TRIBUTE TO MY LATE MOTHER (I LOVE YOU MOMMY)

TRIBUTE TO MY MOTHER (OCTOBER 1934 - AUGUST 2018:

I MISS HER SO MUCH.


“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

REVELATION 21:4







Post Sources: YouTube

MEECHY MONROE, BLACK CHICAGO BEAUTY GURU DEAD AT 32 (BRAIN TUMOR)

MEECHY MONROE, BLACK CHICAGO BEAUTY GURU DEAD AT 32 (BRAIN TUMOR):

SHE DIED TOO SOON.

Sources: Chicago Tribune


**** Meechy Monroe, Chicago blogger on black beauty, dies at 32


After an unflattering but fateful haircut in 2009 led Meechy Monroe to chop off her chemically treated hair in favor of a short Afro, women on the street would walk up to her and ask how they could get their look to resemble hers.

"People would come up to me and ask what I did to my hair," Monroe told the Tribune in 2014. "They'd ask to touch it and I'd let them. I understood that so many black women didn't know their natural hair. They wanted to learn. I'd stop and have a 20-minute conversation in the train station."

Monroe combined marketing skills she learned at Southern Illinois University with a desire to help people and launched a YouTube channel with videos that chronicled her life and shared tips on how to achieve different beauty techniques. That included Monroe's signature look, known to fans as "the Meechy twistout," where she'd section her hair in bunches, twist it at night, and let it fluff into a vibrant Afro by morning.

Over time, Monroe's YouTube channel collected millions of page views and more than 43,000 people followed her Instagram. Her beauty blog and natural hair advocacy inspired black women around the world.

In 2014, she had a stroke, and doctors found a rare type of brain tumor. Her family later placed Monroe in hospice care and she died on Tuesday. She was 32.

Born Tameka Moore, she grew up on the South Side as one of four sisters. "Meechy" was a high school nickname and "Monroe" was partly meant to evoke Marilyn Monroe, her sister Vaughn Moore said Thursday. Her father thought they should use a stage name to help protect their privacy.

"It was cute. It had a ring," Vaughn Moore said.

Monroe spent hours creating videos, testing styles and blogging. Her mother, Patricia Moore, said Monroe was always popular in school and around the neighborhood, but Moore was surprised and excited by how much her daughter's efforts took off.

"I had no idea that her popularity would grow to the level it grew to, and the thousands of people whose lives she touched, not only because of the tutorials and stuff like that, but people soon seemed to have fallen in love with her because of her personality," Moore said. "She cared about people. She loved people."

As her social media audience grew, Monroe began working with different beauty companies. Ken Burkeen, who runs Huetiful, a hair care company based in Atlanta, hired her and her sister Vaughn to essentially be cover girls for the company. When Huetiful launched in Europe, the sisters went along and were recognized in Paris, Burkeen said.

"A lady in the train station was running down the platform…yelling 'Monroe Sisters! Monroe Sisters!'" Burkeen recalled. "I think at that moment they realized they were (not only) influencing and touching lives in Chicago and Atlanta but abroad."

Vaughn Moore said her sister was "the light of everybody's life that she touched."

"People wanted to do more with themselves because of her. They wanted to be beautiful," Vaughn said. "They wanted to go seek careers for themselves, travel, have pets, cook, and try new things because of her and the influence she had in that space."

In 2014, the Tribune profiled Monroe and her struggle with a brain tumor that affects just 1 percent of U.S. cancer patients. Going through treatment changed her speech and ability to write, and took her hair.

Still, she shared a positive message for the world.

"It's just a new journey for me," she told the Tribune. "I've learned to be pretty confident in my skin. Chubby cheeks. Bald head. It's beautiful. I have to show other women — no matter what, you're still beautiful."

Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Leslie Schaffer, told the Tribune at the time that Monroe was "a very exceptional young lady. She's bright and very caring."

"She's as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside, and it's a privilege to care for her," Schaffer said.

That's a point made by other relatives and associates.

Monroe's mother said that optimism was just who she was. She called Monroe "the glue" that held their family together. With four girls in the house, Moore said, there was a lot of chatter and "henpecking."

"She was always speaking positive and she hated negativity," Moore said, calling her a "peacemaker."

Moore said her daughter was resilient up to the end of her battle with cancer. Even though she had become disabled on her right side, she still remained hopeful to the end. Monroe died in a hospice center as her sister, Vaughn, held her hand.

"She was strong-willed," Moore said. "She was a fighter."

Pres. Obama Honors Aurora Victims; Orders Flags Flown At Half-Staff (Weekly Address Video)

Obama Colorado Shooting Proclamation: Flags To Be Flown At Half Staff For Victims

President Barack Obama on Friday ordered flags at government buildings around the country to be flown at half staff in tribute to victims of the deadly mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado.

Early Friday morning, 24-year-old James Eagan Holmes allegedly opened fire on theater-goers attending a midnight premiere of the summer blockbuster "The Dark Knight Rises," killing at least 12 and wounding 59, according to police.

Obama addressed the incident early Friday, saying that he and the first lady were shocked by the "horrific and tragic" events.

At a campaign event later in the day, he gave further comments.

"We're going to stand by our neighbors in Colorado during this extraordinarily difficult time. Such violence, such evil is senseless; it's beyond reason." Obama said. "What matters at the end of the day is not the small things; it is not the trivial things ... Ultimately it is how we choose to treat one another and how we love one another."

He added, "We do know what makes life worth living. People in Aurora loved and were loved."

The president's proclamation is set to go into effect immediately and last until sunset of July 25.

Read the entire proclamation below:

As a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated on July 20, 2012, in Aurora, Colorado, by the authority vested in me as President of the United States by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions until sunset, July 25, 2012. I also direct that the flag shall be flown at half-staff for the same length of time at all United States embassies, legations, consular offices, and other facilities abroad, including all military facilities and naval vessels and stations.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this twentieth day of July, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-seventh.


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Sources: AOL, AP, Huffington Post, NY Daily News, Politico, White House.gov, Youtube, Google Maps

Whitney Houston Performs "Star Spangled Banner", 1991 Super Bowl (That Voice)

Whitney's Super Bowl national anthem was a classic

Among the annals of national anthems as a prelude to sporting events, few have topped the one delivered by Whitney Houston, who died Saturday, before Super Bowl XXV in 1991 in Tampa. Just a woman, her incredible voice and the bare minimum of extraneous notes.

Her rendition came at a particularly patriotic time, just after the onset of the Persian Gulf War, and was released as a single. It was re-released after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Houston donated all proceeds to charity. There was some controversy over whether she had pre-recorded the song, but it still ranks among the best all-time because of the circumstances and ... that voice..



Whitney Houston’s Star-Spangled Secret

It was what turned a star into a superstar: Whitney Houston’s mesmerizing rendition of the national anthem at the 1991 Super Bowl. Houston’s powerful “Star Spangled Banner” performance came at a poignant, patriotic time — the U.S. had just entered the 1991 Gulf War.

But here’s what you didn’t know: What the Super Bowl audience and hundreds of millions of TV viewers heard was lip-synched.

“The music was pre-recorded, and so was the vocal,” confirmed Rickey Minor, who was Houston’s musical director at the time.

Minor, now the band leader on Jay Leno’s “Tonight Show,” said that in a crowd that large and loud, it was impossible for Houston to hear herself. Though she did sing, it was her pre-recorded voice that the audience heard.

Here’s another surprise: Minor and Houston changed the national anthem to ensure a better performance.

“The original version is in 3/4 time, which is more like a waltz,” Minor explained. “What we tried to do was to put it in 4/4 meter… We wanted to give her a chance to phrase it in such a way that she would be able to take her time and really express the meaning.”

Minor was nervous that the altered anthem wouldn’t be well received, but that story, at least, has a happy ending: Houston’s performance electrified the stadium and soon after, popular demand prompted Houston’s record label to release a single that hit the top 20 on the Billboard charts.

“I think it might well be the best Super Bowl performance of all time, ” said Billboard Magazine editor Danyel Smith. “It may well be, with the exception of her version of Dolly Parton’s, ‘I Will Always Love You,’ the most remembered thing about her.

I think our grandkids will look at the video for ‘I Will Always Love You’ and they will look at the video of Whitney Houston singing at Super Bowl twenty-five.”


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Sources: AP, ABC News, Washington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

60 Minutes Pays Tribute To America's Fallen Heroes: Memorial Day (Video)

Sources: 60 Minutes, CBS News

Whitney Houston Tribute From The P.S. 22 Chorus In Staten Island, NY

Only in America: PS 22 Chorus Pays Tribute to Whitney Houston


The Public School 22 Chorus from Staten Island burst into YouTube fame performing jaw-dropping renditions of popular songs that rivaled the original recordings by artists like Adele, Lady Gaga, Rihanna and many others.

On the eve of Whitney Houston's funeral, the PS22 school chorus honors the late singer on "Piers Morgan Tonight," exclusively debuting one of her most loved songs, "The Greatest Love of All."

The PS 22 Chorus have viral videos circling the internet amassing over 41 million collective views and performed on many national platforms, including the 83rd Academy Awards. Denise Bestman, an 11-year old alum gained mainstream fame during last Sunday’s GRAMMY commercial by singing Adele’s award-winning hit “Rolling in the Deep” and spoke to Piers Morgan earlier this week.

Only in America: A tribute to an all-American diva.


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Sources: CNN, Jet Magazine, NY Daily News, P.S. 22, Google Maps

9-11 Attacks Tribute (Musical Video)

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Sources: Youtube, Google Maps

Obama Administration Calls For Unity & Prayer On 10th Anniversary Of 9-11 Attacks

Obama proclaims National Days of Prayer and Remembrance

Commemorating the 10th anniversary of 9/11, President Barack Obama proclaimed this weekend, Friday though Sunday, as National Days of Prayer and Remembrance.

“Today, our nation still faces great challenges, but this last decade has proven once more that, as a people, we emerge from our trials stronger than before,” Obama said in a statement Friday.

The president called on Americans to honor the victims of the terrorist attacks through activities such as prayer, memorial services, the ringing of bells, and evening candlelight remembrance vigils.

Obama also urged citizens to remember those among “the 9/11 generation” of service members who have “come of age bearing the burden of war,” with some paying the ultimate sacrifice.

“During these days of prayer and remembrance, a grateful nation gives thanks to all those who have given of themselves to make us safer,” Obama said.

Obama will attend memorial services at all three attack sites – New York, Washington and Pennsylvania – this weekend.

The proclamation comes in the wake of faith-based groups expressing opposition toward New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who stirred controversy when deciding to exclude religious leaders from the World Trade Center memorial service on Sunday.

Prominent politicians have also come out against the decision. On Tuesday, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said religion played a key role in the days following the attacks by offering people some “strength to move on.”

“Just get them up. Say a little prayer,” Giuliani said at the National Press Club in Washington Tuesday. “The microphone will not melt if you say a prayer.”

In his statement Friday, Obama did not address the clergy issue, but focused on the memory of those who lost their lives 10 years ago.

“We continue to stand with their families and loved ones, while striving to ensure the legacy of those we lost is a safer, stronger, and more resilient nation,” Obama said.


Sources: CNN, Youtube

Joe Biden & Former Presidents Clinton, Bush Pay Tribute To Passengers Of Flight 93

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

VP, former presidents laud courage of Flight 93

Vice President Joe Biden said the 40 passengers and crew of Flight 93 gave their lives for their country when they overcame four hijackers to crash the plane into a Pennsylvania field.

He says that while nothing can fill the void left in the hearts of their family members and friends, their actions will always be recalled gratefully, for defining their country and sacrificing their lives so that others could live.

Speaking Saturday at the dedication of the first phase of the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Biden said those aboard the plane knew that it was more than a hijacking, but an opening shot in a new war.

He says they acted as citizen patriots have done since Capt. John Parker said in April 1775 that if war is what they want, "then let it begin here."

Former President George W. Bush called the actions aboard Flight 93 on Sept. 11 one of the most courageous acts in U.S. history and a shining example of democracy in action. More than 4,000 people, including relatives of those killed when the plane crashed into a rural Pennsylvania field, attended the service.

He said that even as the U.S. was under attack in New York and Washington, those aboard the hijacked plane defied their four captors by holding a vote to try and overpower them. He said the choice cost them their lives but was successful.

'Determination and valor'
Former President Bill Clinton said he and U.S. House Speaker John Boehner will mount a bipartisan effort to raise the remaining $10 million needed to completely fund the Flight 93 National Memorial, and he praised those aboard the plane as heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Clinton likened their efforts to the Battle of the Alamo in Texas and the battle of Thermoplyae in ancient Greece, where defenders of both died to the last man.

He noted that the passengers who overcame the four hijackers were not soldiers, but citizens, who with almost no time acted and gave the U.S. a gift: They saved the capital from attack.

He said they saved lives and denied al-Qaida the symbolic victory of smashing the center of American government.

He said that he hoped that 2,500 years from now, their exploits would not be forgotten.

The terrorists "never made it because of the determination and valor of the passengers and crew of Flight 93; that plane crashed in this field, less than 20 minutes by air" from Washington, where it appeared to be headed, said Jon Jarvis, director of the National Park Service.

The Rev. Daniel Coughlin, who was the U.S. House Chaplain at the time of the attacks, called the sacrifices made by the passengers and crew "willing seed for freedom's harvest."

"They refused to be paralyzed. ... They break the silence and decidedly act together. They do only what is possible in an impossible situation," he said in the invocation. "Because they are your children, they find within themselves, true freedoms."

Coughlin's invocation was followed by a long moment of silence as the U.S. flag was brought in, then a singing of "The Star-Spangled Banner." The names of the victims were also read as bells tolled.

Poet Robert Pinsky took to the lectern and read a pair of poems, one about "needing to remember, even if you don't want to," and a second about heroism. The poems came from Brazilian Carlos Drummond de Andrade and Poland's Czeslaw Milosz.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Sarah McLachlan performed her song of loss and remembrance, "I Will Remember You."

In remembrance in NYC

In New York City, hundreds of families, friends and strangers ringing lower Manhattan clasped hands as a bell clanged at 8:46 a.m. to signify the time the first hijacked plane crashed into the World Trade Center's North Tower. It was one of several public and private events scheduled around the city, including a free performance by the New York Philharmonic and a memorial by Fire Department of New York for its 343 members who died on 9/11 and those who have died from illness after working at ground zero.

In Pennsylvania on Friday, family members of those who died on Flight 93 visited the crash site, read the guestbook and viewed the many mementos left by people from all over the world who have come to pay their respects.

Relatives shed some tears, but they also celebrated the spirit of the guestbook — a rare feeling that people from vastly different walks of life had come together.

"I don't focus on what happened. You can't change that," said Lorne Lyles, whose wife, CeeCee Ross Lyles, had been working as a United Airlines flight attendant for only nine months on that September morning in 2001.

"Coming here is more of a celebratory thing. She's been memorialized," Lyles said. "Just to see the outpouring from all over the world is touching. You really do have some caring people in the world."

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar spoke at the site Friday. He noted that for all the progress on the memorial, there's still work to be done. When it's finished, it will include a "Tower of Voices" with 40 wind chimes.

Public and private donors have contributed $52 million, but $10 million more is needed to build a true visitors center and to finish landscaping, Salazar said.


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Sources: MSNBC, Google Maps

Happy Mother's Day To ALL Mothers Everywhere!

To ALL Mothers Everywhere:

Happy Mother's Day & Thanks For Giving Birth To Your Children Versus Aborting Them!

Thanks For Loving Us Enough To Sacrifice Your Time To Create Lifelong Memories.

Thanks For Protecting, Encouraging & Supporting Us.

Thanks For NEVER Giving Up On Us Even When Situations Required You To Kneel & Pray Daily; Seeking God's Face For Solutions.

Your Labor Wasn't In Vain!

We Love You & God Bless!








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Sources: Shubel & Light Records, Wikipedia, Youtube, Google Maps

Obama's Ground Zero Visit Brings Closure To 9-11 Families: Osama's Dead!!

Today Pres. Barack Obama Whose Administration Recently Took Down The World's Most Dangerous Terrorist Leader, Osama Bin Laden, Visited The Site Of New York City's "Ground Zero".

FYI: "Ground Zero" Is The Location Where New York City's Twin Towers/ World Trade Center Once Stood.

Twin Towers As In Two Of The World's Most Magnificent Architectural Structures Ever Built, And Destroyed By A Madman On Sept. 11, 2001.

As A Child While Still Residing In Brooklyn, I Remember Visiting The World Trade Center/ Twin Towers Once During A Classroom Field Trip.

Now They Are Gone Forever!

Unfortunately My Offspring Will NEVER Experience The Pleasure Of Seeing Or Touring Those Two Formerly Magnificent World Monuments.

Even More Importantly 3,000+ Innocent New York Citizens, Firefighters, NYPD Officers & Pentagon Employees Including Military Personnel, Lost Their Lives On That Day, Also Due To Osama Bin Laden's Extremist Antics.

So Excuse Me If I Show NO Sympathy At All For How He Was Assassinated In Pakistan On Sunday, May 1, 2011!

Well Today Pres. Obama Visited Families Of 9-11 Victims At Ground Zero.

NOT As A 2012 Campaign Event But To Let Them Know That He Too Is An American, Who Loves This Country So Much It Was Imperative His Administration Hunt Down & KILL Osama Bin Laden.

Thus Osama Will NEVER Again Be Able To Murder Any Other Innocent American Citizens, Nor Destroy Any Other Beautiful World Monuments.

Some Of His Al-Qaeda Followers May Attempt To Do So, But He Most Certainly Will NOT Because He's Lying At The Bottom Of The Sea Where He Belongs!!!

What A Pity Former Pres. George W. Bush Wasn't Able To Attend & Meet With The Families Of Those 9-11 Victims Too.

I'm Quite Sure Those Families/ Survivors Would Have Appreciated His Presence.

Perhaps W. Bush Didn't Show His Face To Avoid Being Questioned As To Why It Took Pres. Obama's Administration 2 Years To Locate And Kill Osama, While It Took W. Bush's Administration 8 Years & More Than $1 Trillion Dollars To NEVER Find Him At All!!

God Bless Families Of 9-11 Victims, The Obama Administration & This Great Nation: AMERICA!!












Obama visits ground zero; honors 9/11 victims

Six picture frames hang inside a firehouse in Manhattan, each displaying a photograph of a man who died in the aftermath of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history.

"We always say never forget," said one firefighter from New York's Engine 23.

He said President Barack Obama's visit to New York was an acknowledgement of "what we're going through."

"This is what New York is going through," said the man, who didn't want to share his name.

After nearly a decade of war prompted by the horrific events of September 11, 2001, Obama traveled to Manhattan Thursday to meet with 9/11 survivors and lay a wreath at ground zero, four days after the killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"I wanted to just come up here to thank you," Obama said in prepared remarks, after eating lunch with firefighters and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani. "This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day almost 10 years ago."

The president visited with members of Fire Engine 54, Battalion Nine, which lost 15 men after al Qaeda hijackers flew two commercial airliners into the World Trade Center's twin towers.

"Obviously we can't bring back your friends that were lost," he said. "I know that each and every one of you not only grieve for them, but have also over the last 10 years dealt with their family."

The men of Engine 54 left behind 28 children, collectively.

The meetings with firefighters were private exchanges during which the president sought to mark an end to the near decade-long hunt for the Qaeda leader, officials say.

"It was a wonderful gesture, based on the news that we got of Osama bin Laden's death," New York Fire Chief Edward Kilduff told reporters.

"For him to come here to see the faces of those killed in 9/11," Kilduff said, referring to photographs that hung inside the firehouse of the men who died, "I think it really meant something to him."

In a pre-dawn raid in Pakistan Monday, a U.S. Navy SEAL team killed bin Laden, the shadowy figurehead atop the group behind attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, which left nearly 3,000 people dead.

"So it's some comfort, I hope, to all of you to know that when those guys took those extraordinary risks going into Pakistan, that they were doing it in part because of the sacrifices that were made in the States," said the president.

"They were doing it in the name of your brothers that were lost."

Obama's visit to ground zero -- the former site of the World Trade Center -- sought to "help New Yorkers and Americans everywhere achieve a sense of closure with the death of Osama bin Laden," according to White House press secretary Jay Carney.

The president's visit included a moment of silence and a wreath-laying ceremony at the foot of the Survivor Tree, singed during the September 11 attacks and replanted after it was discovered beneath piles of smoldering rubble.

He was accompanied by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Port Authority Chairman David Samson.

In a seperate moment, Obama then hugged Payton Wall, a 14-year-old girl who wrote the president a letter explaining how she was handling the loss of her father, Glen James, who was killed in the attacks.

Meanwhile, camera-wielding tourists and news crews snapped images of the president's motorcade as it rumbled through Manhattan and later of Obama's meeting with the friends and family members of those killed during the attacks.

Onlookers posed for photographs with firefighters in what appeared to be a day of mixed emotions -- satisfaction at bin Laden's death, but renewed grief for what was lost that day.

Across the city, New Yorkers and visitors hearkened back to where they were on that fateful Tuesday. Others more quietly remembered friends and family who died.

"My husband's here in spirit," said Monica Iken, whose husband, Michael Patrick, was a bond trader who worked in the World Trade Center. "We'll never forget what happened here."

"I'm proud today," she said.

Former President George W. Bush, who was in office at the time of the 9/11 attacks, did not appear alongside his successor during Thursday's visit to New York.

A spokesman for Bush said he turned down an invitation to attend, citing his desire to remain out of the public spotlight. The image of the former president beside firefighters at ground zero once became an emblem of America's resolve in the war on terror.

Meanwhile, Obama's visit to the hallowed site nearly 10 years later left many New Yorkers eager to witness the closing chapter for a man once considered the world's most wanted terrorist.


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Sources: CBS News, CNN, Huffington Post, NY Times, Youtube, Google Maps

Michael Jackson Video Tribute: 1 Yr Anniversary R.I.P.

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Sources: Vevo, Youtube, Google Maps

Susan Burgess' Memorial Service, Hundreds Attend

Hundreds Gather To Say Farewell To Susan Burgess



Hundreds said good-bye to one of Charlotte’s most tireless public leaders Saturday, as former city councilwoman and mayor pro tem Susan Burgess was laid to rest.

Burgess died Wednesday at her home after a three-year battle with cancer. She was 64. She resigned her post just more than a week before her death, in a surprise appearance at a city council meeting.

Sunday, council members, former mayors and several other elected leaders joined family and friends at Covenant Presbyterian Church in uptown Charlotte to remember her life.

"She gave everything she had until the last minute,” said Mayor Anthony Foxx, “and our community really needs to be grateful to have a public servant who is willing to give that kind of life and spirit to our city.”

Foxx choked up while publicly expressing his thanks to Burgess at her last meeting; he said he prayed for the ability to get through the eulogy he gave Saturday’s service.

During his public attribution, he recalled Burgess’s willingness to tackle tough issues.

“She was a force incapable of being silenced,” he said, “a fighter who believed in the power of people.” Foxx wrapped up the eight-minute tribute by saying, “I will miss her, and Charlotte will miss a fighter for all people.”

After the service, colleagues at all levels of government praised Burgess’s work ethic, which they said transcended party lines.

Burgess was active in the Democratic party, and often clashed with Republican council members on controversial issues.

Yet Republican council members praised her professionalism.

“We had many, many political battles,” said former mayor Pat McCrory, “but one thing I could never do is question her commitment to this community.”

Former Mayor Richard Vinroot served while Burgess was a member of the school board. “She was universal politician – friends all over the city,” said Vinroot. “Partisan, yes, but not one to personalize her differences.”

Former Mayor Harvey Gantt didn’t serve while Burgess held office, but said the two had a warm relationship that involved discussing issues.

He said Saturday’s service reflected that. “It was really a celebration of a great a public servant, and a woman I’ve respected since I've known her,” said Gantt.

U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick, also a former Charlotte mayor, recalled a more personal side of her relationship with Burgess.

“Susan was one of the first to reach out to me when I had breast cancer many, many years ago,” recalled Myrick, “and was just a special friend to me, which I suppose most people didn't know.”

Others praised Burgess’s position as a role model for women in politics.

Minister Robert Henderson told a story about Burgess earning a spot as a page in the West Virginia legislature, a position no young woman had ever held.

The legislature didn’t allow her to serve, which Henderson said set Burgess on a path of advocating for women and minorities.

Mecklenburg County Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts said Burgess followed through. “She was absolutely a supporter of having women, minorities.. voices that need to be at the table because they reflect our community,” said Roberts.

Burgess also encouraged young adults to get involved in the community.

A scholarship has been endowed at UNC-Charlotte in Burgess’s name, for students studying public administration.

Burgess’s son will take her seat on the city council until the end of her term.

Mayor Foxx said Burgess’s legacy goes beyond scholarships.

He said her greatest legacy is her own children, and next to that, the people she’s help as a councilwoman – including many of the city’s less fortunate citizens.

“There are kids who have afterschool programs today because of Susan Burgess,” said Foxx. “There is affordable housing that exists today because of Susan Burgess. There are numerous other things just like that throughout our community and those are really the legacies she cared the most about.”

Burgess’s family held a private funeral and interment before Saturday's memorial service.






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Sources: WCNC, Google Maps

Pres. Obama, VP Biden Pays Tribute To Sen. Ted Kennedy..."He Was The Greatest Senator Of Our Time"

MSNBC---


(President Obama reflects on the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy, who passed away of brain cancer at the age of 77.)

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(Vice-President Biden speaks about Clean Energy and reflects on the life & death of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy.)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

The President spoke at 9:57 this morning at Blue Heron Farm in Chilmark, Massachusetts:

THE PRESIDENT: I wanted to say a few words this morning about the passing of an extraordinary leader, Senator Edward Kennedy.

Over the past several years, I've had the honor to call Teddy a colleague, a counselor, and a friend. And even though we have known this day was coming for some time now, we awaited it with no small amount of dread.

Since Teddy's diagnosis last year, we've seen the courage with which he battled his illness. And while these months have no doubt been difficult for him, they've also let him hear from people in every corner of our nation and from around the world just how much he meant to all of us. His fight has given us the opportunity we were denied when his brothers John and Robert were taken from us: the blessing of time to say thank you -- and goodbye.

The outpouring of love, gratitude, and fond memories to which we've all borne witness is a testament to the way this singular figure in American history touched so many lives. His ideas and ideals are stamped on scores of laws and reflected in millions of lives -- in seniors who know new dignity, in families that know new opportunity, in children who know education's promise, and in all who can pursue their dream in an America that is more equal and more just -- including myself.

The Kennedy name is synonymous with the Democratic Party. And at times, Ted was the target of partisan campaign attacks. But in the United States Senate, I can think of no one who engendered greater respect or affection from members of both sides of the aisle. His seriousness of purpose was perpetually matched by humility, warmth, and good cheer. He could passionately battle others and do so peerlessly on the Senate floor for the causes that he held dear, and yet still maintain warm friendships across party lines.

And that's one reason he became not only one of the greatest senators of our time, but one of the most accomplished Americans ever to serve our democracy.

His extraordinary life on this earth has come to an end. And the extraordinary good that he did lives on. For his family, he was a guardian. For America, he was the defender of a dream.

I spoke earlier this morning to Senator Kennedy's beloved wife, Vicki, who was to the end such a wonderful source of encouragement and strength. Our thoughts and prayers are with her, his children Kara, Edward, and Patrick; his stepchildren Curran and Caroline; the entire Kennedy family; decades' worth of his staff; the people of Massachusetts; and all Americans who, like us, loved Ted Kennedy.


President Barack Obama said Wednesday that the nation lost "the greatest United States senator of our time" with the death of Ted Kennedy.

"For five decades, virtually every major piece of legislation to advance the civil rights, health and economic well-being of the American people bore his name and resulted from his efforts," Obama said of the Massachusetts senator, who died Tuesday at his home on Cape Cod, Mass., after a yearlong struggle with brain cancer. He was 77.

A senior administration official said Obama was told of Kennedy's death shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday, and spoke with the senator's widow, Victoria, around 2:25 a.m.

The president, vacationing at Martha's Vineyard off the Massachusetts coast, thanked Kennedy for "his wise counsel" during Obama's short time serving as a senator from Illinois.

"I cherished his confidence and momentous support in my race for the presidency," Obama added. Kennedy and his niece Caroline shook up the Democratic establishment in January 2008 when they endorsed Obama over Hillary Rodham Clinton for the party's nomination for president.

Backed Obama

Exactly one year before his death, Kennedy gave a rousing speech at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, where Obama accepted the presidential nomination. Kennedy returned to the Capitol in January to see Obama sworn in as the nation's first black president, but suffered a seizure at a celebratory luncheon afterward.

He was away from the Senate for much of this year, leading to speculation about the impact of his absence on Obama's health care proposals. Still, Obama said, "even as he waged a valiant struggle with a mortal illness, I've profited as president from his encouragement and wisdom."

"An important chapter in our history has come to an end," Obama said. "Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States Senator of our time."

Sources: MSNBC, Whitehouse.gov

Madonna To Pay Tribute To The King Of Pop In London

MSN Music News----

Madonna will pay special tribute to Michael Jackson when she resumes her Sticky & Sweet tour in London Saturday night.

Madonna's rep tells the Associated Press that she'll perform a special song and dance number in memory of Michael during the concert.

In exclusive photos of a dress rehearsal for the show (posted on Madonna's Web site), a man dressed like the late King of Pop is pictured busting dance moves while the Material Mom and an entourage watch on, looking impressed.

The concert takes place at London's O2 arena, where Michael was slated to stage his 50-date tour.



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Sources: MSN Music News, MSNBC, Google Maps

Janet Jackson, BET Awards Pays Tribute To Michael Jackson

MSNBC, MTV News----

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On Sunday night at the end of the BET Awards, Janet Jackson spoke publicly for the first time about the death of her beloved older brother, Michael.

Clad all in white, a visibly distraught Janet remained strong as she fought back tears while addressing the audience.

"My entire family wanted to be here tonight, but it was too painful," she told the crowd — including her father Joe Jackson — which cheered and stood on its feet. She then said her comments would be brief.

"To you, Michael is an icon," Janet said. "To us, Michael is family. He will forever live in all of our hearts.

"On behalf of my family and myself, thank you for all of your love, thank you for all of your support. We miss him so much. Thank you so much." She teared up toward the end of her comments.

Janet's thoughts led into a profound, almost gospel performance of "I'll Be There" by show host Jamie Foxx and Ne-Yo. The song — one of the Jackson 5's biggest hits — was a #1 hit single upon its original release in 1970 and again when covered by Mariah Carey for "MTV Unplugged" in 1992. On Sunday night, it was rendered quietly, with the duo accompanied only by a pianist. The performance was a strikingly different way to end an awards show, which usually conclude with big, rousing finales. It gave the show a dignified ending that perfectly suited the nature of the Jackson tribute.

During the BET aftershow telecast, when asked how he felt, Ne-Yo said: "I feel good, man. It's a sad day for music, but I've been telling people we should be celebrating his life, not mourning his death."

Sources: BET, MSNBC, MTV News