President Obama

David L. Horne, Ph.D.  |   OW Contributing Columnist
May 26 2011

Practical Politics

A short time ago, and again recently, the Planned Parenthood Association (aka, Planned Parenthood Federation) has been in the news as a “whipping boy” for Republican budgetary cuts at the national and even state levels. Among the other criticisms thrown at President Obama (‘naiveté’ concerning the intricacies of the Middle East Crisis—meaning appearing not to agree with the Israeli government position—plus the myriad of other barbs), this one too is more about ideology than fact.

Cynthia E. Griffin-  |   OW Managing Editor
May 12 2011

Some think they need to retool

The belief that President Obama’s election heralded immediate change was so strong that shortly after his win, the blog Debate Link featured a Nov. 7, 2008, column entitled. “Do We Still Need Civil Rights After Obama?”

It is a penetrating question.

May 9 2011

The war is not over

Understandably, the killing of Osama bin Laden unleashed strong emotions among Americans—relief, satisfaction, fears of retribution, denial, and even exuberance.

But, there was something distasteful about the raucous celebrations that took place outside the White House, in Times Square and at Ground Zero. The late night news coverage gave us a one-night affair of fists pumping in the air, jubilant cries of “USA! USA!,” and demonstrators singing that famous post-game victory song “Na Na Na, Hey, Hey, Hey, Good-bye!”

May 5 2011

Conspiracy theorists come out

If Pakistan cannot or will not take out these high-level terrorists targets and we have actionable intelligence about where they are, then I would take action to protect the American people. I firmly believe that if we know the whereabouts of bin Laden and his deputies and we have exhausted all other options, we must take them out.

Sen. Barack Obama
Op-Ed in the Globe Gazette
Mason City, Iowa
Aug. 12, 2007

Apr 20 2011

Private fundraiser

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Traffic is expected to particularly heavy throughout West Los Angeles and Culver City tomorrow to accommodate President Barack Obama's fundraising visit to the Southland.

Obama is scheduled to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at 2:30 p.m. He will attend at a fundraiser at Sony Pictures Studios in Culver City, where he is scheduled to speak around 4:30 p.m., then attend a private fundraiser at a Brentwood restaurant.

Across Black America

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

California
San Diego college students and volunteers will carry out their sixth home restoration project on Wednesday, July 10 through Sunday, July 14. as part of the “Healing our Heroes’ Homes” (H3) program created by the nonprofit Embrace. The five-day effort will take place at the home of medically retired Marine Corps Capt. Sarah Bettencourt. Bettencourt served with many different units across the country during the Global War on Terrorism and developed a rare neurological disorder in 2008. With a focus to restore the homes of disabled veteran homeowners, H3 falls in line with Embrace’s mission to mobilize college-student volunteers and community members to serve less fortunate members of civilian and veteran communities. The project for the Bettencourts’ home includes kitchen and bathroom remodeling, building ADA-compliant disability ramps, widening their driveway to ADA standards, widening doorways and landscaping.
 
District of Columbia
The 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will showcase its five-year community research project on African American identity with the program “The Will to Adorn: African American Diversity, Style, and Identity.” This multicity collaboration examines the history and culture of the aesthetics of African Americans. The festival will be held June 26-30 and July 3-7, outdoors on the National Mall between Seventh and 14th streets. “Whether we realize it or not, we are all dress artists. The way we compose our look is a creative expression of our ideas about who we are and who we aspire to be,” said Diana N’Diaye, program curator. “This program explores the diversity of African American traditions of style, but also teaches young people the importance of documenting their own culture and saving that information for themselves and future generations.”