Many were troubled by the story of a 12 year old that was allowed to strip in a local night club.  What was just as bad was  a loophole in the Dallas city charter which allowed them to remain open after the incident.  Here are changes that the city council approved on Wednesday to address the problem: Prohibiting a sexually oriented business from allowing a minor to enter the premises, employing a minor, or allowing a minor to perform Requiring sexually oriented businesses to keep files with documentation of identity, age and criminal history background check on operators and entertainers Requiring a sexually oriented business to name designated operators. One must always be present during operating hours Reducing the effective date for license suspension or revocation from 30 days to 10 days Prohibiting private and enclosed VIP rooms This is good, swift work by the mayor and the council.  These changes go into effect on Monday. Source - Pegasus News Also on Wednesday Thomas Clifford McGowan was freed after spending 23 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.  Dallas County has set more prisoners free (16) than any other county in the nation.  Barry Scheck of the ...

Color of Change Press Release  Lawyers File Motion to Recuse Judge and DA—Putting State on Trial—Claiming Clear Pattern of Race Bias  JENA, LA— Lawyers for the youngest of the Jena 6, Jesse Ray Beard, filed a motion today to remove Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. and District Attorney Reed Walters from any future involvement in juvenile court matters involving Beard. Mauffray and Walters served as the trial judge and prosecutor, respectively, in the Jena 6 cases and Beard's attorneys argue that their prejudice during and after the proceedings has betrayed an unfair bias against Beard. Millions of Americans remember District Attorney Reed Walters as the man who refused to prosecute white students who hung nooses at Jena High School and then threatened black students at a school assembly saying that he "could end their lives with a stroke of his pen." Walters charged Jesse Ray Beard, and five other African-American students with attempted second-degree murder for allegedly beating Justin Barker, a white student, in a schoolyard fight following the incident. Attorneys for Beard argue that this and other facts paint a clear picture of the District Attorney's bias. "Millions ...

Since posting Part One of the American InJustice video about Lakeith Amir-Sharif, there's been a spirited discussion going on in the comment section. As I mentioned in the earlier post, I met Sharif two years ago, before this form was made available. To my knowledge, what happened is that I was standing around at the Faith Summit on Poverty when out of the blue Sharif asked me to take a picture of he and Dick Gregory. That picture -I believe- is the one you see below. Now our paths cross again. Funny how God works. Sharif maintains his innocence in two felony cases that include charges of stalking. I'm not going to go into the specifics of the case at this time, due to legal activity currently taking place. But if someone were interested, the information is out there.

Dallas South and others are featured in an extensive article in the Philadelphia Tribune Magazine titled Blogger Nation. It is the cover story of their April edition. Click the link to see the Philly Tribune article BLOGGER NATION. The article that is put together by Heather Faison doesn't break any new ground for visitors to this site, as many of you were part of the history that was made. However folks who aren't into the whole "internet thing" may find it interesting just how much internet activism is credited with some of last years efforts. What About Our Daughters, Jack and Jill Politics, as well as Electronic Village and his Black Blog Rankings are Afrospear blogs mentioned in the article. Heather does a great job recapping some of the milestones achieved in the internet movement last year. My quotes all seem to be critical of the NAACP, but what I said is what I said. Also, the Afrospear was created before the Shaquanda Cotton case, but many of us who are now member were not aware of it until after. That case IS what brought us all together, there's no questions. Click on the link above, it's a really ...

Howard Witt once gain writes about a relevant issue in the African-American community for the Chicago Tribune. He has a theory that there is a rift between old guard activists -Rev. Al Sharpton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, NAACP- and new school internet advocates. Howard Witt's theory is (mostly) right. One thing that I don't like is how the media has chosen to join Sharpton and Jackson at the hip. Though their work is similar, their styles and tactics are not the same. Even at the Jena rally, by the afternoon, Rev. Sharpton had left town while Rev. Jackson was still speaking and marching. I think the frustration lies more with Sharpton and the NAACP more that with Rev. Jackson. The names Jackson-Sharpton have become a punchline amongst whites and many well to do blacks. It is unfair to both, but especially to Jesse Jackson. Anyway, we've been wondering for months why there hasn't been more attention given to Dunbar Village. The story first appeared on this website August 5th, even before the Jena 6 march. June 18th of last year, a mother (with son present) gang raped in their W. Palm Beach apartment ...

James Ragland writes a column today regarding Dr. Federick D. Haynes and his candidacy for President of the national NAACP. See Ragland's column titled Pastor sets his sights on making NAACP relevant. Here are a few points from Ragland's column: Why would the senior pastor of a megachurch want to run an organization that seems to have its head and feet stuck in its gloried past? "Because of the storied history of the NAACP," Dr. Haynes explained. "And my own awareness of what it has accomplished. This country has come as far as it has come because of the Martin Luther Kings and the NAACP." "For this to have happened so rapidly, it's a tremendous honor," (Haynes) said. "As I told them in our last interview, I'm going to continue doing social justice ministry if they choose me, and if they don't choose me." I talked to several prominent black leaders, including Casey Thomas, president of the local NAACP chapter, state Sen. Royce West, former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk and National Urban League president and chief executive officer Marc H. Morial. They all said the NAACP needs someone who can stabilize the organization and help refine its message and methods ...

Keeping with the Friendship-West theme, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III will be presented to the NAACP executive board in short order to take over as the group's next president. The Philadelphia Inquirer broke the news a couple of weeks ago that Dr. Haynes was one of three finalists to fill the position. After a recent round of interviews it seems that Haynes has emerged as the lead candidate. As the information becomes more clear and timelines more apparent, I will share them here. But I'm baffled at how the Philadelphia Inquirer breaks the story two weeks ago, and yet the local media outlets continue to pass on it. For times such as these, the NAACP could not have a better choice in leadership than Dr. Haynes. If progress is what the organization is looking for, then they will find it in the Senior Pastor of Friendship-West. If you feel the way that I do, feel free to let the NAACP know at the following contact info. NAACP National Headquarters 4805 Mt. Hope Drive Baltimore MD 21215 (410) 580-5777 washingtonbureau@naacpnet.org

I hardly ever post an entire writing from another blog, but this one is so important I can't help it - this is too important. Please show some love to Villager, publisher of Electronic Village (and the Black Blog rankings, by visiting one of the links in this sentence. Or click here to visit the post at his site. We've discussed Dunbar Village here for months. That includes participating in the Afrospear's Day of Blogging for Justice: Protecting Black Women and their families from rape. Villager is right on and I support his effort here. As a member of the NAACP I am deeply disturbed by their response. Important nubian women in my life, such as my former wife, my mom and my sisters often tell me that I have a 'hard head'. Usually, this is a result of me being slow on the uptake for an issue that they see clearly from the start. The impact of the Dunbar Village gang-rape may be yet another example of me ... and perhaps other brothers ... having a 'hard head'. You see, the issues surrounding the Dunbar Village gang-rape that occurred last year continue ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE VALLI KANE & VAGNINI LLP CONTACT RANDY SMITH 212-564-4692 516-312-6573 CELL AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINO WORKERS EXPOSED TO NOOSE, SWASTIKAS''N----- HIT LISTS''AND MORE AT DALLAS-FT WORTH AIRPORT FACILITY TO HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE WITH FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO ANNOUNCE RECORD SETTLEMENT OF MILLIONS FORMER NFL DALLAS COWBOY ERIC MITCHEL WILL JOIN 14 AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND LATINO WORKERS THAT WERE EXPOSED TO NOOSES, SWASTIKAS,''N-----HIT LISTS'' AND MORE AT THE DALLAS-FT WORTH AIRPORT. FEDERAL OFFICIALS WILL HOLD A PRESS CONFERENCE WITH EMPLOYEES ANNOUNCING A RECORD SETTLEMENT OF MILLIONS. IT WILL TAKE PLACE TOMMOROW, TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2008 AT 11AM IN FRONT OF THE UNITED STATES EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION (EEOC) LOCATED AT 207 SOUTH HOUSTON STREET IN DALLAS. THE CASE INVOLVING RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN RECENT HISTORY. ATTORNEY JAMES VAGNINI WILL OUTLINE THE TERMS OF THE SETTLEMENT OF THE OF THE ACTION FILED AGAINST ALLIED AVIATION SERVICES. THE COMPANY WITH OTHER LOCATIONS AT JFK AND NEWARK EMPLOYS THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND HAS FACILITIES AT 22 OTHER AIRPORTS AROUND THE WORLD.