VergeNewMedia – This NBC News cameraman serves the real scoop on mainstream news and social media.

NYTimes Quotes Afrosphere Blogger – Props to JackandJillPolitics and thanks to WhatAboutOurDaughters for the link.

AllAboutRace – This is the newest blog on my roll. This post give a big shout out to US Olympic Swimmer Cullen Jones. He’s a gold medalist and teacher.

by A.man.I

Chicago Tribune reporter Howard Witt talks about the power of the Black blogosphere.

Interview by Leonard Witt (PJNet.org)

by A.man.I

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT DR. DONDA WEST
The death of Kanye West’s mother, Dr. Donda West has been getting covered extensively in the mainstream media, and throughout the blogosphere. TMZ.com has been all over the controversy tragedy.

As the “investigation continues,” fingers are being pointed at the cosmetic surgeon Dr. Jan Adams. Adams claims to be a “victim of sleaze.” It’s also been reported that Dr. West was advised not to undergo any cosmetic procedures.

AfroBella writes a thoughtful commentary on the issues related to cosmetic surgery, and this beautiful world we live in.

In an era when there’s Dr. 90210, Extreme Makeover, and Nip/Tuck, when plastic surgery is shown in television shows on a regular basis, it’s easy to think that it’s not that big of a deal to go under the knife. It’s generally depicted as the ultimate solution to a lifetime of self esteem issues. Rarely do those programs show the downside, the painful recoveries, the possible risks, the psychological damage. But surgery is still surgery, and there are always serious risks.

Kanye’s camp released the following statement:

Kanye West, his family and friends would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support and kind words that have come in from across the country since the death of his mother, Dr. Donda West.

Of course we won’t know what exactly went wrong until more information is released. Our thoughts are with you Kanye.

Donations to the family can be sent to:
www.KanyeWestFoundation.org or by mail at Kanye West Foundation, 8560 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, CA 90069.

COMMUNITY TO RALLY FOR DUNBAR VILLAGE
WhatAboutOurDaughters has launched an all out campaign to raise awareness about the Dunbar Village rape.

The blog’s creator Gina McCauley says the story has touched her personally.

This country simply cannot let a place like this exist. We can’t let a community that will ignore what surely were cries and screams emanating from that apartment with paper-thin walls. We can’t let a community that had to have at least one person seen a bleeding, beaten, blinded mother and son trudging out of their apartment, but didn’t lift a finger to offer a ride to the hospital or call a cab or maybe if 911 was too much of a stretch, they could have called 411.

Back in June, a 35-year-old woman was robbed by four teens, raped, then she and her son were forced to commit unspeakable acts with each other.

WhatAboutOurDaughters wants to know why people in the Dunbar Village community didn’t do more to help the woman during the incident, and why black leaders aren’t talking about it now.

Looks like WAOD is about to make some real noise about the issue according to this press release :

When Rev. Al Sharpton descends on the Department of Justice headquarters on Friday, November 16, 2007, he’ll be greeted by counter protesters asking why he and other African American leaders have refused to publicly comment on a horrific crime against humanity committed against a Black woman and her child in a housing project called Dunbar Village located in West Palm Beach, FL.

The counter protest has sparked some lively discussions on the message boards.

For more information about the counter protest visit this link.

BLOGGERS VS. BAISDEN
I’m not going to recap all the drama that’s been circulating in the blogos-air between radio talk show host Michael Baisden and Color of Change, but it even received some attention from DailyKos this week.

Plenty of bloggers have been highly critical of Mr. Baisden’s less than accurate comments about what ColorOfChange did with all the money it collected for the Jena 6 defense fund. AfroNetizen, AverageBro, and Eddie Griffin will bring you up to speed if ya missed this one.

by A.man.I

Here are a few blogs you should check out.

ThereAlready – That Girl Boo, Isaiah Too, and DP provide commentary on newsworthy community issues.

AfroSugar – A blog dedicated to black beauty.

DiscoverBlackHeritage – “The African American Heritage Travel Guide”

by A.man.I

BLOGGING FOR JUSTICE
AfroSpear Bloggers are working to raise awareness about two rape cases today in conjunction with AfricanAmericanPoliticalPundit and the Blogging for Justice campaign.

The incidents are the West Virginia rape case involving Megan Williams, and the gang rape that occurred in Florida where a woman was forced to have sex with her son.

Here are some of the details about each horrible situation, per the AfroSpear.

Megan Williams

Megan Williams thought she was going to a party. For more than a week, authorities say, the 20-year-old black woman was kept captive in a shed, tortured, beaten, forced to eat rat, dog and human feces, and raped by six white men and women who taunted her with racial slurs. “They just kept saying ‘This is what we do to niggers down here,’” Williams told The Associated Press in one of her most extensive interviews since the shocking case made national headlines last month.

A national march is being organized in West Virginia on November 3 to bring attention to case. Many people are wondering why the six suspects haven’t been charged with a hate crime.

Dunbar Village Rape

Hoping to steal money and jewelry, Avion Lawson, 14, said he and someone else wore masks when they entered the 35-year-old woman’s apartment that night, according to the documents. Once inside, Lawson said, he and his accomplice, whose name is blacked out on the report, encountered the woman in bed with three other masked males around her. Lawson told police he sexually assaulted her and stole two video games and a truck.

You can read more about the story here.
To make donations to assist the victims, please contact:
the Dunbar Village Victim Assistance Fund – St. Ann’s.
St. Ann’s Catholic Church
310 N. Olive Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33401

THE FREEDOM TECHNOLOGY CHRISTMAS
AfroSpear bloggers are asking that people give the gift of technology to children in the community this Christmas.

“The gift of communication technology like computers and webcams is the best gift that you can give your children and family, because it empowers them to educate and advocate for the Black community and for themselves,” said the African American Political Pundit. “Black blogging encourages writing skills and critical thinking, which are precisely the skills our children need,” said the African American Political Pundit.

HOT TOPIC
Several community groups in Philadelphia are outraged that Municipal Judge Teresa Carr Deni has dropped all rape and assault charges in the case of a woman gang-raped at gunpoint because the woman was a prostitute.

A press conference is scheduled at 1pm today at Philadelphia’s Criminal Justice Center. The folowing is a quote from a press release that was posted on the AfroSpear google group:

*All* women have the right to protection from violence. The idea that any woman is “asking for it” is a lie that we fought for decades to destroy. It is especially offensive to see it revived by a female judge, who reached her position as a result of the women’s movement and is now
using her power to deny justice to the most vulnerable women.

Looks like the judge who is female has landed herself in some hot water over the ruling. A campaign to remove her from her seat is now underway. Read more about it here.

by A.man.I

MARCH FOR MEGAN WILLIAMS

On November 3, 2007 a historic National March will take place in Charleston, West Virginia. This call to action is to support young Megan Williams, who is the victim of one of the worst hate crimes in United States history.

The March is also called to address an unacceptable rise in hate crimes and incidents of injustices currently perpetrated against Blacks or African Americans. On September 12, 2007, and in subsequent preliminary hearings, it was revealed that Megan Williams, a twenty year old Black Woman, was lured into a nearby Logan county trailer house of hatred.

Young Megan, who also has special disability needs, was repeatedly raped, choked, stabbed, forced to eat dog and rat feces as her six white tormentors berated her calling her nigger incessantly. According to evidence gathered, Megan was sodomized with a stick and a noose was tied around her neck for lengthy periods during this week long ordeal that is verified by several of co-defendants signed confessions.

This is an this ugly and outrageous ordeal. Prosecutors said. “Every time they stabbed her, they called her ‘nigger.” Carmen Williams, the mother, told The Charleston Gazette. “She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, ‘Mommy.’ What’s really, really bad is, we don’t know everything, and they did to her. She is crying all the time.” No doubt, had she not been rescued they were going to kill her and throw her in a nearby lake.

This march is being organized by Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ), the Support Committee For Megan Williams and will be endorsed by at least 100 Black organizations, student groups, clergy and leaders of every stripe.

When: Saturday November 3, 2007 12:00 noon

Location: Charleston, West Virginia. Beginning in front of West Virginia State University and Marching to the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston.

Contact: Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ) / Malik Shabazz, Esq.
Attorney/ advocate for Megan Williams and the Williams

THE COS HAS A NEW BOOK
Funny man and outspoken community critic Bill Cosby and author Bill Poussaint have released a new book called, “Come on People.”

Come On People is for all those who are tired of being used, neglected and undefended—folks who wish to see changes in their governments, their neighborhoods, on their streets and within the walls of their living spaces.

Learn more about it at BillCosby.com.

MYCHAL BELL IS BACK IN JAIL
CNN is reporting that “Jena 6″ student Mychal Bell has been ordered to spend 18 months in a juvenile facility for violating probation on prior juvenile convictions. Read all about it here.

by A.man.I

Talk from around the blogosphere.

TheFieldNegro – Here’s his take on the OJ Simpson story:

“On FAKE NEWS they are having multiple orgasms, and trotting out the usual suspects, like, I never used the “N” word Fuhrman, to tell us all about it. And to be fair, CNN is wall to wall with this s—- too. If you are a white person in America, who had to sit through that day when those Howard Law Students were cheering their asses off, this is your revenge. Dumb J has given you another bite of his black ass, and I am sure you are going to make sure that “justice is served” this time.”

ElectronicVillage – Shares some info about the top ten Black bloggers. Here’s the list as ranked by Technorati.
1. Paula Moody
2. Black Looks
3. Republic of T
4. Where The Hell Am I
5. Angry Black Woman
6. Angry Black Bitch
7. The Field Negro
8. Prometheus 6
9. Booker Rising
10. Race Wire

For a schedule of the NAACP march that’s scheduled in Jena Louisiana on Sept. 20, check out Tony’s Notes. Tony also posted the court ruling from Friday.

by A.man.I
via AfroSpear message board

Word is getting out about the Jena Six through the media, activists, and AfroSpear/Sphere bloggers, and as the sentencing date for Mychal Bell approaches, it seems the nation will be paying close attention.

The 17 year-old was found guilty of second degree aggravated battery and faces up to 15 years in prison in the case surrounding the high school fight involving six black students. Sentencing is set for September 20.

“On that date, thousands of demonstrators from across the nation are planning to descend on the town of 3,000 to protest against the prosecution of Bell and five other black youths who have come to be called the ‘Jena 6.’”

This week, CNN reported on events in Jena, Louisiana. NPR is also covering the story, and of course AfroSpear/Sphere bloggers are keeping a close eye on the latest developments.