Putting yourself on the path to healthy loss - Chris Otto

This post includes information from outside of the African diaspora intended to be used for health improvement.

Putting yourself on the path to healthy loss - Chris Otto

http://funfamilyfreedom.blogspot.com/2012/07/putting-yourself-on-path-to-healthy.html

Dear FREEdom Seeker,

Did you know that most folks make a HUGE dieting mistake whenever they try and lose fat? In fact, this mistake is part of the reason most people have trouble losing fat in the first place. Today, you'll discover what this mistake is and how to correct it -- putting yourself on the path to healthy loss....... Guest post by Health Expert Chris Otto: Be Fit, Chris OttoBody RescYou Virginia Beach Health & Fitness Expert.

Your world is in your hands........
Avoid This Common Diet Mistake You hear it all the time ... "To eat healthy, you need to stay away from fat." This couldn't be further from the truth. In fact, if you want to lose weight, keep it off, and look great year-round, you've got to eat fat. The truth is your body NEEDS fat to survive (About 66% of your brain is made up of fat!). But there is a catch -- You can't just eat any kind of fat. You've got to eat more healthy fats. See, there are "good" fats and "bad" fats. Bad fats make you sick. Good fats heal your body, protect your heart, reduce inflammation and boost your metabolism. So what foods contain good fats? Mainly, it's any food that's rich in omega-3 fatty acids and oleic acid. Here are a few you can start putting into your diet today:

Almonds -- great to snack on and good source of omega 3. Avocados -- high in heart-healthy oleic acid. Egg yolks -- despite what you've heard, eggs (including the yolk) are good for you! They're rich in omega-3's, contain the full spectrum of amino acids, and have plenty of vitamins your body needs. Grass-fed beef - Beef that's been grass-fed is very high on omega 3 fats, which are incredibly good for you. Fish -- make sure it's wild-caught, to avoid mercury contamination, among other things. Wild-caught salmon is a great choice. Walnuts -- another great choice for snacking. In addition to these, use healthy oils as salad dressings whenever possible. Good choices include extra virgin olive oil and Sacha Inchi oil. So there you go. You have permission to eat more fat. But make sure it's the good stuff. And as with everything, don't over do it. Even though good fats are healthy, they're still high in calories. Aim for 50 - 80 grams of good fat per day, depending on your calorie requirements.

Quote Corner "Let food be your medicine..." - Hippocrates

Eat Yourself Thin: Beef Bulgogi (Serves Four) 1 pound flank steak, thinly sliced 5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce 2 packets of stevia 1/4 cup chopped green onion 2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 tablespoons sesame seeds 2 tablespoons sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1. Place the beef in a shallow dish. Combine soy sauce, sugar, green onion, garlic, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and ground black pepper in a small bowl. Pour over beef. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight. 2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate. 3. Quickly grill beef on hot grill until slightly charred and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Prep: 10mins Cook: 5mins Ready: 1hr 15mins Amount Per Serving - Calories: 232 / Total Fat: 13.2g / Cholesterol: 27mg / Sodium: 957mg / Total Carbs: 12.4g / Dietary Fiber: 1g / Protein 16.2g

Do you have any other health info' related to this post ? Please share your comment by visiting:
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This post includes information from outside of the African diaspora intended to be used for health improvement.
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Let's be improved ! Seko Varner is the lead recruiter for Positive Vibes Financial, a World Financial Group team of financial services agent. This team began in 2010 and is coached by WFG's Team Unstoppable. Seko also has ownership in and works with Positive Vibes DJs and the event marketing service Happily Ever After.Be. Seko has a background in counseling and special education. He was employed for 14 years with Portsmouth City Public Schools (Virginia) as a counselor and as a teacher. Seko has also worked as an Intensive In-Home Counselor for over 10 years and has years of experience in commercial and residential real estate. In addition to his business ventures Seko is active with numerous Youth Mentorship programs and has a background in radio and television media. Visit www.HappilyEverAfter.Be for more details.

JOHN HENRIK CLARKE TRIBUTE 7/29/2012 IN BROOKLYN

TRIBUTE TO JOHN HENRIK CLARKE

Sunday, July 29, 2012

3:30pm until 6:30pm in EDT

On Sunday July 29th at 3:30 PM , B.E.P.A.A.,The Board For the Education of People of African Ancestry will host its 14th Annual Tribute to Dr. John Henrik Clarke. "The Keynote Address "Our African Compass in 2012" will be delivered by African Cultural Scientist, Runoko Rashidi. The title is a reference to Dr. Clarkes often quoted remark that "History is a clock that people use to tell their political and cultural time of the day. It is also a compass that people use to find themselves on the map of human geography."

Rashidi will be joined by Master Educator Adelaide Sanford and Political Warrior NYC Councilman Charles Barron and Political Prisoner/ POW activist Dequi Kioni Sadiki. Sadiki with Mani Gilyard co-chairs the The Malcolm X Commemoration Committee. Veteran Broadcaster Bernard White will MC the program. The Event will be held at Nazarene Congregational Church UCC pastored by Reverend Conrad Tillard and located at 506 McDonough St. Brooklyn New York 11233.

Admission is Free.

For further information call 347-907-0629

Nazarene Congregational Church
506 MacDonough Street, Brooklyn, New York 11233

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nazarene-Congregational-1968-1976/318858021460628

ADMISSION IS FREE!!!

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Open Letter to Our Community: Save Sistas Place by Bob Law

An abbreviated version of Bob Law's letter in the  

NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS July19- July 25, 2012

Open Letter To Our Community:Save Sistas' Place

by Bob Law
niapean@yahoo.com

 

It is called Sistas' Place, but in realty, it has always been our place. For 17 years, Sistas' Place has remained one of the most courageous, significant, independent, stand-alone cultural institutions serving the Black Community.

This is one cultural and political institution that truly belongs to us, and as such we will sustain it. Sistas' Place has no corporate sponsors, wealthy guardian angels, but Sistas' Place has you and I. And the good news is that 's enough.

 

To address their critical financial challenge, we are launching a Sistas' Place

membership drive . We need 400 people in the next 20 days to become sustaining members of Sistas' Place by buying a $30 membership. Please

become a sustaining member by sending your membership fee of $30 to

Sistas' Place, 456 Nostrand Ave., Brooklyn 11216. Make checks, money orders payable to the Harriet Tubman, Fannie Lou Hammer Woman's Coalition

 

I Respect You

Bob Law

The Renaissance Men for Sistas' Place
Sistasplace <niapean@yahoo.com>;

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Rich is Cool - Herman Cain

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Please Donate Today .... July 23, 2012

Rich is Cool By Herman Cain If the polls are any indication, it hasn't worked, but the Obama campaign spent big money over the past month attacking Mitt Romney for what they apparently believe is the worst sin imaginable: He is rich. And as we know now (not that it was a big surprise), President Obama's disdain for those who have earned substantial wealth runs deep. He doesn't like you having all that money (unless you contribute it to his campaign), and he really doesn't like you taking credit for having earned it. That's why he said the following: "Look, if you've been successful, you didn't get there on your own. You didn't get there on your own. I'm always struck by people who think, well, it must be because I was just so smart. There are a lot of smart people out there. It must be because I worked harder than everybody else. Let me tell you something — there are a whole bunch of hardworking people out there. "If you were successful, somebody along the line gave you some help. There was a great teacher somewhere in your life. Somebody helped to create this unbelievable American system that we have that allowed you to thrive. Somebody invested in roads and bridges. If you've got a business — you didn't build that. Somebody else made that happen. The Internet didn't get invented on its own. Government research created the Internet so that all the companies could make money off the Internet." As far as Obama is concerned, anyone who is successful got that way because of the system, by which he means the government. Democrats sometimes refer to the rich as "the winners in life's lottery," which is to say they merely got lucky in a game of chance – and that's why they need to fork over so much of their wealth in taxes, so Democrats can "spread the wealth around" to all those other smart, hardworking people, who just didn't happen to win life's lottery. What a load of crap. To listen to these people, you'd think being rich was the worst thing anyone could do. Well I've got news for them: Being rich is cool. Not only that, but when someone has become rich, others should endeavor to learn as much as they can about how he or she did it, instead of resenting it and dismissing it as merely lucking out because of all the help the government provided. The best example I can give you is my dad. He started his adult life in the 1940 with nothing but the clothes on his back. At one point he worked three jobs at the same time. I suppose wealth is relative to everyone's situation, but my dad had a goal of getting rich as he defined it – and he achieved his goal. Did the government deserve any credit for his success? When he walked off that small dirt farm in Tennessee, the road wasn't even paved. I'm not saying there were no government functions that worked well and benefited him. Of course there were. But they were the same ones that benefited everybody else. My dad achieved his particular goals because of his particular dedication, his good plan and his hard work. And yes, he was perfectly within his rights to be proud of himself for being so smart and working so hard. And let's be honest: It was true then, and it's even truer today, that when you get rich you largely do it in spite of the government – its rules, its regulations, its confiscatory tax policies . . . and now the tendency of certain leaders to assail you for your success. The coolest thing about rich people is that, in order to get rich, you have to make your skill and your capital work for other people. Instead of ripping Bain Capital for its success, the Obama Administration and the media should study what Bain did and how it did it. Bain created thousands of jobs – many more on a net basis than it eliminated via strategic layoffs – because it made smart business decisions and built successful enterprises. I'll take that any day over what Obama does, which is to flush money down the toilet in the form of stimulus that doesn't stimulate, "green energy" investments that lead straight to bankruptcy and tax and regulatory policies that stifle capital formation and entrepreneurial innovation. Mitt Romney got rich because he is smart and he works hard. That makes him pretty darn cool in my book. Those of you who resent the rich, get over it and study how they did it. Along the way, you'll discover that the rich not only pay most of the taxes, but in all likelihood they pay your paycheck too. And you'd better study them while you can, because there's no telling how many of them will be left once Obama gets finished with them. 9-9-9 An Army of Davids offers fresh and unique solutions to our current economic crisis. It goes beyond the first steps—un-electing President Obama and repealing his dangerous laws and executive  orders—and focuses on fundamental reforms that will make our economy soar as it did in the 80s and 90s. 9-9-9 An Army of Davids shows why the country needs Herman Cain's signature 9-9-9 tax plan and the elimination of a tax code that holds us back, robs us of our initiative, discourages jobs, and swamps our economy with imports.

Momentum Trumps Talent... Mickey Nguyen

Momentum Trumps Talent... Mickey Nguyen

I'm a bit spoiled....
I'm trained by the best....
I'm getting to truly value the gifts that I've been given access to......

During a workshop I attended recently a giant in the financial services business, Mickey Nguyen, stated "Momentum trumps talent." Mickey later explained in his message that a professional with talent who doesn't develop any momentum will always be behind the professional with momentum. He then described how remaining in momentum will build skills which will appear as talent to the outside world. While I listened carefully to the remainder of the message. and engaged in the taking of "copious notes" I couldn't shake the importance of the lesson in those three words. Even as he focused on the magnitude of "building habits that serve you" I couldn't help but relate the "building of habits" to the development of momentum.

As a financial service provider I am reminded daily about the strength in Momentum. As I assist clients in investing in themselves by saving very meager amounts of money and placing those funds into a financial product that has the momentum to grow their money into something substantial. My DJ partner and fitness coach, Walter "DJ Vibe" Varner, has recently been on my back since I lost my fitness-regiment momentum. Getting that momentum back has proved difficult and he recently advised me to research the martial art Krav Maga as it's study may provide me with the sparring and physical fitness that I need. I can still kick a fools butt.... but, I can't kick as many butts as I used to.

Whatever your field of endevaor seek to build momentum. With momentum we will defeat White-Supremacy and African-Inferiority Complex.

Gotta' get this momentum going! Praises-up for Mickey, Praises-up for Walter. May the momentum blessing come down ! As I've heard my firms senior partner John Epting state on numerous occasions..."Pray like it's up to the Almighty; Work like it's up to you." Ashee, Ashee, Ashee.

Let's be improved ! What are your thoughts on Momentum ? What do you think about Mickey's message ? Holla' at cha' boy by leaving a comment !

Click here to leave a comment.

Seko "DJ Seko" B. Varner
www.HappilyEverAfter.Be



Leave a comment by clicking this linking:
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African Refugee to compete under Olympic flag

Refugee without a country to compete under Olympic flag in London

By Armando Botello II | Fourth-Place Medal – 20 hours ago

Associated Press

Yesterday, Guor Marial was a gifted athlete. Today, Marial is an Olympian with less than a week to prepare for his just confirmed trip to London.

The South-Sudanese refugee qualified for the Olympics last October after meeting the Olympic "A" standard with a run of 2 hours, 14 minutes and 32 seconds at the 2011 Twin Cities Marathon. All that was missing after that display of talent was a country to represent in the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) requires athletes to be full citizens of the countries they represent. Though Marial has lived in the U.S. for 11 years, he has yet to gain full citizenship and his status as a permanent resident isn't enough to allow him to wear red, white and blue at the games.

"Technically, I was supposed to be a citizen last June, because I did everything, I did my citizen test, I did my interview, I did my fingerprints, and everything was all set. All I needed to do was to go to their office and get my passport and do the ceremony. That was in June 2011, but there has been a security background check...and that's what took everything longer," Marial said this week in an interview with Runner's World.

 

Marial was born in what is now the Republic of South Sudan, a newly independent country without a National Olympic Committee, an IOC requirement for nations to be able to compete in the games.

With no country to represent, Marial began petitioning the IOC to run as an independent participant under the Olympic flag.

"It would be great for the people of South Sudan for me to run as an independent," Marial told the New York Times last week. "And the U.S. because that's where I discovered running. It would be great for the whole world."

 

Many others saw his plight the same way.

A change.org petition titled "Allow South Sudanese runner Guor Marial to compete in the Olympics Marathon" was set up and received nearly 3,500 signatures. And in a letter to IOC President Jacques Rogge requesting that Marial be allowed to compete in the London Games as an independent participant, Refugee International President Michel Gabaudan wrote, "At its 123rd session in July of last year, the IOC granted independent status to athletes from the Netherlands Antilles after its National Olympic Committee was dissolved, in order to "preserve as much as possible the interests of the athletes." Qualified athletes from South Sudan, including Mr. Marial, deserve equal treatment, and the IOC should act to grant him an Olympic berth without delay."

Early this morning, Marial found out the IOC will allow him to run in the Olympic marathon as an independent participant under the Olympic flag.

"The voice of South Sudan has been heard," Marial told The Associated Press. "The South Sudan has finally got a spot in the world community. Even though I will not carry their flag in this Olympic Games, the country itself is there.

"The dream has come true. The hope of South Sudan is alive."

Let’s Declare A Holiday from MEN ! - Linda Goss

Ladies, Let's Declare A Holiday from MEN!

Posted on July 12, 2012

lindagoss

Comments ? Leave them here:

http://lindagoss.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/ladies-lets-declare-a-holiday-from-men/#comments

Let me begin with this disclaimer.  This Post is not for those of you who are/have been happily married/involved for 5/10/ 15/20 or more years. Hopefully, you have found the person of your dreams who makes your toes tingle, your palms sweat, and your bank account jingle. But more importantly, hopefully, you are equally yoked. You may read on with the assurance that this is not directed at you.

Nor, is this one of those man-hating maryjblige generated discussions (no offense mary, I have bought many of your cds and attended One of your concerts) where I spend 800 plus precious words engaging in male bashing (not a sport I am noted for…tennis is my game).

However, some events of the past few weeks have completely perplexed and disturbed me.  And naturally, the writer in me needs to write about it.  Perhaps I can act as the narrator did in those well known Shakespearean tales and provide you with the words/actions and you the audience can offer me some words of wisdom (via your comments) so that this state of perplexion (not a real word) will no longer cloud my horizon.

In all fairness, I must admit there was a period about 4 years ago when I absented myself from the day to day hubbub as a result of an ill-timed physical illness for well nigh a period of 8 mos.  Perhaps, it was during that time that I missed the Bulletin/latebreakingnews/Memorandum/Email/Textmsg/Tweet that went out stating:  It is okay for men to use women as receptacles for their garbage.  Reader, there is another word I could substitute for garbage …shorter…more direct…begins with an "s", but I have taken the Blogger's oath that this will be a PG rated post..so I leave the semantics to you.

What is she talking about…what bulletin..everybody knows that women rule the world..hasn't she heard Beyonce's latest cd..Every since women's lib, y'all been wearing the pants..talking 'bout you can buy the bacon and come home and fry it up in a pan..I mean my daddy told me a long time ago..the woman chooses and the man…..

It all started when I decided to reread Zora Neale Hurston…Their Eyes Were Watching God while enjoying a blistering 100 degree afternoon at the beach.  The black woman is de mule uh de world…Janie's grandmother laments…but Ah been prayin" fuh it tuh be different wid you. This line is by far one of the most often quoted lines from this well known literary work. It captures not only the frustration of Nanny, but echoes the frustration many women (all colors) have felt throughout the years (pre and post bra-burning). The irony of this is Their Eyes is a love story replete with all the romanticism, shared longing, sexual tension/quest for identity/self discovery/journey/cougar vs. young man/old man vs. young woman themes one could hope to find in a 1937 novel written by an anthropologist (one of her many titles).

What? What does this have to do with the receptacle/garbage thing? Patience reader..I'm getting there.

In the novel, Nanny arranges a marriage for Janie to the well-to-do Logan Killicks and his oft mentioned sixty acres. Janie soon realizes that she does not love the older Mr. Killicks with his long/flat head and dat pone uh fat back uh his neck…with the too big belly and his toe nails that look lak mule foots. She wants things sweet wid her marriage lak when you sit under a pear tree and think.  Alas, Mr. Killicks never mentions nothing pretty.

Sherley Anne Williams opines in her Forward that Zora was unable to satisfactorily define herself in a continuing relationship with a man (did Zora tell her that?). And Janie's romantic vision and its ultimate fulfillment provided the plot of the novel. But in their desire and eventual insistence that their men accord them treatment due equals, they are one. On this, Ms. Williams, I can agree. Hence my state of confusion when I found myself the object of unequal treatment by a fellow human (who happened to be a man).

In my quest to understand the treatment that I received at the hands of this fellow human, I sought answers from a dear male friend….Why? Why am I being treated this way by someone I have offered my friendship/companionship/shoulder/to..especially after so many years.

It's all about selection my dear. The personae that we project to others must be the correct one if we are to expect to be treated fairly.

Hmm…I'm not sure that answered my question but perhaps he has something there.  I mean, after all, we teach people how to treat us. I think I heard Dr. Phil say that one time. I'm no angel, but I did learn the golden rule and how to play fair on the playground. By nature, I am a lover of all things human and non-human. I seek balance. I seek harmony. I seek peace. I seek understanding. I (on occasion) seek love. So what did I do to incur this type of treatment, I ask?

Maybe, he's just frustrated and immature…you know men don't mature as fast as we do..even if they're ten years older than us.

Maybe, he was always like that and just never showed you that side of him.

Maybe, he has issues with women and this is how he deals with.

Maybe, he's going through male menopause…you know they have it too.

Maybe some other women treated him bad..you said he was married before..maybe he still hasn't got over that…and on and on this supposition went as I conferred with various women in the 50-60something bracket.

You still haven't told us what happened.  All this talk about Zora neale and what your friends, said… blah, blah, blah..could you just get to the point.

As this is a PG rated post, I am not at liberty to repeat those words (from him) which sparked this state of confusion within me. However, prior to the utterance of those words (by him) there was some discussion about the latest ny times best seller shades of gray (which I have not read) and the fact that it is getting so much press (probably  because it is soft porn that can be found on the library shelves). That led to a discussion (by him) about the repressed nature of women. And I being a woman was included in those numbers. And that what I really needed to do was to unrepress (not a word) myself and commit some shades of gray acts with him. Which of course would lead me to a state of pure ecstacy, eyeball rolling pleasure, mind numbing, uncontrollable joy, and by the way, cure once and for all that darn insomnia!

How dare he?  I mean what makes him think just because he is a man, I want to be the object of his desire? We are friends.  I have always considered him a friend and Nothing more. We talk for hours on the phone. Sharing tidbits of our day, our interests, our likes, our dislikes, latest politics, local gossip. You  name it.. the friend thang. Usually reserved for female to female, but in his case (and several others like him) a male friend. Purely Platonic.

Girl, what's the problem? The man came on to you.  He's just being a man…that's what they do..you know most of them are bow wows…why are you so offended? At your age, you should be glad somebody is giving you some play.  Get over it.

No, Reader, I will not get over it.  I am offended. I am offended that someone I shared many hours conversing with has reduced me to an act. I am offended that someone I entrusted with my secrets/hopes/fears/dreams would reduce me to an act. I am offended that someone I thought viewed me as an equal/an intellectual sparring partner/ a fellow entrepreneur/creative thinker/spirited member of the world would reduce me to an act.

I am a woman, like Zora Neale, who insists that men accord me treatment due their equals.

Comments ? Leave them here:

http://lindagoss.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/ladies-lets-declare-a-holiday-from-men/#comments

lindagoss

Musings/adventures of African Amer writer looking for Herstory

http://lindagoss.wordpress.com/2012/07/12/ladies-lets-declare-a-holiday-from-men/

Islam's DESTRUCTION OF THE TIMBUKTU MANUSCRIPTS

http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/tombs-arabs-destroying-timbuktus-manuscripts

After Tombs, Arabs Now Destroying Timbuktu's Manuscripts

July 11, 2012 | Filed under: Africa,Featured | Posted by: Editorial_Staff

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Timbuktu mathematics and astronomy manuscript

The city of Timbuktu in northern Mali is not only home to historic mosques and sacred tombs, but also an enormous collection of old manuscripts that illustrate the rich intellectual history of the region. All of this is now under threat from a wave of barbarism by salafists Arabs who have seized control of northern Mali.

European historians long claimed that Africa had no written history or intellectual tradition and that the first light of civilization arrived there with the European colonization. But if there is one city in Africa that dispels this White myth, it is Timbuktu.

Center of intellectual life

This city on the northernmost part of the river Niger, at the edge of the Sahara, was a thriving centre of commerce from the 13th century. There, merchants traded in gold, salt and other commodities. Europeans first arrived to the city in the 19th century, but historians like explorer Ibn Battuta described the city with admiration some five hundred years earlier.

Timbuktu is best known for its historic mosques and mausoleums, where Sufi saints are entombed. But only recently did people realize that, aside from a centre of trade, the city was also a significant centre of intellectual life. In the late 1990s, an international research team found a number of private libraries where prominent families from Timbuktu kept tens of thousands of medieval manuscripts. Written in various African languages and Arabic, the manuscripts showed the world that 13th-century West African scholars were deeply engaged in the study of religious subjects but also logic, mathematics, astronomy, medicine and natural sciences.

Fundamentalist Salafism

Arab savage destroying tombs in Timbuktu

West African Islam has been deeply influenced by Sufism, the mystical branch of Islam that favours a metaphorical interpretation of the Qur'an and focuses on the spiritual development of the individual. West African Sufism is also known for its  'enlightened' individuals who mediate between God and humankind and who are also worshipped after they die.

The Arabs who have now seized power in northern Mali are followers of a very different movement: fundamentalist Salafism from Saudi Arabia. Their brand of Islam has no historical roots in West Africa and it rejects Sufism and the mystical veneration of saints as a heresy.

It is the fundamentalist Islam imported from Saudi Arabia and its animosity towards Sufism that has led to the tragic destruction of irreplaceable symbols of West Africa's cultural heritage. Arab Salafist have already destroyed at least three historical mausoleums and they say they intend to raze them all to the ground. Historic mosques and libraries with manuscripts are not safe from these barbarians either. The manuscripts would fetch a fortune on the black market. There is a risk that important testimonies of a rich African scholarly tradition will disappear forever while Africans worldwide sit idle and scared of a few hundred Arabs.

 

http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/tombs-arabs-destroying-timbuktus-manuscripts

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Mitt Romney appeals to black voters in NAACP speech

By Holly Bailey, Yahoo! News | The Ticket

Romney at the NAACP convention in Houston (Evan Vucci/AP)

Mitt Romney offered a direct appeal to African-American voters on Wednesday, arguing in a speech at the NAACP's annual meeting that the black community has been hardest hit by the bad economy and that, if elected, he'll seek to improve the quality of life for all Americans, regardless of color.

"I believe that if you understood who I truly am in my heart, and if it were possible to fully communicate what I believe is in the real, enduring best interest of African-American families, you would vote for me for president," Romney said.

The crowd's reception to the speech was mixed--with Romney's discussion of his desire to repeal "Obamacare" receiving sustained boos.

Romney acknowledged "barriers" still exist for black Americans even after Barack Obama became the nation's first black president. He argued the struggling economy has only enhanced those "challenges" and "old inequities."

"If equal opportunity in America were an accomplished fact, then a chronically bad economy would be equally bad for everyone," Romney said. "Instead, it's worse for African Americans in almost every way."

At 14.4 percent, unemployment among black Americans is much higher than the 8.2 percent national average, while the average income and median family income for African Americans is much lower, Romney noted.

While Romney does not expect to win the black vote, the Republican nominee's NAACP speech was aimed at showing he's at least trying. As he regularly does on the campaign trail, Romney cited his experience as governor of Massachusetts to prove he hasn't led by "just talking to Republicans" and that he'll be an inclusive president.

"We have to make our case to every voter.  We don't count anybody out, and we sure don't make a habit of presuming anyone's support. Support is asked for and earned---and that's why I'm here today," Romney said.

If elected, he added, "We will know each other."

He dismissed as "nonsense" Democratic charges that a Romney presidency would only help the rich. "The president wants to make this a campaign about blaming the rich," Romney said. " I want to make this a campaign about helping the middle class."

If he didn't believe his policies would help "families of color" and all Americans more than Obama's, Romney said, "I would not be running for president."

Romney also appealed to the NAACP audience by touting his proposal to increase school choice. The GOP nominee has repeatedly described education as the "civil rights issue of our era," and on Wednesday, he argued that "mediocre schools" are setting up kids for "failure." In a dig at Obama, he argued that candidates "can't have it both ways" by arguing they'll protect kids while also protecting the interests of teachers unions.

"If equal opportunity in America were an accomplished fact, black families could send their sons and daughters to public schools that truly offer the hope of a better life," Romney said. "Instead, for generations, the African-American community has been waiting and waiting for that promise to be kept. Today, black children are 17 percent of students nationwide--but they are 42 percent of the students in our worst-performing schools."

Romney also briefly touched on gay marriage--an issue that has divided the black community--pledging that he would work to "defend traditional marriage."

While the Republican nominee received polite applause throughout most of the speech, Romney received a few boos--including when he repeated his pledge to repeal Obama's health care law. As the audience jeered the health care line, Romney paused and smiled, before continuing on.

But Romney emphasized that, if elected, his focus would be almost exclusively on job creation. "If I am president, job one for me will be creating jobs. I have no hidden agenda. If you want a president who will make things better in the African-American community, you are looking at him," Romney declared, as a few audience members booed.

As his campaign readily acknowledges, Romney faces an uphill battle in appealing to black voters. The latest Quinnipiac poll found Obama leads Romney 92 percent to 2 percent among African Americans.

But Romney cast himself as someone who is still willing to reach out--to those who don't agree with him. Closing his speech, the former Massachusetts governor spoke about his father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, a supporter of the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Romney called his father's leadership "an example" in his own life.

"It wasn't just that my Dad helped write the civil rights provision for the Michigan Constitution, though he did. It wasn't just that he helped create Michigan's first civil rights commission, or that as governor he marched for civil rights in Detroit--though he did those things, too," Romney said. "It was the kind of man he was, and the way he dealt with every person, black or white.  He was a man of the fairest instincts, and a man of faith who knew that every person was a child of God."

Chicago Public Schools to Arrest 4500; Latinos Closing Racial Academic Gap

Making Progress; Moving Forward! Chicago Public Schools On Pace to Arrest 4500 Students Latinos Closed Racial Academic Gap Black Male Education Conference Brother II Brother Mentors Youth First Annual Mother/Son Dance Those Who Work For Peace Join Father Pfleger Links: The Black Star Project's website: blackstarproject.org Black Star Jounral: blackstarjournal.org Become a Member: Click Here Event Calendar: Click Here Like us on Facebook:   2,546 arrests of juveniles on Chicago Public School's property in 6 months from September 2011 through February 2012.  Chicago is on pace for 4,500 arrests of students this year. Black students 26 times more likely to be arrested than White students.   Age      2011-2012 School Year   7                        0                             8                        0                             9                        3                             10                      8                             11                     17                            12                     71                            13                    159                 14                    329 15                    575                             16                    705 17                    498                             18                    181                               Race       2011-2012 School Year  Black              1915 Hispanic           540 White                 75 Asian                 14 Amer. Indian        0 Unknown             2   Gender       2011-2012 School Year Female               707 Male                 1839    Total arrest of juveniles on CPS property between September 2011 and February 2012 - 2,546 arrests   Click Here to read full story Blacks and Hispanics Have Different Educational Needs In the United States, Latino Students Closed Racial Gap with White Students While Black Students Continue to Lag Behind Photo contributed by The Black Star Project By Richard Whitmire  MaY 5, 2012   Plenty of large urban school districts nationwide were making solid progress with Hispanic students closing achievement gaps with white students. But African-American students continued to lag.   Hispanic students in recent years have been making faster progress than black students.   At successful Hispanic schools, you are more likely to see a school culture based on connections to family with teachers employing an unstructured curriculum emphasizing visual instruction.   Read More... The Black Star Project presents the Second Annual Midwest Black Male Educational Achievement Conference Saturday, May 19, 2012 at the Ramada Inn 4900 Lake Shore Drive Chicago, Illinois  Featuring  Dr. Umar Abdullah Johnson, Philadelphia, PA Dr. Ivory A. Toldson, Washington, D.C.. Dr. Garrard O. McClendon, Chicago, IL Parents, educators and community activist from St. Louis, Missouri; Davenport, Iowa;  Detroit, Flint, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Benton Harbor, Lansing and Ann Arbor - Michigan; Milwaukee, Madison, Racine and Beloit - Wisconsin; Rockford, Peoria, Springfield, Rock Island, Kankakee, Waukegan, Joliet, Elgin, Decatur, East St. Louis, Danville, Quincy and Champaign - Illinois; Indianapolis, Gary, Fort Wayne, Hammond, East Chicago, Michigan City and South Bend - Indiana should attend this conference. ------------------------------------------------------ Join us for one of the best conferences in the United States on educating Black male students with workable ideas and concrete solutions.  The cost for this one day conference is $200.00.  This is one of the last chances for schools to use their parental involvement funds for this school year.  Please call 773.285.9600 for more information or to RSVP. Click Here for More Information Click Here to Register for Conference Click Here to Learn About Hotel Accommodations In Riverside, California, BIIB (Brother-to-Brother) Partners with Delta Sigma Theta At The University of California Riverside to Mentor Young Men   May 12, 2012 Brother II Brother will host another Mentoring Day at the University of California Riverside. This is a RSVP event ONLY.   Click Here to RSVP for this mentor day.  Click Here to view photo's of 2011 UCR Mentoring Day  Join The Black Star Project for our First Annual Mother/Son Dance (The Day Before Mothers Day) Saturday, May 12, 2012 at The Black Star Ballroom 3509 South King Drive Chicago Illinois 3:00 pm to 5:30 pm for young men 13 to 18 years old and their mothers Please call 773.285.9600 to RSVP for the Mother/Son Dance or to learn how to bring a Mother/Son Dance to your city.   State Senator Jacqueline Collins Seeks to Help Students in the 16th Legislative District of Illinois Apply for an Illinois General Assembly Scholarship to a State University or College. Illinois State Senator Jacqueline Y. Collins (center) If you are a college eligible student who lives in the 16th Legislative District of Illinois, this is an opportunity for you to receive a state scholarship.   Click Here to see if you reside in the 16th Legislative District of Illinois.   Click Here for an application for a scholarship if you live in the 16th Legislative District.of Illinois. Join Father Michael Pfleger and St. Sabina Church   Use A Library Card and Help Free Hundreds of Thousands of Black Men Incarcerated in America   Join the movement to stop the American system of The New Jim Crow by checking a book out of your local library or by buying and reading a paperback copy of The New Jim Crow. All high school and college students must read this book!     Read More...

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