Voices In Color

Today's Black Fact

On this day in 1942, rock musician Jimi Hendrix is born in Seattle, Washington.

Are We Seriously Still Having This Conversation? Ethnic Hairstyles In Corporate Life

This piece references an article that ran, fairly recently in Glamour magazine in which Ashley Baker, a white associate editor at Glamour told a roomful of female attorneys at law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton in Manhattan that Afro-styled hairdos and dreadlocks are Glamour "don't's.” Baker sniffed, “No offense, but those 'political hairstyles really have to go.” I remember reading this at the time and thinking, well of course a predominately white magazine would make such a completely racist and ignorant statement.

As a woman with dreads I’ll say, up front, that I’m completely biased when it comes to this topic. But what I find ridiculous is that we even need to have this conversation.

As an accountant at Ernst & Young in Manhattan, Melissa Theodore knows the uniform when it comes to corporate America: dark suits and sensible shoes. But when it comes to hair, Theodore, 33, wanted a little flair, so she wears hers in long, thin, braided extensions.

Her family, however, told her to be careful. Not everyone thinks ethnic hairstyles are professional, they warned. Theodore, of Huntington, didn't agree. Not only did she keep the braids, she threw in some burgundy highlights.

"My hair has never been a problem as far as my career goes," said Theodore. "It's neat and very professional."

To be sure, but black hair historically has been controversial -- especially when worn in its natural state in styles like Afros, braids, cornrows and dreadlocks.

Source: newsday.com

Missing Woman Coverage A Black And White Issue?

Why does one missing woman get all the attention while another woman's story becomes a buried headline?

Jackson, Miss., Police Chief Malcolm McMillin, who has been heading a search over the past eight days for 20-year-old Latasha Norman, thinks he knows one reason why.

"As far as the interest by the national media in the story, I think race probably had an impact," the police chief said.

Norman, who is an honors student at Jackson State University, is black.

"It's a small college in the South. It's the daughter of simple people who maybe are not important outside of their circle, and maybe we don't attach the same importance to them that we do for other people," said McMillin, who is white.

The chief contrasted the lack of publicity over the Norman search to the widespread coverage of Stacy Peterson's disappearance. Peterson, who is white, is the 23-year-old wife of former Illinois cop Drew Peterson who vanished in late October. The media glare on the Peterson case has prompted police to reopen the criminal investigation into the death of Drew Peterson's third wife.

Source: abcnews.com

Movie: “This Christmas” Earns $27M, Takes 2nd Place At The Weekend Box Office

This goes back to my previous post, Is Black The New Green?

NBC Special Five-Part Series "African-American Women: Where They Stand

Throughout this week, "NBC News With Brian Williams" will take a look at the issues facing African-American women across our nation in a new series "African-American Women: Where They Stand." The series will cover a wide-range of issues from their role in the '08 Presidential race, to the increased health-risks that they need to be concerned about.

Today's installment will discuss African-American women's progress in the education field. Nearly two-thirds of African-American undergraduates are women. At black colleges, the ratio of women to men is 7 to 1. And that is leading to a disparity in the number of African-American women who go on to own their own businesses. Rehema Ellis will talk to educators, students and businesswomen about why this disparity exists.

Tuesday, Ellis will look at relationships within the African-American female community. Many agree the gender disparity in education and business among African-Americans is having an effect on relationships that African American women have. Some even say the implications could redefine "Black America's family and social structure." In the past fifty years, the percentage of African-American women between 25-54 who have never been married has doubled from 20% to 40%. (Compared to just 16% of white women who have never been married today). Ellis sits down with the members of a Chicago book club and talk about this difference and how it impacts them.

Dr. Nancy Snyderman will discuss the increases risks for breast cancer for African-American women on Wednesday. Mortality rates for African-American women are higher than any other racial or ethnic group for nearly every major cause of death, including breast cancer. Black women with breast cancer are nearly 30% more likely to die from it than white women. Premenopausal black women are more than twice as likely to get a more aggressive form of the disease. And, not only are African-American women more likely to die from breast cancer, but they're less likely to get life-saving treatments. Dr. Snyderman will profile one of the only oncologists in the world who specializes in the treatment of African-American women with breast cancer.

On Thursday, Ron Allen will take viewers to South Carolina -- the first southern primary state -- and ask the question: Will race trump gender or gender trump race? In South Carolina, black women made up nearly 30 percent of all democratic primary voters in 2004. This year, polls show a significant number are undecided, torn between choosing the first African-American or first female Presidential candidate. Allen talks with the undecided, as well the state directors for the Clinton and Obama campaigns, who happen to be African-American women.

To close the series on Friday, Dr. Snyderman will raise the frightening statistic that African-American women are 85% more likely to get diabetes, a major complication for heart disease. And, like breast cancer, more black women die from heart disease than white women. Dr. Snyderman will profile a leading expert and a unique church-based outreach program in South Carolina that seeks to spread the word about heart disease risks to black women congregants.

Mara Schiavocampo, Digital Correspondent for "Nightly News," will address two hot topics in the African - American community: interracial dating and the impact of hip hop music on black women. Interracial dating is a growing trend in the African - American community. An Essence.com poll found that 81% of participants approved of black women dating non- black men. According to a U.S. Census Bureau report in 2000, 95,000 black women were married to white men. In 2005, that number increased to 134,000. Schiavocampo will talk to experts about the trend and discuss how this defines the "Black family" of the future.

Schiavocampo will convene a panel of leading black men and women from the hip-hop industry for an engaging discussion on whether hip hop lyrics and videos positively or negatively affect black women. The roundtable also will address how these portrayals are affecting relationships between black women and black men.

Consumers can go online to join the discussion and share their thoughts on message boards. They can also read and respond to blog entries at www.nightly.msnbc.com

Today's Black Fact

On this day in 1883, black rights and women's right activist Sojourner Truth dies in her home in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Music - Plastic Little

These guys are straight crazy - and I love it! If you’re dying for a new sound in rap as much as I am…

Survey Shows Progress Of Values Agenda Among Blacks

A major survey of black American attitudes just released by the Pew Research Center gives reasons for both sobriety and encouragement.

The survey offers an economic snapshot showing that, overall, blacks have moved forward since 1980. In 2006, one in three black households had a median income of more than $50,000, whereas in 1980 less than one in five was in this bracket.

At the other end of the spectrum, two of every five black households had a median income of less than $25,000 in 2006 compared to half in 1980.

However, over this same period, there has been little change in the overall gap in income between blacks and whites, with median black income remaining around 60 percent that of whites.

But, in what I believe to be positive news, this extensive survey of attitudes produces a picture showing blacks feeling increasingly personally responsible for their situation and a diminishing tendency for blacks to see their community as monolithic.

When asked to explain why blacks "can't get ahead," 53 percent responded that "blacks are mostly responsible for their own condition" compared to 30 percent who attributed the problem to "racial discrimination."

Read the entire article at: Ocala.com

What The $%#@? Beyoncé To Record Country Music Album?

Beyoncé Knowles has revealed plans to record an album of country music, according to reports.

Knowles was reportedly so pleased with her performance alongside country band Sugarland at the American Music Awards that she plans to ditch her traditional R'n'B style on her new LP.

The singer sang a re-worked version of her hit 'Irreplaceable' at the award ceremony at the weekend.

And she has reportedly enlisted the help of award winning singer/songwriter Amanda Ghost - the creative force behind James Blunt's hit 'You're Beautiful' - for the project.

A source close to the popstar has been quoted as saying: "Beyoncé wants to try something completely different.

"She is a big fan of country music and thought that would be an interesting and exciting way to go. She contacted Amanda early this week and she is going over to work with her on it.

"She also tested the waters at the American Music Awards last weekend and she is up for it."

Source: RTÉ Entertainment

Today's Black Facts

1. On this day in 1897, JL Love puts patents on the pencil sharpener.

2. On this day in 1897, despite having no formal education in engineering or metalwork, Andrew J. Beard, an African American inventor is awarded a patent for an automatic railroad car coupling device called the “jerry coupler,” which is still used today.