Buhari supporters carry sign. (Photo: Google Images)
BBC News is reporting that former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari has become the first opposition candidate to win a presidential election in Nigeria. Buhari reportedly defeated President Goodluck Jonathan by 2 million votes. President Jonathan has conceded the election to Buhari. The BBC reports:
“President Jonathan called General Muhammadu Buhari, the winner of the elections, to congratulate him,” Lai Mohammed, a spokesman for Gen Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC), said.
The spokesman praised Mr Jonathan, saying: “He will remain a hero for this move. The tension will go down dramatically.”
“Anyone who tries to foment trouble on the account that they have lost the election will be doing so purely on his own,” he added.
This is the first time in the history of the country that a seated president has been defeated.
Nigerian elections are monitored by the national assembly.
(Photo: Google Images)
Nigerian elections are monitored by the national assembly. (Photo: Google Images)
BBC Africa is reporting that Nigeria’s election body expects to announce the first results of Saturday’s hotly contested presidential poll on Tuesday. The author reports:
“Incumbent Goodluck Jonathan is facing a strong challenge from former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari.
The US and UK in a joint statement expressed concern over possible ‘political interference’ in the count.
Voting over the weekend was marred by technical hitches, protests and violence linked to Boko Haram.
‘So far, we have seen no evidence of systemic manipulation of the process,’ the statement from UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond and US Secretary of State John Kerry said.
‘But there are disturbing indications that the collation process, where the votes are finally counted, may be subject to deliberate political interference.'”
Voting was extended for an additional day due to problems with the new electronic card readers, which was introduced to prevent fraud.
Kendrick Lamar’s latest album “To Pimp a Butterfly” (TPAB) has been marked as an instant classic after its unexpected release. Streamed by 9.6 million listeners on its first day (confirmed by Spotify), TPAB set the global record for the most streams in a single day by a new release.
The 79-minute album pushes the tolerant ears of the average rap listener with lyricism purposely created to rattle the close-minded. With historical, racial and politically charged references, Lamar has musically depicted what it means to be “Black in America” in the post civil rights era.
(Photo : Google Images)
“How should white Listeners approach the ‘overwhelming blackness’ of Kendrick Lamar’s brilliant new album?” read the summary blurb of Carl Wilson’s Slate review of Lamar’s latest album. “It’s too soon to say whether ‘To Pimp a Butterfly’ is a more satisfying album,” said Wilson.
In Jezebel, Clover Hope describes how “black” TPAB made her feel, “I’ve never felt my blackness more than I have in the past three years. Never been more proud and fearful of what it means. I’ve never had to think so deeply about it than in these past years. Never realized how deeply people see me, nor thought it was possible to feel much blacker.”
Reviews of the album so far have left many critics and avid listeners with contradictory responses. Lamar has given, particularly to his black listeners, a message that in recent years has seemed to be missing from commercial rap music. His concepts of self love, black love, the daily struggles required for survival in many black communities and the complexity of what it truly means to be “black” stimulates the minds of all listeners, and the hearts of black listeners.
For some, TPAB is the awakening of racial consciousness in music and the realization of one’s true self. For others, ideologies of black power and the return of blackness is a concept that is frightening and hard for some to grasp.
(Photo: Google Images)
“To Pimp a Butterfly” is hip-hop’s version of black enlightenment for Generation Y. Jay Caspian King of the New York Times anointed Lamar as the current reigning hip-hop messiah, declaring him, “An example and a savior to the young black people who listen to his music.” That description of Lamar, who is a creative and conscious talent, fits this album and him perfectly.
This post was written by Gianna Smith, editorial assistant for the Burton Wire. She is a junior Mass Media Arts major at Clark Atlanta University. Follow her on Twitter @ShaunRose_
Prime Minster Freundel Stuart.
(Photo: www.caribjournal.com)
Prime Minster Freundel Stuart. (Photo: www.caribjournal.com)
Caribbean 360 is reporting that Barbados’ Prime Minister Fruendel Stuart has announced that Barbados will be moving towards a Republican form of government, saying:
“We cannot pat ourselves on the shoulder at having gone into independence; having de-colonised our politics; we cannot pat ourselves on the shoulders at having decolonized our jurisprudence by delinking from the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council and explain to anybody why we continue to have a monarchical system.
Therefore, the Right Excellent Errol Barrow decolonized the politics; Owen Arthur decolonized the jurisprudence and Freundel Stuart is going to complete the process.
We respect (the Queen) very highly as head of the Commonwealth and accept that she and all of her successors will continue to be at the apex of our political understanding. But in terms of Barbados’ constitutional status we have to move from a monarchical system to a republican form of government in the very near future.
A republican form of government stipulates that those who run the people’s affairs should be chosen directly or indirectly by the people themselves. We already do that. We have been doing that continuously since 1951 when we got universal adult suffrage.
Under republicanism, the persons who administer your affairs can serve during your pleasure. In other words, they should only be able to stay as long as you want them to stay. That’s what the people of St Philip South said to me in 1999. So Barbados satisfies that requirement as well.
The third requirement Barbados has to satisfy is that there are people in the administrative structure of the Government, and in this case we are talking about the members of the judiciary, . . . continue to discharge the functions of their office as long as nobody can point a finger at them and accuse them of misconduct, and that misconduct turns out to be true.
So once you are appointed or elected directly or indirectly, the people have a right to recall you.”
This move towards a Republican style of government will break a centuries old relationship with Britain and remove Queen Elizabeth as Barbados’ head of state.
While Prime Minister Stuart did not give an exact indication as to when the political move would actually occur, he did assert that it would be soon.
This post was written by Reginald Calhoun, editorial assistant for the Burton Wire. He is a junior Mass Media Arts major at Clark Atlanta University. Follow him on Twitter @IRMarsean.
A peace bench from the dedication ceremony for poet/activist Dr. Sonia Sanchez at Clark Atlanta University.
(Photo Credit: Christopher A. Daniel)
A peace bench from the dedication ceremony for poet/activist Dr. Sonia Sanchez at Clark Atlanta University. (Photo Credit: Christopher A. Daniel)
Legendary poet and peace advocate Dr. Sonia Sanchez was honored by Clark Atlanta University (CAU), as part of their 2015 Founders Week Celebration. Dr. Sanchez was part of a three-day celebration, hosted by the Department of Africana Women’s Studies, African American Studies, and History (AWH) that included an authors panel, a master class, and a peace benches ceremony and dedication.
During the ceremony, remarks were offered by CAU President Dr. Carlton E. Brown, Dr. Stephanie Evans, Chair of the Department of Africana Women’s Studies, African American Studies, and History (AWH) at Clark Atlanta University, Dr. John H. Bracey, Chair of the W.E.B. Du Bois Department of Afro-American Studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Dr. R. Candy Tate, Assistant Director of the Emory College Center for Creativity & Arts.
Dr. Brown discussed the importance of Dr. Sanchez’s work and poetry in activism. “The power of the word to redefine the world and to redefine our thoughts about ourselves is paramount,” said Dr. Brown. Dr. Bracey discussed how he had met Dr. Sanchez, the importance of peace and shared how Dr. W.E.B. DuBois, who taught for two decades at Clark Atlanta University and Dr. Sanchez, who also taught at Temple University for two decades, were admonished for pursuing peace. “The only time DuBois got arrested in his life was for peace. They took him to jail at 83-years-old. Sonia was arrested at an army recruitment center, ” Dr. Bracey stated. He then offered a haiku: “Let us lock up war and see what happens.”
Clark Atlanta University students and faculty surround Dr. Sonia Sanchez during the peace bench dedication. (Photo Credit: Christopher A. Daniel)
Current CAU History graduate students (Victoria Coleston-Brooks, Lauren Hubbard, La’Neice Littleton and Courtney Terry) read poems from Dr. Sanchez’s works and Dr. Daniel Black performed a tribute poem that he wrote for Dr. Sanchez, entitled, “Because She Wrote,” which brought down the house. Black spoke of Dr. Sanchez’s mentorship simply stating, “My mentor is a writer and now I’m a writer.”
CAU art major Denisha Claxton presented a Haile Audin painting to Dr. Sanchez as part of the ceremony. Dr. R. Candy Tate stated, “The Black Arts movement is more than a moment in time. It has branches and reaches out into communities. Art is about legacy.”
Dr. Sanchez then took the stage, offered her thanks and presented poems from her books Homegirls and Handgrenades, Like Singing Coming Off the Drums, Does Your House Have Lions, Shake Loose My Skin, Morning Haiku and SOS: Calling All Black People: A Black Arts Movement Reader.
Dr. Sanchez reads poetry from her various works at the Peace Benches ceremony. (Photo Credit: Ralphael Lester)
Dr. Sanchez spoke about peace throughout her poems, stating that, “Peace is a human right.”
Dr. Stephanie Evans, who hosted the event, talked about the relationship between the peace benches and Dr. Sanchez’s work. Dr. Evans said, “These peace benches represent something that is concrete, foundational and a physical manifestation of our core values.” She added, “Sonia Sanchez’s work helps to shape our core values.”
After the presentation, attendees proceeded to the CAU Residential Quadrangle where the peace benches dedication ceremony was led by Dr. Daniel Black. The peace benches feature haikus by world-renowned poets and authors including Dr. Sanchez.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., founder & editor-in-chief of the award-winning news site the Burton Wire. She is currently a Visiting Professor of New Media and Journalism in the Department of Mass Media Arts at Clark Atlanta University. Follow her on Twitter @Ntellectual or @TheBurtonWire.
Author Lawrence Hill, actors Antonio David Lyons and Anthony Oseyemi. (Google Images)
Author Lawrence Hill, actors Antonio David Lyons and Anthony Oseyemi. (Google Images)
Join the Burton Wire on Friday, March 27, 2015 at 3:30 p.m. for a Google Hangout with Lawrence Hill, the award-winning author of the novel “Someone Knows My Name.” Hill co-wrote the screen adaption of the novel, The Book of Negroes, which ran as a miniseries on BET during the month of February. Hill will be joined by actor/musician/artivist Antonio David Lyons and actor/musician Anthony Oseyemi, who played the characters of Happy Jack and Donte in the miniseries. The BW‘s Google Hangout producer Chetachi Egwu, Ph.D. and BW founder & editor-in-chief Nsenga Burton, Ph.D., both of whom are media scholars, will join in the discussion.
Starring Aunjanue Ellis as Aminata Diallo and Lyriq Bent as Chekura Tiano, The Book of Negroes tells the story of Aminata, an 11-year-old girl kidnapped from West Africa and her personal and spiritual journey as part of the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, which took her to South Carolina, Massachusetts, Canada and Sierra Leone.
“Abducted as an 11-year-old child from her village in West Africa and forced to walk for months to the sea in a coffle—a string of slaves—Aminata Diallo is sent to live as a slave in South Carolina. But years later, she forges her way to freedom, serving the British in the Revolutionary War and registering her name in the historic “Book of Negroes.”
A sweeping story that transports the reader from a tribal African village to a plantation in the southern United States, from the teeming Halifax docks to the manor houses of London, The Book of Negroes introduces one of the strongest female characters in recent Canadian fiction, one who cuts a swath through a world hostile to her colour and her sex.
Published around the world, under various titles (The Book of Negroes, Someone Knows My Name and Aminata), the novel won the overall Commonwealth Writers’ Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, the Ontario Library Association’s Evergreen Award, CBC Radio’s Canada Reads and Radio Canada’s Le combat des livres. An illustrated edition of the novel, with paintings and historical documents, is available from HarperCollins Canada.” – LawrenceHill.com
Join us for a lively discussion about the novel and the miniseries. Check out the Google Hangout here.
Little League pitcher Mo'ne Davis has launched a shoe line to help underprivileged girls.
(Photo: Google Images)
Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis has launched a shoe line to help underprivileged girls. (Photo: Google Images)
Layla A. Jones of Philly.com is reporting that star Little League pitcher Mo’ne Davis has partnered with M4D3 (Make A Difference Everyday), to create an entire collection of sneakers, some of which feature the Taney Dragons blue-and-burgundy color scheme, for children and women. Proceeds from the sale of Mo’ne’s sneakers will go to benefit Plan International USA’s Because I am a Girl initiative, which seeks to aid girls living in poverty in developing countries. Jones reports:
“Designing shoes with M4D3 is exciting and I wanted to support Because I am a Girl to help girls and give them a chance at a better future.”
The one of a kind shoes will cost $75 and are scheduled for release in June.
U.S. President Barack Obama is flanked by Caribbean leaders including Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at the 2009 Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad.
(Photo: Google)
U.S. President Barack Obama is flanked by Caribbean leaders including Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller at the 2009 Summit of the Americas held in Port of Spain, Trinidad. (Photo: Google)
Caribbean 360 is reporting that Jamaican Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller has announced that United States president Barack Obama will meet with CARICOM leaders. “The Government of Jamaica is delighted that President Obama will be visiting Jamaica at this time. The visit of President Obama will take place on the eve of the Summit of the Americas to be held in Panama from the 10th to the 11th April 2015,” the prime minister stated.
“It is expected that the President will be proceeding from Jamaica to Panama for this hemispheric encounter which will welcome for the first time the participation of our closest neighbor, the Republic of Cuba,” Prime Minister Simpson Miller said in a statement to Parliament.
President Obama’s last meeting with CARICOM leaders was in Port of Spain, Trinidad during the Summit of the Americas six years ago. The President is scheduled to discuss issues of security and trade with the leaders of the Caribbean nations. Other international and regional issues will be discussed as well. Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Perry Christie, who is also the current president of CARICOM, will bring regional issues to the table.
President Obama’s visit to Jamaica will be the second visit of a sitting U.S. president since the country declared its independence from the United Kingdom in 1962.
On Wednesday, March 19, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, the commissioners of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) along with representatives from ESPN, the City Council of Atlanta and the Atlanta Chapter of the 100 Black Men announced the creation of a new bowl game between the football champions of the two conferences.
MEAC and SWAC will meet in the newly created Celebration Bowl postseason game on Dec. 19, 2015, pitting the conference champion from these two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) against each other. The game will be played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta and will be broadcast on ESPN.
The goal of the Celebration Bowl is to provide the champions of the MEAC and the SWAC, and their alumni, fans and sponsors a first-class bowl experience while continuing to celebrate the legacy, values and traditions of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Events surrounding the game will include a kickoff luncheon, VIP event, community outreach and family events.
ESPN’s Jay Harris made the announcement, followed by comments from Ceasar C. Mitchell, president of Atlanta City Council, Dr. Dennis Thomas, MEAC Commissioner and Duer Sharp, SWAC Commissioner.
Sharp stated, “This is a great opportunity for our schools and student-athletes to compete on a national stage and showcase the talent that exists within HBCUs. And to have it during bowl season, the most exciting time in college football, is a bonus,” said Sharp.
Dr. Thomas of MEAC offered:
“As part of the conference’s continued efforts in branding and increasing its exposure on a national platform, I am elated that champions from the MEAC and the SWAC will compete in a bowl game, during the most exciting time of the year for collegiate football. Our continued partnership with ESPN will give our coaches, student-athletes and fans an opportunity to participate in an exciting bowl game, on a national stage, which will showcase their institutions and talented football programs. Adding a national television opportunity for our champion, during this time of year, only furthers our branding and marketability.”
In addition to Thomas and Sharp, Pete Derzis, Senior Vice President of ESPN Events expressed his excitement about the reality of the game and it being held at the Georgia Dome. “It gives me great pleasure to announce that this bowl game is a reality. It’s a testament to the collaborative spirit of both the MEAC and SWAC and their respective commissioners that the Celebration Bowl will take place,” said Derzis. “The Georgia Dome is the perfect venue for the Celebration Bowl – and we hope that fans across the country will take advantage of this experience,” he added.
Rich McKay, President and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons spoke about the honor of hosting such an event and partnering with HBCUs, which has been a tradition of the organization. “The Falcons have long been strong advocates for historically black college football with our close partnership with the Black College Football Hall of Fame enshrinement dinner each year” he said. “We are pleased to partner with ESPN and the Georgia Dome to provide game day services and promotional support in order to help make Atlanta the long term home for this game.”
When asked if the City of Atlanta is in support of Celebration Bowl 2015, Mitchell responded that “The Celebration Bowl has the full support of the City of Atlanta.” John Grant, Chief Executive Officer, 100 Black Men of Atlanta, Inc. discussed their partnership with ESPN in celebrating the best of HBCU football. He stated, “Our organization has the recipe for creating the right kind of change in the African American community, and ESPN certainly has the recipe for delivering the best college football experience.” Grant added, “Our relationship with ESPN will help us continue our longstanding tradition of uplifting the African American community.”
Celebration Bowl 2015 will be held on December 19. For more information, visit www.espnevents.com or follow on Twitter and Facebook.
This post was written by Nsenga K. Burton, Ph.D., editor-in-chief of the Burton Wire. Follow her on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
Tennis legend Serena Williams strikes the 'Upward Bow' yoga pose for Fitness Magazine.
(Photo: Google)
Tennis legend Serena Williams strikes the ‘Upward Bow’ yoga pose for Fitness Magazine. (Photo: Google)
Women’s History Month is a great opportunity to celebrate women we know, but also to learn more about women we think we know. Many dynamic black women that have been celebrated for a myriad of accomplishments including excellence in social justice, civil rights, sports, business and entertainment share something else in common — yoga. However, there are many who find they can’t take part in Yoga due to suffering from scoliosis disorder, and must look for help from a scoliosis institute in order to get treatment.
Famous black women that discuss yoga in their memoirs: Dana ‘Queen Latifah’ Owens, Diahann Carroll and Serena Williams. (Photos: Google Images)
When it comes to getting fit, there are many ways that people can do this. Obviously, there are all the different exercises that you can do, but you can also help yourself by purchasing things like a Fitbit so you can keep track of the exercise that you do throughout the day (you can read more at Mobile Mob). But one of the best ways to get fit is through yoga. Yoga is a great way to keep fit and take time out of your day to practice mindfulness. Some people like to combine their mindfulness exercises with THC infused gummy bears (Read More) to promote additional relaxation but that isn’t for everyone. If you are a fan of yoga and have ever considered becoming a yoga teacher, then you’ll also know just how important it is to find excellent Yoga training courses that cover everything you need to know. However, did you know Rosa Parks practiced yoga regularly? Sadie and Bessie Delany, (sisters who both lived to be over 100 years old), practiced yoga every Monday through Friday for decades. Of course, yoga is also a recommended activity by another dynamic sister duo: Venus and Serena Williams. Diahann Carroll practiced yoga to keep her legs looking amazing and Dana “Queen Latifah” Owens turned to yoga to help her quit smoking. It was so effective that Queen Latifah even took her mother to her first yoga class for her 60th birthday. Several women who have faced a critical illness, including Robin Roberts, practiced yoga to beat cancer and Ann Petry, legendary author of The Street, journaled about her yoga practice starting in 1965, which she used to gain mobility after a long-term back injury.
A survey of 200 Black women’s published life stories reveals at least 42 memoirs where African American women talk about their knowledge and experience with yoga! Malcolm X’s daughter Ilyasa Shabazz wrote that yoga was one of the many ways her mother, Betty Shabazz, instilled a global, cultural education in their home studies.
Rosa Parks, Alice Walker, Yoga Instructor Robinn Alston, scholar-activist Dr. Layli Maparyan practice yoga. (Photos: Google Images)
Writer Paule Marshall identified yoga breathing as a way to clear her mind for the creative process and one of Alice Walker’s essays in We Are the One’s We’ve been Waiting For, is a 2003 address at a Yoga Summit & Retreat for the International Association of Black Yoga Teachers. Opera singer Shirley Verrett even taught Luciano Pavarotti yoga stretches to improve his voice before performances! Several Black women have taken yoga to another level by becoming instructors (Robbin Alston, The Art of Feeling Good: The Power of Àse Yoga), activist-scholars (Layli Maparyan, The Womanist Idea), or religion professors (Jan Wills, Dreaming Me: Black, Baptist, and Buddhist). In the great words of Fannie Lou Hamer, for those of us who are “sick and tired of being sick and tired,” these women’s stories show us how to begin to take care of ourselves.
The Delany Sisters, Ann Petry, Robin Roberts and Shirley Verett. (Photos: Google Images)
Reading Black women’s writing for hints on health can satisfy our mind, body, and spirit and expand our appreciation of world culture. I am researching memoirs for a forthcoming book on Black women’s mental health and my journey into life stories led me to these amazing hidden treasures about Black women’s little-known work with yoga.
Let’s make this women’s history month an opportunity to uncover beautiful stories of Black women’s health history! For the full list of forty-two women’s books, visit the “feature narratives” page at www.sesheta.net. Share your yoga stories on Twitter @TheBurtonWire.
This post was written by Dr. Stephanie Y. Evans, Department Chair of African American Studies, Africana Women’s Studies, and History at Clark Atlanta University. She is author of Black Women in the Ivory Tower, 1850-1954, An Intellectual History (2007) and Black Passports: Travel Memoirs as a Tool for Youth Empowerment (2014). Her portfolio is online at www.professorevans.net.
