Blacks

Juliana D. Norwood  |   OW Staff Writer
Oct 7 2010

Opportunities arise in South Africa

The world’s largest diamond producer, De Beers, recently made headlines, after selling Jagersfontein–a South African mine that has been closed nearly 40 years–to a group of Black investors known as the Superkolong Consortium, a BEE (Black economic empowerment) holding company for a number of mining operations. All operations and assets at the mine have been turned over to the group in efforts to expand De Beers asset portfolio.

Oct 7 2010

You are very, very sleepy

The National Sleep Foundation’s annual survey says African Americans get the least amount of sleep of any ethnic group, and the ability to change some of the causes of our sleep deprivation are within our control, if we make adjustments (sleep Hygiene).

Marisol Aguilar  |   OW Contributor
Sep 23 2010

Minorities hard hit as usual

According to the Census Bureau, the poverty rate has escalated from 13.2 percent in 2008 to 14.3 percent in 2009. Last year, 43.6 million Americans lived in poverty; that figure increased nearly 4 million, compared to 2008.

“This is the largest number of officially impoverished Americans in the 51 years the government has kept track of poverty levels, and the highest percentage since 1994,” wrote Joseph Shaman, a senior correspondent for AOL news.

Aug 7 2009

Blacks most targeted group

According to last week’s Hate Crime Report, issued by the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations, crimes motivated by hate increased in 2007 by 28 percent.

The annual report cited 763 hate crimes in 2007, of which 310 were against blacks. Gays and lesbians were the second (102) ; followed by Jews (78); Mexicans (71); Latinos (50); Caucasians (31); and Asian-Pacific (18).

Jun 26 2009

L.A. officials ignore Baca’s message on gang killings at their own peril

Two things happened this week that make L.A. County Sheriff Lee Baca’s warning that racially motivated gang killings of blacks and Latino are on the rise. The first was the start of preliminary testimony in the scheduled trial of Pedro Espinoza, the 18th Street gang member charged with gunning down local Los Angeles High School star football player Jamiel Shaw Jr. back in March.

The killing ignited a torrent of rage in the city when it was revealed that Espinoza is an illegal immigrant, and even more rage that the killing may have been a racially motivated hit.

Across Black America

Here’s a look at African American people and issues making headlines throughout the country.
 

Alabama
Freeman A. Hrabowski, president of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will address the annual African American Business Council luncheon on June 28. Hrabowski, who is chairman of President Barack Obama’s Advisory Commission on Education Excellence for African Americans, has a national reputation for his work studying the performance of minority students in math and science. Hrabowski, named one of the 10 best college presidents in the country by Time magazine, was a child leader in the Civil Rights Movement in Birmingham in the 1960s.
 

Arkansas
The Liberty Counsel filed a motion and a brief in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas seeking to intervene on behalf of a Concepts of Life crisis pregnancy center to defend against a suit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and the Center for Reproductive Rights. The groups seek to impose a permanent injunction before the Human Heartbeat Protection Act goes into effect July 18. Liberty Counsel also filed a brief opposing the ACLU’s request for an injunction. The “Heartbeat” bill states that when a woman seeks an abortion at or after the 12th week, doctors must test for a fetal heartbeat before an abortion is performed and inform the pregnant mother that the child in her womb has a heartbeat. If a heartbeat is detected, a woman cannot have an abortion, except in cases of rape, incest, and if a mother’s life is in danger. “As we promised when the legislation was introduced, Liberty Counsel will defend this law without reservation for the people of Arkansas, born and pre-born,” said Matt Staver, founder and chairman of Liberty Counsel. “No right is more foundational than the right to life. Without life, all other rights are irrelevant,” concluded Staver.