Great News For Black Women!

With so much bad news presented in the media (especially reports always showcasing the bad apples in the black community) this comes as a breath of fresh air:

[For Harriet is reporting on a collection of data compiled by the National Center of Education Statistics from the US Census that reveals that for the first time in the history of the United States, black women have surpassed all other groups in terms of race and gender for the percentage of people who have enrolled in college. While this is an accomplishment to be proud of, Janks Morton, creator of the blockbuster film, “Hoodwinked,” cautions that it should not be forgotten that education in the United States generally comes with a hefty load of student loan debt, and that people need to be conscious of not taking on too much debt. According to a recent graphic published by Mother Jones, student loan debt surpasses all other debt held by borrowers including credit card and auto loan debt.

In a recent episode of the web series, “Truths You Won’t Believe,” Morton discusses the fact that despite the misconceptions and stereotypes perpetuated by the media about African American women, half of all black women between the ages of 18 and 24 are now pursuing degrees. The 2011 data shows that overall, 9.7 percent of all black women are enrolled in college. Asian women come in second at 8.7 percent, followed by Asian men at 8.4 percent, white women at 7.1 percent, black men at 7 percent, Hispanic women at 6.6 percent, and white men at 6.1 percent. Since 1990, the number of African Americans who have earned bachelor’s degrees has risen from 11.3 percent to 19.6 percent. The average enrollment for the entire U.S. population is 6.9 percent. The increase for black women represents a 31 percent rise from data reported in 2000. This means that African American women are now the most educated segment of the American population. These statistics also indicate that, despite the fact that African Americans face multi-layered social, economic, and educational disparities, there is a silver lining in the fact that so many African American women are succeeding.]source

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Rachel Dolezal Gets Schooled ... Again

I have to admit I don't watch shows like The View or The Real because I can't stand the way they all talk over one another and rudely cut each other off mid sentence; however, I'm glad to have seen the following snippet where Loni Love takes Rachel Dolezal to task about this foolery she keeps spewing about thinking she's black. Loni quickly schools Rachel on the difference between really being black and pretending to be black:

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You'll Never Look At A Penny The Same

There's an old saying that says every little bit matters and no one knows that better than Otha Anders. His story is proof positive that when it comes to money every little bit eventually adds up to a nice chunk of change:

[Anders said he found his first penny lying on the ground and it reminded him to pray and give thanks. “I became convinced that spotting a lost or dropped penny was an additional God-given incentive reminding me to always be thankful.” He said that over the last 45 years there have been days when he has forgotten to pray or may have been less than thankful. On those days, “more often than not, a lost or dropped penny would show up to remind me.”

Once Anders started to see his penny collection grow, he stopped spending them and made a conscious effort to start saving. He would go so far as to try to ensure his purchases would result in three or four cents change. He would also not use them once he got them. “I would never spend a penny,” Anders said. “I would break a dollar before giving up a penny.”

Anders water jugs were broken open with an axe and a hammer in the bank’s coin room. It took five hours to pour the pennies into the electronic coin sorter via small plastic buckets. It took an average of 20 minutes to fill a $50 coin bag before it was changed out with a new one. The bank and Anders agree that it would have been an awful task to sort and count those pennies without the assistance of the coin machine. He may have continued to save and accumulated even more, but Anders related that his homeowner’s insurance policy would no longer cover his collection.]source

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The takeaway from this story is when you see a penny don't look at it as a measly 1 cent, instead consider it the beginnings of a small fortune.

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Howard Graduate Whips Up Guilt Free Indulgence

picture source: dnainfo.com

Howard graduate Jimmy Prude developed a successful business based around a product he created that tantalizes taste buds while also benefiting one's health. What does Mr. Prude make? Vegan cookies! That's right, vegan as in made without any products derived from animals like oil (lard) or dairy (butter, milk, or eggs). Ingredients in vegan dishes use only plant derived products, but don't be deceived no dairy doesn't equate to no taste.

To many non-vegan people's surprise vegan food is very flavorful with exciting textures, and you don't have to be vegan to enjoy vegan food. Anyone can enjoy vegan food. The hardest part (if any) is braving the first bite, but after the initial hesitance to try something different and healthy has been put aside, most people are pleasantly surprised:

[“Amid the rising health concerns (and cost) of people around the world, eating a bit healthier is on our minds….even when enjoying cookies.”

The challenge of getting people to make that change is getting them to take the first bite. After trying Prude’s vegan cookies, one convert stated “I love them, I think they are better than a lot of cookies that aren’t vegan. I think that part of the challenge when you’re trying to introduce a healthy dessert is convincing people that they want to actually taste it.”

Prude will soon have the opportunity to have his cookies in mouths around the world now that Whole Foods has placed his cookies on their shelves and, according to his website, they aren’t the only company interested in putting his cookies on display. Walgreens was actually the first company to strike a deal with him.] source

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Best wishes to Mr. Prude and those vegan cookies. As the resident vegetarian I'm saying don't knock it until you try it!

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Up to 50% off on Tibetan Jewelry Findings

A Retired Airline Captain Shattered The Lazy Black Man Myth, Here's How!

picture source: newsone.com

Captain Calvin "Cal" Flanigan retired from Delta Airlines as the finest example of what an employee should be. He set an astonishing record at the company and singlehandedly dispelled the myth of blacks being lazy and/or poor workers:

[Delta Airlines Captain Calvin “Cal” Flanigan spent 45 years with the company. Thirty-seven of his years were spent as a pilot. He did not miss one single day of work in nearly five decades.

The stereotype of the lazy black male has been perpetuated by movies, games, and even the presidential candidates themselves. Instead of arguing about it, this man taught the racist culture a lesson by setting an example, a perfect one. In addition to his perfect attendance, for nearly the last decade, he was the number one employee of the nation’s largest airline...

...More than his achievement in flight, Flanigan demonstrated a work ethic that is the envy of the company by never missing a single day of work. Fox 4 quotes Steve Dickson from Delta as saying, “I don’t think that’s something that will ever be replicated, certainly [not] in my lifetime.” Flanigan would have made that record even harder to beat, but Delta pilots have a mandatory retirement age of 65.]source

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Why Stephen R. Stafford II Should Inspire You

picture source: theblackhomeschool.com

Typically when you hear stories about black males (young or old) in mainstream media it's cringe worthy news. Then to add insult to injury, you have sites like WorldStarHipHop that glorifies shameful behavior among black folks all in the name of entertainment -- creating a devastating cycle of people entertained by coonery and then mimicking what they see in the twisted hopes of going viral.

My challenge to WorldStarHipHop and other sites like it. Let's see more stories like this one on your site(s). If the viewers of your site see more content like this then maybe it will influence them to better themselves.  On with the show...

Stephen R. Stafford II is a 17 year who will inspire you to always do your best. He's a good great example of the type of excellence being produced in the black community these days:

[Stafford, who is from Lithonia, Georgia, started his education playing school with his older sister when he was only 2 years old. Now 17, he is set to graduate college with a triple major and could complete medical school by the time he turns 22. 

Many of the horror stories we hear about the African American achievement gap, particularly for black males, is related to public schools. Stafford’s mother was not about to take that chance and homeschooled him. By the time he was 11, his mother found that he was too smart for her to teach, even though she was quite intelligent. She had him audit Algebra II at Morehouse College in Atlanta. The next year he aced precalculus and Morehouse College allowed him to officially enroll. 

Though he will graduate this year with a triple major in pre-med, mathematics and computer science, he doesn’t see it as anything special. In 2010, he was quoted as saying, “I didn’t know what the big deal was about…I just knew it was the next step in my education–and I’m gonna do what my mother tells me to do.” Now those are words of wisdom worthy of a young man who has just been named one of the “World’s 50 Smartest Teenagers.” 

After graduation, Stafford will attend Morehouse’s School of Medicine and one day specialize in obstetrics and fertility. The classically trained pianist says, ““I’m just like any other kid. I just learn very, very quickly.”]source

The takeaway from this story is to strive for nothing less than excellence in whatever you do. Be aware of the statistical data in regards to black boys and men, but don't become a statistic. Find your excellence within.

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