.”

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JANET JACKSON REMEMBERS TUPAC SOFTER SIDE

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*Janet Jackson says she still misses her “Poetic Justice” co-star Tupac Shakur, insisting the late rapper wasn’t always the tough guy he portrayed through his music.

“Pac was just silly,” she tells Britain’s Sunday Telegraph. “He was completely different from what people knew. Not that it was an act, the person that the world knew, because that was him, too. I adored him – he liked to play and laugh.

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FAITH EVANS DRUNK DRIVING GETS HER PROBATION

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TMZ is reporting that Faith Evans has been sentenced to 36 months of probation after copping a plea in her DUI case.

The singer was arrested in Los Angeles back in August and faced two counts of driving under the influence. According to TMZ, she reached a deal with prosecutors in which she agreed to plead “no contest” to the lesser charge of reckless driving instead.

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HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE IT, IF THIS HAPPENED TO YOU?

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A black former postal worker from Hingham, Massachusetts thought that this day would  be a routine work day filled with mail drop offs and pick ups. Until he came face to face with a disgruntle and racist white customer. The woman featured in this two part YouTube
video sensation comes face to face with the postal worker. In video one, she is enraged, hangs from the carrier’s postal truck window and demands that he retrieve a piece of certified mail that she has signed for. When the postal worker denies her request for retrieval of her mail, her true colors shine and she begins to racially attack the worker with statements like “You’re a fucking nigger thief.” Clearly this woman is delusional because she follows that statement with “I’m not prejudiced but right now I’m getting real pissed off.” The postal worker remained calm and clear during this racial attack. He explained to her that he could not take back the certified mail and why was she calling him names. Unfortunately his calm demeanor seemed to enrage the women to the point
of threatening his life.

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Dr. Laura’s Punishment for Racism? She Gets another Job

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Is Dr. Laura's return a reward for racist rant?

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University  – Scholarship in Action 

Dr. Laura Schlessinger is the esteemed radio host who made the wise decision to use the n-word on the air so many times that it would put a gangster rapper to shame. Sure, she had an explanation for using the word so many times, but she also had a dictionary full of words she could have used instead. As a consequence for her infamous tirade, Schlessinger is going to receive the most daunting punishment known to man: She is being sent over to Sirius/XM Satellite in order to take a new job. Yes, that really taught her a lesson.

The "venerable" Dr. Laura, the woman who has no problem insulting the black community at every possible turn, has now been given a multi-year gig on XM Satellite Radio. Terms were not disclosed, but she was able to land the gig faster than you could say, "I don't care what black people think." The treatment of Dr. Laura presents a very telling lesson for those of us who are attempting to understand the nature of white privilege. According to the rules of a post-racial society, the expression of hatred toward people of color not only goes without punishment, it is actually rewarded.

Let's be clear: If Dr. Laura were a black person spewing insults of this nature toward whites, she would find herself in the unemployment line, along with millions of other capable black people. This kind of double standard explains why black unemployment is nearly double that of white Americans, and why the National Association of Black Journalists is forced to constantly fight for the crumbs that people like Dr. Laura leave behind.

 

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Black Entertainment News from thegrio.com – 11/29/10

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Black News from Your Black World – 11/29/10

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Al Sharpton Attacked by the New York Daily News

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Al Sharpton

by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

It's not easy fighting for civil rights and running organizations that stand up for the freedoms of the oppressed. If you're good at what you do, your enemies will try anything to take you down. On top of that, many of the people you are fighting for, via self-hatred, may be skeptical of your efforts and willing to partner with oppressive forces to undermine your work. Even worse, your constituents may not have the means to help you face the massive financial responsibility that comes with serving your community. Freedom damn sure ain't free, and most leaders have the receipts to prove it.
I don't get as many calls for help as Rev. Al Sharpton, but I get my fair share. The most difficult thing about receiving these requests is that you want to help everyone, but are constantly struggling to find the resources to get the job done. If you ask for help to pay the cost of the trip, people think you're somehow trying to swindle them or earn an unnecessary profit from the work you do. The truth is that everybody's got bills to pay and the bigger your name, the more people think you're made of money.

 

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WASHINGTON POST RESPOND TO PALIN’S ATTACK ON THE 1ST LADY

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*Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen has taken on Sarah Palin for her attack against Michelle Obama.

In Palin’s book “America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag,” she rips the First Lady for her remark from the 2008 campaign: “For the first time in my adult life, I am proud of my country because it feels like hope is finally making a comeback.”

Palin says that President Obama believes that America — at least America as it currently exists — is a fundamentally unjust and unequal country.

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PRESIDENT OBAMA GETS 12 STICTCHES

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President Barack Obama (R) walks to his car with Secret Service Agents after a game of basketball with firends and aides on November 26, 2010 at Fort McNair in Washington, DC.

President Barack Obama received 12 stitches Friday after being inadvertently hit with an opposing player’s elbow in the lip while playing basketball with friends and family, according to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

The stitches were administered by the White House Medical Unit.

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SOLEDAD’S BOOK PARTY WAS HOSTED BY RUSSELL SIMMONS

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Hip-hop entrepreneur-turned-philanthropist Russell Simmons recently opened up his home to host a star-studded party for Soledad O’Brien in his lavish two-story penthouse located in lower Manhattan.

The occasion marked the release of Soledad’s autobiography, The Next Big Story, which she co-wrote with Rose Marie Arce.

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JOHN HOPKINS TEACHES COURSE BASED ON ‘THE WIRE’

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It’s a case of life imitating art. Sorta. “The Wire,” the old HBO series is the topic of a new class at Johns Hopkins University, in the city where the crime series was based.
The class was introduced this semester and uses the Baltimore show as a way to look at the problems big cities in America face. Guest speakers have included former Baltimore commissioner Ed Norris, an actor on the show, and show creator David Simon, reports the AP.

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MEL B LOOKS A LITTLE TOO FRIENDLY

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It seems Melanie Brown AKA Mel B’s got some ‘splainin’ to do.
Brown, the former Spice Girl and Eddie Murphy baby mama, who is now married to Stephen Belafonte, was photographed sitting on the lap British actor Tamer Hassan (see below) at the May Fair hotel in London earlier this week. Belafonte, meanwhile, was back in LA babysitting the kids.

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MJ RESPONDS TO LEBRON JAMES NIKE COMMERCIAL

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*It seems we was snookered. Someone sent us a link to what they said was a new Nike ad featuring Michael Jordan responding to LeBron James’ now infamous “What Shall I Do” advert.

We thought it was strange that Nike would create such an advert and that MJ would participate, but hey, we’ve come to expect the unexpected from Nike and we know that Mr. Jordan is not shy about speaking his mind. So when MJ says “Maybe You’re Just Making Excuses,” we was hooked.

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JADA PINKETT SMITH DISCUSSES THE SUCCESS OF HER KIDS

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*Access’ Shaun Robinson chats with Jada Pinkett Smith about making the transition from being an artist to being a mother that oversees artists. What does she enjoy most about working with her kids, Willow and Jaden, in that capacity?

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MARCUS JORDAN DUNKS LIKE HIS FATHER MICHAEL JORDAN

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*Marcus Jordan, son of NBA legend Michael Jordan, seems to be following in his popz’ footsteps.

Tuesday night (11-23-10), the University of Central Florida sophomore guard intercepted an inbound pass in the second half a game against rivals Stetson and did what dad would’ve done.

see clip here

MICHAEL STEPHEN BOWDEN WANTS TO KILL PRESIDENT OBAMA

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Michael Stephen Bowden

*In South Carolina, a 78-year-old man with more than a dozen weapons in his home has been arrested after federal authorities say he told a nurse he was thinking about killing President Barack Obama.

Michael Stephen Bowden was being held Friday at the Spartanburg County jail. Bowden was arrested recently after he told a nurse at a Veterans Affairs clinic in Spartanburg he was thinking of killing the president, according to a sworn statement by a U.S. Secret Service agent, reports the AP.

During a checkup at the clinic Nov. 16, a nurse asked Bowden if he ever thought about killing himself. According to the affidavit, Bowden told the nurse, “Yes, I would like to shoot the president then myself.”
Bowden repeated those words to another nurse, adding that he wanted to kill Obama “because he is not doing enough to help African Americans.”

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The Black Face of HIV/AIDS

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From the time she was seven years old Hydeia Broadbent has been at the forefront of spreading awareness about the impact of HIV & AIDS. In 1996, her infamous statement at the Republican Convention-- "I am the future and I have AIDS" -- catapulted her and the reality of the disease to national acclaim. Infected from birth by her crack-addicted mother, Broadbent, who was adopted by foster parents Patricia and Loren Broadbent, a biracial couple, Broadbent remembers when doctors didn't believe she would live past the age of 10.
Now 27 years old and living with AIDS, Broadbent shares with Blackvoices.com the truth about the disease and why the Black community should be more outraged at its growing status in the U.S. and across the globe.

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RANDY SHANNON NO LONGER UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S HEAD COACH

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*Saturday night Randy Shannon was fired as the head football coach of the University of Miami, hours after the Hurricanes finished a 7-5 regular season that began with championship expectations.

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LIL WAYNE HAS RETURNED AND HE IS BACK TO WORK

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*New Orleans native Lil’ Wayne, released from Rikers Island earlier this month after serving an eight month sentence, made a surprise appearance today at the Q93/State Farm Bayou Classic Fan Festival on Saturday (11-27-10).

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JAY-Z IS USING HIS WRITING SKILLS FOR A NEW BOOK

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Jay-Z is awfully busy these days. A couple of weeks ago the Hip-Hop mogul released the memoir “Decoded” and now he’s getting ready to release a biography in March.

The book is entitled “Empire State of Mind: How Jay-Z Went from Street Corner to Corner Office” and will feature interviews form past collaborators and business partners Damon Dash, DJ Clark Kent and Questlove.

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Black News from Your Black World – 11/27/1

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Toddler Dies from Drinking Methadone in Sippy Cup

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Toddler Dies After Drinking Methadone from Sippy Cup

Two-year-old Masia Wright died after ingesting a lethal amount of the drug methadone from his sippy cup. Investigators in Jacksonville, Florida say that the toddler managed to get his hands on a sippy cup with methadone inside after his dad's girlfriend, Dana Anderson, left it on top of her four-foot-tall dresser.

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How are Black Women Making It in the Workplace?

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

When a very important member of my management team told me that she was going to take time off to have a child, my brain stopped in its tracks. I wondered how we were going to remain fully productive, how long she would be gone, and how I should respond to such a sensitive situation. I then realized that, like so many American business owners, I was thinking like a man. Once I came to my senses, I let go of my personal concerns and focused solely on supporting her in this important step. I then realized that this interaction happens in workplaces across America, and the results are not always so amicable.

The United States is among the worst of industrialized nations when it comes to comes to making allowances for the professional challenges that women face relative to men. A woman who stops working in order to have children and/or raise a family may find that when she returns to the workforce, her opportunity set has diminished significantly. This doesn't even consider typical gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment and other daunting barriers to advancement.


You may already know that according to the US Department of Labor, women now outnumber men in the workplace (64.2 million to 63.4 million). This takes us a long way from the days when women weren't allowed to vote, or female attorneys couldn't be more than legal secretaries. Given that we have grown so much as a society, our nation has to step into the 21st century when it comes to equalizing the employment landscape.

 

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Black News from Your Black World – 11/27/10

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RIHANNA PLAYS WITH NICKI MINAJ’S BUTT

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*In a special Thanksgiving performance for radio station Hot 97, Nicki MInaj showed off exactly why she is rumored to have buttock enhancements.

The rapper wore a two-faced suit from fashion designer The Blonds – the front half was a normal black silk suit while the back half was a nude bejeweled body suit – as she performed at the Hammerstein Ballroom in her home town of New York with a host of friends, including Rihanna, Kanye West, Keyshia Cole and Drake.

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Study Says that One-Third of Men in South Africa Have Committed Rape

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

A study commissioned by the Medical Research Foundation, a group funded by the South African government, has wielded some disturbing findings about violence against women. According to the study, more than 1-in-3 men of Johannesburg have committed rape at some point in their lives. Roughly seven percent of the men sampled admitted to participating in a gang rape.
The study also found that over 51 percent of the 511 women surveyed had been victims of violence from men. Also, 78 percent of men admitted to committing a violent act against a woman. One fourth of the women in the survey said that they'd been raped, but only about four percent of these rapes are reported to police.
These findings are similar to a 2008 study that found that 28 percent of the men in Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces had committed rape against a woman or girl. Also, one-third of the men said they did not feel guilty for what they'd done. Two-thirds of the men claimed to have committed rape out of a sense of entitlement, and others raped out of boredom or a desire to punish women who'd rejected them.

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President Obama Elbowed in the Face Playing Basketball

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

It's hard to imagine the deep national security implications of being the man who elbowed President Barack Obama in the face on the basketball court. But that's what Ray Decerega will be talking about for the rest of his life. Decerega is the Director of Programs for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, and also the man who issued a public statement after it was determined that he was the one who busted the president's mouth wide open.
"I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport. I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I'm sure he'll be back out on the court again soon," Decerega said.
The men had gathered to play five games of five-on-five when the incident took place. The games reportedly included Obama's nephew Avery Robinson, his assistant Reggie Love and Education Secretary Arne Duncan. Obama's Press Secretary Robert Gibbs had this to say:

 

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Ugly Betty Actor Michael Brea: “I Killed the Demons Inside My Mom”

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by Dr. Boyce Watkins, Syracuse University – Scholarship in Action 

"Ugly Betty" actor Michael Brea did an interesting interview with the New York Daily News this week, after being sent to jail for allegedly murdering his mother with a samarai sword. The actor argues that he was "doing the work of God" when he continuously chopped at his mother's body. He also says that he believes there was a demon inside her.

"I was slashing my mom and I heard the police knocking on the door yelling, 'Michael, open up, Michael, open up,' but I knew they wouldn't open the door and stop me because the spirits were protecting me ... I just kept cutting her. No one could stop me. I was doing the work of God," he said.

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FOUR PEOPLE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR CHRIS HENRY

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You hear a lot of stories around the holidays that are designed to elicit an emotional response - prefab "Hallmark Moments". But once in a while, you see the results of a graceful and unselfish gesture that really knocks you off your feet. So it has been for Carolyn Glaspy, the mother of former Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry, who lost his life in the early morning of Dec. 17, 2009 after a fall from a moving vehicle the day before.

Four people - Brian Polk, Donna Arnold, James Benton, and Thomas Elliot - are alive today because of the organ transplants that were made possible by his mother after Henry's passing. The embedded CBS Sports feature from this morning's Lions-Patriots pregame show begins with those four people and their families sharing a Thanksgiving table with Chris Henry's mom. And if that doesn't choke you up ... well, don't worry. There are many more opportunities to "get a little dust in your eye" as the seven-minute feature rolls along.

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BEYONCE’S ‘I AM DVD’ EXPOSES MRS.KNOWLES IN A LIGHT

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*Beyonce turned the cameras on herself, asking “Why did God give me this life?”

In the privacy of her personal life, the singer has felt the dark moments of loneliness. During her I Am… Tour recording days, Beyonce exposed a side that is rarely seen by her fans and the public, when the cameras are off and the red carpet is rolled up.

In the footage, she can be seen shedding tears when she admits that sometimes she feels overwhelmed by her success.

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NEW JERSEY PASTOR STEPS DOWN AFTER THREESOME

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New Jersey pastor, Cedric Miller, who admitted to being a part of a threesome has stepped down. After telling his congregation Facebook leads to sparking old flames and love affairs, the world soon found out his dirty little secret. He’s a freak.

The pastor admitted to participating in an interesting love fest with his wife and male church assistant some years ago. Although this was at least ten years ago, his image has been tarnished to no end. He leads Living Word Christian Fellowship Church in Neptune, N.J.

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BARACK OBAMA’S THANKSGIVING MESSAGE

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*President Obama’s weekly radio address is normally released on Saturdays, but this week, it came early and focused on celebrating Thanksgiving with his family.

“Just as folks have done in every Thanksgiving since the first, we’ll spend some time taking stock of what we’re thankful for: the God-given bounty of America and the blessings of one another,” Obama said.

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KANYE WEST CLIMBING THE CHARTS WITH NEW ALBUM

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*Susan Boyle has come a long way from her interesting days on reality television to being number one on pop charts in America.

Sorry Susan, but Crazy  Kanye (West) is ready to make a change and knock the U.K. singer from her spot. West’s fifth studio album, “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” is expected to sell over 500,000 by the end of the week.

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COMMON WILL HOST THE 2010 ‘CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY'

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*This Christmas season in D.C., Common will treat the country to his magnificent presence as the host of the 87th Annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony, says the National Park Service.

Along with Common, the legendary blues singer B.B. King, and on the other side of the spectrum, 9-year-old Jackie Evancho will be performing on the national stage.

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CORNEL WEST SAYS ‘OBAMA’S POLICIES ARE NOT FOR BLACKS’

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For those not familiar with his views about President Obama, it may come as a shock that world renown scholar and book writer, Cornel West called Obama’s policies racist and that they neglect African Americans and the poor.

West is a “supporter” of the president and often refers to him as “brother” and friend. But when it comes to his policies, West has been careful to tread lightly around those topics until now.

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COPYRIGHT CRIMINALS MAKE BIG MONEY OFF CELEBRITIES

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*For years now, some of the old-heads have been very critical of Hip-Hop and its sampling nature. A new documentary entitled “Copyright Criminals” will explore the clash between sampling and copyright law. The film will air on PBS Nov. 29.

“Copyright Criminals” includes provocative interviews from some headlining musicians and exerts from Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Hank Shocklee, De La Soul and many, many more.

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Black News, Your Black World, TheGrio – 11/25/10

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