The United States’ first African-American Attorney General has been hospitalized. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Kevin Johnson of USA Today is reporting that United States Attorney General Eric Holder has been hospitalized for shortness of breath. Johnson writes:
“Justice Department spokesman Brian Fallon said Holder began experiencing the symptoms during a regular senior staff meeting at the department.
‘As a precaution, the attorney general was taken to MedStar Washington Hospital Center to undergo further evaluation,’Fallon said. ‘He is currently resting comfortably and in good condition. He is alert and conversing with his doctors.’
Holder, 63, was sworn in five years ago as the 82nd attorney general of the United States.
A former deputy attorney general in the Clinton administration, Holder is the first African American to hold the top post at the Justice Department.”
In other news concerning Holder, a coalition of Black pastors called for Holder’s impeachment over same-sex marriage. Benjamin Fearnow of CBS Local reports:
“A coalition of African-American civil rights leaders and pastors announced a campaign to gather 1 million signatures to impeach Attorney General Eric Holder for attempting to undermine states’ authority to ‘coerce states to fall in line with same-sex marriage.’
Speaking at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, the Coalition of African-American Pastors (CAAP) is calling for Holder’s impeachment for ‘attempting to impose ‘same-sex marriage’ throughout the nation despite federal law, rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, and state constitutional amendments to the contrary,” reads the online petition.’
The Burton Wire wonders aloud why a group of Black pastors would call for the impeachment of the nation’s first African-American United States Attorney General and the only Attorney General in recent memory to pass laws that address sentencing disparities that negatively impact black families? We also wonder how a group of “Christians” that were discriminated against for centuries would then use the same tool used to justify their oppression (The Bible), against another disenfranchised group? We wonder if these “good Christians” will realize that when they say Holder’s hospitalization is due to God’s will (t-minus-40 and counting for that announcement), that they must then also acknowledge that equal protection for disenfranchised groups under man-made laws is also God’s will?
Samuel Zizinga, Augustin Nsengiyumva and Noella Mugisha compete on Rwanda’s first-ever reality show ‘Zamuka’. (Photo Credit: Search for Common Ground)
Search for Common Ground (SFGC),an international NGO, is hoping to inspire and launch a new generation of young entrepreneurs with Zamuka – the first ever, Rwandan reality TV show. Unlike the reality show genre that dominates U.S. programming, this pioneering show is designed to encourage building a life beyond farming and agriculture. Heading into its second season, the reality show models entrepreneurism and encourages rural youth to take informed risks and find creative ways to earn a living. On the show, three contestants face challenges and are offered coaching to help them overcome a traditional culture of reticence in order to break into the business world as serious players.
Funded by the Belgian government, the show is produced locally as a partnership between Search for Common Ground and independent station TV10. Season 1 aired in November 2013 and featured three contestants: M. Noella Mugisha, 23, who aimed to launch a computer security business; Augustin Nsengiyumva, 27, who dreamed of starting a cyber café in his home district outside of the Capital, and Samuel ‘Sam’ Zizinga, 26, who envisioned an animation business to introduce cartoons using Rwandan culture as entertainment. At the end of the six episodes, an independent panel of experts named Sam the winner of $1,500 (US) for the best idea and most feasible business plan.
The idea for the show came out of the realization that reality television can be a tool for change in emerging economies like Rwanda, which has been called the “Singapore of Africa” due to its relative stability and intense focus on creating a knowledge-based economy.
Rebecca Besant, Regional Director for SFGC says:
“We developed the show because we had seen our colleagues do a reality TV show in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) around citizen engagement, and were very intrigued by how it spoke to the audience and motivated people to get involved in a different way. Rwanda has very limited local media, with almost nothing produced in the country for TV, so we wanted to see if we could introduce an innovative format that could get people excited about a really relevant topic in the country–youth livelihoods and entrepreneurship.”
Zamuka, which starts its second season in March, is continuing its quest to drive home the importance of entrepreneurism to young people. Besant adds:
“We are hoping that the show encourages young people to take informed risks: we want them to think outside the box about what they can do with their knowledge and skills, but also to think through what they need to put in place to be successful as business entrepreneurs. The show is a mix of encouragement and caution in that way.”
Jamaica is set to legalize marijuana this year. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Caribbean 360 is reporting that Jamaica will decriminalize marijuana by the end of the 2014.
With the numbers of people turning to cannabis for relief from a number of ailments rising, legalization could potentially be a step towards more research into the medical and health benefits of this drug.
Additionally, did you know that cannabis can be enjoyed in many different ways? Although smoking marijuana using rolled cigarettes or cheap glass pipes is still hugely popular, more and more people are now using cannabis-infused products to get their marijuana fix.
The author writes:
“The Cannabis Commercial and Medicinal Research Taskforce (CCMRT) says it has been given an assurance that Jamaica will this year decriminalize marijuana as the island seeks to establish a medicinal marijuana industry. Just like with any business, there is always competition. But as long as the marijuana packaging and the product quality is on top form, then Jamaica will have no problem breaking into the world of medical marijuana, which Canada leads the charge in. If you wanted to learn more about Canada’s weed for comparison check out weed online Canada. West Coast Supply being one of the leaders in that field. With the change in law the cultivation of marijuana will be allowed with citizens being able to grow a limit of five plants, this will open the open up for those who wish to grow their own plants within the restrictions of the law and for business who will aim to product cultivation equipment such as full spectrum LED grow lights, as well as other equipment.
CCMRT leader, Dealana Seiveright in a statement, said that the assurance had come from Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell.
The statement quoted Paulwell as telling members of the taskforce that ‘ganja will be decriminalized in Jamaica this year and emphasised that Jamaica cannot be allowed to be left behind on the issue’.
‘He also reiterated the multiple economic, social and cultural benefits that Jamaica stands to gain if the laws are adjusted sooner rather than later,’ the statement said.
Last year, Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries agreed to discuss the issue of decriminalizing marijuana for health reasons at their inter-sessional summit in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in March.”
Egypt’s Prime Minister Hazem al-Beblawy has resigned. He announced his resignation and that of his cabinet on television. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Reporting for The Guardian in Cairo, Patrick Kingsley says that Egypt’s Prime Minister and cabinet have resigned. Egypt’s prime minister, Hazem el-Beblawi, announced the cabinet’s decision during a televised statement. Kingsley writes:
“Egypt is braced for its sixth government since the start of the 2011 uprising, after the prime minister announced the early resignation of the entire interim cabinet on Monday afternoon.
Hazem al-Beblawy, appointed in the days following the removal of Mohamed Morsi last July, was meant to head Egypt’s government until the election of a new president, but resigned on Monday after weeks of mounting criticism.
In a televised speech, Beblawy appeared to respond to the attacks by asking Egyptians to take more personal responsibility for solving the country’s ingrained economic and social challenges.
“It is time we all sacrificed for the good of the country. Rather than asking what has Egypt given us, we should instead be asking what we have done for Egypt,” Beblawy was quoted as saying in state-run media.
He said his government had “made every effort to get Egypt out of the narrow tunnel in terms of security, economic pressures and political confusion”.
Criticism of his government had peaked in recent weeks amid large strikes in industrial cities, and widespread electricity blackouts.”
Throughout Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman, Thomas, known for using rhinestones, acrylic, enamel, glitter and silkscreen in her vibrant creations, chronicles and unravels Mama Bush’s obscure past. The multi-talented artist learns her mother, scouted at one point to become a trailblazing runway model, was both physically and sexually abused at gunpoint. Thomas also delved into her mother’s drug abuse and history of dealing drugs.
Not startled by the film’s revelations by any means, an upbeat and good spirited Thomas explains why she chose her tall yet debilitating mother as the main subject in Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman. “When I consider beautiful, someone else may not agree. The definition of beautiful is from within. It’s not what you necessarily see in a magazine. I’m interested in beauty that is unconventional. It’s the everyday woman and how she carries herself in the world,” says Thomas.
Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman’s opening sequence slowly tiles together Thomas’ artwork with vintage photographs of Mama Bush and close ups of Mama Bush’s brittle posture. It was extremely important for the former art history major to combine her elaborate use of mixed media with montages of her muse.
Thomas’ paintings typically feature Blaxploitation-era styled characters: tall, brown-skinned (sometimes full-figured) women with Afros that are seductively postured. “I’ve always been interested in experimentation: this mesh between high art and low art. Rhinestones represent accoutrements or dressing up. They exude a particular beauty or flamboyance and sort of a way of masking ourselves,” says Thomas.
Thomas adds, “My mother portrayed herself in a situation that’s very emotional. Her power and inner beauty comes forward in the film. That’s when a woman is most powerful because she has confidence, independence and awareness of who she is,” she says.
Bush, who suffered from sickle cell anemia, was filmed in several sequences on dialysis. She also had one of her kidneys removed, a failed liver and was diagnosed with severe arthritis. One day in particular, Mama Bush cried as she was applying makeup. She was under the impression that Thomas no longer wanted to use her as the inspiration for her artwork. Constantly referencing her mother’s raw beauty, Thomas was being sensitive to her mother’s failing health.
Bush’s strength, Thomas believes, encouraged her to evolve as a creator. “My mother fulfilled her dreams through me as an artist. I was able to come back in her life and help her fulfill something I didn’t know. We all have challenges in our life. She made sure she never gave up on herself. You never know how your life may unfold,” says Thomas.
That tear jerking moment for Thomas was also the catalyst for Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman to go into production. “As an artist, it’s very important to have your creativity express a little of who you are. When I put my work out, I hope someone relates to it and is inspired enough to make change. It sparks something in themselves to make them want to do something,” says Thomas prior to screening the film at #aTVfest in Atlanta.
Tanya Selvaratnam, Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman’s producer, once produced a short film on Thomas’ art. She identified with the film’s subject matter so much, she reconnected with her own family in her homeland of Sri Lanka. She concurs with Thomas that viewers should come away with a deep love and respect for both family and art.
“The best art, to me, is art I don’t understand. The story of mother/daughter reconciliation is a universal story. You don’t want to wait until a person is almost dead to have that. Art obviously takes many forms and evokes reactions that are individual,” says Selvaratnam.
Making Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman helped Thomas to learn to create art as a team effort. She admits her creative process is often done in solitude. For the purpose of the film, Thomas sacrificed some of the control. She still finds common ground with creating visual art and making documentaries.
“Creativity is an extension of yourself. The challenge as an artist is to relinquish some of the things that you think you know to allow other people and their expertise to come into your vision to get to the goal that you want. They believed in my vision and creativity so much that they allowed me to make an art film. I allowed them to give me the tools to bring these two worlds together. It’s still a painting through film that uses film as my brush,” says Thomas.
Selvaratnam, also present at the Atlanta screening, concurs once again. “Put yourself boldly in the future that you envision for yourself. Think now about what you need to do to get there. I hope it inspires people to make changes in their own lives and how they view art. They should appreciate the quality of filmmaking. It’s a story well told, well shot and hopefully well produced,” she says chased by laughter.
‘Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman’ premieres on HBO on Feb. 24 at 9 p.m. EST.
This post was written by Christopher A. Daniel, pop cultural critic and music editor for The Burton Wire. He is also a contributing writer for Urban Lux Magazine and Blues & Soul Magazine. Follow Christopher @Journalistorian on Twitter.
United States President Barack Obama will award medal of honors to 24 soldiers who were ‘overlooked’ due to racial, ethnic and religious discrimination. (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)
The Washington Post is reporting that United States President Barack Obama will award the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest commendation for combat valor, to a group of servicemen who were overlooked based on discrimination. The group is composed of Jewish, Hispanic and African-Americans who were “passed over” because of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. The recipients served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. Scott Wilson of the Washington Post writes:
“The unusual presentation will culminate a 12-year Pentagon review ordered by Congress into past discrimination in the ranks and will hold a particular poignancy when conducted by the nation’s first African-American president.
Although the review predates Obama’s tenure, he has made addressing discrimination in the military — including ending the ban on gay and lesbian service members — a priority as commander in chief.
With the ornate White House East Room as backdrop, the March 18 ceremony will mark another step to revisit a history of discrimination in the armed forces as the nation’s demographics and social values shift rapidly.”
Only three of the soldiers that will be honored are still alive.
Celebrated actor Idris Elba has another achievement. A poem lamenting the sex symbol’s role in making it difficult for ‘regular’ guys to date has gone viral. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Fraser McAlpine of the BBC is reporting that a poem entitled, “I’m Sorry I’m Not Idris Elba’ has spurred many Tweets making fun of the poem whose author is mired in insecurity over the fact that ladies love celebrated actor Idris Elba. The poet laments the challenges of being a ‘regular’ guy, attempting to date a woman who desires ‘Idris Elba’ more than him. Below find an excerpt of the poem, which of course has gone viral, posted by Twitter poet @Nova_isig, who has closed his account:
I’m just a regular man With a regular 9-5 That does regular things I’m sorry I’m not Idris Elba. The man you know nothing about The man you want me to be like A sex symbol really But you let the characters he play (sic) And the pictures he take (sic) Interfere with our relationship I’m building companionship But he’s your man crush When I’m the one you should be crushing on
We’re not sure if it was the bad grammar or the pitiful tone of the poem, but the Twitterverse got a hold of this poem and sent it pretty much everywhere. Humorous responses to the poem were captured in a post on BBC America entitled, ‘Idris Elba Causes Global Man Panic.’ Check out a couple of funnies below:
Needless to say, the responses have also gone viral.
“Scenes of political turmoil have swept across Venezuela as citizens protest against unemployment, a rise in violent crime and surging inflation.
Demonstrators have also been protesting against the detention of opposition leader Leopoldo López, who surrendered to authorities on Wednesday after making a speech to thousands of supporters.
The government has claimed the protests and clashes are the early stages of a US-backed attempted coup. Recent weeks have also seen pro-government rallies and protests in support of the President, Nicolás Maduro.”
The writers spoke with readers who either support or have taken part in the protests. Check out excerpts of what supporters of the government opposition have to say below:
“Venezuelans have a million reasons to protest. We have one of the highest murder rates in the world – two people per hour – rampant inflation at a rate of 60% a year, basic products like milk, oil, sugar, chicken are not available in supermarkets, if we want to travel we have to go through a bureaucratic nightmare to be able to buy foreign currency limited to less than £2000 a year, we have no liberty of expression if we do not concur with the governments ideas we are completely ignored. We are protesting for our lives and our dignity.” – Scosti
“Official numbers put 2013 inflation rate at around 56% and murder casualties at more than 24000, two numbers that have only increased during 15 years. Scarcity of everyday goods is raising, corruption is rampant… but instead of listening to the protests who very accurately point at the government, what we have gotten is repressive use of the public force AND armed civil gangs which has resulted in at least 6 deaths, hundreds of injured and dozens of students in jail. All of this has been silenced from national media because of heavy censorship.We’re sick of hearing this sorry excuse for a president to blame “the Empire” and the “far-right” as culprits of his own mess.” – Julio G
Former Congressman Mel Reynolds was arrested in Zimbabwe for possession of pornography which is illegal in the country. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Reuters is reporting that former congressman Mel Reynolds has been arrested in Zimbabwe, an immigration official said on Tuesday, after state media reported the convicted sex offender had been found with pornographic videos and pictures. Even though in the USA viewing websites like https://www.fulltube.xxx/?hl=he and having pornographic magazines and pictures in legal in Zimbabwe it’s illegal.
Possession of pornography is a crime in Zimbabwe. The state-owned Heraldnewspaper reported that Reynolds, who has been in Harare since November, also ran up $24,500 in unpaid hotel bills. The author reports that the former Congressman made the following statement:
“I have been in this country 17 times where I have done a lot of work for the people including the fight against sanctions,” the newspaper quoted Reynolds as saying.
Reynolds, a former Rhodes scholar, was a rising star in the U.S. Democratic party when he was forced to resign in 1995 after being convicted of sexual assault, obstruction of justice and solicitation of child pornography. He attempted a comeback last year running for his former seat under the slogan ‘Redemption.’
Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has turned himself into police to face charges of murder, terrorism and arson. (Photo Credit: Google Images)
Reporting for CNN International, Mariano Castillo and Catherine E. Shoichet are reporting that Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez has turned himself into the police after leading protesters in anti-government demonstrations. Protests have left three people dead including a 17-year-old. Major social and economic problems in Venezuela have provoked the protests. Venezuela has the highest rate of inflation in the world (56.2%) and basic goods are not available on store shelves.
Castillow and Shoichet write:
“Clashes during days of demonstrations have left three anti-government protesters and one government supporter dead. And the simmering tensions show no signs of letting up.
The confrontation took a dramatic turn Tuesday, when Lopez, accused by the government of conspiracy and murder in connection with the recent violence, marched with a crowd of thousands of protesters before surrendering to national guard troops.
“The options I had were leave the country, and I will never leave Venezuela!” Lopez told the massive crowd. “The other option was to remain in hiding, but that option could have left doubt among some, including some who are here, and we don’t have anything to hide.”
Hours later at a rally with throngs of supporters, Maduro said the head of Venezuela’s National Assembly had helped negotiate Lopez’s surrender and was taking him to a prison outside Caracas.
[President] Maduro described opposition leaders as right-wing fascists who plant seeds of fear and violence. He claimed they have U.S. backing and repeatedly tried to assassinate him and overthrow his democratically elected government.”
