T-shirt Company Defends Right to ‘Offend’ Monday, Jul 31 2006

MSNBC.com

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T-shirt company defends right to ‘offend’; Web site comes under fire for its “arrest black babies” tees

By Stacy Anderson, BET.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6881183&&CM=EmailThis&CE=1/

Updated: 2:43 p.m. ET Jan 28, 2005

Tshirthell.com boasts the motto, “where all the bad shirts go.”

And few would disagree after a T-shirt with the slogan, “Arrest Black Babies Before They Become Criminals” went on sale on the site. The shirt is emblazoned with the image of a hand-cuffed Black baby sucking on a pacifier.

Cost? $18.

What’s more, the Web site offers the following disclaimer: “Anyone who thinks the shirt is racist is just ignorant.”

TShirtHell.com started in October 2001 and receives over 75,000 visitors a day, according to the site, which is based in Las Vegas.

But Tshirthell.com is an equal-opportunity offender, according to the site. “We design our shirts to amuse ourselves. We don’t care if you’re offended by them. Regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, or sexual preference- you are all fair game,” the site’s creators state on the Web.

Further, the site asks, why is it that Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle can do stereotype humor without repercussions, and not Tshirthell.com?

T-shirts sold on the site cover a variety of topics including politics, homosexuality, sex and race. Some shirts include phrases such as “I Broke Up Brad and Jen,” “I Still Hate George Bush,” and “Medium Pimpin.” Another shirt proclaims, “I Survived the Tsunami 2004.”

Infant-sized versions read, “Are You My Daddy?” and “Broken Condom.”

The controversial Web site has been featured in The New York Post, Maximum, Stuff, Penthouse, Us, Playboy and others.

Tshirthell.com did not respond to BET.com’s request for comment. The company ships products all over the United States and to 46 foreign countries. Customers can become members and receive benefits, which include discounts and access to free giveaways.

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U.S. Postal Service Debuts Anderson Stamp Monday, Jul 31 2006

By Stacy A. Anderson, Special to BET.com

http://www.bet.com/News/marianandersonstamp.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic

Posted Jan. 28, 2005 — It was more than a coincidence that this week’s unveiling of the new Marian Anderson Black Heritage stamp took place at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C.

It is the precise location where, in 1939, the Daughters of the American Revolution banned the world-renowned contralto from singing, because of a Whites-only policy at its hall. Outraged by the decision, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt invited Anderson to perform at the Lincoln Memorial, where more than 75,000 people showed up to cheer her on.

Anderson became the 28th African American to be honored in the Postal Service’s Black Heritage series. 

“Our stamps are determined by the stamp adviser committee, but we get thousands of suggestions from the public,” said Deborah Yackley, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Postal Service.  “This is the 50th anniversary of Marian Anderson’s debut at the Metropolitan Opera, so this year is appropriate. No one can deny that she is a famous Black American and deserving of a stamp.”

The stamp depicts an oil painting by Albert Slark of Ajax, Ontario, Canada, which was based on a black-and-white photograph believed to have been taken by Moise Benkow in Stockholm around 1934.

The ceremony included performances by mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves and students from Washington, D.C.’s Duke Ellington School of the Performing Arts. Inspirational words were conveyed by Allan Keiler, author of the biography “Marian Anderson: A Singer’s Journey.” Anderson’s nephew, James DePriest, who is head of the Conducting Department at the Julliard School, also spoke at the ceremony. 

Anderson was born in Philadelphia in 1897.  She started her musical career as a young girl after  joining her family’s church choir and went on to study abroad and perform in Europe. Her first breakout performance was on Dec. 30, 1935, where she was lauded as “one of the great singers of our time.” 

Anderson, who was one of the first Blacks to perform at the White House, is probably best known for her controversial performance at the Lincoln Memorial and was the first Black vocalist to perform at New York’s Metropolitan Opera.

Throughout Anderson’s career, she received many high honors, which included becoming a goodwill ambassador to Asia and an appointment as a delegate to the 13th session of the United Nations. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom, New York City’s Handel Medallion, the United Nations Peace Prize, the Eleanor Roosevelt Human Rights Award, the NAACP’s Springarn Medal for outstanding achievements and a Grammy Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Marian Anderson died from congestive heart failure on April 8, 1993 in Portland, Ore.

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Family Asks Jackson to Bring Hostage Home Monday, Jul 31 2006

By Stacy A. Anderson, Special to BET.com

http://www.bet.com/News/jessehostage.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic

Posted Feb. 1, 2005 — The Rev. Jesse Jackson, in a televised plea Tuesday, urged the Iraqi captors of American contractor Roy Hallums to not use their hostage “as a trophy.”

Jackson, who has a record of successes in freeing hostages, said that as a religious leader he might be able to appeal to the kidnappers in ways that the Bush administration cannot. “Religious leaders can take a different approach…without entangling government in the process,” Jackson said on CNN.

In 1984, Jackson helped gain the release of a Navy pilot held in Syria; in 1991 he negotiated the release of 500 people held captive in Iraq; and in 1999 he convinced Yugoslavia to release three U.S. soldiers during the Kosovo conflict.

Susan Hallums, the captive’s ex-wife, asked for Jackson’s assistance. “I feel so drained, and this has given me more strength again to have more hope and faith,” she told the Daily Bulletin. “I know ultimately it’s in God’s hands. He [Jackson] is a strong religious leader who’s helped many others. I’m just so hopeful that he’ll help our loved one.”
Hallums, 56, was abducted on Nov. 1 along with five others after a mob of more than 20 men raided his company office in Baghdad, according to media reports. Hallums worked for a Saudi company that does catering for the Iraqi army.

Hallums’ ordeal gained international attention after his captors released a 60-second video in late January. On the tape, Hallums is sitting on the floor, pleading for his life while his abductors hold a rifle to his head.

Can Jackson bring Roy Hallums back home to America? Click “Discuss Now” to talk about it.

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Will Philly’s McNabb Make History? Monday, Jul 31 2006

By Stacy A. Anderson, Special to BET.com

http://www.bet.com/News/mcnabb.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic

Posted Feb. 4, 2005 – For many people, Super Bowl Sunday is about the party, the funny commercials and that smoking half-time show. Some even tune in just to see who’ll be singing the National Anthem.

But for thousands of African Americans across the nation, the real issue is whether Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb will be only the second Black quarterback in NFL history to capture a national championship.

McNabb will be the third Black starting quarterback to play in the Super Bowl, following Doug Williams of the Washington Redskins (1987) and Steve McNair (1999) of the Tennessee Titans’. Williams was the first and only to win the National Football League championship; he was chosen the game’s most valuable player after throwing four second-half touchdowns.

It won’t be an easy task for McNabb since he’ll be going against New England Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who already has won two Super Bowls. But McNabb has proved his ability to lead his team.

Just last year, conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh suggested that McNabb didn’t really have the skills to be a good quarterback in the league and that he was being over-hyped by the media, only because they wanted to see a Black quarterback succeed. By the end of this regular season, McNabb had established himself as one of the premier quarterbacks – if not the premier quarterback – in the NFL.

Not only did McNabb lead his team to a 13-3 regular season record, but he threw for 3,845 yards and 31 touchdowns. He wound up with an impressive 104.5 quarterback rating, third in all of football.

McNabb also made history with Michael Vick of the Atlanta Falcons in January. This marked the first time two Black quarterbacks played against each other in a conference championship game, ensuring that one would be represented in the final showdown in Jacksonville.

Not that long ago, a Black quarterback in the NFL was rare. Team owners and coaches refused to hand the reins of the team over to an African American.

Times have changed – somewhat.

This past season, six of the NFL’s 28 teams had Black starting quarterbacks. In addition to McNabb and Vick, they included Daunte Culpepper of the Minnesota Vikings, Steve McNair of the Tennessee Titans, Byron Leftwich of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Aaron Brooks of the New Orleans Saints.

Will McNabb be the second Black quarterback to win the Super Bowl?

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A Black Pope? It Wouldn’t Be the First Monday, Jul 31 2006

By Stacy A. Anderson, Special to BET.com

http://www.bet.com/News/blackpope.htm

Posted Feb. 10, 2005 – Could a Black person be the next pope?

With Pope John Paul II seriously ill, many are wondering whether his successor will be Nigeria’s Francis Arinze, an expert on Islam, who has been a cardinal since 1985. Some reports have put the 72-year-old conservative among the top three candidates; others list him among the top five.

Pope John Paul II did not lead the Ash Wednesday celebration of Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome for the first time in his 26 years as pontiff. He was replaced by American Cardinal James Stafford. However, Vatican officials reported Thursday that the pope’s health had greatly improved and that he had been released to return to his papal duties. 

The 84-year-old pontiff entered Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic hospital last week after suffering from breathing complications brought on by the flu, according to published reports. The Pope also suffers from Parkinson’s disease and arthritis.

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, who is No. 2 in the Holy See, helped fuel notions that a successor for the pope was being sought. When asked about the pope’s ability to carry out his duties, Sodano told reporters, “Let’s leave that up to the conscience of the Pope.”

The pope can continue his reign, but he also has the option to resign. A pope has not resigned since 1294, when Pope Celestine V quit after serving five months.

Sodano, along with the other top-ranking cardinals, have been mentioned as possible successors.

If selected, Arinze wouldn’t be the first person of African descent to be the head man at the Vatican.

There were three others, all Africans. Pope St. Victor reigned from 189 to 199 AD; his claim to fame was that he set the date for the annual Easter Sunday celebration. Then there was Pope St. Militiades, from 311 to 314 AD, who St. Augustine called “a son of peace and father of Christians”; it was during his reign that Rome became tolerant of Christianity. Lastly there was Pope St. Gelasius, from 492 to 496, who saved Rome from famine, composed a book of church hymns and gained a reputation for his work with the poor.

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Would the Vatican appoint a Black pope today?

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Texas NAACP Moves to End Racial Profiling Monday, Jul 31 2006

By Stacy A. Anderson, Special to BET.com
http://www.bet.com/News/racialprofiling.htm?wbc_purpose=Basic
 

Posted March 3, 2005 — If you’re Black and driving through Texas, police are almost twice as likely to pull you over and search your car than if you were White, a new study shows.

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) this week called for congressional hearings to examine just how bad racial profiling is across the nation.

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Statewide, Blacks are 1.6 times as likely to be stopped by police than their White counterparts, according to the study, conducted by the Steward Research Group, which surveyed more than 400 Texas law enforcement agencies. Latinos are about 1.4 times more likely to undergo such treatment, it shows.

“I think the study confirms what we already knew…racial profiling is way too prevalent in this city and state, and in general. Searches are ineffective; they’re not producing any desirable results,” said Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder. “We oppose all consensual searches.”
 
Once the study was released, the Austin NAACP complained to the local police department and held workshops to educate citizens about their rights to refuse unauthorized searches. Linder said that community members should know their rights and hold police accountable.

Several civil rights organizations, including the Texas NAACP, the League of United Latin American Citizens and the ACLU, requested the study in response to a Texas law passed in 2001. That law requires that law enforcement agencies document a driver’s ethnicity or race, whether a vehicle is searched, whether the search is consensual and whether there are any arrests.
 
The study, which was released in early February, also urges police departments to start a standard reporting format for filing racial profiling matters, requiring extra information be submitted to police agencies, banning consent searches, and establishing a statewide office to file all reports.

But Texas is not alone.

In 2001 and 2002, researchers in Kansas City found that even though Blacks were far more likely than Whites to be pulled over, they were more than half as likely to be caught with illegal goods. Thirteen percent of White drivers were found with guns and drugs, while fewer than 6 percent of Blacks had illegal items, the study found.

In 2002, Minneapolis had only 67 consent searches. Among those, 26 percent of White drivers carried illegal items, compared with 5 percent of Blacks who did.

In 2001, San Diego consent searches concluded that 35 percent of White drivers had illegal goods, compared with 27 percent Blacks who did.
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What else can be done to end racial profiling? Should a national movement be launched?

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