Today a visiting judge was supposed to decide whether or not Jena 6 Judge J.P. Mauffray had been biased in his treatment of the fiver remaining defendants.  That judge has postponed the hearing until at least July. Howard Witt of the Chicago Tribune reports:  Attorneys for the five remaining defendants facing trial in the racially divisive Jena 6 incident in Louisiana presented evidence Friday of what they said was bias on the part of the judge presiding over the cases and sought his removal. After more than four hours of testimony, a visiting judge appointed by the state Supreme Court to hear the recusal motion against LaSalle Parish District Judge J.P. Mauffray asked for more evidence and postponed a ruling until at least July. Defense attorneys have long asserted that the white-dominated justice system in the small central Louisiana town was biased against their African-American clients: six high school students who were initially charged with attempted murder in the December 2006 beating of a white classmate. According to those present during Friday's hearing, defense attorneys testified that Mauffray had made prejudicial comments to them about their clients on multiple occasions. David Utter, an attorney for defendant Jesse Ray Beard, said Mauffray had labeled the Jena ...

The more McCain speaks, the better for Obama.

See the links below to check out who some other bloggers selected for Old School Friday this week. Electronic Village Funky Finga Productions Mrs Grapevine Quick Cassandra Danielle Lisa C Chocl8t DP Kreative Talk MarvalusOne Regina LaShonda AJ Sharon Dee SJP sHaE-sHae songs in the key of life Hagar's Daughter There...Already 

The theme for Old School Friday is Philadelphia Soul. Again, this was an easy choice for me. The Real Thing and Ms. Jill Scott is it. My wife and I saw her in concert earlier this year. She was awesome. I only wish I could have found some video of Only You from The Real Thing Album. I'm not going to be able to make the Essence Festival this year, but if Jill and Mary J. were scheduled for the same night I would have found a way. Enjoy!!!

Well we're packing our bags and taking this thing on the road.  Thanks God for Technorati, or I may not have known I got it.  It was only when I looked at my recent links that I was directed to the Democratic National Convention site. There are a few other AfroSpear blogs that I picked up on the official list, Jack and Jill Politics, African-American Political Pundit, What About Our Daughters?, Pam's House Blend.  I'm not sure if the discussion is over on the list or the access that bloggers will get, but just know that I'll be there.  And I will also let you all know I'm going to need your help, so stay tuned.

Here's an article that I wrote which appeared in Thursday's Dallas Morning News. Thanks to Keven Ann Willey and Sharon Grigsby for the opportunity. The University of North Texas at Dallas deserves more support from our city and more attention from its citizens than it has received thus far. Dallas has a chance to address a shameful civic designation – the title of largest city in America without a four-year public institution of higher learning. We can erase that label by ensuring that UNT-Dallas becomes that first free-standing school as soon as possible.   Also Online   Read previous editorials and commentary on Dallas' north-south gap Given the historic nature of this endeavor and what it could mean for our city, I had figured the school would have gained a higher public profile by now. Sure, there are ancillary billboards about town, but I would like to see an all-out media assault, along the scale of what the Dallas County Community College District has executed in years past. A new college is not ...

That's right, it's been a  year since our last Dallas South Birthday Bash, and it's time to do it again. We'll be celebrating at Brooklyn Jazz Cafe next Friday June 6th (5:30 p.m.), the date of the first post for what was known as Dallas South Blog. Dallas South is turning two years old, which makes it a teenager in internet terms. I hope that many from the Dallas South family can stop by next week to help us celebrate a wonderful year. Since our 1st Birthday Party, Dallas South has covered the Jena 6, followed the Presidential Election, and been featured as a columnist in the Dallas Morning News. NBC Nightly News, NPR, BBC, and the Chicago Tribune have all highlighted our little website. And none of it would be possible without you. I hope those of you who live in Dallas will stop by Brooklyn so that I can thank you for helping make Dallas South what it is today. Click here to view the Evite for this event, or RSVP to me at shawn@dallassouthblog.com Who: Dallas South and our viewing family What: 2nd Anniversary Party Where: Brooklyn Jazz Cafe 1701 South Lamar ST Dallas TX 75215 When: ...

  I ran across a nice article in Tuesday's New York Times about Barack Obama's right hand man Reggie Love.  Here are some excerpts from Ashley Parker's front page piece On the Court and On the Trail. In the last year, Barack Obama has learned a thing or two about running for president, and Reggie Love has learned a thing or two about Barack Obama.  Mr. Love now knows that when it comes to food, Senator Obama “eats pretty much anything, from chicken wings and barbecue and ribs to grilled fish and steamed broccoli.” But when he is campaigning in a small town with limited options, a cheeseburger is always a good bet. (“Cheddar is the cheese of choice,” Mr. Love added.) Mr. Love, 26, is Mr. Obama’s body man, the personal aide who shadows the senator and anticipates everything he needs — and everything he does not need. He is not a bodyguard (security is provided by the Secret Service), but rather the ultimate assistant, rarely more than a body length away from the candidate. Young, eager campaign aides are stock characters in movies and on television, but few have quite the élan of Mr. Love, who, at 6-foot-5, is about three inches ...

From Color of Change.org - I will be updating you on the developments this Friday. Jena 6 Judge Put on Trial Lawyers Cite Clear Pattern of Bias, Demand Removal of Judge Mauffray Jena, LA--Citing powerful evidence of Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr.'s bias against them, five of the African-American youth known as the Jena 6 are back in court next week seeking to remove Mauffray from their cases. Legal documents filed in the proceedings reveal Judge Mauffray's personal vendetta against the Jena 6. Among other incidents, Mauffray characterized the young men as violent trouble-makers and confessed his intent to incarcerate one of the youth—regardless of the strength of the evidence. Given Mauffray's documented inability to preside over a fair trial for these youth, their legal teams have requested that a new judge be appointed to handle all Jena 6 related proceedings. "Judge Mauffray is the man at the center of Jena's broken justice system and now he is forced to justify his bias in a court of law with the entire nation watching," said James Rucker, Executive Director of ColorOfChange.org, the 400,000 member group that has advocated on behalf ...

and now we have what … uh…some are reading as a suggestion that somebody knock off Osama …uh..um..Obama….well both if we could [laughing] - Liz Trotta Man this thing is getting ugly. First we had assassination talk launched by she who must not be named. Now Liz Trotta, former New York bureau chief of the Washington Times jokes that someone should "knock off" Senator Barack Obama. Listen for yourself in the following You Tube clip. Is this what passes for a joke in America these days? Trotta has already apologized for what she called "a lame attempt at humor." A couple of weeks ago, Mike Huckabee launched into a disturbing line of stand-up comedy at an NRA get together. He came up with this doozie after a loud noise disturbed his speech. That was Barack Obama, he just tripped off a chair and someone pointed a gun at him and he dove for the floor. And let's not forget about the Roswell-Beacon, a newspaper in Georgia that decided this cover art was appropriate for a presidential candidate.   Then there's the image of Michelle Obama as a victim of the Ku Klux Klan. This piece of work was given to us by the noted liberal bloggers Daily Kos. ...