The President Went To Howard University

Ok, the headline is a little misleading.
The President and the first family attended a basketball game at historical Howard University over the holiday weekend. Howard was playing Oregon State University which is coached by Eugene Robinson , the brother of the First Lady and the First Family dropped in to check out the game. I know Howard University students are mad they weren't in town to greet the FFOTUS.
 Can anyone recall the last time a sitting (or former) President attended anything at an HBCU that didn't involve a campaign or politics? See, this is one of the things many Black people love about the First Family. This is why we feel like one of us made it to the White House.

 I wonder if The First Lady took Sasha and Malia over to the AKA stone or any of the other BGLOs that were founded at Howard University (for the record,Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.was founded on the campus of Indiana University).....had to throw that in there. I'm sorry but things like the FFOTUS hanging out on an HBCU campus is priceless to me.
Now if we can get them to attend the Magic City Classic next year here in Birmingham, I'll be straight.  Ok......Ok........I know that's pushing it, but if by chance someone in the White House is reading this blog (wishful thinking), we will be at gate 6B in the white corporate tent with the live band and DJ. If the police officers checking wristbands gives you a hard time, just time them Mod Lumpkin from The Board Room invited you and they will let you right in.

Sarah Palin:The Rhodes Scholar

For those of you who still think this woman is capable of running this country, allow me to introduce you to her latest "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" moment.

Yesterday on the Glenn Beck radio show, this woman was asked how the Obama administration should handle the developments in North Korea. For those of you who may not know, North Korea test fired a missle into South Korea, killing two people. In essence making a declaration of war. This woman who wants to be President, this woman who seriously thinks she can defeat Barack Obama, this woman who millions of gulliable, STUPID people think is a political genius said:

" We have to stand behind North Korea, our allies, because of the treaty."

Actually lady,  SOUTH KOREA is our ally!

She was quickly corrected by the guest host to which she responded:

"Eh, Yeah. And we're bound by our prudence to stand with our South Korean allies, yes."

Maybe it was an honest mistake but considering the fact that there's nothing honest about this woman and she's made mistakes like this before, you have to believe she really had no clue who our allies are in that region. This is the same woman who said she has foriegn policy experience because she could see Russia from Alaska.

This is the woman many Republicans think can be President?

I PRAY that she is the GOP nominee in 2012!!!

*and for the record, I DO NOT listen to Glenn Beck, I read this story on various news sites.

Black Man Killed By Arab Convience Store Owner In Miami: Whose Fault Is It?

Tensions rise in Miami after a Black man was killed by an Arab store owner over the weekend. Akil Laure Oliver reportedly walked into a convience store and started verbally assaulting the owner. After being asked to leave Mr. Oliver and one of the owners got into it. Mr.Oliver picked up a bottle, the owner then took a crowbar and bashed Oliver across the head, killing him. The owner claims it was self defense, but people in the neighborhood says it was racial. Go figure!
I wasn't there, I don't know what happened. But I'm tripping off of all of these people protesting this store and other stores owned by Arabs around the city of Miami claiming that they are racists. Like the STORES and the Arabs who own them are the reason the black community is failing. I have witnessed on several occasions at more than one store, young black men walk into a store and call these Arab owners every name under the sun. Many of these owners often look afraid for their lives, not knowing if these guys are going to rob them or not. It's kind of sad actually.
But it makes you wonder though, if they really are that afraid, why do they open their stores in black neighborhoods?
Why not white neighorhoods?
Is it because they want to serve the black community or they know they can't pull some of the same foolishness in the white neighborhoods as they do in ours?
Why is it I can walk into a store owned by an Arab person (or anyone else for that matter) and bump into an ice chest full of Wild Irish Rose and Mad Dog 20/20 before I can get to the counter?
If I want to cash a check at one of their stores, why will it cost me 5-10% of my check?
Is it THEIR fault or OUR responsibility to do better?

All of these people are protesting in Miami and demanding that Arab owners respect their black consumers. But where is all of this outrage, protesting and marching when someone is killed in the "Pork & Beans" area of Miami?
Something happens there, everybody plays dumb and invoke that STUPID code of the streets.....NO SNITCHING!
Gimmie a break...............
I hate to hear this happened to the young man in Miami but it's not the first and unfortunately won't be the last shooting at a store owned by an Arab person. The question becomes, whose REALLY at fault when it happens?

Sarah Palin Goes IN On The First Lady

WHY.......I don't know!
Maybe it's jealousy..........
Let's see...........
The First Lady graduated cum laude from Princeton and received her law degree from Harvard.
Sarah Palin took 5 years to graduate from........wherever she graduated from.
The First Lady became a VERY successful attorney with a major law firm.
Sarah Palin worked at a local news station as a sportscaster.
The First Lady met, married, and supported (with love) a man who was an attorney, United States Senator and now the President of The United States.
Sarah Palin married Todd Palin who works as a ............................(exactly)!
The First Lady has a strong close knit family.
Sarah Palin's family looks like they should be regulars on the Maury Povich show.

That's why Palin attacking the First Lady in her book, America By Heart  makes no sense to me.  She all but says the reason the President hates white people and America is because he's married to a racist who made him attend the church of Jeremiah Wright. Personally, I'm still upset that the Obamas left that church after 20 years. You don't have to agree with everything your Pastor does but if that's where you're rooted, if that's where you're being spiritually fed, why leave?
Yeah, I know.......he HAD to do it but I still don't agree with it. But the Jeremaih Wright thing is old news. The quote about The First Lady "being proud of her country for the first time" (which was taken WAYYYY out of context) is old news. So why is this "woman" trying to bring it up now?
I'll tell you why!
It's because Palin has convinced herself she can beat Barack Obama in 2012 .She's going to try and draw his wife's radical upbringing on the southside of Chicago in to paint him as .........whatever she's trying to paint him as. But somebody needs to tell Sarah Palin that if she's going to play that game, she better be prepared to deal with the SILENT MAJORITY!
Ain't no way in hell am I or anyone else who supports this President going to sit on the sideline while she attacks Michelle Obama. Maybe it's time someone start talking about her husband's role in the Alaskan Independence Party, a group that wanted to succeed from the U.S. Maybe HER family should be thrown into the spotlight and let her see how she can handle it.
If she keeps it up, THE BOARD ROOM will be ground zero for THAT war!

Freedom,Liberty, Patriotism and Flag Lapels

*random blog*
I love this country.....I really do!!! This is the only country in the world that someone like me can write something like this and not be thrown in jail. But I must tell you, I am getting sick and tired of some people acting as if they have a copyright on what it means to be an American. 
You know the type!
They drive around with the American flag on their car.
They wear t-shirts with the American flag on it.
They love to use words like Freedom and Liberty.
But worst of all,they wear those stupid flag lapel pins.
 I really can't explain why it bothers me so. I guess it all started when President Obama was running for office and he was criticized because he didn't wear one. Like wearing a flap lapel means you love this country more than those who don't wear one.
I don't know why I'm blogging about this........I take that back......I do know why.
I was watching CNN and saw a story about this 13 year old kid in California who was told by his teacher to take the American flag off of his bike. The principal said there had been racial tensions between white students and Hispanic students and felt the 13 year old was taunting the other students. Personally, I think that's ridiculous but if that's their policy then that's their policy.
Well a few days later a bunch of bikers show up and this kid starts passing out American flags. The scene of all of these bikers riding through the streets waving the American flag wasn't that big of a deal. But when they interviewed one of the bikers, he said,
 "Our Freedom and Liberties are under attack."
Then he walks away chanting USA!!!! USA!!!! USA!!!!
I thought I was going to throw up!!
I know, this blog may seem petty. But these people and their "Love of Their Country" is starting to remind me of the south in the 1960s. Except now, the Confederate flag has been replaced with the American flag!

The Board Room Praise & Inspiration

 

The Board Room Jam Of The Week

President Obama May Face A Democratic Challenger In 2012

There's a small group of Democrats who are thinking about challenging Obama for the party's nomination in 2012. This should be a warning sign to the President that he shouldn't cave in on extending the Bush Tax Cuts and also shouldn't be so quick to compromise with Republicans. His base doesn't want that! Many in the more progressive/liberal wing of the party feel the President didn't fight hard enough for them and their issues in his first two years. Therefore ANYTHING that appears to hint at any movement farther to the Center will be taken as weakness. It's an interesting story that we need to keep our eye on.

For Colored Men

Dear Fellow Colored Men,
  Lately I've noticed your relentless attacks on Tyler Perry's latest movie. You're tired of seeing the thug, down-low, cheating, lying, good for nothing, leave the black woman for a white woman when he gets some money, lowdown dirty dog character that is present in most of his movies. I know how you feel, I once felt the same way. That was until I looked in the mirror and realized a film maker doesn't define who I am. I don't need Tyler Perry to put characters in his movies that will make me feel good. Even if he did put more than one character in his movie that cast black men......sorry..........COLORED Men in a good light, you know as well as I do, that wouldn't satisfy most of you. And if we can really keep it 100, many of you wouldn't go to the movies to see it anyway unless your woman MADE you take her. If it was up to you, you would holla at your boy at the barber shop to get the bootleg version.

I know many of you are looking at the screen sideways while you're reading this (if you're reading this) thinking to yourself, man, Mod is tripping. But am I tripping? Am I not telling the truth about the bootleg movies? Am I not telling the truth about not going to the movies to support a movie that would cast black men......sorry.....COLORED men in a good light?

Ok, be honest! What was the last movie you went to see that had an all black cast written by a black writer?
 Did you go see Tyler Perry's Daddy's Little Girls? (my favorite Tyler Perry movie by the way)
No.........WHY NOT!?
Oh because it was Tyler Perry!!?? Oh, Ok!
What about Not Easily Broken!?
Never heard of it!?
-It was a movie starring Morris Chestnut and Taraji P. Henson where Chestnut was a budding superstar athlete who had an accident that left him physically unable to play ball. He was a faithful husband married to a woman that treated him like garbage because she made more money than he did. Her meddling mother-in-law played by Jennifer Lewis (from some Tyler Perry movies) living with them didn't help matters either. It was a great movie!!!
WAIT......you guys didn't see that one either? WHY!?
Oh because it was by T.D. Jakes?
Oh because you think Bishop Jakes is a crooked preacher who plays on the emotions of women?

*detour*
Maybe if you took 30 minutes to listen to Bishop Jakes, you wouldn't need TYLER PERRY to make you feel good about yourself on a movie screen. I find it fascinating that some of you would criticize Bishop Jakes and other pastors for "living lavishly" but are silent when it comes to people like Lil Wayne (no offense to Lil Wayne). But why is it that Weezy can push a Phantom and live in a 5 Million dollar crib but Pastors are suppose to drive a station-wagon while living in a 2 bedroom apartment? He can drop the N-WORD, call black women bi*ches and h#es all throughout his records and you're cool with that but you're quick to criticze Bishop Jakes who preaches the Word of God (Y'all don't wanna talk FOR REAL)

*back to the blog*
Yet those same dudes who are up in arms about Tyler Perry's latest movie will sit and watch Hustle & Flow, Baby Boy and other movies that stereotype black men and not complain once. I dare say, if you brothers would show directors that you would go out and support movies that represent good men, maybe the Tyler Perrys of the world would consider making those type of movies. Until then, he's going to make movies that touch the heart of women because he knows he can count on THEM to show up and support him while we cry and complain from the side lines.

* I'm sure many men won't like this but we keeps it 100 in The Board Room!*

Sincerly,
The COLORED MAN who owns this blog!

600 Women & Girls Raped

More than 600 hundred women and girls were raped on the Congo-Angola border while waiting to be deported. This isn't talked about in this country but it's happening and deserves our attention. This country has been quick to address issues in other parts of the world, but THIS derserves some attention also. This isn't new, it's been going on for years! Women and Girls are dying from internal injuries! I'm not sure what can be done but surely someone, somewhere in Washington can put pressure on the UN to put pressure on the corrupt governments of these countries to put an end to this barbaric behavior.

ANOTHER Senseless Murder

I hate doing this, I really do. But unfortunately we have ANOTHER Senseless Murder on our hands. This one comes from Douglasville, Ga. Bobby Tillman, an 18 year old was beaten to death by 3-4 cowards at a house party. Reports say the 5'6 124 lb kid just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Some guys showed up to a house party uninvited and got into an altercation with a female. One of the guys reportedly said he would never hit a girl, but he was going to beat up the next guy that walked outside.
Unfortunately that next guy was Bobby Tillman. Here's the worst part of the entire thing. There was an estimated 57 people who stood around and watched it happen. As the parent of a 14 year old, this really breaks my heart. I can't imagine what this young man's parents are going through.
Please continue to pray for our youth but also continue to put pressure on your kids to START SNITCHIN' . Good kids shouldn't have to suffer because of cowards like this.

Who's To Blame For The High Number Of Black Men Being Incarcerated?

Who do you blame?
Is it the justice system? Is it the political structure? Is it the lack of jobs available?
OR
Is it the responsibility of the individual to make better decisions?
I believe it to be the latter.
Now take a look at the picture above. This guy is marching and protesting outside the White House with this sign. This in my opinion is the problem with our community. It's as if we're passing the responsibility of the individual onto the governement, Justice Department, The Powers That Be, or whomever. I'm not naive enough to think that Blacks aren't given more time for the same crimes committed by people of other races. But that doesn't erase the fact that blacks are committing twice as many crimes as anyone else either. Sentencing disparities must be dealt with, but in order to deal with the that, we first must deal with the facts. And the facts are, blacks are committing twice as many crimes as anyone else. Maybe, just maybe, when we stop committing as many crimes, we will see the incarceration rate drop.

The Board Room Praise & Inspiration

 

The Board Room Jam Of The Week

Could This Man Be The Next POTUS?

Meet Marco Rubio, a rising star in the Republican party. He's young, he's Conservative, he's connected to the tea party, he just became Senator-elect in Florida and most importanly.....Hispanic. That last one should worry any Democrat or supporter of the President the most and here's why.
The GOP know they can't roll out someone like Haley Barber, Governor from Mississippi or Sarah Palin  to run against Barack Obama in 2012. They know they would lose in a landslide. But what if they could find someone who is young, energetic and can bring a voting bloc that would rival the black voting bloc of the President? What if that person can guarantee them a major state like Florida? If they can do that, then it's closed curtains for President Obama.
Marco Rubio fits that mold perfectly and unlike the President, Rubio wouldn't have to beg and plead for Hispanics to go out and vote. They would line up at 4 in the morning, in the rain to cast their vote. Unlike us who would sit out an election because we don't want to mess up our hair or stand in line too long.
(But we would stand in line in a thunderstorm to see Nene from RHOA. We won't tune in to watch a debate but we would DVR the BET Hip Hop Awards.)
*back to the blog*
Nominating Marco Rubio would pose a threat because this past mid-term election showed how much ground the Democrats have lost. Democrats lost states like Florida, Ohio, Indiana and even lost Illinois. That's right the Senate seat once held by the President is now occupied by a Republican. So all that leaves Democrats in 2012 are the states on the West coast which has a huge Latino bloc. And that's where the chess match begins. Nominating Marco Rubio not only keeps the states above but it locks up the West coast . The reason why, Latinos vote and Blacks don't!

When this happens, remember you heard it in The Board Room FIRST!

Is Soledad O' Brien "Black" Enough?

"Is she BLACK enough?"

"Why is SHE doing a show on 'Black In America'?"

I've heard these questions and so many more about Soledad O' Brien.

My response, "WHO CARES?"

If she were a white woman with blonde hair and blue eyes it wouldn't make a difference to me. Soledad who was born to a black father and white mother has had to deal with that question her entire life. She finally has decided to address it in her upcoming book., "The Next Big Story" .
 In the book she takes to task all who would question her Blackness including the man she calls "The Arbiter of Blackness" Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Rev. Jackson started questioning her blackness when she began doing the "Black In America" specials. I guess it's a hard pill to swallow when people put your lunch on the front porch instead of the kitchen table.
My personal opinion, she should tell Jesse Jackson to go play in traffic. This is the same man (along with Al Sharpton) who questioned if President Obama was Black Enough. Instead of questioning her Blackness they should be working with her to help resolve some of the issues that she addressed. But that makes too much sense. Jackson and others would rather dictate from the sideline and enter the game when they can be the MVP.
I commend Soledad for doing what she does. Debt, lack of education, the abscence of Black fathers are all key issues that continue to plague our community. I would encourage Soledad to continue the good work and I would encourage those of you who agree with Rev Jackson to bring something else to the table besides criticism.

Keith Olbermann Is Suspended? SERIOUSLY!!!???

Let's see.........FOX "News" donates a million to the GOP and they win the mid terms. Keith Olbermann donates a total of about $6800 to 3 Democratic candidates and he gets suspended? Where's the logic in that? Everyone knows MSNBC is nothing wthout Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow. They're the only reason most people tune into MSNBC. So to suspend him for violating NBC News policy is a complete joke!

Congrats To Terri Sewell

Terri Sewell became the first Black woman in the state of Alabama to get elected to congress. Ms. Sewell won the 7th congressional district seat, a seat formerly held by your boy Artur Davis. By the way, has anyone heard from Mr. Davis since his failed attempt to run for governor? I guess trying to pass for white.......... oops my bad......I meant a Republican wasn't such a good idea after all. I'm confident Ms. Sewell will represent the 7th congressional district well.
Congrats Ms. Congresswoman!

Is Spike Lee's Absolut Brooklyn Vodka An Absolut SELL OUT!

WAIT A MINUTE!

Isn't this the same dude that called out Tyler Perry for stereotyping Black people in his movies?
Didn't he call Tyler Perry's movies "coonery and bafoonery"?
Noooo......couldn't be!
This couldn't be the same guy who likes to lecture athletes on how they should responsibly spend their money in the Black community!!!
Nope!
This is obviously some kind of misunderstanding because that guy wouldn't dare promote alcohol in the Black community-especially HIS community of Bedford-Stuyvesant!!
Dang Spike!!
Was the deal that good!?
Yeah......yeah.......I know Absolut is donating Fiddy Gran' of the proceeds to Habitat For Humanity in Brooklyn. But is it really worth it?
If someone else was doing this, Spike would be the first to do to them what I'm about to do to him.
Accuse him of...........SELLING OUT!

Now....G.O.P Is The New Black??

I told you this New Black thing is getting out of control. Now, Black Conservatives are joining in on the fad. I know that we as a people aren't monolithic.We come from different backgrounds with different life experiences. But shouldn't we all defend the commercialization of our race as if it's the latest techno gadget that can be purchased at your nearest Apple store?
Does the Black Conservative wing of the GOP think this is going entice blacks to leave the Democratic party? They like to say the Democratic party take black voters for granted and that we blindly support the party line. In some ways I agree but in many ways I beg to differ. I believe many Blacks just recognize fakeness when they see it and this billboard is exactly that.......FAKE!
This is the same group that like to remind us Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.was a Republican. That is true, however this isn't Dr. King's Republican party. Matter of fact, during the early days of the Civil Rights movement, many Southern Whites formed the Dixiecrats, (a movement similar to today's Tea Party) led by Strom Thurmond because the Democrats were too soft on Segregation. Those Dixiecrats later formed the modern day GOP. So for all of you Black Conservatives reading this blog (and I know for a FACT that you do), PLEASE read up on your party's history before you start trying to pull a fast one on our people by buying billboards such as this one in Houston, Tx.

The GOP isn't the New Black! It's actually the Old White!!

POLLS!!!

I love politics but if there's one thing that drives me crazy is all of these pundits talking about the latest polls. 
And it's always the same polling services that are quoted.
 Who are they polling?
Why hasn't anyone called me to ask who I'M  voting for?
Who decides who will get called?

I don't buy all of these polling numbers and neither should you. Don't allow these poll numbers to deter you from exercising your civic duty.

Go vote and be counted!

This Is Why You Should Vote On November 2nd