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From TheGrio.com

An estimated 1.5 million black students could see interest on their student loans increase unless Congress and President Obama reach an agreement to keep current rates in place.

Obama will give speeches at the University of North Carolina and the University of Colorado Tuesday, pushing his proposal to prevent a scheduled hike in rates for subsidized Stafford Loans. In 2007, Congress and President Bush agreed to gradually reduce the interest rates of these loans from 6.8 to 3.4 percent, but that provision expires in July, and new loans would be issued with the 6.8 percent rate if legislation is not passed.

The Department of Education estimates the increase would result in about $1,000 in additional loan costs for each student. African-Americans carry the highest levels of high student debt among demographic groups, as 16 percent of black graduates owe more than $40,000 in loans, according to a recent Philadelphia Inquirer report.

About eight million American students use subsidized Stafford loans each year, most of whom are in households with income below $50,000. These loans have particular appeal because the federal government pays the interest rates on them when students are in college, while students are responsible for the interest of unsubsidized federal Stafford Loans as soon as they start borrowing.

For the complete story, visit TheGrio.com.

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Source: BlackVoices.com

President Obama took a minute to reflect on the past earlier this week. Wednesday, while he was visiting the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan, the president sat in the Montgomery, Alabama bus seat Rosa Parks refused to vacate.

Later, while in Detroit, the president shared his thoughts on the experience:

 ”I just sat in there for a moment and pondered the courage and tenacity that is part of our very recent history but is also part of that long line of folks who sometimes are nameless, often times didn’t make the history books, but who constantly insisted on their dignity, their share of the American dream.”

Powerful stuff.

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Source: rawstory.com

Guitarist and “activist” Ted Nugent is another popular figure in hot water for his comments about the Obama administration during an NRA convention in St.Louis. According to the Associated Press, during the convention last week, Nugent toted the Obama administration as the “evil, America-hating administration.” While that’s not the worst insult I’m sure you’ve heard about, the rocker took things up a notch by comparing the administration to coyotes who needed to be shot, and urged NRA members to “to ride into that battlefield and chop their heads off in November.” And the icing on the cake was when he told the crowd what he would do if the president was re-elected: “If Barack Obama becomes the president in November, again, I will either be dead or in jail by this time next year.” Word Ted? WORD?

I’m guessing the secret service wasn’t feeling this, because Ted is slated to meet with them on Thursday to explain his comments. He told his buddy Glenn Beck (your other favorite person) that after he talks with the secret service, it will be pretty clear that he wasn’t threatening the president whatsoever. But despite what he says, a lot of people are still calling the comments threatening, and for those who have guns but don’t have sense, it might be the words they need to hear to act a fool this fall. And yes, Nugent is endorsing Mitt Romney with all his might.

It’s funny how just last week people were getting in Hilary Rosen’s behind because she made comments about Mitt Romney’s wife being a stay-at-home mother who really hadn’t worked a day in her life after Romney said he looked to her as a guide to women’s economic struggles. Yet this fool gets in front of the gun-toting NRA, talking about the President and his administration and calling them evil, comparing the November elections to a battlefield, even saying he’ll be dead or in jail if President Obama is re-elected, and folks are on the hush this time around.

Writer Leslie Marshall at US News World & Report said that despite people’s views on the President’s record or positions, folks still need to have and show a lot more respect to him. Why? Because he’s the damn president! Hello!!!!

“Although I’m not that old a broad yet, I am seeing a growing number of Americans disrespect not only the man in the Oval Office, but the office of the president. It seems the older I get, the less respect Americans have for our commander in chief.

Some will say this is just Nugent being a loudmouth, he isn’t really threatening the president. Perhaps that is true, but what about the idiot who will follow Nugent’s words and make a true threat or attempt to carry out such violent rhetoric? Have we learned nothing from the shooting of Rep. Gabby Giffords?!  When will the use of such  language stop?! And the disrespect!”

AMEN! People throw the worst forms of shade and disrespect at our president as though everything he’s dealing with and trying to work on during his presidency is something he created alone. From immature governor’s pointing their fingers in his face, to folks calling him boy, sending rude emails about his wife, and now this big dummy (*in Fred Sanford voice*)  encouraging trigger happy individuals to take matters in their own hands when it comes to dealing with the president and his administration in the fall, this stuff has to stop. He might not really be telling people to hurt the president, but as Marshall said, after the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords, he should have known better. Sure, President Bush had a few shoes thrown at him during trips to Iraq, but the disrespect President Obama gets from his own people here at home, GROWN PEOPLE who should know better, is despicable. If President Obama were a Republican, trust, the outcry would be immense (with Bill O’Reilly at the helm). Just as Rosen was held fully accountable for her words, so should this man. I’m telling you, if incidents like this don’t make you want to swarm the voting booths in November, I really don’t know what will…

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Source: Manhattaninfidel.com

Barack Obama’s position as the first black president of the United States has certainly exposed a lot about how our society truly feels about race and politics, and in an effort to make sense of it all, legal analyst, author, and professor Charles Ogletree has developed a course on “Understanding Obama” at Harvard University’s Law School. According to Mediaite, the course will go as follows:

“This reading group will focus on the way in which race, religion, and politics have impacted the development of President Obama as a leader. We will explore his views as a biracial child, his time as a student at Harvard Law School, the successes and failures of his political campaigns, and the way religion and his views on faith nearly derailed his campaign. Finally, time will be spent analyzing the challenges he faces as president of the United States in establishing both his domestic and global policies.”

Ogletree, who was a mentor to the President and First Lady during their time at Harvard Law, told The Daily Caller that the class will touch on both negative and positive aspects of Obama’s political career.

“They’ll be reading both critical and positive issues about Obama — of what’s happened in terms of the way the race and religion have been viewed during his candidacy, his presidency, and how it affects the larger country; and some other classic reading on issues of law and justice.”

Ogletree said his personal feelings about Obama will not be a part of the curriculum, but he did say,  “I’m an Obama fan, I love the president — love him and his wife. They were wonderful people to serve as a mentor when they were here in the law school at separate times in the 1980s. There’s a lot to learn.”

Perhaps this course will open student’s eyes on how having a black president has and has not made us a post-racial society. What do you think about this course idea?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: realtalkny.uproxx.com

President Obama was asked to give his opinion on probably one of the most pressing issues of our time: Kanye West or Jay-Z?

The question was part of a larger story in The Atlantic on the often troubled public perception of Kanye West.  According to David Samuels, author of American Mozart, the President not only gave his stamp of approval to Jay-Z but he also added this little amendment on his impressions of Kanye:

“Although I like Kanye,” Obama continues, with an easy smile. “He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.” He is displaying his larger awareness of the question, looking relaxed, cerebral but friendly, alive to the moment, waiting for me to get to the heart of the matter. “Even though you called him a jackass?,” I ask. “He is a jackass,” Obama says, in his likable and perfectly balanced modern-professorial voice. “But he’s talented.”

If that doesn’t get you going, later that day came news that Beyonce recently wrote an open letter to Michelle Obama thanking the First Lady for being the “…ultimate example of a truly strong African American woman. She is a caring mother, she’s a loving wife, while at the same time, she is the First Lady!!!!” She continued. “No matter the pressure, and the stress of being under the microscope — she’s humble, loving, and sincere. She builds and nurtures her family, while also looking out for so many millions in so many ways.”

In response, Michelle Obama tweeted: “@Beyonce Thank you for the beautiful letter and for being a role model who kids everywhere can look up to. –mo.”

Aww, isn’t that special.

The well-documented friendship between the Obamas and the Carters seems endearing enough and it is easy to get all gushy over this public love fest. After all, we are talking about the most politically powerful couple in the Free Nations and the richest entertainment couple in the world. And together, they definitely play that angle up to a tee: Not only have Jay and Beyonce been special guests to the Obamas at the White House, but Michelle has also enlisted Beyonce’s expertise (i.e. singing and dancing) for the “Let’s Move”campaign. Likewise, Jay-Z has dropped Barack Obama’s name in his rhymes, and Obama referenced Jay’s lyrics when he dusted his shoulder off during a campaign appearance before he ascended to the White House.  And recently there was a girl’s day out which included a brunch/lunch with Beyonce, her mother, her mother-in-law, her cousin and the first lady.

The aligning of the two powerhouse couples really helps underscore the value behind one’s own public persona.  The Carters get a level of mainstream legitimacy that couldn’t be found alone in their music, which has been illustrated by the pictures of Jay-Z palling around with Warren Buffet, while The Obamas, in particular Barack Obama, gets to appear youthful, trendy and cool to a younger generation of potential voters. Yet as folks fawn over pictures and stories of The Obamas and The Carters union, little critique and analysis is actually given to what is built upon the friendship: celebrity or actual shared policies?

Kanye West is always like the third wheel with Jay-Z and Beyonce so it’s kind of weird that whenever these two have been campaigning for President Obama, Ye has been nowhere to be found. Well, there’s a good reason for that. Obama doesn’t like him.

It’s more like Obama still doesn’t like him because we all remember when he called Kanye a jacka** back in 2009 after the Taylor Swift incident, and three years later, Mr. President’s opinion hasn’t changed one bit. In an 8,000-word essay on Kanye for The Atlantic titled, “American Mozart, writer David Samuels turns the rapper’s political and pop culture reputation inside out, after approaching President Obama at a New York fundraiser and posing a question he probably doesn’t get asked often: Kanye or Jay-Z?

“Jay-Z.”

The president might have needed to say that considering how hard Jay and Bey go for him—”Obama on the text,” remember? But just because he prefers Hov doesn’t mean he hates Ye—totally. Obama added: “Although I like Kanye. He’s a Chicago guy. Smart. He’s very talented.”

Talent considered, Obama didn’t back down from calling Kanye a jacka** when he was questioned about his statement three years ago.

“He is a jackass,” Obama said. “But he’s talented.”

If the president’s words sting, the rest of Samuels essay will likely burn, because as the writer explores how Kanye’s antics turned him into what he calls a “national joke,” he spares no feelings, writing:

“Worse even than the president’s epithet, which he first offered on September 14, 2009, is the near-universality of his verdict, which has been echoed for years on talk shows and gossip sites across America.”

I’m sure Kanye is somewhere turning up the music to theraflu, blasting, “can’t a young n**** get money anymore,” and drowning out the criticism.

What do you think about the president’s preference for Jay over Ye?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton attend a rally for Trayvon Martin on Sat. March 31 in Sanford, Fla. (AP Photo/Julie Fletcher)

Oscar Grant and Sean Bell are just two of the slain black men that the African American community has rallied around before Trayvon Martin became synonymous with the struggle of racism.

In each instance, Rev. Jesse Jackson and Rev. Al Sharpton used their presence to bring attention to the aforementioned plights. Some call these two race hustlers who only exist to have cameras in their faces. That seems to be the go to attack line when these two get ready to put someone on blast.

There is power when I say, “Don’t make me call the NAACP, Al and/or Jesse!” because some people just don’t want those kind of problems. Al and Jesse aren’t just bringing themselves; there are bringing the spotlight for people of color have gone missing or die before their time. They even motivate this current generation to join the fight. When these two start hustling to bring awareness, the media takes stock of what they’re saying—even if it is only momentary. And sometimes, momentary is all they need to fuel long-term momentum.

It took a month and President Obama publicly speaking about Trayvon’s death before he was afforded coverage in PEOPLE magazine and mainstream sites. Think about it. Some have already begun critiquing why there even needs to be such a national focus on Trayvon and why gun laws need to strengthened. Others have gone as far as claiming George Zimmerman has become a martyr to public opinion.  In contrast, the death of Caylee Anthony prompted Caylee’s Law, and ironically, very few people complained about the rush judgment against the mother who was accused of killing her young daughter.

It should not be appropriate to question Trayvon’s character. Black boys and men are not the enemy of the state who should bear the brunt of stereotypes. I know wasn’t the only one who stood up to clap as Sharpton chastised the media for belaboring Trayvon’s indiscretions as though he was the culprit in his own death.

In the interest of full disclosure, I met Sharpton in 2008 at a church in Philadelphia. I’m quite sure he doesn’t remember being interviewed by a nervous young reporter. I stood before him in a bit of awe. I was jaded about him because he is not frozen in time like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. He has lived to make mistakes, much like Jesse. However, in that moment, it really hit me that if it had not been for his sacrifices and those of so many unsung heroes, my life would be so much different.

Trayvon’s death has exposed the underbelly of racism that was not hidden from view, but neither blatantly in our faces either. For some, the fourth wall has been broken down for a new generation to lay claim to a civil rights struggle which did not end in the 1960’s. We are not in a post racial society.

And, therein lies the rub. On the surface, the cultural landscape of 2012 seems different from a racially explosive 1964 if we were to measure the contrasts through a superficial spectrum. Blacks have amassed more wealth, degrees and prominence, but we’re still on unequal ground. We have borne great fruit from our labors, but the root of inequality is still as poisonous.

Trayvon’s death can’t be in vain or the cause du jour. He is arguably the Emmett Till of our generation.  The dog whistles and criticisms that there’s been too much of a fuss validate why we need more of us on the front lines to push back. We need more ‘hustlers’.

Stephanie Guerilus is a writer and author. Follow her on Twitter at @qsteph.

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Photo: www.thenewsburner.com

Lack of diversity has always been an issue in the cutthroat arena of politics. Although the number of black women who hold positions in political offices is substantially lower than their white counterparts, the number has increased over the years, partially due to President Obama bringing some ‘color’ into the White House.

Condoleeza Rice was one of those women who broke barriers, becoming the first black female secretary of state. Before Condoleeza, Shirley Chisholm was widely known for breaking barriers, as she became the first black woman to be elected into Congress in 1963.

There may only be a small number of black women in politics, but these women have become key players in political decision making and reform. They have stood firm in their social beliefs on issues that directly affect the country.

Check out our list of women in politics that you should know.

From TheGrio.com

In 2007, a then-junior Senator Barack Obama’s campaign for the White House took off when the one and only Oprah Winfrey endorsed his candidacy for president. At the time, the Oprah endorsement was seen as a game changer, helping the fresh faced Obama secure the middle class, white, American suburban female vote. White soccer moms all over American flocked to Obama at a moment where the relatively unknown politician from Chicago needed to secure that stamp of approval from the rest of Middle America. With Oprah came immediate legitimacy.

President Obama recently joked about that pivotal Oprah endorsement at a fundraiser saying, “And then, there is my good friend, Oprah, who very early on, when I was still running, just decided that she would support this guy with a name that nobody could pronounce,” Obama said, “And just like books and skin cream, when Oprah decides she likes you, then other people like you, too.”

For more about whether O decides to support O, visit TheGrio.com.

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Source: Necole Bitchie

It’s no secret that President Obama has endured his fair share of disrespect since he took office. We’ve already determined that he was made for this job and can handle it. But when things get too far out of hand, sometimes you just have to let people know they need to take a seat. And that’s exactly what he did, in so many words, at a recent rally at Ohio State University.

“Sir, I’m here to speak to these folks, you can hold your own rally. You’re being rude. We’re trying to talk to these people…”

Check out the video to see how the full interaction went down.

 I, for one, am glad the president finally spoke his mind. Reelection campaign and all of that aside, folks were really getting out of pocket. Time to remind them who he is…

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