African American Opinion Blog is a growing on-line community of bloggers and ordinary black folk who feel a need to express their opinions on issues important to black folks and others.
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African American Opinion is published by African American Political Pundit who was recently selected as a Credentialed Blogger for the 2008 Democratic National Convention
African American Political Pundit is a 2008 DNC credentialed blogger and will be broadcasting and blogging live at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
African American Opinion Blog is a growing on-line community of bloggers and ordinary black folk who feel a need to express their opinions on issues important to black folks and others.
You can now advertise on our blog. Contact us directly via email. Send your email to: AAOPublisher@gmail.com
Whaddup all?!! Wanted to recommend an off the hook book by Tavis Smiley, "What I know for Sure", written with David Ritz. It takes you through life growing up in Indiana, home of the Hoosiers. Did you know that Tavis grew up in a trailer park? He's come a long way to make it where he is. A couple other things I didn't know: He put a smackdown on BET's Bob Johnson, worked hard in the Democratic Party early on, and was a student organizer at Indiana University. Here are several fresh perspectives from the book :
From the opening Tavis declares,
x.In the end, if this book is about anything it is about this one thing I know for sure: LOVE WINS.
Tavis describes his faith, Dr. King and his path in life,
xii.When Moses asked God to defend himself, God said, "I Am the I Am.: There is nothnig, God said,but the present; past and future are illusions. In that same spirit, Dr. King described such influences as "forces of light." I can think of no better phrase. The reconciliation of my past with my present life and faith is an ongoing process. Those forces that informed me as a youth continue to do so today. They defy linear thinking. They defy gravity.
Mama Smiley and her love for James Brown,
pg.2
Mama was also a James Brown fanatic. When Brown came to Mississippi to perform, she perched herslef in the front row,and as J.B. broke into his "mashed potato," slipping and sliding from one side of the stage to the other, Mama held on to his leg and wouldn't let go. Lord, Mama could part, and she loved to laugh.
Tavis on growing up in a trailer,
pg.24
Only a lifetime later could I understand that, with a trailer filled with children, my parents had to maintain order. Mama's job was to do just that. To lose that sense of order, she believed, was to lose control of her kids. For us to maintain a decent lifestyle outside the trailer, we had to develop a sense of decent behavior inside the trailer. That was Mama's philosphy of child rearing, and no one ever questioned it.
Growing up in a racist society and the realities,
pg.35
I was seeing in grade school-as I'd continue to see in high school-the undeniable face that people of all races can get along. Throughout my childhood, this was not theory but demonstrable truth. I saw it before my very eyes. I lived it. The peculiar situation I found myself in-growing up in a rural state with a racist history- proved to be a blessing. I was able to see that people are capable of change. I got to affirm what I later found to be a cornerstore of the great American civil-rights movement- that, no matter how dire the circumstances, we can overcome.
Tavis back in Mississippi, back in the bosom of the church,
Pg.51
Elder Tate's Holiness church was rocking harder than ever. I loved being back in the world of Mississippi, where I could show my spirit in church without getting funny looks from the parishioners. We were back, said Mama, "in the bosom of the Lord."
Working in the government at an early age,
Pg.60
That afternoon I learned several things:
That I loved city government and its ability to come to people's aid.
That the idea of being an effective advocate was even more exciting than the prospect of becoming Tony Perez or Muhammad Ali or Michael Jackson.
That I needed to expand the concept of herois beyond athletics or entertainment. A man like Brother Hogan was a real-life hero. Brother Hogan moved mountains for people who couldn't move them themselves. He changed the world where it really counted-in the lives of ordinary folks struglling to get by.
Crisis in his family and the effects as a child,
pg. 70
Now I see that clearly; back then I could only respond to my parents' attempt to apologize by acting as though they didn't exist. My rage took the form of a terrible silence. And because I was an incesant talker, my silence was the loudest and most effective message I could send.
Putting family struggles in perspective through God,
pg. 77
I couldn't live my life withough God. I knew the world could be cruel-I had experience it firsthand. The world throws us curve-balls, trips us up, persecutes us, confounds and confuses us. That's just the world. But God is above the world, as well as in the world. e is everything was can and cannot see. God is love. When Sister W. flipped out, or when Elder Mills unjustly accused us, or what my dad went berserk, they weren't God.
Letting Bob Johnson know what time it is,
pg. 242
"In the four years I've been working for BET, you've never called me once. Never had a one-minute conversation with me. Never sent me a single note or card. Never said 'Great show' after I interviewed Clinton or Castro. Yove never invited me to lunch. Never instroduced me to your family. Now you call me up and cuss me out in front of a bunch of VPs. What kind of a jerk are you? I watch Ted Turner on Larry King. They have a relationship, a friendship. Here I am, the highest-paid talent you have, and you don't give me the courtesy of a single word in four years, and now you feel you have the right to excoriate me. How dare you disrespect me this way! You can take this program and ram it up your black ass!"
More on working in the Democratic Party,
pg. 112
One thing I've found in life is that God, as I understand God, shows up where you least expect him. I believe God showed up in my teenage years in ther person of Councilman Hogan. God made sure that the coucilman attended Elder Mills's church, and God made sure that Councilman Hogan connected with me. Our connection was so tight and right that, at age sixteen, I was able to engage politically on a level with people twice my age. As a result of that engagement, I was invited by him to a fund-raiser for the Democratic Party.
I think one of the things that I picked up from his book is the impact that government can make with good leadership. He overcame some harsh Mississippi hurdles to live his dream. Tavis is a strong resource, pick up the book! Here's a final passage to leave you with :
pg. 251
I've grown more excited about my mission to encourage, enlighten, and empower others over the years and have seen how closely this relates to Mama's mission. Out theology differs in important ways, but our determination is the same. My mother has more courage, conviction, and commitment than anyone I know. Because she believes liars will suffer damnation, she is absolutely committed to teling the truth, whatever the consequences. When she believes somehting, you cannot sway her or change her mind. And she will not compromise, whatever the setting.
Looking at some of the recaps of the Democratic convention, Barack smashed it! What a great convention. It was nice to see Kennedy in there, the flag bearer. He roared down the aisles of the convention to call on people to make a stand. Michelle had beautiful words to start it all off. Hillary was captivating and inspiring. Kerry.. .. all I gotta say is dang, what got into you? And when are we gonna hear more of it? Barack spoke with pounding insight, putting it all on the table! His words lit up the stadium, drawing the map to a new tomorrow. It was great seeing Barack winning the nomination, congratulations B-man! Some nice pictures from the Denver football stadium with a crowd of 84,000 :
Here's Barack doing his best Olympic Vince Carter impression (had to put it up, too funny) :
We're bolting through the redzone! Kick it like Madden, 2008 Obama/Biden!
The video is certainly well crafted. But is he telling the truth? You decide. Or just wait another 4 months and we'll know for sure by then. He claims to have been in Wasilla last summer for a few months to see his uncle who worked on a pipeline near there.
H/T; Democratic Underground.
What will the Palin family do if it is true? Will the party accept this as is? Or will they demand retribution or 'heads to roll'? You've seen their convention- not exactly a lot of color there. Or smiles. Or talent. Or...you get the idea.
To donate for New Orleans assistance call 1-800-435-7669. You can walk into any Red Cross office you see and give them a donation cash or any amount you can do.
Here's an article on McCain's opposition to Waterway Restoration legistlation.
Last year, Sen. McCain opposed a water bill that, among many other things, authorizes money for Everglades restoration. As Sen. McCain took the obligatory airboat tour of the "River of Grass," Barack Obama's campaign jumped on Sen. McCain's opposition. Sen. Obama's supporters noted correctly that he supports both the bill that can help Everglades restoration and a national catastrophic insurance program to stabilize homeowner rates.
Sen. McCain opposed the Water Resources Development Act of 2007, then urged colleagues to support President Bush's veto of it. The act authorizes $2 billion in Everglades restoration projects. It had strong bipartisan support, including the endorsement of Gov. Charlie Crist, Sen. McCain's vice president-wannabe. Congress overrode the president's veto.
Here's a primer on Everglades 101 and an explanation of how Sen. McCain gets the issue wrong:
Congress usually approves a water resources bill about every two years. Under President Bush, however, no bill had been approved since 2000. While the 2000 legislation created the state-federal partnership for the $10.4 billion restoration of the Everglades, the federal government has failed to pay its share. The 2007 water bill changed that, by authorizing Everglades restoration work. It was the first tangible evidence that Washington will honor the 50-50 partnership.
As former Sen. and Florida Gov. Bob Graham, a Democrat, points out, that long delay in federal support has endangered the "marriage" between the state and federal government. If that marriage is broken, he adds, the Everglades restoration project "would collapse."...
What Sen. McCain apparently doesn't get is that the act only authorizes the projects. It does not provide money for them. Backers of each project in the water resources bill still must fight, using separate legislation, to get money appropriated. But without last year's bill, any federal help for the Everglades still would be many years away.
McCain says he doesn't know much about economics. This is the Republican nominee saying that he doesn't get economics. Someone find McCain's calculator. A couple articles from here and around the world about it :
I know a number of people have been wondering how long is it going to be before I start posting. Please accept my apologies, I have been a bit under the weather.
I have received a number of emails asking, what's going on AAPP where are you? Well, I have gone places in Denver that a majority of media and bloggers were reluctant to go. I went to to take a look at the people on the other side of the DNC Convention track - the homeless.
All of the parties and glamore events were cool, but as you know, I wanted to go to the DNC Convention to cover issues of the convention from a different view and perspective. I found myself in places that the average media outlet and blogger probably didn't go. I had the opportunity to interview many homeless, my interview with John Robinson, who people call "JR." was one of the most instructive. "JR" provided a look at the DNC Convention and homelessness issues from another view. A view from a homeless eye.
Through his voice I found some interesting stories about young black men and women. Issues of drug and alcohol abuse, urban renewal and urban removal, lesbianism, the different ways in which people have become homeless, the challenge for non-profits, city, county and Federal agencies addressing homeless issues and what JR called "the Denver curse against homeless people."
Here is one of the voices from the homeless in Denver. This Video was taken on August 28, 2008.
Got Twitter? Take a look from your PC or mobile phone. You can get updates from them on your mobile phone by entering one of these on your phone browser :
Dallas South Blog: m.twitter.com/shawnpwilliams Jack and Jill Politics: m.twitter.com/baratunde African American Political Pundit: m.twitter.com/aappundit Hill Harper : m.twitter.com/hillharper Michelle Obama Watch : m.twitter.com/BWBConference Oliver Willis : m.twitter.com/owillis
The story details that there were 4 people, one with white supremacist tattoes, armed with Meth and a stolen 30-06 or other rifle, as well as a spotting scope and a bulletproof vest. After the first one was caught in a rental truck for driving erratically, he ratted out his co-conspirators and one of them tried to escape. He failed after jumping out of a building and breaking his ankles.
Law enforcement sources told CBS affiliate KCNC in Denver that one of the suspects "was directly asked if they had come to Denver to kill Obama. He responded in the affirmative."
One of the suspects told authorities they were "going to shoot Obama from a high vantage point using a ... rifle … sighted at 750 yards," reported KCNC
.
Obviously these guys came here to go hunting for "The One", and not some deer. And we thought the PUMAs were bad.
TO MY FELLOW AFROSPHERE BLOGGERS ON SITE IN DENVER: BE ALERT AND ON YOUR TOES- BECAUSE IF THIS GUY HAD GOT OFF A SHOT, HE WOULD HAVE MISSED OBAMA AND PROBABLY HIT YOU INSTEAD. And now I'll explain why.
"We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort."
Jesse Owens
Big 2nd week for the Olympics. Congrats to the beautiful women of the 4x400M relay! Each runner threw their mojo into the mighty gold medal romp: Allyson Felix ripped a blistering 48.0 split. The 400 meter women were a swift mocha, blazing gold, fine tuned crew of champions. Sandra Richards turned the final corner in 2nd switching to rocket mode, roared past Russia on the 100 stretch and didn't look back! Wut! Big ups to the men's 4x400M relay who donned their Flash spikes and layed down a Spiderman smackdown on the final, sick! Olympic record, too! That's the way to cap off a 400M sweep.
In the Heptathlon we wound up with silver for women, an event that includes the hurdles, high jump, 200, long jump, shot put, javelin and 800. I like this picture of Hyleas Fountain, everyone should look like that after a workout. Angelo Taylor smashed the 400M high hurdles topping a sweep! I'm gonna start hurdling over my desk Dagwood style into work. Of course there's the gold in the women's 100 meter hurdles, POW! Dawn Harper had the stutter-step-stretch on lock while ratcheting to full throttle and keeping her eagle eye on the tape. That's the way to hit the line!
The title of "World's Greatest Athlete" now belongs to the undisputed maverick, Bryan Clay. The rest of the Decathletes were left with wheels spinning. Clay won Gold in the hardest event in the world. He had to run the 100, 200, 400, hurdles, long jump, shot put, mow the lawn, re-shingle... you get the idea. He follows in the footsteps of the greats, Milt Campbell (Gold 1956) and Rafer Johnson (Gold 1960). In the fickle longjump, Clay erupted down the runway with Space Jam wings propped and launched into a gravity defying leap. He finished up with a strong 1500M race and laid victory to the Decathlon.
U.S.A. basketball pwns. The women's team did insane damage and left the world reeling in its wake, taking their 4th gold straight. They mopped the court with their blinding board bashing press. Lebron, Kobe, Dwyane, Carmelo, Deron and the rest took the court with an A+ effort. The A is for All-Dominating Defense. Greece's mid court lay in shambles and Spain's pick-and-roll action was shut down. Gold for the Ages.
How about a medal in fencing? The Smarts picked up two Silvers in fencing, didn't expect that. I know we got something in BMX, didn't we? Beijing was incredible and I heard bungee jumping might be an exhibition sport at the next Olympics. Congrats to all the Olympians! It's great seeing the journey of new leaders for U.S. Olympics.
Been a while. That's a throwback to Jackie Joyner-Kersee holding it down in the hurdles. (more than holding it down as you can see in the picture) She was the queen of one of the most demanding events in the Olympics, the Heptathlon. Now she helps bring kids up to speed with her work in the community. Here are some links to learn about her community center :
Not as heavily publicized, Jackie has also stood out as a philanthropist through her generosity, kind spirit, and dedication to the development of young people, particularly in her hometown of East St. Louis, Illinois. She established the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Community Foundation in 1988. In 1997, the Foundation joined with the East St. Louis Youth Center Foundation to form the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth Center Foundation, of which Jackie serves as chairperson. The Foundation has partnered with Boys & Girls Clubs to create the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Boys & Girls Club. The Foundation and Boys & Girls Club serve the citizens of East St. Louis.
It has an after-school program that provides youth ages 10 to 18 access to high-tech equipment, professional software and adult mentors to help them develop the self-confidence and enthusiasm for learning skills needed to create new opportunities. Youth who visit the Computer Clubhouse learn by doing. They create digital artwork, produce their own music CDs, film, write and edit their own short movies and design websites. The Intel Computer Clubhouses are invention workshops where youth can become designers, not just consumers of computer-based creations.
Big Ups to the Williams sisters for the Gold! Congrats to Phelps on his 8! Let's see if Walter Dix can get a good start in the 200, swoop on Bolt! Still have the relays to win, too...
If you find the NBC or Fox news coverage lacking, here are some blogs of Olympic athletes blogging from Beijing :
Some events to follow from Beijing 2008, starting off with volleyball. I watch this to catch the 60mph volleyballs fly across the net. It's even more fun to see your team come back with amazing digs and win the point. Wanna see more volleyball this year. Spekenzie Spike?
They'll be swatting their way through teams like Poland, Hungary and Thailand. Watch Tayyiba and her crew on the road to a possible tough re-match with Russia. They've done pretty good during the exhibition. Get some big air!
Also have to make your way to pool-side...
Cullen Jones hails from North Carolina, where he's won a mountain of national and world titles (aight, well alot). He has a world record, and it would be cool to see if he could throw that into the anchor of a relay! He'll be ready to blast through the 50m freestyle, dominating for the gold.
Go for the Gold!
Recent update :
Lopez Lomong will carry the U.S. Flag in the Olympic Games Opening!! CONGRATS LOPEZ!! YEEEEEEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHH!! THAT'S RIGHT!! Roaring from the Sudan! WHOOOOOO HOOOOOOO!!!
Lopez Lomong was watching Michael Johnson from across the Atlantic when got his inspiration to run in the Olympics. He was a kid that had trekked miles for the chance to watch the world competition with others at a community center's T.V. . Dozens of people crowded around the T.V. to feast on the latest results! Lopez saw Michael Johnson in the red white and blue bolt like lightning on the last 100 stretch to take the gold. That's where he decided, at the age of 15, that he would wear that jersey and run with valor in the Olympics. Lopez Lomong had to make it from the Sudan to the U.S., though. As an orphan, he had to make it in the midst of the country's hardships. Despite all that though, he made it here. At the age of 20 he was running for the U.S., has qualified through the Olympic trials in Oregon and is now an American Olympian on the way to Beijing. His re-united parents are pumped for the kid that went from the Sudan, to the U.S.A. and now to China. Side tidbit : Egypt is known for its pyramids, but the Sudan has the most pyramids in the world (article here). Lopez will smoke the competition in the 1500m to bring back the gold.
Some of Lopez's highlights
2008:
Mile 3:53.97
2007:
NCAA Outdoor 1,500m champion (3:37.07PR)
NCAA Indoor 3,000m champion (7:49.74)
5th at USA Outdoor Champs (1:45.79PR)
2006:
4th at NCAA DI Cross Country Champs (30:59)…best of 1:47.00.
Flying like an eagle through the lunch crowd she's halfway through her early workout. The chattering of people along the way floats past as she lengthens her stride. Two girls down the block come out of a cafe snacking on some food they bought, one chomping on a churro. "Whoops!" Almost bumped into her. The mailman should pass by in about three blocks. Alot of people out and about enjoying the sun and picking up grub to tide them over. Does that mover see the bench with the big box he's carrying? She whisks past between them. The mailman's coming up. He looks up from his iPod, sees her and strikes a Jesse Owens pose for her. "Good Morning!" they both laugh and she zigzags around him. She keeps running and comes to a bit of an incline. Some kids dropped their bikes in front of the convenience store. She picks up the pace a bit, lean-set-plant and gets some air. "Bike hurdles". The sidewalk levels off and a soft breeze starts to pick up. How many minutes should she take off this 8K she wonders? Checks her watch pace, laces look tight... Roll.
...Hazel Clark is a world class 800 meter runner that's representing the U.S.A. in Beijing. Check the 800 meter (two laps around the track) event to watch her run and pummel the contenders. She'll need a time of about 1:55 to 1:56 to win this event. She can do it! Her first Olympics was in Australia, her second was in Athens and her third is Beijing. The U.S. cleaned house in Athens, and is ready to light up the competition at this Olympics.
Here's Hazel going over some of her training work :
It's not really a lot to a lot of people, but for me, it is. In the morning, instead of a four-mile run, I'd do a five-mile run and now my afternoon run will be 40 minutes, instead of 30 minutes. So I've gone up about two miles a day. And then, on the track I'd do a 10,000 workout sometimes, to get that base work in. I don't like it. I have wonderful training partners, but it's kind of a challenge. For the distance runs, I throw my iPod on and get through it. It's not really my thing.
The workouts depend on the day. Sometimes I do a 10K workout with really short recovery, then other days, it could be a big recovery, but really fast intervals for speedwork, and then sometimes in between which is 800 work. My favorite workout is 8 x 200, walk across the field. I hate jogging the recovery. I only get to do that workout like two times a year, kind of like a big treat right before a hard race.
Check out her interview in Japan at the world championships :
Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, it seems to me, is making all of the right foreign policy moves his trip overseas. I take particular note of the following passage, found at Yahoo News:
PARIS - Democrat Barack Obama said Friday that Iran should promptly accept an international call to freeze its uranium enrichment program, which some nations see as a potential step toward obtaining nuclear weapons, and not wait for the next U.S. president.
The presidential candidate met with French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Paris, where they discussed Iran, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, climate change and other issues.
Speaking later at a news conference, Obama said Iran should accept the proposals made by Sarkozy and other Western leaders. He urged Iran's leaders not to wait for the next U.S. president to push them "because the pressure, I think, is only going to build."Yahoo News
Recently, John McCain and other anti-Obama forces (e.g. here) were able to convince the mainstream media to report that European leaders were afraid that Obama would not pursue an Iran diplomacy consistently strict with what Europe has been doing.
By meeting with Sarkozy and promising that "the pressure, I think ,is only going to increase", Obama is promising to apply even more pressure than the Bush Administration has, but within the framework set out by the Europeans, which does not include going to war with Iran.
African-American bloggers at the 2008 Democratic National Convention
Seven African-American bloggers representing varying views of the âAfrosphereâ are gearing up for what promises to be an experience of a lifetime. But theyâre not traveling to Colorado with an entourage of producers or company vehicles filled with expensive equipment.
Armed only with their laptops, Blackberrys and other electronic gadgets that can fit inside a single carry-on, 7+ African American bloggers are preparing to become the first group of black independent âcredentialed journalistâ bloggers to cover a major political partyâs national convention.
While Black writers and reporters from Newsweek, CNN, or even minority media powerhouses such as Ebony or Black Entertainment Television will be present, what makes Pamela Spaulding, Baratunde Thurston, Oliver Willis, Gina McCauley, L.N. Rock, Liza Sabater and Shawn P. Williams different is they represent a new breed of âblack mediaâ that will be attending the 2008 Democratic National Convention August 25-28.
Visit their blogs links below:
along with me... Don't forget to make a donation!
and my co-blogger ...
Here is a list of all the credentialed bloggers
List of Credentialed Bloggers, 2008 Democratic National Convention
UPDATE: Electronic Village has created a Villager's Black Blog Rankings (BBR). check out the July 2008 rankings with over 1,269 blogs in the mix! Have you seen the growth over the past few months?
