From the Dallas South Newswire Newsmaker Shirley Sherrod is set to appear before thousands of journalists on Thursday, July 29 at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Annual Convention in San Diego, Calif. Sherrod has made headlines over the past two weeks for her forced resignation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture after conservativeblogger Andrew Breitbart posted video excerpts of Sherrod's address at a March 2010 NAACP event on his website. The NAACP initially condemned her remarks and U.S. government officials called on her to resign. Upon review of the unedited video incontext, the NAACP, White House officials, and Tom Vilsack, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, apologized soon after and Sherrod was offered a new position. Sherrod has not yet decided if she will accept the job offer. Sherrod will have a candid conversation with a panel of journalists during a newsmaker plenary, "Context and Consequences: A Conversation with Shirley Sherrod.” The discussion will focus on the reporting and coverage of this incident and the role that race still plays in a runaway media culture. NABJ also extended Breitbart <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Breitbart>an invitation to this session. He initially accepted, but later declined. *EVENT: *Context and Consequences: A Conversation with Shirley Sherrod and the National Association of Black ...

From CNN

From The White House Office of the Press Secretary REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT AT FUNERAL SERVICE FOR DR. DOROTHY HEIGHT Washington National Cathedral, Washington, D.C. THE PRESIDENT:  Please be seated.  Let me begin by saying a word to Dr. Dorothy Height’s sister, Ms. Aldridge.  To some, she was a mentor.  To all, she was a friend.  But to you, she was family, and my family offers yours our sympathy for your loss. We are gathered here today to celebrate the life, and mourn the passing, of Dr. Dorothy Height.  It is fitting that we do so here, in our National Cathedral of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  Here, in a place of great honor.  Here, in the House of God.  Surrounded by the love of family and of friends.  The love in this sanctuary is a testament to a life lived righteously; a life that lifted other lives; a life that changed this country for the better over the course of nearly one century here on Earth. Michelle and I didn’t know Dr. Height as well, or as long, as many of you.  We were reminded during a previous moment in the service, when you have a nephew who’s 88 -- (laughter) -- you’ve lived ...

DSN Newswire The National Association of Black Journalists named CNN's Soledad O'Brien Journalist of the Year at its spring Board of Directors meeting. O'Brien will join other top honorees at the association's Salute to Excellence Gala, on July 31 in San Diego, during NABJ's 35th Annual Convention and Career Fair, the largest gathering of minority journalists in the country. O'Brien is the impetus of CNN's acclaimed "In America" franchise, which began with CNN's "Black In America" in 2008, a groundbreaking documentary, which took an in-depth look at the challenges confronting blacks in America. In 2009 CNN followed up with "Black In America 2," a project which didn't just seek to highlight challenges, but also acknowledged the efforts by those in the community to come up with proven solutions to the most pressing issues facing the black community. "Black In America 2" was the highest-rated cable news documentary of 2009, sparking conversations and town hall gatherings across the country to further examine the intersection of race, class and gender, subjects that can be challenging for the media to explore. "Soledad's work in the 'Black in America' series offered extraordinary and gripping stories of successful community leaders who are improving the lives of African-Americans," said ...

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, African-American Unemployment rose to 16.5% in March.  That's up from 15.8% in February and 13.5% in March of 2009. What's even worse is the outlook for African-American men.  The unemployment rate for Black men in March was 19%.  That's up from 17.8% last month and 16.4% this time last year.  The unemployment rate for Black women in March was 12.4%. All this comes as the overall unemployment rate held at 9.7% for the third straight month.  And just in case you were wondering, the unemployment rate for African-Americans 16-19 years old is 41.1% compared with the overall rate of 23.7% for all Americans 16-19 years of age.

Came across this video where our friend and blogging peer Chris Rabb works with ColorLines to profile green jobs that are being created across the country in areas where work is scarce.  As I continue to say, it doesn't matter if you believe in the virtues of sustainable living, the money that is being spent across the globe is green enough.  Hopefully the nation will catch on and stop missing out on this huge economic driver.

(From 3 Baas Media) Fellow Blogger and Blog Talk Radio Host Kevin Ross is moving up, getting ready to hit televisions this fall in a new courtroom show.  Congrats to my friend and brother Kevin.  I look to support Kevin and his show any way that I can and can't wait to see what he has in store for us. Entertainment Studios will premiere America's Court With Judge Ross on broadcast and cable this fall, having cleared the legal strip in 75% of the country. [caption id="attachment_5006" align="alignright" width="265" caption="Kevin Ross"][/caption] "We are pleased to have greatly expanded our company's nationwide clearance of America's Court with Judge Ross," said Andrew Temple, President of Domestic Television Distribution for Entertainment Studios. Created by multihyphenate Byron Allen, Entertainment Studios is set to produce and deliver a minimum of 26 weeks of original episodes of America's Court in high definition as well as 26 weeks of repeats. The show joins weekly E/I program The Young Icons, which also has been cleared for a 2010 launch under the Entertainment Studios banner, and Career Day, recently picked up by the Sinclair Broadcast Group for 2011. In entering the daytime syndication arena, Allen assumes his place among a select group of African ...

From the Office of the Press Secretary My Administration is dedicated to ensuring that federal agencies treat all our citizens fairly, and the settlement in the Pigford case reflects that commitment. I applaud Secretary Vilsack for his efforts to modernize operations at the USDA, as well as the work of the Justice Department in bringing these long-ignored claims of African American farmers to a rightful conclusion. I look forward to a swift resolution to this issue, so that the families affected can move on with their lives. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA The settlement agreement reached today, which is contingent on appropriation by Congress, will provide a total of $1.25 billion to African American farmers who alleged that they suffered racial discrimination in USDA farm loan programs.  The settlement sets up a non-judicial claims process through which individual farmers may demonstrate their entitlement to cash damages awards and debt relief.

From the Office of the United States Trade Representative “Thank you all for having me here today. Thank you to Michael Sorrell for that introduction and for his work at Paul Quinn College, and my thanks as well to Michael Lomax for his incredible dedication as President of the UNCF. As United States Trade Representative, I spend my time working to tear down barriers to trade and open new markets to American goods, services, and intellectual property. Just last week I traveled to Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum and then to Beijing for meetings with Chinese leaders. I joined the President in pursuing increased economic engagement across the Pacific, creating new opportunities for Americans to do business with some of the world’s fastest-growing economies. Because we know that when Americans do business with the world, that can generate jobs here at home. We are laying a strong foundation for trade, but the world is changing rapidly, and the expertise necessary to succeed is changing with it. For America to compete in the global economy, American workers need to have the skills to meet the ever-changing needs of the world’s population. Whether it’s developing new energy resources or marketing new ...

Press Release WASHINGTON, D.C. – At a ceremony with Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President of the Washington, DC Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation, Inc., Christine King Ferris, sister to Martin Luther King Jr.; EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and members of the Black and Hispanic Caucuses, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today signed a permit allowing construction of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall. “Dr. King is one of America’s greatest heroes - a Nobel Peace Prize winner who inspired America to live up to the meaning of its creed of freedom, justice and opportunity for all people,” said Secretary Salazar. “It is fitting and appropriate that we honor Dr. King’s extraordinary life and legacy with a memorial here on the National Mall, alongside the timeless landmarks of American democracy and freedom. May this sacred ground help us draw strength from Dr. King’s courage, dedication and sacrifice, and inspire us to always seek a more perfect union.” “I am excited to move forward with construction and share that we are in the home stretch of the fundraising campaign to build ...