RNC Chairman Reince Priebus. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File

The Republican party and the African-American community aren’t known for being on the same side of most issues. But as the GOP has upped its efforts to increase its appeal in the black and Latina community,  MadameNoire to take a look of some of the party insiders.

Michelle Obama giving the commencement at Spelman in 2011. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

It appears that the Republican Party is leaving no stone unturned in its latest efforts to reach out to the African-American community. The GOP, which already went on a listening tour, is even dong outreach to Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs).

After again being defeated by President Barack Obama who had the overwhelming support of minority voters, Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee (RNC) chairman, commissioned a report to outline a new strategy for the party, reports Diverse Education magazine. The 97-page Growth and Opportunity Project report was unveiled last month and among its suggestions was  to  find new ways to reach the black community. And recommended seeking out HBCUs, which said the report are institutions at which Republicans can engage African-Americans “with the goal of educating the community on Republican ideals and the party’s history.”

“HBCUs are part of the African-American community. We want to be engaged in all parts of the African-American community. So it’s important for us to do outreach to HBCUs,” Raffi Williams, the RNC deputy press secretary and the outreach coordinator to African Americans, told the magazine. “We’re still in the planning process, obviously, figuring out what the best strategy is moving forward.”

He added,  “We want to be involved with conservatives all across the country. Specifically if it helps us doing outreach to HBCUs, [those campus groups] will be very important for us and something that we hope to utilize.”

Dr. Robert Ford, a professor of chemistry at Texas Southern University (TSU) and an adviser to the Young Conservatives organization at the Houston-based historically black university, told the publication that the effort could increase GOP black votes in the next presidential election. According to Ford, the Republican Party initiative could help stimulate interest in helping reinvigorate the TSU group, which currently has just 15 members.

“I think there’s a newfound recognition that young people vote and that young people can be effective messengers in their communities that has brought more attention to HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions in getting out its new message of inclusiveness,” Ford said to Diverse Education.

With members of the right wing making comments like this about new MSNBC host Karen Finney, the GOP’s outreach efforts are being undermined by its own people.

Source: Thekincannonfirm.com

Every once in awhile, you come across something that reminds you of just how racist and insensitive some people can be. The most recent reminder came from Todd Kincannon, former executive director of the South Carolina Republican Party. On Sunday, the lawyer utilized his Twitter page to send out some very offensive and callous tweets where he poked fun at slain teen Trayvon Martin and Hurricane Katrina victims.

“The Superbowl sucks more d*** than adult Travon Martin would have for drug money,” he tweeted

“@coreybking Hey what’s the difference between Trayvon Martin and a dead baby? They’re both dead, but Pepsi doesn’t taste like Trayvon.”

“It hasn’t been this dark in the superdome since all those poors occupied it after Hurricane Katrina.”

Of course, these offensive tweets among countless others that he posted sparked a tirade of people blasting Kincannon. Some even threatened to kill him for his obnoxious comments; however, this only seemed to motivate him as he continued to defend his behavior.

Yesterday, Huff Post Live gave Kincannon an opportunity to call in and explain his comments or at the very least apologize to the people he offended. While he did call in, he refused to apologize. Instead, he attempted to offer what he felt to be a “logical” reason for making the comments.

“One of the things I like to do on Twitter is I’ll tweet something inflammatory and borderline crazy just for fun and I enjoy watching people go nuts…”

When asked why he thought anyone would find making fun of Trayvon Martin humorous, he offered an extremely disturbing response.

“Let’s be clear, people have said all manner of just ridiculous, highly offensive things about George Zimmerman…”

“I think it is time for a conversation in this country about why a conservative isn’t allowed to state an opinion that other people happen to disagree with, without having death threats and being threatened with all kinds of various ridiculous things.”

“This is real problem we have. People talk about political discourse in this country — you might think what I said was tasteless, you’re welcome to. But should I get death threats as a result of it?”

“I think a lot of people need to learn how to take a joke and I’ll leave it at that.”

Ironically, his offensive words came just twenty-four hours prior to the day that Trayvon would’ve been celebrating his 18th birthday. I guess this just serves as a reminder of the world we live in.

You can listen to Kincannon’s full interview with Huff Post Live on the next page.

Susan Rice reacting to applause after receiving praise from President Obama for a job well done. AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

While the GOP is working hard to keep Susan Rice, currently the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, from becoming the next Secretary of State, other groups are working even harder to get her approved.

A diverse group of African-American women leaders joined together today to show their support for Rice.  The group teamed up with the Black Women’s Roundtable (BWR), an intergenerational civic engagement network of the National Coalition on Black Civic Participation, to launch a campaign to “express their unequivocal support of United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice and to encourage Senate and congressional leaders to treat the esteemed public servant with respect,” announced a press release.

“It is important that women from all walks of life come together to push back when we see someone being treated unfairly not because of her work, but due to politics. Ambassador Rice has had a stellar career and has served this country with great dignity. We can not sit back and allow those who long for the days when white male privilege persisted in America to ruin the Ambassador´s reputation,” Melanie L. Campbell, president of the National Coalition and convener of BWR, tells us via email. “It’s a new day and Black, White, Caribbean, Asian and Latino women have come together to say, not on our watch! We are demanding that Ambassador Rice be given the proper respect appropriate for any other Cabinet-level member of a sitting Administration.”

The group of high-profile women signed an open letter to the U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Among those who signed are: Ingrid Saunders Jones, chair,  National Council of Negro Women; former Essence editor Susan L. Taylor, CEO and founder, National CARES Mentoring Movement; actress Vivica A. Fox, president, Foxy Brown Productions; and Dr. Natalia A. Francisco, founder and executive director, Women of Worth & Worship, LLC.

According to the press release, the letter sent to Senate intelligence Committee Chairman Dianne Feinstein  (D-CA)  and committee ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) said that Ambassador Rice “has excelled throughout her career both in the public and private sector. Her commitment to international peace and the equality of all people should be heralded, not summarily dismissed for political gain and expedience.”

The letter even addressed the Benghazi incident as it pointed out, “While some members of the Senate have pushed back on their rush to judgment in the press regarding Ambassador Rice’s prepared remarks on the attack in Benghazi, we feel that the public integrity and reputation of this brilliant woman, who serves our country with great dignity, has been unfairly and unnecessarily attacked.”

Rice also got a major show of support from the incoming Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) chair Rep. Marcia Fudge, who at a recent press conference vigorously defended Rice’s qualification and accused the GOP of being both racist and sexist. She stated, “women and minorities tend to be the target of Republican attacks when they lose to Democrats,” reports The Loop 21.

In addition to the letter there is an online petition in support of Ambassador Rice.  The twitter hashtag is #SupportAmbassadorRice.

What do you think of the Susan Rice backlash?

President Obama meeting today with small business owners. via @TheWhiteHouse

No doubt, you’ve been hearing a lot about the “fiscal cliff” that we’re perilously close to going over. On January 1, a number of tax increases and spending cuts will go into effect if this very divided federal government doesn’t reach a compromise. Faith in their ability to reach a resolution is low, which is impacting stock prices today and has been a factor for many business decision makers for months.

“Failure to reach a deal means tax increases and deep spending cuts take effect in five weeks — the fiscal cliff scenario that analysts fear could push the country back into recession,” says CNN.

The plan President Obama proposes would extend the Bush tax cuts for the middle class while ending them for people making $250,000 and more. This infographic lays out who would be affected by the tax increase and who wouldn’t. (Those who wouldn’t include individuals making less than this amount and “97 percent” of small businesses.) The My2K hashtag refers to the $2,200 that middle class taxes would increase should we actually fall off this metaphorical cliff. The White House has also been pushing their proposal hard on their Twitter account, with videos and other media included, and on this website.

Of course, others who reject the President’s plan have also used the hashtag to make their point of view known.

President Obama is also meeting with small business owners, chief executives at corporations, and middle class Americans today.

The Republicans, of course, aren’t taking this lying down. They’re also planning a number of events in Washington, with small business owners and corporate bigwigs, and in their home states, telling everyone who will listen that the White House plan will cost jobs. They say there should be no tax increases for anyone and want to reduce the size of government. They’re also in favor of spending cuts and entitlement reforms, a break with a pledge that many Republicans made with Grover Norquist, an anti-tax activist who founded Americans for Tax Reform.

“This is the public relations phase of the latest fiscal showdown in Washington, where direct engagement is no longer viewed as the optimal route to reaching a deal. As Wall Street shudders and Congress once again risks looking feckless in the face of crisis, both sides are locked in a battle to win over key interest groups — and the public,” writes Politico. The website notes that President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) haven’t met face-to-face in a while to discuss a compromise. Many believe they should meet, and meet often, in the coming days. But previous meetings over other issues yielded little. So the President seems to be opting for another strategy this time around.

A final compromise has to be reached in 33 days.

State Sen. Nina Turner in her tee (right). Via @JoIngles Twitter page

According to Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner (D-Cleveland), “GOP” doesn’t stand for “Grand Old Party.” It stands for “Get Out of my Panties.”

State Sen. Turner made her statement via t-shirt; one she wore recently to protest Ohio Republicans’ renewed efforts to de-fund Planned Parenthood. The press conference was organized by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Ohio in opposition to a bill that would put Planned Parenthood at the bottom of the state’s priority system for federal family planning funds, reports The Huffington Post.

The provocative slogan was used by Turner to highlight a disregard for women´s rights by the Republican party. She declared  at the conference, “If they continue their pursuit to condemn women, we will not stand for it,” she said.

African-American women often turn to Planned Parenthood for affordable health care. So much so, in fact, that the organization even has a section of its site dedicated to black patients —“ African Americans for Planned Parenthood.”

Turner, who confirmed she may run for Ohio Secretary of State in 2014, is known as an advocate for women’s reproductive and healthcare rights. She introduced a protest bill earlier this year that would restrict men’s ability to get a Viagra prescription.

“The Ohio state Legislature may also reconsider during its lame duck session the so-called ‘heartbeat bill,’ which would ban abortions after the fetal heartbeat is detected, with no exceptions for rape, incest or life of the mother,” according to the Huffington Post.

What do you think of the t-shirt? Too much or just right?

Source: Shutterstock

From Alternet.org

The recent spate of GOP callousness towards rape victims is part of a broader rape culture in our country in which victims of sexual assault are frequently  blamed for their own attacks–by gossip, by the media, and also in some cases, legally.

Witness this perfect example of rape culture coming from legal papers filed in California . Here’s what happened: the Moraga school district has responded to a suit by adult victims who were underage at the time. One perpetrator, having gone to trial, has been found guilty of offenses specifically against Kristen Cunnane, but that didn’t stop the district from laying the blame at her feet in its filing.

In fact, they actually  claimed she was careless and negligent–yes, when she was a preteen being molested by a teacher.

The district and three other defendants claim Cunnane “was herself responsible for the acts and damages of which she claims,” in the Oct. 24 legal filing.

“Carelessness and negligence on (Cunnane’s) part proximately contributed to the happenings of the incident and to the injuries, loss and damages,” they claim.

When she read the legal response, Cunnane, 30, said she was floored.

“It felt like I got punched in the stomach, and I stood up and thought about how young I was when I was 12 to 13 years old at the school,” said Cunnane, whose suit was filed in September. “For them to use words like ‘negligent’ and ‘responsible’ just broke my heart.”

The district’s legal counsel says that by using this language, it’s simply exhausting every avenue for defense against these allegations, but lawyers who work with these kinds of cases maintain that this kind of excuse doesn’t hold:

A youth law attorney said he understands the district’s need to include many affirmative defenses in its legal response to the suit but said that assigning responsibility to Cunnane for the abuse was inappropriate.

“I think it is reprehensible to place the blame on the young girl who was victimized,” said William Grimm, senior attorney with Oakland-based National Center for Youth Law. “The district’s defense has to be plausible … and this doesn’t even pass the smell test, in my opinion.”

As Cunnane says in the story, and as advocates who work with victims know, it’s very difficult for many victims, whatever the circumstances, to stop blaming themselves because they’ve internalized rape culture.

Actions like the district’s only make these problems worse.

When victims are blamed instead of perpetrators and denied agency over their bodies, it’s no wonder that politicians feel they can say things like Washington congressional candidate John Koster did, the latest in a long line of Republicans.

John Koster, a Republican running in Washington’s 1st Congressional District, was  caught on tape  explaining his opposition to rape exceptions in abortion bans in language opponents deem  callous.

“[I]ncest is so rare, I mean, it’s so rare,” Koster says in a recorded interview with an activist from Fuse Washington, a liberal group. “But the rape thing … you know, I know a woman who was raped and kept her child, gave it up for adoption, she doesn’t regret it. In fact, she’s a big pro-life proponent. But on the rape thing, it’s like, how does putting more violence onto a woman’s body and taking the life of an innocent child that’s a consequence of this crime, how does that make it better? You know what I mean?”

These people can’t even give victims agency in their language about assault.

*Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

From Alternet.org

A tame but amusing Obama ad featuring “Girls” star Lena Dunham offering some mildly innuendo-laden commentary about making one’s “first time” voting memorable and being sure it’s with the right man has unsurprisingly caused the moral scolds on the Right Wing to go apoplectic because… Sex!

At the New Civil Rights movement , bloggers grabbed a screencap of conservatives on Twitter immediately crying out in shock and horror, calling it the “height of vulgarity.” Seriously. Eric Erickson even cited the ad as evidence that we live in a “fallen and depraved world destined for the fire.”

Okay then.

But the Right Wing is also upset because… Vladimir Putin! Yes, you see an ad for Putin once used a similar joke . Maybe this revelation is an incredibly damning moment for the Obama campaign, or actually not. Perhaps the similarity in ads arises because, Dunham’s charming delivery aside, the “first time” joke is an incredibly obvious joke to make–at least for those of us who are “destined for the fire” anyway.

Watch below:

The dueling reactions over the Dunham ad are indicative of a deeper cultural divide between the two sets of voters and their representatives in the media. Obama appeals to young, culturally relevant artists with tattoos and senses of humor.

His opponents, meanwhile, can’t see straight when presented with sexual suggestiveness of any kind whatsoever. At least this offers us reason to be heartened for the future.

As the next Presidential election draws nigh in November, the two most popular candidates, Democratic President Barack Obama and Republican candidate Mitt Romney have been paving the campaign trail. With election year comes slander, controversy and your occasional celebrity political rants. Politics met entertainment with the latest celebrity rant, coming from Nicki Minaj, in which she rapped in vote of Republican Mitt Romney. This was a shock to fans and celebrity bloggers everywhere, but Nicki is not the only popular African-American face that has shown favor to the GOP.  Here is a list of some African-American celebrities who have supported or are affiliated with the Republican party:

Source: USA Today

LL Cool J

LL Cool J attended the Republican Convention in 2004 and has been a supporter of Republican New York governor George Pataki back in 2002. He has never officially stated his political party.

Image: AP /J. Scott Applewhite

Hours before Ann Romney and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie took the stage last night at the Republican Convention, Mayor Mia Love gave a speech that had people cheering, hooting and chanting “U-S-A.”

Love is the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, a Mormon and possibly, if the buzz becomes reality, the future first black Republican woman to get elected to Congress.

During her brief speech last night, she talked about her immigrant roots; her parents came to the U.S. from Haiti “with $10 in their pocket.” She used her time at the podium to sound off on President Obama, saying point blank that “his policies have failed.”

“President Obama’s version of American is a divided one,” she said, “often pitting us against each other based on income level, gender, and social status.”

“With Mitt Romney as President and Paul Ryan as Vice President, we can restore and revive that American story we know and love,” she continued.

You can listen to the entirety of her speech on ABC News.

Love is already the first black woman to become mayor in Utah, winning the seat two years ago. She could oust the state’s Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson. She’s already gotten support from GOP bigwigs House Speaker John Boehner and Sen. John McCain (AZ), who traveled to the state to help her raise funds. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will be there on September 7.

Critics and the opposition have brought up the fact that Mayor Love has raised taxes in her city, contrary to her platform focused on fiscal responsibility and spending cuts. She says it was just for public safety. And the Christian Science Monitor reports, “A local Utah non-profit, the Alliance for a Better UTAH, issued a statement Tuesday claiming Love’s plan would eliminate all government support for student loans. The statement said Love put herself through college in Connecticut using federal student aid programs.”

After she spoke last night, people ran to Google to find out more about her. She’s definitely got our attention.