29 posts tagged “jr.”

Too often, as a society, we insult our young people, labeling them as a lost generation. Here's a young man who has taken leadership in to his 11-year-old hands.Jonathan E. McCoy gave a rousing speech earlier this year to his church in Baltimore about why our community needs to drop the 'N' word. His speech, "A New Petition," called for the discontinuation of that six-letter word, and the slang usage of the word. "I'm sending a message to everyone who knowingly or ignorantly uses this word to describe our people, whether you're a gangster rapper who uses it to communicate with your boys, or someone who looks down on us who haven't got a college education," said the pint-sized orator. "Whatever the case, it's time to discontinue the use of this word. It is implausible that 40 years after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we still use this word that holds no worth in our lives nor our future." Watch McCoy's speech:According to his Facebook fan page, Jonathan has always been a gifted child. At an early age, he learned about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was immediately drawn to Dr. King's commitment to justice for all. Jonathan's early desire to effect change, inspired him to use petitioning as a way to call out injustice.His first act of petitioning apparently involved hand washing. While in the second grade, says his Facebook profile, Jonathan asked his fellow classmates to sign a petition that would allow students the choice to opt out of the school's enforced hand sanitizer policy and instead wash their hands with soap and water. When his teacher found out about the petition, she settled the request in the children's favor. Since presenting a "New Petition" to the 1,500 plus congregants at Empowerment Temple in Baltimore, Jonathan has appeared on Black America Web with Tom Joyner, and spoken at numerous events around the country. Through his relationship with Morehouse College, Jonathan has promoted what is called a "Free Zone" initiative whic...

AP Photo In Thursday's press conference, President Obama called the Cambridge Police Department "stupid" for arresting Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Daughter Elizabeth Gates interviews her dad about what happened to him in jail, how this affects whites too, and why she shouldn’t give up on America yet.

Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr., one of the nation's pre-eminent African-American scholars, was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in. The incident raised concerns among some Harvard faculty that Gates was a victim of racial profiling.Gates Police arrived at Gates’s Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.

On the eve of Abraham Lincoln's birthday, Henry Louis Gates, Jr. appeared on NBC's "The Today Show" to talk about LOOKING FOR LINCOLN, Lincoln's role in the end of slavery, and the president's continuing impact on America.

September 25, 2008Rabbi Capers Funnye, Jr. Beth Shalom B'nai Zaken Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation When he was 17 years old, Capers Funnye's minister encouraged him to become a preacher. Today, Funnye is a spiritual leader—the rabbi at Beth Shalom Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation in Chicago To Those Who Celebrate Rosh Hashanah, enjoy and celebrate this sacred day.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., known as “Skip,” is a professor at Harvard University, where he is also the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. A prolific writer, editor, and film producer, he has received numerous awards and honors throughout his career, including a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant,” a National Humanities Medal, and nearly fifty honorary degrees from institutes for higher education. A seasonal resident of the Vineyard for the past twenty-seven years, he spoke with Martha’s Vineyard Magazine writer Laura Roosevelt by phone from off-Island in June.

Before starting his recording career, Grammy-winning artist Ne-Yo was a chart topping songwriter for such artists as Mary J. Blige and Celine Dion. He then earned rave reviews for his platinum debut album "In My Own Words." Ne-Yo began writing at an early age and looked to Sammy Davis, Jr. as his idol. He also expresses his creativity through acting, painting and martial arts. He recently played himself in a guest spot on ABC's All My Children, performing a track from his new release, "Year of the Gentleman."

Wonderful timeline from slavery up to Obama's bid for presidency.

In the American chattel slavery system one of the most dangerous acts that threatened the enslaved African’s very existence—his or her life—were personal affronts, or behavior seen as discourteous or rude to the Caucasian ruling class and to white women in particular.* Insolent behavior was not tolerated and could lead to severe beatings or death by lynching.