By Genma Holmes cross posted at nonprofit news organization DallasSouthNews.org I wrote this while wiping away tears rolling down my cheeks and yelling at my monitor. I watched a few minutes of the video of the senseless beating death of the Chicago teen, Derrion Albert, 16, who was an A student at his school. I could not get my mind around the fact that no one intervened. No one. I could not believe that no one yelled out or ran to get help. As I listened to “fonevideograper” give commentary while the life of a young man, who had many possibilities , life slipped from his ravaged body, I literally got ill. I could not watch the entire video. I thought of the parents whose son has been immortalized on YouTube dying while doing what young people should be doing; going to school and making good grades. My heart goes out to them. The details and the “whys” of this vicious crime have been lost among the cries of outrage and righteous indignation. An epidemic of criminal activity committed by young males has terrorized our nation. Chicago has become known for being most dangerous city for school children, where going to school ...

Melody Barnes, White House Domestic Policy Advisory has a couple of entries worth noting in the Health Insurance Reform Debate. First, a few excerpts from an Op-Ed for AOL Black Voices: As with so many issues, if the state of our health care system is a crisis for America, it's a catastrophe for black America. On average, African Americans spend a higher percentage of their income on health care costs than their white counterparts. Yet despite that spending, we also suffer from higher percentages of chronic diseases such as heart disease, kidney disease and diabetes. That's due, at least in part, to a lack of access to quality affordable care. For too long, Washington has talked about fixing our broken health care system, only to allow the same old partisan politics and special interest lobbying to block change. But this isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican one – it's a moral imperative. That's why President Obama has put forth a health insurance reform plan that borrows good ideas from both sides of the aisle, even from his opponents in both the primary and general elections. This plan does three basic things: *If you have insurance it will provide you more stability and ...

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF), chaired by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, will debut Digital Fusion – CBCF 2.0 at a first-of-its-kind forum of the leading African American social media strategists called Black Power 2.0 – Social Media and Digital Content Mobilizing the Masses. The convening will address opportunities to engage communities through social media increasing rates of Internet adoption by the African American community. When: 2:00-5:30 p.m. September 24th, 2009 Where: Room 146A Washington Convention Center 801 Mount Vernon Pl NW Washington, DC 20003 Why: 54 percent of the African American community is not online. Underserved communities are excluded from opportunities to access job applications, health care information or financial services. Black Power 2.0 will feature the nation’s elite African American social media experts at the cutting edge of digital movement. A special session, “The World as We See It: Recreating Communities with Public Purpose Content,” will feature Rey Ramsey, CEO of One Economy, and award-winning director and producer, Robert Townsend. They will address the role of public-purpose media—online content that engages, informs and facilitates action—in stimulating demand for broadband among those who need its resources most. Townsend produces and directs Diary of a Single Mom, a ground-breaking online Web series that chronicles the lives ...

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced that the U.S. unemployment rate was virtually unchanged for the second straight month, down .1% from June to July.  The 9.4% unemployment rate fir July is identical to May, but another 247,000 jobs were lost during this period. The African-American unemployment rate declined for the third time in as many months, dropping to 14.5% from 14.7% in June.  The unemployment rate for African-Americans reached 15% in April. Black males saw a .6% drop in unemployment to 15.8% and down from 17.2% in April. Click here for the employment situation summary by the Labor Statistics Bureau.

I've been critical (privately) of the caller in the Henry Louis Gates case.  This was due to my assumption that the caller was someone who couldn't believe that two black men would have a reason to enter a house in this neighborhood. The 911 tape of her phone call released today tells a different story. Gates arrest 911 call - "One looked kind of Hispanic but I'm not really sure, and the other one entered I didn't see what he looked like at all,"  the caller tells the dispatcher on the line.  You can listen to a portion of the tape here but click the link withing the player to listen to the entire call which lasted nearly 3 minutes. From the jump I believed that the phone call which was made was in order, and if she had indeed said that two black men entered the house, then that's what she saw.  But in listening to the tape, this caller went out of her way to say that she didn't know if there was a break-in happening, and never said that the subjects were black. Racial profiling is real, but where is it in this case?

One of the biggest complaints that I heard regarding last year's groundbreaking spcecial Black in America on CNN, was that it painted the African-American community with a negative brush. Struggling fathers and mothers, Black women who can't find a man, people in prison, the argument was there for the making.  But it was also the place I remember hearing that White Americans with a felony have a better chance of getting a job than African-Americans without one. This time, CNN is touting a solutions oriented approach with Black in America 2 that airs Wednesday night at 8 PM Central, and Thursday night at 7 PM.  Without directly responding to criticism of their generally well received first attempt, marketing for the program has promised something more. Last night my family and I sat down to watch the 40 minute screener sent to us by CNN.  There were five impactful segments which were included: The story of "Journey for Change," a youth empowerment program founded by activist Malaak Compton-Rock A segment on Black Marriages and one couple's fight to stay together A look at the Tyler Perry phenomenon and the success of his studio Steve Perry and Capital Prep, a school he founded in Hartford, Conn.  Capital Prep has ...

Here is a statement released by Charles Olgletree who has been retained by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. after he was arrested at his Cambridge Massachusettes home. This information was posted at theroot.com and distributed. Statement on Behalf of Henry Louis Gates, Jr. -- by Charles Ogletree This brief statement is being submitted on behalf of my client, friend, and colleague, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. This is a statement concerning the arrest of Professor Gates. On July 16th, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor of Harvard University, was headed from Logan airport to his home [in] Cambridge after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary entitled “Faces of America”. Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates’s luggage into his home. Professor Gates immediately ...

Hat tip to Baratunde Thurston for the heads up on this story.  Baratunde writes as a post alerting of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates being arrested at his home in Cambridge, Massachusettes by police investigating a possible break in. According to Huffington Post, a woman called Cambridge police out to the neighborhood when she reported that someone was trying to pry open the door to Gates' home.  HuffPo says officers asked Gates to identify himself, and took him away in handcuffs after he refused to do so. Gates has retained the services fellow Harvard professor Charles Ogletree, to serve as his lawyer.  Not good Cambridge.

I've been asked to serve as an official host* for Ford Executive Earl Lucas, exterior design manager for the 2010 Ford Taurus, when he's in Dallas this Thursday July 23. EARL LUCAS Lucas grew up in Dallas, attending Booker T. Washington Arts Magnet High School that also launched recording artists Erykah Badu and Norah Jones.  This is part of an effort by Ford Executives to hit the road this summer to introduce people around the country to the new 2010 Taurus and its story. While in town, Lucas will drive the Taurus to various locations around Dallas, some of which will be suggested by Dallas South and the Dallas South Family.  So here are a few places I think Mr. Lucas should visit while in town.  Feel free to add your own suggestions in the comment section. SOUTH DALLAS CULTURAL CENTER -  3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave. DALLAS There's no doubt the Taurus should make it's way to South Dallas, home of historic Fair Park.  The South Dallas Cultural Center is an Afro-centric venue that provides instruction and enrichment in the performing, literary, media, and visual arts.  Auto design has a component of visuals arts to it. The center’s activities spotlight works that explore contemporary issues facing ...

Here's a gun violence column that I wrote for Dallas Morning News' Sunday Points section. It's already available online and Trey Garrison also wrote a column on the same subject which now available as well. Trey and I often have a running version of Point/Counterpoint going on our blogs, but I figured we would probably see this one about the same way. Thanks to Sharon Grigsby for the opportunity. SHAWN WILLIAMS: FIRST, ADMIT BLACK ON BLACK CRIME PROBLEM (I don't pick the titles but this one isn't too bad) Too often, African-Americans cover their ears when the talk turns to black homicide rates. Yet the statistics are beyond alarming: Blacks make up nearly half of this country’s murder victims, and nine out of 10 times those deaths are the result of a black hand squeezing the trigger of a gun. It’s time that we talk about — and better understand — the factors at the core of the black-on-black violence that exists throughout the nation. Some groups are doing just that. Projects like CeaseFire in Chicago, where community leaders intervene in conflicts and promote alternative solutions to violence. In the Dallas area, Vision Regeneration focuses on violence prevention, gang intervention and youth rehabilitation. But ...