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Top news stories personally selected by the publishers for their relevance to the Black American community.
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My father-in-law, Lloyd Bryant, and his neighbors of about 30 years—Mr. Tommy and Mr. Herman—were outside, beaming. They asked when I was going to fly my American flag. “For the first time in my life, I am flying the American flag” Lloyd said as his daughter (my wife) pointed to the flag attached from the side of the house. Mr. Tommy, whose house is literally ten yards to the left, pointed to his American flag hanging on a pole smack dab in the middle of his front lawn. Not to be outdone, Mr. Herman, whose home is twenty yards to the right, talked of erecting a 30-foot pole to fly his American flag, “The size of the one at that school” he points. This is new to me because, see, we are African Americans..jpg)
What makes it more interesting is that I have taught U.S. History and U.S. Government (a required class) for several years now, yet I have never flown or purchased an American flag. I do not want to mislead you. Not buying a flag did not happen by accident. It is not like I just didn’t get around to buying a flag. I did not buy a flag because I have never been motivated to buy one. Really.
Let me say something many Black non-elected folks are feeling and can say because we are not as interested in the ramifications of being misunderstood: I have never been more proud of my country than at this point in my life! Personally, my Proud-o-Meter is pointed as far right as it can go. How proud? July 2008 (before the election!), my wife and I decided to name our newborn son, “Barack.” This year, Barack is going be decked out in red, white and blue.
Truthfully, I have never felt “pride” in my country. Some may wonder if the absence of pride means the presence of un-patriotism. That is, have we darker-skinned folks been harboring resentment against the United States for all these years since our emancipation up until somebody Black took office? Let me speak for my own “patriotism.”
I was honorably discharged from the United States Air Force with a Good Conduct Medal; served as a juror, rendering a verdict, thereby fulfilling the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution; I pay taxes; I also have the distinction of being the only person to have recited the entire U.S. Constitution from memory—all twenty-seven amendments to boot. Additionally, I vote and did so on November 4th 2008.
So, how can I explain this newfound pride to folks who have always had pride in this country? Often, one does not know a thing is absent until it is present. Some do not know what love is until they are loved. Likewise, many African Americans did not know what pride for country was until it stared them in the face in the late hours of November 4th 2008 (and some of us would not allow ourselves to believe it until January 20, 2009). We then believed that the U.S. is capable of anything, that the trajectory of this country is star-ward and the check was cleared—you know, that bounced check issued to America’s citizens of color that Dr. King shared about, marked “insufficient funds.” In electing Barack Obama, America has lived up to the first three words of its Constitution~ “We the people.” It actually is “we.” With this president, it is "self-evident that all men are created equal:" it is a Declaration of Inclusion for the world to see: People of color are truly included in the construction of this union—not just the backbreaking, back-alley bricklaying or the tap-dancing, touchdown making, talent-producing contributions—but also the intellectual ingenuity of its ideas, hopes and policies. It is like a fifty-first star has been added to the flag, shining brighter than all others.
In my life, I’ve been called “Ni**er,” told that “all Black people are on welfare,” randomly stopped by cops and was once made to get on my knees at the barrel of a 9mm police handgun; I still hear car doors automatically lock when I cross a street, was called “boy” in Virginia two years ago in front of my wife and son, am still asked for the location of various items at supermarkets by White people; and just recently, a white woman refused to push her button on an elevator until I answered her demand, “What floor?” This prejudice is based on superficial, perfidious distinctions, so occupying the office of President of the United States by a man with darker skin does much to undo the prima facie impression of inferiority. Oh, our star is shining brightly.
In a previous article, I wrote that one of my White Advanced Placement students wrote a hall pass for me to sign. When I checked it for date and time, he said, “They’re not going to check it. I’m White.” What he understood (White privilege) as a teenager in the microcosm of a school house will be a diminishing part of this American fabric. Not that I think that an Obama presidency will fix this or get the pendulum swinging in the direction toward Black Privilege (nor would I want that form of entitlement to prevail), but President Obama's new role is another, more official memo to our country that there is nothing inherently inferior about people of color.
Unfortunately, some still do not understand why many African Americans have a newfound pride in the United States of America. Well, after years of receiving a negative subtle message from America, the frequency has been changed. Many are still banging their receivers against walls. Others are rejoicing to see a “Brutha” in the highest office in the land. I know what I am going to do to celebrate this day.
This July 4th, I will do something I’ve never done. I am going to buy an American flag. I am going to post it in my classroom when the school year begins. I can only imagine what effect this glorious gesture will have on my teaching of Government and consequently my students' appreciation of and subsequent participation in democracy.
Although I know Independence Day is a celebration of our emancipation from King George, I will be hooting and hollerin’ for a different reason. I am proud of my country, and I know I am not the only one. I can tell you this, on July 4th 2009, me, my father’s buddies and countless others will probably never be so Black and so Proud!
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 The announcement by former NBA All-Star basketball player David Robinson's that his private equity firm Admiral Capital Group had acquired its first company, Centerplate Inc., is part of a growing trend of former professional athletes finding a new career as dealmakers after their playing days are over.
The reasoning behind their transformation into private equity managing partners are numerous. First off, they have lots of money. Many desire to use their money in a manner that will generate a profit, but that will also make a positive impact on society. And lastly, the star power of these athletes makes them great magnets for attracting capital from institutional investors.
For Robinson, his investing philosophy is rooted in his socially conscious endeavors dating back to his playing days of the 1990s. Robinson invested more than $10 million in a non-profit private school - The Carver Academy - in San Antonio. But, Robinson is just one of a growing handful of former professional athletes, who've become private equity investors:
- Former NBA Hall of Famer Earvin "Magic Johnson is one of the most successful, with his private equity fund Canyon-Johnson Urban fund, which invests in under-served urban areas.
- Former New England Patroits quarterback Drew Bledsoe founded Bledsoe Capital Group, a venture capital and private equity group primarily focused on emerging clean technologies.
- Former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young was a co-founder of private capital firm Sorenson Capital, which focuses on small-to-middle-market buyouts. He's currently a managing director at Huntsman Gay Global Capital, which was founded by billionaire industrialist Jon M. Huntsman and former Bain Capital executive Robert C. Gay.
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Dempsey Travis, a stockyards worker's son who rose to become a real estate magnate, civil rights activist and jazz musician, has died at age 89.
The self-made millionaire died Thursday at his home, his family said.
As a South Side developer during the 1950s, Travis fought to increase mortgage avilability for blacks. He also helped bankroll the political career of his high school friend, Harold Washington, later Chicago's first black mayor.
Travis graduated from Chicago's DuSable High School in 1939 and served in a racially segregated Army unit during World War II, once being among several black troops shot by a white MP.
After studying at Roosevelt University, Travis formed the first of his several real estate firms in 1949.
He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Moselynne.
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If you didn't watch the BET Awards, you probably didn't see Drake and Lil Wayne's controversial performance of his single "Every Girl."
First of all, if you haven't heard the song, it's about the two rappers' desires of having sex with "every girl", in the world that is. Basically, reducing women to sex objects. Well, during their BET Awards performance, Drake and Weezy performed the track, while several underage girls danced onstage with them, one being Wayne's daughter and the others her friends.
This didn't sit well with many people, and since the BET Awards, both have received backlash over it. Everyone from bloggers to established journalists criticized both for allowing the presence of the young girls.
Some reports have claimed that the girls' appearance were spontaneous, and a last minute decision, after Weezy's daughter demanded that she be allowed onstage and he let her. However, Drake admitted in an interview with Complex recently that he regrets the decision to bring them onstage for them performance.
"That, actually -- to be honest -- was a terrible idea that I'll never do to myself again," he said. "But I was being pressed from different areas to perform, and I think what really happened at the BET Awards is with the passing of Mike, the climate really changed, as far as the award show goes. I don't think it called for us to perform 'Every Girl' and 'Always Strapped'
"I think it was an award show filled with tributes and music and these genuine heartfelt speeches. And to sort of climax out of a very tongue-n-cheek point, and then people misconstruing Wayne's daughters and her friends coming out on stage -- it was just timed very poorly and it definitely wasn't planned like that, but with that being said, it is what is."
Despite the criticism, Drake isn't worried about it hurting his career prematurely, but did offer an apology to those offended.
"I believe in Wayne and myself and it's nothing we can't bounce back from," Drake said. "To anyone who was offended, my personal apologies, it wasn't intended to offend anybody."
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Venus and Serena Williams will meet in the Wimbledon finals on Saturday. This may not seem like news, but the context of the Williams sisters domination of their sport is changing.
It’s no longer a matter of whether they are the best women’s tennis players in the world. Two years ago, they had only three rivals: Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova. Since then, Henin and Clijsters have retired, and Sharapova has been slowed by injuries.
Neither Williams sister owns the No. 1 ranking simply because they don’t play often enough. They pass on many of the small tournaments in favor of the big stage and who can blame them? For one, it helps them avoid the burnout that led to Henin’s and Clijster’s retirement. (Neither woman was 26 when they put away their rackets; they left many millions in future earnings on the table.) And only hard-core tennis devotees remember who won the (fill in name of corporate sponsor) tournament in (sunny part of the country during the winter months). Win a Grand Slam Tournament like the French Open, the Australian Open or Wimbledon, and you get a piece of history.
In addition, the current top echelon in the women’s game is full of young Serbs and Russians who haven’t established the consistency to be considered great yet. Recent No. 1s, Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, fell during the first week of action at Wimbledon this year. Current No. 1, Dinara Safina, has never won a Grand Slam tournament, and her quarterfinal win over Sabine Lisicki, the 41st-ranked player in the world, inspired little confidence that this would be her first. Safina double faulted 15 times and was warned by the chair after throwing her first set temper tantrum during her 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-1 win.
By contrast, Venus demolished her quarterfinal opponent, Agnieszka Radwanska, 6-1, 6-2 and hit 29 winners in the process. She has yet to lose a set at Wimbledon this year, and with each passing victory the tournament becomes that much closer to being the Venus Williams Invitational. Big sister has a better career record in singles at the All-England Tennis Club than even Roger Federer who owned the men’s bracket with a similar iron hand until last summer’s epic upset by Rafael Nadal.
Venus is usually self-effacing, but in the press conference after her win on Tuesday she allowed that she’s feeling invincible. But, she hastened to add, “I work really hard at it.”
Wimbledon’s fast surface grass courts are the perfect fit for Venus’ power game. Her serve is utterly ferocious; it’s typically well over 100 mph and has topped out at 129 mph. She has averaged nearly 120 mph on first serves in several of her matches during this fortnight. (Nadal, in his epic win last summer, served at an average of 110 mph.) In addition, Williams’ serve slices away from the court forcing her opponent to lunge for a return, leaving Venus the entire court to put away a winner. Opponents back so far off the baseline that at times the cameras have struggled to keep them in the shot. During Venus’ third-round win over Carla Suarez-Navarro, the woman who ousted Williams in Melbourne early this year, I kept confusing the Spaniard for a ball girl who couldn’t stay out of the frame. With opponents so far from the baseline, Venus can easily rush the net and use her enormous wingspan to put away easy winners.
Serena has been nearly as dominant during the fortnight. Her 6-2, 6-3 quarterfinal win over Victoria Azarenka featured nine aces from Serena and 26 winners. While not as powerful on serve as her sister, Serena’s game involves enormous grit drive and athleticism. She runs down every shot from side to side until opponents begin to wilt at the thought of ever putting the ball by her. It seems like a game Serena may have learned from playing Venus as a youth.
The all-Williams final marks their 21st tournament match against each other. Presently, the rivalry stands tied at 10 wins each. Venus is vying to be the first woman to win three straight Wimbledon titles since Steffi Graf 1991-’93. She is also in search of her sixth Wimbledon title overall. While Serena should be favored against her sister on other surfaces, especially the hard courts of the U.S Open and the Australian Open, Venus owns grass. It’s as if her game was built for it.
Only once in the last 10 years has a Wimbledon final not featured one of the Williams sisters, and it has often featured both. This year is no exception. With most of their peers on a training table or gone from the game, we should settle in for another era of Williams dominance in women’s tennis. When not facing each other, Venus and Serena are playing for the record books. Graf, Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova—the greatest living female tennis players—need to make room for two more.
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Vibe magazine founder Quincy Jones may attempt to buy back the now-shuttered hip-hop magazine, according to a published report.
Quincy Jones speaks onstage at the Apollo Theater 75th Anniversary Gala in June.
"I'm trying to buy my magazine back now," Jones told EbonyJet.com on Tuesday, according to an article posted on the Web site.
Vibe, one of the best-selling hip-hop magazines in the country, shut down on Tuesday. Its chief executive officer, Steve Aaron, said the magazine has a debt of "several millions of dollars" and also faced a declining market and decreased advertising revenue.
Jones, a music producer, said he envisioned an online-only future for Vibe, EbonyJet.com reported.
"They just messed my magazine all up, but I'm gonna get it back," he said, EbonyJet.com reported.
Additional details were not available in the report, and Arnold Robinson, a spokesman for Jones, told CNN he had no comment.
Jones established the magazine in 1993. It had a circulation of about 600,000, according to Aaron.
The closure eliminates jobs for all 48 staff members, Aaron said. The issue currently on newsstands, featuring Eminem on the cover, is Vibe's last.
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Michael Jackson’s memorial service has been set for Tuesday at the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles.
AEG Live, which owns the Staples Center and was Jackson’s promoter, called a press conference for Friday at 10 a.m. to announce details, according to a press release from the office of the Jackson family’s publicist.
Randy Phillips, AEG’s chief executive, said tickets would be free and that 11,000 would be distributed to the public.
But Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine said the Jackson family should consider delaying the public memorial to allow more time to plan. He also said the cash-strapped city can’t afford to pay police overtime.
“If you can imagine 100,000 people show up and you have 20,000 capacity (at the Staples Center), there is not sufficient room. Now you have a crowd-control problem,” Zine said. With the July Fourth holiday weekend “it’s the worst time ... to work something out.”
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A fierce custody battle is brewing over two of Michael Jackson's children, with their mother relaying word Thursday that she plans to fight for them in court, and the Jackson family signaling they will fight right back.
Debbie Rowe, the mother of Prince, 12, and Paris, 11, spoke to her former attorney Iris Finsilver, who says, "She is going to be pursuing custody of the children."
"Frankly, she won't have to fight for them," Finsilver tells PEOPLE. "She is the children's biological mother. She loves her children."
The kids, along with a third child, Prince Michael II (Blanket), 7, whose mother is unknown, are in the temporary court-ordered care of Jackson family matriarch Katherine Jackson, 79, whom the singer named as guardian in his 2002 will. (Diana Ross was also named, in the event that Katherine was no longer living.)
A source close to the Jackson family says they intend to seek permanent custody. "They will fight," says the source.
Rowe earlier made her position clear July 2 in an interview with a Los Angeles television station, saying, "I want my children."
"I am stepping up," she told a reporter for Los Angeles station NBC 4 in a 90-minute phone conversation. "I have to."
Rowe also said she'd be willing to take custody of Blanket to keep the three children together, and she may seek a restraining order to keep her former father-in-law, Joe Jackson, away from her children.
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Detroit Councilwoman Monica Conyers heads into WHPR-TV (Channel 33) studios for her show Tuesday. It was her first time addressing the public since pleading guilty Friday to a bribery charge. She talked about her hopes of staying out of jail and publishing a tell-all book.
Detroit City Councilwoman and admitted felon Monica Conyers went on television Tuesday to talk about council endorsements, hopes of staying out of jail and her plans to write a tell-all book.
And toward the end of her hour-long live TV show, Conyers apologized.
"To all of the residents of the city of Detroit, if I disappointed you, I apologize," she said.
Just before the 3:30 p.m. airing, Conyers raced to the Highland Park studios of WHPR-TV (Channel 33), and stepped out of the city-owned Ford Crown Victoria in a dress with a strand of pearls and a light-colored blazer.
It was her first time addressing the public since pleading guilty Friday to a bribery charge. She started the show by telling viewers she wouldn't talk about the case.
"I don't want to get my judge mad at me, and I don't want to go to jail," she explained.
Then, she took a shot at her former chief of staff, Sam Riddle.
"If I was smart, I would have listened to my husband and he never would have worked for me," Conyers said of Riddle. "But sometimes we as women don't listen to our husbands."
Conyers is married to U.S. Rep. John Conyers, D-Detroit.
She also threw her support behind Councilwomen Martha Reeves and JoAnn Watson in the August primary.
Conyers took credit for keeping Cobo Center under Detroit's control, though she said a new plan for the convention center doesn't provide everything Detroiters need.
Outside the studio, as Conyers left, a motorist rolled down his window and shouted: "Stay strong, Monica!"
"Love you," she said back, before telling reporters, "You guys have a wonderful holiday, OK?"
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The wife of R&B singer Usher was surprised when the entertainer filed for divorce earlier this month and claims the two were intimate less than a week before he moved to end the marriage, according to court documents.
Tameka Raymond, 38, disputes Usher's claims the couple have been separated since July 2008. She said in court documents filed Monday in Fulton County Superior Court that she "had every reason to believe her marriage was intact" and that two were "intimately together as husband and wife as recently as June 6."
Usher, whose real name is Usher Raymond IV, filed for divorce June 12, claiming there is "no reasonable hope of reconciliation" and the marriage is "irretrievably broken." He is seeking joint custody of the couple's two sons, 1 1/2-year-old Usher Raymond V and 6-month-old Naviyd Ely Raymond.
Tameka Raymond has three children from a previous marriage. She said through her divorce attorney, Randy Kessler, that she has been a faithful wife and loving mother during the marriage.
In Monday's filing, Tameka Raymond asked a judge to ensure that Usher continues to support his family while the divorce works its way through the courts, including paying her legal fees.
The couple married in August 2007 in a lavish ceremony. About 200 people attended their wedding at resort built in the style of a 16th-century-style French chateau on 3,500 hilly acres outside Atlanta.
A call to Usher's divorce lawyer was not immediately returned Tuesday.
Before the two married, Usher had a string of romances, most notably his three-year relationship with Chilli from the group TLC.
The Grammy-winning artist's hits include "Confessions," "Burn," "You Make Me Wanna" and "Yeah!"
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June 29: Rev. Al Sharpton and Joe Jackson, Michael Jackson's father, speak at a news conference in front of the Jackson family residence in Calif.
It's another case of the dueling reverends.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Al Sharpton have converged on Michael Jackson's family since the King of Pop's sudden death last Thursday, acting as semi-official spokesmen and advisers.
Now the two preachers — who have spent decades jockeying for the unofficial title of America's leading black activist — appear to be auditioning for a role in Michael Jackson's final act: his funeral.
It remains unclear just what they are hoping to do for the clan in mourning as they offer their services to Michael Jackson's family, but both have been vying for a prominent position.
Jesse Jackson paid a condolence call Friday and announced the next day that the Jackson family wanted a second autopsy for Michael, who died last week at the age of 50. Michael's death was "abnormal," he said, putting pressure on the doctor who was by Jackson's side as he passed away. "We don't know what happened."
Sharpton, in turn, led a press conference Monday outside the Jackson family compound in Encino detailing his plan to lead a full-day memorial at Harlem's Apollo Theater on Tuesday.
The two have gone on television separately to speak for the family, but neither has yet been invited to preside over Michael's funeral, a coveted moment in the spotlight that both have sought and secured for years at several memorial services.
Jesse Jackson has delivered rites for prominent black figures ranging from jazz great Miles Davis to the slain family of singer and actress Jennifer Hudson. Sharpton led the elaborate 2006 memorial for his mentor, James Brown, another legendary entertainer.
In recent years, they have used the same grandstands, including the funeral of Coretta Scott King, as prominent public forums. Both Sharpton and Jackson — who was a top lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King's — blasted President Bush during the service and made politically charged statements.
They have also launched themselves into racially charged scraps, like the cases involving the black teenagers known as the Jena Six, and the black exotic dancer who accused — wrongly, it turned out — three white players on the Duke lacrosse team of raping her.
"They don't seem to work together, they just always seem to be in the same place," said Reed Dickens, founder of Outside Eyes, a California-based communications and crisis-management firm.
They have a lot in common — both are fiery Baptist ministers; both are longtime, prominent civil rights activists; both have run for president — and both have been accused of embracing causes in order to promote themselves.
Representatives for Jackson and Sharpton did not return phone calls and e-mails seeking comment.
In their latest cause, it's unclear whether either of them has the full embrace of the family. A lawyer for the Jacksons did not respond to inquiries asking whether either is operating with the full faith of the Jackson clan.
Sharpton held his press conference alongside Michael's father, Joe Jackson. But Michael's mother, Katherine — who was closer to the star and is regarded as the heart of the family — left the scene just as Sharpton was arriving, sending an unclear signal to the man who calls himself an old family friend. Joe Jackson is believed to have been written out of his son's will.
Some media experts said the two reverends appear to be using this period of mourning to soak up Michael Jackson's last limelight.
"I think it's just an opportunity to be relevant in a national dialogue in a monumental moment," said Dickens, a former White House spokesman.
"I think they're sincerely interested in helping the family, but I also think that it's also not coincidence that they wind up right smack-dab in the middle of every media crisis," he said.
Since Jackson's death on Thursday, dozens of people have emerged from the woodwork to help "define" his legacy, said Professor Robert Thompson, director of the Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture at Syracuse University.
"There's a sense that Michael Jackson's legacy is both fraught with financial possibilities ... but also fraught with the kind of symbolic value that what he stood for carries, and I think there's an awful lot of people who would like to frame and shape that as best they could," Thompson told FOXNews.com.
Thompson said he was not surprised to see Jackson and Sharpton emerge to help define Jackson's legacy, which would be of great import to black Americans in particular.
"He certainly does play a major part in the role of African-Americans in American popular culture," Thompson said. "I'm not surprised that civil rights leaders would be interested in how the legacy of this star is framed."
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Wendy Duren says she doesn't get as much sleep but loves her adopted daughter, Madison.
Wendy Duren thought she did everything right.
She broke off relationships with men who didn't want to settle down. She refused to get pregnant out of wedlock. She prayed for a child.
Duren's yearning for motherhood was so palpable that her former fiancé once offered to father a child with her. But he warned her that he wasn't ready for marriage.
"I get bored in relationships after a couple of years," he told her, she recalls.
Those events could have caused some women to give up their dreams of motherhood. But Duren, a pharmaceutical saleswoman, didn't need a man to be a mom. At 37 years old, she decided to adopt.
"It's the best decision I could have made in my life," Duren says, two years later. She's now the mother of Madison, a 1-year-old daughter she raises in Canton, Michigan.
"People say I have never seen you so happy," she says, "but it's also the hardest thing I've ever done."
What's driving more single African-American women to adopt
Marriage and motherhood -- it's the dream that begins in childhood for many women. Yet more African-American women are deciding to adopt instead of waiting for a husband, says Mardie Caldwell, founder of Lifetime Adoption, an adoption referral and support group in Penn Valley, California.
"We're seeing more and more single African-American women who are not finding men," Caldwell says. "There's a lack of qualified black men to get into relationships with."
The numbers are grim. According to the 2006 U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, 45 percent of African-American women have never been married, compared with 23 percent of white women. Sound Off: What are the biggest challenges for black families?
Yet the decision to adopt isn't just driven by the paucity of eligible African-American men, others say.
Toni Oliver, founder and CEO of Roots Adoption Agency in Atlanta, Georgia, says her agency sees more single African-American women adopting because of infertility issues.
Some of the infertility issues may be related to advancing age or health issues, she says. But the result of not being a mother for many older African-American women is the same: panic.
"Their doctors, friends and family are telling them the same thing: 'You're not getting younger; you better hurry up,' '' Oliver says.
The unfulfilled desire to be a mother can damage a woman emotionally, Oliver says. Her agency provides counseling to prospective mothers who have invested so much of their self-worth into being mothers.
"In many cases, it [the pressure to be a mother] begins to set up feelings of unworthiness, poor self-esteem and the feeling that 'I'm not fully a woman,' " Oliver says.
That pressure can cause some African-American women to rush into a marriage with a man they should not partner with, says Kenyatta Morrisey, a 34-year-old mother of three adopted children in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Morrisey wants to be married, but says she'd rather become a mother now and wait for God to guide her to the right man.
"I am not going to settle and get married just for the sake of being married," Morrisey says. "I'd rather trust God to fulfill all of my dreams instead of relying on a man to fulfill my dreams."
Some single African-American women deal with another challenge: criticism for bringing another African-American child into a single-parent household.
Kaydra Fleming, a 37-year-old social worker in Arlington, Texas, is the mother of Zoey, an adopted eight-month-old girl whose biological mother was young and poor.
"Zoey was going to be born to a single black mother anyway," Fleming says. "At least she's being raised by a single black parent who was ready financially and emotionally to take care of her."
Yet there are some single African-American women who are not emotionally ready to adopt an African-American child who is too dark, some adoption agency officials say.
Fair-skinned or biracial children stand a better chance of being adopted by single black women than darker-skinned children, some adoption officials say.
"They'll say, 'I want a baby to look like a Snickers bar, not dark chocolate,' " Caldwell, founder of Lifetime Adoption, says about some prospective parents.
"I had a family who turned a baby down because it was too dark," she says. "They said the baby wouldn't look good in family photographs."
'You have so much love to give'
Skin tone didn't matter to Duren, the pharmaceutical saleswoman. She says she just wanted a child to love.
She was so natural with children that all of her friends predicted that she would be the first to marry, she says. But adoption was "never an option" for her.
"I wanted my genes, my looks to be passed on," Duren says. "I wanted to see me."
The African-American men she dated, however, didn't want to marry, she says. She dated African-American professionals: engineers, attorneys and managers. But there were so many eligible African-American women, and they still wanted to play, she says.
Time was running out for her. At 37 years old, Duren had earned an MBA degree, a six-figure income and had traveled widely. But she couldn't find the right man to raise a family.
One man she thought she would marry broke off their relationship because he said he wasn't ready to be a father. Then he had a child out of wedlock with another woman, she says.
"He broke my heart," Duren says.
The persistent heartache ate away at her.
"I was struggling," Duren says. "I prayed: 'You know Lord, I worked so hard. I have my integrity, morals -- how did this happen?' ''
A turning point came when she was playing with her niece and nephews. Her brother, their father, asked her why she didn't adopt a child when there were so many black children who needed adopting.
"You have so much love to give," he told Duren.
Duren didn't have an answer. She then went online and learned about Lifetime Adoption, the agency based in California. The agency referred her to a married woman who already had five children, but says she couldn't afford to take care of another.
The woman put her through an interview process. She asked about her family history; how she would discipline her child; and what she would do if her baby woke up screaming in the middle of the night.
The woman eventually picked Duren. When the woman gave birth, she invited her to the hospital and handed Duren her daughter.
The adoption process -- from the beginning to receiving her child -- took eight months, Duren says. It cost about $15,000.
"It was so smooth," she says of the adoption process.
What single moms lose and what they gain
The adoption process will go smoothly if a prospective mother prepares well, Caldwell says.
She suggests that prospective single mothers prepare a notebook that will answer vital questions: Who is going to be the guardian of my child if I get sick? Who are the men in my life that could serve as good role models? Do I have life insurance?
Becoming a single mother means a "complete lifestyle change," Caldwell says.
"You might have to give up getting your nails done," she says.
But you gain something better in return, Duren says. Her life is tougher, but its purpose has shifted.
"Tired is my middle name now," she says. "I'm always tired. Naps don't exist anymore."
And at times, being a single mother can be scary, Duren says.
"When my daughter got sick in the middle of the night in the middle of a snow storm, I didn't have anyone to turn to," she says. "I had to do it. There was no one to talk to."
And at times, there is the temptation for an open-ended relationship with men to take away a little of the loneliness.
One ex-boyfriend came around one day with gifts for her daughter, Duren says. Duren told him to make it his last visit because he was still seeing another woman who had his child.
She told him she wasn't going to be his woman on the side.
"I refuse to be a woman with a man tip-toeing in the middle of my house late at night with toys for my daughter," she says. "No one is going to disrespect me."
Duren says she still wants to be married. But in the meantime, she can barely wait to get home to see Madison.
Her life is now shaped by purpose, not regret.
"I have someone to hang out with. I can never say I'm lonely," Duren says. "She lies across my stomach every night, and I just stare at her."
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Loss of 16-year-old magazine leaves marketplace without mainstream hip-hop/ R&B title.
Vibe magazine, the urban glossy founded in 1992 by legendary producer Quincy Jones, announced on Tuesday (June 30) that the publication is folding and will no longer produce print issues or publish its Web site, Vibe.com.
With the closing of the title, effective immediately, there now remains no large circulation print publication dedicated to covering hip-hop, R&B and fashion on a mainstream level.
During the magazine's memorable 16-year-run, a number of iconic covers were produced, chief among them images of Suge Knight's Death Row roster adorned all in black, and simple, striking photos of Lisa "Left Eye" Lopes and Aaliyah to mark their deaths. The magazine, however, will forever be remembered for its controversial coverage of the East Coast/ West Coast hip-hop rivalry, which inspired many of the scenes from the film "Notorious."
A number of notable editors helmed VIBE over the years, including Alan Light, Emil Wilbekin, Mimi Valdes and current editor-in-chief Danyel Smith. (This reporter and MTV News Hip-Hop Editor Shaheem Reid both spent time on Vibe's staff as well.)
"On behalf of the VIBE CONTENT staff, it is with great sadness, and with heads held high, that we leave the building today," Smith said in a statement. "We were assigning and editing a Michael Jackson tribute issue when we got the news. It's a tragic week overall, but as the doors of VIBE Media Group close, on the eve of the magazine's 16th anniversary, it's a sad day for music, for hip-hop in particular, and for the millions of readers and users who have loved and who continue to love the VIBE brand. We thank you, we have served you with joy, pride and excellence, and we will miss you."
Like most magazines, Vibe has struggled in recent years to transition into the digital realm, as readers flock to the Internet for information. Vibe recently redesigned its Web and print properties. The magazine also began publishing in a smaller format and made the decision to remove album reviews from the title and include the section online only. In addition, a tabloid-like spin-off called The Most was scheduled to be introduced into the market place.
But due to declining readership, the recession, a weakened music industry and a faltering ad market, the magazine could no longer endure a high amount of debt as an independent publishing company, said Vibe Media Group CEO Steve Aaron in remarks sent to the staff.
When the magazine was founded in the early '90s, the upstart title was positioned as a sexier alternative to The Source, at the time the leading publication in hip-hop circles. The magazine then went on to break many barriers — under Wilbekin's tenure as editor, it won an American Society of Magazine Editors award — and reshaped the definition of an urban magazine.
Writers such as Kevin Powell, Dream Hampton and Harry Allen published thought-provoking analysis on hip-hop from within the culture, and the magazine left an indelible mark on countless readers as Vibe helped to launch the careers of many of today's biggest stars, from Jamie Foxx to Diddy to Mariah Carey, all of whom had graced multiple covers.
Vibe's influence and impact on the worlds of hip-hop and R&B has been both immense and enduring.
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From left: Prince Michael Jackson II, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr.
Michael Jackson's three children asked to see their father's body in the UCLA emergency room after they were told he was dead, according to the lawyer for Jackson's personal doctor.
"My understanding is that they did" see the body, attorney Ed Chernoff said.
On Monday, the children, ages 7, 11 and 12, were placed under the temporary guardianship of their paternal grandmother, Katherine Jackson, by a Los Angeles judge.
The biological mother of Jackson's two oldest children, Debbie Rowe, will be invited to a hearing next Monday in which the judge will consider who should have custody of them. She has, so far, not publicly indicated whether she will challenge the Jacksons for custody.
The Jackson family said it has not found a will for the singer, which would leave the division of his estate to the court.
The judge Monday also gave Katherine Jackson temporary control of her son's "tangible personal property."
No funeral plans have been announced for Jackson, although his father, Joe Jackson, said Monday the famed singer would not be buried at the Neverland estate. He also indicated the family would wait until they get the results of a second autopsy before holding a funeral.
Los Angeles police detectives and Assistant Chief Coroner Ed Winter returned to Jackson's rented Holmby Hills, California, home to "recover some additional items as a result of our investigation," Winter said.
The investigators carried off medications, but Winter did not say what they were.
Chernoff -- attorney for Dr. Conrad Murray, who was at the home when Jackson collapsed -- responded to unsubstantiated reports that Jackson was given a shot of Demerol, a powerful painkiller, shortly before his death.
"Dr. Murray never prescribed Demerol, never administered Demerol, never saw Michael Jackson take Demerol, and that goes, as well, for Oxycontin," Chernoff said.
Murray was was not aware of any prescription drug abuse by Jackson, Chernoff said.
"He had no reason to suspect that he had," Chernoff said. "Let's not rush to judgment here and say Michael Jackson was a drug addict. We don't know that."
Chernoff, known as a criminal defense lawyer, said Murray is not worried about criminal charges. Murray hired him because "one of the most famous men in the world literally died in his arms."
"We want to get to the bottom of it just like the family does," Chernoff said.
Murray rode in the ambulance with Jackson and worked with UCLA doctors in the efforts to revive him, Chernoff said.
He also was the one to tell the Jackson family gathered at the hospital that he was dead, Chernoff said.
When the children asked to see their father, Murray consulted with a psychologist for advice, Chernoff said, adding that it was his understanding the children did see the body.
Since leaving the hospital Thursday, Murray has been available to meet with investigators and "he's not hiding out," Chernoff said.
The children are happy playing with other kids at their grandparents' home because they were never around other kids, according to Joe Jackson.
"We're going to take care of them and give them the education they're supposed to have," he said. "We can do that."
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Gunmen in a green minivan opened fire on a group of teenagers waiting at a bus stop near a Detroit school on Tuesday, wounding at least seven including two who were in critical condition, authorities said.
(ABC News)
Five of the teens had just left Cody Ninth Grade Academy, where they were taking summer classes, when they were shot at the nearby bus stop.
The gunmen exited a vehicle and "asked for a person by name" before they "opened fire at the crowd," said Detroit Public Schools Police Chief Roderick Grimes.
Detroit Police were looking for two suspects in a green minivan, said spokesman Rod Liggons. Officers were interviewing some of the victims in the hospital Tuesday evening, he said.
Four boys and three girls ranging in age from 14 to 17 years old were hospitalized, two of them — a 16-year-old boy and a 17-year-old female — in critical condition, said Deputy Chief James Tolbert.
Gas station owner Steve Hakim said he saw two people with T-shirts covering their heads run across his lot toward the bus stop. Then he heard about 10 gunshots, saw a boy and a girl fall down and called 911.
"It's pretty scary," Hakim said. "Somebody's got to do something."
Police were reviewing video taken from the gas station's security cameras and took a disc containing the footage, Hakim said.
Another summer school student, 15-year-old Bria Wilson, said she was standing at the bus stop when she heard the gunfire. She said she was facing away from the shooters and ran away after the shots were fired. But she saw a 16-year-old male friend lying on the ground, bleeding.
"They were so close — it almost hit me," she said.
Schools spokesman Steve Wasko said there was "nothing that we're aware of at this time" linking the shootings with any fight or dispute at the school.
He said the shootings happened about 2:15 p.m., about 15 minutes after summer school students were dismissed for the day.
Associated Press writers Ben Leubsdorf and David N. Goodman contributed to this report.
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