Washington Informer

The National Coalition of Black Veteran organizations has joined the Alaska-based BlaqueIce (pronounced: black ice) Productions in a major fundraiser to construct a monument in in the District of Columbia in honor of Col. Charles Young, the legendary soldier/diplomat who led America's renown Buffalo Soldiers.

The Trilogy CD collection includes four historic speeches by President Barack Obama, with original scores composed by BlaqueIce producers. The remarkable oratory – which defines America's political maturation and innovative compositions that exemplify its creative essence -- will be a must-have for generations to come.

"Our hope is to demonstrate progress in achieving the historical ideals of African-American service men and women by melding the oration of President Obama, with the history of our participation in the defense of the nation," said Charles Blatcher, chairman of the Veterans Coalition. "The merits of our services are the cornerstone of civil rights and made possible this historic moment in American History."

The three-disc set features the speech Obama delivered upon his acceptance of the Democratic nomination on August 28, 2008, at Invesco Field in Denver, Colorado; his historic victory speech delivered at Chicago's Grant Park following his election on November 4, 2008; his swearing-in speech delivered on January 20, 2009; and, a bonus track of Obama's speech on race relations that without question framed our national outlook on race and politics.

"We at BlaqueIce believe the service of our many African-American military personnel, marks a journey of unparalleled sacrifice and triumph as we have traveled throughout time from slavery to the White House," said Leonard A. Lawson, BlaqueIce founder and owner.

"For this we are eternally grateful! I cannot express enough gratitude in being asked to participate in establishing a monument honoring the legendary Col. Charles Young in our nation capitol. We are honored to contribute a portion of the proceeds derived from the sale of the collection to support the monument project."

Christal Rogers, president of Precise Plans, added that prior to a recent introduction, they had not been aware of the history of Young. "After we heard about him, we agreed that this is a long overdue and worthwhile undertaking," Rogers said. "It is not every day an opportunity presents itself to honor the past and contemporary history as it does with this project."

The Trilogy collection is slated for release in 2013.

Source: National Veterans Coalition

As former South Africa President Nelson Mandela entered his seventh day of hospitalization for a reported lung, questions have abounded on exactly where he is receiving treatment.

According to reports, as of early Friday, government officials were avoiding questions. However, earlier in the week, the nation's defense minister told reporters that Mandela was being treated at 1 Military Hospital near the capital, Pretoria.

After local media reported Mandela,94, wasn't there on Thursday night, a presidential spokesman refused to say where Mandela is being treated, a report stated.

Mandela, who is widely revered for his leadership in the struggle against racist white rule in South Africa, served one five-year term as president before retiring from public life.

Source: ABC News

Susan Rice, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations has withdrawn her name from consideration as secretary of state.

Rice, who drew heavy criticism from Republicans over statements she made regarding the Benghazi attacks in September that killed four Americans, announced her decision on Thursday in a letter to President Barack Obama. Her letter in part read that "the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive, and costly -- to you and to our most pressing national and international priorities. That trade-off is simply not worth it to our country."

Obama responded to Rice's withdrawal, stating that she is "an extraordinarily capable, patriotic, and passionate public servant."

Meanwhile, Rice – who was seen as the forerunner to the post that is currently held by Hillary Clinton, said she will continue her duties as ambassador. Clinton announced her plans after Obama' re-election to step down, saying she would make her departure as soon as a successor was confirmed.

Obama has defended Rice's statements on the Benghazi attacks in which Chris Stevens, ambassador to Libya, was killed. According to Obama, the criticism level at Rice from several key Republicans was outrageous.

"If Senator (John) McCain and Senator (Lindsey) Graham and others want to go after someone, they should go after me," Obama said at a White House news conference in late November. "When they go after the U.N. ambassador, apparently because they think she's an easy target, then they've got a problem with me."

Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry has now been mentioned as a possible nominee for the secretary of state post.

In celebration of the Hip-Hop community's involvement in President Barack Obama's re-election, the Hip-Hop Summit Action Network and PHILANTHROPIK have announced a charity black-tie gala to be included among inauguaral festivities next month in the nation's capital.

The Hip-Hop Inaugural Ball II will be held at 8 p.m., Jan. 20, at The Harman Center for the Arts in Northwest. The ball, which is the brainchild of chairpersons Russell Simmons and Zac McDaniels, looks to once again be one of the hottest tickets of the inaugural weekend.

The last two elections have sparked a tremendous surge of political and social fervor within the hip-hop community and an influx of youth into mainstream politics. Hip-Hop has a voice and as the genre continues to expand globally, that voice has become galvanized and powerful.

Simmons introduced the historic ball that honored and celebrated the country's new political presence and collective power. The impact was evident from the record turn out of voters under 30, many of whom cast their first votes ever in 2009 and turned out again in 2012.

Many of the Hip-Hop artists who participated in the previous ball are expected to attend this year's event. They include Simmons, LL Cool J, T.I. and Tiny, Nick Cannon, Busta Rhymes, Young Jeezy, Ashanti, Trey Songz, and Bow Wow.

Tickets prices range from $500 to $2,500 and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, please visit: www.eventfarm.com/HIB2013

Source: Theabaagency.com

Wilson Disqualification Hit the Mark

Elton Hayes's "Wilson Football Takes a Hit" article, published in the Nov. 29 edition, really shed light on the District's problem with ineligible players from Maryland who participate in District public school athletics. This has been an ongoing problem for years now and it's good to see District of Columbia public schools officials such as Stephanie Evans tackle the issue.

Wilson's disqualification was the second time a penalty had been handed down by DCPS officials, in as many months. H.D. Woodson was forced to vacate victories in October after word leaked of the team allowing an ineligible player to participate in several of the school's games.

However, as Mr. Hayes's article pointed out, the fashion in which DCPS officials deemed Wilson ineligible was wrong.

It's also baffling that Evans decided to pursue the case after she originally declined to do so. It's as if there was political jousting between DCPS officials that affected their decision. At the end of the day, the eligible players who spent numerous hours practicing and playing in games, suffered. They made the sacrifice and had a chance to play for the city football championship, but the opportunity was taken away from them.

Wilson's case is unfortunate and it's sad that its seniors were not able to play in the biggest game of their high school football career. I hope that DCPS continues to penalize the schools that take advantage of the residency issue, and leave schools like Wilson, that run a clean athletic program, alone. Keep up the good work, Informer.

Tanya Davis,

Washington, D.C.

Remembering Lawrence Guyot

A Civil Rights Warrior Remembered (Nov. 29), written by Barrington Salmon, was a powerful and emotional read. Lawrence Guyot's lasting legacy goes largely unknown because he's overshadowed by fellow civil rights pioneers who include Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rep. John Lewis. While King and Lewis risked and sacrificed their lives for the movement, Guyot did the same.

Mr. Salmon's article accurately chronicled his work and did so in a way that made it clear to anyone who read the article. It also reminded me of why African-American newspapers are relevant and needed in the black community. Other publications honored Guyot, however, The Washington Informer's article was far more in-depth and informative.

I enjoyed reading the array of accounts about Guyot not just from local District politicians and leaders, but from others in the community who became acquainted with him. Guyot became a fixture in the District and touched the lives of many people both young and old. Mr. Salmon also did well in including those who knew Guyot in the early 1960s when he first embarked on his career as an activist during the Freedom Riders movement. The article really gave an intimate view of Guyot as a person and humanized a man whose achievements were significant.

Guyot gave the community a voice and a sense of power. It's refreshing to read an article that does more than just scratch the surface, but presents an in-depth look into one of our community's heroes. Articles like these are why I continue to read The Washington Informer.

Keith Robinson

Upper Marlboro, Md.

ORLANDO, FL — George Zimmerman, who is charged with second-degree murder in the February death of Trayvon Martin, recently filed a lawsuit against NBC and three affiliated reporters, claiming he was defamed when the network edited his 911 call to police to make it sound like he was racist.

The former neighborhood watch volunteer, who has pleaded not guilty in the youth's shooting death, filed the lawsuit in Seminole County, Fla., near Orlando, seeking an undisclosed amount of money.

Zimmerman's complaint reportedly states that the edited call has caused him emotional distress and that he fears for his life. He also claims to have suffered from nausea, insomnia and anxiety.

According to a report, "NBC saw the death of Trayvon Martin not as a tragedy but as an opportunity to increase ratings, and so set about to create a myth that George Zimmerman was a racist and predatory villain," the lawsuit claims.

NBC has said through a spokeswoman, that the network strongly disagreed with Zimmerman's accusations.

The unemployment rate for black men 20 years old and older dramatically dropped in November as the nation's private businesses added a 146,000 new jobs. As a result, the overall jobless rate to fall to 7.7 percent, according the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report.  

The BLS findings added that the unemployment rate for black men was 13 percent in November compared with 16.4 for the same month last year.

November's jobless rate for black women 20 years old and older was 11.4 percent compared with 13 percent in November 2011, and the overall jobless rate for blacks was 13.2 percent in November compared with 15.5 percent in November 2011.

Although the black-jobless rate improved, unemployment among African-Americans still remains twice as high when compared with other major working groups, which includes whites, Hispanics and Asians. The overall unemployment rate for whites in November was 6.8 percent compared with 7.6 percent in November 2011.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics