Troy

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contacts: Joi C. Ridley NAACP Communications 202.463.2940, ext. 1016 | jridley@naacpnet.org Leslie Schwartz NBC Universal Television Publicity 818.777.3233 | leslie.schwartz@nbcuni.com Jennifer Price-Keith The Lippin Group 323.965.1990 | jprice@lippingroup.com The “44TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS” NOMINEES ANNOUNCED Two-Hour Special Airs Live Friday, February 1 on NBC ABC and CBS Lead the Nominees in the TV Categories RCA Leads in the Recording Category BEVERLY HILLS, CA (December 11, 2012) -- The nominees for THE 44TH NAACP IMAGE AWARDS were announced today during a live press conference from the Paley Center for Media in Beverly Hills, CA. Anthony Anderson (Guys with Kids), Niecy Nash (The Soul Man), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community), Garcelle Beauvais (Flight), Tyler James Williams (Go On), and Zendaya (Shake It Up!) announced the categories and nominees. The NAACP Image Awards celebrates the accomplishments of people of color in the fields of television, music, literature and film and also honors individuals or groups who promote social justice through creative endeavors. Winners will be announced during the two-hour starstudded event, which will air live on Friday, February 1 (8 ET live/PT tape-delayed) on NBC. ABC and CBS lead the nominees in the TV categories with 20 and 12 nominations respectively, followed by HBO and Lifetime with 10 and NBC with 9. In the recording category, RCA leads with 11 nominations, followed by Atlantic with 10 nominations. The Weinstein Company leads with 4 nominations, and Lionsgate and Paramount Pictures follow with 4 in the motion picture category. “We are proud to celebrate the artists and activists who use their craft to share positive images of our culture.” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “The artistic community is an important ally for social justice, and the NAACP Image Awards provides an excellent venue to recognize those who make a difference through art and activism." "We are happy that once again the Image Awards will be aired on NBC,” said NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. “For 44 years, the Image Awards have recognized the best that communities of color have to offer, both in the arts and in civil rights. The NAACP is proud to honor all of these achievements.” Founded in 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. The organization’s half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. The 44TH NAACP Image Awards are sponsored by: FedEx, AARP, UAW/Chrysler, Wells Fargo, Ford Motor Company, Anheuser Busch, Hyundai Motors, AT&T, Southwest Airlines and Walgreens. Following is the list of categories and nominees for the 44TH NAACP Image Awards: TELEVISION Outstanding Comedy Series • "Glee" (FOX) • "Modern Family" (ABC) • "The Game" (BET) • "The Mindy Project" (FOX) • "The Soul Man" (TV Land) Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series • Anthony Anderson - "Guys with Kids" (NBC) • Damon Wayans, Jr. - "Happy Endings" (ABC) • Don Cheadle - "House Of Lies" (Showtime) • Donald Faison - "The Exes" (TV Land) • Hosea Chanchez - "The Game" (BET) Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series • Amber Riley - "Glee" (FOX) • Cassi Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS) • Kellita Smith - "The First Family" (Syndicated) • Tatyana Ali - "Love That Girl" (TV One) • Wendy Raquel Robinson - "The Game" (BET) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series • Aziz Ansari - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC) • Craig Robinson - "The Office" (NBC) • Donald Glover - "Community" (NBC) • Lance Gross - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" (TBS) • Tracy Morgan - "30 Rock" (NBC) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series • Anna Deavere Smith - "Nurse Jackie" (Showtime) • Gabourey Sidibe - "The Big C" (Showtime) • Gladys Knight - "The First Family" (Syndicated) • Rashida Jones - "Parks and Recreation" (NBC) • Vanessa Williams - "Desperate Housewives" (ABC) Outstanding Drama Series • "Boardwalk Empire" (HBO) • "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) • "Scandal" (ABC) • "Treme" (HBO) • "True Blood" (HBO) Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series • Dulé Hill - "Psych" (USA) • Hill Harper - "CSI: NY" (CBS) • LL Cool J - "NCIS: Los Angeles" (CBS) • Michael Clarke Duncan - "The Finder" (FOX) • Wendell Pierce - "Treme" (HBO) Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series • Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) • Kerry Washington - "Scandal" (ABC) • Khandi Alexander - "Treme" (HBO) • Regina King - "SouthLAnd" (TNT) • Sandra Oh - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series • Clarke Peters - "Treme" (HBO) • Dev Patel - "The Newsroom" (HBO) • Omar Epps - "House M.D." (FOX) • Rockmond Dunbar - "Sons of Anarchy" (FX) • Rocky Carroll - "NCIS" (CBS) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series • Archie Panjabi - "The Good Wife" (CBS) • Joy Bryant - "Parenthood" (NBC) • Loretta Devine - "Grey's Anatomy" (ABC) • Lucy Lui - "SouthLAnd" (TNT) • Rutina Wesley - "True Blood" (HBO) Outstanding Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special • "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime) • "Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC) • "Raising Izzie" (GMC TV) • "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) • "Sugar Mommas" (GMC TV) Outstanding Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special • Afemo Omilami - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) • Cuba Gooding, Jr. - "Hallmark Hall of Fame's FIRELIGHT" (ABC) • Michael Jai White - "Somebody's Child" (GMC TV) • Rockmond Dunbar - "Raising Izzie" (GMC TV) • Tory Kittles - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) Outstanding Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special • Alfre Woodard - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) • Jill Scott - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) • Keke Palmer - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime) • Phylicia Rashad - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) • Queen Latifah - "Steel Magnolias" (Lifetime) Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series • Aaron D. Spears - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS) • Erik Valdez - "General Hospital" (ABC) • James Reynolds - "Days of Our Lives" (NBC) • Kristoff St. John - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) • Rodney Saulsberry - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS) Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series • Angell Conwell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) • Julia Pace Mitchell - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) • Kristolyn Lloyd - "The Bold and the Beautiful" (CBS) • Shenell Edmonds - "One Life to Live" (ABC) • Tatyana Ali - "The Young and the Restless" (CBS) Outstanding News/ Information - (Series or Special) • "Ask Obama Live: An MTV Interview with The President" (MTV) • "Judge Mathis" (Syndicated) • "Save My Son with Dr. Steve Perry" (TV One) • "Unsung" (TV One) • "Washington Watch with Roland Martin" (TV One) Outstanding Talk Series • "Don't Sleep!" (BET) • "Oprah's Lifeclass" (OWN) • "Oprah's Next Chapter" (OWN) • "The View" (ABC) • "Totally Biased with W. Kamau Bell" (FX) Outstanding Reality Series • "Dancing with the Stars" (ABC) • "Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel" (HBO) • "The X Factor" (FOX) • "Tia & Tamera" (Style) • "Welcome to Sweetie Pie's" (OWN) Outstanding Variety Series or Special • "Black Girls Rock" (BET) • "Oprah and the Legendary Cast of Roots 35 Years Later" (OWN) • "Oprah's Master Class" (OWN) • "The First Graduating Class: Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls" (OWN) • "Verses & Flow" (TV One) Outstanding Children’s Program • "Degrassi" (TeenNick) • "Kasha and the Zulu King" (BET) • "The Legend of Korra" (Nickelodeon) • "The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite) • "The Weight of the Nation for Kids" (HBO) Outstanding Performance in a Youth/ Children’s Program - (Series or Special) • China Anne McClain - "A.N.T. Farm" (Disney Channel) • Keke Palmer - "Winx Club" (Nickelodeon) • Loretta Devine - "Doc McStuffins" (Disney Junior block on Disney Channel) • Nick Cannon - "The TeenNick HALO Awards 2012" (Nick@Nite) • Tyler James Williams - "Let It Shine" (Disney Channel) RECORDING Outstanding New Artist • Elle Varner (MBK / RCA) • Gary Clark, Jr. (Warner Bros. Records) • Lianne La Havas (Nonesuch Records Inc. / Warner Bros. Records) • Melanie Amaro (Epic Records) • The OMG Girlz (Pretty Hustle / Grand Hustle / Streamline / Interscope) Outstanding Male Artist • Bruno Mars (Atlantic) • Lupe Fiasco (Atlantic) • Miguel (ByStorm / RCA) • Trey Songz (Atlantic) • Usher (RCA Records) Outstanding Female Artist • Alicia Keys (RCA Records) • Elle Varner (MBK / RCA) • Estelle (Atlantic) • Missy Elliott (Atlantic) • Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group) Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration • Chuck D, Johnny Juice, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment) • fun. feat. Janelle Monae (Atlantic) • Lupe Fiasco feat. Guy Sebastian (Atlantic) • Mary Mary (Columbia) • Ne-Yo, Herbie Hancock, Johnny Rzeznik, Delta Rae, Natasha Bedingfield (Forward Song, LLC) Outstanding Jazz Album • "Bone Appetit [Vol. 1 and 2]" - Jeff Bradshaw (Hidden Beach) • "Dreams" - Brian Culbertson (Verve Records) • "Renaissance" - Marcus Miller (Concord Jazz) • "Seeds From The Underground" - Kenny Garrett (Mack Avenue Records) • "The Preservation Hall 50th Anniversary Collection" - The Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Legacy) Outstanding Gospel Album - (Traditional or Contemporary) • "Best Days" - Tamela Mann (Tillymann Music Group) • "Go Get It" - Mary Mary (Columbia) • "God, Love & Romance" - Fred Hammond (Verity Gospel Music Group) • "I Win" - Marvin Sapp (Verity Gospel Music Group) • "Le'Andria Johnson The Experience" - Le'Andria Johnson (Music World Gospel / Music World) Outstanding World Music Album • "Ayah Ye! Moving Train" - KG Omulo (KG Omulo) • "Country, God, Or The Girl" - K'NAAN (A&M / Octone Records) • "Diversionary" - Brother B (King Chero Records) • "Wonderful Life" - Estelle (Atlantic) Outstanding Music Video • "Adorn" - Miguel (ByStorm / RCA) • "Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records) • "Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic) • "This Christmas" - CeeLo Green (Elektra) • "You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown) Outstanding Song • "Be Mine for Christmas" - KEM (Universal Motown) • "Glorify the King" - KEM (Universal Motown) • "I Look To You" - Whitney Houston and R. Kelly (RCA Records) • "Locked Out Of Heaven" - Bruno Mars (Atlantic) • "You're On My Mind" - KEM (Universal Motown) Outstanding Album • "Bad - 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition" - Michael Jackson (Legacy / Epic) • "Girl On Fire" - Alicia Keys (RCA Records) • "I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston" - Whitney Houston (RCA Records) • "On the Shoulders of Giants - The Soundtrack" - Chuck D, Will.i.am, Herbie Hancock, Nikki Yannofsky (Iconomy Multi-Media & Entertainment ) • "Perfectly Imperfect" - Elle Varner (MBK / RCA) LITERATURE Outstanding Literary Work - Fiction • "A Wish and a Prayer: A Blessings Novel" - Beverly Jenkins (HarperCollins Publishers (William Morrow Paperbacks)) • "Destiny's Divas" - Victoria Christopher Murray (Touchstone / Simon & Schuster) • "Silent Cry" - Dywane Birch (Strebor Books) • "The Reverend's Wife" - Kimberla Lawson Roby (Grand Central Publishing) • "The Secret She Kept" - ReShonda Tate Billingsley (Gallery Books, a division of Simon & Schuster) Outstanding Literary Work - Non-Fiction • "Fraternity" - Diane Brady (Spiegel & Grau (Random House)) • "Guest of Honor: Booker T. Washington, Theodore Roosevelt, and the White House Dinner That Shocked a Nation" - Deborah Davis (Atria Books / Simon & Schuster) • "Power Concedes Nothing: One Woman's Quest for Social Justice in America, from the Courtroom to the Kill Zones" - Connie Rice (Scribner) • "The Courage to Hope" - Shirley Sherrod (Atria Books) • "The Oath: The Obama White House and the Supreme Court " - Jeffrey Toobin (Doubleday) Outstanding Literary Work - Debut Author • "A Cupboard Full of Coats" - Yvvette Edwards (HarperCollins Publishers (Amistad)) • "Antebellum" - R. Kayeen Thomas (Strebor Books) • "Congo: Spirit of Darkness" - Mayi Ngwala (Genet Press) • "Nikki G: A Portrait of Nikki Giovanni in Her Own Words" - Darryl L. Lacy (Darryl L. Lacy (iUniverse)) • "The Sister Accord: 51 Ways To Love Your Sister" - Sonia Jackson Myles (The Sister Accord, LLC) Outstanding Literary Work - Biography/ Auto-Biography • "Across That Bridge: Life Lessons and a Vision for Change" - John Lewis (Hyperion) • "Interventions: A Life in War and Peace" - Kofi Annan (The Penguin Press) • "The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo" - Tom Reiss (Crown Publishers) • "The Good Food Revolution: Growing Healthy Food, People, and Communities " – Will Allen (Gotham Books) • "The One: The Life and Music of James Brown" - RJ Smith (Gotham Books) Outstanding Literary Work - Instructional • "12 Ways to Put Money in Your Pocket Every Month Without A Part Time Job; The Skinny Book That Makes Your Wallet Fat" - Jennifer Matthews (Pickett Fennell Publishing Group) • "Formula 50: A 6-Week Workout and Nutrition Plan That Will Transform Your Life " – 50 Cent (Avery (Penguin Group)) • "Health First: The Black Woman's Wellness Guide" - Eleanor Hinton Hoytt, Hilary Beard (SmileyBooks) • "It's Complicated (But It Doesn't Have to Be): A Modern Guide to Finding and Keeping Love" - Paul Carrick Brunson (Gotham Books) • "The No Excuse Guide to Success: No Matter What Your Boss or Life Throws at You" - Jim Smith, Jr. (Career Press) Outstanding Literary Work - Poetry • "Hurrah's Nest" - Arisa White (Virtual Artists Collective) • "Maybe the Saddest Thing" - Marcus Wicker (HarperCollins Publishers (Harper Perennial)) • "Speak Water" - Truth Thomas (Cherry Castle Publishing) • "The Ground" - Rowan Ricardo Phillips (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) • "Thrall" - Natasha Trethewey (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) Outstanding Literary Work - Children • "Fifty Cents and a Dream" - Jabari Asim (Author), Bryan Collier (Illustrator) (Little,nBrown Books for Young Readers) • "Harlem's Little Blackbird" - Renee Watson (Author), Christian Robinson (Illustrator) (Random House Books for Young Readers (Random House Children's Books)) • "In the Land of Milk and Honey" - Joyce Carol Thomas (Author), Floyd Cooper (Illustrator) (HarperCollins / Amistad) • "Indigo Blume and the Garden City" - Kwame Alexander (Author), JahSun (Illustrator) (Word of Mouth Books) • "What Color is My World?" - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (Author), Raymons Obstfeld (Author), A.G. Ford (Illustrator) (Candlewick Press) Outstanding Literary Work - Youth/Teens • "Fire in the Streets" - Kekla Magoon (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing) • "Obama Talks Back: Global Lessons - A Dialogue With America's Young Leaders" - Gregory Reed (Amber Books) • "Pinned" - Sharon G. Flake (Scholastic Press) • "The Diary of B. B. Bright, Possible Princess" - Alice Randall (Author), Caroline Williams (Author), Shadra Strickland (Illustrator) (Turner Publishing Company) • "The Mighty Miss Malone" - Christopher Paul Curtis (Wendy Lamb Books (Random House Children's Books)) MOTION PICTURE Outstanding Motion Picture • "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) • "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) • "Flight" (Paramount Pictures) • "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm) • "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate) Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture • Denzel Washington - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures) • Jamie Foxx - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) • Morgan Freeman - "The Magic of Belle Isle" (Magnolia Pictures) • Suraj Sharma - "Life of Pi" (20th Century Fox) • Tyler Perry - "Alex Cross" (Summit Entertainment) Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture • Emayatzy Corinealdi - "Middle of Nowhere" (AAFRM) • Halle Berry - "Cloud Atlas" (Warner Bros. Pictures) • Loretta Devine - "In The Hive" (Eone Entertainment) • Quvenzhané Wallis - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) • Viola Davis - "Won't Back Down" (20th Century Fox) Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture • David Oyelowo - "Middle of Nowhere" (AFFRM) • Don Cheadle - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures) • Dwight Henry - "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) • Lenny Kravitz - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate) • Samuel L. Jackson - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture • Amandla Stenberg - "The Hunger Games" (Lionsgate) • Gloria Reuben - "Lincoln" (DreamWorks Pictures) • Kerry Washington - "Django Unchained" (The Weinstein Company) • Phylicia Rashad - "Tyler Perry's Good Deeds" (Lionsgate) • Taraji P. Henson - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems) Outstanding Independent Motion Picture • "Beasts of the Southern Wild" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) • "Chico & Rita" (GKIDS) • "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm) • "Unconditional" (Harbinger Media Partners) • "Woman Thou Art Loosed: On the 7th Day" (Codeblack) Outstanding International Motion Picture • "Chico & Rita" (GKIDS) • "For Greater Glory: The True Story of Cristiada" (ARC Entertainment) • "Special Forces" (eOne Films) • "The Intouchables" (The Weinstein Company) • "The Raid: Redemption" (Sony Pictures Classics) DOCUMENTARY Outstanding Documentary - (Theatrical or Television) • "Black Wings" (Smithsonian Channel) • "Brooklyn Castle" (Producers Distribution Agency) • "First Position" (IFC Films) • "Marley" (Magnolia Pictures) • "On the Shoulders of Giants - The Story of the Greatest Team You've Never Heard Of" (Showtime) WRITING Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series • Karin Gist - "House of Lies" - Mini-Mogul (Showtime) • Marc Wilmore - "The Simpsons" - The Spy Who Learned Me (FOX) • Michael Shipley - "Last Man Standing" - High Expectations (ABC) • Prentice Penny - "Happy Endings" - Meet the Parrots (ABC) • Vali Chandrasekaran, Robert Carlock - "30 Rock" - Murphy Brown Lied to Us (NBC) Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series • Cheo Hodari Coker - "SouthLAnd" - God's Work (TNT) • Janine Sherman Barrios - "Criminal Minds" - The Pact (CBS) • Shonda Rhimes - "Grey's Anatomy" - Flight (ABC) • Shonda Rhimes - "Scandal" - Sweet Baby (ABC) • Zoanne Clack - "Grey's Anatomy" - This Magic Moment (ABC) Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture - (Theatrical or Television) • Elizabeth Hunter - "Abducted: The Carlina White Story" (Lifetime) • John Gatins - "Flight" (Paramount Pictures) • John Ridley, Aaron McGruder - "Red Tails" (Lucasfilm) • Keith Merryman, David A. Newman - "Think Like a Man" (Screen Gems) • Ol Parker - "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" (Fox Searchlight Pictures) # # #

I can remember when Cosby show first started, most people in my world thought the show was unrealistic: A Black doctor and Black attorney married, in a house in NYC, with happy kids who want for nothing -- yeah right! A decade later I was living a similar life style, and knew others like me. I took offense to anyone who thought the show was unrealistic while all the time understanding, quite well, why they felt that way. In many ways what Bill Cosby was doing was FAR more important than we realized at the time -- A positive Black show that was also commercially successful! If I grew up watching program with successful Black families -- instead of only white ones. Perhaps my world view would have been completely different. My kids do not have the burden of stunted aspirations or a lack of positive role models. Still too many kids today have no idea what they can aspire to -- you can't aspire to what you don't know. And the media is certainly not going to show you. In 2012, in NYC only 22% of Black boys graduate from High School in 4 years!!! 22%!!! I suspect those that did graduate in 4 years a majority got shitty educations -- ill prepared for college or the work force. Barack in the white house is no more aspiring to a Black boy today than it was when people used to tell us "You can be president one day". Maybe that would inspire a kids who had a white mother and grew up outside the continental US. A 22% graduation rate by kids who entered high school with a Black president should you tell you that.

Yes the problems are indeed plentiful and profound. Does not even discuss the fact Black folks are given worse mortgages rates than white with similar credit scores, whites benefited much more from government programs, and Blacks have been and still largely excluded from better neighborhoods...

Check out what a few celebrities have been reading recently: http://aalbc.it/celebrity-reads

JennyWHOA welcome to the boards! Any sister that is familiar with Dr Amos is cool with me! It was interesting how we both prefaced our remarks with a disclaimer; Me. "As a Black man who grew up in a racially segregated community," and You, "As a Black woman with Post Traumatic Slave Disorder..." In retrospect, both comments were unnecessary. We are clearly dealing with centuries of institutional racism. It is crazy that in 2012 we are talking about Hollywood unwilling to make moves with Black couples. One could also argue why is it even an issue; (1) We are all God's children right we can be in relationships with anyone regardless of skin color, and (2) If Black people what to see Black on Black love they could just make their own movies. In the end if will have to be both (1) and (2). In much the same way I believe we are all equal, I also know we also need to have Black book websites too -- even in 2012. Nice Blog BTW. Also that Miss South Africa is FOINE!!!

Cynique perhaps breed is more suitable term for the way we typically use race. In any case, the government should not track people's "races" or "breeds". Someone on Twitter took issue with my position on tracking race: @aalbc Will anyone ever be convicted of #racism http://bit.ly/UFoSem #Racist #Staffordshire @SodeepArt No. Convict people for their bad behavior not some artificial construct invented by some racist. @aalbc are you serious?! Police officer whilst strangling a Black UK born youth called the man 'nigger'; thats out of order & Racist! @SodeepArt It is absolutely racist and out of order. But why isn't it enough to convict the police officer for strangling a kid? @aalbc if have not read anything about Stephen Lawrence case please research & Report concluded British society is institutionally Racist! I ultimately looked up Steven Lawrence, I did not read very deeply into the story as it quickly became obvious it is a story too often repeated in the US. At least his murders were brought to justice

Over the years we’ve published hundreds of interviews with celebrities. Each one is usually asked, what is now know as the The bookworm Troy Johnson question, “What was the last book you’ve read?” Check out what they are reading: http://aalbc.it/celebrity-reads

THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE HER by Junot Díaz Finalist for the National Book Award New York Times Sunday Book Review: 100 Notable Books of 2012 EW Top 10 Best Fiction of 2012 Time Magazine Top 10 Books of 2012 Huffington Post Best Books of 2012 Book Page Best Books of 2012: named #1 Best Book of 2012 Kirkus Best Books of 2012 Amazon Best Books of the Year: Editor's Top Picks for 2012 Slate Best Books of 2012 Barnes and Noble “Favorite Books of the Year” Top 15 Fiction pick Los Angeles Public Library Best Fiction of 2012 Globe and Mail Top 100 Book of the Year: Top 29 Picks for International Fiction Booklist Editor’s Choice for Best of 2012 Newsday 10 Best Books of 2012 Barnes and Noble Best Books of 2012: Fiction Kansas City Star Top Fiction Pick for 2012 Saint Louis Post-Dispatch 50 Favorite Books of 2012 Financial Times Best Books of 2012 LA Times Holiday Book Gift

I only learned about The Twelve Tribes of Hatties by Ayana Mathis in the latest issue of Essence a few days ago. However after a few queries I learned that is it all the rage. Critical praise in major newspapers and a selection by Oprah's book club, presumably before the book's publication date (Knopf, December 6th, 2012).

Pioneer1, Agreed on the definition and use of "social construct" for our argument. I looked at the link you provided for the definition of race. It seemed you cherry picked what seems to support your argument while ignoring the most salient information which supported the universally held view on race. Again, it is not just my opinion it is scientific fact; from the source you provided above we find: "Term once commonly used in physical anthropology to denote a division of humankind possessing traits that are transmissible by descent and sufficient to characterize it as a distinct human type (e.g., Caucasoid, Mongoloid, Negroid). Today the term has little scientific standing, as older methods of differentiation, including hair form and body measurement, have given way to the comparative analysis of DNA and gene frequencies relating to such factors as blood typing, the excretion of amino acids, and inherited enzyme deficiencies. Because all human populations today are extremely similar genetically, most researchers have abandoned the concept of race for the concept of the cline, a graded series of differences occurring along a line of environmental or geographical transition. This reflects the recognition that human populations have always been in a state of flux, with genes constantly flowing from one gene pool to another, impeded only by physical or ecological boundaries. While relative isolation does preserve genetic differences and allow populations to maximally adapt to climatic and disease factors over long periods of time, all groups currently existing are thoroughly “mixed” genetically, and such differences as still exist do not lend themselves to simple typologizing. “Race” is today primarily a sociological designation, identifying a class sharing some outward physical characteristics and some commonalities of culture and history. See also climatic adaptation, ethnic group, racism ." That is, as previously asserted, race is an artificial social construct. Further Race "has little scientific standing". Latin American countries practice racism -- including the countries you mentioned. On the government tracking "race" For about 10 years I spent time researching my family history and after looking it how the government categorized people and how it changed every ten years I became even more convinced that the government should spot collecting the data altogether. I watched the same people, in my family, go from "White", to "Mulatto", to "negro" in 30 years! Did you fill out the categories in the 2010 census -- it was absurd! Why is Barack Obama, for example, Black and not white? Obviously his classification as Black is purely arbitrary given he has a white mother and Black father. Again this classification is American construct -- a vestige of institutional racism. The idea of people "passing" as white is similarly absurd. If you look so white that a white racist in the south can't tell you are not white what is the point of the classification? I would also argue that continuing to track and classify people on such an increasingly sloppy and arbitrary dimension as race actually increases racism. The manner in which we treat people should be a function of fairness, and equality -- race has nothing to do with it.

@Nah'Sun How can "health" be relative? Either one is healthy or not, right? The rest of the stuff you wrote in response is combination of things I did accuse you of or a misunderstanding of something I wrote. I admit I may not have been as clear as I could have been... The interesting thing about genetics is that almost everything than involves humans from the way we look to our behavior is a combination of genetics and environment. People can be genetically predisposed to a variety of things from mental illness to obesity, that may never manifest because the environment did not trigger the condition.

We are simply biological machines. Our consciousness is merely a causal observer of ideas our brains have "decided" before we are even aware of them. In fact, we aren't even in control of those ideas. There have been tests to demonstrate our brains make decisions before we are consciously aware of them -- predicting with 100% accuracy a choice we "will" make before we even know it. Indeed the realization that we don't know where ideas or inspiration come from is further evidence we don't control them. The speculation that they have other worldly origins are just nice stories we make up to fill in the gaps in our understanding.

Make that 4 of the last 5 movie reviews I posted having the lead actors in interracial relationships. I did not see the film Flight and failed to realize Denzel was in yet another interracial on screen relationship -- just further support for my argument...

Then again Douglas 2nd wife was white (if memory serves), plus he was mulatto. One would think that that would be great fodder for the film industry. But I guess even a Mulatto, married to a white woman is still too positive a Black man to put on the big screen. In the film Red Tales they had to thrown in an interracial relationship ignoring all the Black women who stayed behind working to keep their families intact. Nollywood seems to be offering some good alternatives. Interesting stories with Black people just being... in relationships with each other, and doing thing people do... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOT5U5C9clc

Pioneer, once the human genome was sequenced it became plain to everyone that there is only one race of people on planet earth. Race is indeed, an arbitrary social construct. In fact I wish our government would get out of the business of using it.

This is something that has been in the back of my mind for quite sometime, The issue jumped out at me while I was updating this page which includes the most recently reviewed movies I posted on the website. Below are the movie posters of three four of the last five film reviews I added to the website: It seems to me that there are far more interracial couples in film than there are Black couples. Further the interracial couples most often depicts a Black woman with a white man. Finally when a Brother is in a relationship with a sister, in film, the Brother is usually very dysfunctional. I have not attempted to collect data on this but I'd be willing to bet that there are more Black women / white men relationships in film than there are Black female / Black male relationships. At least a much higher percentage than what actually occurs in the real world. As a Black man who grew up in a racially segregated community, perhaps I'm much more sensitive about this than women and white people would be. I believe this sensitivity is one of the reasons I simply can't tolerate watching the hit TV show Scandal. The character Olivia Pope, who is otherwise superwoman is complete mush when it comes to the President who is played by a white male (incidentally, would it have been too much to have a Black man play the president's character?). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGbn791Pgjg No I know TV shows and movies need to make money and white America (maybe Black America too) is not particularly interested in seeing portrayals of strong Black men. So we are related to being gang bangers, jailbirds, wearing dresses but certainly not in a positive relationships with Black woman free of serious dysfunction. Maybe this is one of the reasons Frederick Douglas was left completely out of the film Lincoln. Maybe it is the reason a major motion picture has never been made of Douglas' extraordinary life.

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Average dress size probably ignores dress size inflation. A size 12 a generation ago is something like a size 6 today. I would not call eating what you like a "vice" -- unless what you like to eat is limited to just Twinkies and McNuggets and a red juice chaser. One of life's simplest pleasures is eating. Eating is one of the highlights of my day. However you don't want to eat to the point or in a fashion where you give yourself diabetes, or a stroke, or became fat, right? Perhaps your diet conscious friends would have checked out a lot sooner, assuming they passed of natural caused. Or if they lost their lives through unnatural means I suspect the quality of their lives was better. The trade-off between the pleasures of life vices and the consequences are individual and personal. But like the consequences of the life of a crack addict, the trade-off are not those one few would consider beneficial or even sane...

You are right Pioneer we don't have slow brains. As with obesity, behavior is the culprit not genetics. Anyone who questions the potential or the intelligence of Black people need only look to the African immigrants across the Diaspora. Africans are kicking butt in many quarters, corporate America, academia, athletics, entertainment, and entrepreneurial endeavors. Pioneer, perhaps we should look to the Africans in our midist for inspiration and role models for sucess in this system. Cynique apparently Slick Willy was instrumental in getting Obama reelected. I wonder what that support will cost him, us really, in the long run...

Nah'Sun, Side A - Thick is a subjective term. But I have an ideal of what your definition is. Do you think Buffy the Body is heathy (the clinical definition)? Side C - It is not uncommon for cultures to hold overweight people in high regard. It is a sign of having wealth -- not health. American Blacks get their obesity from their diets not their genetics. More accurately, they are not eating a diet best suited for their genetics. Unfortunately much of the food made available to us especially in poorer communities is much more likely to make us obese. Nah'Sun if you are anywhere near me age, I'm sure you've noticed that Black people, women in general, are simply fatter that they we when we were younger. Cynique what are your observation regarding the relative percentage of fat people over the years? Pioneer those articles were interesting and does support the point you made: It is interesting to note however that one article referenced a study which indicated that; The greater bone density among black persons may be caused by their higher obesity rate. At any rate, there is no scientific evidence Black people are better suited or genetical designed to be obese at least no more than anyone else. We are more obese because of reason we can control.

Yeah, when I was a kid people mostly just gossiped about each other to spreadh bad news -- and it was frowned upon if that was all you wanted to do. Today if you can't talk about the about House Wives or Jersey Shore -- whatever... you're left out of most conversations. I guess on some level it is better than spreading rumors about eahc other :-) On the other hand we spend more time fetting over the fake celebrities on the "reality" TV ratther than thinking about outselves or our own families. Maybe you are right Pioneer, it is more desireable to watch "...people whose lives are more despicable than thier own."

Very good article, Balogun -- you've posted like a pro!. You would certainly like Guy Johnson's work. If you are not already familiar with it try his Standng at the Scratch Line first

Sound very interesting! Here is a link to th4 ebook on Amazon: http://bit.ly/redeemerbook

Wow. This is deep. When did the term "fat" become so charged? Have we become so politically correct that we can even use the term in way that allows us to communicate effectively? Now in my book the woman pictured is fat -- any day of week. I'm not making a value judgment, I'm not describing her self-esteem, I'm not making any assessment of her health, I'm not even giving my opinion on how attractive she is. But if we can't agree that this woman is fat, we need a dictionary. Now I asked about the term thick, because like a lot of slang the term is an imprecise one, that does not communicate very much. It has more meaning when used in content and within a well-known group. Pioneer say's the woman is "thick" and Nah'Sun say she is not. As far as being obese, I can't say for certain, any more than I can say how tall she is or how much she weights. But I'd be willing to bet this woman is clinically obese (a body mass index of 30 or more). Pioneer, that last statement about African and middle eastern women's bone structures being suitable to handling more weight in a healthy way is interesting. Where did you learn this? I wonder if this "idea" is were "big boned" came from? In all seriousness, we need to be very careful about how we view excess weight, without boring you with stats. Diabetes, and heart disease, runs rampant in our community. While we embrace thinckness (whatever that means), we also embracing serious health issues...

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