BLACK TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES ARE UNDER ATTACK ("SHACKING UP")

BLACK TRADITIONAL MARRIAGES ARE UNDER ATTACK:

AMERICA WANTS BLACK PEOPLE TO SHACK UP OR MARRY WHITE PEOPLE.

BLACK CHILDREN NO LONGER HAVE POSITIVE IMAGES OF TRADITIONAL BLACK MARRIAGES.

In 21st century America BLACK Men and BLACK Women are no longer encouraged to LEGALLY Marry each other.

Instead it is becoming less common to see BLACK Men married to BLACK Women or BLACK Women married to BLACK Men.

However it has become increasingly common to see BLACK Men marry WHITE Women or to see BLACK Women marry WHITE Men.

In fact BLACK Men who marry BLACK Women often witness their BLACK Wives being Disrespected by mainstream American society.

The Federal govt also appears to reward BLACK Men and Women who choose to Co-habit (Shack-up) versus creating a LEGAL marriage relationship.

BLACK Traditional marriages are being replaced with SAME-SEX marriages.

As more and more Unemployed BLACK Men are INCARCERATED for not paying CHILD SUPPORT, what LEGACY is the BLACK community leaving for the next generation of BLACK Children as it relates to BLACK Traditional marriage and Strong BLACK Family units?

I am deeply concerned.

~ Black Pastors Denounce NAACP and Gay Marriage Which They Say 'Threaten to Destroy Western Civilization' (CIRCA 2014)

A National Coalition of Black Pastors and Christian Leaders has announced that they are holding a special Press Conference in Detroit, Michigan on September 23, 2014.

The Coalition will reveal a national strategy to combat court decisions overturning state laws protecting traditional marriage in partnership with the Thomas More Law Center, a national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Press Conference shall be held at 10am, in Dearborn Room 1, at the Marriott- Detroit Metro Airport, Romulus, Michigan 48174.

The Council, which has denounced gay marriage as "a threat to end western civilization as we know it," has also condemned the NAACP as a "morally bankrupt institution" that has "sold Black civil rights for gay rights," according to its spokesperson, Minister Stacy Swimp.

In 2012, the NAACP took an official position to endorse "gay marriage," by putting out a press release saying "we support marriage equality consistent with equal protection under the law provided under the 14th Amendment of the United States Constitution."

The NAACP has not recanted their position, in spite of the fact the overwhelming majority of Black Americans oppose gay marriage.

"How is it that the NAACP concludes that the 14th Amendment, which was created to guarantee the citizenship rights of Black Americans, is now meant to give license to a behavior which would devastate an already fractured institution in the Black community, which is the family?" says Pastor Danny Holliday, Founder and Pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Alton, Illinois.

"Every God fearing American has a moral obligation to renounce membership to this once proud organization that has clearly lost its moral compass."

The NAACP and other advocates of redefining marriage say that lesbians and homosexuals are "born gay" and should not be discriminated against because of how they were born.

The Coalition of Black Pastors and Christian leaders disagree.

"No one is created homosexual and forever condemned to being so.

That argument, in defense of gay marriage cannot be substantiated. I am living proof." says Evangelist Janet Boynes, a former lesbian who is one of the leaders of the Coalition.

"Therefore, to redefine marriage and, essentially, render the concept of family without true meaning, would be an action against the will of God and the best interest of nation, family, and person who has been deceived into thinking he or she is without hope of walking away from homosexuality."

The Coalition, represented by the Thomas More Law Center, of Ann Arbor, Michigan, has filed several briefs on behalf of the Coalition in the Circuit Court of Appeals and in the US Supreme Court.

"We pray that Federal judges shall uphold the rule of law and dismiss the wrongful assertion which says that so called gay marriage has association with the 14th Amendment, which was passed to guarantee the citizenship rights of Black Americans," says Pastor Emery Moss, Strictly Biblical, Detroit, Michigan.

"Nowhere in the U.S. Constitution does it indicate that equal justice under the law is related to gay marriage," says Bishop Samuel Smith, of the Apostolic World Christian Fellowship.

"Marriage, furthermore, was defined by God. Not by government. Government has no right to redefine marriage and destroy the meaning of family."

Bishop Smith concludes, "The Constitution provides us our civil, political, and religious freedom, in accordance with our God given rights.

The courts of the United States have a duty to the American people to uphold these God given rights and the Constitution."

Sources: Gospel Herald, The Root, Allen West, Youtube

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS STOLEN JAHI MCMATH FROM HER FAMILY (Organs & Malpractice Cover-Ups....GOD Will Judge!)

#JahiMcMathCALIFORNIA

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS STOLEN JAHI MCMATH FROM HER FAMILY

This explains why her Family can't FREELY transfer her to another Medical Facility.

Why???.....ORGANS & MEDICAL MALPRACTICE COVER-UPS!

Has anyone noticed how the OBAMA White House has remained SILENT throughout this crisis??

First Lady MICHELLE OBAMA recently tweeted ROBIN ROBERTS after She announced on FACEBOOK she is GAY (as if We didn't already know this), however NO One within the OBAMA Admin has spoken a word publicly about JAHI MCMATH'S situation.

Why?

Because the Government is COMPLICIT in this ordeal to MURDER JAHI.....Steal Her ORGANS.....and COVER-UP the MEDICAL MALPRACTICE.

The Government also wants JAHI'S Brain for MEDICAL RESEARCH.

Hence using the term "BRAIN DEAD" so loosely after they Butchered her up.

It's All About MONEY!!!

FYI: Human ORGANS are Big Buck$ in America.

What a low down Dirty Shame!

GOD Forbid this type of Medical Crisis were to happen to one of Pres OBAMA'S beautiful daughters.

Would he have remained so SILENT???

I have NEVER cared much for the State of CALIFORNIA.

Now I care even less.

Please continue to PRAY for JAHI MCMATH & her Hurting Family.

EVERYONE INVOLVED IN MURDERING JAHI MCMATH, GOD ALMIGHTY & THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WILL JUDGE.

And.....

BLACK Voters should NOT forget in Nov 2014 & 2016!

THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA HAS STOLEN JAHI MCMATH FROM HER FAMILY


Sources: AP, CNN, Daily Mail, HLN, KRON 4, Youtube

Food Network Loves Small Business! Restaurant Impossible Is A Huge Success! Thanks Chef Robert!

Restaurant Revisited: Pollard’s Bar-B-Que

On the latest episode of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert headed to Memphis to help Pollard’s, a barbecue restaurant that was at risk of going up in smoke. The eatery was experiencing growing pains after upgrading from a takeout operation to a giant dine-in establishment. We checked in with owners Tarrance and Torria Pollard to see how business is going after their Restaurant: Impossible intervention.

A few months after Robert’s Restaurant: Impossible makeover, sales at Pollard’s Bar-B-Que have grown an impressive 20 percent.

Torria says their customers love the new decor, “especially the brightness.” Social networking has been a key ingredient in their recipe for success as the pair has been able to use Facebook and Twitter to successfully get the word out about their new location.

Their customers love the smaller, easier-to-read new menu. The Pollards have kept most of Robert’s menu items and added a few new dishes.

Tarrance took Robert’s advice to heart and has tweaked his family barbecue sauce to make it more his own. Torria credits the show for convincing Tarrance to “open his mind” to change: “He admits that Robert was right on a lot of things.”


Restaurant Revisited: Horton’s Kids

In a special episode of Restaurant: Impossible, Robert Irvine faced his toughest challenge yet when First Lady Michelle Obama assigned him the task of rebuilding Horton’s Kids, a children’s community center that provides many services such as serving after-school meals in one of Washington, D.C.’s neediest neighborhoods. Mrs. Obama gave Robert three missions: Give Horton’s Kids a dining room, update their kitchen and create a community garden for them.

A few months after Robert’s Restaurant: Impossible-style transformation of Horton’s Kids, we checked in with Executive Director Brenda Chamberlain to see how the organization is doing. “Everyone loves and is impressed with the new, transformed Horton’s Kids!” says Brenda. “The vibrant space establishes a sense of community for the children.”

The brand-new kitchen and dining area have enabled Horton’s Kids to run cooking classes and hands-on nutrition programs more effectively. “During a recent class, we had kids sautéing vegetables, making omelets on the stovetop and blending fruit smoothies — all simultaneously,” says Brenda.

The dining/all-purpose room allows kids to sit down and share their meals together. Thanks to the collapsible tables and hang-able chairs, staff and volunteers have flexibility to arrange the space to meet the needs of various programs outside of meal times. The children love having a nice indoor space where they can hang out, chat with their friends and do homework. The computer lab that Microsoft donated has helped to bridge the technical divide often found in the Horton’s Kids community.

In the garden, early summer vegetables are growing nicely. Horton’s Kids has started a children’s gardening club: “Kids are taking great pride in the garden,” says Brenda. The irrigation bike has proven to be a fun, creative way to engage the children in gardening, and they’re enjoying it “tremendously.”

After hearing the First Lady talk about the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, the children are getting more adventurous and trying new kinds of produce. “They also enjoy knowing that they are growing vegetables and herbs they can eat,” Brenda says. In an upcoming class, the kids will be using the fresh basil to make pesto.

The future looks bright for Horton’s Kids: “With the help of our amazing volunteers and donors, the new space will soon allow us to serve many more children.”


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Sources: Food Network, Youtube, Google Maps

George W. Bush & His Texas-Sized White House Portrait (Videos)

Bush thanks Obama for inviting his "rowdy friends" to portrait hanging

Former President George W. Bush brought a light-hearted tone to the unveiling of his official White House portrait on Thursday, winning over an audience of friends, family and former colleagues with jokes.

Standing beside his portrait after its unveiling in the White House East Room, Mr. Bush chided the cheering audience to quiet down and thanked President Obama "for inviting our rowdy friends to my hanging."

The new portrait "brings an interesting symmetry to the White House collection," the former president said. "It now starts and ends with a George W."

A portrait of former First Lady Laura Bush was also unveiled. Both will become part of the permanent White House collection.

It is a tradition for the sitting U.S. president to host a portrait unveiling for his immediate predecessor, and on Thursday, Mr. Obama had some jokes of his own.
Mr. Obama said he would always remember the kind words Mr. Bush had for him during the transition from one administration to the next. "Plus, you left me a really good TV sports package," the president said to laughs. "I use it."

Mr. Obama and Mr. Bush had only kind remarks for one another, with Mr. Obama noting, "We have our problems politically, but the presidency transcends these differences."

The current president noted that after three and a half years in office, he has "a deeper understanding" of the challenges his predecessor faced. He commended Mr. Bush for "conveying extraordinary strength and resolve" after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 and for understanding that issues of national security and economic stability transcend partisan politics.

First Lady Michelle Obama thanked Laura Bush for serving as "a wonderful model of strength and grace" as first lady and as a mother. Mrs. Bush thanked the first family and joked, "Nothing makes a house a home like having portraits of its former occupants staring down at you."

Those in attendance for the unveiling included Vice President Joe Biden, Mr. Bush's daughters Jenna and Barbara, former President George H.W. Bush and former First Lady Barbara Bush, Mr. Bush's former adviser Karl Rove, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The portrait of Mr. Bush shows the former president standing in the center of the Oval Office with his right hand resting on an armchair that was made for the White House in 1818. Over his right shoulder hangs a 1929 western painting, A Charge to Keep, by William H. D. Koerner. Mr. Bush used the same title for his 1999 memoir.

The portrait of Laura Bush shows the former first lady in the White House Green Room, which she helped refurbish in 2007.

The portraits were painted by John Howard Sanden, who received the first John Singer Sargent Medal for Lifetime Achievement from the American Society of Portrait Artists in 1994.


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Sources: CBS News, Google Maps

Michelle Obama Addresses Racism & Prejudice At North Carolina's A&T Unv 2012 Graduation (Transcript)

First Lady Michelle Obama At NC A&T Graduation


"Aggie Pride" was the welcoming chant that greeted the First Lady at the Greensboro Coliseum.

Saturday morning, Mrs. Michelle Obama spoke to 1200 students who graduated during the 2012 NC A&T Commencement ceremony.

In all the coliseum said 1700 people, including graduates, attended the ceremony.



Here's the Transcript to her Speech:


MRS. OBAMA: Good morning, everyone. (Applause.)

AUDIENCE: Good morning.

MRS. OBAMA: You all, rest yourselves. (Laughter.) First of all, let me thank Chancellor Martin for that very kind introduction. I also want to thank Davonta and everyone from the Board of Governors, the Board of Trustees, the faculty, and all of the staff here who have worked so hard on this event and on making you the men and women that you are.

I also have to thank the University Choir. You all are amazing. (Applause.) As the Chancellor said, you all are becoming regulars at the White House, and that's a good thing, singing at our Black History Month events for the last two years. It's just amazing to hear those voices pouring through the White House. It's very powerful, and it is obviously such a pleasure to hear your beautiful music here today.

And of course, I want to join in on thanking all the folks who have made this day possible, the people who have been with you all every step of the way -- yes, your families, including all those watching on campus or at home.

These folks have given you that shoulder to lean on, and that hug when you've done well, and maybe that kick in the butt when you need to do a little bit better, right? (Laughter.) And none of you would be where you are today without their love and support. So, again, let's give them all another round of applause, because today is their day too. (Applause.)

And most of all, I want to thank this fine-looking group right in front of me -- (applause) -- the graduates of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Class of 2012! (Applause.) Congratulations! You all have worked so hard and I know you have grown so much, and you've come to truly represent a little something called Aggie Pride!

AUDIENCE: Aggie Pride! (Applause.)

MRS. OBAMA: All right! I like that. (Laughter.)

Let me tell you, it is an honor to be here at North Carolina A&T, a true honor. You all have such a proud tradition here in Greensboro. For years, you have produced more African American engineers -- and more African American female engineers -- than just about anywhere else in America. (Applause.)

You have produced some of our nation's finest leaders in business, government, and our military. (Applause.) The first African American Justice on the North Carolina Supreme Court was an Aggie. (Applause.) So was the second African American astronaut. (Applause.) And so were those four young men who sat down at a lunch counter 52 years ago and will stand forever in bronze in front of the Dudley building. (Applause.)

Now, I know that all of you know the story of the Greensboro Four and how they changed the course of our history. But since we have the nation watching, let's talk a little bit. (Laughter and applause.)

It's easy to forget that before they were known as heroes, they were young people just like all of you -- even younger. They were freshmen here at A&T. Three of them grew up right here in North Carolina; they all lived on the same floor in Scott Hall. They weren't trailblazers or legends back then. So we have to ask ourselves, how did these young men get from where they were to the history books? And believe it or not, the spark might have come on a bus ride.

One of the four, Joseph McNeil, had spent Christmas in New York, and he took a bus from there back to school here in Greensboro. When the bus stopped in Philadelphia, he could eat wherever he chose. But when he got off the station in Greensboro, the food counter here wouldn't serve him.

Now, this wasn't exactly new. Joseph had lived with these boundaries for years. But this time, it really hit him. And although he was the exact same person in Greensboro that he'd been just a few hours earlier in Philly, he was made to feel like a fraction of the man he had become.

Here in the state where he was born and raised, in the city where he was working so hard to get an education and grow into a responsible, self-respecting man, he was treated like he didn't even matter; like he wasn't even welcome in the place he called home. Imagine the humiliation he must have felt. Imagine his pain and his outrage.

So when Joseph got back to his dorm room that night, his mind was probably already racing. He started talking to his roommates; they pulled in two friends from down the hall, and together over the next couple of weeks they decided to do more than just talk. They decided to act. And on a Monday afternoon, the four of them met up after class and headed downtown.

And I'm sure their hearts were racing. I'm sure they'd barely slept the night before. Remember, everything was on the line for these young men. They were considered the lucky ones. They were some of the very few African American young people at the time who had the chance to attend college. They were on the path to achieve something that most black folks could only dream of. And here they were, risking all of that for what they believed in.

This was something that a lot of people -- black folks back then -- didn't do because the stakes were so high. Because remember, this was 1960, and if you used the wrong water fountain, or sat on the wrong seat on the bus, or stepped your foot in the wrong part of the theater you might get heckled or spat on or beaten -- or even worse.

So as they were walking downtown, one of the four was actually wondering to himself whether he'd wind up coming back to campus in a pine box. But when they got downtown and saw that Woolworth's sign, there was no turning back. They sat down on those four stools at the lunch counter and ordered coffee. They were refused, but they didn't get up.

And that first day, they were there for just an hour or so. Then they went back to campus and told other students what they'd done -- and some didn't even believe them. But the next day, about 20 more students showed up. And within a week, it was more than a thousand.

In the coming weeks and months, the demonstrations spread from Greensboro to places like Richmond, and Nashville, and Jackson and more than 50 other cities all across the country. (Applause.) And by end of July, Woolworth's -- one of the biggest chain stores in the world -- was forced to end their policy of discrimination. And the Civil Rights movement was growing stronger every day. (Applause.)

And all of this started because of a bus ride and some dorm room conversations. It all started because a small group of young people had their eyes open to the injustices around them. It all started because they decided, as one of the four told the newspaper on the first day of the protests, that it was "time for someone to wake up and change the situation." And that, more than anything else, is the story of our nation's progress right from the very beginning.

It's the story of the farmers and cobblers and blacksmiths who took on an empire; the abolitionists who ran that Underground Railroad; the women who mobilized; the workers who organized; the individuals of every background, color, creed and orientation who worked in ways large and small to give us the country that we have today. Every single one of them decided that at some point, it was time to wake up and change the situation.

And that is what I want to talk with all of you about today -- how all of the work and the sweat and the passion that so many people poured into this country must be met with work and sweat and passion of our own. (Applause.) And as graduates of this proud university, as young people like those who always stoked the fires of progress, our country is counting on all of you to step forward and help us with the work that remains. We need you.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that it can be easy to lose sight of that responsibility -- especially when you first graduate from college. You're struggling to pay off your student loans, and you're putting in extra hours to make a name for yourself at work. You're trying to figure out who you want to spend the rest of your life with. Oh yeah, and I remember that like it was yesterday. (Laughter.)

Like all of you, I worked hard all through school. I earned my BA, my JD -- and I had the student loans to show for it. So I did what I thought I should do -- I got a great job at one of the biggest law firms in Chicago, and before long, I was checking all the boxes you were supposed to check. Fat paycheck -- got it. Nice car -- got it. Big, fancy office -- got it.

But then, when I was 26 years old, one of my best friends from college died of cancer. Like that, she was gone. Less than a year after that, my father died after battling multiple sclerosis for years. Just like that, I'd lost two of the people I loved most in the world.

So there I was, not much older than all of you, and I felt like my whole world was caving in. And I began to do a little bit of soul searching. I began to ask myself some hard questions. Questions like: If I die tomorrow, what did I really do with my life? What kind of a mark would I leave? How would I be remembered? And none of my answers satisfied me.

I had everything I was told I should want, but it still wasn't enough. And I realized that no matter how long I stayed on that job, no matter how many years I pursued someone else's definition of success, I was never going to have a life that felt like my own.

And so, to the surprise of my family and friends, I quit that high-paying job and I took a job in the mayor's office. That hurt. (Laughter.) Then, as the Chancellor said, I became the executive director of Public Allies, a nonprofit organization that trained young people to pursue careers in public service.

Oh, I was earning a fraction of my law firm salary, and I added years to my student loan repayment process. But let me tell you, I woke up every morning feeling engaged and inspired in ways that I had never felt before. (Applause.) I spent every day feeling like I was doing something that truly made a difference in people's lives. And twenty years later, looking back on my journey, I see that all of that started with those questions I asked myself in that law office.

So today, as you all are looking ahead toward your own journeys, I would like to pose three of those questions to all of you.

The first question I asked myself was, "Who do I want to be?" Not what do I want to be, but who.

And it's so easy to think about your future as a series of lines on a resume. In many ways, that's how our society is wired. And as an adult, when you meet somebody new, they often ask you -- the first question -- they say, what do you do? And you quickly give the simplest answer -- I'm a nurse, I'm an engineer, I'm a teacher, I'm a lawyer, whatever it is -- and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. A meaningful, fulfilling career that -- can be the cornerstone of a happy life.

But I also want to stress that your job title and responsibilities, those things are merely what you do, and they will always be. They are not who you are. (Applause.)

So as you all are thinking about your careers, I want you to think about what's important to you. How does your job fit into a full life -- a complete life? How are you going to give back?

Are you going to be an engineer, or are you going to be an engineer who volunteers in a science class at a local school twice a week? (Applause.) Are you going to go into business, or are you going to be the CEO who sponsors community theater productions, and those 5K runs, and the local little league team?

Who are you going to be?

Are you going to be the nurse who serves in the National Guard every other weekend, and writes the weekly bulletin for church? Are you going to be the award-winning journalist who raises a beautiful family, who serves on the PTA, who drives the carpool, who was in every single way -- voted in every election, every year, every single year?

It is critical that you start thinking about these things now, and keep coming back to them. Because I'm going to warn you -- those daily to-do lists that will creep up on you, those deadlines at work, the pressure to keep climbing and achieving and acquiring -- trust me, all of that adds up. It forms a powerful current. And if you're not focused on who you want to be and how you want to live your life, trust me, it will sweep you away.

So you have got to keep your bearings. You've got to figure out what matters to you and stay true to those values. You've got to keep your eyes open as you make your way in the world.

And that leads me to my second question. I want you to ask yourselves, "What's going on in the world around me?"

It's true that the world is different today than it was for the Greensboro Four and others who came before them. You won't see any "whites only" water fountains. You won't see women turned away at the polls. You may not hear the words of hatred and discrimination every day. And all of that, those are signs of how much progress that we've made. But we all know that there are still plenty of serious injustices crying out for our attention. (Applause.) We know this.

Yes, we outlawed segregation in our public schools nearly sixty years ago, but we all know that every child is not getting the same quality of education today. (Applause.) That we know.

Yes, women gained the right to vote nearly a century ago, and women now make up nearly half of our work force -- yet they still earn only 77 cents for every dollar a man earns, and for African American women, it's just 64 cents. (Applause.)

Yes, we passed a federal hate crimes law, but we all know that prejudice of all kinds exists -- all kinds -- for all kinds of people. Too often that still remains.

So take a look around, and I guarantee you that you will see that there is plenty of work left to be done.

Maybe it's the school on the other side of town with crumbling classrooms and a couple of old computers, and teachers who are as outnumbered as they are overworked. Or maybe it's the cash-strapped homeless shelter that keeps dozens of people warm every night, but their grant money ran out. Maybe it's the city hall in dire need of fresh ideas. Maybe it's a river lined with trash.

Everywhere we look, there are wrongs just waiting to be made right. But again, I warn you -- those wrongs won't go away. And they will entrench themselves deeper and deeper unless we act.

And that leads me to the third and final question. We need you to ask yourselves: "How can I help?" It's a simple question. "How can I help?" And the answers are often obvious.

That failing school? Volunteer there before work. Donate your old laptop. Organize a group to paint a mural on the playground. The homeless shelter in danger of shutting its doors? Start a fundraising drive. That filthy river bed? Put on some gloves and pick up a bucket. Those nationwide inequalities? That stagnant city hall? Immerse yourselves in information. Become familiar with your elected representatives. Vote -- not just once in a while, but every year, in every election. (Applause.) And even better, run for a seat at the table yourself.

The fact is, we simply cannot move forward unless all of us are engaged. And being engaged means not simply recognizing what's wrong, not simply complaining about and talking about our problems, but acting. It means waking up and changing the situation. And that's a lesson that so many of you have already begun to learn during your time here at A&T.

This year alone, students at this university have volunteered nearly 35,000 hours of service. (Applause.) You've mentored your peers and helped young people, students, transition to college. You've marched and walked for causes you believe in. You've cleaned up streets. You've served at the YMCA, Habitat for Humanity and so many other organizations. And some of you have committed yourselves to serving our country -- including 11 of you who will be commissioned as officers in the Army and the Air Force later this afternoon. (Applause.)

And with that kind of action and that kind of commitment, all of you have begun to carry on that proud legacy of the Greensboro Four. And today, I'm reminded of a quote from one of those young men.

Years after he'd made history at that lunch counter, Franklin McCain said these words. He said: "This is my country. I fought for the chance to make it right. No one's going to deny me the opportunity. I am going to be a full participant in every aspect of this community, as well as my kids."

That's what they were fighting for. That's why they sat down on those stools -- so that they could be full participants in their communities, and that so could you. They were fighting so that all of you -- and me -- could have opportunities they couldn't even imagine. And look around. Just look around. That's exactly what we've got.

We're not weighed down by the kind of baggage that folks had back then. We do live in a country that's more supportive, more open, more inclusive than ever before. We've got rights and freedoms and possibilities that they would have given anything to have for themselves. But with all of those advantages comes a set of responsibilities.

We've got a responsibility to protect the ground that's already been won, because it can just as easily be lost. (Applause.) It can be gone. We've got a responsibility to live up to the legacy of those who came before us by doing all that we can to help those who come after us. That's how we've always made progress -- each generation doing its part to lift up the next.

Each generation does its part to perfect our union. Each generation looks at the world around them and decides that it's time to wake up and change the situation. And we've always looked to our young people to lead the way. We always have.

So graduates, now it's your turn. It's time for you to take that baton. Take it. It's time for you to carry the banner forward. It's time for you to wake the rest of us up and show us everything you've got.

That's what Aggies like you have always done. (Applause.) And that is your history, and that is your legacy. That is who you are. Never forget that.

And let me tell you something -- that is why me and my husband and the folks all across this country, man, we are so proud of you all. We are so proud. And because of you, we are so hopeful about our future. Yes we are. Know that. (Applause.)

So graduates, I love you all.

AUDIENCE: We love you too!

MRS. OBAMA: I cannot wait to see that all you will achieve and all that you will contribute in the years ahead. You have everything before you.

God bless you all, and good luck.


First lady Michelle Obama cites example of sit-in movement at NC A&T commencement speech

The four North Carolina college students who started the sit-in movement for desegregation more than half a century ago shows what young people can do to change their world for the better, first lady Michelle Obama said during a commencement speech Saturday.

Mrs. Obama addressed a crowd of about 15,000, including more than 1,200 graduates of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, one of the state university system’s historically black schools.

In 1960, four of the school’s students put their careers and lives on the line by sitting down at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter a few miles away, asked to be served coffee and were refused. They returned day after day in greater numbers, and others across the South followed their example, until the company eventually was forced to end separate treatment for black and white customers.

North Carolina is considered a battleground state in the presidential election and the first lady’s visit was expected to generate goodwill within a core Democratic Party constituency as President Barack Obama seeks re-election this fall.

Mrs. Obama steered clear of references to politics and her husband’s re-election bid, though the audience cheered when the first lady told graduates: “We have the responsibility to protect the ground that has already been won, because it can just as easily be lost.”

President Obama has visited North Carolina more than a dozen times, including four since June. Most recently he blasted Republicans about student loan debt during a visit two weeks ago to the University of North Carolina of Chapel Hill. The Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte this September.

Obama’s likely Republican opponent for the White House, Mitt Romney, visited a Charlotte manufacturing plant on Friday to blame Obama for the slow pace of economic recovery. It was Romney’s second visit to the city in a month.

Obama carried North Carolina over John McCain in 2008, with 95 percent of black voters supporting the Democratic nominee, according to exit polls. Whether they can deliver another win for Obama, as the state continues to grapple with unemployment rates that hover above the national average, remains to be seen.

North Carolina voters this week approved amending the state constitution to ban gay marriage. Obama followed the next day by becoming the first president to express support for same-sex marriage.

Mrs. Obama’s Greensboro address was the second of three spring commencement addresses for the first lady. She spoke at Virginia Tech on Friday and also is scheduled to speak June 17 at Oregon State, where her brother, Craig Robinson, is the men’s basketball coach.


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Sources: AP, MSNBC, Digtriad.com, Washington Post, WRAL, Google Maps

Michelle Obama Looks Lovely In Blue At 2012 SOTU

Which guests are sitting with Michelle Obama for State of the Union?


The 2012 State of the Union guest list has become an annual rite. The guests often have ties to a proposal or initiative the president will outline in the address.

Among guests seated with first lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden during the speech on Tuesday, according to a White House statement:

Debbie Bosanek, secretary to billionaire Warren Buffett, who says it is unfair that his secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does. Obama is expected to renew his call for his "Buffet Rule" — a principle that millionaires should not pay a lower tax rate than typical workers.

Laurene Powell Jobs, widow of Apple’s Steve Jobs, and founder and chair of Emerson Collective, which describes itself as working with entrepreneurs on social reform efforts.

During the speech, Obama mentioned Steve Jobs during a portion that centered on innovation as a key to the economic future of the country. He said the country needs to support everyone who is willing to work.

And he said that includes, "every risk taker or entrepreneur who aspires to become the next Steve Jobs." Steve Jobs died from pancreatic cancer last October.

Mark Kelly, husband of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and a retired NASA astronaut. Giffords, who will be present at the speech, announced this weekend that she would step down from her seat representing Arizona's 8th District. This will be one of her final acts as a congresswoman.

U.S. Army Sgt. Ashleigh Berg of Malibu, who has served two tours of duty in Iraq and is stationed in Fort Shafter, Hawaii. her husband Sgt. Matthew Berg is deployed in Afghanistan.

Juan Jose Redin, a North Hollywood, Calif., attorney, with a passion for educational access. Redin moved to the United States from Mexico at the age of 10. Thanks to California's Assembly Bill 540, he was able to earn undergraduate and law degrees from UCLA.

Dr. Hiroyuki Fujita, president and CEO of Quality Electrodynamics in Cleveland. Fujita came to America from Japan in 1988 and received a doctorate in physics from Case Western Reserve University.

In 2006, he started his own Cleveland-based company, QED, that develops and manufactures state-of-the-art MRI radiofrequency antennas.
Bryan Ritterby of Michigan, who was laid off from the furniture industry in 2009 and enrolled in school to become a lab technician.

Adm. William McRaven, head of the military's Special Operations Command. He was the Navy SEAL who commanded the risky, top-secret raid that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden last year.

Alicia Boler-Davis of Detroit, plant manager at General Motors Orion Assembly. Last October, Boler-Davis led Obama and President Lee of South Korea on a tour of the General Motors Orion Assembly and Pontiac Stamping, a visit to highlight free trade agreements and the resurgence of the American auto industry.

Jackie Bray of King's Mountain, N.C., process operator at Siemens Charlotte Energy Hub. The single mother was laid off from her job last January and was hired by Siemens after she enrolled in a Central Piedmont Community College course of the type Obama hopes to strengthen to maximize workforce development strategies, job training programs, and job placements.

Julian Castro, mayor of San Antonio, Texas. The 37-year-old Harvard Law School graduate announced that CPS Energy, a municipally-owned utility, has entered negotiations to bring at least 800 jobs and $100 million in capital investment to San Antonio. This is expected to be one of the nation’s largest solar projects resulting in 400 megawatts of zero-emissions solar energy.

Bruce Cochrane of Lincolnton, N.C., president and CEO of Lincolnton Furniture, which is producing furniture again in his home state.
Sara Ferguson of Parkside, Pa.; literacy and math teacher at Columbus Elementary School. She vowed to continue teaching even unpaid when the Chester Upland School District faced bankruptcy earlier this year.

Mahala Greer of Denver; a Spanish major student at University of Colorado Denver. Her husband, Navy Cmdr. Colby Howard is currently on a seven-month deployment.
Adrienne Howard of San Diego, a military spouse.

For nearly 20 years, she has been heavily involved as a volunteer in family readiness groups and Navy spouse organizations. She said she was inspired by Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative to reach out to her community.

Mike Krieger of San Francisco; co-founder of Instagram. Krieger, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, worked for a year on his student F-1 visa and later applied for and received an H-1B visa as a high-skill worker. Krieger wants to permanently stay in the U.S. and has applied for a green card.

Lorelei Kilker of Brighton, Colo.; an analytical chemist. Kilker, who lives with her domestic partner and their two children, was one of a class of women who benefitted from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s (EEOC) investigation of alleged systematic sex discrimination at her former employee.

Joan Milligan of Orlando, Fla., who refinanced a home through Obama's Home Affordable Refinance Program. She and her husband, Bill, will celebrate 50 years of marriage in October.

Amber Morris of Virginia Beach, Va., who responded to a White House Twitter question, "What does 40 mean to you?" during last year's payroll tax debate. The 2008 Northeastern Law School lives at home and works as a waitress.

Adam Rapp of Fall Creek Township, Ill. The cancer patient would have lost his health insurance if not for the Affordable Care Act, his mother told the White House.

Col. Ginger Wallace of McLean, Va., an Air Force intelligence officer. Her partner of over a decade, Kathy Knopf, in December attended Wallace’s promotion ceremony and participated in the "pinning on" of Col. Wallace’s rank, marking the first such event reported following the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Richard Cordray, the new director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, who made his first trip Tuesday to Capitol Hill since his controversial recess appointment.

Eric Schneiderman, New York attorney general who will chair a special unit Obama will announce to investigate misconduct and illegalities that contributed to both the financial collapse and the mortgage crisis. The office will the new Unit on Mortgage Origination and Securitization Abuses.

Sources: Huffington Post, MSNBC

Pres. Obama's 2012 SOTU Speech: Income Inequality & Supporting U.S. Troops (Video)

In State of the Union, Obama warns economic disparity threatens middle class

President Obama warned the nation Tuesday that the decades-old promise of a secure and rising middle class is under threat because of growing disparities between the rich and everyone else in America.

In an election-year State of the Union message that will likely serve as the template for the months of campaigning ahead, Obama outlined a series of steps that he believes will reinforce the tentative economic recovery, including proposals to eliminate tax incentives for companies to move jobs overseas, to make college more affordable and to expand help for credit-worthy homeowners looking to refinance mortgages at historically low interest rates.

None of the proposals constitutes a single bold stroke to revive the economy, but the heart of Obama’s message — one he has underscored in appearances around the country in recent months — was that America’s wealthiest citizens must do more to cement the economic recovery and pull the country from its dire fiscal condition.

The approach was typified by his call for those who make more than $1 million a year to pay a tax rate of at least 30 percent and to forgo a host of deductions he said they do not need.

In detailing what he called a “blueprint for an economy built to last,” Obama struck the populist chords that his Republican presidential rivals have criticized as “class warfare.” But he has seen his approval ratings rise on the strength of that message, particularly among the independent voters who helped elect him in 2008 but had grown disappointed by his leadership in office.

“We can either settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well, while a growing number of Americans barely get by,” Obama told a boisterous House chamber and a prime-time television audience, “or we can restore an economy where everyone gets a fair shot, everyone does their fair share and everyone plays by the same set of rules.

“What’s at stake are not Democratic values or Republican values, but American values,” he continued. “We have to reclaim them.”

Obama spoke from a stronger position politically than he has been in for months. His approval rating, according to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, stands at about 50 percent, and a majority of independent voters now look favorably on his performance in office.

But his advisers are well aware that his pursuit of a second term is imperiled by a still-staggering economy and a perception, even among those in his own party, that he has not effectively challenged Republicans to pass his economic plans.

Nearly all of the roughly hour-long speech Tuesday was devoted to the economy. Obama spent only a brief time on foreign policy.

He underscored that in the past year he has overseen the killing of Osama bin Laden and the end of the Iraq war, an unpopular conflict that he had pledged to end as a candidate. Adm. William McRaven, who oversaw the May raid that killed bin Laden, was invited to sit with first lady Michelle Obama for the address.

In his speech, Obama proposed using half of the “peace dividend” as he ends America’s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — about $200 billion over the next six years — to pay for the construction of new roads, bridges, rail lines and other infrastructure that he said is critical to the country’s ability to compete in a global economy.


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Sources: MSNBC, Washington Post, White House.gov, Youtube, Google Maps

Michelle Obama Vs. "Food Deserts" (Fresh Produce; Fighting Obesity)

Big Retailers Make Pledge of Stores for ‘Food Deserts’

Executives from Wal-Mart, Walgreens, SuperValu and other stores joined Michelle Obama at the White House on Wednesday to announce a pledge to open or expand a combined 1,500 stores in communities that have limited access to nutritious food and are designated as “food deserts.”

With the pledges, secured by the Partnership for a Healthier America, which is part of Mrs. Obama’s campaign to reduce childhood obesity, the stores aim to reach 9.5 million of the 23.5 million Americans who live in areas where finding affordable healthy foods can be difficult. In those areas, many people turn to fast food restaurants or convenience stores.

“The commitments that you all are making today have the potential to be a game changer,” Mrs. Obama said at the event. “When these stores succeed, they can serve as anchors in our communities.”

The Department of Agriculture defines “food deserts” as low-income areas where more than 500 people or 33 percent of the population lives more than one mile from an affordable food store. In rural towns, the distance is 10 miles.

Walgreens, the Illinois-based retailer with more than 7,000 stores, pledged to reach 4.8 million people in such areas by turning 1,000 of its locations into “food oasis stores” that will sell fruit, vegetables and other groceries that they do not typically stock.

Wal-Mart said it would open or expand food sections in 275 to 300 stores by 2016, employing an estimated 40,000 people. SuperValu, which owns many regional grocery chains like Jewel-Osco and ACME, will open 250 new Save-A-Lot stores in five years.

Childhood obesity is a signature cause adopted by Mrs. Obama. One of every three American children is overweight or obese, leading some scientists to predict that today’s youth could become the first generation to have shorter lives than the previous generation, according to the White House.

Mrs. Obama said that food deserts, where 6.5 million American children live, contribute to the phenomenon. The government and the private sector need to work together to eliminate food deserts, she said.

“With your commitments today, you all are showing us what’s possible,” Mrs. Obama said. “This isn’t some mysterious issue that we can’t address. We know the answer. It is right there.”

The Obama administration’s Healthy Food Financing Initiative, begun by Mrs. Obama in February 2010, aims to financially assist stores that open in food deserts.

The initiative received a $35 million budget this year, well short of the hundreds of millions requested by President Obama. The administration asked for more than $300 million to be approved for it in the next budget.

In 2009, New York started its Food Retail Expansion to Support Health, or Fresh program, a joint state-city effort that offers incentives to stores to open in underserved communities. Fresh is credited with being one of the largest efforts to combat food deserts at a state or local level.


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Sources: Huffington Post, NY Times, Progress Illinois, White House, Youtube, Google Maps

Betty Ford Laid To Rest; First Lady Michelle Obama Attends

Current and former first ladies gather for funeral

Michelle Obama and three former first ladies were among dignitaries heading to California to pay tribute to Betty Ford at a funeral focusing on her twin passions: politics and her world famous Betty Ford Center for substance abuse and alcohol treatment.

Ford, who died at the age of 93 on Friday, had mapped out plans for Tuesday's ceremony including who would deliver her eulogies.

She chose former first lady Rosalynn Carter and journalist Cokie Roberts as speakers along with a former director of the Betty Ford Center.

Obama, Nancy Reagan, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and former President Bill Clinton said they would be there. And the former first lady of California, Maria Shriver, also planned to attend.

A spokesman for former President George W. Bush said he will be attending the California service and will convey condolences on behalf of his wife, Laura, who can't attend.

A second funeral will be held Thursday in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Gerald Ford is buried at his presidential museum. Former first lady Barbara Bush is expected to attend that event.

Speakers are expected to discuss politics, the White House and Ford's impact on substance and alcohol abuse treatment.

Roberts said Ford asked her to give a eulogy five years ago and specified it should be about the power of friendship to mend political differences even in these hyper-partisan times.

Roberts, a commentator on National Public Radio and member of a noted political family, said Ford asked her to talk about a time in Washington when Democrats and Republicans could be friends and partisan politics did not paralyze government.

It was that way, Roberts said, when her father, Democratic Congressman Hale Boggs, was House majority leader and Republican Gerald R. Ford was House minority leader. She said they could argue about issues but get together as friends afterward. The two families became close as did the Ford and Carter families, despite Jimmy Carter defeating Ford in the 1976 presidential election.

Carter spoke at Ford's funeral in 2007. The two families were so close that before his death, Ford asked the Carters to join his wife aboard Air Force One, which flew his body to its final resting place in Grand Rapids.

"Mrs. Ford was very clear about what she wanted me to say," Roberts said. "She wanted me to talk about Washington the way it used to be. She knew there were people back then who were wildly partisan, but not as many as today.

"They were friends and that was what made government possible," said Roberts, adding that the topic seems particularly appropriate this week when the two parties are divided over dealing with the national debt ceiling.

Roberts said she expects Rosalynn Carter to talk about life in the White House and the important role of first ladies in "greasing the wheels" for their husbands' accomplishments by forging bipartisan friendships.

Former Betty Ford Center official Geoffrey Mason will also speak. Mason, a former member of the center's board of directors, is expected to extoll Ford's vision and determination in building a substance abuse and alcohol treatment center after her own recovery.

Ford's funeral will be similar to the final tributes for her husband.

The ceremony, to be held at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Palm Desert, is billed as a private affair but it will be televised.

Following the funeral, members of the public will be invited to file past her casket and sign a guest book until midnight.

On Wednesday, her body will be flown to Grand Rapids where another church service Thursday will feature remarks by Lynne Cheney, wife of former Vice President Dick Cheney, and historian Richard Norton Smith.

Later Thursday, her body will be interred at the presidential museum along with her husband on the day that would have been Gerald Ford's 98th birthday.


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Sources: CNN, MSNBC, NY Times, Yahoo News, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

Michelle Obama & Nelson Mandela (Videos)

Michelle Obama meets Nelson Mandela

The meeting with the 92-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner was discreetly arranged after Mrs Obama and her daughters visited archives chronicling some of his 27 years as a political prisoner.

At the Mandela Foundation, his wife Graca Machel guided Mrs Obama, her mother, and her daughters Malia and Sasha through an exhibit of his personal photographs and journals, in which he meticulously drafted letters but also kept more mundane notes on his weight and daily routine.

"After leaving here, she proceeded to make a brief courtesy call on former President Mandela," said Achmat Dangor, the head of the foundation, calling the first lady "a lovely woman without any airs".

Their visit added to the symbolism surrounding Mrs Obama's journey, with America's first black family in the White House meeting South Africa's first black president.

President Barack Obama has called the anti-apartheid struggle his first political cause, and US officials say he has had periodic telephone contact with Mr Mandela, who led the struggle against white-minority rule.

The two men met in 2006 when then-senator Obama toured Africa. A simple mobile phone picture of that meeting is now in Mr Mandela's office, aides to the first lady said.

Mr Mandela welcomed her entire family into his home, including a niece and nephew travelling with them.

Such visits are increasingly rare. Mr Mandela, who turns 92 next month, has received few guests since he was admitted to hospital with an acute respiratory infection in January.

On Thursday Mrs Obama planned to see Mr Mandela's former prison at Robben Island and meet Nobel Peace Prize laureate Desmond Tutu in Cape Town, before heading to neighbouring Botswana for a safari on Saturday.

On Wednesday she will also give the keynote address at a conference of the Young African Women Leaders Forum, a two-day meeting of young women who are playing leadership roles across the continent.


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Sources: CBS News, CNN, Telegraph.co.uk, White House.gov, Youtube, Google Maps