Famer Kellen Winslow New FAMU Athletic Chief

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ADWinslowFlorida A&M University (FAMU) has named Pro Football Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow as the school’s new athletics director, effective May 15.

“Kellen Winslow brings a track record of success, positive energy and a wealth of experience to FAMU,” said FAMU President Elmira Mangum, in making the anouncement April 9.

“We’ve had several conversations about taking our athletics program to the next level and I look forward to working closely with him to develop outstanding student athletes and a championship-caliber environment.”

Mangum has also announced the creation of the President’s Alumni Advisory Board on Athletics which will serve as a liaison between the president and the athletics director. Its job will be “to provide strategic counsel and guidance on various matters pertaining to the general function and development of all FAMU Athletic Department programs,” a FAMU statement said.

Mangum said that strengthening the athletics program is among her top prioritie. She was recently appointed the 11th president of the state-owned historically black university.

Winslow attended the University of Missouri on a football scholarship in 1975. In 1978, he was named Big Eight Player of the Year for his academic and athletic achievements and earned consensus All-American honors. He was the 13th player selected in the first round of the 1979 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.

Winslow enjoyed a prolific nine-year career with the Chargers, earning All-Pro honors five times and setting both team and league records that still stand.

He has served as the executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, an affinity group comprised of minority members of the National Football League front office, coaching and scouting personnel. Most recently, he was director of planning and new business development at Disney’s Wide World of Sports.

“This is a tremendous opportunity and I look forward to working with Dr. Mangum, university leadership and the student-athletes themselves to build upon and honor FAMU’s great tradition, both on the field and in the classroom,” Winslow said.

Winslow graduated from the University of Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in Educational Science in counseling psychology. He returned to school after his football career and earned a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law in 1993.

The President’s Alumni Advisory Board on Athletics will be chaired by Lt. Col. Gregory L. Clark, who also serves as the FAMU National Alumni Association’s first vice-president and is a former student athlete from the three-time Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champion Rattler baseball team.

The other members are:

• Albert Chester Sr., a U.S. Navy investigator who was quarterback for the FAMU football team from 1975-78, earning Most Valuable Player honors three times while accounting for more than 3,600 total yards offensively and 43 touchdowns. As a junior, he led the Rattlers to the nation’s only unbeaten record in any division in 1977, as the team finished 11-0-0. In 1978, the Rattlers won the first ever 1-AA national title with a 35-28 win over the University of Massachusetts.

• Jemal Gibson, a 1993 honors graduate from the FAMU School of Business and Industry who served as a U.S. Army infantry officer. He graduated in the top 10 percent of his Infantry Officer Basic Course and also completed the elite U.S. Army Ranger and Airborne Schools. He has spent the last 19 years in the pharmaceuticals industry with companies such as Pfizer, Parke-Davis and AstraZeneca, managing billions of dollars in sales.

• Ray Matthews Sr., a member of the Visit Tampa Bay Sports Commission which seeks to bring high-profile events to the area.The FAMU alumnus has served as a member of the FAMU Booster Club- Fang Level and as president of the West Coast Rattlers Booster Club.

• Sonia Jackson Myles, president and founder of the Sister Accord Foundation, who began a corporate career as a Ford Motor Company buyer in Dearborn, Mich. She has served as director of Global Packaging Purchases at Procter & Gamble, managing a $6 billion budget.

• Nelson E. Townsend, a retired administrator with more than 30 years of experience, who served two terms as athletics director at FAMU and also served in that capacity at Maryland Eastern Shore University and the University of Buffalo.

• Natalie White, a FAMU alumna who started on the women’s basketball team and distinguished herself for her record-breaking number of steals as a player from 1991-95. White was inducted into the MEAC Hall of Fame in 2010. The three-time All-MEAC honoree guided the Rattlerettes to two regular season conference titles and the 1995 MEAC Championship. She is currently director of Ticket Sales and Service for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream.

Paine College Community Mourns the Loss of Trooper Terry Sams

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urlIt is with great sadness that the Paine College Community mourns the passing of one of Augusta’s most notable television personalities and beloved citizens, Trooper Terry Sams.

Trooper Sams worked to build relationships in the community and served as a positive role model for students throughout the CSRA.

President George Bradley said, “We need more citizens who teach and showcase good citizenship. Trooper Sams was a living example of a “good neighbor and his loss will be deeply felt.”

The Paine College Community joins with WJBF News 6 and the CSRA communities in remembering one of Augusta’s greatest citizens.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

Team of DSU Students Win Second Place in Business Plan Competition

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AR-140429946A team of six students from various Departments of College of Business and Department of Physics and Engineering at Delaware State University won second place in 2014 Innovations in Social and Business Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition.

The group of DSU students include: Anju Polas; Lawer Angmor-Teye; Deantrae Matthews; Richard M. Garner; Dinesh Chowdhary; Kameron Catron-Mitchell.

The team of students competed with students from universities and colleges in the District of Columbia, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

The purpose of this competition was to educate and provide an experiential opportunity to showcase the creativity of tomorrow’s business leaders.

The DSU students had been working on a project, “Next-generation sensors for improving human health and urban air quality- A technology driven business model for young entrepreneurs” and funded from DSU PRIDE grant.
The second place prize was $3,000, which the students will split up.

Spelman College Continues the Fight Against Sexual Assault of Women

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imgresATLANTA, GA–Approximately, one in five young women will be sexually assaulted while in college, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. To help increase awareness and combat this alarming statistic, Spelman College will host a variety of events, April 21-23, in support of Denim Day 2014 and in recognition of National Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month.

Because young women between the ages of 16-24 still experience high rates of dating violence and stalking, a campus-wide committee at Spelman College has teamed together to keep this issue in the forefront of the Atlanta community. In support of this movement, the following events are planned:

 

 

  • A YouTube Flash Card Campaign
  • Shoebox Project: toiletry collection for a local shelter for women and children
  • A convocation titled “Denim Day: Speaking Louder About Sexual Assault”
  • A discussion facilitated by Spelman’s Women Against Violence class on Danielle McGuire’s book, At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance – A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power
  • A film screening of Playground, which explores the issue of sex trafficking

Spelman and Morehouse College students will engage in dialogue focused on acquaintance rape and intimate partner violence at 7 p.m., April 22, during the panel “Blurred Lines: Why Consent Matters.” In addition, information addressing sexual assault will be distributed throughout the three-day period. For a complete schedule of events, visit www.spelman.edu.

About Denim Day
Denim Day is a project of Peace over Violence, a non-profit, feminist, multicultural, volunteer organization dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual, domestic and interpersonal violence. Denim Day was launched in 1999, in protest of an Italian High Court ruling that overturned a rape conviction because the victim was wearing “tight” jeans.

About Spelman College
Founded in 1881, Spelman College is a highly selective, liberal arts college widely recognized as the global leader in the education of women of African descent. Located in Atlanta, Ga., the College’s picturesque campus is home to 2,100 students. Outstanding alumnae include Children’s Defense Fund Founder Marian Wright Edelman; Sam’s Club CEO Rosalind Brewer, Broadway Producer Alia Jones, Former Acting Surgeon General and Spelman’s first alumna President Audrey Forbes Manley, Harvard University Professor Evelynn Hammonds, Author Pearl Cleage and Actress LaTanya Richardson Jackson. For more information, visitwww.spelman.edu.

Tomika DePriest
(404) 270-5060
tdepriest@spelman.edu

 

First Lady Michelle Obama to Deliver Commencement Address at Dillard Saturday, May 10

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michelleobamaatdu First Lady Michelle Obama will deliver the address at Dillard University on Saturday, May 10, when 243 students of Dillard University’s Class of 2014 walk down the Avenue of the Oaks during the commencement ceremony at 10 AM.

A product of Chicago public schools, Mrs. Obama studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met the man who would become the love of her life.

After a few years, Mrs. Obama decided her true calling was working with people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago’s City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.

In 1996, Mrs. Obama joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As Associate Dean of Student Services, she developed the university’s first community service program, and under her leadership as Vice President of Community and External Affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.

Tuskegee Quiz Team Earns $17,000 Grant

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Tuskegee-quiz-team-and-coach1Fresh from their appearance in the 2014 Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament, Tuskegee’s quiz team will bring home a $17,000 grant and honors.

After months of preparation, the team travelled to Torrance, Calif., to compete in the tournament yesterday and made it to the Final Four before losing to Oakwood University. They earned a $15,000 grant for the school for being a finalist.

Senior Gabriel A. Smith, team captain, was named to the tournament’s all-star team. He averaged 56 points per game, making him the fourth highest individual scorer in the tournament. He was also the recipient of the Ernie Jones Sportsperson Award. Those two honors each earned Tuskegee an additional $1,000 grant. Tuskegee’s total prize grants from Honda over the 25 years of the program amount to $306,500.

The other team members are: April N. Baldwin of Birmingham, Ala.; Demetrius A. Finley of Detroit; and Tony B. Kirk, II of Cedar Hill. The team is coached by Peter J. Spears.

DSU Names Keith Walker as Hornets Head Mens Basketball Coach

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IWHFKTWHUPOVPSQ.20140308024713DSU President Harry L. Williams today announced the hiring of Keith Walker – who served as the interim Delaware State men’s head coach for the last third of the 2013-2014 season – as the permanent Hornet men’s head basketball coach.

In announcing the head coaching appointment, Dr. Williams said that Walker made a strong case for himself by the way he took over the leadership of the team and energized the players as interim coach.

“Coach Walker did everything we asked of him when he agreed to be the interim head coach in last month of the past season,” Dr. Williams said. “He stabilized the team, resulting in a more competitive unit on the court and a higher winning percentage.”

The DSU president commended the search committee, noting that it ultimately came up with a group of strong finalists for the post. “The fact that Walker emerged from this tough search process as the head coach selection reflects well on his most recent interim performance as well as on his long-time dedicated service as assistant coach,” Dr. Williams added. Read Full DSU

Sean Combs “Diddy” to deliver Howard University 2014 Commencement address

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dr-dre-diddy-2WASHINGTON (April 15, 2014) – Entrepreneur, philanthropist and entertainment mogul Sean Combs will deliver the 146th Commencement address at Howard University on Saturday, May 10, 2014, Interim President Wayne A.I. Frederick announced today.

The University will award degrees to more than 1800 students. Combs was a student at Howard University in the late 1980s. He will receive an honorary doctorate in humanities at the convocation.

“In selecting the individuals who will be awarded honorary degrees, Howard University continues the tradition of identifying leaders whose work has clearly contributed to the advancement of their fields and the world,” Frederick said. “We are honored to have Mr. Combs serve as our speaker. He sat in classrooms where our students sit, walked ‘The Yard,’ and like many students, his entrepreneurial spirit was sparked at Howard. We know he will inspire our class to work hard and to always strive for excellence.”

Grambling State student, Alexandria Shelton found dead in Lafayette park

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25245015_BG1Lafayette police are investigating the death of a 21-year-old Grambling State University student whose body was found early Sunday in a drainage ditch in Girard Park.

Cpl. Paul Mouton says the death is suspicious, but detectives have not ruled out foul play in the death of the Alexandria Shelton, a criminal justice major scheduled to graduate May 9.

Mouton says Shelton had planned to meet some friends, but she never showed.

He says her friends called her cellphone after not hearing from her and a man answered, saying he found the phone in the park.

The friends drove to the park, took the phone from two men and called police.

Mouton say police have interviewed the men and they were able to provide investigators with specific information regarding where they found the victim’s cellphone.

According to Shreve Point Times

Criminal justice professor Reller Jones also had a close relationship with Shelton since arriving at Grambling in 2012. Shelton was one of the first students she taught at Grambling.

Both Jones and Thomason said Shelton had an impeccable academic career. She made all A’s and had a perfect attendance.

They met with several students Monday after learning about Shelton’s death.

“Everyone is just in shock and cannot believe this happened to such a beautiful person,” Thomason said.

Thomason awarded Shelton with his top student award in 2012.

“She was an excellent student and a role model for other students. I am proud of what she accomplished … I just wished she had more time on this earth,” Thomason said.

Shelton was always helpful to other students and rarely was without a smile, Jones said.

“She cared so much for people … I’m just heartbroken. Our students are just shocked and heartbroken. It’s something you have to digest. It’s almost unreal. You see her one day and the next she’s gone. We lost a good upcoming attorney,” Jones said.

Ninfa Saavedra was one of Shelton’s best friends at Grambling. She arrived on campus in 2012 and Shelton was one of the first people she met.

 

Delaware Valley Regional’s Zora Moore to play golf for Hampton University

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Zora Moore has shown steady improvement and a strong work ethic since she began her competitive golf career many years ago.

Her efforts have paid off.

Moore, a Delaware Valley Regional High School senior, has accepted a full scholarship to attend Hampton University in Virginia to continue her golf career at the NCAA Division I level.

A four-year starter for Delaware Valley, Moore tied for 11th place at the 2013 NJSIAA state girls golf tournament, and has won two consecutive Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex girls titles.

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Morgan State Seeks to Make History in National HBCU Quiz Bowl Competition

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041414_Morgan_StateMorgan State University alumnus Mark Branch recalls that participating on his school’s team in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge produced an experience that’s stayed with him since graduating from the Baltimore-based historically Black university with an engineering degree and working at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center as an aerospace engineer.

Competing on his high school quiz bowl team and for Morgan State in the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge “made [him] want to get better in life,” he said, noting that he joined the team as a college senior during the 1990-91 academic year.

“[Those experiences] instilled in me the drive to get better … competition brings out the best in me,” Branch explained. “Even though our team didn’t reach the highest of heights, [the experiences] prepared me as an individual for the highest of heights and that’s why I work for the world’s premier space agency.”

In addition to his own college quiz team experience, Branch takes considerable pride in knowing that the Morgan State University team has been the reigning national champion in 2012 and 2013, and has been defending its title in competition this winter and spring. “The Morgan State program apparently has gotten really good over the years,” noted Branch.

Since 1989, the American Honda Motor Company has sponsored the national quiz competition that showcases the intellectual talent of the best and brightest students attending historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This week, the 25th anniversary year of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge culminates with the national championship tournament in Torrance, Calif., at which Morgan State University is seeking a record third consecutive national title. READ FULL -DIVERSE

Emails, other documents reveal how WSSU and VSU handled Nov. 15 melee

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534bc7d36716d.preview-300 WINSTON-SALEM — Last November, Bill Hayes, the athletic director at Winston-Salem State University, strongly supported Rams quarterback Rudy Johnson’s assertion that Johnson was attacked by several Virginia State football players in a restroom on Nov. 15, 2013, an incident that led the CIAA to cancel the conference championship game between the schools’ football teams the following day.
In his Nov. 21 letter to CIAA Commissioner Jacqie Carpenter, Hayes wrote that Johnson entered the restroom to blow his nose and wash his hands when several VSU players asked him to confirm that he was the Rams’ starting quarterback. Johnson said he told the VSU players that he was the WSSU starting quarterback. Their conversation then escalated as Johnson was punched in the face and kicked by several Trojan players in the restroom, Hayes wrote.
Hayes’ letter contradicts the findings of an investigation conducted by Robert Clayton, a Washington, D.C. attorney hired by VSU to look into the circumstances of the incident. Clayton concluded that a VSU football player acted alone when he punched Johnson nearly five months ago.
Hayes concluded his letter to Carpenter by saying, “Admittedly, this incident could have easily escalated into a much more serious matter. None of the VSU athletes were hit, attacked or injured. This along exemplifies the discipline instilled in this team. Overall, we were proud of how the team responded with dignity and class.” Read FULL

FAMU Puts $100 Mil. Price on to split from FSU

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engineeringFlorida A&M University officials say it will cost more than $100 million to split the school’s engineering college if the contentious proposal is approved by the Florida Legislature — and the state could risk federal intervention if it isn’t handled properly.

The warnings to state leaders come as Senate Republicans lend their support to a proposal to separate the engineering college now run jointly with Florida State University. They have put $13 million in the budget to help pay for it. FSU officials are backing the plan in order to help the school’s national profile.

Those connected to FAMU — the state’s lone historically black public college — are steadfastly opposed to the proposal. FAMU supporters in the Legislature have compared it to a past move by the state to shutter FAMU’s law school in the 1960s. That decision was reversed in 2000.

School officials say if the divorce between FSU and FAMU is pursued, it will take a large amount of state money to make it successful. They suggested a five-year phase-in with the money coming in over the next two years.

FAMU officials have presented a lengthy outline to State University System Chancellor Marshall Criser indicating that more than $100 million would be needed to make it happen. A big part of that money would go to a new facility on FAMU’s campus. The current joint college is adjacent to a Tallahassee research park. In a statement, a FAMU spokeswoman said university officials developed the outline to show “the impact a separation would entail.” Read Full

Stillman defeats Clark Atlanta for Second Consecutive SIAC Women’s Tennis Title

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1234341_10201970218361032_575696650_nATLANTA, Georgia (April 12, 2014) — The Lady Tigers of Stillman College defeated the Lady Panthers of Clark Atlanta University 5-3 to win its second consecutive SIAC Women’s Tennis title. Stillman’s Litia Godinet, the 2013 and 2014 SIAC Women’s Tennis Player of the Year, was named the women’s tournament MVP while Lady Tigers head coach Will Riley earned Most Outstanding Coach honors.

The championship match was the third installment of the season series between the Lady Tigers and Lady Panthers, with Stillman picking up both wins by similar 5-4 team scores.

The match began with tough doubles competition with the Lady Tigers (31-4) taking two of the three doubles points.  The number one team of Godinet and Carolina Barabas defeated Vonnick Boyogueno and Brionne Bachus 8-4.  Nair Tolomeo and Angela Corredor then defeated Asia Boyd and Ivory Conley 8-3 while the number three team of Rosana Medeiros and Veronika Kalugina fell 8-4.

In singles play, Stillman took a 3-1 team lead when Godinet downed Vanessa Jean Baptiste 6-0, 6-1.  The Lady Panthers won the number two singles point with a straight-set win, closing the gap to 3-2.  Stillman surged ahead 4-2 when Tolomeo won the number three singles match 6-2, 6-7, 6-4.  CAU earned another team point winning the number four match in straight sets 6-3, 6-3.  In the number five singles match, Kalugina earned the deciding team point by defeating Conley 4-6, 6-2, 6-2.

While Godinet was named tournament MVP, Tolomeo (singles) and Barabas (doubles) joined her on the all-tournament team.

WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP: Stillman 5, Clark Atlanta 3

Doubles Competition:
1. Carolina Barabas / Litia Godinet (SC) def. Vonnick Boyogueno / Brionne Bachus (CAU) – 8-4
2. Nair Tolomeo / Angela Corredor (SC) def. Asia Boyd / Ivory Conley (CAU) – 8-3
3. Avern Gumbs / Tori Pradier (CAU) def. Rosana Medeiros / Veronika Kalugina (SC) – 8-4

Singles Competition:
1. Litia Godinet (SC) def. Vanessa Jean-Baptiste (CAU) – 6-0, 6-1
2. Tori Pradier (CAU) def. Carolina Barabas (SC) – 6-3, 6-4
3. Nair Tolomeo (SC) def. Vonnick Boyogueno (CAW) – 6-2, 6-7, 6-4
4. Brionne Bachus (CAU) def. Angela Corredor (SC) – 6-3, 6-3
5. Veronika Kalugina (SC) def. Ivory Conley (CAU) – 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
6. Asia Boyd (CAU) def. Rosana Medeiros (SC) – no result

Women’s SIAC All-Tournament team:
Singles:
1. Litia Godinet – Stillman College
2. Nair Tolomeo – Stillman College
3. Tori Pradier – Clark Atlanta University
4. Brionne Bachus – Clark Atlanta University
5. Gabriella Louis – Fort Valley State University
6. Yonelle Arimon – Fort Valley State University

Doubles:
1. Carolina Barabas & Litia Godinet – Stillman College
2. Avern Gumbs & Tori Pradier – Clark Atlanta University
3. Gabriella Louis & Yonelle Arimon – Fort Valley State University

Tournament MVP: Litia Godinet – Stillman College

Most Outstanding Coach: William Riley – Stillman College

2014 SIAC Women’s Champions: Stillman College

How an HBCU Prepared Me for Harvard

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miamythingispicture.jpg.CROP.rtstory-largeMy Thing Is: There’s no question about whether these schools are still relevant. It’s thanks to my time at Hampton that I was ready to take on the intellectual and emotional challenges of the Ivy League.

As a Harvard School of Education graduate, I was elated and moved to see the global conversation that the creators of the recent I, Too, Am Harvard and Being Black at the University of Michigan campaigns sparked about the experience of underrepresented groups on college campuses, including the one where I earned my master’s degree. Read full at the ROOT.

  

The Plight of the Black Male

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UnknownAlthough as many people of color are able to realize, it is not always as evident the struggles that separate genders face. Many times women expect to be treated with the class and respect that all women deserve but are not aware of the male; in particular the African-American male in today’s society. Though the struggles that we face on a daily basis just to survive do not excuse our behavior it would behoove women to take an interest in the plight of young black men. If it was realized the struggles that men face women may see a different perspective and begin to bridge the gap of understanding.

Being a male descendent of mother African though, that may be the hardest task there is on this Earth. Waking up everyday knowing that people, white,  black and other, fear you for walking down the street, only due to your skin tone; knowing that at any minute you could be arrested and incarcerated, simply because you “fit the description”, is a harrowing task to endure that only the strongest can survive and excel in. Simply put not only not being white and male, but being the complete opposite, the antithesis, of the All-American dream causes for difficult living in the society that America has created since before the 21st century.

Without delving into the personal experiences of an everyday “negro” male, since coming to this society the black male has consistently been the bane in the white male’s existence and the thorn in his side. The men of African descent have been ridiculed and tormented, beaten and killed. This all starts with Jim Crow’s law on how to control a black family. If the dominant power source is removed then the entire nucleus of the family will be removed. Confusion will be created and the downfall of the race will ensue. This tactic has been effectively carried out. An estimated 67% of African-American households throughout the United States of America are single parent with a majority of those households being single-mother households. Once the head is out the black family and community will continue to falter.

In America it has been shown that the black male is becoming extinct and being hunted in any way possible, be it through incarceration, “legal” murder by the authorities, or even at the hands of our own. Young black males are more likely to spend their lives in prisons than in a career field. Many times women do not realize this. It is observed from an outside point of view that women are the only ones struggling and that males have it easy.

Legitimate points have been raised to the validity of the claim that men may “have it harder” than women. Claims such as the divide in salary and the need for women to conform to the looks and style of the day have been very successful in deterring many men from pushing the point, yet these claims are not as solid as they seem. Many times in a work environment it has been shown that oft times a black man will be hired last out of a pool of contestants. Many psychologists view this as the possibility of the African-American male posing a threat to our Caucasian counter parts. The Black woman is more likely to be hired than the black male in many corporate settings, and this is becoming the trend.

Being part of an endangered class is no laughing matter; particularly while you’re at large the whole process of survival. As is such I urge the black community to fight back against the tyranny and stand up for the rights that are being encroached. Making up as small a percentage as we as black men do there is no viable reason for us to be disproportionately incarcerated and killed.

The black male struggles in America, from being persecuted, abused, as well as involuntarily posing a threat to much of society. While it is true that all women have a struggle that is not to be trivialized, the struggle that the black male endures need not be underrated.

Understanding the plight of everyone would help to make the world that we co-inhabit a better functioning place. The sooner that it is realized that black men have it just as hard, if not harder, in the oppressive society that we live in, the black community would be able to join easier.