Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. is our hero. Filmmaker Lee Daniels, who’s upcoming “Selma” is intended as a respectful biopic of the Civil Rights leader, apparently feels the same way. As to be expected, there’s some controversy about what Mr. Daniels will, should or won’t depict in terms of the moral weaknesses of Dr. King, and we’re pleased that the producer behind “Monster’s Ball” is erring on the side of respect. Thank you Dr. King, thank you President Lyndon Johnson, and thank you Jesse Jackson and countless others behind the cause.
Below: Dr. King’s last, prophetic speech “I may not make it with you to the mountain top..”
Wyclef Jean, former member of the Fugees and a Haitian refugee himself, has raised millions for his home country over the years, and through his Yele project, is on the forefront of the current relief effort. Instead of being hailed as a hero, he is currently being accused of shortchanging the charity by diverting some of the funds to non-Haitian relief expenses.
The charges seem ambiguous at best – accusing Wyclef of diverting some of the donations to “rent, Wyclef Jean’s appearance at a benefit concert and production services”. Nevertheless media memes have a way of spreading like wildfire before the accused have a chance to fully respond, damaging not only his fundraising efforts but also the man’s personal character. That’s why we think it was a good idea he took the time this weekend to respond in a very personal way.
As the Great Recession lumbers into 2010, New York City needs more resources and more support for single-parent mothers.
More than one in four children in the city are living in poverty, according to the New York Coalition Against Hunger. City government reports that two of every three children in poverty live in single-parent households, which are usually led by mothers.
While local and national government officials wrangle about expanding assistance programs and the Earned Income Tax Credit, nonprofits are doing their best to pick up the slack by directly targeting single-parent mothers for support.
One example is Raising Him Alone, a nonprofit that provides access to resources for single mothers raising boys. Raising Him Alone has offices in Baltimore and in Newark, from which it serves the New York-New Jersey area.
Matt Stevens, a co-founder and leader of the Newark office, said he receives 40-50 e-mails per day from single-parent mothers desperate for help. Mothers often speak of being abused by their sons or not knowing how to get their sons off the streets. Once he was approached by a grandmother in Brooklyn raising six grandsons on her own.
“There’s no quick fix,” he said during a recent interview. “You won’t solve these problems by just getting a mentor.”
Stevens and co-founder David Miller in Baltimore act primarily as information sources and as facilitators. They can link mothers to parenting, social service, financial literacy, and other resources anywhere in the country within 24-48 hours.
“We want to make sure that mothers who need help have someplace to go tomorrow,” Stevens said.
Webinars, articles, and YouTube videos on Raising Him Alone’s website offer resource listings and helpful tips, such as how to have discussions with children about sex or drugs. Single mothers also connect to one another through the nonprofit’s Facebook page and through workshops and networking activities. It has a database of over 4,700 mothers in just a year and a half of operation.
“One of our goals is to create safe places where moms can open up and support each other,” Stevens said.
The Open Society Institute has spotlighted the organization with a sizable grant as part of its Campaign for Black Male Achievement. Other funders are jumping on board, and overwhelming demand from mothers in 2009 has prompted Stevens and Miller to possibly open more offices in 2010.
The work of Raising Him Alone and other nonprofits serve as examples of how to respond to the considerable needs of single parent mothers in the city and across the nation. Although nonprofits cannot replace the role of government, they can point the way to more direct action and show us how to best make use of technology and limited funding as we move into a new decade.
photo: Mother and Daughter by bondidwhat via Flickr CC
Bike lanes have conveniently come to symbolize the demarcation point between New York’s hipsters and the Hasidic Jews of Williamsburg’s South Side. The latest flash point is perhaps the most interesting. First some backstory, NYC officials removed 14 blocks of bike lanes (in a move the Post suggests was engineered by Team Bloomberg and intended to please the Hasidic Community right before the election) on Bedford Ave south of Broadway. A band of young bike lane enthusiasts then decided to repaint the lanes and of course had someone on board to film and edit the whole thing for Youtube glorification. If hipsters have new media, Hasidics in Williamsburg have their own secret weapon – an unofficial police force! The so-called “Shomrim Patrol” apprehended the two cycling advocates at 3:30AM. Fortunately, no one had to go to jail as arriving police (that’s NYPD) refused to arrest or issue any summons. Still, the battle lines have been painted, erased and repainted.
If you were too busy partying Saturday night, you might’ve missed Obama’s press conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao, as retold by SNL. That reminds us, Lorne Michaels, isn’t it about time you had an Asian cast member?
Before the Obamas headed overseas to pitch Chicago as the 2016 Olympics destination, Michelle Obama knew what she was up against. It was a damn if you do, damn if you don’t scenario and the Obamas would rather be on the side of trying, she said. Unfortunately, despite an impassioned speech about the virtues of Chicago by the President himself, the Olympic committee saw fit to award the 2016 Olympics to South America for the first time. By midafternoon Friday, Chicago, along with Tokyo was quickly eliminated leaving a showdown between Rio De Janeiro and Madrid. The finally tally could be considered a landslide for Brazil. Now pundits are attacking Obama’s decision with 20/20 hindsight. Why didn’t he just lie low, asked NPR’s Liz Halloran. ‘Obama’s Olympic Size Failure’ screamed the Boston Herald. Was this Obama’s “Mission Accomplished” moment? Hardly.
The President, along with other heads of state, felt obliged to rally behind their nation and make a best effort for a possible chance to host a world event. Chicago wasn’t selected, and in our opinion, perhaps the most exciting city in the running was – Rio De Janeiro is legendary, for both its excesses and its charm, and Brazil is quickly becoming a model emerging nation. While Obama didn’t bring home the gold medal, in judging the outcome, we must all consider whether it was truly better had he not made any effort at all in support of America.
photo (AP): President Obama in Copenhagen at the International Olympic Committee session.
We were delighted to see that the White House now has its own Flickr stream, with intimate Presidential photos courtesy of White House photographer Peter Souza, available online. More evidence that this President intends to open government up for public inspection and enjoyment.
Photo: President Obama greets “Bo”, a Portuguese Water puppy. The new member of the White House was given to the family by Senator Ted Kennedy and was introduced to the nation on Easter Surprise.
Credit: Pete Souza, White House photographer, via Flickr CC.
Embattled Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva put his domestic troubles aside as he welcomed the heads of Southeast Asian nations to the 14th ASEAN Summit and Related Summits at the Royal Cliff Beach Hotel in Pattaya. He set an auspicious tone by presenting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen with stolen Khmer artifacts that Thai police recovered. Later, on the sidelines, the two leaders, which are embroiled in a border row surrounding the Preah Vihear Temple, agreed to mend fences.
photo: Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen (left) shake hands with Thailand Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva. The two agreed to stand down over the Preah Vihear Temple area border dispute. Still from Thai television
The case for legalizing marijuana has been brought to the fore lately as an antidote to the increased violence in Mexico among drug cartels, as well as a way to raise extra cash for Uncle Sam (kind of like $10 a pack cigarettes). Usually such advocates have red eyes and smell like Cheetos, but this time we have a bonified author of Primary Colors and writer for Time telling us its a good idea. The kicker? “..there is an enormous potential windfall in the taxation of marijuana.”
Sure the newly unveiled HDR-TG5V is a svelt looking number, with a decent feature set including built in GPS, NAVTEQ maps (for geo-tagging), 10X optical zoom and a 2.7″ LCD, but give us a break, the suggested $1,000 price tag is far too high considering its 1080p is running off tiny little sensors. This thing might as well be a $500 point and shooter or a hybrid DSLR like Sony’s much better valued DSC-HX1.
The 1080p and schwaggy feature set just isn’t good enough to command that kind of price. Unless of course you fancy yourself a James Bond who likes his toys small and overpriced. Our advice, buy a $300 point and shoot that does 720P HD video, like the excellent Canon SD970.
