Author Toni Morrison Endorses Sen. Obama for President

In a beautiful and well written letter, author Toni Morrison endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for President of the United States. As most of us know, Obama is a black American man with a Kenyan father and a mother from Kansas. Hopefully, this will put to rest folks belief that in referring to former President Bill Clinton as "the first Black President" she meant her statement to be taken literally. Morrison made the statement to say that Clinton, in his presidency, had to deal with all of the attacks that are typically propelled against black men no matter how accomplished and intelligent they are. Morrison's endorsement of Obama and letter should put to rest this long-held misinterpretation of her true intent. Here is the endorsement letter:

Dear Senator Obama,

This letter represents a first for me--a public endorsement of a Presidential candidate. I feel driven to let you know why I am writing it. One reason is it may help gather other supporters; another is that this is one of those singular moments that nations ignore at their peril. I will not rehearse the multiple crises facing us, but of one thing I am certain: this opportunity for a national evolution (even revolution) will not come again soon, and I am convinced you are the person to capture it.

May I describe to you my thoughts?I have admired Senator Clinton for years. Her knowledge always seemed to me exhaustive; her negotiation of politics expert. However I am more compelled by the quality of mind (as far as I can measure it) of a candidate. I cared little for her gender as a source of my admiration, and the little I did care was based on the fact that no liberal woman has ever ruled in America. Only conservative or "new-centrist" ones are allowed into that realm. Nor do I care very much for your race[s]. I would not support you if that was all you had to offer or because it might make me "proud."

In thinking carefully about the strengths of the candidates, I stunned myself when I came to the following conclusion: that in addition to keen intelligence, integrity and a rare authenticity, you exhibit something that has nothing to do with age, experience, race or gender and something I don't see in other candidates. That something is a creative imagination which coupled with brilliance equals wisdom. It is too bad if we associate it only with gray hair and old age. Or if we call searing vision naivete. Or if we believe cunning is insight. Or if we settle for finessing cures tailored for each ravaged tree in the forest while ignoring the poisonous landscape that feeds and surrounds it.

Wisdom is a gift; you can't train for it, inherit it, learn it in a class, or earn it in the workplace--that access can foster the acquisition of knowledge, but not wisdom.When, I wondered, was the last time this country was guided by such a leader? Someone whose moral center was un-embargoed? Someone with courage instead of mere ambition? Someone who truly thinks of his country's citizens as "we," not "they"? Someone who understands what it will take to help America realize the virtues it fancies about itself, what it desperately needs to become in the world?

Our future is ripe, outrageously rich in its possibilities. Yet unleashing the glory of that future will require a difficult labor, and some may be so frightened of its birth they will refuse to abandon their nostalgia for the womb.There have been a few prescient leaders in our past, but you are the man for this time.

Good luck to you and to us,
Toni Morrison
(SOURCE).

Clinton Replaces Campaign Manager with Maggie Williams

Sen. Hillary Clinton changes Campaign Managers in mid-stream and chooses Maggie Williams to lead her to victory. Williams served as the assistant to President Bill Clinton during his administration and as the chief of staff to Hillary Clinton when she was first lady. Most recently, Williams was one of Hillary Clinton's top presidential campaign advisors. (SOURCE). If Ms. Williams is indeed an advisor to Clinton, I wonder how she let Hillary's campaign get so out of control with the negative comments by surrogates and minions to the campaign. I don't know if the replacement of Ms. Williams will change anything. We'll soon see.

Michelle Obama on Larry King Live on Monday Night

Michelle Obama will be on Larry King Live on tommorrow night. Check your local listings for channel and time. I plan to watch the show.

Cosby Show Reunion on Oprah on Tuesday!

Calling all Cosby Show fans!!!!

On Tuesday, February 12, 2008 the Oprah Winfrey Show will feature a Cosby Show reunion. You all know the time and channel for the Oprah Winfrey show in your respective cities. If not, go on to Oprah's webpage to find out. What a great show the Cosby show was. I'm looking forward to seeing the reunion show and hearing from the cast about what it meant to them at the time to be a part of such a visionary show. I'd also like to know what cast members are doing now and how they view current television programming featuring African-Americans. I'm pretty sure of what Bill Cosby's stance is on the issue because he's been pretty vocal these past few years about his opinion on the State of Black America. Mr. Cosby has expressed extreme disappointment in the State of Black America. His most recent book, "Come on People" features his opinion on Black affairs. I haven't read it, so maybe I'll go and pick it up from library or read it at Borders or Barnes and Noble bookstores.

Celebrate Black Women in Jazz!

Over the weekend, I saw the renowned jazz vocalist Cassandra Wilson at Yoshi's Jazz Club in the Bay Area. The event was amazing! Wilson has the ability to engage her audience with clarity, ease and seduction. I highly recommend a visit to Yoshi's to anyone who loves live music. The venue is intimate and cozy. It has become a premiere venue to hear great, live, jazz music.

Prior to going to the concert, I heard a lecture from Historian and Professor LaShonda Katrice Barnett as she talked about her book, "I Got Thunder: Black Women Songwriters On Their Craft." Barnett offered great depth and context to many black female vocalist we've taken for granted and have not gotten to really know beyond their music. Her book features private and intimate interviews with great writers such as Abbey Lincoln and Nina Simone, just to name a couple. I purchased her book and look forward to learning more about the lives of these women.

I've become a huge fan of female jazz vocalist. Some of my favorites are Shirley Horn, Carmen McCrae and Etta James. Jazz is a musical genre that is almost lost in the black community because black folks neither buy jazz music nor attend jazz concerts at the same rate as do other groups. Jazz is considered the first musical genre rooted in the United States experience, having been created in New Orleans, Louisiana by enslaved Africans. (SOURCE). I intend to spend more time cultivating my interest in this musical genre, sharing it with young people and learning more about its history. If you are a jazz enthusiast who happens to be black, share the art form with your children so that the genre continues to be known to and appreciated by children of color.

Obama Rally With Oprah and Friends at UCLA -- Awesome!

On Sunday, Oprah Winfrey, Caroline Kennedy, Michelle Obama and suprise guest Maria Shriver appeared at UCLA to promote Sen. Obama's candidacy for President of the United States to Californians. The event was held two days before "Super Tuesday" a day in which Californians and voters from many other states around the country will cast their vote for their parties nomination for president. I watched this rally on C-SPAN and it was absolutely awesome! I loved Oprah's line in responding to disdain from women who claim that she is a traitor to her gender because she supports Obama. Oprah said,

After Iowa, some woman had the nerve to say to me, How could you, Oprah? How could you? You're a traitor to your gender. . . I was both surprised by that comment and insulted because I've been a woman my whole life and every part of me believes in the empowerment of women but the truth is I'm a free woman. Being free means you get to think for yourself. So I say, I am not a traitor . . I'm just following my own truth and that truth has led me to Barack Obama. . . . Don't play me small. I'm not that small. . . I would never vote for anybody because of gender or race. I'm not voting for Barack Obama because he's black. I'm voting for Barack Obama because he's brilliant."(SOURCE).

It is wonderful to see women with their own minds, exercising free-will to endorse the candidate who they believe is best for them and the country. Michelle, in my opinion, gave the best speech of the day when she talked about all that her husband has triumphantly overcome. It was a motivating and inspiring rally. Oh yeah, I can't forget Stevie. Stevie Wonder sang a beautiful melody to Obama's name. I haven't been able to get the melody out of my head. Awesome!

Judge Refers to Three Black Female Attorneys as "The Supremes"

01/30/2008
Washington County Circuit Judge W. Kennedy Boone III has been reprimanded by the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities.
By ERIN JULIUS - erinj@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN — Washington County Circuit Judge W. Kennedy Boone III has been reprimanded by the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities for referring to three women of color in the Public Defender's Office as "the Supremes" and for suggesting that a defendant who wanted to replace his public defender be given an "experienced male attorney." Boone made the comments in open court April 24, 2007. [me: I'm not at all suprised to hear this. As an attorney, I've heard comments like this and worse from judges. I think judges tend to get extremely comfortable in their courtrooms, thinking that they are in their homes where they can say whatever they want. I can only imagine the "Archie Bunker-like" comments that the judge makes in the privacy of his own home].

The judicial disabilities commission concluded that Boone's comments were "undignified and disparaging," according to a notice of the reprimand printed in the Jan. 18 edition of the Maryland Register. "I have no defense," said Boone, who called the notice of the reprimand a fair document. He said he holds all three attorneys to whom he was referring with the "Supremes" comment in high regard, and he said each of the women has built a solid professional reputation. The judge acknowledged that his comments were "highly suggestive, if not indicative ... of racial and sexual bias," he said. [me: Indicative and suggestive . . .hell these comments were outright racist and sexist. Judge call it what it is. The first step to redemption is honesty].

Nancy Forster, Public Defender for Maryland, filed the complaint about Boone's remarks July 2, 2007. Forster has been with the Office of the Public Defender for 24 years and has never filed a complaint, she said Tuesday morning in a telephone interview. She found it "very disturbing" that anyone in this day and age would refer to three African-American women as "the Supremes," Forster said. [me: Suprised to hear that this was the first complaint. I believe that this was the first reported complaint that was so irrefutably and overtly racist and sexist that it could not go unpunished].

Boone called Forster after she filed the complaint and apologized profusely, said Forster, whose office is in Baltimore. The judge wanted Forster to know there would be no similar conduct in the future, he said Tuesday. Judges must be held accountable, Boone said. "The buck stops here when I'm wrong," said Boone, who said he never before had a sanctionable complaint filed against him.

Boone personally apologized to the women he referred to as "the Supremes." He met with each of them in June 2007 and offered to recuse himself from their future cases, according to a stipulation entered into by Boone and the Commission. Offering to recuse himself from the women's cases was "absolutely the right thing to do," Forster said. The decision to ask the judge to recuse himself has been left up to the three attorneys, Forster said. [me: It goes without question that I would ask the judge to recuse himself from hearing any case where I am counsel as he has already demonstrated that he is biased against black women attorneys].

All three women have since appeared before Boone in court, he said. "I appreciate their acceptance of my apology," he said. Both "the Supremes" comment and a comment that a defendant be given a qualified male attorney came during a hearing for Jermaine Jackson, a defendant charged with first-degree assault and other crimes who wanted to replace the male public defender who had been representing him. Boone wrote in his response that his comments were intended to shield the three female attorneys from representing a very difficult, streetwise and manipulative defendant. [me: Now this takes the cake. The excuse for making the comment is just as bad as the comment. As my cousin from Louisiana would say, "now come on." Black professional women do not have the luxury of going through life without dealing with "game" and manipulation. We deal with it in law school where professors are "pleasantly suprised" that we know how to respond analytically to the many questions that they throw out during lecture, assuming that we are there only because of a quota and not by our own merit and suprised when we are able to engage in the socratic method of discourse often used in law school; we deal with it in law firms where we are placed on certain "tracks" unless we find the right mentor to help us learn the firm's culture so that we are placed on the "partnership track" as opposed to merely holding a job. So, I'm almost certain that encountering this particular defendant was not the first time in which these women have had to deal with a difficult person or situation].

Washington County Circuit Administrative Judge Frederick C Wright III said Tuesday that the judicial disabilities commission has a fair process through which it issued the reprimand. The commission concluded that Boone's comments violated five canons of the Maryland Code of Judicial Conduct. [me: This incident makes clear the need for diversity on the bench. For too long our courts have been made up primarily of white men who have rarely if ever encountered minority groups except as criminal defendants in their courtrooms. If the judge had some kind of relation to or familiarity with black professional women he would have been reminded of women like Constance Baker Motley, Lani Guinier, Mary Frances Berry, Carole Moseley-Braun, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Frankie Muse Freeman, Elaine Ruth Jones, Patricia Robert Harris, Marian Wright Edelman, Consuelo Bland Marshall, Audrey Collins, all of whom are or were highly accomplished black women lawyers. Although I like the Supremes, I know that black women have orgins as professionals, community leaders, wives, mothers, feminists and even attorneys. If this judge truly wants to redeem himself, he will make efforts to learn of this rich history as well].