Bring That Week Back: Week of Jan.18, 2010
Jennifer Hudson sings a moving tribute to Whitney Houston and Shaq reaches NBA milestone. Get those and all the week's top stories.
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Mo’Nique Wins Golden Globe - Congratulations to Mo'Nique, who won the Golden Globe Award for best supporting actress for her role in “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.” Mo'Nique is the host of BET's late-night talk show, “The Mo'Nique Show.”
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Smoking Gun Accuses Wyclef Charity of Corruption - The investigative Web site thesmokinggun.com released a report on Friday that accused musician and Haitian activist Wyclef Jean of using his charity, Yéle Haiti, for personal gain. The report alleged that Wyclef paid himself $250,000 along with an additional $100,000 payment to his studio for work done in the name of the charity, according to 2006 tax returns obtained by the Web site. Yéle Haiti has raised more than $2 million in earthquake relief funds.
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Wyclef Responds to Corruption Charges - “The books are open. We have a clean bill of health from an auditor,” said Wyclef Jean at a press conference held Monday to respond to media reports that alleged he used money donated to his charity, Yéle Haiti, for personal gain. Wyclef admitted some administrative “mistakes were made,” but he said his dedication to Haiti is unwavering. "I never would ever take money for my personal pocket when it comes to Yéle. I myself have put $1 million inside of my own foundation,” he added.
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J-Hud Surprises Whitney Houston - During the taping of the 3rd annual BET Honors, award-winning singer and actress Jennifer Hudson had a surprise for honoree Whitney Houston as she sang Houston's classic song, “I Will Always Love You,” as a tribute to the music icon. After the performance, Houston was awarded the BET Honor for Entertainment. BET Honors will air at 9 p.m. on Feb. 1.
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ESPN Host Calls MLK Martin Luther 'Coon' - Mike Greenberg, the co-host of ESPN's “Mike and Mike in the Morning” referred to civil rights icon Martin Luther King, Jr. as “Martin Luther Coon” live on the air on MLK Day. Greenberg later issued an apology on ESPN.com stating that he “mumbled” his words. “And I’m sorry that my talking too fast – and slurring my words – might have given people who don’t know our show the wrong impression about us, and about me,” Greenberg wrote.
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Black Democrats Defend Reid - Several prominent African-American politicians, including U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, have made statements in support of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Last week Reid apologized for comments he made during the 2008 campaign about then-candidate Obama having a chance to be president because he is a “light-skinned” African American who does not speak with a “Negro dialect” unless he wanted to have one.
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HBCU Hall of Fame Names First Inductees - Walter Payton, Jerry Rice and Eddie Robinson are among the 11 men who will be inducted into the inaugural class of the HBCU Black College Football Hall of Fame. The Black College Hall of Fame was created by HBCU alums Doug Williams and James Harris, who wanted to create a memorial to the great college football players who attended Black colleges. The induction ceremony will take place Feb. 20 in Atlanta.
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Southers Withdraws TSA Nomination - President Obama's nominee to head the Transportation Safety Administration has withdrawn his name from consideration. In a statement, Erroll Southers said his nomination has become too politicized. Southers is an assistant chief with the Los Angeles Airport Police.
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Mumia Ruling - With the Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday to deny death row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal’s appeal for a new sentencing hearing, many have called for President Obama to step in. Abu-Jamal supporters want an independent investigation to determine what role race played in the 1982 conviction and capital sentence of the former Black Panther.
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Andre Berto Pulls Out of Shane Mosley Fight - Haitian-American boxing champion Andre Berto (left), who lost several relatives in last week's massive earthquake, has pulled out of his scheduled fight with Shane Mosley to focus on his family and rebuilding Haiti. In a statement, Berto said the disaster has left him “physically and mentally drained.”
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Haiti Rescue Continues - Thousands of military, medical and rescue personnel from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe continue to search for survivors and treat the wounded as Haiti struggles to recover from the devastating earthquake that rocked the Caribbean nation last week. Millions of dollars in aid have been donated.
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Obama Family Feeds the Needy - President Obama and his family fed needy families at So Others Might Eat, a social services organization in Washington, D.C., as part of MLK Day of Service activities. The entire Obama family participated in the community service project.
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Jill Scott to Star in Lifetime Movie - Actress and singer Jill Scott will headline a new lifetime movie entitled “Sins of the Mother.” The movie is about a woman dealing with love, friendships and motherhood and will premiere on Lifetime on Feb. 21.
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Obamas Host Civil Rights Movement Veterans - The Obamas met with leaders of the Civil Rights movement on MLK Day to discuss the state of civil rights in America and to remind young people that life was much different in America 50 years ago. Several of the meeting participants were more than 100 years old.
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Bow Wow Beefs with Mom on Twitter - If you are going to argue with your mom, at least do it face to face. Bow Wow became enraged and demanded his mother delete her Twitter account on Tuesday because she was tweeting with his friends. Bow Wow then threatened to delete his account, but eventually cooler heads prevailed and both mother and son remain on the popular social networking site.
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The Nation Celebrates MLK Day - With community service projects, church breakfasts and parades, thousands of Americans celebrated the legacy and works of Martin Luther King on Monday as part of the Martin Luther King Day holiday.
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Rep. Kendrick Meek Goes to Haiti - Rep. Kendrick Meek (D-Fla.) went to Haiti on Sunday to report directly to Congress about the situation on the ground and what the U.S. can do to help the impoverished Caribbean nation. Meek's South Florida congressional district includes “Little Haiti” and he represents more Haitian Americans than any other Congressman.
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Bloomberg Questions Sharpton's Trip to Haiti - New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned civil rights activist Al Sharpton to not do more harm than good with his visit to Haiti. Bloomberg questioned the motives of Sharpton, who has charted a plane to drop off supplies, water and medical personnel to Port-au-Prince. Sharpton said his mission is for humanitarian need — not a photo op.
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Michael Jackson Grammy Tribute to Feature Usher - Producers from the Grammys have announced that Usher, Jennifer Hudson and Smokey Robinson will participate in a special tribute to the “King of Pop.” Michael Jackson will receive a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award. The Grammys will air Jan. 31 on CBS.
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Celebs Organize Telethon for Haiti - In an unprecedented move, several networks, including BET, will televise “Hope for Haiti,” a two-hour all-star telethon event to raise proceeds for Haiti earthquake relief. The event, hosted by George Clooney, Wyclef Jean and CNN's Anderson Cooper, starts at 8 p.m. on Friday.
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Maxwell, Wyclef and Rihanna Appear on Oprah - Music stars Maxwell and Rihanna used their talents to raise money for Haiti earthquake relief. Both performers, along with Wyclef Jean, were guests on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on Wednesday to encourage people to donate to the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean nation. Rihanna performed her rendition of Bob Marley's classic, “Redemption Song” and Maxwell performed his original song, “Fistful of Tears.” Both songs are available on iTunes with proceeds going to the American Red Cross.
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11-Year-Old Turns in Drug Dealing Mom and Lover - An 11-year-old boy is called a hero by Oklahoma police for turning in his drug-dealing mother and her boyfriend to authorities. Police arrested 33-year-old Jennifer Lynn Patterson and 25-year-old Michael DeWayne French. The pair has been charged with felony counts of drug possession with intent to distribute and misdemeanor counts of possession of drug paraphernalia.
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“From G’s to Gents” Star Arrested for Baby Attack - Markice “Kesan” Moore, who starred in season one of MTV’s reality show, “From G’s to Gents,” turned himself in to Cobb County, Ga., Police Wednesday afternoon for severely beating his infant daughter. According to police, Moore broke both of his daughter’s arms, a leg, three ribs and a collarbone along with causing several bruises across her body. A motive for the beating is unknown at this time.
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Tiger Woods in Sex Rehab - Tiger Woods checked himself into a sexual addiction clinic as he tries to put his marriage and life back together. Woods is a patient at the Pine Grove Behavioral Health and Addiction Services Center in Hattiesburg, Miss. The golf great has taken a sabbatical from the sport after admitting to several extramarital affairs.
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Ex NAACP Official Arrested - Judith W. Hanson, the former executive director of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, was arrested for allegedly embezzling $275,000 from the organization. NAACP officials filed a complaint with Atlanta police after discovering Hanson along with her former assistant, Saundra Douglass, applied for credit cards and wrote checks from the organization to pay for bills, medical procedures and college tuition.
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Morial Family Wants Name Off Web Site - The family of the first African-American mayor of New Orleans demands that a current candidate for mayor remove its patriarch's image from his Web site. Sybil Morial, the widow of former N.O. mayor Dutch Morial, said the Troy Henry campaign does not have her permission to use her husband's image on campaign material. The Henry campaign said the photo was used to show Henry's work in civil rights in the New Orleans area and not meant to be implied as an endorsement.
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Cornel West : Don’t Sanitize King’s Image - It's fine to acknowledge the fiery side of Martin Luther King, said renowned scholar Cornel West to hundreds at an MLK ceremony in Atlanta. Speaking to the congregation at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the same church pastored by the iconic civil rights figure, West urged the crowd to remember King by standing up for the poor and challenging President Obama to remember undeserved communities.
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S.C. Crusaders Want to Right Jim Crow’s Wrongs - South Carolina legal experts have started a petition drive to posthumously overturn convictions against two Blacks who allegedly attacked three Whites during the Jim Crow era. One case involves a 14-year-old boy who was executed in the 1940s for killing two White girls. The other case involves a Black man hanged in 1911 for killing a White shopkeeper.
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Birmingham Elects New Mayor - William A. Bell defeated Patrick Cooper by a 54 percent to 46 percent margin to become the next mayor of Birmingham, Ala. The previous mayor, Larry Langford, was removed from office after being convicted on 60 counts of corruption. Bell will serve the remaining two years of Langford's term.
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Gucci Mane Protégé Shot in Robbery - Wacka Flocka Flame, a 23-year-old rapper signed to Gucci Mane’s So Icey Entertainment label, was shot twice during a robbery on Tuesday after he refused to give up his jewelry.
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Kelly Rowland Signs New Deal - Former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland has signed a record deal with Universal/Motown Records. There is no word on when Rowland will release her new album.
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Woman Drives Car Through MLK Parade - Latricia Samuel, 37, of Hollywood, Fla., is charged with 13 felony counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon as she attempted to run over several officers and small children participating in an MLK parade. According to police, Samuel became unhinged when an officer told her not to park her car on the parade route.
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Michelle Obama Calls on Mayors to Lead - Michelle Obama unveiled her plan to get America's kids in shape and it involves local leaders pushing their residents and constituents to make better food choices. Speaking to the U.S. Conference of Mayors, the first lady said it will take a team effort to get in shape. She also praised the Oklahoma City, Okla., mayor's office for creating a weight-loss challenge for residents.
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Blacks Step Up Involvement in Tea Party Movement - Black conservatives have been emboldened by the Tea Party movement. Political activist and singer Lloyd Marcus has been at the forefront of several Tea Party events throughout the country. Marcus said in a FoxNews.com story that the Tea Party movement has "swept the country,” and “has really been the rebirth of conservatism in America."
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Shaq Reaches Milestone - Basketball superstar Shaquille O'Neal became the fifth man in NBA history to score 28,000 career points on Tuesday. O'Neal, who now plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, joked that he would have crossed the milestone years ago if he “wouldn't have missed 5,000 free throws.”
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Activists Protest Merger of Mississippi HBCUs - In Mississippi, more than 250 historically Black college and university students and supporters rallied on Martin Luther King Day for the state to ditch its plan to merge Jackson State, Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State Universities into one school. The march and rally took place in Jackson and was organized by the HBCU Alliance.
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World Economic Forum Opens - Representatives from more than 90 countries as well as the world’s business leaders will meet in next week to discuss the global economy at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. The crisis in Haiti is at the top of the agenda, according to event planners.
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Judge Tosses Rapper Ja Rule Weed Plea - A New York judge on Wednesday tossed out a statement from rapper Ja Rule admitting to possessing marijuana on his person. But the gun and marijuana found in his car during a 2007 traffic stop will stay in evidence. Ja Rule and a co-defendant are charged with criminal possession of a firearm.
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Obamas Attend MLK Concert - President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attended an MLK concert at the Kennedy Center. The featured performer for the concert was neo-soul star India Arie. The Georgetown University choir ensemble also participated in the event.
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Obamas Visit Red Cross Relief Center - President Obama sent his first ever “tweet” on Monday from the Red Cross Disaster Center in Washington, D.C. to encourage Americans to give to earthquake relief efforts. President Obama also talked to employees there about their specific roles in the disaster operation.
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Haitian Orphans Come to Pittsburgh - The first of 53 orphans from a Haitian orphanage destroyed in the earthquake arrived in Pittsburgh Tuesday. The children were given medical care and assigned to their foster families. Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell personally escorted the children from Haiti to his state.
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MIT Lags in Hiring Blacks, Minorities - The nation's leading technology school must do more to hire qualified Blacks and other minorities. According to an internal study, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not meet the grade in minority hiring with only 6 percent of its professors being African American or Latino. The study suggests that the university work to expand its job searches to reach applicants from minority areas.
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Kilpatrick Ordered<br>To Pay $300,000 - Kwame Kilpatrick lost his job as Detroit's mayor and his freedom, in part, for telling lies. A judge on Wednesday called Kilpatrick deceitful and self-serving and ordered him to come up with more than $300,000 for restitution to the city within 90 days or possibly face a return to jail.