Kai Chase told jurors hearing a lawsuit filed by Jackson’s mother against concert promoter AEG Live LLC that Jackson was a hands-on father who often played with his children. Katherine Jackson’s lawsuit lists the singer’s three children, Prince, Paris and Blanket, as plaintiffs and claims the concert promoter failed to properly investigate the doctor convicted of giving the singer a fatal dose of anesthetic in June 2009.

AEG denies it hired the doctor or pushed the entertainer to rehearse for his final series of comeback concerts titled “This Is It.”

On the stand, Chase said Jackson made sure the children kept a healthy diet and got plenty of sleep for school sessions.

She described an April birthday party for Jackson’s only daughter, Paris, in which she said the singer hired a private circus for his children. The Cirque du Soleil-style show featured men on stilts and a woman performing in a giant balloon, Chase said.

Paris Jackson, who was turning 11, adored her father and Chase helped decorate a room filled with posters and photos of the “Thriller” singer. The singer’s music was played throughout the party.

Chase, who continues to work for Jackson’s mother and his children, said that was the final birthday party that Paris Jackson has had.

“Paris hasn’t had any birthdays since,” Chase said. “She hasn’t wanted to celebrate since.”

Michael Jackson was fiercely protective of his children’s privacy while alive, often shielding their faces in public with masks.

Chase, who testified during Conrad Murray’s involuntary manslaughter trial, described for civil jurors the routines inside Jackson’s rented mansion in the months before his death.

She said Jackson wouldn’t allow his children to eat sweets and made sure they went to bed early so they would be alert for tutors who instructed them. Chase described Jackson as a prankster who ate meals with his children, exchanging jokes and stories.

Paris Jackson would often write notes for her dad on a chalkboard sitting in the kitchen that Chase used to list a menu of the day’s meals. One message from Jackson’s daughter shown to jurors read, “I love daddy” and “Smile it’s free.”

Chase described the close bond Jackson and his children shared, telling jurors the youngsters would run to their father when he came into a room. “They would take off like lightning,” she said, hugging their father’s ankles and legs.

If jurors determine AEG Live is liable for Jackson’s death, they will have to determine any damages awarded to his mother and his children.

___

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The behind the scenes footage led numerous commenters to question Wayne’s patriotism and ridicule his rap skills.

“God Bless America but you have the flag on the ground and stepping all over it? Smh…I’ll be looking forward to Magna Carta Holy Grail…Wayne dropped off a long time [ago] anyway,” one commenter wrote.

For his part, Lil Wayne denies that any disrespect was intentional.

In a post he published to Facebook Tuesday morning, the rapper wrote:

It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States of America. I was shooting a video for a song off my album entitled “God Bless Amerika”. The clip that surfaced on the Internet was a camera trick clip that revealed that behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America. In the final edit of the video you will see the flag fall to reveal what is behind it but will never see it on the ground.

In most people eyes including my own who were raised in that environment, the Hood is the only America they know and the only America I knew growing up. I was fortunate from my God giving talents to escape the Hood and see the other beautiful places this country has to offer but most people who are born in that environment don’t get that chance. That’s their view of their America. That was Dwayne M Carter from Hollygrove New Orleans view of America. That’s who I’m speaking for in this song.”

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

The Newark mayor’s name recognition and deep-pocketed pals would give him an advantage in any statewide race. But the charismatic Booker — who clearly has national political ambitions and has spent significant time raising his profile on social media and giving speeches around the country — may be more familiar to talk show viewers than to New Jersey voters. His ride to Washington got bumpier when the election was moved up a year because of Sen. Frank Lautenberg’s death this month.

Booker, 44, hasn’t raised as much money as he hoped. He hasn’t finished his second term in Newark, something he promised to do when he decided not to challenge Gov. Chris Christie’s re-election bid. And he didn’t have time to try to discourage other Democrats from competing against him in a party primary.

Booker is still the odds-on favorite to win the Aug. 13 primary, which is akin to coronation because a Republican hasn’t held the seat for more than 40 years. One recent poll had him up by 40 points among other Democrats. It also showed him well ahead of the likely Republican challenger, former Americans for Prosperity state director Steve Lonegan, in the Oct. 16 general election, which will settle the seat for a year.

As few as 200,000 voters could decide the outcome, an anticipated turnout so low it adds to the uncertainty.

It’s almost certain that Booker, a Stanford graduate and Rhodes scholar who grew up in the New York suburb of Harington Park, N.J., will be criticized during the primary for his fast-paced ambitions. One opponent, Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver, offered a glimpse of what is to come by proclaiming, “I don’t bring a sense of entitlement” to the race. Oliver, who like Booker is black and from Essex County, could peel away minority and female votes that would otherwise go to Booker.

The two others in the race, Rep. Frank Pallone, a 24-year veteran of Congress with deep ties to organized labor, and Rep. Rush Holt, an astrophysicist and son of a former senator, both have voting records more liberal than Booker’s. Additionally, the powerful public teachers union could come out against him because of his push for charter schools, school vouchers and other urban education reforms the union opposes.

Booker’s mere entry into this race meant backpedaling on his publicly stated intent to finish his second term as mayor of New Jersey’s largest city, which expires next June. Asked about the turnabout during his campaign kickoff at a downtown dot-com, Booker acknowledged that his campaign plans had been upended.

“The reality is we have put so much into the pipeline here in Newark,” he said. “The momentum is clear. There is about $1 billion worth of development projects rolling into the city. As much as you might think I am necessary to complete those projects, this momentum will continue, and I will continue to be a part of it.”

Though he swears his allegiance to his adopted city, critics say he cares more about building his national brand than fixing the city’s systemic problems of crime and joblessness.

“Our infamous name for him is ‘Mayor Hollywood,’ because he’s never here,” said Newark community activist Donna Jackson. “Or we call him ‘Story Looker,’ because every time you look around, he has another story.”

Critics see the rescue of a woman from a burning house and subsequent tweets about the experience (he has 1.4 million Twitter followers) as self-promotional, and say his investment in the downtown has come at the expense of neighborhoods where blight and crime persist. Critics say his trip to California the day after announcing his Senate candidacy for a fundraiser hosted by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg is more evidence that he has already put Newark, and New Jersey, in his rearview mirror.

Supporters say Booker has reinvigorated the city.

He has attracted hundreds of millions in philanthropic money — including a $100 million grant from Zuckerberg to improve city schools — cleaned up parks and revitalized a once-moribund downtown that now boasts Panasonic’s headquarters, a sparkling new hotel, loft apartments with exposed brick walls, and increased commerce, including a trendy restaurant specializing in gourmet mac and cheese.

Don Katz, founder and CEO of Audible.com, an audiobook producer and Amazon subsidiary that relocated its headquarters to Newark six years ago, sees a vibrant city that abounds with cultural, culinary and entertainment options, and says he has never regretted moving the company from suburban Wayne to urban Newark.

He said he found Booker to be “an incredibly articulate visionary” whose ideas for urban transformation through the political system resonated with Katz. Both are also like-minded on school reform; among Katz’s 600 employees in Newark are interns and graduates of Newark charter schools.

Booker is aware of his detractors but is undeterred by them, beginning with former Mayor Sharpe James, who won re-election against the up-and-coming-councilman in 2002 after a bruising battle documented in the Academy Award-nominated documentary “Street Fight.”

“I’ve heard it,” he said, “too much Twitter from the mayor, too much exposure. There’s not a criticism I haven’t heard over the years. I’ve heard it all. But there’s one thing everyone has to admit about my life as a professional, from my days working in housing high-rises here in Newark as a tenants’ rights attorney to my time as mayor, is that I do not run from challenges. I run toward them.”

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Katie Zezima and Samantha Henry in Newark and Geoff Mulvihill in Haddonfield.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Now as the National Park Service prepares for its 100th anniversary in 2016, there is a move in Congress to formally recognize the role of these “Buffalo Soldiers.”

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill on Monday by Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Francisco, allowing the study of a national historic trail between their home base at The Presidio in San Francisco and the Sierra Nevada.

A similar bill is pending in the Senate.

Supporters hope recognizing the soldiers leads to awareness of the role African-Americans played in formation of the national parks.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

West expressed his disapproval towards President Obama and the Defense Department for approving a policy allowing women to fill thousands of combat jobs in the military.

The news was announced on the heels of the Congressional hearings on the increasing number of sexual assault cases in the military.

West considers the debate “hypocritical,” arguing that the same individuals who “are up in arms” over the issue should not also believe women have a place in combat scenarios.

“I find it completely hypocritical for everyone to be up in arms about military sexual assault, but then want to cast women into high stress small unit combat elements,” West writes in his post.

West makes it clear that he does not believe women are capable of achieving the same physical strength as men to be able to defend themselves in combat.

However, the policy — which will allow women to begin training as Army Rangers in 2015 — requires men and women to meet the same physical and mental standards to qualify for any front-line positions.

Still, West goes on to write: “The objective is obvious: destroy the last bastions of American warrior culture all for the advancement of a misguided vision of fairness and equality. There is no equality in close combat. The goal is simple: you physically overpower the enemy and kill them. Don’t tell me about technology, war is about fighting and fighting is about killing, mano y mano.”

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

The Heat in particular are known for being fashion forward and for taking some serious risks that sometimes pay off, any other times become punchlines (Wade’s Capri pants anyone?)

Even if the Heat lose the Finals tonight in Game 6, they are winners when it comes to looking stylish before and after games.

Check out some Heat fashion highlights from this year’s playoff run.

Those cuts are already estimated to end benefits for about 2 million people who are already part of the program, but some of the amendments proposed by Republicans could make it harder for many more Americans to get access to the assistance they need.

Drug testing for food stamps

Many Republicans have pushed for a drug testing requirement for welfare recipients in recent years, and North Carolina Republican Richard Hudson is the lead co-sponsor on an amendment that would allow all states to create the same requirement for food stamp recipients as well. Fellow Republicans Doug LaMalfa of California and Ted Yoho of Florida also signed onto this amendment. In Florida, programs to drug test welfare recipients ultimately wasted $45-thousand in taxpayer money, because the cost of the testing surpassed the savings it created.

New work requirements for food stamps

Tim Huelskamp of Kansas is the lead sponsor of an amendment that would create additional work requirements for food stamp recipients. Although it creates a new hurdle for recipients, it would ultimately impact no more than about half of all people on the program now. As of 2010 28% of adult participants in the program were employed and another 24% were unemployed and looking for work. In fact, only 1 in 6 families on food stamps in 2010 was a nonworking family without kids or an elderly or disabled family member.

Click here to read more.

So why is the White House still talking about the issue, including Vice-President Biden giving a speech on the issue on Tuesday?

One reason is that the administration promised gun control supporters, such as the families of the victims of the Newtown shooting, that it would persist on the issue.

But another important reason is that gun control may be an issue like health care reform legislation, where the Democrats will need several election cycles to build a coalition to eventually pass a bill, and they are building that momentum now. Democrats called for universal health care for decades, but they only elected enough members of the House, Senate and a president who were committed to passing a bill in 2008.

Gun control may have similar dynamics. White House officials said there are already signs that the politics of around gun issues, long dominated by conservatives, are moving left. In the past, even as a majority of Americans have long favored stricter gun laws, the intensity was all on one side: politicians who voted for gun control measures faced sharp criticism from the NRA and pro-gun advocates,  while there was little benefit to voting for gun control, or cost for opposing it.

Now, some Republicans, particularly those in blue states like New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte, have faced strong criticism for opposing the background check provision. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is running ads attacking the four Senate Democrats who opposed the gun control legislation.

And there is little sign that Democrats like North Carolina Sen. Kay Hagan, who represents a red state, are facing any significant backlash for supporting the gun control legislation.

These dynamics suggest that while Obama is unlikely to able to sign a major gun control provision into law, he could be laying the groundwork for a President Biden or Hillary Clinton to do so. Democrats are unlikely to win control of the House in 2014, as young and minority voters tend not to turn out in midterm elections.

But if 2016 is a strong year for Democrats, they would win the White House and the House and keep control the Senate. And it’s likely that whatever candidate wins the Democratic presidential primary will be committed to adopting gun control legislation, as Obama has helped reshape the politics around the issue by coalescing Democrats around background checks and making the case that it is no longer political suicide for the party to call for greater gun control.

A majority backing gun control in the House and Senate by 2016, with a president who would sign a bill, now seems possible.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The “Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act,” expected to pass by a comfortable margin late Tuesday, would be a direct challenge to the 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision that legalized abortions up to the time a fetus becomes viable. Fetal viability is generally considered to be at least 24 weeks into the pregnancy.

The measure will be ignored by the Democratic-led Senate and the White House, saying the bill is “an assault on a woman’s right to choose,” has issued a veto threat.

Even if the policy were to become law, it would almost certainly face a legal challenge. That’s a prospect supporters hope for as part of the ultimate goal of overturning Roe v. Wade.

The two sides in the abortion debate agreed at least on the importance of the measure.

National Right to Life Committee legislative director Douglas Johnson said it was the “most significant piece of pro-life legislation to come before the House since the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act” that was enacted in 2003. Rep. John Conyers of Michigan, top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said the bill “clearly is an attack on women’s constitutional right to choose and is one of the most far-reaching bans on abortion this committee has ever considered.”

Some 11 state legislatures have passed similar measures. Several have been challenged in court and a federal court last month struck down a slightly different Arizona law that banned abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. Anti-abortion groups said the time frame in the House bill and other state laws, which ban abortion 20 weeks after conception, is equal to 22 weeks of pregnancy.

The sponsors of the bill also cited evidence — which opponents say is disputed — that fetuses can feel pain after five months.

House GOP leaders, stymied by a Democratic Senate and a Democrat in the White House, have chosen to focus on economic issues rather than contentious social topics such as abortion. “Jobs continue to be our number one concern,” House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said last week when asked about the abortion bill. But he said that “after the Kermit Gosnell case and the publicity that it received, I think the legislation is appropriate.”

Gosnell was a Philadelphia abortion provider who last month received a life sentence for what prosecutors said was the murder of three babies delivered alive. The case energized anti-abortion groups, who said it exemplified the inhumanity of late-term abortions.

The original House bill, sponsored by anti-abortion leader Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., was aimed only at the District of Columbia, but was expanded to cover the entire nation after the Gosnell case received national attention.

Pro-choice groups argued that the 20-week ban, in addition to being unconstitutional, would affect women just at the point of learning of a fetal anomaly or determining that the pregnancy could put the mother’s life in danger.

As introduced, the bill provided for an exception to the ban only in cases of a physical condition that endangers the life of the mother. In the Judiciary Committee last week, Republicans rejected Democratic attempts to include rape, incest and other health problems as grounds for exceptions.

But Franks, during debate on the rape exception, angered Democrats and drew unwanted publicity to the bill when he stated that cases of “rape resulting in pregnancy are very low.”

Franks later rephrased his remark, but GOP leaders rushed to impose damage control. A provision was inserted in the bill heading to the House floor including a rape and incest exception, and Franks, who heads the Judiciary subcommittee on the constitution and civil justice, was replaced as floor manager for the bill by Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who is not a member of the Judiciary Committee.

Democrats had pointed out that every Republican on the Judiciary Committee that approved the anti-abortion bill was a man.

With the changes, said NARAL Pro-Choice America President Ilyse Hogue, “the GOP is desperately trying to hide that the party has a deep hostility to women’s rights and freedom.”

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The suit was filed Monday in federal court by David Perdue and his wife, Lizzette.

Allegations include excessive force, false arrest, battery, intentional infliction of emotion distress and negligence.

The suit says the 38-year-old Perdue was driving his black Honda pickup truck early Feb. 7 on his way to surf when he was stopped by officers looking for Dorner. Soon after Perdue was sent on his way, a second police car rammed his pickup and officers shot at him and detained him for an hour.

Authorities say Dorner killed four people during a rampage in early February.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

PHEN was created in 2003 by Thomas Farrington who is also a prostate cancer survivor and has worked tirelessly to bring more awareness to the disease.

“Our focus is to eliminate the health disparity of prostate cancer in our community,” Farrington says. “What we are doing is a real aggressive campaign to educate and mobilize Black America in the fight against prostate cancer,” says Farrington.

“Knowledge about your risk level, your treatment options, managing survivorship rates. We have to educate the people where they are,” he continues.

Amongst the concerns that Farrington mentioned was how people were screened.

“The community has to press forward to address policy issues, the most concrete example is the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) screenings,” states Farrington.

In May 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has recommended against PSA-based screening for prostate cancer. The rationale behind this change was to curb the chances of misdiagnosis and subjecting patient to testing and treatment they didn’t need.

However, some feel those recommendations are not appropriate for all men.

“The USPSTF should not include high-risk groups, such as African-Americans in their message of not being tested, because there is not enough data that pertains to African-American men,” explains Farrington.

One of the rallies took place at Mitchell Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church in Pittsboro, NC. Here they talked about the role of the rallies, while recognizing survivors, family members and community leaders who are all in the fight together to battle this disease.

The survivor

Cory Headen, 67, of Pittsboro, NC, is a prostate cancer survivor who credits routine visits to his physician as the reason his was detected.

“I was diagnosed in 2000. My doctor felt something funny on the digital rectal exam and checked it out,” says Headen.

Like most patients afflicted with prostate cancer it took him completely by surprise.

“I had no symptoms when I found out I had prostate cancer. I was scared, and the first thing that went through my head was that I was going to die,” says Headen.

Once he found out he told his family but kept the diagnosis quiet to everyone else.

“I felt it wasn’t anybody else’s business,” explains Headen.

He believes the reasons why people have reluctance to be screened was because of sexual identity.

“I would tell Black men to do it. You have to put your priorities in order. The first thing they think when they think about prostate cancer is my sex life is over.”

While he did have concerns about his sex life, he believed that his life was more important.

“My wife said I would rather have you alive than us having sex. And she was right, my life was important to me than [sex] because if I had put that over my life I wouldn’t have lived to see my granddaughter [be born],” add Headen.

He believes with technological advancements in the treatment of prostate cancer, that men would be less afraid to see a doctor.

“If they create something that would make it possible for men to have sex after the surgery then men wouldn’t have a problem getting the surgery, says Headen.”

“We have had many conversations here at the church about it and every man here was worried about their sex life,” says Headen

The family member

Ernest Alston, 67, of Pittsboro, NC had two brothers who were diagnosed with prostate cancer which changed his outlook.

“I had been getting yearly physicals even before then, but now I get PSA checked twice a year now. Seeing that my brothers were both diagnosed in their 60s and my uncle have cancer really made me aware,” says Alston.

Alston put aside his fears to get tested.

“I’m apprehensive every time I get a checkup because I had 2 brothers, and uncle and a first cousin that had it. But I had to get past that and get tested.”

The community leaders

The local coordinators from the church sees Father’s Day as the perfect time to speak out against prostate cancer.

“We [as a community] devalue Father’s Day and the role of fathers in the community. Our roles are important when we do it right,” says Reverend Anthony Davis of the Mitchell Chapel A.M.E. Zion Church.

Everyone had their own reason for joining in the fight but for Davis it was personal.

“I had a close friend who had prostate cancer and I am making good on a promise to not only to get screened but to also tell others to get screened,” adds Davis.

Davis feels that speaking out is the key and that Black Churches are growing silent about being healthy.

“The silent killer in our community is silence. I don’t think our churches are doing enough to promote health and wellness,” explains Davis.

“In the 21st century, social justice ministries really should move us to care about health disparities. [Pastors] don’t think about if our congregation are actually embracing health and wellness,” explains Davis.

Reverend Davis believes that some churches place a value on things other than the health and wellness of their congregations.

“Unfortunately, I think a lot of our churches have become distracted by the business of the day. Trying to stay afloat, trying to meet budgets. Our challenge is that we deal with things that are ministry minded but not actually ministry,” states Davis.

The next steps

However they feel that more needs to be done about the issue.

“There needs to be more advocates that take this issue on. Women with breast cancer have advocates with star power or a brand to get their point across,” says Davis.

In spite of things, Davis feels that these rallies have caused a big impact on the way people think about their health and that the numbers will reflect that over time.

“I believe my generation will have a higher number of people getting tested because of education and awareness. Once we have that to raise awareness, level of engagement will follow, explains Davis.

Dr. Terrance McGill is an aspiring family physician with a passion for writing and increasing health awareness in the community. He recently completed his master’s in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Kanye West blesses hip-hop with ‘ugly’ new album ‘Yeezus’

With June 18th marking the release of his sixth studio album Yeezus, we take a look at the top 10 career-defining songs of the Chicago emcee’s career.

This list was very hard to create, taking all of the personal favorites and not only breaking them down into a 10 song list, but then further ranking them.

If you disagree with the placement of the songs, let us know what you think in the comments below.

Cory Townes is a Digital Content Producer born and raised in Philadelphia, Pa. His work has been featured in The Grio, Vibe.com, and other media publications. For more of his work, visit www.CoryTownes.com and follow him on Twitter at @CoryTownes.”

The latest chapter of the groundbreaking saga is directed by David Twohy, and stars and is produced  by Vin Diesel, who wrote and directed the first two installments, The Chronicles of Riddick (2004) and Pitch Black (2000).

Diesel stars alongside Keri Hilson, Bokeem Woodbine, Dave Batista, Karl Urban, and Katee Sackhoff, reprising his role as antihero Riddick, a dangerous, escaped convict wanted by every bounty hunter in the known galaxy.

In Rule the Dark, Riddick has been “left for dead on a sun-scorched planet that appears to be lifeless.  Soon, however, he finds himself fighting for survival against alien predators more lethal than any human he’s encountered.  The only way off is for Riddick to activate an emergency beacon and alert mercenaries who rapidly descend to the planet in search of their bounty.”

During a set visit interview with theGrio, the stars of Riddick: Rule the Dark, took a break from filming to talk about their new film.

“It’s more surreal to me to be here after 9 years,” Diesel said. “You know how long I’ve been talking about this, you know how many press junkets I’ve been at talking about Riddick, and we’re actually on set here shooting a Riddick that’s better than all expectations, better than anything we anticipated.”

Diesel is arguably best known for playing Dominc Toretto in the Fast & Furious franchise. Earlier this month Universal announced that Fast & Furious 6 has become the fastest film to climb to the $500 million mark in the studio’s history.

“We’re here now because of the Fast & Furious relationship…” Diesel said. “It’s interesting how Fast & Furious was born out of Universal taking over this cult film called “Pitch Black” back in 1998 and now we’re here shooting The Chronicles of Riddick, after everyone thought it would be impossible.”

The Saving Private Ryan star admitted that he’s been “lobbying and leveraging” to get the latest installment of Riddick green-lit for more than a decade, but had difficulty doing so because of the film’s “R” rating. He also confessed that Riddick is a passion project that he would do for free.

“Unfortunately I should probably care more about making money than I do — and don’t tell the people who pay me cause they pay me a lot of money, that I would do all this sh** for free.”

Riddick: Rule The Dark hits theaters nationwide September 6.

There has been star power, unlikely heroes, strategic chess moves, and plenty of drama. It’s the type of finals that sports fans love.

Unfortunately, it seems many of those sports fans aren’t watching.

Sports Media Watch reported Monday that Sunday’s Game 5 drew an 11.4 overnight rating, which is a four-year low. It was down 10 percent from the two previous year’s Game 5s.

It’s gotta be the…Spurs?

We can purely speculate as to why this is happening, but the first guess would be the Spurs factor. The default narrative about the Spurs is they’re boring, and don’t move the needle on a national scale. Ironically, while Game 5 was a four-year low, it was actually the highest Game 5 involving the Spurs since 1999, when they drew an 11.9 in their Finals game against the New York Knicks.

It’s shocking that the ratings are this low considering how great the product has been. This is also a rare opportunity for the Spurs to shed their boring moniker under a national spotlight against the most glamorous team in the world, and prove that their brand of basketball is fun to watch.

Another rather surprising stat is that less than 30 percent of households in the Miami-Ft. Lauderdale area watched Game 5, down 29 and 12 percent respectively from the Heat’s previous two Game 5s. Miami fans certainly don’t have the reputation of being diehard, but less than one out of three Miami residents watching the home team in a critical Game 5 is pretty sad.

LeBron James is not having his best series. He really only went off once, in Game 4, and that game will be remembered more for Dwayne Wade’s heroics than his. He has been bottled up Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green for most of the series, leading to generally passive play.

LeBron has been solid, not spectacular

That’s another reason why viewership may be dipping. Casual fans want to see two things: Stars. And stars performing like stars. James isn’t fulfilling the latter part of the deal.

Over the past three seasons, James play has helped catapult both ratings for both the Heat and NBA as a whole. Last year, according to Forbes, the Heat had a 34 percent spike in television ratings. The Heat drive interest, as evidenced by ABC’s huge dip in ratings in games that didn’t involve Miami.

James needs to go back to being dominant to get casual fans back onboard. And more importantly, if he doesn’t, the Heat will more than likely lose this series, and get blown up this summer. The Heat have been ratings gold for the NBA since ‘The Decision.’ They’re a team full of stars that appeals to the casual fan.

If they start trading stars away, the NBA’s huge draw takes a major hit. Worse still, if James decides to leave the Heat after next season, and go to a smaller market like Cleveland, that hurts NBA viewing overall.

Again, we’re purely speculating on what could have led to the ratings hit. Game 4 actually drew big ratings, so this may be more of an aberration than a trend.

League, LeBron need the same thing

But a series this good really needs to be seen by any and all sports fans. This is the type of series that can turn casual basketball fans into avid ones, which is critical for the NBA.

Like always, there’s pressure on James to perform. His game will be dissected after every errant shot he shoots. Every passive possession is another opportunity for people to take him out of the conversation as one of the best players ever.

Now James has yet another reason to play well. The NBA needs him to get fans back to their television sets.

As usual, all eyes will be on him for Game 6. Let’s hope it’s more eyes than in Game 5.

Follow Stefen Lovelace on Twitter @StefenLovelace

Paperwork also reveals the former legislator is having difficulty paying the hefty fine of up to $100,000 levied against him by a federal judge.

Jackson in February pleaded guilty to misusing campaign funds. Jackson acknowledged in court that he spent $750,000 of campaign cash on personal items — like a $4,600 Michael Jackson fedora and a $1,500 black-and-red cashmere cape, according to the charges against him — and pleaded guilty to several charges, including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, mail fraud and false statements.

Sandi Jackson pleaded guilty on the same day to tax fraud.

Although not officially retired, he hasn’t played an NBA game in three years, and the headlines off the court have ranged from downright sad to bizarre.

Monday, reports surfaced his ex-wife Tawanna had accused the 38-year-old of “kidnapping” their five kids.

Multiple outlets ranging from the Los Angeles Times to Sports Illustrated picked up the story and the questions surrounding Iverson’s post-playing life started all over again.

The struggles of post-basketball life

WXIA-TV‘s Jeff Hullinger caught up with Iverson Monday at an Atlanta hotel, where the former league MVP was walking his kids to his Maybach car:

“They say I stole my kids?” a somewhat despondent Iverson asked the reporter. “That’s what they say? [...] If that’s what you believe and people think I’m crazy enough to do, then so be it.”

It wasn’t exactly a full-scale denial, but a new TMZ report indicates an Atlanta judge is on Iverson’s side.

The outlet, which first reported the alleged kidnapping claims Monday, cites sources that Iverson already appeared before a Fulton County judge to address the matter. The judge agreed Iverson did not deserve jail time and the kids were later returned to Tawanna following the hearing.

His ex-wife Tawanna has sole custody of the kids, according to the WXIA report.

The future holds…

The situation is more than enough to make his fans shake their collective heads: Why does this stuff keep happening to A.I.?

Unlike other public figures, Iverson is not initially afforded the “benefit of the doubt.” Too much has gone on. For too long.

An April Washington Post report on Iverson’s life after basketball quoted former teammates saying the superstar had hit “rock bottom.”

The story, penned by Kent Babb, quoted Iverson as saying he “didn’t even have money for a cheeseburger,” at a divorce proceeding last year in Atlanta.

A month before the article was published, the Sixers invited Iverson back for  his own “bobblehead” night. The team’s last great star was understandably emotional. He fought tears, telling Philadelphia’s Comcast Sports Net:

“It’s always emotional coming back here because they love me so much and the feeling is so mutual,” Iverson said. “You really don’t know…or have the words to describe it but obviously it’s a great feeling [...] The fact that I could become a household name in Philadelphia, that’s probably it. Just the fact that regardless of the ages that support me here, just knowing that they support me and love me and loved everything that I gave to the game.”

Iverson told CSN he was focused on being a good father and if NBA basketball was a part of his future, “God would make that happen.”

Follow theGrio’s Sports Editor Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj

Directors D. Channsin Berry and Bill Duke tackle a provocative dilemma among the African-American community in their documentary Dark Girls.

After spending two years developing the project, Berry and Duke produced a film which addresses the issue of colorism among blacks and some of the challenges dark-skinned women face.

It features interviews with women of “the darkest hues” who discuss their experiences battling the stigmas and standards of beauty many African-Americans attach to skin color.

“I can remember being in the bathtub asking my mom to put bleach in the water so that my skin would be lighter and so that I could escape the feelings that I had about not being as beautiful, as acceptable, as lovable,” one woman says in the film’s trailer.

“I used to wish that I could wake up one day lighter or wash my face and think that it would change. I thought that it was dirt and I tried to clean it off but it wouldn’t come off,” says another.

Originally premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2011, Dark Girls has now made its way to the small screen and will be debuting on TV nationwide this Sunday.

Oprah will be broadcasting the documentary on her television network OWN from 10 p.m. – midnight, following an episode of Oprah’s Next Chapter at 9 p.m. where she will be talking with stars Gabrielle Union,  Alfre Woodard, Viola Davis and Phylicia Rashad on the challenges they face in as black actresses in Hollywood.

More information on Dark Girls and the topics they discuss are provided on the documentary’s website:

These ladies broke it down to the degree that dark-skinned ‘sistas’ with ‘good’ hair vs. dark-skinned women with ‘kinky’ hair were given edges when it came time for coveted promotions,” Berry says. Additional interviewees for Dark Girls include white men in loving intimate relationships with black women that were passed over by “their own men,” as well as dark-skinned women of Latin and Panamanian background to bring a world perspective to the issue of dark vs. light.

The film serves as an expose into the lives of dark-skinned African-American woman and the racism some encounter within their own community.

Berry and Duke  say they hope the film will help generate a discussion on the “skin issue” and hope it helps to “eradicate” it once and for all.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

Researcher James Wayman was called Monday evening by defense attorneys after another day of questioning of prospective jurors for Zimmerman’s second-degree murder trial in the fatal shooting of Martin. One expert in a report had identified Martin as the source of the screams, and another testified at a pretrial hearing that the screams didn’t match Zimmerman’s voice.

Voice experts were hired by lawyers and news organizations to analyze the recordings, which were made by neighbors during the deadly altercation last year between Martin and Zimmerman in a gated townhouse community in Sanford, Fla. Thus far, experts have reached mixed conclusions about whether the screams belong to Martin or Zimmerman.

Defense attorneys don’t want the experts to testify at Zimmerman’s trial. Zimmerman, 29, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, saying he shot in self-defense.

During jury selection, which continued for a seventh day Tuesday, Circuit Judge Debra Nelson has been listening to testimony from voice-recognition experts. She must decide whether the prosecutors’ expert can testify by determining if the expert’s methods are too novel or whether they have been accepted by a community of experts.

Wayman said he doubted the screams came from just one person and said the 911 call was too brief a sample to draw conclusions from. Wayman said he was “baffled” by the methodology of one of the experts.

“That is not enough data … to do any reliable estimation of who the speaker is,” Wayman said.

Wayman testified after potential jurors were sent home for the day.

Zimmerman was driving through the gated community where he lived on the evening of Feb. 26, 2012, when he saw Martin walking back from a convenience store to a home belonging to his father’s fiancee. Zimmerman called a nonemergency police number, followed Martin and at some point a fight erupted between them that left Martin dead.

The case is racially charged. A 44-day delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to protests around the nation. Protesters questioned whether the Sanford Police Department was investigating the case seriously because Martin was a black teen from the Miami area. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys are seeking a pool of 40 potential jurors who have been screened for any influence of pretrial publicity before moving to a second round of questioning. By Monday, they had interviewed 49 potential jurors over the past week. They must narrow the pool to six jurors and four alternates.

The judge on Monday asked four more potential jurors back for further questioning, raising to 32 the number of candidates asked to return. Of those asked to return, more than two-thirds are white. The pool also is overwhelmingly female and skews middle-aged.

Lawyers had questioned three jurors by mid-morning Tuesday. They included a mixed-race man in his 50s who said he had two civil cases pending before Nelson; a mixed-race woman in her late 20s who is more than five months pregnant; and a white woman in her 20s who says she doesn’t follow the news and only recently purchased a television.

Those who are picked for the jury will have their names kept private for at least some time after the trial, Nelson ruled Monday. The judge granted a defense motion to keep information on the jurors confidential after the trial, but she said she would wait to decide for how long.

___

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (WAVY) – On April 30, 2013, Kerry Seawright got the devastating news her son, Raymond Seawright, was dead.

“I just feel so much pain inside,” Seawright said.  “It’s unbearable at times for me.”

It’s been days and now weeks without any arrests.

“Nothing on this earth is worth someone’s life,” said Seawright’s cousin, Nicole Giddings. “We just want to know, ‘why did you have to kill him of all things?’”

Newport News police found 22 year-old Raymond lying in the hallway of a boarding house on Chestnut Avenue in Newport News. His mother said he was there with a friend, but she doesn’t know much else about why her son was killed.  She also knows the feeling of loss.

“I’m in a nightmare,” said Seawright.  “Like I’m in a dream. Like I’m going to wake up and this didn’t happen.”

The reality is Kerry Seawright has lost two sons. Her son, Ryan Seawright, was also shot and killed in 2008.  The shooting happened on Adams Drive in Newport News. Giddings said the family is trying to hold themselves together during this awful time.

“It’s bad enough when this happens to any one person,” She explained. “But, for it to happen twice in one family, it is tremendously hard.

Ryan’s suspected killers, a 16-year-old and 20-year-old, were arrested and charged, according to Newport News police. Now the family wants the same outcome for Raymond’s death.

“We just appreciate someone give some leads to authorities so this part of the nightmare can be over,” said Giddings. “And we can try to put our lives back together and go on.”

Police said they interviewed several witnesses at the crime scene where Raymond was killed. They’re trying to figure out if one or multiple people wre involved.

Call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP if you have information for police.

Disick is the father of Kim’s sister Kourtney’s two children, and he appears frequently on E!’s “Keeping Up with the Kardashians.”

In the video, available at KanyeWest.com (note, video contains off-camera violence and un-bleeped curse words), Disick appears as Patrick Bateman (played by Christian Bale in the 2000 movie of the same name), wielding an ax, wearing a raincoat and bearing down on Kim’s friend Jonathan Cheban (who sits on a white sofa surrounded by pages of Billboard magazine). Disick/Bateman speaks in a weirdly choppy (no pun intended) manner while re-enacting/re-interpreting the Huey Lewis and the News scene from the film.

Watch the NSFW video here

Disick asks, “Hey, do you like Kanye West? The early work was a little too hip-hop for me and my taste, but when ‘Dark Twisted Fantasy’ came out in 2010, I think he really came into his own both musically and lyrically.”

While wearing Bateman’s protective clear raincoat, Disick calls “Yeezus” “the most exciting record so far.” “There’s the song ‘I’m a God,’” he adds, regarding the album, which drops Tuesday. “The title practically speaks for itself, but of course the insecurities of the mainstream music press will never understand its true meaning because it’s about me.”

And goodbye to Cheban after that.

Click here to read more.

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

NBC Chicago – A 15-year-old boy was fatally shot late Sunday by a police officer, marking the third police-involved shooting in Chicago since Friday.

Chicago Police said in a statement that officers were responding to shots in the Englewood neighborhood just before 11 p.m. when they spotted an individual running down the street. Authorities got out and chased him down an alley when the teen allegedly turned and pointed a gun at them on the 6600 block of South Sangamon.

One officer opened fire, police said, and shot the 15-year-old boy identified by family as Michael Westley. He was taken to Advocate Christ Medical Center where he died. No officers were injured.

Police said they recovered a .40 caliber handgun from the scene and a revolver on the teen’s waistband.

“There’s been an ongoing gang feud in this area, and that’s what the gang officers were responding to in the first place,” Fraternal Order of Police spokesman Pat Camden said.

Westley’s family said the teen attended Urban Prep Academies where he was on the basketball team and got good grades. The school said the teen did not attend Urban Prep, but rather TEAM Englewood, a CPS school that’s located on the Urban Prep-Englewood campus

The family questions why police were chasing Westley and how and why he was shot.

The incident follows a violent weekend that saw seven people killed and more than 40 injured.

“Pretty violent weekend,” Camden said. “As we keep hearing, crime is down. I’m not sure where it’s down, but that’s what we’re being told.”

Click here to read more.

On Sunday, the Roc Nation head broke news during a three-minute-long commercial at halftime of the NBA Finals that he would be releasing his next album, Magna Carta Holy Grail, via Samsung Mobile. The commercial led viewers to the record’s website, where virtual posts explained how the album will be free for the first one million Galaxy mobile phone owners who download it through a custom app on June 24. It will be available for regular sale on July 4th.

Immediately, Jay-Z, Samsung, Magna Carter and HOV were trending on Twitter, as talk of the 43-year-old rapper’s ability to push album sales, upstage marketing trends, and conveniently detract from Kanye West’s new release (out today) flooded social media.

For a guy who’s previously rapped about an “uncontrollable hustler’s ambition,” it seems like the next move of his chess piece.

“Twenty years ago no one would have predicted hip-hop would be this global and corporate force,” Simone Pratt, Director of Account Planning & Strategy at SpikeDDB, tells theGrio. “When you ask people who are masters at their craft like Jay, why do they continue to achieve these amazing goals, it no longer becomes about money. It becomes about silencing the critics, broadening his catalogue, not being just a rapper.”

Building the dynasty

Truth be told, Jay-Z’s deal with Samsung marks only the latest in a line of brand initiatives that the artist has embarked upon over the years. It began in the music business, a forum where he couldn’t even sell a record until he established his own label. Hence, Roc-A-Fella Records was erected, followed by an accompanying clothing line, Rocawear, and film company, ROC Films.

The “Empire State of Mind” rapper eventually bought out his stake in the company, and opted to partner with Live Nation to create Roc Nation, a music management firm and label. More recently, he expanded the venture into sports.

In addition to his day job, Jay-Z’s co-owner of the 40/40 Club in New York, and formerly part owner of the Brooklyn Nets (his decision to open a sports agency forced him to relinquish his stake in the NBA team).

As far as sponsorships go, he became a co-branding director for Budweiser Select during the release of his album Kingdom Come in 2006 after cutting ties with Cristal. The beer company went on to spearhead his Made In America Tour in 2011, now in its second year running.

In other news, he patented his own color: “Jay-Z blue.”

Altogether, the rapper and wife Beyoncé are reportedly worth over $1 billion, a sublime sum for a man who got his start dealing crack on the streets of Brooklyn.

“Everybody craves authenticity, and that is what hip-hop is all about,” Pratt observes. “What gives Jay-Z credibility is he has lived what he raps and writes about. His hits & units give him an incredible reach. Interviewing with Oprah, the cover of Fortune with Warren Buffet, hanging with Obama, singing with Coldplay, his collaborations with Linkin Park, even adding a beloved Broadway soundtrack (Annie), gives him further access.”

Could Jay-Z jeopardize his street cred?

Yet money, power, and unlimited domain often bring scrutiny to figures in the public eye. Jay-Z’s boy from the ‘hood appeal began to change years ago when his lyrics shifted from talk of poverty to gush about lavish living.

Now a billionaire, five million extra dollars from Samsung doesn’t sound that grandiose, making his corporate ties questionable to some.

“This a loss for Jay-Z,” Darwyn Metzger, CEO of Phantom Media, believes. “Sometimes what happens when a celebrity or a brand blows up, they become incredibly powerful and influential, and then they may try to go to the well a few too many times. I think this might be Jay-Z’s reverse tipping point…He does have an incredibly powerful brand and he’s the sort of person that people will buy something simply because he has signed off on it. This may end up cutting some of that brand power out.”

Or conversely, the star musician could be pulling tricks on the trade.

“Perhaps, he’s now playing a game against the Fortune 500, and wants to see how high he can climb the list,” Metzger notes.

Straight from Hov’s mouth

What’s promising about Jay-Z’s promotion with Samsung, and what some see as a likely boost for sales, is the direct connection the campaign makes between the artist and his fans.

From the onset, the experience was exciting for audiences to track. Those who caught the cryptic commercial on Sunday were instantly captivated, and the rest of the world tracked the news via his album website and custom hashtag “#MagnaCarta.”

David Bakula, SVP of Client Relations & Insights at Nielsen, says Jay-Z acted with sagacity.

“Consumers want to have more attachment to their favorite artists,” he observes. “They want to feel like they’re behind the scenes, that they’re insiders. That three-minute commercial, and presumably the content that’s going to come along with the promotion, is going to make consumers feel like they’re apart of what’s going on.”

As Bakula points out, Jay-Z fascinated fans in order to engage them in the process of his album’s release. His advertisement featuring top producers Pharrell, Rick Rubin, Timbaland and Swizz Beatz led many to ponder the creative direction, and the rollout plan continued their amusement.

“The amount of marketing exposure this is creating, and the amount of chatter it’s creating, and certainly the amount of media, I think more than offsets the few people that are going to get it for free,” Bakula remarks. “This can do nothing but drive sales upward.”

On that note, Metzger agrees, commenting, “There’s already success to be found in the fact that they’re going to get free media coverage for the album and for Samsung. When it comes to album sales, obviously Jay-Z’s happy to have sold an additional million albums with money upfront. He’s a businessman; this is money in his pocket.”

But is the album guaranteed platinum?

Jay-Z’s ensured himself a down payment, but will these million pre-sold albums guarantee him a platinum-selling, chart-topping record before it’s even released?

Not necessarily.

In fact, Nielsen will not even count the tallies in its weekly SoundScan report, which is the industry’s official method of tracking music sales. A spokesperson for the company confirmed to theGrio that it does not factor bulk purchases or giveaways into reporting.

Similarly, according to Billboard’s policy, bulk sales are not counted in total sales, thus these pre-sales won’t guarantee a chart-topping debut for Jay-Z.

In order for the album to go platinum, it would have to be certified by the RIAA after meeting a series of criteria. A representative of the organization told theGrio that at this point, it would only be speculation. One major factor is that the album must be sold to a retailer at a minimum of one-third suggested retail price.

The Wall Street Journal reports Samsung paid $5 per album to acquire rights to Jay-Z’s digital release, which could meet the eligibility requirements as accreditation is based on shipments, not sales.

The RIAA would not confirm if these pre-sales would successfully pass an audit, but regardless, the album has to be released for 30 days before it can begin the process.

Jay-Z might not need the help anyway.

“I don’t think it’s going to kill digital sales,” Bakula says. “It’s going to get his content out to more fans and I think it’s going to do nothing but drive interest across the board, digital and physical.”

One million free downloads will likely translate to an exponential amount of leakage, nonetheless. Metzger feels the hip-hop star might have sabotaged his chance to hit traditional ranks of achievement – If he even cares.

“If 1 Million records gets SOLD and billboard doesnt report it, did it happen? Ha. #newrules #magnacartaholygrail Platinum!!! VII IV XIII, [sic]” Jay-Z tweeted Monday.

Samsung, on the other hand, is looking for an image boost.

“Anytime a corporation can take advantage of the love and credibility of an artist for their own good, it’s always going to be a win,” Metzger observers. “But if they think this sort of stunt is what will motivate somebody to make their next phone a Samsung, they’re way off the mark.”

Big brother always wins

One indisputable fact of the matter — attention has waned from West, Jay-Z’s so-called little brother, and his new release, Yeezus.

Some saw it as a comical slight. Others noted the irony of West shying away from corporations with his latest release, as HOV gravitated towards big business.

“Remember Yeezus?” tweeted @jamarhudson.

“jay-z is gonna give kanye the same taste of what beyonce does to kelly rowland, [sic]” tweeted @speriod.

@BlackElleWoods tweeted, “Imma let you finish.” RT @MrSpradley: Hov definitely stole Yeezy’s thunder though. [sic]”

From a sales vantage, Bakula says the Blueprint rapper has successfully placed his work at the forefront of the industry.

“When you get the majority of music being consumed and purchased digitally, partnerships with technology companies like this are going to continue to grow,” he says. “Kanye showing his video on the side of a building – that’s great that we have the technology to do that. But Jay-Z is actually putting music in the hands of people.”

Even Metzger admits that Jigga wins the battle for best spectacle, adding, “Kanye’s most successful stunt was impregnating Kim Kardashian.”

Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @courtgarcia

Austin Romain and Khalif Phillips, both 31, were arrested by police and Drug Enforcement agents as they arrived for their 3 p.m. roll call at Rikers Island Monday.

The pair are accused of smuggling drugs into a maximum-security wing on Rikers.

Officials said they also delivered scalpels to inmates for use as weapons.

Department of Investigation Commissioner Rose Gill Hearn said the two officers “subverted jail safety and made their fellow officers’ jobs more difficult and dangerous.”

Romain has been a correction officer since 2007, and Phillips has been on the job since 2006, according to authorities.

Investigators said the drug orders would be made when prisoners made contact with wives or girlfriends, who would then contact the officers about their marijuana orders.

U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “We will not tolerate misuse of authority by those entrusted with supervising incarcerated individuals and keeping them safe.”

Click here to read more.

It’s not as soulful as his debut album, 2006’s The College Dropout, or as lush as Late Registration. It’s nowhere near as polished, sonically, as Graduation or as introspective as the auto-tune-driven 808’s and Heartbreaks, and compared to My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, West’s sixth solo effort is abnormal and wildly experimental.

Despite everything it’s not, however, the 36-year-old’s latest album could quite possibly be exactly what hip-hop needs.

Faintly veiled behind distorted synthesizers, abrupt howls and stripped, unconventional production, exists a fiery album full of brash, politically incorrect, socially charged messages.

On the album’s opener, the Daft-Punk-produced “On Sight,” West lets us know how much he doesn’t care about outside opinions by interrupting the jagged house beat with a sample of Holy Name of Mary Choral Family’s “He’ll Give us What we Need,” reminding listeners, in the brief 14-second interval, that he will always deliver what’s in the best interest of the genre, not what fans, taste-makers or critics demand.

West has made that mistake before.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, he described his 2010 effort, Dark Fantasy, as a “long, backhanded apology.”

“That was the album where I gave people what they wanted. I don’t think that at that point, with my relationship with the public and with skeptical buyers, that I could’ve done “Black Skinhead” [from Yeezus],” he added.

This time around, West forgot about us. He forgot about the fans, forgot about proper album promotion protocol and forgot about political correctness. The result is his most abstract piece of work to date.

West is my slave name, Yeezus is my God name

Yeezus is a raw 10-track album that sees West preaching over diverse production, mashing together punk, house, reggae and hip-hop elements, among others, into one body of work.

On “I Am a God,” another Daft Punk production, West raps over a house beat infused with electro phasers, topped with a vocal sample of Capleton’s “Forward Inna Dem Clothes.” Elsewhere, the Agent-Sasco-featured “I’m in it” starts off resembling a mid-’70s rock ballad before morphing into a full-on upbeat dancehall anthem, taking listeners from zero to 60 in the twinkling of an eye.

These fusions of elements from different genres, scattered across the album, play a critical role in Yeezus’ identity.

Beat wise, the album’s most exciting track comes at track seven with “Blood on the Leaves.” The song opens with a sped-up sample of Nina Simone’s rendition of “Strange Fruit,” a song about the horrific lynchings of African-Americans in America. Once the beat drops, aside from the blaring horns, infectious snare drums and the Nina Simone sample, it’s the reworking of TNGHT’s “R U Ready” and interpolation of C-Murder’s No Limit classic “Down 4 My Ni**az” that help make this track shine brighter than the nine others. Combining a song about racism and the violent injustices of America, and a Southern rap anthem about the limitless loyalty to one’s brother, even if it means resorting to violence, with a mega-popular electronic jam, is simultaneously random and brilliant.

Fans of the soul sampling, traditional Kanye West only get one glimpse at that person on Yeezus. “Bound 2,” which features a refreshing appearance from soul legend Charlie Wilson and samples Wee’s “Aeroplane,” while lifting vocals from both Ponderosa’s “Bound” and Brenda Lee’s “Sweet Nothin’s,” is reminiscent of the the fledgling artist who opted to wear a “Pink-ass Polo with a f**king backpack” over throwback jerseys during the infancy of his rap career.

And while the musicality on Yeezus is most certainly the centerpiece of the album, the intentional underproduction of each song allows for listeners to clearly receive each message West delivers.

And the Bible said…

The most refreshing part about Yeezus is that the messages ring out like church bells. Whether discussing social injustice, the plight of today’s Chicago youth, white America’s fear of the black male genitalia or plain braggadocious materialism, West’s lyrics come across clear as crystal thanks to his team’s deliberate effort to minimize the production.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Rick Rubin, the legendary hip-hop icon and Yeezus executive producer, said West was looking to go in a “[s]tripped-down minimal direction” with the music.

“He was always examining what we could take out instead of put in,” said Rubin

Granted, the music is still the big talking point on Yeezus, however, the production doesn’t feel as over-the-top as the beats on his previous efforts, giving plenty of platform for the rapping.

On “Black Skinhead,” which West performed last month on Saturday Night Live, West compares religious groups criticizing his antics to the media’s reaction to the current violence among the black youth in Chicago with the line:

“If I don’t get ran out by Catholics, here come conservative Baptists / Claiming I’m overreacting, like the black kids in Chiraq, b*tch.”

On “New Slaves,” which West has been projecting visuals for on buildings across the world, the new father discusses the covert racism blacks still face in 2013.

“Meanwhile the D-E-A , teamed up with the C-C-A / they tryna lock ni**as up, they tryna make new state. See that’s that privately owned prison, get your piece today / they prolly all in the Hamptons, braggin’ ‘bout what they made.”

Then there are the sex lyrics, which are plentiful.

Many of the album’s lyrics are grotesque, pornographic and derogatory. While this is certainly not new ground for West, these thoughts come across a lot less playfully on Yeezus.

There’s no better example of this than “I’m in it,” whose title spells out exactly what the song is about.

“Your pu**y’s too good, I need to crash. Your ti**ies, let ‘em out—free at last,” West says in one line, while following with “Black girl sippin’ white wine, put my fist in her like a civil rights sign” later.

This is West’s album. Whether he’s discussing the current state of blacks in America, comparing himself to Christ or expressing his affinity for threesomes, it all comes across the same way—powerful.

Believers and non-believers

There were no singles serviced to radio for this album, which was intentional. During his 2013 Governor’s Ball performance, West stated that “…at this point, when I listen to the radio, that ain’t where I wanna be no more.”

Not that he needs it anyway. His name alone will send records flying off the shelves, because he’s Kanye West.

The real question surrounds how the album will be received. Not only is this a different album for West, but it’s a different, unfamiliar sound for the majority of his fan base and hip-hop as a genre. There will most likely be very little middle ground when it comes to the public critiquing of Yeezus. People will either love it or hate it, for various reasons.

Yeezus is a piece of art, but just because it’s different, does that automatically make it good? No. Covering one eye and tilting your head doesn’t transform a piece of work into something greater.

However, Yeezus succeeds and is a great body of work because the music and honesty of its messages, crude or not, are exceptional on top of the album being ‘different.’

West and his apostles, from the world-renowned Daft Punk and Rick Rubin to the lesser-known Travi$ Scott and Kid Cudi, to the even lesser-known Chicago drillers Chief Keef and King L (Formally King Louie), put together an impressively succinct album that will last much longer than 2013. From the samples used in the production and cohesiveness among the album’s guest features, to the sequencing of the tracks and unconventional roll out, everything about Yeezus was done masterfully, resulting in an album that stands right there with West’s most heralded bodies of work.

If God had a name, what would it be? Yeezus, maybe.

Brandon Neasman is a freelance writer who has penned articles for both national and regional publications, including usweekly.com and the Hard Rock Hotel’s Las Vegas magazine. A graduate from Florida A&M University, Brandon is an editor at mostlyjunkfood.com and a graphic designer for the Gannett Company, Inc. You can follow him on Twitter at @Bnease.

“The evidence is overwhelming and staggering,” says Dr. Robert Bullard of Texas Southern University. “We can’t look the other way anymore. Climate change is no longer a theory but an actuality.”

Still, as the United States grapples with the adverse effects of severe weather events an important conversation is coming to the forefront. Are there disparities between those affected by extreme weather-related disasters based on race and socioeconomic status?

Dr. Bullard, a pioneering scholar and activist against environmental racism, says the answer is a resounding yes. “Though African-Americans have a smaller carbon footprint they are more vulnerable to the effects of climate change.”

The South is more susceptible

People of color and low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by the effects of global warming socially, economically, geographically health-wise and through their capacity to fully recover, he says.

Indeed, African-Americans are concentrated in urban centers in the South, which is more susceptible to intense weather-related disasters like floods, hurricanes, droughts, tornadoes and tropical storms.

“Fifty-five percent of African-Americans live in the Southern United States.” says Bullard. “The South is prone to more climate-related disasters in both scale and magnitude by a ratio of almost 4:1.”

Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, president of the American Meteorological Society and director of the Atmospheric Sciences program at the University of Georgia, says air pollution is a problem in communities of color, where substandard air can contribute to a multitude of health problems.

“In the era of climate change cities will warm faster with greater density than rural areas.” These high temperatures increase the risk of respiratory problems, heat-related stress and other illnesses.

“Blacks are 30 percent more likely to have asthma than whites,” says Shepherd.

Air pollution is the norm

Other studies also highlight the problem. More than 72 percent of African-Americans live in counties that violate federal air pollution standards, compared to 58 percent of white, according to a 2011 Center for American Progress report. A 2008 study by The Environmental Justice and Climate Change Initiative also found heat-related deaths among Blacks occur at a 150 to 200 percent greater rate than for non-Hispanic Whites.

Dr. Cassandra Johnson, a U.S. Forest Service social scientist, echoes this sentiment.

“African-Americans residing in central cities with large amounts of impervious surface areas are more vulnerable to heat-related manifestations of climate change resulting from urban heat islands,” says Johnson. ““Heat islands” concentrate solar energy and “waste heat” from sources like automobile exhaust to heat downtown areas in particular.”

Black Americans and lower income populations are also more socially vulnerable to adapting and adjusting to natural disasters, says Shepherd.

They suffer more distress, increased injuries and death and lasting effects like the loss of jobs and infrastructure. In the South, low income African-Americans and Hispanics work directly or indirectly in the agricultural industry, which is particularly sensitive to extreme weather, especially droughts, says Shepherd.

A tendency to flood

Another major issue is that people of color live in coastal areas which are more prone to flooding. “Patterns of development have pushed certain populations in geographical areas which are more vulnerable,” says Bullard.

For Bullard the situation is exasperated by the inequalities that exist in the government emergency response and rescue in the immediate aftermath of major natural disasters. “Race and geographical location dictates who gets the resources first,” he adds.

For African-American communities there is a “slower response or sometimes there is no response” from local, state and federal government agencies. “People left to fend for themselves” without loans, grants or health insurance.

“After Katrina people realized that waiting for the government can be a hazard to your health. Communities, churches and voluntary groups were forced to come together to mobilize.” Though, he says the inept emergency response that followed Katrina is legacy of the history of discrimination that has occurred since the 1920s to the present day.

Even eight years after Hurricane Katrina, “if you look at Sandy the low-income and people of color have had to wait the longest,” says Bullard.

In his book The Wrong Complexion for Protection he documents that racial disparities exist in disaster response, the cleanup operation, rebuilding communities, reconstruction and recovery. “The response is oftentimes not done in a fair and equitable way.”

“It tells us that there has to be policy changes that are built into the process which deal with these issues that need to be enforced on the ground. We have to educate our community and get folks into the rooms where they implement policies.”

Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter at @Kunbiti

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

“The whole point of my concern, before I was president — because some people say, “Well, you know, Obama was this raving liberal before.  Now he’s, you know, Dick Cheney.”  Dick Cheney sometimes says, “Yeah, you know?  He took it all lock, stock, and barrel,” the president said in an interview with PBS.

“My concern has always been not that we shouldn’t do intelligence gathering to prevent terrorism, but rather are we setting up a system of checks and balances?  So, on this telephone program, you’ve got a federal court with independent federal judges overseeing the entire program.  And you’ve got Congress overseeing the program, not just the intelligence committee and not just the judiciary committee — but all of Congress had available to it before the last reauthorization exactly how this program works.”

He added, “What I can say unequivocally is that if you are a U.S. person, the NSA cannot listen to your telephone calls, and the NSA cannot target your emails.”

Since leaks of the programs in stories in the Washington Post and the Guardian, President Obama has resisted any calls to changes to them and rejected the notion they violate civil liberties.

But his comments and decision to do the interview illustrate the president is aware of the on-going debate about these anti-terrorism programs and how it shapes perceptions of him, particularly on the political left, where the president is now facing strong criticism. The American Civil Liberties Union has filed suit against the program that allows the U.S. government to collect data from phone companies.

In a 7-to-2 vote, the Supreme Court tossed an Arizona law requiring prospective voters to provide proof of their citizenship before registering to vote under the federal “Motor Voter” law.

Apparently, the case of Arizona v. The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. was too much even for Scalia to take.  He wrote the court’s opinion throwing the controversial Arizona law into the garbage can in which it belongs. 

Under the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), states must “accept and use” a federal form to register voters for federal elections.  The federal form requires that the applicant declares his or her citizenship.  But the Arizona law went a step further and rejected any application, including a federal form, if the applicant did not produce citizenship papers. Writing for the majority, Justice Scalia said federal law “precludes Arizona from requiring a federal form applicant to submit information beyond that required by the form itself.”  While supporters of the Arizona law cited the need to crack down on “illegal immigration,” opponents rightly claimed the measure left immigrants, voters of color, the elderly and others vulnerable.

A lonely dissent

Writing in his lonely dissent, Thomas argued the Constitution “authorizes states to determine the qualifications of voters in federal elections, which necessarily includes the related power to determine whether those qualifications are satisfied.”  Thomas added that Arizona “’accepts and uses’ the federal form in the same way that an airline ‘accepts and uses’ electronic tickets but also requires an individual seeking to board a plane to demonstrate that he is the person named on the ticket.” 

Justice Alito wrote a separate dissent, as the only other justice voting in the minority.  Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who is Hispanic, has vowed to counteract the Supreme Court decision through an amendment requiring voters to show an ID before registering under the federal Motor Voter law.   

Meanwhile, Thomas misses the point, and perhaps he chooses to.  States erect barriers to voting because sometimes they don’t want people to vote— or at least people who look like Clarence Thomas, or some other person of a darker hue, or a certain sounding last name or national origin.  Through the Fourteenth Amendment and other just laws, the federal government is supposed to protect people from the whims of the states. 

Disagree as you might with a principled conservative on any particular issue, at least you can respect them—or not—for truly believing their absurdly incorrect position.  However, with Clarence Thomas it is a different story.  Some rightly accuse Thomas of living in a legal time machine.  In a twenty-first century world, Thomas adheres to the Founding Fathers, an originalist interpretation of the Constitution.  It is tricky business for a black man to long for the good old days, when those same Founders would have relegated you to someone’s backyard, and in chains no less.

Going a step further, for Thomas, this seems to be personal. And if that is the case, then we can expect more of the same from him.  If the Voting Rights Act, affirmative action and the legacy of the civil rights movement are erased by the Supreme Court, it will be due in no small measure to the bitterness of a former black campus radical named Clarence Thomas.

A beneficiary of affirmative action

Without question, Thomas benefited from affirmative action, programs which helped open the door of opportunity for those who were left out of the American dream.  And yet, he condemns those very policies as divisive and discriminatory.  He rails against “paternalistic whites” at Yale, his alma mater, those “ostensibly unprejudiced whites who pretended to side with black people while using them to further their own political and social ends.”  And he speaks about the arrival of a colorblind society, while he was the first to claim victimhood under a “a high-tech lynching for uppity blacks who in any way deign to think for themselves, to do for themselves, to have different ideas…”

Conservatives would praise Thomas as courageous for standing up to the civil rights leaders who in his words do nothing but “bitch, bitch, bitch, moan and moan, whine and whine.”  Others would suggest he is uncomfortable in his own black skin, and holding grudges against other black folks, including President Obama.

“[T]he thing I always knew is that it would have to be a black president who was approved by the elites and the media because anybody that they didn’t agree with, they would take apart,” Thomas said of Obama at Duquesne University in April. “You pick your person. Any black person who says something that is not the prescribed things that they expect from a black person will be picked apart.”

Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.  They don’t come more elitist than Thomas.  Here is a man who graduated from a prestigious law school.  He was picked by Poppy Bush and confirmed by the elite club called the U.S. Senate, in a most cynical quota move to fill the seat of Thurgood Marshall with a mediocre black conservative. Barack Obama won a national election.   

Justice Thomas, a man who had a helping hand every step of the way, would demand bootstraps of everyone else.  The civil rights legislation of the 1960s was meant to bring equity, fairness and justice, and help level the playing field.  Nevertheless, Thomas views that glorious legacy as unfair handouts to those who don’t deserve them, so he would rather destroy it. 

And while it may be difficult to usher a person out of the eighteenth century, it is possible.  Evolution is possible, times change, people change and America is changing.  Change brought us Brown v. Board of Education.  Meanwhile, it is impossible to remove a person from the skin he hates so much.  This is why we should expect more of the same from a certain Supreme Court justice.  Clarence Thomas has a most atrocious record on issues of human dignity and justice, and of protecting the defenseless.  He needs prayer, but don’t we all, because of the price we’ll pay for his bad decisions?

Follow David A. Love on Twitter at @davidalove  

The House is preparing to consider the bill this week. The legislation would cut $2 billion annually from food stamps and make it harder for some people to qualify for the program. That is around 3 percent of current spending.

The Obama administration said in a statement that food stamps are “a cornerstone of our nation’s food assistance safety net.” The White House argued that the House should make deeper cuts to farm subsidies like crop insurance instead. The bill, which costs nearly $100 billion a year, would save a total of about $4 billion annually, including the food stamp cuts.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

“My aunt has been a friend and an inspiration since I was a little girl,” Hylton told theGrio. “I’ve enjoyed watching her career, and I admire all the success she’s had by taking risks and following her passion. It’s always fun getting together with her and the rest of my extended family!”

Hylton, who graduated this year with a degree in sociology, was honored with the Sophia Freund Prize, which is given to the Harvard student with the highest grade point average graduating summa cum laude. She was also inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society last fall.

Hylton credits the support of her parents (who also graduated from Harvard magna cum laude in 1982) with much of her ability to attain success.

Credits parents with her success

“I feel like I owe everything to my parents,” Hylton said. “They have been the most supportive people in my life. They always have supported me academically and [in] my extra-curricular activities. My parents never really pushed me in any particular direction. I never felt pressured to achieve because of my parents.

“They barely ever mentioned Harvard when I was growing up. My family is supportive, but not pushy,” she reiterated. “They want me to do my best, but they will never tell me that I have to achieve a certain standard.”

Even without external pressure, Hylton has achieved greatly. In addition to ranking number one in her graduating Harvard class, she already has plans to start work as an associate for a public policy research company, which is an extension of her interest in social issues.

Getting ready for policy research

Hylton stated that this position is a “natural transition for me as [it] is an extension of the research that I have done in undergrad.” For two years, Hylton was a fellow of the Mellon Mays Program, which prepares minority students who have a strong interest in pursuing a PhD.

“This program led me into a job doing policy research, which is really exciting for me,” Hylton said.

Hylton is not only smart, but is also a good athlete who ran track during her first two years of college. Her time on the track team was, “definitely a good experience,” she said. “Looking back on those first two years, it was great being on a team because I met great new friends really fast.”

Balancing academics and extracurriculars

Plus, her student-athlete status made her a master at time management. “In terms of balancing the schedule, it was a natural transition from high school because I played sports then,” Hylton said. “Coming into college, I knew that I would take my classes early in the morning and make sure I [used] my free time [wisely].”

A major change came, though, as Hylton faced recurring injuries from her track career.

“I actually left the track team because I had a lot of injuries,” she explained. “That was definitely difficult because I felt like I had failed. I came [into] college thinking that I would improve and run faster than in high school. [After track], I started to think about where I would go next.”

Hylton overcame her disappointment with sports by thinking about her many alternative options, and opted to serve others. “I overcame [my track difficulties] by thinking about a new team that I could get involved with in [a] collaborative activity,” she told theGrio. “For me, that ended up being tutoring students through an after school program to prepare them for college and the SAT test. I met a ton of other undergrads who were involved in the program. I also built bonds with the staff and students who were high-schoolers in Boston.

“This was a way for me to build a new team and a new set of goals for myself after coming off the track team,” Hylton said. ”Looking back, I’m glad that I was on the track team. However, a hidden blessing of me getting injured was being able to try new things.”

Inspired to help close the achievement gap

Ultimately, Hylton would love to pursue a career that helps close the achievement gap, something her college volunteer work prepared her for, and which also became a growing interest for her during her undergraduate career. Hylton, for example, “wrote [her] senior thesis about a modern, current school desegregation program,” one means of leveling the educational outcomes between students from different backgrounds.

Hylton knows she wants to pursue policy making as a career in keeping with this goal — but she is flexible about the process of getting into the perfect positioning to do so. “I want to make a difference in policy, but as to where that will take me, I’m open to figuring that out,” she explained.

As Hylton matriculates to the next phase of life, she will have a valuable Harvard degree and four years of deep experiences to help her apply herself in the future. But, spoken like a true humanitarian, what she values most about the Harvard experience is the people she met there, everyone from grad students to professors.

“I’ve met so many people there that I hope to keep in touch with for life,” Hilton mused.

Advice for college students just starting out

She also has some great advice for people just entering college, who might be inspired by her story. “I would tell them to find something that they are passionate about academically. You don’t need to study in one subject just because it was the right thing to do, or [to] get a job,” Hylton told theGrio. “I came in thinking that I would be pre-med at Harvard, but I really didn’t’ enjoy it that much. I switched to sociology, because the classes engaged me and I was interested in them. It was finding that academic passion that enabled me to throw myself into my work because it didn’t feel like a drag. It felt like something that I was excited to be working on.”

Hylton’s parting words of collegiate wisdom?

“Don’t limit yourself based off of some vision that you set before you go into college.”

Lawrence Watkins is the founder of Great Black Speakers, Great Pro Speakers, and co-founder of Ujamaa Deals, a daily deal site that promotes black-owned businesses. He graduated in 2006 from The University of Louisville with a B.S. in electrical engineering and earned his MBA from Cornell University in 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @lawrencewatkins. 

Hot off of her big win at the French Open, she enjoyed some much-deserved down time after taking the top title spot.

The 31-year-old tennis pro, who is ranked number one in the world, kept things easy and breezy in a two-piece suit composed of a bright green bottom and a floral top. Instead of a traditional cover-up, the sports star opted for cut-off jeans shorts and a sleeveless button-up shirt with a geometric print.

“A day off. At the beach. #sohohouse #Miami,” Williams tweeted about her Saturday beach day.

Serena seemed to enjoy flaunting her impressive curves for the paparazzi, a self-confidence about her body she also expressed for her recent Essence magazine cover story.

As the guest editor of the July “Body” issues, Williams said in the piece accompanying her cover: ”Before it was, ‘Serena has a big butt,’ and that was all. Now there are way more people who feel comfortable with themselves and they’re saying, ‘I’m a woman, and this is what I look like.’ I always say, ‘We’re popular now! We’re finally in style!’”

Follow Alexis Garrett Stodghill on Twitter at @lexisb.

The 75-year-old icon posted a photograph of himself with his late son and the quote, “‘Ennis William Cosby was our gift. And his gift is for you.’ – Camille O. and William H. Cosby.” The photo has over 7,000 likes.

Ennis Cosby overcame dyslexia to become a Morehouse College graduate and a Columbia University graduate student.

The aspiring teacher and loving brother to his four sisters was murdered on a Los Angeles freeway in January 1997.  The 27-year-old was changing a flat tire when he was killed during an attempted robbery.

Cosby’s only son was the inspiration for several episodes of the 1980s comedy series The Cosby Show.

On the sitcom, Theo, the middle child and only son, battles with dyslexia, but eventually conquers the disorder and graduates college.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals. 

Six decades and myriad details separate the deaths of Emmett Till and Trayvon Martin, two black teenagers felled by violence. Yet in the way America reacted to Martin’s death — and the issues that echoed afterward — his case has created a national racial conversation in much the same manner as the saga of Till, infamously murdered in 1955 for flirting with a white woman.

Plenty of people do not see the Martin case as about race at all. But for others who study America’s racial past and present, each killing is a defining moment for its era – a fraught microcosm of what we are, and what we are trying to become.

“Trayvon Martin is today’s race case,” says Christopher Darden, a prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson murder trial, another defining American moment. “I don’t know that anybody can really sit there and objectively look at the evidence. It arrives with so many different kinds of emotions.”

Just as the Till saga remains a searing archetype of the brutal segregation that gave rise to the civil rights movement, the Martin case captures the ambiguous meanings of race in America at a time when both the president and the lowest segments of society are black.

Emmett Till showed what needed to be done in 1955. Now, Trayvon Martin reveals the racial landscape of 2013.

“Trayvon Martin certainly is the Emmett Till of the hoodie generation,” says Michael Skolnik, a board member of The Trayvon Martin Foundation and president of GlobalGrind.com.

“This case represents so much for our country,” Skolnik says. “It represents issues of race, issues of police priorities for different communities. It represents the status of young black men in America.”

On a February night in 2012, Martin was returning to his father’s house from the store, unarmed, his hoodie up in a light rain. George Zimmerman, a volunteer neighborhood watchman, saw the 17-year-old and called police to report a “suspicious” person “up to no good.” Minutes later, a bullet from Zimmerman’s gun was in Martin’s chest.

Did Zimmerman think Martin was suspicious because he was black, or was he justly guarding his neighborhood? Did Martin attack Zimmerman? If Zimmerman acted based on race, is that manifestly unjust or just common sense?

Such questions, and the lineage of American historical events behind them, have turned Martin’s story into one that far transcends the facts of the case.

“I’ve been doing work around police brutality and racial hate crimes for over 20 years, but I’ve never seen one resonate with so many people like the Trayvon Martin situation,” says Kevin Powell, president of the advocacy group BK Nation and editor of “The Black Male Handbook: A Blueprint for Life.”

“He became this symbolic figure for how much has not changed in America in spite of a black man being in the White House,” Powell says.

To some, the Martin-Zimmerman case is about media distortion when it comes to race. Some view it through the prism of whether Florida’s “stand-your-ground” law — which says people can use deadly force if they feel threatened — is legitimate.

And for others, the case symbolizes that black people see racism when there is no evidence of it.

“I reject the idea that this happened specifically because of color,” says Mychal Massie, a columnist and former chairman of the black conservatives leadership group Project 21.

“I’m not saying that Martin deserved to be shot,” Massie says. “I’m also not saying he was a paragon of virtue. Indications are he was not singled out because he was black. He was singled out because he was there, Zimmerman was doing his job as a neighborhood watchperson, and he saw a stranger.”

Massie strenuously objects to any comparison between Till and Martin. Till, Massie says, died in “a different time.”

There certainly is no comparison between the killers, or the circumstances surrounding their actions: Two white men abducted the 14-year-old Till, pistol-whipped and shot him, then dumped him in a river with a weight barb-wired around his neck. Zimmerman, whose father is white and mother is from Peru, identifies himself as Hispanic. He says he fired in self-defense because he was being viciously beaten by Martin.

Yet Martin, like Till, died at a pivotal moment in U.S. racial history.

The Brown v. Board of Education case desegregating American schools had just begun the march toward equal rights, but Till’s death signaled that the hardest battles had yet to be fought. Likewise, Martin died when a black man was leading the country for the first time.

But Raynard Jackson, a black conservative commentator, says the fact of a black president didn’t stop a black kid minding his own business from being considered a criminal.

“It was based on a mindset of prejudice and superiority: ‘Who are you to walk in my neighborhood?’” Jackson asserts.

Reams of scientific evidence and real-life experiences suggest such profiling is widespread, and millions of people can feel its truth in their bones. But in the case of George Zimmerman, who exhibited no previous racist behavior of record, it’s still nothing but an assumption and almost impossible to prove.

That’s another defining feature of today’s racial challenges: They’re much more subtle than in 1955, and thus often harder to discuss or quantify.

Darden’s own judgment tells him that race was a factor in Zimmerman placing Martin under suspicion: “It had to be. Race is a factor, a point of fact that people consider when they evaluate someone.”

For Massie, the significance of the Martin case is simple: Black males commit a disproportionate percentage of crimes. “What it shows,” he says, “is the continued predilection for misbehavior by so many young urban people, regardless of color.”

“The tragedy of Trayvon Martin is that, if as many of us believe he initiated this assault, he paid the ultimate price for a bad decision,” Massie says.

Trayvon Martin: victim or aggressor? George Zimmerman: racist or neighborhood protector? As with America in the Emmett Till era, much of today’s race problem rests on the fact that America can’t reach even a semblance of consensus on the problem.

“I think white America has one way of viewing race, because of their experiences, and American people of color have a very different perspective, because of their experiences,” says Powell, the activist.

“If we are to truly have one America, then we’ve got to talk and listen to each other,” he says, “and to understand that Trayvon Martin’s murder is an American tragedy, not a black tragedy.”

__

Jesse Washington covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Footage of Lil Wayne taping the music video for his new song “God Bless America” has hit the web – and fans aren’t too happy.

In the leaked taping, the rapper is shown standing in front of an American flag. The flag then drops to the ground and Lil Wayne continues to rap while standing and walking across the stars and stripes.

Some of the song’s lyrics read:

Yeah, my country tis of thee/ Sweet land of kill ‘em and let ‘em die/ God bless America, uh/ This is so Godless America/ Heard tomorrow ain’t promised today/ The end of time is like an hour away.”

He goes on to say:

Damn, military minded, lost it can’t find it/ The stars on the flag are never shinin’/ Uh, I saw a butterfly in hell today/ Will I die or go to jail today?”

Many YouTube users expressed their disapproval of Lil Wayne’s actions in the comments section of the site.

“God Bless America but you have the flag on the ground and stepping all over it? Smh…I’ll be looking forward to Magna Carta Holy Grail…Wayne dropped off a long time [ago] anyway,” one commenter wrote.

Another wrote: “The U.S Flag is a symbol of hope and freedom to those that do not have neither. Not a prop to be stepped on, that['s] distasteful and disrespectful to those of us (Veteran’s [sic]) who served our flag and our country so others in dire need would even remotely have a chance at freedom, and rights like those who choose to abuse them in America.”

The song is from Lil Wayne’s latest album I Am Not A Human Being II.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

Paula Cooper, whose sentence enraged human rights activists and drew a plea for clemency from Pope John Paul II, left the state prison quietly in a state vehicle and wearing donated clothing, Department of Correction spokesman Doug Garrison said.

The Indiana prison gave the now-43-year-old woman $75 to help her make a fresh start. When asked where Cooper was being taken, Garrison said, “We have something arranged, but that’s not something I can talk about.”

Cooper was 15 when she used a butcher’s knife to cut Ruth Pelke 33 times during a robbery that ended in Pelke’s death. Her three companions received lighter sentences, but Cooper confessed to the killing.

Shortly after she was sentenced, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the execution of young people who were under 16 at the time they committed an offense could not be sentenced to death, saying it counted as cruel and unusual punishment and was thus unconstitutional.

“Even in Europe it was a rallying cry,” said Richard Dieter, executive director of the Death Penalty Information Center in Washington. “Her case really became a symbol of the death penalty.”

Indiana legislators passed a state law raising the minimum age limit for execution from 10 years to 16, and in 1988, the state’s high court set Cooper’s death sentence aside and ordered her to serve 60 years in prison. In 2005, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled it unconstitutional to execute anyone who is younger than 18 years when they commit an offense.

Cooper’s sentence was reduced due to her behavior in prison, where she earned a bachelor’s degree. She will remain on parole for a few years, Garrison said.

“We’re just wanting her to be successful, that’s all,” he said. “She needs to get back to living.”

Ruth Pelke’s grandson, Bill Pelke, has organized opposition to the death penalty since about two years after her murder. His grandmother, he said, would have been “appalled” at a young girl being sentenced to die.

Pelke was in Indiana on Monday for Cooper’s release but missed it. He said he expects Cooper to phone him sometime in the next few days.

Linley E. Pearson, who was Indiana’s attorney general when Cooper appealed to the state Supreme Court, said research now shows that the human brain doesn’t fully mature until age 24.

“So kids can do a lot of things they wouldn’t do if they were an adult,” Pearson said.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Court records show the case was closed Friday after the Grammy Award-winning singer and Gate Five LLC agreed to drop it.

A lawyer for Gate Five says the terms are confidential. A lawyer for Beyonce hasn’t returned a call seeking comment.

Gate Five had said Beyonce made a lucrative deal for a game called “Starpower: Beyonce,” then demanded a new agreement and abandoned the project. The company says it lost its nearly $7 million investment and 70 people lost their jobs.

Beyonce’s lawyers had said she was within her rights to get out of the deal because Gate Five didn’t have needed financing.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A contrite Chad Johnson apologized Monday for disrespecting a judge when the former NFL star slapped his attorney on the backside in court last week, and his immediate release from jail was ordered.

Broward County Circuit Judge Kathleen McHugh accepted Johnson’s apology and cut his 30-day jail term for a probation violation to the seven days he had already served since the rear-swatting incident. Johnson, a flamboyant wide receiver formerly known as Chad Ochocinco, said in court that he’d had time to think about why his flippant attitude was wrong — especially in a domestic violence case.

“I just wanted to apologize for disrespecting the court last time,” said Johnson, wearing a tan jail jumpsuit with his hands shackled at the waist. “I apologize. I did have time to reflect on the mistakes I made in this courtroom.”

McHugh noted that in a previous hearing Johnson had put his arm around a female prosecutor’s shoulders, prompting the prosecutor to tell him twice not to touch her. The judge also pointed out that when Johnson head-butted his then-wife, Evelyn Lozada of the reality TV show “Basketball Wives,” she suffered a three-inch gash on her head that required eight stitches. The judge called those injuries horrific.

McHugh also said Johnson failed to appreciate “the gift of probation” after pleading no contest to battery in the altercation last August with Lozada, which prompted her to quickly file for divorce. Johnson, 35, was in court because he had failed to meet with his probation officer for three straight months.

“I find that’s an arrogant disregard for a court order,” the judge said.

McHugh ordered Johnson to perform 25 hours of community service and attend domestic violence counseling sessions twice a week during probation, and she extended his probation an extra three months through mid-October.

The attorney who had his backside slapped, Adam Swickle, said Johnson will fully comply with all probation conditions and hopes to resurrect his NFL career. The six-time Pro Bowler was cut by the Miami Dolphins after his arrest for battery; he played most of his 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals followed by one year with the New England Patriots.

“He understands that this is the kind of situation that can derail a person’s career,” Swickle said. “We’re very confident he will do what he should do.”

_____

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Even as Americans mostly back the National Security Agency’s controversial practices involving the “data-mining” of phone and internet records, Obama’s own approval rating has suffered slightly, driven by drops in support among independent voters.

A CNN/ORC poll released Monday found that Obama’s approval rating – the number of Americans who say he is doing a good job as president – is now under water; that is, more Americans disapprove of the way Obama is handling his job than approve. Forty-five percent of Americans said in the CNN poll that Obama is handling his job well, while 54 percent said they disapprove of the job Obama is doing as president.

That’s a drop from just three weeks earlier, when a series of national polls, including CNN’s, found Obama’s approval rating holding steady amid a series of controversies involving his administration’s handling of the targeting of conservatives by the IRS, the crafting of talking points on the Sept. 11, 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya, and revelations that the Justice Department had targeted journalists’ phone records as part of a leak investigation.

The weeks since then have seen the administration being forced to respond to an explosive new controversy, this one involving the disclosure of classified domestic surveillance techniques undertaken by the NSA. And though the administration has won supporters in both parties for these practices, the feeding frenzy in Washington appears to finally be taking some toll on the administration.

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With highly anticipated decisions on affirmative action and voting rights imminent, the justices added a case to their calendar for the fall that involves the Fair Housing Act. The act bars discrimination on the basis of race, among other categories, in residential property sales and rentals. The issue in the case is whether it is enough to show that a practice has a disproportionate effect on a group or whether there must be proof of intent to discriminate.

The outcome also could affect other laws, including one that prohibits discrimination in lending and is enforced by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

African-American and Hispanic residents of a neighborhood pegged for demolition and redevelopment in Mount Holly, N.J., sued to block the project, saying it targeted a predominantly minority area.

Unlike other anti-discrimination laws, the housing act does not explicitly cover disparate impact claims.

The housing law prohibits discrimination in all sorts of transactions involving real estate and applies to banks and mortgage companies as well as governments, like the one involved in this case.

The Obama administration strongly supports judging discrimination claims on the basis of results, as well as intent. It tried to ward off high court review by telling the justices that the Housing and Urban Development Department has recently adopted a new regulation to deal with the sorts of claims at issue in the case and that no federal appeals court has yet addressed the new rule. The administration also said that 11 federal appeals courts have held that the law does allow for claims based on the results of a project or practice, not just intentional discrimination.

The case will be heard by a court that once before agreed to settle the issue. In addition, one justice, Antonin Scalia, has questioned whether the Constitution allows for disparate impact claims, even when discrimination laws explicitly authorize them. Scalia has said judging a practice by its effect, rather than intent, could be hard to reconcile with the Constitution’s promise of equal protection.

The justices originally agreed to take up the housing issue in 2011 in a case from St. Paul, Minn., questioning whether the city’s enforcement of its housing code in low-cost rentals disproportionately occupied by African-Americans violated the fair housing law. But Justice Department lawyer Thomas Perez, now nominated to serve as Labor secretary, prevailed on St. Paul to withdraw its appeal because the outcome could have harmed the department’s approach to housing discrimination cases.

Republicans have criticized Perez for his role in a deal between the department and St. Paul that also kept the federal government out of two whistleblower lawsuits against the city that could have returned millions of dollars in damages to the federal government.

Residents of the Mount Holly Gardens neighborhood have had a long-running legal dispute with Mount Holly Township over the fate of their homes.

By the late 1990s, the neighborhood of brick row homes built in the 1950s for veterans was known for blight and crime. Absentee landlords were often blamed.

In 2002, the township government declared the area to be in need of redevelopment and came up with a plan to raze the 329 homes to make way for apartments, townhouses and stores.

A residents group, Mount Holly Citizens in Action, sued, saying they were being forced out of the neighborhood because they would not be able to afford to live in the new housing that was planned. They also said that the plan was discriminatory because three-fourths of the residents were minorities.

In 2011, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia agreed that the residents had made enough of a claim to go to trial on the disparate impact of the township’s plan. But the court also found that there was insufficient evidence of intentional discrimination.

The redevelopment has not happened yet, though most of the old homes have been knocked down, leaving only 60.

The owners of 25 of them have asked the local government to settle the case with some saying they would accept homes in the new development and others asking for money.

The case, Township of Mount Holly v. Mount Holly Gardens Citizens in Action, 11-1507, will be argued in the fall.

___

Associated Press writer Geoff Mulvihill contributed to this report from Haddonfield, N.J.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

With interviews from 50 Cent, Eminem, Russell Simmons and even Susan Sarandon, this new film explores the charge of mastering the drug game, constructing a step-by-step booklet for rising the ranks from street hustler to drug lord.

For the movie, producer and Entourage star Adrian Grenier and filmmaker Matthew Cooke picked up where Biggie left off with the crack commandments, tracking business positions and navigating murky drug laws that preside over any kingpin’s throne.

It’s not about right or wrong, but deconstructing the American Dream.

“Growing up in the 80’s, the messaging of the War on Drugs seeped into my subconscious,” Grenier tells theGrio. “I made these grand assumptions that the people who got busted for drugs were all evil and bad, but that’s not true. The vast majority of people who are in jail for drug charges are people just like you and me: are family members, are personable people who are not violent. They’re either stuck in a bad economic situation, or have a medical problem of addiction.”

Can’t knock the hustle

Criminalization became the first matter to address in the film, and the people targeted by one of America’s most lucrative industries.

“I realized that we don’t put enough financial support behind methods of helping the weakest members of society,” Grenier says. “We just simply throw them into jail, which is economically not smart and also socially destructive.”

As the documentary suggests, people join the drug sphere when they don’t have better alternatives – and by better, the implication is fast money and lots of it.

“I’m gonna give you three and half grams [of coke], do you know what to do with it?” Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson says at the movie’s opening. “Because if you know what to do with it, you gonna be alright.”

Depending on a player’s rank, a drug dealer can make anywhere from a grand to $1 million a day selling cocaine, or $5,000 for simply driving it across the country.

Other drugs are equally lucrative. Marijuana, for instance, the most profitable cash crop in the U.S., brings in $36 billion a year.

Knowing what to do with supply is one step, but making strategic moves to process it is another. The film points out the importance of “registering with the neighborhood thug,” choosing corners wisely, and carrying a gun at all times.

And, as the rapper stresses, shooting “to kill.”

For some, pushing dope offers a six-figure starting salary – money to live versus money to get by. It can be the chance for a college dropout to erect a $100 million dollar business, and isn’t that what this country is all about?

“People who have the opportunity to get an education and go become useful members of society, doing things that are inspiring in their lives, are going to go do that,” Grenier comments. “The reality is this movie isn’t going to make people quit their job as a lawyer or doctor or whatever successful job. It’s not going to do that. It’s an honest straight talk account of what’s happening.”

He continues, “None of us should be afraid of education and the truth. The truth is something we need more of. A lot of the smear campaigns generated by the War on Drugs have kept us scared and afraid.”

Scams are plotted over grams and rocks

Since its inception, the War on Drugs has been gravely misunderstood, says Grenier, pointing out his own ignorance to discrepancies within current drug policy.

Because of laws, African-American dealers are four times more likely to be arrested than whites, for example, even though more buyers and sellers are white. According to the Correctional Association of New York, 90 percent of those convicted on drug charges under the Rockefeller drug laws are black and Latino.

Both Simmons and Sarandon attest to the need for changing such policies in the documentary, as well as the unusually harsh sentencing structures that accompany them. Other people interviewed include Arianna Huffington, Freeway Rick Ross, and David Simon, creator of The Wire.

“These policies target the weakest members of society: drug addicts and also the poor,” Grenier explains. “Because of our history, minorities are often impoverished and have a hard time buying into the American Dream. There are many reasons and details laid out in the film, but it has to do a lot with visibility and policies that target neighborhoods they have deemed problematic.”

Everyday struggle: stuck in the system

Once arrested, an almost insurmountable cycle begins for the convicted. Jail offers a chance for detained dealers to expand their clientele and increase business prospects. After release, not many opportunities are afforded a man with a record, and many return to previous ways.

The road is tougher for addicts. Even in prison, illegal substances are not hard to come by.

“When you don’t have the money to fight the drug charge, your best option is a plea bargain,” Grenier remarks. “If you have a drug problem, you’re not going to be able to afford treatment. Your problem is going to continue, and your desperation to feed your addiction may lead you to crime. Of course, if we put more money into programs that help people get off drugs…or if you put more money into the economy to build communities and bolster job growth, people wouldn’t necessarily turn to drugs.”

The government has a lot to spend, too. In 2012, the budget for the War on Drugs grew to almost $25 billion per year.

“I’m Marshall Mathers, and I’m an addict”

It’s not only the poor who suffer, nonetheless. In a brief exposé moment, Eminem shares an intimate narrative of his own, discussing his dependency on the prescription drug Vicodin.

Slim Shady talks about overcoming his addiction, going three weeks without sleep, and having to regain both his motor and verbal skills as a result of withdrawal.

“It’s one of the most compelling parts of the movie,” Grenier says. “Ironically speaking, we think it’s important to have a little levity, and to look at the bright faces, the human stories behind these characters. But at the same time not to glorify drug use.”

Long live da game: is legalization a viable option?

With How to Make Money Selling Drugs, which opens in theaters June 26, Grenier aims to inspire dialogue about the drug market, and institutions that both help and hinder its bureaucracy. Beyond the U.S, the film shows how international affiliates weigh into the problem, the depth and consequences of politicizing these issues, and the more radical option legalization would offer.

“If you legalize drugs, you obliterate a black market, and drugs become controlled substances like cigarettes or prescription drugs,” Grenier remarks. “They become pure so people are safer. They also create an economy that the government can track, and bring in additional revenue to support communities. I can’t say that I’m 100 percent behind full legalization, but certainly it has to be looked at, and I think we just have to be brave to make a different choice.”

Thus, it’s no longer about Reagan, street cred, or good against evil, but getting one step ahead of the game in order to vie with Scarface.

Grenier adds, “These are difficult issues, and take real debate and conversation.”

Follow Courtney Garcia on Twitter at @courtgarcia

TODAY - Those friendly, fuzzy Muppets from “Sesame Street” have helped kids open up about all sorts of serious subjects, from hunger and divorce to military deployment.

But they’re now tackling a much more unexpected issue: incarceration.

Meet Alex, the first Muppet to have a dad in jail. One in 28 children in the United States now has a parent behind bars — more than the number of kids with a parent who is deployed — so it’s a real issue, but it’s talked about far less because of the stigma.

That’s why the Sesame Workshop says it created the “Little Children, Big Challenges: Incarceration” initiative, an online tool kit intended to help kids with a parent in prison find support and comfort, and provide families with strategies and tips to talk to their children about incarceration.

For more than 40 years, “Sesame Street” has been helping kids tackle tough topics like death and divorce. With one in 28 kids having a parent behind bars, the show will now be tackling the topic of understanding jail time. NBC’s Erika Hill reports.

Alex is blue-haired and green-nosed and he wears a hoodie – you might think he’s just another carefree inhabitant of Sesame Street. But there’s sorrow in Alex’s voice when he talks about his father.

“I just miss him so much,” he tells a friend. “I usually don’t want people to know about my Dad.”

It’s easier for kids to hear such things from a Muppet than an adult, creators of the initiative noted.

“Coming from a Muppet, it’s almost another child telling their story to the children,” said Jeanette Betancourt, vice president of outreach and educational practices at the Sesame Workshop.

Alex will not be part of the regular cast on “Sesame Street,” but he’s playing a central role in the online tool kit.

Children of parents behind bars often feel sadness, shame and guilt about the situation, so they need to know they are loved and that the incarceration is not their fault, said Carol Burton, executive director of Centerforce, a non-profit dedicated to supporting families impacted by incarceration.

Click here to read more.

The former Disney kid who later became a teen pop sensation now counts “twerking” and hanging out with rapper Juicy J among some of her favorite activities.

In other words, Hannah Montana has “gone hood.”

We got our first taste of Miley’s love for ratchet in March, when a video of Cyrus twerking in a unicorn costume went viral. She later collaborated with Snoop Lion on the song “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks,” in which she sings about blazing up in memory of those lost (“I lost some, let’s toast to one/ so raise a glass to the memories/Set ‘em free and fill up all those ashtrays”).

And just a little more than a week ago, Miley appeared alongside Juicy J at the House of Blues in Los Angeles to twerk as the rapper performed his hit “Bandz A Make Her Dance.”

All this, according to a recent Billboard cover story, is part of “Miley 2.0” — that is, a Miley Cyrus who has left Hannah Montana long behind and who seeking reassert herself as a grown, party-hopping, twerk-team-reppin’ rock star. The new Miley is not shy about the new image she’s trying to portray — her latest single includes yet more references to twerking and lines about doing lines in a bathroom. She’s brought on hip-hop producers like Pharrell and Mike WiLL to steer her new material, and she shouts out Wiz Khalifa and French Montana as influences on her music.

Something that ‘feels black’

In fact, the writers of Miley’s latest single say the singer specifically asked for a tune that was “urban” and “feels black.”

But… there’s always a “but.”

When discussing the hip-hop bent her new music is taking, Miley stops short of aligning herself squarely with urban music. “A lot of people wanted to try to make me the white Nicki Minaj,” she told Billboard magazine (though she did don a Minaj Halloween costume in 2012). “That’s not what I’m trying to do,” she continued. “I love ‘hood’ music, but my talent is as a singer.” So even with the viral twerk videos, the shout-outs to rappers, and a gold grill, Miley still makes it a point to — at least verbally — keep herself at arms’ length from the very culture she claims to admire.

Herein lies the problem of artists co-opting cultures that aren’t theirs.

Hip-hop, rap and “hood” music are a convenient route of rebellion for an entertainer who was once known for her middle-America, Disney kid image. What quicker way to shed any memories of an innocent country twang than to dress like Rihanna and record videos of herself dropping it like it’s hot?

To this end, Miley’s search for a “black sound” sounds less like an effort to pay homage to venerable black musicians and more like an attempt to gain cool points for taking on a mantle of “ratchet.”

What is a ‘black’ sound?

While we’re here — what is Miley Cyrus’ definition a “black sound” anyway? Is it Prince? Hendrix? Michael Jackson or Darius Rucker? Miley should also be careful of treading into stereotypes and conflating “black” with “ratchet rap music.”

And even if Miley’s admiration of rap music is genuine and is not just a passing phase, she’s old enough to understand that she can’t just claim it when it’s convenient — that is, when booty-shaking to applause at a Juicy J show or snagging urban radio airplay by collaborating with Snoop.

There has to be some understanding of the privilege she possesses as a country-raised white girl who just happens to know how to twerk, and who can somehow make twerking and gold-grilling trendy and socially acceptable (while black artists and entertainers who have done it all for years are only looked upon as uncouth and inappropriate).

Otherwise, Miley’s “admiration” might more accurately be described as “mockery,” and her music stops sounding “edgy” and “new,” and starts sounding more like standard cultural appropriation.

And if Miley truly loves “hood” music, she’ll choose her words more carefully to let her fans know exactly where she stands.

Veronica Miller can be found on Twitter: @veronicamarche.

Danny Green rose for his 33rd 3-point attempt of the 2013 NBA Finals, and for the 23rd time, the ball splashed through the net.

On cue, the Heat called timeout, creating a scene similar baseball’s game stoppages to honor broken records.

Green – who broke the record for 3-pointers in an NBA Finals and would push the the mark to 25 (on 38 attempts) by the end of the Spurs’ 114-104 Game 5 victory – clapped his hands and screamed, and then he headed to the bench for pats on the back from teammates and coaches.

Ray Allen, who saw his record of 22 3-pointers in the 2008 Finals broken, sat on the Miami bench and made no attempts to hide the disgust pouring over his face.

Green had never made this many 3-pointers in a five-game stretch, though he’d played just 106 games entering the Finals, because he was too busy getting cut by the Cavaliers, Spurs and Spurs again. Yet, this passionate mid-game celebration was all about him.

This is the awesomeness of Danny Green, the hottest player on the biggest stage.

But what happened in the moments preceding his record-breaking trey show the full story of Danny Green, the reason we can witness his awesomeness.

Click here to read more.

Doctors continue to evaluate Khyati Shah’s injuries, but the exchange student from New Zealand has memory loss issues and has been unable to sit for final exams, attorney Vip Bhola said in an interview Thursday.

He said despite efforts to find out more about rehearsals for Miguel’s performance and seek help for his client, representatives for the singer and the awards show are practically daring him to sue.

Miguel’s representatives have said Miguel is concerned for Shah’s well-being and reached out to Bhola to see if they could help.

Bhola said while he’s talked with Miguel’s attorney, no assistance for his client’s medical bills or other expenses have been offered.

The lawyer said Shah, 21, went to the Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas on May 19 and was excited at the prospect of seeing Miguel. The singer-songwriter leaped from one stage to another while singing his hit “Adorn,” catching his leg on the back of Shah’s head and slamming it into the platform.

Shah later appeared alongside Miguel in a televised interview holding an ice bag on her elbow, a move that Bhola said was offensive.

“They didn’t rush her to the hospital,” Bhola said. “Instead they rushed a camera to her and an ice pack” and took advantage of a “star-struck, dazed and injured person.”

Producers of the Billboard Music Awards declined comment.

“Khyati’s well-being has been and continues to be of the utmost concern to Miguel,” the singer’s spokeswoman wrote in a statement released earlier this month.

“She was a fan of Miguel and she’s dumbfounded at how she’s been treated,” Bhola said.

“She had hoped they would truly care about her rather than merely caring about themselves and some imaginary lawsuit they are defending against,” he said.

Shah is studying for dual-degrees in politics and philosophy at UCLA. Bhola said she had planned to return to New Zealand for the summer, but her travel will likely be delayed while she continues to undergo treatment and testing for her memory and language issues. He said she has trouble finding words and also has difficulty typing text messages without them turning out garbled.

Despite the issues, Bhola said a lawsuit is not guaranteed.

“The doctors really are in the driver’s seat in this situation, not the lawyers,” he said. “Once we have that information, we’ll be able to make legal evaluations.”

___

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

When a child is going through a hard time, it is a mother’s instinct to comfort them. To protect them. To find a way to make their life easier. Akira “Jael” Byrd of Birmingham, Alabama turned her maternal instinct into a business plan. After helping her young daughter navigate the difficult terrain of transitioning from relaxed to natural hair, Jael realized many grown women needed that same support. And Natural Hair Box was born.

Natural Hair Box is an exclusive monthly subscription service that delivers natural hair and beauty products. The service is offered by Jael’s company, Natural Hair Company, and focuses on providing products that contain gentle natural ingredients.

The company released their first subscription in April 2013. Getting her venture off the ground required more than a little multi-tasking. Jael still works full-time as an auditor, and is a mother and wife. We caught up with the entrepreneur to find out what inspires her hustle and how she manages to do it all.

Madame Noire: Describe Natural Hair Box for those unfamiliar with the product.

Akira “Jael” Byrd: Natural Hair Box is a new service offered by Natural Hair Community. Each month members receive a sturdy craft box with our logo cloaked over the top. Inside you find a minimum of five products that are all natural hair goodies from brands that mirror our mission in providing amazing products that contain amazing ingredients. Our featured products do not contain parabans, sulfates, silicones, mineral oil or petroleum. We are a huge supporter of small businesses so our features are often local finds.

Our goal is to deliver an incomparable experience each month and we understand that it starts with providing beyond expected customer service and quality products.

MN: Your professional background is in auditing. How did that prepare you to run this business?

AB: Being an auditor is about the details, organization, processes, timeliness, open communication, accountability, balancing and resolution. These are all huge aspects of the basic make-up that shapes how I manage Natural Hair Box. MN: What inspired you to get involved in the natural hair industry?

AB: My oldest daughter was relaxed for about four years, and her once thick coily hair, became lifeless and limp. After months of transitioning with braids, she began wearing her natural hair out at school and that is when it all went downhill. She’d come home upset and crying. The kids teased her because she didn’t have a relaxer anymore.

As a mother, I comforted her as much as I possibly could. As time went on, the more she became comfortable with her hair, the less she paid attention to her classmates. After months of reassuring her, helping her mentally transition, I found that there were grown women going through the exact same thing. Only, they were transitioning at work, dealing with natural hair issues alone or didn’t have the support from family. This is why Natural Hair Community was founded. We began filling in the gaps and providing the information and support virtually through articles and my personal natural hair experience.

Read the rest of this story on Madame Noire Business.

One of Mandela’s daughters, Zenani Dlamini, gave what appeared to be the most positive update yet on his situation as she looked at well-wishers’ cards hanging outside the hospital.

“He’s doing very well,” she told reporters without giving any more details.

As the anti-apartheid hero spent a 10th day in the hospital, Graca Machel expressed the family’s gratitude for the support “from South Africans, Africans across the continent, and thousands more from across the world … to lighten the burden of anxiety; bringing us love, comfort and hope. “

Machel already has experienced the loss of a husband. Mozambican President Samora Machel, her first husband, died in a plane crash in 1986. Machel and Mandela married in 1998, marking Mandela’s third marriage and her second.

People have carried “get well soon” placards outside the Mediclinic Heart Hospital in Pretoria where Mandela is being treated. They have prayed for him in churches across this nation of roughly 50 million. Schoolchildren have come to his home in Johannesburg to sing. Even though he was not there to hear them, the voices gave solace to his family, she said.

“The messages have come by letter, by SMS, by phone, by Twitter, by Facebook, by email, cards, flowers and the human voice, in particular the voices of children in schools or singing outside our home,” Machel said in a statement. “We have felt the closeness of the world and the deepest meaning of strength and peace.”

President Jacob Zuma said Sunday that Mandela remains in serious condition but that his doctors are seeing sustained improvements. Zuma also said that Mandela is engaging with family during visits.

The leader of South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement, Mandela spent 27 years in prison during white racist rule. He is vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his long imprisonment. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners toiled in a dusty stone quarry.

He was freed in 1990 and became South Africa’s first black president in 1994.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate divorced his second wife, Winnie, in 1996. However in recent years she has joined him and Machel at family events. Winnie Madikizela-Mandela has been a frequent visitor to Mandela during his latest hospitalization.

This marks Mandela’s fourth hospital stay since December.

Mandela “once said: ‘What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made in the lives of others,’” Machel said. “I have thought of his words on each occasion the world stood with him, making a difference to him, in his healing.”

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

KSHB – A Missouri man who spent three decades in prison for rape he didn’t commit is now a free man. 49 year old Robert Nelson was convicted in 1984 of rape, sodomy and robbery. He was identified by the rape victim as one of the men involved in the crime. But after the Midwest Innocence Project got involved, Nelson’s DNA was tested and showed that he was not the perpetrator.

“Mistaken eyewitness identification is one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in the us,” said Laura O’Sullivan, Legal Director of the Midwest Innocence Project. Now, two other men have been linked to the attack, this time by DNA evidence.

“Today i am also announcing charges against Jerry Haley. Mr. Haley is being charged today. For that same home invasion, gang rape, which occurred on December 16th, 1983,” said Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Haley is in custody in Iowa. The prosecutor has not released the name of the second suspect, but she’s confident that her office has the evidence it needs to finally bring the right people to justice.

The stand-up legend is co-headlining Funny or Die Presents The Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival, a comedy tour launching late this summer. The comedy duo and music band Flight of the Conchords will join him in hosting and performing throughout the tour.

“The Oddball Comedy & Curiosity Festival w/ Dave Chappelle & Flight of the Conchords is going to destroy your funny bone this summer!” says a descriptor on the tour’s official site.

The 5-weekend tour will kick off its first show in Austin, Texas on August 23rd and will appear in 12 other cities through Sept. 20.

Although Chappelle has performed stand-up across the country over the years, his recent series of gigs with comedian Chris Rock had many speculating his big return to the limelight.

Now, the tour marks the funnyman’s high-profile return to the center stage since his abrupt departure from Comedy Central’s Chappelle Show in 2003.

Tickets go on sale Friday, June 21. 

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Friday ordered Wanetta Gibson to pay a $1.5 million, plus an additional $1.1 million in fees, including for making a false claim and court-related costs, the Long Beach Press Telegram reported.

Gibson was a former high-school acquaintance of Banks in 2002 when she accused him of raping her at Long Beach Polytechnic High School, according to the California Innocence Project, an organization that helped exonerate Banks.

Click here to read more.

Clash won as outstanding performer in a children’s series at the creative arts ceremony held Friday night. He shared trophies for outstanding pre-school children’s series and directing in a children’s series, giving Clash 26 Daytime Emmys for his work on the venerable Public Broadcasting Service show.

He played Elmo for 28 years before quitting last November. Clash’s lawyer has said that related lawsuits filed against the entertainer are without merit.

The main Daytime Emmys ceremony is Sunday in Beverly Hills.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press

The former two-time heavyweight champ turned boxing promoter loves his sport and wants to see it grow.

Especially the heavyweight division.

“Boxing is made up of personalities,” Foreman told theGrio late last week.  ”You can be the best puncher in the world, but if you don’t have a personality, you won’t be able to sell boxing. And that’s what we’ve missed for a few years.”

Foreman helped promote Saturday’s featherweight bout between Mikey Garcia and Juan Manuel Lopez through his Foreman Boys Promotions company. Garcia scored a fourth-round TKO to remain undefeated. Speaking ahead of the fight, which was broadcast on HBO’s “Boxing After Dark,” Foreman was loquacious and very comfortable discussing what Garcia had to do to win.  What was also clear is that his heart  remains rooted in the heavyweights.

“Mike Tyson – didn’t have the personality but he was infamous,” Foreman said of who he considers boxing’s last memorable heavyweight. “[Tyson] he sold boxing [...] Everyone was talking about the heavyweight champion when Mike Tyson first came on the scene. We need someone with personality – a Muhammad Ali, a Joe Frazier, Jack Dempsey.”

Foreman said he wasn’t necessarily disappointed in the sport itself because there’s a pool of talented and solid fighters. But it takes more than fighting.

40 years, ago Foreman first experienced what it felt like to be champion of the world. On January 22, 1973, Foreman shocked the world by manhandling the great Joe Frazier. Foreman dropped ‘Smokin’ Joe’ in under five minutes. The bout was HBO’s first boxing event.

“It never goes out of my mind,” Foreman said of the fight. “I was just a regular guy walking down the street people waved, occasionally ask for an autograph. I beat Joe Frazier, I walked down the street and people insisted I get in the car with them. I was an interesting young fellow until I beat Joe Frazier and next thing you know I start hearing girls saying I was handsome. That fight made me that.”

Foreman said the Frazier knockout victory was like an “anointing.” After Muhammad Ali famously defeated Foreman in the ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ less than two years later, Foreman would not regain his belt until 1994 with a similarly stunning knockout of Michael Moorer.

He remains the oldest heavyweight fighter to ever win a world championship. His post-boxing career has been a mix of books, television shows and a whole bunch of George Foreman grills sold. His focus now is his promotions company with his five sons, all named George Foreman.

“Big George,” who is now 64, said Paul Robeson and Jim Brown were his models.

“I really wanted to leave a track record so to speak,” Foreman said. “Something for other boxers to reach out for. Just because you’re the heavyweight champion of the world does not mean you don’t have to continue to grow. And that’s the picture I wanted to paint.”

Follow theGrio’s sports editor Todd Johnson on Twitter @rantoddj

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The annual Miss USA pageant was broadcast live on TV Sunday — and captured a cringe-worthy moment during one contestant’s response in the question-and-answer session.

As one of the pageant judges, reality star NeNe Leakes asked Miss Utah’s Marissa Powell about women and the workforce: “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does this say about society?”

After a quick pause, the 21-year-old beauty answered:

“I think we can relate this back to education, and how we are continuing to try to strive … to … figure out how to create jobs right now. That is the biggest problem right now.”

She doesn’t stop there.

“I think, especially the men are … um … seen as the leaders of this, and so we need to see how to … create education better. So that we can solve this problem. Thank you.”

Yet despite her botched response, the Salt Lake City native still managed to land third place. Miss Connecticut’s 25-year-old Erin Brady took home the crown of this year’s Miss USA.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

View more videos at: http://nbcchicago.com.

CHICAGO—In one of the most violent weekends Chicago has seen since the temperature has risen, seven people were shot dead and at over 40 were wounded in incidents, police said.

Overnight from Saturday into Father’s Day, six were killed and 13 other shootings happened across the city.

The bleak news comes after Chicago experienced a 34 percent drop in murders compared with last year this period, a rate the city hadn’t seen since the 1960s.

A series of deadly shootings

On Friday, the weekend’s first fatality happened at 11:34 p.m. on the West Side of Chicago. Police said two men were shot during a “dispute,” according to NBC Chicago. A 24-year-old man was taken to Loyola University Medical Center and later pronounced dead, police said. According to reports, the other man, a 23-year-old, suffered a gunshot wound to the stomach and was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital.

On Saturday, 21-year-old Ricardo Herrera was shot and killed at about 10:50 p.m. when two others were wounded in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side of Chicago, police said.

Later that night at 11:45 p.m., police said a 16-year-old boy was shot by a gunman who rode on a bicycle on the West Side of the city. According to reports, he tried to escape, but collapsed steps away from where he was shot. The boy sustained gunshot wounds to the back and arm, police said. He was pronounced dead at 1:37 a.m. at Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Police said Sunday the teen had gang affiliations, according to NBC Chicago, and although his death was ruled a homicide, police said no one was in custody as of Sunday morning.

Shortly after midnight on Sunday, a gunman sprayed a Chatham nightclub with bullets, killing Todd Wood, 40, and wounding three others. According to police, one person is in critical condition. As of Sunday morning, no one was in custody.

Sunday at 12:30 a.m. on the Southwest Side, an 18-year-old man was shot in the chest, shoulder and head in a drive-by shooting. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital and listed in critical condition. Police said a 22-year-old woman was also wounded in the thigh in the same shooting.

At 1:15 a.m. Sunday, police said they responded to a call and found 19-year-old Jamal Jones bleeding from the stomach, chest and shoulder. He was later pronounced dead at Advocate Christ Medical Center in nearby Southwest Suburban Oak Lawn, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office. Just minutes later, Cortez Wilberton, 31, was killed on the city’s West Side and later pronounced at Loretto Hospital. A woman suffered a graze wound to the face in the same shooting, but was in stable condition.

Around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, one man died in a police-involved shooting in the Lawndale neighborhood on the West Side of Chicago. After officers attempted to pull over a car several times, the driver jumped out and bolted. Police said they chased him down an alley and noticed a gun in his belt. Reports said the man allegedly reached for the gun and police opened fire. No police officers were injured. The Independent Police Review Authority is investigating the shooting.

Warm weather is a factor

Hours later at 4:10 a.m. Sunday, a 34-year-old man was shot in the head, back and leg on the West Side of Chicago. Police said a friend took him to Mount Sinai Hospital, however he did not cooperate with officers.

Around 4 p.m. Sunday, a 25-year-old man was shot in the abdomen and back, and a 21-year-old woman was shot in the finger on Chicago’s West Side, police said, according to NBC Chicago.

At least 18 others were wounded in other shootings across the city over the weekend.

The warm weather peaked to 80 degrees over the weekend, and for years, Chicagoans have faced a morbid reality that as the temperature rises, so does the possibility for crime, and subsequently, the murder rate.

Just days before the weekend bloodshed, city officials attributed a drastic 34 percent decrease in homicides to progress from a comprehensive crime reduction strategy that Chicago Police Department Superintendent Garry McCarthy and Mayor Rahm Emanuel employed in 2012.

The warm-up is proof that anything can happen in a city where weather often dictates the crime level, according to Roseanna Ander, the founding Executive Director of the University of Chicago Crime Lab. “The fact that we’ve had a colder than usual, and had a warmer than usual spring last year, that may be a factor in both the increase that we saw last year and the decrease that we’ve seen this year,” she told theGrio in an interview earlier this week.

Renita D. Young is a Chicago-based multimedia journalist. Follow her on Twitter @RenitaDYoung

After a week of individual questioning the attorneys and judge have reached the magic group of 40 potential jurors that will move on to a group questioning round. Of these 40 people, 6 individuals and 4 alternates will be selected to make up the actual jury. The jurors that have qualified thus far will be questioned by the attorneys tomorrow morning.

UPDATE, 4:39 p.m.: Judge Nelson has excused the individuals waiting to be interviewed. The regular voir dire questioning will begin for the selected potential jurors tomorrow at 9 a.m. The judge is giving these potential jurors instructions not to research or discuss the case, and has released them for the evening.

UPDATE, 4:37 p.m.: Judge Nelson announced that 40 prospective jurors have been chosen from the pre-trial publicity interviews.

UPDATE, 4:28 p.m.: I44 has used phrases like “media hyped” and “sensational” to describe coverage of this case. He said he has friends that have formed opinions, but he has not.

UPDATE, 4:23 p.m.: I44 said that serving on the jury would not be an insurmountable hardship. O’Mara is now questioning I44.

UPDATE, 4:19 p.m.: I44 said that he heard references to a 911 audio call. He recognized the protests because of the traffic  it caused on his route home from work, and said that people have the right to protest peacefully.

UPDATE, 4:15 p.m.: I44 said that he remembers Skittles, Trayvon Martin wearing a hoodie, and that it was raining on the night of the shooting. He said that he could disregard anything that is not presented in the courtroom if selected in the jury.

UPDATE, 4:10 p.m.: A new potential juror, I44, is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 4:06 p.m.: I33 said he has not been given enough facts to form an opinion. He believes he can remain open minded.

UPDATE, 3:55 p.m.: I33 said he would not have a hardship if selected to be on the jury. Don West is now questioning I33.

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m.: I33 said he and his family do not participate in social media.

UPDATE, 3:47 p.m.: I33 said he has had general discussions about the case with family.

UPDATE, 3:43 p.m.: I33 heard about the 911 tape and the debate around the screaming. I33 said he has not formed an opinion about the recording and does not know who was screaming.

UPDATE, 3:39 p.m.: I33 said that he learned of the case through local media. He said he knows it (the shooting) happened at night and “they got in a fight”, pertaining to what he remembers of the case. He has seen photographs of both Martin ans Zimmerman.

UPDATE, 3:36 p.m.: Court is back in session. The prosecutor is now questioning a new potential juror, I33.

UPDATE, 3:17 p.m.: The judge called for a 15 minute recess.

UPDATE, 3:14 p.m.: I24 mentioned that Martin was African-American and Zimmerman was Hispanic. She said “that could be a conflict in itself”.

UPDATE, 3:08 p.m.: I24 said, “Sometimes the media does the public a great disservice by publishing.. .whatever.” She admits that the public could get a bad impression of people from media reports. I24 said that she could make judgements based solely off of what was presented in court.

UPDATE, 3:06 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning I24.

UPDATE, 3:02 p.m.: I24 said she would not face a hardship by serving on the jury.

UPDATE, 2:51 p.m.: I24 said that she has not formulated an opinion about Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. She said coworkers have commented that Zimmerman was guilty. She said she told them that they were “jumping to conclusions”.

UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda is questioning a new potential juror I24. She said that she has seen coverage of the case on local and national news outlets.

UPDATE 2:36 p.m.: I19 said her initial reaction when she learned that Zimmerman shot Martin was that he had done something wrong, but she claims to not care much about the case.

UPDATE, 2:29 p.m.: I19 said her mother would not be happy is she served on the jury.

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: I19 said she “consciously avoids” the news on TV, in the newspaper, and online. She said “I have other things I’d rather be focused on”.

UPDATE, 2:14 p.m.: Don West is now questioning I19.

UPDATE, 2:11 p.m.: I19 said that she doesn’t have an interest in the case, and has indicated that serving on the jury would present her with a financial hardship.

UPDATE, 2:08 p.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning a new potential juror I19. She learned of the case from conversations with her mother and understands that Zimmerman allegedly killed Martin.

UPDATE, 1:44 p.m.: I14 said that he has seen photos of Martin where he looked very young. He remembers that Zimmerman was told by the police that he did not need to follow Martin. I14 admits that Zimmerman might have been wrong in pursing Martin.

UPDATE, 1:34 p.m.: I14 said that a friend thinks that Zimmerman acted in self defense. I14 said he remembers the media saying that Martin broke Zimmerman’s nose before the shooting.

UPDATE, 1:31 p.m.: I14 said he knows Zimmerman was involved with the neighborhood watch. I14 said he has had about 5 or 6 conversations with friends pertaining to the case.

UPDATE, 1:27 p.m.: I14 has had conversations with classmates. He heard that Martin was unarmed at the time of the shooting. Some of his classmates believed that Zimmerman had no right to shoot Martin.

UPDATE, 1:23 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning I14.

UPDATE, 1:22 p.m.: I14 said that he heard about “riots” related to the case. He said he has no opinion on Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence.

UPDATE, 1:14 p.m.: I14 has seen photos of both Zimmerman and Martin.

UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: I14 said he heard about the case at school and on the news. He remembers hearing that Zimmerman called the police while following Martin, and Zimmerman is claiming that Martin attacked him.

UPDATE, 1:10 p.m.: Court is now in session. Potential juror I14 is now being questioned by prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 12:07 p.m.: The court will be in recess for lunch until 1:10 p.m.

UPDATE, 12:02 p.m.: I5 said he does not believe there is a racial component to this case. When asked if he believes this case is a “civil rights” case, I5 answered no.

UPDATE, 11:52 a.m.: I5 said his wife is no more interested in the case than he is. They have discussed the Casey Anthony case, but not this one.

UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: Defense attorney Don West is now questioning I5.

UPDATE, 11:42 a.m.: I5 said he thought there was “a scuffle” before the shooting.

UPDATE, 11:37 a.m.: I5 said he has not formed an opinion about the guilt or innocence of Zimmerman. He said the media reported a “self defense law” but he has not made a decision about whether Zimmerman killed Martin in self defense.

UPDATE, 11:35 a.m.: I5 said remembers that the community was upset because of the lack of the arrest of Mr. Zimmerman. He thought that the presence of the “black leaders” during the marches was inappropriate.

UPDATE, 11:29 a.m.: I5 does not participate in social media.

UPDATE, 11:23 a.m.: I5 said that some media sources were slanted against George Zimmerman. He mentioned his dislike for the HLN coverage of the case.

UPDATE, 11:20 a.m.: I5 said he got the impression that Zimmerman was “defending himself”.

UPDATE, 11:18 a.m.: I5 has learned about the case on national news, he does not watch local news. He referenced “black leaders” coming into the town and “marches”.

UPDATE, 11:15 a.m.: Potential juror I5 is now being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 10:55 a.m.: H86 said she can agree to only consider what is presented in the courtroom.

UPDATE, 10:50 a.m.: O’Mara is now questioning H86.

UPDATE, 10:48 a.m.: H86 said she has seen instances where the media has not portrayed a situation accurately. She said the media may put a spin on their coverage to  make it more “entertaining”.

UPDATE, 10:35 a.m.: H86 said she has not followed this case in the media, even though she cares about current events.

UPDATE, 10:33 a.m.: The next potential juror, H86, is now being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 10:31 a.m.: H69 said she would be open to hearing all the evidence presented by the court.

UPDATE, 10:22 a.m.: West is explaining how H69 could have visitation with her family during sequestration. West is questioned H69 about how her medical needs could be accommodated during the trial.

UPDATE, 10:18 a.m.: Don West is questioning H69.

UPDATE, 10:14 a.m.: H69 said that she did not know the names of the individuals in the case before she was summoned for the jury. H69 admits that serving on the jury would be a hardship because she is pregnant and would like to be in contact with her family.

UPDATE, 10:11 a.m.: “Everyone is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty,” said H69. She said she has not formed an opinion about Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. H69 said that she is not leaning toward any side, and she does not discuss the case with family.

UPDATE, 9:57 a.m.: H69 says she does not know how old Martin was.

UPDATE, 9:51 a.m.: H69 has seen a picture of Mr. Zimmerman’s face. She mentioned that the media put up a picture of Trayvon Martin that was not accurate to try to paint him as younger than his actual age. One of her coworkers said that the picture was not up-to-date. H69 claims that she does not have much time for conversation at work.

UPDATE, 9:46 a.m.: H69 said that she learned of the case on on local news, but only in passing. She reads the Wall Street Journal, but has not seen any reports about this case in print or online.

UPDATE, 9:45 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning H69, a new potential juror.

UPDATE, 9:44 a.m.: H81 has two pending civil cases that are to be brought before Judge Nelson. He says this will not impact his ability to be a fair and impartial juror if he is selected.

UPDATE, 9:41 a.m.: H81 said that when he takes a position on something it is a “studied” one. He said his friends know he stands up for what he believes in.

UPDATE, 9:31 a.m.: O’Mara, defense attorney, is now questioning H81.

UPDATE, 9:23 a.m.: H81 said that he has not been following the case.

UPDATE, 9:21 a.m.: H81 said, “You had a family that was grieving for the loss of their son. Another family grieving for the potential loss of their loved one.” He said that there was hurt on both sides, and people were expressing those emotions.

UPDATE, 9:13 a.m.: H81 says he would believe one of the defense attorneys to be credible if they spoke at a press conference. He did admit that the defense team might be bias toward Zimmerman. H81 thinks that he can make judgments based only off of what is presented in court.

UPDATE, 9:10 a.m.: H81 watches local and national news. He does  not always believe what is reported in the media and said the media injects their opinions.

UPDATE June 18, 9:08 a.m.: Court is back in session for another day of jury selection. The prosecutor, Bernie de la Rionda, is questioning a new potential juror H81.

UPDATE 3:57 p.m.: The judge has called for recess. Jury selection will continue tomorrow at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 3:53 p.m.: Judge Nelson is releasing a group of jurors that have already been questioned today. She is requesting that they report back to the courthouse on Wednesday morning, and refrain from discussion or research about the case while they are excused.

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m.: Judge Nelson is releasing a group of potential jurors, some to return tomorrow morning and others to return Wednesday. She has instructed these individuals to limit their communication and research about the case.

UPDATE, 3:28 p.m.: H35 said she has not discussed this case in depth with anyone. H35 said she could serve on the jury if moving was not an obstacle.

UPDATE, 3:21 p.m.: H35 said she is moving at the end of the month. O’Mara is now questioning H35.

UPDATE, 3:20 p.m.: “The media is not what the case is about,” said H35. She said that she would make decisions based off of evidence and witnesses instead of what she saw in the media.

UPDATE, 3:15 p.m.: H35 said that she watched the news but does not remember much detail. She said, “I don’t recall knowing anything.”

UPDATE, 3:10 p.m.: H35 watches the local news, but didn’t pay close attention to the case. She remembered liking someone’s post on Facebook that featured Martin’s picture. She also remembers that Martin had skittles and was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. She referred to Zimmerman as a “security guard”.

UPDATE, 3:08 p.m.: Bernie de la Rionda is questioning a new potential juror, called H35.

UPDATE, 3:03 p.m.: H31 is a single mother and said that serving on the jury would be an insurmountable hardship.

UPDATE, 2:58 p.m.: H31 said she has seen pictures of the neighborhood, Martin, and Zimmerman. She said she had heard about the audio recordings in the case. She said she has not formed an opinion.

UPDATE, 2:54 p.m.: A new juror, H31, is being questioned by the prosecutor. She said that she has friends that are supporters of Trayvon Martin, but that doesn’t affect her opinions.

UPDATE, 2:49 p.m.: H29 has seen pictures of Zimmerman and his alleged injuries. He has also seen pictures of Martin, though he admits that those pictures made him seem younger than his real age.

UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning H29.

UPDATE, 2:39 p.m.: H29 said he was disturbed by the “media circus” and prominent figures that were present in Sanford after the shooting.

UPDATE, 2:35  p.m.: H29 said described the case as tragic. He said, “there are no winners here”.

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: H29 uses the internet as a part of his job and said “you couldn’t get away from it” in reference to information about the case. He said that the media was biased depending on what was watched.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: Prosecutor De la Rionda is now questioning a new potential juror, H29.

UPDATE, 2:12 p.m.: H27 said that he could convict Zimmerman of murder if the state proved its case. He does not feel like he has a financial stake in the case, despite his donation.

UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: Don West is now questioning H27.

UPDATE, 2:02 p.m.: H27 found it inappropriate that President Obama made a statement about the case.

UPDATE, 1:48 p.m.: H27 said that he thinks Zimmerman is innocent with 70% certainty. He said he has friends that think Zimmerman is guilty.

UPDATE, 1:35 p.m.: “At 17 you think your bulletproof and 10 feet tall,” said H27. He said that he remembers Martin being suspended from school and relocating to be with his father.

UPDATE, 1:29 a.m.: H27 said that he understands how the Stand Your Ground law applies to this case. He said Zimmerman had a right defend himself is he was fearful.

UPDATE, 1:23 p.m.: H27 said the media has portrayed Martin as a child. De la Rionda questions H27 deeply about his donation to the defense.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m.: “I’ve got an opinion but I’ve got an open mind,” said H27. He said it is not an absolute opinion but he agrees to being 70% certain.

UPDATE, 1:07 p.m.: H27 has donated $20 to Zimmerman’s defense fund online. He referred to Zimmerman as “the underdog” and believes the media is biased against him. H27 said he thinks Mr. Zimmerman was “trying to do the right thing”.

UPDATE, 1:04 p.m.: H27 has heard about the case on the TV news, he watches  local news and CNN. He reads the newspaper at work and has had conversations with family related to the case.

UPDATE, 1:02 p.m.: Court is back in session.  New potential juror H27 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 11:53 a.m.: Judge Nelson has called for a recess for lunch. Court will resume at 1 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:45 a.m.: When asked what he remembers about the case H18 answered that “a young guy got shot”, that he was coming from the store, and “something went on” in reference to a fight.

UPDATE, 11:42 a.m.: H18 said that serving on the jury would cause him a financial hardship. O’Mara is now questioning H18.

UPDATE, 11:34 a.m.: H18 does not watch much TV. He did not follow the details of the case. H18 said he does not use social media to get news, and has no opinion on Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence.

UPDATE, 11:29 a.m.: After a 10 minute recess, Bernie de la Rionda is now questioning a new potential juror, H18.

UPDATE, 11:05 a.m.: H13 said that some of her friends think there was a racial component in the shooting. She said, “When we wake up in the morning we don’t look at the color of people” in reference to her family.  H13 said that she avoids conversations that pinpoint race.

UPDATE, 10:24 a.m.: She said that she is convinced that Mr. Zimmerman followed Martin after being instructed not to. She admits, “I don’t know what motivated him to follow him”.

UPDATE, 10:19 a.m.: H13 said she believes that George Zimmerman approached Trayvon Martin or “called out to him” on the night of the incident.

UPDATE, 10:12 a.m.: H13 said that she remembers Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson at the protests. She said that a not guilty verdict for Mr. Zimmerman would incite more protests, not necessarily violent ones.

UPDATE, 10:06 a.m.: H13 said she does not know if the conflict was racially motivated.

UPDATE, 10:02 a.m.: Don West, of the defense, is questioning H13.

UPDATE, 9:57 a.m.: H13 said she has had minimal discussion about the case with friends, where people expressed their opinions. She said that she expressed her opinions but not about “who is right or wrong”. She has discussed the case with family pertaining to safety issues.

UPDATE, 9:52 a.m.: H13 said she has lived through the race riots of the 1960s and other protests. Although she thinks that everyone has the right to free speech, she said protests make her uncomfortable. She agreed that racial tension still exists in society.

UPDATE, 9:46 a.m.: H13 questions why Zimmerman had a gun to participate in a neighborhood watch. But, she has not formed an opinion about Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence. She remembers information about the 911 calls and court proceedings.

UPDATE, 9:41 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning H13.

UPDATE, 9:37 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning new potential juror H10. He said “its not for me to judge”, in reference to the guilt or innocence of Mr. Zimmerman, because of his religious beliefs. He was released after two questions.

UPDATE, 9:31 a.m.: H7 said that he is not sure of Trayvon Martin’s age and said could have been anywhere from 18-25.

UPDATE, 9:28 a.m.: H7 said that it would not be a great burden to be on the jury. Mark O’Mara is now questioning H7.

UPDATE, 9:20 a.m.: H7 mentioned hearing that Martin moved because of “behavioral problems”. He said that the court proceedings that he has heard about are “typical” and they haven’t had any impact on him. He said he remembers the Stand Your Ground law and how it might be used as a part of the defense.

UPDATE, 9:13 a.m.: H7 said he saw pictures of Zimmerman on the news and heard discussion of the audio tapes, but he doesn’t remember much.

UPDATE, June 17 9:10 a.m.: Court is in session. Bernie de la Rionda, the lead prosecutor, is now questioning new potential juror H7. H7 said he heard about the case primarily from TV news broadcasts and does not participate in social media.

UPDATE, 5:04 p.m.: The judge has called for the evening recess. Jury selection will resume Monday at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 4:56 p.m.: A group of prospective jurors (that have already been interviewed) are receiving instructions from Judge Nelson not to talk or research about the case over the weekend. These jurors are being released and will report back to the courthouse on Tuesday morning at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 4:53 p.m.: Judge Nelson is giving instructions to another group of jurors who are being released for the weekend. These jurors are going to report back to be interviewed on Monday at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 4:21 p.m.: H6 has no opinion on Zimmerman acting in self defense. O’Mara questions H6′s definition of “victim” in reference to Trayvon Martin.

UPDATE, 4:16 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning H6.

UPDATE, 4:13 p.m.: H6 thinks the media was biased toward Martin. He said that he has not spoken to his family about the case. He has expressed no opinion about Zimmerman’s innocence or guilt.

UPDATE, 4:03 p.m.: H6 remembers the screaming in the 911 call and debate over the Stand Your Ground law.

UPDATE, 4:01 p.m.: H6 gets his news from NBC News, CNN, and uses Facebook about once a week. He does not subscribe to any newspapers.

UPDATE, 3:58 p.m.: The next potential juror H6 is being questioned by the prosecutor, De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 3:48 p.m.: G87 said that she witnessed “make-shift memorials” as a tribute Trayvon Martin. She said buses of people were dropped off to take part in the memorial.

UPDATE, 3:45 p.m.: G87 said that she would have no problem taking time off to serve on the jury. She is now being questioned by Don West.

UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: G87 said she has no idea how the shooting came about.

UPDATE, 3:31 p.m.: G87 thinks that the media sometimes “blows things out of proportion”.

UPDATE, 3:31 p.m.: G87 works at a school close to the location of the shooting. She has two jobs and does not have much time to watch the news. The only photograph she has seen were the injuries to Zimmerman’s head. She has heard the 911 call.

UPDATE, 3:28 p.m.: New potential juror, G87, is being questioned by state attorney Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 3:21 p.m.: G81 describes the loss of life of African-American males as “typical” in a historical context.

UPDATE, 3:14 p.m.: G81 said the media also emphasized the friction in the town.

UPDATE, 3:08 p.m: G81 lives within a half a mile of where the shooting incident happened. He is also from Miami, where Trayvon was from.

UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: G81 said he read stories that explained the Stand Your Ground law and self defense in relation to the case. G81 said that he doesn’t have a reaction to the law, but his gut reaction about the whole situation was sadness.

UPDATE, 2:55 p.m.: O’Mara is questioning G81.

UPDATE, 2:52 p.m.: G81 is not on Twitter. He gets news from Yahoo, but did not look at the comments because people are “mean spirited”.

UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: G81 talks about the governor and his involvement in the case. G81 has not formed an opinion and says that he can base his opinion off of the evidence of the courtroom. He believes the news can be biased and said, “It seemed that in the beginning they had a bias against the defendant”. He said more recently the coverage was biased against Martin.

UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: Bernie de la Rionda is questioning a new juror, G81. G81 said that he heard about the case through local and national news.

UPDATE, 2:32 p.m.: G66 said that she has had no conversations about the case with family or on social media. She said that she remembers the 911 audio recording, has not formed a concrete opinion about the screams that were mentioned.

UPDATE, 2:19 p.m.: G66 said that she knew Martin was from Miami and remembered reports about photos on his cell phone. She thinks that she can set those memories aside if she was selected to be on the jury.

UPDATE, 2:14 p.m.: G66 said she watches TV news every day and stays involved with current events. She said she just subscribed to the Orlando Sentinel.

UPDATE, 2:11 p.m.: Don West is now questioning G66.

UPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: G66 said that serving on the jury would not present an insurmountable hardship.

UPDATE, 2:07 p.m.: G66 referenced the arrest of Mrs. Zimmerman, but then said that she is capable of only considering evidence that is presented n the courtroom.

UPDATE, 1:57 p.m.: G66 has watched TV coverage of the case, but does not believe that the media is always correct. She said that she has seen pictures of Martin and Zimmerman and referenced recordings pertaining to the case.

UPDATE, 1:55 p.m.: Court is back in session. Bernie de la Rionda is questioning the next potential juror, G66.

UPDATE, 12:41 p.m.: Judge Nelson has called a recess for lunch until 1:40.

UPDATE, 12:34 p.m.: He said he knows that there were “accusations of racism”. G63 doesn’t classify himself within a racial group and said racism isn’t a part of his daily life.

UPDATE, 12:29 p.m.: G63 doesn’t listen to media very much. He said the three things about the case that he finds significant are “self defense”, “gun laws”, and “it happened in Florida”.

UPDATE, 12:12 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning G63.

UPDATE, 12:00 p.m.: G63 is having difficulty remembering details about the case. He did say that it seems like the same type of people are always protesting  and that they “annoy” him. He also remembers someone being fired for mishandling the case.

UPDATE 11:51 a.m.: G63 referenced the Stand Your Ground law and Zimmerman’s claim that the shooting happened in self defense.

UPDATE, 11:48 a.m.: G63 stopped researching the case after he received his jury summons.

UPDATE, 11:41 a.m.: G63 said he heard about the shooting that resulted in Martin’s death, but doesn’t remember all the sources of his information.

UPDATE, 11:40 a.m.: Potential juror G63 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 11:29 a.m.: G47 said that he doesn’t think that the protests or the case have a racial element.

UPDATE, 11:07 a.m.: G47 stands firmly by statement that he hasn’t fully formed an opinion. He said “I reserve my judgement for when I’ve heard everything.” He expressed that the media is not a credible source to help him form his opinion.

UPDATE, 11:04 a.m.: G47 said, “Mr. Martin is not here today, that is a sad fact.”  He said Zimmerman is in an almost worse situation because he is stuck until found innocent or guilty.

UPDATE, 11:00 a.m.: Don West is now questioning to G47.

UPDATE, 10:56 a.m.: G47 said he may have done minor research to be informed, especially because the protests impacted his life and “shut down parts of the city”. He said being on the jury would cause him hardship because he was just promoted at work.

UPDATE, 10:49 a.m.: G47 said that he works at a restaurant where the news comes on TV, but is too busy to pay attention on a regular basis. He said that re remembers there was a lot going on in Sanford at the time and very prominent people showed up.

UPDATE, 10:46 a.m.: De la Rionda is questioning potential juror G47.

UPDATE, 10:30 a.m.: G29 recognizes a media bias with news and radio. She said, “… Everybody has their own spin on it.”

UPDATE, 10:22 a.m.: Mark O’Mara, attorney for Zimmerman, is now questioning G29.

UPDATE, 10:18 a.m.: She said she avoids the news “like the plague” and has had no extensive conversations about the case.

UPDATE, 10:15 a.m.: G29 said that her Facebook friends commented about the case in a way that was favorable to Mr. Martin. She said there is no doubt in her mind that she can remain objective.

UPDATE, 10:11 a.m.: G29 listens to talk radio and has heard various references to the case. She said she knows that Martin was killed by Zimmerman and that he is claiming self defense. She recalls pictures of Zimmerman and there being “racial tension”.

UPDATE, 10:08 a.m.: A new potential juror, G29, is being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda, the lead prosecutor.

UPDATE, 10:04 a.m.: Judge Nelson is releasing another group of prospective jurors because they will not be interviewed today. She has instructed them to limit their communication about the case with others and forbidden independent research. These potential jurors will be dismissed until Monday morning at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 9:37 a.m.: Judge Nelson has instructed a group of potential jurors to limit their communication about the case, and released them from the court room until Tuesday morning.

UPDATE, June 14, 9:00 a.m.: Court is now in session.

[Read Day 4 Blogging of Jury Selection Below]

UPDATE, 5:17 p.m.: The court is in recess for the evening, the jury selection will resume at 9 a.m. tomorrow.

UPDATE, 5:14 p.m.: Potential juror B65 is back on the stand and has identified that it would be a hardship for her to serve on the jury. She was quickly released.

UPDATE 4:57 p.m.: G14 claims that she can  not form an opinion about why Zimmerman shot Martin. She said, “I know that I don’t have an opinion… that I would have to set aside”.

UPDATE, 4:52 p.m.: G14 said she remembers two motions that had been filed before jury selection had begun. She also remembers the police chief losing his job.

UPDATE, 4:49 p.m.: Don West is questioning G14.

UPDATE, 4:43 p.m.: G14 said she doesn’t feel like the local media “intended” to present a bias. She doesn’t think the presentation of news was slanted, but noticed the focus has shifted more heavily from one side to the other.

UPDATE 4:36 p.m.: G14 said she thinks the media coverage favored Martin.

UPDATE, 4:32 p.m.: G14 said that she has seen pictures of Mr. Martin in a hoodie and pictures of Mr. Zimmerman with injuries to his head.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: G14 uses the internet at work to search for breaking news, not specific to this case.

UPDATE, 4:27 p.m.: New potential juror, G14, is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE 4:18 p.m.: P67 says he is capable of only considering the evidence.

UPDATE, 4:14 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning P67.

UPDATE, 4:14 p.m.: P67 said he wants to be on the jury and agrees that this case is his opportunity to serve this country.

UPDATE, 4:05 p.m.: P67 said that he is not going to favor anyone until he can see how the case proceeds.

UPDATE, 4:01 p.m.: The potential juror, P67, does not think that the incident was a race issue. He said his impression was that the situation was an “accident”.

UPDATE, 3:59 p.m.: New potential juror is being questioned by De la Rionda. He said that the protestors had the right to free speech.

UPDATE, 3:54 p.m.: B67 said she would have a conflict being sequestered because she is enrolled in school and has a son that is taking leave from the Air Force to visit her. She was soon dismissed.

UPDATE, 3:46 p.m.: B67 said she saw a news broadcast about the case on local TV, and she saw pictures. She claims to not have payed attention and really doesn’t know anything about Trayvon Martin.

UPDATE, 3:44 p.m.: New potential juror, B67, is being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 3:43 p.m.: B34 said that he thinks that Mr.Zimmerman is guilty. He said that this is a “tough position” for him but his mind is made up.

UPDATE, 3:39 p.m.: B34 said he searched Mr. Zimmerman’s name on YouTube and watched videos (that only contained audio) within the last few weeks.

UPDATE, 3:36 p.m.: B34 was informed about the case by his children at a weekly family dinner.

UPDATE, 3:33 p.m.: B34 has seen information about the trial on all of the local news stations, but does not read the newspapers.

UPDATE, 3:31 p.m.: Court is back in session. Potential juror B34 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 3:17 p.m.: Court will be in recess for 15 minutes.

UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: N18 said he has not talked about the case with anyone at church or in any social circle.

UPDATE, 2:53 p.m.: N18 referenced the 10 commandments and said, “I believe in god’s law”.

UPDATE, 2:52 p.m.: Zimmerman’s attorney, Don West is now questioning N18. N18 says he has seen O’Mara on the news.

UPDATE, 2:49 p.m.: N18 said that he believes Zimmerman is “guilty” but understands that a person is “innocent until proven guilty”.

UPDATE, 2:45 p.m.: N18 said that he was not completely able to understand some questions because his native tongue is Spanish.

UPDATE, 2:43 p.m.: New potential juror, N18 is being questioned by De la Rionda. N18 said he learned of the case through local and national news.

UPDATE, 2:29 p.m.: When asked for three things that she remembers about the case, K95 answered: the age differences of Martin’s pictures, a bag of skittles, and a hoodie. After being probed by O’Mara she offers more small memories.

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: K95 said her first impression was that the media tried to turn the incident into a race issue and that made her change the channel. She calls herself a “research buff” because she needs to know facts.

UPDATE, 2:20 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning K95.

UPDATE, 2:16 p.m.: K95 said she remembers Martin’s photo on TV. She also said she would have no hardship if selected as a juror.

UPDATE, 2:06 p.m.: K95 said that she does not know much about the case. At the time of the incident she did not have thorough discussions with her family or classmates about the case.

UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: Bernie de la Rionda, of the state, is questioning potential juror K95.

UPDATE, 1:53 p.m.: Judge Nelson just decided to sequester the jury for the duration of the trial. The trial is anticipated to last 2-4 weeks. Selected jurors would not be allowed to participate in day to day activities and would have limited to access to the outside world.

UPDATE, 1:36 p.m.: “I don’t think this case should be about anything racial it was a terrible accident that occurred,” said K80.

UPDATE, 1:25 p.m.: K80 is concerned for her safety and that of her family if the identity of the jurors is somehow released.

UPDATE, 1:15 p.m.: K80 said she tries to distance herself and compares this case to the Casey Anthony case. She said she followed the case when it first happened because of the protests.

UPDATE, 1:12 p.m.: She says that the news she watches puts their own “spin” on things and she tries not to watch negative news in front of her children.

UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: Potential juror, K80 is being questioned by De la Rionda. She watched local TV news and has a subscription to the Orlando Sentinel.

UPDATE, 1:00 p.m.: Court is back in session.

UPDATE, 12:00 p.m.: The judge has called a recess, court will resume at 1:00 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:38 a.m.: E81 said she does not want to be separated from her husband, but could serve as a juror if called upon.

UPDATE, 11:25 a.m.: E81 thinks that she can set aside her “working knowledge” of the facts of the case and rule only on what is presented in the courtroom. She said “If it is not presented as evidence, it has no place.”

UPDATE, 11:15 a.m.: O’Mara is now questioning E81.

UPDATE, 11:13 a.m.: E81 said she thought about donating to the Zimmerman defense fund, but decided against it.

UPDATE, 10:55 a.m.: E81 said that she would be nervous to serve on the jury. She researched the case after she received her summons, and she said her opinion is based on what she knows about the case and her personal beliefs.

UPDATE, 10:50 a.m.: E81 said that her “mind is made up” unless presented with different evidence.

UPDATE, 10:40 a.m.: E81 referred to Trayvon Martin as a “street fighter” and said that he did not sustain the same type of injuries as Mr. Zimmerman. She said she remembers Zimmerman having a bloody nose and blood on his clothing. She said that she knows Trayvon Martin was smoking marijuana, interested in guns, and was “going down the wrong path”.

UPDATE, 10:37 a.m.:  A new potential juror, E81, is being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda. She admits that she believes that George Zimmerman is innocent and that he acted in self defense.

UPDATE, 10:26 a.m.: E75 said that he does not think that there is a racial issue in the case, but other people do. He said he heard others in school say that no one cared because it was a black person that was shot.

UPDATE, 10:14 a.m.: E75 was a junior in high school at the time of the shooting in February. He said classmates would talk about the incident at school and teachers would shut down the conversation. He said the majority of his classmates thought George Zimmerman was guilty.

UPDATE, 10:04 a.m.: E75 explains to West the access that he had to comments about the case through Facebook. He said there were comments during February pertaining to the case, but he did not post any comments specifying his opinions. E75 says that he saw comments from people who claimed to be friends of Trayvon Martin.

UPDATE, 10:01 a.m.: E75 said that he will not have any financial hardship if he is unable to work during the trial period.

UPDATE, 9:58 a.m.: Defense attorney, Don West, is now questioning potential juror E75.

UPDATE, 9:50 a.m.: E75 said that he doesn’t know very much about the case other than the two men involved. He said he has heard his peers at school discuss the case, and the topic was discussed heavily on social media when the incident first happened in February.

UPDATE, 9:47 a.m.: The next potential juror, E75, is being questioned by state attorney De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 9:43 a.m.: E50 speaks of the difficulty he would face caring for his 4 year old grandson if he were selected for the jury.

UPDATE, 9:37 a.m.: E50 does not use the internet.

UPDATE, 9:31 a.m.: O’Mara, of the defense, is now questioning E50. E50 says he did not remember much about the case but knows that Zimmerman was a watchman, and that Zimmerman and Trayvon were of different races.

UPDATE, 9:23 a.m.: E50 said he has lost a child, but it will not hinder his ability to be a juror.

UPDATE, 9:17 a.m.: E50 says he stays away from the news because it “depresses him”.

UPDATE, June 13, 9:11 a.m.: Court is now in session. Prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda is now questioning new potential juror, E50.

[Read Day 3 Blogging of Jury Selection Below]

UPDATE, 5:16 p.m.: The court will be in recess until 9 a.m. tomorrow.

UPDATE, 5:09 p.m.: E28 works in an operating room, but would have no issue if she could not work for the duration of the trial.

UPDATE, 5:03 p.m.: West is questioning E28. She admits to watching Law & Order, but not much news. On her morning commute she said that she listens to the radio.

UPDATE, 4:59 p.m.: E28 said that she does not watch the news because she works odd hours and admits to being “old school” in reference to her social media use.

UPDATE, 4:57 p.m.: Bernie de la Rionda is questioning a new potential juror, E28.

UPDATE, 4:51 p.m.: When asked to quantify how many times she has heard or talked about the case, E13 says 3 or 4.

UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: She referenced the incident being a “racial thing” and then said she did not have an opinion because she did not pay attention. She said that she has a brother that is African American.

UPDATE, 4:40 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning E13.

UPDATE, 4:34 p.m.: E13 said that her friends had  “diverse” opinions about the case but she does not know many details other than Zimmerman killing Martin.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: Potential juror E13 is being questioned by De la Rionda, of the state. She said that she does not watch the news very much but remembers pictures of Martin.

UPDATE, 4:27 p.m.: Judge Nelson is asked E7 to confirm one of his postings on Facebook.

UPDATE, 4:15 p.m.: E7 said that he is “underemployed”, but sees no issues being sequestered.

UPDATE, 4:07 p.m.: “When he finally was arrested, I thought— well what took so long,” said E7.

UPDATE, 3:52 p.m.: Don West is questioning E7.

UPDATE, 3:50 p.m.: E7 calls himself a “devil’s advocate”

UPDATE, 3:40 p.m.: E7 said he has been involved with the entertainment industry. He has heard strong opinions from both sides of the argument.

UPDATE, 3:34 p.m.: After a 10 minute recess the court has resumed. Potential juror E7 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 3:13 p.m.: B87 does not think he has heard the 911 recording. B87 does not have a newspaper subscription or cable television. He explains that he does not have an opinion about Zimmerman’s guilt or innocence, but he does hold an opinion about how the altercation began.

UPDATE, 3:05 p.m.: “At some point they came face to face… Who followed who–I don’t know,” said B87.

UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: “The news sometimes takes these things and turns it into entertainment,” said B87.

UPDATE, 3:00 p.m.: Don West is now questioning the potential juror, B87.

UPDATE, 2:56 p.m.: B87 is concerned about his two children and full-time position at work if he were to be sequestered for the duration of the trial.

UPDATE, 2:46 p.m.: B87 said he remembers pictures of Mr. Zimmerman after the struggle with scratches on his head. He also remembers the mention of 911 recordings.

UPDATE, 2:40 p.m.: B87 said that “it would be hard to not form an opinion”  about the case, but he said that he could set his opinions aside if selected because he does not have all of the information.  He referred to the whole situation as a “tragedy”.

UPDATE, 2:34 p.m.: New potential juror, B87, is being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m.: E22 said thinks the media is not as “inflamed” as it was in the beginning. She also feels that the emotions surrounding the protests were “volatile”.

UPDATE, 2:17 p.m.: When asked how the media bias affected her opinions, E22 answered that she acknowledged the media but knew there had to be more information than what was shown.

UPDATE, 2:03 p.m.: E22 said that she consumes news from her subscription to the Orlando Sentinel, the “big 3″ local TV stations, and some national news.

UPDATE, 2:01 p.m.: Defense attorney O’Mara is questioning E22.

UPDATE, 1:58 p.m.: E22 has discussed the case and her opinions with family and friends. She expressed that she thought the police should have been more proactive in their investigation, though she feels that she could set aside her opinions if selected for the jury.

UPDATE, 1:54 p.m.: E22 is a routine TV news and newspaper consumer and followed the case only as it appeared during her usual viewing. She remembers Mr. Zimmerman following Mr. Martin and that causing an altercation. She saw various pictures of Trayvon Martin, George Zimmerman, and the attorneys. E22 agrees that she can disregard opinions of the “experts” that would present their case in the media.

UPDATE, 1:52 p.m.: A new potential juror, E22, is being questioned by prosecutor De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 1:50 p.m.: The attorneys are having a more extensive sidebar with the judge.

UPDATE, 1:40 p.m.: B72 claims his “passionate” friend thinks that Zimmerman is guilty, but he is “the last person he would go to for advice”. B72 also has another friend that says Zimmerman was just protecting his area. B72 said he doesn’t have an opinion on the issue.

UPDATE, 1:29 p.m.: The prosecutor objected to the defense’s line of questioning and the attorneys paused to discuss with the judge.

UPDATE, 1:17 p.m.: Don West is now questioning B72.

UPDATE, 1:11 p.m.: B72 is being vaguely questioned about the occupation about one of his relatives, he said that his relatives will not affect his ability to be a juror.

UPDATE, 1:03 p.m.: B72 does not involve himself with the news because he finds it “pessimistic”. He says he will never forget the day of the incident, but he said he did not follow the case for very long because he got “sick of hearing about it”.

UPDATE, 1:00 p.m.: Court is back in session. Potential juror, B72, is now being questioned by Bernie de la Rionda, of the state.

UPDATE, 11:59 p.m.: The court has called for a recess for lunch. The jury selection will continue at 1 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:58 a.m.: B61 has expressed concern for her safety because of the high profile nature of the case. She said that she could put those concerns aside to focus on the case.

UPDATE, 11:49 a.m.: B61 thought it was “unique” that she heard Zimmerman asked for money to fund his defense.  She believes that media coverage has been slanted.

UPDATE, 11:40 a.m.: B61 said that she is aware that certain news outlets present information differently, which is why she watches Fox news and CNN in addition to Good Morning America.

UPDATE, 11:39 a.m.: O’Mara is now questioning B61.

UPDATE, 11:34 a.m.: B61 said that she believes that everyone has the right to express their opinions, but she doesn’t think she would participate in the protests.

UPDATE, 11:31 a.m.: “I don’t think it’s a racial issue,” said B61. She thinks that the race of Martin and Zimmerman are not very relevant.

UPDATE, 11:19 a.m.: B61 says that she remembered that there was a shooting in Central Florida and followed the case through broadcasts on Good Morning America. She participates in social media, but has not used it to discuss the case. She claims that she has not thoroughly discussed her opinions about the case with her family or friends.

UPDATE, 11:17 a.m.: The court is back in session. New potential juror, B61, is being questioned by prosecutor De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 11:06 a.m.: Potential juror R39 is being released without being questioned by the defense. The court has called for a 10 minute recess.

UPDATE, 11:03 a.m.: “I don’t have an opinion about this particular case, but I do have an opinion about murder… Even in self defense murder is still murder,” said R39.

UPDATE, 10:56 a.m.: R39 uses Facebook and Instagram and said that he gathers his news mainly from the radio. He has seen pictures of Trayvon Martin and the mugshot of  George Zimmerman, but the pictures made no lasting impression on him.

UPDATE, 10:53 a.m.: De la Rionda is now questioning new potential juror, R39.

UPDATE, 10:39 a.m.: M75 said there is a 60-40 split in her Facebook friends regarding their opinions on the case, 60 percent that have formed an opinion and 40 percent who have not. She said a majority of those who have formed an opinion align themselves with Trayvon Martin.

UPDATE, 10:26 a.m.: M75 watches Fox News and does not believe that they are swayed to broadcast one way or another pertaining to the case. She said she doesn’t think “black people were being targeted” and that she needs more facts to form an opinion. She claims to have been invited to protests by friends but has not participated.

UPDATE, 10:19 a.m.: Defense attorney O’Mara is now questioning M75. She said that initially the case peaked her interest because she heard that there was a “fatality” in Sanford and she has friends that live there.

UPDATE, 10:16 a.m.: M75 uses Facebook and Twitter, but said she does not really tweet or post about the case.

UPDATE, 10:13 a.m.: M75 said that she agrees speculation needs to be taken “out of the picture” and she needs to rely on the facts.

UPDATE, 10:05 a.m.: New potential juror, M75, is being questioned by state attorney De la Rionda about her source of news.  She said she has not formed an opinion about Zimmerman’s innocence or guilt pertaining to the case. She has been exposed to commentary about the case through Facebook.

UPDATE, 9:54 a.m.: E73 works with the community and had to form relationships with high ranking community members.

UPDATE, 9:46 a.m.: E73 says that she has not formed any opinion about the efforts to identify the voice on the 911 call.

UPDATE, 9:43 a.m.: She and her children have realized that there are differences in how events are reported by the media.

UPDATE, 9:35 a.m.: “I really like the city of Sanford and I don’t like to see any negative publicity surrounding it,” said E73. She admits that there is a racial element to the case but she doesn’t believe race was the reason that the incident happened. She does believe that the racial element drew out the press.

UPDATE, 9:30 a.m.: Don West, Zimmerman’s defense attorney, is now questioning E73.

UPDATE, 9:28 a.m.: She has two children, 15 and 18, and believes that she would have a hard time if the jury were to be sequestered. She has heard various opinions regarding the case from friends, though she hasn’t formed one herself.

UPDATE, 9:22 a.m.: “I have seen many instances where the press seems to sway things,” said E73. She said that she thought it was made to seem like a race issue when it may not have needed to be.

UPDATE, 9:14 a.m.: E73 says that she knows some details about the case through the news reports and local newspapers. She says that she has seen photographs of both Mr. Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin, and she had the impression of the case being “a tough concept” because of the struggle between an armed and unarmed person.

UPDATE, June 12, 9:11 a.m.: Court is now in session for day 3 of jury selection. Bernie de la Rionda is questioning potential juror, called E73.

[Read Day 2 Blogging of Jury Selection Below]

UPDATE, 5:11 p.m.: The court is now in recess for the evening until 9a.m. tomorrow.

UPDATE, 4:58 p.m.:  E54 said that he has no reason to believe that the hooded sweatshirt played a significant role in the case. He said he assumes that anything not presented in the courtroom is not applicable.

UPDATE, 4:51 p.m.: Don West, of the defense, is now questioning E54.

UPDATE, 4:41 p.m.: E54 says that he discussed the case with his wife and teenage son. His step-son is 16, which is close to Trayvon Martin’s age. He said his son “dresses the same way” as Martin and that prompted their conversation after the shooting.

UPDATE, 4:38 p.m.: E54 claimed that he “lost interest” after Zimmerman was finally arrested. He said he did not pay much attention to case proceedings after that.

UPDATE, 4:31 p.m.: E54 referenced a 911 call when asked what he recalled hearing about the case. After detailing all of what he remembered, E54 said his source was from the local TV station. He says his initial focus on the case began when protestors questioned about the lack of an initial arrest of Mr. Zimmerman.

UPDATE, 4:29 p.m.: Potential juror E54 is being brought forward to be questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 4:27 p.m.: E40 says she recalls the words “gated community”, “teenager”, and “struggle” when asked what she recalls about the case.

UPDATE, 4:22 p.m.: Defense attorney O’Mara is now questioning E40. E40 says she can make decisions based solely on the evidence presented in court.

UPDATE, 4:21 p.m.: E40 says she does not fully trust media in the way they present information. She agrees that she had no first opinions and continues to have no lasting opinions about the case.

UPDATE, 4:13 p.m.: Potential juror, E40, is being brought forward and is being questioned by De la Rionda. She moved to Seminole County this past November from Iowa and learned about the case through national news.

UPDATE, 4:05 p.m.: E6 claims to have heard both the 911 call and Mr. Zimmerman’s call to the police. She says the calls were thought provoking but didn’t cause her to form an opinion. She says she has seen headlines about the audio experts being used in court.

UPDATE, 3:56 p.m.: “I really can’t make a guess without knowing the facts” says E6. She said she has not thought much about the case one way or the other, and said she hasn’t been asked her opinion about the case before.

UPDATE, 3:46 p.m.: E6 says that she used the incident as a “teaching moment” for her kids. Don West, defense attorney, is now questioning her.

UPDATE, 3:42 p.m.: E6 says she has not done any intentional internet research and does not remember hearing any commentary about the case. She says she has not discussed the case with anyone, but may have mentioned it to her kids.

UPDATE, 3:35 p.m.: After a 10 minute recess, the next potential juror, E6, has been brought in and is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE 3:15 p.m.: On the issue of being sequestered B86 admitted that she may have difficulties focusing on the case.

UPDATE, 3:05 p.m.: B86 said that she could try to set her opinions aside if she was selected. She is now being questioned by defense attorney O’Mara.

UPDATE, 3:01 p.m.: B86 said that hearing that Martin was suspended from a previous school resonated with her because she is a single parent. She said she thinks she could keep an open mind if Trayvon Martin’s mother were to speak to the court.

UPDATE, 2:53 p.m.: B86 is a female middle school teacher. She said that she has had discussions about the case and has seen media coverage. She remembers the controversy around the 911 tape.

UPDATE, 2:49 p.m.: Potential juror, B86 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m.: According to the Huffington Post, bad weather in Florida has caused the live feed to go down temporarily.

UPDATE, 2:25 p.m.: B65 said she lived in Seminole County at the time of the incident between Zimmerman and Martin in February, 2012.

UPDATE, 2:20 p.m.: B65 admits that she is not sure that the person that she saw on the t-shirt was in fact Trayvon Martin. She is not exactly sure what Martin looks like or how old he was, only that he was the young man that died.

UPDATE, 2:16 p.m.: George Zimmerman’s attorney, Don West, is questioning B65. She says she had not seen a picture of Zimmerman before the jury selection began yesterday, but had seen Trayvon Martin’s photo on a t-shirt.

UPDATE, 2:14 p.m.: B65 says she does not have cable and has not followed the case through the media. She claims she has not really come in contact with information about the case, even indirectly.

UPDATE, 2:11 p.m.: B65 learned of the case at church in a prayer from her pastor on behalf of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman.

UPDATE, 2:09 p.m.: Potential juror, B65, is being questioned by Bernie De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 1:55 p.m.: B55 is planning a family vacation and it would be difficult for her to go if she was selected a s a juror.

UPDATE, 1:47 p.m.: B55 had no discussion with other people on Facebook, but she saw opinionated statuses from other people. She is a business student and has not discussed the case with classmates outside of one day in her class.

UPDATE, 1:46 p.m.: O’Mara is now questioning B55.

UPDATE, 1:41 p.m.: B55 learned about the case on Facebook, and remembered Trayvon Martin in a hooded sweatshirt.

UPDATE, 1:38 p.m.: Court is back in session. Potential juror, B55, is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 12:09 p.m.: The judge has called for a recess for lunch. The court will resume at 1:00 p.m.

UPDATE, 11:57 a.m.: West asks B51 if she felt that the investigation of Mr. Zimmerman and his arrest were”mishandled”. She answered that the police might have been trying to “protect his [Zimmerman's] rights” before they arrested him.

UPDATE, 11:43 a.m.: B51 says that being in managerial positions has helped her be able to change her mind when provided with new information.

UPDATE, 11:40 a.m.: West asks B51 if she felt Mr. Zimmerman was wrong in the case. “I am certainly aware that is part of the situation– that he didn’t wait [for the police]… I guess he did do something wrong,” saidB51. She also said that she has not formed a rigid opinion. She calls herself “open-minded”.

UPDATE, 11:36 a.m.: B51 finds the case sad. She said “anytime there is a loss of life it is sad”. She mentioned that she did not realize that neighborhood watch groups were so “organized” or that they had residential participants.

UPDATE, 11:29 a.m.: Defense attorney Don West is now questioning B51.

UPDATE, 11:25 a.m.: B51 says her family is “not that interested” in the case and she is concerned about the media attention surrounding the courthouse.

UPDATE, 11:20 a.m.: B51 said that she would watch the local news and read the local newspaper when they covered information about the case.

UPDATE, 11:16 a.m.: New potential juror, B51, is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 10:59 a.m.: The court has taken a 10 minute recess.

UPDATE, 10:56 a.m.: B37 says she hasn’t talked about the case with anyone.

UPDATE, 10:50 a.m.: B37 described Martin as a boy of color around teenage years. She remembers a scuffle and the boy being killed.

UPDATE, 10:47 a.m.: O’Mara is now questioning potential juror B37.

UPDATE, 10:44 a.m.: B37 says she has not followed the case since the incident in February. She said “I didn’t even know what he [Zimmerman] was charged with until I got here.”

UPDATE, 10:38 a.m.: B37 says she gets most of her news from NBC local and national TV outlets, but does not read newspapers because she finds them to be untruthful. She does not surf the internet or listen to the radio.

UPDATE, 10:36 a.m.: New potential juror, called B37, is being questioned by prosecutor De la Rionda about what she knows about the case.

UPDATE, 10:32 a.m.: B35 does not believe that the prosecution fueled the focus on race after Martin’s death, and thinks that he can equally scrutinize both sides of the case.

UPDATE, 10:25 a.m.: B35 is now being questioned by Don West of the defense.

UPDATE, 10:18 a.m.: B35 says his friends and family are all “pro-Trayvon” and most of the news sources other than Fox News seemed to be “pro-Trayvon” as well.

UPDATE, 10:10 a.m.: B35 claims that he was upset about how the media politicized Trayvon Martin’s death based on race.

UPDATE, 10:05 a.m.: “I don’t know what happened because I wasn’t there, but I didn’t think it was racially motivated,” said B35.

UPDATE, 10:02 a.m.: Potential juror B35 is being questioned by De la Rionda.

UPDATE, 9:57 a.m.: B7 is concerned about alienating family members or friends or angering strangers with the jury’s verdict if he is to be selected.

UPDATE, 9:48 a.m.: B7 quantifies that he has been exposed to information about the case 40-60 times.

UPDATE, 9:46 a.m.: B7 explains popular opinions about both sides of the case. He says, “How do you know if you don’t know these people… Its offensive to speak that way about a dead man or someone who has been through what Mr. Zimmerman has.”

UPDATE, 9:41 a.m.: B7 remembers Stand Your Ground law and the controversy that surrounded it and the meanings of self defense.

UPDATE, 9:36 a.m.: Defense attorney Mark O’Mara is now questioning B7 about media preferences.

UPDATE, 9:31 a.m.: B7 said his father believes that “inappropriate things were done by Mr. Zimmerman and unfortunately someone died.”

UPDATE, 9:27 a.m.: B7 feels that media coverage did not provide all of the facts. He said,  “You should not be convicted in the court of public opinion” and he doesn’t have enough information to make an opinion.

UPDATE, 9:23 a.m.: B7 said he is an infrequent TV news consumer, but has car radio set on NPR. B7 remembers references to the Stand Your Ground law, a shooting, and a fight that lead to Trayvon Martin’s death.

UPDATE June 11, 9:21 a.m.: Court is now in session. Potential juror, called B7, is being questioned by prosecutor Bernie De la Rionda.

[Read Day 1 Blogging of Jury Selection Below]

UPDATE, 5:17 p.m.: The court is in recess until tomorrow.

UPDATE, 5:13 p.m.: Judge has called back the potential jurors into the courtroom and asked them not to discuss, research, or report upon the case overnight until they return tomorrow. The potential jurors are being excused for the evening. They will report back to the courtroom tomorrow at 9 a.m.

UPDATE, 4:30 p.m.: B76 said her family is in agreement that she will make a decision based fully on evidence and that she has only seen news coverage less than 10 times.

UPDATE, 4:24 p.m.: B76 denies signing a petition related to the case, nor has she donated money to either cause.

UPDATE, 4:20 p.m.: Don West, of the defense, is questioning potential juror B76 about her sources of news. B76 answers that she does not have cable and relies on local news.

UPDATE, 4:18 p.m.: B76 said her family has discussed the case, but “is open-minded and believes everyone deserves a fair trial”. She said her husband may have researched the case further but not disclosed any information with her.

UPDATE, 4:11 p.m.: B76 said she paid more attention to the case through a combination of local TV broadcasts because the incident happened in Seminole County.

UPDATE, 4:06 p.m.: Prosecutor De la Rionda is questioning new potential juror, they call B76.

UPDATE, 4:00 p.m.: B30 says he does not watch “national news” and denies attendance at any of the rallies that happened in Sanford. B30 claims to have discussed the case only 2-3 times since the incident in February 2012.

UPDATE, 3:54 p.m.: B30 talks about how his hearing loss only provides him with bits and pieces of what he overhears. O’Mara asks about the extent of conversations B30 had with his girlfriend, who has opinions about parts of the case.

UPDATE, 3:50 p.m.: B30 is aware of debate around the screaming on the 911 tape, but can not tell who it is.

UPDATE, 3:37 p.m.: Potential juror B30 says, “All I know is that there was fault on both sides as far as I can see. It was two people in the wrong place at the wrong time” when asked his current opinion. He says he can not lean one way or the other.

UPDATE, 3:33 p.m.: B30 claims to have been interviewed by a newscaster 2-3 months ago about his opinions on the case, though doesn’t remember his interview being broadcast and said he could not form an opinion at that time.

UPDATE, 3:30 p.m.: B30 has lived in the area for most of his life, but has not read anything about the case. He claims to have heard others opinions about the case, but has tried not to listen.

UPDATE, 3:25 p.m.: Prosecutor De la Rionda is questioning new potential juror B30.

UPDATE, 3:16 p.m.: “Everyone needs a fair trial. At the end of the day you have to listen to both sides,” says B29. She believes that she could give a fair trial to George Zimmerman.

UPDATE, 3:07 p.m.: B29 says that being sequestered for an extended period of time away from her family would be hard but she would be able to do it.

UPDATE, 2:59 p.m.: B29 is being questioned by Don West.  She says that she works late nights in a nursing home, does not read the newspaper, or watch the news.

UPDATE, 2:51 p.m.: Next potential juror is being questioned by De la Rionda, referred to as B29. This juror is from Chicago and just recently moved to Florida, she was not in the area for the time in question.

UPDATE, 2:50 p.m.: Defense attorney O’Mara asks B12 if she could quantify the number of times she heard about the case through media or friends. B12 answer”3 or 4″ for the conclusion of her questioning.

UPDATE, 2:37 p.m.: Defense attorney Mark O’Mara asks potential juror B12 more questions about what she remembers from initial reports and what she believed to be true. O’Mara asks if there are any specifics that the juror recalls.

UPDATE, 2:34 p.m.: Potential juror B12 says that they “didn’t really pay attention” to coverage of the trial after initial reports.

UPDATE, 2:28 p.m.: Court is back in session. Potential juror B12 is being questioned about their media consumption as it pertains to the case by prosecutor Bernie de la Rionda.

UPDATE, 12:29 p.m.: The court has called for a recess for lunch, it will resume at 2:00 p.m. Eastern time.

UPDATE, 12:02 p.m.: Judge Nelson and lawyers from both sides are sifting through juror questionnaires.

UPDATE, 10:19 a.m.: Shortly, prospective jurors will be handed their questionnaires. George Zimmerman will be allowed in that room as well as lawyers from both sides, with no objection from the state.

UPDATE June 10, 9:40 a.m.: Jury selection begins in the trial of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin. Zimmerman’s defense has requested to bring up a previous motion citing concerns about the timeliness of discoveries from the State. Judge Nelson decided that she will address these concerns on a case by case basis.

Even his fiercest critics seem to agree he’s done a good job. He spends as much time with his girls as a leader of the free world could, and he never seems to mind looking a little goofy for his girls. So on Father’s Day, here are some of our favorite pictures of Barack Obama just being a dad.

Click on any of the pictures below to start the slideshow.

As I write this letter, our nation is slowly coming out of a recession created by tax breaks that largely benefited the top 1 percent and two wars that left hundreds of thousands dead, millions injured, and our nation in a perpetual state of insecurity.

To propel our nation forward, each one of us has a role to play.  As your dad, my job is to equip you with an education that enables you to solve problems that face our society.  And its my belief, as an engineer and lawyer, that the best education is one rich in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

In 2013, STEM has become the new “cool.” It’s evolved into a potent symbol for everything that is right, promising, and exceptional about America.  Some might argue that, today, STEM is an icon more powerful than the S on the chest of the “Man of Steel.”

Despite the rise in STEM’s popularity, some parents have yet to get the memo.  A recent Marketplace profile featured parents who invest thousands of dollars annually preparing their children for collegiate and professional sports. One pair of parents spend summers traveling an average of 2000 miles for their son to participate in a traveling baseball league.   According to the mom, an exceptional student athlete has a better shot at getting a college scholarship than a student scholar.

Sadly for her children, this mother’s overemphasis on athletics is misplaced.  While the best athletes in the country can receive free tuition to elite universities, there is only a tiny percentage of such scholarships.  On the contrary, academic scholarships are much more prevalent and there is much more money for them.

What about a child’s shot at the pros?  Quick answer: much worse.  For example, the boy who wants to be a pro baseball player has a 0.4 percent chance.

Now what if these parents invested the same resources preparing their sons for careers as scientists, tech workers, engineers, or math teachers?  Well the numbers are clear.

STEM workers make an average of 26 percent more than their non-STEM counterparts.  In addition, jobs in professional, scientific, and technical services are growing, with about 2.1 million projected to be created in a decade. All of this means that a career in STEM is likely to result in not only a job, but a highly paid job.

Thus, you can count on me to do all I can to inspire you to embrace STEM as your pathway up the socioeconomic ladder.  Who knows, maybe you’ll patent your first invention before college.  You’d follow the lead of other teen inventors such as 16-year-old Jack Andraka, whose science fair project is now detecting cancers.

After college, armed with a STEM degree, you should have ample options.  If you choose to study computer science, for example, you may have at least three employers courting you.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that annually, our nation creates more than 120,000 new jobs requiring workers with bachelors of science in computer science degrees, but US colleges produce just 40,000 computer science graduates each year.

You should have your choice of where to live after college with a STEM degree. The Brookings Institute reports that in the average large metropolis from Charlotte to Atlanta, 30 percent of job openings are in STEM fields.

If more parents see STEM careers as pathways for their children’s entry into the middle or upper income brackets, US companies could save millions they spend to import foreign-born STEM workers.

Whatever STEM field you choose, I pray that you will avoid jobs or innovations that lead to a violation of privacy, like those recently disclosed.  Rather than using your talents on making the next military drone, killer laser, or computer spy virus, I pray you dedicate your STEM training to making this world a better place.  And if you find yourself faced with a dilemma similar to that of techie Edward Snowden, I pray that you will have the courage to take a risk and protect the public from the dangers of technology.

So son, for this Father’s Day, promise me you will innovate, that using STEM and strong values as your tools, you’ll go out into the world and do well and do good.

Love, Dad

Talib I. Karim is an engineer, lawyer, and director of STEM4US!, an organization dedicated to inspiring youth and their parents to embrace STEM education and careers.  Talib is also the author of an upcoming book “Letters to My Son.”

“I never really knew my father,” the president said. “I was raised by two wonderful grandparents. But I still wish that I had a dad who was not only around, but involved, another role model.

“That’s why I try to be, for Michelle and my girls, what my father was not for my mother and me.”

Barack Obama Sr., an economist who came to the U.S. from Kenya in 1960, divorced the president’s mother, Stanley Ann Dunham in 1964, three years after the younger Obama was born. He last saw his son in 1971, and died in a car accident in 1982. Obama wrote a best-selling book, “Dreams from my father,” which detailed his sense of loss at not having his father around.

Obama in his weekly address said being a good dad isn’t easy, and mentioned the many types of families who work to raise healthy children: gay and straight parents, and also grandparents and foster parents.

The president also mentioned the role of religious organizations in promoting strong families, but also said his administration wants to encourage marriage, and reform child support laws.

Obama on Friday met with students from the “Becoming a Man” (BAM) program at the White House. The organization encourages African-American teenage boys to grow up to be responsible adults.

Watch the weekly address below:

W. Kamau Bell, host of the late night comedy show Totally Biased on F/X, weighed in on the case Thursday night, and pulled no punches about his feelings about the George Zimmerman. Zimmerman, 29, has pleaded not guilty to second degree murder, saying he shot 17-year-old Trayvon Martin in self-defense after Martin attacked him on February 26, 2012. Martin was unarmed.

“Now of course I’m a believer in fair trials,” said Bell during a monologue. “But if there’s any god in heaven, and I’m pretty sure there isn’t, here’s who would be deciding Zimmerman’s fate: Chuck D, Angela Davis, the ghost of Malcolm X, fat Al Sharpton, angry Bill Cosby, Ice Cube … no no no, before, “Are we there yet?” Ice Cube … Samuel L. Jackson from Pulp Fiction, Samuel L. Jackson from Snakes on a Plane, Samuel L. Jackson from Jackie Brown,” and foreman of the jury, regular old Samuel L. Jackson….” As he spoke, pictures of his would-be “jurors” appeared onscreen.

Bell finished the sketch with a fusillade of what he called “all of the inflammatory words” Zimmerman’s attorneys have asked the trial judge to exclude from opening arguments, after which cameras cut to Totally Biased executive producer Chris Rock in the control room, who declared: “This guy’s good, we should give him a nightly show this fall. Oh yeah, George Zimmerman can e– a d—.”

Watch the segment below. Warning: NSFW.

Some of those guys don’t always get any recognition on Father’s Day, and that is as it should be. They, in fact, are not good fathers — they are professional inseminators, impregnating unwitting (or are they?) women for the hell of it.

I’m not talking about those dudes. I’m talking about men with good intentions who get demoted by the implosion of a failed or dysfunctional relationship, whose presence is mostly undesirable, but wholly necessary.

That’s right, ladies. You know that guy — I’m talking about your baby daddy.

Baby daddies vs. Fathers

Every child may not have a father — they may have a baby daddy. Some fathers are baby daddies and don’t even know it — they don’t know the difference between a baby daddy and a father. Most people don’t.

As it was explained to me in the late ’80s, being a baby daddy wasn’t a demotion. Rather, the term acted as a signifier, a point of clarity to explicitly outline the complicated nature of a woman’s multiple relationships.

Later, while I was reporting on another story, it was confirmed to me — I saw it first-hand. It wasn’t/isn’t uncommon for some Caribbean women to have a “dude” (lover, strictly sexual), a boyfriend (lover, supplemental benefactor), a husband (lover, regulator, primary benefactor, head of household) and a baby daddy, whose rights, responsibilities and permissions were fluid, per the woman’s prerogative.

The men understand and abide by these rules of polyamory, until they terminate these ambiguous situations in any number of ways.

We think of men as being the central character in these kinds of relationships traditionally, so perhaps this requires some suspension of belief. But if you listen closely to the lyrics of the song that brought the term “baby daddy” into the lexicon, it’s clear: the woman has the most power in the discourse. The “baby daddy’s” role is whatever she says it is, which she very pointedly does not outline in the song, despite the persistence of T-Bird (the rapper of this seminal song) and his plaintive inquiry to find out who that strange man is.

Are you regulated to being “this guy”?

In popular usage these days, we can argue about whether the term itself is pejorative, but there is certainly nothing familial or comedic about it. It’s a phrase that says, “this guy”? “This guy” has done nothing good, something wrong, or something not quite right enough and is not worthy of an honorable form of address. His station is not befitting any honorific whereby he could be confused for anyone respectable. Often, he is not even called by his name. He has to get his own plate at family functions, if he is ever invited, which he pointedly is most often not.

Also, “this guy” hasn’t taken responsibility for his lot by meeting the mother of his child in court, where his rights, role and responsibilities can be outlined in writing, and secured and overseen by an (ostensibly) objective arbiter. Only ex-husbands are given custody rights (normally folded into divorce decrees). I know you think you got something, but a signature on the birth certificate only designates you as the obligor, my dude. It imparts no legal right to see the child, or to be included in decision-making and its upbringing.

The mother can take your money and ignore your parental input. The child can’t take your phone call without the mother’s say-so. All that has to be established by a judge. Any parenting relationship where one party can grant or withdraw permissions or access, or refuse contact, contributions or consort at will is not in the best interest of the child.

Upgrade yourself from baby daddy to real dad

Fathers have the same rights as the mothers of their children. If you need permission to see your kid, you are a baby daddy, living in a world of hurt. And you won’t know it until it goes bad, which it inevitably will.

The Johnny Appleseeds? The guys who have 10 pairs of classic Jordans, but won’t pay for a lawyer to institute child support and secure their rights? The rubes who pay support out of pocket — or don’t — and just play parent as much as the mother will allow them, until they just give up?

Those are baby daddies.

Baby daddies half-a**, beg, plead, struggle or give up on trying. Fathers don’t have to ask. They whole-ass it and lawyer-up, for the good of the child. Then, they co-parent and establish partnerships with the mothers that matter, that function, that are crucial and necessary.

Know the difference. Don’t be a baby-daddy.  Be a father to your child.

jimi izrael is a writer and journalist from East Cleveland, Ohio.  He is the author of The Denzel Principle, released on St. Martin’s Press. His opinion has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Salon.com, Philadelphia Inquirer, Chicago Tribune, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, American Spectator, Jezebel.com, The Plain Dealer, and elsewhere.  Currently, he moderates “The Barbershop” for National Public Radio’s Tell Me More with Michel Martin.

In the African-American community, many fathers remain absent from their children’s lives – leaving 64 percent of black children to grow up in households without their biological father present, according to 2011 U.S. Census Bureau data. This is double the number of white children who grow up in homes with a single mother.

In effort to bring more awareness to this issue, filmmaker Kobie Brown has created and produced a documentary titled From Fatherless to Fatherhood. In the film, he sheds light on the importance and quality of fatherhood and documents the stories of healthy father-son relationships.

“I was inspired to make this film because all communities are strengthened by the presence of strong families and most traditionally, that depends on the nuclear mother and father roles,” Brown tells theGrio. “When those are missing, you see the negative effects that has on a family and their children.”

The documentary features the narrative of several individuals, issues and relationships including one woman and her father who has been absent most of her life and has recently re-entered with hopes of walking her down the aisle at her upcoming wedding.

Another story of a father whose son has been diagnosed with testicular cancer is also featured and the film captures the support and guidance the dad provides during the trying times.

“There is also a couple who both grew up without fathers and they talk about how the absence of their father has inspired them to stay together as a married couple,” Brown says.

Brown says his ultimate goal is to impact absent black fathers by helping them understand the importance of raising a child and to hopefully transform more of these men into becoming responsible fathers.

“Fathers who are absent are usually men who don’t fully grasp how important they are to the lives of their children,” he says. “They lack the faith that’s necessary, a lack of commitment and a have a certain degree of fear.”

Beyond the guilt some fathers may feel, many don’t understand the impact their absence has on their children.

“What I found is those who grew up without fathers, in some ways may not even know they have been impacted by it,” Brown says. “At the core there’s a certain longing and desire to learn know more about themselves and what could’ve been.”

Brown hopes his documentary will change the way people view parenting, and specifically fatherhood.

He says he expects it to provide an opportunity to add dialogue and serious thought on how parents are raising the next generation.

“Not only does a good father provide a good example of what we can anticipate in terms of dealing with the world, he also gives us a sense of confidence, certainty and information,” Brown says.

“A good father is someone who is strong in his faith and understands that they have been tasked with creating and having a vision for his family and going everything is his power to provide the necessary resources,” he adds. “It requires a great deal of sacrifice.”

From Fatherless to Fatherhood will debut nationwide on the Aspire Network on Sunday, June 16^th at 8 p.m.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

Watch the trailer here:

My father recalled how as a young GI returning from England with his British bride he was limited in the number of bases where he could be stationed. It was assumed that my biracial mother was a white woman married to a black airman and that took the South off the table in 1958.

“Unequal marriage laws were the reason you and your older brothers were born in Maine,” my father told me. It was a simple statement of fact and it banged into my heart sideways. It had never occurred to me and even now I can’t pinpoint the cause of the peculiar disorientation his words left me with.

Father relates Jim Crow to marriage equality struggle

This prejudice, that still existed when I was born in 1965, was costly to the military. My father had top clearances, but couldn’t move to where his background would have been best suited. He was one of countless GIs who married overseas and he joked that they had dubbed the bases where these international couples were clustered as the “Little UN.”

My father is a perfect barometer for our country’s shift on equal rights when it comes to marriage. He has experienced first hand the cruel Jim Crow system. He’s seen the villainous racism that drove his father out of Mississippi to Staten Island. My grandfather was unwilling to teach his children not to make eye contact with white people and knew the South was not safe for an unbroken spirit. That my father, who struggled with the fact that I am gay when I came out decades ago, sees this clear corollary is telling about how far that understanding has travelled in America.

Now, as we await a Supreme Court decision, lawyers ponder what an end to a federal DOMA will mean state by state. Some suggest that those of us who live in states with constitutional bans may still be denied key federal protections. In Florida, gay couples married elsewhere, but living in Florida, will still be prevented from accessing many federal benefits according to National Center for Lesbian Rights attorney Shannon Minter. For example, if I wanted to take time off of work to take care for my ill spouse, the state law banning gays from marriage would block my access to the Federal Family Medical Leave Act.

Working to make Florida a fairer state

I grew up in Florida. It has been my home since third grade. I can’t tell you anything from memory about Maine and I’m sure I don’t pronounce Bangor correctly. I am a southerner from the Florida panhandle and I’ve spent my entire adult life working to make this state a safe place for me, people like me and now for my wife and child.

And it is better than it was when I was a child when the homophobic slurs I heard came as often from adults as from students in my school. And better than it was in 1997 when we formed Equality Florida and only four cities had any legal protections at all. It is better today in many ways but I am impatient for change, for full equality because I have to think about my child and my spouse and know that we have done all we can to protect each other.

I have never considered leaving Florida. Not even after six out of ten Floridians voted to deny my marriage in 2008. I’m grateful to those who fought before me to carve out the ground I’ve stood on to fight for equal rights. But I find myself less patient for change now.

Becoming a parent inspires fight for rights

Perhaps it is being a parent. My wife gave birth to our son in Burlington, Vermont, the same city we were married in. It meant that my name would be on the birth certificate and that when we took the extra precaution of having me legally adopt my son, Vermont would not treat me like a stranger. I do not want another 15 years to pass to celebrate scattered victories.

As we await the Supreme Court’s decision, I’m aware that some will make the decision to leave Florida when DOMA falls or will decide not to move here to begin with. I feel called to do my part while I hold one of the batons. But I know I’ll have to explain to my son one day that, “Unequal marriage laws were the reason you were born in Vermont.”

Nadine Smith is the founding executive director for Equality Florida, the largest statewide LGBT advocacy group in Florida, and has worked in progressive movements for more than 20 years.

“You can’t describe the feeling when you learn that your loved one has been lost. That’s like …” Martin says before trailing off. As the case plays out in court, both parents say they’re fighting a daily battle to preserve the memory of the Trayvon they knew, and to not let him become a media caricature.

“I think one of things that everybody seems to overlook is the fact that, OK, that was our child,” Martin said Wednesday, in a telephone interview with theGrio. “So whatever your opinion is of him, that’s your opinion. At the end of the day that was our child, and we knew our child and we loved him. And no matter what you try to say about him, [or] how you try to spin his image, or you try to assassinate his character, we know his character, we know his image, and it’s up to us to not let you smear him.”

A battle of images

Zimmerman says he shot Martin, who was unarmed, in self-defense after Martin attacked him. Zimmerman, who was a neighborhood watch volunteer, called the non-emergency police line to report seeing someone suspicious as he drove through the gated community in Sanford where he lived.

The shooting has become a matter of political polarization, particularly after President Obama told a news conference last year that if he had a son, “he would look like Trayvon.” It has pierced the cultural landscape: pro athletes, celebrities and members of congress have donned hoodies, introduced resolutions, and reached out to the family, making Martin’s death a symbol of what some see as the profiling of young, black men, and disparate treatment by police. Zimmerman’s attorney, Mark O’Mara, has repeatedly said that “race should not be a factor in the George Zimmerman case and should never have been made one.”

O’Mara has also pushed back against the photographic depiction of Martin in the press — a timeline of photos provided by the family: a young Trayvon Martin skiing, or in his football uniform, or receiving a kiss on the cheek from his dad, or horseback riding at Fulton’s birthday party in a picture taken just a week before his death. And there’s the ubiquitous black and white closeup “hoodie” picture that has shown up on T-shirts and murals, and protest signs, and which peers out from “Justice for Trayvon” signs hung in the windows of some of the black barbershops, bars and stores in Sanford. They are snapshots from a mother’s memory of her son. The defense team has said the images paint a misleading picture of the person George Zimmerman encountered on that rainy night last February 26th.

The defense has its own montage: grainy video stills from the security camera at the 7-11 where Martin bought the Skittles candy and Arizona iced tea that were found with his gray hoodie. Texts and photos from Martin’s cell phone, posted to the defense website, that show the teen blowing smoke out of his mouth, or wearing a removable gold “grill.” Circuit Judge Debra Nelson ruled the texts and images could not be used in the defense’s opening statements when the trial begins.

O’Mara later apologized on the Zimmerman legal defense website for mischaracterizing a video from the phone, which he had said during a court hearing showed Martin taping two friends beating up a homeless man. The video showed two men fighting over a bike. O’Mara said the purpose of the video was not to smear the dead teen, but rather to authenticate his voice. (Both parents insist the voice heard on the fight tape is not Martin’s.) But O’Mara makes no apologies about doing what he feels is necessary to defend his client, saying that if prosecutors “open the door” while putting on their case, Florida law could allow him to explore Trayvon Martin’s background.

Worse than what has emerged through the legal process, the family’s lawyers say, have been the often anonymous attacks on websites, describing Trayvon Martin as a thug and a drug dealer, or circulating a photo that was supposed to be of Martin, but was actually the 28-year-old, heavily-tattooed rapper The Game. In March, Zimmerman’s older brother Robert, tweeted a comparison between Martin and a Georgia teen, De’Marquise Elkins, who is accused of shooting a toddler to death after asking the child’s mother for money. He later apologized, and blamed the outburst on the “liberal media.” A Florida man last May claimed to have sold out of targets depicting a hooded figure holding iced tea and Skittles. And a former chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, Todd Kincannon, posted a series of offensive tweets on Super Bowl Sunday, including one saying Trayvon Martin deserved to be “put down like a rabid dog.”

On Tuesday, Harry Houck, a former New York police detective and FoxNews.com commentator said during an online discussion of the case that “Trayvon Martin would be alive today if he didn’t have a street attitude…”

“You sit back and you evaluate how much energy you spend in trying to correct [those] things,” Tracy Martin said. “So right now I feel that as a father I’m trying to clean up a lot of the negativity that’s being publicized about Tray, and the reason I feel I have to do that is because I know that that wasn’t Trayvon’s image, and that’s not what he was about. And as a father, the things that you instill in your child … you just can’t let that be tarnished by whatever the opposition wants to… kind of spray him with.”

Next: Like ‘two peas in a pod’

Tracy Martin has been preparing for his second Father’s Day without the son family members and Trayvon Martin’s former football coach have described as so close to his father, they were “like two peas in a pod.”

The elder Martin was a fixture at football practice at Forzano park in Miramar, the town next door to where Fulton lived, and where Trayvon was a standout player for the Wolverines. Wolverines coach Jerome Horton told USA Today in December that the elder Martin would make his son sit out games when he broke a rule or messed up in school. And Martin often brags of how a 9-year-old Trayvon saved him from a fire in his apartment by calling 911.

Martin had taken his son to Sanford as part punishment, part cooling off period, after the teen was suspended from school following the discovery of a baggy in his backpack that contained marijuana residue. Tracy Martin’s girlfriend, with whom he and Trayvon were staying in Sanford, has a son, then 14 years old, and some of the phone texts released by the defense were from Tracy Martin, telling his son to be a big brother to the younger boy. The boy told television interviewers last year that Trayvon asked if he wanted anything from the store during a break in the NBA All Star Game, and that the Skittles were for him.

Tracy Martin and his girlfriend had gone out to dinner, and left the boys at her townhouse. Martin’s sister-in-law has said that when Martin called family members to break the news that Trayvon was dead, he simply broke down sobbing, “my baby gone, my baby gone…”

Now, Martin and Fulton are learning how to grieve in the glare of the public spotlight. And they’re trying to find some meaning in it.

“For dads that are in my place I would tell them, hold on to God, be encouraged, there is a light at the end of the dark tunnel,” says Martin. “This is a long journey, and a long process, and along the way you find out a lot of things, mostly about yourself.”

“As strong as we are as human beings, there’s always a breaking point in all of us,” he says. “But this tragedy has seemed to bring me closer to myself, and to realizing that there’s a bigger purpose out there, and what I stand for. And right now that bigger purpose is to serve and get justice for Trayvon.”

‘We decided to have a legacy for Trayvon’

Martin and Fulton divorced in 1999, but in the wake of their son’s death, they have become a constant presence together. They appear, side-by-side, in court, in churches, and in front of banks of television cameras each time they walk out of the Sanford courthouse to react to the day’s events. They’ve started a foundation in their son’s name, and Sybrina has spent much of her time, when not in court hearings, and with Martin when he’s not on the road — traveling the country to advocate against “Stand Your Ground” gun laws like the Florida statute cited by Sanford police in their initial decision not to arrest Zimmerman. A task force appointed by Florida’s governor last year concluded without recommending any changes to Florida’s self-defense gun law.

Fulton and Martin are undeterred.

“We decided to have a legacy for Trayvon, to try to help other families,” Fulton said of the foundation, saying its overall purpose is to help “victims of senseless gun violence.”

She says that when their son was killed, they were lucky enough to find “a strong legal team that kind of gave us direction.” Crump and his law partner, Darryl Parks, and Sanford attorney Natalie Jackson, are often stitched to the couple’s side. And Crump is fiercely protective, especially of Fulton, with the press. Fulton said other families might not be so lucky, and that more than legal advice, families in their position need someone to talk to who understands what no parent should.

“We want to just try to help, even if its just words of encouragement.” She said. After the trial, they plan to put together a national conference call for families who’ve experienced a loss due to gun violence, “so we can speak amongst each other, and we can pray for each other.”

“We kind of know what each other are going through,” she said of the families they’ve already talked to. “And that [helps] out a great deal because it’s hard talking to someone and they have no clue of just the journey that you’ve been on. But somebody that’s in your same shoes, thats going through some of the same things that you’re going through, you can relate to them a little better.”

Fulton said one of the families they’ve been in touch with are the parents of Jordan Davis, the 17-year-old who was shot to death in Jacksonville, Florida last November after 45-year-old Michael David Dunn allegedly fired multiple shots into the car carrying Davis and three friends, following a dispute at a gas station over their loud music. Dunn is charged with first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. He has pleaded not guilty, claiming he felt threatened by the teens. Fulton said they reached out to Davis’ parents “just to show them that we are in support of them and that we stand with them.”

The foundation keeps Fulton busy. She is on extended leave from her job after co-workers donated their sick and comp time to her last year. And she finds ways to talk about her loss publicly. During an interview last December, she told Essence.com she was on an “emotional roller coaster.”

“He had just turned 17 a few days before he was killed,” she told Essence. “I remember how much he was looking forward to senior picture day. I won’t ever get a chance see those moments; to see his high school graduation picture, his prom pictures, his wedding pictures. I won’t get that experience. It’s still difficult to swallow because Trayvon had his whole life ahead of him. Seventeen years just seems so short to me, but I do thank God for the time that he did give me with him.”

Today, she and Tracy Martin are trying to focus on the future, and the good they hope they can do for other families.

“Our teenager has no voice any longer,” she says, “so as a parent, I feel it is necessary for us to speak on his behalf.”

Fulton and Martin are often flanked by pastors, from Sanford, and from Fulton’s Miami church, both in and out of court. Fulton often refers to her strong belief in God.

“It just helps to know that you’re not standing there by yourself,” she says. “And that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is a higher being and that there is somebody that sits high and is looking low and that is watching all of this, and that’s helping you stand up because even just a normal day isn’t normal anymore.”

Follow Joy Reid on Twitter at @thereidreport

VIDEO: Medgar’s murder at 50

Now, Evers Williams is revealing new information about the days leading up to the June 12, 1963 murder. In an interview with Make It Plain’s Matsimela Mapfumo (Mark Thompson), Evers talked about her husband’s emotional reaction to the NAACP denying extra security for him and his family, even as he became number one on the “kill list” of Mississippi white supremacist groups. And she revealed that the current leader of the NAACP offered her an apology on behalf of the civil rights organization.

“This is something that I have just revealed publicly in this 50th Anniversary, where representatives from the NAACP national office were visiting [ackson, MS],” an emotional Evers Williams told Thompson. “And some of the leaders asked for support, financial support to help hire someone or ones to be with Medgar to better secure his safety. And I know the quote from memory from that time, and it was, ‘We have better things to do with our money than to pay someone to be with him.’ That I will never forget. That I have not revealed until this time and this moment. And I’m glad that I have the strength to say it, because it speaks to the difficulty that we as people had during that particular time and how everybody did not think the same way.”

“I know Medgar, in his fatigue, came home that night after that discussion, and sat down and cried,” she continued. “He was very hurt by it, but he had made his decision. And the message was that the national NAACP did not care about him. They just wanted more memberships and what not. Being his wife and the mother of his children, I asked God to help me relieve that from my heart. But up until this point I have never been able to let go of that.”

Discussing a recent NAACP Board luncheon in Jackson, Evers Williams said that current NAACP President Ben Jealous “put his speech aside, and he stood there and he said, ‘I have an apology to make.’ And he apologized to me and my daughter and other family members for what the Association leadership, top leadership said to Medgar and the way they treated him. And how very shortly after that, just a few days, he was taken from us. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the place at that time. Because people didn’t know. It’s something only a few of us knew. I never wanted to hurt the organization in any way.”

Listen to an excerpt of the “Make it Plain” interview:

And hear the entire interview:

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Ne-Yo has two young children. Madilyn Grace is two and a half-years-old, and Mason Evan is one and a half-years-old.

“I’m going to go home and just be home,” Ne-yo said. “Whenever holidays roll around where I can just be home, that’s all I really want to do.”

The “Let Me Love You” artist is busy working on a number of projects. He is currently working on his sixth studio album, which will be “predominantly R&B.” In addition, he is set to release a new single this Tuesday, June 18th, with UK pop star Cher Lloyd.  The two paired up to write a song for Fruttare Fruit Bars, based on social media responses about the company’s slogan: “It’s All Good.”

Ne-Yo has also been tapped to create original music for TLC’s comeback album.  The album coincides with VH1′s production of the TLC biopic,  Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story, due out this November.

The singer opened up about what Father’s Day means to him. “Being a man who did not necessarily grow up with his father, to me being a father is just being there,” he said. “For whatever. Being there for everything and being there for nothing.”

“I can’t tell you how many times my mom had to take on the role of dad, and I never want my kids to go through that,” Ne-Yo said.

He said that he wants his kids to have fond memories of growing up and remember it as a positive experience.

Even though he is traveling a lot for work, Ne-Yo said he wants his kids to “look back and go, ‘he wasn’t there all the time but he was there when I needed him.  That’s good enough for me.”

The “Miss Independent” singer said he looks forward to hanging out on the couch and watching TV. “[My children] just like to jump on dad with really hard soled shoes,” he said.

Follow Carrie Healey on Twitter @CarrieHeals. 

The city expected thousands of protesters to fill a so-called “free speech zone” set up outside of the courthouse. But only about a dozen people showed up on opening day Monday, the first day of the trial. Just a handful of people have gathered there each day since.

Seats reserved for public spectators in the courtroom have been largely empty on most days. And even local activists who played a role in planning the large rallies and protests that engulfed Sanford after Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin last year say they are reserving their energy for when testimony begins in the case.

“Once jury selection is over we’ll all be down there,” said activist Francis Oliver.

Read more at tv.msnbc.com.

The author and executive director of a Georgia-based performing arts center says his role as an active dad is the one of the greatest accomplishments in his life.

“I am passionate about parenting,” says Manuel. “I am a father first. I am raising future fathers and future husbands. I am preparing them for that life.”

Manuel, who is college-educated, is just one of many African-American men committed to being responsible fathers. Although he acknowledges that countless do fail their children he says there are great fathers around who can be found rooting for their kids “at the soccer or baseball field.”

In fact, Manuel felt so compelled to counter the media’s fixation with the absentee black father in 2007 he self-published a book honoring African-American fathers.

I Am A Father: Celebrating African American Fathers comprises of moving testimonies of how the positive influence of a father has had an undeniable impact. Presented through interviews with the children, the offspring of Sidney Poitier, Morgan Freeman, the late Ossie Davis and many more tell their uplifting stories.

Manuel was inspired to start the book project during his time as an Atlanta Public Schools educator. “At the particular school I was at many of the kids were fatherless.”

It also did not help that the school was a stone’s throw away from the state prison and students had their father’s or family members incarcerated there, says Manuel who now runs the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center in DeKalb County, Georgia.

In fact, aside from media hype according to the U.S. Census Bureau, 24 million children in America — one out of three — live without their biological father in the home.

Studies also indicate that children who spend quality time with their fathers tend to do better in all areas of their lives.

“The biggest problem is that when men get divorced they divorce the kids. It doesn’t mean you have to divorce the kids,” says Manuel.

Manuel himself is divorced and has primary custody of his sons, Blake, 15, and 19-year-old Branden. After 18 years of marriage, he and his now ex-wife amicably decided to go their separate ways 3 years ago.

“In an ideal world they [children] need both parents. We have so much respect for each other we are able to overcome our differences and successfully co-parent. The kids didn’t miss a beat in either of our lives.”

Lamar Tyler, who along with his wife Ronnie runs the award-winning blog BlackandMarriedWithKids.com, says, “A great father is not only a financial provider but also a spiritual and emotional provider for his children as well.”

“There is definitely an issue in the African American community when it comes to responsible fatherhood but at times we let that overcome all of the amazing fathers we do have that are doing a great job of raising their children, “ adds Tyler.

“Instead of pointing the fingers at those who are not parenting let’s lift up those who are in an attempt to show what’s right. Perhaps this will make others aspire to assume their responsibilities when they see the true benefits of Fatherhood.”

Follow Kunbi Tinuoye on Twitter at @Kunbiti

Prostate cancer occurs in African-American men 60 percent more often than Caucasian men, and when they are diagnosed, it’s more likely to be in advance stages.

African-Americans get screened and tested at the same rate as White Americans — 52 percent — however more black men get the disease. But what about the other 48 percent of African-American males in the prime age group? Why are they avoiding getting screened?

Men avoid seeing the doctor

“Men don’t get tested if we think we don’t think anything is wrong,” says Larry Green, facilitator of the African-American Prostate Cancer Support Group at Lincoln Community Center in Durham, North Carolina.

This poses a challenge, because prostate cancer warning signs are subtle.

“Prostate cancer typically doesn’t have any symptoms which is why screening and testing are so important. It is often considered as a silent killer,” says Stanley Frencher Jr. MD, MPH, who is chief resident in urology at Yale University.

Sexual identity

For some men, there is a reluctance to be screened due to how they view themselves.

“Some of the treatment for prostate cancer will impact sexual function, so men avoid treatment,” explains Thomas Farrington, founder and president of the Prostate Health Education Network (PHEN), who is also a prostate cancer survivor.

As a result, some men have decided to live with the results.

“Men make a trade off of dealing with the disease versus not feeling like a man,” adds Green.

And it doesn’t help that, going through it or survived it, men are very reluctant to talk about prostate cancer.

“There is a personal factor involved where men don’t want to hear bad news,” says Frencher.

Not expected to care

In May 2012, the United States Preventive Services Task Force has recommended against Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) based screening for Prostate Cancer. This was done to reduce misdiagnosis and overtreatment. However, according to some, it has decreased the public’s awareness of this deadly disease.

“The controversy surrounding the accuracy of PSA screenings and Digital Rectal Exams combined with the reluctance of men going to the doctor in the first place has put a lot of men off from seeing the doctor,” says Frencher.

Two of the initial screenings done for prostate cancer are PSA and rectal exams. A number of men have felt that a rectal examination — using a doctor’s finger — is too invasive and often avoid it.

“A lot of men will get the PSA screen, but they will object to getting the [rectal exam] despite the consequences,” says Green.

theGrio: Most common male cancer kills black men more

The cost is too high

Some men are still unwilling to go through with the surgery. Two of the major side effects are impotence, and incontinence, both of which can be permanent.

“[Men] think if they get a diagnosis and have surgery they won’t be a man anymore because they can’t get it up. It doesn’t take many stories to get that fear [of getting screened] out there” explains Green.

Furthermore, due to the socioeconomic status, lack of medical insurance plays a role in why they more men aren’t being screened.

“African-American and Latino men are less likely to have insurance which means they are less likely to have primary care and less likely to have any type of screening,” says Frencher.

Public perception is reality

Some African-American men still harbor resentment over how African-Americans were treated in the past.

“There is still a mistrust of the healthcare system that has resulted from the Tuskegee Studies with syphilis and the feeling of being a guinea pig,” says Frencher.

Adding the present statistics with the historical past have made some African-American males think twice about getting screened and treated.

“Since African-American get it at a 60 percent higher rate than other ethnic groups and twice the death rate, being diagnosed at younger age, you put all of that together and a lot of African-Americans feel as if they are being experimented on,” explains Frencher.

What can be done to increase the numbers of men who are screened?

Education and awareness are two places to target.

“Quite frankly, there is a lot of confusion about prostate cancer so education and awareness are the biggest things.”

The PHEN network has worked with churches to increase awareness of prostate cancer in the community by sending out information, podcasts and having their members share their own stories about living with prostate cancer.

In addition, PHEN is having their 5th annual Father’s Day Rally Against Prostate Cancer.  Over 300 churches nationwide are taking part in this event. Frencher still feels more should be done.

“Churches are a great place to start but what about the men who don’t attend church? You have to reach them in other areas such as barbershops, elk clubs, lodges, fraternity meetings.”

Frencher also feels that prostate cancer is often overshadowed by other, more publicized, cancers.

“Breast cancer has very similar numbers to prostate cancer but you hear a lot more about it and people consider that to be much more of a disease than prostate cancer in spite of the numbers,” explains Frencher.

Change public policy

A study from the National Cancer Institute has shown, that in spite of the criticism of PSA screening, over 1.3 million men were found to have prostate cancer by doing PSA screenings who would have otherwise been caught unaware.

“PSA screenings should intensively screen men at increased risk which [include] African-American men and all men with relatively high PSA levels in their 40s,” says Dr. Gerald Andriole, chief of urologic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In response to the new recommendations by USPSTF, a government task force, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network released a statement stating that PSA screening had “advantages and disadvantages” and that there are no right answers. Suggesting that each man should make an informed and knowledgeable decision about whether the test is best for them.

“Knowledge is the best defense against prostate cancer,” says Farrington.

It’s not just patients that need to become more aware and educated, Frencher says, but doctors as well.

“[Health care] providers need to be more consistent in their message when educating patients. Sending mixed messages will only confuse the patients,” explains Frencher.

More research, technology and advancements may ultimately help with the tough decisions.

“The better the tools to diagnose [prostate cancer], the better we can identify which men should take that risk [of incontinence and impotence] in order to extend their life and have a higher quality of life,” says Frencher.

Dr. Terrance McGill is an aspiring family physician with a passion for writing and increasing health awareness in the community. He recently completed his master’s in public health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Looking back on memorable films and television shows, there are several characters that stand out as unforgettable fathers.

Here are our picks for the top 10 dads we wish we had.

The Grammy-winning performer, who has released five studio albums, is the father of six boys.  Yet, despite his busy schedule – which currently includes work on a Christmas album and collaboration with Drake on an upcoming song – Hamilton puts his family on the forefront.

As the patriarchal leader of a clan of young boys who range in age from 1 to 24, Hamilton only hopes to continue to provide the proper support and guidance to rear his six sons into strong and respectable men.

“I’ve seen it all,” Hamilton tells theGrio in a phone interview. “I’ve experienced every level of fatherhood you can imagine. And along the way, I’ve instilled the right type of fear and morals, it’s been beautiful.”

The lessons, importance of being a father

For Hamilton, fatherhood has been a blessing – a journey that he says has taught him how to be a better man, father and husband.

“I’ve learned to have a lot of patience, I’ve also learned where I lack as a man and a father and where I’ve matured with each child,” he says. “I’ve seen my growth. Understanding myself and them is the most beautiful thing.”

Hamilton says that fatherhood has exposed him to many lessons that have helped to make him the man he is today– a dad who understands the importance of the influence he has on his children and how that will help shape the men they will one day become.

“The best part of fatherhood is seeing someone who resembles you and watching them sleep and be with you for however long God allows and we’re connected the whole time. It’s so beautiful to see, just watching them grow,” he says.

Aside from the experiences fatherhood has exposed him to, Hamilton says he hopes his children also pick up a few key lessons along the way.

“I hope that they learn that anything is possible and that they have faith in God and themselves and that that alone can help them exceed any expectations,” he says. “I hope that they learn that love is always available and that they should always seek it. I hope they learn balance in working extremely hard and learning how to take time out to enjoy it.”

From fatherless to fatherhood

Growing up in Charlotte, NC, Hamilton discovered his talent at a young age and began singing in his church choir at 10 years old.

He built a strong connection with music and religion during this time – but admits that his bond with his biological father was not as strong.

“Most of his attention went elsewhere instead of focusing on me like I really wanted to,” he says. “For close to 12 years I didn’t even call him. I ended up getting adopted at 15, into a family with a mother and father who were really loving and nurturing and from there I was able to heal a lot and have that father figure show me and guide me.”

After not being present for much of his childhood, Hamilton says his adoptive parents more than filled the void of his biological father’s absence.

More than a decade passed since Hamilton communicated with his dad – and while his mother encouraged him to reach out, he says he never felt the need to do so.

It wasn’t until he met and married his wife in 2005 that Hamilton was finally convinced to reconnect with his father.

“My wife wanted to meet my biological father,” he says. “She wanted to identify where I came from, so I called him.”

Reuniting, rekindling and reconnecting

Hamilton describes that moment as one he will never forget – he says that it was a key moment in his life that allowed him to “feel free.”

“I felt like a kid, I was shocked. He created me and I hadn’t seen him in a long time. I wanted that relationship the whole time and I told him I loved him,” Hamilton says. “I told him I was getting married and he said he’ll be there and he came.”

Now, the two men have formed a strong friendship and Hamilton says they talk often. Many of their conversations revolve around sharing “real stuff” he says – including discussions on health, sports and some of the other interests they share.

Hamilton isn’t the only one who is gratified by re-establishing this relationship. He explains that his children are also pleased that they can now get to know their grandfather.

“They like the fact that my biological father is there and that they have access to him,” he says. “They get to see where their dad comes from, it deepens the bond between us all, God created the mold for who we are as men it’s an honor to have them all here.”

Marriage: It takes two

Hamilton credits his wife, Tarsha McMillian, in providing the support and encouragement to reach out to his father.

Among other things, he also acknowledges her for being an amazing mother to their two-year-old twins, Nolan and Aaron.

The couple has been married for 8 years and welcomed their “Hamiltwins” in November of 2010 along with another baby boy, Princeton, 11 months ago. Hamilton’s three other children, Anthony, Romero, and Tristen are from previous relationships.

McMillian, who is also a talented singer, met Hamilton at an audition to be one of his background singers.

Over the years, Hamilton’s love and respect for McMillian has only grown and he says that their adoration for each other has transformed into a relationship built on a foundation of faith.

“[It’s about] having a connection with God and understanding what this person means to you and keeps you in the fight,” he says. “It’s not easy and it’s been challenging, not only for me but for her. We have to reassure each other and I have to stay on my toes and stay prayed up or I fall prey to. I have to really stay with my fist in God’s hand. It’s not an easy [thing]. It’s real.”

A nod of approval

Despite any challenges, Hamilton admires many qualities in McMillian that he says help to make him a better person – which makes their story a great addition to a new anthology by Gil Robertson, titled Where Did Our Love Go: Love and Relationships in the African American Community.

In discussing the importance of understanding his spouse, Hamilton acknowledges many of her personal attributes – and the qualities he believes she admires in him – that makes their marriage the strong pillar in their family.

“I admire her willingness to fight for me, she’s very forgiving, she’s about family, she’s loyal, she’s incredible,” he says. “She admires my willingness to be an individual my fight to keep my identity and not apologize for it. The way I love, my heart, the way I love people and my kids.”

Hamilton says becoming a husband was a key moment in his life – a moment that he wanted to share with his children to teach them some of the the power and responsibilities of manhood.

In the end, he just hopes he passes the test of fatherhood with approval.

“When I became a husband I feel like that was something necessary for them to see. I felt like I showed them how to be a man,” he says. “Hopefully, at the end of it all of they’ll say you did good, dad. You did alright.”

For this Father’s Day, Hamilton wrote a touching and honest note specifically addressed to his sons, exclusively for theGrio:

Hello big guys. It’s your father here. I just wanted you all to know how much it means having you all in my life. 6 boys! Wow!!! I’ve learned so much through each and every one of you and it’s such a beautiful lesson. You all have taught me to be patient, which with age is a constant struggle when you all move around so much. Makes me a beautiful grump. I thank God for allowing me to be the type of father that you guys need. One who is open with all your truths. Not judging you, but accepting you all in your purest moments…self. One of the highlights of my life is being your dad. Even if I fail sometimes, I promise to correct it as soon as it’s recognized. I can’t begin to express how much you all mean to me. But just know without each and every one of you, I’d be missing out on everything that’s beautiful, amazing and capable. In the meantime, I’ll be loving you all from the sideline as I watch the most beautiful movie ever made: My Fatherhood. I Love you all, Dad.

Follow Lilly Workneh @Lilly_Works

Despite that, more than two dozen potential jurors interviewed individually by prosecutors and defense attorneys during the past week were told to return to a Florida courthouse next week for further questioning.

The dismissed juror — who described himself as a musician and painter — said he was concerned about losing his privacy. He pointed to the jury assembly room and said “Do they know what they’re in for?” according to a report from the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.

He was given a trespass warning and told not to return until after the trial, which was expected to last two to four weeks after a jury is chosen. During questioning on Thursday, the judge asked him if he had posted on Facebook about the case and he replied yes. He was told he could leave the courtroom a short time later.

The sides must agree on six jurors and four alternates. Zimmerman, a 29-year-old former neighborhood watch volunteer, is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming he shot Trayvon Martin in self-defense.

Before lunch, Judge Debra Nelson told 23 candidates to return Tuesday and she did the same to an additional six potential jurors before ending the day Friday. She asked them not to discuss the case or selection process with anyone.

Court spokesman Michelle Kennedy, however, said a tally she had received from the judge put the number of potential jurors called back at 28.

Of the 29 candidates, 19 are white; six are black; two are Hispanic; one describes himself as mixed race; and one is Asian-American. The racial and ethnic makeup of potential jurors is relevant because prosecutors claim Zimmerman profiled 17-year-old Martin when he followed him through his gated community shortly before the unarmed teen was fatally shot. The case prompted public outrage, as some critics believed authorities initially didn’t investigate the case thoroughly because Martin was a black teen from the Miami area.

The potential jurors asked to return were overwhelmingly female and middle-aged.

After Friday’s court session ended, defense attorney Mark O’Mara said he was confident he could pick a jury in Seminole County.

“Personally, I’m very happy about that,” O’Mara said. “We’re making good progress that jurors, for the most part are being honest and straight-forward.”

Defense investigators were able to uncover the Facebook posting by the dismissed juror. O’Mara said he was worried about possible “stealth jurors,” who want to sit on the jury with ulterior motives.

“It could have easily gotten by us,” O’Mara said.

Race-related questions came up regularly during jury candidate interviews on Friday.

During questioning of a potential juror Friday, O’Mara specifically asked a man in his 20s who identified as mixed race what his racial background was. The man said German, Filipino, Chinese and Spanish.

Later in the day, a middle-aged black man who works in a school described his family and friends’ reaction to Martin’s death as “typical,” given a history of violence against African-American men in the U.S.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys want to build a pool of 40 potential jurors who have been screened for any influence of pretrial publicity before they move to a second round of questioning. Attorneys had interviewed 41 potential jurors over five days by midafternoon on Friday.

At least 75 potential jurors already have been dismissed.

A 44-day delay in Zimmerman’s arrest led to protests around the nation. Some questioned whether the Sanford Police Department was investigating the case seriously since Martin was a black teen from the Miami area. Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.

Attorneys need to find six jurors and four alternates. In Florida, 12 jurors are required only for criminal trials involving capital cases, when the death penalty is being considered.

The judge said Thursday that jurors picked to serve will be sequestered during the two weeks to a month that the trial will last. They will have limited contact with their families, they will spend the night at a hotel and their actions will be monitored by court security outside the courtroom during the duration of the trial.

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

The team captured its first title last October, defeating the Minnesota Lynx 87-78 and bringing home Indiana’s first basketball title since 1973.

Obama said the Fever’s season was an inspiration for basketball fans everywhere, including his daughter, whose team he sometimes coaches.

He pointed out that the Fever came into the playoffs as underdogs and had lost to the Lynx during the regular season, then rallied to take the championship.

“For her to have wonderful role models like this who work hard and know how to play like a team, are incredibly poised, are competitors but also show good sportsmanship, that’s the kind of models you want for your children,” Obama said.

It was the team’s second trip to the WNBA finals in the history of the franchise. The Fever lost its first shot at the title in 2009 to the Phoenix Mercury 94-86.

Last year’s championship gave series MVP Tamika Catchings, 33, who scored 25 points during the final game of the season, the only title she was missing on her resume.

“At every single stage of your life as you continue to grow … it’s your dream to win a championship,” said Catchings, who has three Olympic gold medals and a 1998 NCAA championship from her career at the University of Tennessee. “This tops everything you do.”

Obama joked about playing basketball with his “good friend” Catchings.

“I’ve had the pleasure of being on the court, and she took it easy on me,” he said laughing.

Catchings, who was born deaf, also assists first lady Michelle Obama with her anti-obesity campaign. She founded her own organization “Catch the Stars,” which promotes literacy, fitness and mentoring.

Following the remarks, and a ceremonial presentation of an Indiana jersey, hat and basketball to President Obama, the team hosted a clinic for about 40 children on the White House basketball court.

The recognition comes during a tough time for the Fever. Their current record of 1-4 marks their worst start since 2001.

“It’s a disappointing start,” Catchings told reporters afterward. “Right now our backs are against the wall we’ve got a lot of players injured and a lot of players out, but it’s a motivating factor being here and having this opportunity. We have to get refocused.”

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.