(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 ...

By Shawn Williams – DSN Editor Here are some of the happenings about town that we’ll be watching in 2010. Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Driving west on Woodall Rodgers you can see the future Trinity River crossing taking shape.  By this time next year we should start to have an idea of just how the first “signature bridge” will alter the Dallas skyline.  The bridge to West Dallas is starting to come into focus. Dallas Black Dance Theater at Wyly Theater The Dallas Black Dance Theater has already broken in their new home with their Winter Series and looking forward to “Boundless”.  The intimate configuration of Wyly Theater suited the DBDT troupe just fine in their inaugural performance last month.  Dallas’ oldest continuously running dance ensemble has waited a long time, but their change has come. Texas House 100 Race Terri Hodge Political newcomer Eric Johnson has gotten off to a strong start in his bid to represent Texas House District 100.  He has raised lots of money and garnered favorable press.  But his opponent, incumbent State Representative Terri Hodge, looks to shake off legal troubles that have dogged her for months.  She’s launched a campaign website and the Democratic and Black political establishments are starting to line ...

Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a> Didn't have a lot of time today as I got the call from CNN this morning to discuss Town Hall behavior.  I was already working on a Rant for Inside Texas Politics so it was an easy transition.  For once I'm happy with the light and the setup and feel decent about how I was able to get my point across. I think this was my 3rd of 4th time to be on with Lenny, and I like his points, but I couldn't believe he said that the Obama administration was considering raising taxes on the middle class.  Anyway, let me know what you think.

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 ...

Here's a cool video which was recently posted on the Blogging While Brown website that recaps some of the presentations and panels that took place.  I'm not just promoting it because I have a cameo at the beginning, there's some good info here.  Hopefully this will inspire some folks to attend next year who weren't able to make it to Chicago.

Award winning journalist Howard Witt announced that he has left the Chicago Tribune.  Witt came to national prominence for his reporting of race related stories in Paris, Texas and Jena, Louisiana in 2007. The Pulitzer Prize nominated Witt says that he is moving in a new direction.  "After a quarter-century run at the Chicago Tribune as a reporter, correspondent and editor," Witt says, "I recently left the paper to take up a new challenge as the Senior Managing Editor at Stars and Stripes, the editorially-independent newspaper serving America’s military men and women and their families overseas." I have developed a good working relationship with Mr. Witt over the years after he became one of the first newspaper reporters to bring national attention to African-American activism online.  My family and I even met Howard out for dinner last fall.   His reporting of ShaQuanda Cotton and the Jena 6 made the entire media industry reevaluate the way they were covering people of color.  He maintained a relationship with the black blogosphere after those stories, a lesson that black media members and outlets could learn from. I'm sure Howard will do well in his future endeavors.  I pray that all goes well for he and his family in ...

Embedded video from <a href="http://www.cnn.com/video" mce_href="http://www.cnn.com/video">CNN Video</a> It was sad discussing the passing of Michael Jackson on CNNcom/Live today, but it was made easier by seeing two friendly faces on the screen with me.  Those were Carmen D. of All About Race, and Lola Adesioye from TheGriot.com. Here's the 15 or so minutes that we discussed our thoughts on the King of Pop, what his music meant to the world, and how the discussion has played out since his death.

BY EDDIE GRIFFIN of Eddie Griffin BASG Blog Black Bourgeoisie? I found it interesting that Shawn P. Williams writes in “Why” Part Two: Why I celebrate Juneteenth: In my adult years as I began to rub elbows with the black bourgeoisies, many of them scoffed at the June 19th holiday. “Why would you celebrate slaves in Texas spending an extra 2 ½ years in bondage?” they would ask. I have to admit, it’s a pretty good question… As we’ve gotten more and more educated, we get further and further away from the wisdom born out of the struggle of our people. Eddie Griffin Commentary- I don’t know what “black bourgeoisie” means anymore. Back in the day, it meant something negative like that of a black person whose thinking was whitewashed, or someone going through an identity crisis, or someone who thought themselves to be more educated and elite than the common everyday Negro. We used to think that they acted and thought themselves to be better than the rest of us... maybe so. Ignoring the French historiography and Marxist class categorizations that give meaning to the name of this group of people, I want to go straight to the psycho-sociological aspect of the issue... that ...

The news regarding Johnson Publishing gets worse everytime you see them mentioned. Hat Tip to Kevin Ross of Three Brothers and a Sister who passed along an article by Richard Prince of the Maynard Instituted titled Johnson Publishing Co. Called "Under Siege." 3 Brothers and a Sister also reports Ebony Magazine has only 1 photographer and is considering going down to six issues. It's a sad state for one of the greatest African-American institutions left in this country. The fate of media in general is struggling, but black media is headed towards the abyss. Prince's Maynard article highlights the financial troubles faced by Johnson, including mortgaging their building and liens from contractors. He also talks references comments made by Eric Easter -head of Ebony/Jet Digital- made at the Blogging While Brown Conference. Here are some of the highlights from Prince: Also see Eric Easter of Ebony/Jet's panel as mentioned in Prince's article "Ebony owner Johnson Publishing Co. is under siege, battered by sharp drops in advertising and circulation amid the most severe downturn in its 67-year history. In the past three months, Johnson has been hit with contractors' liens claiming the company failed to pay for work worth nearly ...

Everyone keeps asking me, "How was the Blogging While Brown Conference" and I either answer "great" or "excellent. I then think that this may sound vain in some way because I was responsible for helping to put the program together. In actuality, I didn't feel much different from last year when I enthusiastically sat on the front row of the inaugural conference (with Electronic Village, All About Race, and Pam's House Blend). This year I set up shop at the very back of the room. The major difference was deciding to wear a jacket and slacks in Chicago rather than jeans and a T-Shirt in the ATL. Shawn P. And Lola Adesioye of TheGrio.com Even having spoken with all the presenters and panelists via email or on the phone, I wasn't prepared for all of the wonderful information that was shared at this year's conference. From Talkshoe to Justin.tv; MindMeister to Gravatars; Buddy Press to Outliers, there was just so much to learn. John Davis and I interviewed by Carlos in D.C. The presentation that gained the most attention (check Twitter #bwb) was Hajj Flemings' session on Branding. Besides introducing up to the concept of Grustling (Grinding + Hustling = Grustling), ...