By Michael Fauntroy
In a rather public breakup, Democratic presidential frontrunner Senator Barack Obama took severed ties today with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, contending that his former pastor’s words were outside the bounds of decency, calling them wrong and destructive.  I think Obama’s public denunciation of Wright was a necessary, albeit poll-driven, step that may keep […]

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By Brandon Whitney
Many in the African American community were not surprised at the verdict in the Sean Bell case.  That is probably the biggest tragedy, the lack of surprise.  In a nation that is rabidly defensive of its title as enlightened and egalitarian a founding population has nearly resigned itself to the fact that their […]

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It was announced Friday morning, April 11, that Tavis Smiley will leave his twice-weekly perch as a commentator on the Tom Joyner Morning Show (TJMS).  I think this is a big loss (disclosure:  I’ve appeared on Smiley’s PBS television show).  His departure is disappointing and reveals what happens when one has the audacity of independent […]

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By Brandon Whitney
From the thirties till the seventies an experiment on African American men  took place.  African American men infected with Syphilis were observed so that scientist could track how the disease progressed in Blacks.  This experiment took place even after a cure was found which was not made available to the men.  It would […]

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By Pamela Gentry
BET News Senior Political Producer
Pamela’s Blog
Every relationship has its highs and low’s, and the relationship between Bill Clinton and Black folks has hit a new low.   A new survey by NBC News and The Wall Street Journal shows that the former president’s love fest with Black folks has hit a rough patch. That’s […]

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By Brandon Whitney
America is a different place than it was forty years ago.  A parent can tell his young African American children that they can be anything, even president of the United States and really mean it.  Kwame is a young African American politician.  He has charisma, is extremely well spoken, and connects emotionally with […]

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By Brandon Whitney
Most political pundits will examine Barack’s speech with a great deal of cynicism.  They will act as if they know with great certainty how different demographics, Blue Collar White men or African American professional women, will react to Obama’s words.  They know nothing.  What those who watched the speech witnessed on yesterday was […]

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By Kemi Olunloyo Joshua
The controversial Boondocks episode that puts BET (Black Entertainment Network) and its executives CEO Debra Lee and President Reginald Hudlin on full blast has finally aired……..in CANADA. “Boondocks” is a cartoon about an angry point of view of two black kid brothers on almost everything. They live with their grandpa who they […]

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By Brandon Whitney
Obama’s Pastor gave a speech in which he said “God Damn America”.  Now this statement was in a context where it kind of made sense and I think I even understand where he was coming from, but the timing was terrible.  The older generations of African Americans are a collection of physical and […]

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By Brandon Whitney
Democrats are as close to losing the African American vote as they have ever been. Let’s be completely honest, the Democratic Party takes African Americans for granted. They have been so focused on trying to win independents that they have all but ignored their most loyal constituency. This has been made very apparent […]

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