Ground Breakers and Ceiling Crashers: World's 100 Most Powerful Women

Forbes has released its annual list of the World's 100 Most Powerful Women. The list includes "extraordinary icons and leaders", as well as "ground breakers and ceiling crashers" who command the world stage. Rank is determined by money, media, and momentum coupled with "spheres of influence and impact". Detailed methodology is provided by Forbes.

As you might expect, the list includes politicians, heads of state, CEOs of top companies, activist billionaires and celebrities- women who all have global impact and influence. Fifty eight of the 100 women listed are Americans, but the list is diverse. Twenty three are Asia-Pacific women, 5 are from Latin America and the Middle East and 4 are European and African. Bank of Russia Governor Elvira Nabiullina (#72) is the first Russian to make the list.

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Let The Fire Burn: The City of Philidelphia vs MOVE

MOVE Members



Almost twenty five years ago, the city of Philadelphia and MOVE collided, resulting in death and destruction. Here's the story for those who never heard it or those who can't quite remember it's tragic outcome.

MOVE or the MOVE Organization is a Philadelphia-based black liberation group founded by John Africa in 1972. MOVE is not an acronym, but a philosophy- move, work, generate. Anything that doesn't move is stagnant or dead. MOVE was described by CNN as "a loose-knit, mostly black group whose members all adopted the surname Africa, advocated a 'back-to-nature' lifestyle and preached against technology". The MOVE members lived in a commune in a house in the Powelton Village section of West Philadelphia. Africa and his followers (the majority of them African-American), wore their hair in dreadlocks and advocated a radical form of green politics and a return to a hunter-gatherer society while stating their opposition to science, medicine and technology. As John Africa himself had done, his devotees also changed their surnames to show reverence to Africa, which they regarded as their mother continent.

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Make it Plain: Malcolm X Speaks

El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz

Malcolm X  ( El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz) leaves a legacy dedicated to equality and freedom for all people. His words are as meaningful today as they were during his lifetime. Listen to him:

"The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."

" If you are not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing."

"There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time."

"Stumbling is not falling."

“Hence I have no mercy or compassion in me for a society that will crush people, and then penalize them for not being able to stand up under the weight.” 

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"By Any Means Necessary": Malcolm X Remembered

El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz

The posthumous publication in 1965 of The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley, the acclaimed author of Roots, instantly recast Malcolm X as one of the great political and spiritual leaders of modern times. Named by TIME magazine one of 10 "required reading" non-fiction books of all-time, The Autobiography of Malcolm X has truly enshrined Malcolm X as a hero to subsequent generations of radicals and activists.

It has been said that perhaps Malcolm X's greatest contribution to society was underscoring the value of a truly free populace by demonstrating the great lengths to which human beings will go to secure their freedom. "Power in defense of freedom is greater than power in behalf of tyranny and oppression," he stated, "Because power, real power, comes from our conviction which produces action, uncompromising action." It is a message we must hold on to today.

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Catch the Movie at the Beginning: Meet Julian Castro

Meet San Antonio's mayor Julian Castro and you can see his political rise early in the game. President Obama announced that he will nominate Castro for his cabinet as Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The boyish looking Castro(39) has a twin brother, Joaquin serving in the House of Representatives. Both are poised to become Hispanic leaders in the National Democratic Party. The media is already flooded with information about Julian Castro who is following in the footsteps of his mentor Henry Cisneros, former mayor of San Antonio and HUD Secretary in the Clinton White House. Washington Post's Wonkbook dipped into information about Castro, as did The Fix with 10 Things You Should Know Julian Castro.

You might remember Julian Castro from his inspiring keynote address at the National Democratic Convention. His narrative is much like that of President Obama. Castro is a Mexican-American, doesn't speak Spanish, Roman Catholic, pro-Choice, and he favors Affirmative Action. His bio is due out in 2015. Rumors are already circulating about Castro as a running mate for Hilary Clinton. Hummmm... One thing you know for sure, you are getting into the movie as it starts. It looks like it might be a long ride.

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Langston Hughes: Voice of Ordinary Black Life

 

Poet, playwright, and novelist Langston Hughes was a primary contributor to the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s. Born in Joplin, MO on February 1, 1902, his first poem  "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" was published in The Crisis magazine a year after his high school graduation in 1920. He enrolled at Columbia University in 1921and became a part of Harlem's burgeoning cultural movement. He dropped out of college, took a variety of jobs and ultimately signed on as a steward, travelling to Africa and Spain. After leaving the ship in 1924, Hughes lived in Paris and continued to work on his poetry. Over the next decades, Hughes finished his education at Lincoln University, continued his life of letters, traveled extensively and was commercially successful. He went on to write countless works of poetry, prose and plays, even a column for the Chicago Defender.

On May 22, 1967, Langston Hughes died from complications of prostate cancer. A tribute to his poetry, his funeral contained little in the way of spoken eulogy, but was filled with jazz and blues music. Hughes' ashes were interred beneath the entrance of the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black culture in Harlem. The inscription marking the spot features a line from Hughes's poem "The Negro Speaks of Rivers." It reads: "My soul has grown deep like the rivers."

Hughes's Harlem home, on East 127th Street, received New York City Landmark status in 1981 and was added to the National Register of Places in 1982. Volumes of his work continue to be published and translated throughout the world.

Everyone seems to have a favorite Langston Hughes poem, i.e. "The Negro Speaks of Rivers" or "Mother to Son" (Life for me ain't been no crystal stairs...). My favorite is "I, too am America".

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,

I’ll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody’ll dare
Say to me,
“Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,

They’ll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed—

I, too, am America.

Langston Hughes 1902-1967

Read more about this literary icon on Biography and enjoy the brief, but excellent video.

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Voter Fraud: Fact or Fiction?

 

With all the talk from Republicans about how big of a problem voter fraud is for the country and all the talk from the left saying it isn't an issue, the facts tend to get lost in the confusion. The severity of the fraud problem can be greatly blown out of proportion by quoting other voter fraud stats instead of voter ID statistics specifically when debating the validity of voter ID laws. Make sure you know exactly what voter fraud statistics are being discussed when you read an article or listen to a talking heads.

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The Ugly Side of Black Repersentation: How Films Shape Thoughts

1938 to 2011

I'm not a big movie fan, although I keep abreast of new releases through my son Kreighton who is an avid movie buff. When I visit his blog Envy-Green.blogspot.com, I also enjoy his penetrating analysis of a variety of past and present movies. In addition, Kreighton takes me back in time, sharing his views of movies he saw at an early age and his thoughts, both then as a teen or youngster and now as a perceptive adult. His insight gave me pause to dig through the hype of studio advertisement and assess the impact of some of the mega movies and television shows I've viewed through the years.

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Beauty is Only Skin Deep: Celebrities With Physical Deformities

Most fans hold celebrities up as the standard of near perfection. They have talent, beauty, glamour, charisma and success. But, like the rest of us, many of these well-known personalities have "issues". Many have physical deformities that are often hidden from the public or are coping with little known problems which make their bodies less than "perfect".

How many people know that Stephen Colbert is deaf in his right ear as a result of a ruptured ear drum he suffered as a child. He can bend his ear inward and flip it back out by winking his eye. Gary Burghoff, Radar from the long running series MASH has a congenital deformity that affected the development of his left hand. And on it goes. Webbed toes, damaged hands or fingers, extra digits on hands or feet, and more-some well known stars face such demons on a daily basis.

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Thoughts About "Black Women of Substance"

My daughter Krystal responded to a Facebook post which told Black women they have to bring something to the table "except being sexy". I want to share her comments. It's great food for thought and worthy of further discussion.

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I've seen quite a few posts about sexy women and "ratchet" women and it bothers me. What kind of women do you people know? Who are you surrounding yourself with? The women I know, in abundance, are women of substance; powerful educated, graceful, sassy and classy. My mother, my sister, my Sorors, my friends, they inspire me with their education, wisdom, strength, savvy etc on a daily basis.

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Remembering Oscar Grant: Justice Denied Again

Johannes Mehserle-Oscar Grant

So many young African American men are murdered each year and most of them are forgotten by the public at large, leaving only their family and friends to mourn the loss. How quickly people forget.

Do you remember Oscar Grant, the central figure in the recent film “Fruitvale Station”? Grant, 22 years old, was fatally shot by a San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) police office as he lay face-down on an Oakland train platform in 2009. No African-Americans were chosen for the jury, which was composed of 8 women and four men. Seven of the jurors were white, three Latino, one Asian-Pacific Islander, and one declined to state race. The jury found the police officer guilty of involuntary manslaughter despite a number of video taped recording of the crime and numerous witnesses.

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Remembering the Name "Baraka"-Yesterday and Today

The national media outlets covered Cory Booker, then Mayor of Newark, New Jersey when he announced that he would run for Senator Frank Lutenberg's seat. Booker won the special election and moved on to represent New Jersey in the U. S. Senate. There was much less media coverage when Ras Baraka won his race and became mayor of the state's largest city.

Ras Baraka

Howard University educated Ras Baraka, son of the late militant poet and activist Amiri Baraka, started his political career twenty years ago. He was a community organizer, public school teacher, principal of Central High School and member of the Municipal Council of Newark since May 2010. Some say he was Cory Booker's chief antagonist. The forty four year old Mayor-elect begins the post Booker era facing a fiscal crisis that leaves the city in danger of being the subject of state monitoring.

Jobs, crime and education were leading issues in the campaign, as reported in the New Yorker.

  

Imamu Amiri Baraka

As reported in the New Yorker article, Mayor-elect Baraka began his victory remarks by thanking his father Imamu Amiri Baraka, who passed away in January at the age of 79. The elder Baraka, formerly known as LeRoi Jones, was a poet and activist, founder of the Black Arts Movement and former New Jersey poet laureate. He was provocative and a ground breaking force in American culture. The FBI identified Amiri Baraka as "the person who will probably emerge as the leader of the Pan-African movement in the United States". They were "probably" right.  The Grio published an interesting portrait of the "tireless agitator" when reporting his death. his son wrote of him, calling him "A Black Fire".

No doubt history will remark on the deeds of father and son Baraka. People you should know.

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An A-Worm Strikes Again

Have you heard the term A-worm? Think Donald Sterling, owner of the Los Angeles Clippers. Think Clive Bundy, Nevada's millionaire welfare cattle rancher. A high school coach refers to a Black player as a "future welfare recipient". New York Policemen refer to West Indian carnival goers as savages, animals and said that someone should drop a bomb on them and wipe them out. Rush Limbaugh called the President an "Oreo Cookie". Are you getting the picture? We're talking about an angry, white, old, Republican or right wing man. The drama never ceases.

Robert Copeland

Police Commissioner Robert Copeland recently was heard calling President of the United States the "N" word.  Mind you his comment was preceded by an obscenity. The residents of Wolfeboro, NY  spoke out and rejected Copeland's comments saying he didn't speak for the town nor did he reflect their sentiments. They demanded his resignation. Copeland stood by his statement, but bowed to pressure from the town, resigning his position.

 

Doug Lamborn

What we continue to learn is that racism is alive and well in the hearts and minds of some people in this country. Some even sit in the hallow halls of the United States Congress. Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado referred to the President as a "tar baby". You can search the media and find numerous examples. You'll even find a Congressman calling President Obama a liar during a State of the Union message. We have seen accepted decorum and due respect dismissed when it come to number 44.



What is surprising is that there are no limits to what some will do to assure themselves of fifteen minutes of media fame and massive support from their like-minded cronies. Elected officials seem to think that spurious comments and name calling is an easy way to collect contributions from donors. Many will say or do anything to get a line of coverage in the press and it seems to pay off. It will take vigilance and dedication to call out these unacceptable acts and statements and ensure that there are consequences for this type of behavior.

Beware, another A-Worm will strike again. Let there be consequences.

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