Saving Our Sons – Common’s/Talib’s/Mos’ moms speak

Passing along this event for the NY’ers.

Saving Our Sons

Presented by the Eagle Academy for Young Men & the Urban Assembly Academy of History & Citizenship for Young Men

Saturday, July 11, 2009

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Eagle Academy for Young Men
244 East 163^rd Street (between Sherman and Grant Avenues)

Bronx, New York

Free! No reservations required.

Don’t miss Saving Our Sons! This free community event is open to everyone who is concerned about the educational crisis facing young men of color and wants to make a difference! Learn strategies for helping our young men achieve academic, professional, and social success. This event is for EVERYONE – parents, grandparents, educators, mentors and concerned citizens because real change can only happen when an entire community is informed and engaged.

Savings Our Sons will include a presentation of Raising Him Alone – a panel discussion featuring prominent women who have successfully raised their sons alone. Their sons are now internationally known celebrities. Participants on this panel include Dr. Mahalia A. Hines (mother of rapper and actor Common), Dr. Brenda Greene (mother of rapper and activist Talib Kweli) and Sheron Smith (mother of Grammy nominated actor and rapper Mos Def). Saving our Sons will be moderated by MESHELLE: The Indie-Mom of Comedy (as seen on Nickelodeon’s Search for the Funniest Mom in America 3).

Plus Workshops, Celebrity Guests, Prizes and More!

For additional information, call 212-777-7070. Free event! No reservations required.

blame it on the a a a a a alcohol

Aboriginal communities in Australia are facing a dilemma: preserve hard-won freedoms or cede some control to their former oppressors? At the center of this tug-of-war is the consumption and possible prohibition of alcohol in Aboriginal communities. According to a recent New York Times article, alcoholism is a major issue for the native population resulting in problems like domestic violence, child abuse, unemployment, health problems, increased crime and accidents.

After a long history of subjugation and oppression by the colonial whites who moved in on Australian territory long ago, Aborigines became equal under the law in 1967. Since then, Aborigines have had equal access to rights ranging from State-sponsored welfare payments to the right to legally purchase and consume alcohol. Once the prohibition on drinking was lifted, it seems as if a number of Aborigines took too kindly to the bottle to the detriment of their communities.

Take Hall’s Creek in northern Australia for example, “about half of the town’s population has alcohol-related problems, including 300 to 600 people with serious health issues like brain damage, said David Shepherd, a senior doctor at Halls Creek Hospital. Young women born with fetal alcohol syndrome are giving birth to babies with the same illness.” Concerned about issues such as child welfare and the proper use of government funds, Australian officials have begun regulating alcohol sale/purchase in some areas. Additionally, the government is keeping a close eye on how welfare funds are spent, going so far as to “have 70 percent of [Aboriginies’] benefits restricted to paying for essentials like food, rent and utilities, a strategy intended to reduce their purchase of alcohol.”

Still beating up on BET – TWiB

I’m a lil late on posting this but I’ve been busy hating my life. Anywhoo, let’s listen to another Elon James White rant via This Week in Blackness. For this ep, homie goes in on the BET Awards and cops to a Twitter addiction: