WI Web Staff
Actor Samuel L. Jackson has a simple message for voters who supported President Barack Obama in 2008 but aren't enthusiastic this time around: "Wake the f— up!"
The popular film and voice actor channels his inner Jules Winnfield in a new video from the Jewish Council for Education and Research that riffs on the hit book "Go the F–k to Sleep."
Featuring a young girl concerned about her family's apathy about this year's election, the spot shows a salty-tongued Jackson calling out the girl's parents, siblings and grandparents as he seeks to energize their support.
"Hell no it can't wait, your lives will be affected. Romney and Ryan will gut Medicare if they're elected. Ask the fact checkers, those two are fact duckers," Jackson says to a pair of randy grandparents.
"What do you want us to do?" asks the grandmother.
"Say 'Hell no, motherf—–s!" yells the actor, wearing his trademark Kangol cap.
Peppered throughout the video are popular Democratic talking points, including references to Planned Parenthood funding, voter suppression laws, and the DREAM Act. The video implores supporters to canvass, phone and donate.
"Sorry my friend, but there's no time to snore. An out of touch millionaire has just declared war. On schools, the environment, unions, fair pay. We're all on our own if Romney has his way. And he's against safety nets. If you fall, tough luck. So I strongly suggest that you wake the f— up," Jackson says.
Mayor Vincent C. Gray announced recently that the District of Columbia's unemployment rate continued to decline, with the latest job estimates showing a decrease of 0.1 percent to 8.8 percent.
The number of unemployed District residents dropped by 500 from 31,700 in July to 31,200 in August. The August numbers mark six straight months of unemployment decline in the District.
"While it's gratifying to see a continued drop, our employment situation is complex and we must not give in to complacency," Gray said. "We must continue working diligently to grow and diversify our economy. To back off now would be foolhardy, especially given the very real possibly of devastating federal budget cuts on the horizon."
ANNAPOLIS, MD – Members of the Prince George's County House Delegation recently elected Delegate Jolene Ivey, D-Dist. 47 as the new chair of the delegation, succeeding Delegate Melony G. Griffith, D-District 25.
The transition continues a tradition among the 23-member group of having its leaders serve no more than two terms. The delegation holds elections every two years, and no person has chaired the group for more than two terms in its 60-year history.
Ivey was elected in a unanimous vote among members present at a meeting, held in Annapolis on Sept. 26. Delegates Benjamin S. Barnes, D-Dist. 21 and Veronica Turner, D-Dist. 26 were elected 1st and 2nd vice chairs of the group.
The new leaders will take office formally on Dec. 1, when the delegation holds its annual public hearing on local legislation at Prince George's Community College in Largo.
Office of the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE) Hosanna Jones recently extended congratulations to Chancellor Kaya Henderson and District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) for receiving a 2012 Teacher Inventive Fund Grant Award from the U.S. Department of Education.
In a statement issued Sept. 28, Jones said:
"Quality education begins in our classrooms and with the highly effective teachers that lead them, and DCPS' selection as a Teacher Incentive Fund Grant Awardee is a testament to DCPS Teacher's success in providing District children access to a world-class public education.
"In a time where closing student achievement gaps is more important than ever, rewarding teacher excellence is an important step forward in teacher instructional assessment and demonstrates DCPS' commitment to standards for teaching and learning; all of which place District students and schools in the best possible position to succeed.
"As state education agency for the District of Columbia, the Office of the State Superintendent of Education looks forward to the continued success of DCPS and all of our local education agency partners as we collectively strive to reach 75 percent proficiency and graduation rates by 2017 and advance student achievement statewide."
Jones also thanked Henderson for "providing a national platform to showcase what works for teacher evaluation and serving as a beacon for District of Columbia schools, students, teachers and the public education community."
FCC Commended for Acting Promptly on Incentive Auctions
Monday, 01 October 2012 15:39 Published in National
FCC Asked to Act Rapidly, Conclude Auctions By December 2013
The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (MMTC) commends the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for moving quickly to open a rulemaking proceeding on incentive auctions. At the Sept. 28 FCC open meeting, the Commission invited public comment on auction procedures, including how to structure ownership opportunities for designated entities such as minority entrepreneurs. As MMTC has maintained for over a generation, minority ownership is absolutely as vital to job creation, innovation and opportunity in wireless as it is in broadcasting and cable.
Spectrum has become essential to nearly every element of the nation's economy. Universal nationwide wired and wireless broadband networks would be America's greatest generators of jobs and entrepreneurial opportunity in a generation.
Demand for commercial wireless spectrum is increasing so rapidly that it soon will overtake the supply. That phenomenon, "spectrum exhaust," would be especially detrimental to minorities, who have led the nation in the rate at which they have adopted mobile wireless and its applications to job search, health care, education and civic engagement.
In all of American history, wireless is the first technology for which minority consumers have a head start – an encouraging high tech and civil rights development that MMTC has named the "Minority Wireless Miracle."
There is no time to lose. To ensure that consumers can enjoy the use of new wireless spectrum as rapidly as possible, MMTC strongly encourages the FCC to expedite the rulemaking process so that the auctions can conclude by December 2013.
Guard Will Miss Approximately Eight Weeks
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Wizards President Ernie Grunfeld announced today that guard John Wall will miss approximately eight weeks after being diagnosed with the early stages of a stress injury to his left patella. No surgery will be necessary, and his rehab will begin immediately.
"My teammates and I are all excited to build on the improvement we made at the end of last season, and I know they will continue to make great progress while I get through this setback," said Wall. "I will work extremely hard to make sure I get back as soon as possible so I can re-join them and help our team continue to improve."
Wall was examined yesterday in New York by orthopedic specialist Dr. David Altchek after experiencing discomfort in his left knee and underwent an MRI that revealed the early stages of a non-traumatic stress injury.
"We're all disappointed for John after how hard he worked this summer and how excited he was to begin training camp, but we feel fortunate that we caught the injury early and that he will be able to return with the vast majority of the season still in front of us," said Grunfeld. "In the meantime, we're confident that the versatility and depth of our team will help us move forward and continue the positive momentum that we've seen over the past several months."
The Wizards begin training camp on Oct. 2 at George Mason University and open the season on Oct. 30 at Cleveland.
Prince George's County Museum Hosts Music Gala
Friday, 28 September 2012 14:41 Published in Arts & Entertainment
The Prince George's African American Museum and Cultural Center (PGAAMCC) will host its first annual black tie gala, "Celebrating Music in Our Culture," on Saturday, Oct. 6.
The purpose of the gala is to support ongoing programming, educational outreach, youth initiatives and innovative exhibitions, as well as the Center's capital campaign.
The event will showcase the music of the time periods depicted in the Center's three most recent exhibitions. In addition, a young Prince George County resident who has made significant contributions to the culture of music will be honored.
WUSA-9 Anchor J.C. Hayward will host the event, and U.S. Rep. Donna F. Edwards, Maryland Sen. Victor Ramirez, Maryland delegates Jolene Ivey and Michael Summers, Prince George's County Council Chair Andrea Harrison and Councilman Will Campos will serve as honorary co-chairs.
For more information, please contact Matt Thorn at 301.809.0440 x106 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Former D.C. Council Chairman Kwame Brown will face a judge on Oct. 9 to explain why he violated at least one of the conditions that allowed him to remain free until he is sentenced in November on bank fraud charges.
Brown will appear before U. S. District Judge Richard J. Leon for the alleged violation made in accordance with a plea deal he and his attorney Frederick D. Cooke Jr. entered following Brown's guilty plea in June.
It remains unclear which condition was violated, but Brown agreed to several -- including weekly reports to court officials and not traveling outside the District without the court's permission. However, in August, when Brown requested permission to travel to Florida during the Labor Day weekend, he was allowed to do so.
Meanwhile, Brown's plea agreement gives prosecutors the right to ask a judge to revise the conditions of his release if he violated any of its terms, if he "engaged in further criminal conduct" or if new information came to light that suggested the 41-year-old married father of two children might flee or pose a danger to the community.
Usher and his mother Jonetta Patton are the next celebrity guests on Oprah's Next Chapter and in the teaser promo Oprah promises that Usher will tell all about his marriage, his mother skipping his wedding and the down and dirty details of his child custody battle.
In addition to his thoughts on being granted primary custody of his two boys, Usher reportedly candidly addresses infidelity rumors and what really happened the night he walked off stage in Berlin and felt he may never perform again.
Winfrey also speaks with Usher's mother Jonetta Patton, who has remained silent throughout the custody battle, as Patton answers why she chose not to attend her son's wedding and the reason behind their reported rift.
In other Life and Style briefs:
Wyclef Airs Love Child Drama with Lauryn Hill in Tell-All
Married Fugees founder Wyclef Jean says it was Lauryn Hill's lies about the paternity of her child that doomed the '90s hip-hop trio.
Jean claims Hill tricked him into believing her firstborn son was his, when, in fact, the father was Bob Marley's son Rohan.
"In that moment something died between us. I was married and Lauryn and I were having an affair, but she led me to believe that the baby was mine, and I couldn't forgive that," Jean writes in his memoir "Purpose," which hit shelves on Tuesday.
Jean says the betrayal by Hill led to the band's 1997 breakup.
"She could no longer be my muse," he wrote. "Our love spell was broken."
He came to his own defense after celeb news sites and blogs bashed him for writing about the alleged drama.
"It's important because at the end of the day, I'm not coming at (attacking) L (Lauryn)," Jean told MTV. "This is a period of my life, and that's how I felt. If anything, I just brought closure to a chapter – because at the end of the day, I didn't do (an album like) Mis-education, so there was no closure in my chapter. I don't think that I should've left it (affair with Hill) as a myth. If she was reading my book, I don't think she would want me to be any other way than honest with my book – because she's straight-up honest."
Houstons Get New Docu-Series
The indiewire.com blog, Shadow & Act claims that Lifetime will air a 1-hour special, Remembering Whitney on October 17 starting at 8pm. This will be followed by a new docu-series The Houstons: On Our Own at 9pm.
"The Houstons: On Our Own" follows the lives of the late R&B and pop singer's family, starting with Pat Houston, Whitney's sister-in-law and manager, and Pat's daughter Rayah, Whitney's brother Gary, daughter Bobbi Kristina and mother, Grammy® Award-winning singer Cissy Houston. Those closest to Houston try to pick up the pieces after her untimely death. As the series follows Pat and her husband, Gary (Whitney's brother), viewers will watch them take on their greatest challenge, supporting and guiding Bobbi Kristina, who now faces the world without the one person she relied on the most, her Mother.
Congratulations Nationals!
Let me be one of the first Washington Informer readers to congratulate the Washington Nationals for earning a spot in the post-season. It's something special about having a major league baseball team in the city where you live, but it's really special for a winning team to reach the post-season. There is nothing like baseball in the fall. There's a reason the World Series is called the Fall Classic: it's the colors, the weather, and the excitement of anticipated match-ups.
To me, baseball is the ultimate team sport and every year at this time, no matter what teams are playing, I get excited. Names like Mays, Robinson, Aaron, Murray, Gibson, Jackson and so many others flash through my mind. Thanks, Nats, for a great year. Yes, we can go all the way, GO NATS!
Robert Hill
Washington, D.C.
The Poor Matter Too
Mr. Barrington Salmon's article, "Religious Leaders Chastise Politicians," September 20, 2012 was right on point. Finally, there are some individuals willing to take a stand for poor people in this country. Politicians think if they even mention the poor they will lose votes, and you know why? It's because the poor are mainly disenfranchised, and people who vote don't care about the poor.
We always hear about the middle class and what they have lost, well what about the people who have nothing, who have lost everything? America can't continue to brush this problem under the rug any longer and, yes, the world is watching. Mr. President, don't be ashamed to acknowledge the fact that there are poor people living in this country who need help along with businesses and the middle class.
Matthew Jennings
Upper Marlboro, Md.
Featured Poll
ADVERTISMENT
ADVERTISMENT