Bring That Week Back: Week of Aug. 30, 2009
Check out the biggest stories in Black America in pictures!
1 / 31
Breaking His Silence - After clearing up his comment that he did not remember beating Rihanna, Chris Brown tells Larry King, "I feel totally ashamed of what I did." He told King in an interview that aired on CNN Wednesday night that he "can't believe that actually happened." Brown also addressed the abuse he witnessed during his childhood. At one point, Brown's mother admits she should have left and "did" later. Meanwhile Brown told People magazine that he still loves Rihanna.
2 / 31
Brown's Sentence - Meanwhile, Brown will fulfill his sentence of six months of community labor by scrubbing off graffiti, picking up trash, washing cars and cleaning and maintaining grounds in Richmond, Va., near where he lives. Brown will be supervised, but if any additional security is needed to keep fans away, he'll have to pay for it. Brown was also sentenced to five years' probation and a year of domestic violence counseling.
3 / 31
Brown's Take on Oprah - Brown tells People magazine that he wishes Oprah Winfrey had reached out to both him and Rihanna. He says while he commends Winfrey for recognizing that violence against women is a problem, he says the episode of her show was "a slap" in his face. He says he did "a lot of stuff for her, like going to Africa and performing for her school." Winfrey responded through TMZ.com that while she appreciates what Brown did for her school, she takes "domestic abuse very seriously."
4 / 31
Whitney's Comeback - Before she was persuaded to record another CD, Whitney Houston tells Ebony magazine she was thinking about "moving to a small island and setting up a food cart." She says she just wanted to lie back and raise her daughter and spend more time with her mom. However, producer Clive Davis called Houston and told her he wanted her back in the studio. It took her three years to finish "I Look to You," which dropped this week.
5 / 31
Joining Mom on Stage - A teenage Bobbi Kristina, Whitney Houston's daughter, joined her mom during a much anticipated “Good Morning America” concert Tuesday. Taking the stage with her mom, Bobbi Kristina, 15, sang the infamous "clap your hands" on Houston's hit single, "My Love Is Your Love." Whitney told Ebony magazine that she and Bobbi Kristina are "not only mother and daughter, but we're good friends."
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6 / 31
Pregnant at 43? - Actress Halle Berry is expecting her second child with model Gabriel Aubry, Life & Style magazine reported Tuesday. The couple already has a daughter named Nahla, who was born in 2007. Berry's reps didn't officially confirm the pregnancy to the magazine.
7 / 31
Professor Knowles? - Beyoncé's dad is going to teach university students about entertainment. Mathew Knowles will teach the course at Texas Southern University this fall. The school says students will come out of the course on "the cutting edge of the entertainment and recording industry."
8 / 31
Youngest Howard Student - While President Barack Obama declared Aug. 30-Sept. 5 National Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Week, Howard University enrolled a 14-year-old sophomore. Ty Hobson-Powell is the youngest student at the university after completing his high school requirements in just two years, according to NBC in Washington, D.C. The political science major, who would also like to go to medical school, rose to sophomore standing with the help of community college and online courses.
9 / 31
Degree-less - Don't go calling Roxanne Shante a doctor yet. According to an investigation by Slate.com, Warner Music never had a contract with Shante, and it was not obligated to pay for her education. The investigation also alleges that Shante, whose real name is Lolita Gooden, does not have a Ph.D. from Cornell or anywhere else. According to Marymount Manhattan College records, Shante was enrolled there but dropped out less than four months later without ever earning a degree.
10 / 31
Cosby’s Support - Bill Cosby has visited Detroit to try to help stop the flow of students leaving the district. Cosby met with parents and kids in a lower middle-class neighborhood to try to persuade them that Detroit schools are OK to send their kids to. Students have been leaving by the thousands. The school system's graduation rate is among the lowest in the nation. The dropout rate is among the highest.
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11 / 31
To the CFL? - Adam "Pacman" Jones is close to returning to pro football — north of the border. According to reports, Jones has signed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Jones, 26, last played for the Dallas Cowboys and was recently kicked off the team. He was suspended for behavior-related problems in 2007 for fighting with a security member. He then spent the following year on the sidelines.
12 / 31
Vick’s Fate - It appears Mike Vick will be eligible to play Week 1 of the NFL Season. According to Fanhouse, Vick’s suspension is expected to be lifted sometime this weekend. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell previously conditionally reinstated Vick, making him eligible for his team's final two preseason games. Goodell indicated that he would rule by Week 6 of the season on Vick's eligibility to play in regular season games.
13 / 31
White Mayor? - There's a chance Atlanta could elect a White mayor for the first time in a generation. White councilwoman Mary Norwood is one of the front-runners for the seat, along with City Council President Lisa Borders and state Senator Kasim Reed, who are both Black. Norwood would be the first White woman to run the city.
14 / 31
Councilwoman Told to 'Beat It' - New York City councilwoman Letitia James isn't having much luck honoring Michael Jackson at the subway stop where he shot the music video for "Bad." At first, James wanted to rename the station, but that didn't fly. Now, she wants to hold a contest for Jackson fans to create art that would be put up in the station. But an official says you can only put up art when a station is being renovated and this station won't be rehabbed for at least five years.
15 / 31
2nd Year in a Row - Tyra Banks won her second straight Daytime Emmy for best informative talk show. But she didn't take home the trophy for best talk show host. That went to Whoopi Goldberg, Sherri Shepherd and the rest of the ladies from "The View." However, the “View” hosts weren't at the award ceremony in L.A. Sunday night to collect their statutes.
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16 / 31
Why 'I Quit' - It wasn't a money thing that made Paula Abdul quit "American Idol." She tells TV Guide she quit over principle. She says she stands "on principle where many people stand on money." Now that she's done with "Idol," Abdul says she wants to do a talk show featuring "unexpected stuff."
17 / 31
Irish Ancestry: Who Knew? - Who knew Muhammad Ali was Irish? Turns out his great-grandfather Abe Grady was from the town of Ennis in western Ireland. Ali traveled there to meet his distant relatives. Thousands lined the streets to cheer Ali's motorcade. Grady moved to the U.S. and settled in Kentucky, where he married a freed slave. One of their grandchildren gave birth to Cassius Clay, who later grew up to be Muhammad Ali.
18 / 31
Gospel Legend Dies - Gospel legend Marie Knight has died. Knight toured with Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the ‘40s, singing such hits as "Beams of Heaven." Knight died of complications from pneumonia. She was 84.
19 / 31
Student Killed - A stray bullet has claimed the life of a 19-year-old college student in Atlanta. Police say Jasmine Lynn, of Kansas City, Mo., was walking with friends at Clark Atlanta University when she was struck in the chest. The shots were fired during a fight. Lynn attended nearby Spelman College.
20 / 31
Official Cause of Death - More than two months after the death of Michael Jackson, the coroner has finally come out with the cause of death. The coroner says the main culprit is the strong anesthetic propofol. But other sedatives, especially lorazepam, also played a part in his death. Jackson's personal doctor says he gave Jackson propofol the morning of his death after a series of sedatives couldn't help him sleep.
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21 / 31
'Someone Should Pay' - Meanwhile, Jackson's father says he had no idea his son was getting powerful drugs to help him sleep. He told NBC's "Today" that he never heard of propofol before Michael died. Joe Jackson says "someone should pay" for his son's death. He says, "there was foul play done."
22 / 31
Laid to Rest - Jackson was finally laid to rest Thursday. He will join other Hollywood legends in the Great Mausoleum at Forest Lawn in Glendale, Calif. Most of the building is restricted, which will make it nearly impossible for fans to visit Jackson's grave.
23 / 31
Oprah’s Tribute - Oprah Winfrey will devote an episode of her talk show to Michael Jackson. The show will feature parts of Winfrey's 1993 interview with Jackson, including what she calls "never-before-revealed personal details." The show will air Sept. 16.
24 / 31
Jay-Z Benefit - Jay-Z plans to honor the families of those killed on 9/11 by holding a benefit concert in New York City, on the eighth anniversary of the attacks. Proceeds from ticket and merchandise sales will go to families of police and firefighters killed on 9/11.
25 / 31
Racial Bias? - A judge has set a hearing for later this month to look at allegations that Jayson Williams was the victim of racial bias and misconduct when he was convicted of covering up the fatal shooting of a hired driver. The hearing will look into an incident where a senior investigator for the prosecutor's office used a racial slur to describe Williams during an office meeting. Williams' attorneys want the cover-up conviction overturned.
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26 / 31
Outrage Grows - Anger and frustration continued to grow as offended Costco customers forwarded e-mails with pictures of the "Lil Monkey" Black doll the wholesale superstore pulled from its shelves. No one has called for a boycott but many of the store's faithful customers say the store's decison to carry the doll is indefensible.
27 / 31
Arrested - Former Cowboys linebacker Eugene Lockhart has been arrested. Lockhart was indicted with either others in an allegedly mortgage fraud scheme. Federal officials say the scheme swindled $20 million from several home lenders.
28 / 31
Bankrupt - Former Louisiana representative William Jefferson, convicted of corruption after federal agents found cash in his freezer, has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation. The petition filed last week says Jefferson and his wife, Andrea, owe between $1 million and $10 million to fewer than 50 creditors. The filing also lists their estimated assets as ranging between $1 million and $10 million. In Chapter 7 liquidation, a debtor’s property is sold and proceeds are distributed to creditors.
29 / 31
Gaining Control - Firefighters are gaining ground on a massive wildfire near Los Angeles. The blaze is 38 percent contained. Despite the overall progress, firefighters encountered a flare-up in a remote canyon. About 25 residents had to be evacuated. The wildfire has destroyed 64 homes.
30 / 31
President Hosts Ramadan Dinner - On Tuesday, President Obama hosted an Iftar at the White House. A number of government officials, scholars, diplomats, American Muslims and other citizens attended the dinner organized to mark the end of the Islamic observance of Ramadan. Obama recognized the two Muslims serving in the U.S. Congress, Reps. Keith Ellison and Andre Carson, and thanked American Muslims, more broadly, for enriching the country's culture.